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

Eugene Church · 02-26-2019, 09:32 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, August 2, 2059

6 WEEKS TO GO IN THE IPA
Four months into the '59 Islandian Pro Alliance season, only a couple of the divisions are still a good horse race... the other six have teams with seemingly borderline safe leads going into the final six weeks of the season... in the Ruthlandian Union the RU South is still up-in-the-air... Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake (56-51) has a slight 2-game edge on the Valka Blackhawks (54-53)... and in the Tycobbian Union the Rolling Hills Reds (59-48) are in a tight race with the Arlon Champions (57-50), just 2 games behind.

The teams that are in somewhat of a "comfort zone" are the Sligo Rovers with a 5-game edge in the RU West and the Valmara Vipers with a 6-game lead in the RU North... the teams in the "feel good zone" are the Red Bluff Red Sox, on top of the TU East by 7 games, and the Ginza Ninjas, leading the TU South, also by 7 games... the teams in the "safe and sure" zone are the Marston Nine in the RU East with a 9-game margin and the Oxford Red Caps in the TU North with a 10-game lead... but, hey, we all know that it ain't over till it's over... that's what history and Yogi tells us.

VIPERS HAVE SOLID LEAD IN RU NORTH
So lets's take a whirlwind tour of the Islandian Pro Alliance and see what has transpired thus far in the 2059 season... in the Ruthlandian North, first place Valmara (67-40) went 16-13 in July, but lost some ground to on-coming Far Mountain Redhawks (61-46) and LaGrange (61-46).... the Redhawks and Sports are tied for second place and trail by 6 games... both had good Julys... FM was 17-12... LaGrange was better at 18-10... the Glasco Athletics were 15-14 and dipped to the fourth spot in the standings, 7 GB... those four clubs are the only ones in the pennant hunt... the bottom four in the RU North second division are just playing out the season... 5th place Ancona (52-55) posted a 12-17 mark and is 15 games back in the race... Taranto (47-60) and Kilkenny (47-60) are deadlocked in sixth place, 20 games behind... they both were 15-14 in July... and last place Ranford registered a 12-17 record and are a whopping 26 games off the pace.

Ruthlandian North Outlook:
Valmara has an awesome arsenal... .277 BA (5th)... 591 runs (1st)... 135 HR (1st)... and fine pitching to go with that potent attack... 3.36 ERA (4th)... 'nuff said... if the offense holds up, the Vipers are headed for their 3rd straight division title... and a 5th Pro Cup could be on the horizon, too... Far Mountain is almost as good... should finish second... the Redhawks have better starters... but no bullpen... 3.55 ERA (7th)... .259 BA (19th)... 493 runs (8th)... and 113 circuit clouts (5th)... LaGrange is solid, too, with good pitching (3.48 ERA/6th) and scoring (467 R/14th).. and will come in third... the Glasco A's are the fourth-best team.

SKIPS HAVE SLIGHT EDGE IN RU SOUTH, Y'ALL
It's still nip-and-tuck in the Ruthlandian South Division with 7 clubs still in the race... the defending Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake Skippers (56-51) have finally recovered from the miserable 8-20 May and moved into the top spot in the Ruthlandian South Division by 2 games over the Valka Blackhawks (54-53), 4 games up on the Claxton Diamonds (52-55) and 5 on the Belair Beach Sunbirds (51-56)... the St. John Crusaders (50-57), in 5th place are only 6 games out... the sixth place Grand City Cybercats (49-58) are 7 back and the Waleska Westerners (48-59) are seventh in the standings and trail by just 8 games... the Skippers topped them all with a good July, going 17-12... the Blackhawks slipped to 14-15... the Diamonds 15-14... the Sunbirds 15-14... the Crusaders flopped badly with an 11-18 month... the Cybercats also did poorly, winding up 12-17... with the Westerners only 13-16.

Ruthlandian South Outlook:
Only Carnack the Magnificent could figure this race out... where is a crystal ball when you need one?... and the winner and still champion is: Crystal Lake... by just a little bit, the Skippers have the best offense and the best pitching in a very evenly-matched division... Claxton will edge Valka for the runner-up spot... Belair Beach will probably come in fourth... St. John pitching has declined to the point the Crusaders are a second-division team now... the Skippers will edge the bunch of them out in a close one... they have been playing well the last two months and could pull away from the crowd in the RU South.

