COBRA: Consolidated Organisation of Baseball and Railways of Amelia: A History

[Dark Horse]

Your picture backgrounds for your awards are awesome!

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Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Your picture backgrounds for your awards are awesome!

Thanks! It's a lot of fun hunting through baseball pictures to use!

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5-Star Players
C Kian Lehn (Dustland)

Best player, by Position
C Kian Lehn (Dustland)
1B Vladik Zavalin (Sugar Factory) *
2B Doug Dale (Amelia City) *
3B Dennis Sullenger (Unicorn Point) *
SS Max Roberts (Port Magnolia)
LF Odin Bendig (Spice District) *
CF Sid van Kranenburg (Dustland)
RF Jon Jackson (Northlands) *

Best by Skill
Contact: C Valentin Folgan (Saffron) - 102 *
Power: 3B Kody Lyabah (Whiskeytown) - 87 *
Eye: LF Odin Bendig (Spice District) - 105
Speed: 2B Wes Franz (Whiskeytown) - 116
Stealing: RF Aaron Cipriano (Amelia City) - 113

Best by Position, defensively (projected starters only)
C Ramon Irwin (Crimson Forest) - 67
1B Vladik Zavalin (Sugar Factory) - 93 *
2B Lee Warner (Whiskeytown) - 84
3B Kevin Ellis (Whiskeytown) - 89
SS Scott Welch (Dustland) - 81 *
LF Wayne Kender (Amelia City) - 108
CF Sid van Kranenburg (Dustland) - 92 *
RF Johnny Martin (Dustland) - 68

Ultimate Rotation
#1 Elijah Shumate (Northlands) *
#2 Max Steel (Spice District) *
#3 Jared Way (Salt Quarter)
#4 Connor Kyle (Sugar Factory) *

Closer
Max Collins (Sugar Factory) *

Best by Pitch Type
Fastball Shawn Marsh (Salt Quarter) - 71 *
Changeup Adam Scoles (Saffron) - 93 *
Curveball Jared Way (Salt Quarter) - 81 *
Slider Matt Leiker (Port Magnolia) - 82 *
Sinker Dalton Deschenes (Hadestown) - 77 *
Splitter Max Steel (Spice District) - 78 *
Cutter Kirk Swinson (Port Magnolia) - 79 *
Forkball Shawn Marsh (Salt Quarter) - 71 *
Circle Change Levi Campbell (Amelia City) - 70 *
Screwball None
Knuckle Curve Logan Phillips (Whiskeytown) - 70 *
Knuckleball None

All these players and not a single knuckleballer! First player to introduce one to Amelia is an automatic HOF selection in my view.

A * indicates this player received the same accolade in 1920.

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Before I forget, I just want to pay tribute to the players who joined the 20/20 club in 1920.

Augie Hanson (Crimson Forest) - 23 steals and 20 home runs
Sid van Kranenburg (Dustland) - 23 steals and 29 home runs

And that'll be it.

Some that got close were

Gaby Williams (Crimson Forest) - 35 steals and 16 home runs
Sean Newton (Sugar Factory) - 24 steals and 16 home runs
B.J. Gibson (Hadestown) - 19 steals and 17 home runs
Jon Jackson (Northlands) - 18 steals and 51 home runs

I don't think there were any other statistical clubs joined. I know of the following:

30/30 (30 steals and 30 home runs)
40/40 (40 steals and 40 home runs)
20/20/20 (20 doubles, 20 triples, 20 home runs)

Any others worth tracking?

Some googling around has revealed the Japanese have a "Triple Three" milestone which is batting .300 / 30 home runs / 30 steals in a season which is interesting but more of an extension of the 30/30 club.

Anyway, digression over.

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1920 Record: 66-78 (5th in the West Division)
1921 Prediction: 72-72 (3rd)

Notable Losses: SP Jeremiah Hinton (Free Agent), RF Bryson James (Trade)
Notable Gains: SP Fred Alltop (Free Agent)

The Metros were pretty dire for most of 1920 but a little surge near the end did see them manage to lift themselves off last place in the West Division. So that's nice.

