ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 29, 2025

Ozarka Naturals History
The Ozarka Naturals are the second-best franchise when you use team winning percentage as the standard. The Naturals are almost 500 games over the .500 mark after 25 seasons with a 2154-1693 record. The Nats have compiled a splendid .560 percentage, which is topped only by the Turon Typhoons of the TU South. Turon is a bit better with an excellent .567 mark. Ozarka has captured 11 TU East pennants, while the Typhoons have won 11 division flags. Turon has a decided edge in Pro Cup trophies with a total of 4, best in the IPA. Altogether the Typhoons have appeared in 6 Pro Cup Finals. The Nats have lost all 5 times they played in the Finals.

Snapshot of Ozarka's postseason appearances:
2003 - lost to Red Bluff 2-1 in first round
2005 - lost to Denham City 2-1 in Sweet 16
2006 - lost to Bayview 3-1 in Sweet 16
2010 - lost to Denton City 4-3 in Elite 8
2011 - lost to Far Mountain 4-3 in Pro Cup Finals
2012 - lost to Far Mountain 4-1 in Pro Cup Finals
2015 - lost to Bay St. Clair 4-3 in Elite 8
2016 - lost to Eastshore 4-0 in Pro Cup Finals
2017 - lost to Bay St. Clair 4-2 in Elite 8
2018 - lost to Bay St. Clair 4-2 in Elite 8
2019 - lost to Rocky Rapids 4-0 in Pro Cup Finals
2020 - lost to Crystal Lake 4-1 in Pro Cup Finals
2021 - lost to White River 4-3 in TU Final 4

The Ozarka Naturals have a long and lengthy list of outstanding players. Heading up the list would be Benny Ostermann (2015-2025) and Todd Chadwick (2005-2023)... Ostermann is an 8-time All-Star and won two Golden Arms... Ostermann is 203-113 in 11 seasons and ranked first in the team's history with a strong 2.79 ERA (1st)... he is second in victories with 203... Eddie Roberts (2011-2025) leads with the Naturals in all-time wins with a 213-120 mark... in the postseason Roberts is a fantastic 19-7 in 33 starts... Roberts was the TU Rookie of the Year and also made the All-Star team once... 2B Chadwick starred for 19 years with a .294 lifetime average (8th) in 2423 games (1st) with 2491 hits (1st), 437 doubles (2nd), 127 triples (1st), 329 homers (2nd), 1349 RBI (1st), 1554 runs (1st) and 539 stolen bases (1st)... Chadwick was a 6-time All-Star and picked up one Golden Glove.

5-time All-Star 3B Nathan Farrell (2004-2019) played 18 years in the IPA, 16 with the Nats and is the club's HR leader... in 2193 games Farrell sported a .284 BA with 2067 hits (3rd), 342 homers (1st), 1281 RBIs (2nd) and 1222 runs (2nd)... OF Vic Weinstein (2005-2021) had a 17-year career, batting .306 (7th) in 2066 games (3rd) with 2168 hits (2nd), 376 doubles (3rd), 76 triples (3rd), 197 homers (5th), 1164 runs (3rd) and 1016 RBIs (4th)... Weinstein had one Golden Glove in his career... another fine player is 4-time All-Star and TU Rookie of the Year 3B Andre Dumas (2015-2025)... Dumas has the team's top career batting average with a .318 mark... Dumas has 1702 hits (6th), 323 HR (3rd), 1035 RBI (3rd) and has scored 899 runs (5th)... Dumas has been great in the playoffs with a .326 BA, 20 HR, 54 RBI and 63 runs in 82 games.

Several other players have been solid contributors to Ozarka's success over the years... 2-time All-Star and 2-time Gold Glover SS Gil Lantz (2001-2014) played 1831 games (4th), batted .286 with 1887 hits (4th), 454 doubles (1st), 130 HR (7th) and 807 RBI (6th)... 3-time All-Star SS James Couch (2015-2025) has a career .312 BA (4th) with 1425 hits (9th) and 107 home runs (8th) in 1428 games... and 2-time All-Star 1B Benny Rousseau (2015-2023) carries a .312 BA with 1504 hits (7th), 298 home runs (4th) and 872 RBIs (5th)... 11-year vet Howard Hutch (2015-2025) is the third best on the mound with a 160-108 record and a 3.38 ERA (6th)... and Wayne Gates (2015-2025) has posted a 111-72 mark with a 3.50 ERA... Gates is number four in victories.

[MadBum]

So poor Ozarka has 13 postseason appearances and 0 championships? I think I've found my favorite team in this dynasty; competitive every year but not a dynasty. Looks like I'll have to buy my Benny Ostermann jersey as soon as I can get one

Still liking the team by team reviews and looking forward to the season up ahead. The amount of work and posts in this thread is remarkable, and it shows how much you love this league and OOTP. Amazing that this has been going since 2007...

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by MadBum

So poor Ozarka has 13 postseason appearances and 0 championships? I think I've found my favorite team in this dynasty; competitive every year but not a dynasty. Looks like I'll have to buy my Benny Ostermann jersey as soon as I can get one

Still liking the team by team reviews and looking forward to the season up ahead. The amount of work and posts in this thread is remarkable, and it shows how much you love this league and OOTP. Amazing that this has been going since 2007...

I didn't realize it's been going since 2007.
Yeah, this league is special to me... and so is OOTPB, which makes it all possible.

Thanks for the nice comments.
Much appreciate them.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 30, 2025

Bayview Vikings History
No one has dominated the Tycobbian West, the weakest division in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The 8 clubs in the division have only one Pro Cup crown between them. They have qualified for the Finals on 4 occasions and only the Kenwood Wildcats came away with a trophy in 2014 with a win over Belair Beach of the Ruthlandian Union.

Over the years the Bayview Vikings have had the best record in the TU West with a .523 winning percentage, tied for 11th in the IPA with a record of 1924-1774... The Vikings have made the postseason 6 times with 4 division crowns. Most of the success came in the early years... the Viks made the playoffs 5 times in the first 7 seasons... the last pennant came in 2016... Bayview has been pretty competitive in the playoffs, losing out to the eventual champion 4 times... the Vikings are still looking for their first Pro Cup trophy.

Bayview Playoff Snapshot:
2002 - lost to Bay St. Clair 2-1 in First Round
2003 - lost to Pro Cup champ Turon 2-0 in Elite 8 (third round)
2004 - lost to Pro Cup champ Red Bluff 3-1 in Elite 8 (third round)
2006 - lost to Pro Cup champ Turon 3-1 in Final 4 (third round)
2007 - lost to Pro Cup champ Ozford 4-3 in Final 4 (second round)
2016 - lost to Ozarka 4-2 in Elite 8 (first round)...Nats swept in Pro Cup Finals by Eastshore

Since Downtown Plaza Stadium is a hitter's haven with its small dimensions (310 down the lines and only 380 in center), it's the Bayview batters that stand out statistically... it's tough for the pitchers at the Plaza... all-time IPA great 2B Alan Hansen (2001-2006) only played 6 seasons for the Vikings, but they were quite productive... he has the best team career batting average with .323... Hansen was a 3-time All-Star and won one of his two Gold Gloves with Bayview... He took the TU Golden Bat and batting crown in 2001 with a .371 BA... Hansen averaged 100 runs and 100 walks with the Vikings... lifetime for Bayview and Turon, Hansen batted .296 over 23 seasons with 530 doubles (17th), 149 triples (5th-tied), 2262 runs scored (1st), 2351 walks (2nd) and stole 725 bases (5th) in 3287 games (4th) and a was 4-time All-Star... 7-time All-Star OF Davey Krueger (2013-2025) has been outstanding for the Vikings in his 1683 games (4th), batting .278 with 1532 hits (4th), 1067 runs (4th), 282 doubles (4th), 53 triples (5th), 438 homers (1st) and 1180 RBIs (3rd)... SS Karl Benson (2001-2021) was a 4-time All-Star and in his 21 years with the club and hold most of the team records... Benson batted .301 (5th) in 2225 games (1st) with 2507 hits (1st), 353 doubles (1st), 61 triples (2nd), 437 home runs (2nd), 1442 RBIs (1st) and 1285 runs (1st)... OF Tommy Riddle (2006-2021) was 4-time All-Star, won the Golden Bat and TU MVP in 2009... also was a Golden Glover one year... Riddle has played 1996 games (2nd) in his career, batted .284 with 2070 hits (3rd), 288 doubles (3rd), 54 triples (5th), 421 homers (3rd), 1198 runs (3rd) and 1350 RBIs (2nd).

C Hank Bethel (2001-2007), 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (2001-2007) and CF Phil Kanaan (2001-2006) starred in the glory years for Bayview... Playing with 4 teams, IPA icon Bethel is a 12-time All-Star, still in the league at age 42 with a .289 lifetime average in 3161 games (8th) with 525 doubles (19th), 494 homers (11th), 1972 RBIs (2nd), 1798 runs (13th) and 1738 walks (10th)... in his 6 years with the Vikings he was a 4-time All-Star, batted .299 (7th) and stood out with 196 homers (5th), 586 RBIs and 587 runs scored... Quibedeaux had a very good career, was a fancy dan at first base with 5 Gold Gloves and a 3-time All-Star... He played 21 years with 2 teams (2001-2021), the last 14 with Fairfax... Quibedeaux was in 2997 games (14th), compiled a .284 BA with 3198 hits (16th), 609 doubles (6th), 107 triples, 383 HR, 1636 RBIs (17th) and scored 1862 runs (11th) and walked 1674 times (11th)... Quibedeaux hit .307 (3rd) in his years with the Viks with 149 homers (9th)... Kanaan played 12 seasons with 5 teams overall, but his best years were with Bayview... a fine fielder, Kanaan batted .289 (10th) with 86 homers and 174 stolen bases (4th)... He made the All-Star squad twice with the Vikings... 3-time All-Star SS-2B Tommy Shore (2013-2025) has been a rock-solid star year-after-year with 3 Gold Gloves... in 1898 games (3rd) Shore is hitting .290 (9th) with 2160 hits (2nd), 1248 runs (2nd), 304 doubles (2nd), 62 triples (1st), 162 homers (8th), 803 RBIs (4th) and 202 SB (3rd)... 2-time All-Star 1B Stan Haddix (2002-2022) played for 4 teams in his career with a .301 average, 278 homers and 1346 RBIs, but his best seasons were with Bayview... Haddix batted .311 (2nd) with 1443 hits (5th), 193 HRs (6th) and 746 RBIs (6th)... LF Kelton Carpenter (2005-2014) had 9 good years with the Vikings, batting .301 (4th) with 178 homers (7th).