MARSTON IN COMMAND IN RU EAST
The Marston Nine (70-37) are having a marvelous year... with a 9-game lead heading into the final six weeks of the campaign, the Nine should rack up their first Ruthlandian East flag since 2047... they have piled up the most victories in the IPA thus far this season and will probably be the favorite to take the Holy Grail of Baseball in the Islands, the much-revered IPA Pro Cup... Marston can hit, score runs and has very impressive pitching... the Nine are batting a lofty .292 (1st), scored 542 runs (4th) and have compiled a standout 3.09 ERA (2nd)... that's why second place Cold Creek (61-46) is 9 games behind them in the pennant race... a pretty good ball club and last year's division winner, third place Wynnamac (60-47) is 10 games back... another offensive powerhouse Elnora (58-49) is 12 games out of first place... the Nine had a good month in July with a 17-12 record... Cold Creek went 18-12... Wynnamac slumped to 13-16, while Elnora was 15-14... fifth place Sugar Valley (56-51) was also 15-14... Belle Plaine (48-59), sixth in the standings, put up a 16-13 mark for the month... seventh place Eastshore (44-63) was only 11-18... and eighth and last place Beechwood (36-71) wound up 12-17.

Ruthlandian East Outlook:
No crystal ball or fortune teller needed here... Marston is hands down the best team in the division and one of the best in the IPA... give second place to the Wynnamac Sundowners... they have superior pitching to the offensive-minded Cold Creek Catamounts and the high-scoring Elnora All-Stars... the Sugar Valley Rattlers will have to settle for fifth place... they have pretty good pitching and home-run power, but have trouble scoring... the other three clubs, Belle Plaine, Eastshore and Beechwood, are destined for the bottom of the second-division in the RU East.

SLIGO SUPER SLINGERS ON TOP OF RU WEST
The Sligo (66-41) super slingers are still going strong in the Ruthlandian West Division... the Rovers' super staff led them to an 18-11 record in July and they upped their lead to 5 games over the runner-up Colfax Blasters (61-40) and 7 over last year's flag winner, the Volusia Vigilantes (59-48)... both clubs had good months with identical 16-13 marks, but they still lost ground in the pennant race... Sligo's magnificent mound staff has a microscopic 2.47 ERA (1st), by far the best in the IPA... Marston in the RU East is next best with a 3.08 ERA... 2.41 is the all-time record set by the Forest City Lumberjacks in 2048... fourth place in the RU West belongs to the Rocky Rapids Snappers (55-52), 11 GB... they were 17-12 last month... Forest City (52-55) is fifth in the standings... the Firebirds had a down month at 13-16 and are now 14 games off the pace... Stoner (51-56) is tied for sixth with Fort Benton and 15 games behind... the Stars had a good July with 16-13... Fort Benton (51-56) was 13-16... the Middlefield Roosters (46-61) are having their worst season in almost three decades... dead last, 20 GB... the Roosters were a pathetic 9-20 in July.

Ruthlandian West Outlook:
Despite a lack of hitting, Sligo has adequate scoring to compliment its magnificent mound corps... the Rovers are batting .257 with 446 runs (20th) and have hit 82 out of the park (21st)... compare that to the hard-hitting Colfax Blasters, who sport a .272 BA (6th), scored 557 runs (3rd) and hit 92 homers (15th-tied)... the difference between the two contenders: Colfax has a 4.50 team ERA (29th)... third place Volusia has pretty good pitching with a 3.56 ERA (8th), but lacks scoring and firepower... the Vigilantes have scored only 431 runs (27th) and hit only 68 home runs (28th-tied)... Sligo is the odds-on favorite to capture its first RU West flag since 2040... Colfax's high-scoring ways should give them second place... Volusia will be third... Rocky Rapids, Forest City, Stoner and Fort Benton will vie for the fourth spot in the RU West... the Middlefield Roosters will definite have to wait until next year.

