My first game after finishing my annual baseball season was Master of Magic. There is a new Master of Magic scheduled for release in December 2022. I played the 1994 classic version published by MicroProse, however. It is a lot like Sid Meier's Civilization set in a fantasy world. The more apt comparison is probably Master of Orion, which was created by the same game designer and published in 1993. All of these games are considered 4X strategy games: eXplore, eXpand, eXploit, and eXterminate. I previously enjoyed Master of Orion and Master of Orion II so I was pretty sure I was going to like this game as well.

The goal is to become the Master of Magic by eliminating all opponents or by casting the spell of Mastery. I chose a medium-sized map with four opponents. For my wizard, I chose to play as Horus. He is a sorcerer who specializes in sorcery and life magic. I wasn't sure who my opponents were until I encountered them through exploration. This was my competition:

• Jafar - Jafar was an Arabian illusionist who understood the mysteries of sorcery magic. He was the first wizard I encountered. He was also the first one I eliminated.
• Oberic - Next up was Oberic, an elementalist who specialized in both chaos and nature magic. I defeated him next and united the continent under my rule.
• Tauron - Across the ocean was another continent with two other wizards. There, I met Tauron first. Tauron was a demonic being who specialized in chaos magic. He was my greatest nemesis by far. I waged war with him over many years before finally emerging triumphant.
• Sharee - Sharee was a voodoo priestess who specialized in both chaos and death magic. She was allied with Tauron, which presented some additional challenge to me. I largely ignored her, however, until I was able to deal sufficiently with Tauron. Finally, I marched east and conquered Sharee to achieve victory.

One aspect of MoM that was interesting was dual lands to explore. You start on Arcanus but there is a mysterious other world called Myrror. You can only access Myrror through ancient towers of wizardry by using special spells. When I started the game, I wasn't sure if one of my opponents may have resided in Myrror but that wasn't the case. I explored Myrror a bit but the other wizards and their towns were all in Arcanus.

Despite being an older title with crude graphics (by today's standard), I thoroughly enjoyed playing Master of Magic.


Horus Banishes His Nemesis, Tauron

Here are North American League Baseball’s prestigious individual award winners for 2022.

League 1

Outstanding Batter Award: Li-ben Chai (Dayton Grizzlies)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Dan Courtlandt (Brooklyn Knights)
Reliever of the Year Award: Alfredo Maldonardo (Cornfield Axemen)
Newcomer of the Year: Toshiro Kakuta (Brooklyn Knights)
Manager of the Year: Kevin Fields (Brooklyn Knights)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Catcher: Nick Koche (Brooklyn Knights)
First Baseman: Toshiro Kakuta (Brooklyn Knights)
Second Baseman: Amsalu Kanda (Luisville Beasts)
Third Baseman: Derk McParland (Dunedin Otters)
Shortstop: Bubba Webb (Luisville Beasts)
Left Fielder: Zacarías Marquís (Luisville Beasts)
Center Fielder: Leonard O'Marron (Luisville Beasts)
Right Fielder: Li-ben Chai (Dayton Grizzlies)
Designated Hitter: Angel Santago (Cornfield Axemen)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Paco Rivera (Luisville Beasts)
Catcher: António Pacheco (Cornfield Axemen)
First Baseman: Jorge Morales (Las Vegas Luck)
Second Baseman: Joshua Ridings (Las Vegas Luck)
Third Baseman: Joe Epp (Las Vegas Luck)
Shortstop: Carlos Cardenas (Dunedin Otters)
Left Fielder: Yvon Chouinard (Luisville Beasts)
Center Fielder: Hamilton Look (Nashville Firecats)
Right Fielder: Andrew Dickens (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2

Outstanding Batter Award: Morris Brown (Vancouver Wild)
Outstanding Pitcher Award: Braulio Crame (Stade Maples)
Reliever of the Year Award: Whitney Todd (Richmond Slam)
Newcomer of the Year: Rudolph Carpoza (Vancouver Wild)
Manager of the Year: Anthony Zimmer (Vancouver Wild)

