World Baseball League: Following the Sheffield Mountain Hares

[dinosauryoshi]

I bloody love Vienna. They make superb biscuits, and the architecture is lovely, and they have that great warm wine at Christmas, and cobbled streets and... but, go Hares! The Whistlers are ahead of us (most teams are...), but they're less dominant than the Sounds are at the moment, so hopefully we can scrape a couple of wins together.


SMH logo by @20_range, Whistlers logo by @low

Game 1

SP - Yushua bin Saqr

Having lost the series to Bucharest, who are now topping the division, I’d hoped we’d get off to a decent start against the Whistlers, who are only a couple of wins ahead of us in the division. That didn’t materialise as we were convincingly beaten 8-4. Despite one-run homers from both bin Jameel and Perez. Bin Saqr couldn’t keep the Whistlers at bay, giving up five runs in 5.2 innings, before Lekimeju gave up a further three in the next inning as the Hares pitching core handed out runs like the local supermarket hands out free samples of their latest ridiculous crisp. Tijad Assani put in a rock solid performance,, going 2-3 with a home run and a walk, and Gabriel Squires, putting the nail in the coffin in the bottom of the sixth with a run-scoring single to put the Whistlers up 8-4.

Player of the game: Tijiad Assani (Vienna Whistlers)



Game 2

SP - Giobbe Marinello

The Hares continued to give up too many runs, and once again the starting pitching put us in a hole we never got out of as Marinello was hit for five runs in just 2.2 innings. The bullpen managed to keep the Whistlers mainly at bay but the Hares offense couldn’t make up the deficit, and we lost 7-5. On the bright side, Perez hit another homer, bringing his season total to 12, just one behind Rutz as he went 2 for 5. Duarte also put in a great performance coming on for Marinello, righting the ship somewhat with a blistering 2.2 innings, giving up two hits and no runs. Tyler Dauterive was one of the major contributors for Vienna. In addition to his 1 single and 1 home run, he scored 1 run and drove in 3.

Player of the game: Tyler Dauterive



Game 3

A 56 minute rain delay in the 8th did nothing to help a lacklustre offence as the Hares fell to yet another loss, 5-0. Managing only three hits as Klinger put on a clinic as the Whistler starter. I think the less said about this one the better, but Whistlers' Rodriguez’s two RBIs on two at bats, despite not hitting the ball are probably worth a mention.

Player of the game: Dave Klinger (Vienna Whistlers)



Well, this isn't going well...

[dinosauryoshi]

at Montevideo Sea Lions

Will we have more luck playing someone outside of our division, all the way across the globe in Uruguay? I have to admit, on current form, I'm not particularly hopeful. But let’s see... Maybe that blistering Uruguayan sun will power us to victory. Also, their logo is bloody adorable.



Game 1

SP - Rafael Guzman

Abdul-Karim bin Jameel got on base a massive six times, going 1 for 1 with 5 walks (tying the EAA walks in a game record!), as the Hares ended another losing streak with a 7-4 win over the Sea Lions. Perez smashed his 13th home run of the season, and he now leads the team alongside Rutz in that category, with the team's best RBI total of 32.

Player of the game: Abdul Karim bin Jameel

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Game 2

SP - Alois Herzog

And, just as things were looking a bit better, Hares pitching collapsed once again to give up nine runs in a 9-2 drubbing in Montevideo. Herzog had set things up well enough, giving up two runs in five, but Barrios’ six runs given up while only recording two outs in the final innings sunk the Hares to another defeat as they stay well below .500. On the Sea Lions side, Chae-ho Im went 2-4 with a double and a walk. He drove in 4 runs and scored once to lead the charge. Melvin Santos, now 1-2, picked up the win in relief. He allowed no runs on 2 hits in 2 innings.

Player of the game: Chae-ho Im



Game 3

In an absolute slugfest, the Hares came off just worse, losing 12-11 in the tenth inning thanks to a clutch walk off single from Sea Lions right fielder Joel Martens. Jorge Matamoros put on a clinic for Montevideo, going 5-6 with two doubles and three singles as he peppered the park like a lawn sprinkler firing out baseballs. The Sea Lions rise to a good 26-13 while the Hares drop ever closer to the bottom of the division with a poor record of 20-28, as calls to promote a couple of the team’s top prospects increase. The top offensive performers on the Hares were Rutz and Koehler, who went 3-5 and 3-4 respectively, but Rutz, Kadin and Clem all scoring home runs just wasn’t enough in a day that most of the pitchers on both sides will want to forget pretty quickly.

Player of the game: Jorge Matamoros



This season is quickly getting pretty disappointing for the Hares. Offensively, I think we’ve been decent, but the pitching is consistently letting us down at the moment, which is what I anticipated at the start of the season.

Next we're off to Lluanda to take on the Red Caps in a 4-game series, we'll take a look at the player's stats once again after that, as we'll be just over the 50 game mark.

