ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian West Mid-Season Recap

Roosters Still Rule Roost In RU West
The defending Ruthlandian West titleholder Middlefield Roosters are still atop the division by a 3-game margin over Rocky Rapids and Sligo. The Forest City Lumberjacks are a close fourth, 4 games behind. Fifth-place Volusia and sixth-place Stoner are 6 and 7 games out respectively, but not likely to challenge in the race.

The Middlefield Roosters (39-34) are the only winning team in the weak RU West... manager Bailey Norcross still depends heavily on firepower with 97 homers (1st), but it has been better pitching the last two years that have really made the difference... the Roosters do well if the team ERA is under 4.00... this season it's an effective 3.57 ERA (16th)... with three capable starters Frank Dean (7-6 3.17), Danny Denver (7-6 3.28) and Glenn Tackett (6-8 3.41), Middlefield is usually in every ball game... closer Waylon Hillman (2-2 2.03) is a big plus, too, with 12 saves... at the plate the Roosters are led by LF Floyd McClellan (.330 BA/16 HR/51 RBI/43 R) and 1B Allan Stewart (.272 BA/26 HR/52 RBI/48 R)... Stewart is the home-run leader in the RU... Middlefield is the best team in a mediocre division.

Rocky Rapids (36-27) and Sligo are tied for the runner-up spot and trail Middlefield by 3 games... Ryan Noland's club is short on pitching except for two decent starters in Don Chaney (9-8 2.43) and Wilcy Lord (8-6 3.48)... 15-year veteran Chaney at age 35 is closing in on 300 wins with a 273-199 record and a 3.03 ERA... the Snappers are only average in hitting with a 2.53 BA (14th) and 53 home runs (14th)... top hitters are LF Rob Barton (.346 BA/2 HR/34 RBI/41 R), 1B Angelo Nardone (.319 BA/13 HR/45 RBI) and CF Tiger Noland (.287 BA/17 HR/37 RBI/44 R)... vet 2B Paul Shelton still drives in runs with 10 homers and 46 RBIs, but is hitting only .245 for average.

Eddie Keys' Sligo Rovers (36-37) were a truly fine team in back-to-back seasons 2021 and 2022 with brilliant pitching... the Rovers even won the Pro Cup in 2021 and were eliminated by the eventual IPA champion Crystal Lake the next year... but Keys no longer has four outstanding starters... three of them are still around, but Luka Abromowitz was traded to Midway last year... Sam Tate (11-6 3.10), Les Patterson (7-6 3.42) and Ralph Okakota (8-6 3.60) still do well, but are not as dominant as in those special seasons... Abromowitz is greatly missed... he is 9-3 with a 2.82 ERA with the first place Midway Wolves in the TU East... apparently Abromowitz is not over-the-hill at 35... Sligo had better hitting in those years, too... The Rovers were the top team in the IPA and looked like they might become a dynasty... but it didn't happen... 2B Garlin Delk (.277 BA/8 HR/40 RBI) and LF Biff Blauer (.308 BA/3 HR/36 RBI) are Keys' only reliable bats.

Fourth place in the RU West belongs to the Forest City Lumberjacks (35-38)... Rob Jackson and his 'Jacks are 4 games off the pace... Jackson has average offense and is only fair on the hill... LF Ryan Ray (.290 BA/15 HR/43 RBI), C George Arnick (.316 BA/4 HR/29 RBI), 2B Jackie Jackson (.306 BA/6 HR/32 RBI) and CF Luc St. Germain (.299 BA/4 HR/29 RBI/49 R) provides the offense... Norm Dawson (8-7 2.79) leads the mound corps.

The Volusia Vigilantes (33-40) have not been to the IPA playoffs since 2017 and this streak has a great chance to continue... the V's are in fifth place and 6 games back in the race... skipper Alfonso Feliz has impressive pitching this year, but not much in the way of offense... Duane Jenkins (9-4 2.95) and Rio Lobo (5-4 2.94) have been sharp as starters... Sixto Moreno (4-10 3.24) is suffering from a lack of run support, but is an effective starter... closer Jaime San Carlos (4-6) has done well with a great 1.80 ERA and 7 saves... 12-year-vet CF Joe DeLucca (.293 BA/9 HR/30 RBI/40 R) is the only decent hitter in the line-up.

The Stoner Stars (32-41) are sixth in the RU West and 6 games behind first place Middlefield... Benny Stern has average pitching, but poor hitting... Billy Chapel (8-7 3.82) and Kirk Robbins (9-8 3.76) are the Stars top starters... Stern has an excellent bullpen with a 1.90 ERA (2nd), led by Frank Robicheaux (0.90), Myron Wood (1.32), Bill Mayes (1.47) and Joel Shepard (2.19)... CF Al Rispone is the only threat in the batting order... Rispone is batting .325 with 6 homers and 37 RBIs.

Clem Rogers and his Colfax Blasters (30-43) are next-to-last and 9 games behind... it's been 8 years since the the Blasters last made the postseason... prior to then, Rogers had a powerhouse that won 7 flags and one Pro Cup in 9 years... it's tough to contend with average arms and mediocre bats... Cliff James (7-10 2.53) and 40-year-old Yuka Nawajuk (9-8 3.67) have been the most consistent starters with 1B Doug Kirkwood (.305 BA/5 HR/44 R) and RF Glen Smith (.318 BA/5 HR/33 RBI) sporting the best bats.

The Fort Benton Defenders (29-44) are headed straight for another last-place finish... this will make it 4 seasons in a row in the RU West basement for manager Robbie Brooks... the Defenders are 10 games out... starter Nick Walker (7-8 3.03) and closer Edd Farmer (1-2 1.82 ERA) with 14 saves top the twirlers... 3B Aino Vaba (.276 BA/8 HR/33 RBI) and 1B Stretch Stookey (.285 BA/4 HR/33 RBI) are the top bats, but not very much to brag about.

Ruthlandian West Forecast:
The Middlefield Roosters clearly look the best in the weak RU West and should take the pennant easily... the Roosters have three solid starters and can go deep at the plate... but don't expect them to be a high seed in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... Rocky Rapids and Sligo will duke it out for the runner-up spot.. both have quality starters, but not enough offense to overtake Middlefield... fourth place will be a contest between Stoner and Volusia... both teams have poor bats and so-so pitching... Colfax will be seventh and Fort Benton last again... neither club has much of anything.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian North Mid-Season Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian North Mid-Season Recap

Oxford Surprises, 5 Up In TU North
The Oxford Red Caps are certainly the Cinderella club of the IPA this season with a big turn-around year. The Red Caps haven't been in the Tycobbian North first division in 9 years and haven't won a pennant for 17 seasons. Oxford has leaped from a distant sixth to the top spot with a 5-game lead over runners-up White River Rascals and Hartsdale Hellcats. The Red Caps are 9 games in front of fourth place Luxora and Mahaska. White River is the defending TU North champion and IPA Pro Cup finalist. Last year they came in second to Pro Cup winner Crystal Lake.