Harald Turi (2016-2025) is the all-time ace of the Bayview Vikings with a 176-141 record and a remarkable 3.16 ERA, considering the small bandbox he pitched in... Turi retired at the end of this season... Turi had a legendary first year in the IPA... he went 26-4 with a marvelous 2.19 ERA and was the Tycobbian Rookie of the Year, the Golden Arm winner and also the league MVP in 2016, an unbelievable accomplishment... Bayview went 95-59 that year, but was eliminated in the Elite 8 by Ozarka, which went to the Pro Cup Finals and lost to champ Eastshore... still it was a great season... Rick Pritchard (2012-2025) is Bayview's all-time wins leader with a 211-196 mark (1st) with a 3.75 ERA (4th)... at 34 Prichard has tailed off the last few years... other reliable starters were 2-time All-Star Norm Roy (2005-2020) with a 198-189 record (2nd) and a 3.65 ERA (2nd) and Georgie Fambreau (2004-2020) with a 195-165 record (3rd) and a 4.16 ERA (10th)... all four of these pitchers were prime players in the fine 2016 season.

[Eugene Church]

I will do the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers next.
They have the second-best record in the TU West.
In error, I posted Rolling Hills as the top team in the division a few days ago.
I got back on track today with Bayview, the top team.
Rolling Hills has the third-best record.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, November 1, 2025

Bay St. Clair Buccaneers History
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are tied with Denton City Redbirds in the Tycobbian West with 8 playoff appearances and 6 division flags. The Bucs overall winning percentage is .522 (2006-1840), second best to Bayview and ranked 13th in the IPA. Bay St. Clair has been hot in recent years with 5 pennants in the last 11 seasons. Neither the Bucs, nor the Redbirds have salvaged a Pro Cup as of yet. Denton City has played in two Pro Cups in 2005 and 2008, while Bay St. Clair was in it in 2015.

Bay St. Clair Playoff Snapshot:
2002 - defeated by Rolling Hills 2-1 in Sweet 16 (second round)
2003 - defeated by Bayview 2-1 in First Round
2005 - defeated by Red Bluff of TU East 3-2 in Sweet 16
2015 - lost in Pro Cup Finals to Taranto of the RU North 4-1
2017 - lost in TU Final 4 to Turon of the TU South 4-0
2018 - lost again to Pro Cup champ Turon 4-2 in TU Final 4
2021 - defeated by Ozarka 4-3 in Elite 8
2023 - Pro Cup champ Tuckanarra of TU East swept Bucs in the Elite 8

Pitcher Denny Coulon (2001-2007) is the best borderline bet Bay St. Clair has for the HOF, although he was with them only 6 years, but he led the Bucs to three postseason appearances with a 114-79 record and a fine 2.75 ERA... Coulon has the second-best career Buccaneer ERA and is sixth in victories... Coulon was signed by Summerland in 2008 and he went on to spend 15 seasons with the Sunsets, retiring in 2002 with a lifetime 343-324 mark and an impressive 2.96 ERA, tied with Titus Bristow of Tuckanarra for third in all-time IPA wins... Coulon lost a lot of heartbreakers with the pathetic Sunsets, a poor ballclub for most of its IPA history.

In the short term, 26-year-old 1B Jerry Todd (2020-2025) is Bay St. Clair's best ballplayer with a .327 BA (1st), 190 homers (4th) and 633 RBIs (8th) in his 6 seasons... Todd is twice an All-Star and was the TU Rookie of the Year in 2020... 2B-SS Jimmy Sawyer (2005-2021) played 17 years for the Bucs and ranks high in most of the offensive categories... Sawyer, a 2-time All-Star, batted .285 in 2370 games (1st) with 1220 runs (2nd), 2351 hits (1st), 320 doubles (2nd), 61 triples (5th), 307 home runs (2nd) and 1285 RBIs (2nd)... 2-time All-Star and 2-time Gold Glove OF Todd Bryant (2003-2018) was a standout for 15 seasons and 2039 games, but batted only .262... however he was productive with 1227 runs (2nd), 1971 hits (4th), 245 doubles (3rd), 86 triples (1st-tied), 285 homers (3rd), 1095 RBIs (3rd) and 342 SB (2nd)... 2-time All-Star 1B Gerry Fields (2005-2018) is the top slugger in Buccaneer history and leads with 429 homers and 1355 runs batted in... Fields hit .296 (6th) in 2034 games (4th) with 1044 runs (4th), 2057 hits (3rd) and 291 doubles (4th),.. 4-time Gold Glover and 3-time All-Star 2B Bud Walker (2013-2025) has had a fine career and at age 32 has a few more years left... so far Walker has a .294 BA (7th) with 2209 hits (2nd) in 1895 games... he has 348 doubles (1st), 84 triples (2nd), 90 homers (9th), 699 RBIs (6th), 1100 walks (1st) and has stolen 377 bases (1st)... SS Ryan Sanders (2005-2020) was a steady fielder and solid bat, hitting .280 with 1947 hits (5th) in 2109 games (2nd)... Sanders contributed 956 runs (5th), 291 doubles (4th-tied), 65 triples (4th), 161 HRs (5th) and 834 RBIs (4th)... OF Bruno DiPirro (2010-2019) had 10 solid seasons with Bay St. Clair after being traded by Sugar Valley in 2009, elected to the All-Star team twice in 2012 and 2017... DiPirro is the Rattlers all-time leader with a .315 average in his 6 years with the club... in 1313 games (7th) for the Buccaneers DiPirro batted .309 (4th) with 1422 hits (7th), 759 runs (7th), 280 doubles (7th) and 59 triples (6th).

On the mound for Bay St. Clair Duke DeVree (2001-2020) excelled with the most all-time victories with a 265-234 record and a 3.62 ERA (6th)...DeVree was a 3-time All-Star and won a Golden Glove... 4-time All-Star Norm Gross (2001-2015) was both a starter and a closer at various times in his career... overall he was 159-139 and ranked second win wins and number one in saves with 121... Gross sported a 3.57 ERA (5th).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, November 2, 2025

Rolling Hills Reds History
The Rolling Hills Reds have the third-best winning percentage in the TU West and are ranked 13th among all of the IPA franchises with a .520 percentage. Rolling Hills has won 3 TU West pennants and gone to the playoffs 5 times, but have no Pro Cups. In wins and losses the Reds are 1924-1774 in their history.

Reds Playoff Snapshot:
2002 - lost to San Alejo 2-1 in TU Elite 8 (third round)
2003 - lost Denton City 2-1 in TU First Round
2019 - lost to Ozarka 4-1 in TU Elite 8 (first round)... the Nats lost in the Pro Cup Finals
2022 - lost to Midway 4-1 in TU Elite 8 (first round)... the Wolves made the Pro Cup, were beaten by Crystal Lake of the RU South
2025 - lost to South Fork 4-2 in TU Elite 8 (first round)... the Stallions won the Pro Cup, whipping Middlefield of the RU West

The top all-time players in Rolling Hills history are starter Sal Jordan (2013-2025), closer Alfonso Gonzales (2014-2025), starter Errol Gaudet (2019-2025) and outfielder Donnie Lewis (2010-2023)... Jordan, a 3-time All-Star easily leads the club in wins with a 240-180 won-lost record... Jordan is number three with fine 2.90 ERA... Gonzales (60-44) has the best lifetime ERA with a very impressive 2.12 and the most saves with 257... Gonzales made the All-Star team in 2024... and 4-time All-star pitcher Gaudet, who is a distant second in all-time victories to Sal Jordan with a very good 134-79 mark and a strong 2.79 ERA (2nd)... Gaudet is 31 years old... Lewis is a 4-time All-Star and holds most of the club records... .314 BA (1st), 2029 games (1st), 2357 hits (1st), 1369 runs (1st), 437 doubles (1st), 95 triples (1st), 109 HR (3rd), 934 RBI (3rd), 1385 walks (1st) and 402 SB (2nd)... Ancona signed Lewis as a free agent in 2024 at age 35... Lewis has has two fine seasons with the Red Elephants, batting .301 with 216 runs, 115 RBIs, 214 walks and 67 stolen bases.

Other talented performers for the Reds are 3-time All-Star 3B Clay Hoffman (2013-2023) with a .296 BA (3rd) in 1599 games (4th), 1653 hits (2nd), 786 runs (4th), 250 doubles (4th), 334 HR (1st) and 1096 RBIs (1st)... and OF Manuel Leon (2010-2023) with a .267 BA in 1801 games, 1569 hits (3rd), 846 runs (3rd), 350 doubles (2nd), 47 triples (3rd), 285 HR (2nd) and 1001 RBIs (1st)... Leon went to Cold Creek in the RU East as free agent in 2024... the 34-year-old Leon has had a tough time in the Ruthlandian Union and has hit only .199 over the two years.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, November 3, 2025

Denton City Redbirds History
For its first decade in the IPA Denton City was a powerhouse with 8 playoff appearances in 12 seasons, winning 6 TU West pennants, but no Pro Cups. However, the team that eliminated the Redbirds each year usually went deep into the postseason, many of them making it as far as the Pro Cup Finals with Turon winning in 2003 and 2009 and Red Bluff taking the crown in 2004. Denton City has made the Pro Cup Finals twice and lost both times, to the Middlefield Roosters in 2005 and to the Wynnamac Sundowners in 2008. Since 2015 the Redbirds have been a second-division ball club and haven't come close to a postseason berth. Overall Denton City is a winning team with a .511 percentage, ranked 29th out of the 64 teams with an 1891-1807 mark.

