World Baseball League: Following the Sheffield Mountain Hares - Page 12

dinosauryoshi · 04-17-2026, 09:53 AM

2061 Banner Ceremonies - and 2060 recap

Around the WBL, the start of a new season means banner ceremonies. Before attention turns fully to 2061, clubs and supporters take a moment to honour what was achieved in 2060: division titles, conference crowns, and for one team, a World Series championship.

These ceremonies are more than a quick pre-game formality. They are a chance for each city to mark its place in league history. New banners go up alongside the old ones, stretching a little more colour and memory across the rafters. In some cities that means another addition to an already crowded wall. In others, it means a first.

The celebrations themselves tend to reflect the clubs and places involved. Some lean into pageantry, with local bands, choirs, drummers or brass sections giving the whole day a civic feel. Others spill out beyond the stadium with food stalls, neighbourhood markets, family activities and supporters arriving early just to be part of the atmosphere. The banner goes up, the crowd looks on, and for a moment the story of 2060 feels fixed in place.

Below is the current divisional and championship record, with this year’s honourees marked in bold. Old team names are in brackets.

TAO

South America Division

1. Lima Cavies (Parakeets): 5 (2043, 2044, 2046, 2056, 2057)
2. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers: 4 (2045, 2047, 2048, 2060)
3. Asuncion Pampas Foxes: 3 (2040, 2049, 2059)
4. La Paz Doves: 2 (2053, 2054)
5. Quito Cinchonas: 2 (2041, 2051)
6. Sao Paolo Gold Sox (Knights): 1 (2058)
7. Porto Alegre Winemakers (est. 2055): 1 (2055)
8. Salvador Toucans: 1 (2052)
9. Cordoba Silversmiths: 1 (2050)
10. Montevideo Sea Lions (Jaguars): 1 (2042)

No wins

- Caracas Macaws
- Medellin Sea Lions (Monkeys)
- Bogota Condors
- Santiago Flamingos
- Buenos Aires Apples
- Brasilia Travelers (est. 2052)
- Manaus Jaguars (est. 2058)
- Porto Velho Heliconias (est. 2060)
- Paramaribo Pufferfish (est. 2059)

Central America & Oceania

1. Port Moresby Manatees: 4 (2040, 2041, 2056, 2057)
2. Havana Cafecitos: 4 (2045, 2046, 2049, 2051)
3. Sydney Koalas: 3 (2044, 2054, 2055)
4. Tegucigalpa Spirits (Savannah): 2 (2047, 2048)
5. San Jose Sloths: 2 (2042, 2043)
6. Guatemala City Ocelots: 1 (2060)
7. Panama City Poets (Golden Frogs): 1 (2059)
8. Santo Domingo Dolphins (est. 2052): 1 (2058)
9. Mexico City Tenochca (Aztecs): 1 (2053)
10. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2052)
11. Melbourne Whales: 1 (2050)

No wins

- San Pedro Sula Fire
- San Salvador Volcanoes
- Guatemala City Armadillos (Quetzals)
- Managua Motmots
- Auckland Kiwis
- San Juan Garitas (est. 2055)
- Perth Fairywrens (est. 2058)
- Port au Prince Revolution (est. 2060)
- Monterrey Dinos (est. 2059)

North America - West

1. Calgary Tartans: 5 (2042, 2053, 2054, 2056, 2058)
2. Salt Lake City Skiers: 3 (2050, 2051, 2060)
3. Honolulu Seahawks: 3 (2052, 2054, 2059)
4. Vancouver Green Sox: 2 (2045, 2049)
5. Albuquerque Pueblos (Chiefs): 2 (2043, 2044)
6. Tijuana Luchadores (Stouts) (est. 2052): 1 (2057)
7. Alaska Moose: 1 (2055)
8. California Waveriders: 1 (2048)
9. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047)
10. Los Angeles Stars: 1 (2046)
11. Arizona Wrens: 1 (2043)
12. Las Vegas Jacks: 1 (2041)

No wins

- Portland Jackalopes (White Oaks)
- Idaho Owls
- Montana Smokey Bears
- San Diego Stingrays (est. 2055)
- Winnipeg Caribou (est. 2058)
- Seattle Herons (est. 2059)
- Edmonton Hurricanes (est. 2060)

North America - East

1. Miami Swordfish: 4 (2046, 2049, 2052, 2060)
2. Memphis Steamers: 3 (2041, 2058, 2059)
3. New Orleans Jazz: 3 (2042, 2053, 2054)
4. Toronto Gray Jays: 2 (2048, 2055)
5. Quebec Muskies/Montreal Miracles: 2 (2040, 2045)
6. Philadelphia Ruffed Grouse: 1 (2057)
7. Boston Bluebirds (Chickadees): 1 (2056)
8. Atlanta Eagles: 1 (2051)
9. Washington Grays (Presidents): 1 (2050)
10. St Louis Flycatchers: 1 (2047)
11. Nashville Rockabillys (Melodies): 1 (2044)
12. New York Nightlights (Raccoons): 1 (2043)

No wins

- Chicago Hoppers (Y's)
- Kansas City Meadowlarks
- Houston Apollos (est. 2052)
- New Jersey Jellyfish (est. 2055)
- Dallas Cosmopolitans (est. 2058)
- St. Paul Charlie Browns (est. 2060)
- Cincinnati Cincies (est. 2059)

EAA

Europe

1. St Petersburg Pelicans: 4 (2042, 2050, 2053, 2054)
2. Paris Black Cats: 3 (2044, 2045, 2057)
3. Budapest Red Squirrels: 3 (2046, 2047, 2049)
4. Bucharest Sounds: 2 (2041, 2060)
5. Rome Legion: 2 (2055, 2056)
6. Vienna Whistlers (Music): 2 (2040, 2048)
7. Madrid Mallards: 1 (2059)
8. Moscow Blizzard: 1 (2058)
9. Warsaw Kings: 1 (2052)
10. London Gentlemen: 1 (2051)
11. Berlin Bears: 1 (2043)

No wins

- Zurich Chocolatiers (Mountaineers)
- Kyiv Terrapins
- Minsk Bison
- Stockholm Orcas (est. 2052)
- Sheffield Mountain Hares (est. 2055)
- Athens Philosphers (est. 2058)
- Lisbon Caravels (est. 2059)
- Milan Tailors (est. 2060)

Africa

1. Kinshasa Leopards: 4 (2048, 2049, 2050, 2059)
2. Abidjan White Elephants: 3 (2045, 2051, 2052)
3. Lagos Moons: 3 (2042, 2043, 2044)
4. Kano Camels: 2 (2056, 2060)
5. Ouagadougou Nomads (est. 2052): 2 (2054, 2055)
6. Cairo Scarabs: 2 (2040, 2041)
7. Dar es Salaam Giraffes: 1 (2058)
8. Addis Ababa Lions: 1 (2057)
9. Yaounde Chimpanzees (Cannons): 1 (2053)
10. Johannesburg Scholars (Springboks): 1 (2047)
11. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2046)

No wins

- Khartoum Rhinos
- Casablanca Corsairs (Gray Wolves)
- Nairobi Lilacs
- Luanda Red Caps
- Nouakchott Sand Sox (est. 2055)
- Cape Town Penguins (est. 2058)
- Harare Hippos (est. 2060)
- Mogadishu Seashells (est. 2059)

West & South-East Asia

1. Bengaluru Bytes: 4 (2043, 2045, 2050, 2053)
2. Istanbul Spice: 3 (2047, 2048, 2060)
3. Dhaka Mammoths: 3 (2042, 2052, 2055)
4. Karachi Seafarers: 2 (2044, 2059)
5. Manila Snakes: 2 (2054, 2058)
6. Yangon Peacocks: 2 (2046, 2049)
7. Mumbai Directors: 2 (2040, 2041)
8. Phnom Penh Jackhammers: 1 (2057)
9. Jakarta Dragons: 1 (2056)
10. Bangkok Tuk-Tuks (Eels): 1 (2051)

No wins

- Tehran Goats (Marbles)
- Baghdad Chukars
- Dubai Dunes (Hyenas)
- Hanoi Mopeds
- Riyadh Falcons (Bedouins) (est. 2052)
- Patna Roosters (est. 2055)
- Ashgabat Akhal-Tekes (est. 2058)
- Jaipur Pink Sox (est. 2059)
- Singapore Shipwrights (moved from Central & East Asia in 2060, where they have 5 wins!)

Central & East Asia

1. Singapore Shipwrights (moved to West & South East Asia in 2060): 5 (2045, 2046, 2048, 2049, 2053)
2. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 4 (2044, 2047, 2055, 2056)
3. New Taipei City Magpies: 2 (2040, 2051)
4. Hong Kong Kites (Songbirds): 2 (2042, 2043)
5. Kuala Lumpur Tigers: 1 (2060)
6. Hiroshima Express: 1 (2059)
7. Shanghai Peaches: 1 (2058)
8. Tokyo Octopi: 1 (2057)
9. Almaty Blue Sox (Sunrise): 1 (2054)
10. Harbin Icecaps (Shenzhen Peanuts): 1 (2052)
11. Beijing Pandas: 1 (2050)
12. Seoul Crabs: 1 (2041)

No wins

- Kabul Caracals (Bazaars)
- Guangzhou Rams
- Busan Oysters (est. 2052)
- Ulaanbaatar Cavalry (est. 2055)
- Osaka Blossoms (est. 2058)
- Chongqing Hotpots (est. 2059)
- Lanzhou Traders (est. 2060)
- Incheon Saucers (est. 2060)

TAO Championships

Calgary Tartans (2053, 2055, 2058)
Panama City Poets (2059, 2060)
New Orleans Jazz (2040, 2042)
Tijuana Stouts (2057)
Lima Cavies (2056)
Bogota Condors (2054)
Miami Swordfish (2052)
Quito Cinchonas (2051)
Asuncion Pampas Foxes (2050)
Juarez Cacti (2049)
Toronto Gray Jays (2048)
Colorado Blue Spruce (2047)
Kansas City Meadowlarks (2046)
Vancouver Green Sox (2045)
Sydney Koalas (2044)
Sao Paolo Knights (2043)
San Jose Sloths (2041)

EAA Championships

Kano Camels (2056, 2060)
Yaounde Cannons (2053, 2054)
St Petersburg Pelicans (2042, 2050)
Vienna Music (2048, 2049)
London Gentlemen (2059)
Shanghai Peaches (2058)
Kabul Caracals (2057)
Johannesburg Springboks (2055)
Shenzhen Peanuts (2052)
Dhaka Mammoths (2051)
New Taipei City Magpies (2047)
Madrid Mallards (2046)
Pyongyang Grasshoppers (2045)
Antananarivo Lemurs (2044)
Manila Snakes (2043)
Rome Legion (2041)
Addis Ababa Lions (2040)

World Series Titles

1. Calgary Tartans: 2 (2055, 2058)
2. Yaounde Cannons: 2 (2053, 2054)
3. New Orleans Jazz: 2 (2040, 2042)
4. Panama City Poets (2060)
5. London Gentlemen (2059)
6. Tijuana Stouts (2057)
7. Kano Camels (2056)
8. Miami Swordfish (2052)
9. Quito Cinchonas (2051)
10. Asuncion Pampas Foxes (2050)
11. Juarez Cacti (2049)
12. Vienna Whistlers (2048)
13. Colorado Blue Spruce (2047)
14. Kansas City Meadowlarks (2046)
15. Pyongyang Grasshoppers (2045)
16. Antananarivo Lemurs (2044)
17. Sao Paolo Knights (2043)
18. San Jose Sloths (2041)

How 2060 Fits Into the Bigger Picture

The 2060 season felt like a year of returning powers, a couple of meaningful fresh breakthroughs, and a championship that nudged one club into a new historical tier.

At division level, only two clubs were first-time winners. Guatemala City Ocelots broke through in Central America & Oceania, and Kuala Lumpur Tigers did the same in Central & East Asia. That is a modest number, but it says something about where the league now stands. Most divisions have developed a real historical pecking order, and it is becoming harder for brand-new names to force their way in.

The rest of the divisional picture was mostly about repeat winners or long-awaited returns. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers won South America for the fourth time, but it was their first since 2048, so it felt like a revival rather than a routine defence. Salt Lake City Skiers returned in North America - West for their third division title and first since 2051. Miami Swordfish did much the same in North America - East, taking a fourth crown and their first since 2052. In Europe, Bucharest Sounds claimed their second title, but because their first came all the way back in 2041, this was one of the clearest “back at last” stories anywhere in the WBL.

A few clubs also strengthened their place in the league’s middle-to-upper historical tier. Kano Camels won Africa for a second time, adding 2060 to their 2056 banner, and then went further by winning the EAA championship again. Istanbul Spice collected a third West & South-East Asia title, their first since 2048, which reinforces them as one of the division’s long-term top performers. Rio, Salt Lake City, Miami, Bucharest, Kano, and Istanbul all came out of 2060 looking more impressive in the record books than they did before the season began.

The biggest story, though, sits above the divisional races. Panama City Poets followed their 2059 breakthrough by winning the TAO championship again in 2060 and then claiming their first World Series title. That changes the tone of their recent rise. They are no longer simply a club that had a great year. Back-to-back TAO pennants already set them apart, and the 2060 title turns them into a franchise with a proper place in WBL history.

On the other side, Kano Camels also used 2060 to raise their profile. Their second EAA championship confirmed them as one of the conference’s defining clubs of the modern period. They did not finish the job in the World Series, but another pennant means their 2056 title run now looks part of a broader era rather than a single spike.

The top of the divisional honour boards still belongs to a small group. The five-win clubs remain Lima Cavies, Calgary Tartans, and the Singapore Shipwrights (all in their previous Central & East Asia division). Just behind them sits a strong four-win tier including Rio de Janeiro, Port Moresby, Havana, Miami, St Petersburg, Kinshasa, Bengaluru, and Pyongyang. The 2060 season did not overturn that order, but it did deepen it by making the chasing group more crowded and more credible.

There are still plenty of waiting games in the background. Among non-expansion teams still without a division title in particular. In TAO that includes Caracas Macaws, Bogota Condors, Santiago Flamingos, Buenos Aires Apples, San Pedro Sula Fire, San Salvador Volcanoes, Managua Motmots, Auckland Kiwis, Portland Jackalopes, Idaho Owls, Montana Smokey Bears, Chicago Hoppers, and Kansas City Meadowlarks. In EAA, long-standing titleless clubs include Kyiv Terrapins, Minsk Bison, Khartoum Rhinos, Nairobi Lilacs, Luanda Red Caps, Tehran Goats, Baghdad Chukars, Hanoi Mopeds, Kabul Caracals, and Guangzhou Rams. A few of those names feel especially ripe for future banner-ceremony posts of their own.

dinosauryoshi · 04-25-2026, 06:16 PM

2061 WBL Pre-Season Predictions: Can the Mountain Hares Break Through?

The 2061 WBL Fangraphs pre-season prediction report gives Sheffield a slightly awkward sort of encouragement. It does not make the Mountain Hares a true European favourite, but it does keep them firmly in the conversation. The Hares are projected to finish 84-78, tied with Vienna and one game ahead of London, though still well behind the division’s top two projected powers, Warsaw at 102-60 and Bucharest at 101-61. Essentially, the experts think we'll be in for more of the same mid-table baseball this season.

Sheffield are still chasing their first playoff appearance, and the projection table suggests that wait may continue a little longer. Yet there are encouraging signs. The Hares are forecast for 806 runs, a .272 team average, 187 home runs and 181 steals, which points to a lively, athletic offence with several ways to score. The concern is the other side of the ledger: 834 runs allowed and a 4.81 ERA, one of the weaker pitching lines among Europe’s contenders. The shape of the season feels fairly clear already. If Sheffield are going to beat the forecast, they will likely do it by bludgeoning and sprinting their way past expectations rather than by quietly strangling teams on the mound. In my view, this is the less preferable way round - solid pitching tends to be a more consistent strategy...

Warsaw, Bucharest and Budapest are the three clubs the model appears to trust most. Minsk, Madrid and Rome sit in the next band. Sheffield are just behind that group, in a knot with Vienna and just above London. It is not the sort of projection that inspires banners in April, but it is the sort that leaves the door open for a club with a hot six-week stretch.

The new expansion teams

Zooming out from Sheffield and Europe, and looking at the WBL more broadly, the expansion teams add another layer to the 2061 picture. A few of the league’s new clubs look set for the usual early growing pains, but not all of them are just making up the numbers. In TAO, Suva Sea Turtles are the standout immediate success story on paper. They are projected to go 89-73, which would put them third in Central America & Oceania, ahead of a whole host of established clubs. Spokane Red Cedars are forecast at 75-87 in North America - West, a respectable enough starting point in a brutal division. Willemstad Slakken at 70-92, Edmonton Hurricanes at 67-95 and Detroit Hitmakers at 75-87 look more like classic first-year projects.

EAA’s newcomers are similarly mixed. Thessaloniki Tower Nights are projected at 75-87 in Europe, which is not a contender’s line but does add yet another body to a packed middle tier around the Hares. Windhoek Oryx are forecast for 74-88 in Africa, Wuhan Plums for 71-91 in Central & East Asia, and Ürümqi Silk Riders for a much more eye-catching 80-82 in the same division. Ürümqi are the expansion side that most obviously look capable of becoming a nuisance straight away. That wider context makes Sheffield’s position a little sharper. The Hares are not one of the league’s shiny new curiosities anymore. They are now in the harder stage, where a club has to justify itself as a genuine force while fresh franchises arrive below and around them.

Around the league

Elsewhere around the league, a few divisions look ripe for a fresh chapter. In Europe, the most eye-catching possibility is Warsaw Kings. They are projected to top the continent at 102-60. Given that Warsaw’s only division title came in 2052, a 2061 crown would not be a first, but it would be a major return and would vault them back into the foreground after years of living in the shadows of clubs like St Petersburg, Paris and Budapest. Bucharest, coming off their 2060 title, are projected right on their heels, so Europe could become a fight between an old name reawakening and a club trying to prove they're still the division's top team.

In Africa, Casablanca Corsairs look like perhaps the strongest new-winner candidate anywhere in the WBL. The model has them at 105-57, comfortably clear of the field. In the historical table, Casablanca are still without a division title, so a Corsairs breakthrough would be a significant moment. Africa has spent much of recent history rotating through Kinshasa, Abidjan, Lagos, and Kano. Casablanca look well placed to barge into that conversation.

West & South-East Asia has a similar feel. Mumbai Directors are projected at 96-66, ahead of a cluster containing Baghdad, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh. Mumbai do have history, with two titles, but both came in 2040 and 2041. A third would make them one of the division’s great comeback stories. More intriguing still is Baghdad Chukars, projected at 92-70. They remain a titleless non-expansion club, and if they make good on that forecast they could become one of the season’s most satisfying first-time winners. Kuala Lumpur, fresh off their first title in Central & East Asia, also look well equipped.

Central & East Asia has the smell of change too. Seoul Crabs are projected to lead the way at 93-69, ahead of Busan and Guangzhou. Seoul have not won the division since 2041, so a title here would end a very long drought, something that seems a bit of a theme across many divisions. Busan are one of the most obvious still-waiting clubs in the league and are projected well enough to matter, while Guangzhou are another long-time nearly side with no banner yet.

In TAO, a few defending champions are being asked stern questions. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers, fresh from winning South America in 2060, are only projected for 82-80 and sit well behind Lima Cavies, who are tipped to reclaim the division at 97-65. That would be Lima’s sixth title, reinforcing their place as South America’s standard bearer. North America - West tells a similar story. The reigning winner Salt Lake City Skiers are projected well, but not on top. Las Vegas Jacks are forecast to win the division at 97-65, which would be their first title since 2041 and yet another longest-awaited return to the top.

North America - East may be even harsher on the incumbent. Miami Swordfish, last year’s winner, are projected for 92-70, but Houston Apollos are the model’s monster team at 108-54. Houston are still without a division title in your records, so if they finally break through they would not only do so for the first time, but do it as one of the most emphatic predicted winners on the board. Central America & Oceania points the other way: Guatemala City Ocelots, last year’s first-time winner, are projected to repeat at 103-59, with the defending world champion Panama City Poets again looming close behind at 99-63.

So where does that leave the Mountain Hares? Probably in the most familiar place of all: just outside the inner circle, but close enough to make noise. The model likes their bats, likes their speed, and sees them as a respectable club. It just doesn't like their pitching That can be frustrating, but it also means the road to a breakthrough is visible. Tighten the run prevention, survive the crowded European middle class, and Sheffield could turn an 84-win forecast into something noisier. On paper they are not the story of the continent. But they are close enough to the edge of it to make this spring feel worth watching.

We'll get into some of Sheffield's off-season trades as we get into the monthly reports. Come on you Hares!

dinosauryoshi · 04-28-2026, 05:49 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - Off-Season Transactions

Sheffield’s off-season was more practical than flashy. The front office looked at the pitching staff, saw a few loose floorboards, and got to work. The headline moves were the signing of John Johnson to a 2-year, $19.4m deal, the addition of Evan Blythe on a 3-year, $27.9m contract, the trade for Randy Crimi from Albuquerque, and a 2-year, $21.6m extension for Isaac Saville. Beyond that, most of the winter log is routine churn: renewals, camp moves, and depth shuffling.

Johnson looks like the classic veteran rotation add. The 34-year-old American right-hander still throws 96-98 mph, and Sheffield were clearly buying the fact that he had just come off a strong year with Casablanca, where he went 12-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 32 starts. His career has taken him all over the map, but last season gave the Hares a reason to believe there was still something useful left in the tank.

Blythe was the bigger financial commitment, and that makes sense given his track record. The 33-year-old reliever arrived after two good seasons with London, posting ERAs of 2.43 and 2.96, and he brings a long history of late-inning work. Over his career he has a 2.92 ERA and 107 saves, which makes him the nearest thing Sheffield had to a proven relief anchor coming into the year.

Crimi is the more intriguing gamble. He is only 27, throws hard, and still has the look of a pitcher with a bit more in him than his surface story first suggests. He spent several years bouncing around between relief and starting, but in 2060 with Albuquerque he made 20 starts and posted a 3.04 ERA. That gave Sheffield a reason to take the plunge, though his winter was complicated by shoulder inflammation and a spell on the 60-day injured list.

It was not the sort of off-season that makes people run into the streets banging pots, but it had a sensible logic to it. Will it be enough to make a run for the playoffs?

dinosauryoshi · 05-01-2026, 06:40 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - April 2061 Monthly Report

Overview

April was a bruising opening month for the Sheffield Mountain Hares, who went 11-16 from their first 27 games. There were flashes of life, especially during the middle of the month when Sheffield briefly looked as though they might clamber up the table, but the overall picture was uneven. The Hares lost their opening three series, steadied themselves with back-to-back wins over San Juan and Moscow, then drove straight into a hedge with poor trips to Vienna and Rome before recovering to take three of four from Luanda. A two-game home set against St Petersburg then closed the month on a sour note.

The month never found one clean rhythm. There were tight pitching scraps, a couple of proper wallopings, some ugly defeats, and one gloriously daft 12-inning shootout in Rome that felt like April in miniature.

Team Stats

The numbers back up the awkward feel. Sheffield finished April at 11-16 (.407), 18th in Europe and 9.5 games back. They were respectable enough at home at 6-6, but struggled badly on the road at 5-10, and went just 4-6 over their final 10 games.

Offensively, the Hares were well below par. They hit .237/.311/.352 with a .663 OPS, ranking 76th, 65th, 78th and 77th in EAA respectively. They scored 115 runs, collected 216 hits, and managed only 64 extra-base hits. The one saving grace was patience, with 96 walks, but the overall attack was still more damp sparkler than fireworks display.

That was especially frustrating because there is more track record here than April showed. Nsen Ngunda, the Dutch left fielder, was a 3.4 WAR player last season with a .277 average, 17 homers, 77 RBI and an .802 OPS. Adam Koehler, Sheffield’s American catcher, hit 21 homers with 76 RBI and 3.1 WAR, while Rob Graham gave the Hares a .281/.345/.502 line with 20 homers and 78 RBI. This is not a lineup without a recent pulse.

Pitching was the bigger issue. Sheffield’s overall ERA was 4.82, with 138 runs allowed. The starters posted a workable 4.06 ERA, but the bullpen ballooned to 6.19. The Hares were often in games, then suddenly not in them.

Defensively, things were steadier. Sheffield’s defensive efficiency was .702, 16th in EAA, and their Zone Rating was +3.0, 32nd. There were mistakes, but this was not a team flinging the ball around like a hot potato at a village fete. Most of the damage came from inconsistent run prevention and a flat attack, not a full defensive collapse.

Results by Series

vs Windhoek Oryx (1-2)

The Hares opened the season with a neat 1-0 win, as John Johnson threw 6.1 scoreless innings, Adam Koehler had three hits, and Nsen Ngunda drove in the only run with a sacrifice fly. It was a tidy beginning.

The rest of the series went the other way. Windhoek took game two 5-1, then won a wild finale 15-11. Usamah Kadin went 3-for-6 and Yakov Tolochko homered, but the staff could not contain Danny Hernandez and company. It was the first sign of a month-long problem: the Hares could score, but too often only after they had already let the horse bolt through the fence and into the next county.

at Stockholm Orcas (1-2)

Sheffield pinched the opener 2-0 behind German right-hander Alois Herzog, who worked 5.2 scoreless innings before the bullpen finished the job. Back-to-back strong starts briefly suggested the Hares might build something sturdier.

Instead, the bats went quiet. Sheffield lost 3-0 and 8-3 to drop the series. In the finale, Rob Graham had two hits and Jakub Pagan and Koehler each drove in a run, but Stockholm landed the heavier punches. Already the shape of the month was visible: starters keeping things respectable, the attack running hot and cold, and the whole thing held together with string and optimism.

at Milan Tailors (1-2)

Game one was an untidy 11-6 defeat, with Milan cracking it open late. Kadin, Koehler and Zitomir Klech all had multi-hit games, but Sheffield gave up 14 hits.

The Hares responded well on April 9, winning 7-1 as Mexican starter Rey Ochoa allowed 1 run over 7.2 innings. Ngunda went 3-for-5 with a homer and 5 RBI, while Jesus Pagan also homered. The series slipped away the next day in a tight 4-3 loss, despite Kadin’s 3-run homer.

at San Juan Garitas (2-1)

This was Sheffield’s first series win of the month. The opener was a 4-3 victory, with Koehler going 2-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBI. The middle game was a proper little pitcher’s duel, won 1-0 in 10 innings, with Johnson throwing 6.1 scoreless innings and Drew Worsfold delivering the go-ahead sacrifice fly.

Sheffield could not complete the sweep, losing 5-4 on a ninth-inning walk-off, though Ngunda and Koehler both homered. The series neatly captured April: narrow margins, tightrope games, and the sense that one more hit or one more clean inning might have changed the weather entirely.

vs Moscow Blizzard (2-1)

This was probably Sheffield’s best baseball of the month. The Hares thumped Moscow 16-2 in the opener, with Klech going 2-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI, Espen Aas hitting a 2-run homer, and the lineup piling up 19 hits.

They followed it with a 5-1 win as Herzog allowed 1 run over 5.2 innings, while Sergio Rutz and Koehler both homered. The series ended with a flat 3-0 loss, Florentin Guérin shutting Sheffield down, but this was still the nearest the Hares came in April to looking good.

at Vienna Whistlers (0-3)

This was one of the ugliest patches of the month. Sheffield lost 10-4, 5-3 and 13-0. There were isolated bright spots: Outfielder Sergio Rutz went 4-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI in the opener, and Dan Jula homered and drove in 3 in game two. But Vienna repeatedly punished mistakes, and the finale ended with Sheffield being one-hit.

The bullpen woes loomed large here. April’s 6.19 bullpen ERA was not built in a vacuum, and this series felt like one of the main building sites.

at Rome Legion (1-2)

Another series defeat, though this one contained the month’s greatest circus act. Game one was a dreadful 13-0 loss, one of several reminders that when Sheffield were bad in April, they were awful.

Then came April 23: Sheffield won 18-10 in 12 innings, a game that seemed to spend long stretches covered in petrol and waving a lit match. Norwegian first baseman Espen Aas went 2-for-5 with a homer, 2 walks, 3 runs and 5 RBI. Rutz delivered the go-ahead 2-run single in the 12th. Koehler scored four runs. The game notes added two club oddities: Rutz set the Sheffield regular-season extra-inning record with 5 hits, and Koehler set the club regular-season extra-inning game record with 4 runs.

Rome took the rubber match 6-5 in 11 innings, another one Sheffield might feel they let drift away.

vs Luanda Red Caps (3-1)

This was Sheffield’s best series result of the month. The Hares won 5-1, 7-2 and 3-1 before dropping a rain-shortened finale 5-1.

In the opener, American starter Isaac Saville threw 8.1 innings and allowed 1 run, while Rutz drove in 2. That looked more like the pitcher who gave Sheffield 182.1 innings, a 4.05 ERA and 2.6 WAR last season. In game two, Rutz hit a 3-run homer and Henry Garcia worked 3.1 scoreless innings after Ochoa left injured. In game three, Herzog threw 6 innings of 1-run ball and Rutz homered again. The finale was a sloppy stumble, cut short in the eighth, and also brought another injury concern for Aloyoshenka Voevodsky.

vs St Petersburg Pelicans (0-2)

A flat ending to the month. Sheffield lost 3-1 and 8-4. In the opener, Johnson gave up 2 runs over 8 innings and still took the loss. In the finale, Ngunda collected 4 hits and Aas drove in 2, but St Petersburg’s middle order made more noise.

And that was April’s final shrug: one more decent start, one more not-quite-enough offensive night, one more series loss.

Top Performers

Sergio Rutz was the standout bat of the month. He hit .328/.388/.557 with 4 home runs, 15 RBI, 20 hits, 10 runs and 4 steals in 15 games. He provided some of Sheffield’s loudest moments, including the huge extra-innings game in Rome and several key blows in the Luanda series. He spent April looking as though the ball owed him money.

Adam Koehler also put together a strong month, batting .257/.342/.457 with 4 home runs, 9 RBI, 18 hits and 12 runs in 21 games. Given his 21-homer, 3.1 WAR season last year, that kind of sturdy production from behind the plate is exactly what Sheffield need.

Felipe Veloz quietly helped, hitting .286/.369/.393 with 16 hits, 6 doubles and 6 RBI. There was not much thump, but he kept innings moving.

Nsen Ngunda had a mixed but still important month. The rate line was modest at .245/.328/.333, but he finished with 25 hits and 15 RBI. With his 2060 season in mind, Sheffield will expect more extra-base damage as the year warms up.

On the mound, Alois Herzog had the best monthly profile among the starters. He posted a 4.50 K/BB, 9.00 K/9, 2.00 BB/9 and 2.86 FIP, and the game logs backed that up. He was one of the few starters who repeatedly gave Sheffield a chance to stay on the rails.

Strugglers

Dan Jula had a difficult month, finishing at .185/.242/.272 with 2 home runs, 11 RBI and 25 strikeouts. There were useful moments, but the full line is a hard read.

Zitomir Klech also had an uneven month. He hit .188/.250/.259 with 1 home run, 4 RBI and 29 strikeouts in 26 games. The Moscow blowout was one of the few times it clicked properly.

Rob Graham struggled too, batting .213/.294/.266. That was a long way short of last season’s .847 OPS form, when he was one of Sheffield’s most bankable bats. His track record should buy patience, but April was thin gruel.

The bullpen, though, was the real mud patch. The relievers posted a 6.19 ERA, and a few individual lines were particularly grim. Joey Booth finished the month summary with a 19.29 R/9, 13.11 H/9 and 7.26 FIP. Damian Coles had a 28.69 R/9, 13.50 H/9, 13.50 BB/9 and 9.98 FIP. When the bullpen door opened in April, it too often felt less like reinforcements arriving and more like someone had released a flock of panicked geese.

Game of the Month

It has to be April 23 at Rome: Sheffield 18, Rome 10 (12 innings).

Not because it was the cleanest game Sheffield played. It absolutely was not. But if April was about noise, nerve and just enough firepower to keep the month from sagging into total gloom, this was the perfect emblem of it.

The Hares scored 18 runs, collected 19 hits, allowed 10 runs, and still had enough left to win the last round. Espen Aas was magnificent, finishing 2-for-5 with a homer, 2 walks, 3 runs and 5 RBI. Sergio Rutz landed the decisive blow with the go-ahead 2-run single in the 12th. Adam Koehler scored four times.

It was not tidy, but it was glorious in the way only a game that goes slightly feral can be.

Defence and Other Notes

Defensively, there were some encouraging individual signs. Koehler was excellent behind the plate, handling 145 total chances without an error, throwing out 8 of 29 attempted basestealers for a 27.6% caught-stealing rate, and posting +1.1 ZR. That fits with his strong all-round value from last season.

Ngunda was very good in left field, finishing April without an error and with a +3.0 ZR, the best mark among the Hares outfielders shown. Graham was solid at second base with a .984 fielding percentage and +1.2 ZR.

There were weaker spots too. Klech made 5 errors at shortstop, though the summary still credited him with a healthy +2.1 ZR, which is an odd little statistical shrug. Veloz posted -1.4 ZR in centre, and Kadin came in at -1.5 ZR in right.

Injuries also nipped at the month. Ben Cleek was hurt running the bases on April 3, Liu-liang Huang was injured in San Juan, Rey Ochoa left hurt on April 26, Koehler was injured running the bases on April 25, and Aloyoshenka Voevodsky appeared in the game notes more than once with injury trouble.

Standings and the Wider Europe Picture

At month’s end, Sheffield sat 18th in Europe at 11-16, ahead of only Kyiv Terrapins and Thessaloniki Tower Nights. They were 9.5 games behind Minsk, who had burst out to 20-6, and already faced a fair bit of daylight between themselves and the thick middle of the table.

The top of Europe was crowded. Minsk were the pace-setters, with Bucharest, Vienna and St Petersburg all starting strongly. London were quietly solid at 15-10-1, while further down, Moscow had recovered to 13-14, and Rome, despite handling Sheffield fairly well, sat only 14-13 themselves.

So where does that leave the Hares? Not buried, but not comfortable either. The April picture is clear enough: a below-par attack, a rotation that was just about keeping things respectable, and a bullpen that kept setting fire to the curtains. There were enough good individual performances from Rutz, Koehler, Herzog and others to suggest better days are possible, especially given the proven production already on the roster.

dinosauryoshi · 05-06-2026, 12:00 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - May 2061 Monthly Report

Overview

May was a much healthier month for the Sheffield Mountain Hares, who went 16-12 and dragged themselves back towards respectability after a bruising April. They ended the month 27-28 overall, still below .500, but no longer looking like a team trapped in the basement with a broken torch.

The month opened with a win over St Petersburg, wobbled through a losing trip to Zurich, then steadied with series wins over Thessaloniki, Warsaw, Berlin, New Orleans, and Budapest. The Hares still lost three one-run games, two in extras, and the bullpen remained capable of turning a calm evening into erecting a tent in a thunderstorm. But this was clearly better: more power, steadier starts, and several April strugglers beginning to look like themselves again.

Team Stats

By the end of May, Sheffield’s year-to-date record stood at 27-28, with a slightly better 28-27 Pythagorean record. They were 14-10 at home, 13-18 on the road, and had improved from 11-16 in April to 16-12 in May.

Year-to-date, the Hares are hitting .256/.327/.411 with a .738 OPS, up to 54th, 51st, 46th and 52nd in EAA. They have scored 266 runs and hit 57 home runs, both signs of an attack that no longer looks like it has turned up at the wrong building. That tracks with the talent already here: Adam Koehler was a 21-homer, 3.1 WAR catcher last season, Rob Graham produced an .847 OPS with 20 homers, and Nsen Ngunda gave Sheffield a 3.4 WAR season.

The pitching remains mixed. Sheffield’s ERA is 4.34, with the starters at 4.13 and the bullpen at 4.69. That relief number is a big improvement from April, but still not clean. The staff has allowed a useful .249 opponents’ average, yet the walks allowed remain a problem. Defensively, the year-to-date picture is stronger: .706 defensive efficiency, 11th in EAA, and +4.0 Zone Rating.

Results by Series

vs St Petersburg Pelicans (1-0)

May began with a useful 6-4 win over St Petersburg. Espen Aas went 2-for-3 with a homer, double and 3 RBI, while Brazilian centre fielder Felipe Veloz added three hits and two doubles. Austrian right-hander Alois Herzog got through 5 innings, and the bullpen held on, with Filipino reliever Nestor Barrios bridging the gap and Egyptian closer Sarsour Burhan earning the save.

at Zurich Chocolatiers (1-2)

Zurich was an early reminder that the recovery would not be neat. Sheffield lost 10-5 in the opener despite Australian second baseman Rob Graham going 2-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBI, as Indonesian right-hander Surya Mainaky was hit hard early.

The Hares answered with a 7-3 win, helped by a pinch-hit two-run homer from Honduran veteran Sergio Rutz and another Graham homer. But the series slipped away in a 9-5 loss, despite a Tolochko homer and 3 RBI from Australian catcher Drew Worsfold. Moroccan outfielder Nsen Ngunda was injured while running the bases, another frustrating knock in an already injury-nibbled month.

vs Thessaloniki Tower Nights (2-1)

Sheffield dropped the opener 7-6 after Thessaloniki scored twice in the ninth, wasting homers from Ngunda and Romanian third baseman Dan Jula. Against a struggling Tower Nights side, it was not a defeat to frame.

They recovered well. Colombian outfielder Jesus Morales drove the 3-2 win on May 7 with two homers, before Australian utility man Marty King delivered the go-ahead pinch-hit single. Mainaky then produced one of the month’s calmest outings in a 3-1 win, throwing a complete game while Yakov Tolochko homered.

at Cairo Scarabs (2-2)

The Cairo set started beautifully and ended in frustration. Spanish starter Rey Ochoa led a 4-1 win with 6 innings of 1-run, 0-earned ball, then Sheffield exploded 13-3 behind Rutz, who went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, 2 runs and 4 RBI. American starter John Johnson worked 6 solid innings.

Then came the cooling-off. Sheffield lost 2-0 despite 9 hits, with English left-hander Isaac Saville taking a hard-luck loss, then fell 6-3 despite a Rutz homer. A split away to Cairo is fine on paper, but after winning the first two by a combined 17-4, it felt like dropping the mug after making the tea beautifully.

vs Warsaw Kings (2-1)

The Warsaw series opened with a painful 7-6 loss in 10, despite Graham going 3-for-4 with 3 runs. Sheffield left 9 men on base and Barrios took the loss.

The next two games were better. Morales walked off a 5-4 win on May 14 after Ochoa had thrown 5.2 scoreless innings, then Sheffield took the series with a 6-4 win behind Johnson, a go-ahead Rutz single, a win for Brazilian reliever Bras Touro, and another Burhan save.

at Bucharest Sounds (1-2)

Sheffield opened in Bucharest with a strong 4-2 win, as Saville allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, over 7 innings and Morales supplied a grand slam. But the Sounds hit back. Sheffield lost 8-7 despite two homers and 5 RBI from Usamah Kadin, then dropped the finale 8-4. Czech shortstop Zitomir Klech homered and Sheffield had 11 hits, but Mainaky and the bullpen could not control the middle innings.

at Berlin Bears (2-1)

The Berlin series summed up Sheffield’s progress and bad habits. They won 9-5 to open, then lost 5-4 when Burhan allowed a bases-clearing double in the ninth. It was one of the month’s great curtain-fire moments.

