ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS) - Page 277

Eugene Church · 07-14-2017, 08:11 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 21, 2054

SUPER ROOSTERS COP 6TH STRAIGHT PENNANT
It was another monster season for the mighty Middlefield Roosters (104-50)... they copped the Ruthlandian West Division for the sixth straight season and eighth time in the last decade... the Roosters ruled the roost the entire season, leading by 13 games at midyear... at season's end the Sligo Rovers (93-61) ran second to them, cutting the margin to 11 games... third place went to the Rocky Rapids Snappers (78-76), 26 GB... finishing in the fourth spot was the Stoner Stars (76-78), 29 games behind.

1. MIDDLEFIELD ROOSTERS (104-50)... Middlefield has had super seasons the last three years, winning 106, 99 and 104 games... 18 times the Roosters have made the playoffs... twice they came home with the Pro Cup trophies... Middlefield whipped the East Point Panthers in 2052 and the Denton City Redbirds in 2005... now they have high hopes that they will add to their totals this year and bring home a third IPA crown... the Roosters also made the Pro Cup Finals in 2025 and 2047, but lost out to the South Fork Stallions and the Southport Sun Sox.

Long-time skipper Ricky Tinker is still at the helm... Middlefield has a lot going for it, including four All-Stars... this season they hit .279 (5th), cracked 189 home runs (2nd) and led the IPA with 933 runs (1st)... and on the hill they are better-than-average with a 3.75 ERA (15th), which is very good for playing in a high-octane enviroment like cozy Middlefield Park with its short fences.

The Roosters possess a high-powered arsenal with All-Star CF Johnny Wyatt (.277/41 HR/131 RBI/108 R/10 SB), RF Trip Agarn (.322/36 HR/116 RBI/94 R/11 SB), All-Star SS Stan Radzikowski (.289/29 HR/100 RBI/116 R/10 SB) and RF Skyler Hanson (.318/3 HR/65 RBI/114 R/11 SB)... Middlefield has a good mound staff, too, anchored by 34-year-old All-Star James Long (24-5/2.36), 40-year-old All-Star Hollis Dale (21-10/3.97) and 33-year-old Scott Cole (12-9/3.36)... the bullpen is well-takened care of with the likes of 33-year-old Norm Coventry (9-5/2.44/16 saves/60 G) and 33-year-old Yazzy Yastrzewski (6-0/1.66/9 saves/45 G).

Outlook: Middlefield is a very potent ball club and will probably be one of the favorites for the Pro Cup trophy this year... however, it is an aging pitching corps and might not be around too many more seasons... Tinker needs to be refreshing his hurlers... a lot of them are over 33 and probably headed for decline and eventually retirement.

2. Sligo Rovers (93-61) (11 GB)... manager Les Patterson and his Rovers got even better this season over last year, but still were the runner-up team... they were also second to powerful Middlefield in '53 with a 90-64 mark and 9 GB... they know the Ruthlandian West is a tough place to play for the last 14-15 years... the Roosters have dominated it.

Sligo's skipper Les Patterson is a Hall-of-Famer, elected in 2034 after an ilustrious career with the Rovers... Patterson starred for 17 years (2017-2033), posting an 306-230 record with a super 2.79 ERA... as you might expect the Rovers have pretty good pitching with him as their mentor and guide... Patterson was a 7-time All-Star and twice won the coveted Ruthlandian Golden Arm Award (2021, 2022)... in '21 he led Sligo to its only Pro Cup trophy, when they defeated the White River in five games... Patterson was the Co-MVP in the Pro Cup Series, going 4-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 6 postseason starts... he was 23-8 in the regular season with a terrific 2.03 ERA and was named the best pitcher in the league.

Sligo has appeared in the playoffs on nine occasions... but not recently... it's been almost 15 years since the Rovers won the RU West pennant... 2040 was the most recent... except for the last two seasons, Sligo has been just a fair-to-middling club... they had a losing record in nine of those years... the current batch of Rovers has very strong pitching, headed up by Mickey Walsh (23-11/2.36), Mitch Taylor (20-11/2.41), Judah Carmack (16-8/3.10) and Bruce Belden (17-11/3.45)... they may be as good as a starting foursome as anyone in the IPA... they were first in the Ruthlandian Union with a very fine 2.96 ERA... the bullpen is a good one, too, led by closer Tiger Snodgrass (.5-7/2.79/20 saves/43 G)... the Rover relievers were rated first in the RU with a 2.54 ERA... scoring runs is Sligo's shortcoming... they rank only 22nd in runs scored with 651 runs... nowhere near what you need to whip mighty Middlefield... the offensive club leaders only have modest numbers: CF Merle Bliss (.294/20 HR/76 RBI/95 R/18 SB), SS Clancy Beaufort (.285/17 HR/69 RBI/73 R/4 SB) and C Manuelo Andreu (.266/19 HR/63 RBI/49 R).

Outlook: the future is good for manager Les Patterson... his fine mound staff is mostly under 25 with the oldest just 30-years-old... same thing for the position players... the Sligo Rovers are the heir-apparent to the aging Middlefield Roosters... look out if Patterson gets a few good hitters.

3. Rocky Rapids Snappers (78-76) (26 GB)... manager Junior Noland came in a very distant third this year after posting 87-67 in '52 and 84-70 in '53... his wonderful pitching corps has gone into decline... going from 2.66 ERA two seasons ago to 3.04 last year and to 3.41 this year... Noland himself was a solid starter for most of his 11 seasons with the Snappers... he went 169-144 with a 3.46 ERA... Rocky Rapids doesn't have much of an offense... they scored only 631 runs (27th), but did have some long-ball power with 150 homers (8th)... All-Star Clay Callaghan (20-12/2.47) is the Snappers' ace... 38-year-old superstar Jamie Taylor (304-218/2.55) went down in May and was lost in May for the season... that was a huge loss for Noland... 20-game winner in '53, Sammy Sterling dipped to 14-16 with a 3.99 ERA this year... Noland has a strong bullpen with a 2.64 ERA (2nd)... top relievers are Chucky Coxson (4-6/2.96/12 saves/41 G), Yoshi Kojima (5-1/1.57/3 saves/31 G) and Rance Donnelly (2-4/1.49/7 saves/29 G)... the Snappers' best offensive performers were newcomer 1B Deke Lundy (.306/29 HR/62 RBI/59 R), star 3B Marty Featherstone (.261/19 HR/69 RBI/76 R/2 SB), All-Star SS Craig Minton (.289/3 HR/51 RBI/63 R/12 SB) and C Pat Stennett (.268/20 HR/82 RBI/54 R)... Lundy was obtained in a trade with the Sugar Valley Rattlers for three players including pitcher Elvis Bonham (17-15/3.28)... it looks like a good trade for both clubs... the Snappers got some good home-run power and the Rattlers got a solid starter.

Rocky Rapids has gone to the postseason only six times in its history... the last division flags came in '46 and '44... the Snappers picked up their only Pro Cup trophy in 2019... in an amazing run they went 12-0 and beat Ozarka in the Finals... Junior Noland (20-12/3.08) was the number two starter on that club... he went 3-0 in the playoffs with a startling 0.67 ERA... that's the only time the Snappers played for the IPA crown.

Outlook: Rocky Rapids is not in the class of Middlefield and Sligo yet, but they are a young club that could blossom in the coming seasons... they should be a good bet for third or fourth place the next few years... who knows, in five years they might be right up near the top battling the Roosters and the Rovers for the pennant... but not yet.

4. Stoner Stars (75-79) (29 GB)... the Stars are guided by a former Stoner first sacker Fletch Fowler... he was a steady ballplayer from 2023 to 2037)... Fowler batted .293 lifetime with 219 homers and 1030 RBIs... never an All-Star or award winner... his current team is just a middle-of-the-pack ballclub... fairly good pitching with a 3.86 ERA (13th), but not much offensively with only 642 runs scored (24th)... the Stars wound up under .500 this season... they were fifth two seasons ago with a 75-79 mark and seventh last year with 72-82... it's been 25 years since their last pennant (2029)... only three appearances in the postseason... Stoner made the Pro Cup Finals twice, but lost them both... the Oxford Red Caps topped them in 2007 in five games... and the Rolling Hills Reds got the best of them in a four-game sweep in 2029... Fletch Fowler was the top run producer that year with a .288 BA, 16 homers and 75 RBIs.

The current Stoner edition consists of three quality starters: Rip Martin (11-8/2.80), Stan Ulmer (18-14/3.88) and Kade Crow (17-13/3.74)... the Stars' best reliever is Jake Warrick (4-4/3.76/17 saves/32 G)... heading up a mediocre batting order are SS Mac Lord (.398/6 HR/64 RBI/85 R/7 SB), CF Grayson Lancaster (.276/16 HR/66 RBI/69 R) and LF Steve Brunson (.285/16 HR/74 RBI/58 R/6 SB).

Outlook: Stoner is just an average ballclub struggling to reach the .500 mark and the first division... it's a young team... only one player is over 30... SS Mac Lord is 33... not expected to challenge the top teams in the RU West anytime soon.

5. Volusia Vigilantes (73-81) (31 GB)... the V's are skippered by Tubby Tarkanian... he was a journeyman catcher for 21 years from 2034 to 2054... he retired as player at midyear this season... Tarkanian was a .262 career batter with 166 homers and 800 RBIs... the Vigilantes have played in the postseason nine times... the last division flag came in '43, over a decade ago... Volusia won the first ever Pro Cup in 2001, sweeping the Ginza Ninjas in four games... the V's also made the Pro Cup Finals in 2006 and fell to the powerful Turon Typhoons in six games.

Two seasons ago the club came in a respectable fourth with an 82-72 record, but they slipped to 76-78 and fifth place in '53... this year's batch of Vigilantes are still stuck in the fifth spot in the standings... Volusia has modest pitching with a 3.77 ERA (16th) and bad batting... the V's only hit .254 (28th) with only 624 runs (29th) and 89 homers (30th)... not number to get you very high in the standings... Tarkanian has three reliable starters in Cloyd Queen (15-17/3.25), Casmiro Ramires (15-19/3.46) and Mateus Branco (13-15/3.49)... and Dan Hunt (7-5/2.83/20 saves/57 G) is a dandy in the bullpen... Volusia has very little in the batter's box... sad to say, 3B Teddy Cornelius (.283/12 HR/69 RBI/89 R/4 SB) and RF Rupert Myles (.263/15 HR/57 RBI/71 R/5 SB) are Tarkanian's top hitters.

Outlook: The Vigilantes are a young club, but the future doesn't look so good... just not much talent... the V's are destined for more finishes in the second division of the Ruthlandian West.

6. Forest City Firebirds (71-83)... since winning the RU West crown in '49, it's been slow decline... the Firebirds finished sixth this year under manager Rich Barstow, who toiled for 19 seasons in the IPA, 17 of them with the Lumberjacks/Firebirds... twice he won 20 games... his overall record was 260-295 with a fair 3.79 ERA... Forest City only has average scoring and average pitching, but they do hit with some power with 136 homers (11th)... the team batting average is .255 (26th) with 679 runs (18th)... the team ERA is 3.93 (19th)... 20-year-old Mike Fryar (13-8/3.65) is the top pitcher with help from 34-year-old vets Omar Cordero (14-16/4.10) and Rusty Howard (10-19/4.22)... Craig Hurley (16-19/4.11) rounds out the starting rotation... Tim Varnado (4-6/1.98/26 saves/60 G) is a standout in the bullpen... CF Randy Snow (.267/19 HR/77 RBI/82 R/12 SB) is the Firebirds' most productive batter... other contributors are RF Dedrick Crone (.246/30 HR/75 RBI/67 R/6 SB), LF Buddy Bessent (.280/18 HR/59 RBI/60 R), SS Ziggy Regan (.281/6 HR/51 RBI/74 r/7 SB), 2B John Foley (.285/3 HR/45 RBI/68 R/7 SB), 1B Curly Burgess (.274/16 HR/54 RBI/51 R) and C Dan Brownmiller (.240/14 HR/70 RBI/58 R/13 SB).

Historically Forest City has made only five playoff appearances and has never won a Pro Cup... three times the Firebirds have been eliminated in the the first round, twice they lost in second-round action... never come close to a Pro Cup trophy.

Outlook: Forest City is just a mediocre to so-so team... just might have to get used to being a losing club for a few years or so... Barstow doesn't have a lot of talent overall.

7. Colfax Blasters (70-84) (34 GB)... Mitch Fullerton is in charge of the club... he was a fine catcher with the team for 19 years, hitting .294 with 300 roundtrippers and 1244 RBIs... twice an All-Star ('32, '36)... it's been 12 seasons since the Blasters won the RU West... nine of those years they posted losing records... in '52 they were 64-90 (7th)... in '53 they were 75-79 (6th)... and worst this season... Fullerton has a good offense... the Blasters scored 733 runs (8th), hit .264 (15th) with 137 home runs (10th), but the pitching is atrocious with a lofty 4.49 ERA (31st)... Colfax is led at the plate by RF Stan Kovalenko (.292/13 HR/62 RBI/122 R/25 SB), 1B Nicky Yorke (.301/27 HR/113 RBI/88 R), C Darrell Dillon (.287/18 HR/99 RBI/73 R), 3B Nigel Colvin (.298/12 HR/59 R/82 R) and LF Robb Maddux (.284/15 HR/65 RBI/67 R/6 SB)... rookie pitcher Quince Blakeley (13-4/2.90) came on like gangbusters... he joined the team at midseason and racked a bunch of wins in the second half of the season... not much on the mound after him... Keith Himmel (14-15/4.10) is solid at times and shaky at other times... and Red McCallum (2-4/2.80/14 saves/37) is a pretty good reliever.

Outlook: Colfax is doomed to in the depths of the division for the time being... needs some influx of talent.

8. Fort Benton Defenders (62-82) (42 GB)... the club has come in dead last for the last three years... nine times in 13 seasons they have been in the Ruthlandian West Division basement... the Defenders haven't had a winning season in 13 years... might be the worst franchise in IPA history... Fort Benton has only made the playoffs one time... that was in 2037... and they quickly lost in the first round.

One of the few standouts in Fort Benton history is manager Augie Marquis, who labored for 21 years with the club from 2025 to 2045... he was 368-300 in his career with a fine 3.22 ERA... won the Golden Arm in 2039 with a 24-12 mark and an impressive 2.28 ERA... five times he won 20 or more games... inspite of his 300 losses Marquis should be in the IPA Hall of Fame... Marquis doesn't have anyone of his caliber on the staff... Zeke Yoder (16-16/3.65) is his best and only reliable starter... Yoder came over in a trade with St. John for talented Golden Glove CF Freddie Woodruff (.317/10 HR/72 RBI/104 R/16 SB)... it was a good deal for both clubs... (Dave Llewellyn (12-13/4.25) shows signs of being a quality starter at times... the Defenders have a pretty good closer in Darius Kimberly (8-8/3.09/17 saves/52 G)... Fort Benton has a few good bats, but nothing overwhelming... Marquis' best hitters are CF Teddy Keyes (.339/3 HR/57 RBI/87 R/47 SB), 2B Murph Eldard (.315/10 HR/83 RBI/70 R/4 SB) and All-Star 3B Eamon Hopper (.303/10 HR/69 RBI/65 R/6 SB).

Outlook: pretty dismal for manager Augie Marquis... he's got a much tougher job in rebuilding the Defenders than he did when was on the mound... Fort Benton had some talent in those days... but not now.

Eugene Church · 07-28-2017, 12:41 AM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 21, 2054

TURON TAKES 3RD STRAIGHT TITLE IN TU SOUTH
Things are just getting better and better for the Turon Typhoons and skipper C. C. Kingsford... the Typhoons just blew past everybody in the Tycobbian South Division to take their third division crown in a row... for the last three seasons Turon has notched 96 wins, 101 wins and this year recorded 104 victories, tied for the best mark in the Islandian Pro Alliance with the Middlefield Roosters of the Ruthlandian West... don't be surprised if we see these two juggernauts pitted against one another for the Holy Grail of IPA baseball -- the Pro Cup.

Turon (104-50) rolled to the title this year in rather easy fashion... the Typhoons led by six games at midseason and expanded it to 12 games by the end of the regular season... San Alejo, Cape Coral and Summerland gave them a little bit of a fight for half a season, but then fell into oblivion... Summerland (92-62) came in second, 12 GB... Southport (82-72) was third, 22 GB and Arroyo Grande (77-77) wound up in fourth place, 27 GB.

1. TURON TYPHOONS (104-50)... in the early years of the IPA, Turon was major factor with four Pro Cup championships... they won in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2018... also made the Finals in '10 and '17... success has come hard since 2020 with only five postseason appearance and no Pro Cup trophies... this will be Turon's 18th Pro Cup playoffs.

Manager C. C. Kingsford had a very impressive career with the Typhoons as star infielder from 2034 to 2051... Kingsford hit .308 with 432 homers and 1577 ribbies... his father was Hall of Famer and first sacker Clyde Kingsford (.319 BA/485 HR).

Turon has had a fantastic year... first in the Tycobbian Union with a .281 BA, fourth with 838 runs and 12th in homers with 151... on the hill they are excellent with a 3.24 ERA (4th)... Kingsford has a wealth of solid batters with All-Star CF Maxie Mullinax (.331/10 HR/62 RBI/105 R/37 SB), All-Star 3B Joel Guidry (.301/24 HR/102 RBI/97 R/5 SB), All-Star Bill Wolverton (.317/13 HR/74 RBI/67 R/11 SB), 1B Shoyo Yuro (.329/26 HR/97 RBI/79 R/5 SB) and C Doyle Ashcroft (.268/19 HR/79 RBI/61 R)... Turon has a very good starting foursome in All-Star Yancey Hedges (24-10/2.56), Nate Scottsdale (24-9/2.87), Jose Beltran (19-8/3.22) and Spunky Kinchlow (10-5/3.18)... the bullpen is fairly good with Bobby Reimer (5-4/3.49/14 saves/34 G) and Dickie Parmenter (9-7/3.07/6 saves/38 G).

Outlook: Turon has a good future, but two of their starters are up in age... Scottsdale is 38 and Beltran is 35... they will soon need replacements... the rest of the club is all under 30... the Typhoons should be a force for years to come... to go deep in the Pro Cup playoffs Turon will have to contend with the reigning Pro Cup champ Midway... also first-round foe White River has standout pitching... while White River has a well-rounded club as well... whoever survives in the Tycobbian Union will be a bonafide ballclub... the Midway Wolves will be the favorite to win it all again this year, but Turon will be in the battle, too.

2. Summerland Sunsets (92-62) (12 GB)... manager Antonio Vasques had a modest first half, but his club came on strong in the second half... Summerland came in second in '53 with an 82-72 mark (19 GB)... this is the fourth straight season of improvement... the Sunsets have the best pitching in the entire IPA with a splendid 2.63 ERA, but they can't hit a lick with a pitiful .249 BA (29th) and only 619 runs (29th)... however they have decent power with 137 home runs (15th-tied)... top to bottom Vasques has a bunch of talented twirlers with starters Tommy Underhill (20-12/2.08), 37-year-old superstar Jayson Hallstrom (18-12/2.77), All-Star Rudy Hilgendorf (20-11/2.83) and Corey Vinson (21-12/2.61)... no dropoff in the bullpen, either, with the likes of Rory Poe (3-5/2.87/18 saves/41 G)... plus, the other four relievers have better ERAs than Poe... Sunset Stadium is a tough place to hit with its distant fences... Summerland only has a few good batsmen... Vasques' most productive hitters are 3B Markus Cruyssen (.305/26 HR/86 RBI/83 R/5 SB) and 1B Kenny Douglas (.255/31 HR/82 RBI/85 R/9 SB)... other contributors are SS Jayson Nickell (.301/17 HR/67 RBI/5 R/9 SB) and LF Kinky Elkerson (.276/11 HR/42 RBI/75 R/11 SB).

Outlook: on any given day Summerland can give teams fits with its strong mound staff, but in general, until they can get better run production, it will be tough for them to win a Pro Cup... the Sunsets rarely make the playoffs... only four times in the team's history have they appeared in the postseason... they have never won a Pro Cup... however, they came very, very close in the 2040 Pro Cup Finals, falling in seven games to the Ranford Bulls... '46 was the Sunsets' last division flag... they played well in the postseason and were eliminated by Pro Cup titlist Hartsdale in the first round, four games to two.

