Before we start delving into the complex season for the Cerulean Survivors, let's take a look at the context in which the team appears. As you know, the Cerulean Survivors are a team playing in the Thingysland Baseball League. This brings up some important question. What is Thingysland? And what's so special about the Thingysland Baseball League.
Thingysland is a world that my sister and I created that involves the intermingling of many fantasy characters. It was a chance for us to work our creative muscle with series that both of us enjoy. How else would one explain the existence of a baseball player featuring three seemingly incompatible series? The actual workings of Thingysland are a bit bizarre, as most of the groundwork was placed when my sister and I were below the age of ten. Each series represented in Thingysland are actually segregated in their own Thingy; they live apart from each other. Thingysland is actually a lot like a movie lot, with the entire world of a certain series contained in a movie studio-like structure. At the head of Thingysland is the administrative office of Thingysland: The Temple of the Commissioner, but that is completely irrelevant to the topic at hand.
What is more relevant is the metaphysics in Thingysland. In the beginning (circa 1993), there was no Thingysland. Each Thingy was just their own separate entity. Whenever we wanted to do Thingys, we would select one Thingy, like the "Garfield Thingy" or the "Simpsons Thingy," and stick with the storyline there. It wasn't until later that my sister and I created a world to encompass all of the different universes that were present, and even then the Thingys were kept from intermingling. Whenever we needed a cross-over, we would go to a separate Thingy: the Two-Thingys Thingy, which expanded every time we threw in another series. Open mixing between Thingys began in 1994-1996, and that made Thingys essentially a long-running soap opera. We kept each Thingy a completely separate entity, but the barriers between Thingy have completely dissolved. The characters can easily leave the Thingy and travel around to different Thingys on their own accord. So each character is subject to two different universes: the universe from their own world and the overall Thingysland universe.
In the end, the Thingysland universe took precedence. The concept of time for each Thingy has completely lost all meaning, as they switched to time in Thingysland. And the time in Thingysland has become completely senseless. It is subject to the fancies of my sisters and me. So if we said a billion years have passed, a billion years have passed. As you may expect, we do that quite often. We've estimated that approximately five billion years have passed in Thingysland since its inception. That's 5,000,000,000. And the passage of time has been a bit reverse exponential. So the early Thingys (Garfield, The Simpsons) have been around for 5 billion years, Thingys that arrived in 1998 (Pokemon) have been around for 2 billion years, while Thingys that arrived in 2003 have only been around for a few thousand. Yes, the characters in Thingysland are immortal.
Immortality in Thingysland is conferred through the Master's Degree, which is in reality a blanket concept that justifies the erratically fast passage of time. And yet the Master's Degree is not just something that prevents death. It has some distinct benefits, the most important of which is the 24-hour regeneration. Any physical injury will revert back to normal in 24 hours. So any broken bones, tumors, or decapitated heads will disappear within 24 hours. The Master's Degree has also brought the population of Thingysland to enormous magnitudes. Thingysland does not simply constitute the characters we are following. Rather, it's a world that contains dozens of different universes, each with its own population of "random people." And it's a world that has been accumulating people...many of which don't die...for billions of years. No official Thingysland census has been taken, but the overall population has been estimated to surpass Avogadro's Number, that is...6.02 ^ 23.
The Thingysland Baseball League exists only within the 15-Thingys Thingy (formerly the Two-Thingys Thingy.) It started around 3.5 billion years ago, and is made up of several tiers of play. New teams start out in the Amateur Leagues, and they have the opportunity to move onto the Novice Leagues, the Bush Leagues, the Rookie Leagues, the A Leagues, the AA Leagues, and the AAA Leagues. The reason why they are called tiers is because there are just so many teams that they don't all fit in one league. Instead, there are tens of thousands of leagues in the lower tiers, ranging from 8-16 teams. In each tier, the teams play a schedule of a set length, and then the team in each league move onto the playoffs. Depending on the tier a team is in, it can play between 13 (for Bush Leagues) to 15 (Novice and Amateur Leagues) best-of-seven series. They are playing for one thing: to be among the top 64 (N & A Leagues) or the top 32 (B Leagues) teams, where they will have the opportunity to advance to the higher league. The top team in each tier advances two leagues.
The Rookie - AA Leagues operate on a similar system, except since there are fewer leagues, fewer teams are allowed to advance. Only 16 teams can advance from Rookie to A and A to AA, and only 8 teams can advance from AA to AAA. Once a team arrives in the AAA Leagues, they've essentially reached the apex of their climb. The AAA Leagues serve essentially as a farm system for Major League teams to scout players. The entire pool of minor league teams are open to them to draft players. This is why the advancement of the four teams, including the Cerulean Survivors, is such big news.
The rules in Thingysland Baseball are essentially the same as the National League rules. In other words, there is no Designated Hitter position, and pitchers are expected to hit. What is different is the presence of the Master's Degree, which has a profound impact on Thingysland baseball. Not only would the 24-hour regeneration erase the effect of injuries, but it can also extend the careers of players indefinitely. So there are players who go out for millions, even billions of years. The basics of Thingysland and Thingysland baseball is laid out in this post. Any questions should be directed in the comments section (although I don't expect there to be any...mostly because nobody is going to read this), and we'll begin the inaugural season of Cerulean Survivors.
Friday, December 19, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
The Cerulean Survivors: The Pitchers and Coaches
Yesterday, I introduced the position players for the Cerulean Survivors. The team's offensive combination of small-ball and power is definitely one of their strengths, but as the saying goes, "Good pitching beats good hitting." The team's diverse selection of power and finesse is also a key ingredient to their success, as are the team's cast of accomplished coaches. That said, let us proceed with the introduction of the pitching staff and the coaching team.
Starting Rotation
Takashi Takeda
Starter / Hitting Coach
The gargantuan Takeda, nicknamed "Jumbo," is one of the the most imposing figures on the mound. He stands at a full 6'10" and weighs in at almost 300 pounds. The former employee at a flower shop combines an explosive fastball that approaches 100mph with a hard, biting curveball to become a major strikeout threat, averaging over one strikeout per inning during his minor league career. He burst onto the scene during an Amateur League playoff game by pitching all 251 innings in an ultra-marathon while striking out 336 batters. Both of those figures are records for all tiers of Thingysland play. Since then, he has become one of the most popular players in the game. In addition to his pitching, Jumbo is also a potent offensive threat, never failing to finish among the top 5 in home runs and OPS on the team. He hits clean-up in each of his starts, and is frequently used as a pinch-hitter. He also doubles as the team's hitting coach, although he admits that his work in minimal.
Lloyd Irving
Starter
Lloyd is a dependable starter, and that goes well with his loyal personality. He goes into every start with the same intensity and focus that he puts into his other endeavors, as an engineer and as a companion to the Chosen in their journey of regeneration. He has an impressive array of pitches, from a fastball in the mid to upper 90s to a hard-breaking slider. He does have trouble at times finding the plate, thereby increasing his pitch count, but he is still a tried-and-true innings eater. While he doesn't have the offensive production of Jumbo, he holds his own with the bat, frequently helping his own cause with timely RBIs. And his quick reflex and steady hands make him one of the stronger defensive pitchers in spite of his violent delivery.
