[Eugene Church]

No Contest in TU West, Arlon Champs 8 Games Ahead

It was way back in 2001 when Arlon was last in contention in the Tycobbian Union West. Since then Gary Louis' Champions have floundered around unsuccessfully, mainly in fifth and sixth place. But not this year. Arlon has soared to the top of TU West and is 8 games ahead of its closest competitor, the Denton City Redbirds, the defending division winner. Bayview and Kenwood are tied for third and are 11 games back.

Arlon (47-35) has always had good pitching, but this year the bats have come alive, sparked by All-Star RF Rocco Belasario (.313) with 15 homers, 42 RBIs and 44 runs, CF Steve Barnett (.305) with 15 home runs, 38 RBIs and 56 runs scored, 2B J. L. Lawrence (.314) with 8 roundtrippers, 31 RBIs and 43 runs and old reliable Matt Merrill (.290) with 8 homers and 33 RBIs. As a team the Champs are hitting .261 (17th) with 81 home runs (8th) and a solid 3.64 ERA (7th).

Louis has a formidable starting foursome in Andre Masson (9-3 2.93), Armando Cruz (8-4 3.31), Mike Arnold (6-0 2.48) and Kurt DeHaan (9-6 3.44).

Last year Denton City (39-33) won the TU West and reached the Pro Cup finals before falling to the IPA champion, the Middlefield Roosters. Manager Ford Whiteman's Redbirds are not the same ball club this season as they have slumped at the plate and on the hill. Denton City is hitting .266 (11th) with 83 home runs (6th), while compiling a sorrowful 4.56 team ERA. Last year they batted .286 and had a 3.52 ERA. That's why they are trailing by 8 games this year.

The Redbirds best batters are All-Star 3B Jay Petit (.329) with 16 home runs, 46 RBIs and 46 runs, rookie 1B Tommy Klegg (.256) with 13 homers and 58 RBIs and LF Rod MacCormack (.236) with 10 homers, 35 RBIs and 43 runs scored. Whiteman is hoping holdouts RF Lavon Gooch and 2B Darrion Ramsdell can revitalize the offense. Gooch and Ramsdell refused to sign this season in a salary dispute and recently came to terms. They have been sorely missed.

Denton City still has good veteran pitchers in Gino Carmazzo (8-6 4.18), Bubba Lear (5-5 4.21), Mike Danek (7-4 4.36) and Hank Taylor (7-9 4.67), but they have not been very effective this season.

Out on the west coast in Bayview (36-36), the third place Vikings are rolling along as usual with great hitting (.282 - 2nd), good power (92 HR - 5th) and second-rate pitching (4.48 ERA - 25th). When Walter Johanssen gets good pitching, he wins the pennant. His most effective hurlers this season have been Frank Wells (10-4 3.81), Jerry Harrison (5-3 4.06) and newcomer Roger Gwatney (7-5 3.43), who just arrived in a trade with Southport. That's why the Vikings are 11 games off the pace.

But Bayview can smack the ball. Johanssen has six .300 batters in All-Star 1B Chaucey Quibedeaux (.303) with 12 homers, 63 RBIs and 48 runs, SS Karl Benson (.310) 9 homers and 38 runs driven in, rookie RF Ted Karno (.333) with 15 roundtrippers and 32 RBIs, CF Wayne Latham (.349) 6 home runs, 32 RBIs and 36 runs, LF Kelton Carpenter (.326) with 10 homers, 33 RBIs and 35 runs and rookie OF Tommy Riddle (.301) with 12 home runs and 50 RBIs. You can also toss in two more fine hitters into the mix in All-Star C Hank Bethel (.286) with 14 home runs, 47 RBIs and 52 runs and 2B Alan Hansen (.290) with no dingers, 18 runs batted in and 50 scores. There are plenty of teams in the IPA that need good hitters. Johanssen needs to shop a few of his around and get some top quality pitching.

The Kenwood Wildcats (36-36) are tied for third with Bayview. Manager Aaron Hankins has fair hitting and a little above average pitching. The Wildcats are carrying a .263 BA (13th) with not much firepower, only 57 home runs (25th), but a 3.85 ERA (11th).