3. Southport Sun Sox (82-72) (22 GB)... for three consecutive years manager Lorne Evans has brought his team in a distant third, but prior to that the Sun Sox glistened with seven division flags in nine seasons from '42 to '50... twice Southport captured the super prize, the Pro Cup, in '44 and '47... they also lost to Sugar Valley in the '45 Finals... it was a magnificent run... nowadays Evans has solid pitching with a 3.26 ERA (6th), average offense with 687 runs (17th) and good firepower with 164 roundtrippers (9th)... the fine young Sun Sox staff is anchored by All-Star Zack Phillips (17-10/3.04), Irv Carwell (15-6/3.28), Champ Shafer (14-19/3.03) and Lenny Clarkson (15-18/3.04)... heading up a fine bullpen is Troy Hill (7-7/1.55/20 saves/52 G)... leading Southport at the plate are RF Manuela Garcia (.321/17 HR/69 RBI/90 R/10 SB), 1B Zee Graham (.308/29 HR/94 RBI/69 R) and rookie C Johnny Chisum (.287/20 HR/68 RBI/50 R).

Outlook: Southport is probably destined for a 3rd or 4th place finish with the present roster... they need a couple of hitters and a dominant pitcher to get up with the division powers Turon and Summerland.

4. Arroyo Grande Suns (77-77) (27 GB)... new skipper Eduardo Villanueva came on board this season and for the first time in a decade the Suns had a winning record... last season they were 65-89 and finished eighth... three of the last four years they were cellar-dwellers... for only the second time in 20 years did they make the first division in the TU South... the Suns have made the IPA playoffs only four times in their existence and have never won a Pro Cup... thus far Arroyo Grande has not come close to a Pro Cup trophy... the best they have done was in '22 when they lost in the Tycobbian Union finals to Midway, who were beaten by the Crystal Lake Crushers in the Pro Cup Finals... Villanueva has a fair-to-middling club with poor hitting and fairly good pitching... the Suns batted only .249 (27th) this season, scored only 659 runs (25th) and went deep 132 times (18th)... his pitchers compiled a respectable 3.61 ERA (10th)... Arroyo Grande traded superstar All-Star Norishige Ito (.317/39 HR/124 RBI/110 R/14 SB) to Midway and slugger Vince Kinston (.284/27 HR/81 RBI/72 R) to Grand City and received in return five young, solid players with potential... three pitchers won 40 games: Beau McCloud (15-15/3.58), Roy Tuthill (14-16/2.98) and Rusty Stephens (11-5/4.04)... they formed the starting rotation along with Nap Vickerson (17-18/3.74)... Stan Chaffin (6-5/1.88/15 saves/47 G) was the best in the bullpen... newcomers RF Elton O'Leary (.293/18 HR/83 RBI/80 R/6 SB) and 3B Nate Stiles (.253/12 HR/54 RBI/69 R/7 SB) also contributed to the offense... All-Star 1B Russell Taylor (.289/19 HR/86 RBI/86 R/15 SB) was the Suns' top batter.

Outlook: at first glance the trade of Ito and Kinston may have seemed a little one-sided, considering Ito may be the best player in the IPA... time will tell... the five new additions are all young... they all did well the first year and have the talent and youth to blossom into future stars... however, the trade did enable Arroyo Grande to escape the cellar and move up to fourth place in the TU South standings.

5. Cape Coral Hurricanes (76-78) (28 GB)... new 2053 nductee to the IPA Hall of Fame, William Snyder, took over the reins of the Hurricanes this season and for the seventh year in a row they finished in the second division, winding up fifth... Snyder was a seven-time All-Star, three-time Golden Glover and won the Tycobbian Golden Bat in '35... he batted .322 lifetime with 426 HR and 1554 RBIs... Snyder ranked 10th all-time in BA... Cape Coral's last Tycobbian South pennant came in '41... they have made the postseason only eight times in the team's history... most of their appearances came long ago in the early seasons of the IPA... six times in the first 15 years... the club has never won a Pro Cup... they lost to IPA champ Turon in the second round in '06... and reached the Tycobbian Finals in '12, but lost to the Ozarka Naturals... the Hurricanes have a high-powered attack that hit .280 (2nd), scored 840 runs (3rd) and slugged 154 home runs (11th)... but they don't have much pitching to go with it... in fact, the mound corps is lousy with a whopping 4.71 ERA (30th)... that's why the team came in fifth... three All-Stars top the lineup card: 2B Jaybird Ethridge (.288/42 HR/118 RBI/108 R), SS Lynwood Barley (.321/3 HR/63 RBI/93 R/20 SB) and CF Enrique Orantez (.302/13 HR/74 RBI/84 R/12 SB)... other solid bats are 1B Kalian Coston (.296/24 HR/71 RBI/80 R/8 SB) and 3B Sammy Ashcraft (.316/16 HR/63 RBI/82 R/4 SB)... as far as mound staff, Davis Tyrrell (11-12/3.67) is the only respectable starter... in the bullpen Vinny McAfee (10-4/3.23/10 saves/55 G) had a solid year... not much after them.

Outlook: Snyder has a bunch of fine hitters in Cape Coral, but is in bad need of pitching... they will be trying to trade some of their talented bench players to improve the mound staff... till they get improved pitching, fourth or fifth place may be the best the Hurricanes can hope for in the standings.

6. San Alejo Montaneros (75-79) (29 GB)... it wasn't a good season at all for the Monties this year... it was their worst season in almost two decades... they had finished in the TU South first division and posted winning records for the last 17 years... manager Filipe Zamora's club came in sixth this year... Zamora was a six-time All-Star catcher for the Monties (2035-2047)... a career .299 BA with 322 dingers and 1170 RBIs... San Alejo has been on a downward spiral for the last three seasons... they won the pennant in '51 (92-63)... slipped to second in '52 (81-73)... and dipped down to fourth place in '53 (79-75)... the Montaneros have been to the postseason playoffs eight times in their history and have chalked up one Pro Cup trophy... that was in 2032... on five other occasions they performed well... lost to the IPA champ High Mesa Cowboys in 2002 in Tycobbian Finals... fell to the IPA titlewinner Turon Typhoons in second round 2003... were beaten in the first round by the Pro Cup-winning North Hills Hawks in a thrilling seven-game series in 2034... reached the TU Finals in 2035, but were defeated by the Tuckanarra Blue Jays... and the Monties made the Pro Cup Finals in 2037 and lost to the Waleska Westerners in six games.

Zamora's problem at San Alejo is his pitching... he still has the greatest tandem in IPA history on his staff, but Matt Bell (347-185/2.38) and Will McKinney (288-149/2.53) are now in their mid 30s and may not be around for too many more years... they are the primary reasons for the Montaneros' success in the last 15 years, along with 35-year-old superstar center fielder Paulo Teixeira (.300 BA/515 HR/1471 RBI)... the Monties' stats are better-than-average at the plate and on the hill... the bullpen is the dilemna with an awful 4.96 ERA... they simply can not protect leads... All-Star Matt Bell (23-11/2.19) had a super season... Will McKinney (19-15/2.84) also had a strong year... starter number three Tommy Carter (12-16/3.72) gave the team some quality starts, too... Carter is the oldest of the bunch at age 36... Zamora never found a quality number four and five starter... the Monties wound up with a fairly good 3.74 ERA... Jesse Joyner (0-1/0.93/11 saves/27 G) really came on strong with 10 saves in the second half of the season... San Alejo played well until midsummer, then tumbled back to the second division ... they were in second place and only trailed Turon by six games at midyear (43-35)... the Monties are pretty good at scoring runs with 713 (12th)... they batted .267 (13th) and had fair firepower with 137 roundtrippers (15th-tied)... Teixeira (.289/32 HR/90 RBI/89 R) had an All-Star season and was the big man in the lineup... other consistent run producers were veterans RF Erik Landau (.311/9 HR/71 RBI/81 R/6 SB) and LF Royce Grantham (.244/29 HR/82 RBI/71 R/5 SB)... and the first-base platoon duo of Alanzo Grassi (.303/13 HR/59 RBI/42 R) and young Dontrelle Bradbury (.315/12 HR/31 RBI/29 R) were reliable threats, too.

Outlook: Zamora needs to shore up his bullpen and get two more dependable starters in his rotation to get out of the second division... third or fourth place is not beyond them next year, but San Alejo can forget moving up into the elite class of Turon and Southport for a few seasons.

7. Ginza Ninjas (61-93) (43 GB)... the Ninjas got a new skipper this year, but Tokuji Takahara had a tough time in his first season... the club was 59-95 (8th) in '52... improved a bit to 71-83 (7th) in '53... but this year fizzled back to seventh place with 10 fewer victories... Takahara (190-164/4.10 ERA) was a better-than-average jouneyman pitcher for Ginza from 2040 to 2052, when he was traded to Forest City for the last two years of his career... Takahara retired from the Firebirds after a slow start this season and was appointed manager of the Ninjas in May... the pitching improved under his tutelage, but the hitting was horrendous... Ginza only hit .241 (30th) with 581 runs (32nd) and only 118 homers (25th)... just about the worst offense in the IPA... Ninja pitching was decent with a 4.04 ERA (20th), mainly because of a fine bullpen... they notched an impressive 2.40 ERA (3rd), sparked by Abram Worth (4-3/1.47/17 saves/57 G) and Georgie Wicker (5-3/2.03/1 save/47 G)... the starters were just plain bad with a 4.61 ERA (26th)... Tommy Paige (13-18/4.81) was the biggest winner... followed by Calvin Nickell (11-19/4.01) and Delmer Guthrie (11-22/4.69)... one plus on the mound staff was 22-year-old rookie twirler Jacky Hebb (7-6/2.66), who joined the Ninjas in late summer and showed some real promise in 13 starts... Takahara only has two decent hitters in his batting order: two-time All-Star SS Kuzuki Tamura (.286/20 HR/78 RBI/83 R/19 SB) and 3B Horace Dyson (.287/8 HR/53 RBI/69 R)... very little after them except for 1B Takuya Toyota (.247/16 HR/60 RBI/50 R) and RF Chris Pfeiffer (.224/18 HR/67 RBI/49 R/4 SB)... they both have some power, but don't hit much for average.

Outlook: Takahara has a mighty tough task in Ginza... it's been 23 years since the Ninjas made the Pro Cup playoffs... they have only made the postseason seven times and have never won a Pro Cup... but they have put four IPA champions to the test on four occasions... Volusia swept them in four games in the first-ever Pro Cup in 2001... IPA winner South Fork whipped them in the Tycobbian Finals in 2025... and the Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Reds spoiled the Ginza hopes twice in the TU Finals... beating them in six games in 2029 and in seven games in 2031... Ginza fans shouldn't get their hopes up anytime soon for a contending club... the Ninjas need a lot of help in a lot of places and look to be stuck near the bottom of the Tycobbian South for some time to come.

8. Colchester Elites (60-94) (44 GB)... sad to say, but Colchester is one of the worst franchises in IPA history... the Elites have graced the playoffs only four times... with no Pro Cups so far... three of the appearances were in their first six seasons... the last pennant came in 2036, 18 years ago... just one time in that drought did the Elites have a winning season... that was in 2051 when they were 81-73 and finished in fourth place... Colchester did push IPA champ Oxford to the limits in the 2007 Tycobbian Finals... the Red Caps whipped them in a tense seven-game series that year... in 2036 Pro Cup winner North Hills easily disposed of the Elites in five games in first-round action.

Former Colchester star outfielder, Blake Barrister, is in charge of the club now... in 11 years with the Elites he batted .264 with 453 homers and 1182 RBIs... four times he was a TU All-Star... the team hasn't done well since he took over in 2046... nothing but second-division finishes except for fourth place in '51 (81-73)... Barrister's current club batted only .255 this season (22nd), was pathetic at scoring runs with 599 (31st), but did have fair power with 144 home runs (13th)... except for the bullpen (2.99 ERA/11th), the pitching was a disaster with a sky-high 4.49 ERA (27th)... closer Haden Fraser (7-9/2.49/23 saves/66 G) did his job well... none of the starters were effective... Colchester's best chunkers weren't much to brag about: Champ Meadows (12-20/4.45), Zip Sharpe (12-17/4.62) and Denzel Durand (11-18/4.58)... Barrister didn't have much to boast about at the plate, either, except for the likes of 1B Erroll Waldrep (.324/25 HR/68 RBI/43 R), who really blossomed in his sophomore season in the second half of the year... 25 homers in half a year is outstanding... the Elites do have two reliable infielders in veteran 3B James Murchison (.278/11 HR/54 RBI/74 R/15 SB) and youngster SS Ernie Larmon (.269/5 HR/34 RBI/56 R/11 SB), but both had down years... both of them are Golden Glovers.

Outlook: Colchester may be looking for a new manager soon... Barrister has not had much success in his tenure... his main problem is a severe lack of talent... the future is dismal for the Elite fans... could be a while before they escaped the bottom half of the Tycobbian South Division.

Eugene Church · 07-31-2017, 12:07 AM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 21, 2054

RASCALS BACK ON TOP OF TU NORTH
After dawdling along to a 39-39 record halfway through the season, the White River Rascals (89-65) culminated the year in a blaze of glory piling up a 50-26 mark in the second half and routing the rest of the clubs for the Tycobbian North Division flag... the team's fifth crown in the last seven seasons... front-runners Luxora (48-30) and North Hills (48-30) tied for the top spot at midyear, 9 games in front of third place White River... but they couldn't stand prosperity and wound up far behind in the pennant chase... Luxora (82-72) came in second, trailing by 7 games, Oxford (79-75) finished third, 10 games out and North Hills (78-76) was fourth and 11 games back.

1. WHITE RIVER RASCALS (89-75)... manager Marty Blake has enjoyed a lot of success in his tenure at the helm of the Rascals... after four straight pennants from '48 to '51, his club slipped slightly to third place in '52 (82-72) and in '53 (80-74) came in second, but with a worst record... this year he got his pitching straightened out and White River returned to the top of the TU North standings... this will be the Rascals' ninth postseason appearance... they still don't have a Pro Cup championship, but have been very competitive several times over the years... lost in Pro Cup Finals in '21 to the Sligo Rovers... fell to IPA champ Tuckanarra in TU Finals in '23 and '24... defeated by IPA champ Southport in '27 TU Finals... in '49 and '50 were beaten by IPA champ Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals.

The current batch of Rascals have standout pitching with a 2.83 team ERA (3rd)... only Pro Cup champ Midway (2.69 ERA) and Summerland (2.63 ERA) had better seasons... also White River can put runs on the scoreboard fairly well with a .257 BA (21st), 699 runs (15th) and 128 homers (19th)... skipper Marty Blake has a well-rounded club... his top starters are 35-year-old ace Nicky Palmer (21-15/2.39), solid veteran Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) and reliable vet Glen Horton (19-12/3.26)... the other two starters also did well... both youngsters Cody Butler (6-1/2.43) and Ringo Lanier (9-7/2.74) impressed after being put into the starting rotation in the second half... the Rascals are led at the plate by star LF Pudge Tate (.296/26 HR/84 RBI/107 R/23 SB)... dependable 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.281/18 HR/71 RBI/66 R/20 SB)... and youngsters RF Jed Small (.274/17 HR/52 RBI/46 R/4 SB) and 2B Mark Gates (.288/14 HR/63 RBI/53 R/2 SB).

Outlook: White River can compete in the Pro Cup playoffs with the big boys because of its outstanding mound staff... Midway, Turon and Middlefield beware... don't look past them... you could get burned... the Rascals should be contenders in the Tycobbian North for several years to come... the only aging personnel is mound ace Nicky Palmer (229-149/2.89)... he will be a big loss when he retires, but he is still going strong at age 35... Palmer is also 8-4 in postseason play with an impressive 2.70 ERA in 17 starts.

2. Luxora Zorros (82-72) (7 GB)... 48-30 at midyear, the Z's fell apart in July and August (22-35) and were overrun by fast-closing and redhot White River (50-26)... it's been 24 years since the Zorros made the playoffs... '31 was the last division crown... 11 times they made the postseason, but Luxora never has won a Pro Cup trophy... were whipped by IPA Pro Cup champ Red Bluff in the TU Finals in '04... and were eclipsed by IPA Pro Cup titlist Turon in first round in a seven-game series in '18... however, manager Kent Halloran has them on the rise, going from seventh place (68-86) in '52 to fifth place (67-87) in '53 and up to the second spot at 82-72 this season... Halloran has a better-than-average ballclub... 3.83 ERA (16th)... with modest hitting and run scoring... .254 BA (23rd), 680 runs (24th) and 107 homers (28th)... the starters Mack Wellman (14-14/3.61), All-Star Juliano Machado (16-16/3.66) and Paolo De Freitas (16-14/4.28) are dependable... however Wellman is up in age at 37... 23-year-old rookie Roy Foxton (7-4/2.84) showed very well when he was added to the starting rotation in late July... the Luxora bullpen is in good hands with Kippy Stearns (2-4/2.48/23 saves/45 G)... the Zorros' best batsman is 1B Tuff McLendon, but he only plays against right-handers... McLendon hit .355 in 109 games with 11 HRs and 59 RBIs... the top regulars are LF Tommy Lee Townsend (.264/16 HR/70 RBI/82 R/20 SB), CF Rodrigo Santana (.283/4 HR/54 RBI/70 R/35 SB) and 3B Bobby Portonova (.255/18 HR/62 RBI/68 R)... Luxora could use a hefty influx of firepower.

Outlook: White River is the main power in the Tycobbian North Division... as it presently stands, Luxora can't keep up with the Rascals... they should be able to contend for the first division in this weak division... not a lot of good teams... the Zorros will be in the running for second, third or fourth place.

3. Oxford Red Caps (79-75) (10 GB)... manager Dennis Hartwig's club has hit its way to two pennants in a row in the TU North, winning in 2052 and 2053, but he didn't get the pitching this year... but the arsenal is still there... the Red Caps boast beaucoup batters sparked by RF Wade McGrew (.312/37 HR/113 RBI/100 R/13 SB) and All-Star LF Ozzy Ackeman (.314/27 HR/97 RBI/100 R/35 SB)... other reliable contributors are CF Dwayne Wagner (.296/24 HR/99 RBI/86 R/9 SB), 2B Roger Bajon (.294/14 HR/79 RBI/90 R/5 SB) and 3B Ethan Cuthbert (.246/26 HR/83 RBI/81 R/6 SB)... Oxford also has quite a few solid hitters on the bench... the Red Caps need some mound depth... the bullpen is lousy with a sky-high and out-of-sight 5.53 ERA (32nd)... Hartwig has three fairly good starters in veterans Rudy Mellancamp (20-13/3.68), Lou Ellison (18-14/3.97) and 18-year-old rookie Maury Statler (15-11/3.48)... but that's it for the pitching corps.

Historically, Oxford did very well in the early seasons of the IPA, making the playoffs five of the first six seasons... even winning their only Pro Cup in 2007... from '08 to '51 they missed the playoffs every year... a dismal performance... but they have perked up a bit in recent years with two TU North division titles in the last three seasons.

Outlook: Good sticks and a few decent pitchers can take Oxford a long way... not to the level of White River, but the Red Caps are good enough, as is, to be in contention for second, third and fourth place in the next few years.

4. North Hills Hawks (78-76) (11 GB)... manager David Michael had a fine first half (48-30) and was tied for first place with Luxora... they were 9 games ahead of White River, but it didn't last... the Hawks swooned terribly in the second half with a 30-46 record and wound up in fourth place... Michael has pretty good pitching with a 3.70 ERA (13th) and fairly respectable scoring with 670 runs (21st) and .259 BA (18th), but very little home-run power with only 99 HR (30th-tied)... North Hills' top hurlers are starters Johnny Kristoff (18-13/3.50), Thad Vachon (15-21/3.58) and Stan Kallis (15-16/4.29)... closer DeWitt Dobkins (5-5/1.82/20 saves/49 G) tops the bullpen... the Hawks don't have any real threats in the lineup, just a lot of lackluster hitters... the main run providers are 2B Tony Durant (.314/11 HR/72 RBI/66 R/8 SB), 1B Sam Dunstone (.287/6 HR/56 RBI/76 R/10 SB), CF Rusty Redd (.275/11 HR/60 RBI/68 R/21 SB), RF Ryan Webbe (.247/21 HR/68 RBI/64 R) and C Leland Backus (.271/12 HR/74 RBI/54 R).

The Hawks had a tremendous 12-year run from 2034 to 2045 when the club captured 11 pennants... not only did they totally dominate the Tycobbian North, they also commanded the entire IPA with four Pro Cups ('34, '36, '38, '41)... skipper Dave Michael was a big part of that success with a 315-234 mark with a 3.11 ERA... his postseason record stood out well with a 20-13 record and a great 2.32 ERA in 37 starts... Michael was selected for the IPA Hall of Fame in 2047... the Hawks have made the playoffs 13 times in all... the Turon Typhoons (.03, '06, '09, '18) and Valmara have also won four Pro Cups... and the Tuckanarra Blue ('23, '24, '35), Far Mountain Redhawks ('11, '12, '13), Southport Sun Sox ('27, '44, '47), Waleska Westerners ('28, '37, '39) and Rolling Hills Reds ('29, '31, '48) have won it three times each .

