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Deadspin | Two more improve to 2-0 at CDL Stage 2 major qualifying

Deadspin | Two more improve to 2-0 at CDL Stage 2 major qualifying

Nov 5, 2022; San Francisco, California, USA; Fans hold signs for T1 mid laner Lee “Faker” Sang-hyeok (not pictured) during the League of Legends World Championships against DRX at Chase Center. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-Imagn Images

Los Angeles Thieves and Paris Gentle Mates joined OpTic Texas atop the standings at the Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major on Sunday, each team winning to improve to 2-0 in the qualifying round.

Boston Breach and G2 Minnesota were the day’s other winners, both teams getting their first win of the event to improve to 1-1.

The 12 Call of Duty League teams are playing a full qualifying round robin to determine seeding for the second major of the season, to be held March 27-29 in Marston Green, England, as part of the DreamHack Birmingham event.

The top six teams in qualifying head straight into the Stage 2 Major playoffs, while the teams in seventh through 10th place will compete in a play-in round.

The Stage 2 Major champion will receive $150,000 and 100 Call of Duty League points, while the runner-up will get $90,000 and 75 CDL points.

Paris got things started against the Miami Heretics on Sunday, winning 250-224 on Scar Hardpoint before dropping Raid Search and Destroy 6-4. After edging Miami 2-1 on Scar Overload, the Gentle Mates took the match with a 250-172 win on Den Hardpoint.

Daunte “Sib” Gray led the way for Paris, posting 101 kills with 93 deaths for a plus-8 kill-death differential. Only one player for Miami finished with a positive differential. David “RenKoR” Isern of Spain posted a plus-20 differential that was the highest by any player on Sunday.

In the next match, the Riyadh Falcons took the lead against Boston with a 250-204 win on Exposure Hardpoint. But it was all Breach after that, with Boston winning 6-5 on Colossus Search and Destroy, 4-3 on Den Overload and 250-217 on Colossus Hardpoint.

Byron “Nastie” Plumridge of the UK was the match MVP, posting a match-high plus-8 differential in the win. Amer “Pred” Zulbeari of Australia was the only Falcons player with a positive differential — and just barely at plus-1.

The Thieves were never really threatened their matchup of 1-0 teams against Carolina Royal Ravens, with all four players posting positive differential while winning 250-201 on Colossus Hardpoint, 6-4 on Exposure Search and Destroy, and again 6-4 on Den Overload.

Tyler “aBeZy” Pharris was the best of the LA squad, posting a plus-15 differential with 55 kills as each of the Thieves recorded between 53 and 55 kills. Dylan “Nero” Koch was the only Royal Raven to finish in the black in differential at plus-3. The rest of the Carolina team was a cumulative minus-46 differential.

In the final match of the day, Minnesota topped Cloud9 New York in the latter’s first match of the tournament, winning 250-215 on Den Hardpoint, 6-2 on Exposure Search and Destroy, and 3-2 on Scar Overload.

Justice “Estreal” McMillan was the player of the match, posting high totals of 70 kills and a plus-17 differential. Puerto Rico’s Jonathan “Nejra” Pabo’n was the best player on the losing side, posting a plus-3 differential for New York.

Play resumes next week with another three-day slate of 11 matches.

Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major week 2 schedule

Friday

–Vancouver Surge vs. FaZe Vegas

–Riyadh Falcons vs. Cloud9 New York

–Toronto KOI vs. Los Angeles Thieves

Saturday

–Toronto KOI vs. G2 Minnesota

–Los Angeles Thieves vs. Boston Breach

–Paris Gentle Mates vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

–OpTic Texas vs. Miami Heretics

Sunday

–Riyadh Falcons vs. Carolina Royal Ravens

–Vancouver Surge vs. Boston Breach

–OpTic Texas vs. Cloud9 New York

–G2 Minnesota vs. FaZe Vegas

Call of Duty League Stage 2 Major qualifiers standings (match record, map differential)

1. Los Angeles Thieves, 2-0, +5

T2. OpTic Texas, 2-0, +4

T2. Paris Gentle Mates, 2-0, +4

4. G2 Minnesota, 1-1, +2

5. Miami Heretics, 1-1, +1

T6. Carolina Royal Ravens, 1-1, even

T6. FaZe Vegas, 1-1, even

8. Boston Breach, 1-1, -1

9. Vancouver Surge, 0-1, -2

10. Cloud9 New York, 0-1, -3

11. Riyadh Falcons, 0-2, -4

12. Toronto KOI, 0-2, -6

–Field Level Media

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In episode three of this series, I began a two-part exploration of the encounter between Toronto’s George Bell and Boston’s Bruce Kison on June 23rd, 1985. Having visited Kison side of things, we will now consider the life and times of George Bell.

In the late 1970s scouts all around major league baseball began descending upon the Dominican Republic, which had suddenly been identified as highly lucrative territory. The DR was home to countless talented young ball players and those ball players due to the country’s dire economic conditions were highly exploitable.