A lot will rest on the shoulders of 2B Doug Dale who was sidelined with a variety of injuries that meant he played just 91 games in 1920. If he can transplant his .333/.421/.561 slash line into a full season then the Metros might just be able to put themselves in a position to push for a wildcard spot.

Fred Alltop is still two months away from coming off the injury list but will likely slot into the #1 rotation spot vacated by Jeremiah Hinton.

A lot of hope lies in freshly drafted Carson Mixon who has been assigned the Stopper role. A steep rise for someone who just a year ago was pitching against university hitters.

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1920 Record: 44-100 (6th in the East Division)
1921 Prediction: 60-84 (6th)

Notable Losses: 3B Beau Dokken (Free Agent)
Notable Gains: 3B Tommy Glass (Free Agent), SP Daniel Inman (Free Agent)

Last season was awful. Just terrible. Shouldn't be possible to lose that many games for a professional baseball team. Owner Rustam Tsarev blamed the GM and sent him walking but he hasn't given new GM T.J. Walker much to work with and little has been done to improve the team. The signing of 38 year old Tommy Glass hasn't inspired much hope, even if he still is a good ball player.

Tsarev at the very least recognises it's going to be a rough year. The main goal he's issued to Walker is "don't suck completely".

There is one ray of sunshine for Falcon fans though. Last year's #1 draft pick Christian Tiggs is on the roster. He'll be playing a bench role for now but fans will be hoping to see a showcase of his talent throughout the year.

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1920 Record: 83-61 (1st in the West Division)
1921 Prediction: 82-62 (1st)

Notable Losses: SS Nathan Crews (Free Agent), 1B Zeke Reynolds (Free Agent), RF Aldo Magzumov (Free Agent)
Notable Gains: SS Stu Welch (Trade)

Hopes are high for the Dustland Sharks to continue their division title winning ways even if they have technically downgraded a little. The best years are still ahead of season's MVP (and 24 year old) Kian Lehn will be hoping to put up another big season. Sid van Kranenburg is another, at 24, with his best years still ahead of him. A legit 5-tool player, van Kranenburg's improved performance towards the end of the season was one of the reasons that the side made a late surge into first place in the West. OSA just named him the best Center Fielder in the game so it's been a rapid rise for the youngster.

Then we move onto the pitching. With Jared Way out of Spice District, the 1-2 punch of Jaxon Darnall and Wesley Stebbins is now the best top two of any starting rotation in baseball.

It's a good time to be a Sharks fan.

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1920 Record: 63-81 (5th in the East Division)
1921 Prediction: 64-80 (5th)

Notable Losses: CF Spyros Marinakis (Free Agent)
Notable Gains: SS Tristan Lyngstrad (Free Agent)

Not a whole lot of changes to the side that finished 63-81 so you can see why predictions have elected to finish them at a near-identical spot in 1921.

Tristan Lyngstrad is a big get though, the former Northlands SS went .273/.357/.497 last season with 33 home runs and should provide some decent offensive muscle for the Broncos. He's going to be in Broncos colours for a while, he's signed up to 1927 which will be his age-37 season.

Other names to watch is 3B Lenny Johnson, who's poised for a big season and 2B Noah Means who was the best defender in Amelia last season but needs to improve his hitting if he wants to keep his starting spot.

Jackson Woods and Dalton Deschenes are a good anchor at the top of the order. Deschenes was injured within a couple of weeks of 1920 but should be able to pitch at an all-star level if he can remain healthy.

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1920 Record: 76-68 (3rd in the East Division)
1921 Prediction: 85-59 (1st)

Notable Losses: SS Tristan Lyngstrad (Free Agent), LF Clayton Fleming (Trade),
Notable Gains: SP Jeremiah Hinton (Free Agent), CF Finn Komoroski (Free Agent), Roswell Sherman (Free Agent)

The Polar Bears are gunning for it this season with a lot of unfinished business on their plate. They narrowly missed out on playoff action and star Jon Jackson narrowly missed out on the MVP award (despite receiving more first place votes than Lehn) by the slimmest of margins.

