StLee

Lee's Journal: Zombie Reading through these series of journals, I'm starting to see the connections to different people but now how this connects to baseball. I suppose I should be patient. However, it would be easier if Lee just used names. This is another of the stories in Lee's journal containing some unnamed character doing something in the Mojave. There ARE dates mentioned in this story, though. The first date was the day the Great War ended, October 23, 2077, when the world as far as we know changed into a giant wasteland. The second date is the end of this particular story, April 27, 2081. That date is not particularly important, but it appears to me to be the time when the White Glove Society first took over ownership of the Ultra Luxe. So the White Glove Society has been around for 200 years? And, based on the news tidbit that came out around this time--which I will tell you soon--I would say the White Glove Society is definitely important in this story. Read on. I call this story "Zombie." "It's the same old theme since nineteen-sixteen.In your head, in your head they're still fighting,With their tanks and their bombs,And their bombs and their guns.In your head, in your head, they are dying... In your head, in your head,Zombie, zombie, zombie,Hey, hey, hey. What's in your head,In your head,Zombie, zombie, zombie?" - Cranberries’ “Zombie” It’s the date we all know. October. Twenty-three. Twenty seventy-seven. Were you there when the bombs started falling? Were you there when the people got their skin melting off? Did you see the zombies the bombs created? I remember what we looked like. I remember what HE looked like. He was old, decrepit, rich as ****, and cockier still. HE was one of the bosses, and HE was holed up in one of the casinos, just like Mr. House. Two old, rich ****s. That’s who THEY was. But for ME? I was no zombie. Oh, that’s not what they’re called here. I say “zombie” and people look at me like I’m ugly AND a gotdamn retardation, too. I was no zombie, but I am now. Well, I sort of am. My face melted off alright, and radiation tastes like medicine but the good tasting kind of medicine. I can soak in a rad-filled bunker all day and feel like I had a workout, ate a steak, and got sucked off. Know what I mean? But that’s pointless right now. Most of the family I had survived the gotdamn bombs, but we all looked worse for it. We became zombies. I became sort of a zombie. I looked it. I have all my bones and muscles just as they were, but no skin to hide the ugly. Some people started glowing and lit up like a neon sign on the strip. Not me. I just melted. And not my dad and mommy and sister and her three kids. No, they all went strange. Like a zombie. They started ripping living, breathing people apart and eating them, dicks and all. I tried talking to them after I realized they wouldn’t eat me, but not a one of them listened. They were brainless things, hungry for destruction and flesh like those old radio programs I used to listen to when I was a kid right before the world went completely mole**** insane. It was a gotdamn shame what happened to my family and just about everybody in my town. But then I got jealous. And that’s when I wasn’t happy with nothing. I mean, how was I going to get anymore girls looking like this. Know what I mean? So I made up my mind that I was going to kill those two old ****s because they had enough money to help protect all of us and they didn’t do a gotdamn thing to change it. They was just sitting up in their penthouses counting their money and whacking off. The problem I had, though, was I didn’t know exactly who House was. Can’t say I ever saw him in public. I mean, everybody knew what he looked like because his face was plastered all around Las Vegas. But nobody seen him. Now the other one? He was ugly as ****. He was all scarred up like he had been in a fight with a deathclaw. And his skin was all withered like a gotdamn prune. Know what I mean? He was one ugly ****er. And he was rich enough to buy some of them titanium teeth, but he just kept right on showing off all of them missing gotdamn things like he had no care in the world. I think just about everybody hated that man. He was just born lucky. Yeah, we all knew the story about him. Walked into a casino sometime before the start of the war smelling like a brahmin took a mean ****. Stuck some money he musta stole or something on a craps table. About 2 or 3 days later he was walking around like he owned Vegas. Throwing 100s into beggar’s cups like he had nothing to lose. About a month later and he was buying up property all on the outskirts of the strip. About a year later and he bought a gotdamn casino. Born with the luck of a unicorn’s shoe wrapped in a rabbit’s left foot’s Ace of gotdamn spades. Know what I mean? Nobody in Vegas ever had that kind of luck. Not me, not nobody but that ugly duck king. So he got rich and turned into a regular Hoodin Rob. He made all the beggars rich and put them to work and by the time the bombs fell, regular working Bobs like me were getting rained on and all those toothless ****s were hunkered down in a rad-proof hotel room. That’s what you call life being unfair. The time HE got rich was way before my time. That was some 50 years or so before the Great War. Know what I mean? He was young then. He was old when the bombs started falling. And as far as I was concerned, the good ole USAF had nothing to do with the bombs but it was the rich ****s like House and that ugly bastard that made it happen. They was always funding this and that to help the war go on. I always heard from my dad that war was money. Rich people became super rich when there was a war. And poor regular Bobs like me just got dead or poor. That’s why I wanted to off Mr. House and Mr. Ugly. And that’s what I aimed to do. What I found out, though, was there was a lot of problems with trying to walk right up to people and shoot them in the gotdamn eye socket. First, I was zombie. Zombies don’t go stomping through the strip without somebody or a whole gotdamn army noticing. So that was out. I would get shot and that was that. So I needed a plan. That’s when luck finally found me, at least for a little while. I was away from my family for awhile, watching from the shadows how things worked on the strip. There was securitrons patrolling the Lucky 38 at all times. There was not much of nothing surrounding the other casinos. It was stupid of me to forget what casino the ugly man owned. It didn’t matter. There was only four casinos left standing. And they was just on one end of the strip. The whole rest of the strip was just up and gone. Blown to swiftereens. I was hoping the ugly man owned one of the ones gone. But I just didn’t think so. He’s too lucky for that. So I knew I had to find him. That’s where my luck got better. I couldn’t find him so finally I had to give up. Come to find out a whole lot of tribesmen unaffected from the bombs started moving into the Mojave right after the Great War was done and over. They started fighting it out and they got ahold to them casinos left, all except the Lucky 38 where Mr. House was holed up. And the ugly man got pushed out along with his army of homeless toothlessmen. I had already headed back to my home and when I got there almost all the zombies had done lost most of their clothes which meant I couldn’t tell asshole from bitch. Know what I mean? It also meant that I didn’t know who my dad or mommy or sister or her three kids were anymore either. Everybody was naked and except for being different sizes all the zombies looked just alike. So I said my peace to my family because I didn’t think they was even alive anymore. So that’s when my plan hit me like a sledgehammer. I could use all the zombies as my own little army to attack whoever I wanted. The ugly man was drove out by them tribals and he had nowhere to go but down. And down meant he had to go out of the strip. And out of the strip meant that if he went any way but north, I could probably spring a trap. So I had my pens set up full of zombies. I don’t know what happened in 1916. I heard there was another Great War and even another. But I never listened in class. But I did take some music classes and one of my teachers had these old songs she called war songs and she played it and I don’t know why but I really liked that zombie song and I would sing it over and over when I was taking a shower or walking to work or whatever and it must have been a great song for me because it ended up being the story of my life. I was born in 2058. When I was just born, my dad got a job in a mine at the Grand Canyon. He didn’t know what he was pulling out of there, but we found out later that the stones coming out of the Canyon was being used to make the same big bombs that the Chinese was making to rain on our heads. Dad quit when I was about 15, but he was looking about 20 years older than he was and he was really hurting every day. By the time the war started he had 17 fingers growing out of his back. I mean real fingers. Human fingers. He said it was the uranium. Other strange stuff was happening in the Mojave, too. One day my sister’s husband and me was pulling some cactus to make some morning juice. You can milk a cactus. Know what I mean? Well, we was out in the desert. Not a cloud in the sky or nothing. Then, while I was yanking on a nice big cactus and my brolaw was tugging behind me, there was this big bang and bright lights and I fell to the ground. And when I turned around, there was nothing behind me but my brolaw’s clothes on the ground looking like they was still pulling on the rope. He was just gone like a gopher with a new coin. I took my brolaw’s clothes back to my parents’ house and my sister who was pregnant at that time for her third kid started yelling on that I had killed her husband but then I said Look at his clothes. How can I kill him when there’s nothing like blood or tears on his clothes? He just disappeared. Honest. He was my best friend I don’t want to kill him. So my sister started to believe me but my dad and me went ride out to the big cactus to make sure I wasn’t lying and when he saw there was the rope still tied up to the cactus and there wasn’t none of my brolaw’s footprints going anywhere from the big cactus he believed me. Musta been aliens from outerspace took him for some ass probing my dad said. And I didn’t think about that at the time because I would have never moved again and just died right there if I thought an alien from outer space coulda done that. I didn’t tell my dad but I didn’t believe in aliens from outer space. But then I didn’t know what happened to my brolaw so it coulda been anything. The fact is he was just gone. And then my sister forgave me and I became kinda like a dad to her kids and kinda like a husband to her. Know what I mean? I worked in the desert doing whatever jobs I could find. Me and this guy used to live about 10 miles from us used to go out catching scorpions when they was smaller than your pecker. We would catch them and drain all their poison and then sell the poison to some desert hunters and any USAF patrolling through the desert. Scorpion poison was real good for stopping prey and roving gangsters both. The UAF—that’s the Unamerican Forces looking for damn foreigners—really liked our efforts too and told us we were American heroes. Don’t know what happened to the guy I used to scorpion catch with though. He liked to try out the plants of the Mojave. Smoke them til he forgot his name. One day he maybe passed out on a scorpion nest or something but nobody ever saw him alive again either. I worked in the desert but mommy made me go to school sometimes too to better myself she said. It was all boring math and books and history and science. And then there was music. That’s where I used to listen all the time to every word my teacher said and she would even let me skip the other classes to listen to more music. So when mommy asked What you study today? I just said A whole lot of sweet sounding history and that made my mommy smile real wide. On the day the bombs fell I was out in the desert collecting tumbleweed for cooking wood. I could see my sister was washing some clothes and her three kids was playing and then there was these giant wooshes of sounds going through the air and we all ran to the cellar and tried to save ourselves. The cellar doors got real hot like a big sky fire was on top of us and we knew we was lucky not to be burned and we would have if we stayed outside. All the people around us had heard the bombs was coming so they hid in their cellars too. The problem with the cellars was they could stop the fire but they had nothing on the rads pouring through the cracks and the song in my head in my head was coming true. All of us started feeling the effects right away. Our flesh smelled dead and then it fell off and we was all scared of each other at first but in just a few days we all looked alike. Dad’s fingers on his back were gone too. But a few days later our voices changed. And then dad didn’t talk anymore. He just stood there. And then mommy. And then my sister. And then my sister’s three kids. They all just stood there. I talked to them but they didn’t say nothing. Then some soldiers came through wearing gas masks and rad suits and they were taking measurements. I think they was surprised when I came out there calling for help. Lucky for me none of them had a gun or they would have shot me on the spot. But they was scientist soldiers and they even laughed when I saluted them. I told them we was all hit by a rad bomb and they said We know. And I said Nobody can talk anymore. Only me. And they said We was surprised anybody is alive. Then a few of our neighbors came rushing up roaring like a hoarse horse. AndthentheyateupallfourofthemscientistsoldiersandIranawaythinking I was next but the zombies didn’t notice me. Only them soldiers. And I figured out they didn’t eat me because I was zombie zombie zombie hey hey hey unh unh unh. That’s where I got the idea to kill the ugly man. I could lead the zombies anywhere I wanted and I led them out straight to where the ugly man was going. Straight to gotdamn California. There was a pass you had to squeeze through to get from the Mojave to the west unless you wanted to go mountain climbing. And I don’t think a 80-something year old man like Mr. Ugly wanted to do any climbing. He had some boys carrying him on a wagon with some two-headed cows pulling it real slow. So I had lots of time to lead my zombies. It was beautiful chaos that the zombies started rushing the caravan and the people ran off into the mountains after they unloaded some bullets into my army and realizing they was too many to kill so they just ran away and the cows went crazy and had heart attacks right there and nobody was left but me and that gotdamn ugly man. So I opened up his cart and he fired off a bullet right past my head. Woulda killed me if he wasn’t old and shaking. So I grabbed that hot barrel and tugged it right out of his hands and he just closed his eyes waiting for the end. But I wasn’t ready yet. He had to know why I wanted him dead first. That’s what always happened in the stories on the radio. One guy wanted to kill the other and he had to tell why he wanted him dead. So I said Wanna know why I want you dead? And he said You want all my money. And I said I don’t need any money. And he said Then I don’t know why you want me dead. And I said I want you dead because all them zombies like me are your fault. And he said How? And I said You was rich and coulda stopped the war but you helped the war and my family got bombed and now we all zombies and I’m the only one who can talk but I sound hoarse like I got a real bad cold and I look so bad I can’t ever get girlfriends again. And he said I didn’t know the war was coming either. That’s why I got run out. And I said I’m sorry about that but I still blame you for my family. And he said You probably should blame Mr. House more than me. I’m a victim too. I was still curious about some things so I said What casino did you own? And he said the Ultra Luxe because it was high quality. And I said I thought it was called the Luxor. And he said It used to be the Luxor but I changed it a lot so now it’s more better than the Luxor so I called it the Ultra Luxe. And I said Oh. And he said But them tribals done run me out. They’s cannibals and they ate most of my friends but I escaped when I made them a deal to own the casino outright without anyone having a claim on it so they let me go and now them cannibals own the Ultra Luxe. And I said I see. Well, we was talking a long time and I started to like the ugly man. Turns out he wasn’t always so lucky. He said I met a strange man one day. He gave me 50 dollars. I spent 20 to feed myself and buy a bar of soap. Then I cleaned up and went into a casino and there was a guy in there and he said You look like the kind of guy who wants to go from a pauper to a prince. And I said Yes. And he said Listen to the tables son. They all speak to you. They all tell you you got to know when to hold ‘em and know when to fold ‘em. That was kind of what the strange man told me. So I had 30 dollars in my pocket and one of the tables just started whispering but it’s voice sounded kind of like yours, you know, hoarse. It said Two way yo and it was at a craps table so I went with that and before I knew it a big man was letting me know I reached house limit and they would draw an account for me with a bonus on the house if I wanted it and they brought me to a suite and asked me a few questions and then they left and said the place was mine until my money was gone. Well my money kept coming so I kept the place. That place was in the Luxor. So I tried other casinos and made more money and finally when I had a lot of money I bought the Luxor. It was the place where the tables always spoke to me. So I’m not lucky but I can talk to casino tables. Finally I wasn’t mad at the ugly man at all. I wanted to ask him how he got all them scars all over his body because he didn’t sound like a bank robber or anybody dangerous. But I just let it go and I just let him go. He said If you just leave me here I’m just as good as dead. And I said I can’t take you with me because the zombies will eat you all up and I don’t think I can go where there’s people because they will shoot me in the face or do something I won’t like because I’m a zombie. And then he said I’m famous in some places and I know some people in California that owned space in one of them vaults. I promise if you get me there safely I will help you out and try to find a cure or do whatever I can do to help you. Finally I agreed. You don’t all know this date. April twenty-seven. Twenty eighty-one. That’s the day when I decided to quit being zombie and learned to love the bomb. It was my change in luck. Me and the old man went to California together as partners starting that day. I was the working man. He was the rich and famous man. I asked him how old he was. He said 85, I think. Going on **** it all. Then he laughed a toothless laugh. Together we made one hell of a pair.