[dinosauryoshi]

LM logo by @txranger, SMH logo by @20_range

We’re off to Lagos, Nigeria to face the Moons, a team that hasn’t made the playoffs since 144, having made them in four of the WBL’s opening five years. That doesn’t look set to change this season either with their mid-table position in the Africa Division. Let’s see how the Hares get on in the first of two back-to-back four game series against teams from the African continent. This one’s at home.

Game 1

SP - Giobbe Marinello

The Hares fell to their third consecutive defeat as the Lagos Moons marched to a 9-0 victory. I think the less said about this one the better. Danny Alvarado notched up 6 RBIs on three hits for the away side. Marinello put in a solid performance giving up only one run in his six innings, but the bullpen wasn’t as strong, with Duarte, Choe and Baca giving up a combined eight runs.

Player of the game: Danny Alvarado (Lagos Moons)



Game 2

SP - Mototomi Motoyanagi

The Hares gave up another nine runs in an evening of clear skies at Kingfisher Park. They did manage to get a few runs this time, four to be precise, but it wasn’t enough to halt the Moons’ onslaught. Indian Abhiyutaksika Kumur went 3-4 with a home run, a double and a walk in a towering performance, while Moons’ starting pitcher, the French Gilbert Reynaud gave up just one run in six innings. On the Hares’ offensive side, both Perez and Rutz added to their home run totals with one each, as the continue to lead the team with 14 and 15 respectively.

Player of the game Abhiyutaksika Kumur



Game 3

SP - Rafael Guzman

No one wants to lose five in a row, and thankfully the Hares spared us that pain, scraping out a 3-2 victory in their quest to finish the series with a tie. Costa Rican Rafael Guzman set the tone giving up only four hits and two runs in six innings while the American Chase Clem hit a one-run homer in the bottom of the eighth with the score tied 2-2, sending the home crowd into a frenzy.

Player of the game: Rafael Guzman



Game 4

SP - Alois Herzog

The Hares scraped another victory with a 5-4 win to tie the series 2-2. Alois Herzog gave up four runs in his six innings but the bullpen shut the Moons out for the rest of the game. It was Perez who proved the decisive contributor, with his run-scoring single giving the Hares the 5-4 lead in the bottom of the seventh.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog

[dinosauryoshi]

Batting



Honduran Sergio Rutz continues to lead the way rocking a very good 1.031 OPS and 1.9 WAR while Saetagliev and fan favourite Perez. With this being a third of the way through the season, Rutz and Perez are both on track to beat the current single-season home run record for the Hares, which stands at 28, held by Luxembourger Romain Martin, who now plies his trade at the Panama City Poets. Abdul-Karim bin Jameel holds the team’s single season RBI record with 105, which will be a tougher ask, but certainly isn’t out of the question for eitherp layer either. Speaking of bin Jameel, he’s starting to recover from a very sub-par start to the season, and has finally brought hmself up int oa positive WAR, with 0.4, though his batting average is stil lvery poor.

Pitching




It seems I forgot to order the table by WAR, apologies. Anyway, we can see that Yushua bin Saqr, ALois Herzog, Giobbe Marinello and Mototomi Motoyanagi all lead the way in WAR for the Hares, even if they all have ERAs over four. When looking at FIP, we can see that the vast majority of the team are above average, suggesting that the team’s fielding is somewhat below par, indeed we are currently sat at 44th in defensive efficiency in the EAA conference.

Fielding



The fielding stats show that the outfield of Portman, Rutz and Saetgaliev is good, and the team’s catchers are also fine, but the infield needs a lot of work. Perez being the worst defensive performer is to be expected, and his offensive numbers have made up for it, but the same can’t be said for bin Jameel at second base.

[dinosauryoshi]

SMH logo by @20_range, LRC logo by @low

The team heads of to Angola to take on the Luanda Red Caps, a team that has only made the playoffs once since the league’s inception, in 2044. They’re in the bottom end of the Africa Division table with a 22-29 record, worse even than ours. Can we notch up some wins in this four game series?

Game 1

SP - Yushua bin Saqr

The Hares notch up their third win in a row with a 7-6 win over the Red Caps, thanks to a solo home run from Willie Perez (his 15th) in the top of the ninth which gave the Hares the 7-6 lead that proved final. Perez went 2-4 with three RBIs. Barrios and Pop took the game home, shutting the Red Caps out for the final 2.2 innings.

Player of the game: Willie Perez




Game 2

SP - Giobbe Marinello

Brazilian Luanda pitcher Medardo Lebariz shut out the Hares for all of his six innings, setting up their 4-1 win while GIobbe Marinello on the other side gave up four in 7.1 innings. It was Mario Rosas’ 2-run homer in the bottom of the fourth that proved decisive, giving Luanda a 3-0 lead as he smashed a Marinello curveball to right-centre.

