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Eugene Church · 06-08-2011, 10:41 PM

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Recap

AG Suns and Ginza Tied For TU South
Two old rivals are back at again. The Arroyo Grande Suns and Ginza Ninjas are deadlocked in first place in the Tycobbian South at mid-year. Cape Coral is the number three team and 5 games behind. Summerland is in the fourth spot and trails by 6 games with Southport fifth and 7 games off the pace. The rest of the clubs are already out of contention and will have to wait for next year or longer.

After losing out last year to the Ninjas and finishing a disappointing third, Arroyo Grande (43-30) is charged up and ready to return to its former dominance of the division when the Suns won three successive pennants... Cyclone Cobb has his club cooking with strong bats, tough defense and renewed pitching... they are hitting .270 (2nd) with 84 homers (4th) and 373 runs (3rd-tied)... on the mound the Suns have a respectable 3.48 team ERA (13th)... they are fourth defensively with a fine .977 FA... star 1B Rusty Vizcarra is having another monster year with a .368 BA, 28 homers, 80 RBIs and 66 runs scored... He's number one in RBIs and high in the other categories... 2B Andy Pearson (.296 BA/10 HR/33 RBI/58 R) and C Gary Troxell (.275 BA/14 HR/43 RBI/32) are two other valuable performers... on the hill 42-year-old Sixto Zamora (12-7 2.05), Ernie Matthews (10-6 3.77), Earl O'Reilly (6-4 3.23) and Cesar De Leon (8-5 4.12) give the Suns solid starts... in the bullpen Jason Patrick (3-5 2.92) still get the job done with 15 saves... Cobb has Arroyo Grande primed and ready for the Pro Cup playoffs.

The Ginza Ninjas (43-30) rely on the mound staff and manager Huroko Uchiyama has a good one with Harlan Wilson (10-4 2.96), Yutaka Yoshida (10-5 3.48) and Daniel Ferguson (9-8 2.91) as starters and Frank Beard (1-0) closing things out... Beard has a great 0.79 ERA and 14 saves... the Ninjas won last year with pitching and Uchiyama thinks they can do it again... this year the team ERA is 3.28 (8th)... his hitting is a little better-than-average at .255 (11th) with the Ninjas tied for 13th in scoring with 333 runs... 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.326 BA/13 HR/46 RBI/46 R) is Ginza's main man with a little help from C Crash Davis (.265 BA/6 HR/28 RBI)... Uchiyama sure could use another good bat or two.

No other clubs seem capable of mounting any challenge to the two leaders... third place Cape Coral (38-35) only has one strong starter Karl Zenger (9-5 3.03)... but skipper Huggy Miller has a good relief corps with a 2.79 ERA (9th)... not much in the way of offense with 55 homers (17th) and a .249 BA (17th)... SS Sam Young (.280 BA/8 HR/43 RBI) and C Wendell Crosby (.263 BA/11 HR/45 RBI) are the Hurricanes best bats.

The fourth-place Summerland Sunsets (37-36) have moved up from 8th place last year and are only 6 games back in the race... Will Hackett's team has been in the cellar the last three seasons, but improved bats and arms have perked them up a bit... the Sunsets are batting .259 (7th) with 366 runs (5th) and possess a 3.47 team ERA (12th)... the main bats are SS Greg Proctor (.284 BA/10 HR/52 RBI), 2B Stefan De Graaf (.322 BA/4 HR/30 RBI/40 R), RF Brady Gilbert (.269 BA/6 HR/40 RBI/49 R) and newly-acquired free agent CF Clell Renshaw (.266 BA/8 HR/35 RBI/51 R)... Renshaw starred for the Sligo Stars for 14 seasons... Hackett's best hurlers are Jason Castille (11-7 3.26) and James Beckworth (8-8 3.41)... in the bullpen closer Cary Snead (2-2) has been outstanding with 10 saves and a strong 1.21 ERA.

Charley Oscar had his Southport Sun Sox (36-37) riding high in the TU South the last few seasons with super strong pitching... not so this year as the Sun Sox have dipped to fifth place and are 7 games behind first place Arroyo Grande... Oscar has seen his team ERA rise from 2.90 to 3.84 (23rd), primarily due to the retirement of mainstay Bob Montgomery (18-14 2.62) and the loss of Rod Bailey (24-12 2.32), who signed with San Dimas... that left only Al Laclair (8-3 2.51)... closer Rob Ricks (3-4) has 14 saves this year, but has seen his ERA rise up to 2.88... last season Ricks had a 2.11 ERA... Southport is led at the plate by 1B Kyle Ross (.306 BA/9 HR/48 RBI/40 R) and LF Amos Needham (.291 BA/7 HR/38 RBi/33 R).