A few formatting problems with the last post. Sorry.

The Historian: An Interlude Lee's story is nearing its end. I don't know what it means just yet. I am still deciding what I will do once it does. In the meantime, I am reading through Lee's mass of journals. I wish he would have given me more clues. Maybe I have mentioned it before, but Lee had a pre-war book he always carried with him. He never locked it up nor hid it because he always carried on his person and challenged anyone to dare take it from him. I, um, well, never saw it. I have no idea what that book contains, but I bet it holds all of the secrets to the universe, so to speak. Undoubtedly, I would know more of what has happened and what it all means if Lee had just revealed everything to me. It's not like Lee to just give up. That made me think he was dead at first, but like I mentioned at the beginning of this story, a trail of dead Mojave critters gave me no doubt that Lee was on to his next adventure. Like I mentioned just recently, we are approaching the climax of Lee's story. Before I reach that climax, I want to post more of Lee's journals. I have been with Lee since the creation of the Mojave Baseball League, so some of his journal entries about baseball seem to be from times long ago, but many seem like he was there or knows something none of us do. Or that damn secret book was plagiarized. Whatever it is, here is a story of a place near here, of what looks to be a time long before the Great War of 2077. Faded, scuffed balls cascaded through the warm Arizona air. America was still recovering from the war that started all wars, with the dropping of the bombs bringing this war, this threat, to a sudden and nearly immediate halt. However, the country was in turmoil, and passions for matters as simple as baseball dwindled. In fact, the momentum Major League Baseball had was fading. Still, the MLB was the last vestige of entertainment holding on at all to American interests. America was on the verge of severe and permanent change. The United States of America, though victorious over the Axis threats, was about to die. In the works, American politicians were scheming to make a radical change to match the changing political spectrum. The catch word was “Commonwealth.” As soon as the German, Italian, and Japanese threats were stamped out, a newer and more severe threat crept into the American vernacular: Reds, Socialists, Marxists, Collectivists. COMMUNISTS. Communism. Commonwealth. Community. Comedy. Divine, hellish comedy. People no longer feared the old monster, but the brand new red monster, giant nations hovering over the American way. The USSR. The People’s Republic of China. THOSE threats were far greater than what the wars in Europe and the East were able to do. Still, the second world war marked the beginning of the end to an innocent America. America began as a war-torn country, from the battle over lands with Native Americans, to the British invasion, to other European skirmishes spilling over oceans, America never knew true peace. But those skirmishes were nothing, really, until WWII broke the American spirit. Now, as soon as it ended, WWIII seemed to be on the horizon. Asia was overrun with reds, with the USSR and China being the major threats. No, baseball was hanging by a stitch. That stitch was ripping at fastball speeds. A crack of a bat. #24 raced back and then fell into a casual gallop to allow the ball to float over his head and into his gargantuan glove. “Aw, come on, Willie. Let me get a hit in on the day, will ya?” Whitey jogged towards the dugout to retrieve his glove and then ran out to the outfield to shag some practice swings before the exhibition game would begin. “I’m getting too old for this,” he yelped as he ran past Mr. Dark. “Speak for yourself, youngun,” Mr. Dark barked back. He had been on the field for thirty minutes, but still stretched out his 34-year-old body between batters. A flash in the sky, a boom, and all ball players dropped to the ground. “Bombs! The Japs are retaliating!” a cry came. The thunderous boom spooked everyone but there was nothing. Nothing in sight. No burning fire. No mushroom cloud. Not one damn thing but that mysterious sound. It would be nearly ten years before America was able to produce that sound: the sonic boom. So what was it? Suddenly, after the players peeled their dirt-stained uniforms off the ground, and fans in the stands started to emerge from beneath their bleacher seats, the cry of a mother resonated over the field. “My son! Where’s my son? Where’s my boy?” People gathered around the young woman. “He was here. He was right here when the bomb went off. Where’s my boy? Tommy! TOMMY!!!” she wailed. People looked. There was nothing in that sweltering Arizona ballpark to indicate he had ever been there except the clothes he was wearing lying right where he ducked for cover. They were laid out like a mother’s morning preparation. His NYG hat and t-shirt. His black and white striped shorts. His white socks and brown shoes. His box of popcorn. They were all there, but not little Tommy. He had vanished.

