2032 All-Star Game

[Borealis]

The 2032 All-Star Game will be held as part of Wednesday's (12/23) sim and we will (plan on) have a live broadcast of the game right here in this thread!! We will have a special 4pm PT cut-off for exports so that I can do all the grunt work of setting up the All-Star teams. Game time is tentatively scheduled for 5pm PT/8pm ET - but I'll begin when I've got it ready to roll. Come one, Come all - bring a ceramic mug of sake, some teriyaki veggies and sushi! This year's game will be played at the Neo-Tokyo Grounds, as the Neo-Tokyo Akira play host to this years event!

All-Star voting has closed. All-Star rosters will be posted here (prior to) with Monday's sim.

[Borealis]

The Prefecture Administrators of Tokyo and the Neo-Tokyo Akira are prepping the city for the 26th PEBA All-Star Game! This year's game will be the first hosted by the Akira and is the 3rd time the PEBA's Midsummer Classic has been held in Japan - Shin Seiki hosted the 2023 game, the SL's 6-5, 12-inning win, with Mike 'Big Whiskey' Britt the MVP, and Toyama hosted the 2025 game, another SL, extra-inning win, 3-2 in 10-innings. That was the year the press boycotted the event, due to attempts by the Toyama Organization to charge members of the media a ticket fee - thus there was no MVP named in 2023.

This years game looks to be an interesting blend of experience and first-time All-Stars as the PEBA youth movement continues.

[Borealis]

The Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance
Announces
2032 Imperial League
All-Star Team

Starters
C Luis Villanueva - SA
1B Gilberto Fernandez - SA
2B Carlos Garza - WV
3B Luis Cedeno - SA
SS Ricardo 'Ogre' Mateo - HAV
LF Roberto 'Poseidon' Garcia - HAR
CF Peter Monnington - SA
RF Kelvin McDonald - SJ**
DH Pedro Rodriguez - KEN
SP Enrique 'Old Nick' Vazquez - WV

C German Hernandez - WV
1B Noberto Escamilla - CST
INF Taylor Titmus - HAR
INF Alejandro Lujan - WV
INF Roberto 'Dracula' Salazar - SJ
INF Matthias Ouellette - HAR
OF Javier 'Doppler' Drake - WV
OF Antonio Canseco - KEN
OF Luis Antonio Aguilera - SA
OF Jose 'Casino' Aguilera - LON
DH Alex 'Red Hook' Bothwell - SCO

SP Luppe 'Terrible' van Dam - FLA
SP Ramon Gonzales - KEN
SP John Turner - AMS
SP Pat Willis - WV
SP Jorge Alverez - FLA
RP Jose Gomez - SJ
RP Alfredo Reyes - SA
RP Yo Tomita - MAN
CL Tsuramatsu Ito - ARL
CL Matt 'Zippy' Brown - HAR
CL Bob Burns - NO
CL Gustavo Hernandez - WV


** RF Danny Burton - elected, but injured

[Borealis]

The Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance
Announces
2032 Sovereign League
All-Star Team

Starters
C Fernando Valdez - FAR
1B Kyushichi Ohayashi - REN
2B Logan Malone - SS
3B Yakamochi Kobayashi - CL
SS Rodrigo 'El Cid' Vasquez - TOY
LF Steve Boyer - REN
CF Raul Ortega - BAK**
RF Antonio Figueroa - SS
DH Tony Parker - KAL
SP Kenny Ashley - KAL

Subs
C Ryan Lambert - REN
1B Andres Hernandez - YUM
INF Pablo Ortiz - PS
INF Antonio Santos - SS
INF Naomi Dr. Evil' Homna - NT
INF Hai-Liang Choe - YUM
OF Sean Kirklnd - DUL
OF Shane Willis - AUR
OF Ruben Jimenez - KAL
OF Tomas Martinez - NT
DH Ramon 'Ghost' Guzman - MAD

SP Angel Valdez - REN
SP Dean McNeil - CL
RP Rob Imhoff - TEM
SP Henry Cluett - AUR
SP Ronald Turton - OKA
SP Randy 'Tugboat' Smith - NII
RP Scotty Shorland - TOY
RP Hsin-ta 'Storm Shadow' Lian - BAK
RP Kyle Weaver - CL
RP Dan Boorman - FAR
RP Sang-ton Kun - FAR
CL Miguel Vega - KAL

** Juan Carlos Ornelza KAL - elected but Injured

[Ghosts]

Glad to see "Ghost" making a name for himself! 97 hits, 29 XBHs, and 37 SBs a week before the break!

Also glad to see "Storm Shadow" quietly earning another all-star appearance. He's up to 125 saves with a career 1.99 ERA in Bakersfield since joining PEBA in 2029.

