ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 10, 2017

2017 IPA Pro Cup Finals (Best-of-Seven)

Game Five at Typhoon Stadium in Turon

Typhoons Take Back the Pro Cup Lead
Not too many people saw it coming, but Turon is now within a game of its fourth Pro Cup crown... nobody much believed the Typhoons could handle the powerful defending champ Eastshore, but they have defied the odds and run up a three-games-to-two lead in the best-of-seven series... rookie Shane Farmer (4-0) hurled his fourth straight playoff victory and knocked off the Elegants 4-3 in game five... Farmer was touched for 3 runs and 7 hits in 8 innings... closer Merle Studebaker again did his job and sat down Eastshore in the ninth for his 6th save... C Cody Moore paced Turon with 2 RBIs and LF Andy Porter went 2-2 and got the game-winning hit... loser Eddie Lance (2-2) surrendered 4 runs and 7 hits in his 8 frames... Eastshore scored in the first to take a 1-0 lead... Turon rebounded with a pair of runs in the second and expanded it to a 3-1 margin in the fifth, only to have the Elegants knot it 3-3 in the seventh... the Typhoons won it in the last of the eighth on Porter's RBI single... game six will be played at Kraft Stadium in Eastshore on Thursday... if needed, game seven will be Friday.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 12, 2017

2017 IPA Pro Cup Finals (Best-of-Seven)

Game Six at Kraft Stadium in Eastshore

Hansen Wins Again, Elegants Force 7th Game
The defending Pro Cup champion Eastshore are not going to go quietly... the Elegants rapped two homers and got another great outing by Bix Hanson to whip underdog Turon 7-3 in game six of the IPA Pro Cup Finals, tying up the series at 3-3 and forcing a seventh-and-deciding game... Hansen (4-0) racked up his fourth successive playoff complete-game victory... Hansen struck out 10 and scattered 9 hits and didn't let 4 errors behind him bother him... CF Larry Lowe went 3-for-4 with a homer and 2 RBIs and 3B George Alford had 2 hits, including a roundtripper and 3 RBIs for the winning Elegants... It was Alford's 4th postseason clout and Lowe's second... Ted Farentino was ineffective for Turon and lost it... he was battered hard for 7 runs and 9 hits in 6 innings... Farentino was 1-3 in the postseason, but had a fine 2.97 ERA... this was his only bad start... Eastshore outhit the Typhoons 10-9... the Elegants led 3-1 after the opening inning, 5-1 after three and 7-1 after six... Turon finally got 2 more off of Hansen in the ninth, but it was too late then... Turon was led by 1B Clyde Kingsford with 2 RBIs and 3B Mickey O'Malley with 3 hits... RF Dominick DiCaprio got the other RBI... the game-seven finale is tomorrow at Kraft Stadium in Eastshore.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 13, 2017

2017 IPA Pro Cup Finals (Best-of-Seven)

Game 7 At Kraft Stadium in Eastshore

Elegants Rally In 13th, Win Pro Cup Again
Friday the 13th was Eastshore's lucky day... the Elegants rallied from 2 runs down in the last of the 13th to cop the IPA Pro Cup for the second consecutive season... Turon took a 7-5 lead in the top half of the inning, but couldn't hold it... in a heart-pounding finish Eastshore took the seventh game 8-7 at its home park Kraft Stadium... this was an intensely-fought Pro Cup Finals... it was a shame for either club to lose it... the heavily-favored Elegants won the series four-games-to-three over the feisty Typhoons.

The Elegants came back from a 3-2 deficit in games to take the Island crown again... with Melvin Key on the hill, Eastshore put up a 5-2 lead after 5 innings, but allowed Turon to tie it up with a run in the 6th and 2 more in the top of the 9th... Key pitched a strong game, holding the Typhoons to just one earned run in 8 innings... Key allowed 6 hits, whiffed 4 and walked 3, leaving with a 5-3 lead, but his bullpen couldn't close it out... Les Irwin (1-0) got the win, but allowed 2 runs and 4 hits in his 2 innings... the loser was Jeb Pickett (0-1), who was blistered for 3 runs in the 13th... James Stuart started for Turon... he was rocked for 5 runs and 8 hits in 5 innings.

