2544 – Next Big Bang Expansion!
 
This next era was considered the next phase in the “Big Bang Expansions,” as SLB expanded with FOUR new teams bring it to 20 teams in the league.
 
With improved traveling times throughout the solar system, the league was finally able to place two teams beyond Saturn, on a Galileo moon by Jupiter, and a second team in the Asteroid Belt.
 
What about Pluto? “Not yet, but soon hopefully” said the league commissioner.
 
The following four teams, ordered outwards, were added to the league in 2544:

• Ceres Gatekeepers
• Io Vulcans
• Titania Spirits
• Neptune Mariners

 
Ceres Gatekeepers
 



 Origins – As the largest celestial object in the Asteroid Belt, Ceres already had a team, the Ceres Belters. But given their population size and the amount of people that passed through Ceres every day, they were worthy of a second team. Ceres was also known as the “Gateway to the Outer Space” due to its central location in the solar system, the team was dubbed the Ceres Gatekeepers. RR9’s note – think Honolulu as the major layover for many trans Pacific flights.
 
Colors – One of the defining features of Ceres was the amount of Wave Gates located around the planetoid. Wave Gates were “gates” that starships pass through to travel to different locations around the solar system in matter of hours instead of weeks or months. In other words, they were the “airports” of their time. The electric blue the Gatekeepers represented the force field inside these gates that the ships pass through. The cap logo was a mash up of the C and G.
 
Stadium – While the Ceres Belters had their own underground stadium with holographic walls to simulate any environment, the ‘Keepers had their stadium located directly on the surface of Ceres in a small subsection of Asteroid City (largest city in Asteroid Belt). The stadium was “indoors” but with an enclosed dome that emulated the electric blue force field look from the Wave Gates.
 
 
Io Vulcans
 

 
Origins – Io was the innermost of the four Galilean moons of the planet Jupiter, and the fourth-largest moon out of 60+ moons. With over 400 active volcanoes, Io was the most geologically active object in the Solar System. With creative uses of terraforming, humanity was now able to live and work on the moon of Io. Despite that, Io was still a scorching lava world with active volcanoes and fiery lava rivers and fields, with a few manmade turquoise lakes for water source scattered throughout the moon. In Roman mythology, Vulcan was the god of fire, so it was a natural fit for the fire-filled moon.
 
Colors – Due to all of the volcanic activity on Io, it was easy for the Vulcans to go with orange as their primary color. One of their logos had the letters form an IO, and it also vaguely represented the power on-off button, because despite the moon’s heat, Io still had lots of factories that that manufactured a great variety of technological goods, such as robotics.
 
Stadium – Due to the heat and the violate atmosphere, much of humanity lived in technologically advanced subterranean cities that are highly regard for their beauty. They commuted to work by lifts and shuttles that carried them to the factories on the moon's surface, where small domed cities and floating cities were. The Vulcans’ Stadium was located on one of these floating cities, with imposing views of an everlasting exploding volcano and a furiously flowing lava river.  
 
 
Titania Spirits
 

 
Origins – Despite the receiving most votes gathered in the history of a mankind, with 14.7 billion tallies counted in a record-breaking online poll, the team did NOT accept the winning name – Uranus Probes – as the team name for the Solar League Baseball team based out of Uranus. But the team will entertain the possibility of an April Fool's Day one-off jersey someday down the road. 
 
Instead, since the team was based on Titania, the largest moon of Uranus, the team elected to go with the Spirits as their moniker, to represent all of Uranus’ moons, which were named after characters from various mythologies.
 
Colors – The team went with a deep and rich classical purple with bright green to give the team a magical, will-o’-the-wisp feel, an atmospheric ghost light seen by travelers at night, especially over bogs, swamps, or marshes. The logo was a streaking baseball with seven firefly-stars elements along with it, which represented Uranus as the seventh planet in the solar system.
 
Stadium – Thanks to the terraforming efforts, Titania set up an outdoors stadium on the moon’s surface. But the lighting was quite unique, which celebrated its fantasy theme with bright lights dotting around the stadium to represent the flecks of lights often portrayed in folklores.
 
