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#3201 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 23, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series Ruthlandian Union Colfax Clips Elnora 7-4 In Elite 8 Opener Two of the Pro Cup favorites teed up the ball in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 opening game at State Fair Park in Elnora and the Colfax Blasters came away with a 7-4 comeback victory... trailing 4-2 in the seventh, Colfax rallied for 5 runs, highlighted by 3B Lou Wilhoit's tie-breaking single and a 2-run hit by LF Hank Lunsford... the Blasters tore into Elnora for 12 hits, while the All-Stars only picked up 6... Wilhoit led the way with 3-4, while Lunsford, RF Hal Granders and SS Dino Manale each had 2 hits... Elnora 3B Bobby Greb got the only four-bagger in the game, a solo shot... Rudy Rosario (1-0) notched the win, but had a rough day, yielding 4 runs and 5 hits in his 7 innings... Rosario fanned 7 and walked 3... Konrad Koch got the save with 2 shutout innings... the loss went to Freddie Pfeffer (0-1), who was rapped for 7 runs and 9 hits in 6-plus frames... only 3 of the runs were earned. Sports Torch Diamonds 11-2 In Game 1 No contest in game one of the RU Elite 8 Series at Sports Stadium in LaGrange, where the hometown Sports smashed the Claxton Diamonds 11-2... rookie C Matt Dunmire and LF Russell Watkins sparked the Sports 14-hit attack... Dunmire had a double and 3-run homer... Watkins added a solo shot among his 3 hits and 2 RBIs... LaGrange went to town early on losing pitcher Freddi Hahn and ran up a 6-0 lead in the first three frames... southpaw Walt Thurber (1-0) was the winner... he worked the 5 innings and gave up 2 runs on 9 hits... Thurber was removed because of back pain... Yuri Zambello worked 3 perfect innings, the sixth, seventh and eighth, while Mike York worked a 1-2-3 ninth to finish up the game. The LaGrange Sports received devastating news after the game... Their number one pitcher Walt Thurber was diagnosed with a strained back and could miss up to two weeks... Mike York (15-11/3.12), who is normally a starter, but was moved to the bullpen for the playoffs, will be moved back into the starting rotation... Jean-Michel Marchand was called up from the Reserve roster to give them an eighth pitcher... 29-year-old Marchand will be used in long relief... he was 3-1 in 2032 with the Sports with 2 saves and a 3.32 ERA in 24 relief appearances. Tycobbian Union Frogs Take Opener From Monties 6-5 In a game played at the Frog Pond in Fairfax, RF Randall Crawford's 2-run double in the seventh inning gave the Frogs a 6-3 lead over San Alejo and Kenny Nikas (1-0) made it stand up... the Montaneros mounted a rally with 2 runs in the top of the ninth on SS Jeff Crandall's triple, but Nikas quickly fanned the next batter for the final out of the game... Nikas had a rocky start when he gave up 3 runs in the first, but he settled down after that and went the distance... Nikas allowed 5 runs on 7 hits, fanned 4 and walked one... Clete Lawson (0-1) was the losing pitcher... he was tagged for 4 runs in the first and 2 more in the seventh... Lawson was tagged for 9 hits, walked 4 and struck out 4... 2 of the scores were unearned... SS John Velasco paced Fairfax with 3 hits. RH Reds Rout Tucks 10-1 In First Game The IPA Pro Cup champ Rolling Hills Reds opened up defense of their crown by routing the Tuckanarra Blue Jays on the road at Central Park Stadium 10-1 in game one of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series... backed by an 11-hit onslaught, Buck Myers (1-0) throttled the Jaybirds on 7 hits... Tuck starter Philip Marston took the loss as he was battered for 5 runs and 9 hits in his 7 innings... in a splashy postseason debut, 34-year-old rookie 3B Freddy Ball collected 3 hits, scored 3 and had a 3-run homer to top the Reds... he also got help from RF Matt Sundberg, who had a pair of hits, including a 2-run homer. Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-13-2012 at 02:35 PM. |
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#3202 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 24, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series Ruthlandian Union Colfax Blasts Elnora 10-1, Perkins Wins Game 2 Elnora is the favorite to win the Pro Cup this year with Colfax ranked a close second, but so far the Blasters aren't playing according to script... for the second game in a row the Blasters have powered past the All-Stars... today Randell Perkins stopped Elnora 10-1 at State Fair Park, giving up 7 hits, striking out 3 and walking only one in a complete-game performance... Perkins outpitched 26-game winner Jeremy Sellers, the IPA leader... Colfax smacked 18 hits to rout the All-Stars with Sellers ripped for 7 runs and 12 hits in just 5-plus innings... the Blasters bats were led by CF Samm Bolton (.273), LF Hank Lunsford (.500) and 2B Dean Hardy, all with 3 hits and 2 RBIs... RF Hal Granders (.364) and pitcher Perkins (.500) added two hits apiece. LaGrange Lashes 3 HRs, Downs Diamonds 5-1 In game two of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series at LaGrange, the Sports got a fine outing by Alex Gillespie, who spun a 5-1 win over Claxton, aided by 3 solo homers from 1B Chris Charbonnier (.111), 3B Jim DeJohnette (.429) and rookie C Matt Dunmire (.429)... Gillespie, 24-10 this season, hurled 8 innings, yielded just one run on 7 hits with 4 Ks and 2 walks... closer Mike York sat down the Diamonds in order in the ninth... C Jann Hoogendoorn (.500) was all the offense Claxton had with 2 singles and a home run... 21-game winner Jerry Smith (0-1) was belted for 5 runs and 8 hits in 7-plus frames... LaGrange broke it open with a homer barrage in the seventh, snapping a 1-1 tie. Tycobbian Union San Alejo Evens Series, Blanks Fairfax 2-0 In game two of the Tycobbian Elite 8, San Alejo got a stellar performance out of Ollie Olivares to whip tough Fairfax 2-0 at the Frog Pond and even the series