Both clubs had 12 hits each... backup C Fran MacIntyre led the Elegants at the plate with a homer and 3 RBIs... 3B Bob Leach also homered... 2B Gerry Garner drove 2 runs for the winners... C Cory Moore led the Typhoons with 3 hits and a pair of RBIs... RF Dominick DiCaprio added 2 RBIs.

This was Turon's record fifth time in the finals... the Typhoons also lost a heartbreaker in 7 games to Colfax in 2010... they have won the Pro Cup trophy three times in its history, tied with Far Mountain for the most titles.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 14, 2017

Bix Hansen Named Pro Cup MVP
Bix Hansen wasn't even on the Eastshore roster until late August. He spent the entire year on the reserve roster, but he was ready when Elegant ace pitcher Danny Siegfried went down to injury for the rest of the season. Hansen stepped in as the number four starter in the rotation and finished out the year with a 2-1 mark in the last few weeks of the season. However, Hansen really stepped it up to another level in the Pro Cup playoffs. The 24-year-old right-hander went 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA and completed all four starts, leading Eastshore to its second IPA Pro Cup crown. Without Hansen, it was doubtful the Elegants could have won for the second year in a row. Today The Islandian Times named Hansen the most outstanding player in the Pro Cup playoffs and honored him with the Most Valuable Player Award.

Turon's fine hurler Shane Farmer was a close second in the balloting. Farmer, a 34-year-old rookie, had a brilliant run in the playoffs with a 4-0 record and a 1.91 ERA. Eastshore RF Stan Cuccinello was ranked third in the award voting. He batted .349 with 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Teammate 2B Gerry Garner came in fourth in the poll. Garner hit .353 with 11 RBIs and 14 runs scored in the postseason. Elegant CF Larry Lowe and Typhoon 2B Andy Hansen tied for fifth in the MVP poll. Lowe batted .361 with 17 runs, 9 SBs and 7 RBIs, while Hansen hit .375, scored 20 runs and walked 16 times.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 14, 2017

IPA Best Rookies Selected

Ivarsson Earns RU Rookie Honor
A fine inaugural season has paid off handsomely for Vic Ivarsson of the Middlefield Roosters. The 22-year-old topped off his debut year with the 2017 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award. The Roosters left fielder took the trophy by hitting .343 in 147 games and finished with 201 hits, 29 home runs, 101 RBIs and 94 runs scored.

Troxell Crowned TU Top Rookie
22-year-old Gary Troxell of the Arroyo Grande Suns made quite a splash on the Tycobbian Union scene in 2017 by nabbing the Rookie of the Year Award. The standout Suns catcher took the honor by hitting .277 in 132 games this season and finishing with 142 hits, 39 home runs, 105 RBIs and 89 runs scored.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 15, 2017

IPA Awards Golden Arm Trophies

Chaney's Great Year Nets Golden Arm Award
The Golden Arm Award for 2017 has been presented and the Ruthlandian Union winner is Don Chaney of Rocky Rapids. Chaney excelled with an impressive 26-7 record in 39 starts. In 320 innings he yielded 267 hits and 84 walks, while striking out 147 and compiling a fine 2.05 ERA. The 28-year-old right-hander led the RU in ERA and led Rocky Rapids to its best year ever. The Snappers captured the RU West pennant for the first time in its history.

TU's Best Hurler is Osterman
The 2017 Tycobbian Union Golden Arm Award winner is 21-year-old Benny Osterman, the ace of the Ozarka Naturals. Osterman made 39 starts this year, winning 25 and losing 8. He threw 314 innings, fanned 308, allowed 236 hits and 108 walks, while holding opposing teams to a .210 average as he logged an impressive 2.43 ERA. He was the league strikeout king. Osterman paced Ozarka to the TU East championship for the third straight season. He was won 20 games in each of his three years in the IPA.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 16, 2017

IPA Awards Golden Bat Trophies

2017 Top Batter Selected in RU
Roy Hobbs of the Waleska Westerners put up some standout stats again this year and was awarded his second Ruthlandian Union's Golden Bat Award today. The center fielder piled up 219 hits, 38 doubles, 7 triples, 42 home runs and 117 runs batted in on the way to crafting a .372 batting average. The 24-year-old superstar also took the honor in 2014. Hobbs finished second in the batting race with Crystal Lake's Chip Fiske, who batted .379 for the year.