Manager Mack Spencer has his Oxford Red Caps (45-28) playing as good as anybody in the TU... greatly-improved pitching is the main reason... Last year the team ERA was a dismal 4.53... this year it is 3.42 (11th)... Oxford is also scoring runs and is tied for 7th in runs... rookie sensation Carmine Scalise (11-4 2.72) is having a super season... helping out is another solid starter Tony Mack (8-8 2.72)... Last year's Rookie of the Year LF Dennis Hartwig is having another terrific season with a .358 BA, 15 homers, 60 RBIs and 58 runs... the rest of Spencer's batting order is not flashy, but reliable... the Red Caps are batting at a .261 clip (4th)... only time will tell if Oxford is the real deal this year or just a flash-in-the-pan.

The White River Rascals (40-33), piloted by Mick Cronyn, are not hitting like last year, dropping by almost 20 points, but they are still looking good on the mound... Cronyn has three slick starters in Ron Hendrix (11-3 2.77), Paul Sardini (8-5 2.19) and Don French (10-5 3.23)... Injured ace Jon French could return the last month of the season... French was 16-6 with a standout 1.99 ERA last year as a rookie... with a healthy French White River is a serious threat for the Pro Cup... sparking the Rascals in the batter's box are 1B Marty Blake (.268 BA/20 HR/45 RBI) and CF Hal Littleton (.339 BA/2 HR/16 RBI/33 R)... all the rest of the key hitters are having sub-par seasons... if they should get it in gear, the Rascals will be right at the top of the heap again.

White River and the Hartsdale Hellcats (40-33) are 5 games back of Oxford in a second-place tie... skipper Zim Donner always has his Hellcats close to the top, at least for the last few years... Hartsdale had been the division runner-up four times in the last six seasons and third twice... but it been quite a while since they made the playoffs... the last TU North pennant won by the Hellcats was in 2014... Donner has a solid ball club with better-than-average hitting and pitching... .258 BA (8th) with 333 runs (13th-tied) and 69 homers (7th)... and a 3.36 team ERA (10th)... Jim Starks (9-5 2.71) and Bobo Boisseau (8-7 2.61) are two excellent starters... closer Tommy Klein (0-0) has notched 13 saves with a very fine 1.52 ERA... leading the Hellcat hit parade are C Derek Yurek (.329 BA/16 HR/46 RB/46 R), 1B Johnny Scott (.269 BA/17 HR/44 RBI/51 R) and SS Jed Turchin (.286 BA/7 HR/34 RBI/40 R).

The Luxora Zorros (36-37) and Mahaska Haymakers are 9 games off the pace in fourth place... The Zorros are revitalized after a terrible season last year with 105 losses... Cristo Viaconte's pitchers have led the renaissance with a 3.33 team ERA, led by Mike Boyce (8-5 3.03) and Zacarias Domasio (7-7 2.93)... ace Tiago Torres is still a quality pitcher at age 37, but can't catch a break... Torres is 3-10 with a 3.20 ERA... the Z's were terrible last year offensively and are not much better this year with a poor .237 BA (27th)... vets 1B Wayne Harris (.273 BA/16 HR/52 RBI) and C Jim Thorpe Chandler (.273 BA/6 HR/28 RBI/47 R) are the most able hitters.

Rusty Tanussa has a so-so team in Mahaska (36-37)... RF Travis Tuttle (.309 BA/14 HR/52 RBI/49 R), C Bucky O'Brian (.345 BA/8 HR/32 RBI/39 R) and 1B Paul Davies (.299 BA/7 HR/7 HR/40 RBI/38 R) provide most of the Haymakers scoring, while on the mound it's starter Aino Vainmaa (8-10 3.07) and closer Andy Slavyansky (4-1 1.80) with 12 saves leading the staff.

Sixth in the TU North are the Fairfax Frogs (33-40), who trail by 12 games... manager Dane Wesner has little in the way of bats except for RF Johnny Eichhorn (.335 BA/14 HR/43 RBI/42 R) and LF Sean Lawson (.300 BA/10 HR/36 RBI/35 R)... on the hill his standouts are Kevin Meeks (9-6 2.35) and Walt Smith (9-9 3.18).

The Blue Lake Blue Sox (32-41) are in the seventh spot in the standings, 13 games behind in the race... not much offense with a .245 BA (22nd) and just average on the hill with a 3.55 team ERA (16th)... starter Jim Vayda (9-2 2.97) is having an excellent season... closer Chris Landry (4-2) has been a tough competitor with a super 1.07 ERA... Landry has just moved up from middle relief... Cobb Tyson only has one decent bat in the line-up... LF Gil Willis tops the team with 11 homers and 38 RBIs, while batting at a .274 pace.

Masaichi Okawa has seen everything go sour for the last place North Hills Hawks (25-48)... his club is already 20 games back and near the bottom with a poor .235 BA (29th) and a high 4.24 team ERA (28th)... RF Al Bowden (.294 BA/5 HR/34 RBI/40 R) and 1B Lou Hooper (.318 BA/1 HR/19 RBI/34 R) are only adequate at the plate and vets Lenny Danforth (10-7 3.14) and closer Ben Garland (1-3 3.10) with 14 saves are North Hills only quality arms.

Tycobbian North Outlook:
The defending TU North titlist White River will eventually win out because of it fine starters and good bats... White River should be a fairly high seed in the Pro Cup playoffs... Hartsdale will be the Rascals biggest challenger, but can't match the Rascals on the mound... the Oxford Red Caps won't be able to sustain their play for the entire season and fade a bit to third place... the Luxora Zorros will wind up fourth... the Z's superior starters will enable them to finish in the first division... Mahaska will be fifth, followed by Fairfax, Blue Lake and North Hills.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Recap

AG Suns and Ginza Tied For TU South
Two old rivals are back at again. The Arroyo Grande Suns and Ginza Ninjas are deadlocked in first place in the Tycobbian South at mid-year. Cape Coral is the number three team and 5 games behind. Summerland is in the fourth spot and trails by 6 games with Southport fifth and 7 games off the pace. The rest of the clubs are already out of contention and will have to wait for next year or longer.

After losing out last year to the Ninjas and finishing a disappointing third, Arroyo Grande (43-30) is charged up and ready to return to its former dominance of the division when the Suns won three successive pennants... Cyclone Cobb has his club cooking with strong bats, tough defense and renewed pitching... they are hitting .270 (2nd) with 84 homers (4th) and 373 runs (3rd-tied)... on the mound the Suns have a respectable 3.48 team ERA (13th)... they are fourth defensively with a fine .977 FA... star 1B Rusty Vizcarra is having another monster year with a .368 BA, 28 homers, 80 RBIs and 66 runs scored... He's number one in RBIs and high in the other categories... 2B Andy Pearson (.296 BA/10 HR/33 RBI/58 R) and C Gary Troxell (.275 BA/14 HR/43 RBI/32) are two other valuable performers... on the hill 42-year-old Sixto Zamora (12-7 2.05), Ernie Matthews (10-6 3.77), Earl O'Reilly (6-4 3.23) and Cesar De Leon (8-5 4.12) give the Suns solid starts... in the bullpen Jason Patrick (3-5 2.92) still get the job done with 15 saves... Cobb has Arroyo Grande primed and ready for the Pro Cup playoffs.