Player of the game: Medardo Laboriz (Luanda Red Caps)



Game 3

SP - Mototomi Motoyanagi

The visiting Hares fans left with uge smiles on their faces as the Hares thrashed the Red Caps 10-1 in game three of the series. Sergio Rutz continued to put the team on his back, going 3-5 with a home run and a double, driving in five runs. Catcher Mitch Cooper hit his first WBL home-run, a bomb off Lara in the seventh inning. Motoyanagi pitched a complete game, giving up just one run in the process in one of his finest performances of the season.

Player of the game: Sergio Rutz



Game 4

SP - Rafael Guzman

The Hares failed to win the series as they fell 8-1 to the Red Caps despite a solid opening from Guzman, who gave up just one run in his six innings. Unfortunately Marshallean Mika Enosa gave up 6 in 1.1 innings. The Hares offense wasn’t much use either, notching up a paltry three hits, of which only Jason Portman’s home run in the sixth inning yielded a run. Yue-jiu Zi took the player of the game for Luanda, with a solid eight innings pitched and only one run given up.

Player of the game: Yue-jiu Zi (Luanda Red Caps)



So the Hares split both four game series, leaving them 24-31, teetering dangerously close to the bottom of the European Division. Next up, the Porto Alegre Winemakers make the trip to Sheffield in another out of division game.

[dinosauryoshi]

Porto Alegre were an expansion team from the same year as the Hares (2055) but have had much more success, rather impressively making the playoffs in both of their first two years, a WBL record for a new franchise. Word has it the Winemakers brought over some of the famous wine they sell at Tipuana Field, both for the Hares players, and for the team to sell at the Kingfisher Park to fans. Obviously the Hares won’t be sampling these before the game, we’re professionals. Attendances were incredibly high for this series, which I’m sure has nothing to do with said wine...

The Winemakers come into the series with a 23-33 record.


PAW logo taken from this splendid effort, SMH logo by @20_range

Game 1

SP - Alois Herzog

Porto Alegre’s Victor Hernandez won the pitching match-up giving up just one run to Herzog’s four (two coming of home runs) as the Winemakers won the game 6-2. More or less the only bright spark of the game for the Hares was Perez, who went 3 for 5, although Australian Christos Budd’s two shutout innings following Herzog’s opening five also deserve a mention.

Player of the game: Victor Hernandez (Porto Alegre Winemakers)





Game 2

SP - Yushua bin Saqr

The Winemakers extended their win streak to an enviable six as they beat the Mountain Hares on their home turf again, 5-3. Irish reliver Gillian Ward came on in the third inning and put up six great innings in front of the bumper 50,000 crowd. On the other side bin Saqr struggled, and was taken off after giving up five runs in 2.1 innings, when the bullpen took over and shut out the Winemakers for the rest of the game, but the damage had already been done.

Player of the game: Gilligan Ward (Porto Alegre Winemakers)



Game 3

The Hares fell to their fourth defeat in a row as the Winemakers got their 7th consecutive win in their 3-0 series sweep of the Hares. This one ended 4-3 to the Winemakers. Bin Jameel was a bright-spot for the Hares, smashing a gorgeous two-run home run in the first inning off the German Conz Zilberman, but it was Giobbe Marinello who scraped the player of the game award despite being on the losing side, having put up a solid 6.1 innings worth of work in which he gave up three runs on five hits.

Player of the game: Giobbe Marinello



That puts us only one win ahead of the bottom two teams in the European Division - I guess at least we'll get a decent draft pick next season. Here's the table for info:

[dinosauryoshi]

It’s the rookie draft in just a few days, so I thought this would be a good chance to look at the top three prospects currently in the Mountain Hares system.

#1 Rob Graham

Originally selected by the Hares in the 1st round of last year’s draft, Rob Graham is a 6 foot, 175 pound second baseman from Australia, currently ranked as the #14 prospect in the league. He’s a powerhouse, superb fielder, and if he manages to lower his swing and miss is likely to be an important part of the Hares in years to come. He is twenty one years of age, and isn’t expected to appear in the WBL for another couple of years.

#2 Eskinder Ali

There’s been a lot of excitement in the league, and particularly among Hares fans, ever since they drafted 2-way Ali in the first round of the team’s first rookie draft in 2055, where of course the Hares automatically got one of the top eight picks. Much like Graham (even more so in fact) he has excellent raw power, and is just a great all round athlete at left field. He also has above average speed and a really great eye for the strike zone. He’s less of a prospect as a pitcher, but could still be somewhat above average in the WBL, and having that additional string to his bow will surely do no harm. At 24 years old, and with the Hares’ struggles this season, there have been regular calls to promote him and the Central African’s WBL debut must surely be imminent, though I wouldn’t be shocked if the Hares wait until next year. He's currently ranked at #104 in the league.

#3 Allemayahy Mkwasi

The 18 year old Ethiopian starting pitcher has a potentially great career ahead of him if he can continually progress and keep his cool, something he loses a little too often on his less successful outings. Picked by the Hares in the second round last year. He has a strong, lean frame and a very lively three pitch mix including an outstanding splitter, change-up and fastball. He has great control, and can ppper the edge of the strike zone at will. He’s projected to be a top of the rotation starter, but needs another couple of years to cook at the AAA level most likely.