Lastly, don't embarrass us, "Tugboat"!

[Lions]

** Juan Carlos Ornelza DUL - elected but Injured

Should read "KAL"

[Borealis]

** Juan Carlos Ornelza DUL - elected but Injured

Should read "KAL"

[Denny]

Can't believe Ortiz was the only Codger selected! I mean, look at all the great players on that tea...oh.

[KenH]

San Antonio with 4 (could have been 5 if not for Burton injury) starters on the IL squad. That has to be at least close to the record! Marco's doing it with a mix of old players and rookies too. Good job, Marco!

[Borealis]

The nation of Japan has many ancient, cultural activities, and while the world is familiar with Sumo and their adoptive favorite, baseball, many are unfamiliar with their more recent popular sporting activity, Kendama. Most may be familiar with the childlike - yet frustrating sport, interest has grown and created a market of creativity. The Japanese have taken it to a new level, and there are competitions around the globe.

In keeping with the PEBA tradition of embracing local culture - the 2030 golf tournament at Palm Springs and the 2031 Irish Road Bowling in Charleston West Virginia, The Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance hosted their own Kendama competition on the off day prior to the game. Hosei University, fresh off the Avocat's heart-breaking 4-3 International Collegiate Championship loss to Oxford (a painful 6-4 loss, with the Dark Blues scoring three in the bottom of the 8th), was awash with excitement on this day as they hosted the event.

Kendama competitions are based on a scoring system dependent upon 'tricks' - with tricks having a different degree of difficulty - not, unlike, diving may have. The highest score wins.

The entire All-Star roster would compete on this day, and rounds 1-3, would cut the field of All-Stars down to 8 players, was based on a simple task - how many times in (10 minutes in round one and five minutes in rounds two and three) can the player simply get the ball in the post. Simple, right? Yet a number of players failed to even do that - most notably, Bakersfield's Raul Ortega, who was so frustrated with his attempts, he finally closed his eyes for the final two minutes and, laughing hysterically, just twirled the ball around his head - at one point nearly clocking an all-too-serious Randy 'Tugboat' Smith, who grumbled, "C'mon, man - if this is my last All-Star Game, I gotta come out with some hardware!"

When the 'Elite 8' was determined, it was clear who the fan favorite was - hometown favorite, 'Dr. Evil', Naomi Homna. Lined up against Duluth's Sean Kirkland, Tempe's Rob Imhoff, Fargo's Sang-ton Kun, Havana's 'Ogre', London's 'Casino' Aguilera, Peter Mornington of the Calzones and San Juan's 'Dracula' ('Tugboat' managed just one, with many clanking off the post) - and 'The Doctor' did not disappoint. By the time he reached the final - against the surprising Rob Imhoff, who advanced by completing one trick - aptly the 'Baseball Bat' (leading many fans of Aurora thinking, 'what else is new'), and having been deemed to have come the closest to completing his other tricks. By the time the final came around, Homna had the crowd in a frenzy as he competed the complex 'Lighthouse Juggle Lighthouse' maneuver, while Imhoff tried to keep up with the equally difficult 'Moon Circle Quick Spike', but all he could grab was the string.

During the awards presentation - a bronze Kendama was the prize, Naomi Homna credited his youth baseball experience for his success. "When I was little, playing youth baseball, we used to have hours between games - and plenty of rainouts, and I always had a kendama in my bag to keep me busy and my eyes and hands working together. I think it has paid off in more than one way, right??".

[Borealis]

The Office of the Commissioner and, San Juan and Imperial League All-Star manager Sergio Manetti, are pleased to introduce the starting line-up for tonights 2032 All-Star Game:

SS Ricardo 'Ogre' Mateo - HAV
RF Kelvin McDonald – SJ
2B Carlos Garza – WV
LF Roberto 'Poseidon' Garcia – HAR
CF Peter Monnington – SA
DH Pedro Rodriguez - KEN
3B Luis Cedeno – SA
1B Gilberto Fernandez - SA
C Luis Villanueva – SA

Tonights starting pitcher is Enrique 'Old Nick' Vazquez of the West Virginia Alleghenies.