Minamo Kurosawa
Starter / Pitching Coach
"Nyamo," as Kurosawa is affectionately known, spent several years as an award-winning physical education teacher. She has a strong understanding of all things related to fitness and physical activity, as well as being a terrific teacher. These qualities add up to make her one of the top pitching coaches in the game. She knows just about all there is to know about pitching mechanics, and she has the ability and patience to teach them to others as well as correct mechanical flaws. Needless to say, she isn't one of those coaches who teaches what they can't do. Nyamo possesses one of the most diverse arsenals on the team. Although her fastball tops out in the high 80s, she mixes it up with curveballs, sliders, cutters, screwballs, and even changeups. All of her pitches are also blessed with loads of movement, making her one of the hardest pitchers to hit, and she gets her share of strikeouts too.
Sheena Fujibayashi
Starter / Pitching Coach
Sheena is one of the newest players on the team, having joined only a year ago in a public tryout. She spent several years meditating after completing the journey of regeneration, and that has helped her reach a higher level in her awareness. This newfound awareness paired with her prior training as a ninja in the village of Mizuho has given her the concentration and understanding of how to attack an opponent's weakness. Her array of outstanding off-speed and breaking pitches gives her the ammunition to hit those targets to deliver outs, while keeping her walk totals down. She is also great at the plate, being able to deliver base hits in key situations. While she has tremendous talent, she still suffers from a lack of self confidence at times, easily becoming unrattled after errors, increasing her unearned run average. She has nevertheless become one of the more popular players on the team, although some say it may be because of her voluptuous figure rather than her baseball skills.
Yanda
Starter
Yanda (real name Yasuda) is an extremely laid back fellow, and he takes this casual nature onto the mound. While he has a fastball that can go into the mid-90s, he prefers to go with his large, looping curveball and change-ups. This approach can be a curse as well as a blessing. When his stuff is good, he can be one of the most frustrating pitchers in the game. However, when his breaking pitches hang, he becomes one of the most hittable pitchers in the game. The unpredictability of his performance can be troublesome, but he is still a proven innings machine despite his scrawny build, and is suitable as a starter. He is well known for having a rivalry with mascot Yostuba Koiwai, and has used this to his advantage by clowning around with her on his off days.
While the starting rotation is full of pitchers with hot stuff, the Survivors bullpen is built primarily of soft-tossers. Manager Phoenix Wright has often been criticized for not having anybody in the bullpen that can put people away with 100mph fastballs, but he has often shrugged off these criticisms, citing the Daoist belief that the soft can overcome the hard. And they haven't failed the team yet.
Bullpen
Asagi Ayase
Reliever
The eldest Ayase sister, Asagi joined the team five years after her sisters in the same tryout that produced Sheena. While Asagi doesn't have Sheena's mental focus, she does share her repertoire of pitches. She has a dazzling array of change-ups and breaking pitches, and is able to reach back for a 90mph fastball in pressure situations. She exhibited supreme confidence and brilliant control during her one season with the Survivors, and has become one of the team's co-closers along with good friend Torako.
Maggey Byrde
Reliever
Maggey is a wondrous little bundle of energy. She tackles all of her endeavors with zest, and is never afraid to pick herself up after a failure, a trait she learned during her days as a police officer, waitress, and security guard. She owes her success on the mound to a powerful slider and an excellent change-up. She does have a bit of an unlucky streak, as the team makes an inordinate amount of errors when she is pitching, but she has the moxy to get out of these sticky situations.
Ayumu Kasuga
Reliever
The lovable Kasuga, dubbed "Osaka" by her teammates and most of her fans even though she was born in Wakayama and grew up mostly in Kobe, is one of the most frustrating relievers on the team. She throws only one pitch: a virtually unhittable knuckleball, which floats in an unpredictable direction due to the lack of spin on the ball. Analysts have stated that Osaka's knuckler is the closest to a true, spin-free knuckleball among all the knuckleball pitchers out there. Thankfully, catchers Gumshoe and Genis Sage are among the best ball-handlers out there. And yet Kasuga is one of the least athletic players on the team. She has difficulty performing the most basic of actions, including catching the ball, so the catchers must run and hand her the ball after every pitch.
Koiwai
Reliever
Koiwai is the father of mascot Yotsuba Koiwai and also good friends with pitchers Takashi Takeda and Yanda. His pitching style more closely mirrors that of Yanda, throwing largely off-speed pitches and breaking balls. He's served as a spot starter early in the team's history, although he pitches almost exclusively in relief. Nevertheless, he has the ability to pitch long relief when necessary.
Torako
Reliever
Torako is Asagi's best friend, and joined the team because of her presence. She has a cavalier attitude towards baseball, which frustrates many of her coaches. Her clashes with bullpen coach Franziska von Karma has become quite famous, especially regarding her habit of smoking, but it's hard to argue with her pitching. She is adept at late movement and changing speeds. She can hit the mid-90s on the radar guns with her fastball, while she can also throw 50-mph change-ups for strikes. She joins Asagi as the co-closer heading into the inaugural season.
Trucy Wright
Reliever
Trucy is manager Phoenix Wright's adopted daughter and a real magician, both in terms of her career and her pitching. She frustrates hitters with her collection of late-moving fastballs, cutters, and breaking balls. It's gotten so that the league appoints a real magician to sit in the stands at every game to check for foul play, although they have yet to find any. In addition, she handles the bat well. She and Koiwai are the only relievers to consistently get plate appearances. She has more career home runs (1) than Dick Gumshoe, and has a pair of series-winning walk-off hits. She is undoubtedly one of the most popular players on the Survivors.
Coaches
Phoenix Wright
Manager
A former popular ace attorney and world-renowed poker player, Phoenix Wright was voted as the player/manager for the Survivors in a team vote six years ago. While his career as a catcher never took off, he has become one of the game's most respected managers, winning the overall tier championship six years in a row. Although he confesses he knows little about baseball, he has a bright and quick mind and the stunning ability to think outside the box. He does anything for runs, using some wildly unconventional methods including letting his best hitters bunt in less than favorable matchups. He operates under the strategy that the game has 27 outs, and that anything can happen until all 27 outs are gone. As a result, the Survivors have become known for winning a lot of come-from-behind games, and they have become known as "The Turnabout Team." Perhaps it is fitting, as Phoenix is well known for winning cases he seemed almost certain to lose in his short but dazzling law career.
Mia Fey
Bench Coach
Through the magic of Thingysland and the powers of Evil Kessie, Mia, murdered several years ago by a vindicative CEO, returns from the grave to revive her career as an attorney. She was Phoenix's mentor and advisor early in his law career, and now reprises the role as the team's bench coach. Even though baseball was not her strong suit, her confidence and intelligence allows her to serve as a potent strategic advisor. Her tough but warm personality endears her to much of her team, but no more so than her sister Maya and cousin Pearl, both of whom had thought she would be gone forever.
Takashi Takeda
Hitting Coach
See above.
Minamo Kurosawa
Pitching Coach
See above.
