ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 3, 2028

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 3, 2028

Around the Town in the IPA

MAHASKA HAYMAKERS

Owner/GM: Rickey Branch
Assistant GM: Rick Branch, Jr.
Manager: Rusty Tanussa

Mahaska, a township of 67,000 nestled on the banks of the White River in the west central plains of Tycobbia, is part of the nation’s breadbasket and heartland with vast fields of wheat, corn, oats and other grains. Grain elevators, storage silos and processing plants are its main industry, along with cereal factories and beef, chicken and pork meat processing plants. The Mahaska townspeople have a strong work ethic and live a nice middle-class existence. Church and family are of prime importance in their lives. Shady streets and quiet subdivisions best describe life in Mahaska.

Mahaska was settled in the 1850s by immigrants from Iowa in the United States. They were hearty farm people well-versed in all aspects of agriculture. The transplanted Iowans named their town after the Iowa county where most of them lived. Mahaska was named after a famous Iowa indian chief. Around 1900 the town got an influx of emigres from the Ukraine, who fit in real well with their expert knowledge of growing wheat and grains. The Ukraine is the breadbasket of Russia. The new additions to Mahaska quickly were assimilated into the town culture and even eventually picked up the game of baseball, which was rapidly becoming the National Pastime in Tycobbia.

Mahaska is also home of the Haymakers baseball team who play at the new Heartland Stadium, where the best barbecue in Tycobbia is served along with delicious, melt-in-your-mouth hamburgers. Traditional ballpark food and soft drinks are available in abundance, too. Musical entertainment during games is provided by the Mahaska Sym-Phony, a group of musically-inclined fans. They entertain during games and highstep around the field in celebration after every Haymaker victory... and yes, it's the only symphony in Mahaska.

The team is family-owned and family-operated; no high-powered corporation or millionaire runs it. Rickey Branch is one of the most knowledgeable baseball administrators in Tycobbia and is the sole owner of the team. He is also one of the league founders. His son, Rick Branch, Junior, is the assistant GM and is a fine baseball man in his own right; the team will be passed down to him when his dad retires. The Branches are well-respected members of the Mahaska community and active in civic activities. Team manager Rusty Tanussa was a journeyman outfielder in the company leagues, but was a top-notch and very successful industrial league manager.

Heartland Stadium (2000)
Capacity: 7,935

Dimensions:
LF Line 340
LF 365
LCF 390
CF 425
RCF 390
RF 365
RF Line 340

[Eugene Church]

Map of Islandian

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 3, 2028

Around the Town in the IPA

TUCKANARRA BLUE JAYS

Owner: Jayden Thorpe
GM/Manager: Carlton "Lefty" Stevens

Tuckanarra is a rural town in southern Tycobbia with a population of 49,000. It is about 100 miles east of Bay St.Clair, 100 miles west of South Fork and 100 north of Denton City. Tuckanarra came into existence in the 1860s, when a group of Australians were shipwrecked on the coast near Bay St. Clair. Not having the means to continue their journey from Tuckanarra, Australia to England, they decided to move inland to set up homesteads. Included in their numbers were a few aboriginal families. These were farmers, cattle ranchers and sheep herders. Wheat, wool, beef and lamb were their main products. They named the town after their old hometown, Tuckanarra. The main industries in modern day Tuckanarra are woolen textiles factories and meat processing plants.

In the early 1900s, the game of baseball arrived in the form of exhibition games by the Chicopee town teams, who began to barnstorm the Islands. Initially just traveling to nearby towns like Denton City, Colchester and Tuckanarra, then expanding to Tycobbia, Ruthlandia and even to distant Valdar Island. The Aussies took a liking to the American game and began to form teams, which led to leagues. It took them almost 20 years to compete on the level of the other adjacent towns. By 1920 company leagues were flourishing in Tuckanarra. It stayed amateur and semipro for the next 80 years, when in 2001, the first pro baseball league in the Islands was established, the Islandian Pro Alliance. It was an attempt to get rid of all the corruption in the Amateur Baseball Alliance. Too many teams were just violating the rules by paying the players to just play baseball, but not requiring them to do any bonafide work for the company sponsors.

Since it is one of the smallest towns in the Islands, it seemed like Tuckanarra was going to miss out on the IPA. But local baseball aficionado, playboy and philanthropist, Jayden Thorpe, stepped up to the plate and put up the money for the Tuckanarra Blue Jays franchise. He chose the name Bluejays simply because it is a tough and feisty bird...just like him. He thought it would make a good mascot, too. Thorpe made his fortune riding high tech stocks in the 1980s and 90s. He hired as GM and manager, Carlton "Lefty" Stevens, a great left-handed pitcher in the industrial leagues.

The Bluejays play at Central Park Stadium, which is located right in the middle of a beautiful park on the edge of the downtown area, which houses the Central Park Zoo. The zoo specializes in animals native to Australia and features a ferris wheel, carousel and a carnival midway. It is a favorite place for Tuckanarran families to while away weekend hours perusing koala bears, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, platypuses, tasmanian devils and kookaburras. Central Park Stadium was constructed in 1948 and is still a great place to watch a ballgame. Even the aboriginal Australians have taken to the sport of baseball and have acquited themselves very ably over the years.

Food-wise, you won't just gorge out on vegemite (salty food paste) sandwiches and swig Australian beers like VB (Victoria Bitter) and Foster's at the ballpark, you can also get Aussie gourmet treats like barbecue, Tim Tam (chocolate biscuits) and a chocolate Pavlova (a fruit meringue dessert named for the Russian ballerina) with sorbet. Hot dogs, hamburgers and cokes are available, too.