The response was important. Sheffield won 3-0 on May 22, with Ochoa, Touro and Burhan combining on the shutout and Ngunda driving in the key runs. Eskinder Ali was also back in the lineup by this series, giving Sheffield another flexible piece. From May 21 onward, the Hares went 6-4, or 7-4 from the start of the Berlin set.

at New Orleans Jazz (2-1)

The New Orleans series began with May’s loudest win, 15-9, as Sheffield piled up 18 hits. Graham went 2-for-2, walked twice, and hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the ninth. Tolochko had three hits, Morales and Jesus Pagan drove in 2 each, and Ali homered too.

The Hares then lost 5-4 in 10, another late frustration, before taking the series with a gritty 2-1 win. Jula drew a bases-loaded walk, and Ali, Mainaky, Booth, Blythe and Barrios pieced together a strong pitching day. Ali being injured while pitching was the sour note.

vs Budapest Red Squirrels (2-1)

The Budapest series started superbly. Johnson threw 6.1 scoreless innings in a 7-0 win, while Ali hit a three-run homer and Morales also went deep.

The next day brought a 6-5 walk-off win in 10, with Jula going 4-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI before King won it from the bench. The sweep disappeared in a 7-5 loss, but Ngunda produced one of the individual games of the month, going 5-for-5 with a double, two-run homer, 4 RBI and 2 runs, tying the Sheffield regular-season game record for hits.

vs Kyiv Terrapins (1-1)

The month ended with a split. Sheffield lost 3-1 on May 30 despite 7 hits and 9 men left on base, then closed May with an 8-2 win. Ali threw 6.1 innings, allowed 2 runs, struck out 8, and took Player of the Game honours. Graham drove in 3, Tolochko had three hits, and Morales homered. The only sour note was another Ngunda injury while running the bases.

Top Performers

Sergio Rutz was again the standout bat. The Honduran veteran hit .312/.400/.583 with 6 home runs, 13 RBI, 30 hits, 25 runs, 7 steals and 1.1 WAR. He was central in Zurich, Cairo, Warsaw and Budapest, combining power, speed and patience better than anyone in the lineup.

Jesus Morales had a terrific month too, batting .301/.372/.578 with 5 home runs, 20 RBI, 8 doubles, 6 steals and 1.0 WAR. His grand slam in Bucharest and two-homer game against Thessaloniki were two of May’s biggest swings.

Dan Jula had the clearest rebound. After a rough April, the Romanian third baseman hit .314/.400/.500 with 8 doubles, 2 homers, 14 RBI and 0.8 WAR. His four-hit walk-off game against Budapest felt like a player climbing out of the swamp with both shoes somehow still on.

Rob Graham showed signs of life too, hitting .247/.342/.443 with 4 homers, 20 RBI and 0.7 WAR. That is still short of his excellent 2060 level, but the power returned. Yakov Tolochko added loud contact, hitting .327/.365/.582 with 6 homers.

On the mound, John Johnson led the way at 2-0, 2.97 ERA, 30.1 IP and 0.7 WAR. Rey Ochoa was excellent, posting a 1.65 ERA over 27.1 innings, while Isaac Saville gave Sheffield a 3.60 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and opponents’ average of just .196.

The bullpen had real positives too. Evan Blythe posted a 0.77 ERA and 0.77 WHIP, Francisco Flores had a 2.51 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, and Barrios gave Sheffield a 2.57 ERA with 2 saves.

Strugglers

The biggest concern among regular hitters was Adam Koehler. The American catcher hit just .197/.262/.289 with 2 homers and 7 RBI, a long way from last season’s 21-homer, 3.1 WAR campaign. His defensive value still matters, but the bat went quiet.

Klech improved on April but still hit only .230/.256/.333, while Veloz had useful moments but finished with -0.4 WAR despite a .273 average.

On the mound, Herzog had a rough May after a steady April, posting a 5.93 ERA over 27.1 innings with 17 walks and 5 homers allowed. Mainaky’s month was similarly uneven at 7.25 ERA, even with his excellent complete-game win over Thessaloniki. Burhan remains hard to summarise: 6 saves, but also a 6.75 ERA, 3 losses, and several late innings wrapped in barbed wire.

Game of the Month

The pick is May 28: Sheffield 6, Budapest 5 (10 innings).

The 15-9 win in New Orleans was louder, the 7-0 win over Budapest was cleaner, and Ngunda’s 5-for-5 game was the best individual performance. But this one had the shape of the month: tension, recovery, and just enough late nerve.

Jula went 4-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, continuing his May rebound after a miserable April. King then came off the bench in the 10th and delivered the walk-off single. The win clinched the Budapest series, moved Sheffield back to 26-26, and showed the Hares could win one of the scruffy late games that kept slipping away in April.

Defence and Other Notes

The fielding report is year-to-date rather than May-only, but it shows where Sheffield are helping themselves. Koehler has been strong behind the plate with a .993 fielding percentage, +0.4 ZR, and 24.6% caught-stealing rate. Morales has been excellent at first with +1.5 ZR, while Tolochko also rates well there.

Klech is the odd one at shortstop: 8 errors, but also +6.8 ZR, which feels like “he caused trouble, but fixed plenty of it too.” In the outfield, Ngunda has +1.5 ZR in left and Rutz has +1.7 ZR in right. Centre field is less convincing, with Veloz at -4.4 ZR.

Injuries kept nibbling. Ngunda was hurt on May 4 and May 31, Graham was injured in a collision at a base on May 10, Ali was hurt while pitching on May 25, and Aloyoshenka Voevodsky was also injured while pitching in New Orleans.

Europe Standings and the Hares

May did not launch Sheffield into the European elite, but it did pull them out of the basement conversation. After ending April 18th in Europe at 11-16, the Mountain Hares closed May at 27-28, up to 12th, level with Paris Black Cats and only half a game behind Stockholm Orcas.

The realistic target is the thick middle of the table. Warsaw, Madrid, London, Lisbon and Rome are all within a few games. The top is a different world for now: Minsk Bison are flying at 41-14, with Bucharest Sounds at 34-21 and Vienna Whistlers at 31-21. Sheffield’s job in June is simpler: get over .500 and turn “improving” into “awkward to play.”

Across the League

Around the wider WBL, Guatemala City Ocelots lead the overall pack at 37-18, with Montreal Miracles, Santiago Flamingos, Tijuana Luchadores and Córdoba Silversmiths all close behind in TAO.

In EAA, Minsk are the headline act, but Nouakchott Sand Sox are also flying at 36-18-1, while Osaka Blossoms and New Taipei City Magpies are both 35-19. Baghdad Chukars lead West & South Asia at 33-21.

At the bottom, Yaoundé Chimpanzees are stuck at 13-41, Thessaloniki Tower Nights are 13-42, and Wuhan Plums, Dhaka Mammoths and Willemstad Slakken are all having grim starts. Sheffield are not in the league’s headline group yet, but they have at least moved into the messy middle, which is much better than where April left them.

Final Thoughts

May was a big improvement. The Mountain Hares went from 11-16 in April to 16-12 in May, pulled their overall record to within one game of .500, and found real production from Rutz, Morales, Jula, Graham and Tolochko. The rotation looked more dependable, with Johnson, Ochoa and Saville giving the club a stronger spine, and the bullpen was at least less flammable than it had been in April.

There are still obvious problems: too many walks, late-inning wobbles, Koehler’s cold bat, Herzog’s command, and the recurring injury interruptions. But May was progress. Not elegant progress, more a man carrying too many chairs through a narrow doorway, but progress all the same.

Sheffield enter June at 27-28, with a better run-differential profile than their record, a few hitters warming nicely, and enough teams within reach to make the next month matter. April asked whether this team might spend the year tripping over its own laces. May suggested they might, at least, learn to tie them.

dinosauryoshi · 05-12-2026, 05:31 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - June 2061 Monthly Report

Overview

June was the month the Sheffield Mountain Hares started to look genuinely dangerous. After going 11-16 in April and 16-12 in May, Sheffield went 16-10 in June, moving to 43-38 overall and climbing to 9th in Europe.

It was not all neat. The Hares lost series to Lisbon, London, Minsk and Vienna, but swept Madrid, swept Bengaluru in four games, and took useful series from Cincinnati and Paris. They also finished 7-3 over their last 10, which gave the month real momentum.

The biggest individual storyline was Eskinder Ali. He had already returned late in May, but June was the first full month where Sheffield had the full version of him: middle-order bat, outfield option, and regular starter on the mound.

Team Stats

By the end of June, Sheffield stood at 43-38, with a better 45-36 Pythagorean record, suggesting they have played slightly better than their actual mark. They were 24-17 at home and 19-21 on the road, so the away form still has wobble.

The offence has come a long way from April. Season-to-date, Sheffield are hitting .267, 27th in EAA, with a .342 OBP, 16th, .428 slugging, 29th, and a .770 OPS, 23rd. They have scored 419 runs, tied for 14th, and drawn 306 walks, 15th.

The pitching remains less tidy, but is respectable. Sheffield’s ERA is 4.23, 33rd in EAA, with a 4.14 starters’ ERA and 4.36 bullpen ERA. The staff has allowed only a .247 opponents’ average, 11th, while the defence has become a real asset: .708 defensive efficiency, 7th, and +13.0 Zone Rating, 23rd.

Results by Series

vs Kyiv Terrapins (1-0)

June opened with a 4-3 win over Kyiv. John Johnson gave Sheffield 6.1 innings, allowing 3 runs but none earned, before Nsen Ngunda turned the game with a two-run homer in the eighth. Bras Touro picked up the win and Sarsour Burhan closed it out.

vs Lisbon Caravels (1-2)

The Lisbon series was very Sheffield. They were shut out 4-0, then responded with a 15-0 demolition in which Zitomir Klech homered, drove in 3 and scored 3, while Alois Herzog threw 5.1 scoreless innings. Eskinder Ali and Espen Aas also homered.

The series still slipped away in an 8-2 loss, despite Jesus Morales homering and Sheffield collecting 11 hits.

vs Cincinnati Cincies (2-1)

Sheffield took two of three. Klech led the 4-2 opening win, going 3-for-3 with a double and triple, while Ali gave them 5 innings on the mound. Cincinnati took the middle game 6-3, but Sheffield recovered with a 3-2 finale behind Rey Ochoa, who allowed 1 run over 6 innings.

at Madrid Mallards (3-0)

This was one of Sheffield’s best series of the season. Dan Jula drove in 4 in the 9-2 opener, including a 3-run homer. Ali then powered a 5-4 win with a home run, 2 walks and 4 RBI. The sweep came with a 5-2 victory, as Ngunda delivered the key eighth-inning single and Francisco Flores earned the win.

at London Gentlemen (1-2)

The London series hurt before it healed. Sheffield lost 4-1 in 10 innings, then 5-4 in 10, with London walking off both games. Ngunda was superb in the second loss, going 3-for-5 with a homer, double, 2 RBI and 3 runs.

The Hares finally punched back in the finale, winning 13-4. Jula went 3-for-4 with a homer, 2 walks, 2 RBI and 2 runs, while Aas added a key three-run homer.

vs Minsk Bison (1-2)

Against runaway leaders Minsk, Sheffield landed the first punch, winning 8-4 behind a Klech three-run homer and an Ali win on the mound.

The next two games showed why Minsk are still miles clear. The Bison won 13-3, then took a tighter finale 3-1 after a late three-run homer. Herzog was excellent in that last game, allowing 1 run over 7 innings, but the lead slipped away late.

vs Bengaluru Bytes (4-0)

The Bengaluru series was where June really opened up. Sheffield swept all four games, outscoring the Bytes 41-13.

Ngunda went 4-for-4 in the 6-2 opener, with Surya Mainaky throwing 7.1 innings of 2-run ball. Sergio Rutz led the 13-4 win on June 21, going 4-for-5 with a homer, double, 3 RBI and 2 runs. Yakov Tolochko hit a grand slam and drove in 6 in an 8-2 win, before Morales went 4-for-5 with a triple and 4 RBI in the 14-5 finale.

at Paris Black Cats (2-1)

Sheffield took two of three in Paris. Aas helped drive a 6-5 opener, with Marty King delivering a key pinch-hit two-run triple. The next day, Isaac Saville produced one of the month’s best outings: 7.2 scoreless innings, 2 hits allowed and 5 strikeouts in a 3-0 win.

Paris salvaged the finale 10-5, but Sheffield still left with a strong road series win.

vs Vienna Whistlers (1-2)

June ended a little sourly. Sheffield lost the opener 6-5, despite Ali doubling and tripling. They responded with an 8-1 win behind Herzog, who threw 5.1 scoreless innings, while Ngunda went 3-for-4 with a homer.

The finale was ugly: an 11-5 loss, with Mainaky and Rafail Netan both hit hard.

Top Performers

Eskinder Ali was the defining player of June. The Central African two-way player hit .337/.466/.639 with 4 home runs, 20 RBI, 19 walks, 18 runs and 1.6 WAR. On the mound, he made 5 starts, going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA, 24 innings, 21 strikeouts and 0.7 WAR. A full month of Ali helped change the shape of the club.

Nsen Ngunda was just as important offensively. The Moroccan outfielder hit .351/.430/.606 with 5 home runs, 17 RBI, 18 runs and 1.6 WAR. After an injury-interrupted May, this looked much more like the high-value Ngunda Sheffield had last season.

Czech shortstop Zitomir Klech had a valuable month too, having got his call up from the minors. His batting line was useful at .278/.356/.418, with 3 home runs, 12 RBI and 18 runs, but his defence helped push him to 1.6 WAR.

Jesus Morales hit .312/.379/.484 with 3 home runs, 10 RBI and 0.8 WAR, while Dan Jula backed up his May rebound with .313/.402/.458, 2 homers, 14 RBI and 0.8 WAR. Rutz only drove in 5, but still hit .308/.411/.451, scored 21 runs, and drew 15 walks.

On the mound, Alois Herzog bounced back well from May, going 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA, 33.1 innings, 26 strikeouts and a 0.99 WHIP. Burhan converted 7 saves with a 0.00 ERA, while Touro quietly went 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA and no walks in 17 innings.

Strugglers

There were fewer obvious batting disasters this month, but Rob Graham remains below last season’s level. The Australian second baseman hit .258/.303/.366 in June, and his season OPS sits at .673. Adam Koehler also stayed quiet, hitting .200/.287/.343, though he added 3 homers and remains important behind the plate.

On the mound, Rafail Netan had the roughest month, posting an 11.91 ERA and allowing 19 hits in 11.1 innings. Nestor Barrios also struggled, with a 6.10 ERA, three losses, and several painful late-game moments. Joey Booth finished with a 6.59 ERA, despite picking up two wins.

Game of the Month

The pick is June 4: Sheffield 15, Lisbon 0.

It was the clearest version of what June became when everything worked. Sheffield scored 15 runs on 14 hits, drew 7 walks, hit three homers, and shut Lisbon out. Klech was Player of the Game, going 2-for-4 with a homer, 3 RBI and 3 runs. Ali and Aas also homered, Graham drove in 2, and Herzog set the tone with 5.1 scoreless innings.

After being shut out by Lisbon the day before, this was more than a bounce-back. It was a door kicked open while carrying a tray of delicious sandwiches.

Defence and Other Notes

The fielding report is season-to-date, but it helps explain why Sheffield’s run prevention has improved. Klech is the standout at shortstop, with a huge +10.1 ZR despite the errors. Ngunda has been valuable in both left and centre, Rutz has been excellent in right with +2.5 ZR, and Morales has also been positive in right and at first base.

Behind the plate, Koehler has handled a big workload, though his caught-stealing rate is down at 20.8%.

Injuries kept biting. Saville was hurt while pitching in Madrid, Ochoa was injured in London, Burhan and Flores both had pitching injuries, and Graham’s running injury remained part of the wider wear-and-tear story.

Europe Standings and the Playoff Picture

June pulled Sheffield properly into the European middle-to-upper pack. They ended May at 27-28 and 12th in Europe. By the end of June they were 43-38, up to 9th, level with Rome, half a game ahead of London, and within sight of Budapest, Madrid, Vienna and Warsaw.

The top remains a different country. Minsk Bison are 59-22, a full 16 games ahead of Sheffield, while Bucharest Sounds sit second at 51-30. But Sheffield’s 16-10 June, 45-36 Pythagorean record, and 7-3 finish make them look far more relevant than they did two months ago.

The wider playoff picture is tougher. As always in the WBL, the top two teams in each division qualify, then the top four remaining records in each conference take the wildcard places, giving each conference 12 playoff teams. Sheffield are still only 21st in the EAA Wild Card standings, so July needs to be another winning month for them to have any chance in the last couple of months.

Across the League

Across the WBL, Minsk remain the biggest headline at 59-22, while Guatemala City Ocelots are flying in TAO at 55-25 with a 9-1 last 10 and a seven-game winning streak. Memphis Steamers and Osaka Blossoms are both 52-29, while Dar es Salaam Giraffes and Bucharest Sounds sit at 51-30.

There are strong races forming too. Las Vegas Jacks lead TAO North America West at 49-31-1, just ahead of Tijuana Luchadores. Santiago Flamingos lead South America at 50-30-1, but Bogotá Condors are only 1.5 games back. Africa is tight too, with Dar es Salaam, Nouakchott Sand Sox and Kano Camels all above .600.

Among new expansion clubs, Ürümqi Silk Riders are a respectable 42-39, while Spokane Red Cedars are struggling at 34-47 and Willemstad Slakken are having a rough year at 25-56. Thessaloniki Tower Knights remain bottom of Europe at 21-60. The WBL is a tough place for newbies.

Final Thoughts

June was Sheffield’s best month yet. The Mountain Hares went 16-10, climbed to 43-38, and moved from recovery story to genuine mid-season nuisance. The attack is no longer one or two bats trying to drag a wardrobe uphill. Ali, Ngunda, Rutz, Morales, Jula, Aas, Tolochko and Klech all had meaningful stretches, and the lineup now looks deep enough to trouble good teams.

There are still problems. The bullpen has weak links, injuries are piling up, and the Hares still dropped series they could have won. But April’s question was whether Sheffield were bad. May’s answer was “probably not.” June’s answer was stronger: this team might actually be good.

dinosauryoshi · 05-28-2026, 05:43 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - July 2061 Monthly Report

Overview

July was a step back for the Sheffield Mountain Hares, who followed their excellent 16-10 June with an 11-15 month. They finished July at 54-53 overall, still above .500, but the mood was very different. June had made Sheffield look like a rising nuisance. July made them look like a team trying to carry a full tray of drinks through a revolving door.

The month started badly. Sheffield lost series to Athens, Mumbai, Milan, Stockholm, and Thessaloniki Tower Knights, with a seven-game losing streak running from July 3 through July 9. They steadied themselves after the break, took a series at Wuhan, split a hard four-game set with Pyongyang, then finished strongly with a sweep at Moscow.

That finish mattered. The Hares went 6-4 over their last 10 and won their final four games, but July still did damage: they ended the month 13th in Europe and 36th in the EAA Wild Card standings, needing a miraculous final third of the season to sneak into the playoffs.

Team Stats

By the end of July, Sheffield were 54-53, with a much better 58-49 Pythagorean record. They were 28-23 at home and 26-30 on the road, with the away record still dragging.

Season-to-date, the offence remains useful, even after cooling in July. Sheffield are hitting .262, 41st in EAA, with a .338 OBP, 26th, .420 SLG, 40th, and .758 OPS, 32nd. They have scored 538 runs, 19th, hit 115 home runs, 26th, and drawn 404 walks, 14th.

Pitching is middle-of-the-road. The team ERA sits at 4.26, 30th in EAA, with a 4.15 starters’ ERA and 4.43 bullpen ERA. The staff has allowed a .249 opponents’ average, 18th, while the defence is still helping: .705 defensive efficiency, 8th in EAA, and +8.3 Zone Rating, 35th.

Results by Series

at Athens Philosophers (1-2)

July opened with a frustrating 2-1 loss in Athens, despite Isaac Saville pitching well enough to deserve better. Sheffield bounced back with a 5-3 win on July 2, as Rob Graham hit a two-run homer in the ninth and Eskinder Ali also went deep.

The series ended in chaos, with Athens winning 15-14 in 10 innings. Sheffield had 14 hits, Sergio Rutz scored 4 times and tied the club’s extra-inning record for runs, but the pitching could not hold it together.

at Mumbai Directors (0-4)

The Mumbai series was the month’s low point. Sheffield were swept in four, losing 11-2, 8-1, 7-1, and 6-5.

The first three were grim, with Mumbai repeatedly jumping on the pitching while Sheffield’s bats went quiet. The finale was closer, but Sarsour Burhan gave up the decisive two-run double in the ninth. That made it six straight defeats by the end of July 8 and seven by the next day.

vs Milan Tailors (1-2)

The Milan series began with another painful 4-3 loss, despite Adam Koehler going 3-for-4 with a homer, double and 2 RBI. Sheffield then lost 1-0, wasting Kyung-soo Kim’s excellent complete-game effort.

The skid finally ended on July 10 with a 4-0 win. Rey Ochoa was outstanding, throwing 7 scoreless innings and allowing only 1 hit. It was a badly needed clean win before the break.

at Wuhan Plums (2-1)

Sheffield lost 6-5 on July 15, with Ali hit hard and Wuhan’s Tak-hing Peng homering twice. But the Hares recovered with back-to-back wins.

On July 16, they edged Wuhan 4-3, as Dan Jula delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth. On July 17, Espen Aas hit two home runs in a 4-1 win, while John Johnson allowed 1 run across 7.1 innings.

vs Stockholm Orcas (1-2)

Stockholm took the opener 10-5, despite homers from Graham and Ali. Sheffield responded with a 3-1 win on July 19, driven by Nsen Ngunda’s three-run homer and a strong start from Kim.

The rubber match went Stockholm’s way, 6-2, with the Orcas breaking it open late. Rutz homered, but Sheffield did not have enough to finish the job.

at Thessaloniki Tower Knights (1-2)

This was one Sheffield will want back. Against the bottom side in Europe, the Hares lost 7-2 and 5-3 to open the series. Saville was knocked around in the first game, while Yakov Tolochko’s two-homer day in the second was wasted.

They did salvage the finale 2-0, with Jula driving in the key run and the bullpen stitching together a shutout after Randy Crimi’s start. Still, losing the series clattered loudly in the standings.

vs Pyongyang Grasshoppers (2-2)

The Pyongyang series was a better test, and Sheffield came out of it respectably. They opened with a 6-4 win, then lost 4-3 behind two Tony Iwaki homers and 2-1 as Cheuk-yan Yee struck out 13.

The Hares answered in the finale, winning 11-8 in a noisy game against one of EAA’s stronger teams. Jesus Morales scored 3 times, Ali reached base and drove in a run, and Burhan closed it out.

at Moscow Blizzard (3-0)

The month ended with Sheffield’s best run: a sweep in Moscow, by scores of 9-4, 12-1, and 11-3. The Hares scored 32 runs in three games and looked like the June version of themselves again.

Aas homered and drove in 3 in the opener. Ngunda then went 4-for-6 with two doubles and 5 RBI in the 12-1 win. In the finale, Ali drove in 3 and earned the win on the mound, throwing 5.2 innings of two-run ball.

Top Performers

Rob Graham was Sheffield’s best July bat by the numbers. The Australian second baseman hit .295/.374/.523 with 5 home runs, 12 RBI, 16 runs and 1.2 WAR. After a slow first half, this was closer to the kind of production Sheffield expected.

Zitomir Klech had another strange but valuable month. He hit only .237/.284/.355, but still finished with 1.3 WAR, driven heavily by defence.

Eskinder Ali remained productive, though not as spectacular as June. The Central African two-way player hit .297/.381/.484 with 3 home runs, 16 RBI and 0.8 WAR, while also making 6 starts on the mound. His pitching line was rougher at 1-2, 4.83 ERA, but he still gave Sheffield 31.2 innings and won the finale in Moscow.

Yakov Tolochko brought the loudest power, hitting .338/.392/.544 with 4 home runs and 11 RBI. Sergio Rutz added 5 home runs, 13 RBI, and an .850 OPS, even with a .244 average.

On the pitching side, Kyung-soo Kim stood out, going 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA over 27 innings. Rey Ochoa was also strong at 2-1, 1 save, 2.91 ERA, including his 7-inning shutout start against Milan. Nestor Barrios had a much better month with a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings, while Evan Blythe posted a 2.08 ERA.

Strugglers

Several key bats went cold. Ngunda had big moments, especially in Moscow, but his monthly line was just .222/.278/.354. Morales also had a quiet month at .210/.270/.321, and Jula slumped to .207/.255/.253.

Aas was odd: he hit three homers and walked 19 times, but batted only .197 with a .333 slugging percentage. Koehler added 2 homers and defensive value, but his bat remained muted at .222/.273/.319.

On the mound, Joey Booth had a rough July with a 12.46 ERA. Burhan saved 6 games but also had a 5.40 ERA and two losses, while Surya Mainaky finished at 6.55 and Mike Creamer at 8.44.

Game of the Month

The pick is July 30: Sheffield 12, Moscow 1.

It was the cleanest version of Sheffield’s late-month revival. The Hares scored 12 runs on 16 hits, Ngunda went 4-for-6 with two doubles and 5 RBI, Kyung-soo Kim homered and drove in 3, and Ochoa allowed only 1 run over 6.1 innings.

After a July full of misfires, one-run losses and series slipping away, this was a proper release valve. It did not fix the month, but it showed the lineup still had teeth.

Defence and Other Notes

The fielding report is season-to-date. Klech remains the standout at shortstop with +8.2 ZR, even with 21 errors. Ali has been excellent in left field at +3.6 ZR, while Ngunda has positive marks in both left and centre. Graham is now up to +3.2 ZR at second.

Morales continues to rate well in right field at +3.9 ZR, while Rutz has been less convincing at first base defensively, sitting at -1.2 ZR. Behind the plate, Koehler has handled a huge workload, with a 17.3% caught-stealing rate.

Injuries again played a part. Ngunda was injured while throwing the ball in Mumbai, Ali was hit by pitches more than once, and the team carried the usual bumps through a month already full of potholes.

Europe Standings and the Playoff Picture

July knocked Sheffield backwards. At the end of June, the Hares were 43-38 and 9th in Europe. By the end of July, they were 54-53, down to 13th, now 18 games behind Minsk and behind a crowded middle pack including Milan, Lisbon, Stockholm, Rome, London and St Petersburg.

The top of Europe is still led by Minsk Bison at 71-34, with Bucharest Sounds at 67-38. Madrid, Warsaw and Vienna remain firmly ahead too.

The wildcard picture is harsher. In the WBL, the top two teams in each division qualify, then the top four remaining records in each conference take wildcard places, giving each conference 12 playoff teams. Sheffield are 36th in the EAA Wild Card standings, so July did real damage. August needs to be a proper correction.

Across the League

Around the WBL, Minsk Bison remain the European leaders at 71-34, but Nouakchott Sand Sox now have one of the strongest records anywhere at 70-36-1. In TAO, Memphis Steamers lead North America East at 69-36, while Guatemala City Ocelots continue to dominate Central America at 67-37. Tijuana Luchadores are strong at 67-40, and Porto Alegre Winemakers lead South America at 66-41.

In EAA, Seoul Crabs lead Central & East Asia at 62-43, just ahead of Pyongyang Grasshoppers at 62-45 and New Taipei City Magpies at 61-46. Manila Snakes lead West & South Asia at 59-46-1, with Singapore Shipwrights right behind at 60-47 and Mumbai Directors close at 58-48-1 after their strong July against Sheffield.

Africa is especially lively. Nouakchott Sand Sox lead at 70-36-1, but Nairobi Lilacs are close at 68-39, Kano Camels remain strong at 66-39, and Dar es Salaam Giraffes are still alive at 64-41.

Among the new expansion teams Ürümqi Silk Riders are respectable at 55-52, while Spokane Red Cedars sit at 45-62 and Willemstad Slakken are struggling badly at 34-73. Thessaloniki Tower Knights are still bottom of Europe at 36-71, though their series win over Sheffield was a reminder that even bad teams can leave teeth marks.

Final Thoughts

July was not a disaster, but it was a setback. The Mountain Hares went 11-15, slid to 54-53, and lost ground in both Europe and the wider EAA playoff picture. The miserable opening half of the month did most of the damage, especially the seven-game losing streak and the sweep in Mumbai.

There were still positives: Graham warmed up, Kim gave the rotation a lift, Ochoa was excellent, and the Moscow sweep gave the month a better ending. But too many important bats went quiet, and the pitching staff had too many nights where the walls started making worrying noises.

June suggested Sheffield might be good. July added a large asterisk in red pen. August now matters.

dinosauryoshi · 06-10-2026, 11:24 AM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - August Report

Overview

August was a month of near-misses, split decisions and just enough late resistance to stop the season sliding away completely. The Mountain Hares went 13-15, moving from 54-53 to 67-68, and the overall picture remains strangely split: a sub-.500 record on paper, but a much healthier 72-63 Pythagorean record underneath it.

The familiar recent pattern held. Sheffield’s pitching and defence are carrying more than their share. The team ERA sits at 3.94, 13th in the EAA, with the starters even better at 3.87, 8th. Defensive efficiency is .708, 6th, and the staff has allowed only 588 runs, tied for 16th. The batting, though, remains patchy: .255 average, 58th, .331 OBP, 39th, .409 slugging, 49th, and .740 OPS, 46th. They still draw walks well and run enough to create pressure, but too many rallies arrive wearing slippers.

The month ended with Sheffield 14th in the Europe division and 38th in the EAA wildcard standings, so the playoff road is now steep. The club is not dead, but it is definitely looking up at a lot of teams, and with only one month to go making the playoffs is all but impossible.

Monthly Awards

Offensive Player of the Month: Adam Koehler

The American catcher was comfortably Sheffield’s most valuable hitter in August, batting .329/.382/.471 over 20 games, with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and 1.9 WAR. His season line has climbed to .240/.308/.374 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs, and he also continues to shoulder a heavy defensive workload behind the plate.

Pitcher of the Month: Isaac Saville

Saville’s August was excellent: 2-0, 1.35 ERA, 20.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 7 BB, 22 K, 0.65 WHIP, .094 OAVG and 0.7 WAR. The English left-hander had one injury scare against London, but when available he was as sharp as anyone on the staff. His season now sits at 5-7, 3.66 ERA, 125.1 IP, 1.02 WHIP and 2.5 WAR.

Honourable mention: John Johnson

Johnson gave Sheffield volume and quality, going 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA across 38.1 innings, striking out 32. He also threw the club’s best single start of the month, an eight-inning, 10-strikeout win over London.

Series-by-Series

vs Bucharest Sounds - won 2-1

Sheffield opened August with two thumping home wins over one of Europe’s better sides. Eskinder Ali drove in five in a 14-3 rout on August 2nd, then John Johnson led a 6-2 win the next day. Bucharest hit back hard in the finale, winning 11-3, but it was still an impressive series win.

vs Rome Legion - won 2-1

The Hares followed with another winning series. Rey Ochoa controlled a 9-1 opener, Ali carried a tense 2-1 extra-inning win on August 6th, and Rome edged the finale 5-4 in 11. Ali was injured running the bases in that last game, a familiar little bruise on what should have been a clean week.

at Chongqing Hotpots - split 2-2

A four-game road set that never quite settled. Chongqing took the opener 5-2, Kyung-soo Kim answered with a 3-1 win, then the Hotpots won 4-1. Sheffield salvaged the split on August 11th as Isaac Saville steered a tight 3-2 victory.

at Warsaw Kings - lost 1-2

Yak Tolochko starred in a 5-3 win to open the series, but Warsaw’s quality showed after that. The Kings won 5-4 and then blanked Sheffield 3-0, leaving the Hares with another reminder of the gap between hovering and contending.

vs London Gentlemen - won 2-1

One of the better home series of the month. Espen Aas launched two homers in an 8-3 win, Johnson dominated in a 5-1 victory, and London snatched the finale 3-1 in 10. Saville was hurt while pitching in the opener, but the series itself was a good one.

at Lisbon Caravels - lost 1-2

Lisbon took the first two, 7-2 and 6-5 in 11, before Sheffield rescued the finale 4-2 in 10 behind Kyung-soo Kim and a late Ali homer. It was a very Sheffield series: competitive, awkward, and just short of satisfying.

vs Porto Velho Heliconias - lost 1-2

Johnson and Ali helped Sheffield win the opener 3-1, but the bats then disappeared. Porto Velho took the next two 1-0 and 3-1, with only four Sheffield runs across the series.

at St Petersburg Pelicans - lost 1-2

Nsen Ngunda powered a 4-2 win in the opener, but St Petersburg answered with 3-1 and 3-2 victories. The finale included a 31-minute rain delay and a ninth-inning Morales homer, but Sheffield could not quite drag it back.

at Kyiv Terrapins - lost 1-2

The month ended with another frustrating series. Kyiv won 6-2, Ali threw eight shutout innings in a 2-0 Sheffield win, then the Terrapins edged the finale 5-4 in 10. It summed up the month neatly: one gem, one stumble, one late punch in the ribs.

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Player Notes

Koehler’s month was the main offensive bright spot, but Nsen Ngunda also kept contributing: .261/.381/.420 in August with 8 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 7 steals and 1.4 WAR. Jesus Morales hit .304/.333/.456, while Rob Graham added 3 homers and 0.6 WAR despite a modest overall line.

The rougher side was clear too. Sergio Rutz had a rare cold month at .163/.260/.250, and Espen Aas fell to .154/.224/.282 despite his big London game. Tolochko supplied four August homers, but only hit .211.

On the mound, Saville and Johnson were the standouts, while Ali’s pitching work was also strong: 1-2, 1.37 ERA, 26.1 IP, 18 K, 0.95 WHIP. Sarsour Burhan saved six games, though with a 1.38 ERA but 1.31 WHIP, it was not always tidy. The bullpen remained broadly useful, but a few arms frayed late in games.

Defensively, the season picture is still strong. Ngunda is now +6.2 ZR in centre field, Morales +5.8 in right, Graham +4.4 at second, and Z. Klech +13.1 at shortstop. Even in a frustrating year, that spine has held.

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Across Europe and the League

In Europe, Minsk remain the class of the division at 71-34, with Bucharest still chasing at 67-38. Madrid 62-43, Warsaw 62-44 and Vienna 60-44 are all in strong shape, while St Petersburg 58-49, London 53-51-1, Rome 54-52-1, Stockholm 54-52-1, Lisbon 53-52 and Milan 53-52 form the crowded middle. Sheffield, at 67-68, sit 14th in the division and 38th in the EAA wildcard standings, so the gap is not just one team. It is a whole queue.

Around the rest of the EAA, the Africa race is led by Nouakchott 70-36-1, with Nairobi 68-39, Kano 66-39 and Dar es Salaam 64-41 all looking like serious postseason sides. Cairo 60-45 are still right in the wildcard mix too. In Central & East Asia, Seoul 62-43 have edged ahead of Pyongyang 62-45 and New Taipei City 61-46, while Chongqing 57-47-1 are hovering close behind. West & South East Asia is tighter, with Manila 59-46-1 just ahead of Singapore 60-47, and Mumbai 58-48-1, Yangon 58-48-1 and Riyadh 58-49 all packed in behind them.

Over in TAO, Memphis 69-36, Tijuana 67-40, Guatemala City 67-37, Porto Alegre 66-41 and Nouakchott in the EAA are among the league’s strongest-looking clubs. The wildcard races are busy on both sides: in TAO, New Jersey 64-42-1 and Santiago 63-43-1 are in excellent position, while Washington and Miami are both 61-44. In the EAA wildcard picture, Kano 66-39, Dar es Salaam 64-41, Madrid 62-43 and Warsaw 62-44 currently set the pace, with Vienna, Cairo, New Taipei City, Casablanca, Chongqing, Mumbai and Yangon all close enough to keep the pressure on.

Final Thoughts

August did not sink the Mountain Hares, but it probably ended any realistic playoff dream. At 67-68, the season now looks less like a chase and more like a test of whether this group can finish with a bit of pride, a bit of shape, and maybe one last good run.

dinosauryoshi · 06-28-2026, 06:00 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - September and end of Season Report 2061

Overview

September, with the final two October games folded in, gave the Mountain Hares a great closing push to the season. Sheffield went 16-11 from the end of August onward, turning a 67-68 record into an 83-79 finish. It was not enough to seriously revive the playoff chase, but it did turn a wobbling season into a winning one.

The final table still feels a little unfair. Sheffield finished 83-79, but their Pythagorean record was 89-73, which fits the eye test for much of the year: a club with enough pitching and defence to look better than its actual record, but too many close losses and too many quiet offensive nights.

The team numbers tell the same story. The Mountain Hares ended with a 4.00 ERA, 15th in the EAA, with starters at 4.02 and the bullpen at 3.97. The defence was excellent: .709 defensive efficiency, 3rd in the EAA, and only a .246 opponents’ average, 10th. The attack was improved but still mid-pack: .261 average, .338 OBP, .420 slugging and .758 OPS. They drew walks, stole bases and had some real individual quality, but the offence never quite became a machine.

Sheffield finished 10th in Europe and 30th in the EAA wildcard standings. Under the WBL playoff format, with the top two in each division qualifying and then four wildcard teams per conference, they were still well short. Respectable, yes. Dangerous at times, definitely. A playoff team, no.

Monthly Awards

Offensive Player of the Month: Rob Graham

Graham saved one of his best stretches for the finish. In the September split he hit .385/.440/.659 with 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 22 RBIs and 2.2 WAR. Including the final two games, he added 36 hits, 24 runs, 11 doubles, 5 homers and 23 RBIs from the end of August to the final totals. It was a proper late-season surge from the Australian second baseman.

Pitcher of the Month: John Johnson

Johnson gave Sheffield the strongest closing month on the mound. In September he went 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA over 31.1 innings, striking out 23. His final season line was excellent: 10-8, 3.55 ERA, 198.0 IP, 148 K, 1.30 WHIP and 4.3 WAR. He was not always pretty, but he was durable, useful and often the one keeping the whole thing upright.

Honourable mentions: Nsen Ngunda and Sarsour Burhan

Ngunda hit .316/.382/.531 in September, then finished with a strong overall closing run. From the end of August onward, he added 32 hits, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 13 RBIs and 5 steals. Burhan added 8 September saves and finished the year with 35, even if the journey to those saves was not always suitable for delicate nerves.