Outlook: the prognosis for North Hills is not very good... they really went downhill in the second half of the year... the Hawks may drop down into the second division next year.

5. Hartsdale Hellcats (69-85) (20 GB)... the current skipper is Wayne Dawson... he was a solid starter for the Hellcats for most of his 17 seasons... Dawson was 204-203 with a lifetime 3.38 ERA... he retired in 2046... Hartsdale has fallen off the past two years... they were eighth in '52 with a 65-89 record... a little bit better this year with 69-85, good for the fifth spot in the TU North standings... in the Hellcat history they have made the playoffs on nine occasions... they last won the division in '42, '46 and '47... also garnered the team's only IPA crown in '46.

This year Hartsdale possessed just average pitching with a 3.98 ERA (19th) and only a fair to mediocre offense with a .252 BA (25th), 641 runs (26th) and 141 homers (14th)... veteran Perry Givens (16-16/3.78), Chet Salsbury (12-12/3.52) and Mick Merling (13-13/4.36) are just average starters... while closer Roy Krieger (6-6/2.70/20 saves/64) is a stalwart in the bullpen... the Hellcats are led at the plate by so-so batters: 1B Bruno Bardella (.263/26 HR/89 RBI/58 R), LF Rico Visaggi (.282/8 HR/50 RBI/65 R/6 SB), 3B Smokey Nix (.261/16 HR/67 RBI/86 R/15 SB) and C Kenton Carmichael (.252/15 HR/68 RBI/56 R).

Outlook: Hartsdale needs more talent on its roster... the future doesn't look too bright... currently the Hellcats are just a second-division club.

6. Mahaska Haymakers (66-88) (23 GB)... the Haymakers have a poor IPA history... only four playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... they did reach the Pro Cup Finals in 2026, but were swept by the Valmara Vipers in four games... the last TU North pennant was raised at the ballpark way back in 2028... in 2052 they were beaten out by one game for the division title... Mahaska had an 85-70 record that year... the Haymakers have been sixth the last two seasons with 66-88 marks... former slugger and outfielder Travis Tuttle (.308 BA/273 HR/875 R) had good success with the club from '23 to '33... he is the present manager... Mahaska is just a second-rate team, destined for a second-division finish... they hit .257 (20th), scored 681 runs (18th) and rapped 133 home runs (17th)... on the hill they are just average with a 3.83 ERA (17th)... 21-year-old youngster Morrie Dalman (15-15/2.89) is a quality arm, along with Pip Cordice (14-17/3.64) and Marty Mobley (11-14/3.47)... they are the makings of a pretty good rotation... Rique Batista is the fourth man... he was a quality starter his first two seasons, then Batista slumped this year... if he can return to form, it will give Tuttle something to work with... but there is nothing in the bullpen... as far as offense, 21-year-old CF Dub Forrester (.303/14 HR/77 RBI/87 R/13 SB) is the club leader and a good one... at 22, 2B Paul Waldrep (.301/6 HR/53 RBI/72 R/8 SB) looks to have good potential... as far as veteran players, CF Tom Norbonne (.292/19 HR/59 RBI/55 R/10 SB) and 1B Roger Lewis (.234/18 HR/69 RBI/47 R) are just fair-to-middling and nothing special.

Outlook: Not a rosey future for Tuttle and his Haymakers... they are not likely to escape the second division for a while.

7. Fairfax Frogs (63-91) (26 GB)... the Frogs haven't had a lot of success in the IPA... just eight playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... Fairfax has never gone real deep in the postseason... twice they lost out in the Tycobbian Finals... 2033 was the last division title... the Frogs have been mired in the second division of the TU North for the past eight seasons... and 10 of the previous 12 years... Fairfax has been last or next-to-last for the last six seasons... Scott Courtney is the playing manager at age 32... his club lack home-run power... they hit only 88 out of the park this year and ranked last in the Tycobbian Union, but they can score with a .276 BA (5th) and ranked 13th in runs scored with 711... however pitching is non-existent with a 4.69 team ERA (29th)... the skipper, C/1B Scott Courtney (.273/13 HR/88 RBI/68 R), is one of the Frogs' best run providers, along with LF Kaz Ozaki (.267/21 HR/92 RBI/95 R/14 SB), 1B/C Mike Mitchell (.343/12 HR/75 RBI/67 R), LF Paddy Fenroy (.293/3 HR/59 RBI/73 R/18 SB), SS Sammy Monroe (.279/10 HR/67 RBI/74 R/14 SB) and 3B Cade Durning (.301/8 HR/44 RBI/47 R).

Outlook: despite the good offense, Fairfax will mostly likely wind up deep in the second division of the TU North.

8. Blue Lake Blue Sox (51-103) (38 GB)... the Blue Lake franchise is one of the worst in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only three times have they made the playoffs, but fortunatly they did win one Pro Cup in 2030... that more than a lot of teams can say... 35 of the 64 franchises have never won the overall IPA championship -- the Pro Cup.

This season was a total disaster for manager Frankie Quinn and his Blue Lake Blue Sox... they were 72-82 in '52 and 76-78 in '53, but the bottom fell out in '54 with a terrible 51-103 record... the Blue Sox pitching staff posted a poor 4.37 ERA (26th), while the club hit only .249 (28th), scored only 628 runs (28th) and totaled 125 homers (23rd-tied)... not many quality hitters... the best ones Blue Lake had were LF Burt Baugh (.229/24 HR/72 RBI/57 R), RF Johnny Harding (.270/17 HR/67 RBI/60 R), C Juan Luis Barcelona (.277/10 Hr/58 RBI/69 R), SS John Gilbert (.258/12 HR/57 RBI/80 R/6 SB) and CF Jude Rupp (.268/14 HR/55 RBI/75 R)... on the hill ithe quality wasn't very good, either... the best of the lot were just barely effective: Dookie Denham (12-9/3.85) and Dirk Sinclair (9-23/3.85)... however, the Blue Sox had a quality closer in Marty Manush (6-6/2.39/13 saves/61 G).

Outlook: there's a very good chance Blue Lake will be cellar-dwellers for sometime to come... the future for Blue Lake is very bleak.

Eugene Church · 08-05-2017, 09:49 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 21, 2054

MIDWAY HEADED FOR 2ND STRAIGHT PRO CUP
Last year in the Pro Cup playoffs the powerful Midway Wolves devoured everybody in sight and won their first-ever IPA crown and it's their intent to do it again... the Wolves (107-47) raced to another Tycobbian East Division title, piling up an IPA record-tying 107 victories in the process... Midway shot to a 12-game lead at the All-Star break and left everybody in their dust... the Wolves didn't let up there, by season's end they increased their winning margin to a gigantic 19 games over second place East Point (88-66), 22 ahead of third place South Fork (85-69) and 27 better than fourth place Red Bluff (80-74)... it was a monstrous year for Midway... they tied Colfax for the most victories in a season... the Blasters also won 107 games in 2010.

1. MIDWAY WOLVES (107-47)... manager Bobby Dorignac guided the Wolves to 100 wins in 2053 and then did even better this season... part of the reason was an offseason trade for superstud Norishige Ito... Midway gave Arroyo Grande three fine players for the superstar... he lifted the Wolves to another level... prior to last year Pro Cup crown, Midway has a poor postseason history in the IPA... this will only be the fifth time they qualified for the playoffs... last year was the only time the team captured a Pro Cup trophy... the Wolves lost in first-round play in '14 and '27, but they reached the Pro Cup Finals in 2022, but were beaten by the IPA champion Crystal Lake Crushers in six games.

Dorignac has a marvelous club this year... his mound staff posted a terrific 2.69 ERA (2nd), topped only by Summerland with a brilliant 2.63 ERA... at the plate the Wolves hit .270 (11th), scored 797 runs (5th) and slugged 177 roundtrippers (4th)... no wonder they won 107 games... anchoring the starting rotation was Arnie McGill (25-7/2.20), Will Deberry (21-11/3.49), Yank Atchley (17-10/2.97), All-Star Charlie Chase (16-9/2.41) and Dookie Higgins (11-4/2.58)... Atchley was voted the Pro Cup MVP last year... he went 5-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his 5 starts.

Midway is also outstanding offensively with the likes of superstar and All-Star LF Norishige Ito (.317/39 HR/124 RBI/110 R/14 SB), 3B Jamey Southwick (.286/31 HR/90 RBI/67 R), All-Star RF Daryl Vale (.326/21 HR/91 RBI/87 R/23 SB), 1B Todd Merritt (.287/22 HR/89 RBI/74 R/8 SB), SS Kax Clark (.288/12 HR/74 RBI/98 R/13 SB) and 2B Tom Goodnight (.302/11 HR/52 RBI/81 R)... plus C Ralph Worley (.258/7 HR/59 RBI/46 R/8 SB) is also an All-Star and a standout defender... however, Midway did receive a setback when ace Charlie Chase went out with an injury in August... he will probably miss the postseason this year... Chase was 2-1 in the playoffs last year with an impressive 2.02 ERA... he fired two shutouts.

Outlook: Midway is a genuine goliath and should be favored to win the Pro Cup trophy again, but it will have to beat off some formidable foes like Turon and White River in the Tycobbian Union and Middlefield, Wynnamac and perhaps last year's finalist, Taranto, in the Ruthlandian Union... with good teams galore, it should be a great Pro Cup playoff season for the fans.

2. East Point Panthers (88-64) (19 GB)... Frank Blair is the skipper of the Panthers... he was a quality starter for the club for 19 years, winding up with a career 265-248 mark (3.47 ERA)... he was five-time All-Star... East Point has had much success with him at the helm... two division titles ('50, '52) and three second-place finishes in the last five seasons... on seven occasions the Panthers have made the postseason... but have never won a Pro Cup... they did reach the Finals in '52, but were defeated by the Middlefield Roosters in six games.

East Point is a pretty good ballclub that has the misfortune to play in the same division as the Midway Wolves... Blair's bunch hits well with a .273 BA (7th), scores very well with 853 runs (2nd) and has excellent HR-power with 188 roundtrippers (2nd)... and the Panthers are better-than-average on the hill with a 3.67 ERA (12th)... they have a good starting foursome in Ralph Wallace (18-12/3.35), Benny Allen (17-13/3.61), Chip Dowler (18-10/3.66) and Lee Price (13-12/3.83)... a quality bullpen as well with Kerry Woodburn (5-6/2.38/12 saves/52 G) and Pudgy Putman (8-4/3.75/8 saves/35 G)... top bats are RF Jakie Spears (.353/2 HR/64 RBI/92 R/12 SB), CF Pokie Ash (.310/15 HR/64 RBI/110 R/25 SB), 3B Justin McRae (.306/17 HR/93 RBI/106 R/25 SB), C Kenny Bailey (.282/35 HR/109 RBI/83 R), 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.273/28 HR/87 RBI/71 R/16 SB), RF Doug Dennhardt (.296/28 HR/70 RBI/51 R/8 SB) and LF Skip Donley (.267/23 HR/81 RBI/61 R/21 SB).

Outlook: East Point will be near the top of the Tycobbian East for a few years to come... their only problem is the reigning champ of the IPA, the mighty Midway Wolves, who are in a league of their own right now with very few clubs capable of challenging them... the Panthers should finish no worst than second or third in the battle for the division flag.

3. South Fork Stallions (85-69) (22 GB)... another fine club that suffers from being in the same division as Midway... manager Eldon Jacoby has lifted the Stallions out of the depths of the second division in the TU East the last two seasons... his Hosses have finished third the last two years... going 83-71 in '53 (17 GB) and 85-69 this season (22 GB)... Jacoby has solid pitching with a fine 3.25 ERA (5th)... at the plate South Fork is solid with a .267 BA (14th) and 708 runs (14th), but a little short on firepower with only 118 homers (26th-tied)... the Stallions have two standout starters in All-Star Brett McCracken (24-11/2.42) and Emmett Coogan (24-9/3.15)... the other two hurlers in the rotation, Bud Bowens (10-13/3.75) and Rick Sampson (9-12/3.49) are just fair-to-middling... Jacoby has a good bullpen with a 2.85 ERA (9th), headed up by spot starter/closer John Clay Whitehurst (7-12/3.88/10 saves/42 G)... South Fork has no super threats in its batting order... the best the Stallions have to offer are All-Star C Rudy Maroney (.289/28 HR/89 RBI/86 R/3 SB) and All-Star 3B Pete Arnold (.308/9 HR/74 RBI/78 R/17 SB)... LF Brad Lancaster (.300/10 HR/68 RBI/73 R/13 SB) and CF Gus Russum (.289/9 HR/40 RBI/51 R/26 SB) also supply some offense.

Outlook: South Fork is a solid third place team, but not in the class of Tycobbian East powers, Midway and East Point... however, they are a young and up-and-coming squad with a good future... historically the Stallions have appeared in the postseason playoffs only six times, but they have captured two Pro Cups, winning in 2025 and 2042... South Fork whipped Middlefield in a thrilling seven-game affair and had to come back from a 3-2 deficit... it was much easier the second time when they swept Colfax in four games.

4. Red Bluff Red Sox (80-74) (27 GB)... this year manager Ike Sweetwater has just an average ballclub in Red Bluff... it's been 12 years since the Red Sox had a losing season... only three times in that period did they fail to make the TU East first division... Red Bluff won four straight pennants in those years from '44 to '47... three times they came in fifth in the standings...ended up fifth in '53 at 78-76 (22 GB)... improved slightly this year... the Red Sox took their only Pro Cup long ago in 2004, topping Sugar Valley in five games... three times they have reached the TU Finals and lost to the eventual IPA champion: Southport whipped them in six games in '44... Hartsdale edged them in seven games in '46... and Southport did it again in '47 in six games again.

Ike Sweetwater was a fine outfielder for Red Bluff from 2032 to 2050... a 5-time All-Star and also a Golden Glove winner... he hit .285 with 521 HRs and 1500 RBIs... his current club is woeful at the plate with a pitiful .235 BA... they are mediocre in scoring with 675 runs (20th), but do go deep with 182 home runs (3rd)... the Red Sox are average on the mound with a 3.98 ERA (18th)... two starters Felix Delatte (22-12/3.43) and Julius Eccleston (23-11/3.49) were 20-game winners... the bullpen was handled well by Calvin Carruth (3-6/2.94/23 saves/48 G)... All-Star LF Toni Kolkov (283/36 HR/79 RBI/76 R/8 SB), 2B Dazzy Bevis (.266/27 HR/72 RBI/101 R/20 SB) and 1B A. J. Tremaine (.229/27 HR/63 RBI/56 R/9 SB) were the top run producers.

Outlook: Red Bluff will struggle to stay in the first division... the Red Sox are just a run-of-the-mill ballclub and nothing more.

5. Hillsboro Blazers (78-76) (29 GB)... manager Andy Jefferson led the club to its only playoff appearance in 2051... Hillsboro did well in the playoffs that year losing out to IPA champion Arlon in seven games in the first round... but they gave Arlon its toughest series in the postseason that year... the next year they fell to fourth place at 86-68... then the Blazers slipped back into mediocity under .500 and came in seventh (68-86) in 2053... and rebounded a bit to fifth this year... Hillsboro has very little offense except for home runs... they batted a paltry .235 (31st), scored only 639 runs (27th), but hit 156 out of the park (10th)... Jefferson has a better-than-average pitching staff with a 3.84 ERA (11th)... his bullpen ranks 10th with a 2.89 ERA... mound standouts are Steve Cooper (21-15/3.34) and Hank Greenberry (20-15/2.99)... young rookie Ian Barrie (10-7/3.44) did well in his first season... #4 starter Clay Spencer (15-18/4.07) may be showing signs of age at 33... top bullpenners are Ron Pryor (3-5/2.43/17 saves/39 G) and Jersey Joe Springsteen (1-2/2.69/10 saves/48 G)... Hillsboro's doesn't have any real threat in the lineup, but they do hit a few homers... none of them hit for much of an average... RF Eli Nickelson (.214/28 HR/74 RBI/75 R/18 SB), CF Vern Hodge (.259/24 HR/64 RBI/81 R/9 SB) and C Harry Edwards (.229/20 HR/71 RBI/71 R/4 Sb) were the best of the lot.

Outlook: except for twirlers Cooper, Greenberry and Barrie, Hillsboro doesn't have a lot of talent... may linger in the depths of the Tycobbian East for awhile or so.

6. High Mesa Mustangs (77-77) (30 GB)... IPA legend Jack Elliott runs baseball operations at High Mesa... the team prospered from '45 to '52, winning one pennant in '48 and had only one losing season ('46)... they were contenders in '49, '50 and '51... the Mustangs have been mired in sixth place in the TU East the last two seasons... High Mesa has been to the playoffs only three times in its history, but has won a Pro Cup... the then-High Mesa Cowboys swept the Elnora All-Stars in three games for the IPA crown in 2002, the second year of the league... Elliott was enshrined into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2032... he had a fantastic career... 13-time All-Star, 12-time Golden Bat Award winner, 5-time Golden Glover, 2013 Rookie of the Year and 4-time Tycobbian MVP in '13, '21, '22 and '23... Elliott hit .332 lifetime (5th) with 848 homers (2nd), 2120 RBIs (4th) and 2192 runs (3rd)... sadly, he never played in the postseason.

Like their slugging manager the present High Mesa Mustangs go deep very well with a Tycobbian-leading 200 homers (1st)... they score well with 786 runs (6th), but are only average with a .258 team BA (19th)... on the mound they are not very good with a 4.31 ERA (24th)... top bats for High Mesa are SS Tommy Yost (.284/15 HR/64 RBI/87 R), LF Dix McIntosh (.253/25 HR/83 RBI/58 R)... rookie phenom 1B Ward Catlin (.292/26 HR/64RBI/43 R) did extremely well and had some great numbers despite missing five weeks with injury... he hit 26 homers in 79 games... Elliott is expecting good things from Catlin in the future... same thing from young CF Tracy McGriff (.324/17 HR/57 RBI/50 R/4 SB)... the Mustang mound corps is in trouble... only Tuffy Hammel (15-16/2.98) is a strong starter... young David Newell (14-7/3.94) shows promise... at 37 Dickie Sternfeld (13-12/4.01) still is a quality starter... Elliott has no one past these three.

Outlook: High Mesa will likely be stuck in the second division for the near future... not likely to contend anytime soon... pitching is much too weak.

7. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (75-79) (32 GB)... the Blue Jays have a fine IPA history with 18 postseason appearances and three Pro Cups (2023, 2024, 2035)... for 28 years they finished in the first division of the Tycobbian East (2023 to 2050)... however, the last division flag came in '49... it has been slowly downhill since... the current skipper is Junior Bristow, who starred for the Blue Jays for 10 seasons and compiled a fine 206-138 mark with a solid 3.20 ERA... seven times he won 20 games and two Golden Arms... won the Tycobbian MVP twice (2035, 2036) and retired early at age 33... his father is former Tucks' skipper Titus Bristow (342-258/2.75 ERA), a Hall-of-Famer since 2027, who also won the Tycobbian MVP and Golden Arm in 2006.

Tuckanarra is now just a mediocre team with a .266 BA (15th), 682 runs (23rd) and only 127 dingers (20th-tied)... with a not-so-hot 4.12 ERA (21st)... veteran star 1B Rodger Parsons (.324/15 HR/68 RBI/82 R/2 SB) is a five-time All-Star and the best threat in the batting order... RF Jay Jay Batchelor (.281/23 HR/72 RBI/57 R/4 SB) and 3B Newt Crutchfield (.302/8 HR/79 RBI/51 R) also help out some offensively... Bristow's best starter is Smokey Joe Ellison (13-12/3.61)... the others in the rotation are so-so, Ozzie Leslie (13-18/4.20) and Terence Gargan (13-17/4.28)... however, there is one very bright spot, 20-year-old rookie Russell Knowles (8-1/2.07), who won all his games after joining the team in August... Tuckanarra also has a fine veteran closer in Paul Landale (5-2/2.55/18 saves/58 G).

Outlook: the Blue Jays were only four games under .500... they have some talent... a few additions would go along way and give them a shot at the first division again... Tuckanarra is a pretty good seventh-place team... may be a few years from real contention in the Tycobbian East.

8. Ozarka Naturals (61-93) (46 GB)... the only bad club in the TU East... manager Duffy Morrison doesn't have a lot of talent to work with... the Nats only bat .250 (26th) with 606 runs (30th) and 115 roundtrippers (26th-tied)... on the hill not much better with a 4.21 ERA (23rd)... it's been 15 years since the club made the playoffs... 2040 was the last pennant... but at one time early in IPA history, Ozarka was a yearly regular in the postseason with a total of 15 appearances... fives times they were Pro Cup finalists, but they never won a Pro Cup trophy... the Naturals lost to Far Mountain in seven games in 2011, Far Mountain again in five games in 2012, to Eastshore in a four-game sweep in 2016, also swept by Rocky Rapids in 2019 and Crystal Lake whipped them in five games in 2020.