The Historian: Meeting with President Kimball 12.17.88 Aaron Kimball’s vertibird zipped onto the helipad atop the Hoover Dam. A small contingent of NCR rangers and securitrons stood on guard to protect the president. Lee stood near James Hsu as the only two civilians other than me allowed on or near the Hoover Dam. President Kimball exited the vertibird and looked towards Lee and Hsu. He was holding a half full glass of whiskey and gulped it down. “So are you here to ****ing save me again, or are you here as the assassin?” “Not funny,” Lee said. He glanced away from President Kimball. “Neither are you. So where’s my bastard of a brother? Late like usual, I bet.” Lee held the president’s gaze this time. “Haven’t seen him. He’s been avoiding me since the little stunt you guys pulled on my league.” “You mean my league. I ****ing bought it, remember? And as far as I’m concerned you work for me now.” Hsu shifted on his heels. His eyes were cast down. “And what about you, you ****ing traitor? You here to suck off Lee after this meeting? Help to make him feel better after we tear him a new one?” “Sir? No, sir.” Hsu was shaking. Lee stepped in front of Hsu. “That’s enough, Kimball. Quit being a goddamn bully.” “Yeah, you only talk, Commishy Ner, because you got a damn army of robots abiding by your every whim to keep my government less secure.” “If I remember right, I gave them all to you in exchange for peace.” “War, son. War equals money. War equals fear. War equals power and security and protection and every chance you and I have ever had of getting laid. You think radscorpions and mutants and those ****ed up flesh people you carouse with are sitting around campfires singing Kumba-****ing-ya? Hell, no, they’re not. They’re out there blasting and stinging and chomping the **** out of each other and their women are getting their titties hard watching it unfold. “That’s what I tried to tell you when you had all them warbots in your possession. Why not finish the job? House would’ve. So would Caesar. And so would I. But you? You act like you know something the rest of us don’t. Well, you don’t. I know you keep your enemies close and all the people depending on you will do whatever you ask. Now that’s peace. You sandeaters out here in the Mojave think you know what freedom is because you follow your own gods. The people out in California know what real freedom is because they know if I say to jump they had better damn well jump or my NCR troops are going to zap a laser beam right through their ****ing skulls.” Lee interrupted. “Freedom’s just another word for nothing left to lose, huh, Kimball?” “I never know what the **** you’re talking about, Cactus****er. What I’m saying is this. I understand you’re trying to make your own little peace corner in this world. I’m telling you it’s a false god. You think you have friends. You’re wrong. I don’t like you at all. I think you’re a ****ing idiot. But, you know what? I’m the only SOB in this entire desert you can trust because I’m the only one who won’t betray you. I’ll tell you exactly what I’m going to do, and then I’ll do it.” “You know how I know you’re a goddamn liar? Because you just pulled some betrayal bull**** that kept me busy with trying to keep afloat your own financial investment.” President Kimball interrupted this time. “Pennies in our treasury. Something else you don’t know. We keep the money supply low to keep the people in check. We have a lot of paper stashed away for when we need it. Our sponsorship ain’t nothing on your league.” “So then you’re admitting right now that you’re trying to sabotage the league, right? That you did betray me by throwing your sponsorship into the league when you just want to ruin it and ruin me.” “No, you dumbass. I want your league to make a lot of cash. I want every single player in your league to be millionaires with not a single bottle ****ing cap, but a million ****ing NCR bucks in their pockets. I want every ticket-buying loser to stick 5 NCR in the ticket stash and not a bunch of rusty, bent-up caps into the coiffeurs. So, you see, I want the Mojave Baseball League to thrive. And that’s why I made the move I did. I can’t have my men and my other investments devoted to baseball when their attention needs to be towards higher things. “My **** up of a brother was put in charge of a baseball team to get him out of ****ing up the government. He’s blood, you know? I have no choice but to give him some important duty. So he was my ambassador in the Mojave, and he let me know everything I needed to know.” “Like?” “Like that your baseball league is genius. People out here are buzzing like I never saw buzzing. Just a few years after their homes were torn asunder by war and rape and sodomy, you come along playing a kiddie game and now every dumbass out there has a smile on their face. Meanwhile, just a few clicks out west, I still have useful citizens jumping off bridges and buildings. “So, I need you yet. Hell, once I figure out exactly how all this is working, I may need you out west to get us started there. Who knows? We could have our Pacific League and take on you desertfolk one day.” “Won’t happen, Kimball.” Lee had been patient, but his patience was wearing thin like a lion in a butcher shop. “You can go ahead and start your own goddamn baseball league out west, but you’ll never get my help. I’m busting my ass every day to improve the qualities of life of the people here, and you cut out my progress behind me. I know I’m helping you personally through some of the decisions I’ve made, but it’s not for you and it’s not for me. It’s for the people who have hope yet despite the severity of this wasteland. They deserve it, and I believe Vegas to be the perfect place to restore civilization. I believe the government is good. But, I’ll tell you at the same time that I doubt you’re the right man to restore that hope.” “So, then, who? YOU?!? All you know about is putting a gun in your hand and blasting through problems. Hell, I can see it in your face. You want to murder me right now even though I’m the first person in your life ever talking sense. You want to murder me because you want something you can’t have and you think putting a bullet in my skull is the best way to get closer to what you want. You know what else I know. You’re bar none the greatest threat I’ve ever had. Bigger than that fruitcake and House combined. And at the same time I think the stupidest thing I could ever do is to kill you. I hate you but need you. You hate me and think things would be better without me. It would just reset everything for you and you got nowhere.” Lee nodded and gave a pout of approval. “That makes sense. I don’t want you dead, though. I just want you to accept that the Mojave IS a part of the NCR but different than the NCR all at the same time. Gaming and sports are always going to trump politics here. They always have. Since the beginning of this city.” “What could you know about that?” Lee smiled. “I’m a keeper of secrets, too. I’m just not dumb enough to tell you where my aces are hidden.” Kimball put his hands in his pockets. “You’ve got aces? I’ve got aces, too.” Kimball then turned to his assistant. “Is my brother still not here?” The young woman in a tight green military dress suit turned her eyes towards the guard commander who shook his head. “Sir, no sir.” “Well, then I won’t wait. I consider this meeting over. You know now why I pulled my government out of this league?” “Eliminate conflicts of interest, right?” “Yep. But my consolation is I’ll let my boys in camo currently playing to keep on. You might not get anymore of my active soldiers to join who aren’t already in, but if people from this area quit enlisting to play baseball because you’re taking them all in as charity cases, then I will pull all my boys out and draft up the rest of the population to kill this league. You got me?” “OK. I understand your reasoning now.” Lee took a step towards the president, causing him to retreat towards his vertibird. Lee then put out his hand. The president refused it. “Well, then. I understand your reasoning, but we could have been more amicable had you told me and not pulled the bull**** of sponsoring my league and then sabotaging everything I had to sell to my people. Now I have a league full of players, coaches, and management not knowing what lies in their future, and it’s my fault for trusting you. And the fans may stay away, too. Or there can be a new divide against the NCR. You don’t know how much time I spent convincing people that they needed to trust the NCR because the NCR was most likely to do right. Now you and I have a very public feud, and it WILL make your job harder.” “I don’t measure how hard my job is. It’s always hard. Nothing gets easier or harder. So don’t ****ing tell me what’s hard or what’s easy. You have your little mini kingdom in the Mojave. I have to manage land 80 times that, mother****er.” The president turned and got on his vertibird. It flew away before he had time to sit.