You can expect a lot of home runs from this team with RF Jon Jackson and 1B Richard Maxwell leading the way with 40+ each to their name. The team as a whole got 263 dingers last season -- 30 clear of the next best team (the Spice District Roosters). A combo of the big hitters on their team and a home run friendly park really let the dingers fly.

The loss of Shortstop Tristan Lyngstrad to Hadestown will hurt but the pickup of Roswell Sherman to a minimum deal looks like a shrewd move from Northlands GM Evan Goff. Sherman, while not going to contribute much with the bat is an excellent defender and baserunner.

Elijah Shumate is one of the best pitchers in the business. Pitching in a home run friendly park, he only gave up 16 home runs over 304.2 innings. His FIP of 1.99 translated to a FIP- of 45, best in the league.

The acquisition of Jeremiah Hinton also helps shore up the rotation. This is definitely a side ready to take on the rest of the league.

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1920 Record: 65-79 (6th in the West Division)
1921 Prediction: 59-85 (6th)

Notable Losses: SP Kellan Sullivan (Free Agent), SP Daniel Inman (Free Agent), SS Stu Welch (Trade)
Notable Gains: 1B Tab Giroux (Free Agent)

Sorry to say it Dolphin fans but your GM has let a bad team get even worse over the winter. The top two pitchers of the rotation are gone and GM Homer Hilburger didn't seem to care. The ERA+ of the rotation is now 87, 103, 74, and a guy who pitched one inning in the majors last season. The only bright spot in Dolphins pitching is Stopper Matt Leiker who made an all-star appearance on the back of his strikeout rate and home run prevention (just don't mention walks to him) but it seems unlikely he'll get many save opportunities this season (he only got 7 last year!).

The batting isn't terrible but is unlikely to make up for the pitching. SS Max Roberts was in the picture for MVP early last season but faded away as the season progressed. Nearly everyone aside from 1B Ron Stubbs and 2B Rodney Dutra registered above average seasons for hitting according to OPS+. It's a little backwards though that the cornerstone of your hitting is your shortstop and you're left just admiring the great glove defense of your First Baseman.

Enjoy the beach Dolphin fans!

[mrbucket]

1920 Record: 79-65 (2nd in the West Division)
1921 Prediction: 68-76 (5th)

Notable Losses: SP Luke Zuidgeest (Free Agent), LF Kody Lyabah (Free Agent), C Bronson Russell (Free Agent), 1B Tab Giroux (Free Agent)
Notable Gains: SP B.J. Jasper (Trade), 1B Zeke Reynolds (Free Agent), RF Bryson James (Trade)

The Turtles have gone all-in this year by trading away a lot of their prospects to plug the damage left by the losses of Zuidgeest and Lyabah. Management is hoping for a return to the playoffs but no one really rates their chances.

The Turtles surprised everyone when they sprung out to lead the West Division going into the All-Star break but they couldn't keep it up as the Sharks eventually left them in their dust and left the Turtles in a tense fight with the Polar Bears and Penguins for the final spot in the playoffs.

This Turtles team shouldn't be counted out just yet. Rating them lower than .500 feels a bit harsh.

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1920 Record: 74-70 (3rd in the West Division)
1921 Prediction: 74-70 (2nd)

Notable Losses: CF Matty Richey (Free Agent), SP Fred Alltop (Free Agent), LF Ernie Morris (Free Agent), C Chuck Arthur (Free Agent), 1B McKenzie Bellows (Retirement)
Notable Gains: SP Jared Way (Free Agent), 1B Kyle Lownes (Free Agent), C Judd Bowyer (Free Agent)

The Penguins made a splash in the free agent market this season when they absolutely destroyed the record books to sign Jared Way to a $248k/7yr deal. Jared Way, was the the #2 pitcher on the championship winning Spice District Roosters and here he gets to be the #1 guy,.

Way joins an already decent pitching team and aside from divisional rivals the Dustland Sharks, this is probably the best collection of pitchers in the league.

