The 1962 offseason!


First and foremost the former Shrikes have revealed their new identity. The new owner, Toru Seki, owns KTJM, a retail chain based in Shinosaka. When surveying fans about what resonated the most about the Shrikes brand, the two stars to represent the championships was the clear answer. So, ownership responded, officially naming the team the "Stars", also a subtle nod to the local filming industry. Sporting a trendy kelly green and off-white color scheme, the teams brings the two stars to the forefront, replacing the bird on the home with two massive stars, color swapping the cap and road jersey, and replacing the old number font with a new block font. The logo features two green stars set inside a roundel, and ownership says when the team wins another championship a third will be added.

Already the culture in the clubhouse has changed, as Seki has deep pockets and is looking to make an immediate impact. Expect the green machine to be contenders soon.

As for the rest of the league, nothing major happened in the offseason. A couple minor retires, a few minor free agent signings, nothing big, sadly. 

The preseason predictions for 1962:
RBL:
San Moriuchi Kings - 84-58
Shinkyo Robins - 83-59
Vertlac Emeralds - 73-69
Queenston Monarchs - 72-70
San Juan Shockers - 66-76
Yosemite Grizzlies - 50-92

SBL:
Aorin Carp - 83-59
Shinkyo Senators - 83-59
Joestar Crusaders - 74-68
Toramoto Tigers - 74-68
Shinosaka Stars - 61-81
Hokkyo Thunderbirds - 52-90

Thehealthiestscratch wrote:

Hello God, it's us the Shockers. We are sorry that we changed our script color on the away jersey, but punishing us to a life of mediocrity seems a little harsh. Please show mercy on us.

I'm going to miss the Shrikes. It was truly a unique name, which is hard to come by in sports and even harder to come by on a fictional sports site that is oozing with creativity. As for the Stars, I think they are pretty clean. I think the double star on the hat and the home jersey is a little bit repetitive, and the placement of the stars on the jersey might fall victim to childish boob jokes. The away jersey should be copied to be used as their whites at some point. It is the superior look and would create some nice consistency. Keep it up!
 

I can't explain what happened to the Shockers, but they're in need of something new. Rumors of an amateur draft coming to the RIBF soon have been going around, with the main reason being how god-awful the '59 expansion teams have been. However, if it does get implemented, it should help some of the less fortunate teams finally get back into business. San Juan has been unlucky, but I gotta say Aorin is actually cursed. They've only had one season under .500, but have never made it to the RICS. In '61 they had a better record than the Robins, who represented the RBL in the CS. 

As for the Shrikes, I simply couldn't see where I wanted to go with the identity. However, I will say that Shrike (the company) is not done in regards to Robin Island sports, and you'll see them show up soon enough. The Stars' home will definitely change (how on earth did I not see that?) but ownership wanted to emphasize the championships and good times the fans had before Fujimori started messing with the club.

Speaking of good times in Shinosaka, here's the 1962 season!


After 5 years, the Robins will not be the ones to represent the RBL in the RICS! They finally aged, finishing barely over .500 and ceding the crown to the Monarchs, who exploded to have their best season yet and make the playoffs for the first time. The Kings also came close, once again finishing second in the league to just miss out. The Shockers had yet another mediocre season, accompanied by the Emeralds, while the Grizzlies continue to languish in last place. 

In the SBL, the Stars' new ownership and direction paid off immediately as they shot to first place, leapfrogging the Senators, Crusaders, and Carp to have their best season since 1956. Shinosaka's third star may come sooner than they thought! In second were the Senators, having a great season, but 2 games behind the Stars and just missing out on the playoffs. In third were the eternal bridesmaids Carp who once again had a great season but just couldn't hold on to their lead and miss out on the playoffs once more. Behind them are the Tigers, who finish ahead of their rivals in Joestar for the first time since 1956. The Crusaders collapsed, but still placed ahead of the awful Thunderbirds, who had their second straight 100-loss season. Reportedly a draft is in the works to improve the lot of the Grizzlies and T-Birds.

In the RBL, a new face shows up to the RICS as Queenston has a chance to win their first-ever chip, while from the SBL the new-look Stars have immediately rebounded from some dark years. 

NEXT: 1962 RICS

ThisIsFine wrote:

That was quick.

I guess money really is a superpower.

Yeah I was expecting a turnaround but even that was surprising for me. Anyway, on to the 1962 RICS!


With Queenston in for the first time and Shinosaka looking to get their third, both sides had something big to play for. However, it was the Monarchs who came out on top in a grueling 7-game series.

Game 1 - SNO 4, QNS 1 - A rough start for the Monarchs as the Stars take game 1 in Queenston, taking home-field advantage right back and sending the near capacity crowd home disheartened.

