Time to see who can predict the outcome of the upcoming season! Place your votes!
Imperial League
Seaboard
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Dixie
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Trans Atlantic
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IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner:
Golden Arm Winner:
Wunderkind Winner:
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
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Desert Hills
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Rising Sun
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SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner:
Golden Arm Winner:
Wunderkind Winner:
Postseason
IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
_____ over _____ in __ games
SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
_____ over _____ in __ games
IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
_____ over _____ in __ games
_____ over _____ in __ games
SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
_____ over _____ in __ games
_____ over _____ in __ games
League Championship Series Winners
IL: _____ over _____ in __ games
SL: _____ over _____ in __ games
PEC Winner
_____ over _____ in __ games
Scoring Rules:
+1 point for each standings position you're off by
-1 point for each postseason series winner correctly identified
-1 point for correctly guessing the number of games team advance a postseason series (do not need the losing team accurate)
-1 point for getting the PEC winner
-0.5 points for identifying an end of season award winner
Lowest score wins
Past Winners:
2015 - Kevin (FLA)
2016 - Kevin (FLA)
2017 - Frank (CON)
2018 - Dan (ARL)
2019 - Denny (PS)
2020 - ?
2021 - Patrick (HAV)
2022 - Mike (AUR)
2023 - Mike (AUR)
2024 - Patrick (HAV)
2025 - ?
2026 - ?
2027 - ?
2028 - Denny (PS)
2029 - Dylan (TOY)
2030 - Greg (WV)
2031 - ?
2032 - Ken (FL)
RJ Ermola Vice President and General Manager of Baseball Operations
Crystal Lake Sandgnats *2024 PEBA Champions*
Seaboard
1. West Virginia - Someone dethrone this death squad, already. With 2 championships, 7 division titles, and nine playoff appearances in the last nine seasons, it's officially a dynasty - and it's not likely to end soon.
2. Hartford - The Harpoon have been stuck on the periphery of the IL playoffs, winning 84 and 83 games the last two seasons and making it in once. Last year's squad missed, lost $24M, and it's not clear how this year's can transcend.
3. Arlington - The leadership of Sutrez and the new power bats will help, but with the dearth of talent throughout this organization, patience is key.
4. Manchester - There are a handful of excellent bats to compliment the defense, but this team is an unfinished product desperate for pitching depth. Bill Knight can only start every 5th (4th?) game.
Dixie
1. Florida - They haven't yet reached their final form, but with Luppe, Mora, and a dozen other potential all-stars, this team has more than enough to take the division.
2. Kentucky - With a seemingly endless supply of excellent young talent, the Thoroughbreds are set to compete continuously. Mu, F-Rod, and young Canseco will drive a strong offense and the pitching staff is deep, so don't be surprised if Kentucky gets hot enough to win it all.
3. San Antonio - How much do Cedeno, Burton, and Shimizu, a combined 104-years-old, have left? Enough for this season, at least - the problem is with the pitching staff's lack of star power.
4. New Orleans - A solid team with no gaping holes, but a few too many average joes to push the elite teams. An extra signing or two alongside some savvy trades could make a big difference.
5. Charleston - New management has made it clear that the rebuild is on.
Trans Atlantic
1. Amsterdam - Make no mistake: after years of biding its time, this organization is all-in. They are at a similar level to San Juan and Havana, but only one team has Old Nick and it's not Havana this time.
2. Havana - In something of a retool in the post-Vasquez era, this team still features top end talent and is easily within reach of the division.
3. San Juan - Just barely a year after their magical 2031 championship run, this team is still the same speed-driven run threat that could steal a series (or several) if it can slide into the playoff scene.
4. London - A solid team with plenty of talent, a strong start to the season could see them as buyers vying for a playoff run while a cold start may have them dealing their veteran talent as they prepare to open their new palace.
5. Scottish - On the other side of the island, the Scottish are in a similar position, less the new stadium. New GMs tend to take a season or so to avoid rash mistakes, but might Camrin be the aggressive type if the Claymores start hot?
IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan - Feels like a Lujan year.
Golden Arm Winner: Enrique Vasquez - No need to mess with tradition.
Wunderkind Winner: Jose Tojeira - El Presidente has been patiently developed, and gets to start half his rookie starts in pitcher friendly Watt Powell Field.
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo - With Megavolt leading the charge, not even Crystal Lake will keep pace. Bowen, Pak, Perez, and Yun will shine but it's the Badgers depth that will win the division.
2. Cystal Lake - The trade of Arnold and Burns will make it tougher to compete with Kalamazoo, but the division is within reach for the perennial powerhouse. CL is a team that could be top seed or miss the playoffs entirely - that's just how tough the SL is.
3. Fargo - A team with Barse and Watson finishing 3rd in any division is tough to predict, but the GL is one of PEBA's toughest and the depth on KAL and CL will likely win out.
4. Duluth - Adding Honma, Elliot, and Gonzalez to megadeals while Trujillo, Hill, and other homegrown youth continue to ascend will make Duluth a spoiler capable of beating anyone - just not consistently enough to beat all the above.
5. Madison - A solid team, the Malts need a few more pieces before they can compete within the tough GL, but Garza and co. are not easy outs.
Desert Hills
1. Reno - The up and coming hitting, coupled with the additions of Patton and Ashley, should be enough to fend off the Bears in a very tight race, even despite the coming fall of Angel Valdez.
2. Bakersfield - The Bears have elite pitching talent and a perennially disappointing offense. The loss of former MVP Pat Barry won't help with the latter, but they can still beat any squad in a playoff series.
3. Aurora - Stuck in a semi-retool, the Borealis have enough talent to have a shot at the division but also enough holes to make it more likely they fall a bit short.
4. Palm Springs - Another retooling Hills squad hoping to find enough talent in the coming season(s) to make extending Ortiz worthwhile as he inevitably joins the ranks of the PEBA mega-rich.
5. Tempe - A sturdier and deeper squad than the expansion team they assembled in 2032, Tempe is wisely avoiding making desperate additions to win before their upcoming prospects arrive.
6. Yuma - "Winning and losing out to the game is the best part of the season" -My phone's autopredict or Bob?
Rising Sun
1. Toyoma - A very tough call to sideline the Evas, but when the season comes down to game 163 again, I think Toyoma's incredible depth is the difference this time.
2. Neo Tokyo - The Parker signing pushes them just barely ahead of SS. Neo Tokyo could of course win the division handily or end up a semi-distant 3rd, but these giants have to be slotted in some order.
3. Shin Seiki - The offseason departures were tough, and the incoming talent very good, but the difference there is just barely enough to drop them to "Nightmare Wild Card Matchup" status. That, or they win 120.
4. Okinawa - A solid team faced with exceedingly difficult division competition. Okinawa is in one of the least enviable situations, but it could be worse:
5. Niihama - A completely rebuilt pitching staff and a few big bats won't be anywhere near enough to see them exit the basement, but they should be a little less awful to watch.
SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Juan Carlos Ornelza - A healthy Megavolt is going to run roughshod this year.
Golden Arm Winner: Jeffrey Mendoza - Best pitcher in the SL.
Wunderkind Winner: Yorimoto Maeda - Toyoma's new 3B just keeps getting better, and he posted a 181 OPS+ in last September's debut.
Postseason
IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Kentucky over Havana in 5 games
SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Shin Seiki over Neo Tokyo in 4 games
IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Kentucky over West Virginia in 6 games
Amsterdam over Florida in 7 games
SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Shin Seiki over Toyoma in 6 games
Kalamazoo over Reno in 5 games
League Championship Series Winners
IL: Amsterdam over Kentucky in 5 games
SL: Kalamazoo over Shin Seiki in 6 games
PEC Winner
Amsterdam over Kalamazoo in 7 games
Dan Vail
Bakersfield Bears 2028-2030
Niihama-shi Ghosts 2010, 2031-current
Imperial League Seaboard
1. West Virginia
2. Hartford
3. Arlington
4. Manchester
Much like last season, it's hard to see WV not winning this division by a substantial amount... Hartford is second by default - for now, and we see them in the PO hunt again - but the IL is looking tough... Arlington has made it: financial freedom!! Well, almost - now is time for patience and shrewd decisions -that might get them a quick turnaround in the near future... The Maulers are playing the long game - is this when it starts to pay off?
