[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Saturday, September 1, 2001

Marston Headed for RU South Crown, Forest City and Sugar Valley Vie for Playoff Spot

In the Ruthlandian South, the Marston Nine are the top dog with a 6.5-game bulge over second place Forest City. Marston's magic number is down to 8. Manager Johnny Walters' club had a good August and stretched its lead over the Lumberjacks with a 20-13 record, best in the division. Sugar Valley was second with a 20-14 mark, Forest City was third at 16-14, followed by Belair Beach 14-18, Waleska 13-18 and Claxton 13-19.

Marston is getting it done with good pitching. The Nine top the division with a 3.46 team ERA and are led by Nick Pace with a 20-11 record, 2.84 ERA, 6 shutouts and 20 complete games. Booger Burchfield (11-11 2.98) has been a good trade addition with an 8-5 mark and 2.68 ERA since joining the team in late June. He is Walters' number two starter. Number three is Bob Lowe, who has missed most of the season due to two lengthy stays on the DL, is back for the stretch run. He is 2-3 with a 3.00 ERA in 7 starts. Casey Ledbetter rounds out the starting rotation. He was great in the first half of the year, but has floundered in the second half. Ledbetter is 14-12 with a 3.77 ERA. He is only 3-9 since July.

In mid-season, Marston was suffering from the lack of a solid closer and picked up Walt Sellers in late June in a trade with Colfax of the RU North. Sellers (5-6 3.06) has taken charge with 7 saves and 2 wins with an excellent 2.53 ERA in the last month. Walters is blessed with good middle relief, too.

At bat, the Nine have done the job as well. They are good contact hitters, but lack power. Marston is tied for second with a .279 team batting average in the hit-and-homer happy RU South. They are third with 641 runs, fifth with 127 roundtrippers and tied for fifth with a .975 fielding percentage.

Marston is tough throughout the line-up and are a well-balanced attack. Third baseman Roland Thomas lacks power, but makes up for in with a .364 average, 40 doubles, 4 triples, 5 home runs, 75 RBIs and 65 runs scored. Lead-off man and center fielder Tommy Reinhold has a .318 batting average with 25 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, 50 RBIs, 83 runs and 50 stolen bases. Ken Green has been solid at second base and put up a .314 average with 22 doubles, 5 triples, 15 home runs, 71 RBIs and scored 78 times. Left fielder Ronnie Horn tops the team with 18 roundtrippers, tied with first baseman Johnny Berthold. Horn is batting .291 with 21 doubles, 8 triples, 60 RBIs, 82 runs and 20 stolen bases. Even catcher Mo Chappell and shortstop Don Nichols have contributed solidly. Chappell has hit .276 with 10 home runs and 48 RBIs, while Nichols is hitting .271 in 75 games since moving into the starting line-up. Nichols has batted in 37 runs, scored 31 times and stolen 13 bases. Berthold has lost his position to Chuck Bennett. Berthold hit 18 homers and had 58 RBIs, but was hitting only .215. Bennett had hit 5 home runs in his 10 games as a starter and added needed punch to the line-up. Overall Bennett is batting .257 with 9 homers and 30 RBIs in 35 starts. Walters has also made a change in the outfield, replacing right fielder Chris Deangelo with Kerby Jost. Deangelo carries a good bat with a .279 average, 24 doubles, 2 triples, 15 homers, 54 RBIs and 53 runs scored, but Jost took over in early August and has put some perk in the club's attack. Jost's batting average is .322 in 28 starts with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 5 roundtrippers, 19 RBIs and 20 runs scored.

The runner-up Forest City Lumberjacks are skippered by Robbie Jackson. He has depended on the longball to sustain them this season. The 'Jacks are the only team with two players over 30 homers. They are first in the IPA with 162 circuit shots. Forest City is third in the division with a 4.03 ERA and are the best-fielding team with a .980 mark. One more good pitcher could do wonders for them.

Jackson fields a potent team, spearheaded by left fielder Chuck Hill, who is hitting .328 with 28 doubles, 4 triples, 33 home runs, 110 RBIs and 99 runs. Second baseman Jesse Wolf has 31 homers, is batting .295 with 28 doubles, 7 triples, 101 RBI and has scored 91 times. Center fielder Ryan Morse has been outstanding with a .340 average, 29 doubles, 3 triples, 13 home runs, 59 RBIs, 96 runs and 23 stolen bases. In right field Benny Davis has supplied 21 roundtrippers, 20 doubles, 4 triples, 75 RBIs, scored 70 runs and has a .278 batting average. J. T. Edmonds has been solid at first base with a .298 mark, 14 doubles, 1 triple, 17 homers, 71 RBIs and 65 runs scored. Shortstop Pops Keller is hitting .287 with 29 doubles, 8 home runs, 41 RBIs and has scored 70 times.

Keller (.985), Morse (.993), Edmonds (.998) and Hill (.981) have all excelled in the field.

