ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS) - Page 244

Eugene Church · 07-15-2015, 12:42 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 28, 2052

IPA FOURTH ALL-DECADE TEAM 2031-2040

RF: Bobby Gamble (2033-2047)
If there ever was a 5-tool player, the Fourth All-Decade Team right fielder, Bobby Gamble, was one... he hit at a .315 clip in his career with 530 homers, 1735 RBIs, scored 1864 runs and stole 453 bases in 17 seasons with the Sugar Valley Rattlers... 11 times Gamble was an All-Star, he captured 5 Ruthlandian Golden Bat trophies and 2 Golden Gloves... led his team to 4 division titles and one Pro Cup crown... Sugar Valley topped Southport in the 2045 Pro Cup championship series... Gamble has also been very successful as the skipper of the Rattlers, taking over in '47 from his legendary mentor, Gibby Bobkins... with Gamble at the helm Sugar Valley has won 5 straight Ruthlandian East pennants so far.

Yesterday in the IPA

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 13, 2045

2045 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - Game 6

RATTLERS ROMP TO FIRST PRO CUP
Twice before in the club's history the Sugar Valley Rattlers had a chance to win the IPA Pro Cup... they failed both times... 2004 and 2024... but they were not to be denied this time... the underdog Rattlers smashed defending champ Southport 15-1 in game six to wrap up their first IPA title... Grand slam homers by Carl Ramsey and Delmer Campbell led the Rattler rampage that finished off the Sun Sox in six games... they got 6 runs in the top of the fifth and 8 more in the eighth to send the favored Sun Sox home to face a long, long winter.

Three pitchers combined for the victory... Joe Snow (1-3/4.40) fired 5 shutout innings and struck out 7, allowing 4 hits... with a 6-0 lead he was forced to leave the game because of a long rain delay... but Domenico Renterias continued the shutout with two more scoreless frames... and Sammy Hughes nailed it down, but did permit one run in 2 innings... alltogether Rattler pitchers struck out 13 Sun Sox... starter Gordon Forbes (0-1/5.40) was scorched for 5 runs in 6 innings for the loss.

Sugar Valley rapped out 14 hits with LF Bobby Gamble (.408) going 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs... 1B James Milton (.319) was 3-5 with 2 runs and an RBI... and RF Jeff Harvey (.284) going 2-5 with 2 runs and an RBI... CF Barney Lewis (.206) homered for the Sun Sox's only score.

It was quite a retirement party for Sugar Valley's Gibby Bobkins, who told the press, "What a way to call it a career... finally winning the Pro Cup."... Bobkins is retiring this year after being at the helm for 45 seasons... 32-year-old superstar outfielder Bobby Gamble will be his replacement... Gamble will continue to be an on-field player and doesn't plan to retire soon.

Bobkins said, "It's hard to beat a team that hits 27 homers in the playoffs... my Rattlers did a good job beating some pretty fair pitchers... Gamble is the greatest... he is the heart and soul of the team."

As happy as the Sugar Valley locker room was, the Southport clubhouse was somber and as quiet as a morgue... to a man they were hoping to win back-to-back Pro Cups for their beloved manager Charley Oscar, who is also retiring this year... Oscar gave hearty congratulations to Bobkins and his Rattlers, "They came in against the odds and proved they were the best team in the IPA this year... Gamble and Ramsey are truly gifted players... but the whole line-up is filled with tough outs... they made my great staff look ordinary."

Yesterday in the IPA

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 14, 2045

SV'S GAMBLE CHOSEN PRO CUP MVP
Bobby Gamble of the Sugar Valley Rattlers has done it all in his fabulous career - 3-time Ruthlandian MVP, 10-time All-Star, 5-time Golden Bat winner, Golden Glover, 3-time pennant winner - and now Pro Cup winner and Pro Cup Most Valuable Player. Gamble sparked the Rattlers to their first-ever IPA crown with a .408 BA, 5 homers, 15 RBIs, 14 runs and 13 walks. He was the overwhelming choice in a poll conducted by The Islandian Times. Three other Rattler players got a few scattered votes: pitcher Antonio Cedeno, who was 3-1 in 5 starts with a fine 2.33 ERA, outfielder Carl Ramsey (.253 BA) with 7 homers, 13 RBIs and 12 runs and pitcher Davey Brennan with a 4-2 mark in 6 starts with a 3.22 ERA.

