Tuesday, October 23, 2063
63RD PRO CUP FINALS FEATURE BLACK SOX AND HELLCATS
64 teams began the 63rd edition of the Island Pro Alliance back in April and now they have been whittled down to just two - the champion of the Ruthlandian Union and the champion of the Tycobbian Union -- and they will be playing for the renown trophy known as the IPA Pro Cup... this year's finalists are the Colfax Black Sox and the Hartsdale Hellcats, two fine clubs that have gone through the rigors of 154 games and won the division title and also have survived as the fittest of the eight division champions in two rounds of intense competition... the Black Sox will represent the Ruthlandian Union and the Hellcats will represent the Tycobbian Union... both ball clubs are seeking their second Pro Cup trophy... Colfax won it long ago in 2010 as the Blasters... Hartsdale captured it in 2046... so both of them have been waiting for quite some time... the Black Sox last made the playoffs in 2042... the Hellcats last appeared in the postseason in 2047... consequently, they are both hungry and poised to be the baseball champion of the Islands once again... teams don't get that chance very often and you have to make the most of it... the chance of a lifetime is right now.
The 2063 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals is a genuine toss-up... the two talented combatants are like two peas in a pod... even-steven... one would think they will have to go at it at a minimum for seven games to decide who's the better team... Colfax pitches well, both starters and bullpen... hits well for average... scores well... can go deep... and they are very good defenders... Hartsdale also hits well for average, has power throughout the lineup, runs well and steals bases, can put runs on the scoreboard, and the pitching may be better than its numbers... but they have one shortcoming compared to the Black Sox... the Hellcats are just average with the gloves.
Just at a glance, Colfax seems to be the most likely winner... the Black Sox have some potent bats in Bralen Josephson, Lanny Waldrep, Owen McElwain and Monty McDermott... and on paper the mound staff has much better numbers than Hartsdale... none of the Colfax starters Karl Kruger, Blaine Barkins, Terry Starr and Shorty Trahan go deep in the game and none of them except Starr has prospered in the playoffs... however, the bullpen is strong with Tommy Birchfield, Terry Dubrovnik, Gerry Gamble, Stan Fleming and Thom Harlin... they have really stood out in the postseason.
Reviewing the Hellcats... they depend on the entire batting order to produce runs... Colfax depends on just four... that might give Hartsdale some advantage... the Hellcats also have the best starters in the Pro Cup Finals... two of them, Phil Baylor and Tommy Johnson, have won 5 of 6 starts in the postseason... if they can win two games apiece, the Hellcats will win the Pro Cup... but that is a tough chore... the other two starters Nigel Remington and Cris Knighten Hartsdale have not come close to doing the job they did in the regular season... they are highly suspect with 7.00 ERAs in the playoffs... plus the Hellcats bullpen is not on par with Colfax... at the plate the Hellcats are not quite as good as the Black Sox... offensively Walt Ivy, Cooter Eldridge, Nathan Ivy and Wilson Dunn have carried the club in the playoffs... they will have to do it again in the Finals and do it well to prevail.
After all is said and done, I think the 2063 IPA Pro Cup champion may be... or will be... the Colfax Black Sox... they are just too darn good all-around... this year's Pro Cup Finals should be a heck of a ruckus... Colfax in seven games, but Baylor and Johnson might make it close... or they just might win it outright.
After making my wishy-washy Pro Cup prediction... it just occurred to me that the Tycobbian Union has bested the Ruthlandian Union the last four years.
Maybe I should incorporate that statistic in a revised prediction... naw, I'll still go with the Black Sox... but I have developed a real liking for Phil Baylor and Tommy Johnson.