Franziska Von Karma
Bullpen Coach
The Survivors bullpen is full of extremely laid back characters, from the air-headed Osaka to the cavalier Torako to the casual Koiwai. While the players have sufficient talent, the group may go into utter disarray in the lack of a guiding figure. And who better to be a guiding figure as the authoritative Von Karma, who had been a legend in the courts since her pre-teens, and who had served a stint as chief prosecutor before the attacks. She joined the coaching staff in the middle of the team's AAA years, and has whipped the team into shape, literally. Her whip has become a trademark, although the courts rule that she can't actually use it to whip people as she did during her law career. She is a strict and iron-fisted taskmaster, and even though this caused some friction among a few of the players, she has such a dominating presence that they can't help but respect her.
Raine Sage
First Base Coach
The role of the first base coach is still a little bit fuzzy for many people, but first base coaches are responsible for much of the communication that goes between a runner on first base and the manager. They usually make the judgment as to whether or not to steal, or to go to second on a hit. Raine was one of the brightest minds in Sylvarant, and has a long career in teaching with a lengthy journey of regeneration in between. Although archaeology is her love as opposed to baseball, she still agreed to join the coaching team at the encouragement of her brother Genis and former students Lloyd and Colette. She is also one of the steadiest batting practice pitchers.
Miles Edgeworth
Third Base Coach
Edgeworth was a cutthroat but highly successful and award winning prosecutor before moving on to other endeavors. He maintains a tenunous friendship with Phoenix Wright, as well as a more complicated relationship with catcher Dick Gumshoe. It is these connections that convinced him to join the team, albeit only as a coach. Still, his steady judgment is helpful for a criticial position as the third base coach. Under his guidance, the Survivors has had one of the lowest percentages of runners thrown out at the plate. Edgeworth is curt and a bit of a recluse, which is often mistaken for arrogance, but he can be a warm fellow. He is deathly afraid of earthquakes.
The Survivors aren't all about the players and the coaches. One thing that separates a Major League team from a team in the amateur tier is that it takes a lot more people to run the team. Here are some key members behind the scenes for the Cerulean Survivors.
Misty
Principle Owner
The team has come under the ownership of the Cerulean City Mat 4 Cheap, one of the most profitable retailers in all of Thingysland, during its second year in the AAA tier. The principle owner of the Mat 4 Cheap is none other than Misty, one of the most powerful figures in all of Thingysland. She was an instrumental part in working with the Commissioner of the Thingysland Baseball League, the Ex-Gravedigger, in getting the league to expand for the first time in thousands of years. Since she is one of only a dozen people in all of Thingysland to know Multiplicity, Misty is able to run the store on her own while also having the freedom to dedicate herself to public service and Pokemon training, as she still serves as the Cerulean City Gym Leader. She admits that the Cerulean Survivors places rather low on her list of priorities, but she is glad for the team's success, as the Survivors have become emblematic of the resilience of the people in Thingysland. It is a well-known fact that the Ex-Gravedigger has a massive crush on Misty. Some argue that this relationship would lead to bias towards the Survivors, although the Ex-Gravedigger has denied all allegations.
Brock
General Manager
Brock is the former Viridian City Gym Leader and aspiring Pokemon breeder. Although he does not know Multiplicity, he still does his best to be everywhere at once to welcome new members into Thingysland. It is through this that he has come to become familiar with almost everybody on the team. For example, he accompanied the Tales of Symphonia characters in their journal outside of Thingysland; he transferred into Yukari's school at the inception of the Azumanga Daioh, and he joined Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl during their Pokemon journeys. However, he has a reputation of being a womanizer, which many feel is the real reason for his association with the team. In fact, he did serve two years in prison for child abduction and harrassment after taking Pearl on her Pokemon journey. Nevertheless, he was offered the position of General Manager and accepted it.
Yotsuba Koiwai
Mascot
Yotsuba is the green-haired, ever-sunny bundle of joy who dances around in the middle of the game to entertain the crowds. She was a former outfielder for the team, but was cut after the arrival of Sheena. She performs every activity with gusto, living life to the very fullest. She had always brightened the team with her infectuous energy, and by making her a mascot, she is still able to be a critical part of the team. She is incredibly popular among fans, and Yotsuba dolls are incredibly hot sellers.
Apollo Justice
Bullpen Catcher
Apollo is a former attorney working for Phoenix and Trucy's half-brother, a fact he didn't realize until it was almost too late. He is a relatively smart fellow, graduating from law school at the tender age of 21, but he is lacking in self-confidence, and is very much a go-with-the-flow sort of person. He had served as the third-string catcher behind Gumshoe and Genis, but with his inability to call games competently and with the lack of much athletic ability, he eventually lost his spot on the roster, but he remains on the team as the bullpen catcher as the relievers warm up.
Chiyo Mihama
Team Physician / Trainer
Chiyo was a child prodigy, entering a prestigious high school at the age of 10, and becoming a full-practicing medical doctor in her early 20s. She had been a student of Yukari and "Nyamo," and also best friends with Osaka and Yomi among others. She had worked in family medicine, but was convinced to join the team as a trainer and a team physician by her old friends at the formation of the team. She took a few years to complete her orthopedic surgery rotation and also did a sports medicine fellowship for two years before joining the team in the previous season. She is a highly intelligent and highly humble physician who earns the respect of everybody on the team.
Starting Rotation
Takashi Takeda
Starter / Hitting Coach
The gargantuan Takeda, nicknamed "Jumbo," is one of the the most imposing figures on the mound. He stands at a full 6'10" and weighs in at almost 300 pounds. The former employee at a flower shop combines an explosive fastball that approaches 100mph with a hard, biting curveball to become a major strikeout threat, averaging over one strikeout per inning during his minor league career. He burst onto the scene during an Amateur League playoff game by pitching all 251 innings in an ultra-marathon while striking out 336 batters. Both of those figures are records for all tiers of Thingysland play. Since then, he has become one of the most popular players in the game. In addition to his pitching, Jumbo is also a potent offensive threat, never failing to finish among the top 5 in home runs and OPS on the team. He hits clean-up in each of his starts, and is frequently used as a pinch-hitter. He also doubles as the team's hitting coach, although he admits that his work in minimal.
Lloyd Irving
Starter
Lloyd is a dependable starter, and that goes well with his loyal personality. He goes into every start with the same intensity and focus that he puts into his other endeavors, as an engineer and as a companion to the Chosen in their journey of regeneration. He has an impressive array of pitches, from a fastball in the mid to upper 90s to a hard-breaking slider. He does have trouble at times finding the plate, thereby increasing his pitch count, but he is still a tried-and-true innings eater. While he doesn't have the offensive production of Jumbo, he holds his own with the bat, frequently helping his own cause with timely RBIs. And his quick reflex and steady hands make him one of the stronger defensive pitchers in spite of his violent delivery.
Minamo Kurosawa
Starter / Pitching Coach
"Nyamo," as Kurosawa is affectionately known, spent several years as an award-winning physical education teacher. She has a strong understanding of all things related to fitness and physical activity, as well as being a terrific teacher. These qualities add up to make her one of the top pitching coaches in the game. She knows just about all there is to know about pitching mechanics, and she has the ability and patience to teach them to others as well as correct mechanical flaws. Needless to say, she isn't one of those coaches who teaches what they can't do. Nyamo possesses one of the most diverse arsenals on the team. Although her fastball tops out in the high 80s, she mixes it up with curveballs, sliders, cutters, screwballs, and even changeups. All of her pitches are also blessed with loads of movement, making her one of the hardest pitchers to hit, and she gets her share of strikeouts too.
