The United States of Newland Continental Baseball League

[jwinbigler]

July 8, 1979

Leaders from baseball leagues around the country met today in Capital City under a cloud of secrecy. There have been rumors for several months that the formation of a professional baseball league in Newland is imminent, and sources indicate that a deal may be close. The popularity of local and regional baseball leagues is at an all-time high, so many believe that the time is finally right for a national league, made up of the best players in the country. Many local legends, such as Sherman Deal in Portsmouth and Rich Cates in Liberty have never faced each other, and fans are clamoring to see how their favorite players match up with others from around Newland.

At the center of the negotiations is 52-year old Bill Morrison, a longtime advocate for bringing pro baseball to Newland. Morrison, a native of Monmouth, Washington, played baseball for several local teams around the country as a younger man. While he was never a star player on the field, he earned the respect of everyone he played with due to his character, integrity, and leadership ability. After his playing career, he used his popularity to launch a career in politics, and he is currently representing the state of Washington as a Senator. Many see his involvement as crucial to the success of the proposed league. Morrison declined to comment as he was leaving for the day, but sources say the meetings will continue tomorrow.

[jwinbigler]

July 9, 1979

Day two of the secret meetings of Newland's baseball leaders wrapped up early this afternoon, with still no official word. However, meetings for tomorrow have been cancelled, and a press conference has been scheduled for 9:00 tomorrow morning. This has led to considerable speculation that the effort to create a national baseball league has finally paid off. Bill Morrison, the longtime leader of this effort, again declined to comment on the meetings, but he seemed to be in a good mood and simply said, "You'll have to wait until tomorrow." If a league has indeed been formed, several questions remain. How many teams will there be, and where will they be located? How will the champion be decided? Baseball fans all over Newland are eagerly awaiting an official announcement.

[jwinbigler]

July 10, 1979



Newland’s long-rumored professional baseball league became a reality today, as the formation of the Continental Baseball League was announced at a press conference this morning. In addition, Bill Morrison surprised everyone in Newland by announcing his resignation from his Senate seat in order to be the fledgling league’s first commissioner. Morrison spoke for thirty minutes to the media, describing the structure of the league and laying the groundwork for the league’s initial marketing efforts.

The CBL will start play in 1981 with six teams, one in each of Newland’s six largest cities: Liberty, Park City, Newport, Capital City, Irondale, and Portsmouth. Further details about the teams, including nicknames and owners, were not released, but Morrison stated that each city will have its own unveiling ceremony in the next few weeks. The six teams will play in one division, and the champion will be determined by the best record, with no playoffs.

[jwinbigler]

Link to Full-Size Map

The continent of Newland was discovered in 1743 by explorers from the Kingdom of Oldland. The first inhabitants established Park City on the west coast, followed by Arlington on the east coast, and Franklin on the island that would become Franklin. Over several generations, the people spread throughout the continent and more cities developed and grew. In 1880, a group of people in Park City ignited a revolution, and they convinced the inhabitants of Newland to break away from Oldland and form a new country. By this time, the population of Newland was much greater than that of Oldland, and the revolution ended very quickly with little bloodshed. The new country called itself the United States of Newland (still colloquially known as Newland) and set up its government in Capital City, a strategic inland location. It quickly established a substantial defense system, with an Army, Navy, and Air Force.

Over the next 100 years, Newland grew and became the major world power. In the meantime, baseball was invented in the late 1800’s and gained popularity throughout the country. Many city, company, and school leagues were formed, and it became the national sport of Newland. Regional company leagues in major cities became more and more competitive, with some companies hiring employees from around Newland solely to play baseball. Attendance at many games was huge, and many companies were able to make a profit from their baseball ventures. The Baseball News Network (BNN) was formed in 1965 and started reporting on the game nationally. BNN compared players across leagues and gave out 3 annual awards: Hitter of the Year, Pitcher of the Year, and Rookie of the Year.

Finally, in 1979, a group of like-minded businessmen decided to drop the pretense of their “amateur” leagues and start a national professional baseball league. This is the story of their league.

Newland is divided into 9 states, each named after an influential person from the country’s founding. The three largest states (Washington, Adams, and Jefferson) make up nearly 60% of the population. Each has just over 19 million residents. Madison and Monroe are the next largest states with a little over 12 million residents each. Jackson (7.7 million), Lincoln (3.9 million), Franklin (2.1 million), and Hamilton (1.5 million) are the remaining states.

