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SmallBall Community Times The SmallBall Community Times (SBCT) is the latest addition to an already great set of community websites. Think of the SBCT as your SmallBall newspaper where everyone can be a journalist. The SBCT is only devoted to one subject, Smallball; but how you include it is really up to you. There is already a great deal of content out there from some of the great members of the community. The publishing cycle of the SBCT is completely random, as content comes in, it will get published if it meets the criteria. More on the criteria later. The SBCT is not meant to take the place of the Home Plate News, but rather be an addition to it that is published more frequently. The process of getting your article included in the
SBCT is rather simple; it must be related to SmallBall, well written
and is a positive and interesting
article. They can be training tips, funny stories, community related
or something completely different. You have the chance to have your
voice heard. After you have written your article then you need to submit
it
to one of the Content Editors. Currently there are 6 Content Editors
for the SBCT. Solipsta, Jon2s, Cliff, Lithodora and Nelmo. The
content editors are responsible for soliciting articles from the community
and as they come in they will make sure the spelling, grammar is correct
and is something fitting to be included. The journalists that submit
articles may even receive a ticket for exceptionally good work. Not
every article that is published will receive a ticket, but those that
are exceptional
will. Once the Content Editor has reviewed your submission, it will
either be published, given back for some rework, held for future release
or
possibly even rejected. Nobody likes to hear it, because it's dull, but the
reason you win or lose is darn near always the same: pitching. Cliff I'm not sure I like these questions, you're really not asking anything about us, but here goes.
I was looking through the Real Games catalog and saw SmallBall Baseball. It looked a game I'd like, management, training, not hand-eye coordination. I suck at those games. 38799 was my 1st team, I still have them, but they're inactive now. What were your first impressions, how did you figure out how to play? I hated the ST, tried it once before buying the DT. I've always been one to throw money at problems, even though I don't have much. What is your fondest SmallBall memory? My first fond memory was beating the Nude Guys in the ninth on a grand slam home run, I'm not sure who was training them then, Starrzie? Yhanni? I'd love to see them in Smallball again, two tough cookies when I was starting in SmallBall almost four years ago. What do you love most and hate most about SmallBall? Honestly SmallBall is a real love/hate relationship. I really love the game, I've been fortunate enough to watch teams I'm a part of win first PL. There's nothing better than that. Peeps finished 2nd in 1st PL in season 74, they weren't my team, but I trained them and got them into first PL and finished in second place.* Nothing in SmallBall is better than doing well in first PL. Nothing. Smallball is also the home of the abysmal failure, just when you think your team is ready to advance they win two games and drop out of contention. You watch loss after loss in the PLs and can't figure out why. Commish, you have said there are no slumps in SmallBall, but I still don't believe it. Are you sure you haven't created real AI?? If you were going to offer a Newbie some advice what would it be? Don't be in a hurry, every one wants to do well right away, but it takes a lot of time. Learn your team, your players, train everybody in everything before you decide on positions. Watch your honor rating. If you were the Commissioner what would be the first 3 things you'd do, and why? 1. Fix football 4. A skill cage in Baseball would be nice. For the SBCT what sort of writing or creative content are you looking for? Really anything. I like fiction, poetry, but interviews are good too. Anything related to SmallBall. * I recently bought Peeps with Personality, they're in 3rd PL. Moving up I hope Solipsta How did you originally find out about smallball? I came upon SmallBall from www.real.com. I was passing the time playing games and when I came upon SmallBall, I never looked back. What were your first impressions, how did you figure out how to play? What is your fondest SmallBall memory?
I love the personalities in this game the most. There's just a lot of
cool people here. As for the actual game, it's hard to pin down one thing.
At this point, it's way more about the community than anything. The things
that I hate about SmallBall are the usual things. Silly bugs in the game
that are oh-so frustrating. Not really being any good at the game anymore.
I kinda hate that, too. Sit back, listen and read. And make friends. The game is great, but what it really offers, in my opinion, is the community. You make friends, have fun with them and steal their training secrets! Maybe not steal them, but you absorb them. Most people here are willing to share if they like you. And have fun. If you're not having fun, why play the game?
The first thing I'd do is look at more marketing. The game will thrive
when more people are brought into it and I think more needs to be done.
Whether it be a referral system, banner sharing or more traditional forms
of advertising, the word needs to get out! The second would be to get
on, or speed up the production of hockey. I'd do this only out of selfishness,
though. I really think what needs to be done is to get American Football
out, as I think this style of game appeals more to the US audience and
that is definitely what they love. With American Football (which, in
my SmallBall world, would have a subscription system), you'd have a generous
revenue stream that could easily fund other games. Lastly, I'd write
out a manifesto and appoint people to answer questions on my behalf.