Eugene Church · 07-16-2015, 03:06 PM

I went to Biloxi, Mississippi yesterday for a Southern League game between the new league member, the Biloxi Shuckers, and the Chattanooga Lookouts... very good game won by the Lookouts in 11 innings 6-5.

Biloxi was formerly the Huntsville Stars... very nice ballpark within a block or two of the beach... strong wind out toward left on a regular basis means a good number of homers which is good for the pitching-favored ballparks in the Southern League... there were four last night... it called MGM Park... MGM owns Beau Rivage, a really beautiful casino hotel.

Sad to say, minor league baseball may be becoming too expensive like MLB... Biloxi charged $12 per ticket... $5 cokes and $4 hot dogs... that's the highest I have ever paid... usually the tickets are $6 to $8 dollars... cokes and hot dogs around $3... most of the time parking is free.

I don't know about you, but the nickname Shuckers didn't do anything for me... a "shucker" is a person who opens oysters... their logo is terrible... see below.

Chattanooga has a great nickname, the Lookouts, named for Lookout Mountain... great logo, too.

Biloxi is a resort city on the Gulf of Mexico... Keesler Air Force Base is there, too... there are a lot good nicknames associated with the casino industry, airplanes and sea that could have been chosen... alliterative nicknames are in abundance, too... Beachcombers, Barracudas, Buccaneers, Beacons (famous lighthouse in the area), Blue Sox, Blasters, Bashers, Blazers, Blue Chippers (casino resort/sports draftees and signees) and Blue Crabs (seafood industry).

I know I'm old... but I just don't understand teams being named Biscuits (Montgomery), Isotopes (Albuquerque), 51s (Las Vegas)... myself I much prefer traditional names.

Eugene Church · 07-17-2015, 11:46 PM

I sent the Biloxi Shuckers GM an email, commenting on his operation.
It was my review of the basic operation of the new park and all that goes into making it fan friendly.

His reply was impressively quite detailed and filled with some very good points and counter arguments.

Though I had been critical of the Shuckers' nickname, logo, high cost of tickets and concessions, he still said he appreciated the constructive criticisms. If it has been a debate, I think he won it.

I wrote him back a nice email, thanking him and saying that his gracious response to my overall negative email had made me a Biloxi Shuckers fan and that I would be attending 4-5 times a year. Biloxi is about 90 miles from my home.

Eugene Church · 07-17-2015, 11:53 PM

I am still working on the roster changes for the 2053 IPA season.

Should be finished in 2-3 days.

In the coming weeks I will give a preseason preview, pick the Fifth All-Decade Team, followed by the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and recap the first half of the new season.

Eugene Church · 07-20-2015, 10:52 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-21-2015, 09:53 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-22-2015, 10:05 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-23-2015, 01:33 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-24-2015, 06:21 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-24-2015, 10:40 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-25-2015, 12:13 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-25-2015, 01:43 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-25-2015, 04:44 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-25-2015, 05:44 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-27-2015, 04:58 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-27-2015, 06:42 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-28-2015, 07:06 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-28-2015, 07:17 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-28-2015, 07:34 PM

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Eugene Church · 07-29-2015, 11:38 AM