I’m excited to see what we add in the draft in a few days, our first with a region lock, where we’ll be limited to European prospects for the first three rounds.

[dinosauryoshi]

We’re off to take on the Budapest Red Squirrels, another team struggling at the bottom of the European Division with a 24-34 record. This is the kind of series the Hares will feel like they should win.



Game 1

SP - Mototomi Motoyanagi

Motoyanagi put in a stellar performance, giving up just 1 run in 8 innings but it was Willie Perez who stole the show as the Hares thrashed the Red Squirrels 17-5. Perez his his 600th and 601st career home-run as Hares fans erupted in Budapest as well as in the fan park back home in Sheffield - where many came in anticipation of this milestone moment. Perez is only the 8th person to get to 600 home runs, and finished the game with a career batting average of .321, 2728 hits and 1770 RBIs. Perez is all but guaranteed a place in the Hall of Fame, and GM’s Wei-liang Joe’s decision to bring him to the Hares has been very popular. It’s not often you get to watch someone of Perez’s stature week in week out, and the fans have been appreciative. He is likely to be the first person to make it to the Hall of Fame having spent some time at the Hares. At 37, how much he has left in the tank is anyone’s guess, and whether he’ll re-sign with the Hares when he becomes a free agent at the end of the year also remains to be seen. Many expect he’ll go for a team with a realistic chance of winning to have one last go at a World Series.

Player of the game: Willie Perez



Game 2

SP - Rafael Guzman

Costa Rican Guzman got smashed all over the park, giving up 5 runs (2 earned) in just 2.2 innings. Pop, Choe and Budd (sounds like a cereal) gave up another 8 in relief as the Hares had their fortunes switched, losing 13-2 to a Joe Jackson clinic. Jackson finished 3 for 5, with three RBIs, including a two run homer in the 7th. Our manager summed it up in characteristically dry manner: ‘that wasn’t our best effort.

Player of the game: Joe Jackson (Budapest Red Squirrels)



Game 3

SP - Alois Herzog

On the day of the rookie draft (don’t worry we’ll get to that) the Hares fell to yet another loss, this time 7-2. Perez getting his 18th home-run of the season, and a good outing from Herzog were about the only highlights. Perez’ average is heading back over .300 with .303. All but two of the Budapest batters hit 1 RBI.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



After my draft roundup we’re off to take on the Stockholm Orcas, Europe’s newest team.

[dinosauryoshi]

Having finished .500 last season, we’re drafting in the middle of the back, at 79th to be exact. Here’s our first three picks, remember that we were locked to European players for the first three rounds.

Pick 1 (rd 1, pick 79) - Espen Aas - 1B

The Swedish Aas has the potential to be a leading slugging powerhouse. He already has great power, but it’s the contact side of his game the coaches will be looking to work on. At only 20 years of age, it’s likely to be at least a couple of years before we see him in the WBL, but hopes are high, and a chance to learn alongside fellow first-baseman Willie Perez can only be a good thing!

Pick 2 (rd 2, pick 73) Jose Cabrera - LF

The Spanish left-fielder Cabrera has the potential to be a middle of the line up power hitter. His eye is very underdeveloped but he shows good contact and power for his age and frame, which will want filling out. At just 18 years old, we’ll see how he develops in our system.

Pick 3 (rd 4, pick 69) - Dusan Stanjevic - SP

As the Hares third pick was in the fourth round, there was no region lock, but the Hares still stuck to Europe, picking the 21 year old Bulgarian pitcher Dusan Stanjevic. He’s got a three pitch arsenal with a biting curveball being his best. He projects to be a future spot starter, though if his command improves to match his great raw stuff, he may be more than that.

I'm pretty happy with the draft overall, and am particularly excited about Aas as a prospect.

[dinosauryoshi]

The Mountain Hares are off to Stockholm to take on the European Division’s newest expansion team, the Stokholm Orcas. They're doing better than they have any right to be doing, sitting well above us with a record of 32-30 while we continue to flounder at 25-37.



Game 1

The Orcas won 8-6 in the opening game, with a scare for the away side as one our stars, Sergio Rutz had to be taken off when injuring himself throwing the ball. It looks to not be too serious, so we’ll hopefully see him back on the field soon. The Hares pitching staff leaked runs at a higher rate than the offense could keep up with, even with another sterling performance from Perez, who finished the game 3 for 5, with an RBI. Russian contact hitter Foma Tyulenev and Salvadoran slugger Juan Burgos led the way for the Orcas, in a great offensive performance.

Player of the game: Foma Tyulenev



Game 2

SP - Giobbe Marinello

The game was neck and neck going into extra innings at 3-3, when the Hares turned on the gas and got three runs in the tenth, started by a run scoring single from Jason Portman, who expertly stroked the ball to centre field bringing home Abdul-Karim bin Jameel, as the merry go round continued. The Orcas did pull two back in the bottom of the tenth, but it wasn’t enough as the Hares broke their losing streak, rising to 29-42. Perez is approaching 20 home runs for the season, cracking his 19th of the season off American reliever Hernandez in the 8th. Marinello put on a superb performance, going seven innings, giving up only two hits and one run.

