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Eugene Church · 08-16-2010, 02:53 PM

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Marston Winner In RU East, BP Muskies 2nd
It has been over a decade coming, but the Marston Nine finally claimed another Ruthlandian East pennant with a 4-game edge over the Belle Plaine Musketeers. Last year's winner, the Wynnamac Sundowners, fell to third and 9 games back. The Cold Creek Catamounts came in fourth and trailed by 12 games. Marston first pennant came in 2001, the first year of the Islandian Pro Alliance.

Manager Johnny Walters has a good club that does most things well, especially hitting... The Marston Nine (87-67) topped the the league with a .279 batting average with 142 homers (10th) and 744 runs (9th)... On the hill they had a sufficient 3.66 ERA (9th)... Defensively Marston is better-than-average with a .975 fielding percentage... The Nine perked up its attack in the second half of the season and pulled away from the pack after the All-Star game... From first to last was only a 7-game spread at mid-season... Leading the way were 3B Jimmy Holman (.337/33/120/93), CF Russ Woodward (.317/23/91/91), LF James Yardley (.294/30/91/94), RF Richie Mazzone (.306/18/72/102) and 1B Pat Farris (.347/11/64/64)... Walters had two fine starters and a good closer, too... 34-year-old Hunk Sweitzer (22-5 2.91) had a marvelous year... Up until this season he had been just a journeyman pitcher with a losing 90-104 record during his 13 years in the league... Sweitzer was a huge factor in Marston's success... 38-year-old Zippy Hodge (20-17 3.08) was solid and dependable as the number two man in the rotation... Young 23-year-old Bobby Daniel (5-6 2.67) had a fine year as the team's closer with 30 saves.

The Belle Plaine Musketeers (83-71) remained in the race until the last week of the season when they faltered and fell 4 games short... Boo Ladrieux's Muskies held a slight lead going into September, but slumped to 8-12, while Marston went 13-7... Belle Plaine's offense was its biggest problem... lack of firepower cost them... The Musketeers hit only 86 homers (32nd) and ranked last in the RU and 63rd in the IPA... Only San Alejo of the TU South hit fewer with 79 clouts... Ladrieux had a trio of quality starters in Jorge Bonilla (17-10 3.00), Tony Pariseau (15-11 3.16) and Tony Saroyan (9-5 2.57)... closer Denny Reynaud saved 28 games with a 3.29 ERA and a poor 7-12 record... the Muskies best bats were LF Hugh Berryhill (.281/1/55/92), RF Travis Bowen (.258/26/79), SS Scott Hammill (.275/14/87) and 3B Warren McDaniel (.258/19/84)... no big sticks there.

The Wynnamac Sundowners (78-76) took the RU East flag last year, but this year suffered a decline in pitching and finished 9 games behind Marston... Matt Donnelly's club could hit with a .265 BA (7th), 146 roundtrippers (8th) and 752 runs scored (7th)... but its pitching corps posted 3.87 ERA (15th), way down from a sparkling 3.26 the previous season... Donnelly's top bats belonged to LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.320/31/96/95), RF Joey Eaton (.328/32/88/98) and CF Clive Farnham (.297/21/85/83)... the 36-year-old Burkhalter is headed for the Hall of Fame after his playing days are over... the 14-year vet has hit 380 homers, driven in 1401 and scored 1231 times in his career with a .289 batting average... 28-year-old pitching star Jerry Meeks, who last year was voted the RU MVP because of his great 22-6 record with a strong 2.47 ERA, dipped to 16-14 with a 3.11 ERA this year... Lenny Ward (16-15 3.32) was number two in the rotation.

The fourth-place Cold Creek Catamounts (75-79) were the best team in the league over the last two months with a 32-16 mark, yet manager T. Kelly Holmes' crew still wound up 12 games off the pace... Payton Saunders (20-14 3.41) and Russell Thurber (15-11 3.93) led the mound staff, while the best batters were 1B Terry Sauer (.319/21/100/84), CF Trip Holmes (.300/22/95/88/28 SB) and RF Emile Stosha (.306/72/117/36 SB).

For the first time in five seasons the Beechwood Bobcats (73-81) failed to make the first division... They ended up in fifth place and 14 games behind... Bret George, the skipper, saw his team's ERA fall from a fine 3.41 to a poor 4.17... 37-year-old Terry Kuznetsov (17-12 2.88) was the Bobcats best... Vet Dek Jumonville felt a sharp drop-off with a 10-20 record and a 4.32 ERA, also at age 37... second-year stud CF Vic Valenti (.342/30/104/107/20 SB) had standout season... 39-year-old RF Clifton Czabo (.308/12/75/87/14 SB) and 34-year-old SS Rolf Kellgren (.288/8/68/95) showed they can still do the job well... Czabo has played 13 seasons with a lifetime .303 average... Kellgren has played 13 years and posted a solid .287 mark.

