[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, July 1, 2059

OXFORD OWNS THE TU NORTH
It's only July, but the red-hot Oxford Red Caps (50-27) already have an 8-game lead in the Tycobbian North Division... the Red Caps are running roughshod over all comers with an explosive attack second to none in the IPA... Oxford chalked up a 16-10 mark for June to increase its lead over last year's TU North champion, the Luxora Zorros (42-35)... the Z's lost ground with a 13-13 record... at 39-38 North Hills, Fairfax and Hartsdale are tied for the third spot in the division standings, 11 games behind Oxford... the Hawks had a good month at 16-10 and climbed up from 7th place... the Frogs played fairly well with a 14-12 June... but the Hellcats slipped badly to 11-15 for the last month... the lesser lights did not do well... 6th place Blue Lake (37-40) continued its downward trend with a sluggish 11-15 record... 7th place White River (35-42) was only 11-15... and poor last place Mahaska (27-50) finished the month 12-14.

Tycobbian North Outlook:
Hitting home runs and scoring runs at a record pace, Oxford is running away with the TU North... led by the dynamic duo Buddy Blackford and Showboat Lynn, the Red Caps are ripping through the league with wild abandon... it looks the pennant race is already over... no one is likely to catch them... the only race left is the battle for second place between Luxora, Fairfax, North Hills and Hartsdale... none of the bottom three clubs, Blue Lake, White River and Mahaska, are likely to finish any higher.

GINZA GRAB LEAD IN TU SOUTH
June was a good month for the first place Ginza Ninjas (47-30)... they mopped up along with Summerland (43-34) and surging Southport (41-36)... the top team in May, Cape Coral (41-36), crumbled and tumbled... so did highly-rated Turon (40-37)... Ginza grabbed the lead via a solid 16-10 run... the Ninjas are 4 games ahead at midseason... Summerland is in the runner-up spot... the Sunsets also posted a 16-10 mark... third place now belongs to defending division champ Southport after a terrific 19-7 showing last month... the Cape Coral Hurricanes dipped to fourth with a lousy 9-17... Turon fell from the 3rd spot down to 5th by going only 11-15... sixth place Colchester (39-38) went over the .500 mark with a 15-11 record in June... also-rans Arroyo Grande (36-41) and San Alejo (36-41), deadlocked for last place, had lackluster months at 12-14 and 13-13.

Tycobbian South Outlook:
There is no real standout team in the TU South... the winner will come from Ginza, Turon, Cape Coral and Summerland or last year's winner Southport... of the five, the Ginza Ninjas and the Cape Coral Hurricanes might have the best chance... Ginza's big plus is three solid and dependable starters... Cape Coral because of their high-powered offense, combined with fairly decent pitching... the other clubs have trouble putting runs on the scoreboard... Summerland's strength is also its mound corps... but the Sunsets can't score... Southport had a great month, but they have big time troubles on the hill and are just average at the plate... Turon has adequate pitching, but not much at the plate... the sixth place Colchester Elites can boom the ball, but so can the opposition... the Elites hurlers are not very elite... the bottom two teams, Arroyo Grande and San Alejo, are not all that bad... either of them could sneak up and challenge for the first division... from top to bottom only 14 games separate them from first place... the Suns can't hit a lick for average, but the short fences give them lots of longballs... the Suns also come up short on the hill... San Alejo certainly doesn't look like a last place club... the Montaneros have average hitting, average power and average pitching... the Monties could climb as high a fourth place.

RED SOX UPRISING IN TU EAST
Powerhouse Red Bluff (43-34) is back in business in the Tycobbian East Division... the Red Sox went on an 18-8 winning spree in June and took the top spot away from the High Mesa Mustangs, Tuckanarra Blue Jays and Ozarka Naturals, the division co-leaders in May... the TU East is jam-packed, tightly-tangled and bunched... from top to bottom is only 9 games... the Mustangs (42-35) stayed near the top with a 14-12 record last month... the Red Sox have a 1-game lead over them... the Tucks (40-37) slipped to third place, 3 games back, after going 12-14... the perennial power Midway Wolves (38-39) are still struggling in the fourth spot in the standings... the Middies also posted a 12-14 mark and trail by 5... the Nats (37-40) and East Point Panthers (37-40) are tied for fifth place, 6 games off the pace... Ozarka took a bad plunge in June, recording a very poor 9-17 mark... the Panthers are on the prowl and did well with 15-11... the seventh place Hillsboro Blazers got out of the TU East basement... they were 14-12 and are 8 games behind... and South Fork (34-43) sunk to the cellar with 12-14, falling 9 games out in the race.

Tycobbian East Outlook:
Red Bluff really got it going in June and is considered the prime team to take the division title this year... but High Mesa could challenge them... the Red Sox have the best pitching in the division by far... they have a solid offense, too... the Mustangs may be better at the plate, but not on the mound... Tuckanarra is not quite in the same league as Red Bluff and High Mesa... the Blue Jays lack offense... as far as Midway, the Wolves are not the same club that has won 6 of the last 7 pennants... they still bang homers, but the mound corps is mediocre... the Middies are just a fair-to-middling ball club now... no longer one of the elite IPA franchises... looking at the second division clubs, fifth place East Point appears to be the best of the lot... followed by Ozarka, South Fork and Hillsboro.

REDS UP LEAD IN TU WEST
In May, the Rolling Hills Reds (44-33) took over first place in the Tycobbian West Division... and in June, they expanded it with a 15-11 mark... the Denton City Redbirds (39-38) tailed off to 12-14 in the month and fell 5 games behind the Reds... two teams are tied for the third spot and 7 games off the lead, last year's title winner Arlon (37-40) and Bay St. Clair (37-40)... the Champs were only 12-14 last month, while the Buccaneers broke even at 13-13... the Kenwood Wildcats (36-41) suffered a bad month (10-16) and dropped to fifth place, 8 GB... they are tied with the up-and-coming Bayview Vikings (36-41)... the Viks put up the best month in the TU West at 16-10... the La Claire Lynx (34-43) didn't do well with an 11-15 record and sunk to seventh place, 10 GB... poor eighth place Chicopee (32-45) had an awful June with only 6 wins and 20 defeats.

Tycobbian West Outlook:
The prime pennant contenders are Rolling Hills, Arlon and Denton City... the Reds hit very well for average and put runs on the scoreboard, but they have questionable pitching and only average home-run power... the Champions have won the division crown 3 times in 5 years... they have solid bats and starters, but have a woeful bullpen... the DC Redbirds have a fine mound staff and pretty good firepower, but they are just average at scoring runs... give the edge to Arlon... they have won it often before and have a good chance to repeat again this season... Bay St. Clair and Kenwood are not contenders... neither are La Claire and Chicopee... but Bayview could make a move on the first division this year... they have some good young arms in their rotation and a few young sluggers... the Vikings looked impressive in June... let's see how they do in July.

Tycobbian Union Division Leaders