The university system is very good, with many highly-ranked schools, and the primary sport in intercollegiate athletics is baseball. The 20 largest public, state-supported schools each have large athletic departments and powerful baseball programs, and they have formed the two most successful conferences (Tier 1). The complete breakdown of the collegiate baseball league is shown below:

• Division I: 61 schools, one in each city with more than 100,000 people
  • Tier 1: 20 schools divided between 2 conferences (Big West & Big East)
  • Tier 2: 12 schools in 1 conference (Big 12)
  • Tier 3: 29 schools divided between 2 conferences (Western & Eastern)
• Division II: 54 schools
• Division III: 106 schools

Each city in Newland has at least one high school, while larger cities have multiple high schools, all the way up to Liberty and Park City with 13 each, and Newport with 10. The schools in the bigger cities tend to have bigger baseball programs, and they produce a large portion of the baseball talent in Newland.

[jwinbigler]

This is the culmination of a project I’ve worked on for several years, off-and-on. My plans for this fictional league required a fictional location, because I’ve had the same problem with every other fictional league I’ve done. Using real-life locations leaves me with preconceived biases based on what I think of those cities, and that doesn’t work for me in the long-term. For example, if a fictional team in Chicago plays a fictional team from New York, I’m going to root for the Chicago one every time, and that’s something I want to avoid. So, I decided to create a location from scratch. Once I started, it was difficult to figure out how far to take it, and it turned into a much bigger project than I anticipated.

I started by creating the map in a program called AutoRealm, which I found for this project, and I highly recommend it if anyone else is interested in doing something similar. I randomly started creating and naming cities, states, and geographical features, and I slowly developed general descriptions of each one in my head. These would later be fleshed out more as I wrote about them. Originally, I had 21 major cities and 24 minor cities. With 3 major cities having 2 teams, I had enough for an eventual 24-team Major League, with one AAA team per ML team.

Using the awesome logo pack from cephasjames, I found several logos to use as starting points for creating my own jerseys and caps. I also used Google and Chris Creamer’s sportslogos.net (AWESOME site) to get higher-resolution and alternate versions of logos. I had a difficult time early on deciding between white and colored jerseys, and so my resolution was to create one of each for every team. In this league, white is worn at home, and a color is worn on the road. Now that the game finally supports home and away jerseys, I’m all set! For my designs, I purposely avoided using city names so that other people could use them for their projects, and I could reuse them for other leagues if I wanted.

At one point, I thought I was ready to go, with 24 sets completed and 24 more logos identified for AAA, each having some relation to its parent team (i.e. Patriots-Colonials and Senators-Ambassadors). Then, two things happened that stalled my progress. First, I realized that having one level of minors wasn’t going to work very well, based on experiences I’ve read about on the forums. Thus, I needed to significantly expand my logo set. Then, while compiling that set, I started finding logos that really piqued my interest as possible ML teams. Eventually, I decided to expand to 32 eventual teams by promoting 8 of the minor cities to major cities and adding 16 more minor cities to the map. Now, I finally have a compilation of 128 teams ready to go, but I’m going to start much smaller and slowly expand. Who knows if I’ll ever actually get to 32 teams?

I used a grid in AutoRealm to come up with a latitude and longitude for each of the mapped cities. To fill out the rest of the world, I used the WorldGen program by davwms to create hundreds of smaller cities, between 2,000 and 100,000 people. Since some states are more densely populated than others, I ran the program separately for each state, which resulted in some city names being used more than once. This is okay, since they are always in different states. I then used Excel and some creative random number generating to come up with appropriate latitude and longitude values for each city. Thus, the cities are actually in the states they are supposed to be in.

On the OOTP side of things, I started the league in 1965 and simmed to the beginning of 1981, when the CBL starts. I made a copy of the league so I could refer back to the “pre-CBL amateur leagues”, and then I deleted all of the history (although it didn’t delete the single game records for some reason).

My primary approach to telling this story will be through articles from the Baseball News Network, although there will probably be some omniscient observations like this as well. I plan to go somewhat quickly at first, with monthly summaries. I may switch to weekly reports later, but I haven’t decided yet.