'Old Nick' is making his sixth ALl-Star team, and third appearance in a row - the first for a team other than Havana. He is currently tied with Reno's Jesus Antonio with a PEBA-leading in ERA (1.89)... 'Ogre' continues to be one of the bright young stars in the game, flashing a great combination of speed and power. He is making his fourth All-Star appearance, and leads the IL in hits and WAR (4.6)... Kelvin McDonald is the third leading hitter in the IL, at .315, and at 33-years of age, will be making his first All-Star team... West Virginia's Carlos Garza, despite an outstanding career, will be making his third All-Star appearance... Former-Trendsetter, Roberto Garcia will be making his third All-Star team, and first with Hartford, and is currently 4th in IL HR, with 19... One-time Shin Seiki farmhand, Petter Monnington is in his rookie season and now with San Antonio leads the PEBA with 25 HR... 31-year old Cuban outfielder, Kentucky's Pedro Rodriguez will play in his third All-Star game, leading the IL with an .878 OPS... Luis Cedeno is no stranger to the ALl-Star game, this being his 7th - and after a poor first year in San Antonio, he's bounced back and is third in IL WAR... The Calzones young first baseman, Gilberto Fernandez will be making his first All-Star appearance, he's 6th in RBI, but has been out for two weeks with an oblique strain... Luis Villanueva's perseverance finally paid off the the 33-year old, wandering catcher, who finally found a home in San Antonio - and success - leading to his first All-Star appearance...

[Borealis]

The Office of the Commissioner and, Shin Seiki and Sovereign League All-Star manager Paul Woods, are pleased to introduce the starting line-up for tonights 2032 All-Star Game:

2B Logan Malone - SS
LF Steve Boyer – REN
3B Yakamochi Kobayashi – CL
CF Raul Ortega – BAK
RF Antonio Figueroa – SS
DH Tony Parker - KAL
C Fernando Valdez – FAR
1B Kyushichi Ohayashi - REN
SS Rodrigo 'El Cid' Vasquez – TOY

Tonights starting pitcher is Kenny Ashley of the Kalamazoo Badgers.

16-year vet, Kenny Ashley will be making his third All-Star appearance and will be Kalamazoo's first All-Star starting pitcher... Logan Malone, who is in his PEBA rookie season, spent the past three years with the Long Beach/Tempe organization and this is his first All-Star team... Reno's Steve Boyer is leading the SL in SLG, OPS and WAR (4.4). The single-season HR leader (54 in 2030) has made his third All-Star team... Yakamochi Kobayashi, Crystal Lake's powerful 3B is making his second appearance in the ALl-Star Game, previously having done so in 2028 with Kalamazoo... Raul Ortega is making his second appearance for Bakersfield, after having played twice for San Antonio ... Antonio Figueroa, Shin Seiki's 28-year old OF, acquired by trade from Niihama-shi, is making his first All-Star team, standing at 3rd in SL OPS... 8-year vet, Tony Parker, in his first year with Kalamazoo, has made the All-Star team for the 7th time, the past six with Crystal Lake... Fargo catcher, Fernando Valdez is in his second year as a starter for the Dinosaurs, and is making his first All-Star game after 19 HR in the first half... 1B Kyushichi Ohayashi was the 5th overall pick by Reno in the 2029 draft, and is making his first All-Star team in his rookie season... 'El Cid', Toyama's shortstop Rodrigo Vasquez has flashed power (11 HR) and speed (28 SB in 28 attempts) in his second season as starter for the Win-D's, and his 3.8 WAR is third in the SL...

[Borealis]

Rounding out the night of cultural activities in Tokyo was the annual Mitama Matsuri, held at the Yasukuni Shrine, outside the Imperial Palace. The festival, known for it's 10's of thousands of lanterns hung around the shrine, has been attended by 100's of thousands of visitors for nearly 90-years. Set up outside the shrine, a stage was built where there was a red carpet introduction of the All-Stars, with the starters escorted with kabuki's in their finest of wears.

The highlight of the PEBA Commissioner, 'Harry' Castle's, address was his announcement of the site for the 2033 All-Star Game, "Hola, Havana - the Planetary Extreme Baseball Alliance is pleased to announce that the Havana Leones will host next years event! The Caribbean Island nation has a deep love and history of baseball and is well deserving of getting the All-Star Game in 2033."

Afterwards, a concert by Japanese pop-legend Kyary Pamyu Pamyu was held on the Sumida Riverfront, followed by a fireworks extravaganza was held over the Sumida River.

Meanwhile, over at the Neo-Tokyo Grounds, the Prospects Game and the HR Derby was held...

[Denny]

We have opened a bottle of Kanbara 'Bride of the Fox' sake for tonight's occasion!

[Borealis]

The 2032 Prospects Game was played and it wasn't much of a game as nine Sovereign League pitchers held the Imperial League to just 7-hits - and just a lone double, while Duluth's Antonio Herrera (Rapid City) was the game's MVP - with a double and a homer, with a run scored and 2 RBI. Okinawa's Dan Bean was 2-4 and Aurora's Pedro de la Cruz was 2-2 in leading the way for a 6-0 win...