Denton City postseason snapshot:
2003 - lost to Bayview 2-0 in Sweet 16 (second round)... the Viks fell 2-0 to Pro Cup champ Turon in the TU Final 4
2004 - lost to Pro Cup champ Red Bluff 3-2 in Sweet 16 (first round)
2005 - lost to Pro Cup champ Middlefield of the RU West 4-1 in the IPA championship finals
2008 - lost to Pro Cup champ Wynnamac of the RU East 4-2 in the IPA championship finals
2009 - lost to Pro Cup champ Turon of the TU South 4-3 in TU Final 4
2010 - lost to Pro Cup runner-up Turon of the TU South 4-1 in TU Final 4... Colfax (RU West) whipped the Typhoons 4-3 for Pro Cup
2011 - lost to Ozarka (TU East) 4-0 in TU Elite 8 (first round)... Nats lost to Far Mountain (RU North) 4-3 in Pro Cup Finals
2013 - lost to Tuckanarra (TU East) 4-2 in TU Elite 8 (first round)... Blues Jays fell in Pro Cup Finals to Far Mountain (RU North)

One of the true IPA legends, Mila Mohoski, who starred for Red Bluff (2002-2006) and led them to a Pro Cup crown in 2004, is also Denton City's all-time ace... Mohoski (2006-2021) toiled for the Redbirds 16 years and topped them in career wins with a 266-215 mark and a 3.20 ERA (3rd), pacing them to 5 pennants... Mohoski also captured the 2010 TU Golden Arm Award with a standout 26-11 record and a fine 2.54 ERA... Lifetime Mohoski ranks number two to Cody Burg (369-264) of Cape Coral in IPA victories with a 353-267 record, including his 87-52 record with Red Bluff early in his career. Mohoski was the 2004 Pro Cup Most Valuable Player with a 4-1 record and 1.80 ERA. Overall in the postseason, he was 16-11 with a 3.07 ERA... in the Pro Cup playoffs for the Red Sox Mohoski was 8-2 with a 2.75 ERA in 12 starts and 6-9 in 19 starts for the Redbirds with a 3.14 ERA.

Denton City was blessed with a bunch of rock-solid players in its history. OF Danny Nash (2003-2013) led the team with a .302 career average (1st)... Nash played in 1348 games (6th) with 1173 hits (6th), 206 doubles (6th), 63 triples (5th), 106 HRs (7th), 545 RBIs (7th) and 463 walks (5th)... Nash also played 6 productive years afterwards with High Mesa of the TU East, winding up with a lifetime .293 BA, 198 homers and 831 RBIs... 3-time All-Star 3B Jay Petit (2003-2019) is the club leader in many categories... Petit batted .297 (2nd) in 2307 games (1st) with 1247 runs (2nd), 2253 hits (1st), 336 doubles (1st-tied), 77 triples (3rd-tied), 315 HRs (1st), 1210 RBIs (2nd) and 1117 walks (1st)... 1-time All-Star OF-1B Rod MacCormack (2002-2017) was in 2299 games (2nd) with a .276 BA (10th), 1342 runs (1st), 2179 hits (2nd), 336 doubles (1st-tied), 70 triples (3rd), 307 HRs (3rd), 1230 RBIs (1st), 277 SBs (2nd) and 994 walks (2nd)... 4-time Gold Glover and 1-time All-Star SS Trevor Tomlinson (2002-2016) played in 1854 games (3rd) and hit .272 with 1170 runs (3rd), 1803 hits (4th), 286 doubles (3rd), 78 triples (1st), 143 HRs (6th), 649 RBIs (6th), 661 SBs (1st) and 761 walks (3rd)... CF Lavon Gooch (2004-2017) made the All-Star team on two occasions and batted .292 (3rd) in 1812 games (4th) with 1118 runs (4th), 1961 hits (4th), 282 doubles (4th), 69 triples (5th), 308 HRs (2nd), 1128 RBIs (3rd) and 590 walks (4th)... super defensive C Pete Gibbs (2013-2023) was an All-Star three times and won two Gold Gloves... Gibbs was a dependable batter with a .287 BA (4th) in 1305 games (7th), 1413 hits (5th), 229 doubles (5th), 179 HRs (4th) and 771 RBIs (4th)... OF Todd Bryant (2018-2025) came to Denton City after 16 impressive seasons in Bay St. Clair... still he made his mark with a .284 BA (6th) in 816 games with 462 runs (8th), 27 triples (8th) and 436 walks (7th)... Bryant is a 2-time All-Star (2009 and 2021) and 2-time Gold Glover (2007 and 2008)... lifetime Bryant has been a most reliable player and fine all-around performer with a .268 BA in 2855 games with 2670 hits, 412 doubles, 113 triples, 373 homers, 1438 RBIs, 1689 runs, 1255 walks and 428 stolen bases.

Besides Mohoski, the Redbirds had few productive pitchers... Roger Ramsey (2004-2017) was number two with a 121-88 record and a 4.04 ERA... Hank Taylor (2005-2022) was number three in wins with a 115-101 mark and a 4.16 ERA... and Tom Duroncelay (2005-2022) was fourth in victories with a 113-103 record and a 4.38 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, November 4, 2025

Kenwood Wildcats History
For most of its history the Kenwood Wildcats have been a middle-of-the-pack team with a .499 winning percentage with and 1847-1850 record. The Wildcats rarely make the postseason with only 3 appearances, about one every ten years. But they surprised everybody with an upset win in the 2014 Pro Cup. They made a remarkable recovery and came back from a 3-1 deficit to claim the IPA title from favored Belair Beach. Kenwood has won two TU West pennants over the years.

Kenwood Wildcats Playoff Snapshot:
2002 - fell to Rolling Hills (TU West) 2-1 in the First Round
2014 - won Pro Cup 4-3 over Belair Beach (RU South), beating powerful Midway (TU East) and Turon (TU South) along the way
2024 - lost to Pro Cup champ Tuckanarra (TU East) 4-2 In TU Elite 8 Series

For the most part Kenwood has had only modest talent, relying on mainly journeymen for the little success they have had... the only exception to that is 32-year-old Jody Gentry (2017-2025), who has developed into quite a pitcher in the last few years, winning 20-games on two occasions and making the 2023 All-Star team... Gentry was a solid reliever and closer in his first 5 seasons... Gentry is fourth in career wins with a 93-63 record and is number one with a super 2.23 ERA... 1-time All-Star Todd Combs (2003-2016) is the club leader in wins with a 180-156 mark and a 3.12 ERA (3rd)... Combs had a marvelous year in 2011 when he was the Tycobbian MVP with a 24-9 record and a 2.91 ERA for a sixth-place team... Sammy Shaw (2010-2020) is second in victories with a 139-127 record and a 3.38 ERA (6th)... Connie Gavagan (2014-2020) is third in career wins with a 104-116 record and a 3.38 ERA (5th)... however Gavagan sparked the Wildcats to the 2014 Pro Cup title and was the Pro Cup MVP that season with a 3-0 record in 6 starts and a 3.09 ERA... Gavagan made the TU All-Star team that year and helped win the division flag with a fine 18-13 record and posted a 3.05 ERA.

Kenwood has never been know for its hitting... LF Dayton Walker (2005-2019) is the club career leader with a .302 batting average (1st)... in his rookie year Walker won the TU batting crown in 2005 with a .359 mark... Walker played in 1796 games (2nd) with 1719 hits (1st), 412 doubles (1st), 67 triples (2nd), 76 homers (9th), 705 RBIs (1st), 888 runs (1st), 802 walks (1st) and 191 SBs (4th)... neither one played many seasons with the Wildcats, but OF Dennis Riley (2012-2018) and OF Aydan Winthrop (2002-2007) were productive... Riley hit .278 (6th) with 143 homers (2nd) and 546 RBIs (5th), while Winthrop batted .260 and drove in 511 runs (6th), but tops the team in homers with 157.

[Eugene Church]

I have been working on updating the team rosters for 2026.
My 26th season should begin in about a week.

I will continue to post Team Histories, but will include them in the 2026 regular season coverage. It would take too long to cover all teams histories if I finished them prior to the new season. It will take me several months to cover all 64 teams.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, November 5, 2025

Arlon Champions History
There hasn't been much success for the Arlon Champions in the IPA. The nickname is a misnomer as the Champions have never won the Pro Cup and have posted only 11 winning seasons with 3 TU West division titles in its 25 years in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Arlon is only .491 in win percentage over the years with 1889 wins and 1958 defeats. The team nickname comes from being owned by the Champion Sports Apparel and Equipment Company.

Arlon Postseason Snapshot:
2006 - tops in IPA with 99 wins, but fell to Bayview (TU West) 3-2 in the TU Elite 8 (second round)... Viks fell to Pro Cup champ Turon (TU South) 3-1 in the TU Final 4.
2012 - lost to Ozarka (TU East) 4-2 in TU Elite 8 in First Round... Ozarka lost to Pro Cup champ Far Mountiain (RU North) 4-1
2020 - lost to Ozarka (TU East) 4-3 in TU Elite 8 in First Round... Ozarka lost in Pro Cup Finals to champ Crystal Lake (RU South) 4-1

Arlon has had only three standout players over the years - OF Rocco Belasario, OF Chucky Gilton and reliever Johnny Rabelais... Belasario (2005-2023) had a great career and should be a shoo-in to make the IPA Hall of Fame... Belasario is a 9-time All-Star and won 5 Gold Gloves... he played in 2996 games, ranked 15th all-time in the IPA... Belasario has a .301 career BA, 3075 hits, 508 HRs (9th all-time), 1658 RBIs, 2111 runs (4th all-time), 1840 walks (5th all-time) and stole 1022 bases (1st all-time)... Belasario led the TU 7 times in stolen bases... Belasario left the Champs in 2024, signing a big contract with Southport (TU South), but played very poorly, mainly as a pinch-hitter in his two years there... He signed with Cape Coral (TU South) this season at age 40.

Chucky Gilton (2005-2025) retired at the end of the 2025 season with a .281 lifetime team batting average in 2790 games... 5 Golden Gloves and one All-Star appearance... Gilton had 2540 hits with 328 homers, 1493 RBIs and 1209 runs scored... he has the fourth-best club batting average, was number one in games played, second in hits, homers, RBIs and runs.

A third outstanding performer was 3-time All-Star reliever Johnny Rabelais (2009-2023), who registered a fine 60-43 record, 258 saves and a strong 2.66 ERA with Arlon over 15 years... Rabelais had the team's all-time best ERA... He is still active at age 37... Rabelais played two good seasons (11-10 2.75 ERA) with San Alejo (TU South) in middle relief and now has signed with Mahaska (TU North) for two more years.