Next up will be in-depth descriptions of each of the 9 states of Newland. My hope is that people reading along find a city or two to identify with. If the city has a description, it will eventually get a CBL team (that’s the long-term plan anyway). I hope people enjoy reading about this little universe I’ve created. Any feedback is always appreciated. Feel free to check out the homepage linked in my signature as well. I have some of the source files posted so people can really see the depth of this project and read more if desired. I also plan to post the almanacs for each season as they are completed.

[jwinbigler]

Washington is the most populated state in Newland, with 4 of the 11 biggest cities in the country. It is nearly landlocked, with only a small portion of the northwest part of the state bordering Kingston Bay. Much of the state’s identity comes from two geographic features. Approximately half of its border is the Great River to the north and east, and the western part of the state is dominated by the Washington Mountains, the larger of two mountain ranges on Newland. The climate is seasonal, with cold winters and moderate rainfall. The mountain areas have mild summers, while the rest of the state has warmer summers.

• Capital City – 4,000,000 (#4): Obviously, Capital City is the capital of Newland. It has been the center of government since shortly after the country’s founding, and its identity revolves around politics. It is situated in the valley at the north end of the Washington Mountains, and the views of the mountains to the south are picturesque. It is home to Capital University of the Big 12. The people tend to be somewhat elitist, so residents of other cities typically dislike them.
• Mount Sterling – 2,500,000 (#7): Mount Sterling, named for the mountain of the same name, is the highest elevation city in Newland. Located in the middle of the Washington Mountains, it is known for its winter sports culture, and it is a popular ski destination for people all over Newland. Washington Tech of the Big West is located here. Mount Sterling has a moderate rivalry with Centerville. It sees Centerville’s river culture as inferior to its own mountain culture.
• Centerville – 2,000,000 (#9): Centerville is the largest city on the Great River. It is primarily a manufacturing city, and it is the center of the automobile industry in Newland. Its location provides a key advantage for distribution, with shipping on the Great River and short overland access to the most densely populated areas of the country. It is home to the prestigious University of Washington, which plays in the Big West. Centerville has a moderate rivalry with Mount Sterling. It sees Mount Sterling’s mountain culture as inferior to its own river culture.
• Glenwood – 1,300,000 (#11): Glenwood is located in the large plain between the Washington Mountains and the Great River, in an area that is densely forested. The city was developed around the forestry industry, and it continues to be the dominant industry in the region. Glenwood is full of lumber mills, paper mills, and furniture manufacturing plants. Washington A&M of the Big West is located here. Glenwood has a minor rivalry with Irondale, due to their manufacturing histories and their competing A&M universities.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Milton – 210,000 (#32): Milton (Western)
  • Highland Park – 180,000 (#T37): Highland Park (Big 12)
  • Monmouth – 150,000 (#T47): Washington State (Big West)

[jwinbigler]

Adams is the 2nd most populated state, but as the smallest state geographically, it is by far the most densely populated. More than half of Adams’ population lives in Liberty, which is the largest city in Newland. Adams is known for its outstanding universities, many of which are among the best in the country. The climate is seasonal, with mild summers, cold winters, and moderate rainfall.

• Liberty – 10,000,000 (#1): Liberty is the largest city in Newland. Located on the west coast of Newland, it is the financial and business center of Newland, with a large number of white-collar workers, but there is also considerable poverty in the city. Liberty University is in the Big 12. Liberty has an intense rivalry with Park City. Liberty thinks of itself as more important economically, and it looks down on Park City’s focus on the arts.
• Kingston – 2,300,000 (#8): Kingston is located on the southern tip of the entrance to Kingston Bay, on the west coast of Newland. It is a major technology hub in Newland, with several computer and software companies headquartered here. Kingston is mostly a white-collar city, and it is known primarily for its beautiful skyline, full of modern architectural wonders. The city is home to Kingston College of the Big 12. Kingston has an intense rivalry with Fremont, across the bay. Kingston tends to look down on Fremont, which is poorer and more blue-collar.
• Eldridge – 525,000 (#23): Eldridge is located just north of Liberty, on the west coast of Newland. It has long been in the substantial shadow of Liberty, but it has been able to develop its own identity as a regional recreation center. Eldridge has a series of amusement parks, water parks, and resort hotels that cater to the larger cities of the area. It is also home to the state fairgrounds of Adams. The University of Adams at Eldridge plays in the Western Conference. Eldridge has a minor rivalry with Winstead, as the two Adams cities that fight for attention with Liberty. Most of its residents have positive feelings towards Liberty.
• Winstead – 500,000 (#24): Winstead is located almost exactly halfway between Liberty and Park City on the west coast. Winstead is a relatively new city that developed around the energy industry, and its residents tend to have roots elsewhere, mostly Liberty or Park City. The University of Adams at Winstead plays in the Western Conference. Winstead has a minor rivalry with Eldridge, as the two Adams cities that fight for attention with Liberty. The residents are relatively evenly split between liking Liberty or Park City, although there may be a slight leaning towards Liberty due to being in the same state.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Georgetown – 250,000 (#30): Georgetown (Big 12)
  • Fairfield – 225,000 (#31): Fairfield (Western)
  • Oxford – 200,000 (#T33): University of Adams Main Campus (Big West)
  • Cambridge – 200,000 (#T33): Adams State University (Big West)