Lee's Journal, an Interlude The Historian here. I have a lot of journal entries from Lee without dates written on them. They seem to be from a time long ago, or maybe they're just stories Lee made up. I don't know why he included these in his baseball journals, but they are there. I won't show them all because there are simply too many here to show, and I can't see the full picture. However, the story below struck me as something with Lee's prints on it. At this point, I have no idea who these two characters are, but they seem to play some kind of role here in the history of the Mojave. What that role is, I don't know. But everything Lee has done has been with a purpose, so there must be some reason why he put a star on this particular story. Again, there are no dates, but these descriptions of Vegas seem to be from long ago. Long, long ago... His slow saunter down the bright-lit street drew attention from neither tourist nor peddler. He stopped for minutes at a time, listening. Listening and watching. Memories, histories, he collected them all. When someone asked him, he called himself The Keeper. A young man sat on a footbridge between New York New York and the MGM Grand. His clothes were covered in dust and days-old vomit stains. The unkempt man held a sign that read, "I betcha mines biger then yurs." The Keeper stood by and watched over and over as inebriated tourists took the beggar's bet. The young man would then flip his sign and unfold it to show the punch line: "My sine is waaay biger then yurs now give me some $$$." Most of the tourists obliged with a dollar or change. Once there was a pause in foot traffic, The Keeper approached the young beggar. The Keeper could see a burn scar on the beggar's right cheek and three scratch scars near his left eye. "I'll give you $30 if you tell me your story," The Keeper said. "Sure. I was born. I got drunk. It's a beautiful day." He laughed, showing missing incisors and a bottom front tooth. "Now pay up." "Let me rephrase that. I'll give you a dollar for everything you tell about your past. But don't lie. Tell me what really happened." Screams from a rollercoaster buzzed past them. "Thirty dollars to tell about myself?" The Keeper nodded and the young man shrugged. "OK. Let me think. Say, gotta beer?" The Keeper shook his head. The beggar continued. "My mother's a bitch. Well, she was. She, um, died, like years ago. She used to f*** people for money. Mighty Vegas, you know? And she got pregnant." The beggar pointed to himself. "She was always high on coke and meth and other s*** and she always drank. Always. She hurt me, you know? Like hit me and bit me and, s***, everything. See my scars, huh? Cigarette lighter right here on my face. And her goddamn claws on my eye. That hurt. I was about seven when that happened. Accidentally walked in on her while she was f***ing a priest. He ran out without paying and she came at me naked and raging and just clawed me up. Took a big chunk out of my side, too, with her teeth. I got more." He rolled up his sleeves. "You going to give me some money yet? I got more." The Keeper handed him a $20 bill. "Yes, tell me more, please." The beggar wiped his forehead. It was only 70 degrees on the January afternoon, but the desert sun was hot and dry. "These are some more scars. All cigarettes and lighters. Here and here and this one and this one and this one. Yep. All of 'em when I was just a weak kid. "She never let me go to school, either. Said it was all bastards and c***s teaching there. And then when I was 11, she died. I don't know how. I just saw her dead. I was in a orphanage for awhile but then I ran away. Been out here ever since." "How old are you now?" "Seventeen going on f*** it all, know what I mean?" The beggar laughed again. Street callers barked their pitch: 2 for 1 shows. See the best entertainment. Magic, show girls, dancers. 2 for 1! The Keeper took out a note pad. On it were three questions. The Keeper started with the first. "How did you start drinking?" "My mom. She used to leave her bottles out. And she never finished them. I would wait for her to pass out and then finish her drinks." "How do you drink now?" "From the bottle," the beggar guffawed. "Seriously, the same way. I wait for the drunk tourists to leave their s*** out and then I just chug 'em down." "Finally, do you want to know when you'll die?" "What, no, man. What are you, a pervert or something? Or a serious, um, serial killer?" "I am The Keeper. I keep all memories of then, now, and forever. I just want to know if you want to know your future." "No, man. You're like seriously scaring me now." The Keeper reached into his pocket and took out a $20 bill and a $10 bill. "Here is the last of the $30 I promised and $20 more. Cherish this money. It's the last of the money I will ever own. Use that money wisely. Use it only when your heart pounds telling you that you can spend it. If you're patient you will know what I mean. If you're patient, you will be an important man right here in Vegas long after things have...changed." The beggar took the money into his hands and just looked at it. He then looked up at The Keeper. "What are you, man?" "I transcend time. I am the Keeper. You are The Beggar. If we meet again, we can no longer call each other by those names. Do you understand what I mean?" The beggar nodded. "Well, not really, but, OK, man. Whatever you say, Mr. Keeper. Now can I go, um, relieve myself. I think you made me s*** my pants." "It's a hot, sunny day," The Keeper said. "Lots of nice casinos around here. My favorite is the Paris, but all of them are pretty nice. I've got to go to McCarran now to catch a plane. I have another on my list to meet in D.C. Good luck." The Keeper walked away from the beggar, the beggar looking at the man and then the cash in his hand. The Keeper got on an escalator towards the Strip below, and then he was gone.

Year 4 Offseason: September - December News and Notes Before getting into the offseason drama, here are the rest of the news and notes from 2288. 9.26.88 – Player trade The Tops Mutants traded 28-year-old left fielder Dallas Fox to the Primm Outlaws, getting 17-year-old minor league shortstop Darryl Mallett in return. 9.29.88 – Player trade The Nellis AFB Boomers traded 35-year-old right fielder Gilbert Rush and 18-year-old minor league reliever Anthony Hatfield to the Novac Dinosaurs, getting 31-year-old second baseman Joe Chase in return. 10.5.88 – Player draft Primm Outlaws: Drafted SP Jerry Wallace in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 1, 1st overall pick). Nellis AFB Boomers: Drafted SP Bob Mullet in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 2, 2nd overall pick). Novac Dinosaurs: Drafted SP Steve Joker in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 3, 3rd overall pick). Boulder City Atomic Wranglers: Drafted 3B Neil Ong in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 4, 4th overall pick). Gomorrah Devils: Drafted SP Wilbur Jackson in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 5, 5th overall pick). Tops Mutants: Drafted SP Alex Elliott in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 6, 6th overall pick). Freeside Kings: Drafted SP Gunner Gunner in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 7, 7th overall pick). Ultra Luxe White Gloves: Drafted SP Jimmy Smith in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 8, 8th overall pick). Westside Sarsaparillas: Drafted SP Bryan Stone in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 9, 9th overall pick). South Vegas Vault Boys: Drafted SP Vernon Livingston in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 10, 10th overall pick). Goodsprings Lucky 38s: Drafted SP Butch Hallight in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 11, 11th overall pick). North Vegas Radscorpions: Drafted CF Eric Krause in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 1, Pick 12, 12th overall pick). Primm Outlaws: Drafted SP Danny Foster in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 1, 13th overall pick). Nellis AFB Boomers: Drafted MR Jesús Reyna in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 2, 14th overall pick). Novac Dinosaurs: Drafted SP Peter Pumpkineater in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 3, 15th overall pick). Boulder City Atomic Wranglers: Drafted CL Victor Milton in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 4, 16th overall pick). Gomorrah Devils: Drafted SP Kris Orr in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 5, 17th overall pick). Tops Mutants: Drafted SP Daniel Summers in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 6, 18th overall pick). Freeside Kings: Drafted SP Brant Carney in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 7, 19th overall pick). Ultra Luxe White Gloves: Drafted SP Pat Betterman in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 8, 20th overall pick). Westside Sarsaparillas: Drafted SP Chris Last Laugh in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 9, 21st overall pick). South Vegas Vault Boys: Drafted LF Ron LeBlanc in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 10, 22nd overall pick). Goodsprings Lucky 38s: Drafted SP Don Downey in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 11, 23rd overall pick). North Vegas Radscorpions: Drafted SS Rob Mathis in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 2, Pick 12, 24th overall pick). Primm Outlaws: Drafted SP Robert Raymond in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 1, 25th overall pick). Nellis AFB Boomers: Drafted SP Jack Holodisk in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 2, 26th overall pick). Novac Dinosaurs: Drafted CF Jeff Fritz in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 3, 27th overall pick). Boulder City Atomic Wranglers: Drafted SP Eugene Baker in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 4, 28th overall pick). Gomorrah Devils: Drafted SP Dave Taylor in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 5, 29th overall pick). Tops Mutants: Drafted SS Maxwell Kane in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 6, 30th overall pick). Freeside Kings: Drafted SS Rusty Butters in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 7, 31st overall pick). Ultra Luxe White Gloves: Drafted SP Reid Campbell in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 8, 32nd overall pick). Westside Sarsaparillas: Drafted SP Curt Rhodes in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 9, 33rd overall pick). South Vegas Vault Boys: Drafted SP Chris Brown in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 10, 34th overall pick). Goodsprings Lucky 38s: Drafted SP Andrew Rogers in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 11, 35th overall pick). North Vegas Radscorpions: Drafted SP Steve Coeyman in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 3, Pick 12, 36th overall pick). Primm Outlaws: Drafted SP Rafael Rodríguez in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 1, 37th overall pick). Nellis AFB Boomers: Drafted 3B Adam Cunningham in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 2, 38th overall pick). Novac Dinosaurs: Drafted SP Sean Roberts in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 3, 39th overall pick). Boulder City Atomic Wranglers: Drafted SP Danny Boyd in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 4, 40th overall pick). Gomorrah Devils: Drafted SP Charlie Sullivan in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 5, 41st overall pick). Tops Mutants: Drafted SP Samuel Bailey in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 6, 42nd overall pick). Freeside Kings: Drafted SP William Jackson in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 7, 43rd overall pick). Ultra Luxe White Gloves: Drafted SP John Boulder City in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 8, 44th overall pick). Westside Sarsaparillas: Drafted CF Bruce Sánchez in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 9, 45th overall pick). South Vegas Vault Boys: Drafted SS Ken Barnes in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 10, 46th overall pick). Goodsprings Lucky 38s: Drafted SS Leo Wilson in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 11, 47th overall pick). North Vegas Radscorpions: Drafted 3B Reginald Burkett in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 4, Pick 12, 48th overall pick). Primm Outlaws: Drafted SS Matt Nelson in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 1, 49th overall pick). Nellis AFB Boomers: Drafted SP Jessie Matthews in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 2, 50th overall pick). Novac Dinosaurs: Drafted SP Mark Nelson in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 3, 51st overall pick). Boulder City Atomic Wranglers: Drafted SP Danny Moon in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 4, 52nd overall pick). Gomorrah Devils: Drafted SP Joe Monroe in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 5, 53rd overall pick). Tops Mutants: Drafted C Denis Martin in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 6, 54th overall pick). Freeside Kings: Drafted MR John Bailey in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 7, 55th overall pick). Ultra Luxe White Gloves: Drafted CF Sandy Breeches in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 8, 56th overall pick). Westside Sarsaparillas: Drafted SP Jerry Rodríguez in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 9, 57th overall pick). South Vegas Vault Boys: Drafted SP Ken Cooke in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 10, 58th overall pick). Goodsprings Lucky 38s: Drafted 3B Tim Banks in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 11, 59th overall pick). North Vegas Radscorpions: Drafted SS Martin Martin in the 2288 first-year player draft (Round 5, Pick 12, 60th overall pick). 10.7.88 – Player trade The Goodsprings Lucky 38s traded 32-year-old shortstop Tom Effing Jones and 18-year-old minor league left fielder Toy Moriarty to the Primm Outlaws, getting 30-year-old starting pitcher Miguel Santos in return. 10.11.8 – Player trade The Westside Sarsaparillas traded 31-year-old left fielder Mike Plasmagun and 19-year-old minor league left fielder Tony Hernández to the Gomorrah Devils, getting 33-year-old starting pitcher Rhyme Killer King in return. 11.17.88 – Player trade The Tops Mutants traded 33-year-old third baseman Aaron Myers and 18-year-old minor league third baseman Richard McCarthy to the Novac Dinosaurs, getting 34-year-old starting pitcher Bruce Wilson in return. 11.24.88 – Player trade The Goodsprings Lucky 38s traded 25-year-old catcher Eddie Pegasus to the Boulder City Atomic Wranglers, getting 37-year-old starting pitcher Jesús Luján in return. 12.29.88 – Team uniform change North Vegas is spicing up its team a little with some uniform changes. At this time they are the only team to change their look. Picture below.