Player of the game: Giobbe Marinello



Game 3

SP - Mototomi Motoyanagi

A very welcome series win for the Hares came courtesy of a tight 5-4 win in the final game of the series. Motoyanagi went seven innings, giving up three runs, with four walks and two strike outs. Perez hit yet another home run, leading the team with 20 as he continues his march for the Hares all-time record, which at this rate he may beat around half-way through the season! Abdul-Karim bin Jameel has been diagnosed with a partially torn labrum following a painful looking defensive play - a hit to the Hares as he’ll be out for a while.

Player of the game: Mototomi Motoyanagi

[dinosauryoshi]

In a very unexpected, and exciting turn, the WLB has announced that there will be a further eight team expansion at the close of this season. This means two consecutive expansions. But the league didn't stop there, suggesting they may do another two expansions in the following two years to bring the league to 20 teams per division by 2061.

When questioned by the media on how teams felt about this the league stated: "As with all WBL decisions, they are made in tandem with all teams' ownership teams, and not taken lightly. This has always been an inclusive league about helping local communities, and the general sentiment among owners was to let teams join as soon as possible, to enable them to bring baseball to their local communities, as well as the many other benefits a WBL team brings. There was definitely a recognition of the upheaval consecutive expansion drafts will cause, and how it impacts teams' roster planning, but the sentiment in the end was that given most of these teams are ready, they should be able to join as soon as workable". There was a hint that expansions will likely stop after this, leaving the league with a very healthy 160 teams, and giving these new expansion teams, and the league as a whole, time to settle into a rhythm.

The WBL confirmed that the teams joining for next season will be:

1. Lisbon Caravels
2. Mogadishu Seashells
3. Jaipur Pink Sox
4. Chongqing Hotpots
5. Seattle Herons
6. Cincinatti Cincies
7. Paramaribo Pufferfish
8. Monterrey Dinos

[dinosauryoshi]

We’re back home at Kingfisher Park, inviting the Kyiv Terrapins, another struggling team in our division.


KT logo by @low, SMH logo by @20_range

Game 1

SP - Rafael Guzman

The Hares make it three wins in a row with a 3-1 victory over the Terrapins in the first game of the series. Rafael Guzman pitched 6.1 innings, giving up only one run as Chase Clem had the key at-bat, hitting a 2-run single putting Sheffield ahead 2-1 in the bottom of the seventh, a deficit the Terrapins couldn’t recover from.

Player of the game: Rafael Guzman



Game 2

SP - Alois Herzog

A convincing 6-3 victory over the Terrapins in game two gave us a four-game winning streak, and guarantees us a nice series win. Austrian Alois Herzog led the way with a solid five innings, giving up two runs (one earned). Saetgaliev and Portman led the way for the Hares, with two RBIs each, both going 2 for 4.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



Game 3

SP - Yushua bin Saqr

All good things come to an end right? Especially when we’re talking about the Hares. An 8-2 loss ruined our win streak, dropping us to 29 and 39. Bin Saqr was getting hit all over the park when he was taken off in the third inning, the bullpen righted the ship with strong performances from Duarte, Enosa and Choe, but the offense spluttered, managing only two runs despite a solid ten hits. Rahmat Kartosuwiryo was on fire for the Terrapins. Generally known as a glove first player, his bat was magic today, going 3-5 with a home run and two singles.

Player of the game: Rahmat Kartosuwiryo

[dinosauryoshi]

The Riyadh Bedouins sit with a strong 36-32 record in the West and South-East Asia Division. They were an expansion team in the same year as the Hares, and are also still looking for their first playoff appearance.


SMH logo by @20_range, RB logo by @low

Game 1

SP - Giobbe Marinello

Beninois top prospect Omar Kamili led the way for the Bedouins, going 2 for 4 with a home run and a double as the Bedouins beat out the Mountain Hares 8-6 in their first duel. Marinello was tkaen out after 2.2 innings, having given up seven runs on seven hits. The Hares hit two 2-run homers, one each for Saetgaliev and Venezuelan Carlos Trejo (his first of the season), but it wasn’t enough.

Player of the game: Omar Kamili (Riyadh Bedouins)



Game 2

SP - Mototomi Motoyanagi

Motoyanagi struggled before being taken off in the third but the Chinese Hong-bin Choe who came in for relief fared even worse, giving up seven runs in just 1.1 innings. The offense had no hope of making up for the 15 runs given up, but did manage a respectable six runs, partly thanks to Perez’ 21st homer of the season, but mainly thanks to Carlos Trejo’s two two-run homers in the 7th and 9th innings. On the other side Omar Kamili continued to impress, going 4 for 6, with a home run and five RBIs.