It remains to be seen if the hitting can keep up with the pitching. On the Roosters Way had a lineup of All-Stars that helped get him to a 25-8 record. This group of hitters is certainly not the Spice District Roosters. Kyle Lownes is a welcome addition but someone like Konstantinou who hit for a 65 OPS+ last year is not the guy you want batting lead-off.

In our assessment, GM Ayden Garden has blundered by not securing at least one more decent hitter.

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1920 Record: 96-48 (1st in the East Division)
1921 Prediction: 77-67 (3rd)

Notable Losses: SP Jared Way (Free Agent), 3B Tommy Glass (Free Agent)
Notable Gains: 3B Gavin Utter (Free Agent)

Obviously Jared Way is a huge loss to the Roosters. Huge. It's not often you get to say that you've got the two best pitchers in the game on your team but the Roosters had and they took full advantage in romping their way to the inaugural title. They clearly weren't willing to match the extravagance of the Penguins so here we are.

The team that won the championship is still largely intact, sans Way. They lost Tommy Glass but arguably made an upgrade with Gavin Utter. The team is hopeful that Utter will be able to join the team in about three weeks. He should slot into 3B with Ripley going to 2B.

The top five of the batting order are all All-Stars. Gavin Utter would on be on the cusp of such a honour and Dex Kruys won the Great Glove award. Ripley was the Batting Champion last season, Bendig hit 50 home runs and led the league in RBIs, and Karabanov wasn't far behind him. This is a terrifying batting order.

And then we've got last year's unanimous pitcher of the year Max Steel who's gunning for another 400K season but it gets a bit dicey once you get past the #1 guy in the rotation. If the Roosters are going to have hope of repeating their 1920 success then someone in that rotation is going to have to step up.

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1920 Record: 84-60 (2nd in the East Division)
1921 Prediction: 84-60 (2nd)

Notable Losses: CF Finn Komoroski (Free Agent)
Notable Gains: 1B Vladik Zavalin (Free Agent), LF Clayton Fleming (Trade)

Buoyed along by an absurd record in one-run and extra-innings games the Sugar Factory Elephants found themselves in the final and took the Spice District Roosters to 6 games before surrendering to destiny.

Well, they've gone and made themselves better. They had little room for Komoroski as is and the acquisition of Zavalin -- who hit 47 home runs for the Ducks last season -- provides badly needed offensive might at the First Baseman position. The trade for Left Fielder Clayton Fleming remains a mystery, they sent off a couple of prospects off to the Polar Bears for the 41 year old but don't seem particularly interested in actually putting him on the field. He put up a 171 OPS+ last season but watching him run is like watching sourdough ferment. He simply doesn't belong on the field, defensively. But the Elephants don't seem keen on him in a pinch hitter role either so they might just be cutting their losses there with a bad trade.

An exciting talent is lead-off CF Sean Newton. Newton provided some magic moments in the COBRA Cup final last year and looks to provide more as he hits his peak years. Also looking to make a big contribution is 3B Jaden Tenneh. Tenneh is 38 but aging like a fine wine. His defense might start becoming an issue but his hitting is sublime as ever.

One problem for the Elephants is going to be pitching. Max Collins is the best reliever in the business - by far -- but aside from Nolan McLeod, the rotation is pretty poor and Connor Kyle is still 5 months out from returning after being injured in May last year.

The experts are optimistic about more magic from the Elephants this season but this writer ain't so sure.

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1920 Record: 67-77 (4th in the West Division)
1921 Prediction: 70-74 (4th)

Notable Losses: SP B.J. Jasper (Trade), 1B Kyle Lownes (Free Agent), SS Roswell Sherman (Free Agent), RF Kaiden Martin (Free Agent), LF Asher Corpora (Free Agent), C Judd Bowyer (Free Agent)
Notable Gains: SP Kellan Sullivan (Free Agent), CF Matty Richey (Free Agent), SS Nathan Crews (Free Agent), C Chuck Arthur (Free Agent), SS Solomon Markham (Free Agent)

It was a disappointing 1920 for the Unicorns so it feels natural that there's a fair bit of churn in the side as they seek to correct their course towards playoff ambitions. Time will give us the answer if trading 37 year old B.J. Jasper for a couple of prospects to Saffron will be worth it.