Year 4 Offseason: The NCR Strikes Back 9.21.88 – League Realignment The New California Republic said it was “just business.” Commissioner Lee said it was bad business. But against the wishes of what Commissioner Lee wanted, the government decided that it would take some of its money and run. Today it was announced that the New California Republic was shutting its government doors on the Mojave Baseball League. What that means is that the NCR will purely be a sponsor, but all teams and facilities associated with the league will be shut down. That means the New California Republic Bears and Camp McCarran Brahmin are no more. Additionally, Ultra Luxe, which calls its home at Camp Golf, will have to relocate. There are a few places that the Ultra Luxe team can consider, probably inhabiting one of the up and coming communities like Nelson or Nipton. The NCR will also shut down its minor league facilities. Therefore, stadiums at the Hoover Dam, Camp McCarran, Camp Golf, the Mojave Outpost, and the NCR Correctional Facility are hereby off limits to Mojave Baseball League participation. Though there is a lot of open space in the Mojave Wasteland, there are not very many inhabitable places. The NCR’s decision to close down its baseball facilities come at a time when Commissioner Lee and President Kimball’s relationship has been at an all time low. There were some behind-the-scenes problems throughout the season and previous offseason, and Commissioner Lee must feel some pressure in losing his overall power. Commissioner Lee said that he would release a statement within the next few days concerning what actions he will take. 9.22.88 – Redistribution Draft Commissioner Lee has yet to release an official statement, but he has called all remaining owners together for a redistribution draft. Sarah Weintraub, the owner stripped of her team, will serve as an acting executive to break any tied votes. The draft will be held today. Results will be posted tomorrow. The twelve remaining teams are expected to draft five rounds. 9.23.88 – Redistribution Draft Results First Round 1.1 Primm – SP J. Rosales, CM1.2 Nellis AFB – 3B M. Britton, NCR1.3 Boulder City – CF G. Makejoo, NCR1.4 Novac – 1B J. Tombstone, CM1.5 Gomorrah – SP C. Woods, NCR1.6 Tops – SP/MR J. Ford, NCR1.7 Freeside – 2B J. Bowles, NCR1.8 Ultra Luxe – SS G. Gray, NCR1.9 Westside – LF J. Williams, CM1.10 South Vegas – SP D. Dugood, NCR1.11 Goodsprings – LF S. Wilkins, NCR1.12 North Vegas – CL B. Zapp, NCR Second Round2.1 Primm – SP C. Willis, CM2.2 Nellis AFB – MR D. Barlow, NCR2.3 Boulder City – RF C. Martin, NCR2.4 Novac – SP T. Willis, CM2.5 Gomorrah – CF J. Hartman, CM2.6 Tops – 3B R. Blair, CM2.7 Freeside – CL M. Hernandez, CM2.8 Ultra Luxe – SP J. Crouch, NCR2.9 Westside – SS S. Gillespie, CM2.10 South Vegas – MR T. Stevens, CM2.11 Goodsprings – MR D. Martin, NCR2.12 North Vegas – 2B B. Brown, CM Third Round3.1 Primm – 1B R. Hall, NCR3.2 Nellis AFB – RF G. Rush, CM3.3 Boulder City – MR B. Shelton, NCR3.4 Novac – LF R. Bradley, NCR3.5 Gomorrah – RF D. Green, CM3.6 Tops – CL A. Lund, CM3.7 Freeside – MR K. Heard, CM3.8 Ultra Luxe – MR M. Flowers, NCR3.9 Westside – MR J. Montana, NCR3.10 South Vegas – 2B Z. Peterson, CM3.11 Goodsprings – MR D. Morris, NCR3.12 North Vegas – SP G. Brady, CM Fourth Round4.1 Primm – C J. Watson, NCR4.2 Nellis AFB – RF T. Caldwell, NCR4.3 Boulder City – CL R. Bryant, NCR4.4 Novac – CF G. Hood, CM4.5 Gomorrah – SP G. Last Laugh, CM4.6 Tops – LF A. Carney, NCR4.7 Freeside – LF M. Franklin, NCR4.8 Ultra Luxe – MR R. Hart, NCR4.9 Westside – LF V. Hall, CM4.10 South Vegas – MR C. Griffith, NCR4.11 Goodsprings – 2B W. Sparks, NCR4.12 North Vegas – RF M. Smith, NCR Fifth Round5.1 Primm – MR K. Stanley, CM5.2 Nellis AFB – MR M. Salazar, NCR5.3 Boulder City – C C. MacDonald, NCR5.4 Novac – MR/CL R. Ward, NCR5.5 Gomorrah – RF F. Data Entry, CM5.6 Tops – 1B D. Weeks, CM5.7 Freeside – 2B J. Tolbert, CM5.8 Ultra Luxe – SS J. Cole, CM5.9 Westside – SP S. Foster, NCR5.10 South Vegas – SS E. Minor, NCR5.11 Goodsprings – MR T. Perry, CM5.12 North Vegas – CF G. Induboddel, CM

Year 4: Offseason - August 2288 8.8.88 – Realignment? On this eight day of the eighth month of the year 88, the new partnership may mean more changes for the Mojave Baseball League. Commissioner Lee and other league officials are discussing ideas to include in the inevitable redistribution of teams due to the New California Republic taking over sponsorship and now taking a small stake in each team's ownership. If there is a rebalance of teams, there needs to be a quick decision to beat the draft in October. Also, questions about the future of the Mojave Baseball League are now in play. Will things stay like they are, or could the MBL become something quite different? 8.17.88 – Player trade The Nellis AFB Boomers traded 27-year-old left fielder Lee Peterson to the Primm Outlaws, getting 17-year-old minor league shortstop Richard Cannon in return. 8.19.88 – Player trade The Gomorrah Devils traded 29-year-old starting pitcher Steve MacIntyre to the Primm Outlaws, getting 18-year-old minor league right fielder Johnny 38 Special in return. 8.27.88 – Player trade The Gomorrah Devils traded 32-year-old third baseman Vincent Aerotech and 19-year-old reliever Glenn Brady to the Camp McCarran Brahmin, getting 31-year-old starting pitcher Bobby Lorn in return. 8.29.88 – Player trade The Tops Mutants traded 29-year-old reliever Don Brooks to the Westside Sarsaparillas, getting 20-year-old minor league third baseman Oscar Taylor in return. 8.30.88 – Draft trade Camp McCarran believes it needs the first overall pick in the draft (player name), so it is trying to work out a deal to swap the seventh overall pick and a prospect with Primm for the rights to the first overall pick.

Year 4: Season Awards New Vegas Samurai Hitter Award Glass Heads MBL Best Batter List: Robert Glass had an impressive 2288 season against Mojave Baseball League pitchers and was acclaimed the league's New Vegas Samurai Hitter Award winner today. The Westside catcher hit .368 and collected 126 hits, 25 home runs, 65 RBIs and scored 66 times to win the coveted trophy. Glass was a surprise selection for the award, beating out great seasons by others. However, there was no doubt that Glass had a spectacular season. Goodsprings’ Jimmy LaRue finished a close second in voting. LaRue set MBL records in batting average (.446) and hits (179). Mike Britton of New California Republic, who led the MBL in home runs and RBI finished third. Lead Dealer Pitcher Award Radscorpions Ace MBL's Best Pitcher: The 2288 Lead Dealer Pitcher Award in the Mojave Baseball League has been given to Lee Burke of the North Vegas. The Radscorpions ace worked 156.1 innings this season, crafting a 16-2 record and a 1.61 ERA in 21 starts. Burke collected 146 strikeouts while walking 34 and limiting opponents to a .168 batting average. New California Republic’s Clarence Woods was considered the favorite to win the award, but he finished second in voting. Woods was 17-1 with a 2.31 ERA and finished with 147 strikeouts. Burke’s teammate, Rich Richmond was third in voting. He was 13-3 with a 2.16 ERA. New Kid Award Wilkins Awarded MBL Rookie Trophy: Stu Wilkins was the preeminent newcomer this year in the Mojave Baseball League and the winner of the 2288 New Kid Award. The New California Republic left fielder played 92 games this season, hitting for a .341 with 107 hits, 11 home runs, 62 RBIs and 48 runs scored. Primm’s President Carter, second place in voting, was a young leader for the expansion team. He finished the season with 41 appearances and 10 starts. His record was 7-6 with a 2.86 ERA. In 119.2 innings pitched, he gave up 105 hits, allowed 38 earned runs, walked 37 and struck out 110. He led the Outlaws in ERA, wins, and strikeouts. Shortstop Andrew Zimmerman of Boulder City was third place in voting. In 92 games, he finished with a .289 average with 19 doubles, four triples, three homers, 30 RBI, and 48 runs scored. He also walked 10 times, struck out 82 times, and stole 12 bases. Mojave Hardcore Mode Postseason Award Goodsprings’ Jones Dominant in Postseason: Jim Jones had a stellar postseason for the Lucky 38s and his efforts were awarded with the 2288 Mojave Hardcore Mode Postseason Award. In three games started in the postseason, Jones was 3-0 with a 0.41 ERA. In 22 innings pitched, he allowed 11 hits, allowed two runs, one earned, walked six batters, and struck out 19. The NCR’s Mike Britton and Jim Ford finished second and third in voting. Britton had six home runs and 15 RBI in 13 postseason games. Ford was again in masterful postseason form, going 4-0 with a 1.52 ERA in 29.2 innings. He started five games, only having a no decision in the final game of the playoffs. Return to Sender Defense Awards MBL Announces 2288 Top Gloves: Making the play is the mark of great defenders. Spearing a liner, diving in the hole or crashing headlong into the wall makes no difference to these awe-inspiring fielders. Magicians they sometimes appear to be, showing up out of nowhere to rob a batter of a hit and to turn a hit into an out. Pitchers love 'em and batters curse 'em. These defensive wizards will collect their 2288 Mojave Baseball League Return to Sender Defense Awards tonight: Pitcher: Jesús Luján (Boulder City Atomic Wranglers)Catcher: Vincent Harvey (Nellis AFB Boomers)First Baseman: Rob Carlson (Primm Outlaws)Second Baseman: Daniel Bentley (Tops Mutants)Third Baseman: Mike Britton (New California Republic Bears)Shortstop: George Gray (New California Republic Bears)Left Fielder: Jason Williams (Camp McCarran Brahmin)Center Fielder: Gerardo Makejoo (New California Republic Bears)Right Fielder: Ángel Serrano (South Vegas Vault Boys)