[jwinbigler]

Jefferson is the 3rd most populated state, and it is one of the largest states geographically. Most of the population is concentrated in the western part of the state, near the Manchester River and on Portsmouth Bay. More than half of the state’s residents live in either Park City or Portsmouth. Geographic features of Jefferson include Indian Lake, the largest in Newland, and the southern portion of the Washington Mountains. Jefferson also includes the unnamed island southwest of the mainland. Jefferson’s climate is very diverse. Its island has cool summers and warm winters, with heavy precipitation. The northwestern part of the state has mild summers, cold winters, and moderate rainfall. The areas near Portsmouth Bay and Indian Lake have warm summers, cold winters, and moderate rainfall. The southeast part of the state is more tropical, with cool summers, very warm winters, and very little rainfall.

• Park City – 7,000,000 (#2): Park City is the cultural hub of Newland, with dozens of museums and arts centers, and a thriving music scene. Located at the mouth of the Manchester River, it is a major shipping and distribution center for nearby cities. It is also known for being the center of the Newland Revolution. True to its name, the city has an extensive park system, and it is known for being very beautiful. The people in Park City are generally middle class to upper class, and there is very little poverty for a city of its size. Park City College plays in the Big 12. Park City has an intense rivalry with Liberty. As the oldest city in Newland, Park City has a rich cultural heritage, and it resents the rise of Liberty as the primary financial center.
• Portsmouth – 3,000,000 (#T5): Portsmouth, located on the northwestern side of Portsmouth Bay, is one of the oldest cities and the civilian nautical center of Newland. In addition to its major shipping port, there is a heavy culture of sailing, yachting, and fishing. Portsmouth has a mix of white-collar and blue-collar, but the city is united by a love of the sea. It is home to Portsmouth Maritime of the Big 12. Portsmouth has a minor, somewhat friendly rivalry with Newport, based on the differences between civilian and military nautical culture.
• Woodstock – 900,000 (#13): Woodstock is located on the Manchester River, upriver from Park City, and near the southern edge of the Washington Mountains. It has a thriving computer industry, and is mostly white-collar. Woodstock is the home of the University of Jefferson, which plays in the Big West. Woodstock has a minor rivalry with Manchester, based on their nearby locations and competing universities.
• Manchester – 350,000 (#28): Manchester is located at the source of its namesake river, upstream from Park City and Woodstock, and near the southern edge of the Washington Mountains. It is primarily a blue-collar city and a regional center of manufacturing. Manchester is the home of Jefferson State University of the Big West. Manchester has a minor rivalry with Woodstock, based on their nearby locations and competing universities.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Point Pleasant – 175,000 (#T39): Point Pleasant (Western)
  • Oak Hill – 170,000 (#42): Oak Hill (Big 12)
  • Alexandria – 160,000 (#T43): Alexandria (Western)
  • Indian Springs – 150,000 (#T47): Southern Jefferson (Big 12)
  • Burlington – 150,000 (#T47): Burlington (Western)
  • Freeport – 120,000 (#T57): Freeport (Western)
  • Concord – 120,000 (#T57): Concord (Western)
  • Fort Jackson – 100,000 (#T59): Fort Jackson Military (Western)

[Tyke]

I really like seeing other peoples' fictional leagues, especially if set in a fictional country with a map, which is much more immersive. There are one or two of these around at the moment, all with widely different back stories, so now is a great time for Fictionals in OOTP. This looks like an excellent addition to the genre, jwinbigler, so good luck with it and I look forward to seeing how it goes.