The San Alejo Montaneros (32-41) and Turon Typhoons are 11 games out in a tie for sixth... manager Alberto Herrera has two quality starters in Trini Corona (9-6 2.39) and Geraldo Juaros (7-8 3.21), but not much else on the hill... at the plate his most reliable hitters are CF Mitch Payne (.308 BA/7 HR/47 RBI) and RF Lou Browning (.276 BA/14 HR/35 RBI).

The most successful franchise in IPA history, the 4-time Pro Cup winner, the Turon Typhoons (32-41) have tumbled badly the last two years from fifth last year to near the bottom this year... skipper Whitey Richburn no longer has the strong pitching, nor the good bats... future HOF-er Nicky Engstrom (9-6 1.96) is still going strong at age 35, even with a weak ball club... lifetime he is a fantastic 309-143 with a 2.25 ERA... Turon's top bats are RF Ryan O'Bryan (.351 BA/4 HR/36 RBI/39 R) and 1B Michael Page (.286 BA/16 HR/46 RBI/40 R).

Last place belongs to the Colchester Elites (31-42), who trail by 12 games in the pennant race... manager Uncle Robbie Wilbertson still has fine pitching with a 3.25 team ERA (7th), but the Elites can't hit a lick... they are batting only .236 (28th) and are last in scoring with only 244 runs (32nd)... consequently, Colchester has fallen into the TU South basement... on the hill the Elites are led by a good starting foursome: Brandy Snow (8-8 3.08), Brian Britt (6-9 3.01), Jess Carpenter (7-8 3.12) and Mac Flowers (6-8 3.42)... LF Stephen Day (.280 BA/11 HR/38 RBi/34) has been the only productive hitter for Wilbertson this season.

Tycobbian South Forecast:
The Arroyo Grande Suns are just too strong... no one in the TU South can compare with them... the Suns will pull away from the Ginza Ninjas in the second half... lack of hitting will cost the Ninjas dearly... but Ginza will end up in second place... Summerland should wind up third... Cape Coral will fade in the second half... the Hurricanes will be overtaken by Summerland and end up fourth... Colchester fine starters just might give them a shot at fifth place... Southport will be sixth... San Alejo and Turon will contest for seventh place.