at one game each... Olivares (1-0) shut down the Frogs for 8 innings on just 4 hits with the save going to closer Johnny Brown... doubles by 2B Dwight Dickey (.125) and 3B Bubby Blackwell (.429) gave the Montaneros a 1-0 lead in the opening frame... LF Orlando Ybarra (.500) upped it to 2-0 with a solo shot in the sixth... Manny Hunsinger (0-1) tossed a good game, but it wasn't quite good enough... Hunsinger surrendered 2 runs on 9 hits and worked 8 innings. Reds Rip Jays 12-6 In 11, Up 2-0 In Series Despite being seeded fifth in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll, the Rolling Hills Reds are intent on repeating as Pro Cup champion... for the second successive game the Reds ripped the Tuckanarra Blue Jays 12-6, but had to go 11 innings to do it this time... the Reds erupted for 8 runs in the top of the 11th to break a 4-4 tie and give them a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series... 1B Wayman Pugh (.250) drilled a 2-run single in the 11th to give the Reds a 6-4 lead and SS Freddy Ball's single gave them the eventual-winning run... they went on to pile on 5 more and win in a romp... Rolling Hills pelted the Tucks for 14 hits with LF Scotty Yiska (.556) going 3-5 with 2 RBIs and C Tony Brinkerhoff going 3-6 with a pair of RBIs... Pugh led the team with 3 runs batted in... SS Eddie Darby (.333) drove in 3 runs for the Blue Jays... Tuckanarra had 10 hits... Bobby Morris (1-0) worked into the 11th for the win, while Matt Stevens (0-1) took the loss. Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-13-2012 at 01:20 PM. |
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#3203 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 553
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When you say a team is in the second Division, is this the regular season league and the playoff teams are considered the 1st division or is there another league that you are actually doing promotion/relegation with?
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#3204 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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Quote:
Sorry, I had forgotten that all of you are not 72 like me. Most of you didn't have the joy of knowing 1950's baseball, especially Minor League baseball, which is totally different today with nothing but developmental rookies. The Minors used to be a combination of veteran players and rookies and the teams really competed to win. Their survival depended on it. It was a time when we had the Little World Series (playoff champs of the International League and the American Association) and the Dixie Series (playoff champs of the Southern Association and the Texas League) . You made me realize that many young people are not familiar with 8-team leagues that referenced the top four teams as being in the "league's first division" and the bottom four as the "league's second division". Apparently the phrases "first division" and "second division" are not common knowledge any longer. Back in the old days of baseball there were only 8 teams in most leagues. I'm speaking mainly pre-1960, both major and minor leagues. The top four teams were referred to as the "first division" and the bottom four teams were referred to as the "second division". Teams were always hoping to make the "first division" as that usually meant they had a successful season and a winning record (over .500). In the minor leagues where they used the Shaughnessy playoff system, it meant those four teams made the playoffs and would compete for the league title. I remember one year in the 50's when the Double A Mobile Bears were in last place at the All-Star break (the first place team played the League All-Stars), they bought several veterans from Triple A (Pacific Coast, International, American Association) and turned the season around. The Bears squeezed into fourth place on the last day of the season and went on to defeat the regular-season champ Atlanta Crackers in the first round and the second-place Memphis Chicks in the finals. As champion of the Southern Association, Mobile went on to defeat the Shreveport Sports, the Texas League champion in the Dixie Series, which was best-of-seven like the Shaughnessy playoffs. I lived in Mobile and that was my most exciting baseball season as a fan. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia The Shaughnessy playoff system is a method of determining the champion of a sports league that is not in a divisional alignment. It involves the participation of the top four teams in the league standings in a single elimination tournament.[1][2] While the first round of the playoffs involve the pairing of the first- and fourth-place teams in one contest (whether it be a single game or a series of games) and the second- and third-place teams in the other,[3] a variant of the Shaughnessy playoffs would pair the first- and third-place teams in one semifinal round and the second- and fourth-place teams in the other. In either variant, the winners of the first two games would then compete for the league championship. It was an exciting way to determine the league title and kept fan interest alive in many cities. A fifth-place or sixth-place club could sneak into fourth place and gain a playoff spot and a shot at the league pennant. A team that had a poor first half could play well in the second half and make the playoffs. Leagues like the Major Leagues that only awarded the pennant to the first place team did not have as many teams in contention like the Minor Leagues. Up to six teams would compete in the Minors. In the Majors you were lucky to have 3 teams in the race, 4 at most. I really wish the Majors would get rid of the divisional setup they use now with 4-5 teams in each division and restore the 8-team concept. I used the Shaughnessy system in the early years of the IPA when I went to 64 teams in the second season. I stopped using it because I thought it made it too hard for the regular-season pennant winner to go deep into the playoffs. Anybody can win a short 3-game or 5-game series - the best team needs longer series to show its superiority. I now just allow the regular-season division winner to make the playoffs. In real life this process hurts attendance, but in OOTPB, I don't think the Shaughnessy system would increase attendance just because more teams would make the playoffs. Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-14-2012 at 03:00 PM. |