Year 4: Mojave Series Game Six Martinez Blasts Lucky 38s to Second Straight Title Entering the seventh inning of Game Six of the Mojave Series, Martinez had been silent on the power side of things. Martinez, who hit a team-leading 21 home runs during the regular season, had yet to deliver in the postseason. That all changed, though, with Goodsprings up 3-2 in the seventh inning. Martinez’s three-run shot in the inning helped propel the Lucky 38s to a 6-2 lead on their way to a 7-3 victory over New California Republic and the 2288 Mojave Baseball League title. The game was scoreless after four innings, but that changed in the fifth inning. Alex Raines led off the top of the inning with a single for the Lucky 38s. After starting pitcher Bush bunted Raines over, Mike Duncan hit an RBI double for a 1-0 Goodsprings lead. It didn't take long for the Bears to tie the game. The NCR’s postseason pitching ace Jim Ford helped his own cause by taking a 2-0 pitch over the right field wall to tied the game, 1-1. The Lucky 38s answered in the sixth when Dennis Shaft hit a one-out solo home run, his first of two, which also earned him Game MVP honors. Shaft finished the game 2 for 4 with two home runs with two runs scored and two RBI. He was named MVP despite claiming he would have given the award to Martinez. Ford was replaced by Dan Barlow after the homer. Mike Britton continued the home run barrage in the bottom of the sixth, going yard to lead off the inning. That tied the game 2-2. Britton’s home run was his sixth of the postseason. He also finished with 15 RBI. The game was decided in the top of the seventh. Barlow got the first out, but was then replaced by David Martin. Martin immediately gave up a double to Bush, prompting another pitching change. Mark White came on for the Bears, but allowed Mike Duncan to single Bush to third. Stu Vanstone then hit an RBI sacrifice fly to score Bush and a 3-2 lead. Jimmy LaRue was walked, followed by Martinez’s homer to straight away center. After Leroy Hodges replaced White, Shaft hit his second home run of the game to give the Lucky 38s five runs in the inning and a commanding 7-2 lead. New California Republic was not done. Greg Greer came on in relief in the eighth inning. He walked Carney to lead off the inning and then Gerardo Makejoo tripled him in. Greer found his groove right after the triple, though, striking out the next three batters to end the threat. Bush earned the win for Goodsprings, allowing two earned runs on five hits with two walks and 11 strikeouts in seven innings. Greer pitched the final two innings, allowing one earned run on one hit with a walk and five strikeouts. The NCR used six pitchers in the game. Ford went 5.1 innings, allowing two earned runs on eight hits with five strikeouts. Martin was the losing pitcher, allowing one earned run on one hit without recording an out. While the two teams combined for 18 hits, eight of those hits were extra-base hits: two doubles, a triple, and five home runs. Duncan led the Lucky 38s in hits in the game, going 3 for 5 with a double, a run scored, and an RBI. Carney was the only player from the NCR with multiple hits. Game Notes: The Lucky 38s’ Jim “Dandy Apples” Jones was named the Mojave Series MVP. In two starts, he was 2-0 without giving up a run. He allowed nine hits in 15 innings with two walks and 14 strikeouts. The NCR’s Britton and Goodsprings’ Jesus Martinez were also finalists for the award…. The NCR’s Clarence Woods was a miserable 0-4 with a 4.56 ERA in four postseason starts. He was a top performer in the regular season but performed poorly when the games counted most.

Year 4: Mojave Series Game Five Goodsprings Pitching Dominates NCR Again Goodsprings got a solid game from Bob Jackson to out duel New California Republic’s Jim Crouch in a 2-1 Lucky 38s victory in Game Five of the Mojave Series. Jackson was named the game’s MVP after giving up only one earned run on six hits with four strikeouts in 7.2 innings. Crouch got the loss despite pitching well. He allowed two earned runs on four hits with a walk and five strikeouts in 5.1 innings. Dan Barlow and Bill Shelton finished the game for the Bears, not allowing a single base runner in the final 2.2 innings. The Lucky 38s had half of their hits in the bottom of the second when they took a 2-0 lead. With one out, Dennis Shaft walked. After Perry Ferguson singled, Java Stirfry hit an RBI double to score Shaft. Alex Raines then hit an RBI ground out that proved later to be the game-winning RBI. New California Republic’s sole run came in the third. Crouch hit a one-out single and advanced later on a passed ball. Alex Carney then singled him in with two outs for the only offensive output in the game for the Bears. The teams combined for 10 total hits. Carney was the only player in the game with multiple hits with two. The NCR’s Joel Bowles and the Lucky 38s’ Shaft were the only players with extra-base hits in the game. The NCR and Goodsprings now head to the Hoover Dam for Game Six. The Bears need two victories to claim the series, while the Lucky 38s are a victory away from clinching their second straight title over the NCR. Game note: Joel Bowles made his debut in the Mojave Series after missing part of the semifinals series and the first four games of the Mojave Series due to the death of his brother… Jim Ford is expected to be the starting pitcher for Bears, while Donald Bush will try to clinch the series for the Goodsprings….Gerardo Makejoo was ejected in the first inning after arguing a called strike three.

Year 4: Mojave Series Game Four Jones Continues Domination, Shuts Down Bears Jim Jones is having an epic postseason. The Goodsprings ace pitched eight strong innings, reducing his postseason ERA to 0.41 in a 4-1 Lucky 38s' victory over New California Republic to tie the Mojave Series at two games apiece. The only run Jones allowed came in the top of the first on an unearned run. With two outs, Gerardo Makejoo reached when Mike Duncan could not handle a screaming line drive. Clyde Martin followed with an RBI double to give the Bears a 1-0 lead. Goodsprings did not trail long, though. With two outs in the first, Jimmy LaRue doubled off Clarence Woods. Jesus Martinez then hit an RBI single to knot the game, 1-1. The game remained tied until the fourth. Java Strifry led off the Goodsprings inning with a walk. Alex Raines then singled. Jones then reached on an error when Woods sailed a throw to first on a bunt attempt. That allowed Stirfry to score for the 2-1 lead. Duncan then hit into an RBI ground out for the 3-1 advantage. Goodsprings capped off the scoring in the sixth. With two outs, Stu Vanstone walked and LaRue singled. Martinez then hit an RBI single for the 4-1 final. Woods, who many expect to win the Lead Dealer Pitcher Award, has now dropped to 0-4 in the 2288 postseason and 0-2 in this series. He allowed four runs, two earned, in six innings with four walks and six strikeouts. His postseason ERA is now 4.56 after posting a 2.31 regular season ERA. Jones gave up one unearned run on four hits with two walks and eight strikeouts. Willie Miller earned his fourth postseason save, pitching the final inning and striking out two batters. LaRue led all offensive performers, going 3 for 4 with a double and a run scored. The NCR only managed four hits in the game. Mike Britton had two of those four hits. The Bears’ biggest scoring threat other than the first inning came in the third inning when they were able to load the bases with two outs on walks by Wilkins and Clyde Martin and a single by Britton. However, George Gray struck out to end the scoring threat. Goodsprings and New California Republic will play the finale in Goodsprings tomorrow before moving back to the Hoover Dam for Game Six and a possible Game Seven.

Year 4: Mojave Series Game Three NCR Bombs Lucky 38s, Takes 2-1 Series Lead Behind the bat of Mike Britton and the effective pitching of Jim Ford, the New California Republic dominated Goodsprings 16-2 in Game Three of the Mojave Series. Britton hit two two-run home runs and knocked in four runs to lead the Bears’ 17 hits. Ford allowed two runs on six hits with two walks and a strikeout in six innings to earn the victory. Three NCR relievers closed out the final three innings. The Lucky 38s took the first lead of the game in the bottom of the first inning. With two outs, Jimmy LaRue tripled, followed by a Jesus Martinez RBI double for a 1-0 lead. The NCR answered in the second to take the lead for good. With one out, George Gray singled. Rich Hall then walked, and Barry Wilson singled to load the bases. Lucky 38s starter then walked Ford on four straight pitches to tie the game, 1-1. Mark Smith then followed with a sacrifice fly for a 2-1 advantage. In the fifth inning, the Bears started to pull away. With one out, Gerardo Makejoo singled, followed by Britton’s first home run to provide the clinching runs and a 4-1 lead. Clyde Martin and George Gray then hit back-to-back singles, followed by a two-RBI double by Hall. After John Murphy came on in relief for Goodsprings, Wilson singled in Hall. After a Ford sacrifice bunt, Smith singled in Wilson for an 8-1 advantage. Goodsprings got its final run in the bottom of the fifth. With one out, Stu Vanstone walked on four pitches. Ford then tried to pick off Vanstone, but threw the ball away. LaRue then reached on a Mark Smith error that also allowed Vanstone to score. New California Republic continued its offensive production in the sixth. Makejoo led off with a double, and Britton hit his second home run to follow for a 10-2 lead. Jeff Glover then came on in relief of Murphy to get the Bears in order. Glover’s success on the mound was short-lived, though. Wilson led off the seventh with a single, followed by a Wilkins RBI triple to make it 11-2. After Smith walked on four pitches, Alex Carney hit an RBI ground out for a 12-2 advantage, chasing Glover from the game. Jimmy Ledet came on in relief and loaded the bases but was able to escape unharmed thanks to Dennis Shaft gunning down Makejoo on a steal attempt before the bases were loaded and getting Gray to fly out to end the inning. Despite the big lead, the Bears decided to pour mutant jizz on their opponents’ wounds. Will Hughes was on in relief for the Lucky 38s in the inning. Carney was hit by a pitch with one out. Jeremy Watson came on as a pinch hitter for Makejoo and walked, followed by a Britton walk to juice the bases. Martin then hit a two-RBI single and everyone advanced on the throw home for a 14-2 lead. Gray followed with a two-RBI double to make it 16-2. Wilton Woods came in for Goodsprings to finish out the game. Six Goodsprings pitchers pitched, and none had a good day. Woods, who pitched 2/3 of the ninth inning, was the most successful of the six by only allowing one base runner on a walk. Ledet did not allow a runner either, but he was helped by his catcher’s great throw to prevent the NCR from scoring anymore runs. Game Four is tomorrow with the heavily-favored Bears now up two games to one.