Sheena Fujibayashi
Starter / Pitching Coach
Sheena is one of the newest players on the team, having joined only a year ago in a public tryout. She spent several years meditating after completing the journey of regeneration, and that has helped her reach a higher level in her awareness. This newfound awareness paired with her prior training as a ninja in the village of Mizuho has given her the concentration and understanding of how to attack an opponent's weakness. Her array of outstanding off-speed and breaking pitches gives her the ammunition to hit those targets to deliver outs, while keeping her walk totals down. She is also great at the plate, being able to deliver base hits in key situations. While she has tremendous talent, she still suffers from a lack of self confidence at times, easily becoming unrattled after errors, increasing her unearned run average. She has nevertheless become one of the more popular players on the team, although some say it may be because of her voluptuous figure rather than her baseball skills.
Yanda
Starter
Yanda (real name Yasuda) is an extremely laid back fellow, and he takes this casual nature onto the mound. While he has a fastball that can go into the mid-90s, he prefers to go with his large, looping curveball and change-ups. This approach can be a curse as well as a blessing. When his stuff is good, he can be one of the most frustrating pitchers in the game. However, when his breaking pitches hang, he becomes one of the most hittable pitchers in the game. The unpredictability of his performance can be troublesome, but he is still a proven innings machine despite his scrawny build, and is suitable as a starter. He is well known for having a rivalry with mascot Yostuba Koiwai, and has used this to his advantage by clowning around with her on his off days.
While the starting rotation is full of pitchers with hot stuff, the Survivors bullpen is built primarily of soft-tossers. Manager Phoenix Wright has often been criticized for not having anybody in the bullpen that can put people away with 100mph fastballs, but he has often shrugged off these criticisms, citing the Daoist belief that the soft can overcome the hard. And they haven't failed the team yet.
Bullpen
Asagi Ayase
Reliever
The eldest Ayase sister, Asagi joined the team five years after her sisters in the same tryout that produced Sheena. While Asagi doesn't have Sheena's mental focus, she does share her repertoire of pitches. She has a dazzling array of change-ups and breaking pitches, and is able to reach back for a 90mph fastball in pressure situations. She exhibited supreme confidence and brilliant control during her one season with the Survivors, and has become one of the team's co-closers along with good friend Torako.
Maggey Byrde
Reliever
Maggey is a wondrous little bundle of energy. She tackles all of her endeavors with zest, and is never afraid to pick herself up after a failure, a trait she learned during her days as a police officer, waitress, and security guard. She owes her success on the mound to a powerful slider and an excellent change-up. She does have a bit of an unlucky streak, as the team makes an inordinate amount of errors when she is pitching, but she has the moxy to get out of these sticky situations.
Ayumu Kasuga
Reliever
The lovable Kasuga, dubbed "Osaka" by her teammates and most of her fans even though she was born in Wakayama and grew up mostly in Kobe, is one of the most frustrating relievers on the team. She throws only one pitch: a virtually unhittable knuckleball, which floats in an unpredictable direction due to the lack of spin on the ball. Analysts have stated that Osaka's knuckler is the closest to a true, spin-free knuckleball among all the knuckleball pitchers out there. Thankfully, catchers Gumshoe and Genis Sage are among the best ball-handlers out there. And yet Kasuga is one of the least athletic players on the team. She has difficulty performing the most basic of actions, including catching the ball, so the catchers must run and hand her the ball after every pitch.
Koiwai
Reliever
Koiwai is the father of mascot Yotsuba Koiwai and also good friends with pitchers Takashi Takeda and Yanda. His pitching style more closely mirrors that of Yanda, throwing largely off-speed pitches and breaking balls. He's served as a spot starter early in the team's history, although he pitches almost exclusively in relief. Nevertheless, he has the ability to pitch long relief when necessary.
Torako
Reliever
Torako is Asagi's best friend, and joined the team because of her presence. She has a cavalier attitude towards baseball, which frustrates many of her coaches. Her clashes with bullpen coach Franziska von Karma has become quite famous, especially regarding her habit of smoking, but it's hard to argue with her pitching. She is adept at late movement and changing speeds. She can hit the mid-90s on the radar guns with her fastball, while she can also throw 50-mph change-ups for strikes. She joins Asagi as the co-closer heading into the inaugural season.
Trucy Wright
Reliever
Trucy is manager Phoenix Wright's adopted daughter and a real magician, both in terms of her career and her pitching. She frustrates hitters with her collection of late-moving fastballs, cutters, and breaking balls. It's gotten so that the league appoints a real magician to sit in the stands at every game to check for foul play, although they have yet to find any. In addition, she handles the bat well. She and Koiwai are the only relievers to consistently get plate appearances. She has more career home runs (1) than Dick Gumshoe, and has a pair of series-winning walk-off hits. She is undoubtedly one of the most popular players on the Survivors.
Coaches
Phoenix Wright
Manager
A former popular ace attorney and world-renowed poker player, Phoenix Wright was voted as the player/manager for the Survivors in a team vote six years ago. While his career as a catcher never took off, he has become one of the game's most respected managers, winning the overall tier championship six years in a row. Although he confesses he knows little about baseball, he has a bright and quick mind and the stunning ability to think outside the box. He does anything for runs, using some wildly unconventional methods including letting his best hitters bunt in less than favorable matchups. He operates under the strategy that the game has 27 outs, and that anything can happen until all 27 outs are gone. As a result, the Survivors have become known for winning a lot of come-from-behind games, and they have become known as "The Turnabout Team." Perhaps it is fitting, as Phoenix is well known for winning cases he seemed almost certain to lose in his short but dazzling law career.
Mia Fey
Bench Coach
Through the magic of Thingysland and the powers of Evil Kessie, Mia, murdered several years ago by a vindicative CEO, returns from the grave to revive her career as an attorney. She was Phoenix's mentor and advisor early in his law career, and now reprises the role as the team's bench coach. Even though baseball was not her strong suit, her confidence and intelligence allows her to serve as a potent strategic advisor. Her tough but warm personality endears her to much of her team, but no more so than her sister Maya and cousin Pearl, both of whom had thought she would be gone forever.
Takashi Takeda
Hitting Coach
See above.
Minamo Kurosawa
Pitching Coach
See above.
Franziska Von Karma
Bullpen Coach
The Survivors bullpen is full of extremely laid back characters, from the air-headed Osaka to the cavalier Torako to the casual Koiwai. While the players have sufficient talent, the group may go into utter disarray in the lack of a guiding figure. And who better to be a guiding figure as the authoritative Von Karma, who had been a legend in the courts since her pre-teens, and who had served a stint as chief prosecutor before the attacks. She joined the coaching staff in the middle of the team's AAA years, and has whipped the team into shape, literally. Her whip has become a trademark, although the courts rule that she can't actually use it to whip people as she did during her law career. She is a strict and iron-fisted taskmaster, and even though this caused some friction among a few of the players, she has such a dominating presence that they can't help but respect her.