Tycobbian Union Names Best Hitter
Triple Crown winner Jack Elliott, the talented High Mesa first baseman, had another terrific year with 218 hits, 36 doubles, 5 triples, 56 home runs, 149 RBIs and scored 141 times. That kind of output easily made him the choice for Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award for 2017. Only 24 years old, Elliott has dominated the award and won it every year he has played in the IPA. This was his fifth Golden Bat. This season Elliott led the league in homers for the fifth year in a row, batting average for the third time, in RBIs for the second time, in runs scored for the fourth time and carries a .357 career average.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 17, 2017

IPA Awards Most Valuable Player Awards

Snappers Chaney Snags RU MVP Honor
This year's Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player Award has gone to Rocky Rapids ace hurler Don Chaney, who led the Snappers to its first pennant in its history with an extraordinary 26-7 record, 17 complete games and a league-leading 2.05 ERA. The 28-year-old Chaney has played 8 years in the IPA and posted a 163-103 record with an outstanding 2.97 ERA. This was the first time Chaney has been honored with the MVP trophy.

Cowboys Elliott Named TU MVP For 2nd Time
For the second time in his illustrious career High Mesa's Jack Elliott has been acclaimed the Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player. This year Elliott hit for the Triple Crown and won the Golden Bat, topping the league with a .360 batting average, 56 homers and 149 RBIs. He also led the league with 141 runs scored and sparked the Cowboys to a third-place finish in the TU East. In his unsurpassed 5 seasons, Elliott has a lifetime .357 batting average and 278 homers. He is averaging 56 roundtrippers and 140 runs batted in per year so far

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 18, 2017

IPA Awards Manager Of The Year Awards

Stoner Stars Skipper Stern Best Manager In RU
Longtime journeyman catcher Ben Stern is Ruthlandian Manager of the Year for 2017 chosen in a poll by The Islandian Times. This year Stern took over as skipper in Stoner and guided the Stars to the team's best season in 10 years. The Stars rose up from last place (69-85) to fourth place (87-67), an 18-game turnaround in the strong RU West, where 6 teams finished above the .500 mark. Ryan Noland was second in the poll as he led the Rocky Rapids Snappers to its best record ever and won the RU West. The Snappers were 97-57, the second-best record in the RU. Only Eastshore had a better mark at 98-56. Killer Brewster of the Eastshore Elegants wound up third in the balloting this season after winning the award the last two years. Eastshore won its second RU East flag in a row and led the league in victories.

Blue Jays Manager Stevens Rated Best In TU
Perennial pennant winner Tuckanarra suffered long and hard in 2016 and plunged to seventh place in the TU East with a 71-83 mark, but Carlton "Lefty" Stevens rebounded this year and improved to 95-59 and wound up a very close second to the pennant-winning Ozarka Naturals, who were 97-57. For his efforts Stevens has been selected as the Tycobbian Manager of the Year for the second time in his career. He also won it in 2013. Rookie mananger Cristo Viamonte of the Luxora Zorros wound up second in the vote. He brought the Z's from sixth to first in his first season at the helm. Luxora was 82-72 in the TU North after finishing 69-85 the previous season. In Colchester, Uncle Robbie Wilbertson got a much-improved performance from his Elites this year as they climbed from 6th in the TU South to end up second to Turon. Colchester improved from 72-82 to 82-72, a 10-game about face.

[Eugene Church]

I'll get busy on Season 18.

I will not botch the playoffs like I did this year.

Sorry for not being able to cover the playoff games in greater details.

I had no access to game scores for some reason.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, June 17, 2018

IPA All-Stars Announced, Game Wednesday In Eastshore
Wednesday afternoon at Kraft Stadium in Eastshore will be the 18th edition of the IPA All-Star Classic, pitting the best of Tycobbia against the best of Ruthlandia. Turon's Whitey Richburn will be at the helm of the TU Stars, while his opponent in last year's Pro Cup Finals Killer Brewster will head up the RU Stars. Tybobbia has a resounding edge in the series so far with 13 victories in 17 games.