Arlon's biggest winner on the mound was Armando Cruz (2006-2020) with a 235-215 mark in 15 seasons and a solid 3.52 ERA (5th)... the other top winners were not that impressive... Happy McManus (2011-2022) was number two in victories with a mediocre 166-195 record and 4.06 ERA... Hubie Croft (2003-2020) was third with a good 154-127 record and a 4.18 ERA... and Kurt DeHaan (2001-2022) was fourth with a lackluster 147-160 record and a 4.02 ERA... OF Matt Merrill (2001-2006) was a solid player in the early days of the team with a .299 BA (2nd) and 122 homers in 6 seasons.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 23, 2026

Tight Races In IPA At Mid-Year
Almost all of the IPA divisions are up for grabs at the halfway point in the season. 7 of the 8 races are hotly-contested so far, only the RU West is a runaway. Middlefield has made shambles of it with a stunning 12-game bulge and appears headed for its fourth pennant in a row. In the RU East, Eastshore and Wynnamac are deadlocked for the top spot, both with good leads over third place Beechwood. Wynnamac won the division last season. At mid-season in the RU North it's Valmara on top of Ancona by 2 games and 5 in front of Ranford. Last year's top team Far Mountain is fourth and 12 games off the pace. In the most surprising race perennial also-ran St. John has surged from 7th place to the penthouse this year and possesses a 4-game lead on Waleska in the RU South. The Westerners won the division last season.

The closest race is in the TU South, where it is a 3-way tie between Arroyo Grande, defending champ Ginza and Colchester with fourth place Summerland only 4 games behind. 5 teams are in the hunt in the TU East with Tuckanarra 2 games up on Red Bluff and 3 ahead of Midway, Ozarka and defending Pro Cup champ South Fork. The TU North is a 4-team affair, headed up Mahaska. The Haymakers are 2 games in front of defending division champ Fairfax and 3 ahead of North Hills and White River. The pennant race is still in doubt in the TU West, too. Bay St. Clair currently holds a 4-game edge over Chicopee and 5 games over Arlon and last year's flag winner Rolling Hills.

2026 IPA Mid-Season Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 23, 2026

26th IPA All-Star Game Tomorrow at South Fork

Showcase for the Stars -- The Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game. It's a great game for the fans. The All-Star Classic comes around each year at this time to the delight of every baseball fan. All of gifted and talented players from the Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union come together and show their wares on the baseball diamond. The top players go toe-to-toe with one another to get the bragging rights for their league. The Tycobbian Stars have a one-sided edge in the mid-summer competition with 18 wins in 25 games. The glitter game is scheduled tomorrow afternoon in South Fork, the home of the defending IPA Pro Cup champions.

The TU All-Stars will be led by Jack Elliott (High Mesa), making his recording-setting 13th appearance, snapping a tie with the great Phil Gravelli. Elliott will have plenty of help from Andy Pearson (Arroyo Grande) and Crash Davis (Ginza), who are 11-time stars. Flash Devlin (LaClaire) has been selected on 10 occasions, Davey Krueger (Bayview) 8 times and Bill Howell (Bay St. Clair) 5 times. Dennis Hartzig (Oxford), James Mack (Red Bluff) and Sal Jordan (Rolling Hills) qualified for the 4th time.

Sparking the RU Stars will be Roy Hobbs (Waleska), appearing for the 11th time. Vic Valenti (Beechwood) has made the team 8 times, Russ Woodward (Marston) 7 times and Kenny Willard (Ancona) 5 times. Four others have been picked 3 times: Kees Draeger (Belair Beach), Jan Kissinger (Sugar Valley), Denny Whitaker (Sugar Valley) and Shannon White (San Dimas).

Each club will feature first-time stars. Rookies Luis Alvarado (Southport) and Marvin Farrell (Denton City) will be making their All-Star debuts for the Tycobbian Union, while the Ruthlandian stars will have Hector Cuellar (San Dimas), Jared Lundquist (Grand City) and Dave Skoglund (Volusia).

Selected to play for the Ruthlandian Union All-Stars are:
SP Lon Marshall (Wynnamac) (13-6 1.74)
SP Vince Arndt (Ancona) (11-7 2.17)
SP Chet McNeil (Waleska) (14-5 2.66)
SP Denny Whitaker (Belair Beach) (13-4 2.94)
SP Don Baillie (St. John) (11-1 2.09)
SP Glenn Tackett (Middlefield) (11-3 2.50)
SP Stephen Phillips (Forest City) (11-5 2.12)
SP Shannon White (San Dimas) (12-5 2.23)
CL Waylon Hillman (Middlefield) (0-2 1.74/20 saves)
CL Jared Laclair (Waleska) (2-0 0.00/16 saves)
C Kyle Hunt (Ranford) (.264 BA/3 HR/32 RBI/29 R) .996 FA/55.6% RTO
C Silvio Salas (Sugar Valley) (.246 BA/8 HR/21 RBI/26 R) .997 FA/61.1% RTO
C Don Pontros (Valka) (.307 BA/10 HR/42 RBI/34 R) (.997 FA/43.9% RTO)
1B Kees Draeger (Belair Beach) (.340 BA/18 HR/59 RBI/47 R) (.991 FA)
1B Elton Graff (Ranford) (.355 BA/9 HR/44 RBI/40 R) (.992 FA)
1B Alekos Kotas (Ancona) (.267 BA/14 HR/56 RBI/40 R) (.991 FA)
2B George Varsh (Marston) (.303 BA/3 HR/25 RBI/44 R) (.980 FA)
2B Jackie Jackson (Forest City) (..320 BA/7 HR/32 RBI/43 R) (.986 FA)
3B Rusty Hood (Forest City) (.287 BA/8 HR/54 RBI/28 R) (.929 FA)
SS Vic Zaro (Ancona) (.379 BA/0 HR/22 RBI/39 R) (.954 FA)
3B Hector Cuellar (San Dimas) (.290 BA/7 HR/42 RBI/34 R) (.983 FA)
SS Jan Kessinger (Sugar Valley) (.340 BA/3 HR/28 RBI/40 R) (.947 FA)
SS Jared Lundquist (Grand City) (.302 BA/2 HR/22 RBI/36 R) (.973 FA)
LF Loco Dillinger (Waleska) (.304 BA/18 HR/62 RBI/54 R) (.973 FA)
LF Kenny Willard (Ancona) (.303 BA/9 HR/48 RBI/45 R) (.993 FA)
CF Roy Hobbs (Waleska) (.351 BA/11 HR/35 RBI/58 R) (.1.000 FA)
CF Russ Woodward (Marston) (.314 BA/11 HR/56 RBI/49 R) (.986 FA)
CF Vic Valenti (Beechwood) (.305 BA/11 HR/38 RBI/38 R) (.987 FA)
RF Dave Skoglund (Volusia) (.324 BA/5 HR/27 RBI/34 R) (.969 FA)
RF Tommy Lambright (Wynnamac) (.296 BA/12 HR/37 RBI/39 R) (.970 FA)

The Tycobbian Union All-Stars will have these players on their roster:
SP Daniel Ferguson (Ginza) (13-4 1.88)
SP Jody Gentry (Kenwood) (9-7 2.10)
SP Valeri Kalinnikov (North Hills) (11-4 2.36)
SP Glynn Starr (Tuckanarra) (11-6 2.48)
SP Sal Jordan (Rolling Hills) (11-7 2.64)
SP Gary Price (SF) (12-7 2.77)
SP Quinn Starr (Tuckanarra) (10-7 2.64)
SP Bob Ferguson (Chicopee) (9-8 2.66)
CL Ken Kichida (Ginza) (3-2/0.46 ERA/19 saves)
CL Archie Desmond (Tuckanarra) (4-3 2.86/15 saves)
C Crash Davis (GIN) (.321 BA/8 HR/45 RBI/34 R) (.995 FA/46.7% RTO)
C Derek Yurek (HAR) (.307 BA/10 HR/33 RBI/30 R) (.984 FA/24.1% RTO)
C Luis Alvarado (Southport) (.289 BA/2 HR/23 RBI/27 R) (.978 FA/41.2% RTO)
1B Rusty Vizcarra (Arroyo Grande) (.303 BA/29 HR/81 RBI/50 R) (.990 FA)
1B Jack Elliott (High Mesa) (.350 BA/17 HR/49 RBI/51 R) (.993 FA)
1B Steve Burns (Colchester) (.385 BA/18 HR/55 RBI/60 R) (.989 FA)
2B Roland Campbell (High Mesa) (.321 BA/9 HR/36 RBI/54 R) (.977 FA)
2B James Mack (Red Bluff) (.293 BA/15 HR/41 RBI/42 R) (.976 FA)
3B Joel Collins (Colchester) (.277 FA/2 HR/35 RBI/35 R) (.958 FA)
3B Marvin Ferrell (Denton City) (.274 BA/4 HR/26 RBI/48 R) (.966 FA)
SS Andy Pearson (Arroyo Grande) (.335 BA/7 HR/55 RBI/46 R) (.981 FA)
SS Gregg Proctor (Summerland) (.320 BA/9 HR/50 RBI/36 R) (.958 FA)
SS Flash Devlin (LaClaire) (.301 BA/10 HR/36 RBI/49 R) (.966 FA)
LF Dennis Hartwig (Oxford) (.350 BA/6 HR/49 RBI/44 R) (.986 FA)
LF Pat Webb (Rolling Hills) (.329 BA/14 HR/52 RBI/46 R) (.982 FA)
LF Eduardo Villanueva (Arroyo Grande) (.336 BA/8 HR/36 RBI/54 R) (.979 FA)
CF Bill Howell (Bay St. Clair) (.353 BA/1 HR/32 RBI/51 R) (.993 FA)
CF Davey Krueger (Bayview) (.287 BA/14 HR/50 RBI/45 R) (.986 FA)
RF Travis Tuttle (Mahaska) (.340 BA/19 HR/50 RBI/48 R) (.967 FA)
RF Kenko Aoki (East Point) (.309 BA/19 HR/62 RBI/48 R) (.971 FA)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 24, 2026

RU Stars Smack TU Stars 7-4, Hobbs MVP
Overall in IPA All-Star competition, the Tycobbian Stars have dominated the Ruthlandian Stars, but not for the last two years... the RU All-Stars smacked the TU All-Stars 7-4 at Jock Ewing Stadium in South Fork for their second win in a row in the series... However, Tycobbia still is way ahead overall with an 18-8 mark... Roy Hobbs (Waleska) was voted the game's Most Valuable Player... Hobbs led the RU Stars with 2 hits, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored... Hobbs hit the only home run in the game.