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07-15-2015, 12:42 PM	#4861
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, October 28, 2052 IPA FOURTH ALL-DECADE TEAM 2031-2040 RF: Bobby Gamble (2033-2047) If there ever was a 5-tool player, the Fourth All-Decade Team right fielder, Bobby Gamble, was one... he hit at a .315 clip in his career with 530 homers, 1735 RBIs, scored 1864 runs and stole 453 bases in 17 seasons with the Sugar Valley Rattlers... 11 times Gamble was an All-Star, he captured 5 Ruthlandian Golden Bat trophies and 2 Golden Gloves... led his team to 4 division titles and one Pro Cup crown... Sugar Valley topped Southport in the 2045 Pro Cup championship series... Gamble has also been very successful as the skipper of the Rattlers, taking over in '47 from his legendary mentor, Gibby Bobkins... with Gamble at the helm Sugar Valley has won 5 straight Ruthlandian East pennants so far. Yesterday in the IPA THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Friday, October 13, 2045 2045 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - Game 6 RATTLERS ROMP TO FIRST PRO CUP Twice before in the club's history the Sugar Valley Rattlers had a chance to win the IPA Pro Cup... they failed both times... 2004 and 2024... but they were not to be denied this time... the underdog Rattlers smashed defending champ Southport 15-1 in game six to wrap up their first IPA title... Grand slam homers by Carl Ramsey and Delmer Campbell led the Rattler rampage that finished off the Sun Sox in six games... they got 6 runs in the top of the fifth and 8 more in the eighth to send the favored Sun Sox home to face a long, long winter. Three pitchers combined for the victory... Joe Snow (1-3/4.40) fired 5 shutout innings and struck out 7, allowing 4 hits... with a 6-0 lead he was forced to leave the game because of a long rain delay... but Domenico Renterias continued the shutout with two more scoreless frames... and Sammy Hughes nailed it down, but did permit one run in 2 innings... alltogether Rattler pitchers struck out 13 Sun Sox... starter Gordon Forbes (0-1/5.40) was scorched for 5 runs in 6 innings for the loss. Sugar Valley rapped out 14 hits with LF Bobby Gamble (.408) going 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs... 1B James Milton (.319) was 3-5 with 2 runs and an RBI... and RF Jeff Harvey (.284) going 2-5 with 2 runs and an RBI... CF Barney Lewis (.206) homered for the Sun Sox's only score. It was quite a retirement party for Sugar Valley's Gibby Bobkins, who told the press, "What a way to call it a career... finally winning the Pro Cup."... Bobkins is retiring this year after being at the helm for 45 seasons... 32-year-old superstar outfielder Bobby Gamble will be his replacement... Gamble will continue to be an on-field player and doesn't plan to retire soon. Bobkins said, "It's hard to beat a team that hits 27 homers in the playoffs... my Rattlers did a good job beating some pretty fair pitchers... Gamble is the greatest... he is the heart and soul of the team." As happy as the Sugar Valley locker room was, the Southport clubhouse was somber and as quiet as a morgue... to a man they were hoping to win back-to-back Pro Cups for their beloved manager Charley Oscar, who is also retiring this year... Oscar gave hearty congratulations to Bobkins and his Rattlers, "They came in against the odds and proved they were the best team in the IPA this year... Gamble and Ramsey are truly gifted players... but the whole line-up is filled with tough outs... they made my great staff look ordinary." Yesterday in the IPA THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Saturday, October 14, 2045 SV'S GAMBLE CHOSEN PRO CUP MVP Bobby Gamble of the Sugar Valley Rattlers has done it all in his fabulous career - 3-time Ruthlandian MVP, 10-time All-Star, 5-time Golden Bat winner, Golden Glover, 3-time pennant winner - and now Pro Cup winner and Pro Cup Most Valuable Player. Gamble sparked the Rattlers to their first-ever IPA crown with a .408 BA, 5 homers, 15 RBIs, 14 runs and 13 walks. He was the overwhelming choice in a poll conducted by The Islandian Times. Three other Rattler players got a few scattered votes: pitcher Antonio Cedeno, who was 3-1 in 5 starts with a fine 2.33 ERA, outfielder Carl Ramsey (.253 BA) with 7 homers, 13 RBIs and 12 runs and pitcher Davey Brennan with a 4-2 mark in 6 starts with a 3.22 ERA. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 01-02-2016 at 05:14 PM.