Ruthlandian All-Stars

SP Roberto Conception - Marston 2X
SP Joe Schneider - Middlefield 1X
SP Junior Noland - Rocky Rapids 2X
SP Jerry Meeks - Wynnamac 2X
SP Sam Tate - Sligo 1X
SP Ilya Szabo - Colfax 8X
SP Les Patterson - Sligo 1X
SP Terry Kuznetsov - Beechwood 3X
CL Bob Daniel - Marston 1X
CL Doug Foster - Kilkenny 1X
C Hank Bethel - Rocky Rapids 12X
C Hal Stevenson - Sugar Valley 10X
C Leon Carter - Elnora 5X
1B Stetch Stookey - Fort Benton 1X
1B Mike Luzzatti - Claxton 10X
1B Phil Gravelli - Crystal Lake 11X
2B Jim Rose - Middlefield 5X
2B Hank Maddox - San Dimas 1X
3B Stu Butterworth - Middlefield 1X
3B Manny Alou - Sligo 1X
3B Jug Slavin - Grand City 3X
SS Don Nichols - Far Mountain 9X
SS Vic Carlin - Sligo 1X
SS Vince Wilson - Volusia 4X
LF Jim Beauregard - Belle Plaine rookie 1X
LF Mike Jaffe - Stoner 3X
CF Chuck Larkin - Middlefield 1X
CF Vic Valenti - Beechwood 4X
CF Joe DeLucca - Volusia 5X
RF Louie DiMucci - Ancona 1X
RF Augie Marshall - Taranto 6X

Tycobbian All-Star

SP Tiago Torres - Luxora 1X
SP Tom Edgar - Hillsboro 1X
SP Tommy Ruffin - Chicopee 3X
SP Titus Bristow - Tuckanarra 6X
SP Benny Osterman - Ozarka 4X
SP Ronald Ward - High Mesa 1C
SP Bob Montgomery - Southport 2X
SP Shane Farmer - Turon 1X
CL Jason Patrick - Arroyo Grande 1X
CL Dom Vilaggio - Midway 2X
C Bucky O'Brian - Mahaska 5X
C Crash Davis - Ginza 6X
C Gary Troxell - Arroyo Grande 1X
1B Jack Elliott - High Mesa 6X
1B Benny Rousseau - Ozarka 1X
1B Clyde Kingsford - Turon 5X
2B Fran O'Brian - Fairfax 1X
2B Bud Walker - Bay St. Clair
3B Flash Devlin - LaClaire 4X
3B Kendry Moulton - Hartsdale 4X
3B Clay Hoffman - Rolling Hills 2X
SS Gil Rayfor - East Point 1X
SS Stephen Andrews - High Mesa 1X
LF Zeppy Deshotel - LaClaire 9X
LF Vann Kelter - Summerland 2X
CF Sozi Akiyama - East Point 1X
CF Mac McCurnan - Turon 2X
CF Ryoma Nakayama - Ozarka 1X
RF Danny Redd - Tuckanarra 3X
RF Dominick DiCaprio - Turon 1X

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 19, 2018

2018 IPA Mid-Season Recaps

Ranford (42-31) has been the big surprise in the RU North, rising up from seventh place last season... As expected Ancona (40-33), Far Mountain (40-33) and Taranto (37-36) are title contenders... last year's winner Valmara (36-37) has fallen to fifth place, but is only 6 games back... Glasco (29-44), Kilkenny (28-45) and LaGrange (27-46) are totally out of the race.

It looks to be a 4-team race in the RU South with the defending champ Valka (33-40) dropping down to a tie for fifth... Crystal Lake (45-28) has the lead at the halfway point... Belair Beach (40-33) is second, 5 games behind... Claxton (38-35) is third, 7 games out... Grand City (37-36) is 8 games off the pace in fourth place... San Dimas (33-40) and Waleska (33-40) are tied for fifth with Valka... St. John (31-42) is last and trails by 14.

In the RU East, Pro Cup champion Eastshore (43-30) has its hands full this season... the Elegants have been close, but just recently knocked the Marston Nine out of the top spot... Marston (42-31) is just a game out of first, Beechwood (40-33) is tied for third with Elnora (40-33), only 3 behind and Sugar Valley (38-35) is fifth, 5 games in back, but still close enough to challenge... Cold Creek (34-39) is sixth, followed by seventh place Wynnamac (30-43) and last place Belle Plaine (27-46).