The Ginza Ninjas (43-30) rely on the mound staff and manager Huroko Uchiyama has a good one with Harlan Wilson (10-4 2.96), Yutaka Yoshida (10-5 3.48) and Daniel Ferguson (9-8 2.91) as starters and Frank Beard (1-0) closing things out... Beard has a great 0.79 ERA and 14 saves... the Ninjas won last year with pitching and Uchiyama thinks they can do it again... this year the team ERA is 3.28 (8th)... his hitting is a little better-than-average at .255 (11th) with the Ninjas tied for 13th in scoring with 333 runs... 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.326 BA/13 HR/46 RBI/46 R) is Ginza's main man with a little help from C Crash Davis (.265 BA/6 HR/28 RBI)... Uchiyama sure could use another good bat or two.

No other clubs seem capable of mounting any challenge to the two leaders... third place Cape Coral (38-35) only has one strong starter Karl Zenger (9-5 3.03)... but skipper Huggy Miller has a good relief corps with a 2.79 ERA (9th)... not much in the way of offense with 55 homers (17th) and a .249 BA (17th)... SS Sam Young (.280 BA/8 HR/43 RBI) and C Wendell Crosby (.263 BA/11 HR/45 RBI) are the Hurricanes best bats.

The fourth-place Summerland Sunsets (37-36) have moved up from 8th place last year and are only 6 games back in the race... Will Hackett's team has been in the cellar the last three seasons, but improved bats and arms have perked them up a bit... the Sunsets are batting .259 (7th) with 366 runs (5th) and possess a 3.47 team ERA (12th)... the main bats are SS Greg Proctor (.284 BA/10 HR/52 RBI), 2B Stefan De Graaf (.322 BA/4 HR/30 RBI/40 R), RF Brady Gilbert (.269 BA/6 HR/40 RBI/49 R) and newly-acquired free agent CF Clell Renshaw (.266 BA/8 HR/35 RBI/51 R)... Renshaw starred for the Sligo Stars for 14 seasons... Hackett's best hurlers are Jason Castille (11-7 3.26) and James Beckworth (8-8 3.41)... in the bullpen closer Cary Snead (2-2) has been outstanding with 10 saves and a strong 1.21 ERA.

Charley Oscar had his Southport Sun Sox (36-37) riding high in the TU South the last few seasons with super strong pitching... not so this year as the Sun Sox have dipped to fifth place and are 7 games behind first place Arroyo Grande... Oscar has seen his team ERA rise from 2.90 to 3.84 (23rd), primarily due to the retirement of mainstay Bob Montgomery (18-14 2.62) and the loss of Rod Bailey (24-12 2.32), who signed with San Dimas... that left only Al Laclair (8-3 2.51)... closer Rob Ricks (3-4) has 14 saves this year, but has seen his ERA rise up to 2.88... last season Ricks had a 2.11 ERA... Southport is led at the plate by 1B Kyle Ross (.306 BA/9 HR/48 RBI/40 R) and LF Amos Needham (.291 BA/7 HR/38 RBi/33 R).

The San Alejo Montaneros (32-41) and Turon Typhoons are 11 games out in a tie for sixth... manager Alberto Herrera has two quality starters in Trini Corona (9-6 2.39) and Geraldo Juaros (7-8 3.21), but not much else on the hill... at the plate his most reliable hitters are CF Mitch Payne (.308 BA/7 HR/47 RBI) and RF Lou Browning (.276 BA/14 HR/35 RBI).

The most successful franchise in IPA history, the 4-time Pro Cup winner, the Turon Typhoons (32-41) have tumbled badly the last two years from fifth last year to near the bottom this year... skipper Whitey Richburn no longer has the strong pitching, nor the good bats... future HOF-er Nicky Engstrom (9-6 1.96) is still going strong at age 35, even with a weak ball club... lifetime he is a fantastic 309-143 with a 2.25 ERA... Turon's top bats are RF Ryan O'Bryan (.351 BA/4 HR/36 RBI/39 R) and 1B Michael Page (.286 BA/16 HR/46 RBI/40 R).

Last place belongs to the Colchester Elites (31-42), who trail by 12 games in the pennant race... manager Uncle Robbie Wilbertson still has fine pitching with a 3.25 team ERA (7th), but the Elites can't hit a lick... they are batting only .236 (28th) and are last in scoring with only 244 runs (32nd)... consequently, Colchester has fallen into the TU South basement... on the hill the Elites are led by a good starting foursome: Brandy Snow (8-8 3.08), Brian Britt (6-9 3.01), Jess Carpenter (7-8 3.12) and Mac Flowers (6-8 3.42)... LF Stephen Day (.280 BA/11 HR/38 RBi/34) has been the only productive hitter for Wilbertson this season.

Tycobbian South Forecast:
The Arroyo Grande Suns are just too strong... no one in the TU South can compare with them... the Suns will pull away from the Ginza Ninjas in the second half... lack of hitting will cost the Ninjas dearly... but Ginza will end up in second place... Summerland should wind up third... Cape Coral will fade in the second half... the Hurricanes will be overtaken by Summerland and end up fourth... Colchester fine starters just might give them a shot at fifth place... Southport will be sixth... San Alejo and Turon will contest for seventh place.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian East Mid-Season Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian East Mid-Season Recap

Midway Way Ahead Midway In TU East
So far it's been a two-team race in the Tycobbian East with the Midway Wolves holding a 5-game lead over defending Pro Cup champ and second place Tuckanarra. Division dormat East Point has come out of nowhere and is tied for third with the Hillsboro Blazers, they are 9 games behind. Last year's runner-up High Mesa has floundered this year and is in fifth place, trailing by 11 games.

The Midway Wolves (47-26) are playing magnificently this year and top the IPA in most wins... Cochise Chandler has the number one TU team in batting with a .270 mark and in runs scored with 375... his Wolves have 65 homers and are ranked 9th in that category... Midway's mound corps is almost as good with a 2.91 team ERA (2nd)... the addition of Luka Abromowitz from Sligo in a trade has really made the Wolves into a powerhouse... Abromowitz (9-3 2.82) has now joined Bobby Dorignac (14-5 1.30) and Motega Wolf (10-8 3.11) to form a super starting rotation... veteran closer Dom Vilaggio (1-2) is still rock solid with 16 saves and a 2.57 ERA... top hitters are 3B Rusty Graves (.327 BA/13 HR/47 RBI/56 R), LF Chitto Chandler (.305 BA/11 HR/43 RBI/34 R), SS Rob Gigler (.295 BA/6 HR/32 RBI/42 R) and 2B Frank Reinhard (.309 BA/6 HR/34 RBI).