Platinum Stick Award Winners
Pitcher: Ernesto Estero (St. James Crusaders)
Catcher: Morris Brown (Vancouver Wild)
First Baseman: Mabon Beniniger (Washington Allies)
Second Baseman: Brock James (Vancouver Wild)
Third Baseman: Adelmo Porcayo (St. James Crusaders)
Shortstop: Márque Parita (Washington Allies)
Left Fielder: Pedro Castro (Vancouver Wild)
Center Fielder: Bruno Payton (Richmond Slam)
Right Fielder: Arturo Guerrero (Phoenix Rattlers)

Slick Fielder Award Winners
Pitcher: Tyler Stivers (Stade Maples)
Catcher: George Medforth (Washington Allies)
First Baseman: Yves Provençal (Quebeck Sky Chiefs)
Second Baseman: José Arzate (Stade Maples)
Third Baseman: Adelmo Porcayo (St. James Crusaders)
Shortstop: Ramiro Socastro (Stade Maples)
Left Fielder: John Patterson (Phoenix Rattlers)
Center Fielder: Joe Geddes (Vancouver Wild)
Right Fielder: Lorenzo Evidio (St. James Crusaders)

The 2022 NALB season had a different feel to it. Pitching dominated and offenses struggled. In this low-scoring season, the Stade Maples emerged as World Champions. Expectations were high in Stade as the season began. However, the Maples struggled with a series of injuries that decimated their pitching staff:

On May 23, starter Eriq Barber suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder.
On August 16, reliever Murray Hurst tore the labrum in his shoulder.
On August 25, reliever Hartman Ivers tore a flexor tendon in his elbow.
On September 12, starter Tyler Stivers went to the Injury List with acute elbow soreness.

The Maples led their division most of the way until they had a horrendous August. An 8-20 record for the month almost derailed their season. Heading into September, the Maples trailed the Washington Allies by three games. Washington faded, however, and Stade won the division by two games. The Maples faced the Vancouver Wild in the League 2 Series. The Wild had very good hitting, decent pitching, and the league's best fielding. The Maples won in seven games. The World Championship Series featured the Stade Maples vs. the Luisville Beasts. Just as the League 1 Series and League 2 Series had done, the WCS went the full seven games. The pivotal game was certainly game five. With the series tied 2-2, the teams battled for 21 innings. Stade fans will never forget Francisco Soa's walk-off hit to give them a 5-4 victory and the series lead. A 3-1 road win in game seven gave the Maples the World Championship, their second overall.



Click the image for the NALB 2022 World Championship roster

2022 World Championship Series - Stade Maples (80-82) vs. Luisville Beasts (94-68)

Game 1: Stade 9, Luisville 1
Game 2: Luisville 11, Stade 6
Game 3: Luisville 4, Stade 0
Game 4: Stade 8, Luisville 3
Game 5: Stade 5, Luisville 4
Game 6: Luisville 7, Stade 0
Game 7: Stade 3, Luisville 1

Series MVP: Luís Vergel (Stade Maples)

The Stade Maples were making their seventh appearance in the World Championship Series. Previous trips had been disappointing for Maples fans with five defeats in six tries. Their lone championship was in 2006. The 2022 Maples team was devastated by injuries to its pitching staff and snuck into the playoffs with an 80-82 record. The Luisville Beasts on the other hand were preseason favorites to win the championship. After downing the 105-win Brooklyn Knights, the Beasts were a heavy favorite over the Maples.

Game 1: Braulio Crame (19-9, 2.41 ERA) vs. Noel Trevenot (12-7, 3.22 ERA). Stade's starter looked good and Luisville's starter did not. That was the difference. Trevenot was roughed up for six runs and he was pulled in the third inning. Although the Beasts had NALB's top offense, it was the Maples that put on a hitting display. Stade clubbed four home runs in a 9-1 rout.

Game 2: Dave Kirby (3-5, 4.84 ERA) vs. Paco Rivera (16-10, 3.80 ERA). The Beasts got off to a quick start with three runs off of Kirby in the first inning. Paco Rivera couldn't hold the lead, however. The Maples scored against him in the second, third, and fourth innings to go ahead 5-3. After five innings, Stade was in charge 6-4. Luisville's lineup is more than capable of winning a slugfest and that's exactly what happened. The Beasts scored late and often to even the series with an 11-6 comeback win.

