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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2057
REDBIRDS NIP REDS IN SUDDEN DEATH IN TU WEST
The Denton City Redbirds (95-60) and the Rolling Hills Reds (94-61) went back-and-forth the entire season in the Tycobbian West Division with the league lead flip-flopping between them... they even had to go beyond the regular season to decide the division flag... finally in a sudden-death playoff game Denton City powered by Rolling Hills 10-8 to emerge the winner... third place went to the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (85-69), who stayed in the pennant race until they faded in the second half and wound up 9 and a half games out... the fourth-place club, the Bayview Vikings (84-70), did well early, floundered in June and July, then regrouped the last two months and came in 10 and a half games back of Denton City... last year's TU West titlist Arlon (77-77) tumbled badly to the sixth spot in the standings and was never a factor in this year's race... this was the Redbirds third sudden-death in five years... they lost to Arlon in '54 and '56... but won the division flag the other three times... Denton City will be going for its first-ever Pro Cup in the team's history... this will be the 12th try to gain the IPA championship... this just might be the year manager Pete Gibbs makes history... his Redbirds appear to have what it takes to be victorious... excellent pitching and solid bats with power... a good postseason formula for success.
1ST PLACE: DENTON CITY REDBIRDS (95-60)
Last Year: (95-59) (1 GB) (2nd Place)
Two Years Ago: (99-55) (1st Place)
Last Postseason: 2055 (No Pro Cups) (11 Pennants)
Under Gibbs the last five seasons Denton City has rung up over 95 wins each year... in '53 they gave IPA champ Midway its toughest series in the playoffs, but fell in six games... the mighty Wolves also swept them in '55... however, there's good news for the Redbirds... their postseason nemesis Midway is missing this year... Red Bluff upset them in the TU East Division... the other two Tycobbian division winners, Turon and Oxford, will also be potent obstacles... the Tycobbian Union playoffs look like the best of the best playing one another... no weak clubs this year.
Team Stats: .264 BA (11th), 703 runs (12th), 188 HR (7th), 3.06 ERA (1st), .976 FA (average)
Top Players: DC boasts three 20-game winners in All-Star Flash Stringfellow, All-Star Carl Coons and Jayson Mannon... Rance Hasbrough is also a very capable fourth man in the starting rotation... manager Gibbs also has the best closer in the IPA with All-Star Burnell Kelley... All-Star SS Vincent McCloud heads up the Redbird attack, along with Ronnie Lambert, Winky Biggio, Ozzy Crenshaw and Val Anniston.
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