It's a wonder that the Tuckanarra Blue Jays (42-31) have managed to stay within 5 games of Midway at the All-Star game... last year TU East winner and IPA champion can stay right with the Wolves on the mound with a 2.95 team ERA (3rd), but the Tucks can't keep up with them at the plate with a poor .240 BA... Lefty Stevens has a strong rotation with Glynn Starr (11-5 2.63), Quinn Starr (6-11 2.84), Croc Wedgedale (7-7 3.10) and rookie Daku Janama (9-2 3.90)... and bullpen ace Archie Desmond (3-4) is still around to close out games with 16 saves and a 2.29 ERA... top Blue Jay run producers are 1B Lynn Starr (.303 BA/11 HR/40 RBI/32 R) and vet RF Danny Redd (.268 BA/8 HR/22 RBI/55 R).

The Hillsboro Blazers (38-35) are tied for third with upstart East Point, but neither is in the class of the top two teams in the division... skipper Rawhide Marshall has an average ball team at the plate and on the hill... but Hillsboro can still hit with power with 86 roundtrippers (3rd)... the Blazers best bats are 1B Larry Guichard (.296 BA/14 HR/47 RBI/43 R), CF Biggy Washington (.278 BA/8 HR/33 RBI/45 R), RF Tommy O'Hara (.262 BA/13 HR/34 RBI/39 R), C Mike Payne (.298 BA/7 HR/38 RBI) and 2B Jason DiMucci (.288 BA/7 HR/29 RBI/43 R)... Yank Yoland (10-5 3.16), Tom Edgar (8-9 2.88) and Ben Garvik (8-5 3.87) give Hillsboro some pretty good starters.

It's been 17 years since the East Point Panthers (38-35) last finished in the first division... manager Jesse Goodwin has improved his pitching staff this year and climbed out of last place for the first time in many years... Andy Charles is his ace with an 11-4 mark and a 2.46 ERA... closer J. D. McDermott has also been a standout with a 2-0 record, 15 saves and a splendid 1.17 ERA... but the Panthers could use some hitting... only CF Ian Holmes (.299 BA/2 HR/22 RBI/50 R), 2B Nick Kohl (.290 BA/6 HR/46 RBI) and SS Gil Rayfor (.292 BA/4 HR/33 RBI/36 R) have been adequate.

The High Mesa Cowboys (36-37) had a great season last year, missing out on the TU East title by one game... this year was supposed to be "the" year... but it didn't happen... Frisky Franks' pitching went into the pits and the team has fallen down to fifth place and out of the running 11 games out... the team ERA skied from 3.58 to 4.34 this season and the team BA dipped from .266 to .247... however the Cowpokes can still plaster the ball with 101 home runs, tops in the IPA... IPA legendary 1B Jack Elliott continues to amaze with a .388 BA, 30 homers, 63 RBIs and 69 runs... Elliott leads the IPA in hits, homers and runs... but the only help he gets in the batting order comes from RF Bill Andrews with 21 homers and 45 RBIs and a .277 BA... this year none of the starters are above .500 with Ronald Ward (7-9 3.98) and John Rainer (5-8 3.74) being the best of the lot.

The division also-rans will fight it out for sixth place. At mid-season South Fork, Ozarka and Red Bluff are running neck-and-neck... Lips Leon's South Fork Stallions (30-43) are 17 games back and sixth in the standings... the Stallions hit well with a .263 BA (3rd) and score well with 344 runs (9th), but drop the ball when it comes to pitching... Leon's team ERA is 4.31 (29th)... leading the South Fork offense are RF Robby Michael (.381 BA/12 HR/46 RBI/46 R), who is having a marvelous season... 36-year-old Michael is a career .321 hitter, now playing in his 18th season... other contributors are LF Patric Giles (.307 BA/9 HR/38 RBI/47 R), SS Teddy Nixon (.275 BA/10 HR/36 RBI/39 R) and 2B Norris Nettles (.285 BA/5 HR/36 RBI/31 R)... on the hill, Leon only has one solid starter... second-year starter Gary Price is 10-6 with a 3.48 ERA... Solly King (0-2) is good in the bullpen with 10 saves and a 2.70 ERA.

The once-powerful Ozarka Naturals (29-44), who won 7 pennants in a row and 10 in 12 years, continued to spiral downward in the division for the third straight year... the Nats are tied with Red Bluff for seventh place... both are 18 games off the pace... Joe Mac Carney's crew saw its BA plunge 20 points down to .256 (6th) and its team ERA rise upward to 3.76 (21st)... Ozarka hits with little power... only 36 home runs (31st-tied)... 27-year-old ace Benny Osterman, a 5-time 20-game winner with a lifetime 198-104 mark in 10 seasons is only 4-8 with a lofty 4.89 ERA this year... 35-year-old Eddie Roberts (4-8 4.88) has been relegated to the bullpen... Roberts is 211-116 with a 3.35 ERA in 14 years with the Naturals... Ozarka has only two standout bats: SS James Couch (.354 BA/10 HR/45 RBI/44 R) and second-year 1B George Jenkins (.337 BA/9 HR/42 RBI/40 R)... superstar 3B Andre Dumas (.241 BA) has been injured most of the year and should be back in July... Dumas is a career .319 hitter that averages over 30 home runs and 100 RBIs each year.

Bucky Frizzell's Red Bluff Red Sox (29-44) still hit with power, but suffer severely on the mound... the Red Sox rank second in HRs with 87 and tied for seventh in scoring with 350 runs, but are dead last with a 4.61 team ERA (32nd)... offensive leaders are 3B James Mack (.295 BA/17 HR/47 RBI/41 R), 2B Leander Burks (.297 BA/20 HR/48 RBI/45 R), LF Corbett Brooks (.287 BA/17 HR/44 RBI/44 R) and C Jim Schubert (.299 BA/7 HR/30 RBI/34 R)... closer Rod Westfall is the only quality pitcher... Westfall (1-1) has 12 saves and an impressive 1.80 ERA... Sean Connery (6-8 4.07) and Kris Kazlauskas (6-9 4.27) are the only starters with ERAs under 5.00.

Tycobbian East Forecast:
Midway will cruise to the TU East title unless Tuckanarra finds some offense... the Wolves will probably be the Pro Cup favorite and top seed in the postseason... the Blue Jays will wind up second with no one challenging them... Hillsboro will finish third... the High Mesa Cowboys will pass the East Point Panthers and end up in fourth place... the Panthers will fade to fifth, followed by Ozarka in sixth, Red Bluff in seventh and South Fork last.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian West Mid-Season Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian West Mid-Season Recap

3-Team Race In TU West
It's a super-tight pennant race in the Tycobbian West with Kenwood leading by just a game over second place Bay St. Clair and Denton City with Arlon in fourth, 6 games out.