 
Neptune Mariners
 

 
Origins – Named after the Roman God of Sea due to its blue color, Neptune is the fourth largest planet in the solar system. Orbiting the planet was a major space station, the Neptune Station. It was the capital city of Neptune. It was by far the largest space station in terms of size. This w largely due to the largest indoors-manmade lake, called the Poseidon Sea. It was larger than the simulated ocean on Isla Mendez in the Lagrange Islands. The Poseidon Sea was the same size of Lake Superior on Earth. It had a Mediterranean climate to it. Therefore, the team went with the Mariners for their team name.
 
Colors – It would have been easy to go with blue as their color scheme, but the team wanted to go in a different direction and chose green to give it a nice contrast to the blue from Neptune and the blue of the Poseidon Sea. The cap logo was an N with a trident through it.
 
Stadium – Because of the team’s location on a space station, they were able to build an “outdoors” stadium on the shores of Poseidon Sea. So get ready for some splash hits!
 
 
What’s Next?
The recap from the first couple years of the 20-team era!
 
And the league have entered a phase where teams are doing BFBS (Black for black’s sake). Or a LGFLGS (Lime green for lime green’s sake?). RR9’s note – This was purely coincidental, as I created these teams all in different order mixed in with other SLB teams. I didn’t create two black teams back to back, and then two lime green teams back to back.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Last edited by RoughRiders9 (9/27/2020 4:31 pm)

They all look unbelievable but the Sprits are my favorite out of them all. For now I’m still a Canyons fan though.

Holy expansion! Definitely a unique group of teams.

The Gatekeepers have a nice color scheme. No hat though? I wanted to see how that logo looked on the cap. The Vulcans look tight. I don't like the random muted shade on the inner ring in the logo, but otherwise they're a sharp team. The Spirits are wild! I think that's some of the best usage of a purple-green scheme I've ever seen. Is that a nod to the Kraken? The Neptunes look great as well.

*sees Uranus Probes* *holds in immature giggles*

In all seriousness, some very stellar looks here all around.

Hello everybody! I'm back!!! And it's a big one! A 16-year recap! So buckle in!

2544 – 2559: The Tale of Three-peats





Ushering in a new era with 20 teams in the league, there was a little moving around here and there. With the Io Vulcans and Titania Spirits joining the Astro League Outer Division, the Mars Warriors joined their old comrades in the AL Inner Division.
 
Similarly in the Cosmo League, the Ceres Gatekeepers and Neptune Mariners joined Cosmo League Outer Division, which pushed the Valles Marineris Canyons to the CL Inner Division.
 
The regular season remained at 162 games. Each team played 23 games against their divisional rivals, 6 games against the five teams from the other division within their league, and 4 games against the 10 teams from the other league.
 
The postseason did expanded from 3 teams in each league to 4 teams – the two divisional winners and two wildcards from each league. The new 8-team format had three rounds; the League Divisional Series (best-of-five), the League Championship Series (now best-of-seven), and the famous Galactic Series (still best-of-seven).

 
****
 
2544 – As expected, the four expansion teams struggled out of the gate and finished at or near the bottom of their respective divisions. Although the Neptune Mariners had a respectable season, finishing at 80-82 and third in the CL Outer Division.
 
In the LDS, the Jupiter Kings handled the Ceres Belters while the Venus Sparrows swept the Callisto Cubs. In the CL, the Pamoja Guardians upset the #1 Kennedy Rockets in five games, and the Europa Mastodons barely made it out by defeating the Valles Mariners Canyons in five games.
 
In the ALCS, it went all the way to Game 7, where the Venus Sparrows hit a walk-off, three-run home run in the bottom of the 10th inning to defeat the Jupiter Kings to clinch a spot in the Galactic Series. In the CLCS, the Pamoja Guardians continued their surprising run as they dropped the Europa Mastodons in 6 games.
 
In the Galactic Series, the Pamoja Guardians completed their Cinderella run by defeating the Venus Sparrows in seven games. The Guardians, which won only 86 games in the regular season, were down 3-2 in the series before wining the next two games on the road to clinch their first title as the Pamoja Guardians, and the 2nd in franchise history (they won as the PUA Emperors in their debut season in 2524).
 

2545 – 162 games weren’t enough for the Venus Reign and the Valles Marineris Canyons to determine who would get the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Cosmo League. The Reign won, 7-3, over the Canyons in a one-game playoff.
 