Player of the game: Omar Kamili (Riyadh Bedouins)



Game 3

SP - Rafael Guzman

Not helped by crucial continuing injuries to Rutz and bin Jameel (the former should be back soon) the Mountain Hares fell to their fourth defeat in a row, losing 7-5 as the Bedouins swept the series. American Ken Kiene, who led the Europe, Africa and Asia conference in hits in 2045 with an astounding 220, rekindled some of that brilliance, going 2 for 4, and batting in three runs, including his 13th home run of the season. Rafael Guzman continued a run of poor starting pitcher performances for the Hares, which have been our main problem this season, as he was taken off in the third inning having leaked five runs.

Player of the game; Ken Kiene (Riyadh Bedouins)



This leaves us a disappointing 15th in the division, at 29 and 42.

Next, we invite the Shanghai Peaches to Sheffield for a four game series.

[dinosauryoshi]

Next, we invite the Shanghai Peaches to Sheffield for a four game series. The Peaches are fighting for the lead in the Central and East Asia Division with an enviable 44-26 record, this will be a tough few games.


Logos by @20_range

Game 1

SP - Alois Herzog

The Hares got off to a great start with the pitching core putting in great performances all round, winning the opening game 3-1. Sergio Rutz made a welcome return from injury, and notched up an RBI thanks to a sacrifice fly. Double Silver Slugger winner Juan Ponce got a couple of hits for the Peaches, but neither of them brought anyone home.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



Game 2

SP - Yushua bin Saqr

The Hares guaranteed themselves at least a series draw with another win over the Peaches, 7-4. Bin Saqr gave up plenty of hits, but managed to keep the Peaches to three runs over six innings, as Perez and Flores bot hit home runs. Perez is now only six off the Hares season record, and went 2-4 with four RBIs in another stellar outing. Pakistani centre-fielder Tarkhan also smashed his 26th homer of the season for the Peaches, and top Hares prospect got his first RBI for the team.

Player of the game: Willie Perez



Game 3

SP - Giobbe Marinello

The Hares managed only three hits in a 9-2 loss, a number that Ponce alone matched for the Peaches, going 3-5 with 2 RBIs. The less said about the Mountain Hares’ pitching the better, but if we’re fishing for positives Rob Graham did grab himself another RBI, with a superb triple in the second inning.

Player of the game: Juan Ponce (Shanghai Peaches)



Game 4

SP - Mototomo Motoyanagi

Sheffield fans went home delighted having taken the series 3-1, with a well fought 2-1 victory in the final game of the series. The Hares proved to be more than a match for the top rated Peaches side once again as Motoyanagi shut them out for six innings and Rutz hit his first homer since returning from injury, bringing his season total to 18. Jesus Morales picked up an injury while running the bases, but it’s unclear how long it will keep him out for.

Player of the game: Mototomo Motoyanagi

[dinosauryoshi]

Portland have made the playoffs an impressive seven times in their 17 year history, which includes an appearance last year when they came 3rd in the division with a 93-68 record. They’re currently in playoff contention at 42-33.


Logos: JJ by @low, SMH by @20_range

Game 1

SP - Raphael Guzman

Jackalopes American pitcher Joseph Bales continued his amazing season, giving up four hits and one run in 6 innings as he stopped the Hares getting much going on offence in a 4-1 win for Portland. Willie Perez’ 23rd home run of the season was about the only highlight for the Hares, though the pitching was by no means bad.

Player of the game: Joseph Bales




Game 2

SP - Alois Herzog

Herzog’s six innings with only 1 run given up were instrumental in this great 3-1 victory for the Hares. Our top prospect Rob Graham also went 2 for 4 with a solo home run. The Ochoa, Baca, Barrios bullpen combo also deserves credit for shutting out Portland for the final three innings. Josh Flores picked up a severe hip strain while running the bases, he’ll be out for over a month.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



Game 3

When Hares starting pitchers put in quality starts, they generally win, as shown again with this 7-2 victory over Portland, where Yushua bin Saqr put up seven innings, giving up just two runs while fanning eight. Willie Perez hit his 24th home run of the season, an absolute cannon to deep left-field, coming dangerously close to the huge Swiss railway clock up there, donated by the Zurich Mountaineers on the team’s formation. Rob Graham put in another good display going 2 for 2, while Saetgaliev hit a two-run homer in the fifth, as the Hares pulled away and weren’t to be caught.

Player of the game: Yushua bin Saqr



It’s great to get a series win against such a worthy opponent. Now onto the Montana Smokey Bears, Willie Perez’ old team.