Dixie
1. Florida
2. Kentucky
3. San Antonio
4. New Orleans
5. Charleston
This is where we start to chalk Florida in as a regular in this feature for the next... 10 seasons? Their youth is arriving, and that's bad news for the IL... Kentucky is a hard call for 2nd, and San Antonio ditto for 3rd - I could easily flip them here, but maybe the T-breds have just enough left before they go a reloading... It's a tough spot to be a Trendie and a Statie - but some luck and 2nd place in the future could always be a wild card...
Trans Atlantic
1. Amsterdam
2. Havanna
3. San Juan
4. London
5. Scottish
Probably the boldest team in all of PEBA (not called the Badgers), Amsterdam's turn to win the TA has come - the former-Nootmuskaat added a lot to the team that had the organization's best year since leaving Connecticut. They could win this one going away... I think Havana and San Juan battle this one out all the way to the Wild Card round - I could see the difference between the two never getting beyond 3-games... London is creeping forward - but this division is too tough, for now... The Scottish are exploring new haggis recipes...
IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: 'Ogre', Havana
Golden Arm Winner: 'Old Nick', Amsterdam
Wunderkind Winner: Sean Makepeace, Havana
Sovereign League Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo
2. Fargo
3. Crystal Lake
4. Madison
5. Duluth
K-Zoo has made quite the statement the past two seasons, and they may very well be the class of the SL - as hard as that may be to believe... Fargo and the 'Gnats will battle it out (much like HAV-SJ), with Fargo getting a slight edge - finishing second - AND with a strong record will be key if the Great Lakes are to get two playoff teams... Madison and Duluth have made a lot of moves, and I think they will be a force in a year or two - perhaps when we may see a ~gasp~ slide by the Dinos or 'Gnats...
Desert Hills
1. Reno
2. Bakersfield
3. Aurora
4. Palm Springs
5. Tempe
6. Yuma
Put the top three in a hat and draw places - I could see any of them having a solid, division winning year, and I can see them being a disappointment, but I give Reno the nod out of respect for last year, and Bakersfield with enough pitching to top the somewhat better offensively, but 'pen-challenged Borealis... Palm Springs is in 'no mans land' - likely not enough to challenge for the top, but clearly better than the bottom... Tempe 5, Yuma 6 - because Yuma says so...
Rising Sun
1. Toyama
2. Neo-Tokyo
3. Shin Seiki
4. Niihama-shi
5. Okinawa
Toyama had an amazing 2032 - and they deserve this title... I think Neo-Tokyo is much stronger than the Evil Evas, who will miss Santos (who is still within the Evas' budget) and ~gasp~ might miss the playoffs for the first time in... ever... (ok, 2009)... Don't sleep on the Ghosts - they've done a great job and I give them three more years and they are a playoff team... Mind you, not that Okinawa is a bad team, but they are in the toughest division...
SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez, Neo-Tokyo
Golden Arm Winner: Alfredo Gonzales, Toyama
Wunderkind Winner: Bob Ellerby, Neo-Tokyo
Postseason
IL Wild Card Winner
San Juan over Havana in 5 games
SL Wild Card Winner
Neo-Tokyo over Fargo in 3 games
IL Division Series Winners
West Virginia over San Juan in 5 games
Amsterdam over Florida in 6 games
SL Division Series Winners
Toyama over Reno in 5 games
Kalamazoo over Neo-Tokyo in 7 games
League Championship Series Winners
IL: Amsterdam over West Virginia in 7 games
SL: Toyama over Kalamazoo in 7 games
PEC Winner
Toyama over Amsterdam in 7 games
Michael Topham, President Golden Entertainment & President-CEO of the Aurora Borealis 2019, 2021, 2022, 2023 PEBA Champions
Seaboard
1. West Virginia - Still elite, still the top team in the IL
2. Hartford - Has star power, but is missing a few pieces to really push higher.
3. Arlington - Likely has reached it's bottom with the only way to go, up. Daniel, Shirai, and others will sell some tickets and try to play spoiler when possible.
4. Manchester - Still in a rebuild, but has some fun players to watch like Bill Knight, Valera, Carpenter.
Dixie
1. Florida - Stacked with talent, likely going to dominate the division for a long time.
2. Kentucky - Not the force they once were, but the farm is already turning out talent again.
3. San Antonio - Dangerous bats, but the pitching has me worried.
4. New Orleans - A quiet offseason for a steady as it goes team.
5. Charleston - Full rebuild with warm bodies on the active roster.
Trans Atlantic
1. Amsterdam - Cranked it up to 11 in the offseason and is ready to compete with a deep run into the playoffs.
2. Havana - Hasn't lost the division in 10 seasons but has lost some key players over the years. Still a tough team to beat.
3. San Juan - Not much as changed, Fudd was replaced with Aguilera. Eli McKnight should be an exciting prospect this season.
4. London - Duane Moss & David Tucker steal the show but it's hard to find a true run producer in the lineup.
5. Young talent in the farm has a ways to go so for now the Scottish will float around the bottom.
IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Javier Drake, WV
Golden Arm Winner: Luppe van Dam, FLA
Wunderkind Winner: Vito van Wondel, FLA
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo - A ridiculous pitching staff reinforced with an elite closer in Greg Bowen. The offense is still focused on a few guys, but it usually works.
2. Fargo - A similar team to last year, Pat Watson should come back to form and the pitching is top-notch.
3. Crystal Lake - A good team with good balance little obvious elite offensive players. Could easily swap places with Fargo
4. Duluth - They dropped a ton of money this offseason while staying in budget AND producing some real talent in the minors. They won't finish in the top 3 of the division, but they will be a thorn come September.
5. Madison - Another team with some talent but a few too many holes to really push higher up.
Desert Hills
1. Reno - Reno replaced most of its players it lost in FA and is looking good again. Patton and Ashley should be great additions and are upgrades in my book.
2. Aurora - Probably one of the most readable teams in the league. Solid pitching and an offense focused less on power more on hits and doubles. I still have questions regarding who will drive in runs regularly.
3. Bakersfield - Bakersfield struggled in 2032 before streaking upward towards the end. Losing Barry will hurt and Mata may take some time to adapt to top-level ball.
4. Palm Springs - A shell of the team they were 3-4 years ago. Pablo Ortiz is a monster, but there isn't too much support for him.
5. Tempe - Still building, but I loved the few moves made in the offseason. Edwards and Barry are both solid players that will man the fort while the prospects in the farm develop.
6. Yuma - Yuma continues to do their part encouraging young players to get into baseball by showing that anyone can make it. Bob, please don't trade Pin & Willis they are potential franchise players.
Rising Sun
1. Neo-Tokyo - Losing Honma won't hurt as much as his WAR says it will. Ellerby looks ready to take over at SS and the addition of Parker, Bao, and return of Justavo provides plenty of value.
2. Toyama - I refuse to rank myself first until we can actually win a division. The last piece of the young core is here (Maeda), time to see what these guys can do.
3. Shin Seiki - The best #3 team you could imagine. The Evas lost some value in the offseason, but the Evas are still great and FA isn't over yet with players like Santos waiting.
4. Okinawa - Written off last season, Okinawa was competing towards the top much of the season. They may not be elite but they are a good team. The return of Ronald Turton was a very positive sign.