Time will also reveal if letting hits and home run leader Kyle Lownes walk will be worth it or if the contributions of Matty Richey and Nathan Crews can help offset that loss.

Dennis Sullenger, his excellent 1920 season cut short by injury will be firing to go for a full season.

The pitching lineup, led by the mercurial Tijs Oudenkerk is shaping up quite nicely for 1921.

The Unicorns could go either way really.

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1920 Record: 67-77 (4th in the East Division)
1921 Prediction: 71-73 (4th)

Notable Losses: 1B Vladik Zavalin (Free Agent), 3B Gavin Utter (Free Agent),
Notable Gains: LF Kody Lyabah (Free Agent)

That the Ducks could lose players like Zavalin and Utter and only gain Lyabah and still be expected to improve their 1920 record probably speaks more to an underwhelming 1920 than anything else. They did lose their best player -- Catcher Joel de Vries -- to injury about a third into the season so a full season from him would be huge but there's a sense that the team he takes into 1921 is not quite as polished as the one he once had.

Other players to watch include lead-off Thad Pardue, who stole base 43 times last season to lead the league. He proved himself disciplined at the plate but if he can up his .361 OBP closer to .400 then he could prove an even more devastating presence on the basepaths.

Also check out Logan Phillips, who might just be the best left handed pitcher in baseball.

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...and that concludes our series of team previews for 1921. Here's the full preseason prediction.



And let's play some ball.

[Sizeman21]

Should be another fun season! You get these season previews out super quick. I can hardly keep up reading every time I am on. I like the effort! Good job Bucket.

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March 29, 1921
There was certainly shenanigans on opening day.

The main event was Sharks-Penguins with Jaxon Darnall going up against Jared Way. Both pitchers had good games going into the 7th. Darnall giving up 6 hits for 3 runs, and Way giving up 4 hits for 1 run. Way was pulled -- 122 pitches in at this point -- and Tommy Taaij was bought in close the game out over the next two innings but the Sharks sensed blood in the water.

Taaij gave up a walk to start the inning and then a single to C Kian Lehn. CF Sid van Kranenburg watched the first pitch he got go for a strike and then hit the next one for a home run. He didn't strike it well at all, but it had just enough juice on it.

Darnall just had to get the final three outs in the bottom of the 9th but a fielding error from the defensive sub at Second Base got a Penguin runner on base and a triple in the next at-bat tied the game up and forced the extras.

The game would go to the 12th, when Salt Quarter put out James Cantley who eventually gave away a bases loaded walk to get the winning run home. Cantley gave up 4 walks and a wild pitch in that inning.



The Polar Bears-Broncos matchup also went into extras with the Broncos get the walk-off victory in the 11th. The Port Magnolia Dolphins were 4-1 down against Unicorn Point at the top of the 7th but came away with a 7-4 victory to take it out.

And finally, Max Steel is right back to where he left off. He picked up 17 K's in the Rooster's win over the Crimson Forest Falcons. That's his highest ever K total in a game and ties the record.

March 30, 1921
It was the Elephants turn for walk-off heroics today when 2B Glenn Reinhard whacked a single with runners on 2nd and 3rd in the bottom of the 10th against the Whiskeytown Ducks. Particularly notable about that game was former Duck 1B Vladik Zavalin smashing a 425ft home run against his old team.



April 1, 1921
Even Amelian baseball nerds wouldn't often be able to name Mick Sherman if they were pressed to name the backup catcher for the Amelia City Metros but he put on a show with a 5-hit performance including the walk-off hit needed in the bottom of the 10th to give them the win over the Dolphins.



April 2, 1921
The script sure felt familiar for Jared Way as the Penguins took on the Saffron Turtles. By the end of the 7th, the Penguins had a 2-0 lead as he handed the ball over to Tommy Taaij, and again, the stopper blew it. This time giving up a grand slam home run to pinch hitter Hollie Huckabee.