Central Park Stadium (1948)

Capacity: 7,750

Dimensions:

Left Field Line - 340
Left Field - 370
Left Center - 400
Center Field - 385
Right Center - 400
Right Field - 370
Right Field Line - 340

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 4, 2028

2028 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Rovers Nose Out Westerners 2-1, Up 3-2 In Series
12-year veteran Les Patterson may be 37 years old, but he still can get the job done... in game five Patterson (3-0/2.18) weaved his magic for 9 innings to nose out the tough Waleska Westerners 2-1 at Silver Mountain Park in Sligo... the tall, lanky right-hander allowed 10 hits, but 3 double plays kept him out of trouble and the Westerners off the scoreboard as he posted his third win in a row in this year's Pro Cup playoffs... the win gave the Rovers a 3-2 advantage in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian Final 4... one more victory and they will head for the IPA Pro Cup Finals... the series will shift to Waleska for games six and seven.

Westerner starter Terry Richards hurled a strong game, too... Richards (2-1/3.13) also went the route, surrendering only 2 runs and 8 hits with 6 Ks and 5 bases on balls... Sligo got their only runs in the last of the third when Patterson doubled (.333) and scored on a triple by SS Howie Robertson (.373)... 1B Johnny Sackett (.271) got the game-winner when he grounded out to score Robertson from third... Waleska got its only score in the top of the fifth on a double by C Calico Clay (.333), who advanced to third on a groundout and came in to score when Richards (.083) grounded out to first.

Tycobbian Union

Blue Jays Bomb Mahaska 9-4, Stay Alive In Final 4
Desperate for a win, the Pro Cup favorite Tuckanarra Blue Jays took charge early in game five and remained alive in the Tycobbian Final 4 with a 9-4 thrashing of the Mahaska Haymakers... the Tucks' triumph cut the surprising Haymakers' series lead to 3-2... the Blue Jays battered 3 Haymaker pitchers at will, running up 18 hits with everybody in the lineup getting at least one base hit... they jumped ahead 5-0 after 2 innings and increased it to 9-3 by the sixth, making it easy for Jamie Gustafson (2-1/3.96), who went all the way, gave up 10 and 4 runs, struck out 3 and walked 3... Maxim Petrosian (1-2/6.48) suffered the brunt of the Blue Jay attack... Petrosian was ripped for 9 runs and 14 hits in just 4-plus innings... the teams will now head back to Tuckanarra for the final two games... the Blue Jays have the home field advantage.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 3, 2028

Around the Town in the IPA

SLIGO ROVERS

Owner: Myron Dalrymple, CEO of the Silver Mountain Ski Resort
GM/Manager: Eddie Keys

Sligo is located in the slopes of the Silver Mountains in northern Ruthlandia. Because of its remote location, the area was largely uninhabited until 1872 when silver was discovered in the hills surrounding the town. The name of the town comes from Theodore Sligo, one of the men who originally discovered the silver. Sligo laid out the roads and a tent city popped up shortly after the discovery. By the turn of the century, the mines had produced more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the nation. Many fine examples of Victorian architecture that were built during the era are well-preserved today.

When the mines stopped producing in the late 1940s, the town lost almost half of its population and fell upon hard times. It survived mainly on its timber industry until the 1970s when environmental concerns caused the town to form a commission that would seek alternative industries that could sustain the economy. The commission findings led to a rebirth of the once-beautiful city. Through various tax breaks, the town was able to attract several builders to construct ski resorts just outside of town. The town also refurbished many of the historic buildings that had fallen into disrepair and decided to place its economic emphasis on tourism.

With a population of only 38,000, Sligo is the smallest town to own a team in the Islandian Pro Alliance and has at various times struggled to meet ends meet despite having very loyal fans. The 1973 commission made it clear in its report that the town should figure out a way to provide long term stability to the local nine as it would be a devastating blow to civic pride if the Rovers were to leave town. As a result, the ballpark was part of the downtown refurbishment and the team signed a long-term lease that makes it difficult for the Rovers to leave. In the 80s, the team was sold to Myron Dalrymple, owner of the highly successful Silver Mountain Ski Resort. Dalrymple is respected among long-time Sligo residents for settling in town and helping to revive its economy.

The Rovers play at Silver Mountain Park which seats 5,678 spectators. The stadium is on a hill overlooking downtown Sligo. The ballpark’s mid-seventies facelift did a good job of preserving its historic nature and the town funded yet another update in 1998 when four sky suites were added along with expanding the clubhouses. SM Park sports a brick façade and is tucked away in the historic Main Street shopping district. There is no parking here, but the sight of fans walking to the ballpark on a balmy summer afternoon fits in well with the town’s quaint ambiance. The team plays to that ambiance by having a barber shop quartet stationed outside the main ticket booth to greet approaching fans.

Speaking of music, you won’t find loud rock and roll music blaring from a state of the art sound system here. Like Hillsboro, Kenwood, Ozarka and Marston, the team employs an organist who serenades fans with classic tunes and is quite adept at finding songs that have something to do with the batter’s skill or idiosynchracies. Food here is among the most affordable in all of the IPA, and while you will find classic ballpark fare like peanuts, hot dogs, and crackerjacks, the most popular item on the menu may well be the roasted corn on the cob that is slathered with mayonnaise.

Despite its nod to the traditional, the team has added one of those big fuzzy mascots in recent years. “Rover”, a giant red dog, roams the stands entertaining children and adults alike. When fans catch a foul ball, the public address announcer will announce to “give that fan a contract,” and Rover will indeed present the fan with a “contract” and a "doggy bag" filled with club gifts. Another Silver Mountain park tradition traces its roots back to the team’s current manager Eddie Keys. During his playing days for the Rovers, fans would jingle their keys whenever he came to bat. The tradition continues to this day whenever a rally is in order.

Silver Mountain Park (1912)

Capacity: 5,678

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 328
Left Field - 350
Left Center - 382
Center Field - 387
Right Center - 382
Right Field - 366
Right Field Line - 342

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 3, 2028

Around the Town in the IPA

WALESKA WESTERNERS

Owner: Ewing Enterprises, Jock Ewing, President
GM/Manager: McGraw Johnson

Waleska is in the southwest part of Ruthlandia near the Silver Mountains and has about 113,000 inhabitants. The town name comes from the Waleska Indian phrase meaning "I don't understand", which was the reply given by the Indians, when the White Man first encountered them and asked them who they were. The Whites mistakenly took the phrase to mean their name.

