OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

Eugene Church · 02-16-2012, 06:10 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 1, 2030

No races clinched In IPA, Races close in 6 Divisions
Most of the divisions in the Islandian Pro Alliance are still going at it hot and heavy with 6 of them very much in doubt. The Colfax Blasters in the Ruthlandian West and the Ozarka Naturals in the Tycobbian East are in control and they have a good chance to clinch early.

In the RU North, Valmara is the defending titlist and has a slight edge over Ancona and LaGrange, leading the Red Elephants by 2 games and the Sports by 3. Lagrange has played the best ball the last two months and is slowly closing ground. The Sports are 35-12 over the period. However, the Vipers and Red Elephants are pretty good, too, at 32-15. This one will go down to the wire. It's hard to pick against Valmara, which has taken the pennant the last 4 years.

It's a two-team tango in the Ruthlandian South with Waleska having a slim one-game advantage over the Grand City Cybercats. The Westerners are going into the last month razor sharp after putting up a splendid 20-9 month and overtaking the Cybercats for the top spot in the standings. Grand City went into August with a 4-game lead, but faltered to 15-14. Waleska is favored to take the RU South crown.

The Ruthlandian East has developed into a battle between Wynnamac and Sugar Valley with Beechwood and Marston only having remote chances to win the flag. The Macs are 2 games in front of Rattlers heading into the final three weeks of the season. Both are playing good baseball at this point. The Bobcats are in third place, but 6 games off the pace, while the Marston Nine is 7 games out. This one's too close to call. Last year's champ Sugar Valley just might win out in the end with its superior pitching staff.

The Colfax Blasters built up a good, solid lead early in the Ruthlandian West and have seen it dissipate down to 5 games over last season's division winner Stoner and 7 games to the Sligo Rovers, Middlefield Roosters and the Fort Benton Defenders. Yet Colfax is the odds-on choice to win the pennant. The other clubs have too little time to catch the Blasters.

Over in the western half of the Islands in the Tycobbian Union, there's plenty of good pennant races. In the TU North it's down to just two teams, the Luxora Zorros and the Blue Lake Blue Sox, who are tied for the top spot going into September. Fairfax is a distant 6 games back. The Zorros took charge with a great 19-9 April, but have since leveled off a bit over the last few months. Whereas the Blue Sox have gotten better as the year progressed. Blue Lake is 34-23 in the last two months, while Luxora is 28-29. Strong pitching by the Blue Sox gives them the edge during the last few weeks of the season. Last year's division champ Hartsdale is tied for fourth this season and trails by 8 games.

In the TU South, it a 3-team catfight between first place Cape Coral, runner-up Southport and third place Colchester. The Hurricanes have a 3-game advantage over last year division-winning Sun Sox and 4 up on the hard-charging Elites. Colchester is a sizzling 37-20 over the last two months, while Cape Coral and Southport are still playing well with 33-24 records in July and August. They may be hard for the Elites to catch. It should quite a race between 3 fine teams. Southport just might overtake the Hurricanes. The Sun Sox are a tough team to beat.

The dominant team in the Tycobbian East is the Ozarka Naturals with a big 7-game bulge over second place East Point and 8 in front of defending crownbearer Tuckanarra. Heading into the stretch drive the Nats are still the best club, followed by the Tucks and Panthers. Ozarka should clinch early.

One of the surprise powers in the IPA is the Kenwood Wildcats, who have taken the TU West by storm with a high-scoring bunch of hitters and an impressive mound corps. The Wildcats are up from fifth place last season and are tied with another Cinderella club, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers that rose up from seventh in 2029. Last year's Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills is still in the hunt, just 3 games off the pace. Who will prevail? Will it be the super bats of the Wildcats, the strong pitching of the Bucs or the high-powered attack, experience and winning tradition of the Reds? My vote goes to Kenwood. The Wildcats are the best-balanced team in the hunt.