Raine Sage
First Base Coach
The role of the first base coach is still a little bit fuzzy for many people, but first base coaches are responsible for much of the communication that goes between a runner on first base and the manager. They usually make the judgment as to whether or not to steal, or to go to second on a hit. Raine was one of the brightest minds in Sylvarant, and has a long career in teaching with a lengthy journey of regeneration in between. Although archaeology is her love as opposed to baseball, she still agreed to join the coaching team at the encouragement of her brother Genis and former students Lloyd and Colette. She is also one of the steadiest batting practice pitchers.
Miles Edgeworth
Third Base Coach
Edgeworth was a cutthroat but highly successful and award winning prosecutor before moving on to other endeavors. He maintains a tenunous friendship with Phoenix Wright, as well as a more complicated relationship with catcher Dick Gumshoe. It is these connections that convinced him to join the team, albeit only as a coach. Still, his steady judgment is helpful for a criticial position as the third base coach. Under his guidance, the Survivors has had one of the lowest percentages of runners thrown out at the plate. Edgeworth is curt and a bit of a recluse, which is often mistaken for arrogance, but he can be a warm fellow. He is deathly afraid of earthquakes.
The Survivors aren't all about the players and the coaches. One thing that separates a Major League team from a team in the amateur tier is that it takes a lot more people to run the team. Here are some key members behind the scenes for the Cerulean Survivors.
Misty
Principle Owner
The team has come under the ownership of the Cerulean City Mat 4 Cheap, one of the most profitable retailers in all of Thingysland, during its second year in the AAA tier. The principle owner of the Mat 4 Cheap is none other than Misty, one of the most powerful figures in all of Thingysland. She was an instrumental part in working with the Commissioner of the Thingysland Baseball League, the Ex-Gravedigger, in getting the league to expand for the first time in thousands of years. Since she is one of only a dozen people in all of Thingysland to know Multiplicity, Misty is able to run the store on her own while also having the freedom to dedicate herself to public service and Pokemon training, as she still serves as the Cerulean City Gym Leader. She admits that the Cerulean Survivors places rather low on her list of priorities, but she is glad for the team's success, as the Survivors have become emblematic of the resilience of the people in Thingysland. It is a well-known fact that the Ex-Gravedigger has a massive crush on Misty. Some argue that this relationship would lead to bias towards the Survivors, although the Ex-Gravedigger has denied all allegations.
Brock
General Manager
Brock is the former Viridian City Gym Leader and aspiring Pokemon breeder. Although he does not know Multiplicity, he still does his best to be everywhere at once to welcome new members into Thingysland. It is through this that he has come to become familiar with almost everybody on the team. For example, he accompanied the Tales of Symphonia characters in their journal outside of Thingysland; he transferred into Yukari's school at the inception of the Azumanga Daioh, and he joined Phoenix, Maya, and Pearl during their Pokemon journeys. However, he has a reputation of being a womanizer, which many feel is the real reason for his association with the team. In fact, he did serve two years in prison for child abduction and harrassment after taking Pearl on her Pokemon journey. Nevertheless, he was offered the position of General Manager and accepted it.
Yotsuba Koiwai
Mascot
Yotsuba is the green-haired, ever-sunny bundle of joy who dances around in the middle of the game to entertain the crowds. She was a former outfielder for the team, but was cut after the arrival of Sheena. She performs every activity with gusto, living life to the very fullest. She had always brightened the team with her infectuous energy, and by making her a mascot, she is still able to be a critical part of the team. She is incredibly popular among fans, and Yotsuba dolls are incredibly hot sellers.
Apollo Justice
Bullpen Catcher
Apollo is a former attorney working for Phoenix and Trucy's half-brother, a fact he didn't realize until it was almost too late. He is a relatively smart fellow, graduating from law school at the tender age of 21, but he is lacking in self-confidence, and is very much a go-with-the-flow sort of person. He had served as the third-string catcher behind Gumshoe and Genis, but with his inability to call games competently and with the lack of much athletic ability, he eventually lost his spot on the roster, but he remains on the team as the bullpen catcher as the relievers warm up.
Chiyo Mihama
Team Physician / Trainer
Chiyo was a child prodigy, entering a prestigious high school at the age of 10, and becoming a full-practicing medical doctor in her early 20s. She had been a student of Yukari and "Nyamo," and also best friends with Osaka and Yomi among others. She had worked in family medicine, but was convinced to join the team as a trainer and a team physician by her old friends at the formation of the team. She took a few years to complete her orthopedic surgery rotation and also did a sports medicine fellowship for two years before joining the team in the previous season. She is a highly intelligent and highly humble physician who earns the respect of everybody on the team.
Monday, December 15, 2008
The Cerulean Survivors: The Hitters
Who are the Cerulean Survivors? We know from the last entry that they are perhaps the most popular of the four teams promoted from the AAA tier to the Thingysland Major Leagues. We also know that they are made up of people from the Tales of Symphonia, Azumanga Daioh, and Ace Attorney Thingys, but who exactly are they? Since we'll be following the team in their inaugural season, it may help to become acquainted with each of the players; what are their key characteristics in private and on the baseball field? These next two entries will tell us all we need to know. We'll start out with the Hitters.
Starting Lineup
Kagura
Third Base
A former Olympic swimmer and all-around terrific athlete, Kagura is the leadoff hitter and starting third baseman for the Survivors. Swimming is her passion, but she has become an invaluable part of the team. She catalyzes the team's offense with her electrifying speed and her daring nature on the basepaths, as she can easily turn a single into a double, and a double into a triple. She is always a pesky pest after getting on base, and commonly ranks among the league leaders in stolen bases. She had been a bit of a free-swinger in the past, striking out far to often while not getting enough walks, but over the past six years she's developed patience at the plate to raise her OBP to make her an ideal leadoff hitter.
Miura Hayasaka
Second Base
Miura manages to combine two seemingly different traits by being a scrappy contact hitter. She plays hard and is always hell bent on putting the ball into play, a skill she does well with her great hand-eye coordination. Her style of play is rewarded with extremely low strikeout totals and a high batting average (she led her amateur league in hitting in her first year.) Kagura's speed in the leadoff spot and Miura's penchant to put bat on ball gives the Survivors a potent, run-producing force at the top of the lineup. Miura's coordination also gives her tremendous range at shortstop, although she is still prone to throwing errors. Miura's sarcastic nature that may make her seem coarse upon first glance, but those who know her well know her as a sweet and dedicated individual.
Koyomi Mizuhara
Right Field
Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara is perhaps the smartest player on the field, in both academics and in the baseball sense. She was an accomplished prosecutor (and co-worker to teammate Klavier Gavin) before the attacks that led to the formation of the team. Her wealth of knowledge regarding the strike zones of umpires and bat control makes her a fearsome threat at the plate, and for most people the obvious choice for the number three hitter (although some may argue that her high OBP makes her an ideal candidate for leadoff hitter.) "It's like we have a second manager whenever Yomi is on the field," lauded manager Phoenix Wright. She may be a bit arrogant at times, but it's hard to argue with the results.