April 3, 1921
Last year's #1 draft pick CF Christian Tiggs got his first start today for the Crimson Forest Falcons and he got a rather painful welcome. With the game tied in the top of the 8th, he came up with the bases loaded. Down 0-2 in the count, pitcher Dmitri Balanchin blasted him in the hand to force in the winning run via hit-by-pitch.

Tiggs will be day-to-day for the next few days but the team says he'll be alright.



April 4, 1921
Back-to-back home runs in the 1st got the Whiskeytown Ducks off to a flying start against the Spice District Roosters but they wouldn't score again. A timely home run by LF Odin Bendig in the bottom of the 9th tied the game up and then a lot of back-and-fourth before RF Roman Karabanov sent a single down to the Right Fielder that gave CF Conor Meadows enough time to get from 2nd to home for the walk-off win in the 13th.



One week in and here's where we're sitting. The Roosters and Sharks getting an early lead.

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April 6, 1921
Third time is the charm for Jared Way as he picks up his first pitcher win in Penguin colours. Twice in a row, a fantastic pitching performance was undone by Stopper Tommy Taaij in the very next inning. Way pitched until the 8th today against the Port Magnolia Dolphins and was sitting on a 2-1 lead. Giving up just 3 hits and 1 walk over that time. Butts clenched in the 9th when Taaij issued a walk to the first hitter but the next three outs flowed in quick succession. Way has a 0.82 ERA. Taaij is sitting on a 17.18 ERA.



Meanwhile, his old teammate Max Steel lit up the Whiskeytown Ducks for 16 K's. A timely 2-run home run by LF Odin Bendig in the 8th also help secured the win and negate the need for extra innings.



April 8, 1921
The Elephants lost their first game of the season and since then have gotten 9 wins in a row. Their latest is an extra-innings victory over the Amelia City Metropolitans. The Metros threw everything into the 8th and 9th to pull level. They could have pulled off the win there and then too had it not been for the arm of left fielder Zach Hauptmann throwing a runner out and the quick thinking of closer Max Collins in getting the pick-off to get the final out.

The Elephants finally break through in the 11th with an inside the park home run by 1B Vladik Zavalin.

Weirdly, the OOTP news service elects to highlight a 10th inning walk by Patrick Wright which ended with him stranded on 2nd rather than Zavalin's home run.

But that's cool. Dude like walks.



April 9, 1921
For the first time in their history, the Crimson Forest Falcons are above .500. They did it in style too with a walk-off home run by LF Augie Hanson to get a win off the Salt Quarter Penguins. Tommy Taaij is again the villian of the piece for Penguins as he gives up 2 home runs to blow the game. Penguin fans are calling for his head.

...and last year's #1 draft pick Christian Tiggs picks up his first home run in this game as another bonus for Falcons fans.



They'd do it again the next day, this time with SS Gaby Williams hitting the winning home run in the bottom of the 10th.

Anyway, mad respect to Sharks pitcher Peyton Kramer who gave up only one hit and three walks to the Spice District Roosters in a complete game shutout. Guy took on the best hitters in the league and dominated.



April 11, 1921
Fun fact, 23 year old Sugar Factory LF Zach Hauptmann has just won the player of the week award twice in a row. He's slashing .558/.596/.865 over the first 12 games of the season. Yikes.

April 13, 1921
The benches cleared in the top of the 1st when Broncos pitcher Mike Robbins hit Penguins RF Newman Ranson with a pitch and Ranson responded by charging the mound.

We've heard bits and pieces of what was said and it involved each player's mothers so we won't be repeating it here. We're not that kind of publication. Each player was suspended for five games. The Penguins came out with a huge 12-2 win on the back of RF Aldo Maguzmov's 2 home runs in the 3rd and 7th.



Meanwhile, the Elephants have gone on a four game losing streak and RF Patrick Wright is not taking it well.



Wright is .132/.277/.245 this season.