The High Plains area was settled originally by ranchers to raise purebred Hereford cattle. After the ranchers came, the railroad industry built the railroads for easy transportation of the cattle to market. This attracted many wealthy men from the eastern United States and Europe, who brought with them their impeccable social amenities, culture and high society. Many cattle barons spent their summers in Waleska and winters in Europe. They created the Waleska Social Club, a lavish club furnished on a scale equal to the finest gentleman's clubs in England.

Residents enjoyed a full social life, which was unique in the western part of Ruthlandia and on par with more cultured Ruthlandian towns in the east and south. Among the earliest settlers were the ancestors of the Jock Ewing family, the owners of the Waleska Westerners of the Ruthlandian Union. The club plays in the South Division. Oil was soon discovered on the ranch lands and the rich got richer, creating a financial empire that also expanded to railroad, meat packing and processing, banking and finance.

The Ewing Family is a powerful force in the history of the Islands and its baseball development. They have three franchises in the league. Sons J. R. and Bobby have their own franchise in Ozarka and South Fork respectively. How did they get so many franchises? Money and power is the answer.

The Westerners play their games at historic Westerner Stadium (circa 1902), the oldest ballpark in the Islands. It really is a unique stadium because the power alleys are deeper than center field. The Ewings renovated it in 1980, but kept the beautiful old brick wall that runs around the entire ballpark. It was named in honor of the tough men and woman, who braved the harsh and hostile frontier environment to establish a thriving and prosperous town. One of the big events of the year is the Frontier Days celebration, a week-long event that features a world class rodeo, country music concerts and a spotlight on the good things of western life. A country band entertains the crowds at Westerner Stadium during the games, complete with steel guitar, bass fiddle and twin fiddles. What a treat to hear twin Texas fiddles play "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" and see the buckaroos and their little darlings do line dances and boot-scooting boogies during the game. One of the very special treats at Westerner Stadium is the mouthwatering steak sandwiches that are grilled right in front of your eyes and noses on a huge charcoal grill. And of course, an ice cold bottle of imported Lone Star beer ("Brewed deep in the Heart of Texas") comes with it, too.

Westerner owner, Jock Ewing, was very instrumental in the IPA's coming to be. He and several other multi-millionaire cohorts,like shipbuilder Brent Steiner of Bayiew, Jorge Trujillo (former dictator, now exiled) of Belair Beach, and wealthy entertainers Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles of Bay St. Clair and Conway Birdie of Cape Coral, conceived, financed and tried to contrive the league in their image and control.

But with the "help and guidance" of talented baseball owners like Manny Earl of Sugar Valley, Rob Jackson of Forest City and Rip Calkin of La Claire, the latter more than held their own in the smoke-filled rooms of debate and won a great concession: they got John Banson installed as commissioner with almost absolute control of the IPA, a necessity considering the history and practices of the power mongers.

Waleska's club operations are run by the legendary McGraw Johnson, a baseball pioneer and innovator. He was the first manager to platoon players and to use a closer.

Westerner Stadium (1902)

Capacity: 12,850

Left Field Line - 355
Left Field - 375
Left Center - 410
Center Field - 385
Right Center - 410
Right Field - 375
Right Field Line - 355

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 5, 2028

2028 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Series Tied, Waleska's Clay Wins It 7-6 In 10th
In game six the Waleska Westerners were down to their last loss and gamely rallied to beat the Sligo Rovers 7-6 in 10 innings on Calico Clay's RBI double to extend the RU Final 4 to a full seven games... the series is tied at three games each... playing on the road at Westerner Field, the Rovers built up a 5-1 in the top of the seventh on Johnny Sackett's 3-run clout, but the Westerners cut it to 5-4 in the last of the inning with the big hit coming from Loco Dillinger's 2-run triple... Sligo made it 6-4 in the eighth on 3B Clayton Ingram's (.271) sac fly, but Waleska came right back and tied it up at 6-all on 3B Fran Leonetti's (.400) RBI single and an RBI double by Clay... Waleska outhit Sligo 15 to 7.

Reliever Yancy Garrett (1-0/0.00) notched the win with a perfect tenth, while Glenn Pipton (0-1/3.38), who came on in the eighth was the losing pitcher... Dillinger and Clay were the top bats for Waleska... Dillinger (.435) went 4-4 and drove in 3 runs and Clay (.352) had 3 hits and batted in 2 runs... Dillinger tops the Westerners with 9 postseason RBIs... RF Roy Hobbs (.315) is second with 8 and CF Wilson James (.310) has 7... Sackett (.275) led the Rovers with 3 RBIs and C Wendell Crosby (.298) chipped in with 2 more... Sackett leads the Sligo with 12 RBIs in the playoffs, followed by Crosby and RF Teddy Brunet (.364) with 9 each.

Tycobbian Union

Lane's 3-Run HR Knots Series, Tucks Win 8-5
Pro Cup favorite Tuckanarra came very close to elimination in the TU Final 4, but managed a dramatic late-inning comeback in the last of the eighth to defeat the Mahaska Haymakers 8-5 and force a game seven... RF Dunstan Lane cracked a clutch 3-run homer to break a 5-5 tie and deadlock the best-o-seven series at 3 games apiece... the underdog Haymakers had the heavily-favored Blue Jays on the brink of extinction with a 5-0 lead after 2 innings and a 5-3 margin as late as the eighth, but couldn't finish them off... the Tucks rallied with a run in the sixth, 2 in the seventh and exploded for 5 in the eighth.

