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

Eugene Church · 04-28-2014, 07:16 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 6, 2045

IPA CHAMP SOUTHPORT PICKED TO REPEAT
The IPA Finals are slated to begin this Sunday afternoon in Pleasure Beach Park in Southport... both Pro Cup finalists have proven their meddle in the first two rounds of postseason play... defending IPA champ Southport got by two very fine teams in the North Hills Hawks and Red Bluff Red Sox in the Tycobbian Union, while Sugar Valley surprised two favored clubs, the Middlefield Roosters and Glasco Athletics, in the Ruthlandian Union... Southport was only the fourth choice to win this year, while Sugar Valley was even further down at the number six spot... the overall favorite this year was the Glasco A's, who piled up 100 victories in the regular season... Red Bluff was the second choice and Middlefield third in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll.

Sun Sox manager Charley Oscar is hoping to end his career on a high note... next season Hall of Fame outfielder Lorne Evans will take the reins for him... the club would like nothing better than winning its second Pro Cup in a row... last year Southport knocked off Wynnamac in six games for their first IPA crown.

The Sun Sox's strength lies in their strong pitching staff, led by veterans Billy Hoover (16-7/1.87) and portsider Johnny Swanson (14-8/3.46)... the bullpen is outstanding, too, led southpaw Hal Combs (7-4/1.94/14 saves)... LF Chris Jones (.316/9/67/95), SS Gonzalo Topez (.305/7/70/89) and CF Barney Lewis (.259/32/98/94) are the most reliable batters.

On the hill Southport has been even better in the playoffs with a standout 1.88 ERA, sparked by Swanson with a 4-0 mark and 1.00 ERA in 4 starts... Hoover is 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA... the Sun Sox have 6 complete games in the postseason... number three starter Cade Brockton has done well, too, with a 1-0 record in his 2 starts with a fine 2.16 ERA... the bats have been more than adequate with a .265 BA and an average of 5 runs a game... Topez has hit .450 and scored 12 runs... Jones is batting .351, 1B Eddy Dougas .353 and C Vasilis Vlachos .316 in the playoffs... Southport has gone deep only 5 times in the postseason.

Like Oscar, Sugar Valley skipper Gibby Bobkins is also stepping down this season... next season the Rattlers will have superstar Bobby Gamble guiding the club as a playing manager... a Pro Cup trophy would be a great retirement gift for Bobkins... twice he has gotten the Rattlers in the Pro Cup Finals, but they lost both times... to Red Bluff in 2004 and 20 years later to Tuckanarra in 2024.

Sugar Valley has a powerful offense as well as quality pitching... they were third in homers with 198, fifth in runs with 735 and posted a solid 3.45 ERA (9th)... CF Carl Ramsey (.291/46/123/112) and LF Bobby Gamble (.336/33/89/123) topped the attack... in the playoffs the Rattlers have slammed 22 homers and hit .256... Gamble is the leader with a .449 BA and has knocked 3 out of the park in the postseason... 1B James Milton has 5 homers and 10 RBIs with a.320 average... Ramsey has 4 roundtrippers and is batting .260... and 3B Kent Rasmas has 10 RBIs, a pair of homers and a .259 BA... the Rattler hurlers have done their part... Davey Brennan is 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 4 postseason starts... Antonio Cedeno is 1-1 in 3 starts with a 2.20 ERA and Christopher Dunsberry is 2-0 with an impressive 0.77... during the season Brennan was 12-9 with a 3.13 ERA, Cedeno (9-8/2.90) and Dunsberry 10-8 with a 3.90 ERA... Joe Snow was the ace during the season with a 21-12 mark and a 3.47 ERA, but he has flopped badly in the playoffs with an 0-3 record in 3 starts and a terrible 5.56 ERA... Snow has been relegated to the bullpen for the rest of the playoffs.

Southport has proved it can handle high-explosive offenses similar to Sugar Valley by whipping Red Bluff, which set a new standard for home runs in the IPA this year with an astounding 283... the Red Sox were held to just 2 roundtrippers in 5 games against the Sun Sox.

PRO CUP FORECAST: Southport in six games... the Sun Sox have too much pitching for Sugar Valley to win... plus the Sun Sox get the homefield advantage with a 95-59 record to 94-60 for the Rattlers... Southport plays much better at home (.701)... while the Rattlers are just a .519 club on the road... Sugar Valley is average defensively with a .972 FA, but much better than Southport's very poor .967 FA.