I think a lot of time, people feel ignored when I know that they really
aren't. But sometimes they just need someone to listen to them to know
that they're heard... I'll look at anything, but I'd really like to see some specific stories or reporting about events that have happened. What was your favorite Monday Mayhem? Remember the Wildcat PL Push? Tell me about it! What did you feel like when you won your first SmallBrawl? I like those stories. And I'd also like to hear about friends you've made through SmallBall. That's always interesting for others to hear. Nelmo How did you originally find out about smallball? I came across it by accident. I was surfing the net, and there was a link to a online baseball game that caught my eye. I hit the link and the rest is history, as I have been here ever since.
I was like a kid in a candy store, very excided.
It was not until I found the forums and got help from so many in the community that were willing to help.
You would think the first time I reached 1st league would be my answer. However, mine happened in 2nd league, when I beat (back to back) two great championship teams that I looked up to for a long time, Retry and DarkElf Destroyers. What do you love most and hate most about SmallBall? I love the fact that the game keeps evolving, never staying the same. There has been so many changes in the 4 years I have played and I still look forward to the changes in the future. The one thing I hate is training everyday, as it becomes monotonous sometimes. If you were going to offer a Newbie some advice what would it be? The best advice I can give is to be patient. Learn the fundamentals, and take your time getting to know all your players. Their weaknesses and strengths are what you have to be able to manage accordingly. If you were the Commissioner what would be the first 3 things you'd do, and why? That is a very tough question, as no one knows what it takes to walk
in someone else's shoes, but I will try. For the SBCT what sort of writing or creative content are you looking for? I started a series called "trials and Tribulation" written
by new members. They are a very important part of smallball. However,
I would like the veteran player to start writing tips, and suggestions.
The game evolves and we have to evolve with it, so new tips are always
welcome. Pick me out a winner, Bobby
N37-3GS-SB5--NFF-15L-84E VJD-3ME-M8Z--RJF-998-8EE F
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The Life of a Catfish  A Prelude to: Nightmares Relived The fog rolled around the stadium in an almost surreal sort of way. Even the crowd seemed somewhat muffled as the game went along. I looked up at the scoreboard above centerfield from second base where I was playing. It was the bottom of the 8th inning and we led by a slim margin over The Flamin’ Flyers 8-7. The bases were loaded with only one out, and I was just hoping for a quick grounder so we could end this game on a double play. Jacob Marley came to the plate who had homered earlier in the game and looked confident as JohnBoy delivered his first pitch. Marley ripped through the strike zone making contact with the ball sending a quick grounder as hoped for to Ole’ Red playing third base. As I headed to the second base bag to cover the throw, the play seemed to slow down as if in slow motion as the ball rolled towards Ole’ Red. Ole’ Red who we simply refer to as Red still hadn’t moved for the ball. Slowly ever so slowly it rolled past Red who couldn’t make the play. As the ball moved past him, time sped back to normal where the ball rolled into leftfield. FireBoy came in charging, scooped up the ball and came up throwing towards home plate. The throw was strong and straight as made it’s beeline towards home plate, but not before both runners in scoring position thundered across the plate to take the lead. I looked back over to Red where he hung his head in disbelief. I tried to read his face but couldn’t, as he seemed almost a faceless blur. JohnBoy struck out the next batter sending us to the dugout for the 9th inning. I reached the dugout and sat down a few guys down from CountryBumpkin, our owner who always watches our games. He was just shaking his head obviously at how this game was finishing. As I turned back around from glancing at CB, I couldn’t help but notice as I looked down the bench and couldn’t understand why several guys were missing. And what was up with this fog that continued to draft around the stadium? After shaking myself I looked up at the field, there was Red standing at the plate with runners on the corners and two outs. This was not making any sense I thought to myself as scenes continued to shift right before my eyes. I looked back over to CB who was standing with his arms crossed in front of him and yelling out encouragement to Red. I looked back out and could see the pitcher but not any other position, as it seemed they were completely fogged out as the dense mist swirled around the park. But after three straight pitches that Red couldn’t hit, the game was over. CB turned and looked at me shaking his head very dissappointed and turned to walk through door leading to the clubhouse. As CB disappeared into the clubhouse, I turned around to console Red but he was already gone. Breathing a heavy sigh, I shrugged my shoulders not understanding why things were so strange around me and walked through the dugout door. Instead of walking through the hallway leading to the clubhouse, I somehow found myself walking along the side of a dark desolate road with red and blue lights flashing ahead in the distance. The fog was thick and swirling so I couldn’t tell what the problem was. Feeling totally confused, I felt the need to start running and started to jog toward the lights. As