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The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2019
2019 Ruthlandian East Final Recap
Eastshore Wins RU East 4th Straight Time In Runaway
The Eastshore Elegants do everything well - they pitch, hit and field as good as anybody... and they nabbed the Ruthlandian East for the fourth year in a row, routing second-place Sugar Valley by 11 games, Beechwood by 13 and Marston by 15... The Rattlers, Bobcats and the Nine were close at mid-year, trailing by 2, 4 and 6 games respectively, but faded in the second half.
With pitchers Bix Hansen (25-7 3.36) and Danny Siegfried (20-14 2.98) leading Eastshore's excellent mound corps and 3B George Alford (.273/36/100/83) and CF Larry Lowe (.310/14/65/94) leading the offense, Killer Brewster's boys easily won another pennant and will now head to the Pro Cup playoffs... Eastshore will meet an old nemesis, the Rocky Rapids Snappers, in the opening round... the two teams tied for the best record in the league with 97-57 marks... The Snappers eliminated the Elegants 4 games to 2 last year in the first round and spoiled their dream of a third consecutive Pro Cup crown.
Sugar Valley manager Gibson Bobkins depended on his bats for the second-place finish... 37-year-old 1B Johnny Cole, obtained in late July from Bay St. Clair, hammered 46 for both teams and drove in 118 runs, while batting .278... C Hal Stevenson (.290/22/87/97) and SS Glenn Christian (.267/26/96/88) also swung good bats... 10-year-veteran Ed Clavell (18-13 3.38) was the Rattlers only pitcher of note.
The third-place Beechwood Bobcats relied on good pitching... Bret George's ace was Billy Ray (18-13), who compiled a ridiculously-low 1.96 ERA... Stephen Ladd (17-16 3.13), the number two starter, also was a solid starter with 16 complete games... closer Jeff Lyons (9-1) had a successful season with 20 saves and a terrific 1.38 ERA... Beechwood didn't hit very well... the Bobcats only quality bats were CF Vic Valenti (.304/27/91/99) and LF Ryan Ray (.279/28/89/86).
Skipper Johnny Walters in Marston had a pair of good starters, but only one solid hitter... the Nine wound up fourth in the RU East... Ronnie Flynn (20-15 3.81) and Anson Thomas (17-13 3.18) topped the staff, while 7-year star CF Russ Woodward (.323/36/117/113) continued to be one of the top hitters in the IPA.
With Sam Malone at the helm the Elnora All-Stars broke even and finished fifth in the race, 20 games back... leading the club was stud C Leon Carter, who walloped 40 homers, drove in 120, scored 104 and batted at a .324 pace... 2B Michael Griffin also furnished the long ball with 27 roundtrippers and 105 RBIs... Griffin, however, hit only .247... Malone's top arms were Matty Wilkerson (18-12 4.05) and Lou Horn (17-12 3.88).
Sixth-place Wynnamac had only average hitting and mediocre mound work, winding up 27 games off the pace... in his sophomore season 1B Pete Simmons had a wonderful year leading the league with a .361 BA, edging out Waleska's Roy Hobbs by a single point... the 24-year-old Simmons went deep 17 times with 83 RBIs and 98 runs... LF Joey Eaton enjoyed a good season with a .316 BA, 29 homers and 106 runs batted in... Matt Donnelly could really use a few more pitchers like 33-year-old southpaw Jerry Meeks, who won 20 games for the fifth time in his career... Meeks was 20-17 with a fine 2.80 ERA... he is 183-117 lifetime for the Sundowners, who have not finished above .500 the last five years... 25-year-old closer Jim Horton (4-6) looked very good this year with 18 saves and a 1.86 ERA.
Seventh-place Belle Plaine was 31 games behind and just barely stayed out of the cellar... the Musketeers have only two standout performers... SS Slick Hammill (.298/19/93/101) and last year's Rookie of the Year LF Jim Beauregard (.306/30/100/100) could play for anyone in the IPA, but manager Lou Dozier has little besides them... Beauregard managed to avoid the so-called sophomore slump.
Trip Holmes was one of the most popular Cold Creek Catamount players ever, but the team has suffered two real bad seasons the last two years under his leadership... suffice to say talent is very sparse in Cold Creek... this year the Catamounts sunk all the way to last place, 32 games behind... Holmes has no hitters and only one capable pitcher... closer Shannon Robinson (4-6) sparkled with a 1.86 ERA and recorded 18 saves... at 39 years of age oldtimer RF Emile Stosha is the only credible bat with a .292 BA, 9 homers, 60 RBIs and 89 runs scored.
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