Game 3: Whitney Sanders (14-11, 3.72 ERA) vs. Renato Balcazar (10-13, 3.52). The Maples hoped for a spark at home in game three but they didn't get it. Although Balcazar delivered a quality start, Whitney Sanders was even better. Sanders pitched into the eighth and combined with closer Ed Boudreau for a 3-0 shutout.

Game 4: Porfiro Quiñones (8-1, 2.59 ERA) vs. Trip Taraz (1-1, 5.29 ERA). After getting shutout in game three, the Maples responded with an offensive show. They scored eight runs on sixteen hits, which included two home runs. Trip Taraz pitched a solid six innings, allowing three runs. Stade's bullpen took care of the rest as the Maples cruised to a series tying 8-3 victory.

Game 5: Noel Trevenot vs. Braulio Crame. The final WCS game in Stade was a classic. If some of the playoff games felt like heavyweight fights, game five was like an old bare-knuckles boxing match. You didn't know how long it was going to last but the winner was the last man standing. The Maples failed to hold a 4-2 lead and couldn't put the Beasts away. Luisville scored two runs in the eighth and the game went into extra innings. Both teams battled back and forth, using 17 pitchers and every position player available. When the dust settled, there were a total of 34 hits. The game winner was a walk-off single in the bottom of the 21st inning by Francisco Soa. The Maples prevailed 5-4 in an 8 hour 12 minute game that finished at 4:17 AM.

Game 6: Dave Kirby vs. Paco Rivera. The Beasts were happy to be back home in Luisville. Unfortunately, they were in the unenviable position of having to win both games remaining to take the title. They were fortunate that starter Paco Rivera brought his "A" game. Rivera had all of his pitches working as he threw a complete game five-hit shutout. The Beasts bats delivered 13 hits and 7 runs. The 7-0 blowout ensured there would be a winner-take-all game seven.

Game 7: Renato Balcazar vs. Whitney Sanders. Having won game six at home, the confident Luisville Beasts hoped to ride the momentum to a World Championship. Unfortunately for them, it was not to be. The Maples were poised and seemingly unaffected by the vocal Luisville fans. In the second inning, Lerrin Ruíz doubled and José Arzate singled to put Stade up 1-0. In the top of the sixth inning, Ruíz hit an RBI single to make the Maples lead 2-0. In the bottom of the sixth, Manuel Montaya doubled to score a run for the Beasts. They could do no more, however, and left runners stranded on second and third base. Hippolito Núñez added an insurance run in the eighth inning when he launched a solo homer to left field. Closer Miguel Catarino finished the game to give the Stade Maples a 3-1 victory. They are NALB World Champions for the second time in franchise history.

Maples left fielder Luís Vergel was named the World Championship Series MVP. Vergel hit .324 (11 for 34) with 2 HR and 5 RBI.

2022 League 2 Series - Stade Maples (80-82) vs. Vancouver Wild (91-71)

Game 1: Stade 2, Vancouver 0
Game 2: Vancouver 3, Stade 2
Game 3: Stade 2, Vancouver 1
Game 4: Vancouver 6, Stade 5
Game 5: Stade 6, Vancouver 2
Game 6: Vancouver 7, Stade 1
Game 7: Stade 5, Vancouver 3

The Stade Maples are no stranger to the postseason. They have won four out of the last five division titles and are in the playoffs for the thirteenth time. This year's team is different, however; they had a losing record in the regular season. The only other time that happened in NALB history was 2008 when the Vancouver Wild (80-82) shocked the world by defeating the Brooklyn Knights (113-49) for the World Championship. Facing the Stade Maples were the Vancouver Wild so there was an interesting storyline for the League 2 Series.

Game one pitted Stade's Braulio Crame (19-9, 2.41 ERA) against Vancouver's Rudolph Carpoza (6-3, 2.48 ERA) as starting pitchers. It was a low-scoring affair. The Maples struck for two runs in the second inning, which was enough to secure a 2-0 win.

The starters for game two were Renato Balcazar (10-13, 3.52 ERA) for the Maples and Rey Alvarado (12-13, 3.34 ERA) for the Wild. Alvarado was a bit better to lead his team to a 3-2 victory. He pitched six innings, struck out four, and only allowed four hits.