Series-by-Series

vs Berlin Bears - won 3-0

Sheffield opened the final month with a sweep, winning 9-2, 7-1 and 5-2. Graham’s three-double, five-RBI opener set the tone, and the Hares moved straight back to .500.

at Juarez Cacti - won 2-1

The bats stayed lively in Juarez. Sheffield won 12-7, lost a wild 12-10 game, then took the finale 6-4. It was messy, but useful, and the late-season push was still moving.

at Budapest Red Squirrels - lost 1-2

A frustrating step back. Sheffield won the opener 7-3, then dropped 5-1 and 5-4 games. This was one of those series that felt like the season in miniature: enough quality to compete, not quite enough to grab the whole thing.

vs Athens Philosophers - won 2-1

The Hares edged Athens 4-3 in 10, lost 8-5, then answered with a 9-6 win. Not a clean series, but a winning one, with the offence doing enough to cover some pitching wobbles.

at Minsk Bison - won 2-1

This was one of the best results of the month. Sheffield beat the division-leading Bison 8-3 and 5-4 before losing the finale 4-2. Taking two from Minsk was a reminder that the Hares could still hurt good teams.

vs Salt Lake City Skiers - won 2-1

Another series win followed. Sheffield took the opener 4-2, lost 7-4, then produced a 9-0 shutout in the finale. That last game was one of the neatest performances of the month.

vs Madrid Mallards - lost 1-2

Madrid took two of three, and both losses stung. Sheffield won 6-3, then lost 6-5 and 8-6 in 11. The extra-inning defeat felt very familiar by this point.

vs Zurich Chocolatiers - won 2-1

Sheffield beat Zurich 8-2 and 7-5, then lost the finale 7-4. It was enough to keep the winning-season push on track, even if the third game took some of the shine off.

vs Paris Black Cats - split 1-1

The final two games, played in October, brought a neat little summary of Sheffield’s year. They beat Paris 6-1 behind Jesus Morales, then were shut out 6-0 in the finale. One strong win, one flat offensive night. Very on brand.

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Player Notes

Graham and Ngunda led the late push. Graham’s closing run lifted his final line to .271/.339/.444 with 19 homers, 81 RBIs and 3.2 WAR. Ngunda finished at .273/.351/.433, with 35 doubles, 7 triples, 15 homers, 87 RBIs, 22 steals and 3.8 WAR.

Eskinder Ali remained the most complete player on the roster. From the end of August onward, the Central African left fielder added 29 hits, 6 doubles, 6 homers and 23 RBIs. His final batting line was .290/.400/.530 with 21 homers, 82 RBIs, 20 steals and 4.3 WAR. He also made 23 pitching starts, going 7-5 with a 3.98 ERA and 2.5 WAR on the mound.

Sergio Rutz closed with useful power and patience, finishing at .274/.371/.472 with 22 homers, 74 RBIs and 28 steals. Jesus Morales had another very complete year at .281/.353/.457, with 13 homers, 51 RBIs, 35 steals and 3.3 WAR. Espen Aas had one of the strangest late months: 10 September homers and 24 RBIs, but still a volatile overall line.

On the mound, Johnson was the clear staff anchor. Isaac Saville finished 5-7 with a 3.66 ERA, 125.1 IP, 98 K and a superb 1.02 WHIP. Alois Herzog gave a useful 145.1 innings with a 3.72 ERA, and Rey Ochoa finished 9-6 with a 3.92 ERA across 144.2 innings. Burhan finished with 35 saves, while Evan Blythe, Nestor Barrios and Bras Touro all had useful relief stretches.

Defensively, the season remained impressive. Z. Klech’s glove at shortstop was a major part of the team’s identity, Ngunda gave Sheffield strong centre-field work, Morales was outstanding in right, and Graham was reliable at second. It is no accident the Hares finished 3rd in the EAA in defensive efficiency.

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Year-End Awards

Team MVP: Eskinder Ali

Ali is the obvious choice. As a hitter he finished .290/.400/.530 with 21 home runs, 82 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 4.3 WAR. As a pitcher he added 117.2 innings, a 3.98 ERA and 2.5 WAR. That is a huge two-way season, and the kind of thing that changes the shape of a roster.

Offensive Player of the Year: Eskinder Ali

Rutz, Ngunda, Morales and Graham all had arguments, but Ali had the best overall hitting line among the regulars. A .930 OPS, 66 walks, 21 homers and a .400 OBP made him Sheffield’s most dangerous bat.

Pitcher of the Year: John Johnson

Johnson’s 198.0 innings make the decision fairly straightforward. He finished 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA, 148 strikeouts and 4.3 WAR. Saville had the cleaner WHIP, and Ali had the two-way story, but Johnson carried the biggest load.

Defensive Player of the Year: Zitomir Klech

Klech’s bat was limited, but his shortstop defence was central to Sheffield’s run prevention. In a team that finished 3rd in the EAA in defensive efficiency, his work up the middle deserves the award.

Best Fielder: Jesus Morales

Morales gets the pure glove nod. His right-field defence was excellent all season, and he combined range, reliability and arm value with a strong all-round offensive contribution.

Best Reliever: Sarsour Burhan

Burhan finished with 35 saves and a 3.26 ERA over 60.2 innings. It was not always calm, and the 1.30 WHIP tells you there were some bumpy roads, but he kept getting the final outs often enough.

Breakthrough Player: Nsen Ngunda

Ngunda looks like a core player now. A .273/.351/.433 line, 57 extra-base hits, 87 RBIs, 22 steals and strong centre-field defence is an excellent all-round package.

Unsung Hero: Rob Graham

Graham’s final month helped lift his whole season. He finished with 149 hits, 32 doubles, 19 homers, 81 RBIs and 3.2 WAR, while holding down second base. He was rarely the headline until September, but the final line is very solid.

Most Frustrating Season: Dan Jula

Jula still drove in 65 runs and had some big hits, but .249/.321/.358 and 0.7 WAR is lighter than hoped from a regular third baseman. Useful, but not quite enough.

⸻

Across the League

The final standings put Sheffield’s season in sharper focus. The Mountain Hares finished 83-79, 10th in EAA Europe and 21 games behind division-winning Bucharest, who closed at 104-58. That was a return to the top for the Sounds, whose previous listed division crown came way back in 2041. Minsk, so dominant for much of the year, finished second at 102-60, while Madrid and Warsaw both went 97-65 and claimed postseason places. Europe was simply brutal: Vienna finished 87-75, London and Stockholm were both 84-77-1, Budapest 84-78, St Petersburg and Sheffield both 83-79. The Hares were respectable, but respectable did not get anyone very far in this division.

Across the EAA, Seoul took Central & East Asia at 100-62, their first listed division win since 2041, holding off Osaka and Pyongyang. Mumbai won West & South East Asia at 91-69-2, returning to a summit they last reached in the early years of the league, while Kano claimed Africa at 102-60, adding another division title after their 2056 breakthrough. The EAA wildcard race was unforgiving: Madrid, Warsaw, Nairobi and Pyongyang made it through, while Chongqing, Kabul, Casablanca and New Taipei City all won 91 games or more and still missed out.

In TAO, the standout historical story was Guatemala City. The Ocelots went 105-57 to win Central America & Oceania, and from the division history available, that looks like their first division title. Tijuana also impressed at 101-61 in North America West, adding to their 2057 crown, while Memphis won North America East at 98-64, continuing a strong recent run after titles in 2058 and 2059. Córdoba took South America at 97-65, their first listed division win since 2050. The TAO wildcard picture was just as crowded, with Houston, New Jersey, Manaus, Miami and Rio de Janeiro all making it, while Montreal, Santiago and Porto Alegre were left outside despite strong seasons.

So across both conferences, this was not a year where being merely good was enough. Sheffield’s 83 wins were respectable, but the league’s playoff bar was much higher than that, and several clubs were writing much bigger historical chapters around them.

Final Thoughts

The 2061 Mountain Hares were awkward to sum up. They finished with a winning record, excellent defence, good pitching and an 89-win Pythagorean profile. They also finished nowhere near the playoffs. That makes the year feel less like a failure and more like a missed chance. The foundations are there. The next step is turning all those good underlying signs into an actual October race.

dinosauryoshi · 06-29-2026, 05:06 PM

2061 Playoffs - Wildcard Series

TAO Wildcard Series

Panama City Poets defeat Houston Apollos, 3-2

The reigning world champions made hard work of this, which is not necessarily a criticism. October baseball rarely arrives neatly folded.

Houston won the opener 1-0, but Panama City answered 2-1 and then took a 6-5 extra-inning Game 3 that became the hinge of the series. The Apollos forced a decider with a 7-3 win, only for the Poets to pull clear 8-4 when it mattered.

Juan Garcia hit three home runs, while Nelson Padilla struck out 13 across 11 innings. Houston’s Mario Saucedo batted .444, but the Apollos could not quite turn a good series into a winning one.

Panama City now face Guatemala City, who beat them five times in six regular-season meetings. Not the gentlest reward for surviving.

Washington Grays defeat Rio de Janeiro Redeemers, 3-2

Washington spent two games looking finished, then abruptly remembered they were allowed to hit.

Rio won the first two games 8-3 and 4-3, but the Grays responded with victories of 8-4, 6-3 and 5-3. What had looked like a routine Redeemers win slowly turned into a trapdoor.

Cataldo DaVinci batted .368 with two home runs and five RBIs. Chong-xian Wu and Ethan Morrow also supplied important power, while Rio’s Victor Rodriguez drove in five in defeat.

Washington’s only division title came in 2050. They now face Córdoba, who have just ended an 11-season wait of their own.

Manaus Jaguars defeat New Jersey Jellyfish, 3-1

Manaus lost the opener 3-2, won the next two, then finished the series by dropping a piano on New Jersey.

The Jaguars took Games 2 and 3 by scores of 3-2 and 5-3 before an 18-2 demolition in the clincher. Series MVP Gaston Balbo batted .412 with seven hits and four RBIs, while Jake West drove in five.

New Jersey’s 94-win season ended in a game that had stopped feeling competitive long before the final out.

Manaus were only established in 2058 and have yet to win their division. They now meet 101-win Tijuana with rather more menace than their history might suggest.

Miami Swordfish defeat Las Vegas Jacks, 3-0

Miami were the only team to sweep, winning 7-3, 4-3 and 5-3 without ever giving Las Vegas much room to breathe.

Series MVP Jesus Machado hit .429 with two home runs and four RBIs. Tyler Schwartz batted .500, while Miami’s pitching repeatedly allowed the Jacks to threaten and then quietly closed the door.

Las Vegas had won 95 games, but the series never really belonged to them.

Miami are four-time division champions and won the 2052 World Series. Next comes Memphis, in what already feels less like a wildcard story and more like two established bands arguing over the headline slot.

EAA Wildcard Series

Singapore Shipwrights defeat Madrid Mallards, 3-2

Singapore opened by losing 11-2, fell behind again at 2-1, and still somehow ended the series looking completely in control.

The Shipwrights won the final two games 9-3 and 8-0. Valdemar Bregar batted .476 with a home run and five RBIs, while Satyri Djojopoespito drove in six.

Madrid’s Jaden Brown also hit .476, but the Mallards’ offence disappeared entirely in the decider. A series full of noise ended in silence.

Singapore’s five division titles all came before their move from Central & East Asia. They now face back-to-back Europe champions Bucharest.

Pyongyang Grasshoppers defeat Minsk Bison, 3-2

Pyongyang won the first two games, Minsk won the next two, and then the Grasshoppers treated the decider as though the previous pair had been an administrative error.

They won Game 5, 9-2. Tony Iwaki batted .526 with two home runs and five RBIs, while Cheuk-yan Yee went 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA across 14.1 innings.

Minsk won 102 games but remain without a division title or a major postseason breakthrough. It is a harsh ending to a season that had looked much bigger for much longer.

Pyongyang, world champions in 2045, now face Mumbai, who have just won their first division crown since 2041.

Warsaw Kings defeat Osaka Blossoms, 3-1

Warsaw won the opener, lost a close second game, then tightened the series until Osaka could barely move.

The Kings took the final two games 5-1 and 8-2. Series MVP Emil Sabau went 10-for-19 with three home runs, while Warsaw’s pitching held Osaka to nine runs across their three defeats.

The Blossoms had won 96 games, but never found enough offence once the series settled into Warsaw’s preferred shape.

Warsaw’s only division title came in 2052. They now face Kano, who have rather more recent experience of this stage and two EAA championships to prove it.

Nairobi Lilacs defeat Nouakchott Sand Sox, 3-1

Nouakchott had the EAA’s best regular-season pitching staff. Nairobi responded by scoring 34 runs in four games, which feels almost rude.

After losing the opener 6-5, the Lilacs won 13-1, 10-3 and 6-5. Series MVP Charles Sturges batted .533 with two home runs and 10 RBIs, while Risto Hanninen hit .500.

Nouakchott’s season had been built on stopping teams from doing exactly this. Nairobi simply did it anyway.

The Lilacs are still chasing their first division or conference title. Next comes Seoul, who have just ended a 20-season wait for a division crown.

Final Thoughts

The wildcard round did what a good opening act should: cleared away a few assumptions and introduced some unexpected names.

Miami were the cleanest team in the round, Pyongyang and Nairobi removed two of the EAA’s strongest regular-season sides, and Washington produced the most convincing escape act. Panama City are still alive, though they looked more vulnerable than defending champions usually prefer to.

There were also a few reminders that postseason history can sit heavily without deciding anything. Minsk won 102 games and went home. Nouakchott brought the EAA’s best pitching staff and were battered for 34 runs. Las Vegas won 95 games and never won a postseason game.

Now the division winners arrive. Mumbai and Seoul return after 20-season waits, Córdoba after 11, while Bucharest, Kano and Guatemala City are trying to turn recent dominance into something larger.

dinosauryoshi · 07-05-2026, 06:30 PM

2061 Playoffs - Second Round Review

Eight division winners arrived rested. Five of them immediately went home.

Bucharest and Mumbai were swept, Tijuana and Córdoba won only once, and defending EAA champions Kano fell in seven. Only Guatemala City, Memphis and Seoul survived their byes.

The round also cleared out much of the league’s recent championship history. Defending world champions Panama City were eliminated, as were former champions Tijuana, Miami and Kano. Of the eight clubs left standing, Pyongyang are the only team to have previously won either a conference pennant or the World Series.

TAO Second Round

Guatemala City Ocelots defeat Panama City Poets, 4-2

The defending world champions are out, beaten by a Guatemala City team that had already spent the regular season making them uncomfortable.

The Ocelots won a 6-5 walk-off opener before Panama City took Games 2 and 3. Guatemala City then closed the series with three straight victories, including another 6-5 win in the clincher.

Series MVP Arest Khachunts batted .500 with seven hits and a home run. Ruben Garcia hit .444, while Vinny Valle earned two wins from the bullpen.

The defeat ends Panama City’s defence of the World Series title they won in 2060, as well as their run of consecutive TAO championships in 2059 and 2060. Guatemala City have never previously won the TAO pennant or reached the World Series.

Washington Grays defeat Córdoba Silversmiths, 4-1

Córdoba won the opener 5-1. Washington then answered with four straight victories and gradually removed all ambiguity from the series.

The Grays won 7-1, 10-2, 8-0 and 5-2. Series MVP David Ortiz hit three home runs and drove in six, while Cataldo DaVinci added six RBIs.

Córdoba’s pitching had ranked third in the TAO during the regular season, but allowed 30 runs across the final four games. Their first division title since 2050 ended before it had much time to settle in.

Washington have now eliminated Rio after falling 2-0 behind and dismissed Córdoba after losing Game 1. They appear to need an early setback in the way some people need coffee.

The Grays have never won the TAO championship or reached the World Series.

Manaus Jaguars defeat Tijuana Luchadores, 4-1

Manaus followed their 18-run wildcard clincher by scoring nine, 11, eight and eight in their four victories over Tijuana.

The Luchadores answered a 9-7 opening loss with an 11-1 win, but the Jaguars took over from there. They closed the series with an 8-0 shutout.

Series MVP Gerd Yost batted .455 with ten hits, a home run and six RBIs. Butrus Jameel hit .562, while Gaston Balbo reached base in half his plate appearances.

Tijuana won 101 games and entered with one of the TAO’s best pitching staffs. Manaus treated this mostly as background information.

Tijuana’s only TAO pennant and World Series title came in 2057, when the franchise was still known as the Stouts. Manaus, established in 2058, have never won a division, conference championship or World Series.

Memphis Steamers defeat Miami Swordfish, 4-3

The round’s most evenly matched TAO series went the full seven, and Memphis survived it by a single run.

Miami won the opener 7-4. Memphis responded with three straight victories, but the Swordfish forced a decider with 6-4 and 2-1 wins. The Steamers took Game 7, 7-6.

Series MVP Steve Lucas did almost everything: three home runs, seven RBIs and a 1.29 ERA across 14 innings. Jing-guo Huang batted .423, while Jon Pitts added three homers and eight RBIs.

Jesus Machado hit .357 for Miami, but the Swordfish comeback stopped one game short.

Miami’s only TAO championship and World Series title came in 2052. Memphis have won four division titles but have never claimed the conference pennant or reached the World Series.

EAA Second Round

Singapore Shipwrights defeat Bucharest Sounds, 4-0

Bucharest won 104 games, scored the second-most runs in the EAA and allowed the sixth-fewest. Singapore swept them anyway.

The Shipwrights won 4-3, 7-1, 8-1 and 6-0. After the close opener, the rest of the series felt less like an upset and more like a correction being applied with increasing force.

Series MVP Zamir Memon batted .353 with six RBIs. Jesse Hanson hit two home runs, while Viet Chien threw 8.1 scoreless innings and struck out nine.

Bucharest batted as though the week had been scheduled without consulting them. No regular hitter managed more than four hits.

The back-to-back Europe champions are out. Singapore have five historical division titles, all earned before their move from Central & East Asia, but have never won the EAA pennant or reached the World Series.

Pyongyang Grasshoppers defeat Mumbai Directors, 4-0

Mumbai waited 20 seasons for another division title. Their postseason lasted four games.

Pyongyang won 6-5, 6-2, 7-4 and 10-9. The Directors were competitive in three of them, but the Grasshoppers always seemed to own the next important swing.

Series MVP Moana Weihilani batted .529 with two home runs and five RBIs. Osmo Piironen hit .625, while Shahid Virasana drove in six.

Mumbai received two home runs and seven RBIs from Matthew Nunneley, but their pitching never found a quiet inning when it needed one.

Pyongyang won the EAA championship and World Series in 2045. They are now the only former conference or world champions left in the postseason.

Mumbai have three division titles, but have never won the EAA pennant.

Warsaw Kings defeat Kano Camels, 4-3

Kano won the first two games, led 3-1 after four, and still lost the series.

Warsaw edged Game 5, 2-1, won Game 6, 4-2, then completed the comeback with a 6-2 victory in Kano.

Series MVP Nermin Ljotic batted .333 with six RBIs. Emil Sabau added nine hits, while Walter Crossingham saved two games and struck out seven across six innings.

Kano’s Mike Neupert drove in eight, but the Camels could not close the series despite three separate chances.

Kano won the EAA championship in 2056 and 2060, and captured the World Series in 2056. Their defeat removes the reigning EAA champions and one of the final established postseason powers.

Warsaw have never won the EAA pennant or reached the World Series.

Seoul Crabs defeat Nairobi Lilacs, 4-2

Nairobi won Games 1 and 3, but Seoul took the other four and finished the series with consecutive victories of 6-5 and 5-1.

Series MVP Otis York hit two home runs and drove in seven. Daniil Rochegov added a homer and five RBIs, while Lorenzo Solis earned two wins from the bullpen.

Charles Sturges continued his excellent postseason with two more home runs for Nairobi, but the Lilacs never quite recreated the offensive storm that had removed Nouakchott.

Seoul’s first division title since 2041 has now carried them into the Third Round. The Crabs have never won the EAA pennant or appeared in the World Series.

The wait was long. The reward has not been wasted.

Second Round Awards

Player of the Round: Steve Lucas, Memphis Steamers

Lucas hit three home runs, drove in seven and posted a 1.29 ERA across 14 innings. Some players influence a series. Lucas appeared to be trying to own it outright.

Best Hitting Performance: Moana Weihilani, Pyongyang Grasshoppers

Weihilani batted .529 with two home runs and five RBIs as Pyongyang swept Mumbai.

Best Comeback: Warsaw Kings

Warsaw trailed the defending EAA champions 3-1 before winning three straight, including Games 5 and 7 on the road.

Biggest Statement: Singapore Shipwrights

A sweep of 104-win Bucharest, with the final three games won by a combined score of 21-2.

Most Convincing Offence: Manaus Jaguars

Manaus scored 36 runs in their four victories and have now produced 65 runs across nine postseason games.

Third Round Matchups

TAO

Guatemala City Ocelots vs Washington Grays

Neither club has previously won the TAO championship. Guatemala City won 105 regular-season games; Washington have made a habit of treating superior records as decorative.

The winner will advance to the TAO Championship Series with the chance to claim a first pennant and World Series appearance.

Memphis Steamers vs Manaus Jaguars

Memphis have four division titles but no TAO championship. Manaus have reached this point without ever winning their division.

The TAO Championship Series is therefore guaranteed to contain two teams seeking their first conference title. Whoever eventually represents the TAO in the World Series will be doing so for the first time.

EAA

Singapore Shipwrights vs Pyongyang Grasshoppers

Two of the hottest teams in the EAA meet after both swept their Second Round opponents. Singapore and Pyongyang are each 7-2 in the postseason.

Singapore have won six consecutive games. Pyongyang have won five straight and are the only remaining club with a previous pennant or World Series title, both won in 2045.

The Shipwrights are attempting to reach either stage for the first time.

Seoul Crabs vs Warsaw Kings

Neither club has previously won the EAA championship. Seoul’s 20-season division drought ended in September, while Warsaw have just overturned a 3-1 deficit against the reigning conference champions.

One will move within a single series of a first World Series appearance.

Final Thoughts

The Second Round was not kind to either the rested teams or the league’s established postseason names.

Five of the eight division winners were eliminated, including Bucharest, Mumbai, Kano, Tijuana and Córdoba. The defending world champions from Panama City also departed, ending their attempt at a third consecutive TAO pennant.

Four previous World Series winners went out in this round. Panama City, Tijuana, Miami and Kano each leave with one championship in their history. Panama City had also won two TAO pennants, Kano two EAA pennants, and Tijuana and Miami one TAO title apiece.

Of the eight teams still standing, only Pyongyang have ever won a conference championship or the World Series. Their 2045 double remains the only previous title success in the field.

That leaves seven clubs chasing a first pennant and a first World Series title. The TAO is guaranteed a new champion, with Guatemala City, Washington, Memphis and Manaus all entering unfamiliar territory.

The EAA still has one old name among the new ones. Pyongyang are surrounded by Singapore, Warsaw and Seoul, three clubs that have never reached the World Series despite combining for eight division titles.

Singapore and Pyongyang were the clearest teams in the round. Singapore slowly removed Bucharest from the series; Pyongyang simply kept winning every argument Mumbai tried to start.

Manaus remain the strangest and most compelling story. They have no division titles and have now beaten New Jersey and Tijuana while scoring runs in industrial quantities. Washington are taking a more dramatic route, repeatedly falling behind before remembering where they left the exits.

The defending world champions are gone. Both reigning conference champions are gone. Seven of the eight remaining teams have never won either a pennant or the World Series.

History has mostly left the building. Someone new may be about to take the stage.

dinosauryoshi · 07-06-2026, 05:27 PM

2061 WBL Conference Semifinals Review

Singapore removed the last former world champions without losing once. Guatemala City and Warsaw needed every available game. Memphis survived three one-run finishes and finally brought Manaus’s wonderfully noisy October to an end.

The result is a final four with no previous conference champions among them. Both pennants, both World Series places and the championship itself will belong to somebody new - exciting.

TAO Conference Semifinals

Guatemala City Ocelots defeat Washington Grays, 4-3

Guatemala City survived the round’s most unsettled series, winning Game 7 after neither side managed consecutive victories until the final two games.

The Ocelots opened with a 2-0 shutout, but Washington answered with wins of 9-7 and 10-2. Guatemala City responded with a 12-2 rout, lost Game 5, then took the final two contests 6-4 and 8-5.

Series MVP Zach Hallock batted .393 with a home run and eight RBIs. Luis Arroyo hit .391 with two homers and six RBIs, while David Quiroz added three home runs and seven driven in.

Washington’s David Ortiz batted .423 with two home runs and six RBIs. Antonio Jimenez also homered twice, while Chong-xian Wu launched three, but the Grays could not find one final response in Game 7.

Washington had already survived a 2-0 deficit against Rio and an opening defeat against Córdoba. This time the escape route finally closed.

Guatemala City have now turned 105 regular-season wins into a place in the TAO Championship Series. The Ocelots have never won the pennant or appeared in the World Series.

Memphis Steamers defeat Manaus Jaguars, 4-1

Memphis won the series in five, although the first two games alone seemed determined to use a week’s supply of tension.

The Steamers took Game 1, 7-6, then survived an 11-inning Game 2 by an 8-7 score. A 2-0 shutout placed Memphis on the brink before Manaus answered with a 4-0 victory. The Steamers ended it with another one-run win, taking Game 5, 4-3.

Series MVP Jon Pitts hit three home runs, including two in the clincher. Matous Stepanik batted .438, Steve Lucas hit .400 and Jing-guo Huang added a home run and three RBIs.

Manaus received solid work from Gerd Yost and Gaston Balbo, while Magali Pita threw 7.2 scoreless innings. The Jaguars simply spent too much of the series arriving one run after the door had closed.

Their run still deserves remembering. Manaus entered without a division title and eliminated New Jersey and 101-win Tijuana while briefly turning every scoreboard into an accident scene.

Memphis now reach the TAO Championship Series for the chance to win the first pennant in franchise history. Four division titles have finally become something larger.

EAA Conference Semifinals

Singapore Shipwrights defeat Pyongyang Grasshoppers, 4-0

Singapore swept for the second consecutive round and removed the last former conference and World Series champions from the field.

The Shipwrights won 3-1, 5-2 and 5-3 before finishing the series with a 12-3 demolition. Pyongyang entered on a five-game winning streak. Singapore made that feel like information from another season.

Series MVP Zamir Memon batted .471 with eight hits and four RBIs. Gunawan Ernalia hit .417, while Jesse Hanson supplied two home runs and seven RBIs.

Antonio Cazares allowed one earned run across 6.2 innings, and Francisco Piedra gave up one across six. Singapore’s staff never allowed Pyongyang’s lineup enough space to build momentum.

The Grasshoppers were the only remaining former pennant winners and world champions, having captured both in 2045. Their exit guarantees that the EAA will have a first-time champion.

Singapore have now won ten consecutive postseason games after losing two of their first three. They have five historical division titles, but have never won the EAA pennant or reached the World Series.

Warsaw Kings defeat Seoul Crabs, 4-3

Warsaw survived another seven-game series, this time recovering from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2.

The Kings won the opener 7-4 before Seoul took Games 2 and 3. Warsaw edged an extraordinary Game 4, 11-10, but the Crabs answered with a 12-2 rout. Facing elimination, Warsaw won 7-3 and then took Game 7, 5-1.

Series MVP Nermin Ljotic batted .346 with two home runs and eight RBIs. Paul Bratucu hit .385 with five RBIs, while Norbert Cerny supplied two homers.

Seoul’s lineup produced plenty in defeat. Lupe Aguilar batted .419, Bill Edwards hit .417 and Yuri Gabrichebsky launched three home runs with eight RBIs.

The Crabs’ first division-winning season since 2041 ends one step before the conference final. Warsaw, meanwhile, have now won consecutive seven-game series after trailing Kano 3-1 and Seoul 3-2.

The Kings have never won the EAA pennant or appeared in the World Series. They are now four victories away from changing both facts.

Conference Semifinals Awards

Player of the Round: Zach Hallock, Guatemala City Ocelots

Hallock batted .393 with 11 hits, a home run and eight RBIs as Guatemala City survived seven games against Washington.

Best Power Performance: Jon Pitts, Memphis Steamers

Pitts hit three home runs, including two in the series-clinching victory over Manaus.

Best Comeback: Warsaw Kings

Warsaw trailed Seoul 3-2 before winning Games 6 and 7. It was their second consecutive seven-game victory after coming back from 3-1 down against Kano.

Biggest Statement: Singapore Shipwrights

Singapore swept the only former world champions left in the field and have now won ten consecutive postseason games.

Most Dramatic Series: Guatemala City Ocelots vs Washington Grays

The teams traded control throughout seven games, with five contests decided by four runs or fewer before Guatemala City finally advanced.

Conference Championship Series Matchups

TAO Championship Series

Guatemala City Ocelots vs Memphis Steamers

Guatemala City won 105 games and have survived two difficult postseason series. Memphis have followed a seven-game victory over Miami with a tense five-game win over Manaus.

Neither franchise has previously won the TAO championship or reached the World Series. The winner will become the first new TAO champion since Panama City claimed their first pennant in 2059.

Guatemala City bring the league’s stronger regular-season record and a deeper lineup. Memphis arrive with Steve Lucas, Jon Pitts and the feeling that close games are merely where they live now.

EAA Championship Series

Singapore Shipwrights vs Warsaw Kings

This is a meeting between the postseason’s smoothest team and its most stubborn.

Singapore have won ten straight games, sweeping 104-win Bucharest and former world champions Pyongyang. Warsaw have played 18 postseason games already and needed the maximum seven against both Kano and Seoul.

Neither club has previously won the EAA pennant or appeared in the World Series. Singapore’s five division titles came in Central & East Asia before their move, while Warsaw’s only division crown came in 2052.

dinosauryoshi · 07-16-2026, 11:16 AM

2061 WBL Conference Finals Review

The conference finals produced two first-time pennant winners by very different routes.

Memphis won four consecutive one-run games after losing the opener. Singapore needed seven, twice came from behind, and finally ended Warsaw’s stubborn October in another one-run finish.

For the first time in WBL history, the World Series will feature the Memphis Steamers and Singapore Shipwrights. Neither franchise has been there before. The winner will become the league’s 19th different champion in 22 seasons.

TAO Championship Series

Memphis Steamers defeat Guatemala City Ocelots, 4-1

The series finished 4-1, but every game was decided by one run.

Guatemala City won the opener 6-5 before Memphis answered with victories of 5-4, 4-3, 11-10 and 4-3.

Series MVP Jing-guo Huang batted .333 with two home runs, six RBIs and a 1.056 slugging percentage. Steve Lucas hit .364 with a homer and five RBIs, while Rodel Parales added two home runs and six driven in.

Jose Padilla was outstanding for Guatemala City, batting .455 with three home runs and ten RBIs. Ruben Martinez hit .412 and Luis Arroyo .348, but the Ocelots kept arriving one run short.

Game 4 summed up the series. Guatemala City scored ten and still lost 11-10. Memphis then clinched 4-3, by which point any larger margin might have felt out of character.

The Ocelots’ 105-win season ends one round before the World Series. Memphis, meanwhile, finally fill the largest gap in their history. Four division titles had produced no pennants. Now the Steamers are TAO champions.

EAA Championship Series

Singapore Shipwrights defeat Warsaw Kings, 4-3

Singapore entered the series on a ten-game winning streak and extended it to 11 by taking the opener 10-5. Warsaw then won Games 2 and 3 to take control.

The Shipwrights levelled the series with a 10-3 victory, fell behind again after losing Game 5, then won the final two contests 4-1 and 6-5.

Series MVP Zamir Memon batted .429 with 12 hits, a home run and five RBIs. Hoo-gwo Shu hit .421, while Valdemar Bregar drove in nine.

Warsaw’s Norbert Cerny was exceptional in defeat, batting .500 with 14 hits, three home runs and seven RBIs. Tobias Mueller hit .333, but too much of the lineup struggled behind them.

Game 7 ended 6-5, fittingly enough. Warsaw had led 2-1 and 3-2, but Singapore won both elimination games.

The Kings’ run ends after 25 postseason games, including three consecutive seven-game series. They overturned a 3-1 deficit against Kano, survived Seoul in seven, and pushed Singapore to the final out.

Singapore’s five historical division titles had never produced an EAA pennant. That changed here.

Conference Finals Awards

Player of the Round: Jing-guo Huang, Memphis Steamers

Huang batted .333 with two home runs, six RBIs and a 1.056 slugging percentage.

Best Hitting Performance: Jose Padilla, Guatemala City Ocelots

Padilla hit .455 with three home runs and ten RBIs in five games.

Best Performance in Defeat: Norbert Cerny, Warsaw Kings

Cerny batted .500 with 14 hits, three home runs and seven RBIs.

Most Dramatic Series: Singapore Shipwrights vs Warsaw Kings

The lead changed repeatedly, the series lasted seven games and the decider finished 6-5.

World Series Matchup

Memphis Steamers vs Singapore Shipwrights

The 2061 World Series will crown a first-time champion.

Memphis arrive after surviving Miami in seven, beating Manaus in five and taking four consecutive one-run games from Guatemala City. Close games are no longer an emergency for the Steamers. They are the local climate.

Singapore eliminated Madrid in five, swept 104-win Bucharest and former champions Pyongyang, then survived Warsaw in seven. The Shipwrights have won 15 of their 20 postseason games.

Memphis entered 2061 with four division titles. Singapore had five, all earned before their move between divisions. Between them, nine division banners and no pennants.

Now they have one each, but who will turn it into a World Series win?

dinosauryoshi · 07-23-2026, 04:30 PM

2061 WBL World Series Review

Singapore completed one of the finest postseason runs in WBL history, defeating the Memphis Steamers 4-2 to claim the franchise's first World Series championship.

The Shipwrights won both opening games in Memphis, recovered immediately from a heavy Game 3 defeat and sealed the title with an 8-6 victory in Game 6.

Singapore become the 19th different World Series champion in the WBL's first 22 seasons.

Singapore Shipwrights defeat Memphis Steamers, 4-2

Singapore struck first with a 10-5 victory behind three home runs from Valdemar Bregar before following it with a 4-2 win to take a commanding 2-0 lead.

Memphis responded emphatically in Game 3, as Jing-guo Huang hit two home runs during a 10-2 victory that cut the deficit in half.

The Shipwrights regained control in Game 4 with a tense 2-1 win before Memphis extended the series by taking Game 5, 6-4, thanks to Huang's third homer of the series.

Singapore finished the job in Game 6, defeating Memphis 8-6 behind another strong outing from Viet Chien to secure the first championship in franchise history.

World Series MVP: Valdemar Bregar, Singapore Shipwrights

Bregar dominated the series, batting .458 with 11 hits, three home runs, ten RBIs and an .875 slugging percentage. His three home runs in the opening two games gave Singapore the early advantage they never surrendered.

Singapore's Pitching

Viet Chien earned victories in Games 2 and 6, finishing 2-0 with 14 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA over 12.1 innings. Gil Duran won the pivotal Game 4, while Francisco Piedra posted a 1.59 ERA and recorded saves in Games 4 and 6.

Memphis in Defeat

The Steamers received huge performances from Steve Lucas, who hit two home runs with seven RBIs, and Jing-guo Huang, who added three home runs and six RBIs. Will Durham struck out 14 across ten innings despite suffering two defeats.

After capturing the franchise's first TAO championship, Memphis ultimately fell one series short of completing the journey.

World Series Awards

World Series MVP: Valdemar Bregar (Singapore)
.458 AVG, 11 H, 3 HR, 10 RBI.

Best Pitcher: Viet Chien (Singapore)
2-0, 12.1 IP, 14 K, 2.92 ERA.

Best Memphis Hitter: Steve Lucas
2 HR, 7 RBI.

Turning Point

Singapore's opening road sweep put immediate pressure on Memphis. Although the Steamers fought back twice, they never managed to draw level in the series.

Singapore's Championship Run

Singapore's title was thoroughly earned. The Shipwrights defeated Madrid in five games, swept 104-win Bucharest, swept former champions Pyongyang, edged Warsaw in seven games and defeated Memphis in six to finish the postseason 19-7.

After years of regular-season success without a pennant, Singapore captured both its first EAA Championship and first World Series in the same season.

Historical Context

Singapore become the first new World Series champion since Panama City won its maiden title in 2060. They are the 19th different champion in just 22 seasons, underlining the remarkable parity across the WBL.

Memphis also reached its first World Series after winning the franchise's first TAO Championship, making 2061 comfortably the greatest season in Steamers history.

Final Thoughts

By October's end, every former World Series champion had been eliminated, guaranteeing a first-time winner.

Singapore proved the stronger club. Bregar anchored the offence, Chien won twice, Piedra closed the biggest victories and the Shipwrights consistently answered every Memphis rally.

The 2061 season ends with Singapore lifting its first World Series trophy, completing one of the most memorable championship runs in WBL history.

dinosauryoshi · 07-23-2026, 04:36 PM

2061-62 Sheffield Mountain Hares - Offseason Review

Following an 83-79 season, Sheffield committed to a younger, more sustainable roster while moving on from several established veterans. The departures of Sergio Rutz, Isaac Saville and Evan Blythe marked the end of one era, but the Mountain Hares entered the winter determined to build around an emerging core rather than cling to an ageing one.

Key Departures

• RF Sergio Rutz (36) was traded to the Riyadh Falcons in exchange for 23-year-old prospects Tim Gaudet (SS) and Arso Plavsic (RF), ending a lengthy Sheffield career. One of the club's most consistent middle-order hitters, Rutz leaves as a significant figure in franchise history.

• SP Isaac Saville (34) was dealt to the Sydney Koalas for RF Jim Reed and RHP Hector Navarro. Saville had become one of Sheffield's most dependable starters, but the front office chose to exchange proven production for younger talent.

• RHP Evan Blythe (33) was traded to the Edmonton Hurricanes for outfielder Alex Braud after several reliable seasons in the Mountain Hares bullpen.

Key Arrivals

• SP Sean Hane signed a one-year, $13 million contract, bringing experience and stability to a rotation that lost Saville.

• RF Arunodaya Santhanakrishnan earned a roster spot after arriving on a minor league deal. The veteran left-handed hitter offers a disciplined bat and should contribute immediately in a platoon role.

• RHP Johnny Brennan arrived from the Ürümqi Silk Riders in exchange for prospect Jose Cabrera. Still only 27, Brennan has the tools to become an important late-inning reliever and may prove Sheffield's most impactful addition.

A Shift in Philosophy

Rather than landing a headline prospect, Sheffield spread its bets across several younger players. Tim Gaudet, Jim Reed and Arso Plavsic all have time on their side, even if none currently project as certain future stars. The organisation appears to value depth and long-term flexibility over chasing one blue-chip name.

That approach reflects the club's growing confidence in the talent already on the major league roster. Eskinder Ali has developed into one of the WBL's premier players, while Espen Aas, Rob Graham, Nsen Ngunda and Adam Koehler are expected to shoulder even greater responsibility. The Mountain Hares' next competitive window looks set to be driven by this group rather than by a wave of elite prospects waiting in the minors.

Retained Core

The front office also ensured continuity by extending several important contributors. Rob Graham signed a long-term extension, while Sarsour Burhan, Jesus Morales, Alois Herzog and Rey Ochoa all remained part of Sheffield's plans, preserving much of the club's established spine.

Overall

The offseason was more evolutionary than revolutionary. Sheffield sacrificed experience by moving on from three respected veterans, replacing them with shorter-term additions and younger, controllable talent. While the prospect returns may not contain an obvious future superstar, the organisation exits the winter younger, deeper and with a clearer long-term direction. If the club's emerging core continues to develop as expected, this could prove to be the offseason that quietly laid the foundations for Sheffield finally making a good run at the playoffs.

dinosauryoshi · 07-23-2026, 04:51 PM

2062 WBL Banner Ceremonies

The new WBL season begins with a final look back at the last one.

Across the opening homestands, nine clubs will raise 11 new banners honouring the eight 2061 division champions, the two conference winners and Singapore’s first World Series title.

There will be returning players, local music, food stalls and the usual attempt to fit an entire season into the few minutes before the first pitch. Some banners mark familiar success. Others have waited decades for their moment.