RUTHLANDIAN UNION STANDINGS

02-26-2019, 09:32 PM	#6255
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,912	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Saturday, August 2, 2059 6 WEEKS TO GO IN THE IPA Four months into the '59 Islandian Pro Alliance season, only a couple of the divisions are still a good horse race... the other six have teams with seemingly borderline safe leads going into the final six weeks of the season... in the Ruthlandian Union the RU South is still up-in-the-air... Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake (56-51) has a slight 2-game edge on the Valka Blackhawks (54-53)... and in the Tycobbian Union the Rolling Hills Reds (59-48) are in a tight race with the Arlon Champions (57-50), just 2 games behind. The teams that are in somewhat of a "comfort zone" are the Sligo Rovers with a 5-game edge in the RU West and the Valmara Vipers with a 6-game lead in the RU North... the teams in the "feel good zone" are the Red Bluff Red Sox, on top of the TU East by 7 games, and the Ginza Ninjas, leading the TU South, also by 7 games... the teams in the "safe and sure" zone are the Marston Nine in the RU East with a 9-game margin and the Oxford Red Caps in the TU North with a 10-game lead... but, hey, we all know that it ain't over till it's over... that's what history and Yogi tells us. VIPERS HAVE SOLID LEAD IN RU NORTH So lets's take a whirlwind tour of the Islandian Pro Alliance and see what has transpired thus far in the 2059 season... in the Ruthlandian North, first place Valmara (67-40) went 16-13 in July, but lost some ground to on-coming Far Mountain Redhawks (61-46) and LaGrange (61-46).... the Redhawks and Sports are tied for second place and trail by 6 games... both had good Julys... FM was 17-12... LaGrange was better at 18-10... the Glasco Athletics were 15-14 and dipped to the fourth spot in the standings, 7 GB... those four clubs are the only ones in the pennant hunt... the bottom four in the RU North second division are just playing out the season... 5th place Ancona (52-55) posted a 12-17 mark and is 15 games back in the race... Taranto (47-60) and Kilkenny (47-60) are deadlocked in sixth place, 20 games behind... they both were 15-14 in July... and last place Ranford registered a 12-17 record and are a whopping 26 games off the pace. Ruthlandian North Outlook: Valmara has an awesome arsenal... .277 BA (5th)... 591 runs (1st)... 135 HR (1st)... and fine pitching to go with that potent attack... 3.36 ERA (4th)... 'nuff said... if the offense holds up, the Vipers are headed for their 3rd straight division title... and a 5th Pro Cup could be on the horizon, too... Far Mountain is almost as good... should finish second... the Redhawks have better starters... but no bullpen... 3.55 ERA (7th)... .259 BA (19th)... 493 runs (8th)... and 113 circuit clouts (5th)... LaGrange is solid, too, with good pitching (3.48 ERA/6th) and scoring (467 R/14th).. and will come in third... the Glasco A's are the fourth-best team. SKIPS HAVE SLIGHT EDGE IN RU SOUTH, Y'ALL It's still nip-and-tuck in the Ruthlandian South Division with 7 clubs still in the race... the defending Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake Skippers (56-51) have finally recovered from the miserable 8-20 May and moved into the top spot in the Ruthlandian South Division by 2 games over the Valka Blackhawks (54-53), 4 games up on the Claxton Diamonds (52-55) and 5 on the Belair Beach Sunbirds (51-56)... the St. John Crusaders (50-57), in 5th place are only 6 games out... the sixth place Grand City Cybercats (49-58) are 7 back and the Waleska Westerners (48-59) are seventh in the standings and trail by just 8 games... the Skippers topped them all with a good July, going 17-12... the Blackhawks slipped to 14-15... the Diamonds 15-14... the Sunbirds 15-14... the Crusaders flopped badly with an 11-18 month... the Cybercats also did poorly, winding up 12-17... with the Westerners only 13-16. Ruthlandian South Outlook: Only Carnack the Magnificent could figure this race out... where is a crystal ball when you need one?... and the winner and still champion is: Crystal Lake... by just a little bit, the Skippers have the best offense and the best pitching in a very evenly-matched division... Claxton will edge Valka for the runner-up spot... Belair Beach will probably come in