In the ALDS, the Earth Astronauts triumphed over the Mars Warriors in 5 games, while the Jupiter Kings took care of the Luna Apollos in 4 games. Over in the CLDS, the 107-win Europa Mastodons swept the Venus Reign as the Mendez Islanders upset the Kennedy Rockets in 5 games. 
 
In the ALCS, the Earth Astronauts won all four of their home games, which overcame the Jupiter Kings in 7 games. In the CLCS, the Mendez Islanders stopped the stamping Europa Mastodons in their tracks in 5 games.
 
In the Galactic Series, the Mendez Islanders carried their momentum into the series, as they cruised past the Earth Astronauts in 6 games for their sixth Galactic Series title in franchise history. Just like the Pamoja Guardians from last year, the Islanders only had 86 wins in the regular season.
 

2546 – In the ALDS, the #1 Luna Apollos won the series over the Jupiter Kings in 4 games as the Earth Astronauts went the distance with the Ceres Belters and prevailed in 5 games. Over in the CLDS, the Mendez Islanders and the Kennedy Rockets came down the wire, with the Islanders winning it in 5 games. The Europa Mastodons stampeded their way through the Pamoja Guardians with a sweep.
 
In the ALCS, the Luna Apollos took care of rival Earth Astronauts in 6 games while the Europa Mastodons rumbled through the Mendez Islanders in 5 games.
 
In the Galactic Series, the experienced Luna Apollos took home the title in 6 games over the Europa Mastodons. The Apollos wrapped up their 9th title in team history, good for the all-time record in Solar League Baseball.
 

2547 – What an exciting finish to the season. SLB had not one but TWO one-game playoff games to determine the division winner for the AL Outer Division and the 2nd Wild Card spot in the Cosmo League. The Callisto Cubs blew the Ceres Belters out of the water with a 11-3 victory for the AL Outer Division, while the Kennedy Rockets held onto a 5-3 victory over the Saturn Halos for the 2nd Wild Cart spot in the CL.
 
In the ALDS, rivals Luna Apollos and Earth Astronauts took care of their opponents (Mercury Mets and Callisto Cubs, respectively) to face each other in the ALCS for the 2nd straight year. Over in the CLDS, the Kennedy Rockets flew past the Mendez Islanders in 4 games while the Europa Mastodons continue their solid playoff run with a 5-game victory over the Pamoja Guardians.
 
In the league championship series, both the Luna Apollos and the Europa Mastodons were hungry for a second shot at the Galactic Series in as many years, as they beat the Earth Astronauts and the Kennedy Rockets respectively.
 
However, in the Galactic Series, the Luna Apollos were just too good for the Europa Mastodons, as the Apollos took home their second straight title, and their 10th overall, in five games.
 
****
 
2548 – In this season, there was a slightly new look in the Cosmo League, as the ’44 expansion team Ceres Gatekeepers became the first team from its class to reach the postseason. Also, the Saturn Halos reached the postseason for the first time since 2540, a 9-year drought.
 
In the ALDS, the Mars Warriors advanced past the Ceres Belters in 4 games while the favored Luna Apollos (looking for their 3rd straight title) swept the Callisto Cubs. Over in the CLDS, the Saturn Halos were a one-and-done as they got beat by the Mendez Islanders in 4 games. However, the Ceres Gatekeepers won their first postseason series by downing the Pamoja Guardians in 4 games.
 
In the ALCS, the Mars Warriors became the new kings of the Astro League, as they took down two-time defending champion Luna Apollos in 5 games. In the CLCS, the Ceres Gatekeepers continued their hot streak by halting the Mendez Islanders in 6 games.
 
In the Galactic Series, the Mars Warriors ended the young Ceres Gatekeepers’ dreams by wining the series in 5 games. The title was the Warriors’ 4th in team history and first one since 2522, a 26-year gap in between.
 

2549 – It was a record-setting year for the Mendez Islanders, as they racked up 116 wins, good for most of all time in Solar League history.

Meanwhile, in the Astro League, there were two one-game playoff games to decide; one for the 2nd wild card spot and the AL Outer Division title. The Earth Astronauts won a 2-1 nail-biter over the Venus Sparrows for the final wild card spot, while the Ceres Belters slugged their way to a 10-4 win over the Callisto Cubs for the AL Outer title.
 
