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Eugene Church · 07-05-2009, 04:58 PM

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, June 23, 2004

Valka Vaults To The Top in the RU South, Favorite St. John Falters Badly
The St. John Crusaders and the Belair Beach Sunbirds were the top two picks in the BNN preseason poll, but somebody forgot to tell the Valka Blackhawks, who were rated only seventh. The Blackhawks defied the experts, jumped out to an great 18-7 record in April and left everybody else in the dust.

At the midseason All-Star break the Valka Blackhawks (43-30) have 3-game margin over second place Belair Beach. Manager Jaan Kurus doesn't have many stars, just a bunch of good, solid ballplayers and role players.

Top Pitchers: All-Star Daryl Vannoy (9-5 1.91) and LHP Bobby Karu (10-6 2.90)... Andrei Kokk (6-7 3.97) and Arlo Krimm (7-6 3.84) are two more adequate starters... Outstanding in relief is closer Tommy Ruffin (4-2 2.08) with 14 saves and 33 game appearances... middle relief has been marginal at best... Kurus has added two rookies relievers to his mound corps for the second half run.

Top Batters: RF Jimmy Tremayne (.281/4 HR/42 RBI), Platooners CF Kyell Ibbotson (.331/3 HR/23 RBI) in 43 starts, 3B Buddy Petrisko (.273/8 HR/25 RBI) in 39 games and 3B Elmo Kuusk (.356/4 HR/17 RBI) in 36 games...Kuusk will move to second base to get both him and Petrisko in the line-up... Ibbotson will take over center field full-time... SS Villem Kask (.318/0 HR/28 RBI/40 R/14 SB)

The Blackhawks stand out in no categories... are dead last in homers with just 31 for the season... Waleska leads the division with 62.

Just as expected Marty Pedroza's Belair Beach Sunbirds (40-33) are in the thick of the pennant chase and just as expected the Sunbirds are doing it with tremendous pitching. Pedroza has five solid starters and a standout closer. The Sunbird staff have a 3.05 team ERA. Hitting is another story as the Sunbirds get by with basically two productive hitters in their line-up. One of them is All-Star 1B Phil Gravelli, who seems headed for a career year. Gravelli is number two in the RU in homers and RBIs.

Best Pitchers: Tiny Lindgren (9-7 2.78), Slim Mosley (6-4 2.90), Terry Christian (8-7 3.57), Jed Mitchell (6-4 3.51), Ray Watson (5-3 3.53) and closer Johnny Spears (3-6 2.82) with 11 saves in 33 relief appearances

Best Batters: All-Star 1B Phil Gravelli (.372/20 HR/63 RBI) and RF Nicky Swift (.248/13 HR/38 RBI)

The Claxton Diamonds (37-36) and San Dimas Rancheros are tied for the third spot in the RU South. The Old Perfesser, Stacy Engel, has his Diamonds sparkling on the ballfield and in the running for a playoff spot. They are only 3 games out of second place and 6 out of first at the halfway point in the season.

Claxton with four strong starters stays in the flag fight with excellent pitching, combined with excellent defense. The Diamonds pitching corps has compiled an impressive 3.19 ERA and the team sports a .980 fielding percentage, which ties them with Waleska for first place. What Engel needs is better hitting. Several of his top players are having terrible seasons. Dixie Baker (.223) and Marty McCluskey (.246) need to bounce back in the second half for Claxton to contend for a playoff spot.

Top Pitchers: Teddy Kuznetsov (8-4 2.89), Sal Tallis (8-2 2.49), Doug Torvik (6-4 3.01) and Tetsunori Nakashima (7-4 3.68)

Top Batters: Rookie CF Jackie Faust (.318/13 HR/34 RBI/49 R), LF Dixie Baker (.223/12 HR/39 RBI), 2B Bobby Ritter (.325/4 HR/29 RBI/30 R) and 3B Ron Doucette (.299/2 HR/32 R)

Paco Banderos has the San Dimas Rancheros (37-36) in the running for a playoff spot, but it will take more hitting to pull it off and more pitching, too. Banderos has better-than-average starters, but could use help in the bullpen. Domingo Rios, one of the top offensive performers last year, has suffered a slump and has seen his batting average fall from .291 last season to only .230 this year.

Top Pitchers: Keith Callahan (8-5 3.01), Shane Rymer (4-4 2.76) and Bill Sharp (9-3 3.40)

Top Batters: Rookie CF Dennis Jones (.335/2 HR/30 RBI/48 R/29 SB), RF Goose Carlin (.267/17 HR/48 RBI), C John Wesly Ewing (.267/8 HR/47 R), 1B Johnny Carlucci (.296/11 HR/38 RBI/44 R), 3B Domingo Rios (.230/10 HR/36 RI/39 R) and Rookie SS Manuel Romero (.301 /1 HR/16 RBI/16 R/ in 53 games

Torry Joseph's Grand City Cybercats (34-39) are playing better ball this year, but they still are a second division team. The Cybercats are holding forth in fifth place, 9 games off the pace of first place Valka. Joseph's crew is not likely to make the playoffs or get any higher in the standings. Grand City is just a mid-level team in all aspects of the game.