Tuckanarra got great relief pitching that blanked Mahaska on one hit over the last 6 innings with Sam Tate going 4 innings and Ron Howe and Gene O'Reilly working an inning each... Howe (1-0/0.00) got credit for the victory and O'Reilly (0-0/1.80) got the save. Tuckanarra had 10 hits to 8 for the Haymakers.

At the plate Lane (.250) and C Trevor Dowd (.477) led the Blue Jays with 3 RBIs apiece... Dowd has batted in 13 runs for the Blue Jays in the playoffs... SS Jed Turchin (.422) is second with 12... Mahaska was paced by LF Johnny Yevtushenko (.292) and starting pitcher Yuri Nikolsky (.250) with 2 RBIs each... the RBI leaders for the Haymakers are 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.310) with 14, RF Travis Tuttle (.317) with 12 and SS Lyndon Washington (.295) with 11.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 6, 2028

2028 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Butler Hurls Waleska Into First Pro Cup Finals
When all was said and done, Waleska's big swingers were better than Sligo's big slingers... in game seven at Westerner Field, it was all Waleska as they battered the Rovers 9-3 to capture the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series four games to three... the Westerners had to win the final two games to advance to their first ever Pro Cup Finals... they will tangle with the Tycobbian league champion beginning this Monday.

Waleska piled up 13 hits and got a solid job from Wild Bill Butler on the hill... at the plate Waleska was sparked by 3B Yahto Sisika (.214), RF Roy Hobbs (.322), C Calico Clay (.379) and pitcher Butler (.077) with 2 RBIs each... on the mound Butler (2-3/4.26), as per usual, was wild and wooly, but he still got the win... he went the distance, fanned 6, walked 6, gave up 8 hits, but only 3 runs to win his second game in the RU Final 4... loser Earl Perkins (2-3/3.62) was victimized by poor defense that cost Sligo 5 unearned runs... Perkins allowed 7 runs on 9 hits in his 5 and two-thirds innings.

Tycobbian Union

Tucks Triumph, Trim Mahaska 5-4 In 11 Innings
In a magnificent series neither team deserved to lose, one of them had to win - and it was the Tuckanarra Blue Jays, who came back from a remarkable 3-1 deficit to beat the valiant Mahaska Haymakers 4 games to 3 in the Tycobbian Final 4... the Tucks fought back with late inning rallies in game six and game seven in unbelievable finishes to a great series... the series finale went to Tuckanarra 5-4 in 11 innings, when the Blue Jays 2B Eddie Darby singled with one away, moved to third on a single by 1B Lynn Starr (.239) and rode home on a single by 3B Koora Nawajuk (.333)... that gave the victory to ace Quinn Starr (3-2/4.46), who went the entire 11 innings in a splendid performance... Starr was touched for 14 hits and only 3 runs, walked just one and struck out 5... Mahaska starter Arno Vainmaa was almost as good, going 10 innings, giving up 4 runs on 10 hits, before leaving for a pinchhitter... Viktor Stravinsky (0-1/3.38) absorbed the loss in his only inning of work... Tuckanarra will be making its fourth trip to the Pro Cup Finals... the Blue Jays won in 2023 and 2024, but lost in 2013... the Turon Typhoons have appeared the most in the title series, a total of 6 times, and won on 4 occasions.

Tuckanarra went ahead 1-0 in the opening frame on an Eddie Darby (.347) double and Lynn Starr's (.239) RBI single... the Haymakers 1B Paul Davies (.250) evened it up in the top of the fourth with an RBI single... an inning later Mahaska increased it to 4-1 on an RBI single by RF Travis Tuttle (.326) and a 2-run single by 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.298)... the Blue Jays bounced back to tie it at 4-all in the last of the sixth on RF Dunstan Lane's (.240) 2-run double and a sacrifice fly by Darby.

Tuckanarra smacked 13 hits, while Mahaska had 14... Lynn Starr paced the Blue Jays with 3 hits... they also go 2 hits each from Darby, SS Jed Turchin (.420) and C Trevor Dowd (.479)... the Haymakers were sparked by LF Johnny Yevtushenko (.340) with 4 hits... SS Lyndon Washington (.300) and RF Travis Tuttle (.326) added 2 hits apiece to the offense... 2B Todd Tarkovsky drove in 2 runs, giving him 16 RBIs in the postseason... all four Haymakers had fine playoffs... Tuttle totaled 13 RBIs, Washington 11 and Yevtushenko 7.

It should be one whale of a Pro Cup this year... for the first time in a while, high seeds will face one another... Tuckanarra was the top seed in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll and Waleska was seeded third... both were predicted to meet for the Pro Cup title... the Southport Sun Sox were the number two seed, but were upset by the feisty eighth seeded Mahaska Haymakers in first round action... The last time two highly-rated clubs clashed for the Pro Cup was in 2024 when number one seed Tuckanarra bested number four ranked Sugar Valley.

[Eugene Church]

The ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 7, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Tucks-Waleska Pitted In Pro Cup
A Tuckanarra-Waleska final was forecast and it came to fruition, but not without some testy moments... both the Blue Jays and Westerners had to dig themselves out of deep holes in the Final 4 round... Tuckanarra trailed Mahaska 3 games to one in the TU Final 4 before pulling it out with 3-straight clutch victories... In the Ruthlandian Final 4, Waleska had to rally from a 3-2 deficit to get by the Sligo Rovers... the top-seeded Blue Jays are favored to take the Pro Cup from the fourth-seeded Westerners... however, it should be quite a series... the opening game is set for Monday afternoon at Central Park Stadium in Tuckanarra, which has the home field advantage... starting pitchers will be Quinn Starr for the Blue Jays and Wild Bill Butler for the Westerners... Starr was 25-10 with a 2.80 ERA in the regular season, while Butler was 23-10 with a 2.97 ERA... so far in the postseason both have struggled a bit... Starr is 3-2 with a 4.46 ERA and Butler is 2-3 with a 4.26 ERA.