fourth... St. John pitching has declined to the point the Crusaders are a second-division team now... the Skippers will edge the bunch of them out in a close one... they have been playing well the last two months and could pull away from the crowd in the RU South. MARSTON IN COMMAND IN RU EAST The Marston Nine (70-37) are having a marvelous year... with a 9-game lead heading into the final six weeks of the campaign, the Nine should rack up their first Ruthlandian East flag since 2047... they have piled up the most victories in the IPA thus far this season and will probably be the favorite to take the Holy Grail of Baseball in the Islands, the much-revered IPA Pro Cup... Marston can hit, score runs and has very impressive pitching... the Nine are batting a lofty .292 (1st), scored 542 runs (4th) and have compiled a standout 3.09 ERA (2nd)... that's why second place Cold Creek (61-46) is 9 games behind them in the pennant race... a pretty good ball club and last year's division winner, third place Wynnamac (60-47) is 10 games back... another offensive powerhouse Elnora (58-49) is 12 games out of first place... the Nine had a good month in July with a 17-12 record... Cold Creek went 18-12... Wynnamac slumped to 13-16, while Elnora was 15-14... fifth place Sugar Valley (56-51) was also 15-14... Belle Plaine (48-59), sixth in the standings, put up a 16-13 mark for the month... seventh place Eastshore (44-63) was only 11-18... and eighth and last place Beechwood (36-71) wound up 12-17. *Ruthlandian East Outlook:* No crystal ball or fortune teller needed here... Marston is hands down the best team in the division and one of the best in the IPA... give second place to the Wynnamac Sundowners... they have superior pitching to the offensive-minded Cold Creek Catamounts and the high-scoring Elnora All-Stars... the Sugar Valley Rattlers will have to settle for fifth place... they have pretty good pitching and home-run power, but have trouble scoring... the other three clubs, Belle Plaine, Eastshore and Beechwood, are destined for the bottom of the second-division in the RU East. SLIGO SUPER SLINGERS ON TOP OF RU WEST The Sligo (66-41) super slingers are still going strong in the Ruthlandian West Division... the Rovers' super staff led them to an 18-11 record in July and they upped their lead to 5 games over the runner-up Colfax Blasters (61-40) and 7 over last year's flag winner, the Volusia Vigilantes (59-48)... both clubs had good months with identical 16-13 marks, but they still lost ground in the pennant race... Sligo's magnificent mound staff has a microscopic 2.47 ERA (1st), by far the best in the IPA... Marston in the RU East is next best with a 3.08 ERA... 2.41 is the all-time record set by the Forest City Lumberjacks in 2048... fourth place in the RU West belongs to the Rocky Rapids Snappers (55-52), 11 GB... they were 17-12 last month... Forest City (52-55) is fifth in the standings... the Firebirds had a down month at 13-16 and are now 14 games off the pace... Stoner (51-56) is tied for sixth with Fort Benton and 15 games behind... the Stars had a good July with 16-13... Fort Benton (51-56) was 13-16... the Middlefield Roosters (46-61) are having their worst season in almost three decades... dead last, 20 GB... the Roosters were a pathetic 9-20 in July. Ruthlandian West Outlook: Despite a lack of hitting, Sligo has adequate scoring to compliment its magnificent mound corps... the Rovers are batting .257 with 446 runs (20th) and have hit 82 out of the park (21st)... compare that to the hard-hitting Colfax Blasters, who sport a .272 BA (6th), scored 557 runs (3rd) and hit 92 homers (15th-tied)... the difference between the two contenders: Colfax has a 4.50 team ERA (29th)... third place Volusia has pretty good pitching with a 3.56 ERA (8th), but lacks scoring and firepower... the Vigilantes have scored only 431 runs (27th) and hit only 68 home runs (28th-tied)... Sligo is the odds-on favorite to capture its first RU West flag since 2040... Colfax's high-scoring ways should give them second place... Volusia will be third... Rocky Rapids, Forest City, Stoner and Fort Benton will vie for the fourth spot in the RU West... the Middlefield Roosters will definite have to wait until next year. RUTHLANDIAN UNION STANDINGS Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 03-01-2019 at 01:56 PM.