I got closer and closer I began to panic and found myself picking up the pace to a near total sprint. Faster and faster I raced towards the lights from what seemed like a mile away was getting closer and closer. I could feel my heart racing almost beyond total control and my peripheral vision became a complete blur. As the scene got closer I began to pick out details as I approached what looked like a car crash of some sort. There were several cop cars ahead with their lights flashing along with a wrecker and ambulance. The fog was so thick that the lights looked like searchlights as they flashed around and around. Coming upon the scene still at an almost complete sprint I could see a car completely wrapped around a tree with the windshield smashed through. As I approached within 30 yards of the scene I saw the body covered by the white sheet on the side of the road and I came to a sudden and complete stop. The officers at the scene were talking with the wrecker mechanic giving details as they pointed towards the vehicle. I’m not even sure if they knew I was there, but I couldn’t take my eyes off that body. Terror filled my body as it seemed there was a reason why I was here and I desperately wanted to walk over there and see who was underneath. But I looked down at my feet and they would not call to my commands. It seemed that I was completely bolted the ground were I stood. Not understanding I looked back to the body. To my complete astonishment the right arm began to move from under the white sheet. I felt relieved that whoever it was is still alive and can be treated. Figuring I needed to call the police over to help when to my terror I saw the body get up and stand before me just about 100 feet away. I felt the blood in my face wash away as I looked upon Ole’ Red standing there and began to limp my way on a leg that was completely twisted around. His face and head were in tattered shreds, as he must have gone through the windshield. His skin was sickly pale as he continued to make his way in my direction. There was no way Red was alive and inside my brain was screaming to run away yet I remained bolted to the ground. I quickly glanced back over to the police who continued discussing how to get the vehicle out of the embankment and on to the wrecker, but they seemed totally oblivious to what I was seeing. I tried to scream but couldn’t find the strength as Red was within just 10 yards of me continually limping closer and closer like some kind of zombie as I felt the ground between us get shorter and shorter. Completely terror-stricken and not feeling any of my extremities, it was a wonder how I was able to continue standing. When the corpse of Red came within a few feet of me, tears of blood began to roll uncontrollably down his face. Helpless and hopeless, all I could do was stare at him in sheer horror. Upon approaching me he began to reach out to me with his left hand that was completely mangled. Terrified trying to run but can’t move, with his hand reaching closer and closer he opened his mouth shredded by glass and in a raspy gurgling voice, “Why???” His hand touched my shoulder and petrified beyond comprehension I found my voice and screamed out at the top of my lungs. To be continued… CountryBumpkin  
Don't forget FREE DT FRIDAYS! New Stadium for Football
If you want to check out this new stadium simply play a match
with your SmallBall Football team. I
think football would become an even better game if someone could
invent a ball that kicks back. Lithodora How did you originally find out about smallball? In May of 2001 I noticed Smallball on the Realarcade, where it still is. I was on dial up and was looking for a game I could play for short periods of time. At one point the only reason I went online was for smallball. Been kicking about ever since. What were your first impressions, how did you figure out how to play? At the time when I started no one really knew how to play at all. Honestly I'm not actually sure I know exactly how to play, I am pretty sure I've gotten a good idea how though. I've never gotten my team to 10* or into Pl1 (except during my first year here, but that is like saying the Yankees are great today because they won the World Series in 1920 or something)
The first time I won a tournament and I got a DT for my prize. It was also my first tournament. It also happens to be the only time I've taken first in a tournament. Other than that getting my boss to play at one point was pretty memorable.
Everytime I went into his office he had a game running in the background.
Sometimes I didn't notice it but I'd hear the umpire saying "out" coming
from his computers speakers. He was trying to sneak in games against my
team while I was at work. For the SBCT what sort of writing or creative content are you looking for? I would like to recieve content about memorable experiences within the
community. I would really like to have an article from a football trainer,
especially one who doesn't train baseball. I would like them to explain
what it is that draws them to it over baseball.
Golem's Mighty Swing James Sturm pens this richly evocative graphic novel set in the 1920s.
The Stars of David, a barnstorming Jewish baseball team, travel from town
to town earning a living by playing local squads. They all sport beards,
a gimmick to attract patrons but when financial difficulties threaten to
end their season they cast their lot with a Chicago promoter who has just
seen the hugely successful German silent film Der Golem... With the golem,
a baseball game is transformed into a mythical pageant. Fear and curiosity
fills the stadium, but it also stokes the flames of anti-Semitism. Winning
the game for the Stars of David becomes less important then surviving it.