With the one-game playoff games out of the way, the LDS began. The Mars Warriors looked to defend their title by taking care of old (and new) rival Earth Astronauts in 4 games while the Ceres Belters kept the Luna Apollos at bay in 5 games. In the CLDS, the Mendez Islanders showed their power by slugging past the Kennedy Rockets in 4 games as the Pamoja Guardians earned a victory over the Saturn Halos in 5 games.
 
In the ALCS, the Mars Warriors clinched their second straight Galactic Series berth with a 4-1 series win over the Ceres Belters. The Mendez Islanders easily sailed past Lagrange Island rival Pamoja Guardians in a 4-game sweep.
 
The Mendez Islanders were hoping their 116-win season would be enough to beat the defending champs, but the Mars Warriors had other thoughts. The Warriors won their second Galactic Series in a row with in 5 games.
 

2550 – It was an exciting finish on the final day of the ’50 season, as there were three teams (Titania Spirits, Jupiter Kings, and Io Vulcans) all in play for the AL Outer Division title. The Spirits defeated the Vulcans, 4-3, and with the Kings’ loss, it gave the Spirits their first ever divisional title and postseason berth.
 
Unfortunately for the Spirits, it meant they faced the two-time defending champion Mars Warriors, as they had their spirits broken (sorry) by the Warriors in 4 games. Meanwhile, the Mercury Mets swept the Earth Astronauts. In the CLDS, the Ganymede Giants (in their first postseason since 2537) handled the Ceres Gatekeepers in 4 games while the Valles Marineris Canyons sunk the Mendez Islanders in 5 games.
 
The Mars Warriors had a scare by falling behind 3-2 in the series, but won the next two games to move past the Mercury Mets for their 3rd straight Galactic Series appearance. Will they make it a dynasty? The Ganymede Giants carved up the Valles Marineris Canyons in 6 games in the CLCS.
 
And it is a dynasty for the Warriors! The Mars Warriors were just too much for the inexperienced Ganymede Giants, as the Warriors battled their way through a four-game sweep for their third consecutive Galactic Series title. They now have 6 titles in team history, which is good for 2nd most of all time (tied with the Islanders, who have 6 too).
 

2551 – We are seeing a historical run right now from the Mars Warriors, as they swept the Jupiter Kings in the ALDS. The Earth Astronauts held off the Titania Spirits in 4 games. In the other league, the Ganymede Giants went the distance to Game 5, downing the Valles Mariners Canyons. Mendez Islanders surfed past the Pamoja Guardians with a sweep.
 
To nobody’s surprise, the Mars Warriors easily took down the Earth Astronauts in 5 games to make it four straight appearances in the Galactic Series. However, the Mendez Islanders could have a chance at taking down the Warriors after they defeated the Ganymede Giants in 5 games.
 
The ’51 Galactic Series was a series between two teams tied with six series titles in their team history, which was good for 2nd of all time (Luna Apollos have 10). However, all good things must come to an end. The Mendez Islanders weren’t about to let the Mars Warriors clinch their seventh Galactic Series title, as the Islanders dethroned the Warriors with a 4-1 series victory. The Islanders now have 7 series titles to the Warriors’ 6.
 
****
 
2552 – For the first time since 2548, the Mars Warriors will not advance the ALDS, as the Ceres Belters knocked them out in 4 games. The Mercury Mets swept the Jupiter Kings in the other ALDS. In the Cosmo League, the Mendez Islanders – who had a record-breaking season of 117 wins – slipped past the Valles Marineris Canyons while the Ganymede Giants held off the Europa Mastodons.
 
The Mercury Mets moved onto the Galactic Series past the Ceres Belters, while the CLCS went the distance to Game 7, with the Mendez Islanders defeating the Ganymede Giants.
 
The Mendez Islanders may be in the middle of creating a second dynasty in recent history, as they won their second straight Galactic Series title over the Mercury Mets in 6 games. The title gave the Islanders their 8th title in team history, well for 2nd all time in Solar League history.
 

2553 – In their first ever-postseason appearance, the Io Vulcans scorched their rival, Jupiter Kings, to advance to the ALCS. Meanwhile, the Earth Astronauts and the Mercury Mets went all the way to Game 5, with the Astronauts squeaking out a win. The experienced Mendez Islanders, looking for their third title, advanced past the Ganymede Giants in the CLDS, as the Europa Mastodons burrowed their way through the Ceres Gatekeepers.
 