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#3205 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 25, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series (best-of-seven) Ruthlandian Union Colfax Wins Again, Elnora Falls 6-4 At Mountain View Stadium in Colfax, Milton Garnett did just about everything... on the hill the 29-year-old right-hander defeated Elnora 6-4 and at the plate he drove in 3 runs to give surprising Colfax its third straight victory over the All-Stars, the favorite for the Pro Cup this season after winning 105 games... Garnett (1-0) stuck it out for 9 innings, checking the powerful Elnora bats on 8 hits and 4 runs... he fanned 5 and walked 3... Garnett (.333) cleared the bases with a double in the fourth frame putting the Blasters ahead to stay 5-2... CF Travis Glass (.417) and 2B Akihiro Samurakami (.429) had solo homers for Elnora in defeat... the losing pitcher was Lucien Vashon (0-1), who worked 7 innings and gave up 5 runs on 5 hits. Elnora skipper Leon Carter told the press after the club's third loss in a row, "We're down, but we're not out... we'll show up tomorrow." Brothers Shines, Diamonds Stop LaGrange 5-0 Playing at home at beautiful Avalon Stadium, the Claxton Diamonds really shined with Tommy Brothers (1-0) shutting out the LaGrange Sports 5-0 on a 3-hitter... this was the Diamonds first win in the RU Elite 8 Series... the Sports are up two games to one... Claxton got 9 hits off two pitchers... SS Mike Benners (.400) and C Jaan Hoogendoorn (.455) topped the Diamonds with solo homers... it was Hoogendoorn's second roundtripper of the series... Ryan Janssen (0-1) suffered the loss, giving up 8 hits and 5 runs in 7 innings. Tycobbian Union Monties Take Series Lead, Stewart Stops Frogs 3-2 It was the first postseason game in three decades at the Casa de Beisbol in San Alejo and it was a good one... the Montaneros tied the game at 2-2 with back-to-back homers by 1B Rob Lewis and SS Jeff Crandall in the bottom of the sixth... Louis then won it 3-2 with a line-drive single in the last of the ninth to give San Alejo a 2-1 lead in the series over the Fairfax Frogs. Herb Stewart gave a sharp performance as he held the hard-hitting Frogs to just 5 hits and 2 runs, while striking out 6 and walking 3 batters in his 8 innings... closer John Kaltenbach (1-0) picked up the win however with a perfect ninth... Joey Santini pitched a fine game and left with the score tied at 2-2... Santini allowed 8 hits in 8 innings... his relief Jerry Meeks (0-1) was the victim of Lewis' walk-off hit in the ninth... Lewis (.375) and Crandall (.429) led the Montaneros with 2 hits each. Reds Rolling, Top Tucks 1-0, Near Sweep The Rolling Hills continued to roll in the Tycobbian Elite 8 with a third consecutive triumph over Tuckanarra... the Reds could sweep the series with another victory in game four... playing at home at Midtown Base Ball Grounds, the defending Pro Cup champion edged the Blue Jays 1-0 in a marvelous mound job by Maury Cantrell (1-0), who throttled them on just 4 hits with 6 Ks and a walk... Cantrell went out for a pinchhitter in the eighth and was replaced by Errol Gaudet, who worked a scoreless ninth to wrap up the victory... Tuckanarra starter Joel Sheppard matched Cantrell zero for zero for 6 frames, but got shafted by poor defense in the seventh... C Tony Brinkerhoff (.308) reached base on an error by 3B Narra Gilyinju (.200)... RF Matt Sundberg (.417) advanced him to third with a two-bagger... Sheppard struck out 2B Derek Kristensen (.250), but he reached first when C Trevor Dowd (.250) let the ball get past him, allowing Brinkerhoff to score the only run in the game... Sheppard (0-1) pitched well enough to win, limiting the Reds to just 4 hits with 6 strikeouts and one walk... the poor defense did him in... though they lost, the Blue Jays got the best of the Reds 8 hits to 4. Rolling Hills acknowledge that number-two starter Bobby Morris has an inflamed shoulder and could miss the rest of the playoffs... Morris got the win in the first game of the series, but was not effective... no word on who will take his place on the roster should Morris not return this season... the 30-year-old Morris was 18-10 during the regular season with a 3.47 ERA. Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-18-2012 at 05:13 PM. |
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#3206 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: St. Louis
Posts: 553
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Thanks for the reply EugeneChurch, I never knew that.
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#3207 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: May 2002
Location: Texas!
Posts: 2,633
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Quote:
i hate that Laseron and Metro didn't continue. i still go back a visit the Metro Leagues site and poke around. And i still have some of the Laseron history and i get a kick out of going back through the league history. Fictional worlds is my favorite way to play. It is hard to find an online league for it. And there are only a few dynasties to follow. Eventually, i'll get my own solo fictional world league started. Then i'll be using Islandia as part of my model. |
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#3208 |
All Star Reserve
Join Date: Sep 2011
Location: Illinois
Posts: 652
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I've been a silent follower for a while now. But I think this an incredible dynasty.