Ruthlandia built up a 5-1 lead after 4 innings and kept Tycobbia at bay the rest of the game... the RU outhit the TU 12 to 9 with 2B George Varsh (Marston), LF Loco Dillinger (Waleska), LF Kenny Willard (Ancona) and rookie RF Dave Skoglund (Volusia) also driving in a run apiece for the victors... RF Dennis Hartwig (Oxford) paced the TU Stars with a double and sac fly to drive in 2 runs... 2B Roland Campbell (High Mesa) and 1B Steve Burns (Colchester) drove in the other 2 scores... Lon Marshall (Wynnamac) claimed the win with a scoreless third inning, while Tycobbia starter Daniel Ferguson (Ginza) was tagged with the loss... Ferguson allowed 2 runs in the opening inning.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 24, 2026

Ruthlandian North Mid-Season Recap
Strong pitching has propelled the Valmara Vipers to the top spot in the RU North... three vets Billy Ray (11-5), Clem Carmouche (8-7), Pavel Volkov (9-4) and a rookie Teddy Lem (8-5) give manager Jet Kazmarek a solid starting foursome... Ancona manager Manny Mickens is strong on the hill, too... two remarkable rookies Razzy Angelis (10-4) and Kyros Halkias (7-1) combined with All-Star Vince Arndt (11-7), are leading the way... the Red Elephants have outstanding hitting, too... with All-Star SS Vic Zaro (.379 BA/0 HR/22 RBI/39 R), All-Star LF Kenny Willard (.303 BA/9 HR/48 RBI) and All-Star 1B Alekos Kotas (.267 BA/14 HR/56 RBI)... third place Ranford is only 5 games back... skipper Rick Fargnoli has two stoppers in Scotty Simmons (10-5) and Jimmy Travis (9-6), plus two young and talented hitters in All-Star 1B Elton Graff (.355 BA/9 HR/44 RBI) and 2B Sonny Statum (.322 BA/1 HR/21 RBI/45 R/20 SB), but can't compete with Valmara and Ancona... last year's division winner Far Mountain has fallen to the wayside with lousy hitting (.232 BA) and lackluster pitching.

RU North Prediction:
Ancona will prevail with Valmara second and Ranford a distant third.

Ruthlandian South Mid-Season Recap
The Cinderella club in the entire IPA is the St. John Crusaders... under new manager Clayton Luck, a former Crusader outfielder, the team has flourished, rising up from seventh place to the division lead... Luck has super pitching and leads the league with a 2.52 team ERA... All-Star Don Baillie (11-1), rookie Glenn Pierce (8-4) and vet Oklahoma Crane (5-3) have been standouts, along with closer Nelson Hawthorne (3-0), who has 14 saves... two rookies 1B Roger Lanier (.294 BA/9 HR/39 RBI) and LF Chi-Chi Harris (.317 BA/5 HR/26 RBI) are St. John's best bats... runner-up Waleska is a high-scoring machine, led by All-Star CF Roy Hobbs (.351 BA/11 HR/35 RBI/58 R), All-Star LF Loco Dillinger (.304 Ba/18 HR/62 RBI/54 R) and 1B Glenn Childress (.306 BA/7 HR/40 RBI/45 R)... the Westerners top the RU in scoring and batting average (.267 BA)... top pitchers are All-Star starter Chet McNeil (14-5), rookie Cliff Dyer (10-4) and All-Star closer Jarred Laclair (2-0) with 16 saves... the San Dimas Rancheros are in third place, trailing by 7 games... former journeyman catcher Wesley Pate took over this season and the team has thrived with four fine starters: All-Star Shannon White (12-5), Rod Bailey (10-4), rookie Jay Barajas (6-6) and Keir Wells (7-8)... leading the offense are All-Star 3B Hector Cuellar (.290 BA/7 HR/42 RBI/34 R) and standout CF Ray Ford (.313 BA/13 HR/39 RBI/44 R)... last year's RU South champ Crystal Lake is fourth, 10 games out, and not likely to challenge this season... Baby George's pitching corps is down a little and hitting is off, too... the Crushers have won 2 Pro Cups and 4 flags in the last 6 seasons... Duncan Welch (10-8) is still the ace of the mound staff... two rookies have made an impact at the plate: C Tommy Trent (.316 BA/2 HR/32 RBI) and George's 20-year-old son Josh... young George plays 1B and is hitting .302 with 6 homers and 33 RBIs... Marty Pedroza's Belair Beach Sunbirds are in the fifth spot in the standings, 11 games off the pace... top pitchers are All-Star Denny Whitaker (13-4) and Dan Marconi (11-6)... Pedroza's son Jaime (5-12) can't get a break this year, but has a strong 2.85 ERA, best on the club... superstar All-Star 1B Kees Draeger (.340 BA/18 HR/59 RBI) carries the team offensively.

RU South Prediction:
Waleska's experience will win out in the end over the young, exciting St. John Crusaders... San Dimas will end up third, followed by Belair Beach and Crystal Lake.

Ruthlandian East Mid-Season Recap
It's been four long, down years for Killer Brewster and his once-powerful Eastshore Elegants... but they may be back this year... the Elegants are running neck-and-neck with the reigning division champ Wynnamac Sundowners and are tied for first place at the All-Star break... Wynnamac manager Matt Donnelly has strong pitching and good power at the plate... top pitchers are All-star Lon Marshall (13-6) and Jerry Meeks (10-2)... closer Jim Horton has 18 saves... the Sundowner batting order boasts some rock-solid bats with LF Lil Hoss Burkhalter (.264 BA/18 HR/43 RBI), CF Nathan Cockroft (.289 BA/9 HR/35 RBI), plus All-Star rookie RF Tommy Lambright (.296 BA/12 HR/37 RBI)... Eastshore is sparked by pitchers Melvin Key (8-8), Al Froelich (6-6), Randy Boone (11-6) and Lenny Hynoski (11-3)... bullpen ace Milt Campbell (3-2) has saved 17 games... Brewster's offense is not like the golden days and it will eventually be his downfall... a .248 team batting average (15th) will just not do it... third place Beechwood is 7 games behind the two leaders and the Bobcats are trying to wind up in the first division for the 12th consecutive year, but they will have a lot of competition... Bret George has three very capable starters in vets Frank Mullins (8-8) and Ken DeGraw (6-9), along with budding star Maury Patterson (11-4), but his bats are hopeless with a .229 BA, the worst in the IPA... only superstar All-Star CF Vic Valenti (.305 BA/11 HR/38 RBI) and 3B Skipper Smith (.294 BA/9 HR/45 RBI) provide any semblence of offense... Beechwood's pitching may hold off Belle Plaine, Marston, Elnora, Cold Creek and Sugar Valley.

RU East Prediction:
Matt Donnelly has a veteran crew in Wynnamac that should bring home the first place trophy for a second year in a row... Eastshore just doesn't have the offense to beat them out... the Elegants will wind up in second place and it might not be close... Beechwood's pitching will keep it in third place... the other five clubs will battle it out for fourth place with the Elnora All-Stars taking it with its fine pitching.

Ruthlandian West Mid-Season Recap
Middlefield manager Bailey Norcross has a crackerjack starting rotation, a super closer, good middle relief and lots of firepower... that's why his Roosters are whipping everybody in sight and have run up the best record in the IPA at mid-year... the Roosters have roared to a huge 12-game lead in the RU West and are easily headed for a fourth successive pennant... this is by far the best mound corps in Middlefield history... this team has compiled a 2.87 team ERA (8th), yet pitches in a home run paradise... that's how good it is... All-Star Glenn Tackett (11-3), young 21-year-old Tyrus Cobb (10-0), together with very capable vets Frank Dean (9-7) and Danny Denver (9-4) have been amazing... toss in All-Star closer Waylon Hillman (0-2) with 20 saves and some quality middle relief and you got a superior ball club... it doesn't hurt that the Rooster bats are tied for first in the league with 70 homers... leading the way are standout 1B Allan Stewart (.290 BA/7 HR), CF Tom Daniels (.270 BA/10 HR) and LF Floyd McClellan (.281 BA/9 HR)... Stewart missed most of last season with a concussion from being beaned... Stewart returned to action in May of this year, but so far has not returned to form... Stewart averaged over 40 home runs and 115 RBIs a season prior to the injury... the Stoner Stars and Sligo Rovers will vie for second place with the nod going to the Stars, who have two solid starters and a better overall staff... third should go to the Rovers, who have three quality starters... the Forest City Lumberjacks with good hitting should end up fourth and in the first division, followed by the Rocky Rapids Snappers and the Volusia Vigilantes... Colfax and Fort Benton will battle to keep out of the cellar.

Ruthlandian West Prediction:
I'll go out on a limb and pick Middlefield... Stoner should be second, Sligo third and Forest City fourth... in the second division will be Rocky Rapids, Volusia, Colfax and Fort Benton.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, June 25, 2026

Tycobbian North Mid-Season Recap
Four teams are embroiled in quite a tussle in the TU North at the All-Star hiatus... Rusty Tanussa has his Mahaska Haymakers 2 games up on last season's division champ Fairfax with North Hills and White River close on his heels, just 3 games out.