Ozarka's top players are pitchers Willis Reece (14-15/3.22) and John Dickinson (12-21/3.98)... Reece is a 20-year-old rookie... and veteran Jim Greene (3-5/3.21/14 saves/51 G) is a pretty good closer... there are no big sticks in the batting order... 2B Foxy Alderson (.314/19 HR/85 RBI/64 R/13 SB) is a solid batter and defender... the only other decent bats in the lineup are RF Scotty Hannon (.263/20 HR/64 RBI/82 R/9 SB) and LF Donny Joe Jacks (.301/5 HR/46 RBI/50 R/5 SB).

Outlook: it's pretty grim for the Ozarka Naturals... just simply a bad team... may be destined for the TU East cellar for years to come.

Eugene Church · 08-05-2017, 10:04 PM

Tycobbian East Division Standings

Eugene Church · 08-13-2017, 08:40 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
September 21, 2054

ARLON TAKES TU WEST IN THRILLER
The Tycobbian West Division came down to two clubs and it went down to the last days of the season to decide it... in a stirring finish the Arlon Champions (99-55) just barely held off the hard-charging Denton City Redbirds (98-56) by a single game... Denton City was the reigning TU West titlist... the Redbirds won 12 of the last 13 games and almost caught the Champions... Arlon went 8-5 down the stretch to fend off Denton City... third place went to the Kenwood Wildcats (82-72) and the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (81-73) came in fourth in the race... overall the division has some quality teams... it was a very tight four-team cluster at midseason, all within five games of each other... however the Wildcats and Bucs sputtered in the second half and fell to the wayside.

1. ARLON CHAMPIONS (99-55)... this was Arlon's seventh pennant in its history... the last one came in the Pro Cup year in 2051 when the Champs topped the Waleska Westerners in five games for the IPA title... Arlon also made the Pro Cup Finals in '39, but were beaten out by the same Westerners in six games... skipper Mark Cameron has a very impressive and well-balanced club... the Champions compiled a .262 BA (17th), clubbed 173 HR (5th-tied) and posted a solid 3.36 ERA (8th)... on the hill Ty Coffee (27-9/2.72) led the entire IPA in wins and he got good help from J. C. Hilburn (17-13/2.98), Erik Branham (17-9/3.30), Dicky Towers (12-12/3.41) and long-time star Lanny Gray (14-11/4.12)... Mack Blair (6-2/2.92/20 saves/48 G) and Clyde Burney (5-1/2.55/6 saves/34 G) anchored the bullpen... the primary offense was supplied by CF Rebel Bryce (.219/37 HR/116 RBI/97 R/13 SB), 2B Art Catlin (.303/22 HR/103 RBI/88 R/8 SB), LF P. J. Flagg (.281/22 HR/73 RBI/76 R/11 SB) and Timothy Webb (.340/9 HR/39 RBI/77 R/6 SB).

Outlook: Arlon may be a better team this year than they were in the 2051 Pro Cup season... they still have the main core of starters in Branham, Gray and Hilburn, plus the great addition of Ty Coffee, along with Dicky Towers... the offense this year is much superior to the '51 squad... there has been an impressive influx of youthful talent in the last three seasons... Bryce, Catlin, Flagg and Webb didn't join the team until 2052... manager Mark Cameron's club won 99 games this season, but they must face the current Pro Cup champion in the first round of the playoffs... Arlon may be the forgotten team in the Tycobbian Union with the likes of powerful Midway and Turon as well as the White River Rascals, but their opponents will know they have been in a series... it is highly unlikely the Arlon Champions will just roll over and play dead in the postseason playoffs... Cameron has a very good team.

2. Denton City Redbirds (98-56) (1 GB)... it's tough to win 98 games in a season and not win the division crown... that's what happened to Denton City skipper Pete Gibbs... an 8-16 mark in April killed the Redbirds' season... he also lost his mound ace, Johnny Wingate, in June... overall Denton City has made the postseason 10 times in its history... mainly in the early years of the IPA... 8 times they made the playoffs from 2003 to 2013... only twice since, in 2040 and 2053... however, despite several valiant efforts in the playoffs, the Redbirds are still seeking their first Pro Cup trophy... in '04 they lost in the first round to IPA champ Red Bluff 3 games to 2... in '05 in the Pro Cup Finals the Redbirds fell 4 games to 1 to IPA champ Middlefield ... in '08 they lost in the Pro Cup Finals for the second straight year when Wynnamac whipped them in six games... in '09 Denton City was topped in the TU Finals by eventual Pro Cup champion Turon in a torrid 7-game series... and last year the Redbirds were the only playoff team to win a game against the IPA winner, the mighty Midway Wolves... DC was beaten in six games in the Tycobbian Union Finals... Midway was 12-2 in the postseason last year... in the last two rounds they swept their other two series against Turon (TU Finals) and Taranto (Pro Cup Finals).

Denton City has a topnotch team with a .274 BA (6th), 749 runs (8th), 166 HR (7th) and a very good 3.41 ERA (9th)... heading up a solid staff are Jayson Mannon (21-10/2.85) and Flash Stringfellow (19-10/3.12)... the other two in the starting rotation are dependable: Rob Hanshaw (13-7/4.17) and Howie Malcolm (11-6/4.23)... Johnny Wingate (9-5/3.01), a 21-game winner the season before, was lost in June with an arm injury... he was sorely missed down the stretch... and manager Pete Gibbs has one of the best bullpen in the IPA with All-Star closer Burnell Kelley (7-5/1.72/28 saves/59 G) and Freddy O'Neal (9-3/1.64/6 saves/39 G)... Kelley was tops in saves in the Tycobbian Union... third best in the IPA behind Trent Niven (3-8/1.87/30 saves/64 G) of Eastshore and Martin Futch (5-7/1.86/29 saves/71 G) of Ranford... the Redbirds have some hefty and reliable bats with 1B Val Anniston (.300/36 HR/92 RBI/92 R), LF Harper Catlow (.275/29 HR/78 RBI/81 R/18 SB), SS Vincent McCloud (.308/26 HR/83 RBI/104 R/11 SB) and RF Tristan Redgrave (.297/19 HR/70 RBI/69 R/8 SB).

Outlook: it's a shame that Denton City will not be in the postseason playoffs... Pete Gibbs has a fine club, which should be a serious challenger for the TU West flag for several years to come.

3. Kenwood Wildcats (82-72) (17 GB)... manager Babe Hankins had his club in serious contention at midyear... just a game behind Arlon and tied with Denton City, but they slumped badly in the late summer and slipped to the third spot in the division standings, 17 games out of first... Hankins led the Wildcats to the TU West pennant just two years ago with a 91-63 mark, but his pitching staff fell apart the next year and Kenwood stumbled in with a 70-84 record, tumbling to sixth place... now they have recovered a bit and got back on the winning side of the ledger... 10 times the Wildcats have made the playoffs and they have one Pro Cup trophy, which was won in 2014... but they have performed very well on several occasions: in '23 they lost to IPA champion Tuckanarra in 6 games in round one... in '41 and '42 Kenwood reached the Tycobbian Finals and fell to the eventual IPA titlists, the North Hills Hawks in 6 games and to the South Fork Stallions in 6 games.

The current edition of Wildcats hit very well with a .277 BA (4th), score well with 739 runs (9th), but are a quite short on power with only 101 HR (29th)... pitching-wise they are better than average with a 3.79 ERA (15th)... All-Star 1B Bralen Connally (.299/23 HR/93 RBI/94 R/2 SB), RF Chris McNeal (.273/17 HR/67 RBI/64 R/4 SB) and SS Eliot Epperson (.284/10 HR/65 RBI/51 R/6 SB) are the prime run providers... other contributors are LF William Gloucester (.346/9 HR/55 RBI/68 R/4 SB), 3B Bailey Brumley (.310/6 HR/57 RBI/42 R/7 SB) and CF Hank Hankins (.292/5 HR/39 RBI/42 R/14 SB)... on the hill Kenwood has four quality starters in Emmitt Oates (21-13/3.47), long-time ace Rusty Bradford (19-17/3.54) and two rookies Al Bryant (13-12/3.62) and Tory Reynolds (10-12/3.97)... skipper Babe Hankins could use some help in the bullpen, which is not too reliable with a 4.24 ERA (26th).

Outlook: Kenwood should remain in the first division for some time to come, but they are not in the class of Arlon and Denton City... the Wildcats are just a third or fourth place club.

4. Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (81-73) (18 GB)... for the past six seasons manager Cotton Cornwall and his Bucs have finished in the TU West first division, which is the top four teams... they were second to Denton City in '53 with an 83-71 record (6 GB)... the Buccaneers were third the previous two years ('51 and '52) and they hoisted division flags in '49 and '50... Bay St. Clair has made 11 postseason appearances, but have never won a Pro Cup trophy... they lost to IPA Pro Cup champ Taranto in 2015, beaten 4 games to 1 in the Pro Cup Finals... IPA champ Turon eliminated the Bucs in 6 games in the 2018 Tycobbian Finals... and they were defeated by Pro Cup winner, Blue Lake, in the 2030 Tycobbian Union Finals in 6 games.

Bay St. Clair's current crop has impressive pitching with a 3.36 ERA (7th)... the Buccaneers are fairly good at the plate with a .263 BA (16th), 677 runs (19th) and 125 HR (23rd-tied)... Scotty Hedwall (19-13/2.91) is the main guy in the rotation, along with Dion Hawkins (16-9/2.90), who was injured in August and missed the rest of the season... the Bucs get quality starts from Kermo Jarvi (17-16/3.86)... not a lot in the rotation otherwise... however, skipper Cornwall has a fine bullpen, one of the better ones in the IPA... they chalked up a 2.38 ERA (2nd)... his top relievers are veteran Cadillac Bogart (6-7/2.47/12 saves/55 G) and Darcey Kennedy (5-4/1.28/6 saves/38 G)... the Bucs' batting order is led by LF Jed Killick (.274/30 HR/118 RBI/84 R), RF Don Holliday (.269/25 HR/85 RBI/61 R/7 SB), SS Pip Blaylock (.264/9 HR/52 RBI/103 R/30 SB), 3B Trace Burney (.304/12 HR/63 RBI/91 R/6 SB), All-Star 2B Ike Ritter (.302/1 HR/46 RBI/68 R) and 1B Clive Caviness (.289/15 HR/64 RBI/76 R).

Outlook: The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are getting a little long in the tooth, but may hang around in the top four teams for a few more seasons... third or fourth will be the best they can do.

5. (tied) Rolling Hills Reds (72-82) (27 GB)... the Reds had a string of 8 years in the TU West first division from from '45 to '52, but have slumped to the second division the last two seasons... 7th place with a 67-87 mark (22 GB), followed by a tie for 5th this year with a 72-82 record (27 GB)... Rolling Hills last pennant came in '48, which was a Pro Cup winning year... overall the club has made the postseason playoffs 11 times and copped three Pro Cups (2029, 2031, 2048)... most of the Reds' success was from '19 to '32 ... 8 times they won the TU West pennant, winning two Pro Cups... Rolling Hills lost in '25 to the IPA champion South Fork in six games in the first round of the playoffs... they were beaten by IPA champ Southport in '27, falling in six games in the TU Finals... and they really came close in '32, beaten in seven games in the TU Finals by the eventual IPA winner San Alejo.

Rolling Hills is skippered by Billy Christenson, a Hall of Fame infielder, who played 16 of his 21 seasons with the Reds... Christenson was a 6-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glover... his career average was .302 with 258 homers and 1446 RBIs... Christenson was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2049... Rolling Hills hit well for average this season and scored well, but didn't hit with power... on the hill the Reds were mediocre... the club batted .273 (8th), scored 718 runs (11th), but hit only 99 out of the park (30th-tied)... the team ERA was only 4.19 (22nd)... leading the Reds offensively this year were All-Star SS Dustin Thibodeau (.301/20 HR/92 RBI/89 R/12 SB), All-Star C Ryan Nelms (.248/18 HR/67 RBI/56 R), 1B Darwin Tard (.296/19 HR/85 RBI/81 R/12 SB), 2B Adam Hynes (.323/2 HR/54 RBI/71 R/28 SB) and CF Mike Josephson (.280/5 HR/62 RBI/83 R/14 SB)... the ace of the mound staff is 40-year-old Johnny Howard (22-13/3.79), who sparked them to the IPA crown in '48 with a flawless 5-0 record and 2.66 ERA in five starts... the others in the rotation are inconsistent, but do come up with some quality starts: Vance Dillaway (13-15/3.77), Kerry Tidland (10-10/4.22) and Rob Gates (10-16/4.13).

Outlook: not so good... many of the Rolling Hills regulars like Tard and Nelms are showing signs of wear, tear and age... it's not likely hurler Howard can keep going for many more years... the Reds need to replace them fairly quickly... without those stars, it would be tough for them to finish even as high as fifth... seventh or last would be more likely.

5. (tied) Chicopee Braves (72-82) (27 GB)... a team very similar to Rolling Hills, but with far worse pitching... the Tribe have only had two winning seasons since 2038... they came in fourth in '53 with an 80-74 mark (9 GB)... most of the time the Braves were bogged down deep in the TU West second division... the club rarely has made the playoffs... only three times in its dismal history (2033, 2034 and 2035)... never won a Pro Cup trophy, but Chicopee had a fine club at that time... the Braves lost twice to North Hills in '34 and '36 in hotly-contested six and seven-game series in the TU Finals... North Hills went on to win the IPA crowns in both years... the Hawks of that period were just about the best the IPA has ever seen... they won four Island crowns from '34 to '41... a remarkable achievement... in '35 Chicopee came very close, too, defeated by Pro Cup champion Tuckanarra in seven games in the TU Finals.

The current Chicopee manager Augie Meaux was a mainstay of the Braves during their glory years... Meaux was a solid defensive catcher for Chicopee for 16 seasons with a .265 lifetime batting average, 166 homers and 776 ribbies... the Braves hit a solid .267 (12th) this year with 732 runs (10th) and 127 roundtrippers (20th-tied)... on the hill they were totally inept and ineffective with a whopping 4.61 ERA (28th)... Meaux has a lot of reliable hitters in CF Johnny Helwig (.309/8 HR/53 RBI/66 R/6 SB), 2B Tex Whatley (.282/20 HR/76 RBI/80 R/6 SB), 1B Sam Patrick (.314/28 HR/71 RBI/81 R), 3B Derrell Stelly (.296/14 HR/64 RBI/55 R), LF Travis Ledger (.306/8 HR/62 RBI/74 R/15 SB) and RF Alex Mendes (.322/7 HR/56 RBI/61 R/15 SB)... what Meaux badly needs is some pitchers to go with them... the starters are terrible, but the bullpen is decent... the best of the lot in the rotation are Manny Spaulding (17-14/4.31) and Sharlon Barbour (17-17/4.99)... tops in the bullpen are Chipper Gilton (5-3/2.05/18 saves/43 G) and Cy Abernathey (6-5/2.44/6 saves/48 G).

Outlook: Chicopee will be a second division club for the near future... the pitching is just too bad to move up into the first division of the Tycobbian West.

7. La Claire Lynx (56-98) (43 GB)... the Lynx are not one of the most successful franchises in the IPA... they have never won a Pro Cup... La Claire has only made the playoffs four times in the team's history... 17 years have past since their last pennant in 2038... the club has had very little success in the postseason, but they did push powerful North Hills to the hilt in '38, falling in a tense seven-game series in the Tycobbian Finals... the Hawks went on to capture the Pro Cup trophy that year... the Lynx did not go very deep in the playoffs the other three appearances.

The La Claire manager is Hall of Famer Flash Devlin... he was a 13-time All-Star and was elected in 2038 after starring for the Lynx for 19 years, batting .317 lifetime with 559 homers and 1799 RBIs... Devlin has not had a lot of success as skipper... the club rose up from eighth place in '52 to third in '53 and that saved his job, but they have lapsed back in '54 and he's right back on the hot seat... the Lynx has average hitting and scoring, but totally lack pitching... they batted .272 (9th), scored 691 runs (16th) and hit 126 home runs, while posting a terrible 4.76 ERA... La Claire has a few fairly good hitters in its lineup like 2B Derek Winchester (.305/9 HR/60 RBI/87 R/20 SB), CF Whit Miley (.330/13 HR/47 RBI/60 R), SS Frisco Thorpe (.258/17 HR/77 RBI/67 R/6 SB), 1B Charlie Rodgers (.305/14 HR/49 RBI/37 R), LF Wilmer Burgess (.303/5 HR/44 RBI/65 R) and LF Kippy Born (.229/17 HR/77 RBI/40 R/4 SB)... not a lot to note on the hill... starter Jacques Guichard (13-17/3.64) and reliever Troy Pless (5-6/1.85/9 saves/39 G) are the only decent moundsmen.

Outlook: rumor is Devlin will not survive this time around... look for some changes in La Claire... the future is gloomy in La Claire regardless of who's running the show... it will be a tough task to rebuild the Lynx into a contender in the TU West.

8. Bayview Vikings (49-105) (50 GB)... it was another very bad season for the Vikings, which is nothing new for the fans... the last time the Viks won the Tycobbian West Division was long ago in 2016... 39 years ago... Bayview has participated in the postseason playoffs just six times with no Pro Cup trophies to show for it... most of their success was in the early years of the IPA... they were beaten in 2003 in the Elite 8 Series by the Pro Cup champion Turon Typhoons... Bayview also lost to Pro Cup champ Red Bluff in 2004 in the Elite 8 Series... in 2006 the Vikings reached the Tycobbian Finals and fell to Pro Cup titlist Turon... also reached the TU Finals in 2007 and were whipped by Pro Cup champion Oxford.

The head of operations in Bayview is the all-time leading slugger in IPA history, Hall of Famer Jerry Culpepper... the hard-hitting infielder batted .304 in his 19-year career with 878 homers (1st) and 2170 RBIs (2nd)... he was a 15-time All-Star, 2-time MVP (2040, 2041) and 5-time winner of the Tycobbian Golden Bat Award... managing has not been as easy... Culpepper has guided the Vikings to 7th, 8th and 8th in his three seasons... this past year the Viks has mediocre hitting and absolutely atrocious pitching... they batted .254 (24th), scored 663 runs (22nd) and hit 165 homers (8th)... on the hill the Bayview staff put up a lousy 5.26 ERA (32nd), easily the worst in the entire IPA by a wide margin... only one starter, Arlo Lounsberry (7-17/4.65) had an ERA under the 5.00 mark... Herm Monday (12-22/5.25) had the most wins... the only decent pitchers were in the bullpen: closer Wayne Stewart (2-11/3.92/13 saves/63 G) and Skeets Dyess (2-2/3.83/2 saves/32 G)... Culpepper did have a few pretty good batsmen in 1B Eddie Beeman (.290/33 HR/102 RBI/79 R/6 SB), CF Noel Connors (.308/22 HR/80 RBI/89 R/23 SB), RF Vern Woodcock (.263/24 HR/83 R/56 R) and C Lou Fairhead (.263/23 HR/81 R/60 R)... the very small stadium helped the batters greatly and also tremendously hindered the mound corps stats... 380' in CF and 310' down the lines is a tough place to pitch in.

Outlook: IPA icon or not, Culpepper needs some improvement soon in Bayview... it looks like the long pennant drought will not come to an end soon for the Vikings.

Eugene Church · 08-13-2017, 08:42 PM

The hard work has been done... recapping each team's season... now for the absolute sheer joy of playing out all the playoff games to decide the IPA Pro Cup champion for 2054.

It really looks like its going to be one of the better Pro Cups in the league's 54-year history.

7 of the 8 playoff teams could win... don't think the Valka Blackhawks have much of a chance... otherwise it should be a donnybrook.

Eugene Church · 08-16-2017, 10:09 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 22, 2054

HOLY GRAIL BATTLE BEGINS WED
September is a special time to all of the baseball fans in the Islands... 8 premier teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance go head-to-head seeking the ultimate quest -- the Holy Grail of Islandia -- the IPA Pro Cup... play begins this Wednesday afternoon all around the Islands... there will be three rounds, the Division Championship Series, League Championship Series and the IPA Pro Cup Finals... all series will be best-of-seven... the lone surviving team will be awarded the grand prize -- the IPA Pro Cup trophy.

The reigning IPA crown holder Midway Wolves (107-47) will be tested in the first round by the Arlon Champions (99-55) in the Tycobbian Union... the White River Rascals (89-65) are pitted against the Turon Typhoons (104-50) in the other series.

In the Ruthlandian Union the Middlefield Roosters (104-50) will engage the Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60) and last year's Pro Cup finalist, Taranto Tars (86-68), will be challenged by the Valka Blackhawks (82-72).