__________________
Teams I like: Cubs Bears Bulls Hawks and Kansas JayHawks |
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#3209 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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#3210 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 26, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series Ruthlandian Union Colfax Sweeps Favored Elnora, Wins 4th Game 5-0 In an upset Colfax eliminated Pro Cup favorite Elnora in a stunning four-game sweep in the Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series... playing at home, the second-seeded Blasters blanked the top-seeded All-Stars 5-0 in game four behind the strong pitching of Rudy Rosario, who didn't permit a run in his 8 innings and gave up 7 hits... Rosario (2-0/2.40) walked 2 and whiffed 7 All-Stars for his second victory in the series... he also won the opening game 7-4... reliever Earl Sutton retired Elnora in order in the ninth to seal the win... Colfax only got 8 hits off Freddy Pfeffer (0-2/4.91), but it was enough... CF Samm Bolton (.368) led the way with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, while 2B Dean Hardy (.429) collected 3 hits. Winning manager Ilya Szabo told reporters after the game, "Never in a million years would I have thought we would sweep Elnora... I felt we had a chance to knock them off, but figured it would take six or seven games... strong pitching and timely hitting were the difference." Elnora manager Leon Carter dejectedly assessed it this way, "We simply didn't hit or pitch... and didn't field very well, either... Colfax thoroughly outplayed us." For the series the Blasters hit .315 with a team ERA of 2.25... they didn't hit a home run in the four game, but didn't need them... they held Elnora to a .225 BA, far below the regular season mark of .292, which was the best in the IPA... All-Stars pitching ballooned to a pathetic 5.59 ERA in the series... the only category they topped Colfax in was in homers with 3. Sports Spank Diamonds 4-0, Lead Series 3-1 LaGrange's Mike York, expected to be the closer in the playoffs, after being a starter in the regular season, stepped into a starting role due to Walt Thurber's back injury and totally stopped the Claxton Diamonds in game four of the RU Elite 8... York (1-0/0.00) worked into the ninth and held the Diamonds to just 2 singles and no runs, fanned 5 and walked 2 in a standout game... reliever Jean-Michel Marchand got the last two outs, but had to work out of a bases-loaded situation... the Sports triumphed 4-0 and now they have a 3-1 edge over Claxton, needing just one more win to advance to the RU title game against the Colfax Blasters... LaGrange pelted losing pitcher Freddi Hahn (0-2/4.91) for 4 runs on 8 hits in 8 innings, but only 2 were earned... Hahn totaled 10 strikeouts and issued 5 walks... LaGrange standed 13 runners... LF Russell Watkins (.389) and SS Al Cloutier ((.214) both got to Hahn for solo homers... it was homer number two for Watkins... the Sports have hit 7 roundtrippers in the series... they collected 10 hits today. Tycobbian Union San Alejo Shuts Out Frogs 3-0, Needs 1 Win The Fairfax Frogs and the San Alejo Montaneros are considered the top two teams in the Tycobbian Union and the winner of their Elite 8 Series is favored to represent the league in the Pro Cup Finals against the Ruthlandian winner... the Frogs were slightly favored to whip the Monties, but it hasn't worked out that way after the first four encounters... San Alejo has won three of the clashes and needs only one more win to move on in the playoffs... San Alejo's Clete Lawson (1-1/2.70) hurled 7 shutout innings in game four to spark them to a 3-0 victory... Lawson fanned 5, walked 3 and allowed 7 hits for the win... Mario Aragon notched the save with 2 scoreless frames... loser Kenny Nikas (1-1/3.71) went the distance, surrendered 3 runs - 2 earned - and 7 hits... SS Jeff Crandall (.400) and C Dan Hicks (.200) drove a run apiece to pace the winners. Reds KO Blue Jays In 4 Games For the second time in four days Rolling Hills ace Buck Myers excelled with a 2-0 shutout to knock the Tuckanarra Blue Jays out of the postseason... the defending Pro Cup champion swept all four games of the Tycobbian Elite 8 to move on to the league Final 4 against the Fairfax-San Alejo victor... Myers (2-0/0.50) went the route again, permitted 8 hits but no runs, while fanning 6 and walking 3 batters... Myers stopped the Tucks 10-1 in game one of the series... he only surrendered one run in 18 innings... the Blue Jays Paul Marston (0-2/4.20) went down to defeat, but was touched for only 2 runs on 9 hits... Rolling Hills got a run in the first frame on singles by 1B Billy Christianson (.200) and 2B Derek Kristensen (.313), which placed runners on second and third... Marston then balked the first run in... the Reds got run number two in the seventh inning... SS Billy Jones (.429) singled, was bunted to second, advanced to third on a fly ball and rode in on Kristensen's base hit. Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-18-2012 at 05:14 PM. |