[jwinbigler]

Madison is the 4th most populated state. Nearly half of its population lives in Newport, the 3rd largest city in Newland. The state is bounded to the west by the Great River and Indian Lake. The western part of the state has a seasonal climate, with warm summers, cool winters, and moderate rainfall. The coastal areas in the east are beautiful year-round, with cool summers, very warm winters, and very little rainfall.

• Newport – 6,000,000 (#3): Newport is the largest city in eastern Newland, located on a peninsula that juts into the ocean. Its culture is defined by the Navy. Newland’s major Naval Base is located here, and the city built up around it. It is also known for its beaches and its beautiful weather year-round, so it is a popular vacation destination. Newport is home to Newland’s Naval Academy, which plays in the Eastern Conference. Newport has a minor, somewhat friendly rivalry with Portsmouth, based on the differences between military and civilian nautical culture. It also has minor rivalries with Meadowbrook and Arlington due to the Navy’s rivalries with the Army and Air Force. Newport, Franklin, and Bridgeport share a mutual respect as the major Navy cities.
• Lake City – 750,000 (#T16): Lake City is located at the source of the Great River, on Indian Lake, which is the largest lake in Newland. While Newland’s automotive industry is mostly based in Centerville, many subsidiaries and manufacturing plants are located in Lake City. The convenient shipping route via the Great River facilitates this arrangement. Lake City is home to the University of Madison, which plays in the Big East. The city has no natural rival.
• Arlington – 450,000 (#25): Arlington is one of the oldest cities in Newland, located on the east coast, north of Newport. It is the site of the largest base of Newland’s Air Force, which defines the aeronautical culture of the city. Several of Newland’s airlines are headquartered here as well. The city is home to Newland’s Air Force Academy, which plays in the Eastern Conference. Arlington has minor rivalries with Meadowbrook and Newport due to the Air Force’s rivalries with the Army and Navy.
• St. Charles – 400,000 (#26): St. Charles is located on the southeastern tip of Newland. The city is known for its beautiful beaches and outstanding weather. Newland’s space exploration program is headquartered here, which attracts many visitors. St. Charles is home to Southeastern of the Big 12. The city has no natural rival.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Midland – 185,000 (#36): Madison State University (Big East)
  • Clayton – 140,000 (#T50): Clayton (Eastern)
  • Roseville – 140,000 (#T50): Madison Tech (Big East)
  • Auburn – 125,000 (#T53): Auburn (Eastern)

[jwinbigler]

Monroe is the 5th most populated state, but the largest geographically. The state has various geographic features, including the 2nd and 4th longest rivers (Monroe & Little), the 2nd largest lake (Lake Monroe), and the 2nd largest mountain range (Monroe Mountains) in Newland. The western and central parts of the state have hot summers, mild winters, and moderate rainfall. East of Lake Monroe, the climate is much more tropical, with hot summers, summer-like winters, and heavy rainfall.

