Rene DuBois acquires the failing Philosopher Baseball League with a plan to inject substantial funding in the project. While Mr. DuBois has made great money in the banking industry, baseball has always beena side passion. He treats his players as commodities, his teams as marionettes. But ultimately, he is a businessman, and despite his critics, he has shown dedication to the league, risking business an personal relationships.

After the dissolution of the PBC three years ago due to financial bankruptcy, the founding original clubs split into more local divisions, to mixed success. In the Talent, however, remained elusive.

With financial incentive from teams in larger markets, specifically in Greater New Alexandra, Rene DuBois had his sights set on crosstown rivals Dorchester Heights Athletics and Branford Bears to begin the new PBC Play. Following weeks of negotiations, Mr. DuBois announced his first success: The Dorchester Heights Athletic Club became the first team to officially return to the PBC. But DuBois announced more: that former Dorchester Slugger and player-manager Archibald Freely would return to coach the Athletics. And as Freely made his opening press conference, he announced the first big signing for the team: Webb Slater, a perenial All-Star throughout his years in Onset Revere, He also announced the signing of the young prospect Junior Chamberlin, hoping to develop into the teams star Ace. After nearly a decade of declining attendance in Dorchester, it seemed the Athletic Club would be on track to return to former glory.

Days later, DuBois announced his second victory: the Branford Bears had opted to join the league, bringing the two rivals to center stage in New Alexandra. Local Branford Star Bubba Logan and Manager Lou Carlin announced the decision at a ceremony in early May. Branford also announced the signings of Julian Drexler and Thaddeus Taguchi, and the promotion of minor league fastballer Ambrose Spackles to the league.

DuBois then set his sights on expansion inland. Later in the week, he announced the merging of two former PBC clubs: the Murraysfield Reds and the Grant City Barons. The squads were combined and cuts were made, with many players surprised at the announcement. The biggest cut came in the Office: Denny Davis Sr. of Murraysfield was chosen to lead the new ‘super-squad’. Grant City Skipper Dewey Long was offered an assistant position but rejected it. With the departure of Long, young speedsters from Grant City, Jacob Waterson and Rudy Webster rejected contracts with the newly formed Murraysfield & Grant Red Barons. Grant City Ace Zachary Hulowitz was cut from the final squad, which prompted the departure of bullpen partner Americus Hammond, who was offered a spot on M&G’s rotation. The biggest surprise, however, was the departure of Murraysfield’s own Urban Koontz after a fallout with Denny Davis Sr. over playing time on the new M&G squad. Within hours, offers hailed in from all directions of the baseball universe: Long was offered jobs in the West End, in Cambridge, and in Cider Creek. Koontz was approached by Dorchester Heights to follow Slater in the clean-up spot. Watterson and Webster were approached by Branford to be set-up men for Logan. But it wasn’t until DuBois announced the PBC’s next organization, the nearly bankrupt Lake Wampaug Marauders, that the pieces began to fall into place. Wampaug first announced Long as Manager and the Grant City refugees followed: Watterson, Webster, and Hulowitz signed on later in the day. By the end of the week, Koontz himself was offered a starting role by power right-fielder and longtime friend Chattanooga Keane. The Marauders, who for many years had been a thorn in the side of the Murraysfield Reds, were finally back into competitive shape. The final piece of the puzzle was to acquire Hammond. But despite attempts by bullpen partner Zach Hulowitz, Hammond opted to return home, by the sea, to play for a more local club. Murraysfield’s Clifton Lloyd Harris and Grant City’s James Howard Jones, however, were still reluctant to sign with either club and were traveling together across the Greater Alexandra in search of a new home, holding out for the best deal.

But by opening day, DuBois had missed his goal of six clubs in the league by the first pitch. Halifax had denied the offer, suggesting that the league would send the team into financial ruin. The ‘super- club’ Murraysfield & Grant edged out a vindictive Lake Wampaug in the first game of the season, 4-3. Dorchester Heights topped Branford in a New Alexandra crosstown match 10-9 a day later. The season had begun, but sponsors became worried that perhaps DuBois had been in over his head.

Rene’s scheming was not over. As Auburn City Mayor Reginald Graham announced the completion of the Pittsfield-Alexandra Railway line, DuBois jumped on the opportunity to integrate new the new steam-engine transportation system into the league. The bustling industrial district had been a hub in years past for the development of tough, dedicated players, most playing in evening leagues after long days in manufacturing. DuBois announced that a deal had been struck with Mayor Graham over putting the 5th PBC team in Graham Park, across the street from the newly completed Auburn Station. Auburn’s in the Mechanic League was quickly assembled to build the team, dubbed the “Railroaders”. Local teammates from an Auburn neighborhood, Medoy Pickering and Jamarcus Fump gave verbal commitments to the new squad, as the Ol’ Fox Skip Higgins joined the Club. Auburn announced the following day that they had acquired Fieldon Ray Vine from the Faulkner Elks, and Peabody Dawson from Halifax. But the team was given its final spark when it announced the Phineaus Yarborough, a top prospect from the Ivy Circuit changed his tentative plans with preppy Dorchester and decided to sign with the roughneck Railroaders. Fans greeted the news with mixed feelings. Yarborough had defined himself as a powerful bat, but his spoiled upbringing in the Dorchester area of New Alexandra contrasted heavily with the rough work ethic of Auburn.

But Rene had one more trick up his sleeve during his trip to Auburn: meeting with Winslow Babbidge, a retired pitching coach in Lake Wampaug who had been managing a small group of players in Auburn’s Greenwood district. Greenwood Park, a field without walls and tamed grass, dubbed ‘The Nest’ for its concentration of foreign and undocumented Railworkers, would be home to the sixth, and seemingly final PBC squad. Featuring Italian-born Luigi Ryle, and Frenchman M.F. Beauchamp, Greenwood acquired Twimp Charlton and Corwin Little from a neighboring team. Thomas ‘Tex’ Titus was added to the list and Jamarcus Fump, born in Greenwood, who only days earlier had given verbal confirmation to Auburn Station’s Byron Clout announced he was staying with his current team in Greenwood, as he had no idea at the time that the Robins were to enter the PBC as well. Medoy Pickering, Greenwood’s other hometown star, however, insisted to stick by his word, leaving the Robins at the end of the season to join the Railroaders.

It seemed the league had finally been aligned: four of the six original PBC had returned, and new expansion along the Pittsfield- Alexandra line provided PBC baseball to a larger audience than every before. As Auburn Station topped Greenwood in the City’s first-ever rivalry game in the professional ranks, Rene DuBois was in Concord, having dinner with the highly sought after Americus Hammond and Skipper Jimmy Houlperine of the Concord Park Nine. The following morning, amid much speculation, DuBois announced that two more teams would be added to the Summer Classic.