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#3211 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 27, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series Ruthlandian Union Diamonds Stay Alive, Dump Sports 6-3 In game five at Avalon Stadium, Jerry Smith survived a bad beginning and kept the Claxton Diamonds alive in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series with a 6-3 comeback victory... the win narrowed the Sports' lead to 3 games to 2 and kept them from advancing to the Final 4 against Colfax. LaGrange started like a ball of fire with 3 runs in the top of the second, but that's all they got the rest of the way... Smith (1-1/4.02) hurled 8 innings, allowed 10 hits and 3 runs, before giving way to Smokey Mo Moomaw and a runless ninth for the save... Alex Gillespie (1-1/3.86) was nailed with the loss as he was rapped for 5 runs and 11 hits in just 6 frames... Gillespie had beaten Smith 5-1 in game two. The Diamonds smacked 14 hits in all, led by RF Ivan Krause (.368) and SS Mike Benners (.471) with 3 hits each... C Jaan Hoogendoorn (.389) had 2 hits and 2 RBIs and 1B Brad Jenkins (.313) scored 2 runs and popped a pair of hits... Haagendoorn's RBI single and Benners RBI double cut the Sports lead to 3-2 in the bottom of the second... then Claxton took the lead for good 5-3 in the last of the fourth when Haagendoorn and Benners singled in runs and Smith delivered a sac fly... RF Alphonse Gagne (.357) crashed a 3-run roundtripper to account for all of LaGrange's runs... they picked up 11 hits in the game... the Sports have hit 8 homers so far in the series. Tycobbian Union Frogs Still Kickin' In TU Elite 8 San Alejo had a chance to finish off Fairfax in the TU Elite 8 in game five, but couldn't do it... they ran into a buzzsaw by the name of Manny Hunsinger, who shut them out on 4 hits 2-0 as the Frogs fought for survival... however the Montaneros still have the top hand in the best-of-seven series with a 3-2 edge... Hunsinger (1-1/1.06) marked up 5 Ks and walked 3 in a complete-game outing... losing pitcher Ollie Olivares (1-1/0.00) was sharp, too, and didn't give up an earned run, walked nobody and fanned 4... so far Hunsinger and Olivares have traded 2-0 shutouts. They matched goose eggs on the scoreboard until the top of the seventh when the Frogs got 2 gift runs on two crucial errors... Eric Kusek (.056) got aboard when 1B Omar Rojas (.200) dropped a throw... he went to second on Max Lebowitz's (.278) hit... and was plated by Randall Crawford's (.211) single... Lebowitz stole third and came home on C Dan Hicks' (.222) wild throw. Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-16-2012 at 04:21 PM. |
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#3212 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 28, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series Ruthlandian Union LaGrange Advances, Defeats Diamonds In 6 Games The LaGrange Sports wrapped up the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series at home at Sports Stadium, defeating Claxton in six games... beginning this Friday afternoon the Sports will now battle the Colfax Blasters in the RU Final 4 for the league title and the right to play for the IPA Pro Cup... Ryan Janssen hurled a 5-hitter to beat the Diamonds 3-1... Janssen (1-1/2.81) went the distance, striking out 6 and walking none in a fine outing... loser Tommy Brothers (1-1/0.53) was also impressive, but 3 Claxton errors cost them the game... Brothers worked the entire game, gave up only one earned run on 7 hits and fanned 3 with no bases on balls. The Sports scored quickly in the first... 2B Whitlow Stokes (.208) was hit by a pitch, tagged up and went to second on LF Johnny Brinkman's (.111) very deep flyball to center, then was driven in by RF Russell Watkins (.308)... Claxton CF Tommy Lambright's (.154) single and SS Mike Benners's (.429) double knotted the score at 1-all in the third... LaGrange broke the tie with two runs in the sixth on Ron McCullough's (.500) base hit and 1B Harvey Creighton's (.286) RBI groundout. Tycobbian Union San Alejo Upsets Favored Fairfax In TU Elite 8 Playing on the road at the Frog Pond in Fairfax, San Alejo upended favored Fairfax in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series, winning it four games to two... San Alejo will now encounter Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills in the league Final 4 Series. That series will get underway this Friday in San Alejo's Casa de Beisbol. The Montanaros got two runs in the opening frame and Herb Stewart made them stand up in a 2-1 victory over the Frogs... with the bases full 1B Rob Lewis walked and forced in the first run, then Orlando Ybarra followed with run-scoring single... Fairfax got its only score in the second on a sac fly by pitcher Joey Santini (.200). Stewart (1-0/0.53) went the distance and stymied Fairfax on 6 hits and gave up only one unearned run... Santini (0-1/2.16) worked into the ninth, yielding 2 runs and 7 hits... it was a hard-fought series with 3 games decided by one run, 2 games by two runs and the other game by 3 runs. |
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#3213 | |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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Quote:
I'll be looking forward to seeing your next dynasty. |
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#3214 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 29, 2032 Colfax, San Alejo Picks In IPA Final 4 The number-one seed in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs Elnora has bit the dust and gone home for the season despite winning a near-record 105 games this season. The number-three seed Fairfax suffered the same fate as Elnora. What we have left are the number-two seeded Colfax Blasters and seventh-seeded LaGrange tangling for the Ruthlandian Final 4 crown and fourth-seeded San Alejo taking on the defending IPA Pro Cup champion and fifth-seeded Rolling Hills Reds. Final 4 clashes get started this Friday afternoon in Colfax and San Alejo. Colfax and Rolling Hills displayed potent clubs with sweeps in the Elite 8 round. Colfax easily disposed of powerful Elnora and made it look easy, while Rolling Hills rolled past Tuckanarra in fairly easy fashion. It took the other two Final 4 finalists six games to advance. San Alejo emerged from a tough series