Kimura
Center Field
Kimura is the only player in the starting lineup to join the team a few years after the initial recruitment (replacing outfielder and current mascot Yotsuba Koiwai), and he may be the most enigmatic of all players. A former high school Japanese literature teacher, the hollow-faced Kimura lumbers around the clubhouse like a zombie, unabashedly admiring all of his female teammates, but on the field, he becomes an offensive juggernaut. "He's an offensive machine," says an opposing AAA manager. "He has power, speed, and the ability to hit towards all fields. It's hard to get him out." Despite his creepy, womanizing nature (one that may prevent him from reaching his popularity potential), Kimura is actually a dedicated family man.
Klavier Gavin
First Base
The indomitable Herr Gavin is a person of many talents. He received his law degree as a teenager (and still serves as a prosecutor in the off-season), headed up a popular rock band, and is also the starting first baseman for the Survivors. Gavin is a solid hitter, known for his ability to spear line drives all over the place. Despite his lack of home run power and hitting behind the ever-dangerous Kimura, Gavin is routinely among the team leaders in RBI. "He's a smart hitter who seizes all possible opportunities to advance a runner or drive in a run," says an opposing AAA manager. His career as a guitarist gives him the dexterity to become an able defensive player. Although his fame as a rock star still overshadows his fame as a player, Gavin is relatively popular among all players for his honest and genteel nature towards his teammates and opponents alike. He is affectionately nicknamed "Piano" by baseball fans, a name he reportedly despises.
Fuka Ayase
Left Field
The first of three Ayase sisters to play for the Survivors, Fuka is a fitting end to the dangerous middle of the Survivors' lineup. "Don't let her girly look deceive you," an AAA manager warns, "she has the potential to deal a lot of damage with her bat and with her glove." The hard-working Fuka spends hours in the batting cage to build up her offense, and it paid off. She has ranked in the top five in homers and OPS in each of her previous six seasons. And she is not afraid to drop a bunt to help the team. Despite her success, the ever-humble Fuka is the first to admit that she isn't perfect. "I still strike out too much," she says. It's this dedication that makes Fuka a valued part of the team.
Ena Ayase
Second Base
The youngest of the three Ayase sisters, Ena may not have Fuka's power or offensive ability, but she has her sister's dedication to the game. Ena has been Miura's best friend for years and joined the team on her behalf, but had trouble staying in the lineup in the early years due to her weak power and poor hitting. However, she began approaching hitting as a student, and has become adept at finding holes in the infield. She had always been a strong fielder, but she has continued to improve herself. "Ena is a serious student of the game," says manager Phoenix Wright. "She may not have home run power, but she's become a great offensive player in her own right." Though she normally bats seventh, she drops into the nine hole on days Takeshi Takeda pitches to give opposing pitchers a hard time on the second and third go-arounds in the lineup.
Dick Gumshoe
Catcher
The big and burly Gumshoe is the very definition of a hard-nosed player. He plays every game as if were his last. A former police detective, he has incredible athletic abilities that made him into a great defensive backstop. He deftly handles all pitches and rarely if ever lets a ball get by him. In addition, he has an accurate, rifle arm that catches a large percentage of base-stealers, and his husky build means few people can get by him when he's blocking the plate. He may struggle with game-calling (a weakness he overcomes through a system he developed with third base coach Miles Edgeworth), but the starters he handles are just glad to have a defender of his caliber catching them. Despite his stature, Gumshoe is one of the few players to never hit a home run.
Manager Phoenix Wright is known for using very few starting lineups. While most teams use upwards of 60-70 different lineups, Wright has been able to get through entire seasons with less than 30, and that's including pitchers. One reason is the dependability of the aforementioned starting lineup, which is one of the Survivors' greatest strengths. Each of the players can be counted on to produce at a high level on a consistent basis, and the group has come to work extremely well together. Another reason is, of course, because of the weakness of the bench. That's not saying that the players on the bench are weak players, but they tend to have certain flaws: weak hitting, sloppy defensive skills, or divisive personalities.
Bench
Colette Brunel
Infielder
The sugary sweet Colette survived a precarious journey of regeneration as well as numerous post-reconciliation years as a teacher, and she never lost her optimistic nature. She is friendly to everybody and acts much like a cheerleader. Hidden beneath the gentleness is a tremendous strength that she gained on the journey, a strength that allows her to hit balls out of the ballpark with the greatest of ease. However, that power is paired with a tendency to strike out, and even worse, inconsistent fielding. She has a clumsiness (due to a lack of balance, maybe) that makes it hard for her to make some of the more normal plays. While she has cut down her errors in each of her six years, she still never fails to lead the team in the category, which is why she does most of her cheering in the bench and is relegated to mostly pinch hitting duties. (The power also caused a bit of a controversy in the past. A court ruled when the team was in the Rookie tier that Colette's strength is considered part of her normal abilities, but has forbidden her from using her angel powers of flight on the field.)
Maya Fey
Infielder
A spirit medium in training and assistant to manager Phoenix Wright during his lawyer days, Maya Fey has followed her "special someone" (as dubbed by cousin and teammate Pearl Fey) onto the Survivors. Maya doesn't quite have the athletic prowess of many of her teammates, as she is a light hitter and an average fielder. However, she attacks the game with the same perkiness that she brought to her career as an assistant. Six years of experience has taken away the naivete, but the energy still remains. Her primary role is as a spot starter in one of the middle infield positions whenever either Ena or Miura has a day off. She is not allowed to call spirits in the middle of a game.
Pearl Fey
Infielder
A spirit medium and Maya Fey's cousin, the small but speedy Pearl has perhaps the most specialized role on the Survivors: as the primary pinch runner for some of the slower players on the team. Not only is Pearl fast, but she is also smart on the basepaths, picking out the best opportunities to steal. As a result she typically has a higher stolen base percentage than team SB leader Kagura. However, she may be a bit impulsive at the plate, swinging away though it may be easier to get on board via a walk. As a result, she doesn't get very many plate appearances. She is warm towards her teammates, although she may be shy around strangers. She joined the team on account of her cousin, whom she calls "Mystic Maya," even though she knew little about baseball. Six years later, she still doesn't understand all of the nuances of the game, but she knows what she has to do and works her hardest to get it done.
Genis Sage
Catcher
While his official role is listed as backup catcher to Gumshoe, he is the primary catcher for starters Lloyd Irving and Sheena Fujibayashi, whom he knew during his journey of regeneration. One can say he is the anti-Gumshoe. He is short and scrawny, has a difficult time throwing to second, and is extremely slow on the basepaths. (Lloyd and Sheena have both lost several base hits when Genis gets thrown out at second on apparent base hits.) Nevertheless, Genis has been said to have one of the brightest minds in the game. He is an expert game-caller, and is exceptional at handling pitches. His knowledge has become so well known that he was given the name "Genius" from fans. However, despite his scrawniness, Genis has more career home runs than Gumshoe.