With the unemployment rate around 40% teams realized they could sign players for a lot less than American prospects asked for. And if those Dominican players did happen to get signed by a major league team, they were sent to the states socially isolated by the language barrier and dependent upon agents who were often crooked and looking to swindle ‘em all over again.

A cruel irony recalled by George Bell, one of those young Dominican players, was that while navigating this labyrinth of shameless exploitation, he was the one looked at with suspicion. American players found any reason they could to dislike him. His English wasn’t polished enough, he was too this, not enough that, didn’t play the game the right way.

In 1982, while playing for minor league Syracuse, Bell stepped in against Lynn McGlothen, an 11 year Major League vet pitching in AAA ball in the hopes of one last call up. In a game years earlier while pitching for the Cardinals, McGlothen beamed one New York Mets batter then brushed back another three innings later, then hit that batter too. The intent was so transparently clear that the Mets Dave Kingman charged the mound straight from the dugout.

McGlothen did not hesitate to throw at a batter if he had the inclination and he seemed to resent George Bell for the same superficial reasons everybody else did. Bell was a hotdogger. It was decided. McGlothen drilled him in the face, fracturing his cheek and jawbones. While his teammates stormed the field to exact revenge, Bell arrived on the ground certain that his career in baseball, his one chance at a better life was over.

“He’s dead,” Bell thought of McGlothen, not because Bell would kill him or because his teammates would, but because fate would one day catch up with him.

Two years later, McGlothen lost his life in a fire. His friend was also killed with everyone else escaping the home. Bell who’d fully recovered and made his way to the majors, addressed the tragedy sometime after seemingly unprompted. He expressed his sympathies for the friends and loved ones of those who died then said in McGlothen’s fate, “People like that decide it. They have a bad heart. No way they can stay alive.”

You might find those words to be callous, even cruel. I mean I do. Then again, I doubt either of us have persevered through the circumstances Bell did only for somebody to break his face and potentially ruin his life just for playing baseball with a little bit too much swagger.

Baseball was George Bell’s one and only chance at a better life, the sort of life we’d wish for anybody, and he was fiercely, sometimes even violently protective of that chance.

#HISTORY #CHARGING #MOUND #EPISODE #GEORGE #BELL">THE HISTORY OF CHARGING THE MOUND, EPISODE 4: GEORGE BELL  In episode three of this series, I began a two-part exploration of the encounter between Toronto’s George Bell and Boston’s Bruce Kison on June 23rd, 1985. Having visited Kison side of things, we will now consider the life and times of George Bell.In the late 1970s scouts all around major league baseball began descending upon the Dominican Republic, which had suddenly been identified as highly lucrative territory. The DR was home to countless talented young ball players and those ball players due to the country’s dire economic conditions were highly exploitable.With the unemployment rate around 40% teams realized they could sign players for a lot less than American prospects asked for. And if those Dominican players did happen to get signed by a major league team, they were sent to the states socially isolated by the language barrier and dependent upon agents who were often crooked and looking to swindle ‘em all over again.A cruel irony recalled by George Bell, one of those young Dominican players, was that while navigating this labyrinth of shameless exploitation, he was the one looked at with suspicion. American players found any reason they could to dislike him. His English wasn’t polished enough, he was too this, not enough that, didn’t play the game the right way.In 1982, while playing for minor league Syracuse, Bell stepped in against Lynn McGlothen, an 11 year Major League vet pitching in AAA ball in the hopes of one last call up. In a game years earlier while pitching for the Cardinals, McGlothen beamed one New York Mets batter then brushed back another three innings later, then hit that batter too. The intent was so transparently clear that the Mets Dave Kingman charged the mound straight from the dugout.McGlothen did not hesitate to throw at a batter if he had the inclination and he seemed to resent George Bell for the same superficial reasons everybody else did. Bell was a hotdogger. It was decided. McGlothen drilled him in the face, fracturing his cheek and jawbones. While his teammates stormed the field to exact revenge, Bell arrived on the ground certain that his career in baseball, his one chance at a better life was over.“He’s dead,” Bell thought of McGlothen, not because Bell would kill him or because his teammates would, but because fate would one day catch up with him.Two years later, McGlothen lost his life in a fire. His friend was also killed with everyone else escaping the home. Bell who’d fully recovered and made his way to the majors, addressed the tragedy sometime after seemingly unprompted. He expressed his sympathies for the friends and loved ones of those who died then said in McGlothen’s fate, “People like that decide it. They have a bad heart. No way they can stay alive.”You might find those words to be callous, even cruel. I mean I do. Then again, I doubt either of us have persevered through the circumstances Bell did only for somebody to break his face and potentially ruin his life just for playing baseball with a little bit too much swagger.Baseball was George Bell’s one and only chance at a better life, the sort of life we’d wish for anybody, and he was fiercely, sometimes even violently protective of that chance.  #HISTORY #CHARGING #MOUND #EPISODE #GEORGE #BELL

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