Aaron Hankins has the best pitching in Tycobbia with a 2.88 team ERA (1st)... the Kenwood Wildcats (44-29) starting rotation is sparked by Thomas Norman (11-4 2.40), Jody Gentry (9-5 2.53) and Johnny Shaw (9-7 3.24) and Glenn Kennedy (4-2 1.44) in the bullpen... Kennedy is tied with Waleska's Jarred Laclair for the most saves in the IPA with 17... the Wildcats biggest problem is poor offense with a .237 BA (26th)... LF Nicky Carpenter (.309 BA/9 HR/51 RBI/40 R), SS Lee Sullivan (.267 BA/9 HR/43 RBI/51 R) and Babe Hankins (.277 BA/6 HR/33 RBI/44 R) are the most productive bats.

Last year's pennant winner and this year's favorite, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (43-30), are right up there in the mix again, a game back and tied with Denton City for the runner-up spot... Guy Rondre's crew are led by a good bunch of pitchers and a good batch of batters... the Bucs are ranked second in scoring with 374 runs, despite hitting only a modest .255 (13th) with 63 homers (10th)... on the hill they are ranked fifth with a very good 3.16 team ERA (5th), headed up by Greg Moss (11-5 2.57), last year's Golden Arm winner Eddie Lasky (7-7 2.94) and Vic Bauer (11-4 3.38), obtained in the off-season from Crystal Lake... the Buccaneers top batters are 1B Jerry Todd (.329 BA/16 HR/59 RBI/37 R), CF Bill Howell (.319 BA/1 HR/30 RBI/60 R), RF Don Smithers (.279/15 HR/44 RBI/36 R) and 2B Bud Foster (.273 BA/2 HR/19 RBI/55 R).

It's been a long time since the Denton City Redbirds (43-30) were in the postseason... it was 11 years ago in 2013... but Ford Whiteman's Redbirds have a fair shot at it this season... they have pretty good power with 75 homers (5th) and an excellent bullpen with a 1.99 ERA (4th), plus a fair offense with 332 runs (15th)... doing most of the damage at the plate are C Wes McMahon (.303 BA/13 HR/48 RBI), 2B Johnny Ray (.289 BA/16 HR/37 RBI/49 R), 1B Don Timmons (.260 BA/16 HR/48 RBI/45 R) and 3B Buddy Gates (.339 BA/3 HR/29 RBI)... on the hill Phil Bijeaux (8-5 3.17) and George Hudson (7-7 3.68) are the most effective starters... in the bullpen, closer Rich Hopkins (4-2 2.75) has rung up 16 saves... middle reliever Johnny Duncan has been brilliant with a 7-1 mark and a terrific 0.76 ERA... Thomas Spears (3-1) has also stood out with a 2.02 ERA.

The Arlon Champions (38-35) are fourth in the TU West and 6 games off the pace... Gary Louis has to depend almost totally on his pitching, which has registered a fine 3.04 team ERA (4th)... the Champs do not wield the bats very well with a lousy .228 BA (32nd)... they are tied for the worst team batting average in the history of the IPA... if it gets any worse, they will set a new record, currently held by Luxora of the Tycobbian Union... the Zorros batted .228 in 2023... Louis has three impressive, youthful starters in his rotation with Dorsey Peters (11-6 2.84), Lanny Andrews (8-6 2.96) and Derek Wilmer (8-8 3.11)... closer Buddy Palmer (3-2 1.66) lead the strong bullpen with 14 saves... offense is almost nil... 2B Ryan Hicks leads the team with a .277 BA and 38 runs scored... 1B Artie Anderson is the RBI leader with 35... Anderson is batting only .242... C Paul Snyder is tops with 8 home runs, while hitting a lowly .220.

In the fifth spot in the TU West standings are Walter Johanssen's Bayview Vikings (35-38), who are 9 games behind leading Kenwood... the Viks get by with their bats... they are hitting .261 (5th) with 71 roundtrippers (6th) and 373 runs (3rd-tied)... on the mound things are not as rosy with a 4.14 team ERA (27th)... CF Davey Krueger (.280 BA/21 HR/55 RBI/44 R) tops a solid core of hitters... the others are LF Norm Owens (.309 BA/7 HR/35 RBI/46 R), 2B Tommy Shore (.308 BA/11 HR/38 RBI/46 R) and 1B J. R. Hawkins (.282 BA/5 HR/40 RBI/38 R)... 37-year-old Harald Turi (8-7 3.04) is the only one in the starting rotation under a 4.00 ERA.

The Chicopee Braves (33-40) are sixth in the race and trail by 11 games... manager Harry Fleetwood's best performers are 1B Jose Duran (.311 BA/12 HR/51 RBI/42 R), LF Dominick DiCaprio (.288 BA/14 HR/44 RBI), newly-obtained from Turon as a free agent, and pitcher Will Joseph (10-6 2.78)... it's hard to win with anemic hitting (.235-30th) and less-than-average pitching (3.63 ERA/17th).

Maka Bardinda and his LaClaire Lynx (32-41) did well last year, rising up from 7th to 3rd, mainly on the strength of its new-found offense (.270 BA), but it didn't last long and they have slumped back near the bottom, tied for seventh with Rolling Hills, 12 games out... now the Lynx has pathetic hitting (.234 BA/31st) to go with its pathetic pitching (4.36 ERA-31st)... LF Marco Giglio leads the batters with a .330 BA, while long-time star 3B Flash Devlin, a .330 lifetime hitter, is batting only .263, but has 16 homers, 44 RBIs and 43 runs.

The Rolling Hills Reds (32-41) have been a first-division team in 7 of the last 8 years, winning the TU West flag in 2019 and 2022... not so this year as Matty Christianson's team has dropped drastically and are tied for seventh and last place, a dozen games back in the standings... the Reds offense has tumbled from .261 down to .246 (21st)... the pitching is just about the same with a 3.65 ERA (19th)... Errol Gaudet (8-5 2.65) and Sal Jordan (7-7 3.76) are Rolling Hills best hurlers, along with closer Alfonso Gonzales (3-1), who is doing a fine job again with 12 saves and minuscule 0.77 ERA... youngstersl 1B Glenn Childress (.307 BA/11 HR/46 RBI/47 R) and LF Pat Webb (.295 BA/12 HR/40 RBi/45 R) led the club at the plate.