Among this year's participants, Turon has accumulated the most Pro Cups... the Typhoons captured the trophy in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2018... next in line is Middlefield with two titles... 2005 and 20052... four of the clubs have claimed one Pro Cup... Midway won last year in 2053... Arlon in 2051... Taranto in 2015 and Wynnamac in 2008... White River and Valka have never won the overall IPA championship.

Five of the postseason participants are back again this season: current IPA champ Midway and last year's finalist, Taranto, along with Turon, Middlefield and Wynnamac... White River and Arlon made the playoffs last in 2051... poor Valka hasn't appeared in the Pro Cup playoffs since 2017.

Eugene Church · 08-16-2017, 10:13 PM

2054 Ruthlandian Union Pro Cup Teams

Eugene Church · 08-16-2017, 10:15 PM

Tycobbian Union Pro Cup Teams

Eugene Church · 08-18-2017, 06:32 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 22, 2054

MIDWAY FAVORED TO WIN PRO CUP AGAIN
For what it's worth, the IPA sportswriters and broadcasters have made the reigning Pro Cup champion Midway Wolves the favorite to win back-to-back crowns... in a poll conducted by The Islandian Times, Midway was chosen the most likely winner in the Pro Cup playoffs... history is not on the side of the critics' number one pick... only three times in the last decade have the baseball experts been correct... Southport in '44, Valmara in '50 and Middlefield in '52... history has shown the postseason predictions are a crap shoot most of the time... almost any team can win... the number six choice Arlon came away with the Pro Cup trophy in '51... the number five selection in '48 Rolling Hills was the champ... however the Pro Cup champion usually is one of the first four picks... this has occurred eight times in the last decade.

In the poll released today, the Midway Wolves were the darlings of the baseball media, ranking first in the voting... the Wolves rampaged through the schedule this year, tying the all-time wins mark with 107, matching Colfax's magical figures in 2010... the Middlefield Roosters were the second choice of the prognosticators... the Turon Typhoons were given the third-best chance of winning it all... ranked fourth in the survey were the Wynnamac Sundowners... with good teams galore, it should be a great Pro Cup playoff season for the fans... only seventh-rated Taranto and eighth-ranked Valka don't seem to have much chance for winning the IPA title.

1. MIDWAY WOLVES (107-47)
.270 BA (11th)
797 runs (5th)
177 homers (4th)
2.69 ERA (2nd)
.978 FA (excellent defense)
Manager Bobby Dorignac guided the Wolves to 100 wins in 2053 and then did even better this season... part of the reason was an offseason trade for superstud Norishige Ito... Midway gave Arroyo Grande three fine players for the superstar... he lifted the Wolves to another level... prior to last year Pro Cup crown, Midway has a poor postseason history in the IPA... this will only be the fifth time they qualified for the playoffs... last year was the only time the team captured a Pro Cup trophy... the Wolves lost in first-round play in '14 and '27, but they reached the Pro Cup Finals in 2022, but were beaten by the IPA champion Crystal Lake Crushers in six games.

Dorignac has a marvelous club this year... his mound staff posted a terrific 2.69 ERA (2nd), topped only by Summerland with a brilliant 2.63 ERA... anchoring the starting rotation is Arnie McGill (25-7/2.20), Will Deberry (21-11/3.49), Yank Atchley (17-10/2.97), All-Star Charlie Chase (16-9/2.41) (injured) and Dookie Higgins (11-4/2.58)... Atchley was voted the Pro Cup MVP last year... he went 5-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his 5 starts.

Midway is also outstanding offensively with the likes of superstar and All-Star LF Norishige Ito (.317/39 HR/124 RBI/110 R/14 SB), 3B Jamey Southwick (.286/31 HR/90 RBI/67 R), All-Star RF Daryl Vale (.326/21 HR/91 RBI/87 R/23 SB), 1B Todd Merritt (.287/22 HR/89 RBI/74 R/8 SB), SS Kax Clark (.288/12 HR/74 RBI/98 R/13 SB) and 2B Tom Goodnight (.302/11 HR/52 RBI/81 R)... plus C Ralph Worley (.258/7 HR/59 RBI/46 R/8 SB) is also an All-Star and a standout defender... however, Midway did receive a setback when ace Charlie Chase went out with an injury in August... he will probably miss the postseason this year... Chase was 2-1 in the playoffs last year with an impressive 2.02 ERA... he fired two shutouts.

Pro Cup Forecast: Midway is a genuine threat to win the Pro Cup trophy again, but it will have to beat off some formidable foes like Turon, Arlon and White River in the Tycobbian Union and Middlefield, Wynnamac and perhaps last year's finalist, Taranto, in the Ruthlandian Union... the Wolves are a talented club with impressive hitting, pitching and defense.

2. Middlefield Roosters (104-50)
.279 BA (5th)
933 runs (1st)
189 HR (2nd)
3.75 ERA (15th)
.975 FA (good)

It was another monster season for the mighty Middlefield Roosters (104-50)... they copped the Ruthlandian West Division for the sixth straight season and eighth time in the last decade... Middlefield has had super seasons the last three years, winning 106, 99 and 104 games... 18 times the Roosters have made the playoffs... twice they came home with the Pro Cup trophies... Middlefield whipped the East Point Panthers in 2052 and the Denton City Redbirds in 2005... now they have high hopes that they will add to their totals this year and bring home a third IPA crown... the Roosters also made the Pro Cup Finals in 2025 and 2047, but lost out to the South Fork Stallions and the Southport Sun Sox.

Long-time skipper Ricky Tinker is still at the helm... Middlefield has a lot going for it, including four All-Stars... the Roosters possess a high-powered arsenal with All-Star CF Johnny Wyatt (.277/41 HR/131 RBI/108 R/10 SB), RF Trip Agarn (.322/36 HR/116 RBI/94 R/11 SB), All-Star SS Stan Radzikowski (.289/29 HR/100 RBI/116 R/10 SB) and RF Skyler Hanson (.318/3 HR/65 RBI/114 R/11 SB)... Middlefield has a good mound staff, too, anchored by 34-year-old All-Star James Long (24-5/2.36), 40-year-old All-Star Hollis Dale (21-10/3.97) and 33-year-old Scott Cole (12-9/3.36)... the bullpen is well-takened care of with the likes of 33-year-old Norm Coventry (9-5/2.44/16 saves/60 G) and 33-year-old Yazzy Yastrzewski (6-0/1.66/9 saves/45 G).

Pro Cup Prediction: Middlefield is a very potent ball club and is one of the favorites for the Pro Cup trophy this year.

3. Turon Typhoons (104-50)
.281 BA (1st)
838 runs (4th)
151 HR (12th)
3.24 ERA (4th)
.971 FA (fair defense)

Things are just getting better and better for the Turon Typhoons and skipper C. C. Kingsford... the Typhoons just blew past everybody in the Tycobbian South Division to take their third division crown in a row... for the last three seasons Turon has notched 96 wins, 101 wins and this year recorded 104 victories, tied for the second-best mark in the Islandian Pro Alliance with the Middlefield Roosters of the Ruthlandian West... Pro Cup champ Midway was the leader with a record-tying 107 victories... in the early years of the IPA, Turon was major factor with four Pro Cup championships... they won in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2018... also made the Finals in '10 and '17... success has come hard since 2020 with only five postseason appearance and no Pro Cup trophies... this will be Turon's 18th Pro Cup playoffs.

Turon has had a fantastic year under manager C. C. Kingsford... Kingsford has a wealth of solid batters with All-Star CF Maxie Mullinax (.331/10 HR/62 RBI/105 R/37 SB), All-Star 3B Joel Guidry (.301/24 HR/102 RBI/97 R/5 SB), All-Star Bill Wolverton (.317/13 HR/74 RBI/67 R/11 SB), 1B Shoyo Yuro (.329/26 HR/97 RBI/79 R/5 SB) and C Doyle Ashcroft (.268/19 HR/79 RBI/61 R)... Turon has a very good starting foursome in All-Star Yancey Hedges (24-10/2.56), Nate Scottsdale (24-9/2.87), Jose Beltran (19-8/3.22) and Spunky Kinchlow (10-5/3.18)... the bullpen is fairly good with Bobby Reimer (5-4/3.49/14 saves/34 G) and Dickie Parmenter (9-7/3.07/6 saves/38 G).

Pro Cup Prediction: To go deep in the Pro Cup playoffs Turon will have to contend with the reigning Pro Cup champ Midway... also first-round foe White River has standout pitching... and Arlon has a well-rounded club as well... whoever survives in the Tycobbian Union will be a bonafide ballclub... the Midway Wolves will be the favorite to win it all again this year, but Turon will be in the battle, too.

4. Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60)
.283 BA (2nd)
821 runs (2nd)
138 HR (9th)
3.32 ERA (4th)
.977 FA (very good defense)

Wynnamac skipper Jerry Meeks led them to their third consecutive RU East crown with fine pitching and strong bats... ... checking out the Wynnamac track record down through the years, the Sundowners have made the playoffs 10 times with one Pro Cup trophy... they topped the Denton City Redbirds in six games in 2008... years later in 2044 Wynnamac went seven games before losing to a very fine Southport Sun Sox club.

Meeks had a very good season... his top batters were RF Charley Bristol (.321/25 HR/88 RBI/96 R), 1B Enos Benham (.346/15 HR/68 RBI/74 R), C Jethro Bibbs (.314/10 HR/67 RBI/61 R), 3B Dale Fisher (.303/6 HR/66 RBI/54 R/10 SB), CF Dickie Keys (.342/14 HR/49 RBI/53 R/8 SB), 2B Whiz Ivie (.299/7 HR/67 RBI/87 R/31 SB) and CF Wally Bonds (.302/12 HR/51 RBI/51 R/4 SB)... on the hill James Duncan (21-7/3.22) won the most games, but he had plenty of support from Simon Northcott (18-9/3.47) and Sammy Hayes (17-12/2.74)... even rookie Dion Delgiorno (11-10/3.16) pitched well... two other spot starter/relievers George Medworth (11-7/3.75/11 saves/39 G) and Garan Parula (11-12/3.87/5 saves/48 G) had some quality starts.

Pro Cup Prediction: Wynnamac has solid pitching and an abundance of better-than-average bats... but the Sundowners have to get past mighty Middlefield to get to the Pro Cup... that's not easy... they have been eliminated in the first round the last two seasons... it will probably happen again... the Roosters are better than ever and one of the favorites to capture the IPA overall title.

5. Arlon Champions (99-55)
.262 BA (17th)
752 runs (7th)
173 HR (5th-tied)
3.36 ERA (8th)
.972 FA (average defense)

This was Arlon's seventh pennant in its history... the last one came in the Pro Cup year in 2051 when the Champs topped the Waleska Westerners in five games for the IPA title... Arlon also made the Pro Cup Finals in '39, but were beaten out by the same Westerners in six games... skipper Mark Cameron has a very impressive and well-balanced club... on the hill Ty Coffee (27-9/2.72) led the entire IPA in wins and he got good help from J. C. Hilburn (17-13/2.98), Erik Branham (17-9/3.30), Dicky Towers (12-12/3.41) and long-time star Lanny Gray (14-11/4.12)... Mack Blair (6-2/2.92/20 saves/48 G) and Clyde Burney (5-1/2.55/6 saves/34 G) anchored the bullpen... the primary offense was supplied by CF Rebel Bryce (.219/37 HR/116 RBI/97 R/13 SB), 2B Art Catlin (.303/22 HR/103 RBI/88 R/8 SB), LF P. J. Flagg (.281/22 HR/73 RBI/76 R/11 SB) and Timothy Webb (.340/9 HR/39 RBI/77 R/6 SB).

Pro Cup Prediction: Arlon may be a better team this year than they were in the 2051 Pro Cup season... they still have the main core of starters in Branham, Gray and Hilburn, plus the great addition of Ty Coffee, along with Dicky Towers... the offense this year is much superior to the '51 squad... there has been an impressive influx of youthful talent in the last three seasons... Bryce, Catlin, Flagg and Webb didn't join the team until 2052... manager Mark Cameron's club won 99 games this season, but they must face the current Pro Cup champion in the first round of the playoffs... Arlon may be the forgotten team in the Tycobbian Union with the likes of powerful Midway and Turon as well as the White River Rascals, but their opponents will know they have been in a series... it is highly unlikely the Arlon Champions will just roll over and play dead in the postseason playoffs... Cameron has a very good team.

6. White River Rascals (89-65)
.257 BA (21st)
699 runs (15th)
128 HR (19th)
2.83 ERA (3rd)
.977 FA (very good defense)

Manager Marty Blake has enjoyed a lot of success in his tenure at the helm of the Rascals... after four straight pennants from '48 to '51, his club slipped slightly to third place in '52 (82-72) and in '53 (80-74) came in second, but with a worst record... this year he got his pitching straightened out and White River returned to the top of the TU North standings... this will be the Rascals' ninth postseason appearance... they still don't have a Pro Cup championship, but have been very competitive several times over the years... lost in Pro Cup Finals in '21 to the Sligo Rovers... fell to IPA champ Tuckanarra in TU Finals in '23 and '24... defeated by IPA champ Southport in '27 TU Finals... in '49 and '50 were beaten by IPA champ Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals.

The current batch of Rascals have standout pitching... his top starters are 35-year-old ace Nicky Palmer (21-15/2.39), solid veteran Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) and reliable vet Glen Horton (19-12/3.26)... the other two starters also did well... both youngsters Cody Butler (6-1/2.43) and Ringo Lanier (9-7/2.74) impressed after being put into the starting rotation in the second half... the Rascals are led at the plate by star LF Pudge Tate (.296/26 HR/84 RBI/107 R/23 SB)... dependable 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.281/18 HR/71 RBI/66 R/20 SB)... and youngsters RF Jed Small (.274/17 HR/52 RBI/46 R/4 SB) and 2B Mark Gates (.288/14 HR/63 RBI/53 R/2 SB).

Pro Cup Prediction: White River can compete in the Pro Cup playoffs with the big boys because of its outstanding mound staff... Midway, Turon and Middlefield beware... don't look past them... you could get burned.

7. Taranto Tars (86-68)
.252 BA (30th)
718 runs (9th)
229 HR (1st)
3.61 ERA (10th)
.975 FA (good defense)

The Taranto Tars captured their third Ruthlandian North flag in a row with skipper Marty Blake again in charge, but it was not as great as last year when they racked up 101 wins and reached the Pro Cup Finals before losing out to champion Midway... the Tars' overall IPA history shows 7 pennants and one Pro Cup (2015)... this year manager Augie Marshall saw his pitching and batting diminish... that's why they just barely won the pennant... but Taranto can still hammer the longball and topped the IPA with 229 homers... and the Tars have good pitching with Armani Pizziconi (21-13/3.10), Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) and Freddy De Angelis (19-15/4.11)... RF Lenny Buisson (.296/40 HR), LF Kuma Toyota (.306/34 HR), C Niccolo Parisi (.241/28 HR), CF Renzo Caruso (.279/27 HR) and SS Dan Armistead (.246/22 HR) lead the offensive attack.

Pro Cup Prediction: Taranto made the Pro Cup Finals last year and lost to IPA champion Midway in a four-game sweep... not likely to get that far this season... the Middlefield Roosters may be too tough for the Tars this year... not likely the Tars will whip them in the Ruthlandian Finals this season.

8. Valka Blackhawks (82-72)
.263 BA (16th)
670 runs (19th)
107 HR (24th-tied)
3.65 ERA (12th)
.973 FA (average defense)

The long, long wait is over... after 38 long, long seasons the Valka Blackhawks have finally captured another Ruthlandian South pennant... the Blackhawks will be in the Pro Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017... the Blackhawks rose up from fifth place (75-79) and 15 games behind in '53 to win the division flag... manager Arno Vainmaa has just a so-so ballclub and not very likely to make any waves in the postseason playoffs... this is only the fifth appearance in the Pro Cup playoffs... Valka has never contended for a Pro Cup trophy... never even reached the IPA Finals... anchoring the pitching staff are Eerik Jogi (18-16/3.27), Adrian Stanhouse (19-10/3.29) and Arvi Tamm (14-18/3.65)... this year 34-year-old closer Ricky Cockburn (4-3/2.47/14 saves/35 G) had his best season... All-Star RF Mel Shadwell (.323/17 HR/86 RBI?85 R/17 SB) is Valka's most productive hitter, helped out by CF Marcos Arredondo (.252/11 HR/55 RBI/102 R/45 SB), 2B Olev Tarvas (.289/11 HR/51 RBI/82 R) and 3B Corey Belk (.289/9 HR/65 RBI/66 R/8 SB).

Pro Cup Prediction: things are looking up in Valka... but in the Pro Cup playoffs, look for the Blackhawks to bite the dust early... Vainmaa just doesn't have enough hosses.

Eugene Church · 08-20-2017, 10:16 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 24, 2054

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1

MIDDLEFIELD MAULS WMACS IN OPENER
All across the Islands, baseball is aglow everywhere... Pro Cup fever is rampant, especially in the eight playoff cities... Middlefield, one of the favorites to win the coveted Pro Cup trophy, got started on the right food and walloped Wynnamac 9-3 in the opening game of the Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series played at Middlefield Park... the hometown Roosters routed the Sundowners with a 13-hit attack and solid pitching by 34-year-old veteran star right-hander and 24-game winner, James Long... SS Stan Radzikowski led the way with three RBIs... and 2B Gil McCormick, RF Skylar Hanson and CF Johnny Wyatt added in two ribbies each... hurling a complete game, Long (1-0) checked Wynnamac on nine hits, whiffed six and walked nobody... 17-game winner Sammy Hayes (0-1) suffered the loss... he gave up five runs and five hits in just two innings... three of the scores were not earned.

TARS FEATHER BLACKHAWKS IN GAME 1
Three homers and fine pitching paced Taranto to a 6-2 victory over Valka in game one of the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... LF Kuma Toyota slammed two out of the Palazzo di Sport and drove in four scores... CF Renzo Caruso chimed in with a two-run salvo... on the hill southpaw Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) took charge, tossing a complete
game, allowing only six hits with three walks and four Ks... Blackhawk starter Eerik Jogi (18-16/3.27) was ripped for six runs in six-plus innings.

Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1

WOLVES WIN 11-INNING THRILLER
As predicted Midway and Arlon were expected to battle tooth-and-nail and that's exactly what happened in the opening game of the Tycobbian Division Championship Series... it was a classic extra-inning thriller with the reigning King of the Hill in Islandian baseball, the defending Pro Cup champion Wolves edging the Arlon Champions 2-1... a two-base throwing error by third baseman Eduardo Garaza (.945 FA) put the go-ahead run on second base... and SS Kax Clark blooped a game-winning single to right, driving in pinchhitter Kalian Bishop... starters Ty Coffee and Arnie McGill fired scoreless ball for the first seven frames... in the eighth Arlon C Riley Earnshaw sent one soaring out of Joe Wolf Stadium for a 1-0 lead, but Midway got another gift run to tie the score... Garaza committed an error putting Kax Clark on second base,.. he advanced to third on a groundout with one away and scampered in on a sacrifice fly by rookie 1B Ted Merritt... McGill (25-7/2.20) was brilliant, shutting out the Champions for seven innings on six hits... closer Jeffrey Leonard (5-4/1.89/20 saves/45 G) got the victory, tossing four fine frames, touched only by Earnshaw's roundtripper.. Coffee (27-9/2.72) stood out as well, working into the eighth and permitting only one unearned runs on six hits... reliever Mack Blair (6-2/2.92/20 saves/48 G) was the losing pitcher.

TYPHOONS BLOW OUT RASCALS IN 1ST GAME
At Typhoon Stadium in Turon, the favored Typhoons blew out White River 10-5 in the first game of the Tycobbian DCS, taking full advantage of 10 bases on balls issued by the Rascal staff... Turon was sparked by SS Bill Wolverton with three hits and three RBIs... RF Darrell Faust and 3B Joel Guidry also chimed in with a pair of RBIs... a seven-run third pretty much did the Rascals in... 24-game winner Yancey Hedges logged the win, working into the eighth frame, but he was tagged for 11 hits and five runs... closer Bobby Reimer 95-4/3.49/14 saves/34 G) got the final four outs... White River ace Nicky Palmer and 21-game winner took the loss, shelled for seven runs in less than two innings of work.

Eugene Church · 08-22-2017, 12:17 AM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 25, 2054

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 2

WMACS EVEN ROOSTERS SERIES IN SHOOTOUT
Wynnamac upended favored Middlefield in game two of the RU Division Championship Series 9-6 in a shootout at Middlefleld Park... the clubs have now split the first two games... in a lackluster outing Simon Northcott (18-9/3.47) got the win, but was hit hard by the Roosters for six runs and 10 hits in seven innings... the Sundowners' offensive leaders were SS Whiz Ivie (.556), CF Dickie Key (.222) and C Jethro Bibbs (.444), all with two RBIs apiece... Key's was a two-run homer... Middlefield had many chances to get back into the fray, but stranded 13 baserunners... RF Skylar Hanson (.778) got five of the Roosters' 13 hits... losing pitcher Hollis Dale (21-10/3.97) was creamed for seven runs in just four innings.