The series was tied 1-1 as it moved from Vancouver to Stade for game three. The Wild started Ivan Martinez (13-7, 3.47 ERA) and the Maples started Sosuke Nakamura (9-12, 2.89 ERA). Both pitchers were excellent in seven innings of work. Nakamura prevailed in this pitching duel, however, with a four-hit, no walk outing. He gave up only one run and earned the 2-1 win.

In game four, fans were finally treated to a bit more scoring. Both starters, Vancouver's Nelson Sanchez (4-5, 3.09 ERA) and Stade's Dave Kirby (3-5, 4.84), were solid. Kirby gave up one run and Sanchez's three runs were all unearned. They excitement and drama came late in the game. Down 4-1, Vancouver roared back with 4 runs in the top of the ninth to take the lead. Stade scored in the bottom of the ninth to send the game into extra innings. Right fielder Gregg Webb hit an RBI double in the tenth to give the Wild a 6-5 win.

Braulio Crame once again out-pitched Rudolph Carpoza to give the Maples another win in game five. This time, the Maples won 6-2 as Kurt Johnson led the way with a 2 for 3 day at the plate, including a home run.

With their backs to the wall in game six, the Wild needed a fine performance out of veteran pitcher Rey Alvarado. They got that and more. Alvarado was magnificent as he threw a 119-pitch complete game. Vancouver's bats came alive with 7 runs on 10 hits. First baseman Joe Barnstaple was impressive as he singled, doubled, and homered in four at bats in a 7-1 win.

Vancouver hosted the winner-take-all game seven. Unfortunately for fans of the Wild, there was little joy to be had in the outcome. The Stade Maples finished off the Vancouver Wild 5-3 in the deciding game of the League 2 Series. Stade's leadoff hitter, right fielder Javier Cirnernos was instrumental in the Maples' success. He was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and scored 3 runs. The Maples' Sosuke Nakamura was once again effective on the mound as he registered his second win of the series. With a 5-3 victory, the Stade Maples pulled off the upset and will play the Luisville Beasts for the NALB World Championship.

Maples first baseman Kurt Johnson was named the series MVP. He hit .385 with a home run and 7 RBI.

2022 League 1 Series - Luisville Beasts (94-68) vs. Brooklyn Knights (105-57)

Game 1: Brooklyn 2, Luisville 1
Game 2: Brooklyn 3, Luisville 2
Game 3: Luisville 8, Brooklyn 1
Game 4: Brooklyn 6, Luisville 4
Game 5: Luisville 8, Brooklyn 4
Game 6: Luisville 4, Brooklyn 3
Game 7: Luisville 5, Brooklyn 0

For the sixth straight season, the Luisville Beasts won their division and were playoff bound. The Brooklyn Knights were making their first playoff appearance since 2019. From 2017 to 2019, the Luisville Beasts and Brooklyn Knights squared off in the League 1 Series so the rivalry was rekindled in this fitting matchup. The Beasts featured the top scoring offense while the Knights had the top pitching staff in North American League Baseball.

The League 1 Series began with the host Brooklyn Knights taking a 2-1 win over the Luisville Beasts. Brooklyn's starter, left-hander Dan Courtlandt (17-3, 1.44 ERA), was marvelous. Luisville's Noel Trevenot (12-7, 3.22 ERA) was almost as good. Toshiro Kakuta and Nick Koche swatted back to back solo home runs for Brooklyn in the bottom of the fifth.

The Brooklyn Knights got a strong performance from starter Marcos Delgadillo (12-11, 2.85 ERA) in game two, but it was some clutch hitting that ultimately delivered the win. Luisville starter Paco Rivera (16-10, 3.80 ERA) was effective. He gave up two runs in six innings. It came down to relief pitching, however, as the game went into extra innings. The clutch at-bat came in the bottom of the 12th inning, when Brooklyn first baseman Toshiro Kakuta, facing Ed Boudreau, had a run-scoring single. It gave the Knights the 3-2 win.

In game three, the Luisville Beasts got a great start from 35-year-old right-hander Whitney Sanders (14-11, 3.72 ERA), as the Beasts took the 8-1 win over the Knights. Sanders threw 7.1 innings of 3-hit ball and helped Luisville close their deficit to two games to one. Brooklyn's starter, Tony Tamayo (18-4, 2.25 ERA) didn't have his best stuff. He struggled early and didn't make it out of the fifth inning.