Tuckanarra has the better mound staff With Starr, Jamie Gustafson (21-12/2.71) and either Philip Marston (21-8/3.72) or Sam Tate (15-13/3.71) in the third slot of the starting rotation... Waleska can't match them... Butler, Terry Richards (15-12/4.04) and Cliff Dyer (17-12/4.67) have a tough task and will have to step it up a notch or two to challenge the Blue Jays... the Tucks were the best in the Tycobbian Union with a 3.42 team ERA, while the Westerners posted a 4.11 team ERA and ranked 17th in the Ruthlandian Union... Gustafson (2-1/3.96) and Marston (2-0/4.29) have had tough times in the postseason compared to the regular campaign... Richards (2-1/3.13) has stood out for Waleska... Dyer (1-0/4.82) on the other hand has not been as effective... both bullpens are good and about equal... in the postseason Waleska has a 3.60 team ERA, while Tuckanarra is at 3.96... the Blue Jays are 8-3 in the playoffs with Waleska chalking up an 8-5 mark.

For the regular season, Waleska has a slight edge in batting with a .280 team BA (2nd) to Tuckanarra's .277 (3rd)... the Westerners have outscored the Blue Jays 879 (1st) to 829 (1st) and outhomered them 189 (2nd) to 182 (12th)... in the playoffs however, the Blue Jays have blistered the opposition with a torrid .337 BA and averaged 7 runs a game... leading the Blue Jays postseason hit parade are C Trevor Dowd (.479/1/13/11), SS Jed Turchin (.420/2/12/13), 2B Eddie Darby (.347/1/6/8), LF Bill Moody (.342/0/8/6), 3B Koora Nawajuk (.333/3/9/9) and CF Terry Jasper (.326/0/7/5)... Waleska has batted .289 and scored 5 runs a game... topping the Westerners are LF Loco Dillinger (.420/2/9/11), C Calico Clay (.379/0/8/11), 2B Doug Melton (.359/1/5/5), CF Wilson James (.326/0/8/5) and RF Roy Hobbs (.322/2/8/7)... Tuckanarra has 10 homers to 8 for the Westerners... the two squads are equally sound defensively with .981 FA. Neither team hits left-handers especially well... the Blue Jays have three southpaw starters... Gustafson is the only righty... the Westerners don't have a southpaw on the staff.

Pro Cup forecast: Tuckanarra in 6 games... the Blue Jays have better starters and should hold their own with the bats.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 9, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Waleska Wins Pro Cup Opener, Beats Blue Jays 6-4
Game one of the Pro Cup Finals went to Waleska 6-4 on the road at Tuckanarra's Central Park Stadium... Roy Hobbs (.323) and Calico Clay (.381) delivered clutch RBI singles in the top of the ninth to snap a 4-4 deadlock... Wild Bill Butler (3-3/4.21) evened his postseason record with his third victory in a row... Butler went the distance, allowed 4 runs on 6 hits, but walked 7... Tuckanarra starter Quinn Starr (3-3/4.20) also went all the way, permitted 6 runs on 9 hits, also walked 7 and fanned 4 in defeat.

The Blue Jays drew first blood with a run in the third... C Trevor Dowd (.481) scored the first run when 1B Lynn Starr (.220) hit into a double play... in the fourth frame CF Terry Jasper's (.319) triple and RF Dunstan Lane's (.231) sacrifice fly made it 2-zip for the Tucks... the Westerners rallied for 4 runs in the 6th to take the lead 4-2 on RBI singles by Clay and SS Jose De Leon (.217)... Clay scored on an throwing error by 3B Koora Nawajuk... and 3B Yahto Sisika (.276) drove in the last 2 with a single... in the last of the eighth, Blue Jay Nawajuk (.354) redeemed himself whe he slammed his 4th roundtripper in the playoffs, a 2-run shot that tied it up at 4-4.

Sisika paced Waleska at the plate with 3-for-4 and a pair of RBIs... Clay and CF Dusty Rogan (.321) chipped in a pair of hits... Nawajuk and Dowd had 2 hits each for Tuckanarra.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 10, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Richards Stops Blue Jays 5-1, Westerners Up 2-0
A slight underdog, Waleska again knocked off Pro Cup favorite Tuckanarra 5-1 in game two behind another fine performance by 20-year-old rookie right-hander Terry Richards (3-1/2.66), who stopped the Blue Jays on 1 run and 5 hits with 4 Ks and 5 walks... after going 15-12 with a 4.04 ERA in the regular season, Richards has won 3 games in the postseason so far.

The Westerners led throughout the game, taking a 1-0 lead in the first frame when CF Wilson James (.320) led off with a double, went to third on LF Loco Dillinger's (.397) single and was driven in by RF Roy Hobbs' (.313) sac fly... 3B Yahto Sisika (.279) made it 2-0 in the third with his 3rd homer of the playoffs... It stayed that way until Waleska got 3 unearned runs in the top of the ninth, running the score up to 5-0... Tuckanarra got its only run in the ninth on 2B Eddie Darby's (.339) base hit.

Jamie Gustafson (2-2/3.44) pitched well in defeat, giving up only 2 earned runs on 6 hits, while going the route... He fanned 5 and issued 3 bases on balls... Waleska has now beaten the Blue Jays best two starters and have an even chance to go up 3-0 in the Pro Cup Series, when the clubs' number three starters go at it in game three... Cliff Dyer gets the call for the Westerners and Sam Tate for the Blue Jays... Dyer was 17-12 with a high 4.67 ERA during the season, while Tate was 15-13 with a 3.71 ERA... in 4 starts in the playoffs, Dyer is 1-0 with a 4.82 ERA... Tate (0-0/1.42) will getting his first postseason start after 2 effective relief efforts... the series will now head over to Waleska for the next three games, if necessary.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 11, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Blue Jays Bash Waleska 10-4, Trail 2-1 In Series
In game three of the IPA Pro Cup Finals at Westerner Field in Waleska, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays unleashed a 16-hit assault to bash Waleska 10-4 in a much-needed victory... they busted up a 3-3 tie with 3 runs in the 6th inning... the Tucks are right back in the series and now trail by two games to one.