The critics loved the Elnora All-Stars (72-82) chances of winning the RU East at mid-season, but Zoggy White's crew fizzled and came in sixth instead, 15 games out... They lost All-Star C Leon Carter (.303/18/59/71) for the last 50 games and the pitching did not come through... ace Taylor Gibbs (13-14 3.28) came up far short of his 21-11 record in 2013... Elnora batted .263 (13th), scored decently with 735 runs (11th) and hit 135 out of the park (17th)... The All-Stars pitching was a little better-than-average with a 3.67 team ERA... White had a good defensive team with a .977 FA (3rd-tied)... Stevie Howard (13-10 3.14) was White's most dependable pitcher... at bat his best were the RU-leading hitter RF Lloyd Voss, who won his second batting title with a .362 mark... Voss had 16 homers, 97 RBIs and scored 87 runs... CF Denny Sawyer (.293/27/77) also chipped in some offense.

The lackluster seventh place Eastshore Elegants (65-89) missed the playoffs for their 11th year in a row... Manager Killer Brewster has limited talent... his best pitcher was Al Froelich (15-13 3.29)... his best bats were LF Stan Cuccinello (.331/27/108/82), who is good enough to play for anybody... Cuccinello is also a strong defender with a great arm... 3B Bob Leach showed some power with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs, but batted just .248.

The Sugar Valley Rattlers (61-93) have enjoyed much success in the IPA with 5 division crowns, but not much lately... skipper Gibson Bobkins has seen his club finish near the bottom the past three seasons... this year was the worst - the Rattlers were dead last and 26 games behind first place Marston... Terrible pitching is at the core of the Bobkins' problem... Sugar Valley is by far the worst team in the IPA with a 5.06 team ERA... the Rattlers only decent hurlers are Matt Van Rensberg (17-10 4.00) and closer Woody Murrell (8-9 2.53) with 24 saves... However, Van Rensberg did most of his pitching with Belle Plaine this season... He was only 3-5 with a 5.90 ERA after being traded in late July... that shows what a difference a small ballpark can do to a pitcher... Farmers Memorial Park is only 310 down the lines and 385 in center... it's a home run heaven... but not for the Rattlers... home and away they hit only 147 out (9th) this year, while allowing 237 (32nd)... 6-time All-Star C Hal Stevenson (.281/34/106/84) had another fine season with some help from LF Austen Conover (.312/4/56/82/56 SB)... Conover led the RU for the seventh time with 56 stolen bases.