Forest City is not far from being a very good ballclub. Jackson has solid starting pitching and an excellent bullpen. Closer Timmy Brooks has 11 saves, made 36 appearances with a 4-5 record and fine 2.20 ERA. In the starting rotation, Herm Bahr has been the most reliable with a 15-7 record and a 3.43 ERA, followed by Glenn Mann (14-13 4.02), Vinny Edelman (11-13 3.58) and Brian Charles (7-8 3.72). A great trade acquisition from Ginza of the TU East has been knuckleballer Knucks Nomellini, who came in late June. He has been superlative as a starter, compiling a 6-0 mark with a sensational 1.80 ERA. Mann has been moved to long relief and has been replaced by Nomellini in the rotation.

Currently in third place in the Ruthlandian Union South Division, the Sugar Valley Rattlers are trailing Marston by 7 games, but look like a good bet for the playoffs as a wild card. The Rattlers are battling division rival Forest City and Valmara and Volusia of the North Division for the remaining slots. Right now their prospects look good as manager Gibson Bobkins has his Rattlers playing their best ball of the year. They are coming off their best month with a 20-14 mark and seem to be hitting their stride.

Hefty hitting is the prime reason for Sugar Valley's success. The Rattlers top the RU South with a .281 team batting average, top it in scoring with 692 runs and are second with 155 homers. Bobkins starts four .300 hitters in third baseman Jorge Vargas, center fielder Freddie Vaux, second baseman Rudi Oliver and first sacker Ron Armstrong. Vargas heads the list with a .331 batting average, 32 homers, 121 RBIs and 102 runs scored. Vaux has put up a .351 average with 34 doubles, 9 triples, 8 home runs, 70 RBIs, 86 runs and 25 stolen bases. Oliver is hitting .346 with 29 doubles, 6 triples, 15 homers, 70 RBIs and scored 79 runs. Armstrong came to the Rattlers from Claxton in a trade a month ago. At Claxton he played only a backup role and saw very little action, but has performed quite well for Sugar Valley. Armstrong has hit 8 homers in August and overall has compiled a .335 batting average with 9 doubles, 1 triple, 9 homers, 26 RBIs and scored 29 times, while playing in 41 games.

The good bats don't stop there. Shortstop Flipper Bird is been outstanding at the plate and in the field. Bird is hitting .299 with 29 doubles,18 triples, 19 roundtrippers, 55 RBIs, 98 runs scored and 23 stolen bases. Catcher Slingshot McFall has a .269 average with 10 home runs and 44 RBIs and has been brilliant behind the plate. Right fielder Tommy Sonnier was obtained in a recent trade and gives the Rattlers a quality player. His batting average is .261 with 16 home runs, 73 RBIs and Sonnier has scored 69 times with 30 stolen bases. New left fielder Bruno DiPirro has provided a .295 average since he was signed a month ago. DiPirro has 5 doubles, 3 triples, 3 home runs, 16 RBIs, scored 20 times and stolen 7 bases in just 32 games.

McFall (.999) has thrown out 47% of the base stealers and should be headed for a Golden Glove. Bird (.979) and Oliver (.979) make the Rattlers strong up the middle, along with Vaux (.994).

The hitters have been doing their job for Bobkins, but pitching is another story. Sugar Valley has just about the best starter and just about the best closer in the IPA. Ron Benson is 22-10 with a 2.75 ERA, 3 shutouts and 18 complete games and Gregg Neal is 10-5 with 20 saves, 46 appearances and a 2.01 ERA. But that is about as far as the talent goes. Harvey Hines and Paul Haines are dependable starters. Hines is 10-10 with a 3.71 ERA and Haines has registered a 13-13 mark and a 3.93 ERA. The other five slots on the mound staff have been like a revolving door. Several trades for pitching have not paid any dividends yet. The jury is still out on those deals.

It hasn't been a good first year for the Belair Beach Sunbirds. They are 16 games out of first place in fourth place in the RU South Division and finished the month with a 14-18 record. Manager Marty Pedrosa, a famed pitcher himself, has done a good job in that department. The Sunbirds were a distant second to Marston with a 3.96 ERA. Pedrosa's best hurlers have been Carl Thompson (15-14 3.09) and converted reliever Ray Watson (10-4 3.00), who has done well as a starter. Thompson has fizzled in the second half of the season, going only 2-8 in the last month. Closer Lou Zanelli (8-9 3.49) has 13 saves and a decent .349 ERA in 53 appearances. Beyond this only starters Tiny Lindgren (4-7 3.56) and Ken Frey (11-12 4.45) have been adequate.

Belair Beach has been woeful with the bat, hitting only .264 and ranking fifth in the division. Pedrosa's Sunbirds are also fifth in scoring with 607 runs, but third in homers with 144. They are tied for last in defense with a .975 fielding percentage.