What follows is the updated divisional and championship record, with the latest honourees marked in bold.

TAO

South America Division

1. Lima Cavies (Parakeets): 5 (2043, 2044, 2046, 2056, 2057)
2. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers: 4 (2045, 2047, 2048, 2060)
3. Asunción Pampas Foxes: 3 (2040, 2049, 2059)
4. Córdoba Silversmiths: 2 (2050, 2061)
5. La Paz Doves: 2 (2053, 2054)
6. Quito Cinchonas: 2 (2041, 2051)
7. São Paulo Gold Sox (Knights): 1 (2058)
8. Porto Alegre Winemakers: 1 (2055)
9. Salvador Toucans: 1 (2052)
10. Montevideo Sea Lions (Jaguars): 1 (2042)

No wins

Caracas Macaws
Medellin Sea Lions (Monkeys)
Bogota Condors
Santiago Flamingos
Buenos Aires Apples
Brasilia Travelers
Manaus Jaguars
Porto Velho Heliconias
Paramaribo Pufferfish

Central America & Oceania

1. Port Moresby Manatees: 4 (2040, 2041, 2056, 2057)
2. Havana Cafecitos: 4 (2045, 2046, 2049, 2051)
3. Sydney Koalas: 3 (2044, 2054, 2055)
4. Guatemala City Ocelots: 2 (2060, 2061)
5. Tegucigalpa Spirits (Savannah): 2 (2047, 2048)
6. San Jose Sloths: 2 (2042, 2043)
7. Panama City Poets (Golden Frogs): 1 (2059)
8. Santo Domingo Dolphins: 1 (2058)
9. Mexico City Tenochca (Aztecs): 1 (2053)
10. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2052)
11. Melbourne Whales: 1 (2050)

No wins

San Pedro Sula Fire
San Salvador Volcanoes
Guatemala City Armadillos (Quetzals)
Managua Motmots
Auckland Kiwis
San Juan Garitas
Perth Fairywrens
Port au Prince Revolution
Monterrey Dinos

North America - West

1. Calgary Tartans: 5 (2042, 2053, 2054, 2056, 2058)
2. Salt Lake City Skiers: 3 (2050, 2051, 2060)
3. Honolulu Seahawks: 3 (2052, 2054, 2059)
4. Tijuana Luchadores (Stouts): 2 (2057, 2061)
5. Vancouver Green Sox: 2 (2045, 2049)
6. Albuquerque Pueblos (Chiefs): 2 (2043, 2044)
7. Alaska Moose: 1 (2055)
8. California Waveriders: 1 (2048)
9. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047)
10. Los Angeles Stars: 1 (2046)
11. Arizona Wrens: 1 (2043)
12. Las Vegas Jacks: 1 (2041)

No wins

Portland Jackalopes (White Oaks)
Idaho Owls
Montana Smokey Bears
San Diego Stingrays
Winnipeg Caribou
Seattle Herons
Edmonton Hurricanes

North America - East

1. Memphis Steamers: 4 (2041, 2058, 2059, 2061)
2. Miami Swordfish: 4 (2046, 2049, 2052, 2060)
3. New Orleans Jazz: 3 (2042, 2053, 2054)
4. Toronto Gray Jays: 2 (2048, 2055)
5. Quebec Muskies/Montreal Miracles: 2 (2040, 2045)
6. Philadelphia Ruffed Grouse: 1 (2057)
7. Boston Bluebirds (Chickadees): 1 (2056)
8. Atlanta Eagles: 1 (2051)
9. Washington Grays (Presidents): 1 (2050)
10. St Louis Flycatchers: 1 (2047)
11. Nashville Rockabillys (Melodies): 1 (2044)
12. New York Nightlights (Racoons): 1 (2043)

No wins

Chicago Hoppers (Y's)
Kansas City Meadowlarks
Houston Apollos
New Jersey Jellyfish
Dallas Cosmopolitans
St. Paul Charlie Browns
Cincinnati Cincies

EAA

Europe

1. St Petersburg Pelicans: 4 (2042, 2050, 2053, 2054)
2. Bucharest Sounds: 3 (2041, 2060, 2061)
3. Paris Black Cats: 3 (2044, 2045, 2057)
4. Budapest Red Squirrels: 3 (2046, 2047, 2049)
5. Rome Legion: 2 (2055, 2056)
6. Vienna Whistlers (Music): 2 (2040, 2048)
7. Madrid Mallards: 1 (2059)
8. Moscow Blizzard: 1 (2058)
9. Warsaw Kings: 1 (2052)
10. London Gentlemen: 1 (2051)
11. Berlin Bears: 1 (2043)

No wins

Zurich Chocolatiers (Mountaineers)
Kyiv Terrapins
Minsk Bison
Stockholm Orcas
Sheffield Mountain Hares
Athens Philosophers
Lisbon Caravels
Milan Tailors
Thessaloniki Tower Knights

Africa

1. Kinshasa Leopards: 4 (2048, 2049, 2050, 2059)
2. Kano Camels: 3 (2056, 2060, 2061)
3. Abidjan White Elephants: 3 (2045, 2051, 2052)
4. Lagos Moons: 3 (2042, 2043, 2044)
5. Ouagadougou Nomads: 2 (2054, 2055)
6. Cairo Scarabs: 2 (2040, 2041)
7. Dar es Salaam Giraffes: 1 (2058)
8. Addis Ababa Lions: 1 (2057)
9. Yaounde Chimpanzees (Cannons): 1 (2053)
10. Johannesburg Scholars (Springboks): 1 (2047)
11. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2046)

No wins

Khartoum Rhinos
Casablanca Corsairs (Gray Wolves)
Nairobi Lilacs
Luanda Red Caps
Nouakchott Sand Sox
Cape Town Penguins
Harare Hippos
Mogadishu Seashells

West & South-East Asia

1. Bengaluru Bytes: 4 (2043, 2045, 2050, 2053)
2. Mumbai Directors: 3 (2040, 2041, 2061)
3. Istanbul Spice: 3 (2047, 2048, 2060)
4. Dhaka Mammoths: 3 (2042, 2052, 2055)
5. Karachi Seafarers: 2 (2044, 2059)
6. Manila Snakes: 2 (2054, 2058)
7. Yangon Peacocks: 2 (2046, 2049)
8. Phnom Penh Jackhammers: 1 (2057)
9. Jakarta Dragons: 1 (2056)
10. Bangkok Tuk-Tuks (Eels): 1 (2051)

No wins in this division

Singapore Shipwrights*
Tehran Goats (Marbles)
Baghdad Chukars
Dubai Dunes (Hyenas)
Hanoi Mopeds
Riyadh Falcons (Bedouins)
Patna Roosters
Ashgabat Akhal-Tekes
Jaipur Pink Sox

*Singapore won five Central & East Asia titles before moving divisions in 2060.

Central & East Asia

1. Singapore Shipwrights: 5 (2045, 2046, 2048, 2049, 2053)
2. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 4 (2044, 2047, 2055, 2056)
3. Seoul Crabs: 2 (2041, 2061)
4. New Taipei City Magpies: 2 (2040, 2051)
5. Hong Kong Kites (Songbirds): 2 (2042, 2043)
6. Kuala Lumpur Tigers: 1 (2060)
7. Hiroshima Express: 1 (2059)
8. Shanghai Peaches: 1 (2058)
9. Tokyo Octopi: 1 (2057)
10. Almaty Blue Sox (Sunrise): 1 (2054)
11. Harbin Icecaps (Shenzhen Peanuts): 1 (2052)
12. Beijing Pandas: 1 (2050)

No wins

Kabul Caracals (Bazaars)
Guangzhou Rams
Busan Oysters
Ulaanbaatar Cavalry
Osaka Blossoms
Chongqing Hotpots
Lanzhou Traders
Incheon Saucers

TAO Championships

1. Calgary Tartans: 3 (2053, 2055, 2058)
2. Panama City Poets: 2 (2059, 2060)
3. New Orleans Jazz: 2 (2040, 2042)
4. Memphis Steamers: 1 (2061)
5. Tijuana Luchadores/Stouts: 1 (2057)
6. Lima Cavies: 1 (2056)
7. Bogota Condors: 1 (2054)
8. Miami Swordfish: 1 (2052)
9. Quito Cinchonas: 1 (2051)
10. Asunción Pampas Foxes: 1 (2050)
11. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2049)
12. Toronto Gray Jays: 1 (2048)
13. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047)
14. Kansas City Meadowlarks: 1 (2046)
15. Vancouver Green Sox: 1 (2045)
16. Sydney Koalas: 1 (2044)
17. São Paulo Gold Sox/Knights: 1 (2043)
18. San Jose Sloths: 1 (2041)

EAA Championships

1. Kano Camels: 2 (2056, 2060)
2. Yaounde Chimpanzees/Cannons: 2 (2053, 2054)
3. St Petersburg Pelicans: 2 (2042, 2050)
4. Vienna Whistlers/Music: 2 (2048, 2049)
5. Singapore Shipwrights: 1 (2061)
6. London Gentlemen: 1 (2059)
7. Shanghai Peaches: 1 (2058)
8. Kabul Caracals: 1 (2057)
9. Johannesburg Scholars/Springboks: 1 (2055)
10. Harbin Icecaps/Shenzhen Peanuts: 1 (2052)
11. Dhaka Mammoths: 1 (2051)
12. New Taipei City Magpies: 1 (2047)
13. Madrid Mallards: 1 (2046)
14. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 1 (2045)
15. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2044)
16. Manila Snakes: 1 (2043)
17. Rome Legion: 1 (2041)
18. Addis Ababa Lions: 1 (2040)

World Series Titles

1. Calgary Tartans: 2 (2055, 2058)
2. Yaounde Chimpanzees/Cannons: 2 (2053, 2054)
3. New Orleans Jazz: 2 (2040, 2042)
4. Singapore Shipwrights: 1 (2061)
5. Panama City Poets: 1 (2060)
6. London Gentlemen: 1 (2059)
7. Tijuana Luchadores/Stouts: 1 (2057)
8. Kano Camels: 1 (2056)
9. Miami Swordfish: 1 (2052)
10. Quito Cinchonas: 1 (2051)
11. Asunción Pampas Foxes: 1 (2050)
12. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2049)
13. Vienna Whistlers/Music: 1 (2048)
14. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047)
15. Kansas City Meadowlarks: 1 (2046)
16. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 1 (2045)
17. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2044)
18. São Paulo Gold Sox/Knights: 1 (2043)
19. San Jose Sloths: 1 (2041)

How 2061 Fits Into the Bigger Picture

The 2061 season produced a mixture of repetition and release.

Guatemala City, Bucharest and Kano all successfully defended their division titles. Memphis returned to the top of North America - East after a two-season absence, while Tijuana reclaimed the West for the first time since 2057.

Córdoba ended an 11-season wait. Mumbai and Seoul ended waits of 20 seasons each, raising banners whose predecessors had gathered two decades of dust.

The conference championships were entirely new. Memphis became the 18th different TAO champion, while Singapore became the 18th club to win the EAA.

Singapore then became the 19th different World Series champion across the league’s first 22 seasons. Only Calgary, Yaoundé and New Orleans have won the title more than once.

That may be the lasting image of 2061. The season began with Singapore still waiting for their first major banner.

They begin 2062 needing room for two.

dinosauryoshi · 07-24-2026, 10:31 AM

2062 WBL Preseason Preview

2061 saw 5 new teams make the playoffs. The preseason projections expect some of that change to continue. A number of defending division champions are tipped to fall back, several former powers appear ready to return, and five or six clubs have realistic chances of winning their first division title.

TAO Preview

South America

Projected favourite: Bogota Condors, 96-66

Bogota enter as one of the clearest first-time division-title candidates in the league. The Condors have already won the 2054 TAO championship despite never taking South America, and the projection gives them an eight-game advantage over the chasing group.

Behind them, almost everyone appears to be standing on the same patch of grass. Quito are projected for 88 wins, with AsunciÃ³n, defending champions CÃ³rdoba and Porto Alegre all on 87. Caracas sit only one game further back.

A Bogota title would therefore be historically significant, but hardly comfortable. CÃ³rdobaÂ’s offence is projected to decline sharply, although their excellent pitching could keep them involved. Quito, whose last crown came in 2051, are the strongest candidate for a return to the top.

Manaus are projected to slip to 83 wins after their remarkable postseason run. October may have been a wonderful fever dream rather than a new baseline.

Central America & Oceania

Projected favourite: Guatemala City Ocelots, 98-64

Guatemala City are expected to remain the class of the division. After winning in both 2060 and 2061, they are chasing a third consecutive crown and are projected to combine one of the TAOÂ’s strongest offences with elite run prevention.

The more interesting story may sit directly behind them. San Pedro Sula are predicted to win 95 games despite never having won the division. Port Moresby, champions four times between 2040 and 2057, are projected for 93, while Sydney and Managua follow on 92 and 91.

San Pedro Sula have perhaps the best chance of any TAO club to claim a first division title. Managua are another first-time candidate, though they may need the Ocelots to leave the door unusually wide.

Panama City are projected for 88 wins. The former world champions remain dangerous, but the model sees them closer to the wildcard race than to reclaiming the division.

North America - West

Projected favourites: Alaska Moose and Las Vegas Jacks, 92-70

No division looks more open.

Alaska and Las Vegas are tied at the top, Los Angeles are one game behind, Arizona two back, and Honolulu and Montana only three away. Six teams are projected to finish between 89 and 92 wins.

Las Vegas have not won the division since 2041, while Los Angeles last did so in 2046. Either would represent a substantial return from the historical margins. AlaskaÂ’s last title came in 2055.

Montana are the first-time title outsider to watch. They have never won North America - West, but an 89-win projection places them firmly inside the contest.

Defending champions Tijuana are forecast to fall all the way to 80-82. After 101 wins in 2061, that is one of the most dramatic predicted declines anywhere in the WBL.

North America - East

Projected favourite: Miami Swordfish, 97-65

The model expects the division to return to its familiar Miami-Memphis argument.

Miami are projected for 97 wins, with defending division and TAO champions Memphis two games behind. The SteamersÂ’ first pennant may not have changed their underlying profile much: they remain powerful, dangerous and apparently attracted to close games.

New Jersey are projected for 91 wins and remain one of the stronger first-time division-title candidates. The Jellyfish have repeatedly reached the postseason without taking the division, and this may be their best opportunity yet.

New Orleans, Cincinnati and Washington are all expected to remain relevant. WashingtonÂ’s deep 2061 run is followed by an 89-win prediction, while Cincinnati could challenge for their first crown if the two favourites stumble.

EAA Preview

Europe

Projected favourite: Stockholm Orcas, 96-66

Europe may be ready for a complete change at the top.

Stockholm have never won the division, but enter as four-game favourites over London. The Gentlemen, whose only division crown came in 2051, are themselves being tipped for a return to prominence.

Sheffield and Vienna are tied on 90 wins. Vienna have not finished first since 2048, while the Mountain Hares are still seeking the first playoff appearance in the franchise's history.

Bucharest, winners in 2060 and 2061, are projected to fall from 104 wins to 88. That still makes them a postseason contender, but no longer the divisionÂ’s fixed point. Minsk and Madrid remain close enough to punish anyone who underperforms.

Warsaw receive little reward for their run to the EAA Championship Series, with the model predicting an 80-82 season. The computer has admired their October resilience and then moved on with its day.

Sheffield Mountain Hares Outlook

Sheffield are projected to finish 90-72, seven wins better than last season and tied for third in Europe.

The offence should be lively. The Hares are expected to combine significant power with one of the leagueÂ’s most aggressive running games, while Eskinder Ali is projected to remain among the EAAÂ’s very best hitters.

The concern is pitching. SheffieldÂ’s rotation looks serviceable rather than dominant, and the club may need several younger or newly acquired players to perform near the top of their ranges.

A wildcard spot feels like a realistic target - which is promising for a team still looking for its first playoff apeparance.

Africa

Projected favourite: Dar es Salaam Giraffes, 101-61

While Dar es Salaam are tipped to return to the top for the first time since 2058, Casablanca and Nairobi, neither of whom have ever won the division, are projected for 99 and 98 wins respectively.

Casablanca may be the strongest first-title candidate outside Osaka and Stockholm. NairobiÂ’s 2061 postseason run also appears to have been more than a brief flare, with the Lilacs expected to combine a strong offence with enough pitching to remain near the top.

Ouagadougou are projected for 92 wins, while Nouakchott remain dangerous on 89. Defending champions Kano, meanwhile, fall to 86 wins and sixth place in the projection.

The Camels have won three of the last six division titles, but the model expects the rest of Africa to catch up all at once.

West & South-East Asia

Projected favourites: Mumbai Directors and Singapore Shipwrights, 98-64

The defending division champions and defending world champions are projected to finish level.

MumbaiÂ’s strength is built around pitching, with two starters forecast among the EAAÂ’s best. Singapore are expected to take a louder route, scoring more than 1,000 runs and fielding one of the leagueÂ’s deepest offences.

A Singapore victory would be their first division title since moving from Central & East Asia, though the franchise already owns five historical crowns from its previous home.

Yangon are only one game behind the favourites and appear ready to challenge for their first title since 2049. Karachi, projected for 95 wins, make this a genuine four-team race.

The defending champions look strong enough to repeat, but their own division may be the first obstacle.

Central & East Asia

Projected favourites: Osaka Blossoms and Pyongyang Grasshoppers, 102-60

This may be the strongest division in the WBL.

Osaka and Pyongyang are tied on 102 wins, with defending champions Seoul projected for 99. Chongqing sit fourth on 92, a total that would challenge for first place in several other divisions.

Osaka have never won the division and appear to have the strongest first-title case anywhere in the league. Their projected pitching is exceptional, with only 614 runs allowed.

Pyongyang are seeking a first crown since 2056 and remain the divisionÂ’s most decorated active contender, while SeoulÂ’s 2061 breakthrough is expected to carry into another 99-win season.

Chongqing have also never won the division. They are unlikely to catch all three favourites, but a 92-win projection leaves them well placed for the postseason.

First Division Title Watch

1. Osaka Blossoms

Projected for 102 wins with the strongest run prevention in the EAA. This looks like the clearest opportunity in franchise history.

2. Casablanca Corsairs

Projected for 99 wins and only two behind Dar es Salaam. AfricaÂ’s recent balance of power may finally shift towards Casablanca.

3. Stockholm Orcas

Four-game favourites in Europe despite never previously finishing first.

4. Bogota Condors

The strongest South American projection by eight games. A division title would fill the strangest gap in the history of a former TAO champion.

5. San Pedro Sula Fire

Projected for 95 wins and capable of pressuring Guatemala City throughout the season.

Former Powers Ready to Return

Several established clubs are projected to re-enter the division-title picture after long waits.

Las Vegas have not won since 2041, Los Angeles since 2046, Vienna since 2048 and Yangon since 2049. LondonÂ’s only crown came in 2051, while Quito are seeking their first since the same year.

Port Moresby and Sydney also look capable of returning to relevance in Central America & Oceania, while Pyongyang are expected to challenge strongly after reaching the Third Round last season.

Not every old power is returning. Calgary, the leagueÂ’s only two-time World Series winner alongside YaoundÃ© and New Orleans, are projected below .500.

First Playoff Appearance Watch

Stockholm, Casablanca and San Pedro Sula are all projected to reach the postseason for the first time, with Stockholm tipped to win Europe and the other two forecast to qualify automatically as division runners-up. Managua sit directly on the TAO wildcard line, while Sheffield, Chongqing, Montana and Cincinnati remain plausible outsiders.

Defending Champions

Singapore look fully capable of defending their World Series title. Their projected offence is the most imposing in the league, although winning West & South-East Asia may prove nearly as difficult as surviving October.

Memphis are expected to remain among the TAOÂ’s best teams but begin slightly behind Miami in their division.

Among the defending division champions, Guatemala City, Mumbai and Seoul remain leading contenders. Bucharest are projected to regress but stay competitive.

The model is far less optimistic about CÃ³rdoba, Kano and especially Tijuana. Half of the 2061 division winners may therefore fail to repeat.

Prediction Picks

TAO Division Winners

South America: Bogota Condors
Central America & Oceania: Guatemala City Ocelots
North America - West: Alaska Moose
North America - East: Miami Swordfish

EAA Division Winners

Europe: Stockholm Orcas
Africa: Dar es Salaam Giraffes
West & South-East Asia: Singapore Shipwrights
Central & East Asia: Osaka Blossoms

TAO Champion: Guatemala City Ocelots

The Ocelots remain the most complete projected team in the conference and should have another opportunity to turn regular-season dominance into their first pennant.

EAA Champion: Osaka Blossoms

OsakaÂ’s projected pitching gives them the best October foundation in the EAA. Their first division title could lead directly to their first pennant.

World Series Prediction: Osaka Blossoms defeat Guatemala City Ocelots

It would be another first-time champion, and the 20th different winner in 23 WBL seasons.

dinosauryoshi · 07-24-2026, 05:09 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - Opening Month Report, 2062

Overall record: 14-14
Division position: 9th in EAA Europe, 5 games behind Stockholm
Runs scored/allowed: 150-131 overall, including Opening Day

Statistical note: the season began on 31 March with a 12-3 win over Yaoundé. That game is included in the overall record and series recap, but is not included in the April batting and pitching splits below.

Monthly Summary

Sheffield opened 2062 with a spectacular 12-3 win and finished April with exactly as many wins as losses. The month played like an overstuffed double album: an excellent opening track, a wandering middle section and one gloriously excessive side recorded in Moscow.

There were promising signs beneath the .500 record. Sheffield outscored opponents by 19 runs across its first 28 games and by 10 during April alone. The offence produced a solid .260/.336/.409 line and averaged just over five runs per April game. Eskinder Ali immediately returned to superstar form, Ismael Guillen provided production and excellent defence at second base, and Marcus Eykelbosch proved a remarkably dependable source of hits.

The problem was consistency. Sheffield scored seven or more runs in ten games, but was held to three or fewer in nine others. The pitching staff followed a similar pattern. There were excellent stretches from Ali, Victor Esparza and Mitch Miller, but the staff finished April with a 4.46 ERA, while the bullpen repeatedly turned comfortable afternoons into nervous evenings.

The defining run came late in the month. After dropping series to Stockholm and Milan, Sheffield swept Moscow with wins of 7-6, 8-2 and 13-10. That lifted the Hares above .500 before a split with the formidable Khartoum Rhinos. A 9-4 win over Budapest then offered another chance to build momentum, but consecutive defeats left Sheffield at 14-14.

Late injuries to Alexandru Timofte, Michael Nesmith, Victor Esparza and Jose Garcia added another concern. None should be treated as a confirmed long-term absence without further information, but four pitchers leaving games in the closing week was hardly the ideal final chord.

Still, Sheffield remain within five games of the division lead and broadly in touch with their preseason projection. The Hares have shown enough offence to compete and enough volatility to make every series feel a bit sketchy.

Monthly Awards

Offensive Player of the Month: Eskinder Ali

April: .304/.475/.739, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 10 R, 15 BB, 1.0 WAR in 13 games.

Ali missed time after being injured while pitching on Opening Day, then returned as though the interruption had merely annoyed him. His six April home runs included two in the 13-10 win at Moscow, while his extraordinary walk rate pushed his on-base percentage close to .500.

Including the March opener, Ali ended the month batting .333/.500/.875 with 8 home runs and 24 RBI. He had gone 2-for-2 with two homers and four RBI on Opening Day before leaving the mound injured.

Pitcher of the Month: Eskinder Ali

April: 2-0, 1.65 ERA, 16.1 IP, 15 H, 5 BB, 9 K, 0 HR allowed, 0.5 WAR.

There is little point inventing a separate winner for the sake of variety. Ali was also Sheffield's best pitcher. He allowed only three earned runs in three April starts and did not surrender a home run.

Including his 3.2 scoreless Opening Day innings, Ali finished the opening period with a 1.35 ERA across 20 innings. Victor Esparza also impressed, allowing two earned runs in 9.2 April innings, while Mitch Miller posted a 1.32 ERA over 13.2 innings.

Other Standouts

Ismael Guillen: .297/.375/.495, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R, 7 SB and 1.1 WAR. Guillen also produced +2.0 zone rating at second base.

Marcus Eykelbosch: .372/.405/.436 with 29 hits in 21 games. The power was limited, but he kept putting the ball where fielders were not.

Espen Aas: .267/.323/.547 with 5 home runs, 14 RBI and nine doubles.

Josh Brandenburg: .342/.375/.658 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI in only 38 at-bats.

Game of the Month

23 April - Sheffield 13, Moscow 10

Sheffield scored in each of the first six innings, built leads of 7-2 and 13-7, and still needed to survive a Moscow response. It was chaos, but it was Sheffield's chaos.

Eskinder Ali produced the month's defining performance, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, six RBI, three runs, a walk and a stolen base. Ismael Guillen added three hits, two doubles, a home run, two RBI and three runs, while Josh Brandenburg also homered.

Hares Player of the Game: Eskinder Ali - 4-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, BB, SB

Opening Month Scores

vs Yaoundé Chimpanzees - Sheffield won series 2-1

31 March: Sheffield 12-3 Yaoundé
1 April: Sheffield 1-4 Yaoundé
2 April: Sheffield 6-3 Yaoundé

Opening Day belonged to Rob Graham, who went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, two runs and an RBI. Ali added two home runs, four RBI and 3.2 scoreless innings, while Espen Aas hit the decisive three-run homer in the series finale.

at Lisbon Caravels - Sheffield won series 2-1

3 April: Lisbon 7-4 Sheffield
4 April: Sheffield 7-2 Lisbon
5 April: Sheffield 6-3 Lisbon

Ismael Guillen's grand slam powered the middle game, part of a three-hit, four-RBI performance. Nick Roe then helped secure the series with a strong outing in the finale.

at Paris Black Cats - Paris won series 2-1

7 April: Paris 6-4 Sheffield
8 April: Sheffield 10-8 Paris
9 April: Paris 6-3 Sheffield

Jesus Morales hit two home runs and drove in three during Sheffield's lone victory. Espen Aas added three doubles as the Hares survived a late Paris comeback.

at San Juan Garitas - San Juan won series 2-1

10 April: San Juan 6-1 Sheffield
11 April: Sheffield 3-1 San Juan
12 April: San Juan 3-2 Sheffield

Nick Roe and Kardal Nabih delivered the middle game, with Nabih hitting a two-run homer. Sheffield lost the finale on a ninth-inning walk-off despite allowing only three hits.

vs Stockholm Orcas - Stockholm won series 2-1

14 April: Sheffield 7-8 Stockholm
15 April: Sheffield 2-3 Stockholm
16 April: Sheffield 8-7 Stockholm

Sheffield lost two one-run games before avoiding the sweep in another 8-7 contest. The series offered an early demonstration of why Stockholm, still seeking their first European division title, ended April at the top of the standings.

at Milan Tailors - Milan won series 2-1

17 April: Milan 6-3 Sheffield
18 April: Sheffield 5-1 Milan
19 April: Milan 5-4 Sheffield

Marcus Eykelbosch went 4-for-5 in the finale, while Victor Esparza delivered 4.2 scoreless innings. Neither was enough after Milan erased a 4-0 deficit and won on a ninth-inning single.

at Moscow Blizzard - Sheffield won series 3-0

21 April: Sheffield 7-6 Moscow, 10 innings
22 April: Sheffield 8-2 Moscow
23 April: Sheffield 13-10 Moscow

Adam Koehler supplied the tenth-inning winner in the opener. Ali then allowed one run over 5.2 innings in Game 2 before hitting two home runs and driving in six in the finale. It was comfortably Sheffield's best series of the month.

vs Khartoum Rhinos - Series tied 2-2

24 April: Sheffield 3-4 Khartoum
25 April: Sheffield 5-7 Khartoum
26 April: Sheffield 7-4 Khartoum
27 April: Sheffield 5-2 Khartoum

Sheffield recovered from losing the first two games against one of April's strongest teams. Tullu Dukuzumuremyi went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs in the 7-4 victory, while Sean Hane earned the win.

vs Budapest Red Squirrels - Budapest won series 2-1

28 April: Sheffield 9-4 Budapest
29 April: Sheffield 1-3 Budapest
30 April: Sheffield 4-7 Budapest

Morales hit a three-run homer in the opener and Ali added another three-run shot. Budapest's pitching then quietened Sheffield in Game 2 before four home runs helped the Red Squirrels take the finale.

Division Standings

Stockholm finished April leading EAA Europe at 19-9, placing themselves in an early position to challenge for the first division title in franchise history. Vienna followed at 17-10, while defending back-to-back champions Bucharest and London were both 16-11. Warsaw stood at 15-12.

Sheffield's 14-14 record placed them ninth, level with Milan and Moscow and five games behind Stockholm. The division is already tightly packed, with only two games separating fifth-placed Warsaw from Sheffield.

The Hares were predicted to win 90 games and finish third. Their opening month fell short of that pace, but the positive run differential and the return of Ali suggest the season remains very much alive.

dinosauryoshi · 07-26-2026, 05:51 PM

Sheffield Mountain Hares - May 2062 Report

May record: 18-10
Start of month: 14-14
End of month: 32-24
Division position: 2nd in EAA Europe, 3 games behind Stockholm
May runs scored/allowed: 147-116

Monthly Summary

April left Sheffield sitting precisely on the fence. May was the month they finally climbed down on the winning side, led by an impervious month of baseball from Eskinder Ali, who seemed determined that this was the year the Hares finally made the playoffs.

The Mountain Hares went 18-10, rose from ninth to second in Europe and moved within three games of Stockholm. They outscored opponents by 31 runs, won seven of their nine series and ended the month playing at a 93-win pace.

Sheffield began May 6-1, then lost six of the next ten as Windhoek, Madrid, Thessaloniki and Warsaw applied the brakes. This only seemed to anger Sheffield though. Beginning with a 10-2 victory in Warsaw, the Hares won eight of their final 11 games and closed the month with successive series victories over Warsaw, St. Paul, Minsk and Kyiv.

The rotation provided the foundation. Sheffield produced three consecutive shutouts between 6 and 8 May, with Victor Esparza, John Johnson and Eskinder Ali taking turns switching off the lights. By month’s end, the starters’ 3.77 season ERA ranked 11th in the EAA.

The bullpen remained the less convincing half of the pitching staff. Its 4.79 ERA ranked only 47th, while Sheffield’s 357 strikeouts were 64th in the conference. This is a staff surviving through control, defence and the occasional appearance of Ali behaving like a cheat code.

The offence was broad rather than entirely dependent upon one player. Tullu Dukuzumuremyi hit .345, Marcus Eykelbosch continued collecting hits, Jesus Morales recovered strongly from a dreadful April and Espen Aas supplied six home runs. Sheffield scored at least ten runs five times, although the 16-1 defeat to Kyiv demonstrated that they can still give up a host of runs when in the mood.

At 32-24, the Hares are one game behind their 33-23 Pythagorean record. This looks sustainable rather than illusory. Sheffield are not yet an elite team in any single conventional category, but they walk, defend, receive good starting pitching and have the league’s most unusual two-way superstar carrying several instruments at once.

Monthly Awards

Offensive Player of the Month: Eskinder Ali

May: .279/.431/.442, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 8 SB, 1.0 WAR.

Ali did not quite reproduce April’s power eruption, but he remained Sheffield’s most valuable hitter. He reached base in more than 43 per cent of his appearances, stole eight bases without being caught and finished the month with a 145 wRC+.

Through 31 May, Ali is batting .299/.457/.597 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, ten stolen bases and 2.4 batting WAR.

Pitcher of the Month: Eskinder Ali

May: 4-1, 2.08 ERA, 34.2 IP, 28 H, 8 BB, 32 K, 0 HR allowed.

Once again, there is little value in pretending someone else had a better month. Ali allowed only eight earned runs across six May starts and still has not surrendered a home run all season.

His month included 6.2 scoreless innings at Windhoek and eight innings of five-hit ball against Kyiv. The run allowed in that final start was unearned. He ended May 6-1 with a 1.81 season ERA and 2.0 pitching WAR.

Ali's form on both sides has many sure this will be the year he finally makes an all-star game. Although, we all know the only thing stopping him over the last few years has been injury - and that could still stop him yet.

Other Standouts

Tullu Dukuzumuremyi: .345/.402/.471, 30 H, 18 R, 12 RBI and 0.8 WAR. After a quiet April, Sheffield’s third baseman became one of the most reliable bats in the lineup.

Adam Koehler: .284/.333/.420, 2 HR, 13 RBI and 0.9 WAR. Koehler delivered several important hits and continued to provide strong production from catcher, he remains second in batter WAR behind Ali.

Jesus Morales: .269/.364/.430, 4 HR, 15 RBI and 20 R. His April line had begun to resemble a distress signal, but May was a substantial recovery.

Rob Graham: .243/.333/.459, 3 HR, 15 RBI and seven doubles. The average was modest, but the extra-base damage was not.

Espen Aas: 6 HR and 18 RBI. Aas hit only .224, yet nearly one third of his May hits left the ballpark.

Marcus Eykelbosch: .328/.343/.453 with six doubles, a triple and 13 RBI. He ended May batting .352 for the season.

Johnny Brennan: 2-0, 5 saves, 17.1 IP and a 2.08 ERA. His role shifted between the rotation, long relief and the late innings, but his value became increasingly clear.

Game of the Month

20 May - Sheffield 10, Warsaw 2

Sheffield arrived having lost 5-0 in the series opener. Rob Graham then turned the second game into his own private extra-base-hitting exhibition.

Graham went 4-for-5 with a home run, three doubles and five RBI, tying the Sheffield regular-season record for doubles in a game. Nevan Fitzgerald added three hits and three RBI as the Hares scored eight times across the first four innings.

The victory transformed the series. Sheffield returned the following day, won 7-2 and left Warsaw having taken two of three from the reigning EAA runners-up.

Hares Player of the Game: Rob Graham - 4-for-5, HR, 3 2B, 5 RBI

May Scores

at Zurich Chocolatiers - Sheffield won series 3-0

1 May: Sheffield 5-2 Zurich
2 May: Sheffield 14-8 Zurich
3 May: Sheffield 10-1 Zurich

Sheffield opened the month by scoring 29 runs in a three-game sweep. Morales drove in all five runs in the opener, Eykelbosch collected three hits and three RBI in Game 2, and Fitzgerald finished the finale with a home run, a double and three hits. Brennan allowed one run across six innings to complete the sweep.

vs Berlin Bears - Sheffield won series 2-1

5 May: Sheffield 3-9 Berlin
6 May: Sheffield 5-0 Berlin
7 May: Sheffield 4-0 Berlin

After an ugly opener, Sheffield answered with consecutive shutouts. Esparza allowed four hits across 5.2 scoreless innings before Johnson and the bullpen limited Berlin to three hits in the finale. Ali’s seventh-inning home run finally broke the deadlock in Game 3.

at Windhoek Oryx - Series tied 2-2

8 May: Sheffield 6-0 Windhoek
9 May: Sheffield 10-13 Windhoek
10 May: Sheffield 5-1 Windhoek
11 May: Sheffield 5-7 Windhoek

Ali extended Sheffield’s shutout streak with 6.2 innings of two-hit baseball in the opener. Windhoek responded with a 13-10 win before Brennan steadied the series, allowing one run over five innings while Eykelbosch went 4-for-5. The Oryx took the finale to secure the split.

vs Madrid Mallards - Madrid won series 2-1

12 May: Sheffield 2-4 Madrid
13 May: Sheffield 4-3 Madrid
14 May: Sheffield 1-2 Madrid

The Madrid series was decided almost entirely in the margins. Koehler homered, walked twice and scored two runs in Sheffield’s lone victory, while Dukuzumuremyi’s eighth-inning triple supplied the winning run. The Hares managed only seven runs across the three games.

at Thessaloniki Tower Knights - Sheffield won series 2-1

15 May: Sheffield 5-2 Thessaloniki
16 May: Sheffield 7-6 Thessaloniki
17 May: Sheffield 2-7 Thessaloniki

Aas hit two home runs and drove in three in the opener. Sheffield then scored seven times across the first two innings of Game 2 and held on as the Tower Knights crept back to within one. Thessaloniki avoided the sweep with a comfortable finale.

at Warsaw Kings - Sheffield won series 2-1

19 May: Sheffield 0-5 Warsaw
20 May: Sheffield 10-2 Warsaw
21 May: Sheffield 7-2 Warsaw

Sheffield were shut out in the opener before producing two of their strongest performances of the month. Graham’s four-hit, five-RBI masterpiece levelled the series, and Nabih’s two-run single helped secure the finale behind six solid innings from Hane.

at St. Paul Charlie Browns - Sheffield won series 2-1

22 May: Sheffield 7-5 St. Paul
23 May: Sheffield 1-5 St. Paul
24 May: Sheffield 7-3 St. Paul

Quang-Thieu Phang allowed one run across five innings in the opener, although the bullpen made the final score less comfortable than intended. Koehler then went 3-for-4 and drove in four during the deciding game.

vs Minsk Bison - Sheffield won series 2-1

26 May: Sheffield 12-4 Minsk
27 May: Sheffield 1-4 Minsk
28 May: Sheffield 2-1 Minsk

Morales homered and drove in four as Sheffield overwhelmed Minsk in the opener. The Bison answered behind Brandon Evertson, but Sheffield edged the finale despite producing only five hits. Juan Gonzalez supplied 3.2 scoreless relief innings in the 2-1 win.

vs Kyiv Terrapins - Sheffield won series 2-1

29 May: Sheffield 6-3 Kyiv
30 May: Sheffield 1-16 Kyiv
31 May: Sheffield 5-1 Kyiv

Esparza worked 7.1 strong innings in the opener before Kyiv delivered Sheffield’s heaviest defeat of the season, with Alex Zacarias hitting for the cycle in a 16-1 rout.

Ali restored order immediately. He allowed one unearned run and five hits over eight innings in the finale as Sheffield ended May with a series victory and a 32-24 record.

Season Position

Sheffield’s 32-24 record places them joint-second with Warsaw, three games behind Stockholm. London and Kyiv sit only half a game further back. These are heady heights for Sheffield, but providing Ali remains healthy, there's a rare confidence around the place this form can continue.

The encouraging part is that Sheffield are no longer merely hanging around. Their 18-10 May was the strongest evidence yet that the preseason prediction of 90 wins and a genuine playoff challenge was not misplaced.

The Hares are currently eighth in the EAA wildcard standings, half a game behind the shared cutoff occupied by Bengaluru and Casablanca. With the top two teams in each division qualifying automatically, second place in Europe remains the cleaner route, but it's very early days.

Across the League

Several of the preseason’s possible first-time division champions have moved quickly. Stockholm lead Europe at 35-21, New Jersey have stormed to 41-15 in North America - East, Dubai lead West & South-East Asia at 37-19 and Guangzhou top Central & East Asia at 35-21. None has previously won its current division.

Managua, another club still waiting for its first division crown, sit second behind Guatemala City at 34-19-3. San Pedro Sula remain competitive at 32-23, although the Ocelots lead the division at 39-17.

Elsewhere, defending champions Córdoba and Guatemala City remain top of their divisions. The picture is less comfortable for the others. Tijuana, Memphis, Bucharest, Kano, Mumbai and Seoul are all outside first place, while defending World Series champions Singapore are only 28-27 and already 8½ games behind Dubai.