The Mahaska attack is doing well with a .275 team BA (1st) and they are third in scoring, paced by All-Star RF Travis Tuttle (.340 BA/19 HR/50 RBI/48 R), 1B Paul Davies (.335 BA/6 HR/37 RBI), C Bucky O'Brian (.291 BA/9 HR/27 RBI), CF Pasha Yablonski (.312 BA/1 HR/28 RBI/47 R/34 SB) and rookie 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.316 BA/10 HR/29 RBI/32 R)... the Haymakers are hurting for pitching, which is the team's Achilles' heel... Arno Vainmaa (10-4 3.81), Sammy Kafelnikov (8-7 3.83) and James Allington (10-6 4.60) are Tanussa's be starters... closer Victor Stravinsky (3-3) had been very effective with 13 saves and an impressive 1.24 ERA... the Fairfax Frogs on the other hand have four quality starters with Darien Russell (8-5 3.16), Walt Smith (6-4 3.28), Ken Hill (6-7 3.27) and even Kevin Meeks (3-11 3.16), who has seldom gotten any bat support this year... Manny Hunsinger (3-2) is still strong in the bullpen with 11 saves and a 1.90 ERA... rookie RF Randall Crawford (.320 BA/6 HR/37 RBI) and vet LF Sean Lawson (.292 BA/6 HR/33 RBI) are skipper Dane Wesner's only reliable bats... improvement on the mound has the North Hills Hawks back in pennant contention after a few years in the second division... manager Masaichi Okawa has the second best team ERA with a 3.10 ERA, led by four fine starters: All-Star Valeri Kalinnikov (11-4 2.36), rookie Rich Hanson (8-8 2.78), rookie Ted Bodet (5-8 2.94) and Terry Costanza (8-7 3.45)... hitting is North Hills' dilemma with only two productive hitters: RF Al Bowden (.320 BA/2 HR/35 RBI/40 R) and 1B Lou Hooper (.298 BA/4 HR/25 RBI/37 R)... In White River Ron Hendrix (10-6 2.63) and Paul Sardini (9-8 2.83) are the mound mainstays for skipper Mick Cronyn... success this season will depend on the resurgence of the French twins, Jon and Don... so far they have not done the job... Jon French is 3-4 with a 4.66 ERA and Don French is 4-5 4.82... closer Jeffrey Floyd (0-2) has 14 saves and a 2.50 ERA... all-time IPA and Rascal superstar 1B Marty Blake (.333 BA/14 HR/37 RBI/45 R) is still doing a great job at the plate with help from CF Hal Littleton (.303 BA/4 HR/32 RBI)... the Rascals do hit well... improved pitching the second half could really improve their playoff chances... none of the other teams look like playoff contenders... with Mack Spencer at the helm, the Oxford Red Caps could challenge for fourth place with a pretty fair mound corps... two rookie starters Tony McCarthy (7-3 2.81) and Kenny Gorham (10-8 2.67) have stood out so far, along with a good bullpen, headed up by closer Kurt Jelesko (1-3) with 10 saves and a 2.18 ERA... the Red Caps are not much in the batter's box... don't expect much from Blue Lake, Hartsdale and Luxora... all three clubs have new managers... long-time legends Cobb Tyson and Zim Donner were forced into retirement by the Blue Sox and the Hellcats and replaced by former players, Rick Hilliard and Joey Olson... Cristo Viamonte is out in Luxora, replaced by Lacey Tompkins.

Tycobbian North Prediction:
Defending champ Fairfax will win again with it solid group of starters... White River will move past the other teams into the runner-up spot... the Rascals have a balanced attack, giving them the edge over Mahaska and North Hills, which can't match White River's experience... the Haymakers will finish third, just ahead of the Hawks... Oxford will wind up fifth, followed by Blue Lake, Hartsdale and Luxora.

Tycobbian South Mid-Season Recap
The pennant chase in the TU South is as tight as twin Texas fiddles with a 3-way tie between perennial powers Arroyo Grande and Ginza, along with upstart Colchester, that hasn't made the playoffs in 20 seasons... toss in fourth place Summerland, just 4 games back of the pack, and you have yourself quite a donnybrook... the long-suffering Sunsets haven't ever won a TU South pennant and haven't appeared in the postseason since 2005... and it looks like this four-team tangle could go down to the last day of the season... they are closely matched.

Cyclone Cobb has piloted the Arroyo Grande Suns to 4 TU South flags in the last 6 years and doing it mainly with a prolific offense... the Suns possess the highest-scoring team in the IPA, are second with 86 homers and third with a .272 BA... the batting order is chocked full of talented hitters, highlighted by three IPA icons and future HOF-ers SS Andy Pearson, 1B Rusty Vizcarra and LF Eduardo Villanueva... All-Star Vizcarra tops the IPA with 29 homers and 81 runs batted in... he is hitting .303 for the season... All-Star Pearson sports a .335 BA with 7 homers, 55 RBIs and has scored 46 times... although dwarfed somewhat by the other two superstars, All-Star LF Eduardo Villanueva is a star in his own right and a budding HOF-er, too... Villanueva is batting .336 this year with 8 homers, 36 RBIs and 54 runs... and it doesn't stop there... pitchers have to contend with fine CF Johnny Eichhorn, who is batting .278 with 17 homers and 41 RBIs... on the hill the Suns have some capable pitchers that do well in spite of Capet Stadium with its small dimensions, where anything under a 4.50 ERA is good ... Cobb's starting foursome is: Cesar De Leon (10-4 2.78), Ernie Matthews (10-8 4.18), Ricky Lemos (6-3 3.54) and rookie Chico Huerta (8-7 4.33)... manager Huroko Uchiyama has a good all-around club in Ginza... the Ninjas are the reigning champ of the TU South with pennants in two of the last three seasons... All-Star Daniel Ferguson leads the staff with a 13-4 mark and a brilliant 1.88 ERA... Yutaka Yoshida (9-5 3.77) is his dependable number two starter... All-Star closer Ken Kichida (3-2) is having an awesome season with a minuscule 0.46 ERA and 19 saves, tops in TU and second in the IPA... Middlefield's Waylon Hillman has the most saves with 20... Ginza has a good, solid line-up at the plate with All-Star C Crash Davis (.321 BA/8 HR/45 RBI), 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.290 BA/14 HR/50 RBI), plus two rookies 1B Howard Winston (.325 BA/7 HR/28 RBI) and the manager's son, rookie LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.270 BA/6 HR/43 RBI)... Colchester skipper Uncle Robbie Wilbertson has a well-balanced team with three reliable starters in terrific rookie Mike Kierkegaard (8-2 2.71), Mac Flowers (9-5 2.96) and Brandy Snow (10-7 3.11) and some punch in the batting order with gifted All-Star 1B Steve Burns, the IPA's leading batter with a .385 mark, 18 homers, 55 RBIs and 60 runs scored... All-Star 3B Joel Collins (.277 BA/2 HR/35 RBI), RF D'Andrew Gregory (.258 BA/13 HR/45 RBI) and LF Jim Lewellan (.266 BA/12 HR/33 RBI) also contribute additional offense... to remain in contention Wilbertson really needs a closer... Cholly Burdette (3-3) has saved 15 games, but has a terrible 5.06 ERA... manager Will Hackett finally has a very competitive club in Summerland... the Sunsets can pitch and hit with a 3.46 ERA (10th) and .269 BA (4th)... top starters are rookie Dazzy Van Treese (9-4 3.10) and Willie Baldwin (7-6 2.96)... top hitters are All-Star SS Gregg Proctor (.320 BA/9 HR/50 RBI), 1B Mandu Purula (.315 BA/6 HR/42 RBI), 2B Jurrien Jonker (.329 BA/5 HR/26 RBI), CF Joe DeLucca (.292 BA/5 HR/29 RBI/48 R) and RF Clell Renshaw (.276 Ba/4 HR/37 RBI/47 R) and rookie C Jerl Coleman (.292 BA/2 HR/22 RBI)... the other clubs will remain in the second division and are no threats at all to the first division teams... there's just too much of a gap in talent... the best franchise in the IPA, the Turon Typhoons, are floundering in the second division for the third time in the last four seasons... for a while the glory days are gone from Turon... one of the greatest pitchers in IPA history can't win with a superb 1.60 ERA... 37-year-old Nicky Engstrom with a career 348-167 record leads the IPA in ERA, but is only 8-9 and possibly headed for his first losing season in his 17 seasons... Turon hits fairly well and is sparked by fine 1B Michael Page (.287 BA/15 HR/48 RBI) and RF Ryan O'Bryan (.327 BA/1 HR/32 RBI/45 R/24 SB)... other good bats belong to rookie SS Yancy Duvicque (.309 BA/2 HR/27 RBI) and 3B Grant Odom (.289 BA/2 HR/31 RBI).

TU South Prediction:
Arroyo Grande will win out by the slimest of margins over second place Ginza... we give the Suns the edge because of the better offense... third place will go to the Colchester Elites in a close battle with Summerland... Turon will be fifth, followed by Southport, San Alejo and Cape Coral.