Rocky Rapids (47-26) is rocking again this year and has a big 7-game edge in the RU West over revitalized Middlefield (40-33) and Sligo (40-33) in second place... Fort Benton (39-34) is in the fourth spot... long-time power Colfax (36-37) continued to decline again this season and has now dipped to below .500 and into fifth place, 11 games off the pace... same thing for Volusia (36-37), who is tied with the Blasters... Forest City (35-38) is seventh in the standings and Stoner (32-41) is way down in the basement, 15 games out.

Luxora (45-28) took the TU North title last year and is likely to repeat... the Zorros already lead at mid-season by 7 games over Hartsdale (38-35)... the Hellcats are the only club close in the pennant chase... Fairfax (34-39) and Mahaska (33-40) are third and fourth, but way under the .500 mark... White River (31-42) is fifth, North Hills (30-43) and Oxford (30-43) are in a sixth-place tie and cellar-dwelling Blue Lake (23-50) has fallen completely out of sight with a terrible season and are 22 games out.

Turon (52-21) could win 100 games this season... the Typhoons are mad at losing the Pro Cup last season to Eastshore and are whipping everything in sight... Turon has piled up a 10-game bulge at the All-Star break... Arroyo Grande (42-31) and Colchester (42-31) are tied for the runner-up spot in the TU South... fourth place belongs to Southport (38-35), who are 14 games behind... Cape Coral (36-37) is fifth, Ginza (35-38) sixth, Summerland (34-39) seventh and San Alejo (27-46) is eighth.

Over in the TU East, Ozarka (48-25) is still the superior team and will again be one of the Pro Cup favorites... Tuckanarra (43-30) is hanging close, trailing by 5 games and in second place... Hillsboro (41-32) is putting together two good back-to-back seasons... the Blazers are third, 7 games off the pace... fourth place South Fork (40-33) is another quality ball club in the strongest division in the IPA with 6 teams above .500... High Mesa (39-34) and Midway (39-34) are deadlocked for the fifth spot, while East Point (28-45) and Red Bluff (28-45) both pull up the rear in the cellar, 20 games behind.

There's a great 6-team race going on in the TU West... Arlon (41-32) and Chicopee (41-32) are the co-leaders with last season's pennant winner Bay St. Clair (40-33) and Bayview (40-33) right on their heels in third place, a scant game behind them... fifth place Rolling Hills (37-36) is only 4 games off the lead... with North Hills (30-43) and Oxford (30-43) tied for sixth and 15 games off the pace...Denton City (27-46) is playing poorly again for the third successive season and will probably end up last in the standings again.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 20, 2018

2018 IPA All-Star Game At Kraft Stadium In Eastshore

RU Stars Trim TU Stars 4-3
At Kraft Stadium in Eastshore, the Ruthlandian All-Stars broke a 4-game losing streak with a 4-3 triumph over the Tycobbian All-Stars in the 18th IPA All-Star classic... CF Vic Valenti (Beechwood) socked a 2-run pinch homer in the bottom of the sixth to give the RU a 4-1 lead and they held on to win for only the 5th time in 18 games in All-Star competition... 3B Kendry Moulton (Hartsdale) and C Bucky O'Brian (Mahaska) smacked solo homers in the sixth and seventh to narrow the score to 4-3, but that was as close as the TU Stars could get... Tycobbia had the advantage in hits 8-7... Ilya Szabo (Colfax) logged the win with a scoreless second inning, while starter Tiago Torres (Luxora) took the loss... Torres allowed two runs in the second inning, neither one of them was earned... Tycobbian committed 3 miscues in the game and it cost them... Valenti was chosen the game's MVP.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 20, 2018

2018 Ruthlandian Mid-Season Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 20, 2018

2018 Ruthlandian Mid-Season Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 20, 2018

2018 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 20, 2018

2018 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 17, 2018

2018 Ruthlandian North Final Standings and Team Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 17, 2018

2018 Ruthlandian North Final Recap

Ancona Take RU North Flag
The Ancona Red Elephants held off Far Mountain, Taranto and defending division champ Valmara to garner the club's second Ruthlandian North pennant, the first time in 11 years that has occurred... the Ranford Bulls, the halfway leader, folded in the second half and wound up fifth, a distant 11 games off the pace... Kilkenny, LaGrange and Glasco finished at the bottom.