04-28-2014, 07:16 PM	#4168
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,869	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Friday, October 6, 2045 IPA CHAMP SOUTHPORT PICKED TO REPEAT The IPA Finals are slated to begin this Sunday afternoon in Pleasure Beach Park in Southport... both Pro Cup finalists have proven their meddle in the first two rounds of postseason play... defending IPA champ Southport got by two very fine teams in the North Hills Hawks and Red Bluff Red Sox in the Tycobbian Union, while Sugar Valley surprised two favored clubs, the Middlefield Roosters and Glasco Athletics, in the Ruthlandian Union... Southport was only the fourth choice to win this year, while Sugar Valley was even further down at the number six spot... the overall favorite this year was the Glasco A's, who piled up 100 victories in the regular season... Red Bluff was the second choice and Middlefield third in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll. Sun Sox manager Charley Oscar is hoping to end his career on a high note... next season Hall of Fame outfielder Lorne Evans will take the reins for him... the club would like nothing better than winning its second Pro Cup in a row... last year Southport knocked off Wynnamac in six games for their first IPA crown. The Sun Sox's strength lies in their strong pitching staff, led by veterans Billy Hoover (16-7/1.87) and portsider Johnny Swanson (14-8/3.46)... the bullpen is outstanding, too, led southpaw Hal Combs (7-4/1.94/14 saves)... LF Chris Jones (.316/9/67/95), SS Gonzalo Topez (.305/7/70/89) and CF Barney Lewis (.259/32/98/94) are the most reliable batters. On the hill Southport has been even better in the playoffs with a standout 1.88 ERA, sparked by Swanson with a 4-0 mark and 1.00 ERA in 4 starts... Hoover is 2-2 with a 2.86 ERA... the Sun Sox have 6 complete games in the postseason... number three starter Cade Brockton has done well, too, with a 1-0 record in his 2 starts with a fine 2.16 ERA... the bats have been more than adequate with a .265 BA and an average of 5 runs a game... Topez has hit .450 and scored 12 runs... Jones is batting .351, 1B Eddy Dougas .353 and C Vasilis Vlachos .316 in the playoffs... Southport has gone deep only 5 times in the postseason. Like Oscar, Sugar Valley skipper Gibby Bobkins is also stepping down this season... next season the Rattlers will have superstar Bobby Gamble guiding the club as a playing manager... a Pro Cup trophy would be a great retirement gift for Bobkins... twice he has gotten the Rattlers in the Pro Cup Finals, but they lost both times... to Red Bluff in 2004 and 20 years later to Tuckanarra in 2024. Sugar Valley has a powerful offense as well as quality pitching... they were third in homers with 198, fifth in runs with 735 and posted a solid 3.45 ERA (9th)... CF Carl Ramsey (.291/46/123/112) and LF Bobby Gamble (.336/33/89/123) topped the attack... in the playoffs the Rattlers have slammed 22 homers and hit .256... Gamble is the leader with a .449 BA and has knocked 3 out of the park in the postseason... 1B James Milton has 5 homers and 10 RBIs with a.320 average... Ramsey has 4 roundtrippers and is batting .260... and 3B Kent Rasmas has 10 RBIs, a pair of homers and a .259 BA... the Rattler hurlers have done their part... Davey Brennan is 4-0 with a 1.38 ERA in 4 postseason starts... Antonio Cedeno is 1-1 in 3 starts with a 2.20 ERA and Christopher Dunsberry is 2-0 with an impressive 0.77... during the season Brennan was 12-9 with a 3.13 ERA, Cedeno (9-8/2.90) and Dunsberry 10-8 with a 3.90 ERA... Joe Snow was the ace during the season with a 21-12 mark and a 3.47 ERA, but he has flopped badly in the playoffs with an 0-3 record in 3 starts and a terrible 5.56 ERA... Snow has been relegated to the bullpen for the rest of the playoffs. Southport has proved it can handle high-explosive offenses similar to Sugar Valley by whipping Red Bluff, which set a new standard for home runs in the IPA this year with an astounding 283... the Red Sox were held to just 2 roundtrippers in 5 games against the Sun Sox. PRO CUP FORECAST: Southport in six games... the Sun Sox have too much pitching for Sugar Valley to win... plus the Sun Sox get the homefield advantage with a 95-59 record to 94-60 for the Rattlers... Southport plays much better at home (.701)... while the Rattlers are just a .519 club on the road... Sugar Valley is average defensively with a .972 FA, but much better than Southport's very poor .967 FA.