The Io Vulcans gave a valiant effort, but the Earth Astronauts were just too much for them. It was a nail-biting CLCS between the Mendez Islanders and the Europa Mastodons, but the Islanders came out on top for a chance at their third straight title.
 
And the in the Galactic Series, the Mendez Islanders have it! For the second time a row, a Solar League team won three straight Galactic Series titles, as the Islanders swam their way past the Earth Astronauts in 6 games. They now have 9 titles, just one behind the Luna Apollos’ 10 titles.
 

2554 – The Mars Warriors are back and they’re looking for revenge, as they beat the Io Vulcans in the ALDS. In the other ALDS, the Jupiter Kings rolled past the Earth Astronauts.

However, over in the Cosmo League, the Mendez Islanders will not have a chance for a four-peat, as they got slammed by the Kennedy Rockets in 4 games. The Ganymede Giants easily took care of the Neptune Mariners, who made their first-ever postseason appearance.
 
The Mars Warriors’ revenge tour came to an end, as the Jupiter Kings slapped them out of oblivion. It was a hot contest between the Kennedy Rockets and the Ganymede Giants, with the Rockets coming out top in Game 7.
 
The Jupiter Kings blew a 3-1 lead, just like the Cleveland Indians did in the 2016 World Series. The Kings got out ahead early in the series, but the Kennedy Rockets recollected themselves and won three straight games to clinch their 4th Galactic Series title in team history and first since 2539, 15 years ago.
 

2555 – The Jupiter Kings and the Earth Astronauts had an ALDS rematch, but the Kings took it again as they beat the Astronauts in 4 games. The Mars Warriors restarted their revenge tour with a 3-1 series victory over the Io Vulcans. The Mendez Islanders advanced to the CLDS with a tight 3-2 series win over the Ceres Gatekeepers, while the Neptune Mariners won their first-ever postseason series by sweeping the Kennedy Rockets.
 
The Mars Warriors and the Mendez Islanders are going to have an epic Galactic Series showdown, as they each defeated the Jupiter Kings and Neptune Mariners respectively in the LCS.
 
Two dynasties. One series. Who’s going to take it all?

And it should come to nobody’s surprise, as the Galactic Series went all the way to Game 7. But this time, it was the “elder” dynasty team, the Mars Warriors who battled through some tough luck to defeat their new de facto rival Mendez Islanders. The Warriors now have 7 titles in their team history, which is good for 3rd all time.
 
****

2556 – In the ALDS, the Mars Warriors swept their way through the Ceres Belters while the Jupiter Kings took care of their Galilean rival Io Vulcans in 4 games. Meanwhile in the CLDS, the Neptune Mariners sank the Europa Mastodons as the Mendez Islanders made their usual appearance in the CLCS by taking down the Ganymede Giants.
 
Everybody and their mothers were expecting the Mars Warriors and the Mendez Islanders to face each other in the Galactic Series again, but the Jupiter Kings and the Neptune Mariners played spoilers for them, as they downed the Solar League powerhouses for a shot at the Galactic Series.
 
For just the 2nd time in the last 9 years, there will not be a Warriors or Islanders winner, as the Jupiter Kings took on the Neptune Mariners in the ’56 Galactic Series.
 
The Jupiter Kings regained the supremacy of the Solar League Baseball by torpedoing the Neptune Mariners out of the waters with a 4-1 series victory. The Kings finally ended a lengthy drought, as they won their second ever title, their first one since 2512, which was a 44-year drought.
 

2557 – Could we be seeing the downfall of the Mars Warriors and the Mendez Islanders? They both failed to advance past the LDS as they lost to the Earth Astronauts and the Ganymede Giants respectively. In the other LDS, the Venus Sparrows flew pas the Jupiter Kings, and the Ceres Gatekeepers slammed the door shut on the Neptune Mariners.
 
In the ALCS, the Venus Sparrows took care of their classical rival Earth Astronauts in 5 games. Over in the CLCS, the Ganymede Giants and the Ceres Gatekeepers – dubbed as the G-Series by fans due to their “G” logos on their caps – went the distance to Game 7. The Giants prevailed, by walking off Game 7 over the Gatekeepers.
 
In the Galactic Series, the Venus Sparrows took home their 4th title in team history by defeating the Ganymede Giants in 5 games. It was their first title since 2536, a 21-year gap.
 