Ancona's Manny Mickens has two quality starters and a line-up with good punch... the Red Elephants top twirlers are Clete Dukas (20-12 3.01) and Nikon Maragos (17-15 3.75)... at the plate LF Kenny Willard (.331/28/82/107), RF Louie DiMucci (.298/30/95/96), 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.288/18/56/102) and 2B Phil Aston (.267/19/104/90) lead the way... Ancona is not expected to get past RU powerhouses Eastshore and Rocky Rapids in the Pro Cup playoffs. Mickens just doesn't have the horses.

Far Mountain and Taranto deadlocked for the runner-up spot to Ancona and trailed by 5 games... The once-powerful Far Mountain Redhawks don't have the pitching they had in the glory years of 2009 through 2014 when Boomerang Hines and Robby Kelly led them to 3 Pro Cup titles and 6 successive RU North flags... Hines retired near his peak after a great season in 2014, but 41-year-old Kelly is a pale shade of himself compared to his prime... Alex Groveland's best pitchers are Woody Crawford (17-11 3.45) and Bryan Frazier (18-12 3.95)... the Redhawks still have IPA great Don Nichols at SS... at 37 Nichols had a great season with a .354 BA, 24 HR, 100 RBI and 117 runs scored... budding star 3B Mackie McAllister hit 32 homers, batted .290, drove in 114 and scored 98 times... long-time CF Phil Stewart had a good season with a .297 mark and 96 runs scored... LF Tony Tanaka (.262/12/52/113) continues to score runs and steal bases, but didn't hit especially well.

Tommaso Lazzorda's Taranto Tars have declined on the hill in the last several years and no longer are the force they once were... the Tars still have an overpowering line-up and can put runs on the scoreboard, but they can't get anybody out... RF Augie Marshall (.305/29/107/88) and LF Arnie Kennedy (.307/16/87/87) are still around and in their primes, but neither put up the huge numbers of the the past... pitching has always been Taranto's nemesis... Lazzorda only has two decent arms in vets Vito Incardona (18-11 4.52) and Anthony Zinacola (14-11 4.13).

Jet Kazmarek and his Valmara Vipers won the pennant last year, but fell back to fourth place this year, 7 games out... the V's have two quality starters in Tad Janicki (18-17 3.21) and Vanya Vasylenko (16-17 3.51)... and an outstanding closer in Frank Favazzo (6-5) with 29 saves and a fine 1.95 ERA... at bat LF Lou Gdowski (.312/26/99/98) topped the club with help from SS Tyler Ferguson (.324/4/59/91).

Ranford ran a fine race under new manager Rick Fargnoli, but slumped in the second half... Fargnoli had the Bulls in first place at the All-Star break, but dipped to fifth at season's end, 11 games behind leading Ancona... Scotty Simmons was the ace of the mound staff with an 18-14 mark and a solid 3.00 ERA... closer Neil Walton (5-6) had an impressive year with 33 saves and a strong 2.53 ERA... 3B Vic Scalzi was the Bulls only bat with a .292 BA, 30 HR, 91 RBI and 98 runs.

The sixth-place Kilkenny Cats wound up 20 games back and were never in the chase... manager Kieran McKenna's top talents are Sidney McFarland with a 16-18 record, but he boasted an excellent 2.81 ERA... 24-year-old closer Doug Foster was 0-4, but chalked up 32 saves with a superlative 1.92 ERA... CF Kevin McPhail (.289/8/106) and LF Robby Campbell (.310/29/88) supplied most of the Cats offense.

Seventh place went to the LaGrange Sports under Otto Kronvath... the Sports were 27 games out... 41-year-old icon LF Quincy Peterson was the team's MVP with 25 homers, 90 runs and 75 RBIs, while batting at a .287 clip.

In the RU North cellar were the Glasco Athletics with Ike Plunkett at the helm... the A's finished 29 games behind pennant-winning Ancona... top player was closer Jack Hatcher, who compiled a 9-5 record and saved 16 games with a fine 2.85 ERA... SS Lee Sullivan (.287/25/86/84) had another solid season with help from vet 1B Wayne Harris, who homered 29 times, drove in 93 and scored 91, but batted only .251 for average.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 17, 2018

2018 Ruthlandian South Final Standings and Team Batting Statistics