• Irondale – 3,000,000 (#T5): Irondale is an extremely blue-collar city located on the Monroe River. It is the center of industrial manufacturing in Newland. Irondale, and the areas surrounding it, are known for mining, metallurgy, oil refinement, and heavy equipment production. Its raw material processing industry supplies many other cities in the country. Monroe A&M of the Big East is located here. Irondale has a minor rivalry with Glenwood, due to their manufacturing histories and their competing A&M universities. Irondale and Lexington have a mutual affinity for each other due to their shared blue-collar lifestyles.
• Riverview – 850,000 (#14): Riverview is located at the confluence of the Monroe River and the Great River. Its primary industry is shipping, supporting the trade of the other large cities on Newland’s river system. It is mostly a blue-collar city, full of large warehouses and shipping centers. It is home to the University of Monroe, which is in the Big East. Riverview has no natural rival.
• Hayden Beach – 750,000 (#T16): Hayden Beach is located on the east coast of Newland. It is on a unique piece of habitable land, surrounded by swamps and marshes, so it is the only major city in its region. The beautiful beaches and tropical weather attract a sizable number of tourists. The city is known for its laid-back beach culture. It is also very popular for surfers, as it often gets large waves, formed in the gap between the islands of Hamilton and Franklin. Hayden Beach is the home of Eastern Monroe of the Eastern Conference. It has a moderate rivalry with Greenville, because they tend to compete for the same tourists.
• Meadowbrook – 700,000 (#19): Meadowbrook is located at the confluence of the Little River and the Great River. It is the home of the largest Army base in Newland. Its culture is defined by the military, and a large number of its residents are either veterans or work in the defense industry. The Newland Army Academy of the Eastern Conference is located here. Meadowbrook has minor rivalries with Newport and Arlington due to the Army’s rivalries with the Navy and Air Force.
• Lexington – 375,000 (#27): Lexington is located on the western shore of Lake Monroe. It is a very blue-collar city, with a focus on food production. The great open plains to the south and west of Lexington are full of livestock ranches, and the city is the hub for processing and distributing the resulting food products. Monroe State of the Big East is located here. Lexington has no natural rival, but it shares a mutual affinity with Irondale, as blue-collar Monroe cities.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Ashland – 160,000 (#T43): University of Monroe-Ashland (Eastern)
  • Dayton – 160,000 (#T43): University of Monroe-Dayton (Eastern)
  • Grandview – 130,000 (#52): Grandview (Eastern)
  • Cedar Grove – 125,000 (#T53): Cedar Grove (Eastern)

[jwinbigler]

Jackson is the 6th most populated state, with its population mostly concentrated on the coast. Jackson is primarily known for its vast stretches of farmland in the middle of the state. Most of the state has a seasonal climate, with warm summers, cold winters, and moderate rainfall. The eastern edge of the state, closer to Salem Bay, has hot summers, warm winters, and moderately heavy rainfall.

• Fremont – 1,500,000 (#10): Fremont, located on the northern tip of the entrance to Kingston Bay, is a very blue-collar city. Its primary industries are textiles and clothing. There are very few large buildings for a city of its size, as the city is very spread out. Fremont is home to the University of Jackson, which plays in the Big West. Fremont has an intense rivalry with Kingston, across the bay. Fremont feels disrespected by Kingston and has a severe inferiority complex.
• Salem Bay – 600,000 (#21): Salem Bay is located on its namesake bay, on the northern coast of Newland. It has its share of beautiful beaches, but it is better known for its thriving fishing industry, which supplies seafood to the whole country. Salem Bay has less of a laid-back attitude than other beach cities, and its people are generally hard workers. The city is home to Northeast Jackson of the Western Conference. Salem Bay has no natural rival.
• Bridgeport – 550,000 (#22): Bridgeport is located on the north side of Kingston Bay, near the mouth of the Great River. Bridgeport is the headquarters of the Navy’s west coast fleet, which is much smaller than the east coast fleet. The city is also a hub of agriculture production, as it is the link between the vast farmlands of Jackson and the water shipping routes of the country. Bridgeport University of the Big 12 is located here. It has a minor rivalry with Farmington due to their competing agricultural economies. Bridgeport, Newport, and Franklin share a mutual respect as the major Navy cities.
• Farmington – 300,000 (#29): Farmington is the agricultural center of Newland. It is surrounded by the vast farmlands of Jackson, and it grew to be the hub for processing, warehousing, and shipping the resulting products. Farmington University plays in the Western Conference. Farmington has a minor rivalry with Bridgeport due to their competing agricultural economies.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Sussex – 175,000 (#T39): Sussex (Western)
  • Marion – 100,000 (#T59): Jackson State (Big West)

[jwinbigler]

Lincoln is the 7th most populated state. It consists of the peninsula bounded by Salem Bay to the west and the ocean to the east. Residents of Lincoln are known for their laid-back attitude, and of all the states, they have the most sense of state pride. Because there is only one large city, there are no city rivalries, and this has led to a cohesive state identity. The state has hot summers, warm winters, and moderately heavy rainfall.

