Monday, July 1, 2069
DIVISION RACES STILL TIGHT IN RU AT MIDSEASON, NOT SO IN TU
At midseason there are four ding-dong divisional donnybrooks going on in the Ruthlandian Union... 23 of the Ruthlandian teams are still in the pennant hunt out of the 32 squads... not so, in the Tycobbian Union... one division, the TU East has just about been decided with Red Bluff boasting a humongous 12 and a half-game bulge over the second place Tuckanarra Tiger Cats... only 13 of the 32 teams still are in the title chase.
Ruthlandian Union Midseason Recap
TEAMS ALL TANGLED AND TIGHTLY BUNCHED UP IN RU RACES
The Far Mountain Redhawks (45-31) are high atop the Ruthlandian North Division with a 3 and a half-game edge over runners-up Valmara (42-35) and Taranto (42-35)... three other challengers are clinging close by... Glasco (39-38) is in the fourth spot in the standings, followed closely by last year's champion and this year's favorite LaGrange (38-38) and Kilkenny (38-39)... all the top three clubs prospered in June with the Redhawks registering a 17-10 record, the Vipers went 18-9 and the Tars came in 16-11, while the Foxhounds (10-18), Gators (12-15) and Cats (12-16) each struggled.
Things are extra tight in the RU South race... the Belair Beach Sunbirds (45-32) are chirping a song of joy this year with a modest one and a half-game lead over perennial winner Claxton (43-33)... the Diamonds are picked to win a 7th straight flag this year... third place Waleska (42-35), fourth place Grand City (41-36) and fifth place Valka (42-36) are crowding things up, too... the Diamonds (17-10) and the Blackhawks (16-11) both performed well the last month... so did the Sunbirds (15-12) and the Westerners (15-12)... the Grand City Cybercats led the league in April (15-8), but have leveled off to the .500 mark the last two months... the Cybercats posted a 14-14 make in June.
Preseason pick Marston (45-32) sizzled in June (18-9) and took over first place in the RU East... May's leader Eastshore (42-35) swooned in June (12-15) and fell 3 games off the pace in second place... Wynnamac (41-35) soared in the standings, going 17-10 last month... the Macs won it last year... Sugar Valley (41-36) has done well this year... the Rattlers are in the fourth spot... they went 16-12 in June... also-ran Belle Plaine (38-39) started the season well, but has fizzled of late with a mediocre 13-14 month.
Talk about a doozy of a pennant race... just look at the RU West... 7 of the 8 teams are still in pennant contention... defending Pro Cup champion Forest City still has fine pitching, but has severely lacked offense this year... but they are still right up there... Sligo (41-36) is in front, but not by much... they could easily and quickly dip to seventh place in no time at all... the Rovers are only 1 game ahead of second place Fort Benton (40-37) and Volusia (40-37)... 1 and a half games up on Forest City (39-37)... 2 better than fifth place Colfax (39-38) and preseason choice Middlefield (39-38)... seventh place Rocky Rapids (37-39) is still very much in striking distant of the top spot, just 3 and a half games out in the race... the Vigilantes (18-9) and Black Sox (16-11) were the only clubs to play well in June... Forest City held their own at 14-13... but Sligo and Fort Benton slumbered at 13-15... Middlefield led the first two months of the season, but flopped badly last month at 9-18... Rocky Rapids wound up 12-15 in June.
Tycobbian Union Midseason Recap
RED SOX SOCKIN' IT TO THE TU EAST... 3 OTHER RACES SLIGHTLY CONTESTED
Sorry, fans... there simply ain't no pennant races in the Tycobbian Union this season... at mid-year the Red Bluff Red Sox (52-25) are really red-hot and they have already wrapped up the TU East Division crown with a whopping 12 and a half-game lead... no one really has a chance to catch them this year... and there really is not many clubs contending in the other three divisions... most of the races involves only two teams... in the TU West surprisingly Denton City (50-27) is outplaying powerhouse Rolling Hills (47-30) by 3 games so far... Southport (51-26) tops the TU South by 5 games over rejuvenated second place Colchester (46-31)... and Hartsdale (47-29) leads Blue Lake (42-35) in the TU North by 5 and a half games.
It's pretty much down to 3 teams in the Tycobbian North... the Hartsdale Hellcats (49-29) scampered out of the gate with two solid months of play... the Hellcats cooled down to 14-13 in June, while the Blue Caps (42-35) were 12-16 and the White River Rascals (40-37) were 15-12... last year's title winner Oxford (38-39) has dilly-dallied this year and are in fourth place and tied with Luxora (38-39)... they are 9 and a half-game back of first place Hartsdale... the Red Caps were named the top team in the TU North in the preseason poll... that pick is looking shaky right now.
The Southport Sun Sox (51-26) captured the division flag last season and they are beaming once again at the top of the Tycobbian South standings... they should rack up their 4th pennant in the last 5 years... only second place Colchester (46-31) stands in their way... Southport has really shined this season, topping the division at the end of May and June... and the Sun Sox are getting better as they go... they went 20-7 in June... the spunky Colchester Elites led the league in April with an impressive 18-7 mark and tried their best and went 17-10 last month, but still fell a little further behind Southport... third place San Alejo (38-39) is not likely to challenge this season.
Red Bluff (52-25) is clearly hands down the best team in the Tycobbian East... 5 other clubs will be battling for the runner-up spot... second place Tuckanarra (39-37), third place South Fork (39-38) and Ozarka (39-38)... you could add Hillsboro (38-39) and High Mesa (37-39) to the list, too... the Red Sox had the best record in June at 17-10, followed by the Tucks and Blazers at 16-11, the Stallions at 15-13 and the Mustangs at 14-13... the seventh place Midway Wolves tanked it last month with a weak 10-17 mark.
It's a two-team tag race in the TU West... Rolling Hills (47-30) was forecast to run away with the division by double digits again this year and claim their 10th pennant in a row... and they would be doing it if the Denton City Redbirds (50-27) hadn't been performing so superbly... the Redbirds just might be in it for the long haul... they have been staying toe-to-toe with the Racers and staying ahead of them all three months of the season... Denton City is 3 games ahead of Rolling Hills at the midseason break... to top the Racers they will have to play at this pace the whole season... that is tough to do... one other club could make the race a 3-team affair... Bayview (42-34) is in the third spot in the TU West standings, trailing by 7 and one-half games... the Vikings had a bad May (11-15)... otherwise they would be right up there with the top two contenders... the Viks were 15-12 in June.