Best Pitchers: Shane Hall (10-6 3.07), Rookie Jarrick Neely (3-3 2.63) and Milo Dyer (6-9 3.33)

Best Batters: 2B Tony Borcellino (.275/16 HR/51 RBI/40 R), RF Teddy Giacone (.260/16 HR/48 RBI/39 R) and SS Wynn Joslin (.307/7 HR/28 RBI/48 R)

This year has been a big disappointment for McGraw Johnson and his Westerners, who were expected to be one of the top three teams. The Waleska Westerners (32-41) are sitting in sixth place in the RU South and don't seem to have the capability to climb any higher. Johnson's team is in the bottom third in hitting and pitching, but tops the division in fielding, tied with Claxton with a .980 FA. Waleska has only three quality players in Jack Carter, Big Hoss Burkhalter and Yoshihide Nishata. It's tough to compete in IPA that way.

Top Pitchers: Jack Wagner (9-4 3.34) and Smokey Joe Carter (7-8 4.11)

Top Batters: LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.277/16 HR/57 RBI/38 R) and 3B Yoshihide Nishida (.277/10 HR/34 RBI/46 R/17 SB)

It's going to be another long season for Herman "Baby" George's Crystal Lake Crushers (27-46). The good news is they are out of the cellar - the bad news is they are in seventh place, right close to the cellar.

Best Pitchers: Rocky Giambi (3-6 3.17) and closer Pablo Orestes (3-4 3.72) with 11 saves and 38 relief appearances

"Shock and awe on a seesaw" - that is an apt description of the St. John Crusaders (26-47) experience in the IPA. Last in 2002, first in 2003 and now back to last in 2004. Flip-flopping back and forth from top to bottom and back. This year the Crusaders have have returned to the dank and dismal basement dungeon.

"It really is stunning what has happened this year," manager Dickie Billings told BNN. "Everything has gone wrong this season. Eric Mayes was 19-12 with a 3.46 ERA last year, now he's 4-12 with an ungodly 6.21 ERA... Eddie Thorsen, a good solid closer with 30 saves last season has ballooned to a 6.43 ERA... SS Jerry Pontros is hitting .249 with 5 homers, last year he hit 27 and batted in the .290s... LF Don Kolstad is down from .294 to to .252. I could go on and on. Suffice to day we are atrocious and getting worse."

Top Pitchers: Sterling Eccles (8-7 3.00) and LHP Zach Simon (7-7 3.44)

Top Hitters: RF Kenny Hatcher (.270/15 HR/36 RBI) and 1B Frankie Faber (.263/12 HR/44 RBI)