2558 – The Mars Warriors could be done, as they finished the season in last place in the AL Inner Division with just 73 wins. However, the Mendez Islanders are still in. Resilient bunch.
 
In the ALDS, the Io Vulcans and the Mercury Mets went all the way to Game 5, with the Vulcans coming out on top. The defending champion Venus Sparrows took care of the Earth Astronauts in 4 games. In the CLDS, the Neptune Mariners sailed past the Ceres Gatekeepers as the Europa Mastodons trucked their way through the Mendez Islanders.
 
The Venus Sparrows clinched their second straight Galactic Series berth by flying past the Io Vulcans while the Europa Mastodons denied the Neptune Mariners a 2nd chance at the Galactic Series with a Game 7 victory.
 
Could we be seeing a THIRD potential dynasty in the making in this recent era? The Venus Sparrows overcame a 3-1 deficit by wining three straight games to soar past the Europa Mastodons for a 4-3 series victory in Game 7. The Sparrows have won their 2nd straight title and 5th overall in team history.
 

2559 – The Venus Sparrows were committed to a three-peat, as they dropped the Jupiter Kings in the ALDS. In the other ALDS, the Earth Astronauts picked apart the Ceres Belters in 4 games. In the CLDS, there were three new teams with only one returnee, the Ceres Gatekeepers. The Mendez Islanders could be done too. The Ceres Gatekeepers took down the Venus Reign, while the Pamoja Guardians stepped over the Valles Marineris Canyons.
 
The Venus Sparrows broke out the broom and swept the Earth Astronauts out of the ALCS, as they remain committed to a potential three-peat. The Ceres Gatekeepers stopped the Pamoja Guardians in their tracks, as they won the series in 5 games.
 
Unfortunately for the Venus Sparrows, they ran into bad luck as they slumped their way to a series loss, as the Ceres Gatekeepers won their first ever Galactic Series title with a 4-1 series victory. There will not be a third three-peat in this era of Solar League Baseball.  

 
Galactic Series Results

2500 – Ceres B. over Luna
2501 – Mercury over Earth
2502 – Mercury over Ceres B.
2503 – Earth over Mercury
2504 – Earth over Mercury
2505 – Mercury over Earth
2506 – Mercury over Venus
2507 – Luna over Earth
---
2508 – Venus over Luna
2509 – Earth over Luna
2510 – Ceres B. over Luna
2511 – Luna over Earth
---
2512 – Jupiter over Ceres B.
2513 – Mendez over Earth
2514 – Mendez over Ceres B.
2515 – Mendez over Earth
2516 – Luna over Mendez
2517 – Venus S. over. Jupiter
2518 – Mars over Saturn
2519 – Luna over Ganymede
2520 – Mars over Venus R.
2521 – Mendez over Mars
2522 – Mars over Kennedy
2523 – Kennedy over Mars
---
2524 – PUA over Mercury
2525 – Ganymede over Mercury
2526 – Luna over Venus R.
2527 – Kennedy over Ceres B.
---
2528 – Luna over Venus R.
2529 – Ganymede over Luna
2530 – Ganymede over Earth
2531 – Luna over Ganymede
2532 – Saturn over Ceres B.
2533 – Valles Marineris over Callisto
2534 – Callisto over Saturn
2535 – Mercury over Ganymede
---
2536 – Venus S. over Europa
2537 – Mendez over Luna
2538 – Callisto over Pamoja
2539 – Kennedy over Callisto
2540 – Ceres B. over Kennedy
2541 – Luna over Pamoja
2542 – Europa over Ceres B.
2543 – Valles Marineris over Venus S.
---
2544 – Pamoja over Venus S.
2545 – Mendez over Earth
2546 – Luna over Europa
2547 – Luna over Europa
2548 – Mars over Ceres G.
2549 – Mars over Mendez
2550 – Mars over Ganymede
2551 – Mendez over Mars
2552 – Mendez over Mercury
2553 – Mendez over Earth
2554 – Kennedy over Jupiter
2555 – Mars over Mendez
2556 – Jupiter over Neptune
2557 – Venus S. over Ganymede
2558 – Venus S. over Europa
2559 – Ceres G. over Venus S.

 



 
What's next? 
The next round of expansion to make it 24 teams! Glad to be back everybody!