Los Angeles Lions are World Champions!!!

The Los Angeles Lions. A team that always impressed on paper, but never quite delivered on the field, especially in the playoffs. Here is the history of some of the team’s most notable seasons.

Season 44: Made the world semifinals in our very first season. Lost 4-1 to the eventual champion Raleigh Diamondbucs.
Season 67: Delta Premier champions. Lost 9-2 to Newark Boxers in the first round of the world playoffs.
Season 73: Wildcard champions. 18 game win streak going into the world playoffs. Lost to the 1 MONTH INACTIVE, 32-28 Kansas City pupbomb, 4-3, in the first round of the world playoffs.
Season 75: Alta Canyon league champions. Lost 6-4 to Chicago Atom Smashers in the first round of the world playoffs.
Season 76: Epsilon Basin league champions. Lost 3-0 to Peoria Destroyers in the first round of the world playoffs.

Notice a trend here? Yup, playoff disappointments. The franchise that averaged 41 wins per season (most of those seasons spent in the elite Delta Premier league) never delivered in the playoffs, with the exception of their first ever season, where they somehow made it all the way to the world semifinals.

You see, nothing made sense for the Lions. They went into season 44 with an average at best team, and somehow upset everyone in their path to make it to the world semifinals. Talk about beginner’s luck. Then, fast forward past many seasons of playoff disappointments to season 73. They went into the first game of the world playoffs on an 18-game win streak and a 49-14 record on the season. They were upset by the 32-28 Kansas City pupbomb. To add insult to injury, the pupbomb were 1 month inactive and were purged the very next offseason.

The Lions finally started to pick things up in the playoffs after that, but after two subsequent first-round world playoff exits, one had to wonder. Was it just not to be? Were the Lions somehow destined to never win a world title? It felt like every time the fans got their hopes up after a strong regular season and a great run of form in the league playoffs, they were shot back down to earth after a disappointing first-round world playoff exit. At least the losses were to good teams in seasons 75 and 76, unlike in season 73. Still, the losses stung. The team motto was #StayHungry, but it was difficult. After all, they hadn’t made it past the first round of the world playoffs since season 44. It took a lot of guts for the owner, the players, and the fans, to keep working hard and supporting this team. But you had to wonder...when will it be the Lions’ year? Will it ever be?

Fast forward to season 77. September 24th, 2019. Approximately 8:20 PM ET. The call on the radio will be ringing in Lions fans’ ears forever.

“Does Hewitt, the 21-year old phenom pitching the game of his life, have one more out in him? All of Los Angeles is watching! It’s a pinch hitter in for the Orioles, Davon Narvaez. Here’s the pitch...he hits it! It’s right to Swisher!!! ALL HE HAS TO DO IS STEP ON FIRST BASE!!!! AND HE DOES!!!! THE LOS ANGELES LIONS ARE YOUR WORLD CHAMPIONS!!!!! YES, YOU ARE HEARING CORRECTLY!! SEASON 77 IS THE YEAR OF THE LION!!!!!!!!! CAN YOU BELIEVE THIS!?!?! THE WORLD TITLE IS COMING TO LOS ANGELES!!!!!!!”

The rest of his words, as loud as he was, were drowned out by the even more deafening screams of the fans in the streets of Baltimore who had travelled over 2,600 miles to support their team in the deciding game of the World Series.

We caught up with the manager of the Lions after the game and managed to get a few words out of him other than “WOOOHOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!” and “WE WON!!!!!!!” Here’s what he said.

“This is incredible. I’m just so proud of this team, of these fans. It would have been so easy to lose faith after all the seasons, all the playoff disappointments, but these guys never did. These players are incredible. And the fans, to drop all of their plans to come travel 2,600 miles to Baltimore for the World Series, cause we know dang well that nobody was expecting us to make it to the World Series this season! It really shows how much they care about and support this team. And these players, to play their hearts out every game this season, especially in the playoffs...it’s incredible. And to put in that kind of performance, against the #1 team in the world, with all the pressure on...it’s amazing. It still doesn’t feel real...we’re actually world champions! Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go bear-hug every single one of my players.”

The Los Angeles Lions. World Champions. Could this be the start of something special? Only time will tell, but for now, there is a new chapter to add to the history book of the Los Angeles Lions.

Season 77: 45-15 regular season record. Epsilon Peak league champions. Beat Yonkers River Rats 6-0 in the world quarterfinals. Beat St. Louis Ricks 7-2 in the world semifinals. Beat Baltimore Orioles 5-2, 8-9, 7-3 in the World Series.