Game 2 - QNS 7, SNO 6 - The Monarchs bounce back, going up 7-3 in the 5th and just holding on to survive a Stars rally. 

Game 3 - QNS 9, SNO 5 - As the series heads to Shinosaka, the Monarchs continue to dominate, putting 6 on in the 2nd and never looking back to take out the Stars and go up 2-1 on the series.

Game 4 - SNO 9, QNS 7 - Despite the previous game's battering, the Stars steadied and took game 4, scoring 8 in the 4th inning and not looking back. This game has the record for the most amount of hits between the two teams at 27. 

Game 5 - SNO 7, QNS 4 - In a crucial game 5, the Monarchs held on and forced extra innings with the game tied 4-4 until the 12th, when the Stars put in three and won the game, taking a series lead of 3-2.

Game 6 - QNS 8, SNO 2 - Back on home turf, the Monarchs dug in and unleashed the bats, going up 8-1 before holding the Stars to only 1 more run and tying the series up for a do-or-die game 7 in Queenston.

Game 7 - QNS 6, SNO 2 - In the final game of the grueling series, the Monarchs proved themselves to be the better team and took out the Stars to seal the deal. In a RICS first, the series MVP went to the losing Stars' C Maresuke Nishi, who put a monster 16 hits across the 7 games. He wasn't the only player to reach 10 hits in the series, as Shinosaka's Johnny Bozer and Queenston's Nishimura, Prince, Wiedemieier, and Minami also all hit double-digits. 

For the first time ever, Queenston takes home the RICS! This marks the fifth year in a row that the RBL won it, but the first time it wasn't the Robins. 

YOUR 1962 RICS CHAMPIONS ARE: QUEENSTON MONARCHS!

NEXT: 1963 Offseason

Here's the 1963 RIBF season!


In the RBL, the Kings were able to claim the crown for the first time! This makes the former Canaries the fifth different team to capture the RBL pennant, leaving only the Emeralds as an original team without a pennant (even the Senators have one!). The Robins bounced back after a down year, looking to get back on top. San Juan and Vertlac's lives of mediocrity continue, solidly behind San Moriuchi but fortunately not awful. The reigning champs Queenston collapsed, not even reaching .500 and 22 games behind the Kings. Finally, the Grizzlies finished in last yet again but made serious strides, only 6 games behind Queenston. 

Over the Gray Mountains in the SBL, the Stars stayed on top looking for their third star, followed by the Tigers, who had a surprisingly great season. The Senators also did well, followed by the cursed Carp who can't seem to ever catch a break. The Crusaders finished exactly at .500, far ahead of the lowly Thunderbirds who have been consistently awful since they first joined in 1959. Rumors have been floating that owner Masaru Kurosawa has been preoccupied with business matters that have taken him away from the team, mostly involving some other sport and the possibility of a new professional league in the country. Whatever the case, the team has suffered for it, leading to consistent speculation that a draft will be implemented soon.

In the '63 RICS it's the Kings against the Stars, as the fans of San Moriuchi experience their first RICS and Shinosaka competes in its fourth. The Kings will be the home team in the series, although they've done better on the road this year. Most everyone outside of Shinosaka and Yosemite will be rooting for the Kings, as many fans dislike the ego of the Stars, especially since they don't even have the most championships anymore. 

NEXT: 1963 RICS

Here's the 1963 RICS!


It wasn't even close this time, the Stars battered the Kings and took home their third star! The rest of Robin Island groans in unison.

Game 1 - SNO 8, SM 4 - The Stars showed up in San Moriuchi and crushed it, never giving the Kings a chance to lead and taking the game handily.

Game 2 - SNO 6, SM 5 - Shinosaka scored 5 in the first before the Kings rallied and tightened up defense to tie the game, but the Stars drove in 1 in the 9th to take the game.

Game 3 - SM 6, SNO 4 - I mentioned the Kings were better on the road this season, and this game proved it. In a very hostile Shinosaka Memorial Field, San Moriuchi calmed down and took their first win of the series to make the score 2-1 and avoid the sweep.

Game 4 - SNO 5, SM 4 - The Kings had a chance, but couldn't hold on to it, giving the Stars their third win and a chance to clinch the series at home.

Game 5 - SNO 8, SM 2 - In what has become something of a Robin Island tradition, the deciding game was a blowout as the Kings were mentally defeated. It was a tight game until the Stars put on 5 in the 6th inning, essentially deciding the game right there. Shinosaka LF Danny Garcia was named series MVP for his performance. 

There it is, Shinosaka takes home their third and San Moriuchi goes home empty (to the delight of Yosemite fans). However, both teams are very good and could continue to meet in the future.

YOUR 1963 RICS CHAMPIONS ARE: SHINOSAKA STARS!

NEXT: 1964 Offseason