• Greenville – 1,000,000 (#12): Greenville is located on the northeast coast of Newland. It is a regional center for finance and technology, and it has a more white-collar economy than other beach cities. Greenville attracts large numbers of young professionals, which has led to an exciting downtown scene. Its tourism industry is based on the nightlife and the above-average beaches. Greenville is home to the University of Lincoln, which plays in the Big East. It has a moderate rivalry with Hayden Beach, because they tend to compete for the same tourists.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Union – 180,000 (#T37): Central Lincoln (Eastern)
  • Springfield – 160,000 (#T43): Lincoln State (Big East)
  • Salem Beach – 100,000 (#T59): Northern Lincoln (Eastern)

[jwinbigler]

Franklin is the 8th most populated state. Franklin is an island off of the southeast coast of the mainland. Over two-thirds of its population lives in the two largest cities of Clinton and Franklin. The state is known for its beautiful tropical weather, with beaches and palm tree forests, and there is a thriving tourism industry. It is hot in the summer, warm in the winter, and there is moderate rainfall.

• Clinton – 800,000 (#15): Clinton is located slightly inland from the west coast of the island of Franklin. It is a newer city that has grown around its gambling and resorts. It is an extremely popular tourist destination, as Franklin is the only state with legalized gambling. There are beautiful views of the small mountain range in the center of the island. Island University of the Big 12 is located here. Clinton has a moderate rivalry with Franklin due to their competition to be the most important city on the island of Franklin.
• Franklin – 650,000 (#20): The city of Franklin is known primarily for its Navy base, which is the home of nearly all of Newland’s submarine fleet. It is located on the east coast of the island of Franklin. It was one of the first cities to be founded in Newland, and it was always a strategic military location for Newland. The city has maintained many of its historic military sites as tourist attractions. It is the home of the Franklin Military Academy, which plays in the Eastern Conference. Franklin has a moderate rivalry with Clinton due to their competition to be the most important city on the island of Franklin. Franklin, Newport, and Bridgeport share a mutual respect as the major Navy cities.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Morris – 175,000 (#T39): University of Franklin-Morris (Eastern)
  • Newton – 125,000 (#T53): University of Franklin (Big East)

[jwinbigler]

Hamilton is the least populated state. It is an island off of the northeast coast of the mainland. Nearly half of its population lives in the largest city, Richland. Most of Hamilton is covered by desert, so it is sparsely populated. Its weather is extremely hot in the summer, warm in the winter, and there is almost no rainfall.

• Richland – 725,000 (#18): Richland is a natural oasis in the middle of the desert that takes up most of Hamilton. Its economy is mostly based around banking and insurance. Richland has an interesting demographic mix, as both young professionals and retirees move there in large numbers due to its year-round warm climate. It is home to the University of Hamilton, which plays in the Big East. Richland has no natural rival.
• Other Cities & Universities:
  • Canton – 190,000 (#35): University of Hamilton-Canton (Eastern)
  • Dover – 125,000 (#T53): Dover (Eastern)

[jwinbigler]

July 15, 1979

The first of six planned Continental Baseball League announcement ceremonies took place today in Liberty, and the Liberty Giants became the first team to be introduced to the Newland public. The Giants will have a color scheme of red and white, and both their home and away uniforms will feature pinstripes. The Giants nickname is fitting for a team in the largest city in Newland. Fans of the Giants will undoubtedly expect success, and they will likely have above average loyalty.

Logo

Home

Away

The Giants will be owned by Shawn Wright, the outspoken 70-year-old investment tycoon. Wright is a native of Sara City, a very small town on the outskirts of nearby Cambridge. He is known for being a demanding boss, but with his extremely deep pockets and a huge market, Liberty should have plenty of money to attract top talent. Wright’s first two hires will certainly feel the pressure of answering to him. Billy MacFadden has signed a 5-year contract as General Manager, and Richard Hansen (pictured) has signed a 3-year contract as the team’s Manager. Hansen has a reputation as one of the top managers around, and the Giants were fortunate to win a bidding war for his services.

Construction on a new stadium for the Giants is underway, with naming rights already sold to the M&M’s candy company. M&M’s Field will be located downtown on the waterfront. It will have a retractable roof and seat 48,000 fans. The ballpark’s dimensions should lead to slightly above average hits and triples, and below average home runs. The Pinstripe Cafe in left field will be a place for the Liberty elite to gather during games.