New Jersey own the league’s strongest visible record at 41-15, with Guatemala City close behind at 39-17. Yaoundé lead Africa at 37-18-1, Las Vegas top North America - West at 37-19 and Córdoba continue to control South America at 36-19.

Final Thoughts

The Hares have moved into an automatic playoff position, their starters are performing like one of the better rotations in the EAA and the lineup has developed enough depth to survive quieter stretches from individual hitters.

There are still exposed wires, but Sheffield look like a team in the ascendency.

04-17-2026, 09:53 AM	#221
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061 Banner Ceremonies - and 2060 recap Around the WBL, the start of a new season means banner ceremonies. Before attention turns fully to 2061, clubs and supporters take a moment to honour what was achieved in 2060: division titles, conference crowns, and for one team, a World Series championship. These ceremonies are more than a quick pre-game formality. They are a chance for each city to mark its place in league history. New banners go up alongside the old ones, stretching a little more colour and memory across the rafters. In some cities that means another addition to an already crowded wall. In others, it means a first. The celebrations themselves tend to reflect the clubs and places involved. Some lean into pageantry, with local bands, choirs, drummers or brass sections giving the whole day a civic feel. Others spill out beyond the stadium with food stalls, neighbourhood markets, family activities and supporters arriving early just to be part of the atmosphere. The banner goes up, the crowd looks on, and for a moment the story of 2060 feels fixed in place. Below is the current divisional and championship record, with this year’s honourees marked in bold. Old team names are in brackets. TAO South America Division 1. Lima Cavies (Parakeets): 5 (2043, 2044, 2046, 2056, 2057) 2. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers: 4 (2045, 2047, 2048, 2060) 3. Asuncion Pampas Foxes: 3 (2040, 2049, 2059) 4. La Paz Doves: 2 (2053, 2054) 5. Quito Cinchonas: 2 (2041, 2051) 6. Sao Paolo Gold Sox (Knights): 1 (2058) 7. Porto Alegre Winemakers (est. 2055): 1 (2055) 8. Salvador Toucans: 1 (2052) 9. Cordoba Silversmiths: 1 (2050) 10. Montevideo Sea Lions (Jaguars): 1 (2042) No wins - Caracas Macaws - Medellin Sea Lions (Monkeys) - Bogota Condors - Santiago Flamingos - Buenos Aires Apples - Brasilia Travelers (est. 2052) - Manaus Jaguars (est. 2058) - Porto Velho Heliconias (est. 2060) - Paramaribo Pufferfish (est. 2059) Central America & Oceania 1. Port Moresby Manatees: 4 (2040, 2041, 2056, 2057) 2. Havana Cafecitos: 4 (2045, 2046, 2049, 2051) 3. Sydney Koalas: 3 (2044, 2054, 2055) 4. Tegucigalpa Spirits (Savannah): 2 (2047, 2048) 5. San Jose Sloths: 2 (2042, 2043) 6. Guatemala City Ocelots: 1 (2060) 7. Panama City Poets (Golden Frogs): 1 (2059) 8. Santo Domingo Dolphins (est. 2052): 1 (2058) 9. Mexico City Tenochca (Aztecs): 1 (2053) 10. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2052) 11. Melbourne Whales: 1 (2050) No wins - San Pedro Sula Fire - San Salvador Volcanoes - Guatemala City Armadillos (Quetzals) - Managua Motmots - Auckland Kiwis - San Juan Garitas (est. 2055) - Perth Fairywrens (est. 2058) - Port au Prince Revolution (est. 2060) - Monterrey Dinos (est. 2059) North America - West 1. Calgary Tartans: 5 (2042, 2053, 2054, 2056, 2058) 2. Salt Lake City Skiers: 3 (2050, 2051, 2060) 3. Honolulu Seahawks: 3 (2052, 2054, 2059) 4. Vancouver Green Sox: 2 (2045, 2049) 5. Albuquerque Pueblos (Chiefs): 2 (2043, 2044) 6. Tijuana Luchadores (Stouts) (est. 2052): 1 (2057) 7. Alaska Moose: 1 (2055) 8. California Waveriders: 1 (2048) 9. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047) 10. Los Angeles Stars: 1 (2046) 11. Arizona Wrens: 1 (2043) 12. Las Vegas Jacks: 1 (2041) No wins - Portland Jackalopes (White Oaks) - Idaho Owls - Montana Smokey Bears - San Diego Stingrays (est. 2055) - Winnipeg Caribou (est. 2058) - Seattle Herons (est. 2059) - Edmonton Hurricanes (est. 2060) North America - East 1. Miami Swordfish: 4 (2046, 2049, 2052, 2060) 2. Memphis Steamers: 3 (2041, 2058, 2059) 3. New Orleans Jazz: 3 (2042, 2053, 2054) 4. Toronto Gray Jays: 2 (2048, 2055) 5. Quebec Muskies/Montreal Miracles: 2 (2040, 2045) 6. Philadelphia Ruffed Grouse: 1 (2057) 7. Boston Bluebirds (Chickadees): 1 (2056) 8. Atlanta Eagles: 1 (2051) 9. Washington Grays (Presidents): 1 (2050) 10. St Louis Flycatchers: 1 (2047) 11. Nashville Rockabillys (Melodies): 1 (2044) 12. New York Nightlights (Raccoons): 1 (2043) No wins - Chicago Hoppers (Y's) - Kansas City Meadowlarks - Houston Apollos (est. 2052) - New Jersey Jellyfish (est. 2055) - Dallas Cosmopolitans (est. 2058) - St. Paul Charlie Browns (est. 2060) - Cincinnati Cincies (est. 2059) EAA Europe 1. St Petersburg Pelicans: 4 (2042, 2050, 2053, 2054) 2. Paris Black Cats: 3 (2044, 2045, 2057) 3. Budapest Red Squirrels: 3 (2046, 2047, 2049) 4. Bucharest Sounds: 2 (2041, 2060) 5. Rome Legion: 2 (2055, 2056) 6. Vienna Whistlers (Music): 2 (2040, 2048) 7. Madrid Mallards: 1 (2059) 8. Moscow Blizzard: 1 (2058) 9. Warsaw Kings: 1 (2052) 10. London Gentlemen: 1 (2051) 11. Berlin Bears: 1 (2043) No wins - Zurich Chocolatiers (Mountaineers) - Kyiv Terrapins - Minsk Bison - Stockholm Orcas (est. 2052) - Sheffield Mountain Hares (est. 2055) - Athens Philosphers (est. 2058) - Lisbon Caravels (est. 2059) - Milan Tailors (est. 2060) Africa 1. Kinshasa Leopards: 4 (2048, 2049, 2050, 2059) 2. Abidjan White Elephants: 3 (2045, 2051, 2052) 3. Lagos Moons: 3 (2042, 2043, 2044) 4. Kano Camels: 2 (2056, 2060) 5. Ouagadougou Nomads (est. 2052): 2 (2054, 2055) 6. Cairo Scarabs: 2 (2040, 2041) 7. Dar es Salaam Giraffes: 1 (2058) 8. Addis Ababa Lions: 1 (2057) 9. Yaounde Chimpanzees (Cannons): 1 (2053) 10. Johannesburg Scholars (Springboks): 1 (2047) 11. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2046) No wins - Khartoum Rhinos - Casablanca Corsairs (Gray Wolves) - Nairobi Lilacs - Luanda Red Caps - Nouakchott Sand Sox (est. 2055) - Cape Town Penguins (est. 2058) - Harare Hippos (est. 2060) - Mogadishu Seashells (est. 2059) West & South-East Asia 1. Bengaluru Bytes: 4 (2043, 2045, 2050, 2053) 2. Istanbul Spice: 3 (2047, 2048, 2060) 3. Dhaka Mammoths: 3 (2042, 2052, 2055) 4. Karachi Seafarers: 2 (2044, 2059) 5. Manila Snakes: 2 (2054, 2058) 6. Yangon Peacocks: 2 (2046, 2049) 7. Mumbai Directors: 2 (2040, 2041) 8. Phnom Penh Jackhammers: 1 (2057) 9. Jakarta Dragons: 1 (2056) 10. Bangkok Tuk-Tuks (Eels): 1 (2051) No wins - Tehran Goats (Marbles) - Baghdad Chukars - Dubai Dunes (Hyenas) - Hanoi Mopeds - Riyadh Falcons (Bedouins) (est. 2052) - Patna Roosters (est. 2055) - Ashgabat Akhal-Tekes (est. 2058) - Jaipur Pink Sox (est. 2059) - Singapore Shipwrights (moved from Central & East Asia in 2060, where they have 5 wins!) Central & East Asia 1. Singapore Shipwrights (moved to West & South East Asia in 2060): 5 (2045, 2046, 2048, 2049, 2053) 2. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 4 (2044, 2047, 2055, 2056) 3. New Taipei City Magpies: 2 (2040, 2051) 4. Hong Kong Kites (Songbirds): 2 (2042, 2043) 5. Kuala Lumpur Tigers: 1 (2060) 6. Hiroshima Express: 1 (2059) 7. Shanghai Peaches: 1 (2058) 8. Tokyo Octopi: 1 (2057) 9. Almaty Blue Sox (Sunrise): 1 (2054) 10. Harbin Icecaps (Shenzhen Peanuts): 1 (2052) 11. Beijing Pandas: 1 (2050) 12. Seoul Crabs: 1 (2041) No wins - Kabul Caracals (Bazaars) - Guangzhou Rams - Busan Oysters (est. 2052) - Ulaanbaatar Cavalry (est. 2055) - Osaka Blossoms (est. 2058) - Chongqing Hotpots (est. 2059) - Lanzhou Traders (est. 2060) - Incheon Saucers (est. 2060) TAO Championships Calgary Tartans (2053, 2055, 2058) Panama City Poets (2059, 2060) New Orleans Jazz (2040, 2042) Tijuana Stouts (2057) Lima Cavies (2056) Bogota Condors (2054) Miami Swordfish (2052) Quito Cinchonas (2051) Asuncion Pampas Foxes (2050) Juarez Cacti (2049) Toronto Gray Jays (2048) Colorado Blue Spruce (2047) Kansas City Meadowlarks (2046) Vancouver Green Sox (2045) Sydney Koalas (2044) Sao Paolo Knights (2043) San Jose Sloths (2041) EAA Championships Kano Camels (2056, 2060) Yaounde Cannons (2053, 2054) St Petersburg Pelicans (2042, 2050) Vienna Music (2048, 2049) London Gentlemen (2059) Shanghai Peaches (2058) Kabul Caracals (2057) Johannesburg Springboks (2055) Shenzhen Peanuts (2052) Dhaka Mammoths (2051) New Taipei City Magpies (2047) Madrid Mallards (2046) Pyongyang Grasshoppers (2045) Antananarivo Lemurs (2044) Manila Snakes (2043) Rome Legion (2041) Addis Ababa Lions (2040) World Series Titles 1. Calgary Tartans: 2 (2055, 2058) 2. Yaounde Cannons: 2 (2053, 2054) 3. New Orleans Jazz: 2 (2040, 2042) 4. Panama City Poets (2060) 5. London Gentlemen (2059) 6. Tijuana Stouts (2057) 7. Kano Camels (2056) 8. Miami Swordfish (2052) 9. Quito Cinchonas (2051) 10. Asuncion Pampas Foxes (2050) 11. Juarez Cacti (2049) 12. Vienna Whistlers (2048) 13. Colorado Blue Spruce (2047) 14. Kansas City Meadowlarks (2046) 15. Pyongyang Grasshoppers (2045) 16. Antananarivo Lemurs (2044) 17. Sao Paolo Knights (2043) 18. San Jose Sloths (2041) How 2060 Fits Into the Bigger Picture The 2060 season felt like a year of returning powers, a couple of meaningful fresh breakthroughs, and a championship that nudged one club into a new historical tier. At division level, only two clubs were first-time winners. Guatemala City Ocelots broke through in Central America & Oceania, and Kuala Lumpur Tigers did the same in Central & East Asia. That is a modest number, but it says something about where the league now stands. Most divisions have developed a real historical pecking order, and it is becoming harder for brand-new names to force their way in. The rest of the divisional picture was mostly about repeat winners or long-awaited returns. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers won South America for the fourth time, but it was their first since 2048, so it felt like a revival rather than a routine defence. Salt Lake City Skiers returned in North America - West for their third division title and first since 2051. Miami Swordfish did much the same in North America - East, taking a fourth crown and their first since 2052. In Europe, Bucharest Sounds claimed their second title, but because their first came all the way back in 2041, this was one of the clearest “back at last” stories anywhere in the WBL. A few clubs also strengthened their place in the league’s middle-to-upper historical tier. Kano Camels won Africa for a second time, adding 2060 to their 2056 banner, and then went further by winning the EAA championship again. Istanbul Spice collected a third West & South-East Asia title, their first since 2048, which reinforces them as one of the division’s long-term top performers. Rio, Salt Lake City, Miami, Bucharest, Kano, and Istanbul all came out of 2060 looking more impressive in the record books than they did before the season began. The biggest story, though, sits above the divisional races. Panama City Poets followed their 2059 breakthrough by winning the TAO championship again in 2060 and then claiming their first World Series title. That changes the tone of their recent rise. They are no longer simply a club that had a great year. Back-to-back TAO pennants already set them apart, and the 2060 title turns them into a franchise with a proper place in WBL history. On the other side, Kano Camels also used 2060 to raise their profile. Their second EAA championship confirmed them as one of the conference’s defining clubs of the modern period. They did not finish the job in the World Series, but another pennant means their 2056 title run now looks part of a broader era rather than a single spike. The top of the divisional honour boards still belongs to a small group. The five-win clubs remain Lima Cavies, Calgary Tartans, and the Singapore Shipwrights (all in their previous Central & East Asia division). Just behind them sits a strong four-win tier including Rio de Janeiro, Port Moresby, Havana, Miami, St Petersburg, Kinshasa, Bengaluru, and Pyongyang. The 2060 season did not overturn that order, but it did deepen it by making the chasing group more crowded and more credible. There are still plenty of waiting games in the background. Among non-expansion teams still without a division title in particular. In TAO that includes Caracas Macaws, Bogota Condors, Santiago Flamingos, Buenos Aires Apples, San Pedro Sula Fire, San Salvador Volcanoes, Managua Motmots, Auckland Kiwis, Portland Jackalopes, Idaho Owls, Montana Smokey Bears, Chicago Hoppers, and Kansas City Meadowlarks. In EAA, long-standing titleless clubs include Kyiv Terrapins, Minsk Bison, Khartoum Rhinos, Nairobi Lilacs, Luanda Red Caps, Tehran Goats, Baghdad Chukars, Hanoi Mopeds, Kabul Caracals, and Guangzhou Rams. A few of those names feel especially ripe for future banner-ceremony posts of their own. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

04-25-2026, 06:16 PM	#222
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061 WBL Pre-Season Predictions: Can the Mountain Hares Break Through? The 2061 WBL Fangraphs pre-season prediction report gives Sheffield a slightly awkward sort of encouragement. It does not make the Mountain Hares a true European favourite, but it does keep them firmly in the conversation. The Hares are projected to finish 84-78, tied with Vienna and one game ahead of London, though still well behind the division’s top two projected powers, Warsaw at 102-60 and Bucharest at 101-61. Essentially, the experts think we'll be in for more of the same mid-table baseball this season. Sheffield are still chasing their first playoff appearance, and the projection table suggests that wait may continue a little longer. Yet there are encouraging signs. The Hares are forecast for 806 runs, a .272 team average, 187 home runs and 181 steals, which points to a lively, athletic offence with several ways to score. The concern is the other side of the ledger: 834 runs allowed and a 4.81 ERA, one of the weaker pitching lines among Europe’s contenders. The shape of the season feels fairly clear already. If Sheffield are going to beat the forecast, they will likely do it by bludgeoning and sprinting their way past expectations rather than by quietly strangling teams on the mound. In my view, this is the less preferable way round - solid pitching tends to be a more consistent strategy... Warsaw, Bucharest and Budapest are the three clubs the model appears to trust most. Minsk, Madrid and Rome sit in the next band. Sheffield are just behind that group, in a knot with Vienna and just above London. It is not the sort of projection that inspires banners in April, but it is the sort that leaves the door open for a club with a hot six-week stretch. The new expansion teams Zooming out from Sheffield and Europe, and looking at the WBL more broadly, the expansion teams add another layer to the 2061 picture. A few of the league’s new clubs look set for the usual early growing pains, but not all of them are just making up the numbers. In TAO, Suva Sea Turtles are the standout immediate success story on paper. They are projected to go 89-73, which would put them third in Central America & Oceania, ahead of a whole host of established clubs. Spokane Red Cedars are forecast at 75-87 in North America - West, a respectable enough starting point in a brutal division. Willemstad Slakken at 70-92, Edmonton Hurricanes at 67-95 and Detroit Hitmakers at 75-87 look more like classic first-year projects. EAA’s newcomers are similarly mixed. Thessaloniki Tower Nights are projected at 75-87 in Europe, which is not a contender’s line but does add yet another body to a packed middle tier around the Hares. Windhoek Oryx are forecast for 74-88 in Africa, Wuhan Plums for 71-91 in Central & East Asia, and Ürümqi Silk Riders for a much more eye-catching 80-82 in the same division. Ürümqi are the expansion side that most obviously look capable of becoming a nuisance straight away. That wider context makes Sheffield’s position a little sharper. The Hares are not one of the league’s shiny new curiosities anymore. They are now in the harder stage, where a club has to justify itself as a genuine force while fresh franchises arrive below and around them. Around the league Elsewhere around the league, a few divisions look ripe for a fresh chapter. In Europe, the most eye-catching possibility is Warsaw Kings. They are projected to top the continent at 102-60. Given that Warsaw’s only division title came in 2052, a 2061 crown would not be a first, but it would be a major return and would vault them back into the foreground after years of living in the shadows of clubs like St Petersburg, Paris and Budapest. Bucharest, coming off their 2060 title, are projected right on their heels, so Europe could become a fight between an old name reawakening and a club trying to prove they're still the division's top team. In Africa, Casablanca Corsairs look like perhaps the strongest new-winner candidate anywhere in the WBL. The model has them at 105-57, comfortably clear of the field. In the historical table, Casablanca are still without a division title, so a Corsairs breakthrough would be a significant moment. Africa has spent much of recent history rotating through Kinshasa, Abidjan, Lagos, and Kano. Casablanca look well placed to barge into that conversation. West & South-East Asia has a similar feel. Mumbai Directors are projected at 96-66, ahead of a cluster containing Baghdad, Karachi, Kuala Lumpur and Phnom Penh. Mumbai do have history, with two titles, but both came in 2040 and 2041. A third would make them one of the division’s great comeback stories. More intriguing still is Baghdad Chukars, projected at 92-70. They remain a titleless non-expansion club, and if they make good on that forecast they could become one of the season’s most satisfying first-time winners. Kuala Lumpur, fresh off their first title in Central & East Asia, also look well equipped. Central & East Asia has the smell of change too. Seoul Crabs are projected to lead the way at 93-69, ahead of Busan and Guangzhou. Seoul have not won the division since 2041, so a title here would end a very long drought, something that seems a bit of a theme across many divisions. Busan are one of the most obvious still-waiting clubs in the league and are projected well enough to matter, while Guangzhou are another long-time nearly side with no banner yet. In TAO, a few defending champions are being asked stern questions. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers, fresh from winning South America in 2060, are only projected for 82-80 and sit well behind Lima Cavies, who are tipped to reclaim the division at 97-65. That would be Lima’s sixth title, reinforcing their place as South America’s standard bearer. North America - West tells a similar story. The reigning winner Salt Lake City Skiers are projected well, but not on top. Las Vegas Jacks are forecast to win the division at 97-65, which would be their first title since 2041 and yet another longest-awaited return to the top. North America - East may be even harsher on the incumbent. Miami Swordfish, last year’s winner, are projected for 92-70, but Houston Apollos are the model’s monster team at 108-54. Houston are still without a division title in your records, so if they finally break through they would not only do so for the first time, but do it as one of the most emphatic predicted winners on the board. Central America & Oceania points the other way: Guatemala City Ocelots, last year’s first-time winner, are projected to repeat at 103-59, with the defending world champion Panama City Poets again looming close behind at 99-63. So where does that leave the Mountain Hares? Probably in the most familiar place of all: just outside the inner circle, but close enough to make noise. The model likes their bats, likes their speed, and sees them as a respectable club. It just doesn't like their pitching That can be frustrating, but it also means the road to a breakthrough is visible. Tighten the run prevention, survive the crowded European middle class, and Sheffield could turn an 84-win forecast into something noisier. On paper they are not the story of the continent. But they are close enough to the edge of it to make this spring feel worth watching. We'll get into some of Sheffield's off-season trades as we get into the monthly reports. Come on you Hares! __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here Last edited by dinosauryoshi; 04-25-2026 at 06:17 PM.

04-28-2026, 05:49 PM	#223
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - Off-Season Transactions Sheffield’s off-season was more practical than flashy. The front office looked at the pitching staff, saw a few loose floorboards, and got to work. The headline moves were the signing of John Johnson to a 2-year, $19.4m deal, the addition of Evan Blythe on a 3-year, $27.9m contract, the trade for Randy Crimi from Albuquerque, and a 2-year, $21.6m extension for Isaac Saville. Beyond that, most of the winter log is routine churn: renewals, camp moves, and depth shuffling. Johnson looks like the classic veteran rotation add. The 34-year-old American right-hander still throws 96-98 mph, and Sheffield were clearly buying the fact that he had just come off a strong year with Casablanca, where he went 12-6 with a 3.79 ERA in 32 starts. His career has taken him all over the map, but last season gave the Hares a reason to believe there was still something useful left in the tank. Blythe was the bigger financial commitment, and that makes sense given his track record. The 33-year-old reliever arrived after two good seasons with London, posting ERAs of 2.43 and 2.96, and he brings a long history of late-inning work. Over his career he has a 2.92 ERA and 107 saves, which makes him the nearest thing Sheffield had to a proven relief anchor coming into the year. Crimi is the more intriguing gamble. He is only 27, throws hard, and still has the look of a pitcher with a bit more in him than his surface story first suggests. He spent several years bouncing around between relief and starting, but in 2060 with Albuquerque he made 20 starts and posted a 3.04 ERA. That gave Sheffield a reason to take the plunge, though his winter was complicated by shoulder inflammation and a spell on the 60-day injured list. It was not the sort of off-season that makes people run into the streets banging pots, but it had a sensible logic to it. Will it be enough to make a run for the playoffs? __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

05-01-2026, 06:40 PM	#224
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - April 2061 Monthly Report Overview April was a bruising opening month for the Sheffield Mountain Hares, who went 11-16 from their first 27 games. There were flashes of life, especially during the middle of the month when Sheffield briefly looked as though they might clamber up the table, but the overall picture was uneven. The Hares lost their opening three series, steadied themselves with back-to-back wins over San Juan and Moscow, then drove straight into a hedge with poor trips to Vienna and Rome before recovering to take three of four from Luanda. A two-game home set against St Petersburg then closed the month on a sour note. The month never found one clean rhythm. There were tight pitching scraps, a couple of proper wallopings, some ugly defeats, and one gloriously daft 12-inning shootout in Rome that felt like April in miniature. Team Stats The numbers back up the awkward feel. Sheffield finished April at 11-16 (.407), 18th in Europe and 9.5 games back. They were respectable enough at home at 6-6, but struggled badly on the road at 5-10, and went just 4-6 over their final 10 games. Offensively, the Hares were well below par. They hit .237/.311/.352 with a .663 OPS, ranking 76th, 65th, 78th and 77th in EAA respectively. They scored 115 runs, collected 216 hits, and managed only 64 extra-base hits. The one saving grace was patience, with 96 walks, but the overall attack was still more damp sparkler than fireworks display. That was especially frustrating because there is more track record here than April showed. Nsen Ngunda, the Dutch left fielder, was a 3.4 WAR player last season with a .277 average, 17 homers, 77 RBI and an .802 OPS. Adam Koehler, Sheffield’s American catcher, hit 21 homers with 76 RBI and 3.1 WAR, while Rob Graham gave the Hares a .281/.345/.502 line with 20 homers and 78 RBI. This is not a lineup without a recent pulse. Pitching was the bigger issue. Sheffield’s overall ERA was 4.82, with 138 runs allowed. The starters posted a workable 4.06 ERA, but the bullpen ballooned to 6.19. The Hares were often in games, then suddenly not in them. Defensively, things were steadier. Sheffield’s defensive efficiency was .702, 16th in EAA, and their Zone Rating was +3.0, 32nd. There were mistakes, but this was not a team flinging the ball around like a hot potato at a village fete. Most of the damage came from inconsistent run prevention and a flat attack, not a full defensive collapse. Results by Series vs Windhoek Oryx (1-2) The Hares opened the season with a neat 1-0 win, as John Johnson threw 6.1 scoreless innings, Adam Koehler had three hits, and Nsen Ngunda drove in the only run with a sacrifice fly. It was a tidy beginning. The rest of the series went the other way. Windhoek took game two 5-1, then won a wild finale 15-11. Usamah Kadin went 3-for-6 and Yakov Tolochko homered, but the staff could not contain Danny Hernandez and company. It was the first sign of a month-long problem: the Hares could score, but too often only after they had already let the horse bolt through the fence and into the next county. at Stockholm Orcas (1-2) Sheffield pinched the opener 2-0 behind German right-hander Alois Herzog, who worked 5.2 scoreless innings before the bullpen finished the job. Back-to-back strong starts briefly suggested the Hares might build something sturdier. Instead, the bats went quiet. Sheffield lost 3-0 and 8-3 to drop the series. In the finale, Rob Graham had two hits and Jakub Pagan and Koehler each drove in a run, but Stockholm landed the heavier punches. Already the shape of the month was visible: starters keeping things respectable, the attack running hot and cold, and the whole thing held together with string and optimism. at Milan Tailors (1-2) Game one was an untidy 11-6 defeat, with Milan cracking it open late. Kadin, Koehler and Zitomir Klech all had multi-hit games, but Sheffield gave up 14 hits. The Hares responded well on April 9, winning 7-1 as Mexican starter Rey Ochoa allowed 1 run over 7.2 innings. Ngunda went 3-for-5 with a homer and 5 RBI, while Jesus Pagan also homered. The series slipped away the next day in a tight 4-3 loss, despite Kadin’s 3-run homer. at San Juan Garitas (2-1) This was Sheffield’s first series win of the month. The opener was a 4-3 victory, with Koehler going 2-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBI. The middle game was a proper little pitcher’s duel, won 1-0 in 10 innings, with Johnson throwing 6.1 scoreless innings and Drew Worsfold delivering the go-ahead sacrifice fly. Sheffield could not complete the sweep, losing 5-4 on a ninth-inning walk-off, though Ngunda and Koehler both homered. The series neatly captured April: narrow margins, tightrope games, and the sense that one more hit or one more clean inning might have changed the weather entirely. vs Moscow Blizzard (2-1) This was probably Sheffield’s best baseball of the month. The Hares thumped Moscow 16-2 in the opener, with Klech going 2-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI, Espen Aas hitting a 2-run homer, and the lineup piling up 19 hits. They followed it with a 5-1 win as Herzog allowed 1 run over 5.2 innings, while Sergio Rutz and Koehler both homered. The series ended with a flat 3-0 loss, Florentin Guérin shutting Sheffield down, but this was still the nearest the Hares came in April to looking good. at Vienna Whistlers (0-3) This was one of the ugliest patches of the month. Sheffield lost 10-4, 5-3 and 13-0. There were isolated bright spots: Outfielder Sergio Rutz went 4-for-5 with a homer and 3 RBI in the opener, and Dan Jula homered and drove in 3 in game two. But Vienna repeatedly punished mistakes, and the finale ended with Sheffield being one-hit. The bullpen woes loomed large here. April’s 6.19 bullpen ERA was not built in a vacuum, and this series felt like one of the main building sites. at Rome Legion (1-2) Another series defeat, though this one contained the month’s greatest circus act. Game one was a dreadful 13-0 loss, one of several reminders that when Sheffield were bad in April, they were awful. Then came April 23: Sheffield won 18-10 in 12 innings, a game that seemed to spend long stretches covered in petrol and waving a lit match. Norwegian first baseman Espen Aas went 2-for-5 with a homer, 2 walks, 3 runs and 5 RBI. Rutz delivered the go-ahead 2-run single in the 12th. Koehler scored four runs. The game notes added two club oddities: Rutz set the Sheffield regular-season extra-inning record with 5 hits, and Koehler set the club regular-season extra-inning game record with 4 runs. Rome took the rubber match 6-5 in 11 innings, another one Sheffield might feel they let drift away. vs Luanda Red Caps (3-1) This was Sheffield’s best series result of the month. The Hares won 5-1, 7-2 and 3-1 before dropping a rain-shortened finale 5-1. In the opener, American starter Isaac Saville threw 8.1 innings and allowed 1 run, while Rutz drove in 2. That looked more like the pitcher who gave Sheffield 182.1 innings, a 4.05 ERA and 2.6 WAR last season. In game two, Rutz hit a 3-run homer and Henry Garcia worked 3.1 scoreless innings after Ochoa left injured. In game three, Herzog threw 6 innings of 1-run ball and Rutz homered again. The finale was a sloppy stumble, cut short in the eighth, and also brought another injury concern for Aloyoshenka Voevodsky. vs St Petersburg Pelicans (0-2) A flat ending to the month. Sheffield lost 3-1 and 8-4. In the opener, Johnson gave up 2 runs over 8 innings and still took the loss. In the finale, Ngunda collected 4 hits and Aas drove in 2, but St Petersburg’s middle order made more noise. And that was April’s final shrug: one more decent start, one more not-quite-enough offensive night, one more series loss. Top Performers Sergio Rutz was the standout bat of the month. He hit .328/.388/.557 with 4 home runs, 15 RBI, 20 hits, 10 runs and 4 steals in 15 games. He provided some of Sheffield’s loudest moments, including the huge extra-innings game in Rome and several key blows in the Luanda series. He spent April looking as though the ball owed him money. Adam Koehler also put together a strong month, batting .257/.342/.457 with 4 home runs, 9 RBI, 18 hits and 12 runs in 21 games. Given his 21-homer, 3.1 WAR season last year, that kind of sturdy production from behind the plate is exactly what Sheffield need. Felipe Veloz quietly helped, hitting .286/.369/.393 with 16 hits, 6 doubles and 6 RBI. There was not much thump, but he kept innings moving. Nsen Ngunda had a mixed but still important month. The rate line was modest at .245/.328/.333, but he finished with 25 hits and 15 RBI. With his 2060 season in mind, Sheffield will expect more extra-base damage as the year warms up. On the mound, Alois Herzog had the best monthly profile among the starters. He posted a 4.50 K/BB, 9.00 K/9, 2.00 BB/9 and 2.86 FIP, and the game logs backed that up. He was one of the few starters who repeatedly gave Sheffield a chance to stay on the rails. Strugglers Dan Jula had a difficult month, finishing at .185/.242/.272 with 2 home runs, 11 RBI and 25 strikeouts. There were useful moments, but the full line is a hard read. Zitomir Klech also had an uneven month. He hit .188/.250/.259 with 1 home run, 4 RBI and 29 strikeouts in 26 games. The Moscow blowout was one of the few times it clicked properly. Rob Graham struggled too, batting .213/.294/.266. That was a long way short of last season’s .847 OPS form, when he was one of Sheffield’s most bankable bats. His track record should buy patience, but April was thin gruel. The bullpen, though, was the real mud patch. The relievers posted a 6.19 ERA, and a few individual lines were particularly grim. Joey Booth finished the month summary with a 19.29 R/9, 13.11 H/9 and 7.26 FIP. Damian Coles had a 28.69 R/9, 13.50 H/9, 13.50 BB/9 and 9.98 FIP. When the bullpen door opened in April, it too often felt less like reinforcements arriving and more like someone had released a flock of panicked geese. Game of the Month It has to be April 23 at Rome: Sheffield 18, Rome 10 (12 innings). Not because it was the cleanest game Sheffield played. It absolutely was not. But if April was about noise, nerve and just enough firepower to keep the month from sagging into total gloom, this was the perfect emblem of it. The Hares scored 18 runs, collected 19 hits, allowed 10 runs, and still had enough left to win the last round. Espen Aas was magnificent, finishing 2-for-5 with a homer, 2 walks, 3 runs and 5 RBI. Sergio Rutz landed the decisive blow with the go-ahead 2-run single in the 12th. Adam Koehler scored four times. It was not tidy, but it was glorious in the way only a game that goes slightly feral can be. Defence and Other Notes Defensively, there were some encouraging individual signs. Koehler was excellent behind the plate, handling 145 total chances without an error, throwing out 8 of 29 attempted basestealers for a 27.6% caught-stealing rate, and posting +1.1 ZR. That fits with his strong all-round value from last season. Ngunda was very good in left field, finishing April without an error and with a +3.0 ZR, the best mark among the Hares outfielders shown. Graham was solid at second base with a .984 fielding percentage and +1.2 ZR. There were weaker spots too. Klech made 5 errors at shortstop, though the summary still credited him with a healthy +2.1 ZR, which is an odd little statistical shrug. Veloz posted -1.4 ZR in centre, and Kadin came in at -1.5 ZR in right. Injuries also nipped at the month. Ben Cleek was hurt running the bases on April 3, Liu-liang Huang was injured in San Juan, Rey Ochoa left hurt on April 26, Koehler was injured running the bases on April 25, and Aloyoshenka Voevodsky appeared in the game notes more than once with injury trouble. Standings and the Wider Europe Picture At month’s end, Sheffield sat 18th in Europe at 11-16, ahead of only Kyiv Terrapins and Thessaloniki Tower Nights. They were 9.5 games behind Minsk, who had burst out to 20-6, and already faced a fair bit of daylight between themselves and the thick middle of the table. The top of Europe was crowded. Minsk were the pace-setters, with Bucharest, Vienna and St Petersburg all starting strongly. London were quietly solid at 15-10-1, while further down, Moscow had recovered to 13-14, and Rome, despite handling Sheffield fairly well, sat only 14-13 themselves. So where does that leave the Hares? Not buried, but not comfortable either. The April picture is clear enough: a below-par attack, a rotation that was just about keeping things respectable, and a bullpen that kept setting fire to the curtains. There were enough good individual performances from Rutz, Koehler, Herzog and others to suggest better days are possible, especially given the proven production already on the roster. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