5. Niihama - The most underrated team in the league solely because of the teams in this division. The signings of Davis, Oh, and Charron show the Ghosts aren't just going to roll over this year.
SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Tomas Martinez, NT
Golden Arm Winner: Roberto Rivera, SS
Wunderkind Winner: Yoritomo Maeda, TOY
Postseason
IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Havana over Kentucky in 4 games
SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
Toyama over Shin Seiki in 5 games
IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over Havana in 5 games
Amsterdam over Florida in 6 games
SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Kalamazoo over Toyama in 6 games
Reno over Neo-Tokyo in 7 games
League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Amsterdam in 7 games
SL: Kalamazoo over Reno in 6 games
PEC Winner
West Virginia over Kalamazoo in 7 games
Dylan Krupilis
GM - Toyama Wind Dancers
Web Admin/Tech Guru
1x PEBA Champion (2038)
3x Sovereign League Champion (2034, 2037, 2038)
1x GM of the Year (2034)
Seaboard
1. West Virginia - Easy call.
2. Hartford - In the mix for the playoffs. Still some room for upgrades.
3. Arlington - Plugged a lot of holes in the off season.
4. Manchester - Lots of young talent and a bright future.
Dixie
1. Florida - Loaded for the long haul.
2. Kentucky - Should rebound as the young talent blossoms.
3. San Antonio - They will score, but is that enough?
4. New Orleans - Has a bunch of good parts. But much room for upgrades.
5. Charleston - Deep in rebuild mode.
Trans Atlantic
1. Amsterdam - Vazquez should absolutely dominate in AMA's park.
2. San Juan - The 2032 champs are resilient and keep finding ways to stay in it.
3. Havana - Still a well run organization with a talented roster.
4. London - Some great parts, but the roster is not close to contention level now.
5. Scotland - Deep in rebuild mode.
IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Gilberto Fernandez, SA
Golden Arm Winner: Vazquez, AMA
Wunderkind Winner: Jose Tojiera WV
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo - Hugely talented. Ready to roll.
2. Crystal Lake - CL is never out of contention, but KAL is more talented at the moment.
3. Duluth - I expect the aggressive talent acquisition to continue.
4. Fargo -They'll go as far as the Glass God takes them. But odds are, that's to an extended stay on the Injured List.
5. Madison - Good parts, but not a complete roster yet.
Desert Hills
1. Reno - Looking strong again.
2. Bakersfield - I think this is the season things finally click in BAK.
3. Aurora - Consistent and talented. But they lack impact offensive talent.
4. Palm Springs - Should be a down year in PS. Once a bunch of old money comes off the books after 2033, they'll be able to reload.
5. Tempe - A work in progress, but they have fewer holes than Yuma.
6. Yuma - The farm system has a couple top shelf prospects and another armada of young talent coming in the draft. But the PEBA roster is an afterthought.
Rising Sun
1. Neo-Tokyo - They are at their peak and will be tough to catch. This is the year for NT to go all-in.
2. Toyama - Continues to get better.
3. Shin Seiki - As things stand, for now, 3rd place makes sense for the Evas.
4. Okinawa - OKA should solid once again. If they get hot, they could be a player at the deadline.
5. Niihama - Should easily be the most improved team in PEBA. Still a couple years from truly contending, but they will now be a much tougher out.
SL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Juan Carlos Ornezla, KAL
Golden Arm Winner: Cheong-Sang Yun. KAL
Wunderkind Winner: Yoritomo Maeda, TOY
Postseason
IL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
KY over HAR in 3 games
SL Wild Card Winner - Top 3 seeds get a bye
SS over TOY in 5 games
IL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
West Virginia over KY in 5 games
Amsterdam over Florida in 7 games
SL Division Series Winners - Top 3 seeds vs. Wild Card winner
Kalamazoo over SS in 6 games
NT over Reno in 5 games
League Championship Series Winners
IL: West Virginia over Amsterdam in 6 games
SL: KAL over NT in 7 games
Seaboard
1. West Virginia*
2. Hartford
3. Arlington
4. Manchester
Dixie
1. Florida*
2. Kentucky
3. San Antonio
4. New Orleans
5. Charleston
Trans Atlantic
1. Havana*
2. San Juan*
3. Amsterdam*
4. London
5. Scottish
IL Awards Winners
Royal Raker Winner: Alejandro Lujan, WV
Golden Arm Winner: Enrique Vazquez AMA
Wunderkind Winner: Vito Van Wondel, FLA (Still has rookie eligibility, right?)