[jwinbigler]

July 17, 1979

The Park City Patriots were announced as the second Continental Baseball League team today. The Patriots will have a color scheme of blue and dark red. The home uniform will feature pinstripes, while the away uniform will feature an alternate logo. The Patriots nickname was chosen to represent the city’s historic position as the leader of the Newland Revolution. Fans of the team will likely be fanatical in their loyalty.

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45-year-old Spencer Fields, a native of Park City, will own the team. Fields made his fortune in the shipping industry, and he is not well-known nationally. Insiders say that he is a very demanding boss, and that he is very frugal when it comes to his businesses. Fields has hired Mark Shupe as his General Manager. In a surprising move, Park City’s Manager and Bench Coach are both natives of Liberty. Jesse Bryant (pictured) and Eduardo Quintana, both 61, have worked together for many years. Quintana has a reputation as one of the top baseball minds in Newland, but he has always been happier as an assistant to his long-time friend.

The Patriots will play at Park City’s municipal stadium, which will be renamed Patriots Park. It was built in 1972 and seats 46,000 fans. The ballpark is located directly across the river from downtown Park City, and is easily accessible by people both downtown and in the suburbs. It is known for its view of the skyline and its distinctive brick outfield wall. Patriots Park has below average hits and average home runs, with a slight bias towards right-handed batters.

[jwinbigler]

July 20, 1979

Newport had its turn today in the CBL announcement cycle, as the Navigators were unveiled to the Newland public. The Navigators will have a color scheme of blue and black, and their uniforms will be vest-style. The Navigators nickname represents the Navy influence in the city. Newport’s fans will likely have above average loyalty, but their loyalty will probably be limited due to the number of things to do in the city.

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The owner of the Newport Navigators will be 65-year-old Bob Cox. Originally from Irondale, Cox has lived in Newport for most of his adult life. He retired as an Admiral from the Newland Navy and founded a military contracting firm. He is known as an extremely patient boss, but he tends to be somewhat frugal. Cox has hired Steve Price as the GM and Troy Ford (pictured) as the Manager. Ford is a risky hire with little managing experience, but his boss’ patience could give him an opportunity to succeed.

Navigators Ballpark is being built in the downtown area of Newport. It will seat 44,000 and be a pitcher’s park in every way except triples. The stadium is being built next to the recently-completed convention center, which will be prominent in right field.

[jwinbigler]

July 22, 1979

The Continental Baseball League announced its fourth team today, with the Capital City Senators being introduced. They will have a color scheme of blue and red. Both uniforms will feature the team logo across the chest. The Senators nickname is representative of Capital City’s political culture. Fans of the Senators are expected to have average loyalty, as many residents are more interested in politics and power than sports.

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The Senators owner will be Joe Phipps, 65, born in Terraville, Monroe, a large town in the mountains northwest of Ashland. Phipps came to Capital City many years ago, and he made his fortune as the co-founder of a prominent lobbying firm. He is a somewhat tolerant boss, and as a huge baseball fan, he is expected to be a free-spender. Mark MacBurie and Chad Ray (pictured) have been hired as the GM and Manager, respectively.

Capital City is selling its stadium to the Senators, and it will be renamed Senators Ballpark. Built in 1956, it seats 44,000 fans. It will be the oldest ballpark in the CBL, and with great views of the Capitol and the Washington Mountains, it has always been a crowd favorite. The park has above average hits and below average home runs.

[jwinbigler]

July 25, 1979

The Irondale Steelers became the fifth team to be announced in the CBL today. Irondale will use red, gold, and black as its colors. The home jerseys will have the team name across the front, while the away will use the logo. The Steelers name was chosen to represent the blue-collar culture of the city. Irondale’s fans have a lot of civic pride, and they are expected to have great loyalty to the new team.

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The Steelers will be the CBL’s only corporate-owned team, with the Pioneer Brewing Company calling the shots. The company will probably be frugal, as they are aiming to make a profit, but they are also expected to be very lenient with their management hires. 52-year-old Guillermo Guerra has been appointed to run the day-to-day operations. Guerra has hired Dave Sanders as GM and Ryan Howard (pictured) as Manager.

The Steelers will play in existing Pioneer Park, next to the company headquarters on the Monroe River. Built in 1965, it seats 46,000 fans and has always been known for its excellent atmosphere. It is a hitter’s park in every way except doubles.