SS Jed Turchin, RF Dunstan Lane and 1B Lynn Starr sparked the Blue Jays at the plate... Turchin (.413) had 4-5 with 3 RBIs and 2 runs, Lane (.303) went 2-4 with 3 RBIs and Starr (.220) was 2-4 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored... Starr had the game's only home run.

Winning pitcher Sam Tate (1-0/3.38) did a fair job on the hill... He tossed 7 innings, was tapped for 4 runs and 10 hits, but it was good enough... Gene O'Reilly (0-0/1.50) and Rob Howe (1-0/0.00) closed it out for Tate with a scoreless eighth and ninth... loser Cliff Dyer (1-1/5.77) had a dreadful game as the Tucks shelled him for 7 runs and 8 hits in 6-plus frames... when he left, Dyer was trailing 7-3... LF Loco Dillinger (.403) and RF Roy Hobbs (.324) led the Westerners with 2 hits and an RBI each.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 12, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Tucks Trim Westerners 4-3, Series Tied 2-2
For the second day in a row, Tuckanarra has beaten Waleska on the road at Westerner Field... the Blue Jays got a sharp performance out of their ace Quinn Starr, who whipped the Westerners 4-3 in game four of the best-of-seven series... Starr (4-3/3.92) tied the Pro Cup Finals at two games each... in his 8 innings Starr allowed only 2 earned runs on 8 hits in his best postseason outing this year... closer Rob Howe sat the Westerners down in order in the ninth for the save... in a shaky start Waleska's ace Wild Bill Butler (3-4/4.18) went the distance, yielding 4 runs on 7 hits with 6 strikeouts, but walked 7.

Tuckanarra took a 4-1 lead with a pair of runs in the second and third frames... RF Dunstan Lane (.297) and LF Bill Moody (.327) got the first 2 runs across on RBI singles and SS Jed Turchin (.403) drilled a 2-run homer for the other scores... the Westerners came back with a run in the last of the third when 2B Dusty Hickerson (.250) had a leadoff double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on CF Dusty Rogan's (.289) groundout... Waleska got its last 2 runs in the sixth on 1B Glenn Childress' (.186) RBI single and an error by CF Terry Jasper... that was as close as they could get.

Waleska had the edge in hits 8-7... 3B Yahto Sisika (.286) and LF Loco Dillinger (.409) topped the Westerners with 2 hits apiece, while LF Bill Moody (.327) went 2-for-4 for the Blue Jays.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 13, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Waleska Skims By Tucks 6-5, Takes Series Lead 3-2
In a nip-and-tuck affair at Westerner Field, underdog Waleska took favored Tuckanarra 6-5 with a 2-run ninth-inning rally and took the lead in the IPA Pro Cup 3 games to 2... 3B Yahto Sisika tripled in the tying run and SS Jose De Leon delivered the game-winner with a 2-out single... a victory in game six or game seven will give the Westerners their first ever Pro Cup.

The game went back-and-forth as the teams traded the lead... the Blue Jays went up 1-0 on CF Terry Jasper's (.306) triple and RF Dunstan Lane's (.317) single... Waleska's CF Roy Hobbs (.316) countered that with a 2-run double in the third... the Tucks regained the lead 3-2 on Lane's run-scoring single and LF Bill Moody's RBI (.322) double... in the fifth Hobbs tied it up 3-3 with a solo homer... a seventh-inning 2-run home run by Blue Jay 3B Koora Nawajuk (.349) put them in front 5-3... Waleska then narrowed it to one run in the last of the seventh when CF Wilson James (.304) tripled and scored on LF Loco Dillinger's (.391) RBI groundout.

It was a rough go for Waleska starter Terry Richards, who weathered 13 hits for the victory... Richards gave up 5 runs, walked just one and fanned 5... Jamie Gustafson (2-3/4.01) lost it, permitting 6 runs on 8 hits, while walking 8 and striking out 6.

Hobbs led the Westerners at the plate with 2 hits and 3 RBIs... Sisika added 2 hits, scored twice and batted in a run... 5 Blue Jays each got 2 hits... Nawajuk and Lane batted in a pair of runs apiece... Nawajuk got his 5th playoff homer and Hobbs got his 3rd.

The Pro Cup Series returns to Tuckanarra for game six and game seven, if needed... starters for tomorrow afternoon's game will be Sam Tate (1-0/3.38) for Tuckanarra and Tucker Wilton (1-0/4.05) for Waleska... Wilton has replaced Cliff Dyer (1-1/5.77) in the number three spot for the Westerners... Wilton joined the Westerners in August and was 4-2 in 11 regular season starts with a 4.68 ERA, while Tate was 15-13 and a 3.71 ERA... Tate is suffering with a slightly sore arm and will only start if he is feeling 100% at game time.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 14, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Blue Jays Force 7th Game With 9-6 Win
Favored Tuckanarra rose to the occasion and will live to fight another day... in game six of the IPA Pro Cup the Blue Jays forced game seven with a 9-6 triumph over Waleska... the series is tied at three games apiece with the deciding game coming up tomorrow afternoon at Central Park Stadium in Tuckanarra.

Despite an early 5-run lead after one inning, Tuckanarra still had to outlast the tough Westerners, who fought back to tie it up 6-6 after 3 innings... SS Jed Turchin (.395) broke the tie in the fourth with an RBI groundout... Tuckanarra then finished off Waleska with 2 additional runs in the seventh when Turchin doubled in another run and pinchhitter Danny Redd's (.211) sac fly got the last run in.