Tycobbian East Mid-Season Recap
It's the toughest division in the IPA and it was made a little tougher because the division doormat East Point Panthers have suddenly gotten to be a decent ball club... It's a 6-team tango in the Tycobbian East with Tuckanarra holding a 2-game edge over the Red Bluff Red Sox... the current Pro Cup crownbearer South Fork Stallions, Midway Wolves and Ozarka Naturals are in a triple tie for third, just 3 games back in the race... the High Mesa Cowboys are sixth and trail by only 6 games and the up-and-coming East Point Panthers are within 7 games of first place, yet find themselves in seventh place... the Hillsboro Blazers have spiraled down to the cellar and are 11 games behind.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays captured two Pro Cups in a row in 2023 and 2024 and wound up second in the TU East last year, losing out in a close race to the Pro Cup champion South Fork... manager Carlton "Lefty" Stevens has the best staff in the Tycobbian Union with a 3.00 team ERA, anchored by All-Stars Glynn Starr (11-6 2.48) and Quinn Starr (10-7 2.64)... Rick Griffith (5-2 2.99) has turned into a strong number three starter for the Tucks... in the bullpen veteran All-Star closer Archie Desmond (4-3) has racked up 15 saves and posted a 2.86 ERA... the Blue Jays are still winning despite the lack of hitting... no one on the team is hitting up-to-par... 1B Lynn Starr (.266 BA/8 HR/40 RBI)), RF Danny Redd (.277 BA/8 HR/39 RBI) and 2B Koora Nawajuk (.272 BA/12 HR/33 RBI) are all having off-years... rookie C Trevor Dowd is the one bright spot in the batting order with a .309 BA and 25 RBIs... Red Bluff skipper Bucky Frizzell has turned the team around drastically from a dismal seventh last year to the runner-up spot this season... good power and improved pitching has done it... last year the staff posted a lousy 4.59 ERA... this year it's down to 3.62 (15th)... 9-year veteran closer Rod Westfall (4-2) is having an excellent season with 15 saves and a 2.05 ERA... a youthful rotation is led by rookie Tony Serna (9-7 3.27), Sean Connery (9-6 4.04), Ramsey McCloud (7-7 3.59) and rookie Royce Todd (6-7 4.26)... RF Corbett Brooks leads the club with 19 homers and 55 RBIs... All-Star 2B James Mack has 15 homers and 41 RBIs... and 1B Leander Burks also chipped in with 13 roundtrippers and 47 runs batted in... the Pro Cup champion South Fork Stallions are hanging close with strong pitching, but could use some offense, if they hope to repeat... Duroche "Lips" Leon still has a good starting rotation in All-Star Gary Price (12-7 2.77), Jim Tettelbach (7-9 3.23), who won the Pro Cup MVP last year, Bill Massey (5-4 3.22) and Ozz Gatsby (8-7 3.63)... the Stallions staff has compiled a 3.19 ERA (5th) this year... offensively the club is batting .252 (17th) with 58 homers (12th) and is ranked 11th in scoring... star LF Patric Giles (.308 BA/10 HR/37 RBI/51 R) is the club leader with some help from SS Kurt Pankewicz (.299 BA/3 HR/46 RBI/29 R) and CF Shelby Glasscock (.251 BA/7 HR/37 RBI/36 R)... The Midway Wolves are still a solid ball club under manager Cochise Chandler with good pitching (3.54 ERA-13th) and good hitting (.258 BA-10th)... the Midway mound staff is led by two of the IPA's best, Bobby Dorignac (10-8 2.79) and Motega Wolf (8-8 2.96), plus a fine rookie Hank Helms (10-6 3.36)... after 17 seasons Dom Vilaggio is still the main man in the bullpen with 17 saves and a 2.45 ERA... Vilaggio leads the IPA with 457 career saves... the Wolves best bats are rookie 1B Jake Welsh (.297 BA/15 HR/53 RBI/41 R), SS Rob Gigler (.307 BA/9 HR/45 RBI/38 R), LF Johnny Lee (.307 BA/9 HR/24 R/51 R), All-Star 3B Rusty Graves (.262 BA/8 HR/33 RBI/43 R) and 2B Frank Reinhard (.245BA/12 HR/38 RBI/29 R)... after dominating the TU East with 7 straight titles from 2015 to 2021, the Ozarka Naturals haven't been a factor in the division race... however, this year manager Joe Mac Carney's crew is back in the thick of things, just 3 games out of first place... Solid hitting is the prime reason... the Nats are batting at a .272 clip (2nd) and are ranked 12th in scoring... but average pitching is the problem... it will be hard to take the division title with a 3.79 team ERA (21st)... topping the Ozarka hit parade are rookie 3B Nick Rembert with a .340 average, 5 homers and 45 RBIs... standout 1B George Jenkins with 15 homers, 49 RBIs, 40 runs and a .310 BA... star SS James Couch with a .298 average, 4 home runs and 49 runs scored... reliable RF Ken Mayberry with a .313 BA and 28 runs... dependable CF Ryoma Nakayama with a .291 average and 25 RBIs... and LF Jose Ordonez with a .287 BA, 5 homers and 25 RBIs... Jeb Mashburn (9-7 3.70) is only decent starter... closer Josh Carpenter (0-1) has saved 15 games and chalked up a fine 2.14 ERA... the High Mesa Cowboys are in sixth place, just 6 games back, but are playing sub .500 ball... as usual the Cowpokes are blasting the ball and lead the IRA with 89 homers, are batting .264 (7th) and are rated fourth in scoring... manager Frisky Franks has two awesome bats: 13-time All-Star 1B Jack Elliott still handles the bat very well with a .350 BA, 17 homers, 49 RBIs and has scored 51 runs... super slugging RF Bill Andrews carries a .302 average with 21 home runs, 62 RBIs and has scored 51 runs... All-Star 2B Roland Campbell is hitting .321 with 9 roundtrippers, driven in 36 runs and scored 54 times... and rookie 3B Freddy Franks, the skipper's son, has had a good debut season with a .279 BA, 6 HR, 22 RBIs and scored 36 runs, while playing some great defense... pitching-wise the team has a 3.67 ERA (17th), which is not too bad considering they play in a home run heaven... top twirlers are Emil Kaltenborn (10-7 3.08), Tommy Riley (8-7 3.22) and Ronald Ward (5-8 3.89)... former East Point Panther superstar IF Karol Zodoka took over the managerial reins from Jesse Goodwin this season and has done wonders for them... the Panthers even held first place after the first month of play, but reality has set in and they have dipped to seventh place, but only 7 games back and just 3 games below the .500 mark... All-Star RF Kenji Aoki led the early charge by hitting over .400 until May 10... Aoki has since cooled off considerably, but has 19 homers, 62 RBIs, scored 48 runs and sports a .309 BA... LF Jerry Thomas has helped out with a .289 average, 7 homers and 39 RBIs... on the hill Frank Blair has stood out with a 9-7 record and an impressive 2.96 ERA... Hillsboro has gone to the pits and fallen from the comforts of the first division down to the depths of the TU East cellar, but only 11 games off the pace... manager Rawhide Marshall's pitching staff has gone to pot with a 4.09 team ERA (26th)... the Blazers bats are all burned out, too, with a .245 BA (27th)... long-time vets Tom Edgar (8-9 3.29) and Pat Buettner (8-8 3.97) are the top pitchers, while vet 1B Larry Guichard is the best hitter with a .281 average, 6 homers, 38 RBIs and has scored 41 times.

TU East Prediction:
Tuckanarra gets a slight nod over Pro Cup champ South Fork in another great race between the two standout clubs... the Blue Jay bats should improve in the second half and give them the edge... Midway will be close behind the top two contenders, but needs a little more pitching... High Mesa will rise up to fourth place and edge out the Red Bluff Red Sox, who will wind up in sixth place... despite its great start, East Point will end up in seventh place this season, yet be an improved club... Hillsboro is destined for a last place finish.

Tycobbian West Mid-Season Recap
The Tycobbian West may be one of the weaker divisions in the IPA, but they sure are giving their fans their money's worth this year with a tightly-bunch race... only 11 games separate first place from last place... so it's still anybody's to win with at least 6 teams in the running... Bay St. Clair holds a 4-game lead over resurgent Chicopee... the Buccaneers and the Braves are the only teams in the division with winning records... last year's winner Rolling Hills is tied with Arlon for third place, 5 games off the pace... Bayview is fifth in the standings, trailing by 6... Kenwood is sixth and 7 games behind... Denton City is 9 games back and in seventh place... while poor LaClaire is last and 11 games out.

The first place Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are skippered by long-time manager Guy Rondre... Rondre has two fine starters this season: ace Greg Moss (10-7 3.01) and a revitalized Eddie Lasky (11-6 3.34), who has had two losing seasons since winning 25 games in 2023, when he won the TU Golden Arm Award... closer Ray McClendon (0-2) has been very effective, too, with 18 saves and a ridiculously low 0.87 ERA... leading the Bucs batters are All-Star CF Bill Howell with a .353 BA, 32 RBIs and 51 runs... and top-notch 1B Jerry Todd with a .332 mark, 8 homers and 48 RBIs... Harry Fleetfoot's Chicopee Braves started like gangbusters with a 16-8 record in April, but have since come down to earth and will likely fade into the second division in the second part of the season... the Braves bat poorly with a .239 team BA (31st), but have good power with 77 homers (3rd-tied) and fair pitching with a 3.79 team ERA (20th)... Fleetwood's best bats are LF Dominick DiCaprio (.277 BA) with 12 homers and 41 RBIs, 1B Gary Burchfield (.281 BA) with 14 home runs and 40 RBIs, CF Vinny Anderson (.300 BA) with 9 roundtrippers and 31 RBIs and RF Charlie Jensen (.278 BA) with 10 homers and 33 runs batted in... Chicopee's best pitchers are All-Star Bob Ferguson (9-8 2.66), Lonnie Quick (5-5 3.00) and closer Paul Quinn (4-1) with 14 saves and a 2.33 ERA... the Rolling Hills Reds had a super season last year and copped the TU West for the third time in 6 years, mainly because of wonderful pitching (2.84 ERA-1st)... manager Matty Christianson still has a very fine staff with a 3.18 team ERA (4th), but run scoring is down quite a bit this year... All-Star LF Pat Webb tops the team with a .329 BA, 14 homers, 52 RBIs and 46 runs with some strong support from 3B Billy Christianson, one of three brothers on the club, all sons of the Reds manager... All-Star Sal Jordan (11-7 2.64) is still the ace... rookie sensation Kenny Leonard is 6-1 in 9 starts with a very impressive 1.76 ERA... long-time star Errol Gaudet is still as good as ever, but is only 4-8 with a 2.90 ERA... both Joey Christianson and McGraw Christianson have slumped badly this year... McGraw won 20 games last year, but is only 5-4 with a sky-high 4.90 ERA and has been exiled to the bullpen... older brother Joey is 7-10 with a repectable 3.51 ERA... however last year he was 12-5 with a 2.53 ERA in half a season... Christianson missed the second half because of a torn rotation cuff... the Arlon Champions managed by Gary Louis are just a mediocre club this season with a poor .234 BA (32nd) and a fair 3.79 team ERA (22nd)... they are tied for third with Rolling Hills and 5 off the pace, but not likely to be a contender... they just had a good 15-9 record in April, but have been under .500 since... Lacy Dalton (8-2 3.20) and Dorsey Peters (9-7 3.76) are the Champs best pitchers... RF Bailey Brupbacher (.302 BA/8 HR/35 RBI) and CF Del Carpenter (.301 BA/4 HR/33 RBI) are the best hitters... former star 1B Chancey Quibedeaux has taken over for the retired Walter Johanssen this year in Bayview and has done a fine job in the first half... last year the Vikings finished deep in the basement... second-year hurler Vern Halstad has helped tremendously with a 10-3 mark and a 3.44 ERA... Bayview has powered its way up in the standings with a .265 BA (5th), 77 homers (3rd-tied) and is second in scoring runs... the Viks have a very potent batting line-up with All-Star superstud CF Davey Krueger (.287 BA/14 HR/50 RBI), RF Knut Valen (.304 BA/17 HR/57 RBI), 1B Rafael Garza (.343 BA/8 HR/35 RBI) and fine rookie LF Wayne Kenney (.324 BA/13 HR/34 RBI)... Aaron Hankins' Kenwood Wildcats are usually in the first division, but not this year... the Wildcats have fallen to sixth place, but within striking distance of the leaders, trailing by 7 games... as a rule Hankins' teams seem to do better in the second half of the year... All-Star Jody Gentry (9-7 2.10) and Trigger Rogers (5-6 2.66) are Kenwood's top mound performers... overall the team has a solid 3.41 ERA (8th)... but the Wildcats are hitting only .242 (30th)... the boss' 22-year-old son Babe Hankins is his only hitter... Hankins is enjoying his finest season with a .287 BA, 18 doubles, 6 triples, 16 homers, 52 RBIs and has scored 46 runs... Hankins is the club leader in all of those categories... Denton City replaced manager Ford Whiteman after 24 years in the job, 8 postseason appearances and 6 pennants, but none since 2013... the new skipper is Lavon Gooch, who starred for the Redbirds for 15 seasons from 2003 to 2017, compiling a fine .292 lifetime batting average with 332 home runs... the 'Birds are headed nowhere this year... they are seventh in the race and 9 games back with miserable hitting and no power whatsoever... the team BA is .244 (28th) with only 36 homers (31st-tied)... pitching is average with a 3.73 ERA (18th)... closer Johnny Duncan (3-1) has stood out with 17 saves and an excellent 1.50 ERA in 29 games... George Hudson is the best starter with a 7-5 mark and solid 3.29 ERA... LF Don Cain (.322 BA/1 HR/25 RBI) and 2B Buddy Gates (.307 BA/0 HR/19 RBI) are the Redbirds best batters, but both are slap hitters with no power... the LaClaire Lynx also have a new manager... Zeppy Deshotel has replaced the fired Maka Bardinda, who managed just one third place finish in his 6 seasons at the helm, the rest of the time was spent in the second division... the Lynx have never made the playoffs and are one of the least successful franchises in the history of the IPA... Deshotel was a superb player for 18 years and is a sure bet to make the IPA Hall of Fame... in 2599 games Deshotel batted .312 with 469 homers, 3121 hits, 1699 RBIs and stole 510 bases... We wish him the best of luck, but great players don't always make good managers... the only talent LaClaire has is All-Star SS Flash Devlin (.310 BA/10 HR/36 RBI/49 R) and starting pitchers Pat Kovacs (8-7 3.23) and Ryan Brown (7-9 2.50).