with the Fairfax Frogs, who were rated the best team in the Tycobbian Union. The Montaneros' standout pitching was too much for Fairfax, the number-three seed. The LaGrange Sports pretty much had their way with the Claxton Diamonds, who were seeded last in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll. Colfax is playing great and is strongly favored to tame LaGrange in the RU Final 4. The Blasters may be too much for anybody in the IPA to handle this year. This could be Colfax's first Pro Cup since 2009, the year the Blasters set an IPA record with 107 victories. Manager Ilya Szabo has solid bats throughout the order, headed up by C Mitch Fullerton with a .351 BA, 17 HRs, 109 RBIs, SS Dino Manale with a .343 BA, 8 HRs, 74 RBIs and 81 runs and RF Hal Granders with a .280 mark, 3 HRs, 52 RBIs, 98 runs and 67 SBs. On the hill will be Rudy Rosario (22-9/2.44) and Randell Perkins (12-2/2.96). LaGrange manager Quincy Peterson goes into the RU Final 4 without his injured ace Walt Thurber (22-9/2.23). What a series this would be if Thurber was in the rotation. Rumor is that Thurber might be ready to go in a week or so. Still Peterson has a good, all-around team that can almost match Colfax at the plate and on the mound. Alex Gillespie (24-10/2.73), Ryan Jenssen (20-13/3.21) and Mike York (15-11/3.12) give the Sports a pretty strong rotation. LaGrange has some productive hitters in its lineup with the likes of 2B Whitlow Stokes with a .304 BA, 11 HRs, 56 RBIs, 82 runs and 28 SBs, 1B Chris Charbonnier with a .286 BA, 22 HRs and 67 RBIs, LF Russell Watkins with a .268 BA, 20 HRs and 81 RBIs and C Matt Dunmire with a .266 BA, 25 HRs and 73 RBIs. RF Johnny Brinkman (.352) and SS Al Clotier (.325) have also hit very well in platoon roles. RU FINAL 4 FORECAST: Colfax will prevail over LaGrange in six games. It should be a fine series. Colfax gets the home field advantage. The Tycobbian Union Final 4 between San Alejo and Rolling Hills will be quite a series, too. It could run six or seven games. Top to bottom San Alejo skipper Alberto Herrera has the best pitching in the IPA with impressive starters and a wonderful relief corps, but he may not have the bats to win at this level. 2B Dwight Dickey (.320) is the only standout contact hitter and CF Adrian Otero is one of the few power guys with 25 homers and 86 RBIs, but he batted only .255. On the hill the Montaneros have an abundance of high-quality arms. Herrera's starters will be Ollie Olivares (19-13/2.60), Herb Stewart (18-14/2.90) and Clete Lawson (18-12/2.94)... regular-season starters Mario Aragon (12-7/2.77) and Johnny Brown (14-8/2.36) give him a strong bullpen. Even the Monties' long relievers are very capable. Rolling Hills will have to face effective pitchers throughout the game. San Alejo has no weak pitchers. But don't feel sorry for the Rolling Hills Reds, the current Pro Cup champ. Manager Matty Christianson has a plethora of prolific hitters to deal with San Alejo's super staff, but his Reds come up short in the mound department, mainly due to injuries to two of his best pitchers, Tom Pierson (21-7/2.54) and Bobby Morris (18-10/3.47). Both will miss all of the playoffs. Yet Christianson is not destitute. He still can call on Buck Myers, who had a great 20-6 season with a 3.11 ERA, along with all-time star Errol Gaudet (15-16/3.93) and young Maury Cantrell (16-14/3.65). Gaudet is now 38-year-old and the years have taken their toll after 14 seasons and a career 256-155 record with a 2.89 ERA, but he still gives you capable starts. The Reds may be a little weak in the bullpen. Rolling Hills' strong point is at the plate; 2B Derek Kristensen with a .340 BA and 73 runs, 3B Billy Christianson with a .311 BA, IPA-leading 123 runs, plus 11 homers and 71 RBIs, C Tony Brinkerhoff with a .280 BA, 15 homers and 91 RBIs and LF Scotty Yiska with a .288 mark, 23 roundtrippers and 79 RBIs. You can also add in two more productive performers: RF Matt Sundberg, who hit .312 in 101 games and drove in 57 runs and SS Freddy Ball with a .311 BA and 52 RBIs in 88 games. TU FINAL 4 FORECAST: The Island baseball experts are making San Alejo the favorite in the TU Final 4, predicting that the Montaneros will win a super series in seven games. Home field advantage could be the difference. (As for me personally, it's too close to call... my mind says San Alejo's pitching is just too good, while my heart say Rolling Hills' experience may rise to the occasion and pull a sentimental upset... what the heck, I'll go with my heart and pick the Reds in seven games. Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-17-2012 at 08:51 PM. |
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#3215 |
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 1, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series Ruthlandian Union Blasters Bang Sports 6-1 In Final 4 Opener In game one of the Ruthlandian Final 4 at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax, the hometown Blasters banged out 10 hits en route to a 6-1 shellacking of the LaGrange Sports... 