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Kalamazoo*
2. Crystal Lake
3. Madison
4. Fargo
5. Duluth
As always, the Yuma prognosticators seem to have access to information other franchises are lacking. (Perhaps that's because we drink more Colorado River Water than anyone else.) Anyway, here is what we know down on the Mexican border. Since the 2033 PEBA season has already been played in some alternate universe somewhere, here's what you missed:
Imperial League
Seaboard
1. A three-way tie for first in the Seaboard forced a new set of playoffs, just to determine who went to the regular playoffs. Hartford, Manchester and Arlington finished with identical 80-82 records, giving PEBA its first sub-.500 division winners.
4. Meanwhile, in the hollers of W Virginia, the Alleghenies were crippled by a new sort of plague, non-viral, recussant and entirely unknown heretofore. Through the season we learned that the disease, with symptoms that include repeated vomiting for days on end and loss of sensation in the fingertips, was carried by wild boars, common in the remote hollers of the state. Apparently, during a practical joke or clubhouse prank, several players tried to tackle a wild boar and, thereby, contracted the disease. It spread like wildfire among the team and forced W Virginia to, initially, call up an entire squad of minor leaguers until, late in the season, they simply began forfeiting games. Alleghenies GM Greg Abcarian was philosophical about the disaster, saying he intended to look on the bright side. "Next year, we'll get to draft ahead of those damn Yuman beings!"
Dixie
1. Calzones. In the greatest turnaround in PEBA history (from 114 losses to 100 wins), the former San Antonio Calzones of Laredo dropped the "of Laredo" part of their silly name, moved the franchise to Fort Worth, played all their home games in the tiny TCU baseball stadium, set a new record for team home runs and ran away with the Dixie Division title.
2. New Orleans attempted to play catch up with the Calzones all season long, but simply couldn't match the power of the new Fort Worth franchise.
3. Annual powerhouse Florida stumbled out of the gate as most of the starting lineup and all of the bullpen were trapped in Key West during an extraordinarily long hurricane season. Players had journeyed to Key West to party together prior to the start of the season, but when the FAA was forced to ground all airplane flights in and of Florida and, shortly after that, when the state of Florida itself was forced by a series of tropical storms to prohibit any vehicular traffic across the bridges linking the Florida Keys to the mainland, the players were stranded. What initially was thought to be a several day isolation turned into two months, and the Farstriders hopes for a repeat pennant were drowned.
4. Charleston was affected by the same tropical storms, but less severely. They could not play the first homestand because the stadium had been flooded, and several key players went missing for a week or so. Eventually, they put the club and the stadium back on track, but the team never lived up to its potential after that.
5. Kentucky was, fortunately, unaffected by the unusual series of tropic storms. However, several Thoroughbred players had family along the coast and they asked permission to leave the team to help their families survive the meteorological assault. Their absence insured Kentucky of a less than stellar season.
Trans Atlantic
1. Scottish. What a strange division, the Trans-Atlantic, including both Caribbean clubs and northern England teams. Suffice to say, the unusual tropical storm system that drowned nearly half the state of Florida had equally devastating effect on the Caribbean clubs, Havana and San Juan. As a result, the unaffected European teams had great seasons, with the bagpipe-blowing Scots leading the charge.
2. Amsterdam.
3. London. A tight finish between London and the Lions, but a freakish subway accident put several Underground players in the hospital and cost them a shot at the playoffs.