With a sepia-tinted cinematic style, this compelling book reminds us that
making it home is at the heart of baseball. Guys ask me,
don't I get burned out? How can you get burned out doing something
you love? I ask you, have you ever got tired of kissing a pretty girl?
I still get such a bang out of it, playing ball. Same as I did when I first come up. You get out there and the stands are full and everybody is cheering. It is like everbody in the world come to see you. Inside that there is the players in there and there yakking it up and the pitcher throws and your looking for that pill and suddenly there is nothing else in the ballpark you and it and sometimes when your feeling right and there is a groove there and the bat just eases into it and meets that ball. When the bat meets that ball you can feel that ball just give and you know it is going to go a long way. Damn, if you don't feel like your going to live forever. -
John Cusac - Eight Men Out Catfish Catfish, million-dollar-man, Used to work on Mr. Finley's farm Catfish, million-dollar-man, Come up where the Yankees are, Catfish, million-dollar-man, Carolina born and bred, Catfish, million-dollar-man, Reggie Jackson at the plate Catfish, million-dollar-man, Even Billy Martin grins Catfish, million-dollar-man, -Bob Dylan K71-84E 2LM-7NB-SLK Baseball! Baseball. Baseball. Base Ball.
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SmallBall Stickers I never stop looking for
things to try and make myself better. Jon How did you originally find out about smallball?
I came to SmallBall about 18 months ago. I had just started a new job at a small software company. There were several people there that were already playing the game and I decided to give it a shot. The rest as they say is history. What were your first impressions, how did you figure out how to play? When I first started to play, I had no idea what I was doing. I trained I'd have to say that my fondest memory of SmallBall is when gained the
respect of some members of the community. It took quite awhile to do,
but by reading and playing the game, I feel that I became a pretty good
trainer and a helpful member of the community. SmallBall is a love/hate relationship for me. The things I love about
the game are also some of the things I hate. I am by nature a person
that
looks at things in a calculating manner. Not knowing how my players
are going to play that day makes things interesting but at the same
time it drives me nuts. Enter into SmallBall with humility. It is a tough game and nobody knows everything about it. Take the time to use the information that is out there. If I have seen further it is by standing on ye shoulders of giants. - Isaac Newton
If I were Commissioner I first take some time to peek behind the
As a Content Editor for the SmallBall Community Times, I am really open for any type of SmallBall content. Although I love reading the fan fiction that so many of you are good at, what really interests me are people's tips and tricks to the game. I think back to when I started, I poured over hundreds of posts in the forums and spent hours in the chat room trying to learn ins and outs of the game. How did you come up with The Player Optimizer? It all started out on paper actually. I was calculating players values
by hand based off their rankings in throw, catch and run. From there
it
went to an Excel spreadsheet with macros. After awhile of thinking
I thought I might be able to read the sorts. So I decided to develop
my
own Optical
character recognition (OCR) application. This is basically
looking
at a group of individual pixels on the screen to determine what
number
it creates. After that it only made sense to have it do the rest
for you. It was a very long process to get it to work just right, and
I'm pretty sure there will always be a little something that I can do
to What is SmallBall.info? SmallBall.info is a community website that I created to be used and
enhanced by the community. It is still growing, but I hope that it
The rules of soccer are very simple, basically it is this: if it moves,
kick it. If it doesn't move, kick it until it does.
I'm a rock star because I couldn't be a
soccer star. He who thinks little, errs much.
SB Poetry The Joys of Smallball Will Never Let
me Down I Try and I Try and I even Try Again We can Be up by Twenty and still lose the Game My team seems to lose all the games in the Clutch My Boys go to Jurrasic Park and Play like Pros We were Winning in World Park And could not be Stopped In Alice Park we pounded the other team into the dirt In Field Of Dreams my team has the other team's confidence Torn Ocean Park is where we beat teams until they can't stand
In My eyes My team is the Best Team To ever be Had llama - --
- = =O Thats what SmallBall is Standing on the mound. And with all his might. The swing of the bat. The outfielder runs. Searching for the wall. The roars of the crowds. - -- - = =O Smallball - The Game That Took Over My Life
Smallball changes the way I live the day, Smallball makes me sit in this chair or so long, I still love this game. - -- - = =O
Its never rains SB Merchindise For official SmallBall stuff check out Cafepress.com/smallball We set up a few items with Cafepress at cost. We will add more items over time so check back now and then.
Win Stadiums
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