Tomo Takino
Outfielder
The overtly excitable Tomo is one of the most enthusiastic players on the team, but unfortunately in her case energy does not translate into production. She goes into the game with reckless abandon, and that often ends up having undesirable results. She overslides bases and runs into outs. She swings with 100% power and often misses the ball entirely. She overruns balls on the field, and overthrows it. So it's not that she doesn't try, but she often tries too hard. To top it off, she can be downright vitriolic in the clubhouse with her condescending humor and demanding personality. Nevertheless, she is good friends with several players on the team, including Yomi, Kagura, and Gumshoe (who is her co-worker on the police force in the off-season).
Yukari Tanizaki
Outfielder
A former English teacher, Yukari is a lot like Tomo in her overall energy as well as talent, which is fitting, because Tomo is one of Yukari's former students. Like Tomo, she is a hedonist who always takes the path of least resistance. She has tried to take steps to improve her play, but loses focus within a day or two. Despite her similarities with her ex-pupil, the two often gets into clashes which affect the morale of the team. The only time they get along is when they get smashed on champagne given to the team after championships (which is actually quite often, considering the team has won in six straight years.)
Tomorrow...the pitchers and coaches
Starting Lineup
Kagura
Third Base
A former Olympic swimmer and all-around terrific athlete, Kagura is the leadoff hitter and starting third baseman for the Survivors. Swimming is her passion, but she has become an invaluable part of the team. She catalyzes the team's offense with her electrifying speed and her daring nature on the basepaths, as she can easily turn a single into a double, and a double into a triple. She is always a pesky pest after getting on base, and commonly ranks among the league leaders in stolen bases. She had been a bit of a free-swinger in the past, striking out far to often while not getting enough walks, but over the past six years she's developed patience at the plate to raise her OBP to make her an ideal leadoff hitter.
Miura Hayasaka
Second Base
Miura manages to combine two seemingly different traits by being a scrappy contact hitter. She plays hard and is always hell bent on putting the ball into play, a skill she does well with her great hand-eye coordination. Her style of play is rewarded with extremely low strikeout totals and a high batting average (she led her amateur league in hitting in her first year.) Kagura's speed in the leadoff spot and Miura's penchant to put bat on ball gives the Survivors a potent, run-producing force at the top of the lineup. Miura's coordination also gives her tremendous range at shortstop, although she is still prone to throwing errors. Miura's sarcastic nature that may make her seem coarse upon first glance, but those who know her well know her as a sweet and dedicated individual.
Koyomi Mizuhara
Right Field
Koyomi "Yomi" Mizuhara is perhaps the smartest player on the field, in both academics and in the baseball sense. She was an accomplished prosecutor (and co-worker to teammate Klavier Gavin) before the attacks that led to the formation of the team. Her wealth of knowledge regarding the strike zones of umpires and bat control makes her a fearsome threat at the plate, and for most people the obvious choice for the number three hitter (although some may argue that her high OBP makes her an ideal candidate for leadoff hitter.) "It's like we have a second manager whenever Yomi is on the field," lauded manager Phoenix Wright. She may be a bit arrogant at times, but it's hard to argue with the results.
Kimura
Center Field
Kimura is the only player in the starting lineup to join the team a few years after the initial recruitment (replacing outfielder and current mascot Yotsuba Koiwai), and he may be the most enigmatic of all players. A former high school Japanese literature teacher, the hollow-faced Kimura lumbers around the clubhouse like a zombie, unabashedly admiring all of his female teammates, but on the field, he becomes an offensive juggernaut. "He's an offensive machine," says an opposing AAA manager. "He has power, speed, and the ability to hit towards all fields. It's hard to get him out." Despite his creepy, womanizing nature (one that may prevent him from reaching his popularity potential), Kimura is actually a dedicated family man.
Klavier Gavin
First Base
The indomitable Herr Gavin is a person of many talents. He received his law degree as a teenager (and still serves as a prosecutor in the off-season), headed up a popular rock band, and is also the starting first baseman for the Survivors. Gavin is a solid hitter, known for his ability to spear line drives all over the place. Despite his lack of home run power and hitting behind the ever-dangerous Kimura, Gavin is routinely among the team leaders in RBI. "He's a smart hitter who seizes all possible opportunities to advance a runner or drive in a run," says an opposing AAA manager. His career as a guitarist gives him the dexterity to become an able defensive player. Although his fame as a rock star still overshadows his fame as a player, Gavin is relatively popular among all players for his honest and genteel nature towards his teammates and opponents alike. He is affectionately nicknamed "Piano" by baseball fans, a name he reportedly despises.
Fuka Ayase
Left Field
The first of three Ayase sisters to play for the Survivors, Fuka is a fitting end to the dangerous middle of the Survivors' lineup. "Don't let her girly look deceive you," an AAA manager warns, "she has the potential to deal a lot of damage with her bat and with her glove." The hard-working Fuka spends hours in the batting cage to build up her offense, and it paid off. She has ranked in the top five in homers and OPS in each of her previous six seasons. And she is not afraid to drop a bunt to help the team. Despite her success, the ever-humble Fuka is the first to admit that she isn't perfect. "I still strike out too much," she says. It's this dedication that makes Fuka a valued part of the team.
Ena Ayase
Second Base
The youngest of the three Ayase sisters, Ena may not have Fuka's power or offensive ability, but she has her sister's dedication to the game. Ena has been Miura's best friend for years and joined the team on her behalf, but had trouble staying in the lineup in the early years due to her weak power and poor hitting. However, she began approaching hitting as a student, and has become adept at finding holes in the infield. She had always been a strong fielder, but she has continued to improve herself. "Ena is a serious student of the game," says manager Phoenix Wright. "She may not have home run power, but she's become a great offensive player in her own right." Though she normally bats seventh, she drops into the nine hole on days Takeshi Takeda pitches to give opposing pitchers a hard time on the second and third go-arounds in the lineup.
Dick Gumshoe
Catcher
The big and burly Gumshoe is the very definition of a hard-nosed player. He plays every game as if were his last. A former police detective, he has incredible athletic abilities that made him into a great defensive backstop. He deftly handles all pitches and rarely if ever lets a ball get by him. In addition, he has an accurate, rifle arm that catches a large percentage of base-stealers, and his husky build means few people can get by him when he's blocking the plate. He may struggle with game-calling (a weakness he overcomes through a system he developed with third base coach Miles Edgeworth), but the starters he handles are just glad to have a defender of his caliber catching them. Despite his stature, Gumshoe is one of the few players to never hit a home run.
Manager Phoenix Wright is known for using very few starting lineups. While most teams use upwards of 60-70 different lineups, Wright has been able to get through entire seasons with less than 30, and that's including pitchers. One reason is the dependability of the aforementioned starting lineup, which is one of the Survivors' greatest strengths. Each of the players can be counted on to produce at a high level on a consistent basis, and the group has come to work extremely well together. Another reason is, of course, because of the weakness of the bench. That's not saying that the players on the bench are weak players, but they tend to have certain flaws: weak hitting, sloppy defensive skills, or divisive personalities.