[dinosauryoshi]

Willie Perez was picked first overall way back in 2044 by the Smokey Bears, he then left for the London Gentlemen in a trade most Smokey fans did not like and returned to Montana once again in 2054, before heading to the Hares at the start of this season. We can expect a sparkling welcome for Willie, who was a fan favourite in Montana. Perez holds a whole heap of Smokey Bear records, including career batting average (.318), season batting average (.354 in 2054), season and career OPS, WAR, and of course home runs (53 for season and 357 for career). He’s also the player with the most games for Montana, with 1,365. The Smokey Bears are a team with a huge international following, which makes up for the not so massively populated city of Billings that they call home. Something about the fact they’re named after a bear all about preventing wildfires has made them many people’s second favourite team, something which raised Perez’ profile even higher while he was there. In terms of performance, they’ve not been the most successful team, with four playoff appearances since 2040, the last of which was in 2056. They’re currently struggling with a 28-50 record, significantly worse even than ours.


Logos: SMH by @20_range, MSB from US Forest Service

Game 1

SP - Giobbe Marinello

25 year old American first baseman came out firing for the Smokeys going 3 for 5 with a home run and two singles but it wasn’t enough to keep the Hares at bay who managed a 5-3 win in the 10th inning. Guamanian reliever Adam Cowley collapsed for the Smokeys, throwing a wild pitch which Perez made home plate on, and giving up a run scoring sacrifice fly from Mitch Cooper in a shot that very nearly left the ballpark. As expected Perez got a standing ovation on all five of his at bats, along with a rather touching pre-game tribute video. The crowd was littered with Smokey Bears Perez jerseys, but he only managed to go 1 for 5 with no RBIs. The third win in a row for the Hares.

Player of the game: Matt Hauserman (Montana Smokey Bears)




Game 2

SP - Mototomi Motoyanagi

Sheffield extend their winning streak to four with a close fought 2-1 win over Montana. Motoyanagi pitched deep into the game, going 7.1 innings and only giving up four hits and one run while Koehler’s run-scoring double in the sixth put the Hares up 2-0, a deficit the Mokeys could not make up despite the best efforts of Ecuadoran designated hitter Jose Montes, who hit a home run off Motoyanagi in the seventh, making for a tense final two innings for Hares fans.

Player of the game: Mototomi Motoyanagi



Game 3

SP - Rafael Guzman

Guzman put in one of his finer performances, giving up just one run in 7.1 innings as he outfoxed the opposition batting core with his repertoire. Guzman got top drawer run support by the Hares offense, who would up winning the game 8-1. The rout was started, appropriately, by Montana favourite Willie Perez, who hit a perfectly placed run-scoring single in the top of the third. A home run against his old team continued to elude him however, as he went 1 for 5. It was Belarusian left-fielder Saetgaliev who stole the show , going 3 for 5 with home run and two singles as the Hares won their fifth game in a row.

Player of the game: Kolya Saetgaliev



The Hares will take on the Vienna Whistlers in Vienna next, but we’ll take a look at the standings across all the divisions in the league first, given this game marks the half way point of the season, at least for the Hares. Our record now stands at a healthier 37-44, as we rise to 13th in the division.

[dinosauryoshi]

At this halfway stage of the season, let's take the opportunity to look at the standings across the World Baseball League

The Americas and Oceania (TAO - Papaya League)

South America



Central America & Oceania



North America - West



North America - East



TAO Wildcard



Europe, Africa and Asia (EAA - Mango League)


Europe



Africa



West and South East Asia



Central and East Asia



EAA Wildcard



The main thing I'm taking away here is that the Dar es Salaam Giraffes are on an absolute mission, 61 wins already! A solid six ahead of Moscow Blizzard. It's looking quite possible they'll be playing for the TAO (Mango League) trophy, while the Santo Domingo Dolphins look to be the favourites to make the World Series on the TAO side. The wildcard races (remember 4 teams from each conference make it in as a wildcard) are as tight as ever.

[dinosauryoshi]

We invite the Whistlers to open up the second half of the season, in our penultimate series before the all-star break. They currently sit a couple of wins above us in the European Division



Game 1

SP: Alois Herzog

The Hares are on a real streak as they extended their winning streak to six games, sneaking past the Vienna Whistlers 5-4. Starter Alois Herzog set things up well, giving up only one run in 5.2 innings, while Baca and Barrios took things home after a shaky couple of innings from Lekimeju. Perez was the hero once again, hitting a run-scoring single in the bottom of the eighth to give the Hares what turned out to be the game-winning lead.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



Game 2

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

Sheffield’s win streak finally came to an end with a 5-1 loss to the Whistlers in a cool afternoon at Kingfisher Park. Vienna’s Vuk Tadic very much kept the Hares at bay for his seven innings on the field while bin Saqr struggled to do the same for Vienna’s batting line-up. On the positive side, Perez did hit his 25th home run of the season, as he closes in on the Sheffield single-season record of 28.

Player of the game: Vuk Tadic (Vienna Whistlers)



Game 3

SP: Giobbe Marinello

The less said about the pitching the better as the Hares lost 11-8 in a slugfest at Kingfisher Park. Tyler Dauterive was undoubtedly the player of the game, going 3-5, with a home-run, two singles and a walk, racking up four RBIs in the process. The game was all tied up in the top of the tenth, until Dauterive delivered big-time for Vienna, stroking a dramatic 3-run home run off Nestor Barrios as Hares fans let out a large groan. The game-changing hit put the Whistlers on top, 10-7. Trejo and Perez both hit home runs for the Hares, the latter increasing his season total to 26 in the process.