05-06-2026, 12:00 PM	#225
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - May 2061 Monthly Report Overview May was a much healthier month for the Sheffield Mountain Hares, who went 16-12 and dragged themselves back towards respectability after a bruising April. They ended the month 27-28 overall, still below .500, but no longer looking like a team trapped in the basement with a broken torch. The month opened with a win over St Petersburg, wobbled through a losing trip to Zurich, then steadied with series wins over Thessaloniki, Warsaw, Berlin, New Orleans, and Budapest. The Hares still lost three one-run games, two in extras, and the bullpen remained capable of turning a calm evening into erecting a tent in a thunderstorm. But this was clearly better: more power, steadier starts, and several April strugglers beginning to look like themselves again. Team Stats By the end of May, Sheffield’s year-to-date record stood at 27-28, with a slightly better 28-27 Pythagorean record. They were 14-10 at home, 13-18 on the road, and had improved from 11-16 in April to 16-12 in May. Year-to-date, the Hares are hitting .256/.327/.411 with a .738 OPS, up to 54th, 51st, 46th and 52nd in EAA. They have scored 266 runs and hit 57 home runs, both signs of an attack that no longer looks like it has turned up at the wrong building. That tracks with the talent already here: Adam Koehler was a 21-homer, 3.1 WAR catcher last season, Rob Graham produced an .847 OPS with 20 homers, and Nsen Ngunda gave Sheffield a 3.4 WAR season. The pitching remains mixed. Sheffield’s ERA is 4.34, with the starters at 4.13 and the bullpen at 4.69. That relief number is a big improvement from April, but still not clean. The staff has allowed a useful .249 opponents’ average, yet the walks allowed remain a problem. Defensively, the year-to-date picture is stronger: .706 defensive efficiency, 11th in EAA, and +4.0 Zone Rating. Results by Series vs St Petersburg Pelicans (1-0) May began with a useful 6-4 win over St Petersburg. Espen Aas went 2-for-3 with a homer, double and 3 RBI, while Brazilian centre fielder Felipe Veloz added three hits and two doubles. Austrian right-hander Alois Herzog got through 5 innings, and the bullpen held on, with Filipino reliever Nestor Barrios bridging the gap and Egyptian closer Sarsour Burhan earning the save. at Zurich Chocolatiers (1-2) Zurich was an early reminder that the recovery would not be neat. Sheffield lost 10-5 in the opener despite Australian second baseman Rob Graham going 2-for-4 with a homer and 3 RBI, as Indonesian right-hander Surya Mainaky was hit hard early. The Hares answered with a 7-3 win, helped by a pinch-hit two-run homer from Honduran veteran Sergio Rutz and another Graham homer. But the series slipped away in a 9-5 loss, despite a Tolochko homer and 3 RBI from Australian catcher Drew Worsfold. Moroccan outfielder Nsen Ngunda was injured while running the bases, another frustrating knock in an already injury-nibbled month. vs Thessaloniki Tower Nights (2-1) Sheffield dropped the opener 7-6 after Thessaloniki scored twice in the ninth, wasting homers from Ngunda and Romanian third baseman Dan Jula. Against a struggling Tower Nights side, it was not a defeat to frame. They recovered well. Colombian outfielder Jesus Morales drove the 3-2 win on May 7 with two homers, before Australian utility man Marty King delivered the go-ahead pinch-hit single. Mainaky then produced one of the month’s calmest outings in a 3-1 win, throwing a complete game while Yakov Tolochko homered. at Cairo Scarabs (2-2) The Cairo set started beautifully and ended in frustration. Spanish starter Rey Ochoa led a 4-1 win with 6 innings of 1-run, 0-earned ball, then Sheffield exploded 13-3 behind Rutz, who went 2-for-4 with a double, walk, 2 runs and 4 RBI. American starter John Johnson worked 6 solid innings. Then came the cooling-off. Sheffield lost 2-0 despite 9 hits, with English left-hander Isaac Saville taking a hard-luck loss, then fell 6-3 despite a Rutz homer. A split away to Cairo is fine on paper, but after winning the first two by a combined 17-4, it felt like dropping the mug after making the tea beautifully. vs Warsaw Kings (2-1) The Warsaw series opened with a painful 7-6 loss in 10, despite Graham going 3-for-4 with 3 runs. Sheffield left 9 men on base and Barrios took the loss. The next two games were better. Morales walked off a 5-4 win on May 14 after Ochoa had thrown 5.2 scoreless innings, then Sheffield took the series with a 6-4 win behind Johnson, a go-ahead Rutz single, a win for Brazilian reliever Bras Touro, and another Burhan save. at Bucharest Sounds (1-2) Sheffield opened in Bucharest with a strong 4-2 win, as Saville allowed 2 runs, 1 earned, over 7 innings and Morales supplied a grand slam. But the Sounds hit back. Sheffield lost 8-7 despite two homers and 5 RBI from Usamah Kadin, then dropped the finale 8-4. Czech shortstop Zitomir Klech homered and Sheffield had 11 hits, but Mainaky and the bullpen could not control the middle innings. at Berlin Bears (2-1) The Berlin series summed up Sheffield’s progress and bad habits. They won 9-5 to open, then lost 5-4 when Burhan allowed a bases-clearing double in the ninth. It was one of the month’s great curtain-fire moments. The response was important. Sheffield won 3-0 on May 22, with Ochoa, Touro and Burhan combining on the shutout and Ngunda driving in the key runs. Eskinder Ali was also back in the lineup by this series, giving Sheffield another flexible piece. From May 21 onward, the Hares went 6-4, or 7-4 from the start of the Berlin set. at New Orleans Jazz (2-1) The New Orleans series began with May’s loudest win, 15-9, as Sheffield piled up 18 hits. Graham went 2-for-2, walked twice, and hit a tie-breaking three-run homer in the ninth. Tolochko had three hits, Morales and Jesus Pagan drove in 2 each, and Ali homered too. The Hares then lost 5-4 in 10, another late frustration, before taking the series with a gritty 2-1 win. Jula drew a bases-loaded walk, and Ali, Mainaky, Booth, Blythe and Barrios pieced together a strong pitching day. Ali being injured while pitching was the sour note. vs Budapest Red Squirrels (2-1) The Budapest series started superbly. Johnson threw 6.1 scoreless innings in a 7-0 win, while Ali hit a three-run homer and Morales also went deep. The next day brought a 6-5 walk-off win in 10, with Jula going 4-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI before King won it from the bench. The sweep disappeared in a 7-5 loss, but Ngunda produced one of the individual games of the month, going 5-for-5 with a double, two-run homer, 4 RBI and 2 runs, tying the Sheffield regular-season game record for hits. vs Kyiv Terrapins (1-1) The month ended with a split. Sheffield lost 3-1 on May 30 despite 7 hits and 9 men left on base, then closed May with an 8-2 win. Ali threw 6.1 innings, allowed 2 runs, struck out 8, and took Player of the Game honours. Graham drove in 3, Tolochko had three hits, and Morales homered. The only sour note was another Ngunda injury while running the bases. Top Performers Sergio Rutz was again the standout bat. The Honduran veteran hit .312/.400/.583 with 6 home runs, 13 RBI, 30 hits, 25 runs, 7 steals and 1.1 WAR. He was central in Zurich, Cairo, Warsaw and Budapest, combining power, speed and patience better than anyone in the lineup. Jesus Morales had a terrific month too, batting .301/.372/.578 with 5 home runs, 20 RBI, 8 doubles, 6 steals and 1.0 WAR. His grand slam in Bucharest and two-homer game against Thessaloniki were two of May’s biggest swings. Dan Jula had the clearest rebound. After a rough April, the Romanian third baseman hit .314/.400/.500 with 8 doubles, 2 homers, 14 RBI and 0.8 WAR. His four-hit walk-off game against Budapest felt like a player climbing out of the swamp with both shoes somehow still on. Rob Graham showed signs of life too, hitting .247/.342/.443 with 4 homers, 20 RBI and 0.7 WAR. That is still short of his excellent 2060 level, but the power returned. Yakov Tolochko added loud contact, hitting .327/.365/.582 with 6 homers. On the mound, John Johnson led the way at 2-0, 2.97 ERA, 30.1 IP and 0.7 WAR. Rey Ochoa was excellent, posting a 1.65 ERA over 27.1 innings, while Isaac Saville gave Sheffield a 3.60 ERA, 0.93 WHIP and opponents’ average of just .196. The bullpen had real positives too. Evan Blythe posted a 0.77 ERA and 0.77 WHIP, Francisco Flores had a 2.51 ERA and 0.98 WHIP, and Barrios gave Sheffield a 2.57 ERA with 2 saves. Strugglers The biggest concern among regular hitters was Adam Koehler. The American catcher hit just .197/.262/.289 with 2 homers and 7 RBI, a long way from last season’s 21-homer, 3.1 WAR campaign. His defensive value still matters, but the bat went quiet. Klech improved on April but still hit only .230/.256/.333, while Veloz had useful moments but finished with -0.4 WAR despite a .273 average. On the mound, Herzog had a rough May after a steady April, posting a 5.93 ERA over 27.1 innings with 17 walks and 5 homers allowed. Mainaky’s month was similarly uneven at 7.25 ERA, even with his excellent complete-game win over Thessaloniki. Burhan remains hard to summarise: 6 saves, but also a 6.75 ERA, 3 losses, and several late innings wrapped in barbed wire. Game of the Month The pick is May 28: Sheffield 6, Budapest 5 (10 innings). The 15-9 win in New Orleans was louder, the 7-0 win over Budapest was cleaner, and Ngunda’s 5-for-5 game was the best individual performance. But this one had the shape of the month: tension, recovery, and just enough late nerve. Jula went 4-for-4 with a double and 2 RBI, continuing his May rebound after a miserable April. King then came off the bench in the 10th and delivered the walk-off single. The win clinched the Budapest series, moved Sheffield back to 26-26, and showed the Hares could win one of the scruffy late games that kept slipping away in April. Defence and Other Notes The fielding report is year-to-date rather than May-only, but it shows where Sheffield are helping themselves. Koehler has been strong behind the plate with a .993 fielding percentage, +0.4 ZR, and 24.6% caught-stealing rate. Morales has been excellent at first with +1.5 ZR, while Tolochko also rates well there. Klech is the odd one at shortstop: 8 errors, but also +6.8 ZR, which feels like “he caused trouble, but fixed plenty of it too.” In the outfield, Ngunda has +1.5 ZR in left and Rutz has +1.7 ZR in right. Centre field is less convincing, with Veloz at -4.4 ZR. Injuries kept nibbling. Ngunda was hurt on May 4 and May 31, Graham was injured in a collision at a base on May 10, Ali was hurt while pitching on May 25, and Aloyoshenka Voevodsky was also injured while pitching in New Orleans. Europe Standings and the Hares May did not launch Sheffield into the European elite, but it did pull them out of the basement conversation. After ending April 18th in Europe at 11-16, the Mountain Hares closed May at 27-28, up to 12th, level with Paris Black Cats and only half a game behind Stockholm Orcas. The realistic target is the thick middle of the table. Warsaw, Madrid, London, Lisbon and Rome are all within a few games. The top is a different world for now: Minsk Bison are flying at 41-14, with Bucharest Sounds at 34-21 and Vienna Whistlers at 31-21. Sheffield’s job in June is simpler: get over .500 and turn “improving” into “awkward to play.” Across the League Around the wider WBL, Guatemala City Ocelots lead the overall pack at 37-18, with Montreal Miracles, Santiago Flamingos, Tijuana Luchadores and Córdoba Silversmiths all close behind in TAO. In EAA, Minsk are the headline act, but Nouakchott Sand Sox are also flying at 36-18-1, while Osaka Blossoms and New Taipei City Magpies are both 35-19. Baghdad Chukars lead West & South Asia at 33-21. At the bottom, Yaoundé Chimpanzees are stuck at 13-41, Thessaloniki Tower Nights are 13-42, and Wuhan Plums, Dhaka Mammoths and Willemstad Slakken are all having grim starts. Sheffield are not in the league’s headline group yet, but they have at least moved into the messy middle, which is much better than where April left them. Final Thoughts May was a big improvement. The Mountain Hares went from 11-16 in April to 16-12 in May, pulled their overall record to within one game of .500, and found real production from Rutz, Morales, Jula, Graham and Tolochko. The rotation looked more dependable, with Johnson, Ochoa and Saville giving the club a stronger spine, and the bullpen was at least less flammable than it had been in April. There are still obvious problems: too many walks, late-inning wobbles, Koehler’s cold bat, Herzog’s command, and the recurring injury interruptions. But May was progress. Not elegant progress, more a man carrying too many chairs through a narrow doorway, but progress all the same. Sheffield enter June at 27-28, with a better run-differential profile than their record, a few hitters warming nicely, and enough teams within reach to make the next month matter. April asked whether this team might spend the year tripping over its own laces. May suggested they might, at least, learn to tie them. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here Last edited by dinosauryoshi; 05-06-2026 at 12:01 PM.

05-12-2026, 05:31 PM	#226
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - June 2061 Monthly Report Overview June was the month the Sheffield Mountain Hares started to look genuinely dangerous. After going 11-16 in April and 16-12 in May, Sheffield went 16-10 in June, moving to 43-38 overall and climbing to 9th in Europe. It was not all neat. The Hares lost series to Lisbon, London, Minsk and Vienna, but swept Madrid, swept Bengaluru in four games, and took useful series from Cincinnati and Paris. They also finished 7-3 over their last 10, which gave the month real momentum. The biggest individual storyline was Eskinder Ali. He had already returned late in May, but June was the first full month where Sheffield had the full version of him: middle-order bat, outfield option, and regular starter on the mound. Team Stats By the end of June, Sheffield stood at 43-38, with a better 45-36 Pythagorean record, suggesting they have played slightly better than their actual mark. They were 24-17 at home and 19-21 on the road, so the away form still has wobble. The offence has come a long way from April. Season-to-date, Sheffield are hitting .267, 27th in EAA, with a .342 OBP, 16th, .428 slugging, 29th, and a .770 OPS, 23rd. They have scored 419 runs, tied for 14th, and drawn 306 walks, 15th. The pitching remains less tidy, but is respectable. Sheffield’s ERA is 4.23, 33rd in EAA, with a 4.14 starters’ ERA and 4.36 bullpen ERA. The staff has allowed only a .247 opponents’ average, 11th, while the defence has become a real asset: .708 defensive efficiency, 7th, and +13.0 Zone Rating, 23rd. Results by Series vs Kyiv Terrapins (1-0) June opened with a 4-3 win over Kyiv. John Johnson gave Sheffield 6.1 innings, allowing 3 runs but none earned, before Nsen Ngunda turned the game with a two-run homer in the eighth. Bras Touro picked up the win and Sarsour Burhan closed it out. vs Lisbon Caravels (1-2) The Lisbon series was very Sheffield. They were shut out 4-0, then responded with a 15-0 demolition in which Zitomir Klech homered, drove in 3 and scored 3, while Alois Herzog threw 5.1 scoreless innings. Eskinder Ali and Espen Aas also homered. The series still slipped away in an 8-2 loss, despite Jesus Morales homering and Sheffield collecting 11 hits. vs Cincinnati Cincies (2-1) Sheffield took two of three. Klech led the 4-2 opening win, going 3-for-3 with a double and triple, while Ali gave them 5 innings on the mound. Cincinnati took the middle game 6-3, but Sheffield recovered with a 3-2 finale behind Rey Ochoa, who allowed 1 run over 6 innings. at Madrid Mallards (3-0) This was one of Sheffield’s best series of the season. Dan Jula drove in 4 in the 9-2 opener, including a 3-run homer. Ali then powered a 5-4 win with a home run, 2 walks and 4 RBI. The sweep came with a 5-2 victory, as Ngunda delivered the key eighth-inning single and Francisco Flores earned the win. at London Gentlemen (1-2) The London series hurt before it healed. Sheffield lost 4-1 in 10 innings, then 5-4 in 10, with London walking off both games. Ngunda was superb in the second loss, going 3-for-5 with a homer, double, 2 RBI and 3 runs. The Hares finally punched back in the finale, winning 13-4. Jula went 3-for-4 with a homer, 2 walks, 2 RBI and 2 runs, while Aas added a key three-run homer. vs Minsk Bison (1-2) Against runaway leaders Minsk, Sheffield landed the first punch, winning 8-4 behind a Klech three-run homer and an Ali win on the mound. The next two games showed why Minsk are still miles clear. The Bison won 13-3, then took a tighter finale 3-1 after a late three-run homer. Herzog was excellent in that last game, allowing 1 run over 7 innings, but the lead slipped away late. vs Bengaluru Bytes (4-0) The Bengaluru series was where June really opened up. Sheffield swept all four games, outscoring the Bytes 41-13. Ngunda went 4-for-4 in the 6-2 opener, with Surya Mainaky throwing 7.1 innings of 2-run ball. Sergio Rutz led the 13-4 win on June 21, going 4-for-5 with a homer, double, 3 RBI and 2 runs. Yakov Tolochko hit a grand slam and drove in 6 in an 8-2 win, before Morales went 4-for-5 with a triple and 4 RBI in the 14-5 finale. at Paris Black Cats (2-1) Sheffield took two of three in Paris. Aas helped drive a 6-5 opener, with Marty King delivering a key pinch-hit two-run triple. The next day, Isaac Saville produced one of the month’s best outings: 7.2 scoreless innings, 2 hits allowed and 5 strikeouts in a 3-0 win. Paris salvaged the finale 10-5, but Sheffield still left with a strong road series win. vs Vienna Whistlers (1-2) June ended a little sourly. Sheffield lost the opener 6-5, despite Ali doubling and tripling. They responded with an 8-1 win behind Herzog, who threw 5.1 scoreless innings, while Ngunda went 3-for-4 with a homer. The finale was ugly: an 11-5 loss, with Mainaky and Rafail Netan both hit hard. Top Performers Eskinder Ali was the defining player of June. The Central African two-way player hit .337/.466/.639 with 4 home runs, 20 RBI, 19 walks, 18 runs and 1.6 WAR. On the mound, he made 5 starts, going 2-1 with a 4.50 ERA, 24 innings, 21 strikeouts and 0.7 WAR. A full month of Ali helped change the shape of the club. Nsen Ngunda was just as important offensively. The Moroccan outfielder hit .351/.430/.606 with 5 home runs, 17 RBI, 18 runs and 1.6 WAR. After an injury-interrupted May, this looked much more like the high-value Ngunda Sheffield had last season. Czech shortstop Zitomir Klech had a valuable month too, having got his call up from the minors. His batting line was useful at .278/.356/.418, with 3 home runs, 12 RBI and 18 runs, but his defence helped push him to 1.6 WAR. Jesus Morales hit .312/.379/.484 with 3 home runs, 10 RBI and 0.8 WAR, while Dan Jula backed up his May rebound with .313/.402/.458, 2 homers, 14 RBI and 0.8 WAR. Rutz only drove in 5, but still hit .308/.411/.451, scored 21 runs, and drew 15 walks. On the mound, Alois Herzog bounced back well from May, going 3-0 with a 2.97 ERA, 33.1 innings, 26 strikeouts and a 0.99 WHIP. Burhan converted 7 saves with a 0.00 ERA, while Touro quietly went 4-0 with a 1.59 ERA and no walks in 17 innings. Strugglers There were fewer obvious batting disasters this month, but Rob Graham remains below last season’s level. The Australian second baseman hit .258/.303/.366 in June, and his season OPS sits at .673. Adam Koehler also stayed quiet, hitting .200/.287/.343, though he added 3 homers and remains important behind the plate. On the mound, Rafail Netan had the roughest month, posting an 11.91 ERA and allowing 19 hits in 11.1 innings. Nestor Barrios also struggled, with a 6.10 ERA, three losses, and several painful late-game moments. Joey Booth finished with a 6.59 ERA, despite picking up two wins. Game of the Month The pick is June 4: Sheffield 15, Lisbon 0. It was the clearest version of what June became when everything worked. Sheffield scored 15 runs on 14 hits, drew 7 walks, hit three homers, and shut Lisbon out. Klech was Player of the Game, going 2-for-4 with a homer, 3 RBI and 3 runs. Ali and Aas also homered, Graham drove in 2, and Herzog set the tone with 5.1 scoreless innings. After being shut out by Lisbon the day before, this was more than a bounce-back. It was a door kicked open while carrying a tray of delicious sandwiches. Defence and Other Notes The fielding report is season-to-date, but it helps explain why Sheffield’s run prevention has improved. Klech is the standout at shortstop, with a huge +10.1 ZR despite the errors. Ngunda has been valuable in both left and centre, Rutz has been excellent in right with +2.5 ZR, and Morales has also been positive in right and at first base. Behind the plate, Koehler has handled a big workload, though his caught-stealing rate is down at 20.8%. Injuries kept biting. Saville was hurt while pitching in Madrid, Ochoa was injured in London, Burhan and Flores both had pitching injuries, and Graham’s running injury remained part of the wider wear-and-tear story. Europe Standings and the Playoff Picture June pulled Sheffield properly into the European middle-to-upper pack. They ended May at 27-28 and 12th in Europe. By the end of June they were 43-38, up to 9th, level with Rome, half a game ahead of London, and within sight of Budapest, Madrid, Vienna and Warsaw. The top remains a different country. Minsk Bison are 59-22, a full 16 games ahead of Sheffield, while Bucharest Sounds sit second at 51-30. But Sheffield’s 16-10 June, 45-36 Pythagorean record, and 7-3 finish make them look far more relevant than they did two months ago. The wider playoff picture is tougher. As always in the WBL, the top two teams in each division qualify, then the top four remaining records in each conference take the wildcard places, giving each conference 12 playoff teams. Sheffield are still only 21st in the EAA Wild Card standings, so July needs to be another winning month for them to have any chance in the last couple of months. Across the League Across the WBL, Minsk remain the biggest headline at 59-22, while Guatemala City Ocelots are flying in TAO at 55-25 with a 9-1 last 10 and a seven-game winning streak. Memphis Steamers and Osaka Blossoms are both 52-29, while Dar es Salaam Giraffes and Bucharest Sounds sit at 51-30. There are strong races forming too. Las Vegas Jacks lead TAO North America West at 49-31-1, just ahead of Tijuana Luchadores. Santiago Flamingos lead South America at 50-30-1, but Bogotá Condors are only 1.5 games back. Africa is tight too, with Dar es Salaam, Nouakchott Sand Sox and Kano Camels all above .600. Among new expansion clubs, Ürümqi Silk Riders are a respectable 42-39, while Spokane Red Cedars are struggling at 34-47 and Willemstad Slakken are having a rough year at 25-56. Thessaloniki Tower Knights remain bottom of Europe at 21-60. The WBL is a tough place for newbies. Final Thoughts June was Sheffield’s best month yet. The Mountain Hares went 16-10, climbed to 43-38, and moved from recovery story to genuine mid-season nuisance. The attack is no longer one or two bats trying to drag a wardrobe uphill. Ali, Ngunda, Rutz, Morales, Jula, Aas, Tolochko and Klech all had meaningful stretches, and the lineup now looks deep enough to trouble good teams. There are still problems. The bullpen has weak links, injuries are piling up, and the Hares still dropped series they could have won. But April’s question was whether Sheffield were bad. May’s answer was “probably not.” June’s answer was stronger: this team might actually be good. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

05-28-2026, 05:43 PM	#227
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - July 2061 Monthly Report Overview July was a step back for the Sheffield Mountain Hares, who followed their excellent 16-10 June with an 11-15 month. They finished July at 54-53 overall, still above .500, but the mood was very different. June had made Sheffield look like a rising nuisance. July made them look like a team trying to carry a full tray of drinks through a revolving door. The month started badly. Sheffield lost series to Athens, Mumbai, Milan, Stockholm, and Thessaloniki Tower Knights, with a seven-game losing streak running from July 3 through July 9. They steadied themselves after the break, took a series at Wuhan, split a hard four-game set with Pyongyang, then finished strongly with a sweep at Moscow. That finish mattered. The Hares went 6-4 over their last 10 and won their final four games, but July still did damage: they ended the month 13th in Europe and 36th in the EAA Wild Card standings, needing a miraculous final third of the season to sneak into the playoffs. Team Stats By the end of July, Sheffield were 54-53, with a much better 58-49 Pythagorean record. They were 28-23 at home and 26-30 on the road, with the away record still dragging. Season-to-date, the offence remains useful, even after cooling in July. Sheffield are hitting .262, 41st in EAA, with a .338 OBP, 26th, .420 SLG, 40th, and .758 OPS, 32nd. They have scored 538 runs, 19th, hit 115 home runs, 26th, and drawn 404 walks, 14th. Pitching is middle-of-the-road. The team ERA sits at 4.26, 30th in EAA, with a 4.15 starters’ ERA and 4.43 bullpen ERA. The staff has allowed a .249 opponents’ average, 18th, while the defence is still helping: .705 defensive efficiency, 8th in EAA, and +8.3 Zone Rating, 35th. Results by Series at Athens Philosophers (1-2) July opened with a frustrating 2-1 loss in Athens, despite Isaac Saville pitching well enough to deserve better. Sheffield bounced back with a 5-3 win on July 2, as Rob Graham hit a two-run homer in the ninth and Eskinder Ali also went deep. The series ended in chaos, with Athens winning 15-14 in 10 innings. Sheffield had 14 hits, Sergio Rutz scored 4 times and tied the club’s extra-inning record for runs, but the pitching could not hold it together. at Mumbai Directors (0-4) The Mumbai series was the month’s low point. Sheffield were swept in four, losing 11-2, 8-1, 7-1, and 6-5. The first three were grim, with Mumbai repeatedly jumping on the pitching while Sheffield’s bats went quiet. The finale was closer, but Sarsour Burhan gave up the decisive two-run double in the ninth. That made it six straight defeats by the end of July 8 and seven by the next day. vs Milan Tailors (1-2) The Milan series began with another painful 4-3 loss, despite Adam Koehler going 3-for-4 with a homer, double and 2 RBI. Sheffield then lost 1-0, wasting Kyung-soo Kim’s excellent complete-game effort. The skid finally ended on July 10 with a 4-0 win. Rey Ochoa was outstanding, throwing 7 scoreless innings and allowing only 1 hit. It was a badly needed clean win before the break. at Wuhan Plums (2-1) Sheffield lost 6-5 on July 15, with Ali hit hard and Wuhan’s Tak-hing Peng homering twice. But the Hares recovered with back-to-back wins. On July 16, they edged Wuhan 4-3, as Dan Jula delivered the go-ahead single in the eighth. On July 17, Espen Aas hit two home runs in a 4-1 win, while John Johnson allowed 1 run across 7.1 innings. vs Stockholm Orcas (1-2) Stockholm took the opener 10-5, despite homers from Graham and Ali. Sheffield responded with a 3-1 win on July 19, driven by Nsen Ngunda’s three-run homer and a strong start from Kim. The rubber match went Stockholm’s way, 6-2, with the Orcas breaking it open late. Rutz homered, but Sheffield did not have enough to finish the job. at Thessaloniki Tower Knights (1-2) This was one Sheffield will want back. Against the bottom side in Europe, the Hares lost 7-2 and 5-3 to open the series. Saville was knocked around in the first game, while Yakov Tolochko’s two-homer day in the second was wasted. They did salvage the finale 2-0, with Jula driving in the key run and the bullpen stitching together a shutout after Randy Crimi’s start. Still, losing the series clattered loudly in the standings. vs Pyongyang Grasshoppers (2-2) The Pyongyang series was a better test, and Sheffield came out of it respectably. They opened with a 6-4 win, then lost 4-3 behind two Tony Iwaki homers and 2-1 as Cheuk-yan Yee struck out 13. The Hares answered in the finale, winning 11-8 in a noisy game against one of EAA’s stronger teams. Jesus Morales scored 3 times, Ali reached base and drove in a run, and Burhan closed it out. at Moscow Blizzard (3-0) The month ended with Sheffield’s best run: a sweep in Moscow, by scores of 9-4, 12-1, and 11-3. The Hares scored 32 runs in three games and looked like the June version of themselves again. Aas homered and drove in 3 in the opener. Ngunda then went 4-for-6 with two doubles and 5 RBI in the 12-1 win. In the finale, Ali drove in 3 and earned the win on the mound, throwing 5.2 innings of two-run ball. Top Performers Rob Graham was Sheffield’s best July bat by the numbers. The Australian second baseman hit .295/.374/.523 with 5 home runs, 12 RBI, 16 runs and 1.2 WAR. After a slow first half, this was closer to the kind of production Sheffield expected. Zitomir Klech had another strange but valuable month. He hit only .237/.284/.355, but still finished with 1.3 WAR, driven heavily by defence. Eskinder Ali remained productive, though not as spectacular as June. The Central African two-way player hit .297/.381/.484 with 3 home runs, 16 RBI and 0.8 WAR, while also making 6 starts on the mound. His pitching line was rougher at 1-2, 4.83 ERA, but he still gave Sheffield 31.2 innings and won the finale in Moscow. Yakov Tolochko brought the loudest power, hitting .338/.392/.544 with 4 home runs and 11 RBI. Sergio Rutz added 5 home runs, 13 RBI, and an .850 OPS, even with a .244 average. On the pitching side, Kyung-soo Kim stood out, going 3-1 with a 2.67 ERA over 27 innings. Rey Ochoa was also strong at 2-1, 1 save, 2.91 ERA, including his 7-inning shutout start against Milan. Nestor Barrios had a much better month with a 1.80 ERA over 15 innings, while Evan Blythe posted a 2.08 ERA. Strugglers Several key bats went cold. Ngunda had big moments, especially in Moscow, but his monthly line was just .222/.278/.354. Morales also had a quiet month at .210/.270/.321, and Jula slumped to .207/.255/.253. Aas was odd: he hit three homers and walked 19 times, but batted only .197 with a .333 slugging percentage. Koehler added 2 homers and defensive value, but his bat remained muted at .222/.273/.319. On the mound, Joey Booth had a rough July with a 12.46 ERA. Burhan saved 6 games but also had a 5.40 ERA and two losses, while Surya Mainaky finished at 6.55 and Mike Creamer at 8.44. Game of the Month The pick is July 30: Sheffield 12, Moscow 1. It was the cleanest version of Sheffield’s late-month revival. The Hares scored 12 runs on 16 hits, Ngunda went 4-for-6 with two doubles and 5 RBI, Kyung-soo Kim homered and drove in 3, and Ochoa allowed only 1 run over 6.1 innings. After a July full of misfires, one-run losses and series slipping away, this was a proper release valve. It did not fix the month, but it showed the lineup still had teeth. Defence and Other Notes The fielding report is season-to-date. Klech remains the standout at shortstop with +8.2 ZR, even with 21 errors. Ali has been excellent in left field at +3.6 ZR, while Ngunda has positive marks in both left and centre. Graham is now up to +3.2 ZR at second. Morales continues to rate well in right field at +3.9 ZR, while Rutz has been less convincing at first base defensively, sitting at -1.2 ZR. Behind the plate, Koehler has handled a huge workload, with a 17.3% caught-stealing rate. Injuries again played a part. Ngunda was injured while throwing the ball in Mumbai, Ali was hit by pitches more than once, and the team carried the usual bumps through a month already full of potholes. Europe Standings and the Playoff Picture July knocked Sheffield backwards. At the end of June, the Hares were 43-38 and 9th in Europe. By the end of July, they were 54-53, down to 13th, now 18 games behind Minsk and behind a crowded middle pack including Milan, Lisbon, Stockholm, Rome, London and St Petersburg. The top of Europe is still led by Minsk Bison at 71-34, with Bucharest Sounds at 67-38. Madrid, Warsaw and Vienna remain firmly ahead too. The wildcard picture is harsher. In the WBL, the top two teams in each division qualify, then the top four remaining records in each conference take wildcard places, giving each conference 12 playoff teams. Sheffield are 36th in the EAA Wild Card standings, so July did real damage. August needs to be a proper correction. Across the League Around the WBL, Minsk Bison remain the European leaders at 71-34, but Nouakchott Sand Sox now have one of the strongest records anywhere at 70-36-1. In TAO, Memphis Steamers lead North America East at 69-36, while Guatemala City Ocelots continue to dominate Central America at 67-37. Tijuana Luchadores are strong at 67-40, and Porto Alegre Winemakers lead South America at 66-41. In EAA, Seoul Crabs lead Central & East Asia at 62-43, just ahead of Pyongyang Grasshoppers at 62-45 and New Taipei City Magpies at 61-46. Manila Snakes lead West & South Asia at 59-46-1, with Singapore Shipwrights right behind at 60-47 and Mumbai Directors close at 58-48-1 after their strong July against Sheffield. Africa is especially lively. Nouakchott Sand Sox lead at 70-36-1, but Nairobi Lilacs are close at 68-39, Kano Camels remain strong at 66-39, and Dar es Salaam Giraffes are still alive at 64-41. Among the new expansion teams Ürümqi Silk Riders are respectable at 55-52, while Spokane Red Cedars sit at 45-62 and Willemstad Slakken are struggling badly at 34-73. Thessaloniki Tower Knights are still bottom of Europe at 36-71, though their series win over Sheffield was a reminder that even bad teams can leave teeth marks. Final Thoughts July was not a disaster, but it was a setback. The Mountain Hares went 11-15, slid to 54-53, and lost ground in both Europe and the wider EAA playoff picture. The miserable opening half of the month did most of the damage, especially the seven-game losing streak and the sweep in Mumbai. There were still positives: Graham warmed up, Kim gave the rotation a lift, Ochoa was excellent, and the Moscow sweep gave the month a better ending. But too many important bats went quiet, and the pitching staff had too many nights where the walls started making worrying noises. June suggested Sheffield might be good. July added a large asterisk in red pen. August now matters. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

06-10-2026, 11:24 AM	#228
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - August Report Overview August was a month of near-misses, split decisions and just enough late resistance to stop the season sliding away completely. The Mountain Hares went 13-15, moving from 54-53 to 67-68, and the overall picture remains strangely split: a sub-.500 record on paper, but a much healthier 72-63 Pythagorean record underneath it. The familiar recent pattern held. Sheffield’s pitching and defence are carrying more than their share. The team ERA sits at 3.94, 13th in the EAA, with the starters even better at 3.87, 8th. Defensive efficiency is .708, 6th, and the staff has allowed only 588 runs, tied for 16th. The batting, though, remains patchy: .255 average, 58th, .331 OBP, 39th, .409 slugging, 49th, and .740 OPS, 46th. They still draw walks well and run enough to create pressure, but too many rallies arrive wearing slippers. The month ended with Sheffield 14th in the Europe division and 38th in the EAA wildcard standings, so the playoff road is now steep. The club is not dead, but it is definitely looking up at a lot of teams, and with only one month to go making the playoffs is all but impossible. Monthly Awards Offensive Player of the Month: Adam Koehler The American catcher was comfortably Sheffield’s most valuable hitter in August, batting .329/.382/.471 over 20 games, with 4 doubles, 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and 1.9 WAR. His season line has climbed to .240/.308/.374 with 13 home runs and 40 RBIs, and he also continues to shoulder a heavy defensive workload behind the plate. Pitcher of the Month: Isaac Saville Saville’s August was excellent: 2-0, 1.35 ERA, 20.0 IP, 6 H, 3 ER, 7 BB, 22 K, 0.65 WHIP, .094 OAVG and 0.7 WAR. The English left-hander had one injury scare against London, but when available he was as sharp as anyone on the staff. His season now sits at 5-7, 3.66 ERA, 125.1 IP, 1.02 WHIP and 2.5 WAR. Honourable mention: John Johnson Johnson gave Sheffield volume and quality, going 2-2 with a 2.82 ERA across 38.1 innings, striking out 32. He also threw the club’s best single start of the month, an eight-inning, 10-strikeout win over London. Series-by-Series vs Bucharest Sounds - won 2-1 Sheffield opened August with two thumping home wins over one of Europe’s better sides. Eskinder Ali drove in five in a 14-3 rout on August 2nd, then John Johnson led a 6-2 win the next day. Bucharest hit back hard in the finale, winning 11-3, but it was still an impressive series win. vs Rome Legion - won 2-1 The Hares followed with another winning series. Rey Ochoa controlled a 9-1 opener, Ali carried a tense 2-1 extra-inning win on August 6th, and Rome edged the finale 5-4 in 11. Ali was injured running the bases in that last game, a familiar little bruise on what should have been a clean week. at Chongqing Hotpots - split 2-2 A four-game road set that never quite settled. Chongqing took the opener 5-2, Kyung-soo Kim answered with a 3-1 win, then the Hotpots won 4-1. Sheffield salvaged the split on August 11th as Isaac Saville steered a tight 3-2 victory. at Warsaw Kings - lost 1-2 Yak Tolochko starred in a 5-3 win to open the series, but Warsaw’s quality showed after that. The Kings won 5-4 and then blanked Sheffield 3-0, leaving the Hares with another reminder of the gap between hovering and contending. vs London Gentlemen - won 2-1 One of the better home series of the month. Espen Aas launched two homers in an 8-3 win, Johnson dominated in a 5-1 victory, and London snatched the finale 3-1 in 10. Saville was hurt while pitching in the opener, but the series itself was a good one. at Lisbon Caravels - lost 1-2 Lisbon took the first two, 7-2 and 6-5 in 11, before Sheffield rescued the finale 4-2 in 10 behind Kyung-soo Kim and a late Ali homer. It was a very Sheffield series: competitive, awkward, and just short of satisfying. vs Porto Velho Heliconias - lost 1-2 Johnson and Ali helped Sheffield win the opener 3-1, but the bats then disappeared. Porto Velho took the next two 1-0 and 3-1, with only four Sheffield runs across the series. at St Petersburg Pelicans - lost 1-2 Nsen Ngunda powered a 4-2 win in the opener, but St Petersburg answered with 3-1 and 3-2 victories. The finale included a 31-minute rain delay and a ninth-inning Morales homer, but Sheffield could not quite drag it back. at Kyiv Terrapins - lost 1-2 The month ended with another frustrating series. Kyiv won 6-2, Ali threw eight shutout innings in a 2-0 Sheffield win, then the Terrapins edged the finale 5-4 in 10. It summed up the month neatly: one gem, one stumble, one late punch in the ribs. ⸻ Player Notes Koehler’s month was the main offensive bright spot, but Nsen Ngunda also kept contributing: .261/.381/.420 in August with 8 doubles, 2 homers, 12 RBIs, 7 steals and 1.4 WAR. Jesus Morales hit .304/.333/.456, while Rob Graham added 3 homers and 0.6 WAR despite a modest overall line. The rougher side was clear too. Sergio Rutz had a rare cold month at .163/.260/.250, and Espen Aas fell to .154/.224/.282 despite his big London game. Tolochko supplied four August homers, but only hit .211. On the mound, Saville and Johnson were the standouts, while Ali’s pitching work was also strong: 1-2, 1.37 ERA, 26.1 IP, 18 K, 0.95 WHIP. Sarsour Burhan saved six games, though with a 1.38 ERA but 1.31 WHIP, it was not always tidy. The bullpen remained broadly useful, but a few arms frayed late in games. Defensively, the season picture is still strong. Ngunda is now +6.2 ZR in centre field, Morales +5.8 in right, Graham +4.4 at second, and Z. Klech +13.1 at shortstop. Even in a frustrating year, that spine has held. ⸻ Across Europe and the League In Europe, Minsk remain the class of the division at 71-34, with Bucharest still chasing at 67-38. Madrid 62-43, Warsaw 62-44 and Vienna 60-44 are all in strong shape, while St Petersburg 58-49, London 53-51-1, Rome 54-52-1, Stockholm 54-52-1, Lisbon 53-52 and Milan 53-52 form the crowded middle. Sheffield, at 67-68, sit 14th in the division and 38th in the EAA wildcard standings, so the gap is not just one team. It is a whole queue. Around the rest of the EAA, the Africa race is led by Nouakchott 70-36-1, with Nairobi 68-39, Kano 66-39 and Dar es Salaam 64-41 all looking like serious postseason sides. Cairo 60-45 are still right in the wildcard mix too. In Central & East Asia, Seoul 62-43 have edged ahead of Pyongyang 62-45 and New Taipei City 61-46, while Chongqing 57-47-1 are hovering close behind. West & South East Asia is tighter, with Manila 59-46-1 just ahead of Singapore 60-47, and Mumbai 58-48-1, Yangon 58-48-1 and Riyadh 58-49 all packed in behind them. Over in TAO, Memphis 69-36, Tijuana 67-40, Guatemala City 67-37, Porto Alegre 66-41 and Nouakchott in the EAA are among the league’s strongest-looking clubs. The wildcard races are busy on both sides: in TAO, New Jersey 64-42-1 and Santiago 63-43-1 are in excellent position, while Washington and Miami are both 61-44. In the EAA wildcard picture, Kano 66-39, Dar es Salaam 64-41, Madrid 62-43 and Warsaw 62-44 currently set the pace, with Vienna, Cairo, New Taipei City, Casablanca, Chongqing, Mumbai and Yangon all close enough to keep the pressure on. Final Thoughts August did not sink the Mountain Hares, but it probably ended any realistic playoff dream. At 67-68, the season now looks less like a chase and more like a test of whether this group can finish with a bit of pride, a bit of shape, and maybe one last good run. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