PIZZICONI FIRES 1-HITTER, TARS UP 2-0
Taranto right-hander Armani Pizzaconi (21-13/3.10) fired a brillant one-hit shutout to send his Tars up 2-0 in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian DCS... at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto, Pizziconi blanked the Valka Blackhawks 4-0, winding up with three strikeouts and just one walk... heading up the Tars' attack was 1B Rico Messina (.500) with a two-run triple and RF Lenny Buission (.571) with a solo home run... Adrian Stenhouse (19-10/3.29) lost it, yielding three runs in seven innings.

Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 2

TURON GOES 2 UP ON RASCALS
The Turon Typhoons trounced the White River Rascals 12-1 to win their second in a row in the Tycobbian Division Championship Series... Nate Scottsdale (24-9/2.87) was in command all the way, stopping the Rascals on just four hits, while striking out nine batters and giving up three bases on balls... Turon RF Darrell Faust (.571) had a field day with two roundtrippers and three RBIs... 2B Galen Clive (.444) also belted a home run and batted across four runs in the rout... White River starter Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) wasn't up to par... the Typhoons punished him for eight runs in only four frames.

MIDWAY NIPS ARLON AGAIN
Great pitching and clutch hitting prevailed again for the second straight day at Joe Wolf Stadium in Midway, where the current Pro Cup holders nipped tough Arlon 3-1... Midway had to overcome some fine pitching by Arlon starter J. C. Hilburn (17-13/2.98)... he shackled them 1-0 for the first seven innings, but the Wolves pounced on him for three scores in the bottom of the eighth... singles by SS Kax Clark (.500), RF Daryl Vale (.125) and LF Norishige Ito (.429) loaded the bases for Midway... Arlon sent in its closer Matt Blair, but he couldn't put out the fire... 1B Ted Merritt (.000) knotted it up with a deep sac fly, 3B Jamey Southwick (.500) put Midway in front 2-1 with a double and 2B Tom Goodnight (.429) completed the scoring with an RBI single... the victory went to Doogie Higgins (11-4/2.58), who tossed two runless innings in the eighth and ninth... Yank Atchley (17-10/2.97) started for the Wolves and was impressive, holding the Champs to just one run and six hits over the first seven frames... Midway had the edge in hits 12 to 8... Clark had three of them... with Ito, Southwick and C Ralph Worsley (.333) getting two each... 2B Art Catlin (.250) got Arlon's only run with a solo shot in the sixth.

Eugene Church · 08-23-2017, 06:48 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 26, 2054

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 3

BIBBS BLAST GETS MACS BACK
Underdog Wynnamac had all kinds of chances to put up runs on Middlefield for 12 innings, but they just couldn't get a key hit until the last of the 13th, when C Jethro Bibbs (.357) went yard to rally past the powerful Roosters 5-3... it was the Macs second straight victory over the favored Roosters and they now have a two games to one lead in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... Bibbs' three-run blast overcame SS Stan Radzikowski's (.500) go-ahead homer in the top of the final frame, which gave Middlefield a short-lived 3-2 lead... in game three the Macs thrived on pitching and defense... they pulled off four double plays and got fine work out of the bullpen... Middlefield was held to just six hits by four Sundowner hurlers... James Duncan (21-7/3.22) started, but was wild with eight walks in six innings, but he only allowed two runs... two relievers, George Medworth (11-7/3.75/11 saves/39 G) and Dion Delgiorno (11-10/3.16/5 saves/39 G), blanked the Roosters for the next five frames... then winning pitcher Duncan Heathershaw (1-0/2.25/2 G) finished up, but he did give up another Radzikowski four-bagger in two innings of work... Bibbs sparked Wynnamac with four RBIs and Radzikowski drove in three runs for the Roosters with his two home runs.

B'HAWKS TOP TARS IN 3RD GAME
The Valka Blackhawks got back into the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series with a good performance by Arvi Tamm (14-18/3.65) at Cybertel Park... he worked the first eight frames and notched the win, holding Taranto to four runs and seven hits, while walking no one and fanning six... Ricky Cockburn came on in the ninth and closed it out with a scoreless inning... the best-of-seven series now stands at 2-1 in favor of Taranto... all of the Tars runs came on four-baggers... CF Renzo Caruso (.167/3 RBI), 1B Rico Messina (400/3 RBI) and RF Lenny Buisson (.500/3 RBI) all went deep... topping the Blackhawks were 3B Corey Belk with a double, homer and three RBIs and LF Marek Matlik (.167) with two runs and two ribbles... Taranto had the advantage in hits 8-6, but Valka chalked up the victory... the defeat went to 35-year-old Mario Martinelli (5-2/4.02)... he was tagged for six runs in six innings.

Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 3

TURON NEARS SWEEP, RASCALS DOWN 3-0
Powerhouse Turon is showing its muscles on the road at White River Stadium... SS Bill Wolverton (.571/8 RBI) walloped three homers and drove in five runs as the Typhoons rung up their third win in a row over White River... one more Turon victory and the Rascals' season is done... 24-year-old rookie Spunky Kinchlow (10-5/3.18) twirled an impressive complete game, stopping the Rascals on just one run and five hits... Kinchlow whiffed six batters and issued three walks... his shutout was spolied by CF Elton Belifort's (.231/1 RBI) solo home run... Rascal starter Glen Horton (19-12/3.26) suffered the loss, shelled for five runs in five innings.

ARLON HANGS TOUGH WITH MIDWAY, WINS 3RD GAME
After a third straight low-scoring game, underdog Arlon is hanging tough with Pro Cup favorite Midway with a tense 2-1 triumph over the reigning IPA champion at beautiful Derby Downs in Arlon... Erik Branham (17-9/3.30) stiffed the Wolves on one run and six hits, working into the ninth... after a lead-off single exited Branham, reliever Clyde Burney stepped to the mound and retired all three batters he faced and cut Midway's margin in the best-of-seven series to two games to one... C Landon Moore (.429/2 RBI) provided the victory with a two-run bomb in the last of the sixth... the Wolves narrowed it to one run in the top of the eighth on a double by RF Daryl Vale (.250), a groundout got him to third and 1B Tiim Merritt's (.000/3 RBI) deep fly to left got him in... Midway got fine pitching, too, from Will Deberry (21-11/3.49) and his relief Rocket Rhodes (7-1/2.07/8 saves/56 G)... Deberry suffered the defeat, but only permitted two runs in his six innings... Rhodes fired two shutout innings... Arlon had nine hits to six for the Wolves.

Eugene Church · 08-26-2017, 12:44 AM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 27, 2054

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 4

SUNDOWNERS UP ON ROOSTERS 3-1
It's not really surprising because Wynnamac is one of teams touted to be Pro Cup quality... still it is a surprise that the Sundowners are now leading the powerful and highly-rated Middlefield Roosters three games to one in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... in the fourth game of the best-of-seven series at Granger Field in Wynnamac, the Macs took a huge step in their quest for the much-revered Pro Cup trophy by nipping Middlefield 3-2 in 10 inniings... with one away in the last of the 10th and the bases loaded SS Whiz Ivie (.400/4 RBI) flied out deep and scored C Jethro Bibbs (.421/7 RBI) from third base with the winning score... both Ivie and Bibbs had homered earlier in the contest... both clubs left a lot of runners on base... the Sundowners stranded 12 baserunners and the Roosters left 14... the Macs had a 14-11 edge in hits... Garan Parula (1-0/2.70) logged the victory in two innings of relief... he retired all six batters he faced... Norman Coventry (0-1/0.00) was pinned with the loss... the winning run was unearned... the Sundowners will try and wrap up the series tomorrow at home... Middlefield has eliminated Wynnamac in the first round of the postseason playoffs the last two years.

JOGI SINKS TARS, B'HAWKS TIE SERIES 2-2
Lightly-regarded Valka got a splendid game from their top pitcher Eerik Jogi in the fourth game of the series at Cybertel Park in Valka... the underdog Blackhawks sneaked by much-favored Taranto 1-0 to even the Ruthlandian DCS at two games apiece... Jogi (1-1/3.45) outpitched the Tars' ace Phil Castle (1-1/1.59), blanking them on seven hits with four Ks and four bases on balls... Castle was quite stingy, too, limiting Valka to just three hits... the only run in the game came in the bottom of the second frame when SS Dai Morakawa (.071/1 RBI) bounced into a fielder's choice at second base with the bases loaded... the Tars failed to turn the double play... game five will be also be in Valka.

Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 4

RASCALS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION IN GAME 4
Rascal rookie right-hander Ringo Lanier came up with a big win yesterday afternoon at White River Stadium... the 24-year-old Lanier tamed tough Turon 5-3 in game four to stave off elimination in the Tycobbian DCS... the Rascals survived to battle another day, but they still face an uphill fight... White River trails the highly-rated Typhoons three games to one... Lanier yielded only four hits and three runs in his eight innings... closer Ronald Doss (7-6/2.34/12 saves/33 G) cinched the game by getting the final three outs in the ninth... 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.412/5 RBI) and SS Joey Rutigliano (.231/2 RBI) both supplied two-run homers to the Rascal attack... Yarbrough batted in three runs... 2B Gaylen Clive (.313/6 RBI) tripled in two scores for the Typhoons and SS Bill Wolverton (.500/9 RBI) added his fourth roundtripper of the playoffs, but to no avail... starter and loser Jose Beltran (19-8/3.22) was socked for five runs and seven hits in just six innings of work... it's a best-of-seven affair with the fifth game slated for White River Stadium.

WOLVES HOLD OFF CHAMPS, UP 3-1
For the fourth game in a row, it was another hotly-contested battle between the current Pro Cup champ Midway and upstart Arlon... the Wolves pulled out a 5-3 thriller, but they needed a super catch by CF Ernesto Diaz deep in cener field with the bases full... Diaz saved the day with a one-handed catch... Midway snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth frame on 1B Tim Merritt's (.077) solo salvo and then added two more scores in the seventh on Diaz's (.133/1 RBI) two-bagger and an RBI base hit by SS Kax Clark (.500/2 RBI)... Arlon threatened to get back into the game by twice loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but closer Jeff Leonard (5-4/1.89/20 saves/45 G) cut the rally short by getting the final two outs... the last one was the toughest... Diaz had to run the third out down in deep center... Pro Cup favorite Midway will try to finish off Arlon tomorrow afternoon in game five on the road at Derby Downs.

Eugene Church · 08-29-2017, 12:25 AM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 28, 2054

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 5

ROOSTERS RALLY LATE, STAY ALIVE IN 5
Middlefield was in dire straits after six innings in game five of the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series on the road at Granger Field in Wynnamac... they were down 3-1 in the series and they were down 3-1 in the game with Simon Northcott cruising along in control, but the Roosters snapped out of their slumber and tied the score 3-3 in the seventh on a clutch two-run double by 2B Rupert Forbest (.273/3 RBI)... then they really went to town in the next frame, tallying three runs off losing hurler Dion Delgiorno (0-1/5.40)... LF Trip Agarn (.227/2 RBI) put the go-ahead run on the scoreboard with a sac fly and 3B Kenny Jenkins (.308/4 RBI) delivered the coup de grace, a two-run homer... however, the Sundowners didn't give up... they loaded the bases in the ninth with only one out, but Ricky Farris doled out a double-play ball to end the game... Middlefield pulled it out 6-4 and remained alive in the best-of-seven series, but the are still down three games to two to Wynnamac... the Sundowners pretty much dominated the game with 14 hits to just seven for the Roosters, but they left 12 runners on base... starter Hollis Dale (1-1/7.59) got credit for the win, despite giving up 11 hits and four runs in seven innings... the teams will now head back to Middlefield for the rest of the series.

VALKA AHEAD OF TARS AFTER 5
Not many people gave much respect to the Valka Blackhawks in the Pro Cup playoffs... they would soon be one and done in the postseason... but that's not how it is playing out thus far... the Blackhawks just won their third in a row from Taranto and they now have a three games to two edge in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian DCS... Valka polished off the Tars 6-3 in game five with solid pitching... Adrian Stenhouse (1-1/3.95) wasn't great but he was adequate... he tossed six and two-thirds innings, leaving with a 4-3 edge... Blackhawk closer Ricky Cockburn followed him and sealed the verdict with two and one-third innings of scoreless ball... Armani Pizziconi (1-1/1.80) caught the loss, allowing four runs in his six frames... Taranto totaled 10 hits to seven for Valka... six different Blackhawks drove in runs with 3B Corey Belk (.500/4 RBI) leading the attack with three hits... and RF Mel Shadwell (.200) homered for Valka... Taranto's 2B Rico Messina (.412), CF Renzo (.182) and LF Kuma Toyota (.350) collected two hits each... underdog Valka will have to win the series on the road at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto... the feisty Blackhawks need one win there... the Tars have to take both contests to survive and advance to the Ruthlandian title series.

Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 5

TURON TOPS RASCALS IN 5 GAMES
In the Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series Turon topped White River much easier than expected... the Typhoons trounced the Rascals 7-1 and won the series in just five games... White River's noted mound staff just didn't get the job done... but the Turon twirlers did... in a route-going performance Yancey Hedges (2-0/2.70) won for the second time, stopping the Rascals on just seven hits, struck out eight batters and walked just one... the Typhoons were sparked at the plate by 1B Shoyo Yuro (.533/4 RBI) with three hits, three runs and two RBIs... Yuro hit a two-run roundtripper in the seventh and put the game out of reach... 21-game winner Nicky Palmer (0-2) floundered for the second time in the series as Turon torched him for six runs in six-plus innings... Turon was the third choice to win the Pro Cup this year, White River was selected sixth in the Pro Cup poll... the powerful Typhoons now head to the Tycobbian title series against the victor of the Midway-Arlon series.

Turon skipper C. C. Kingsford was elated with his club's first-round performance... "We not only pitched well, but we did a great job at the plate against one of the better pitching corps in the IPA... even in a seven-game series I never expected to score 38 runs... and we scored that much in five games."

Marty Blake, the White River manager, said his club's only chance was its fine pitching staff... "Turon tore us up... on the mound and at the plate... totally beating us in four of the games... they never gave us a chance.".

Turon outscored White River 38-13 in the series, outhitting the Rascals .269 to .213, outhomering them 9 to 5 and outpitching them with a 2.45 ERA to 5.65.

MIDWAY KO'S ARLON IN 5-GAME SERIES
In the fifth and deciding game of a best-of-seven affair, the mighty Midway Wolves, the current reigning king of the IPA and favorite to win back-to-back Pro Cups, had to pull out all stops to get by the plucky Arlon Champs 9-8 in a high-scoring scorcher... Midway KO'ed Arlon in five games to advance to the Tycobbian Union Championship Series, but each and every one of them was a fight to the finish... in the elimination game Arlon went down swinging and almost came away the victor, scoring three runs in the last of the ninth... they had the tying and winning runs on base with only one away when closer Jeff Leonard finally put away the Champions for the season, retiring two of Arlon top sluggers, LF P. J. Flagg and CF Rebel Bryce... after four low-scoring affairs Midway finally broke loose and put some runs on the scoreboard, walloping 18 hits with SS Kax Clark (.500/4 RBI), 1B Tim Merritt (.111/7 RBI), CF Ernesto Diaz (.211/3 RBI) and pitcher Yank Atchley (.750/2 RBI) batting in a pair of runs apiece... Arlon piled up 11 hits, led by SS Campy Campanella (.200/3 RBI) with a three-run homer and 1B Darlon Danford (.333/3 RBI) with a three-run double... each and every game was a tense duel with four of the five games decided by a single run... the fifth was a two-run decision... Midway won four games to one, but they certainly knew that they were in a series... Arlon gave them quite a tussle.

Victorious manager Bobby Dorignac sighed a breath of relief to reporters after the game... "Whew!... I'm glad it's over... I can't remember a tougher playoff series... Arlon pushed us to the limit and then some... they are a whale of a ballclub."

Mark Cameron, the Arlon skipper, echoed those same sentiments to the press, "We lost four close games to an extremely talented team... but not by much... a few hits, here and there, and we could be headed to the next round... of course, I'm disappointed we didn't win, but I am extremely proud of my Champions... all you can give is your all... and they did."

Eugene Church · 09-01-2017, 06:49 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 29, 2054

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 6

MACS SMACK ROOSTERS, ADVANCE TO TU FINALS
For the previous two years the Wynnamac Sundowners couldn't get past the powerful Middlefield Roosters in the first round of the Pro Cup playoffs... the third time around the Macs upset the Roosters in six games, taking the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series 4 games to 2 to advance to the RU Finals against the Taranto-Valka victor... Wynnamac smacked Middlefield 4-1 on the road in game six at Middlefield Park, riding the solid pitching of James Duncan, Duncan Heathershaw and George Medworth... Duncan (1-0/2.25) logged the win, tossing six impressive innings, stopping the Roosters on four hits and one run... Heathershaw followed him with two scoreless frames and Medworth got the save with a runless ninth... Middlefield got a good start from loser Scott Cole (0-1/2.08), who worked seven innings, yielding just two runs and four hits... C Jethro Bibbs (.379/8 RBI) put the Sundowners ahead with a solo homer in the second inning...and Rooster LF Trip Agarn (.240/3 RBI) matched it in fourth frame... two critical errors in the seventh gave the Macs the decisive run... Trip Agarn (.989 FA) muffed a flyball in left field and Bubby Cranston (.983 FA) dropped a throw at first base, allowing the go-ahead run.

Middlefield was favored in the series... the Roosters were ranked second in the Pro Cup poll, expected to battle top-rated Midway for the IPA crown... but fourth-ranked Wynnamac had other ideas this year... according to manager Jerry Meeks, "We had better hitting this year... that was the key element... we outhomered Middlefield, outscored them and we outpitched them."

The Sundowners hit .290 in the six games with seven homers and 28 runs... on the mound the Macs posted a 3.25 ERA... while the Roosters only batted .249 with five homers and 27 runs... the Middlefield mound staff had a 3.59 ERA.

Middlefield manager told the press at the conclusion of the series, "Wynnamac always has good pitching... we got to them in the first two games, but only got a split... after that we just didn't hit well and they beat us, banging us around pretty good."

TARS FORCE 7TH GAME WITH BLACKHAWKS
Heavily-favored Taranto did what they do best to remain alive in the RU Division Championship Series... they hit three homers and got solid performances on the hill and came away with a 6-3 triumph over the underdog Valka Blackhawks to force a seventh and deciding game... the two clubs have split the first six games of the best-of-seven affair... CF Renzo Caruso (.231/6 RBI) homered twice and batted in three runs to pace the Tars... it was Caruso's fourth roundtripper in the series... RF Lenny Buisson (.458/4 RBI) also went deep, his third of the postseason... Freddy De Angelis (1-0/2.25) came through with a fine effort, holding Valka to two runs and five hits in six innings... De Angelis struck out three Blackhawks and walked one... closer Louie Toscano (0-0/1.00) wrapped up the game, stopping Valka on one run over the last three frames... LF Marek Matlik (.54/4 RBI) homered and drove in two runs for the Blackhawks... Arvi Tamm (1-1/5.40) was the losing hurler, going seven innings and allowing five runs on six hits... he fanned eight Tars and walked just one.

The series finale will also be played at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto, scheduled for this afternoon... it will be aces high for both clubs... Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) will get the call for the Tars, while it will be Eerik Jogi (18-16/3.45) for the Blackhawks... they are both 1-1 in the postseason... Castle prevailed 6-2 in game one, but Jogi hurled a 1-0 shutout in the game four rematch.

Eugene Church · 09-05-2017, 10:51 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 30, 2054

TARS RALLY PAST B'HAWKS IN 7TH GAME
Favored Taranto had a tough time with lightly-regarded Valka... the Tars won the first two games, lost the next three and then escaped postseason elimination by rallying to take the final two games of the series on their homefield at the Palazzo di Sport... Taranto prevailed four games to three... game seven was an intense duel and went to Taranto 5-4, decided in the last of the seventh on a solo home run by 3B Gaetano Palombo (.241/4 RBI)... Palombo led the Tars with three RBIs... RF Lenny Buisson (.500/5 RBI) also went deep for Taranto... it was his fourth clout of the series... manager Augie Marshall got a gritty performance from his ace, Phil Castle, who gave up four runs in the second frame and then blanked the Blackhawks the rest of the way... Castle (2-1/2.42) was touched for six hits, fanned seven and walked two and went the distance, outpitching Valka's ace Eerik Jogi (1-2/3.42)... Jogi also tossed a complete game... the Tars collected nine hits... only three runs were earned.