07-16-2015, 03:06 PM	#4862
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	I went to Biloxi, Mississippi yesterday for a Southern League game between the new league member, the Biloxi Shuckers, and the Chattanooga Lookouts... very good game won by the Lookouts in 11 innings 6-5. Biloxi was formerly the Huntsville Stars... very nice ballpark within a block or two of the beach... strong wind out toward left on a regular basis means a good number of homers which is good for the pitching-favored ballparks in the Southern League... there were four last night... it called MGM Park... MGM owns Beau Rivage, a really beautiful casino hotel. Sad to say, minor league baseball may be becoming too expensive like MLB... Biloxi charged $12 per ticket... $5 cokes and $4 hot dogs... that's the highest I have ever paid... usually the tickets are $6 to $8 dollars... cokes and hot dogs around $3... most of the time parking is free. I don't know about you, but the nickname Shuckers didn't do anything for me... a "shucker" is a person who opens oysters... their logo is terrible... see below. Chattanooga has a great nickname, the Lookouts, named for Lookout Mountain... great logo, too. Biloxi is a resort city on the Gulf of Mexico... Keesler Air Force Base is there, too... there are a lot good nicknames associated with the casino industry, airplanes and sea that could have been chosen... alliterative nicknames are in abundance, too... Beachcombers, Barracudas, Buccaneers, Beacons (famous lighthouse in the area), Blue Sox, Blasters, Bashers, Blazers, Blue Chippers (casino resort/sports draftees and signees) and Blue Crabs (seafood industry). I know I'm old... but I just don't understand teams being named Biscuits (Montgomery), Isotopes (Albuquerque), 51s (Las Vegas)... myself I much prefer traditional names. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-16-2015 at 07:36 PM.

07-17-2015, 11:46 PM	#4863
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	I sent the Biloxi Shuckers GM an email, commenting on his operation. It was my review of the basic operation of the new park and all that goes into making it fan friendly. His reply was impressively quite detailed and filled with some very good points and counter arguments. Though I had been critical of the Shuckers' nickname, logo, high cost of tickets and concessions, he still said he appreciated the constructive criticisms. If it has been a debate, I think he won it. I wrote him back a nice email, thanking him and saying that his gracious response to my overall negative email had made me a Biloxi Shuckers fan and that I would be attending 4-5 times a year. Biloxi is about 90 miles from my home. Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-17-2015 at 11:48 PM.

07-20-2015, 10:52 PM	#4865
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:28 PM.

07-21-2015, 09:53 PM	#4866
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:29 PM.

07-17-2015, 11:53 PM	#4864
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	I am still working on the roster changes for the 2053 IPA season. Should be finished in 2-3 days. In the coming weeks I will give a preseason preview, pick the Fifth All-Decade Team, followed by the 50th Anniversary All-Time Team and recap the first half of the new season.

07-22-2015, 10:05 PM	#4867
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:30 PM.

07-23-2015, 01:33 PM	#4868
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07-24-2015, 06:21 PM	#4869
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07-24-2015, 10:40 PM	#4870
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:32 PM.

07-25-2015, 12:13 PM	#4871
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07-25-2015, 01:43 PM	#4872
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:33 PM.

07-25-2015, 04:44 PM	#4873
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:34 PM.

07-25-2015, 05:44 PM	#4874
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:35 PM.

07-27-2015, 04:58 PM	#4875
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:36 PM.

07-27-2015, 06:42 PM	#4876
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07-28-2015, 07:06 PM	#4877
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07-28-2015, 07:17 PM	#4878
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07-28-2015, 07:34 PM	#4879
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07-29-2015, 11:38 AM	#4880
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,868	* Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-14-2017 at 10:40 PM.