06-28-2026, 06:00 PM	#229
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - September and end of Season Report 2061 Overview September, with the final two October games folded in, gave the Mountain Hares a great closing push to the season. Sheffield went 16-11 from the end of August onward, turning a 67-68 record into an 83-79 finish. It was not enough to seriously revive the playoff chase, but it did turn a wobbling season into a winning one. The final table still feels a little unfair. Sheffield finished 83-79, but their Pythagorean record was 89-73, which fits the eye test for much of the year: a club with enough pitching and defence to look better than its actual record, but too many close losses and too many quiet offensive nights. The team numbers tell the same story. The Mountain Hares ended with a 4.00 ERA, 15th in the EAA, with starters at 4.02 and the bullpen at 3.97. The defence was excellent: .709 defensive efficiency, 3rd in the EAA, and only a .246 opponents’ average, 10th. The attack was improved but still mid-pack: .261 average, .338 OBP, .420 slugging and .758 OPS. They drew walks, stole bases and had some real individual quality, but the offence never quite became a machine. Sheffield finished 10th in Europe and 30th in the EAA wildcard standings. Under the WBL playoff format, with the top two in each division qualifying and then four wildcard teams per conference, they were still well short. Respectable, yes. Dangerous at times, definitely. A playoff team, no. Monthly Awards Offensive Player of the Month: Rob Graham Graham saved one of his best stretches for the finish. In the September split he hit .385/.440/.659 with 10 doubles, 5 home runs, 22 RBIs and 2.2 WAR. Including the final two games, he added 36 hits, 24 runs, 11 doubles, 5 homers and 23 RBIs from the end of August to the final totals. It was a proper late-season surge from the Australian second baseman. Pitcher of the Month: John Johnson Johnson gave Sheffield the strongest closing month on the mound. In September he went 3-1 with a 2.87 ERA over 31.1 innings, striking out 23. His final season line was excellent: 10-8, 3.55 ERA, 198.0 IP, 148 K, 1.30 WHIP and 4.3 WAR. He was not always pretty, but he was durable, useful and often the one keeping the whole thing upright. Honourable mentions: Nsen Ngunda and Sarsour Burhan Ngunda hit .316/.382/.531 in September, then finished with a strong overall closing run. From the end of August onward, he added 32 hits, 9 doubles, 3 triples, 2 homers, 13 RBIs and 5 steals. Burhan added 8 September saves and finished the year with 35, even if the journey to those saves was not always suitable for delicate nerves. Series-by-Series vs Berlin Bears - won 3-0 Sheffield opened the final month with a sweep, winning 9-2, 7-1 and 5-2. Graham’s three-double, five-RBI opener set the tone, and the Hares moved straight back to .500. at Juarez Cacti - won 2-1 The bats stayed lively in Juarez. Sheffield won 12-7, lost a wild 12-10 game, then took the finale 6-4. It was messy, but useful, and the late-season push was still moving. at Budapest Red Squirrels - lost 1-2 A frustrating step back. Sheffield won the opener 7-3, then dropped 5-1 and 5-4 games. This was one of those series that felt like the season in miniature: enough quality to compete, not quite enough to grab the whole thing. vs Athens Philosophers - won 2-1 The Hares edged Athens 4-3 in 10, lost 8-5, then answered with a 9-6 win. Not a clean series, but a winning one, with the offence doing enough to cover some pitching wobbles. at Minsk Bison - won 2-1 This was one of the best results of the month. Sheffield beat the division-leading Bison 8-3 and 5-4 before losing the finale 4-2. Taking two from Minsk was a reminder that the Hares could still hurt good teams. vs Salt Lake City Skiers - won 2-1 Another series win followed. Sheffield took the opener 4-2, lost 7-4, then produced a 9-0 shutout in the finale. That last game was one of the neatest performances of the month. vs Madrid Mallards - lost 1-2 Madrid took two of three, and both losses stung. Sheffield won 6-3, then lost 6-5 and 8-6 in 11. The extra-inning defeat felt very familiar by this point. vs Zurich Chocolatiers - won 2-1 Sheffield beat Zurich 8-2 and 7-5, then lost the finale 7-4. It was enough to keep the winning-season push on track, even if the third game took some of the shine off. vs Paris Black Cats - split 1-1 The final two games, played in October, brought a neat little summary of Sheffield’s year. They beat Paris 6-1 behind Jesus Morales, then were shut out 6-0 in the finale. One strong win, one flat offensive night. Very on brand. ⸻ Player Notes Graham and Ngunda led the late push. Graham’s closing run lifted his final line to .271/.339/.444 with 19 homers, 81 RBIs and 3.2 WAR. Ngunda finished at .273/.351/.433, with 35 doubles, 7 triples, 15 homers, 87 RBIs, 22 steals and 3.8 WAR. Eskinder Ali remained the most complete player on the roster. From the end of August onward, the Central African left fielder added 29 hits, 6 doubles, 6 homers and 23 RBIs. His final batting line was .290/.400/.530 with 21 homers, 82 RBIs, 20 steals and 4.3 WAR. He also made 23 pitching starts, going 7-5 with a 3.98 ERA and 2.5 WAR on the mound. Sergio Rutz closed with useful power and patience, finishing at .274/.371/.472 with 22 homers, 74 RBIs and 28 steals. Jesus Morales had another very complete year at .281/.353/.457, with 13 homers, 51 RBIs, 35 steals and 3.3 WAR. Espen Aas had one of the strangest late months: 10 September homers and 24 RBIs, but still a volatile overall line. On the mound, Johnson was the clear staff anchor. Isaac Saville finished 5-7 with a 3.66 ERA, 125.1 IP, 98 K and a superb 1.02 WHIP. Alois Herzog gave a useful 145.1 innings with a 3.72 ERA, and Rey Ochoa finished 9-6 with a 3.92 ERA across 144.2 innings. Burhan finished with 35 saves, while Evan Blythe, Nestor Barrios and Bras Touro all had useful relief stretches. Defensively, the season remained impressive. Z. Klech’s glove at shortstop was a major part of the team’s identity, Ngunda gave Sheffield strong centre-field work, Morales was outstanding in right, and Graham was reliable at second. It is no accident the Hares finished 3rd in the EAA in defensive efficiency. ⸻ Year-End Awards Team MVP: Eskinder Ali Ali is the obvious choice. As a hitter he finished .290/.400/.530 with 21 home runs, 82 RBIs, 20 stolen bases and 4.3 WAR. As a pitcher he added 117.2 innings, a 3.98 ERA and 2.5 WAR. That is a huge two-way season, and the kind of thing that changes the shape of a roster. Offensive Player of the Year: Eskinder Ali Rutz, Ngunda, Morales and Graham all had arguments, but Ali had the best overall hitting line among the regulars. A .930 OPS, 66 walks, 21 homers and a .400 OBP made him Sheffield’s most dangerous bat. Pitcher of the Year: John Johnson Johnson’s 198.0 innings make the decision fairly straightforward. He finished 10-8 with a 3.55 ERA, 148 strikeouts and 4.3 WAR. Saville had the cleaner WHIP, and Ali had the two-way story, but Johnson carried the biggest load. Defensive Player of the Year: Zitomir Klech Klech’s bat was limited, but his shortstop defence was central to Sheffield’s run prevention. In a team that finished 3rd in the EAA in defensive efficiency, his work up the middle deserves the award. Best Fielder: Jesus Morales Morales gets the pure glove nod. His right-field defence was excellent all season, and he combined range, reliability and arm value with a strong all-round offensive contribution. Best Reliever: Sarsour Burhan Burhan finished with 35 saves and a 3.26 ERA over 60.2 innings. It was not always calm, and the 1.30 WHIP tells you there were some bumpy roads, but he kept getting the final outs often enough. Breakthrough Player: Nsen Ngunda Ngunda looks like a core player now. A .273/.351/.433 line, 57 extra-base hits, 87 RBIs, 22 steals and strong centre-field defence is an excellent all-round package. Unsung Hero: Rob Graham Graham’s final month helped lift his whole season. He finished with 149 hits, 32 doubles, 19 homers, 81 RBIs and 3.2 WAR, while holding down second base. He was rarely the headline until September, but the final line is very solid. Most Frustrating Season: Dan Jula Jula still drove in 65 runs and had some big hits, but .249/.321/.358 and 0.7 WAR is lighter than hoped from a regular third baseman. Useful, but not quite enough. ⸻ Across the League The final standings put Sheffield’s season in sharper focus. The Mountain Hares finished 83-79, 10th in EAA Europe and 21 games behind division-winning Bucharest, who closed at 104-58. That was a return to the top for the Sounds, whose previous listed division crown came way back in 2041. Minsk, so dominant for much of the year, finished second at 102-60, while Madrid and Warsaw both went 97-65 and claimed postseason places. Europe was simply brutal: Vienna finished 87-75, London and Stockholm were both 84-77-1, Budapest 84-78, St Petersburg and Sheffield both 83-79. The Hares were respectable, but respectable did not get anyone very far in this division. Across the EAA, Seoul took Central & East Asia at 100-62, their first listed division win since 2041, holding off Osaka and Pyongyang. Mumbai won West & South East Asia at 91-69-2, returning to a summit they last reached in the early years of the league, while Kano claimed Africa at 102-60, adding another division title after their 2056 breakthrough. The EAA wildcard race was unforgiving: Madrid, Warsaw, Nairobi and Pyongyang made it through, while Chongqing, Kabul, Casablanca and New Taipei City all won 91 games or more and still missed out. In TAO, the standout historical story was Guatemala City. The Ocelots went 105-57 to win Central America & Oceania, and from the division history available, that looks like their first division title. Tijuana also impressed at 101-61 in North America West, adding to their 2057 crown, while Memphis won North America East at 98-64, continuing a strong recent run after titles in 2058 and 2059. Córdoba took South America at 97-65, their first listed division win since 2050. The TAO wildcard picture was just as crowded, with Houston, New Jersey, Manaus, Miami and Rio de Janeiro all making it, while Montreal, Santiago and Porto Alegre were left outside despite strong seasons. So across both conferences, this was not a year where being merely good was enough. Sheffield’s 83 wins were respectable, but the league’s playoff bar was much higher than that, and several clubs were writing much bigger historical chapters around them. Final Thoughts The 2061 Mountain Hares were awkward to sum up. They finished with a winning record, excellent defence, good pitching and an 89-win Pythagorean profile. They also finished nowhere near the playoffs. That makes the year feel less like a failure and more like a missed chance. The foundations are there. The next step is turning all those good underlying signs into an actual October race. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here Last edited by dinosauryoshi; 06-29-2026 at 04:52 PM.

06-29-2026, 05:06 PM	#230
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061 Playoffs - Wildcard Series TAO Wildcard Series Panama City Poets defeat Houston Apollos, 3-2 The reigning world champions made hard work of this, which is not necessarily a criticism. October baseball rarely arrives neatly folded. Houston won the opener 1-0, but Panama City answered 2-1 and then took a 6-5 extra-inning Game 3 that became the hinge of the series. The Apollos forced a decider with a 7-3 win, only for the Poets to pull clear 8-4 when it mattered. Juan Garcia hit three home runs, while Nelson Padilla struck out 13 across 11 innings. Houston’s Mario Saucedo batted .444, but the Apollos could not quite turn a good series into a winning one. Panama City now face Guatemala City, who beat them five times in six regular-season meetings. Not the gentlest reward for surviving. Washington Grays defeat Rio de Janeiro Redeemers, 3-2 Washington spent two games looking finished, then abruptly remembered they were allowed to hit. Rio won the first two games 8-3 and 4-3, but the Grays responded with victories of 8-4, 6-3 and 5-3. What had looked like a routine Redeemers win slowly turned into a trapdoor. Cataldo DaVinci batted .368 with two home runs and five RBIs. Chong-xian Wu and Ethan Morrow also supplied important power, while Rio’s Victor Rodriguez drove in five in defeat. Washington’s only division title came in 2050. They now face Córdoba, who have just ended an 11-season wait of their own. Manaus Jaguars defeat New Jersey Jellyfish, 3-1 Manaus lost the opener 3-2, won the next two, then finished the series by dropping a piano on New Jersey. The Jaguars took Games 2 and 3 by scores of 3-2 and 5-3 before an 18-2 demolition in the clincher. Series MVP Gaston Balbo batted .412 with seven hits and four RBIs, while Jake West drove in five. New Jersey’s 94-win season ended in a game that had stopped feeling competitive long before the final out. Manaus were only established in 2058 and have yet to win their division. They now meet 101-win Tijuana with rather more menace than their history might suggest. Miami Swordfish defeat Las Vegas Jacks, 3-0 Miami were the only team to sweep, winning 7-3, 4-3 and 5-3 without ever giving Las Vegas much room to breathe. Series MVP Jesus Machado hit .429 with two home runs and four RBIs. Tyler Schwartz batted .500, while Miami’s pitching repeatedly allowed the Jacks to threaten and then quietly closed the door. Las Vegas had won 95 games, but the series never really belonged to them. Miami are four-time division champions and won the 2052 World Series. Next comes Memphis, in what already feels less like a wildcard story and more like two established bands arguing over the headline slot. EAA Wildcard Series Singapore Shipwrights defeat Madrid Mallards, 3-2 Singapore opened by losing 11-2, fell behind again at 2-1, and still somehow ended the series looking completely in control. The Shipwrights won the final two games 9-3 and 8-0. Valdemar Bregar batted .476 with a home run and five RBIs, while Satyri Djojopoespito drove in six. Madrid’s Jaden Brown also hit .476, but the Mallards’ offence disappeared entirely in the decider. A series full of noise ended in silence. Singapore’s five division titles all came before their move from Central & East Asia. They now face back-to-back Europe champions Bucharest. Pyongyang Grasshoppers defeat Minsk Bison, 3-2 Pyongyang won the first two games, Minsk won the next two, and then the Grasshoppers treated the decider as though the previous pair had been an administrative error. They won Game 5, 9-2. Tony Iwaki batted .526 with two home runs and five RBIs, while Cheuk-yan Yee went 2-0 with a 0.63 ERA across 14.1 innings. Minsk won 102 games but remain without a division title or a major postseason breakthrough. It is a harsh ending to a season that had looked much bigger for much longer. Pyongyang, world champions in 2045, now face Mumbai, who have just won their first division crown since 2041. Warsaw Kings defeat Osaka Blossoms, 3-1 Warsaw won the opener, lost a close second game, then tightened the series until Osaka could barely move. The Kings took the final two games 5-1 and 8-2. Series MVP Emil Sabau went 10-for-19 with three home runs, while Warsaw’s pitching held Osaka to nine runs across their three defeats. The Blossoms had won 96 games, but never found enough offence once the series settled into Warsaw’s preferred shape. Warsaw’s only division title came in 2052. They now face Kano, who have rather more recent experience of this stage and two EAA championships to prove it. Nairobi Lilacs defeat Nouakchott Sand Sox, 3-1 Nouakchott had the EAA’s best regular-season pitching staff. Nairobi responded by scoring 34 runs in four games, which feels almost rude. After losing the opener 6-5, the Lilacs won 13-1, 10-3 and 6-5. Series MVP Charles Sturges batted .533 with two home runs and 10 RBIs, while Risto Hanninen hit .500. Nouakchott’s season had been built on stopping teams from doing exactly this. Nairobi simply did it anyway. The Lilacs are still chasing their first division or conference title. Next comes Seoul, who have just ended a 20-season wait for a division crown. Final Thoughts The wildcard round did what a good opening act should: cleared away a few assumptions and introduced some unexpected names. Miami were the cleanest team in the round, Pyongyang and Nairobi removed two of the EAA’s strongest regular-season sides, and Washington produced the most convincing escape act. Panama City are still alive, though they looked more vulnerable than defending champions usually prefer to. There were also a few reminders that postseason history can sit heavily without deciding anything. Minsk won 102 games and went home. Nouakchott brought the EAA’s best pitching staff and were battered for 34 runs. Las Vegas won 95 games and never won a postseason game. Now the division winners arrive. Mumbai and Seoul return after 20-season waits, Córdoba after 11, while Bucharest, Kano and Guatemala City are trying to turn recent dominance into something larger. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here Last edited by dinosauryoshi; 06-29-2026 at 05:15 PM.

07-05-2026, 06:30 PM	#231
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061 Playoffs - Second Round Review Eight division winners arrived rested. Five of them immediately went home. Bucharest and Mumbai were swept, Tijuana and Córdoba won only once, and defending EAA champions Kano fell in seven. Only Guatemala City, Memphis and Seoul survived their byes. The round also cleared out much of the league’s recent championship history. Defending world champions Panama City were eliminated, as were former champions Tijuana, Miami and Kano. Of the eight clubs left standing, Pyongyang are the only team to have previously won either a conference pennant or the World Series. TAO Second Round Guatemala City Ocelots defeat Panama City Poets, 4-2 The defending world champions are out, beaten by a Guatemala City team that had already spent the regular season making them uncomfortable. The Ocelots won a 6-5 walk-off opener before Panama City took Games 2 and 3. Guatemala City then closed the series with three straight victories, including another 6-5 win in the clincher. Series MVP Arest Khachunts batted .500 with seven hits and a home run. Ruben Garcia hit .444, while Vinny Valle earned two wins from the bullpen. The defeat ends Panama City’s defence of the World Series title they won in 2060, as well as their run of consecutive TAO championships in 2059 and 2060. Guatemala City have never previously won the TAO pennant or reached the World Series. Washington Grays defeat Córdoba Silversmiths, 4-1 Córdoba won the opener 5-1. Washington then answered with four straight victories and gradually removed all ambiguity from the series. The Grays won 7-1, 10-2, 8-0 and 5-2. Series MVP David Ortiz hit three home runs and drove in six, while Cataldo DaVinci added six RBIs. Córdoba’s pitching had ranked third in the TAO during the regular season, but allowed 30 runs across the final four games. Their first division title since 2050 ended before it had much time to settle in. Washington have now eliminated Rio after falling 2-0 behind and dismissed Córdoba after losing Game 1. They appear to need an early setback in the way some people need coffee. The Grays have never won the TAO championship or reached the World Series. Manaus Jaguars defeat Tijuana Luchadores, 4-1 Manaus followed their 18-run wildcard clincher by scoring nine, 11, eight and eight in their four victories over Tijuana. The Luchadores answered a 9-7 opening loss with an 11-1 win, but the Jaguars took over from there. They closed the series with an 8-0 shutout. Series MVP Gerd Yost batted .455 with ten hits, a home run and six RBIs. Butrus Jameel hit .562, while Gaston Balbo reached base in half his plate appearances. Tijuana won 101 games and entered with one of the TAO’s best pitching staffs. Manaus treated this mostly as background information. Tijuana’s only TAO pennant and World Series title came in 2057, when the franchise was still known as the Stouts. Manaus, established in 2058, have never won a division, conference championship or World Series. Memphis Steamers defeat Miami Swordfish, 4-3 The round’s most evenly matched TAO series went the full seven, and Memphis survived it by a single run. Miami won the opener 7-4. Memphis responded with three straight victories, but the Swordfish forced a decider with 6-4 and 2-1 wins. The Steamers took Game 7, 7-6. Series MVP Steve Lucas did almost everything: three home runs, seven RBIs and a 1.29 ERA across 14 innings. Jing-guo Huang batted .423, while Jon Pitts added three homers and eight RBIs. Jesus Machado hit .357 for Miami, but the Swordfish comeback stopped one game short. Miami’s only TAO championship and World Series title came in 2052. Memphis have won four division titles but have never claimed the conference pennant or reached the World Series. EAA Second Round Singapore Shipwrights defeat Bucharest Sounds, 4-0 Bucharest won 104 games, scored the second-most runs in the EAA and allowed the sixth-fewest. Singapore swept them anyway. The Shipwrights won 4-3, 7-1, 8-1 and 6-0. After the close opener, the rest of the series felt less like an upset and more like a correction being applied with increasing force. Series MVP Zamir Memon batted .353 with six RBIs. Jesse Hanson hit two home runs, while Viet Chien threw 8.1 scoreless innings and struck out nine. Bucharest batted as though the week had been scheduled without consulting them. No regular hitter managed more than four hits. The back-to-back Europe champions are out. Singapore have five historical division titles, all earned before their move from Central & East Asia, but have never won the EAA pennant or reached the World Series. Pyongyang Grasshoppers defeat Mumbai Directors, 4-0 Mumbai waited 20 seasons for another division title. Their postseason lasted four games. Pyongyang won 6-5, 6-2, 7-4 and 10-9. The Directors were competitive in three of them, but the Grasshoppers always seemed to own the next important swing. Series MVP Moana Weihilani batted .529 with two home runs and five RBIs. Osmo Piironen hit .625, while Shahid Virasana drove in six. Mumbai received two home runs and seven RBIs from Matthew Nunneley, but their pitching never found a quiet inning when it needed one. Pyongyang won the EAA championship and World Series in 2045. They are now the only former conference or world champions left in the postseason. Mumbai have three division titles, but have never won the EAA pennant. Warsaw Kings defeat Kano Camels, 4-3 Kano won the first two games, led 3-1 after four, and still lost the series. Warsaw edged Game 5, 2-1, won Game 6, 4-2, then completed the comeback with a 6-2 victory in Kano. Series MVP Nermin Ljotic batted .333 with six RBIs. Emil Sabau added nine hits, while Walter Crossingham saved two games and struck out seven across six innings. Kano’s Mike Neupert drove in eight, but the Camels could not close the series despite three separate chances. Kano won the EAA championship in 2056 and 2060, and captured the World Series in 2056. Their defeat removes the reigning EAA champions and one of the final established postseason powers. Warsaw have never won the EAA pennant or reached the World Series. Seoul Crabs defeat Nairobi Lilacs, 4-2 Nairobi won Games 1 and 3, but Seoul took the other four and finished the series with consecutive victories of 6-5 and 5-1. Series MVP Otis York hit two home runs and drove in seven. Daniil Rochegov added a homer and five RBIs, while Lorenzo Solis earned two wins from the bullpen. Charles Sturges continued his excellent postseason with two more home runs for Nairobi, but the Lilacs never quite recreated the offensive storm that had removed Nouakchott. Seoul’s first division title since 2041 has now carried them into the Third Round. The Crabs have never won the EAA pennant or appeared in the World Series. The wait was long. The reward has not been wasted. Second Round Awards Player of the Round: Steve Lucas, Memphis Steamers Lucas hit three home runs, drove in seven and posted a 1.29 ERA across 14 innings. Some players influence a series. Lucas appeared to be trying to own it outright. Best Hitting Performance: Moana Weihilani, Pyongyang Grasshoppers Weihilani batted .529 with two home runs and five RBIs as Pyongyang swept Mumbai. Best Comeback: Warsaw Kings Warsaw trailed the defending EAA champions 3-1 before winning three straight, including Games 5 and 7 on the road. Biggest Statement: Singapore Shipwrights A sweep of 104-win Bucharest, with the final three games won by a combined score of 21-2. Most Convincing Offence: Manaus Jaguars Manaus scored 36 runs in their four victories and have now produced 65 runs across nine postseason games. Third Round Matchups TAO Guatemala City Ocelots vs Washington Grays Neither club has previously won the TAO championship. Guatemala City won 105 regular-season games; Washington have made a habit of treating superior records as decorative. The winner will advance to the TAO Championship Series with the chance to claim a first pennant and World Series appearance. Memphis Steamers vs Manaus Jaguars Memphis have four division titles but no TAO championship. Manaus have reached this point without ever winning their division. The TAO Championship Series is therefore guaranteed to contain two teams seeking their first conference title. Whoever eventually represents the TAO in the World Series will be doing so for the first time. EAA Singapore Shipwrights vs Pyongyang Grasshoppers Two of the hottest teams in the EAA meet after both swept their Second Round opponents. Singapore and Pyongyang are each 7-2 in the postseason. Singapore have won six consecutive games. Pyongyang have won five straight and are the only remaining club with a previous pennant or World Series title, both won in 2045. The Shipwrights are attempting to reach either stage for the first time. Seoul Crabs vs Warsaw Kings Neither club has previously won the EAA championship. Seoul’s 20-season division drought ended in September, while Warsaw have just overturned a 3-1 deficit against the reigning conference champions. One will move within a single series of a first World Series appearance. Final Thoughts The Second Round was not kind to either the rested teams or the league’s established postseason names. Five of the eight division winners were eliminated, including Bucharest, Mumbai, Kano, Tijuana and Córdoba. The defending world champions from Panama City also departed, ending their attempt at a third consecutive TAO pennant. Four previous World Series winners went out in this round. Panama City, Tijuana, Miami and Kano each leave with one championship in their history. Panama City had also won two TAO pennants, Kano two EAA pennants, and Tijuana and Miami one TAO title apiece. Of the eight teams still standing, only Pyongyang have ever won a conference championship or the World Series. Their 2045 double remains the only previous title success in the field. That leaves seven clubs chasing a first pennant and a first World Series title. The TAO is guaranteed a new champion, with Guatemala City, Washington, Memphis and Manaus all entering unfamiliar territory. The EAA still has one old name among the new ones. Pyongyang are surrounded by Singapore, Warsaw and Seoul, three clubs that have never reached the World Series despite combining for eight division titles. Singapore and Pyongyang were the clearest teams in the round. Singapore slowly removed Bucharest from the series; Pyongyang simply kept winning every argument Mumbai tried to start. Manaus remain the strangest and most compelling story. They have no division titles and have now beaten New Jersey and Tijuana while scoring runs in industrial quantities. Washington are taking a more dramatic route, repeatedly falling behind before remembering where they left the exits. The defending world champions are gone. Both reigning conference champions are gone. Seven of the eight remaining teams have never won either a pennant or the World Series. History has mostly left the building. Someone new may be about to take the stage. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

07-06-2026, 05:27 PM	#232
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061 WBL Conference Semifinals Review Singapore removed the last former world champions without losing once. Guatemala City and Warsaw needed every available game. Memphis survived three one-run finishes and finally brought Manaus’s wonderfully noisy October to an end. The result is a final four with no previous conference champions among them. Both pennants, both World Series places and the championship itself will belong to somebody new - exciting. TAO Conference Semifinals Guatemala City Ocelots defeat Washington Grays, 4-3 Guatemala City survived the round’s most unsettled series, winning Game 7 after neither side managed consecutive victories until the final two games. The Ocelots opened with a 2-0 shutout, but Washington answered with wins of 9-7 and 10-2. Guatemala City responded with a 12-2 rout, lost Game 5, then took the final two contests 6-4 and 8-5. Series MVP Zach Hallock batted .393 with a home run and eight RBIs. Luis Arroyo hit .391 with two homers and six RBIs, while David Quiroz added three home runs and seven driven in. Washington’s David Ortiz batted .423 with two home runs and six RBIs. Antonio Jimenez also homered twice, while Chong-xian Wu launched three, but the Grays could not find one final response in Game 7. Washington had already survived a 2-0 deficit against Rio and an opening defeat against Córdoba. This time the escape route finally closed. Guatemala City have now turned 105 regular-season wins into a place in the TAO Championship Series. The Ocelots have never won the pennant or appeared in the World Series. Memphis Steamers defeat Manaus Jaguars, 4-1 Memphis won the series in five, although the first two games alone seemed determined to use a week’s supply of tension. The Steamers took Game 1, 7-6, then survived an 11-inning Game 2 by an 8-7 score. A 2-0 shutout placed Memphis on the brink before Manaus answered with a 4-0 victory. The Steamers ended it with another one-run win, taking Game 5, 4-3. Series MVP Jon Pitts hit three home runs, including two in the clincher. Matous Stepanik batted .438, Steve Lucas hit .400 and Jing-guo Huang added a home run and three RBIs. Manaus received solid work from Gerd Yost and Gaston Balbo, while Magali Pita threw 7.2 scoreless innings. The Jaguars simply spent too much of the series arriving one run after the door had closed. Their run still deserves remembering. Manaus entered without a division title and eliminated New Jersey and 101-win Tijuana while briefly turning every scoreboard into an accident scene. Memphis now reach the TAO Championship Series for the chance to win the first pennant in franchise history. Four division titles have finally become something larger. EAA Conference Semifinals Singapore Shipwrights defeat Pyongyang Grasshoppers, 4-0 Singapore swept for the second consecutive round and removed the last former conference and World Series champions from the field. The Shipwrights won 3-1, 5-2 and 5-3 before finishing the series with a 12-3 demolition. Pyongyang entered on a five-game winning streak. Singapore made that feel like information from another season. Series MVP Zamir Memon batted .471 with eight hits and four RBIs. Gunawan Ernalia hit .417, while Jesse Hanson supplied two home runs and seven RBIs. Antonio Cazares allowed one earned run across 6.2 innings, and Francisco Piedra gave up one across six. Singapore’s staff never allowed Pyongyang’s lineup enough space to build momentum. The Grasshoppers were the only remaining former pennant winners and world champions, having captured both in 2045. Their exit guarantees that the EAA will have a first-time champion. Singapore have now won ten consecutive postseason games after losing two of their first three. They have five historical division titles, but have never won the EAA pennant or reached the World Series. Warsaw Kings defeat Seoul Crabs, 4-3 Warsaw survived another seven-game series, this time recovering from deficits of 2-1 and 3-2. The Kings won the opener 7-4 before Seoul took Games 2 and 3. Warsaw edged an extraordinary Game 4, 11-10, but the Crabs answered with a 12-2 rout. Facing elimination, Warsaw won 7-3 and then took Game 7, 5-1. Series MVP Nermin Ljotic batted .346 with two home runs and eight RBIs. Paul Bratucu hit .385 with five RBIs, while Norbert Cerny supplied two homers. Seoul’s lineup produced plenty in defeat. Lupe Aguilar batted .419, Bill Edwards hit .417 and Yuri Gabrichebsky launched three home runs with eight RBIs. The Crabs’ first division-winning season since 2041 ends one step before the conference final. Warsaw, meanwhile, have now won consecutive seven-game series after trailing Kano 3-1 and Seoul 3-2. The Kings have never won the EAA pennant or appeared in the World Series. They are now four victories away from changing both facts. Conference Semifinals Awards Player of the Round: Zach Hallock, Guatemala City Ocelots Hallock batted .393 with 11 hits, a home run and eight RBIs as Guatemala City survived seven games against Washington. Best Power Performance: Jon Pitts, Memphis Steamers Pitts hit three home runs, including two in the series-clinching victory over Manaus. Best Comeback: Warsaw Kings Warsaw trailed Seoul 3-2 before winning Games 6 and 7. It was their second consecutive seven-game victory after coming back from 3-1 down against Kano. Biggest Statement: Singapore Shipwrights Singapore swept the only former world champions left in the field and have now won ten consecutive postseason games. Most Dramatic Series: Guatemala City Ocelots vs Washington Grays The teams traded control throughout seven games, with five contests decided by four runs or fewer before Guatemala City finally advanced. Conference Championship Series Matchups TAO Championship Series Guatemala City Ocelots vs Memphis Steamers Guatemala City won 105 games and have survived two difficult postseason series. Memphis have followed a seven-game victory over Miami with a tense five-game win over Manaus. Neither franchise has previously won the TAO championship or reached the World Series. The winner will become the first new TAO champion since Panama City claimed their first pennant in 2059. Guatemala City bring the league’s stronger regular-season record and a deeper lineup. Memphis arrive with Steve Lucas, Jon Pitts and the feeling that close games are merely where they live now. EAA Championship Series Singapore Shipwrights vs Warsaw Kings This is a meeting between the postseason’s smoothest team and its most stubborn. Singapore have won ten straight games, sweeping 104-win Bucharest and former world champions Pyongyang. Warsaw have played 18 postseason games already and needed the maximum seven against both Kano and Seoul. Neither club has previously won the EAA pennant or appeared in the World Series. Singapore’s five division titles came in Central & East Asia before their move, while Warsaw’s only division crown came in 2052. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

07-16-2026, 11:16 AM	#233
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061 WBL Conference Finals Review The conference finals produced two first-time pennant winners by very different routes. Memphis won four consecutive one-run games after losing the opener. Singapore needed seven, twice came from behind, and finally ended Warsaw’s stubborn October in another one-run finish. For the first time in WBL history, the World Series will feature the Memphis Steamers and Singapore Shipwrights. Neither franchise has been there before. The winner will become the league’s 19th different champion in 22 seasons. TAO Championship Series Memphis Steamers defeat Guatemala City Ocelots, 4-1 The series finished 4-1, but every game was decided by one run. Guatemala City won the opener 6-5 before Memphis answered with victories of 5-4, 4-3, 11-10 and 4-3. Series MVP Jing-guo Huang batted .333 with two home runs, six RBIs and a 1.056 slugging percentage. Steve Lucas hit .364 with a homer and five RBIs, while Rodel Parales added two home runs and six driven in. Jose Padilla was outstanding for Guatemala City, batting .455 with three home runs and ten RBIs. Ruben Martinez hit .412 and Luis Arroyo .348, but the Ocelots kept arriving one run short. Game 4 summed up the series. Guatemala City scored ten and still lost 11-10. Memphis then clinched 4-3, by which point any larger margin might have felt out of character. The Ocelots’ 105-win season ends one round before the World Series. Memphis, meanwhile, finally fill the largest gap in their history. Four division titles had produced no pennants. Now the Steamers are TAO champions. EAA Championship Series Singapore Shipwrights defeat Warsaw Kings, 4-3 Singapore entered the series on a ten-game winning streak and extended it to 11 by taking the opener 10-5. Warsaw then won Games 2 and 3 to take control. The Shipwrights levelled the series with a 10-3 victory, fell behind again after losing Game 5, then won the final two contests 4-1 and 6-5. Series MVP Zamir Memon batted .429 with 12 hits, a home run and five RBIs. Hoo-gwo Shu hit .421, while Valdemar Bregar drove in nine. Warsaw’s Norbert Cerny was exceptional in defeat, batting .500 with 14 hits, three home runs and seven RBIs. Tobias Mueller hit .333, but too much of the lineup struggled behind them. Game 7 ended 6-5, fittingly enough. Warsaw had led 2-1 and 3-2, but Singapore won both elimination games. The Kings’ run ends after 25 postseason games, including three consecutive seven-game series. They overturned a 3-1 deficit against Kano, survived Seoul in seven, and pushed Singapore to the final out. Singapore’s five historical division titles had never produced an EAA pennant. That changed here. Conference Finals Awards Player of the Round: Jing-guo Huang, Memphis Steamers Huang batted .333 with two home runs, six RBIs and a 1.056 slugging percentage. Best Hitting Performance: Jose Padilla, Guatemala City Ocelots Padilla hit .455 with three home runs and ten RBIs in five games. Best Performance in Defeat: Norbert Cerny, Warsaw Kings Cerny batted .500 with 14 hits, three home runs and seven RBIs. Most Dramatic Series: Singapore Shipwrights vs Warsaw Kings The lead changed repeatedly, the series lasted seven games and the decider finished 6-5. World Series Matchup Memphis Steamers vs Singapore Shipwrights The 2061 World Series will crown a first-time champion. Memphis arrive after surviving Miami in seven, beating Manaus in five and taking four consecutive one-run games from Guatemala City. Close games are no longer an emergency for the Steamers. They are the local climate. Singapore eliminated Madrid in five, swept 104-win Bucharest and former champions Pyongyang, then survived Warsaw in seven. The Shipwrights have won 15 of their 20 postseason games. Memphis entered 2061 with four division titles. Singapore had five, all earned before their move between divisions. Between them, nine division banners and no pennants. Now they have one each, but who will turn it into a World Series win? __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

07-23-2026, 04:30 PM	#234
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061 WBL World Series Review Singapore completed one of the finest postseason runs in WBL history, defeating the Memphis Steamers 4-2 to claim the franchise's first World Series championship. The Shipwrights won both opening games in Memphis, recovered immediately from a heavy Game 3 defeat and sealed the title with an 8-6 victory in Game 6. Singapore become the 19th different World Series champion in the WBL's first 22 seasons. Singapore Shipwrights defeat Memphis Steamers, 4-2 Singapore struck first with a 10-5 victory behind three home runs from Valdemar Bregar before following it with a 4-2 win to take a commanding 2-0 lead. Memphis responded emphatically in Game 3, as Jing-guo Huang hit two home runs during a 10-2 victory that cut the deficit in half. The Shipwrights regained control in Game 4 with a tense 2-1 win before Memphis extended the series by taking Game 5, 6-4, thanks to Huang's third homer of the series. Singapore finished the job in Game 6, defeating Memphis 8-6 behind another strong outing from Viet Chien to secure the first championship in franchise history. World Series MVP: Valdemar Bregar, Singapore Shipwrights Bregar dominated the series, batting .458 with 11 hits, three home runs, ten RBIs and an .875 slugging percentage. His three home runs in the opening two games gave Singapore the early advantage they never surrendered. Singapore's Pitching Viet Chien earned victories in Games 2 and 6, finishing 2-0 with 14 strikeouts and a 2.92 ERA over 12.1 innings. Gil Duran won the pivotal Game 4, while Francisco Piedra posted a 1.59 ERA and recorded saves in Games 4 and 6. Memphis in Defeat The Steamers received huge performances from Steve Lucas, who hit two home runs with seven RBIs, and Jing-guo Huang, who added three home runs and six RBIs. Will Durham struck out 14 across ten innings despite suffering two defeats. After capturing the franchise's first TAO championship, Memphis ultimately fell one series short of completing the journey. World Series Awards World Series MVP: Valdemar Bregar (Singapore) .458 AVG, 11 H, 3 HR, 10 RBI. Best Pitcher: Viet Chien (Singapore) 2-0, 12.1 IP, 14 K, 2.92 ERA. Best Memphis Hitter: Steve Lucas 2 HR, 7 RBI. Turning Point Singapore's opening road sweep put immediate pressure on Memphis. Although the Steamers fought back twice, they never managed to draw level in the series. Singapore's Championship Run Singapore's title was thoroughly earned. The Shipwrights defeated Madrid in five games, swept 104-win Bucharest, swept former champions Pyongyang, edged Warsaw in seven games and defeated Memphis in six to finish the postseason 19-7. After years of regular-season success without a pennant, Singapore captured both its first EAA Championship and first World Series in the same season. Historical Context Singapore become the first new World Series champion since Panama City won its maiden title in 2060. They are the 19th different champion in just 22 seasons, underlining the remarkable parity across the WBL. Memphis also reached its first World Series after winning the franchise's first TAO Championship, making 2061 comfortably the greatest season in Steamers history. Final Thoughts By October's end, every former World Series champion had been eliminated, guaranteeing a first-time winner. Singapore proved the stronger club. Bregar anchored the offence, Chien won twice, Piedra closed the biggest victories and the Shipwrights consistently answered every Memphis rally. The 2061 season ends with Singapore lifting its first World Series trophy, completing one of the most memorable championship runs in WBL history. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

07-23-2026, 04:36 PM	#235
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2061-62 Sheffield Mountain Hares - Offseason Review Following an 83-79 season, Sheffield committed to a younger, more sustainable roster while moving on from several established veterans. The departures of Sergio Rutz, Isaac Saville and Evan Blythe marked the end of one era, but the Mountain Hares entered the winter determined to build around an emerging core rather than cling to an ageing one. Key Departures • RF Sergio Rutz (36) was traded to the Riyadh Falcons in exchange for 23-year-old prospects Tim Gaudet (SS) and Arso Plavsic (RF), ending a lengthy Sheffield career. One of the club's most consistent middle-order hitters, Rutz leaves as a significant figure in franchise history. • SP Isaac Saville (34) was dealt to the Sydney Koalas for RF Jim Reed and RHP Hector Navarro. Saville had become one of Sheffield's most dependable starters, but the front office chose to exchange proven production for younger talent. • RHP Evan Blythe (33) was traded to the Edmonton Hurricanes for outfielder Alex Braud after several reliable seasons in the Mountain Hares bullpen. Key Arrivals • SP Sean Hane signed a one-year, $13 million contract, bringing experience and stability to a rotation that lost Saville. • RF Arunodaya Santhanakrishnan earned a roster spot after arriving on a minor league deal. The veteran left-handed hitter offers a disciplined bat and should contribute immediately in a platoon role. • RHP Johnny Brennan arrived from the Ürümqi Silk Riders in exchange for prospect Jose Cabrera. Still only 27, Brennan has the tools to become an important late-inning reliever and may prove Sheffield's most impactful addition. A Shift in Philosophy Rather than landing a headline prospect, Sheffield spread its bets across several younger players. Tim Gaudet, Jim Reed and Arso Plavsic all have time on their side, even if none currently project as certain future stars. The organisation appears to value depth and long-term flexibility over chasing one blue-chip name. That approach reflects the club's growing confidence in the talent already on the major league roster. Eskinder Ali has developed into one of the WBL's premier players, while Espen Aas, Rob Graham, Nsen Ngunda and Adam Koehler are expected to shoulder even greater responsibility. The Mountain Hares' next competitive window looks set to be driven by this group rather than by a wave of elite prospects waiting in the minors. Retained Core The front office also ensured continuity by extending several important contributors. Rob Graham signed a long-term extension, while Sarsour Burhan, Jesus Morales, Alois Herzog and Rey Ochoa all remained part of Sheffield's plans, preserving much of the club's established spine. Overall The offseason was more evolutionary than revolutionary. Sheffield sacrificed experience by moving on from three respected veterans, replacing them with shorter-term additions and younger, controllable talent. While the prospect returns may not contain an obvious future superstar, the organisation exits the winter younger, deeper and with a clearer long-term direction. If the club's emerging core continues to develop as expected, this could prove to be the offseason that quietly laid the foundations for Sheffield finally making a good run at the playoffs. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