Neither team was expected to challenge for the IPA Pro Cup trophy... Taranto was ranked seventh in the Pro Cup poll, while Valka was the eighth and last choice... Taranto now advances to the Ruthlandian League Championship Series, opposed by the Wynnamac Sundowners. the conquerors of mighty Middlefield... the Macs were slight underdogs in the RU Division Series... they were the fourth pick in the postseason poll, the Roosters were the second selection... last year's Pro Cup champion Midway is rated number one with Turon ranked number three... they will go up against one another in the Tycobbian title series.

Taranto reached the Pro Cup Finals last year, losing to champ Midway in a four-game sweep... the Tars used the home-run ball to get by the feisty Blackhawks... Taranto belted 11 out of the park in the series, outscored Valka 28-22, but hit only .238... Marshall praised his pitching staff, who composed a fine 2.70 ERA, holding the Blackhawks to just a .176 BA in the seven games... Marshall gave a lot of credit to starters Phil Castle (2-1/2.42), Armani Pizziconi (1-1/1.80) and Freddy DeAngelis (1-0/2.25) for keeping Valka off the scoreboard... but he also complimented his fine trio of hitters, Lenny Buisson (.500/4 HR/5 RBI), Kuma Toyota (.357/2 HR/9 RBI) and Renzo Caruso (.200/4 HR/6 RBI).

Valka skipper Arno Vainmaa was proud of the way his team performed... "The Tars know they were in a series... we scrapped and scrapped and almost pulled an upset... Augie has a talented team with good pitching and good firepower... we wish him and his Tars well in the playoffs."

Eugene Church · 09-08-2017, 07:40 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 2, 2054

3 TOP TEAMS SURVIVE FIRST ROUND
Three of the top four picks to win the IPA Pro Cup advanced to the second round of action in postseason play... last year's winner Midway (107-47), third-ranked Turon (104-50) and fourth-rated Wynnamac (94-60) all survived... only the second choice, the powerful Middlefield Roosters (104-50), failed to make the cut, falling to the tough and talented Wynnamac Sundowners in six games... lightly regarded and seventh-ranked Taranto (86-68) is the fourth challenger.

It will be the Taranto Tars tangling with the Sundowners in Wynnamac in the Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series and the reigning IPA champion Midway Wolves hosting the dangerous Turon Typhoons in the Tycobbian Union LCS... second round action gets started tomorrow afternoon... each series will be a best-of-seven... homefield advantage goes to the club with the best season mark... Wynnamac and Midway get games one and two and if needed, games six and seven.

In the Ruthlandian Union series Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) will start for Taranto and Sammy Hayes (17-12/2.74) will get the call for Wynnamac... Castle is 2-1 in the playoffs with a 2.42 ERA, while Hayes was 0-1 in two starts with a 3.38 ERA... two 20-game winners will go to the hill in the Tycobbian Union... Midway will start Arnie McGill (25-7/2.20) and Turon will go with Yancey Hedges (24-10/2.56)... in the first round McGill was 1-0 in two starts with a 1.76 ERA... Hedges went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA.

Ruthlandian Union

Wynnamac Team Stats:
(94-60)
.283 BA
138 HR
821 runs
3.32 ERA
.977 FA

Taranto Team Stats:
(86-68)
.252 BA
229 HR
718 runs
3.61 ERA
.975 FA

Even though Taranto was a Pro Cup finalist last year, falling to Midway in a four-game sweep, they are underdogs to Wynnamac this season... the Macs were very impressive in disposing of mighty Middlefield... the Sundowners always have solid pitching, but this year Wynnamac has improved hitting, too... that's the difference.

Outlook: Wynnamac in six games... Taranto has good pitching, but lacks offense... the Sundowners have both... the Tars only hope is the home-run ball... they led the IPA with 229 roundtrippers... most of the time, it's a home run or nothing for Taranto... that's how the Tars topped Valka in the first round... but they hit a poor .238 against a so-so Blackhawk staff... 11 homers sparked them... Wynnamac has a much better pitching staff... the Sundowners are a tad better defensively with a .977 FA to .975 for the Tars.

Tycobbian Union

Get ready for some serious baseball in the Tycobbian title series... Midway won an electrifying, record-tying 107 games this season and Turon totaled a terrific 104 triumphs... it's a matchup made in Heaven... the Wolves had a tough time with the underrated and number-five pick Arlon Champions... Midway won four of the five games, but it wasn't easy... each game was a close and hotly-contested encounter with outstanding pitching... Turon raced past the White River Rascals in five games, routing them handily in the four victories.

Midway Team Stats:
(107-47)
.270 BA
177 HR
769 runs
2.69 ERA
.978 FA

Turon Team Stats:
(104-50)
.281 BA
151 HR
838 runs
3.24 ERA
.971 FA

Outlook: Midway has magnificent pitching, fine defense and a good offense, but they are playing a talented team in Turon... it should be a whale of a series... and go to the full seven games... to win back-to-back Pro Cup trophies, the Wolves will have to go through Turon and probably Wynnamac... neither of which is an easy task... but it looks like Midway will do it... they will edge the Typhoons in a tense seven games and whip Wynnamac in six for their second straight IPA Pro Cup crown.

Eugene Church · 09-09-2017, 07:44 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 3, 2054

Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 1

HAYES HALTS TARS, MACS TAKE OPENER
The Ruthlandian LCS opener at Granger Field in Wynnamac was a splendid duel between the Macs' Sammy Hayes and the Tars' Phil Castle... Hayes (1-1/1.59) fired a 2-0 shutout and gave the Sundowners a leg up in the RU title series... the 34-year-old portsider held Taranto to just five hits, while striking out six Tars and walking only one... Castle (2-2/2.53) was sharp, too, giving up only two runs in his six innings... the Taranto bats never had a chance against Hayes... Wynnamac got its first run in the second frame on a sacrifice fly by 3B Todd Bretton (.222//1 RBI) and the last one in the fourth on an RBI single by 2B Jonathan Garrett (.600/1 RBI).

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 1

MIDWAY'S MCGILL QUIETS TURON IN GAME 1
In the Tycobbian Union title series at Joe Wolf Stadium in Midway, the hometown Wolves and IPA champion drew first blood in the first game of the best-of-seven affair... 25-game winner Arnie McGill (2-0/1.64) was erratic, but hurled Midway to a 5-1 victory, stopping Turon on one run and five hits over the first six and two-thirds innings... McGill wore himself out on a rain-delayed afternoon, walking six Typhoons... closer Jeffrey Leonard (1-0/1.17/3 saves/4 G) came to his rescue and got the final five outs... 24-game winner Yancey Hedges (2-1/3.13) suffered the loss... it just wasn't his day... Midway smacked him for four runs and six hits in his six-plus innings... CF Ernesto Diaz (.261/5 RBI) homered and doubled to drive in two runs for the Wolves... 3B Jamey Southwick (.429/3 RBI) also swatted one out of the park... leading Turon was CF Max Mullinax (.217) with three hits: a double, triple and homer... Midway captured the Islands' Pro Cup trophy last season, topping the Taranto Tars in a four-game sweep... the Wolves are favored to take the IPA title again.

07-14-2017, 08:11 PM	#5521
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, September 21, 2054 SUPER ROOSTERS COP 6TH STRAIGHT PENNANT It was another monster season for the mighty Middlefield Roosters (104-50)... they copped the Ruthlandian West Division for the sixth straight season and eighth time in the last decade... the Roosters ruled the roost the entire season, leading by 13 games at midyear... at season's end the Sligo Rovers (93-61) ran second to them, cutting the margin to 11 games... third place went to the Rocky Rapids Snappers (78-76), 26 GB... finishing in the fourth spot was the Stoner Stars (76-78), 29 games behind. 1. MIDDLEFIELD ROOSTERS (104-50)... Middlefield has had super seasons the last three years, winning 106, 99 and 104 games... 18 times the Roosters have made the playoffs... twice they came home with the Pro Cup trophies... Middlefield whipped the East Point Panthers in 2052 and the Denton City Redbirds in 2005... now they have high hopes that they will add to their totals this year and bring home a third IPA crown... the Roosters also made the Pro Cup Finals in 2025 and 2047, but lost out to the South Fork Stallions and the Southport Sun Sox. Long-time skipper Ricky Tinker is still at the helm... Middlefield has a lot going for it, including four All-Stars... this season they hit .279 (5th), cracked 189 home runs (2nd) and led the IPA with 933 runs (1st)... and on the hill they are better-than-average with a 3.75 ERA (15th), which is very good for playing in a high-octane enviroment like cozy Middlefield Park with its short fences. The Roosters possess a high-powered arsenal with All-Star CF Johnny Wyatt (.277/41 HR/131 RBI/108 R/10 SB), RF Trip Agarn (.322/36 HR/116 RBI/94 R/11 SB), All-Star SS Stan Radzikowski (.289/29 HR/100 RBI/116 R/10 SB) and RF Skyler Hanson (.318/3 HR/65 RBI/114 R/11 SB)... Middlefield has a good mound staff, too, anchored by 34-year-old All-Star James Long (24-5/2.36), 40-year-old All-Star Hollis Dale (21-10/3.97) and 33-year-old Scott Cole (12-9/3.36)... the bullpen is well-takened care of with the likes of 33-year-old Norm Coventry (9-5/2.44/16 saves/60 G) and 33-year-old Yazzy Yastrzewski (6-0/1.66/9 saves/45 G). Outlook: Middlefield is a very potent ball club and will probably be one of the favorites for the Pro Cup trophy this year... however, it is an aging pitching corps and might not be around too many more seasons... Tinker needs to be refreshing his hurlers... a lot of them are over 33 and probably headed for decline and eventually retirement. 2. Sligo Rovers (93-61) (11 GB)... manager Les Patterson and his Rovers got even better this season over last year, but still were the runner-up team... they were also second to powerful Middlefield in '53 with a 90-64 mark and 9 GB... they know the Ruthlandian West is a tough place to play for the last 14-15 years... the Roosters have dominated it. Sligo's skipper Les Patterson is a Hall-of-Famer, elected in 2034 after an ilustrious career with the Rovers... Patterson starred for 17 years (2017-2033), posting an 306-230 record with a super 2.79 ERA... as you might expect the Rovers have pretty good pitching with him as their mentor and guide... Patterson was a 7-time All-Star and twice won the coveted Ruthlandian Golden Arm Award (2021, 2022)... in '21 he led Sligo to its only Pro Cup trophy, when they defeated the White River in five games... Patterson was the Co-MVP in the Pro Cup Series, going 4-2 with a 2.09 ERA in 6 postseason starts... he was 23-8 in the regular season with a terrific 2.03 ERA and was named the best pitcher in the league. Sligo has appeared in the playoffs on nine occasions... but not recently... it's been almost 15 years since the Rovers won the RU West pennant... 2040 was the most recent... except for the last two seasons, Sligo has been just a fair-to-middling club... they had a losing record in nine of those years... the current batch of Rovers has very strong pitching, headed up by Mickey Walsh (23-11/2.36), Mitch Taylor (20-11/2.41), Judah Carmack (16-8/3.10) and Bruce Belden (17-11/3.45)... they may be as good as a starting foursome as anyone in the IPA... they were first in the Ruthlandian Union with a very fine 2.96 ERA... the bullpen is a good one, too, led by closer Tiger Snodgrass (.5-7/2.79/20 saves/43 G)... the Rover relievers were rated first in the RU with a 2.54 ERA... scoring runs is Sligo's shortcoming... they rank only 22nd in runs scored with 651 runs... nowhere near what you need to whip mighty Middlefield... the offensive club leaders only have modest numbers: CF Merle Bliss (.294/20 HR/76 RBI/95 R/18 SB), SS Clancy Beaufort (.285/17 HR/69 RBI/73 R/4 SB) and C Manuelo Andreu (.266/19 HR/63 RBI/49 R). Outlook: the future is good for manager Les Patterson... his fine mound staff is mostly under 25 with the oldest just 30-years-old... same thing for the position players... the Sligo Rovers are the heir-apparent to the aging Middlefield Roosters... look out if Patterson gets a few good hitters. 3. Rocky Rapids Snappers (78-76) (26 GB)... manager Junior Noland came in a very distant third this year after posting 87-67 in '52 and 84-70 in '53... his wonderful pitching corps has gone into decline... going from 2.66 ERA two seasons ago to 3.04 last year and to 3.41 this year... Noland himself was a solid starter for most of his 11 seasons with the Snappers... he went 169-144 with a 3.46 ERA... Rocky Rapids doesn't have much of an offense... they scored only 631 runs (27th), but did have some long-ball power with 150 homers (8th)... All-Star Clay Callaghan (20-12/2.47) is the Snappers' ace... 38-year-old superstar Jamie Taylor (304-218/2.55) went down in May and was lost in May for the season... that was a huge loss for Noland... 20-game winner in '53, Sammy Sterling dipped to 14-16 with a 3.99 ERA this year... Noland has a strong bullpen with a 2.64 ERA (2nd)... top relievers are Chucky Coxson (4-6/2.96/12 saves/41 G), Yoshi Kojima (5-1/1.57/3 saves/31 G) and Rance Donnelly (2-4/1.49/7 saves/29 G)... the Snappers' best offensive performers were newcomer 1B Deke Lundy (.306/29 HR/62 RBI/59 R), star 3B Marty Featherstone (.261/19 HR/69 RBI/76 R/2 SB), All-Star SS Craig Minton (.289/3 HR/51 RBI/63 R/12 SB) and C Pat Stennett (.268/20 HR/82 RBI/54 R)... Lundy was obtained in a trade with the Sugar Valley Rattlers for three players including pitcher Elvis Bonham (17-15/3.28)... it looks like a good trade for both clubs... the Snappers got some good home-run power and the Rattlers got a solid starter. Rocky Rapids has gone to the postseason only six times in its history... the last division flags came in '46 and '44... the Snappers picked up their only Pro Cup trophy in 2019... in an amazing run they went 12-0 and beat Ozarka in the Finals... Junior Noland (20-12/3.08) was the number two starter on that club... he went 3-0 in the playoffs with a startling 0.67 ERA... that's the only time the Snappers played for the IPA crown. Outlook: Rocky Rapids is not in the class of Middlefield and Sligo yet, but they are a young club that could blossom in the coming seasons... they should be a good bet for third or fourth place the next few years... who knows, in five years they might be right up near the top battling the Roosters and the Rovers for the pennant... but not yet. 4. Stoner Stars (75-79) (29 GB)... the Stars are guided by a former Stoner first sacker Fletch Fowler... he was a steady ballplayer from 2023 to 2037)... Fowler batted .293 lifetime with 219 homers and 1030 RBIs... never an All-Star or award winner... his current team is just a middle-of-the-pack ballclub... fairly good pitching with a 3.86 ERA (13th), but not much offensively with only 642 runs scored (24th)... the Stars wound up under .500 this season... they were fifth two seasons ago with a 75-79 mark and seventh last year with 72-82... it's been 25 years since their last pennant (2029)... only three appearances in the postseason... Stoner made the Pro Cup Finals twice, but lost them both... the Oxford Red Caps topped them in 2007 in five games... and the Rolling Hills Reds got the best of them in a four-game sweep in 2029... Fletch Fowler was the top run producer that year with a .288 BA, 16 homers and 75 RBIs. The current Stoner edition consists of three quality starters: Rip Martin (11-8/2.80), Stan Ulmer (18-14/3.88) and Kade Crow (17-13/3.74)... the Stars' best reliever is Jake Warrick (4-4/3.76/17 saves/32 G)... heading up a mediocre batting order are SS Mac Lord (.398/6 HR/64 RBI/85 R/7 SB), CF Grayson Lancaster (.276/16 HR/66 RBI/69 R) and LF Steve Brunson (.285/16 HR/74 RBI/58 R/6 SB). Outlook: Stoner is just an average ballclub struggling to reach the .500 mark and the first division... it's a young team... only one player is over 30... SS Mac Lord is 33... not expected to challenge the top teams in the RU West anytime soon. 5. Volusia Vigilantes (73-81) (31 GB)... the V's are skippered by Tubby Tarkanian... he was a journeyman catcher for 21 years from 2034 to 2054... he retired as player at midyear this season... Tarkanian was a .262 career batter with 166 homers and 800 RBIs... the Vigilantes have played in the postseason nine times... the last division flag came in '43, over a decade ago... Volusia won the first ever Pro Cup in 2001, sweeping the Ginza Ninjas in four games... the V's also made the Pro Cup Finals in 2006 and fell to the powerful Turon Typhoons in six games. Two seasons ago the club came in a respectable fourth with an 82-72 record, but they slipped to 76-78 and fifth place in '53... this year's batch of Vigilantes are still stuck in the fifth spot in the standings... Volusia has modest pitching with a 3.77 ERA (16th) and bad batting... the V's only hit .254 (28th) with only 624 runs (29th) and 89 homers (30th)... not number to get you very high in the standings... Tarkanian has three reliable starters in Cloyd Queen (15-17/3.25), Casmiro Ramires (15-19/3.46) and Mateus Branco (13-15/3.49)... and Dan Hunt (7-5/2.83/20 saves/57 G) is a dandy in the bullpen... Volusia has very little in the batter's box... sad to say, 3B Teddy Cornelius (.283/12 HR/69 RBI/89 R/4 SB) and RF Rupert Myles (.263/15 HR/57 RBI/71 R/5 SB) are Tarkanian's top hitters. Outlook: The Vigilantes are a young club, but the future doesn't look so good... just not much talent... the V's are destined for more finishes in the second division of the Ruthlandian West. 6. Forest City Firebirds (71-83)... since winning the RU West crown in '49, it's been slow decline... the Firebirds finished sixth this year under manager Rich Barstow, who toiled for 19 seasons in the IPA, 17 of them with the Lumberjacks/Firebirds... twice he won 20 games... his overall record was 260-295 with a fair 3.79 ERA... Forest City only has average scoring and average pitching, but they do hit with some power with 136 homers (11th)... the team batting average is .255 (26th) with 679 runs (18th)... the team ERA is 3.93 (19th)... 20-year-old Mike Fryar (13-8/3.65) is the top pitcher with help from 34-year-old vets Omar Cordero (14-16/4.10) and Rusty Howard (10-19/4.22)... Craig Hurley (16-19/4.11) rounds out the starting rotation... Tim Varnado (4-6/1.98/26 saves/60 G) is a standout in the bullpen... CF Randy Snow (.267/19 HR/77 RBI/82 R/12 SB) is the Firebirds' most productive batter... other contributors are RF Dedrick Crone (.246/30 HR/75 RBI/67 R/6 SB), LF Buddy Bessent (.280/18 HR/59 RBI/60 R), SS Ziggy Regan (.281/6 HR/51 RBI/74 r/7 SB), 2B John Foley (.285/3 HR/45 RBI/68 R/7 SB), 1B Curly Burgess (.274/16 HR/54 RBI/51 R) and C Dan Brownmiller (.240/14 HR/70 RBI/58 R/13 SB). Historically Forest City has made only five playoff appearances and has never won a Pro Cup... three times the Firebirds have been eliminated in the the first round, twice they lost in second-round action... never come close to a Pro Cup trophy. Outlook: Forest City is just a mediocre to so-so team... just might have to get used to being a losing club for a few years or so... Barstow doesn't have a lot of talent overall. 7. Colfax Blasters (70-84) (34 GB)... Mitch Fullerton is in charge of the club... he was a fine catcher with the team for 19 years, hitting .294 with 300 roundtrippers and 1244 RBIs... twice an All-Star ('32, '36)... it's been 12 seasons since the Blasters won the RU West... nine of those years they posted losing records... in '52 they were 64-90 (7th)... in '53 they were 75-79 (6th)... and worst this season... Fullerton has a good offense... the Blasters scored 733 runs (8th), hit .264 (15th) with 137 home runs (10th), but the pitching is atrocious with a lofty 4.49 ERA (31st)... Colfax is led at the plate by RF Stan Kovalenko (.292/13 HR/62 RBI/122 R/25 SB), 1B Nicky Yorke (.301/27 HR/113 RBI/88 R), C Darrell Dillon (.287/18 HR/99 RBI/73 R), 3B Nigel Colvin (.298/12 HR/59 R/82 R) and LF Robb Maddux (.284/15 HR/65 RBI/67 R/6 SB)... rookie pitcher Quince Blakeley (13-4/2.90) came on like gangbusters... he joined the team at midseason and racked a bunch of wins in the second half of the season... not much on the mound after him... Keith Himmel (14-15/4.10) is solid at times and shaky at other times... and Red McCallum (2-4/2.80/14 saves/37) is a pretty good reliever. Outlook: Colfax is doomed to in the depths of the division for the time being... needs some influx of talent. 8. Fort Benton Defenders (62-82) (42 GB)... the club has come in dead last for the last three years... nine times in 13 seasons they have been in the Ruthlandian West Division basement... the Defenders haven't had a winning season in 13 years... might be the worst franchise in IPA history... Fort Benton has only made the playoffs one time... that was in 2037... and they quickly lost in the first round. One of the few standouts in Fort Benton history is manager Augie Marquis, who labored for 21 years with the club from 2025 to 2045... he was 368-300 in his career with a fine 3.22 ERA... won the Golden Arm in 2039 with a 24-12 mark and an impressive 2.28 ERA... five times he won 20 or more games... inspite of his 300 losses Marquis should be in the IPA Hall of Fame... Marquis doesn't have anyone of his caliber on the staff... Zeke Yoder (16-16/3.65) is his best and only reliable starter... Yoder came over in a trade with St. John for talented Golden Glove CF Freddie Woodruff (.317/10 HR/72 RBI/104 R/16 SB)... it was a good deal for both clubs... (Dave Llewellyn (12-13/4.25) shows signs of being a quality starter at times... the Defenders have a pretty good closer in Darius Kimberly (8-8/3.09/17 saves/52 G)... Fort Benton has a few good bats, but nothing overwhelming... Marquis' best hitters are CF Teddy Keyes (.339/3 HR/57 RBI/87 R/47 SB), 2B Murph Eldard (.315/10 HR/83 RBI/70 R/4 SB) and All-Star 3B Eamon Hopper (.303/10 HR/69 RBI/65 R/6 SB). Outlook: pretty dismal for manager Augie Marquis... he's got a much tougher job in rebuilding the Defenders than he did when was on the mound... Fort Benton had some talent in those days... but not now. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-28-2017 at 09:13 PM.