22-game winner Rudy Rosario stumped the Sports on one run and 5 hits in 7 and two-thirds innings... Rosario (3-0/1.99) walked 4 and fanned 9... relievers Konrad Koch and Smoky Rogers got the last 4 outs for him... taking the loss for LaGrange was Ryan Janssen (1-2/3.68), who was peppered for 5 runs in 6 innings... offensively for Colfax RF Hal Granders (.292), C Mitch Fullerton (.278) and Hank Lunsford (.400) all popped 2 hits apiece... Granders had 2 doubles... and Fullerton and Lunsford one each... CF Samm Bolton (.333) drove in a pair of runs for the winners. Tycobbian Union San Alejo Seesaws Past Reds 4-3 In TU Final Opener It was a back-and-forth battle in the first game of the TU Final 4 at the Casa de Beisbol in San Alejo with the lead changing hands several times... except for a ninth-inning error, Rolling Hills would have won the opening game... instead San Alejo escaped with a 4-3 victory on C Dan Hicks (.231) two-out 2-run single in the bottom of the ninth. Ollie Olivares (2-1/1.08) went all the way despite giving up 11 hits... starters Olivares and Buck Myers fought to a 2-2 draw after 8 frames, but McGraw Christianson (0-1) let the Reds down in the ninth and lost it... if 1B Wayland Pugh hadn't dropped a throw, Christianson and the Reds would have won it... Myers worked a fine game, allowing only 2 runs and 4 hits in 8 innings. San Alejo's LF Adrian Otero (.192) doubled in a run in the first and CF Jaime Chacon homered in the seventh, giving the Montaneros the lead each time... Rolling Hills tied it 1-1 in the sixth on a C Tony Brinkerhoff (.250) double and regained the lead 3-2 in the eighth on RBI singles by LF Scotty Yiska (.368) and RF Matt Sundberg (.300). Chacon led the Monties with 2 hits and 2 runs scored, while the Reds were paced by 3B Billy Christianson (.316) with 3 hits... CF Rich Eisenhauer (.273) and 1B Waylon Pugh (.231) added 2 hits each to the Rolling Hills totals. |
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#3216 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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Map of Islandia
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#3217 |
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Join Date: Aug 2002
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Around the Town in the IPA LAGRANGE SPORTS Owner/GM: Foxy Jemison Manager: Quincy Peterson LaGrange, with 65,000 residents, is found in the sparse and craggy foothills of the Appian Mountains in northeastern Ruthlandia. LaGrange is a very modern and up-to-date town with its main industries being silver and gold mining (some of the world’s richest reserves) and forestry and associated paper production industries. LaGrange was the second settlement in the country, populated by French Acadians during the 1850’s gold rush. Cajun French and English are spoken here. The LaGrange Sports Baseball Club was the second amateur team in Ruthlandia (Marston was the first) and the town is now the home of the LaGrange Sports of the Islandian Pro Alliance, named in honor of the original Sports. They play their games at the new state-of-the-art Sports Stadium, which has the town’s impressive skyline visible in the distance beyond the outfield walls. There’s a lot of fine food, fun, and frolic at Sports Stadium with great Cajun food and great Cajun music at every game. A Zydeco band plays at every game. At the seventh inning stretch, “Take me out to the ballgame” is sung first in Cajun French and then in English. And throughout the game Cajun yells of “aaahh-eeeee” (exclamation of joy) and “laissez le bon temps rouler” (“let the good times roll”) can be heard cheering the home club to victory. Mouthwatering Cajun cuisine can be sampled at the concession stands. Seafood and okra gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish pies are in abundance along with the most delicious bread pudding, café brulot (orange and spice flavored coffee) and crème brulet (superb custard dessert) in the world, too, mes amis (“my friends”). The LaGrange Sports are owned by one of the all-time great sluggers and first basemen in Ruthlandian company league circles, Foxy Jemison. Jemison got his start in lumber mills, played ball for the company team, made a name for himself, moved up in the company hierarchy until he ended up owning it. Jemison sponsored a company team for years and worked hard to get a team in the IPA. Longtime IPA superstar and Hall-of-Famer Quincy Peterson is the skipper of the Sports. Peterson played the outfield and was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2027. He played in 3087 games (13th) in 22 seasons, the last 15 of them in LaGrange. Peterson had a career .294 BA with 3514 hits (7th), 567 homers (8th), 1956 RBIs (7th) and 2029 runs (7th). Peterson was a 6-time All-Star and 4-time Golden Glover. Sports Stadium (2001) Capacity: 10,732 Dimensions: LF Line 325 LF 345 LCF 400 CF 400 RCF 400 RF 345 RF Line 325 Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-18-2012 at 05:59 PM. |
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#3218 |
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Around the Town in the IPA COLFAX BLASTERS Owner: Enim Dlog (Precious Metals Corporation) GM/Manager: Ilya Szabo Colfax is found in west central Ruthlandia, population 89,000. It is a "City of Gold" situated on the scenic Silver River, which flows out of the Silver Mountains northwest of Volusia, past Colfax and then eastward to the nation's capital, Forest City. It then merges with the Green River, which winds its way through the southern half of the country and ends at Belair Beach. The town was settled during the Gold Rush of the 1850's and is still quite profitable. It is also an important coal mining center. It is also the home of the Colfax Blasters of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the West Division. The team is nicknamed for the dynamite blasters, so important in mining the gold, silver, copper and coal...and also the longball hitters, therefore giving Blasters a double meaning. Due to its great financial wealth and success, Colfaxians have a town of stunning beauty and charm. Built by the coal barons and the gold mine owners, it is filled with grand buildings and mansions, intermingled with the smokestacks that loom over the landscape. To lessen the environmental impact, quiet canals and man-made waterways flow through the town. Visitors can