The Blue Jays bullpen saved the day with 6 scoreless innings... starter Sam Tate departed after 3 innings after yielding 6 runs on 7 hits... Philip Marston (3-0/3.60) stopped the Westerners on 2 hits over the next 4 frames for the win... Rob Howe and Gene O'Reilly shut down Waleska the last two innings... O'Reilly chalked up his 2nd save of the postseason... substitute starter Tucker Wilton was ripped right out of the gate for 6 runs in one and two-thirds innings, but he didn't get the loss... it went to Cliff Dyer (1-2/5.67), who allowed 3 runs in 5-plus innings, though he struck out 7 batters.

Turchin led the Blue Jays at the plate with 2-4, 2 runs and 3 RBIs... Turchin leads the postseason with 20 runs batted in... CF Terry Jasper (.308) and LF Bill Moody (.317) also chipped in with 2 RBIs each... RF Roy Hobbs (.325) was the big bat for the Westerners with 2 hits, including a grand slammer in the third inning... it was his 4th roundtripper... Hobbs tops Waleska with 18 RBIs in the playoffs.

In tomorrow's Pro Cup finale, it will be both clubs' aces on the hill... Quinn Starr (4-3/3.92) will work for the hometown Blue Jays and Wild Bill Butler (3-4/4.18) will be up for the Westerners... During the regular season Starr was 25-10 with a 2.80 ERA and Butler was 23-10 with a 2.97 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 15, 2028

2028 IPA Pro Cup Finals

Waleska Wins First Pro Cup, De Leon Hero
The Waleska Westerners ended 27 years of frustration and finally won the IPA Pro Cup... the Westerners rallied from a 3-0 deficit, stunning Tuckanarra 4-3 with 4 runs in the top of the seventh to capture the Islands championship for the first time... Jose De Leon cleared the bases with a crucial 3-run double to bring home the IPA trophy to Waleska.

Another hero was reliever Jarred Laclair, who came on for starter Wild Bill Butler in the last of the fifth and salvaged a win... Butler had already walked in 2 runs when Laclair arrived on the scene... Laclair promptly forced in another run before he got out of the inning... winning pitcher Laclair (2-1/0.96) proceeded to shut out the Blue Jays on 2 hits over the final 4 frames in a brilliant relief effort, though he had to get out of a very threatening bases-loaded situation in the bottom of the ninth... with runners on second and third and only one out, Laclair fanned C Trevor Dowd (.372) for the critical second out, intentionally walked 1B Lynn Starr (.233), then retired 3B Koora Nawajuk on an easy fly ball to end the game and give Waleska its first ever Pro Cup.

SS De Leon (.217) led the Westerners at the plate with 3 RBIs... De Leon collected 13 RBIs during the playoffs... 3B Yahto Sisika (.301), LF Loco Dillinger (.385) and RF Roy Hobbs (.333) all had 2 hits and an RBI apiece... Hobbs topped the team with 18 RBIs in the postseason and Dillinger added 13... leading the Blue Jay bats were Nawajuk (.319), SS Jed Turchin (.405) and CF Terry Jasper (.294)... they each drove in a run... Quinn Starr (4-4/3.93) went the distance in defeat, allowing 4 runs on 8 hits.

At the post game press conference, Waleska skipper McGraw Johnson gave special credit to his hitters and also to his bullpen for really coming through for them in the playoffs... especially citing Laclair, who made 10 relief appearances... speaking of his batting order Johnson said it is a joy to make out a line-up card that features superstars Roy Hobbs and Loco Dillinger... plus solid sticks like Yahto Sisika, Calico Clay, Wilson James (.295) and Jose De Leon.

Manager McGraw Johnson, who has been at the helm for all of the 27-year title drought, was overjoyed... Soaked in champagne, the 60-year-old Johnson told the press, "Our fans have waited 27 long years for this moment... I have spent almost half my life trying to win this thing... it's an eerie feeling, almost like an alternate reality... I'm afraid I'll wake up and it'll all be a dream." Later in the victory celebration Johnson added, "I don't think we'll even need a plane to fly home."

Game heroes Jose De Leon and Jarred Laclair chimed in. De Leon said, "This is sheer joy for the team and the town of Waleska." Laclair added, "For years and years this is what the whole town has been waiting and wishing for... now we can all die happy... the dream has come true... Waleska has a Pro Cup."

Losing manager Carlton "Lefty" Stevens saluted the new IPA champ, saying, "Waleska has a strong core of hitters and a solid bullpen... we came close, but as you know, this was baseball... close only counts in horseshoes"... Stevens was disappointed, but not distraught. "My Blue Jays played a heck of a postseason... we were right in it right up to the last batter and last out... we came as close as you can come and not win the Pro Cup... all we needed was one more base hit and my Blue Jays would be celebrating."

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 16, 2028

Waleska's Hobbs Pro Cup MVP
Waleska's splendid outfielder Roy Hobbs hasn't missed out on many awards and accolades in his legendary 16-year IPA career. The 13-time All-Star, 6-time Golden Bat winner, 4-time batting champ and Gold Glover this year filled in two missing items: Pro Cup ring and Pro Cup Most Valuable Player. The IPA announced Hobbs has been selected the most outstanding player in the 2028 IPA Pro Cup playoffs. Hobbs showed he is still quite a ballplayer at age 35.

Hobbs led the Waleska Westerners to the first Pro Cup title in the club's history. He topped the team with 18 RBIs and 4 homers, while batting .333 in 18 games. Running second in the MVP poll was Waleska's Loco Dillinger, who batted .385 with 6 doubles, 2 triples, 2 home runs, 13 RBIs and 16 runs scored. Third in the balloting was Tuckanarra's fine shortstop Jed Turchin. He hit .405 with 10 doubles and 3 homers, drove in 21 runs and scored 19 times in a great postseason. Finishing fourth was Waleska's bullpen ace Jarred Laclair, who registered a 2-1 record with 2 saves and a 0.96 ERA, while appearing in 10 games and working 18 innings. The number five votegetter was the Blue Jays third sacker Koora Nawajuk. He led Tuckanarra with 5 roundtrippers, while batting .319 with 15 runs batted in and scored 16 runs.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 17, 2028

IPA Best Gloves Of The Year Awarded
Golden Gloves are the symbols for defensive excellence, a recognition of the best of the best in defense. The IPA announced the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Unions' top defensive performers today. Leading the RU squad was 6-time winner Russ Woodward of Marston, 5-time winner Bud Walker of Volusia, 4-time winner Kyle Hunt of Ranford and Lil Hoss Burkhalter of Wynnamac and Roy Hobbs of Waleska, who have each won the honor twice in their careers. Tycobbia was paced by Jug Slavin of East Point, an 8th time honoree and Eddie Darby of Tuckanarra, who won for the second year. No rookies made the team this season.