07-05-2009, 04:58 PM	#1098
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,867	The Islandian Times Wednesday, June 23, 2004 Valka Vaults To The Top in the RU South, Favorite St. John Falters Badly The St. John Crusaders and the Belair Beach Sunbirds were the top two picks in the BNN preseason poll, but somebody forgot to tell the Valka Blackhawks, who were rated only seventh. The Blackhawks defied the experts, jumped out to an great 18-7 record in April and left everybody else in the dust. At the midseason All-Star break the Valka Blackhawks (43-30) have 3-game margin over second place Belair Beach. Manager Jaan Kurus doesn't have many stars, just a bunch of good, solid ballplayers and role players. Top Pitchers: All-Star Daryl Vannoy (9-5 1.91) and LHP Bobby Karu (10-6 2.90)... Andrei Kokk (6-7 3.97) and Arlo Krimm (7-6 3.84) are two more adequate starters... Outstanding in relief is closer Tommy Ruffin (4-2 2.08) with 14 saves and 33 game appearances... middle relief has been marginal at best... Kurus has added two rookies relievers to his mound corps for the second half run. Top Batters: RF Jimmy Tremayne (.281/4 HR/42 RBI), Platooners CF Kyell Ibbotson (.331/3 HR/23 RBI) in 43 starts, 3B Buddy Petrisko (.273/8 HR/25 RBI) in 39 games and 3B Elmo Kuusk (.356/4 HR/17 RBI) in 36 games...Kuusk will move to second base to get both him and Petrisko in the line-up... Ibbotson will take over center field full-time... SS Villem Kask (.318/0 HR/28 RBI/40 R/14 SB) The Blackhawks stand out in no categories... are dead last in homers with just 31 for the season... Waleska leads the division with 62. Just as expected Marty Pedroza's Belair Beach Sunbirds (40-33) are in the thick of the pennant chase and just as expected the Sunbirds are doing it with tremendous pitching. Pedroza has five solid starters and a standout closer. The Sunbird staff have a 3.05 team ERA. Hitting is another story as the Sunbirds get by with basically two productive hitters in their line-up. One of them is All-Star 1B Phil Gravelli, who seems headed for a career year. Gravelli is number two in the RU in homers and RBIs. Best Pitchers: Tiny Lindgren (9-7 2.78), Slim Mosley (6-4 2.90), Terry Christian (8-7 3.57), Jed Mitchell (6-4 3.51), Ray Watson (5-3 3.53) and closer Johnny Spears (3-6 2.82) with 11 saves in 33 relief appearances Best Batters: All-Star 1B Phil Gravelli (.372/20 HR/63 RBI) and RF Nicky Swift (.248/13 HR/38 RBI) The Claxton Diamonds (37-36) and San Dimas Rancheros are tied for the third spot in the RU South. The Old Perfesser, Stacy Engel, has his Diamonds sparkling on the ballfield and in the running for a playoff spot. They are only 3 games out of second place and 6 out of first at the halfway point in the season. Claxton with four strong starters stays in the flag fight with excellent pitching, combined with excellent defense. The Diamonds pitching corps has compiled an impressive 3.19 ERA and the team sports a .980 fielding percentage, which ties them with Waleska for first place. What Engel needs is better hitting. Several of his top players are having terrible seasons. Dixie Baker (.223) and Marty McCluskey (.246) need to bounce back in the second half for Claxton to contend for a playoff spot. Top Pitchers: Teddy Kuznetsov (8-4 2.89), Sal Tallis (8-2 2.49), Doug Torvik (6-4 3.01) and Tetsunori Nakashima (7-4 3.68) Top Batters: Rookie CF Jackie Faust (.318/13 HR/34 RBI/49 R), LF Dixie Baker (.223/12 HR/39 RBI), 2B Bobby Ritter (.325/4 HR/29 RBI/30 R) and 3B Ron Doucette (.299/2 HR/32 R) Paco Banderos has the San Dimas Rancheros (37-36) in the running for a playoff spot, but it will take more hitting to pull it off and more pitching, too. Banderos has better-than-average starters, but could use help in the bullpen. Domingo Rios, one of the top offensive performers last year, has suffered a slump and has seen his batting average fall from .291 last season to only .230 this year. Top Pitchers: Keith Callahan (8-5 3.01), Shane Rymer (4-4 2.76) and Bill Sharp (9-3 3.40) Top Batters: Rookie CF Dennis Jones (.335/2 HR/30 RBI/48 R/29 SB), RF Goose Carlin (.267/17 HR/48 RBI), C John Wesly Ewing (.267/8 HR/47 R), 1B Johnny Carlucci (.296/11 HR/38 RBI/44 R), 3B Domingo Rios (.230/10 HR/36 RI/39 R) and Rookie SS Manuel Romero (.301 /1 HR/16 RBI/16 R/ in 53 games Torry Joseph's Grand City Cybercats (34-39) are playing better ball this year, but they still are a second division team. The Cybercats are holding forth in fifth place, 9 games off the pace of first place Valka. Joseph's crew is not likely to make the playoffs or get any higher in the standings. Grand City is just a mid-level team in all aspects of the game. Best Pitchers: Shane Hall (10-6 3.07), Rookie Jarrick Neely (3-3 2.63) and Milo Dyer (6-9 3.33) Best Batters: 2B Tony Borcellino (.275/16 HR/51 RBI/40 R), RF Teddy Giacone (.260/16 HR/48 RBI/39 R) and SS Wynn Joslin (.307/7 HR/28 RBI/48 R) This year has been a big disappointment for McGraw Johnson and his Westerners, who were expected to be one of the top three teams. The Waleska Westerners (32-41) are sitting in sixth place in the RU South and don't seem to have the capability to climb any higher. Johnson's team is in the bottom third in hitting and pitching, but tops the division in fielding, tied with Claxton with a .980 FA. Waleska has only three quality players in Jack Carter, Big Hoss Burkhalter and Yoshihide Nishata. It's tough to compete in IPA that way. Top Pitchers: Jack Wagner (9-4 3.34) and Smokey Joe Carter (7-8 4.11) Top Batters: LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.277/16 HR/57 RBI/38 R) and 3B Yoshihide Nishida (.277/10 HR/34 RBI/46 R/17 SB) It's going to be another long season for Herman "Baby" George's Crystal Lake Crushers (27-46). The good news is they are out of the cellar - the bad news is they are in seventh place, right close to the cellar. Best Pitchers: Rocky Giambi (3-6 3.17) and closer Pablo Orestes (3-4 3.72) with 11 saves and 38 relief appearances "Shock and awe on a seesaw" - that is an apt description of the St. John Crusaders (26-47) experience in the IPA. Last in 2002, first in 2003 and now back to last in 2004. Flip-flopping back and forth from top to bottom and back. This year the Crusaders have have returned to the dank and dismal basement dungeon. "It really is stunning what has happened this year," manager Dickie Billings told BNN. "Everything has gone wrong this season. Eric Mayes was 19-12 with a 3.46 ERA last year, now he's 4-12 with an ungodly 6.21 ERA... Eddie Thorsen, a good solid closer with 30 saves last season has ballooned to a 6.43 ERA... SS Jerry Pontros is hitting .249 with 5 homers, last year he hit 27 and batted in the .290s... LF Don Kolstad is down from .294 to to .252. I could go on and on. Suffice to day we are atrocious and getting worse." Top Pitchers: Sterling Eccles (8-7 3.00) and LHP Zach Simon (7-7 3.44) Top Hitters: RF Kenny Hatcher (.270/15 HR/36 RBI) and 1B Frankie Faber (.263/12 HR/44 RBI)