glide by boat along the tranquil Silver River or walk the fabled cobblestoned streets and discover a town that time has almost forgotten. You can hear its famous landmark, "The Belfry", a carillon or bells that toll every hour and has continuously for over 150 years. Colfax also boasts an opera house, concert hall, theater and a ballet company. Colfax's Mountain View Stadium is known for its gorgeous view of the town, the Silver Mountain backdrop beyond the outfield fence and for its "Pot of Gold". It is an actual pot, five feet in diameter, located in the center field section of the ballpark, 410 feet away. Whenever a Blaster player hits a ball that ends up in the "Pot of Gold", the player and a fan each receive $5,000 in gold. The fan is chosen in a "lucky scorecard number" drawing. At the ballpark you have hardworking and hard-living miners and the white collar and managerial set...the beer set and the champagne set. Both are attended to at Mountain View Stadium. You can get anything from hot dogs to caviar at the concession stands. The Blasters' owner is Enim Dlog, whose ancestors are from somewhere in the Baltics. It was his great-great-granddaddy, who first discovered gold in the 1850's. In fact, the new ballpark was built on the same site as the first gold mine. The GM and Manager of the Colfax Blasters is Hall-of-Fame hurler Ilya Szabo, who pitched 19 seasons for the Blasters from 2003 to 2021. Lifetime Szabo was 327-210 with a great 2.57 ERA. He sparked them to 8 pennants and a Pro Cup in his tenure as a player. Colfax beat Turon in the 2010 Pro Cup. Szabo was inducted into the first HOF class in 2027. He was a 9-time All-Star, captured 4 RU Golden Arm Awards and was twice the Ruthlandian Most Valuable Player. He retired as a player in 2021 at age 42. Szabo went 18-17 his final season with a 3.76 ERA. Mountain View Stadium (1971) Capacity: 10,850 Dimensions: LF Line 315 LF 345 LCF 375 CF 405 RCF 375 RF 360 RF Line 345 |
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#3219 |
Hall Of Famer
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,868
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 1, 2032 2032 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series Ruthlandian Union Blasters Bang Sports 6-1 In Final 4 Opener In game one of the Ruthlandian Final 4 at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax, the hometown Blasters banged out 10 hits en route to a 6-1 shellacking of the LaGrange Sports... 22-game winner Rudy Rosario stumped the Sports on one run and 5 hits in 7 and two-thirds innings... Rosario (3-0/1.99) walked 4 and fanned 9... relievers Konrad Koch and Smoky Rogers got the last 4 outs for him... taking the loss for LaGrange was Ryan Janssen (1-2/3.68), who was peppered for 5 runs in 6 innings... offensively for Colfax RF Hal Granders (.292), C Mitch Fullerton (.278) and Hank Lunsford (.400) all popped 2 hits apiece... Granders had 2 doubles... and Fullerton and Lunsford one each... CF Samm Bolton (.333) drove in a pair of runs for the winners. |
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#3220 |
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Around the Town in the IPA SAN ALEJO MONTANEROS Owner: Petro Internationale GM: Lando Peceda Manager: Alberto Herrera San Alejo rests on a large plateau in the highlands of Arvonian Island, which is south of Tycobbia and Ruthlandia and is bordered by the Southern Sea and Belair Bay. Its population is nearly 40,000, making it one of the smallest towns in the IPA. The initial settlement was founded in the 1850's by remnants of Portuguese sailors that settled Arroyo Grande. They sought the safety of the isolated central highlands. Over the next hundred years the initial group of 42 settlers grew to a modest town of 10,000 inhabitants. They survived predominantly on subsistence farming and hunting. Life was hard in San Alejo. In 1937, all that changed as a Mexican oil and gas baron, Antonio De Nova, brought commerce and industry to the town. His company, Petro Internationale, discovered natural gas in the area. Instant prosperity came to San Alejo. With their newly-found wealth, the city fathers greatly improved life with modern hospitals and schools. As Petro Internationale grew in size, De Nova had to import oil field workers from Mexico. In 1947, De Nova built the first stadium the town has ever had. He called it the Casa de Beisbol, which was primarily for his plant workers to play baseball and soccer. The Casa de Beisbol is not a fancy stadium. It is on the rustic side and just a functional ball park. Because of the ballpark, baseball became an important part of the town's culture. Only recently were the wooden bleachers rebuilt using steel. This was done when the town received a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The team is called the Montaneros, Spanish for "Mountaineers". San Alejo's GM is Lando Peceda, an outstanding hitter and first baseman for the Petro Internationale company teams in the 70s and 80s. The Montaneros are a member of the Tycobbian Union South Division. The Monties are managed by former player Alberto Herrera, who toiled long and hard on the mound for 17 seasons from 2002 to 2018 with a 203-250 lifetime record. Herrera compiled a fine 3.30 ERA and was a much better pitcher than his won-lost record shows. San Alejo was pretty bad during those years, finishing deep in the second division most seasons. Herrera won 20 games twice in his career and made the All-Star team once. Stadium: Casa de Beisbol (1947) Capacity: 8,000 Dimensions: Left Field Line - 340 Left Field - 360 Left Center - 380 Center Field - 400 Right Center - 380 Right Field - 360 Right Field Line - 340 |
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