Sunday, October 26, 2064
IPA PROCLAIM TOP PERFORMERS FOR '64 SEASON
For the next week the Islandian Pro Alliance will be presenting accolades and awards to all of the top players for the 2064 season... the Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union will be honoring their best batters, best pitchers, best rookies, best defenders and best managers.
BELLE PLAINE'S MARCUM WINS 2ND STRAIGHT RU GOLDEN BAT
For the second straight season Eliot Marcum, the gifted left fielder of the lowly Belle Plaine Musketeers, has been acclaimed the best batter in the league... Marcum is the 2064 Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award winner... in 150 games he batted .328, fourth best in the league... Marcum collected 184 hits with 42 doubles, 6 triples, 32 home runs, 100 RBIs and scored 108 runs... in his seven-season career, the 27-year-old Marcum has hit .307 with 225 homers and 660 RBIs... twice he has been an All-Star in '63 and '64... sadly, it was another slow year for the Musketeers, who came in seventh in the RU East with a 72-82 mark... this was their best year in seven years... Belle Plaine finished 17 games out of first place.
Second in the RU Golden Bat balloting was Valmara's standout first baseman, Timmy Benford... in his 10th season with the Vipers, they won the RU North this year... in 151 games Benford posted a .303 batting average with 177 hits, 35 doubles, 2 triples, 35 homers, 105 RBIs and scored 97 runs... Benford paced the Ruthlandian Union in home runs and runs batted in.
Far Mountain's fine second sacker wound up third the RU Golden Bat competition... the Redhawks did well this year, winding up a close fifth in the RU North... they were just 4 games behind pennant-winning Valmara... Hazlett, age 32, had another standout year with a .304 BA, 184 hits, 29 two-baggers, 4 triples, 20 roundtrippers, 101 RBIs and 94 runs scored... he is a 10-year veteran.