Tycobbian West Forecast:
The TU West is shaping up as a 3-team tussle between Kenwood, Bay St. Clair and Denton City... defending division champ Bay St. Clair get the nod over the other two teams in a close race that will probably go down to the wire... the Bucs are well-balanced, while the other two clubs lack hitting... Kenwood will end up in second place, followed closely by Denton City... Arlon should have fourth place to themselves with Bayview getting the best of Chicopee, LaClaire and Rolling Hills for fifth place... Rolling Hills should wind up sixth, LaClaire is slated to wind up seventh and the Chicopee Braves in last place.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 19, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian Union Mid-Season Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 19, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian Union Mid-Season Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 19, 2024

2024 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 19, 2024

2024 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 19, 2024

2024 IPA All-Star Game At Tuckanarra

TU Stars Edge RU Stars 5-4
At Tuckanarra's Central Park Stadium, the Tycobbian All-Stars took a squeaker from the Ruthlandian All-Stars 5-4 on Bucky O'Brian's (Mahaska) sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth... it was the TU Stars 18th win in the 24-game series and their fourth consecutive victory... however, the TU Stars trailed 3-0 after 4 innings, but came back to win it in the late innings.

Ruthlandia took a 1-0 lead in the first inning... SS Johnny Madigan (Kilkenny) led off with a double and came in to score on 1B Garris Aiken's (Glasco) single... they upped it to 3-0 in the fourth frame... a RF Randall Hawson (Sugar Valley) single and a two-bagger by Allan Lemay (Claxton) placed runners on second and third with one away... 3B Eddie Darby got Hawson in with an RBI ground-out, followed by CF Roy Hobbs' (Waleska) double... Tycobbia came alive in the top of the fifth and tied the score at 3-all on a 2-run double by 2B Leander Burks (Red Bluff) and a double by CF Dennis Hartwig (Oxford)... 1B Jack Elliott (High Mesa) homered to put the TU Stars in front 4-3 in the top of the fifth... Ruthlandia came back and evened it up at 4-4 in the seventh on a lead-off single by LF Carlton Curtis, a sacrifice bunt and an RBI single by 2B Jan Kessinger (Sugar Valley).

Reliever Alfonso Gonzales (Rolling Hills) picked up the win with a 1-2-3 eighth... J. D. McDermott (East Point) closed it out for the save, but the RU All-Stars put two runners on first and third with two two-out singles before he finished them off... Tiny Ladrieux (Belle Plaine) caught the loss as he allowed 1 runs on 2 hits in the top of the ninth... Ruthlandian outhit Tycobbia 10-8 in the game with Madigan and 2B Jan Kessinger (Sugar Valley) getting 2 hits apiece... Derek Yurek (Hartsdale) drilled a pair of hits to lead the winners.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian North Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian North Final Recap

Valmara Wins 2nd Straight RU North
Look out IPA, here comes the Valmara Vipers again... Jet Kazmarek's crew won its second straight Ruthlandian North flag and fifth in history... Don't be too surprised, if it's another Valmara-Tuckanarra Pro Cup Final like last year... the Vipers held off some strong teams and won by 6 games... they topped the IPA in victories this season with 97... Kilkenny had a great season and finished in the second spot... Taranto was third, followed by Ancona in fourth and Far Mountain (86-68) in fifth.

Valmara (97-57) seems to have it all this year with three 20-game winners in Clem Carmouche (20-8 2.52), Billy Ray (20-11 2.93) and Johnny Vasylenko (21-11 3.97)... the Vipers have a great bullpen, too, led by Chris Phillips (5-4) with 34 saved games and a fantastic 1.01 ERA... good bats abound, too, with CF Teddy Szymanski (.333 BA/27 HR/110 RBI/104 R) and LF Sonny Oliver (.299 BA/30 HR/111 RBI/86 R)... the Vipers are good with the gloves, too, with a .977 FA (2nd-tied).

The Cinderella Kilkenny Cats (91-63) have made good progress under Kevin McPhail the last three years, rising from seventh to fourth to second... The Cats have one outstanding starter Dave Whitaker (24-10 2.01) and a classy bullpen led by closer Cuzz Grandberry (5-6), who saved 39 games and posted a 2.37 ERA... McPhail needs really need some offense... the Cats hit only .244 this year (24th)... Kilkenny plays good defense with a .976 FA (4rd-tied).

Tommaso Lazzorda's Taranto Tars (88-66) wound up 9 games off the pace in third place... top performers at the plate were 2B Greg Murphy (.331 BA/24 HR/90 RBI/112 R) and 1B Denny Zaffino (.284 BA/28 HR/79 RBI)... on the hill the Tars had two fine starters with Johnny Sakelaris (18-12 3.15) and Alfredo Barsotti (13-8 3.69), although Barsotti went out in early August with injury and will be out four months.

The Ancona Red Elephants (87-67) ended up fourth in the standings and trailed Valmara by 10 games... manager Manny Mickens got good mound work from youngster Ken Rokas (21-15 3.67) and vet Spiros Zodiates (17-13 3.09)... and an excellent performance from Kenny Nikas (3-5) with 29 saves and a sparkling 1.29 ERA... Nikas is only 21 and in his second year in the league... topping the offense were vets 1B Alekos Kotas (.264 BA/30 HR/98 RBI/84 R), 3B Todd Nasso (.267 BA/23 HR/96 RBI/94 R) and newcomer LF Donnie Lewis (.280 BA/5 HR/44 RBI/101 R/32 SB), who came over from Rolling Hills in the off-season... Mickens lost his superstar LF Kenny Willard in late August due to injury... Willard was hitting .296 at the time with 24 homers, 109 RBIs and 97 runs... The Red Elephants are solid on defense with a .976 FA (4th-tied).

Alex Groveland improved his Far Mountain Redhawks (86-68) this year, but fell in the standings from second place... he finished a close fifth, 11 games out in the race... Groveland had the best team ERA in the RU at 2.81 (1st), sparked by Jeff Cooper (15-14 2.17), Woody Crawford (16-16 2.71), Jakob Wagner (20-11 2.98) and Karl Frantz (16-12 3.35)... they might be the best starting four in the IPA... but the Redhawks are woeful at the plate with a .241 BA (27th)... you can't compete well when your top bats are 1B Johnny Becker (.307 BA/10 HR/60 RBI) and LF Ryan Mizell (.262 BA/12 HR/88 RBI).

None of the other clubs had good years... the Glasco Athletics (72-82) with Charles Darby at the helm were sixth and 25 games back... 40-year-old Davy McAdams (18-15 3.20) heads up the hurlers... and 22-year-old 1B Garris Aiken (.300 BA/31 HR/119 RBI/88 R) is the only bonifide bat.

For the eighth season in a row the LaGrange Sports (68-85) are in the bottom half of the RU North in seventh place, 28 games in back... Otto Kronvath does have solid pitching wit a 3.28 ERA (8th)... Mike York (14-19 2.25), Niles Wooten (13-18 2.93) and Gabe Thomas (12-14 3.19) are very capable, but you can't win without runs... the Sports are batting a poor .239 (30th) and rank near the bottom in runs scored (29th)... 3B Mitch Pope was the club leader with 18 homers and 67 RBIs, but hit only .242.