07-23-2026, 04:51 PM	#236
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2062 WBL Banner Ceremonies The new WBL season begins with a final look back at the last one. Across the opening homestands, nine clubs will raise 11 new banners honouring the eight 2061 division champions, the two conference winners and Singapore’s first World Series title. There will be returning players, local music, food stalls and the usual attempt to fit an entire season into the few minutes before the first pitch. Some banners mark familiar success. Others have waited decades for their moment. What follows is the updated divisional and championship record, with the latest honourees marked in bold. TAO South America Division 1. Lima Cavies (Parakeets): 5 (2043, 2044, 2046, 2056, 2057) 2. Rio de Janeiro Redeemers: 4 (2045, 2047, 2048, 2060) 3. Asunción Pampas Foxes: 3 (2040, 2049, 2059) 4. Córdoba Silversmiths: 2 (2050, 2061) 5. La Paz Doves: 2 (2053, 2054) 6. Quito Cinchonas: 2 (2041, 2051) 7. São Paulo Gold Sox (Knights): 1 (2058) 8. Porto Alegre Winemakers: 1 (2055) 9. Salvador Toucans: 1 (2052) 10. Montevideo Sea Lions (Jaguars): 1 (2042) No wins Caracas Macaws Medellin Sea Lions (Monkeys) Bogota Condors Santiago Flamingos Buenos Aires Apples Brasilia Travelers Manaus Jaguars Porto Velho Heliconias Paramaribo Pufferfish Central America & Oceania 1. Port Moresby Manatees: 4 (2040, 2041, 2056, 2057) 2. Havana Cafecitos: 4 (2045, 2046, 2049, 2051) 3. Sydney Koalas: 3 (2044, 2054, 2055) 4. Guatemala City Ocelots: 2 (2060, 2061) 5. Tegucigalpa Spirits (Savannah): 2 (2047, 2048) 6. San Jose Sloths: 2 (2042, 2043) 7. Panama City Poets (Golden Frogs): 1 (2059) 8. Santo Domingo Dolphins: 1 (2058) 9. Mexico City Tenochca (Aztecs): 1 (2053) 10. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2052) 11. Melbourne Whales: 1 (2050) No wins San Pedro Sula Fire San Salvador Volcanoes Guatemala City Armadillos (Quetzals) Managua Motmots Auckland Kiwis San Juan Garitas Perth Fairywrens Port au Prince Revolution Monterrey Dinos North America - West 1. Calgary Tartans: 5 (2042, 2053, 2054, 2056, 2058) 2. Salt Lake City Skiers: 3 (2050, 2051, 2060) 3. Honolulu Seahawks: 3 (2052, 2054, 2059) 4. Tijuana Luchadores (Stouts): 2 (2057, 2061) 5. Vancouver Green Sox: 2 (2045, 2049) 6. Albuquerque Pueblos (Chiefs): 2 (2043, 2044) 7. Alaska Moose: 1 (2055) 8. California Waveriders: 1 (2048) 9. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047) 10. Los Angeles Stars: 1 (2046) 11. Arizona Wrens: 1 (2043) 12. Las Vegas Jacks: 1 (2041) No wins Portland Jackalopes (White Oaks) Idaho Owls Montana Smokey Bears San Diego Stingrays Winnipeg Caribou Seattle Herons Edmonton Hurricanes North America - East 1. Memphis Steamers: 4 (2041, 2058, 2059, 2061) 2. Miami Swordfish: 4 (2046, 2049, 2052, 2060) 3. New Orleans Jazz: 3 (2042, 2053, 2054) 4. Toronto Gray Jays: 2 (2048, 2055) 5. Quebec Muskies/Montreal Miracles: 2 (2040, 2045) 6. Philadelphia Ruffed Grouse: 1 (2057) 7. Boston Bluebirds (Chickadees): 1 (2056) 8. Atlanta Eagles: 1 (2051) 9. Washington Grays (Presidents): 1 (2050) 10. St Louis Flycatchers: 1 (2047) 11. Nashville Rockabillys (Melodies): 1 (2044) 12. New York Nightlights (Racoons): 1 (2043) No wins Chicago Hoppers (Y's) Kansas City Meadowlarks Houston Apollos New Jersey Jellyfish Dallas Cosmopolitans St. Paul Charlie Browns Cincinnati Cincies EAA Europe 1. St Petersburg Pelicans: 4 (2042, 2050, 2053, 2054) 2. Bucharest Sounds: 3 (2041, 2060, 2061) 3. Paris Black Cats: 3 (2044, 2045, 2057) 4. Budapest Red Squirrels: 3 (2046, 2047, 2049) 5. Rome Legion: 2 (2055, 2056) 6. Vienna Whistlers (Music): 2 (2040, 2048) 7. Madrid Mallards: 1 (2059) 8. Moscow Blizzard: 1 (2058) 9. Warsaw Kings: 1 (2052) 10. London Gentlemen: 1 (2051) 11. Berlin Bears: 1 (2043) No wins Zurich Chocolatiers (Mountaineers) Kyiv Terrapins Minsk Bison Stockholm Orcas Sheffield Mountain Hares Athens Philosophers Lisbon Caravels Milan Tailors Thessaloniki Tower Knights Africa 1. Kinshasa Leopards: 4 (2048, 2049, 2050, 2059) 2. Kano Camels: 3 (2056, 2060, 2061) 3. Abidjan White Elephants: 3 (2045, 2051, 2052) 4. Lagos Moons: 3 (2042, 2043, 2044) 5. Ouagadougou Nomads: 2 (2054, 2055) 6. Cairo Scarabs: 2 (2040, 2041) 7. Dar es Salaam Giraffes: 1 (2058) 8. Addis Ababa Lions: 1 (2057) 9. Yaounde Chimpanzees (Cannons): 1 (2053) 10. Johannesburg Scholars (Springboks): 1 (2047) 11. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2046) No wins Khartoum Rhinos Casablanca Corsairs (Gray Wolves) Nairobi Lilacs Luanda Red Caps Nouakchott Sand Sox Cape Town Penguins Harare Hippos Mogadishu Seashells West & South-East Asia 1. Bengaluru Bytes: 4 (2043, 2045, 2050, 2053) 2. Mumbai Directors: 3 (2040, 2041, 2061) 3. Istanbul Spice: 3 (2047, 2048, 2060) 4. Dhaka Mammoths: 3 (2042, 2052, 2055) 5. Karachi Seafarers: 2 (2044, 2059) 6. Manila Snakes: 2 (2054, 2058) 7. Yangon Peacocks: 2 (2046, 2049) 8. Phnom Penh Jackhammers: 1 (2057) 9. Jakarta Dragons: 1 (2056) 10. Bangkok Tuk-Tuks (Eels): 1 (2051) No wins in this division Singapore Shipwrights* Tehran Goats (Marbles) Baghdad Chukars Dubai Dunes (Hyenas) Hanoi Mopeds Riyadh Falcons (Bedouins) Patna Roosters Ashgabat Akhal-Tekes Jaipur Pink Sox Singapore won five Central & East Asia titles before moving divisions in 2060. Central & East Asia* 1. Singapore Shipwrights: 5 (2045, 2046, 2048, 2049, 2053) 2. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 4 (2044, 2047, 2055, 2056) 3. Seoul Crabs: 2 (2041, 2061) 4. New Taipei City Magpies: 2 (2040, 2051) 5. Hong Kong Kites (Songbirds): 2 (2042, 2043) 6. Kuala Lumpur Tigers: 1 (2060) 7. Hiroshima Express: 1 (2059) 8. Shanghai Peaches: 1 (2058) 9. Tokyo Octopi: 1 (2057) 10. Almaty Blue Sox (Sunrise): 1 (2054) 11. Harbin Icecaps (Shenzhen Peanuts): 1 (2052) 12. Beijing Pandas: 1 (2050) No wins Kabul Caracals (Bazaars) Guangzhou Rams Busan Oysters Ulaanbaatar Cavalry Osaka Blossoms Chongqing Hotpots Lanzhou Traders Incheon Saucers TAO Championships 1. Calgary Tartans: 3 (2053, 2055, 2058) 2. Panama City Poets: 2 (2059, 2060) 3. New Orleans Jazz: 2 (2040, 2042) 4. Memphis Steamers: 1 (2061) 5. Tijuana Luchadores/Stouts: 1 (2057) 6. Lima Cavies: 1 (2056) 7. Bogota Condors: 1 (2054) 8. Miami Swordfish: 1 (2052) 9. Quito Cinchonas: 1 (2051) 10. Asunción Pampas Foxes: 1 (2050) 11. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2049) 12. Toronto Gray Jays: 1 (2048) 13. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047) 14. Kansas City Meadowlarks: 1 (2046) 15. Vancouver Green Sox: 1 (2045) 16. Sydney Koalas: 1 (2044) 17. São Paulo Gold Sox/Knights: 1 (2043) 18. San Jose Sloths: 1 (2041) EAA Championships 1. Kano Camels: 2 (2056, 2060) 2. Yaounde Chimpanzees/Cannons: 2 (2053, 2054) 3. St Petersburg Pelicans: 2 (2042, 2050) 4. Vienna Whistlers/Music: 2 (2048, 2049) 5. Singapore Shipwrights: 1 (2061) 6. London Gentlemen: 1 (2059) 7. Shanghai Peaches: 1 (2058) 8. Kabul Caracals: 1 (2057) 9. Johannesburg Scholars/Springboks: 1 (2055) 10. Harbin Icecaps/Shenzhen Peanuts: 1 (2052) 11. Dhaka Mammoths: 1 (2051) 12. New Taipei City Magpies: 1 (2047) 13. Madrid Mallards: 1 (2046) 14. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 1 (2045) 15. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2044) 16. Manila Snakes: 1 (2043) 17. Rome Legion: 1 (2041) 18. Addis Ababa Lions: 1 (2040) World Series Titles 1. Calgary Tartans: 2 (2055, 2058) 2. Yaounde Chimpanzees/Cannons: 2 (2053, 2054) 3. New Orleans Jazz: 2 (2040, 2042) 4. Singapore Shipwrights: 1 (2061) 5. Panama City Poets: 1 (2060) 6. London Gentlemen: 1 (2059) 7. Tijuana Luchadores/Stouts: 1 (2057) 8. Kano Camels: 1 (2056) 9. Miami Swordfish: 1 (2052) 10. Quito Cinchonas: 1 (2051) 11. Asunción Pampas Foxes: 1 (2050) 12. Juarez Cacti: 1 (2049) 13. Vienna Whistlers/Music: 1 (2048) 14. Colorado Blue Spruce: 1 (2047) 15. Kansas City Meadowlarks: 1 (2046) 16. Pyongyang Grasshoppers: 1 (2045) 17. Antananarivo Lemurs: 1 (2044) 18. São Paulo Gold Sox/Knights: 1 (2043) 19. San Jose Sloths: 1 (2041) How 2061 Fits Into the Bigger Picture The 2061 season produced a mixture of repetition and release. Guatemala City, Bucharest and Kano all successfully defended their division titles. Memphis returned to the top of North America - East after a two-season absence, while Tijuana reclaimed the West for the first time since 2057. Córdoba ended an 11-season wait. Mumbai and Seoul ended waits of 20 seasons each, raising banners whose predecessors had gathered two decades of dust. The conference championships were entirely new. Memphis became the 18th different TAO champion, while Singapore became the 18th club to win the EAA. Singapore then became the 19th different World Series champion across the league’s first 22 seasons. Only Calgary, Yaoundé and New Orleans have won the title more than once. That may be the lasting image of 2061. The season began with Singapore still waiting for their first major banner. They begin 2062 needing room for two. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here Last edited by dinosauryoshi; 07-23-2026 at 05:05 PM.

07-24-2026, 10:31 AM	#237
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	2062 WBL Preseason Preview 2061 saw 5 new teams make the playoffs. The preseason projections expect some of that change to continue. A number of defending division champions are tipped to fall back, several former powers appear ready to return, and five or six clubs have realistic chances of winning their first division title. TAO Preview South America Projected favourite: Bogota Condors, 96-66 Bogota enter as one of the clearest first-time division-title candidates in the league. The Condors have already won the 2054 TAO championship despite never taking South America, and the projection gives them an eight-game advantage over the chasing group. Behind them, almost everyone appears to be standing on the same patch of grass. Quito are projected for 88 wins, with AsunciÃ³n, defending champions CÃ³rdoba and Porto Alegre all on 87. Caracas sit only one game further back. A Bogota title would therefore be historically significant, but hardly comfortable. CÃ³rdobaÂ’s offence is projected to decline sharply, although their excellent pitching could keep them involved. Quito, whose last crown came in 2051, are the strongest candidate for a return to the top. Manaus are projected to slip to 83 wins after their remarkable postseason run. October may have been a wonderful fever dream rather than a new baseline. Central America & Oceania Projected favourite: Guatemala City Ocelots, 98-64 Guatemala City are expected to remain the class of the division. After winning in both 2060 and 2061, they are chasing a third consecutive crown and are projected to combine one of the TAOÂ’s strongest offences with elite run prevention. The more interesting story may sit directly behind them. San Pedro Sula are predicted to win 95 games despite never having won the division. Port Moresby, champions four times between 2040 and 2057, are projected for 93, while Sydney and Managua follow on 92 and 91. San Pedro Sula have perhaps the best chance of any TAO club to claim a first division title. Managua are another first-time candidate, though they may need the Ocelots to leave the door unusually wide. Panama City are projected for 88 wins. The former world champions remain dangerous, but the model sees them closer to the wildcard race than to reclaiming the division. North America - West Projected favourites: Alaska Moose and Las Vegas Jacks, 92-70 No division looks more open. Alaska and Las Vegas are tied at the top, Los Angeles are one game behind, Arizona two back, and Honolulu and Montana only three away. Six teams are projected to finish between 89 and 92 wins. Las Vegas have not won the division since 2041, while Los Angeles last did so in 2046. Either would represent a substantial return from the historical margins. AlaskaÂ’s last title came in 2055. Montana are the first-time title outsider to watch. They have never won North America - West, but an 89-win projection places them firmly inside the contest. Defending champions Tijuana are forecast to fall all the way to 80-82. After 101 wins in 2061, that is one of the most dramatic predicted declines anywhere in the WBL. North America - East Projected favourite: Miami Swordfish, 97-65 The model expects the division to return to its familiar Miami-Memphis argument. Miami are projected for 97 wins, with defending division and TAO champions Memphis two games behind. The SteamersÂ’ first pennant may not have changed their underlying profile much: they remain powerful, dangerous and apparently attracted to close games. New Jersey are projected for 91 wins and remain one of the stronger first-time division-title candidates. The Jellyfish have repeatedly reached the postseason without taking the division, and this may be their best opportunity yet. New Orleans, Cincinnati and Washington are all expected to remain relevant. WashingtonÂ’s deep 2061 run is followed by an 89-win prediction, while Cincinnati could challenge for their first crown if the two favourites stumble. EAA Preview Europe Projected favourite: Stockholm Orcas, 96-66 Europe may be ready for a complete change at the top. Stockholm have never won the division, but enter as four-game favourites over London. The Gentlemen, whose only division crown came in 2051, are themselves being tipped for a return to prominence. Sheffield and Vienna are tied on 90 wins. Vienna have not finished first since 2048, while the Mountain Hares are still seeking the first playoff appearance in the franchise's history. Bucharest, winners in 2060 and 2061, are projected to fall from 104 wins to 88. That still makes them a postseason contender, but no longer the divisionÂ’s fixed point. Minsk and Madrid remain close enough to punish anyone who underperforms. Warsaw receive little reward for their run to the EAA Championship Series, with the model predicting an 80-82 season. The computer has admired their October resilience and then moved on with its day. Sheffield Mountain Hares Outlook Sheffield are projected to finish 90-72, seven wins better than last season and tied for third in Europe. The offence should be lively. The Hares are expected to combine significant power with one of the leagueÂ’s most aggressive running games, while Eskinder Ali is projected to remain among the EAAÂ’s very best hitters. The concern is pitching. SheffieldÂ’s rotation looks serviceable rather than dominant, and the club may need several younger or newly acquired players to perform near the top of their ranges. A wildcard spot feels like a realistic target - which is promising for a team still looking for its first playoff apeparance. Africa Projected favourite: Dar es Salaam Giraffes, 101-61 While Dar es Salaam are tipped to return to the top for the first time since 2058, Casablanca and Nairobi, neither of whom have ever won the division, are projected for 99 and 98 wins respectively. Casablanca may be the strongest first-title candidate outside Osaka and Stockholm. NairobiÂ’s 2061 postseason run also appears to have been more than a brief flare, with the Lilacs expected to combine a strong offence with enough pitching to remain near the top. Ouagadougou are projected for 92 wins, while Nouakchott remain dangerous on 89. Defending champions Kano, meanwhile, fall to 86 wins and sixth place in the projection. The Camels have won three of the last six division titles, but the model expects the rest of Africa to catch up all at once. West & South-East Asia Projected favourites: Mumbai Directors and Singapore Shipwrights, 98-64 The defending division champions and defending world champions are projected to finish level. MumbaiÂ’s strength is built around pitching, with two starters forecast among the EAAÂ’s best. Singapore are expected to take a louder route, scoring more than 1,000 runs and fielding one of the leagueÂ’s deepest offences. A Singapore victory would be their first division title since moving from Central & East Asia, though the franchise already owns five historical crowns from its previous home. Yangon are only one game behind the favourites and appear ready to challenge for their first title since 2049. Karachi, projected for 95 wins, make this a genuine four-team race. The defending champions look strong enough to repeat, but their own division may be the first obstacle. Central & East Asia Projected favourites: Osaka Blossoms and Pyongyang Grasshoppers, 102-60 This may be the strongest division in the WBL. Osaka and Pyongyang are tied on 102 wins, with defending champions Seoul projected for 99. Chongqing sit fourth on 92, a total that would challenge for first place in several other divisions. Osaka have never won the division and appear to have the strongest first-title case anywhere in the league. Their projected pitching is exceptional, with only 614 runs allowed. Pyongyang are seeking a first crown since 2056 and remain the divisionÂ’s most decorated active contender, while SeoulÂ’s 2061 breakthrough is expected to carry into another 99-win season. Chongqing have also never won the division. They are unlikely to catch all three favourites, but a 92-win projection leaves them well placed for the postseason. First Division Title Watch 1. Osaka Blossoms Projected for 102 wins with the strongest run prevention in the EAA. This looks like the clearest opportunity in franchise history. 2. Casablanca Corsairs Projected for 99 wins and only two behind Dar es Salaam. AfricaÂ’s recent balance of power may finally shift towards Casablanca. 3. Stockholm Orcas Four-game favourites in Europe despite never previously finishing first. 4. Bogota Condors The strongest South American projection by eight games. A division title would fill the strangest gap in the history of a former TAO champion. 5. San Pedro Sula Fire Projected for 95 wins and capable of pressuring Guatemala City throughout the season. Former Powers Ready to Return Several established clubs are projected to re-enter the division-title picture after long waits. Las Vegas have not won since 2041, Los Angeles since 2046, Vienna since 2048 and Yangon since 2049. LondonÂ’s only crown came in 2051, while Quito are seeking their first since the same year. Port Moresby and Sydney also look capable of returning to relevance in Central America & Oceania, while Pyongyang are expected to challenge strongly after reaching the Third Round last season. Not every old power is returning. Calgary, the leagueÂ’s only two-time World Series winner alongside YaoundÃ© and New Orleans, are projected below .500. First Playoff Appearance Watch Stockholm, Casablanca and San Pedro Sula are all projected to reach the postseason for the first time, with Stockholm tipped to win Europe and the other two forecast to qualify automatically as division runners-up. Managua sit directly on the TAO wildcard line, while Sheffield, Chongqing, Montana and Cincinnati remain plausible outsiders. Defending Champions Singapore look fully capable of defending their World Series title. Their projected offence is the most imposing in the league, although winning West & South-East Asia may prove nearly as difficult as surviving October. Memphis are expected to remain among the TAOÂ’s best teams but begin slightly behind Miami in their division. Among the defending division champions, Guatemala City, Mumbai and Seoul remain leading contenders. Bucharest are projected to regress but stay competitive. The model is far less optimistic about CÃ³rdoba, Kano and especially Tijuana. Half of the 2061 division winners may therefore fail to repeat. Prediction Picks TAO Division Winners South America: Bogota Condors Central America & Oceania: Guatemala City Ocelots North America - West: Alaska Moose North America - East: Miami Swordfish EAA Division Winners Europe: Stockholm Orcas Africa: Dar es Salaam Giraffes West & South-East Asia: Singapore Shipwrights Central & East Asia: Osaka Blossoms TAO Champion: Guatemala City Ocelots The Ocelots remain the most complete projected team in the conference and should have another opportunity to turn regular-season dominance into their first pennant. EAA Champion: Osaka Blossoms OsakaÂ’s projected pitching gives them the best October foundation in the EAA. Their first division title could lead directly to their first pennant. World Series Prediction: Osaka Blossoms defeat Guatemala City Ocelots It would be another first-time champion, and the 20th different winner in 23 WBL seasons. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

07-24-2026, 05:09 PM	#238
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - Opening Month Report, 2062 Overall record: 14-14 Division position: 9th in EAA Europe, 5 games behind Stockholm Runs scored/allowed: 150-131 overall, including Opening Day Statistical note: the season began on 31 March with a 12-3 win over Yaoundé. That game is included in the overall record and series recap, but is not included in the April batting and pitching splits below. Monthly Summary Sheffield opened 2062 with a spectacular 12-3 win and finished April with exactly as many wins as losses. The month played like an overstuffed double album: an excellent opening track, a wandering middle section and one gloriously excessive side recorded in Moscow. There were promising signs beneath the .500 record. Sheffield outscored opponents by 19 runs across its first 28 games and by 10 during April alone. The offence produced a solid .260/.336/.409 line and averaged just over five runs per April game. Eskinder Ali immediately returned to superstar form, Ismael Guillen provided production and excellent defence at second base, and Marcus Eykelbosch proved a remarkably dependable source of hits. The problem was consistency. Sheffield scored seven or more runs in ten games, but was held to three or fewer in nine others. The pitching staff followed a similar pattern. There were excellent stretches from Ali, Victor Esparza and Mitch Miller, but the staff finished April with a 4.46 ERA, while the bullpen repeatedly turned comfortable afternoons into nervous evenings. The defining run came late in the month. After dropping series to Stockholm and Milan, Sheffield swept Moscow with wins of 7-6, 8-2 and 13-10. That lifted the Hares above .500 before a split with the formidable Khartoum Rhinos. A 9-4 win over Budapest then offered another chance to build momentum, but consecutive defeats left Sheffield at 14-14. Late injuries to Alexandru Timofte, Michael Nesmith, Victor Esparza and Jose Garcia added another concern. None should be treated as a confirmed long-term absence without further information, but four pitchers leaving games in the closing week was hardly the ideal final chord. Still, Sheffield remain within five games of the division lead and broadly in touch with their preseason projection. The Hares have shown enough offence to compete and enough volatility to make every series feel a bit sketchy. Monthly Awards Offensive Player of the Month: Eskinder Ali April: .304/.475/.739, 6 HR, 20 RBI, 10 R, 15 BB, 1.0 WAR in 13 games. Ali missed time after being injured while pitching on Opening Day, then returned as though the interruption had merely annoyed him. His six April home runs included two in the 13-10 win at Moscow, while his extraordinary walk rate pushed his on-base percentage close to .500. Including the March opener, Ali ended the month batting .333/.500/.875 with 8 home runs and 24 RBI. He had gone 2-for-2 with two homers and four RBI on Opening Day before leaving the mound injured. Pitcher of the Month: Eskinder Ali April: 2-0, 1.65 ERA, 16.1 IP, 15 H, 5 BB, 9 K, 0 HR allowed, 0.5 WAR. There is little point inventing a separate winner for the sake of variety. Ali was also Sheffield's best pitcher. He allowed only three earned runs in three April starts and did not surrender a home run. Including his 3.2 scoreless Opening Day innings, Ali finished the opening period with a 1.35 ERA across 20 innings. Victor Esparza also impressed, allowing two earned runs in 9.2 April innings, while Mitch Miller posted a 1.32 ERA over 13.2 innings. Other Standouts Ismael Guillen: .297/.375/.495, 3 HR, 19 RBI, 18 R, 7 SB and 1.1 WAR. Guillen also produced +2.0 zone rating at second base. Marcus Eykelbosch: .372/.405/.436 with 29 hits in 21 games. The power was limited, but he kept putting the ball where fielders were not. Espen Aas: .267/.323/.547 with 5 home runs, 14 RBI and nine doubles. Josh Brandenburg: .342/.375/.658 with 3 home runs and 9 RBI in only 38 at-bats. Game of the Month 23 April - Sheffield 13, Moscow 10 Sheffield scored in each of the first six innings, built leads of 7-2 and 13-7, and still needed to survive a Moscow response. It was chaos, but it was Sheffield's chaos. Eskinder Ali produced the month's defining performance, going 4-for-4 with two home runs, six RBI, three runs, a walk and a stolen base. Ismael Guillen added three hits, two doubles, a home run, two RBI and three runs, while Josh Brandenburg also homered. Hares Player of the Game: Eskinder Ali - 4-for-4, 2 HR, 6 RBI, 3 R, BB, SB Opening Month Scores vs Yaoundé Chimpanzees - Sheffield won series 2-1 31 March: Sheffield 12-3 Yaoundé 1 April: Sheffield 1-4 Yaoundé 2 April: Sheffield 6-3 Yaoundé Opening Day belonged to Rob Graham, who went 3-for-5 with a double, a walk, two runs and an RBI. Ali added two home runs, four RBI and 3.2 scoreless innings, while Espen Aas hit the decisive three-run homer in the series finale. at Lisbon Caravels - Sheffield won series 2-1 3 April: Lisbon 7-4 Sheffield 4 April: Sheffield 7-2 Lisbon 5 April: Sheffield 6-3 Lisbon Ismael Guillen's grand slam powered the middle game, part of a three-hit, four-RBI performance. Nick Roe then helped secure the series with a strong outing in the finale. at Paris Black Cats - Paris won series 2-1 7 April: Paris 6-4 Sheffield 8 April: Sheffield 10-8 Paris 9 April: Paris 6-3 Sheffield Jesus Morales hit two home runs and drove in three during Sheffield's lone victory. Espen Aas added three doubles as the Hares survived a late Paris comeback. at San Juan Garitas - San Juan won series 2-1 10 April: San Juan 6-1 Sheffield 11 April: Sheffield 3-1 San Juan 12 April: San Juan 3-2 Sheffield Nick Roe and Kardal Nabih delivered the middle game, with Nabih hitting a two-run homer. Sheffield lost the finale on a ninth-inning walk-off despite allowing only three hits. vs Stockholm Orcas - Stockholm won series 2-1 14 April: Sheffield 7-8 Stockholm 15 April: Sheffield 2-3 Stockholm 16 April: Sheffield 8-7 Stockholm Sheffield lost two one-run games before avoiding the sweep in another 8-7 contest. The series offered an early demonstration of why Stockholm, still seeking their first European division title, ended April at the top of the standings. at Milan Tailors - Milan won series 2-1 17 April: Milan 6-3 Sheffield 18 April: Sheffield 5-1 Milan 19 April: Milan 5-4 Sheffield Marcus Eykelbosch went 4-for-5 in the finale, while Victor Esparza delivered 4.2 scoreless innings. Neither was enough after Milan erased a 4-0 deficit and won on a ninth-inning single. at Moscow Blizzard - Sheffield won series 3-0 21 April: Sheffield 7-6 Moscow, 10 innings 22 April: Sheffield 8-2 Moscow 23 April: Sheffield 13-10 Moscow Adam Koehler supplied the tenth-inning winner in the opener. Ali then allowed one run over 5.2 innings in Game 2 before hitting two home runs and driving in six in the finale. It was comfortably Sheffield's best series of the month. vs Khartoum Rhinos - Series tied 2-2 24 April: Sheffield 3-4 Khartoum 25 April: Sheffield 5-7 Khartoum 26 April: Sheffield 7-4 Khartoum 27 April: Sheffield 5-2 Khartoum Sheffield recovered from losing the first two games against one of April's strongest teams. Tullu Dukuzumuremyi went 3-for-4 with a double and three runs in the 7-4 victory, while Sean Hane earned the win. vs Budapest Red Squirrels - Budapest won series 2-1 28 April: Sheffield 9-4 Budapest 29 April: Sheffield 1-3 Budapest 30 April: Sheffield 4-7 Budapest Morales hit a three-run homer in the opener and Ali added another three-run shot. Budapest's pitching then quietened Sheffield in Game 2 before four home runs helped the Red Squirrels take the finale. Division Standings Stockholm finished April leading EAA Europe at 19-9, placing themselves in an early position to challenge for the first division title in franchise history. Vienna followed at 17-10, while defending back-to-back champions Bucharest and London were both 16-11. Warsaw stood at 15-12. Sheffield's 14-14 record placed them ninth, level with Milan and Moscow and five games behind Stockholm. The division is already tightly packed, with only two games separating fifth-placed Warsaw from Sheffield. The Hares were predicted to win 90 games and finish third. Their opening month fell short of that pace, but the positive run differential and the return of Ali suggest the season remains very much alive. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here

07-26-2026, 05:51 PM	#239
dinosauryoshi Major Leagues Join Date: Jul 2023 Location: Sheffield, UK Posts: 452	Sheffield Mountain Hares - May 2062 Report May record: 18-10 Start of month: 14-14 End of month: 32-24 Division position: 2nd in EAA Europe, 3 games behind Stockholm May runs scored/allowed: 147-116 Monthly Summary April left Sheffield sitting precisely on the fence. May was the month they finally climbed down on the winning side, led by an impervious month of baseball from Eskinder Ali, who seemed determined that this was the year the Hares finally made the playoffs. The Mountain Hares went 18-10, rose from ninth to second in Europe and moved within three games of Stockholm. They outscored opponents by 31 runs, won seven of their nine series and ended the month playing at a 93-win pace. Sheffield began May 6-1, then lost six of the next ten as Windhoek, Madrid, Thessaloniki and Warsaw applied the brakes. This only seemed to anger Sheffield though. Beginning with a 10-2 victory in Warsaw, the Hares won eight of their final 11 games and closed the month with successive series victories over Warsaw, St. Paul, Minsk and Kyiv. The rotation provided the foundation. Sheffield produced three consecutive shutouts between 6 and 8 May, with Victor Esparza, John Johnson and Eskinder Ali taking turns switching off the lights. By month’s end, the starters’ 3.77 season ERA ranked 11th in the EAA. The bullpen remained the less convincing half of the pitching staff. Its 4.79 ERA ranked only 47th, while Sheffield’s 357 strikeouts were 64th in the conference. This is a staff surviving through control, defence and the occasional appearance of Ali behaving like a cheat code. The offence was broad rather than entirely dependent upon one player. Tullu Dukuzumuremyi hit .345, Marcus Eykelbosch continued collecting hits, Jesus Morales recovered strongly from a dreadful April and Espen Aas supplied six home runs. Sheffield scored at least ten runs five times, although the 16-1 defeat to Kyiv demonstrated that they can still give up a host of runs when in the mood. At 32-24, the Hares are one game behind their 33-23 Pythagorean record. This looks sustainable rather than illusory. Sheffield are not yet an elite team in any single conventional category, but they walk, defend, receive good starting pitching and have the league’s most unusual two-way superstar carrying several instruments at once. Monthly Awards Offensive Player of the Month: Eskinder Ali May: .279/.431/.442, 3 HR, 12 RBI, 18 R, 18 BB, 8 SB, 1.0 WAR. Ali did not quite reproduce April’s power eruption, but he remained Sheffield’s most valuable hitter. He reached base in more than 43 per cent of his appearances, stole eight bases without being caught and finished the month with a 145 wRC+. Through 31 May, Ali is batting .299/.457/.597 with 11 home runs, 36 RBI, ten stolen bases and 2.4 batting WAR. Pitcher of the Month: Eskinder Ali May: 4-1, 2.08 ERA, 34.2 IP, 28 H, 8 BB, 32 K, 0 HR allowed. Once again, there is little value in pretending someone else had a better month. Ali allowed only eight earned runs across six May starts and still has not surrendered a home run all season. His month included 6.2 scoreless innings at Windhoek and eight innings of five-hit ball against Kyiv. The run allowed in that final start was unearned. He ended May 6-1 with a 1.81 season ERA and 2.0 pitching WAR. Ali's form on both sides has many sure this will be the year he finally makes an all-star game. Although, we all know the only thing stopping him over the last few years has been injury - and that could still stop him yet. Other Standouts Tullu Dukuzumuremyi: .345/.402/.471, 30 H, 18 R, 12 RBI and 0.8 WAR. After a quiet April, Sheffield’s third baseman became one of the most reliable bats in the lineup. Adam Koehler: .284/.333/.420, 2 HR, 13 RBI and 0.9 WAR. Koehler delivered several important hits and continued to provide strong production from catcher, he remains second in batter WAR behind Ali. Jesus Morales: .269/.364/.430, 4 HR, 15 RBI and 20 R. His April line had begun to resemble a distress signal, but May was a substantial recovery. Rob Graham: .243/.333/.459, 3 HR, 15 RBI and seven doubles. The average was modest, but the extra-base damage was not. Espen Aas: 6 HR and 18 RBI. Aas hit only .224, yet nearly one third of his May hits left the ballpark. Marcus Eykelbosch: .328/.343/.453 with six doubles, a triple and 13 RBI. He ended May batting .352 for the season. Johnny Brennan: 2-0, 5 saves, 17.1 IP and a 2.08 ERA. His role shifted between the rotation, long relief and the late innings, but his value became increasingly clear. Game of the Month 20 May - Sheffield 10, Warsaw 2 Sheffield arrived having lost 5-0 in the series opener. Rob Graham then turned the second game into his own private extra-base-hitting exhibition. Graham went 4-for-5 with a home run, three doubles and five RBI, tying the Sheffield regular-season record for doubles in a game. Nevan Fitzgerald added three hits and three RBI as the Hares scored eight times across the first four innings. The victory transformed the series. Sheffield returned the following day, won 7-2 and left Warsaw having taken two of three from the reigning EAA runners-up. Hares Player of the Game: Rob Graham - 4-for-5, HR, 3 2B, 5 RBI May Scores at Zurich Chocolatiers - Sheffield won series 3-0 1 May: Sheffield 5-2 Zurich 2 May: Sheffield 14-8 Zurich 3 May: Sheffield 10-1 Zurich Sheffield opened the month by scoring 29 runs in a three-game sweep. Morales drove in all five runs in the opener, Eykelbosch collected three hits and three RBI in Game 2, and Fitzgerald finished the finale with a home run, a double and three hits. Brennan allowed one run across six innings to complete the sweep. vs Berlin Bears - Sheffield won series 2-1 5 May: Sheffield 3-9 Berlin 6 May: Sheffield 5-0 Berlin 7 May: Sheffield 4-0 Berlin After an ugly opener, Sheffield answered with consecutive shutouts. Esparza allowed four hits across 5.2 scoreless innings before Johnson and the bullpen limited Berlin to three hits in the finale. Ali’s seventh-inning home run finally broke the deadlock in Game 3. at Windhoek Oryx - Series tied 2-2 8 May: Sheffield 6-0 Windhoek 9 May: Sheffield 10-13 Windhoek 10 May: Sheffield 5-1 Windhoek 11 May: Sheffield 5-7 Windhoek Ali extended Sheffield’s shutout streak with 6.2 innings of two-hit baseball in the opener. Windhoek responded with a 13-10 win before Brennan steadied the series, allowing one run over five innings while Eykelbosch went 4-for-5. The Oryx took the finale to secure the split. vs Madrid Mallards - Madrid won series 2-1 12 May: Sheffield 2-4 Madrid 13 May: Sheffield 4-3 Madrid 14 May: Sheffield 1-2 Madrid The Madrid series was decided almost entirely in the margins. Koehler homered, walked twice and scored two runs in Sheffield’s lone victory, while Dukuzumuremyi’s eighth-inning triple supplied the winning run. The Hares managed only seven runs across the three games. at Thessaloniki Tower Knights - Sheffield won series 2-1 15 May: Sheffield 5-2 Thessaloniki 16 May: Sheffield 7-6 Thessaloniki 17 May: Sheffield 2-7 Thessaloniki Aas hit two home runs and drove in three in the opener. Sheffield then scored seven times across the first two innings of Game 2 and held on as the Tower Knights crept back to within one. Thessaloniki avoided the sweep with a comfortable finale. at Warsaw Kings - Sheffield won series 2-1 19 May: Sheffield 0-5 Warsaw 20 May: Sheffield 10-2 Warsaw 21 May: Sheffield 7-2 Warsaw Sheffield were shut out in the opener before producing two of their strongest performances of the month. Graham’s four-hit, five-RBI masterpiece levelled the series, and Nabih’s two-run single helped secure the finale behind six solid innings from Hane. at St. Paul Charlie Browns - Sheffield won series 2-1 22 May: Sheffield 7-5 St. Paul 23 May: Sheffield 1-5 St. Paul 24 May: Sheffield 7-3 St. Paul Quang-Thieu Phang allowed one run across five innings in the opener, although the bullpen made the final score less comfortable than intended. Koehler then went 3-for-4 and drove in four during the deciding game. vs Minsk Bison - Sheffield won series 2-1 26 May: Sheffield 12-4 Minsk 27 May: Sheffield 1-4 Minsk 28 May: Sheffield 2-1 Minsk Morales homered and drove in four as Sheffield overwhelmed Minsk in the opener. The Bison answered behind Brandon Evertson, but Sheffield edged the finale despite producing only five hits. Juan Gonzalez supplied 3.2 scoreless relief innings in the 2-1 win. vs Kyiv Terrapins - Sheffield won series 2-1 29 May: Sheffield 6-3 Kyiv 30 May: Sheffield 1-16 Kyiv 31 May: Sheffield 5-1 Kyiv Esparza worked 7.1 strong innings in the opener before Kyiv delivered Sheffield’s heaviest defeat of the season, with Alex Zacarias hitting for the cycle in a 16-1 rout. Ali restored order immediately. He allowed one unearned run and five hits over eight innings in the finale as Sheffield ended May with a series victory and a 32-24 record. Season Position Sheffield’s 32-24 record places them joint-second with Warsaw, three games behind Stockholm. London and Kyiv sit only half a game further back. These are heady heights for Sheffield, but providing Ali remains healthy, there's a rare confidence around the place this form can continue. The encouraging part is that Sheffield are no longer merely hanging around. Their 18-10 May was the strongest evidence yet that the preseason prediction of 90 wins and a genuine playoff challenge was not misplaced. The Hares are currently eighth in the EAA wildcard standings, half a game behind the shared cutoff occupied by Bengaluru and Casablanca. With the top two teams in each division qualifying automatically, second place in Europe remains the cleaner route, but it's very early days. Across the League Several of the preseason’s possible first-time division champions have moved quickly. Stockholm lead Europe at 35-21, New Jersey have stormed to 41-15 in North America - East, Dubai lead West & South-East Asia at 37-19 and Guangzhou top Central & East Asia at 35-21. None has previously won its current division. Managua, another club still waiting for its first division crown, sit second behind Guatemala City at 34-19-3. San Pedro Sula remain competitive at 32-23, although the Ocelots lead the division at 39-17. Elsewhere, defending champions Córdoba and Guatemala City remain top of their divisions. The picture is less comfortable for the others. Tijuana, Memphis, Bucharest, Kano, Mumbai and Seoul are all outside first place, while defending World Series champions Singapore are only 28-27 and already 8½ games behind Dubai. New Jersey own the league’s strongest visible record at 41-15, with Guatemala City close behind at 39-17. Yaoundé lead Africa at 37-18-1, Las Vegas top North America - West at 37-19 and Córdoba continue to control South America at 36-19. Final Thoughts The Hares have moved into an automatic playoff position, their starters are performing like one of the better rotations in the EAA and the lineup has developed enough depth to survive quieter stretches from individual hitters. There are still exposed wires, but Sheffield look like a team in the ascendency. __________________ Read about the Sheffield Mountain Hares in my World Baseball League blog here