Three fine performers have carried the club this season. Left fielder Nicky Swift is one of the IPA's elite swinger with a .325 batting average, 41 homers, 101 RBIs, 99 runs and has stolen 15 bases, too. 17-year-old Paul Gravelli has done more than his share with a .342 average, 30 home runs, 87 RBIs and 68 runs scored. Really great numbers considering he didn't joined the team until about 30 games into the year. Right fielder Matty McDermott has consistently hit well, while compiling a .298 average with 18 roundtrippers, 58 RBIs, scoring 97 times and stealing 31 bases.

Two other players have played well. Second baseman Rick Sullivan has chalked up a .280 average with 29 doubles, 12 triples, 4 home runs, 58 RBIs, scored 65 runs and stole 14 bases. Center fielder Bobby Joe Morris is hitting .273 in less than half a season with 14 doubles, 3 triples, 7 homers, 21 RBIs and 35 runs scored.

Defensively, shortstop Danny Church has been at the top of the list in assists and has a .975 fielding percentage, but he has batted only .242. Second baseman Sullivan has handled the glove well, too. His fielding percentage is .984.

The Waleska Westerners went out and hired the legendary McGraw Johnson as manager and general manager, but still haven't had a good season. Mediocre is about the only way to describe them. The Westerners are fifth in the Ruthlandian Union South race, some 16.5 games off the pace. August was a typical month for them as they were 13-18.

Waleska is near the bottom of nearly all the statistical categories. They are ranked fifth in hitting with a .264 average, last in runs with 606, fourth with 138 roundtrippers, fifth with a poor 4.40 ERA and tied for third with a .977 team fielding percentage.

Johnson's best bat belong to Big Hoss Burkhalter, his mighty left fielder. Burkhalter sports a .304 batting average with 32 doubles, 4 triples, 40 home runs, 121 RBIs and 79 runs. Good all-around third baseman Yoshihide Nishida has had a fine year with a .282 average, 36 doubles, 14 triples, 19 roundtrippers, 83 RBIs, 94 runs scored and 26 stolen bases. Other contributors are right fielder Charley Williamson, who is batting .315 with 17 homers and 54 RBIs, center fielder Rick Vaughn with a .300 average, 12 home runs and 50 batted in, first baseman Freddie Shelton has put up a .292 mark and has hit 12 homers with 65 RBIs. Wiz Taylor is hitting .281 with 26 doubles, 6 triples and 6 homers. Taylor has driven in 47 runs and scored 82 times.

On the hill, it has been an ordeal for the Westerners. Johnson's ace has been Smokey Joe Carter with a 16-12 mark and 3.23 ERA. Jack Wagner has shown well at times with a 10-7 record and 3.99 ERA, while Gary Hill has been 14-9 with a 4.25 ERA and Rusty Kraft has compiled a 9-15 record with a 4.26 ERA. Waleska's closer is Andrei Marsiske, who is having a so-so season with 13 saves, a 3.80 ERA and has a record of 4-5.

It hasn't been the best of years for the Claxton Diamonds, but it has been an interesting one for "The Old Perfesser", Stacy Engel. He has been entertaining on and off the field, win or lose. The best thing you can say about the Diamonds is they make contact with the ball and they catch it. Claxton is number two with a .279 team batting average and also number two in defense with a .979 fielding average. However, they are last in homers with 125, last with a horrid 4.54 ERA and fourth in runs scored with 631. "Other than that, we really are a good team, " Engel told the press recently.

Claxton does have some good bats. Right fielder Dixie Baker is right up there with the best hitters in the IPA. He is currently carrying a .302 average with 36 home runs and 120 RBIs. Second baseman Donny McCoy is batting .326 with 44 doubles, 3 triples, 5 homers, 56 RBIs and has scored 90 times. Shortstop Bobby Ritter is having a good year with a .319 average, 32 doubles, 5 triples, 5 homers and 68 runs scored. Third baseman Keith Olsen is hitting at a .307 pace with 36 doubles, 5 triples, 8 home runs, 67 RBIs and 81 runs. First baseman Marty McCluskey has a .296 average, 36 doubles, 1 triple, 17 roundtrippers and 74 RBIs. Left fielder Dan Molnar has had quite a half season. Since joining the team around the mid-point of the year, Molnar has put up a .292 batting average with 16 homers and 43 RBIs.

The Diamonds have some good defenders in first baseman McCluskey (.994), second sacker McCoy (.982), right fielder Baker (.983) and center fielder Wayne Wilson (.987). Wilson is a decent hitter, too. He is batting .279 with 10 homers after becoming a regular in June.

Engel's pitching has been so terrible he had to take a good closer, Alex Vanzetti and turn him into a starter. Vanzetti is 10-7 in 16 starts and 19 relief appearances this year with a fine 2.95 ERA. He moved to the starting rotation in July. Engel thinks he has another jewel in Sid Melton. The 21-year-old lefty made his debut in late July and has recorded a 6-6 mark with a 3.24 ERA. Other Claxton starters Johnny Szwak (14-9 4.26) and Tetsunori Nakashima (14-11 4.44) have sparkled at times this season, but have been inconsistent. They both have tossed two shutouts with Szwak firing a one-hitter and a three-hitter with 10 strikeouts in each.