02-16-2012, 06:10 PM	#2970
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,875	*THE ISLANDIAN TIMES* Sunday, September 1, 2030 No races clinched In IPA, Races close in 6 Divisions Most of the divisions in the Islandian Pro Alliance are still going at it hot and heavy with 6 of them very much in doubt. The Colfax Blasters in the Ruthlandian West and the Ozarka Naturals in the Tycobbian East are in control and they have a good chance to clinch early. In the RU North, Valmara is the defending titlist and has a slight edge over Ancona and LaGrange, leading the Red Elephants by 2 games and the Sports by 3. Lagrange has played the best ball the last two months and is slowly closing ground. The Sports are 35-12 over the period. However, the Vipers and Red Elephants are pretty good, too, at 32-15. This one will go down to the wire. It's hard to pick against Valmara, which has taken the pennant the last 4 years. It's a two-team tango in the Ruthlandian South with Waleska having a slim one-game advantage over the Grand City Cybercats. The Westerners are going into the last month razor sharp after putting up a splendid 20-9 month and overtaking the Cybercats for the top spot in the standings. Grand City went into August with a 4-game lead, but faltered to 15-14. Waleska is favored to take the RU South crown. The Ruthlandian East has developed into a battle between Wynnamac and Sugar Valley with Beechwood and Marston only having remote chances to win the flag. The Macs are 2 games in front of Rattlers heading into the final three weeks of the season. Both are playing good baseball at this point. The Bobcats are in third place, but 6 games off the pace, while the Marston Nine is 7 games out. This one's too close to call. Last year's champ Sugar Valley just might win out in the end with its superior pitching staff. The Colfax Blasters built up a good, solid lead early in the Ruthlandian West and have seen it dissipate down to 5 games over last season's division winner Stoner and 7 games to the Sligo Rovers, Middlefield Roosters and the Fort Benton Defenders. Yet Colfax is the odds-on choice to win the pennant. The other clubs have too little time to catch the Blasters. Over in the western half of the Islands in the Tycobbian Union, there's plenty of good pennant races. In the TU North it's down to just two teams, the Luxora Zorros and the Blue Lake Blue Sox, who are tied for the top spot going into September. Fairfax is a distant 6 games back. The Zorros took charge with a great 19-9 April, but have since leveled off a bit over the last few months. Whereas the Blue Sox have gotten better as the year progressed. Blue Lake is 34-23 in the last two months, while Luxora is 28-29. Strong pitching by the Blue Sox gives them the edge during the last few weeks of the season. Last year's division champ Hartsdale is tied for fourth this season and trails by 8 games. In the TU South, it a 3-team catfight between first place Cape Coral, runner-up Southport and third place Colchester. The Hurricanes have a 3-game advantage over last year division-winning Sun Sox and 4 up on the hard-charging Elites. Colchester is a sizzling 37-20 over the last two months, while Cape Coral and Southport are still playing well with 33-24 records in July and August. They may be hard for the Elites to catch. It should quite a race between 3 fine teams. Southport just might overtake the Hurricanes. The Sun Sox are a tough team to beat. The dominant team in the Tycobbian East is the Ozarka Naturals with a big 7-game bulge over second place East Point and 8 in front of defending crownbearer Tuckanarra. Heading into the stretch drive the Nats are still the best club, followed by the Tucks and Panthers. Ozarka should clinch early. One of the surprise powers in the IPA is the Kenwood Wildcats, who have taken the TU West by storm with a high-scoring bunch of hitters and an impressive mound corps. The Wildcats are up from fifth place last season and are tied with another Cinderella club, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers that rose up from seventh in 2029. Last year's Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills is still in the hunt, just 3 games off the pace. Who will prevail? Will it be the super bats of the Wildcats, the strong pitching of the Bucs or the high-powered attack, experience and winning tradition of the Reds? My vote goes to Kenwood. The Wildcats are the best-balanced team in the hunt.