Kenwood has three effective starters in Nick DeVille (4-2 1.97), Tracy Kinsler (6-3 3.73) and Johnny McBee (4-10 3.62). Hankins just need more punch from his line-up to move up in the standings. His best run providers are CF Dayton Walker (.333) with 3 home runs, 38 RBIs and 47 runs, RF Aydan Winthrop (.297) with 13 roundtrippers and 39 runs driven in, 3B Floyd Collins (.281) with 2 homers, 34 RBIs and 51 runs scored and SS Bob Sanders (.290) with 7 home runs, 30 RBIs and 39 runs.

Manager Matty Christianson has guided the Rolling Hills Reds (35-37) to the fifth spot in the TU West at the All-Star hiatus, 12 games back of first place Arlon. The Reds strong point is its three starters: Pete Brenneman (10-3 3.16), Logan Atwood (7-2 3.16) and Roger Davidson (7-8 3.21). Overall the staff has put up a 4.05 ERA (20th).

Where Christianson's club needs vast improvement is in offense. Rolling Hills is hitting only .261 (20th) with 61 homers (21st). A team cannot compete in the IPA with such numbers. Christianson has to depend on All-Star CF Bob Havilland (.299) and rookie SS Ray Bassett (.281) for most of their offense. Havilland has hit 23 homers, driven in 53 runs and scored 42 times, while Bassett has gone deep 6 times, batted in 35 runs and scored 38 runs.

The La Claire Lynx (34-38) with Rip Calkin at the helm are holding forth in sixth place in the TU West and within striking distance of a playoff spot. The Lynx are 13 games behind in the race, but only 5 games away from the playoffs. To make the postseason a team has to have great hitting or a good blend of batting and pitching. Calkin doesn't have that. La Claire has average hitting with a .263 mark (14th), poor power with 61 homers (21st - tied) and an out-of-sight 4.58 team ERA (27th).

La Claire has only five quality performers: All-Star LF Zeppy Deshotel (.328) with 15 homers, 46 RBIs and 46 runs, 2B Dale Pace (.294) with 7 home runs, 41 RBIs and 39 runs scored and CF Derek Prevost (.307) with 11 roundtrippers, 41 runs batted in and 38 runs scored. Calkin's top twirlers are Henny Cossaboom (7-9 3.55) and Andy Murray (9-7 4.16).

Manager Harry Fleetfoot has the number one mound staff in the Tycobbian Union with a very impressive 3.32 ERA, but the Chicopee Braves (33-39) are in seventh place and 14 games out. The reason is very simple - the Braves are batting a microscopic .229 (32nd) with just 46 home runs (31st) - nobody can win with such feeble offense. You are really in trouble when you team leader RF Cornell Madigan is the only regular above the .250 mark. Madigan is batting just .259 with 7 homers, 31 RBIs and has scored 35 times.

On the hill it gets much better for Fleetfoot. His starting quartet of Desmond Quartermain (9-7 2.75), Wayne Blackwell (6-9 3.42) and Johnny Falcon (4-8 3.83) can hold down the opposition, but need much better run support. Closer Dakota Yona (3-1 2.04) and the other relievers have also been outstanding in the Chicopee bullpen.

The 2006 season has been a stunning reversal for the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (32-40) and manager Guy Rondre. Last year they finished second and went to the Pro Cup playoffs, but this year they have fallen down to last place and are 15 games behind. But like La Claire and Chicopee, the Bucs are close enough to get back in the chase and in the playoff hunt with a good second half. Of the three clubs Bay St. Clair has the best chance to turn it around. All Rondre needs is for a pitcher or two to pitch like they did last year and a batter or two to hit like they did last year. The Buccaneers are batting .257 (23rd) with 60 home runs (23rd) and have registered a 4.01 ERA (17th).

Rondre's rotation is led by All-Star Norm Gross (10-6 2.74), Kenny Metcalf (6-5 3.50) and Denny Coulon (7-8 4.07). Bay St. Claire needs big winners from last season Duncan McFalls, Duke DeVree and Lloyd Weber to regain last year's form. They won 46 games a year ago, only 6 this season.

The Bucs best batters are SS Ed Albrecht (.299) with 8 homers and 46 RBIs, 1B Gerry Fields (.299) 14 home runs and 37 RBIs, 2B Jimmy Sawyer (.319) with 3 dingers and 26 runs batted in and RF Dan Zimmerman (.249) with 10 roundtrippers and 44 RBIs.