EC's South Island League

[Eugene Church]

MONDAY, JULY 13, 1959

BRAXTON SOARS PAST JOLIET, WINS CROWN AND HEADS TO SUPREME LEAGUE NEXT YEAR
The 1959 South Island Secondary League season is in the books... the late-blooming Braxton Bruins are the league
champion after trouncing the Joliet Green Giants 8-2 in a sudden-death playoff game... after four seasons, all in the
Secondary League the Bruins will advance to the South Island Supreme League next year.

Thank goodness, Braxton took a chance on little-used 33-year-old right-hander Pete Willis in the last two games of
the season... for the first time this year the Bruins got some solid and reliable pitching and didn't have to entirely depend on
its offense to win games... Willis, along with superb rookies center fielder Jeff Cook and second baseman Chuck Abadie and
veteran catcher Mike Bryan sparked them to their first league championship.

All four paced Braxton past tough Joliet 8-2 at the Braxton Fairgrounds on Sunday, giving the Bruins the South Island Secondary
League title.

1959 South Island Secondary League Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

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[jg2977]

Wow, looks like the one-game playoff was over before it started. 6-0 after two innings?

Can you post Braxton's graphics in my thread? They look mighty snazzy! I'm thinking of expanding my IPA again soon and I would like to add Braxton and one of the teams.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Wow, looks like the one-game playoff was over before it started. 6-0 after two innings?

Can you post Braxton's graphics in my thread? They look mighty snazzy! I'm thinking of expanding my IPA again soon and I would like to add Braxton and one of the teams.

CD has already posted them in his thread.

[Eugene Church]

Wow!

Really enjoyed the South Island Leagues this year.

Will soon recap the year and give the awards out.

Then work on the rosters... 3 new rookies will be added to the teams, based on their rosters needs.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 15, 1959

NY YANKS CHAMPS AGAIN IN NEW LEAGUE
In 1958 the New Yerby Yankees won the South Island Secondary League championship in their first year of existence and won promotion to the South Island Supreme League in 1959... the Yanks also ruled the roost in their new league, too... they were a good team the first year, but even better this year with an overabundance of new talent... rookies Rusty Armstrong, Dom DeLuca, Clancy Dupepe, Roman Joyce and Johnny Jordan certainly kicked the team up to a higher level... add them to veteran stars James Madison and Clayton Delaney and you have the makings for a special season.

Defending champion Meraux came in third this season, winding up 4 games back of New Yerby... previous flag winners were Jackson in 1955, Pelham in 1956 and Mystic in 1957.

1959 South Island Supreme League Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

Batting Leaders



Pitching Leaders

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, July 16, 1959

NEW YERBY WINS TITLE... SUPREME LEAGUE STARS PRESENTED MVP TROPHY AND GOLDEN GLOVES
The New Yerby Yankees won the Secondary League last season and was elevated to the Supreme League this season... the Yanks also proved to be the best team again this season, snatching the league flag with a fine 12-3 record, 3 games in front of second place Jackson (9-5) and 4 better than third place Meraux (8-6)... the Jackson Jackalopes copped the first Supreme League flag in 1955, the Pelham Oaks in 1956, the Mystic Mariners in 1957 and last year's winner was the Meraux Tigers.

New Yerby's 23-year-old first baseman copped the 1959 Supreme League's highest honor... for his standout play this season James Madison was acclaimed the league's Most Valuable player... he outdid one of his own teammate Rusty Armstong and Zebulon's Billy Ward in the balloting by the sportwriters of the South Island Sentinel.

Madison led the New Yerby Yankees to the Supreme League pennant this season, batting .415 with a .450 on-base percentage... in his 14 games he piled up 22 hits, 2 doubles, 5 homers, 20 RBIs, scored 12 runs and stole 7 bases... he also stood out defensively with a .991 FA... Madison finished 5th in batting, 2nd in homers and topped the league with 20 runs batted in... this year's MVP is a 3-year veteran and carries a .368 BA overall... Madison paced the South Island Secondary League with a .457 BA in 1957 and he led the league with 6 roundtrippers in 1958.

Coming in second in the vote was New Yerby rookie third baseman Rusty Armstrong... he was 3rd with a .435 batting average and was #1 with 14 runs and 12 stolen bases... Armstong was also a solid defender with a .961 FA.

Winding up in the third spot in the MVP race was first baseman Billy Ward of the Zebulon Zips... they ended up in a sixth-place tie this year, but he was a solid contributor... Ward came in 4th with a .423 BA, 2nd in homers with 5, 3rd in RBIs with 15 and led the Supreme League with 14 runs scored... he also handled the glove well with a .991 FA... Zebulon started the season off well by winning their first 4 games, but tailed off drastically the rest of the way... the Zips lost the last 6 games and fell to 5-9 at season's end.

The South Island Supreme League also announced its 1959 Golden Glove Team, headed up third baseman Tubby Ernest of the Zebulon Zips, who won his 3rd Golden Glove.

Pitcher: Eric Pahler (Delta Stars) - 1.000 FA/7-5 record/2.83 ERA/.196 BA
Catcher: Gary Newton (Meraux Tigers) - .982 FA/2 PB/34.6% RTO/.327 BA
First Baseman: Adam Harper (Bar Harbor Acadians) - 1.000 FA/.294 BA
Second Baseman: John Dailey (Mystic Mariners) - .984 FA/.351 BA
Third Baseman: Tubby Ernst (Zebulon Zips) - 1.000 FA/ .367 BA
Shortstop: Mickey Retief (Jackson Jackalopes) - .983 FA/.344 BA
Left Fielder: Warren Gravois (Bar Harbor Acadians) - 1.000 FA/.360 BA
Center Fielder: Junior Wible (Bar Harbor Acadians) - 1.000 FA/.211 BA
Right Fielder: Silas Delaney (New Yerby Yankees) - 1.000 FA/.213 BA

[Eugene Church]

Will recap the 1959 South Island Secondary League season in the next day or two.