Year 4: Mojave Series Game Two Smith’s Home Run Lifts NCR Over Goodsprings Mark Smith has been a little-known player in his four years in the Mojave Baseball League. Though not a full-time player, the 33-year-old outfielder/infielder had a rare opportunity to start with the absence of starting second baseman Joel Bowles due to a death in his family. What Smith did with his opportunity was simply win a game for the New California Republic when he went yard in the bottom of the eighth inning in a tie game. The NCR won 2-1 over Goodsprings. The Bears win ruined a solid game from Goodsprings starter Bob Jackson. He completed the full eight innings against the NCR, allowing two earned runs on seven hits with four strikeouts. Still, his effort was not enough to overcome the five NCR pitchers. Jim Crouch was the game’s MVP despite the no decision. He allowed no runs and six hits in 6.1 innings with two walks and two strikeouts. Dan Barlow both had a blown save and the victory in 1.1 innings. He allowed one earned run on one hit with two walks and a hit batsman. Basket Zapp earned the save. The Lucky 38s tied the game in the top of the eighth. Stu Vanstone led off with a walk, followed by a Jimmy LaRue single. Jesus Martinez was then hit by an 0-2 pitch to load the bases with no one out. After Dennis Shaft and Perry Ferguson had back-to-back pop ups, Barlow walked Java Stirfry to knot the game at 1-1. New California Republic took their first lead in the first. With one out, Alex Carney singled and advanced on a Jackson wild pitch. Gerardo Makejoo then moved Carney to third on a single. Mike Britton followed with an RBI sacrifice fly to give the Bears an early 1-0 lead that held up until the eighth inning. Goodsprings did not threaten to score until the seventh inning. With one out, Stirfry doubled off Crouch, which caused a turnstile of pitchers. Mark Smith came on in relief and immediately walked Eddie Pegasus. David Martin then came on to face Jackson. Jackson attempted a bunt, but it rolled too strongly to third base, where Britton was able to get the force out at third. Barlow then came on and got Mike Duncan to ground out to second. The Lucky 38s made another threat in the ninth off closer Zapp. Tom Effing Jones led off with a pinch hit single and moved to second on a Duncan sacrifice bunt. After Vanstone hit a hard line drive that was caught in center field, LaRue struck out swinging to end the game. The series now moves to Goodsprings for the next three games. The NCR’s postseason ace Jim Ford (3-0 in the postseason) is expected to get the start against the Lucky 38s’ Donald Bush (1-0 in postseason).

Year 4: Mojave Series Game One LaRue’s Eighth-Inning Inside the Park HR Propels Lucky 38s Jimmy LaRue is close to being immortal. If he keeps playing like he did in the last three games, he may earn that honor right away. LaRue proved to be the hero once again, blasting a three-run home run in the top of the eighth for a 3-1 victory for Goodsprings over New California Republic. With two outs in the top of the eighth against starter Clarence Woods, the Lucky 38s began their rally. Mike Duncan singled, followed by a Stu Vanstone walk. LaRue then found a nasty Woods slider and launched it into the air with a strange spinning action. NCR left fielder Stu Wilkins charged after the ball hit to straight away left, but the ball spun away from his grasp and caremed off the wall, past diving center fielder Gerardo Makejoo. The ball continued rolling towards right field as the Goodsprings runners were advancing. Right fielder Clyde Martin finally got a hold of the ball as LaRue was nearing third. Martin threw the ball towards third, but LaRue kept running past the base. Third baseman Mike Britton fielded Martin’s throw and fired it to catcher Jeremy Watson, but LaRue slid under Watson’s descending glove for the Mojave Baseball League’s first ever postseason inside the park home run. Woods (0-3 in the postseason) lost the game despite a masterful first 7.2 innings. Unfortunately for him, the last out of the eighth inning proved to be his undoing as he finished with three earned runs allowed on eight hits with three walks and seven strikeouts in eight innings. Jim Jones (2-0) earned the victory even though it looked like he would have a no decision heading into the eighth inning. He didn’t allow a run on five hits with six strikeouts in seven innings. Willie Miller came on in the final inning to preserve the victory. LaRue was hot on a day where neither offense could find much. The Lucky 38s had eight hits, with five of those hits coming from LaRue and pitcher Jones. LaRue was 3 for 4 with his home run, three RBI, and a run scored. New California Republic was also lacking in the hits category. The Bears had only six hits in the game with Martin’s two hits being the most. They also rallied in the eighth inning with two outs. Reliever Greg Greer walked Alex Carney and Mark Smith followed with an RBI double to cut the score to 3-1. After Wilton Woods came on to replace Greer, Wilkins flew out to end the rally.

Year 4: Mojave Series Preview New California Republic Bears vs Goodsprings Lucky 38s Another year, another Goodsprings-New California Republic matchup in the Mojave Series. After the two teams faced off in the 2285 and 2287 series, they get a bit of a rubber match in the fourth season of the Mojave Baseball League. Though the NCR was heavily favored in last season’s matchup, it appeared that the Lucky 38s were peaking at the right time. When the Goodsprings squad won the series, not many were surprised. However, this year may be a different case. The Bears were the best team in the MBL by far, finishing with a stellar 75-25 record, seven games better than their and the MBL’s previous best record of 68-32. On top of their success, the NCR won 41 games at home and had a steady double dosing of offensive and defensive domination. The leader for the NCR was pitcher Clarence Woods, who will start Game One of the 2288 Mojave Series. Woods was 17-1 on the season with a 2.31 ERA in his first season playing with the boys of the Hoover Dam. He was traded from Westside in the offseason and made the most of his transition to a good team. Not to be outdone, the Bears also had expert pitching help from Donnell Dugood (13-5, 2.79 ERA) and Jim Crouch (12-6, 2.98 ERA). And then there is the X Factor: postseason ace Jim Ford (3-1, 1.80 ERA). Ford was relegated to the bullpen for the 2288 season, but he had his chance to shine in the semifinals against South Vegas and made the most of it, posting three wins in three starts to earn the series’ Most Outstanding Player award. Offensively, the NCR is led by the power hitting of third baseman Mike Britton. Britton led the league in home runs (28) and RBI (105), posting a .305 batting average in 96 games. Behind Britton, cleanup hitter Clyde Martin provided another 16 homers and 61 RBI and posted a stellar .312 batting average. Goodsprings is the team that has matched up well to the New California Republic. This season has been no exception. The NCR won the season series 4-2. In the first series in Goodsprings from May 3-5, the Lucky 38s took the series 2-1. In the first game, the Lucky 38s exploded for a 12-2 victory, led by Martinez’s home run and four RBI. In game two, Goodsprings’ John Murphy won a pitcher’s duel for a 3-1 victory. The Bears finally got a win in the third game, taking it 5-4 thanks to Martin’s three RBI. In the second meeting from June 14-16, the New California Republic was able to sweep, including getting two shutouts to end the season series. The Bears won the first game 6-5 with help from Mark Smith’s three RBI. In game two, Woods pitched the NCR to a 3-0 shutout. Leroy Hodges followed in game two by pitching another shutout for a 5-0 victory. The Lucky 38s are led offensively by the smooth-swinging sensation Jimmy LaRue. LaRue finished the regular season with an MBL record 179 hits and a .446 batting average. LaRue also added a series MVP to his list of accolades in helping Goodsprings win its first-round matchup over North Vegas. Jesus Martinez provides the pop for the Lucky 38s. He finished with 21 home runs and 102 RBI to lead the team in power hitting. Pitching proved to be a surprising change for the Lucky 38s. Donald Bush made a smooth transition from a heavily-used bullpen arm to a starter. He finished the season with a 14-2 record and a 2.85 ERA. The ace, Jim Jones provided solid pitching all season. He was 10-4 with a 2.94 ERA. Bob Jackson was also stellar, going 9-3 with a 3.12 ERA. Goodsprings also made a change in moving usual starter Willie Miller to the closer role after the team had significant closer problems in 2287. Miller responded by going 3-1 with 20 saves in 20 opportunities and a 1.06 ERA. When these two teams battle, it is hard to go against either team, and it would be expected that they would grind it out in a hard-fought, long series. But we’re going to go against that and ride the best team, the NCR, to a 4-1 series victory.