With left fielder Syman Lowery leading the charge, the Brooklyn Knights got a road win over the Luisville Beasts, 6-4 in game four of the League 1 Series. Lowery was 1 for 2 with a home run, a walk, and was hit by a pitch, while scoring two runs to help Brooklyn take a 3-1 lead in the best-of-7 series. Brooklyn starter Aaron Patterson (16-9, 3.09 ERA) had trouble putting hitters away. He gave up four runs in the first four innings. Luisville's starter, Porfiro Quiñones (8-1, 2.59 ERA), had a 4-0 lead after four innings but then things began to unravel. The Knights tied the game in the fifth. They scored again in the sixth and ninth to secure the win.

Down three games to one in the series, every game was a must-win for the Luisville Beasts. They responded with a convincing 8-4 victory over the Brooklyn Knights in game five. Beasts left fielder Yvon Chouinard was 2 for 4 with a home run and a walk, while scoring 2 and driving in 2. With a chance to clinch the pennant, the Knights were surprisingly unfocused. Brooklyn played a sloppy game filled with miscues, including three errors, a wild pitch, a hit batsman, and a balk.

The series returned to Brooklyn for game six. In another must-win situation, the Beasts beat the Knights 4-3 to force a decisive game seven. Luisville right-hander Paco Rivera had a big role in the win. He kept Brooklyn hitters off-balance, while giving the Beasts seven quality innings. Rivera threw 100 pitches, allowing 3 hits and striking out 9. An error by third baseman John Ruben (his third in two games) cost Brooklyn at least one run. Despite falling behind 4-0, the Knights staged an exciting comeback. Down 4-3 in the ninth, the Knights had baserunners on first and third but failed to bring them home.

The League 1 Series went down to its final game, with the Luisville Beasts and the Brooklyn Knights giving their fans plenty of drama. In the end, the Beasts came out on top, winning 5-0 to take the series 4-3. Whitney Sanders out-dueled Tony Tamayo for the second time in the series. Home runs by Hsiao-lou Yeh and Pete Chavez powered the Beasts offense as they cruised to victory.

This was the ninth time these two teams met in the League 1 Series. After losing the previous eight contests, the Luisville Beasts finally prevailed and will play for the NALB World Championship.

Beasts third baseman Pete Chavez earned series MVP honors, hitting for a .444 average, with 2 home runs, 7 RBI and 5 runs scored.

After a two year playoff absence, the Brooklyn Knights roared back with a 105-57 record and easily won their division by 28 games. The Luisville Beasts fought off a tough Dunedin Otters team to secure another playoff appearance. No stranger to the postseason, the Stade Maples made the playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years. The Vancouver Wild battled the Phoenix Rattlers and Richmond Slam most of the season. At season's end, the Wild prevailed over the Rattlers by a single game in the standings.

The League Series match-ups:
Luisville Beasts (94-68) vs. Brooklyn Knights (105-57)
Stade Maples (80-82) vs. Vancouver Wild (91-71)

Head to head this season:
The Knights were 13-10 against the Beasts.
The Wild were 13-10 against the Maples.

Playoff injury report:

The Beasts are without starting pitcher Ton Tsuruta, who tore his UCL on August 1. LF Yvon Chouinard and RF Manuel Montaya are a little banged up but on the playoff roster. The Knights are injury free heading into the League 1 Championship Series.

The Maples have four starters on the injured list with serious injuries: Murray Hurst, Hartman Ivers, Eriq Barber, and Tyler Stivers. The Wild are without starter Gerald Lavin and closer Joe Farrell. Also on the IL for Vancouver are SS Francisco Lafantano and RF Evarado Gustamante.

September 2022 awards:

League 1
Batter of the Month: Li-Ben Chai (Dayton Grizzlies)
Pitcher of the Month: Whitney Sanders (Luisville Beasts)
Rookie of the Month: Gordon Owen (Cornfield Axemen)

League 2
Batter of the Month: Jonathan Grandberry (Phoenix Rattlers)
Pitcher of the Month: Rey Alvarado (Vancouver Wild)
Rookie of the Month: Rudolph Carpoza (Vancouver Wild)