Player of the game: Tyler Dauterive

[dinosauryoshi]

We’re off on the shortest away trip of the season, as we head down south to take on fellow English team, the London Gentlemen. London have made the playoffs five times in the league’s history, though they haven’t made it since 2051. They’re riding high with a record of 48 and 38, and are at the lower end of the playoff picture for this season.



Game 1

SP: Mototomi Motoyanagi

For the many Hares fans that made the short trip to London, they were delighted as Sheffield won the first game 5-4. The Hares pitching core kept them in the game, led by Motoyanagi, Rob Graham delivered a big hit for Sheffield, as he came on in the seventh, and drilled a home-run well into the left-field stand in his only at bat at the top of the ninth inning to put the Mountain Hares ahead, 5-4. It’s his second home-run since being promoted from AAA, and his eigth RBI..

Player of the game: Chris Patterson (London Gentlemen)



Game 2

SP: Rafael Guzman

I feel like I spend most of my time writing about Willie Perez, but he’s just been our most exciting player, and that was true tet again as the Hares took care of the Gentlemen 5-1 in game two of the England derby. Perez went 3 for 5 with two home runs, equalling Romain Martin’s home run record from the Hares’ inaugural season in 2055, with 28. Perez will surely beat that by a handsome margin, and set a number that will be tough to beat in years to come. His five RBIs got him to 69 on the season. The single season record there is held by bin Jameel with 105, which also feels very beatable. Anyway, besides further Perez heroics, the Hares’ other RBI was collected via a home run from catcher Adam Koehler. Rafael Guzman led what was a fine afternoon of pitching from Sheffield.

Player of the game: Willie Perez



Game 3

SP: Alois Herzog

There was jubilation on the way home for Sheffield fans as they thrashed the Gentlemen 7-1 to sweep the series, raising their record to 41-46 in the process. Herzog put in a great seven innings (dropping his ERA to 3.74) for the Hares as both offenses struggled to get anything going, going into extra innings at 1-1. In the top of the tenth though the Hares caught fire, ignited by third baseman Chase Clem, who hit a two run double to put the Hares up 3-1, before catcher Koehler put a few more nails in the Gentlemen’s coffin with a 3-run home run.

Player of the game: Alois Herzog



I’d be absolutely delighted at this point if we finish the season close to .500, and that’s looking a little more possible given our late good form.

[dinosauryoshi]

The Bison are riding high in the European division at 54-32, competing for a playoff spot. They’ve only made it to the postseason once in their history, having been in the league since its inception in 2040.



Game 1

SP: Yushua bin Saqr

Led by Frenchman Daniel Bourdon, the Minsk Bison defeated the Sheffield Mountain Hares, 10-6. Bourdon was 3 for 4 with a home run, 2 doubles, and 2 walks. He scored 3 runs and drove in 2 for the Bison. Andy Pettit came out of the bullpen to earn the win. The right-hander allowed 1 run on 3 hits in 1.2 innings. In the top of the eighth, the Bison grabbed the lead when Bourdon hit his 15th home run of the season. The 2-run home run off Mikala Enosa made it 7-5, Minsk, and the Hares never recovered from there. Sergio Rutz, who hasn’t been able to keep up his pulverising form before his injury, managed to smash his 20th home run of the season, while Koehler went 3-4, but couldn’t bat in any runs. Relievers Enosa and Bdd can be somewhat blamed for Sheffiel’ds collapse following a decent start fron bin Saqr.

Player of the game: Daniel Bourdon



Game 2

SP: Giobbe Marinello

With Jermão Ludovice leading the charge, the Minsk Bison defeated the Sheffield Mountain Hares, 8-5. Ludovice went 2 for 4 with 2 home runs and a walk, while adding 3 RBI and scoring twice for the Bison. The 24 year old has a great 3.71 batting average on the season, as well as 66 RBIs. Julian Windischgraetz was credited with the save. He has now successfully converted 20 of 21 save opportunities, an impressive feat. On our side, Willie Perez got a standing ovation from the whole stadium as he smashed his 29th home run of the season for the Hares, beating the franchise record. In classic fashion, he let the Hares fan who caught it keep the ball, ‘I’ll sign it for the kid, I got too many of those things lying around’.

Player of the game: Jermão Ludovice



Game 3

SP: Mototomo Motoyanagi

I’m delighted to say we go into the all-star break with win, a hard fought 10-8 victory in extra innings. Though the Bison batted in two runs in the top of the tenth, the Hares went two better with a walk-off grand slam from Kolya Saetgaliev to left-centre, his 14th home run of the season. There was pandemonium in a packed Kingfisher park, with 52,934 there to see Saetgaliev’s heroics. The Hares had been 6-0 down after the 4th inning in what was surely one of the best come-backs of the season, raising them to 42-48.