08-16-2010, 02:53 PM	#1906
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,911	The Islandian Times Tuesday, September 23, 2014 Marston Winner In RU East, BP Muskies 2nd It has been over a decade coming, but the Marston Nine finally claimed another Ruthlandian East pennant with a 4-game edge over the Belle Plaine Musketeers. Last year's winner, the Wynnamac Sundowners, fell to third and 9 games back. The Cold Creek Catamounts came in fourth and trailed by 12 games. Marston first pennant came in 2001, the first year of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Manager Johnny Walters has a good club that does most things well, especially hitting... The Marston Nine (87-67) topped the the league with a .279 batting average with 142 homers (10th) and 744 runs (9th)... On the hill they had a sufficient 3.66 ERA (9th)... Defensively Marston is better-than-average with a .975 fielding percentage... The Nine perked up its attack in the second half of the season and pulled away from the pack after the All-Star game... From first to last was only a 7-game spread at mid-season... Leading the way were 3B Jimmy Holman (.337/33/120/93), CF Russ Woodward (.317/23/91/91), LF James Yardley (.294/30/91/94), RF Richie Mazzone (.306/18/72/102) and 1B Pat Farris (.347/11/64/64)... Walters had two fine starters and a good closer, too... 34-year-old Hunk Sweitzer (22-5 2.91) had a marvelous year... Up until this season he had been just a journeyman pitcher with a losing 90-104 record during his 13 years in the league... Sweitzer was a huge factor in Marston's success... 38-year-old Zippy Hodge (20-17 3.08) was solid and dependable as the number two man in the rotation... Young 23-year-old Bobby Daniel (5-6 2.67) had a fine year as the team's closer with 30 saves. The Belle Plaine Musketeers (83-71) remained in the race until the last week of the season when they faltered and fell 4 games short... Boo Ladrieux's Muskies held a slight lead going into September, but slumped to 8-12, while Marston went 13-7... Belle Plaine's offense was its biggest problem... lack of firepower cost them... The Musketeers hit only 86 homers (32nd) and ranked last in the RU and 63rd in the IPA... Only San Alejo of the TU South hit fewer with 79 clouts... Ladrieux had a trio of quality starters in Jorge Bonilla (17-10 3.00), Tony Pariseau (15-11 3.16) and Tony Saroyan (9-5 2.57)... closer Denny Reynaud saved 28 games with a 3.29 ERA and a poor 7-12 record... the Muskies best bats were LF Hugh Berryhill (.281/1/55/92), RF Travis Bowen (.258/26/79), SS Scott Hammill (.275/14/87) and 3B Warren McDaniel (.258/19/84)... no big sticks there. The Wynnamac Sundowners (78-76) took the RU East flag last year, but this year suffered a decline in pitching and finished 9 games behind Marston... Matt Donnelly's club could hit with a .265 BA (7th), 146 roundtrippers (8th) and 752 runs scored (7th)... but its pitching corps posted 3.87 ERA (15th), way down from a sparkling 3.26 the previous season... Donnelly's top bats belonged to LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.320/31/96/95), RF Joey Eaton (.328/32/88/98) and CF Clive Farnham (.297/21/85/83)... the 36-year-old Burkhalter is headed for the Hall of Fame after his playing days are over... the 14-year vet has hit 380 homers, driven in 1401 and scored 1231 times in his career with a .289 batting average... 28-year-old pitching star Jerry Meeks, who last year was voted the RU MVP because of his great 22-6 record with a strong 2.47 ERA, dipped to 16-14 with a 3.11 ERA this year... Lenny Ward (16-15 3.32) was number two in the rotation. The fourth-place Cold Creek Catamounts (75-79) were the best team in the league over the last two months with a 32-16 mark, yet manager T. Kelly Holmes' crew still wound up 12 games off the pace... Payton Saunders (20-14 3.41) and Russell Thurber (15-11 3.93) led the mound staff, while the best batters were 1B Terry Sauer (.319/21/100/84), CF Trip Holmes (.300/22/95/88/28 SB) and RF Emile Stosha (.306/72/117/36 SB). For the first time in five seasons the Beechwood Bobcats (73-81) failed to make the first division... They ended up in fifth place and 14 games behind... Bret George, the skipper, saw his team's ERA fall from a fine 3.41 to a poor 4.17... 37-year-old Terry Kuznetsov (17-12 2.88) was the Bobcats best... Vet Dek Jumonville felt a sharp drop-off with a 10-20 record and a 4.32 ERA, also at age 37... second-year stud CF Vic Valenti (.342/30/104/107/20 SB) had standout season... 39-year-old RF Clifton Czabo (.308/12/75/87/14 SB) and 34-year-old SS Rolf Kellgren (.288/8/68/95) showed they can still do the job well... Czabo has played 13 seasons with a lifetime .303 average... Kellgren has played 13 years and posted a solid .287 mark. The critics loved the Elnora All-Stars (72-82) chances of winning the RU East at mid-season, but Zoggy White's crew fizzled and came in sixth instead, 15 games out... They lost All-Star C Leon Carter (.303/18/59/71) for the last 50 games and the pitching did not come through... ace Taylor Gibbs (13-14 3.28) came up far short of his 21-11 record in 2013... Elnora batted .263 (13th), scored decently with 735 runs (11th) and hit 135 out of the park (17th)... The All-Stars pitching was a little better-than-average with a 3.67 team ERA... White had a good defensive team with a .977 FA (3rd-tied)... Stevie Howard (13-10 3.14) was White's most dependable pitcher... at bat his best were the RU-leading hitter RF Lloyd Voss, who won his second batting title with a .362 mark... Voss had 16 homers, 97 RBIs and scored 87 runs... CF Denny Sawyer (.293/27/77) also chipped in some offense. The lackluster seventh place Eastshore Elegants (65-89) missed the playoffs for their 11th year in a row... Manager Killer Brewster has limited talent... his best pitcher was Al Froelich (15-13 3.29)... his best bats were LF Stan Cuccinello (.331/27/108/82), who is good enough to play for anybody... Cuccinello is also a strong defender with a great arm... 3B Bob Leach showed some power with 22 home runs and 90 RBIs, but batted just .248. The Sugar Valley Rattlers (61-93) have enjoyed much success in the IPA with 5 division crowns, but not much lately... skipper Gibson Bobkins has seen his club finish near the bottom the past three seasons... this year was the worst - the Rattlers were dead last and 26 games behind first place Marston... Terrible pitching is at the core of the Bobkins' problem... Sugar Valley is by far the worst team in the IPA with a 5.06 team ERA... the Rattlers only decent hurlers are Matt Van Rensberg (17-10 4.00) and closer Woody Murrell (8-9 2.53) with 24 saves... However, Van Rensberg did most of his pitching with Belle Plaine this season... He was only 3-5 with a 5.90 ERA after being traded in late July... that shows what a difference a small ballpark can do to a pitcher... Farmers Memorial Park is only 310 down the lines and 385 in center... it's a home run heaven... but not for the Rattlers... home and away they hit only 147 out (9th) this year, while allowing 237 (32nd)... 6-time All-Star C Hal Stevenson (.281/34/106/84) had another fine season with some help from LF Austen Conover (.312/4/56/82/56 SB)... Conover led the RU for the seventh time with 56 stolen bases.