Rick Fargnoli has bat woes, too... his Ranford Bulls (62-92) came in last for the second successive season... the Bulls were 35 games out... they batted just .242 as a team (26th)... but did well on the hill with Angelo Coppolo (9-12 3.04), Scotty Simmons (12-20 3.15) and Jimmy Travis (15-14 3.38)... LF Tyee Maska topped the team stats with 20 homers, 77 runs batted in and 78 runs, but hit only .258.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian North Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian South Final Recap

Waleska Sept Spree KOs Crushers In RU South
Trailing by 2 games going into September, the Waleska Westerners went on winning spree, overtook the defending division champ Crystal Lake Crushers and breezed past them to win the Ruthlandian South by 5 games... Waleska racked up 11 wins in 15 games in the surge, while the Crushers flopped with a 4-10 record... this was the closest-bunched race in the IPA with 7 teams having winning records... Grand City came in third, 8 games off the pace with Claxton and Valka tied for fourth and 10 games back... Belair Beach was sixth and 11 games behind... San Dimas finished in seventh place, but only 13 games out of first place... the St. John Crusaders were in the basement, winding up 20 in back of Waleska.

Not only does McGraw Johnson have good hitting in Waleska (91-63), but outstanding pitching to boot... both his starting four and entire relief corps are solid and steady... Pete Herrmann (21-13 3.04) and Chet McNeil (17-10 3.15) led the staff with good performances also from rookie Charlie Chan (15-14 3.21) and Sammy Grimaldi (16-15 3.47)... closer Jarred Laclair (3-2 1.55) paced the bullpen with 33 saves... 11-time All-Star and IPA legend CF Roy Hobbs carried the offense with 32 homers, 106 RBIs, 112 runs and a .325 BA... lending help were 1B Glenn Childress with 19 home runs, 97 RBIs and 92 runs with a .305 BA and RF Wilson James with 98 runs, 38 stolen bases, 9 homers, 54 RBIs and a .265 BA... the Westerners should be good for years to come... most of their players are in their 20s... Johnson has a young ball club... Hobbs is a 12-year veteran, but is only 31... Hobbs is the "old-timer" on the team.

The Crystal Lake Crushers (86-68) won three of the last four pennants and played very well this year, but just slumped at the wrong time - crunch time... Herman "Baby" George's starters could match Waleska, but not at the plate or in the bullpen... this cost them the division... the Crushers only had one quality hitter... that was RF Augie Marshall with 25 homers and 96 RBIs... Marshall hit .280 and was the only player with double-digit power... Crystal Lake was last in the league with only 66 roundtrippers... CF Herm Taylor led the RU with a .355 BA, but hit only 1 home run, drove in 73 runs and scored 82... on the hill, the Crushers fared better with Duncan Welch (24-12 2.22) and Dennis Taylor (19-13 2.81) leading the way... 25-year-old Willie Baldwin (18-11 3.27) was impressive, too... closer Keith Hunter (5-6) did his job well with 28 saves and a 2.54 ERA.

Wade Joslin had his third place Grand City Cybercats (83-71) in the chase most of the year, faltering only in September with a 4-10 mark... the Cybercats wound up 8 games behind Waleska... LF Ricky Rich (.294 BA/9 HR/82 RBI/86 R), 1B Bubby Harris (.270 BA/13 HR/97 R BI) and 3B Jug Slavin (.272 BA/13 HR/64 RBI/101 R) sparked the offense, which was third in the league with a .259 BA and third in scoring... however, Grand City was mediocre on the mound with a 3.80 team ERA (27th)... 42-year-old Pete Krohn (13-9 4.11) and 41-year-old Jimbo Stearns (14-8 4.27) led the starters... the Cybercats traded for Ralph Odakota from Sligo in July to really make them a contender, but it didn't happen... Odakota pitched well with an 8-7 record and a 3.00 ERA... overall Odakota was 16-13 with a 3.34 ERA.

The "Old Perfesser" Stacy Engel kept the Claxton Diamonds (81-73) close to the top, but floundered the last month with a 6-8 record and tied with Valka for fourth place, 10 games behind the leader... youngsters Max Jung (19-11 2.80) and Dirk De Beer (19-14 2.98), along with 34-year-old vet Sam Ervin (19-12 3.60) were key elements this season... closer Konrad Koch (4-5) also stood out with 28 saves and a superlative 2.00 ERA in 52 games... it was a different story at the plate... only LF George McKay (.322 BA/24 HR/91 RBI/103 R) was among the top hitters in the league... C Allen Lemay and right fielder K. C. Moerdijk supplied power... Moerdijk slammed 29 homers, had 79 RBIs, scored 97 runs, but hit only .227... Lemay went deep 20 times and batted in 83 runs with a .272 BA.

The Valka Blackhawks (81-73), managed by Andrei Kokk, were sparked by a pretty good starting four, who didn't miss a turn all year long and usually went deep in the game... 23-year-old Adam Aru (16-16 3.38) and three old vets, all over 30, Ivo Jaanson (14-14 3.41), Richie Jost (17-11 3.56) and Kaupo Vershik (14-11 3.75) did the job with the help of 38-year-old closer Vinko Markovic (3-4), who posted a super 1.59 ERA and saved 24 games... the only effective bat in the Blackhawk batting order is 23-year-old SS Olari Ojastu (.328 BA/16 HR/79 RBi/83 R)... to move up in the standings Valka will have to kick it up on offense.

Decent pitching and a little punch at the plate have given Marty Pedroza's Belair Beach Sunbirds (80-74) a winning season, but a sixth place spot in the tough RU South, 11 games back in the race... a good turnaround from last place last year, led by Jaden Bungarooba (19-11 3.10), Denny Whitaker (18-15 3.56), Jaime Pedroza (16-19 2.94) and Dan Marconi (13-15 3.70)... like Valka's starters, this group didn't miss a start the entire season... Whitaker at 35 is the only old one in the bunch, the rest are under 23... Kirsten Lydecker (2-3), a late bloomer at 31, filled the bill at closer with 19 saves and a very impressive 1.76 ERA... offensively it was 1B Kees Draeger (,290 BA) with 35 homers, 91 RBIs and 88 runs scored and LF Ray Pelligrini (.280 BA) with 20 roundtrippers and 74 RBIs.

Same story in San Dimas (78-76), where the Rancheros were 2 games above .500, yet ended up in seventh place, but only 13 games behind... manager Ron Armstrong did it with three solid starters, all in their 20s: Rod Bailey (18-14 3.27), who signed as a free agent in the off-season, formerly with Southport of the Tycobbian Union, Shannon White (18-17 3.01) and Keir Wells (18-16 3.08)... 22-year-old closer Matt Stevens (5-7 3.10) chalked up 29 saves... CF Ray Ford was the only reliable bat for the Rancheros and posted a very productive year: .339 BA, 30 homers, 102 RBIs, 93 runs and stole 23 bases.