Year 4: Semifinals A Game Seven South Vegas 3 at New California Republic 8 The semifinal series was an exciting one for the first six games, with neither team claiming a victory of more than two runs. That is, until Game Seven. The New California Republic dominated the seventh game, pulling away for an 8-3 victory to clinch their second straight trip and third in four years to the Mojave Series. Mike Britton led the charge for the Bears, going 3 for 3 with a home run, two walks, two RBI, and two runs scored in the final game. Britton’s performance earned him his second Game MVP performance of the series. Jim Ford earned his third win in the series, finishing with a 0.49 ERA in three starts. Ford gave up one earned run on four hits with four strikeouts in 5.2 innings. For his performance, Ford was named the Series A Most Outstanding Player. The Bears were the first team on the board in the game. Britton led off the bottom of the second inning with a solo home run off South Vegas starter Robert Cooper for a 1-0 lead. In the fourth, the NCR opened up the game. With one out, Britton and George Gray were walked, followed by Cooper hitting Jeremy Watson with a pitch to load the bases. Cooper then walked Rich Hall to score Britton and give the Bears a 2-0 lead. Ford then helped his own pitching cause by hitting a two-RBI single. Mark Smith followed by hitting an RBI ground out for a 5-0 lead. With two outs, Stu Wilkins singled in Ford for a 6-0 lead after four innings. The Vault Boys finally got on the board in the sixth. Pat Meyer his a one-out single, stole second base, and then advanced on a fly out. James Sexton then singled in Meyer to cut the deficit to 6-1. New California Republic answered in the bottom of the inning, scoring its final two runs. With one out, Wilkins and Gerardo Makejoo walked. After Martin reached on a fielder’s choice, Britton singled in Wilkins. Two batters later, Watson singled in Martin for an 8-1 advantage. In the ninth inning, the Vault Boys tried to rally. Joseph Dillon led off with a single, followed by an Angel Serrano double. Anthony Savage then walked to load the bases, forcing the Bears to make a pitching change from Bill Shelton to Ralph Hart. On Hart’s first pitch, he got Duane Antqueen to ground into a double play, but Dillon scored and Serrano moved to third. After Hart threw a wild pitch to allow Serrano to score, he got MC Mack Walt Williams to ground out to end the game and series. New California Republic will now host Goodsprings in the first of two games of the Mojave Series. The Lucky 38s rode their postseason gusto to a five-game annihilation of second-seeded North Vegas. The NCR and Goodsprings will be meeting for the third time in the Mojave Series, with each team winning a championship in seven games. The Bears were the 2285 champions, and the Lucky 38s were last season’s champions.

Year 4: Semifinals A Game Six South Vegas 3 at New California Republic 2, 12 innings For the second time, the teams went to extra innings. This time the Vault Boys pulled it out to even the series at three games apiece. Duane Antqueen’s 12th-inning home run sealed the win in a game where offense was hard to come by. Of note, NCR 2B Joel Bowles had to leave the team because of a sudden death in his family. It was not clear when he would return, but he missed game six and was expected to miss game seven, also.

Year 4: Semifinals B Game Five North Vegas 4 at Goodsprings 5 Jimmy LaRue may not have had the best series offensively in the first three games, but the sweet-stroking center fielder ended the semifinal series against North Vegas with a leadoff home run in the bottom of the ninth inning, giving Goodsprings a 5-4 victory and a 4-1 series win. LaRue was 4 for 4 with two home runs, a walk, two RBI, and three runs to earn Game MVP honors. He was also named the Series B Most Outstanding Player based on his efforts in games four and five. He did not have a single hit in the first three games, but finished with seven hits in the last two games. He was 7 for 18 (.389) with two home runs, five RBI, five runs, and three walks. The Radscorpions scored two runs in the top of the ninth to tie the game 4-4 on an RBI double by Arthur Glass and RBI triple by Chris Towns.

Year 4: Semifinals A Game Five New California Republic 4 at South Vegas 5 Both teams went back and forth with neither team leading by more than two runs. The Vault Boys scored the game’s final run in the bottom of the seventh to clinch the victory. James Sexton led the way for South Vegas with three RBI, including an RBI double and the game-winning sacrifice fly. Clyde Martin hit a two-run home run for the Bears. The NCR leads the series three games to two.

Year 4: Semifinals B Game Four North Vegas 6 at Goodsprings 21 What was a pitcher’s duel in the first three games became a pitcher’s nightmare in Game Four. Goodsprings, behind a Mojave Baseball League record 24 hits, overpowered the visiting Radscorpions 21-6 to take a 3-1 series lead in the 2288 semifinals. The Lucky 38s had nine players with multiple hits, and Perry Ferguson set the MBL playoff record for runs scored with five. Mike Duncan led off the bottom of the first inning with a double for the Lucky 38s. With one out, Jimmy LaRue got his first hit of the series, an RBI single to give Goodsprings a 1-0 lead. LaRue, who set the regular season batting average record (.446) and hits (179) records, was 0-11 coming into game three. He finished with three hits in three at bats, and left the game in the bottom of the seventh with fatigue. North Vegas answered in the second. With one out, Nelson Kirby and Arthur Glass hit back-to-back singles. After Chris Towns struck out looking, Duncan Whaley hit an RBI single to even the game. However, the bottom of the inning proved to be the launching point for the Lucky 38 bats. Dennis Shaft doubled to lead off, followed by a Ferguson single. Java Stirfry then reached on an error by shortstop Towns to score Shaft. After Wilfred Buckley threw a wild pitch to advance the runners to second and third, Alex Raines hit an RBI sacrifice fly for a 3-1 lead. Goodsprings pitcher Bob Jackson singled with one out, and Duncan singled in Stirfry. With two outs and after Buckley threw his second wild pitch of the inning to advance runners, LaRue hit a two-RBI single. Former Lucky 38er Buckley was then pulled, trailing 6-1. In the third inning, Goodsprings added another run. With one out, Ferguson singled. With two outs and Ferguson at second, Raines was intentionally walked to get to Jackson. Jackson answered by hitting an RBI single. The Lucky 38s got more in the fourth. With one out, LaRue and Jesus Martinez hit back-to-back singles. North Vegas pitcher Lou Long then threw a wild pitch with LaRue at third to score LaRue. Shaft then singled in Martinez for a 9-1 advantage. Dan Trainyard then came on in relief and promptly walked Ferguson in four pitches. Stirfry then hit an RBI double to make it 10-1. Raines then followed with a two-RBI double for a 12-1 lead after four innings. North Vegas was down but not yet ready to give up. Duncan Whaley did his part in the fifth with a solo home run to cut the lead to 12-2. The Radscorpions’ effort was valiant, but, just like the first four innings, the Lucky 38s’ bats were alive again in the fifth. With one out, LaRue walked and stole second. Martinez then singled him to third. With two outs, Ferguson doubled in LaRue and Martinez for a 14-2 score. In the sixth, North Vegas got another solo home run, this time Weldon Brown connected on Jackson for a 14-3 score. After the Lucky 38s went scoreless for the first time in the sixth, the Radscorpions tried to open up the game on Goodsprings. Jackson surrendered a third solo home run when Arthur Glass went deep to lead off the inning. With one out, Whaley doubled. Stephen Sparks then struck out, but he reached on a passed ball. After Jeff Glover came in to relieve Jackson, Kirby Brown hit an RBI single to make the score 14-5. Sparks was thrown out trying to reach third on the play. Goodsprings responded with some runs of its own in the bottom of the inning. Steve Mann came in as a pinch hitter for LaRue and singled to lead off. Martinez followed with a single, followed by an RBI double by Shaft. After Ferguson walked to load the bases, Stirfry hit an RBI single for a 16-5 score. With one out after a fielder’s choice at home, North Vegas reliever Armor Hammer walked in a run for a 17-5 score after seven innings. Goodsprings hit into a 7-2 double play on the final out of the inning when Duncan flied out and Stirfry was thrown out at the plate while trying to tag up. After a 1-2-3 Radscorpions’ eighth, the Lucky 38s came out swinging once again. With one out, Mann and Martinex hit back-to-back singles. Shaft then reached on a Towns error for the second time to score Mann. After Ferguson hit into a fielder’s choice, Stirfry doubled in Martinez for a 19-5 score. Raines then hit a two-RBI single for the final 21-5 score. Game Five will take place in Goodsprings. If the Lucky 38s sweep at home, they will move on to the Mojave Series for the second time in a row and third time in four years of the MBL. Goodsprings beat the New California Republic, which has a 3-1 series lead over South Vegas, in last year’s Mojave Series.

Year 4: Semifinals A Game Four New California Republic 5 at South Vegas 3 The Bears took a commanding 3-1 series lead by cruising off Gerardo Makejoo’s two-run first-inning home run. Mike Britton added a second two-run blast for the NCR in the fourth inning on their way to a 5-0 lead. After Vault Boys’ starter Robert Cooper was roughed up in 3.1 innings, the South Vegas bullpen shut down the Bears the rest of the way.

Year 4: Semifinals B Game Three North Vegas 1 at Goodsprings 3 The pitchers’ series continued with another strong pitching performance. Jim Jones allowed one earned run on two hits with four walks and five strikeouts in seven innings to claim the victory. Eddie Pegasus hit a two-run home run as a pinch hitter to break a seventh-inning tie.

Year 4: Semifinals A Game Three New California Republic 8 at South Vegas 7, 11 innings The Bears erased a three-run deficit in the ninth inning and went on to win in the eleventh. Mike Britton powered the way for the NCR’s offense, going 3 for 6 with a three-run home run, four RBI and a run. Joseph Dillon was the leading hitter for the Vault Boys. He was 3 for 4 with a double, two walks, two RBI, and a run.

Year 4: Semifinals B Game Two Goodsprings 3 at North Vegas 0 Donald Bush pitched six shutout innings, and the Goodsprings bullpen finished the job to tie the series at one game apiece. The Lucky 38s got all three runs in the seventh inning, including Tony Smith’s two-RBI single that proved to be the winning runs. The teams combined for 10 hits.