4. San Juan. Less affected by the storms than Havana, the Coqui avoided the Trans-Atlantic basement.
5. Havana. Not only was the team devastated, the entire city seemed to crumble beneath the nearly daily assault of the storms. Kids splashed and floated in the Plaza Vieja while the Leones couldn't pitch or swing a bat in their stadium that lay under 3 feet of water.
Sovereign League
Great Lakes
1. Crystal Lake. Having solved their water shortage problems, the Sandgnats chewed their way to the top of the division, again.
2. Madison. The Malts were so high on their own brew, they never felt the stress of a long season. They floated their way into second place, one beer stein behind Crystal Lake.
3. Duluth. The Warriors surprised everybody by playing above .500 ball.
4. Kalamazoo. The Badgers underperformed all season. Jaime Stackpole blamed it on an alien intervention and was summarily sacked.
5. Fargo. The same meteorological phenomena that created the Atlantic's worst hurricane season in human memory also kept the northern reaches of the American continent in icebox conditions until well into summer. The Dinosaurs struggled to warm up, loosen their muscles. Tendon tears, leg cramps, Achilles' heal injuries and massive cold-induced headaches crippled the Dinosaurs. For one stretch in April, not a single fan braved the sub-zero temperatures to attend a game.
Desert Hills
1. Reno. West of the Rockies and especially in the Great Basin, baseball flourished in 2033. The Zephyrs never had more than a gentle breeze to cool fans in their stadium, and the team slugged its way to another division title.
2. Palm Springs. With tourist business booming all summer long in Palm Springs (due to unusually COOL summer temperatures while the rest of the nation either drowned or froze), the Codgers filled their stadium nearly every game. The support inspired the players to outdo themselves, and the aging Codgers finished just behind the youthful Zephyrs.
3. Yuma. Yup, third place. Unheard of. It's all about the water, and the magical benefits of the Colorado River Water were demonstrated beyond a doubt by the first winning season in 12 years. Just after Opening Day, the Arroyos started trading for aging veterans, much to the surprise of the rest of the league. Those vets, in the declining years of their careers, were then isolated in one of Yuma's famous spas, fed nothing but frijoles and Colorado River Water. When they joined the team after their "conditioning," they played like 20 year olds.
4. Aurora. With no power to speak of, the Borealis counted on its pitching aces to keep them atop the Desert Hills, but a strange confluence of tired arms, broken arms, dislocated shoulders and strained elbows meant the Borealis pitching staff couldn't carry the club.
5. Tempe. The Knights dug their way out of the basement on sheer luck. They scored fewer runs than any other Desert Hill team, their team ERA was second worst (to Aurora), and they should have lost nearly 100 games. But they didn't. When they did lose, they lost BIG. Scores of 16-1 and 12-0 were not uncommon. But they won more than half of their games by one run.
6. Bakersfield. If Tempe was the recipient of some inexplicable luck, the Bears were the flip side of that coin. They lost nearly ever one-run game they played. The city of Bakersfield went bankrupt and tried to sell of the team's stadium. Fans saved it, but the city and county levied heavy taxes against the ball club. While all this financial/political turmoil was going on, the Bakers were distracted. On the last week of the season, they lost 3 straight to Yuma and then 3 more to Palm Springs, securing their position at the bottom of the Desert Hills.
Rising Sun
Oh, how sad to lose the Rising Sun! Such promise in these teams and their players. Some of the players were permitted to return home, to the US or Latin America mostly, but the Japanese and other Asian players were kept under house arrest after the coup. Japan's royal family, tired of being relegated to mere ceremonial roles in Japanese society and politics, joined forces with North Korea's Kim family to overthrow the Japanese parliament. The new dictator banished all ball players and confiscated all baseball stadiums and equipment. The Rising Sun league has set. Not for good, we hope.
As a united gesture of support, PEBA's Commissioner cancelled all playoff games and called for a month of mourning instead of a final month of baseball.