For the fourth time in six seasons the St. John Crusaders (71-83) have landed in the cellar, 20 games away from first... Skinny Kisecawchuk has limited talent, two fine starters and a fine closer: vet Pat Long (15-15 2.97), along with youngsters Jeremy Vincent (18-11 2.73) and closer Nathan Hawthorne (2-6) with 31 saves and a 1.93 ERA for a last place club... SS Vinny Teicher led the team with 163 hits, .273 BA, 43 doubles, 6 triples, 14 home runs, 69 RBIs and 76 runs.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian East Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian East Final Recap

SV Rattlers Outdistance Marston and BP For RU East Flag
Six teams were in the running at the season's halfway point, but it soon settled down to a three-team fight between the Sugar Valley Rattlers, Marston Nine and Belle Plaine Musketeers... The Rattlers took charge of the Ruthlandian East the last six weeks and beat the Nine by 5 games and the Muskies by 7 with Beechwood coming in fourth 14 games out... last year's division winner Elnora had a dismal year and finished out of the running in seventh place.

Gibby Bobkins coupled strong pitching and solid hitting to capture Sugar Valley's (88-66) first flag in four years and its seventh in history... the Rattlers had three 20-game winners: Nick Moore (20-13 2.70), Benny McConnell (20-15 3.04) and Harry Diefendorf (21-11 3.75)... Bobkins had plenty of bats, too, with RF Randell Hawson (.300 BA/37 HR/85 RBI), 2B Jan Kessinger (.335 BA/7 HR/71 RBI/94 R), 1B Dean Woods (.288 BA/29 HR/95 RBI) and LF Marty Beckett (.278 BA/30 HR/94 RBI)... they were second in the RU with 162 home runs... Sugar Valley is solid on defense with a .975 FA (6th-tied).

The runner-up Marston Nine (83-71), skippered by Johnny Walters, moved up from deep in the second division this year... the Nine were seventh last season and in the basement two years ago... they were led at the plate by long-time star CF Russ Woodward (.291 BA/26 HR/102 RBI/97 R)... in his 13th season Woodward reached the 400-homer milestone and is a career .324 hitter... 1B Mel Hawkins (.264 BA/31 HR/110 RBI/95 R) put up some fine numbers, too... also helping out were LF Carlton Curtis (.316 BA/15 HR/62 RBI/84 R) and SS Danny Church (.296 BA/5 HR/55 RBI/90 R)... Church is 44, has 3300 hits and a .277 BA after 24 seasons... Marston had four quality starters in its rotation with Ronald Schmitt (24-11 2.67), Anson Thomas (16-13 3.38), Wayne Taylor (17-16 3.81) and Warren Tate (16-17 3.89)... closer John Wilson was inconsistent with a 5-10 record and a 3.49 ERA, but he saved 36 games.

The Belle Plaine Musketeers (81-73) have been exiled to the division doldrums since 2014... manager Dave Torregrossa finally had some success and climbed up to the first division, ending up in third place, 7 games out of first... Johnny Davenport (23-13 2.61) was outstanding as he won 20 games for the second successive season... Mitch Graves (17-17) also a steady starter for the Muskies... closer Tiny Ladrieux (3-5) saved 24 games and posted a fine 2.33 ERA... 6-time All-Star SS Slick Hammill (.313 BA/21 HR/87 RBI/81 R), RF Leon Bourque (.285 BA/29 HR/87 RBI/106 R) and 3B Tyler Verret (.283 BA/18 HR/95 RBI/83 R) led the club at bat.

The other five teams finished with losing records... after two years in the runner-up position, the Beechwood Bobcats (74-80) came in fourth and trailed Sugar Valley by 14... manager Bret George has a good starting foursome led by Ken DeGraw (20-15 2.83)... Bobcat offense was spotty this year... IPA icon CF Vic Valenti again led the club, but he only had a modest year for the 3-time Golden Bat winner with a .292 BA, 21 HR, 96 RBIs and 82 runs... Valenti is a lifetime .329 batter... RF Jojo Davis hit .343 with 10 homers, but only drove in 62 runs and scored 69... 1B Eric Townsend walloped 22 out of the park, while hitting .262 and driving in 89 runs... but Townsend did most of it for LaGrange... he came over from the Sports in an August trade... the Bobcats stood out on defense with a .977 FA (2nd-tied).

The Wynnamac Sundowners (72-82) were looking good, tied for first with Eastshore at the All-Star game... many experts thought they might be the team to beat with its standout pitching.. however Matt Donnelly's Sundowners fizzled in the second half and dropped to fifth place, 16 games back, despite a group of fine starters... Lon Marshall (15-20 2.53) and Jason Meeks (14-16 2.71) were both terrific, but suffered greatly from a poor offense... Jimmy Nichols (11-11 3.42) and Brit Webber (10-15 3.62) were reliable starters, too... Jim Horton (6-4) had a fine season as the closer with 29 saves and a 2.64 ERA... but only 3B Dorak Aranda was productive at the plate with 23 homers and 94 RBIs... Aranda hit for a .287 BA... as a team Wynnamac batted only .245 (20th) and were tied for 27th in scoring runs.

The Eastshore Elegants (68-86) also went into a tailspin after being tied for the RU East lead at mid-season... Killer Brewster's Elegants fell down to a sixth-place tie with Elnora and were 20 games off the pace... Melvin Key (19-15 3.47) led the pitchers, while 2B Gerry Garner (.280 BA/27 HR/84 RBI/80 R) and LF Larry Lowe (.293 BA/11 HR/39 RBI/101 R) topped them at the plate.

Last year Elnora won 98 games, more than anyone in the IPA... but that changed drastically this season... Lousy hitting doomed the Elnora All-Stars (68-86) to a sixth-place finish... Sam Malone's All-Stars batted a paltry .241 (28th) and were 30th in scoring... only RF Travis Glass (.291 BA/26 HR/94 RBI/93 R), 1B Benny Cortazzo (.291 BA/18 HR/76 RBI) and 3B Jeff Matthews (.280 BA/11 HR/71 RBI/74 R) put up respectable numbers... for the most part the pitchers held up their end of the bargain with a very good 3.14 team ERA (3rd)... Will Hamilton (16-17 2.24) was superb... Lucien Vachon (16-21 2.80) was strong... and Mario Colon (15-16 3.29) was solid... only Hal Wilkerson (4-17 4.17) faltered... in the bullpen, closer Bud Foster (6-5) compiled an impressive 2.03 ERA and notched 22 saves.

It was another dismal year for the Cold Creek Catamounts (58-96) and manager Trip Holmes... for the fourth time in six seasons the Catamounts were last in the RU East, trailing by 30 games... terrible hitting was the reason... they hit only .228 (32nd) and were last in scoring, too... LF Carl Glick was the only reliable bat with a .290 BA, 20 homers, 84 RBIs and 82 runs scored... and Jon Howard (12-22 3.15) was the only reliable pitcher.