Ruthlandian Union Golden Gloves:
Pitcher: Benny McConnell (Sugar Valley Rattlers) 1.000 FA (15-13/4.27)
Catcher: Kyle Hunt (Ranford Bulls) .998 FA/4 PB/31.1% RTO (.312/17/80/91)
First Base: Josh George (Crystal Lake Crushers) .996 FA (.307/25/105/111)
Second Base: Bud Walker (Volusia Vigilantes) .999 FA (.234/3/58/52)
Third Base: Valerio Cortes (Volusia Vigilantes) .976 FA (.240/23/86/85)
Shortstop: John DeVille (Far Mountain Redhawks) .984 FA (.231/14/79/59)
Left Fielder: Lil Hoss Burkhalter (Wynnamac Sundowners) .1.000 FA (.318/37/112/92)
Center Fielder: Russ Woodward (Marston Nine) 1.000 FA (.277/23/86/95)
Right Fielder: Roy Hobbs (Waleska Westerners) .979 FA (.359/36/142/125)

Tycobbian Union Golden Gloves:
Pitcher: Quinn Starr (Tuckanarra Blue Jays) 1.000 FA (25-10/2.80)
Catcher: Rob Santorio (Red Bluff Red Sox) .999 FA/3 PB/33.8% RTO (.250/13/51/52)
First Baseman: Tetsu Tanaka (East Point Panthers) .995 FA (.291/39/99/111)
Second Baseman: Eddie Darby (Tuckanarra Blue Jays) .990 FA (.319/16/74/97)
Third Baseman: Jug Slavin (East Point Panthers) .989 FA (.248/23/68/63)
Shortstop: Jeff Lang (Kenwood Wildcats) .985 FA (.346/17/111/102)
Left Fielder: Carroll Candy (La Claire Lynx) .992 FA (.305/39/118/94)
Center Fielder: Barney Burns (Oxford Red Caps) .997 FA (.272/8/52/107)
Right Fielder: Stefan Noon (Summerland Sunsets) .997 FA (.268/21/85/76)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 18, 2028

Top Rookies Proclaimed In IPA
2028 was not an especial good year for rookies in the Islandian Pro Alliance. There was a scarcity of freshmen that made the rosters this season. However, there were a few that stood out. Two 20-year-olds, Giles Butler and Roy Ricks, were the top rookies this year. Butler starred at first base for the Wynnamac Sundowners and captured the Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year honors. Over in the Tycobbia the award went to Bayview's left fielder Ray Ricks.

Butler played in 134 games for the Sundowners and finished with a .275 batting average, 27 homers, 86 RBIs and 86 runs. He beat out one of his teammates for the award. Right-hander Killara Bardo was second in the voting with a 20-13 record and a 3.72 ERA. Third in the balloting was Sugar Valley righty Aron Libertini, who posted a 17-11 mark with a 3.68 ERA.

The Vikings Ricks chalked up a .306 BA, 24 home runs, drove in 87 runs and scored 103. Runner-up in the poll was Colchester center fielder Carlos Manuel with a .282 mark, 22 roundtrippers, 48 RBIs and 102 runs scored. Number three in the voting was Bay St. Clair right-hander Danny Darby, who compiled a 12-9 record and put up a solid 3.39 ERA in his first season.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, Octobe 19, 2028

Dillinger, Evans Win Golden Bats
The top hitters in the Islandian Pro Alliance are honored each year with an IPA Golden Bat Award, emblematic of the best offensive performer in the league. In 2028 the awards have gone to Loco Dillinger of the Waleska Westerners and Lorne Evans of the Southport Sun Sox. Both are first time winners.

Left fielder Dillinger outdueled his teammate Roy Hobbs for the Ruthlandian Golden Bat award in a very close vote. Dillinger batted .357 with 56 homers, 154 runs and scored 132 times in a truly fine season, leading the Westerners to the Ruthlandian South pennant. Dillinger led the IPA in homers and RBIs and wound up third in runs. Hobbs sparkled with a .359 BA, 36 HRs, 142 RBIs and 125 runs. Hobbs also picked up a Golden Glove. Jeff Henderson, third baseman for the Stoner Stars, came in third in the poll. Henderson batted .339, hit 39 home runs, batted in 142 and scored 93 times. All three of the players made the RU All-Stars.

The Tycobbian Golden Bat winner was Southport's talented right fielder Lorne Evans, who had a terrific season with 55 homers, 120 RBIs, an IPA-leading 165 runs and a .325 BA... Evans paced his Sun Sox to first place in the TU South and was named to the TU All-Stars. Coming in second in the vote was another right fielder, Travis Tuttle of the Mahaska Haymakers, who had a massive year and sparked his team to the TU North title. Tuttle led the TU with a .366 batting average and drove in 132 runs with 39 home runs and scored 113. He also made the league All-Star team. The third-highest votegetter was Jim Lewellen, the Colchester Elites fine left fielder, who led them a close fourth-place finish in the TU South. Lewellan topped the IPA with 56 homers, tied with Loco Dillinger of the Waleska Westerners and also led the TU with 142 runs batted in. Lewellen batted .279 for the season and scored 138 runs, which was second-best in the IPA.