[Eugene Church]

Friday, July 17, 1959

BRUINS ROOKIE STAR COOK VOTED BEST PLAYER IN THE SECONDARY LEAGUE... LED TEAM TO LEAGUE TITLE
The Braxton Bruins played their best ball in "must win" games in the last two games of the season and captured the South Island Secondary League title... they snared the pennant by drubbing Joliet 8-2 in a sudden-death game... by being the best team in the league, the Bruins will be promoted to the Supreme League next year... Braxton's overall record in the South Island leagues is not very good, except for this year... the Bruins were 6-4 in '55, 1-9 in '56, 3-9 in '57 and 3-8 in '58... they were demoted to the Secondary League in '56 and have been there ever since.

Braxton's gifted center fielder Jeff Cook not only led his team to the Secondary League championship, the 23-year-old rookie also garnered the Most Valuable Player Award given out by the South Island Sentinel... Cook outduelled Slim Smiley of the Grin Hill Smileys and his own Braxton teammate Roger Sandlin in the MVP balloting.

In his spectacular freshman campaign Cook compiled a .367 batting average and led the league in four offensive categories... playing in 15 games he topped the league with 20 runs, 10 homers, 28 RBIs and tied for the triples lead with 2... Cook set new league records in roundtrippers and RBIs and tied with Ralph Varricchio of Joliet for most runs in a season... Braxton won the pennant with a 10-5 mark.

Grin Hill center fielder Slim Smiley, a 5-year veteran, was runner-up for the MVP... he had the top BA at .433, led in hits with 29 and tied for the triples lead... in 14 games Smiley had 5 homers, 12 ribbies, scored 15 runs and stole 13 bases... despite his individual success, the Smileys finished a poor 7th in the standings, going 5-9... in his 5 seasons Smiley sports a .346 BA.

Braxton third sacker Roger Sandlin wound up third in the MVP race... in 14 games he batted .362 with 2 home runs, 16 RBIs and 11 runs... the 26-year-old was an important part of the Bruins copping the pennant and being promoted back to the Supreme League next year.

The defensive dream team this year in the South Island Secondary League was sparked by 34-year-old catcher Mike Bryan for Braxton... this is his second Golden Glove... he also won it in 1955 when he played left field.

Pitcher: Leon Dement (Grin Hill Smileys) (1.000 FA/3-6/4.52 ERA/.280 BA)
Catcher: Mike Bryan (Braxton Bruins) (.992 FA/0 PB/50% RTO)
First Baseman: Tony Armstrong (Cherrywood Stouts) (.991 FA/.196 BA)
Second Baseman: Justice Brown (Littleville Supermen) (.971 FA/.279 BA)
Third Baseman: Bob Proctor (Joliet Green Giants) (1.000 FA/.391 BA)
Shortstop: Rick Fargnoli (Cherrywood Stouts) (.983 FA/.414 BA)
Left Fielder: Dicky Hall (Littleville Supermen) (.971 FA/.216 BA)
Center Fielder: Robert Wheeler (Cherrywood Stouts) (.981 FA/.318 BA)
Right Fielder: Arthyr Freeman (Billings Rams) (1.000 FA/.250 BA)

1959 South Island Secondary League Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

Secondary League Batting Leaders



Secondary League Pitching Leaders

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Off we go to the 1960 South Island season.

Will work on the rosters and add the three players to the spring training rosters and see who earns their roster spots... I will yield to the AI and let it take care of them.

[Eugene Church]

Updated the Supreme League rosters this afternoon... went quickly and went well.

Will do the Secondary League tomorrow.

Should start the 1960 season early next week.

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 1959
EC's Hopin' Life is Devine in '59

It's late summer... life is OK at the Army Language School in beautiful Monterey, California... not really good... but certainly not bad at all... military life is pretty good overall... EC has the beautiful Pacific Ocean to swim in... we get steak every Saturday... Uncle Sam takes care of my basic needs... everything provided except a love life... pays me $78 a month... yep, EC has it made!

As far as swimming the Pacific Ocean, I tried it in early spring in April... I put my foot in the water and it turned blue... so much for swimming in the Pacific Ocean... I'll give it a month or two to warm up and then take a dip in it.

It's now late July, nearly August.. tried it again... nope, no improvement in the water temperature... EC only put a few toes in the Pacific Ocean... never graced the Pacific Ocean with my entire body... just too darn cold... only went "swimming' twice in my year in Californey.

Thank goodness for music... EC was spooning and mooning and moping to the music... yep, I think I am a martyr... always feeling sorry for myself and my sad love life.
It's time to mope along in song with Frankie Avalon and his up-and-coming hit "A Boy Without a Girl".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xFlYCZ3_fPg

I kick myself for not learning to get on the dance floor with a girl... it ain't that darn hard to do.... just go out there and do it like nobody watching.

Alright... are you ready... are you willing?... are you able?
You darn tootin' we are ready to rock and roll.

All you guys, dolls, cats and frats, buckaroos and little darlin's, too... let move and groove and shake that thang with Ray Charles and his #9 song "What I Say" on the Billboard Top 100.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6uTDa3771HM

[Eugene Church]

Finished the roster adds... played spring training... AI didn't do a good job on the rosters... too many pitchers... and not enough infielders and outfielders.

I will fix the rosters... also have to manually do the schedule so the games will be played on Sundays... the AI scheduled the entire 14-game season in the first two weeks of the season... has to be spread from April to July.