Continental Baseball Conference

The Continental Baseball Conference (CBC) is a professional baseball league in Levantia, the highest level baseball league on the continent. A total of 34 teams play in the conference, divided geographically into two leagues of 16 each, with the Gothic League (GL) representing parts of the Deric States, northern Urcea, Fiannria, Faneria, Caergwynn and Yonderre, and the Latinic League (LL) representing the remainder of the Deric States as well as Urcea and Burgundie. The Conference was established as a merger of five different baseball associations in 1904 in the period of peace which followed the Red Interregnum, coming to symbolize a renewed sense of union within the Holy Levantine Empire. Since 1980, its headquarters has been in Urceopolis.

Despite the collapse of the Holy Levantine Empire and the ongoing violence of the Second Great War, the Continental Baseball Conference continued to function mostly as normal, though many players were called to serve and many teams in the Kingdom of Dericania folded during this time. Since then, the CBC has been one of the most popular spectator sports in Levantia alongside horse racing.

League organization and structure
The Continental Baseball Conference is governed by the CBC-Code-1, adopted in 1981 replacing the earlier Continental Baseball Constitution and Metropolitan Rules and Regulations, the latter of which had been adopted in 1849 and heavily modified. The CBC-Code-1 provides for the administrative structure of the CBC, which provides for a single Commissioner of Baseball who serves as the chief executive officer of the CBC. The Commissioner is appointed by the owners of the teams within the CBC, who act as the Conference's board of supervisors. Under the direction of the Commissioner of Baseball, CBC hires and maintains the sport's umpiring crews, and negotiates marketing, labor, and television contracts.

In 1904, several smaller leagues throughout Levantia were confederated into the Continental Baseball Conference, with the twelve best teams of the myriad of leagues added; the rest of the teams were relegated to minor leagues. Each league has since been expanded a number of times to bring the number of teams to thirty-two overall with sixteen teams per league. Prior to 1961, each of the teams competed during the regular season to be crowned the champion of their respective league; the team with the two best records would play to determine an overall champion in the Crown Series. Two teams from Yonderre were added in 1913. Beginning in 1961, the league was formally divided into two leagues with two divisions each, adding six teams to the league, three to each league in order to bring the even number to 20. The 1961 expansion was also notable for having expanding the league to Faneria, the only location outside the Levantine Union at that time. Additional rounds of expansion occurred in 1968, 1978, and 1998, each adding four teams to bring the league to a total of 34 teams. The 1978 expansion saw the league expand to Caergwynn, the second non-Levantine Union member team. Following the 1998 expansion, the divisional system was modified again, adding a third division and a wild card system. The wild card would be awarded to the team in each league with the most wins that did not win a division. The wild card system was later expanded in 2013 to have two wild card teams per league; the two best teams that did not win a division would play a play-in game prior to the playoffs to determine who would hold the wild card spot.

Minor leagues
Each team in the Continental Baseball Conference has an associated ten team minor league, except for the Dol Dollops, which have a twelve team minor league. The CBC is unique among major organized sports as its development minor league teams compete only against other affiliate teams of the CBC sponsor. Consequently, there are thirty two minor league associations, referred to typically as "national" or "regional" leagues, which typically are placed in the same region as the major league CBC team. There are 342 minor league teams. All of these Leagues - with the exception of the Tarrin Thunder's league of teams in Lariana - are based within countries that have a major league team, and predominantly within the Levantine Union.

History
Baseball's origins are heavily disputed, but it is generally agreed to be an outgrowth of earlier, traditional bat and ball games in Levantia, such as in what would become Burgundie and  in Urcea. These bat and ball games were popular in the medieval period and often played as a form of diversion and merriment during feast days, especially Easter. Despite the Recess of the Julii affecting geopolitical relations between members of the Holy Levantine Empire during the 19th century, cultural exchange became much more frequent. Additionally, the growth of cities - a consequence of the industrial revolution - brought together large groups of former peasants in cities throughout Levantia, mingling and mixing older, local traditions. According to the majority of baseball historians, out of this admixture came an ever-changing set of rules and game fundamentals through the early 1820s and 30s as industrial workers sought diversion. Two fundamental events followed this early chaotic period that established the modern game of baseball.

Proto-baseball in Urcea
In 1849, the so-called Metropolitan Rules and Regulations were adopted and agreed to by all organized baseball teams in Urceopolis, and these rules soon spread throughout the country, becoming standard nationwide by 1863. These rules were similar to the modern game but did not have (and forbade) a shortstop, mandating each infielder stay on their base, and additionally this rule set established the winning score of a baseball game as "fifteen...or at the conclusion of seven innings, that is, fourteen total appearances for either team at the bat". The ball was also smaller than the current baseball, but pitchers at the time were mandated to throw the ball where the hitter asked; to do otherwise was considered dishonorable. In 1859, these rules were amended to increase the innings to nine innings, but the score cap would remain in place until a further amendment in 1867. Unlike proto-baseball as developed in Burgundie, the Urcean game had both foul territory and foul balls were counted as strikes. Prior to the replacement of these rules, the base-on-balls was incorporated in 1882 with five balls requiring a walk.