06-08-2011, 10:41 PM	#2565
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,939	*The Islandian Times* Tuesday, June 18, 2024 2024 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Recap AG Suns and Ginza Tied For TU South Two old rivals are back at again. The Arroyo Grande Suns and Ginza Ninjas are deadlocked in first place in the Tycobbian South at mid-year. Cape Coral is the number three team and 5 games behind. Summerland is in the fourth spot and trails by 6 games with Southport fifth and 7 games off the pace. The rest of the clubs are already out of contention and will have to wait for next year or longer. After losing out last year to the Ninjas and finishing a disappointing third, Arroyo Grande (43-30) is charged up and ready to return to its former dominance of the division when the Suns won three successive pennants... Cyclone Cobb has his club cooking with strong bats, tough defense and renewed pitching... they are hitting .270 (2nd) with 84 homers (4th) and 373 runs (3rd-tied)... on the mound the Suns have a respectable 3.48 team ERA (13th)... they are fourth defensively with a fine .977 FA... star 1B Rusty Vizcarra is having another monster year with a .368 BA, 28 homers, 80 RBIs and 66 runs scored... He's number one in RBIs and high in the other categories... 2B Andy Pearson (.296 BA/10 HR/33 RBI/58 R) and C Gary Troxell (.275 BA/14 HR/43 RBI/32) are two other valuable performers... on the hill 42-year-old Sixto Zamora (12-7 2.05), Ernie Matthews (10-6 3.77), Earl O'Reilly (6-4 3.23) and Cesar De Leon (8-5 4.12) give the Suns solid starts... in the bullpen Jason Patrick (3-5 2.92) still get the job done with 15 saves... Cobb has Arroyo Grande primed and ready for the Pro Cup playoffs. The Ginza Ninjas (43-30) rely on the mound staff and manager Huroko Uchiyama has a good one with Harlan Wilson (10-4 2.96), Yutaka Yoshida (10-5 3.48) and Daniel Ferguson (9-8 2.91) as starters and Frank Beard (1-0) closing things out... Beard has a great 0.79 ERA and 14 saves... the Ninjas won last year with pitching and Uchiyama thinks they can do it again... this year the team ERA is 3.28 (8th)... his hitting is a little better-than-average at .255 (11th) with the Ninjas tied for 13th in scoring with 333 runs... 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.326 BA/13 HR/46 RBI/46 R) is Ginza's main man with a little help from C Crash Davis (.265 BA/6 HR/28 RBI)... Uchiyama sure could use another good bat or two. No other clubs seem capable of mounting any challenge to the two leaders... third place Cape Coral (38-35) only has one strong starter Karl Zenger (9-5 3.03)... but skipper Huggy Miller has a good relief corps with a 2.79 ERA (9th)... not much in the way of offense with 55 homers (17th) and a .249 BA (17th)... SS Sam Young (.280 BA/8 HR/43 RBI) and C Wendell Crosby (.263 BA/11 HR/45 RBI) are the Hurricanes best bats. The fourth-place Summerland Sunsets (37-36) have moved up from 8th place last year and are only 6 games back in the race... Will Hackett's team has been in the cellar the last three seasons, but improved bats and arms have perked them up a bit... the Sunsets are batting .259 (7th) with 366 runs (5th) and possess a 3.47 team ERA (12th)... the main bats are SS Greg Proctor (.284 BA/10 HR/52 RBI), 2B Stefan De Graaf (.322 BA/4 HR/30 RBI/40 R), RF Brady Gilbert (.269 BA/6 HR/40 RBI/49 R) and newly-acquired free agent CF Clell Renshaw (.266 BA/8 HR/35 RBI/51 R)... Renshaw starred for the Sligo Stars for 14 seasons... Hackett's best hurlers are Jason Castille (11-7 3.26) and James Beckworth (8-8 3.41)... in the bullpen closer Cary Snead (2-2) has been outstanding with 10 saves and a strong 1.21 ERA. Charley Oscar had his Southport Sun Sox (36-37) riding high in the TU South the last few seasons with super strong pitching... not so this year as the Sun Sox have dipped to fifth place and are 7 games behind first place Arroyo Grande... Oscar has seen his team ERA rise from 2.90 to 3.84 (23rd), primarily due to the retirement of mainstay Bob Montgomery (18-14 2.62) and the loss of Rod Bailey (24-12 2.32), who signed with San Dimas... that left only Al Laclair (8-3 2.51)... closer Rob Ricks (3-4) has 14 saves this year, but has seen his ERA rise up to 2.88... last season Ricks had a 2.11 ERA... Southport is led at the plate by 1B Kyle Ross (.306 BA/9 HR/48 RBI/40 R) and LF Amos Needham (.291 BA/7 HR/38 RBi/33 R). The San Alejo Montaneros (32-41) and Turon Typhoons are 11 games out in a tie for sixth... manager Alberto Herrera has two quality starters in Trini Corona (9-6 2.39) and Geraldo Juaros (7-8 3.21), but not much else on the hill... at the plate his most reliable hitters are CF Mitch Payne (.308 BA/7 HR/47 RBI) and RF Lou Browning (.276 BA/14 HR/35 RBI). The most successful franchise in IPA history, the 4-time Pro Cup winner, the Turon Typhoons (32-41) have tumbled badly the last two years from fifth last year to near the bottom this year... skipper Whitey Richburn no longer has the strong pitching, nor the good bats... future HOF-er Nicky Engstrom (9-6 1.96) is still going strong at age 35, even with a weak ball club... lifetime he is a fantastic 309-143 with a 2.25 ERA... Turon's top bats are RF Ryan O'Bryan (.351 BA/4 HR/36 RBI/39 R) and 1B Michael Page (.286 BA/16 HR/46 RBI/40 R). Last place belongs to the Colchester Elites (31-42), who trail by 12 games in the pennant race... manager Uncle Robbie Wilbertson still has fine pitching with a 3.25 team ERA (7th), but the Elites can't hit a lick... they are batting only .236 (28th) and are last in scoring with only 244 runs (32nd)... consequently, Colchester has fallen into the TU South basement... on the hill the Elites are led by a good starting foursome: Brandy Snow (8-8 3.08), Brian Britt (6-9 3.01), Jess Carpenter (7-8 3.12) and Mac Flowers (6-8 3.42)... LF Stephen Day (.280 BA/11 HR/38 RBi/34) has been the only productive hitter for Wilbertson this season. Tycobbian South Forecast: The Arroyo Grande Suns are just too strong... no one in the TU South can compare with them... the Suns will pull away from the Ginza Ninjas in the second half... lack of hitting will cost the Ninjas dearly... but Ginza will end up in second place... Summerland should wind up third... Cape Coral will fade in the second half... the Hurricanes will be overtaken by Summerland and end up fourth... Colchester fine starters just might give them a shot at fifth place... Southport will be sixth... San Alejo and Turon will contest for seventh place.