TU West Prediction:
Bay St. Clair seems to be the class of the division this year, but Rolling Hills will probably make a run at them in the second half... the Reds weak offense will probably do them in... high-scoring Bayview will come in third as the Vikings just don't have the pitchers to compete for the pennant... Kenwood will battle Chicopee and Arlon for the fourth spot... Denton City and LaClaire will be at the bottom of the barrel.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, June 24, 2026

Chicopee Braves History

The Chicopee Braves are one of the least successful franchises in the IPA. The Braves have never ever made the playoffs, not even in the early days of the league when the top 4 teams from each division made the postseason. Chicopee is tied for 56th with a .479 winning percentage, chalking up an 1807-1962 mark in its history.

Chicopee Postseason Snapshot:
(None)

Not a lot of really good ballplayers have past through Chicopee... the best was Desmond Quartermain (2003-2020), who toiled in obscurity for 18 years... Quartermain was 234-237 in his career with a terrific 2.82 ERA... He won 20 games on three occasions and was a 3-time All-Star... Quartermain retired at age 41.

Tommy Riddle (2008-2019) was the number two Brave in wins with a 191-142 mark and a 3.30 ERA... Lifetime Riddle played for four teams and compiled a 247-179 record with a solid 3.33 ERA... Riddle was a 3-time All-Star and won 2 Golden Gloves... He also was an accomplished hitter with a .276 BA and 9 home runs... Riddle retired at age 42 in 2020, playing his last year with Arroyo Grande... before coming to Chicopee he also played for Valka in the RU and Tuckanarra in the TU from 2003 to 2006.

C Ivan Burkholder (2002-2022) was fixture in Chicopee for 18 years and 2192 games (1st)... he made the All-Star team twice... batted .271 with 312 homers (1st), 1185 RBIs (1st) and 1172 runs (1st)... played for Turon in 2023 and retired at age 41.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, June 24, 2026

LaClaire Lynx History

The LaClaire Lynx are another weak franchise in the IPA that has never graced the playoffs. The Lynx overall record shows a .466 winning percentage. LaClaire is 1792-2056 in its history... only 4 times have they made the first division in the Tycobbian West.

LaClaire Postseason Snapshot
(None)

LaClaire has not done well as a team, but it has had some great ballplayers... both Zeppy Deshotel and Flash Devlin will be in the IPA Hall of Fame one day... LF Deshotel (2005-2022) played his entire career in LaClaire and is the all-time club leader in most offensive categories... he was a fabulous ballplayer, one of the best ever in the IPA... a 9-time All-Star with a .312 career average in 2599 games, 3121 hits, 469 homers, 1699 RBIs, 1744 runs and 510 stolen bases... SS Devlin (2013-2026) is rated number two all-time in most categories, but is ranked first with a .327 career batting average... Devlin is a 10-time All-Star with 1966 game appearances, 2483 hits, 436 home runs, 1385 RBIs, 1540 runs and 232 stolen bases.

The rest of the all-time LaClaire favorites were just good, solid players with lengthy careers... SS Bob Steitz (2005-2020) was a slick fielder, 2-time Gold Glover, 3-time All-Star and fair hitter... Steitz batted .270 in 1869 games with 114 homers, 657 RBIs and 1092 runs... in 22 years 3B-1B Luis Marquez (2001-2022) appeared in 2456 games, hit .273 with 2253 hits, 211 homers, 1103 RBIs and scored 1152 runs... 2-time All-Star 2B Dale Pace (2005-2018) hit a solid .293 in 1823 games over 14 seasons with 1859 hits, 171 homers, 749 RBIs and scored 987 times... Maka Bardinda (2009-2016) played for three teams in his 14-year career, mainly for the Lynx... Bardinda was twice an All-Star and a Golden Glover for LaClaire... He also managed the Lynx unsuccessfully for 6 seasons, making the first division only once... Bardinda was fired after the 2025 season... overall in his career he was in 1784 games, collected 1669 hits, 139 roundtrippers, 773 RBIs and 708 runs, while batting .266.

LaClaire never had any standout pitchers... top winners were Andy Murray (2001-2021) with a mediocre 183-220 record and a 4.19 ERA... in 10 years with the Lynx Doug Lyons (2007-2016) was 143-148 with a good 3.46 ERA... Lyons played his first 6 years with Cape Coral... lifetime Lyons was 216-198 with a 3.39 ERA... with LaClaire Bernie Halsey (2009-2018) was 130-122 with a 4.12 ERA... Halsey also played with Sugar Valley in the RU East for 7 years before joining the Lynx... Halsey was 169-159 with a 4.14 ERA in his career... and Rick Novronski (2004-2015) registered a 123-120 record and a 3.98 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

2026 IPA September Standings

7 Races Almost Decided, Only One Close
Going into September, there are not many pennants up for grabs in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Out of the 8 divisions, only one is in doubt. The other 7 are pretty much decided with the leaders holding at least a 5-game lead going into the final 19 games of the season.

The hottest race is in the Tycobbian South where the Ginza Ninjas have a 2-game edge over the Arroyo Grande Suns and a 5-game lead on the third place Colchester Elites. The Suns are making a late-season run at Ginza, who had an 8-game bulge going into August. In the next closest race, the Tycobbian North, the Mahaska Haymakers top the Fairfax Frogs by 5 games and the White River Rascals by 6. The remaining divisions seem to be just playing out the string. Tuckanarra has a 6-game margin over the current Pro Cup champion South Fork Stallions in the TU East and the Rolling Hills Reds lead Chicopee by the same margin in the TU West. The Reds rallied from fourth place and 5 games back at mid-season.

Over in the Ruthlandian Union, the best contest is in the RU North, where Valmara is up by 6 games on Ancona. The rest of the division leaders have big leads going in the final month. In the RU South surprising St. John has built up a solid 9-game edge over Waleska. Middlefield is still running away with the RU West, 9 games in front of Stoner. In the RU East, Beechwood finished with a second-half flourish and swept past Wynnamac and Eastshore, the first-half leaders. The Bobcats are 8 games ahead of the Sundowners and 9 up on the Elegants.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 1, 2026

Hartsdale Hellcats History

The Hartsdale Hellcats have the best record in the Tycobbian North with a 2040-1953 mark, a .512 winning percentage, which shows the overall weakness of the division. However Luxora leads with 7 pennants and Fairfax was won 4. The Hellcats have captured 3 pennants in their history and qualified for the postseason 2 other times, when more than the division winner made the playoffs... the Hellcats have gone 12 years without a pennant.

Hellcats Playoff Snapshot:
2003 - lost to Luxora (TU North) 2-1 in First Round
2005 - lost to Cape Coral (TU South) 3-2 in Sweet 16 (first round)
2006 - lost Pro Cup champion Turon (TU South) 3-2 in Sweet 16 (first round)
2009 - lost to Pro Cup Champion Turon (TU south) 4-1 in Elite 8 (first round)
2014 - lost to Turon (TU south) 4-0 in Elite 8 (first round)

Top Players:
3B Kendry Moulton (2001-2024) 7-time All-Star, 2 Gold Gloves... sure-fire HOF-er... career BA .297... ranks high in all-time IPA stats: 3347 G (11th), 3347 H (11th), 527 HR (8th), 1840 RBI (4th)... played 24 years with Hartsdale... still playing in the IPA with Sligo of the RU West as role player at age 43

SS Jud Turchin (2002-2022) 7-time All-Star, Gold Glove... definite Hall of Fame stats... career BA .304 in 3360 G, 3360 H, 514 doubles, 391 homers, 1580 RBI, 1868 runs, 320 SB... played 21 years with Hellcats, half year with Valka at age 41... in all-time IPA stats Turchin ranks 10th in hits and runs.

1B Tom Brabant (2005-2020) 5-time All-Star... top all-time Hartsdale BA with .315... 2034 G, 2315 H, 427 HR, 1349 RBI, 1107 R

LF Mac Faulkner (2001-2017) 3-time All-Star... .308 BA, 2347 G, 400 doubles, 339 HR, 1262 RBI, 1338 R

Gus Kostro (2003-2006) was the best pitcher in Hartsdale history, but only played 4 years... as a 39-year-old rookie in 2003, Kostro was an All-Star, the TU Rookie of the Year with a 25-6 record and a 2.39 ERA... he also was the TU Golden Arm winner and the TU Most Valuable Player, leading the Hellcats to their first TU North pennant... in his second season Kostro was 22-13 with a 3.37 ERA... in his four seasons Kostro was 57-28 with a 3.32 ERA... he retired at age 42 after two mediocre seasons.

The best of the rest is Jim Starks (2018-2026) with a 148-125 record and a fine 3.44 ERA... 38-year-old Starks is third in Hellcat wins after Tony Lane (2008-2023), who was 194-195 with a 3.84 ERA and Bobo Boisseau (2005-2026) with a 179-181 mark and a 3.77 ERA... Boisseau is still competitive at age 42.