Proto-baseball in Southern Dericania
Across the various principalities of the southern Kingdom of Dericania a number of proto-baseball games began to formalize in the mid-19th century. The advent of the First Fratricide, 1849-1875, across the region had a standardizing affect on the game. Between set piece battles opposing sides would sometimes play against each other, but internal army games were common as a destressing technique. Regiments from all across the various parts of Southern Dericania brought their rules and "division rules" developed. These rules were abandoned at the end of the war but the taste for the game became ubiquitous.

In the newly formed Burgundie, a ruleset with some similarities to the Urceopolis rules were developed in 1864. These rules incorporated the standard size of a baseball as known today, the ability of the pitcher to throw the ball at his own preferred target, and a five inning game. The regulation dimensions for the Burgoignesc game was also smaller in order to appeal to sailors, who often could not find a well-groomed field abroad of considerable size. Burgoignesc baseball was considered quicker and more excited yet less dignified. There was no foul territory and consequently foul balls were not considered strikes; any ball that did not meet forward motion was considered dead. Base-on-balls were not adopted in the Burgoignesc game until 1885, incorporating elements of the Urcean game. Burgoignesc teams were called crews and games were called "little battles" (Burg: guerrettes).

Modern baseball
By the time of the Crown Regency in Urcea, baseball had become considerably more professionalized as nascent organized ballclubs charged admission and paid their players a share, and the popularity of the game had allowed most players to live entirely off this wage. The '97 Rising badly interrupted baseball in Urcea, but the alliance between the Legitimists and Burgundie during the conflict exposed the differences and similarities between the Urcean and Burgoignesc pastimes. It is often claimed that the subsequent 1904 Levantine standardized baseball rulebook was actually adopted in the field by soldiers during the war, but there is no firm evidence of this. It is known that both Urcean and Burgoignesc soldiers took part in the other style of the game and began to incorporate different elements, leading to wildly different iterations of the game for those on the battlefield. With the end of the war in 1902, the Recess of the Julii came to an end, and there was a continued interest in integration of the Urcean and Burgoignesc styles of the game. There was also considerable interest of merging the various national leagues - Urcea had more than five by the dawn of the 20th century - together into one unified league, with perhaps the inclusion of other leagues from the Holy Levantine Empire. In 1903, negotiations between various team owners, league officials, and government representatives began in earnest. The resultingContinental Baseball Conference began operations on 1 January 1904.

Uniforms
A baseball uniform is a type of uniform worn by baseball players, and by some non-playing personnel, such as field managers and coaches. It is worn to indicate the person's role in the game and—through the use of logos, colors, and numbers—to identify the teams and their players, managers, and coaches.

Traditionally, home uniforms display the team name on the front, while away uniforms display the team's home location. In modern times, however, exceptions to this pattern have become common, with teams using their team name on both uniforms. Most teams also have one or more alternate uniforms, usually consisting of the primary or secondary team color on the vest instead of the usual white or gray. Since the early 2000s, throwback uniforms have become popular.

Winter training
Winter training is a series of practices and exhibition games preceding the start of the regular season. Teams hold training camps in southern Urcea and Burgundie due to their accommodating tropical climates. Winter training allows new players to audition for roster and position spots, and gives existing team players practice time prior to competitive play. Winter training typically lasts almost two months, starting at the end of January and running until just before the season opening day, traditionally the last week of March.

Regular season
The regular season of the Continental Baseball Conference typically begins towards the end of March and concludes in the beginning or middle of October. The postseason typically concludes by mid November.

Each team's schedule is typically organized into three-game series, with occasional two- or four-game series. Postponed games or continuations of suspended games can result in an ad hoc one-game or five-game series. A team's series are organized into homestands and road trips that group multiple series together. Teams generally play games five to seven days per week, commonly having Monday or Thursday as an off day. Frequently, games are scheduled at night. Sunday games are generally played during the afternoon, allowing teams to travel to their next destination prior to a Monday night game. In addition, teams will play day games frequently on Opening Day, holidays, and getaway days.

All-Levantia Cup
The All-Levantia Cup is a league-wide exhibition all-star game held in December following the conclusion of the season, traditionally played in southern Urcea or Burgundie much like winter training. The All-Levantia cup features teams of thirty of the best players from the Gothic League face the thirty best players from the Latinic League, with players being selected by a consensus vote of team managers.

Postseason
The Continental Baseball Conference postseason features the winner of each six divisions in addition to two wildcard teams from each League, culminating in the Crown Series between the two winning teams from each League.