Bench
Colette Brunel
Infielder
The sugary sweet Colette survived a precarious journey of regeneration as well as numerous post-reconciliation years as a teacher, and she never lost her optimistic nature. She is friendly to everybody and acts much like a cheerleader. Hidden beneath the gentleness is a tremendous strength that she gained on the journey, a strength that allows her to hit balls out of the ballpark with the greatest of ease. However, that power is paired with a tendency to strike out, and even worse, inconsistent fielding. She has a clumsiness (due to a lack of balance, maybe) that makes it hard for her to make some of the more normal plays. While she has cut down her errors in each of her six years, she still never fails to lead the team in the category, which is why she does most of her cheering in the bench and is relegated to mostly pinch hitting duties. (The power also caused a bit of a controversy in the past. A court ruled when the team was in the Rookie tier that Colette's strength is considered part of her normal abilities, but has forbidden her from using her angel powers of flight on the field.)
Maya Fey
Infielder
A spirit medium in training and assistant to manager Phoenix Wright during his lawyer days, Maya Fey has followed her "special someone" (as dubbed by cousin and teammate Pearl Fey) onto the Survivors. Maya doesn't quite have the athletic prowess of many of her teammates, as she is a light hitter and an average fielder. However, she attacks the game with the same perkiness that she brought to her career as an assistant. Six years of experience has taken away the naivete, but the energy still remains. Her primary role is as a spot starter in one of the middle infield positions whenever either Ena or Miura has a day off. She is not allowed to call spirits in the middle of a game.
Pearl Fey
Infielder
A spirit medium and Maya Fey's cousin, the small but speedy Pearl has perhaps the most specialized role on the Survivors: as the primary pinch runner for some of the slower players on the team. Not only is Pearl fast, but she is also smart on the basepaths, picking out the best opportunities to steal. As a result she typically has a higher stolen base percentage than team SB leader Kagura. However, she may be a bit impulsive at the plate, swinging away though it may be easier to get on board via a walk. As a result, she doesn't get very many plate appearances. She is warm towards her teammates, although she may be shy around strangers. She joined the team on account of her cousin, whom she calls "Mystic Maya," even though she knew little about baseball. Six years later, she still doesn't understand all of the nuances of the game, but she knows what she has to do and works her hardest to get it done.
Genis Sage
Catcher
While his official role is listed as backup catcher to Gumshoe, he is the primary catcher for starters Lloyd Irving and Sheena Fujibayashi, whom he knew during his journey of regeneration. One can say he is the anti-Gumshoe. He is short and scrawny, has a difficult time throwing to second, and is extremely slow on the basepaths. (Lloyd and Sheena have both lost several base hits when Genis gets thrown out at second on apparent base hits.) Nevertheless, Genis has been said to have one of the brightest minds in the game. He is an expert game-caller, and is exceptional at handling pitches. His knowledge has become so well known that he was given the name "Genius" from fans. However, despite his scrawniness, Genis has more career home runs than Gumshoe.
Tomo Takino
Outfielder
The overtly excitable Tomo is one of the most enthusiastic players on the team, but unfortunately in her case energy does not translate into production. She goes into the game with reckless abandon, and that often ends up having undesirable results. She overslides bases and runs into outs. She swings with 100% power and often misses the ball entirely. She overruns balls on the field, and overthrows it. So it's not that she doesn't try, but she often tries too hard. To top it off, she can be downright vitriolic in the clubhouse with her condescending humor and demanding personality. Nevertheless, she is good friends with several players on the team, including Yomi, Kagura, and Gumshoe (who is her co-worker on the police force in the off-season).
Yukari Tanizaki
Outfielder
A former English teacher, Yukari is a lot like Tomo in her overall energy as well as talent, which is fitting, because Tomo is one of Yukari's former students. Like Tomo, she is a hedonist who always takes the path of least resistance. She has tried to take steps to improve her play, but loses focus within a day or two. Despite her similarities with her ex-pupil, the two often gets into clashes which affect the morale of the team. The only time they get along is when they get smashed on champagne given to the team after championships (which is actually quite often, considering the team has won in six straight years.)
Tomorrow...the pitchers and coaches
Sunday, December 14, 2008
The Cerulean Survivors
Who are the Cerulean Survivors?
The Cerulean Survivors are one of four AAA teams within the Thingysland Baseball League promoted to the Major League level. The team formed six years ago, consisting of denizens from the Tales of Symphonia Thingy, Azumanga Daioh Thingy, and the Ace Attorney Thingy, after they were displaced by Kathy and her apprentices. The name "Survivors" is a reference to how each of them survived the attack, even if the players are immortal with their Master's Degrees. The "Cerulean" refers to the team's owner, the Cerulean City Mat 4 Cheap, and not to the team's home field. The Survivors play all of their games within the confines of The Nursery.
Despite the unconventional makeup of the team, the Survivors were successful in each of their six years in the minor leagues, winning the overall championship in the Amateur tier, the Rookie tier the AA tier, and the AAA tier (three years in a row.) After a year of negotiations, the Cerulean Survivors joined the Eligna Nordic Atlanticans, Wallace Gentle Giants, and Washington Bulldozers in the 64-team Major Leagues.
What is the purpose of this blog?
This blog is designed to follow the Cerulean Survivors as they face Major League competition in their inaugural season. The blog will feature write-ups of the team's games, as well as analyses regarding the team.
In actuality, I'm doing this because the hot stove league is driving me nuts. Nothing can be more boring than waiting for free agent signings to happen when they're so few and far apart. I figured I might as well get my baseball fix from my own imagination. This has also been an attempt to tabulate the statistics of a team all by myself, so I have an Excel spreadsheet detailing the stats after every game. The Cerulean Survivors are a product of my own imagination, even if the characters are owned by Namco, MediaWorks, and Capcom. The other 63 teams are also from my own imagination, and each of the games are simulated by myself.
The Cerulean Survivors are one of four AAA teams within the Thingysland Baseball League promoted to the Major League level. The team formed six years ago, consisting of denizens from the Tales of Symphonia Thingy, Azumanga Daioh Thingy, and the Ace Attorney Thingy, after they were displaced by Kathy and her apprentices. The name "Survivors" is a reference to how each of them survived the attack, even if the players are immortal with their Master's Degrees. The "Cerulean" refers to the team's owner, the Cerulean City Mat 4 Cheap, and not to the team's home field. The Survivors play all of their games within the confines of The Nursery.
Despite the unconventional makeup of the team, the Survivors were successful in each of their six years in the minor leagues, winning the overall championship in the Amateur tier, the Rookie tier the AA tier, and the AAA tier (three years in a row.) After a year of negotiations, the Cerulean Survivors joined the Eligna Nordic Atlanticans, Wallace Gentle Giants, and Washington Bulldozers in the 64-team Major Leagues.
What is the purpose of this blog?
This blog is designed to follow the Cerulean Survivors as they face Major League competition in their inaugural season. The blog will feature write-ups of the team's games, as well as analyses regarding the team.
In actuality, I'm doing this because the hot stove league is driving me nuts. Nothing can be more boring than waiting for free agent signings to happen when they're so few and far apart. I figured I might as well get my baseball fix from my own imagination. This has also been an attempt to tabulate the statistics of a team all by myself, so I have an Excel spreadsheet detailing the stats after every game. The Cerulean Survivors are a product of my own imagination, even if the characters are owned by Namco, MediaWorks, and Capcom. The other 63 teams are also from my own imagination, and each of the games are simulated by myself.
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