07-28-2017, 12:41 AM	#5522
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, September 21, 2054 TURON TAKES 3RD STRAIGHT TITLE IN TU SOUTH Things are just getting better and better for the Turon Typhoons and skipper C. C. Kingsford... the Typhoons just blew past everybody in the Tycobbian South Division to take their third division crown in a row... for the last three seasons Turon has notched 96 wins, 101 wins and this year recorded 104 victories, tied for the best mark in the Islandian Pro Alliance with the Middlefield Roosters of the Ruthlandian West... don't be surprised if we see these two juggernauts pitted against one another for the Holy Grail of IPA baseball -- the Pro Cup. Turon (104-50) rolled to the title this year in rather easy fashion... the Typhoons led by six games at midseason and expanded it to 12 games by the end of the regular season... San Alejo, Cape Coral and Summerland gave them a little bit of a fight for half a season, but then fell into oblivion... Summerland (92-62) came in second, 12 GB... Southport (82-72) was third, 22 GB and Arroyo Grande (77-77) wound up in fourth place, 27 GB. 1. TURON TYPHOONS (104-50)... in the early years of the IPA, Turon was major factor with four Pro Cup championships... they won in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2018... also made the Finals in '10 and '17... success has come hard since 2020 with only five postseason appearance and no Pro Cup trophies... this will be Turon's 18th Pro Cup playoffs. Manager C. C. Kingsford had a very impressive career with the Typhoons as star infielder from 2034 to 2051... Kingsford hit .308 with 432 homers and 1577 ribbies... his father was Hall of Famer and first sacker Clyde Kingsford (.319 BA/485 HR). Turon has had a fantastic year... first in the Tycobbian Union with a .281 BA, fourth with 838 runs and 12th in homers with 151... on the hill they are excellent with a 3.24 ERA (4th)... Kingsford has a wealth of solid batters with All-Star CF Maxie Mullinax (.331/10 HR/62 RBI/105 R/37 SB), All-Star 3B Joel Guidry (.301/24 HR/102 RBI/97 R/5 SB), All-Star Bill Wolverton (.317/13 HR/74 RBI/67 R/11 SB), 1B Shoyo Yuro (.329/26 HR/97 RBI/79 R/5 SB) and C Doyle Ashcroft (.268/19 HR/79 RBI/61 R)... Turon has a very good starting foursome in All-Star Yancey Hedges (24-10/2.56), Nate Scottsdale (24-9/2.87), Jose Beltran (19-8/3.22) and Spunky Kinchlow (10-5/3.18)... the bullpen is fairly good with Bobby Reimer (5-4/3.49/14 saves/34 G) and Dickie Parmenter (9-7/3.07/6 saves/38 G). Outlook: Turon has a good future, but two of their starters are up in age... Scottsdale is 38 and Beltran is 35... they will soon need replacements... the rest of the club is all under 30... the Typhoons should be a force for years to come... to go deep in the Pro Cup playoffs Turon will have to contend with the reigning Pro Cup champ Midway... also first-round foe White River has standout pitching... while White River has a well-rounded club as well... whoever survives in the Tycobbian Union will be a bonafide ballclub... the Midway Wolves will be the favorite to win it all again this year, but Turon will be in the battle, too. 2. Summerland Sunsets (92-62) (12 GB)... manager Antonio Vasques had a modest first half, but his club came on strong in the second half... Summerland came in second in '53 with an 82-72 mark (19 GB)... this is the fourth straight season of improvement... the Sunsets have the best pitching in the entire IPA with a splendid 2.63 ERA, but they can't hit a lick with a pitiful .249 BA (29th) and only 619 runs (29th)... however they have decent power with 137 home runs (15th-tied)... top to bottom Vasques has a bunch of talented twirlers with starters Tommy Underhill (20-12/2.08), 37-year-old superstar Jayson Hallstrom (18-12/2.77), All-Star Rudy Hilgendorf (20-11/2.83) and Corey Vinson (21-12/2.61)... no dropoff in the bullpen, either, with the likes of Rory Poe (3-5/2.87/18 saves/41 G)... plus, the other four relievers have better ERAs than Poe... Sunset Stadium is a tough place to hit with its distant fences... Summerland only has a few good batsmen... Vasques' most productive hitters are 3B Markus Cruyssen (.305/26 HR/86 RBI/83 R/5 SB) and 1B Kenny Douglas (.255/31 HR/82 RBI/85 R/9 SB)... other contributors are SS Jayson Nickell (.301/17 HR/67 RBI/5 R/9 SB) and LF Kinky Elkerson (.276/11 HR/42 RBI/75 R/11 SB). Outlook: on any given day Summerland can give teams fits with its strong mound staff, but in general, until they can get better run production, it will be tough for them to win a Pro Cup... the Sunsets rarely make the playoffs... only four times in the team's history have they appeared in the postseason... they have never won a Pro Cup... however, they came very, very close in the 2040 Pro Cup Finals, falling in seven games to the Ranford Bulls... '46 was the Sunsets' last division flag... they played well in the postseason and were eliminated by Pro Cup titlist Hartsdale in the first round, four games to two. 3. Southport Sun Sox (82-72) (22 GB)... for three consecutive years manager Lorne Evans has brought his team in a distant third, but prior to that the Sun Sox glistened with seven division flags in nine seasons from '42 to '50... twice Southport captured the super prize, the Pro Cup, in '44 and '47... they also lost to Sugar Valley in the '45 Finals... it was a magnificent run... nowadays Evans has solid pitching with a 3.26 ERA (6th), average offense with 687 runs (17th) and good firepower with 164 roundtrippers (9th)... the fine young Sun Sox staff is anchored by All-Star Zack Phillips (17-10/3.04), Irv Carwell (15-6/3.28), Champ Shafer (14-19/3.03) and Lenny Clarkson (15-18/3.04)... heading up a fine bullpen is Troy Hill (7-7/1.55/20 saves/52 G)... leading Southport at the plate are RF Manuela Garcia (.321/17 HR/69 RBI/90 R/10 SB), 1B Zee Graham (.308/29 HR/94 RBI/69 R) and rookie C Johnny Chisum (.287/20 HR/68 RBI/50 R). Outlook: Southport is probably destined for a 3rd or 4th place finish with the present roster... they need a couple of hitters and a dominant pitcher to get up with the division powers Turon and Summerland. 4. Arroyo Grande Suns (77-77) (27 GB)... new skipper Eduardo Villanueva came on board this season and for the first time in a decade the Suns had a winning record... last season they were 65-89 and finished eighth... three of the last four years they were cellar-dwellers... for only the second time in 20 years did they make the first division in the TU South... the Suns have made the IPA playoffs only four times in their existence and have never won a Pro Cup... thus far Arroyo Grande has not come close to a Pro Cup trophy... the best they have done was in '22 when they lost in the Tycobbian Union finals to Midway, who were beaten by the Crystal Lake Crushers in the Pro Cup Finals... Villanueva has a fair-to-middling club with poor hitting and fairly good pitching... the Suns batted only .249 (27th) this season, scored only 659 runs (25th) and went deep 132 times (18th)... his pitchers compiled a respectable 3.61 ERA (10th)... Arroyo Grande traded superstar All-Star Norishige Ito (.317/39 HR/124 RBI/110 R/14 SB) to Midway and slugger Vince Kinston (.284/27 HR/81 RBI/72 R) to Grand City and received in return five young, solid players with potential... three pitchers won 40 games: Beau McCloud (15-15/3.58), Roy Tuthill (14-16/2.98) and Rusty Stephens (11-5/4.04)... they formed the starting rotation along with Nap Vickerson (17-18/3.74)... Stan Chaffin (6-5/1.88/15 saves/47 G) was the best in the bullpen... newcomers RF Elton O'Leary (.293/18 HR/83 RBI/80 R/6 SB) and 3B Nate Stiles (.253/12 HR/54 RBI/69 R/7 SB) also contributed to the offense... All-Star 1B Russell Taylor (.289/19 HR/86 RBI/86 R/15 SB) was the Suns' top batter. Outlook: at first glance the trade of Ito and Kinston may have seemed a little one-sided, considering Ito may be the best player in the IPA... time will tell... the five new additions are all young... they all did well the first year and have the talent and youth to blossom into future stars... however, the trade did enable Arroyo Grande to escape the cellar and move up to fourth place in the TU South standings. 5. Cape Coral Hurricanes (76-78) (28 GB)... new 2053 nductee to the IPA Hall of Fame, William Snyder, took over the reins of the Hurricanes this season and for the seventh year in a row they finished in the second division, winding up fifth... Snyder was a seven-time All-Star, three-time Golden Glover and won the Tycobbian Golden Bat in '35... he batted .322 lifetime with 426 HR and 1554 RBIs... Snyder ranked 10th all-time in BA... Cape Coral's last Tycobbian South pennant came in '41... they have made the postseason only eight times in the team's history... most of their appearances came long ago in the early seasons of the IPA... six times in the first 15 years... the club has never won a Pro Cup... they lost to IPA champ Turon in the second round in '06... and reached the Tycobbian Finals in '12, but lost to the Ozarka Naturals... the Hurricanes have a high-powered attack that hit .280 (2nd), scored 840 runs (3rd) and slugged 154 home runs (11th)... but they don't have much pitching to go with it... in fact, the mound corps is lousy with a whopping 4.71 ERA (30th)... that's why the team came in fifth... three All-Stars top the lineup card: 2B Jaybird Ethridge (.288/42 HR/118 RBI/108 R), SS Lynwood Barley (.321/3 HR/63 RBI/93 R/20 SB) and CF Enrique Orantez (.302/13 HR/74 RBI/84 R/12 SB)... other solid bats are 1B Kalian Coston (.296/24 HR/71 RBI/80 R/8 SB) and 3B Sammy Ashcraft (.316/16 HR/63 RBI/82 R/4 SB)... as far as mound staff, Davis Tyrrell (11-12/3.67) is the only respectable starter... in the bullpen Vinny McAfee (10-4/3.23/10 saves/55 G) had a solid year... not much after them. Outlook: Snyder has a bunch of fine hitters in Cape Coral, but is in bad need of pitching... they will be trying to trade some of their talented bench players to improve the mound staff... till they get improved pitching, fourth or fifth place may be the best the Hurricanes can hope for in the standings. 6. San Alejo Montaneros (75-79) (29 GB)... it wasn't a good season at all for the Monties this year... it was their worst season in almost two decades... they had finished in the TU South first division and posted winning records for the last 17 years... manager Filipe Zamora's club came in sixth this year... Zamora was a six-time All-Star catcher for the Monties (2035-2047)... a career .299 BA with 322 dingers and 1170 RBIs... San Alejo has been on a downward spiral for the last three seasons... they won the pennant in '51 (92-63)... slipped to second in '52 (81-73)... and dipped down to fourth place in '53 (79-75)... the Montaneros have been to the postseason playoffs eight times in their history and have chalked up one Pro Cup trophy... that was in 2032... on five other occasions they performed well... lost to the IPA champ High Mesa Cowboys in 2002 in Tycobbian Finals... fell to the IPA titlewinner Turon Typhoons in second round 2003... were beaten in the first round by the Pro Cup-winning North Hills Hawks in a thrilling seven-game series in 2034... reached the TU Finals in 2035, but were defeated by the Tuckanarra Blue Jays... and the Monties made the Pro Cup Finals in 2037 and lost to the Waleska Westerners in six games. Zamora's problem at San Alejo is his pitching... he still has the greatest tandem in IPA history on his staff, but Matt Bell (347-185/2.38) and Will McKinney (288-149/2.53) are now in their mid 30s and may not be around for too many more years... they are the primary reasons for the Montaneros' success in the last 15 years, along with 35-year-old superstar center fielder Paulo Teixeira (.300 BA/515 HR/1471 RBI)... the Monties' stats are better-than-average at the plate and on the hill... the bullpen is the dilemna with an awful 4.96 ERA... they simply can not protect leads... All-Star Matt Bell (23-11/2.19) had a super season... Will McKinney (19-15/2.84) also had a strong year... starter number three Tommy Carter (12-16/3.72) gave the team some quality starts, too... Carter is the oldest of the bunch at age 36... Zamora never found a quality number four and five starter... the Monties wound up with a fairly good 3.74 ERA... Jesse Joyner (0-1/0.93/11 saves/27 G) really came on strong with 10 saves in the second half of the season... San Alejo played well until midsummer, then tumbled back to the second division ... they were in second place and only trailed Turon by six games at midyear (43-35)... the Monties are pretty good at scoring runs with 713 (12th)... they batted .267 (13th) and had fair firepower with 137 roundtrippers (15th-tied)... Teixeira (.289/32 HR/90 RBI/89 R) had an All-Star season and was the big man in the lineup... other consistent run producers were veterans RF Erik Landau (.311/9 HR/71 RBI/81 R/6 SB) and LF Royce Grantham (.244/29 HR/82 RBI/71 R/5 SB)... and the first-base platoon duo of Alanzo Grassi (.303/13 HR/59 RBI/42 R) and young Dontrelle Bradbury (.315/12 HR/31 RBI/29 R) were reliable threats, too. Outlook: Zamora needs to shore up his bullpen and get two more dependable starters in his rotation to get out of the second division... third or fourth place is not beyond them next year, but San Alejo can forget moving up into the elite class of Turon and Southport for a few seasons. 7. Ginza Ninjas (61-93) (43 GB)... the Ninjas got a new skipper this year, but Tokuji Takahara had a tough time in his first season... the club was 59-95 (8th) in '52... improved a bit to 71-83 (7th) in '53... but this year fizzled back to seventh place with 10 fewer victories... Takahara (190-164/4.10 ERA) was a better-than-average jouneyman pitcher for Ginza from 2040 to 2052, when he was traded to Forest City for the last two years of his career... Takahara retired from the Firebirds after a slow start this season and was appointed manager of the Ninjas in May... the pitching improved under his tutelage, but the hitting was horrendous... Ginza only hit .241 (30th) with 581 runs (32nd) and only 118 homers (25th)... just about the worst offense in the IPA... Ninja pitching was decent with a 4.04 ERA (20th), mainly because of a fine bullpen... they notched an impressive 2.40 ERA (3rd), sparked by Abram Worth (4-3/1.47/17 saves/57 G) and Georgie Wicker (5-3/2.03/1 save/47 G)... the starters were just plain bad with a 4.61 ERA (26th)... Tommy Paige (13-18/4.81) was the biggest winner... followed by Calvin Nickell (11-19/4.01) and Delmer Guthrie (11-22/4.69)... one plus on the mound staff was 22-year-old rookie twirler Jacky Hebb (7-6/2.66), who joined the Ninjas in late summer and showed some real promise in 13 starts... Takahara only has two decent hitters in his batting order: two-time All-Star SS Kuzuki Tamura (.286/20 HR/78 RBI/83 R/19 SB) and 3B Horace Dyson (.287/8 HR/53 RBI/69 R)... very little after them except for 1B Takuya Toyota (.247/16 HR/60 RBI/50 R) and RF Chris Pfeiffer (.224/18 HR/67 RBI/49 R/4 SB)... they both have some power, but don't hit much for average. Outlook: Takahara has a mighty tough task in Ginza... it's been 23 years since the Ninjas made the Pro Cup playoffs... they have only made the postseason seven times and have never won a Pro Cup... but they have put four IPA champions to the test on four occasions... Volusia swept them in four games in the first-ever Pro Cup in 2001... IPA winner South Fork whipped them in the Tycobbian Finals in 2025... and the Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Reds spoiled the Ginza hopes twice in the TU Finals... beating them in six games in 2029 and in seven games in 2031... Ginza fans shouldn't get their hopes up anytime soon for a contending club... the Ninjas need a lot of help in a lot of places and look to be stuck near the bottom of the Tycobbian South for some time to come. 8. Colchester Elites (60-94) (44 GB)... sad to say, but Colchester is one of the worst franchises in IPA history... the Elites have graced the playoffs only four times... with no Pro Cups so far... three of the appearances were in their first six seasons... the last pennant came in 2036, 18 years ago... just one time in that drought did the Elites have a winning season... that was in 2051 when they were 81-73 and finished in fourth place... Colchester did push IPA champ Oxford to the limits in the 2007 Tycobbian Finals... the Red Caps whipped them in a tense seven-game series that year... in 2036 Pro Cup winner North Hills easily disposed of the Elites in five games in first-round action. Former Colchester star outfielder, Blake Barrister, is in charge of the club now... in 11 years with the Elites he batted .264 with 453 homers and 1182 RBIs... four times he was a TU All-Star... the team hasn't done well since he took over in 2046... nothing but second-division finishes except for fourth place in '51 (81-73)... Barrister's current club batted only .255 this season (22nd), was pathetic at scoring runs with 599 (31st), but did have fair power with 144 home runs (13th)... except for the bullpen (2.99 ERA/11th), the pitching was a disaster with a sky-high 4.49 ERA (27th)... closer Haden Fraser (7-9/2.49/23 saves/66 G) did his job well... none of the starters were effective... Colchester's best chunkers weren't much to brag about: Champ Meadows (12-20/4.45), Zip Sharpe (12-17/4.62) and Denzel Durand (11-18/4.58)... Barrister didn't have much to boast about at the plate, either, except for the likes of 1B Erroll Waldrep (.324/25 HR/68 RBI/43 R), who really blossomed in his sophomore season in the second half of the year... 25 homers in half a year is outstanding... the Elites do have two reliable infielders in veteran 3B James Murchison (.278/11 HR/54 RBI/74 R/15 SB) and youngster SS Ernie Larmon (.269/5 HR/34 RBI/56 R/11 SB), but both had down years... both of them are Golden Glovers. Outlook: Colchester may be looking for a new manager soon... Barrister has not had much success in his tenure... his main problem is a severe lack of talent... the future is dismal for the Elite fans... could be a while before they escaped the bottom half of the Tycobbian South Division. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-18-2017 at 07:00 PM.

07-31-2017, 12:07 AM	#5523
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, September 21, 2054 RASCALS BACK ON TOP OF TU NORTH After dawdling along to a 39-39 record halfway through the season, the White River Rascals (89-65) culminated the year in a blaze of glory piling up a 50-26 mark in the second half and routing the rest of the clubs for the Tycobbian North Division flag... the team's fifth crown in the last seven seasons... front-runners Luxora (48-30) and North Hills (48-30) tied for the top spot at midyear, 9 games in front of third place White River... but they couldn't stand prosperity and wound up far behind in the pennant chase... Luxora (82-72) came in second, trailing by 7 games, Oxford (79-75) finished third, 10 games out and North Hills (78-76) was fourth and 11 games back. 1. WHITE RIVER RASCALS (89-75)... manager Marty Blake has enjoyed a lot of success in his tenure at the helm of the Rascals... after four straight pennants from '48 to '51, his club slipped slightly to third place in '52 (82-72) and in '53 (80-74) came in second, but with a worst record... this year he got his pitching straightened out and White River returned to the top of the TU North standings... this will be the Rascals' ninth postseason appearance... they still don't have a Pro Cup championship, but have been very competitive several times over the years... lost in Pro Cup Finals in '21 to the Sligo Rovers... fell to IPA champ Tuckanarra in TU Finals in '23 and '24... defeated by IPA champ Southport in '27 TU Finals... in '49 and '50 were beaten by IPA champ Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals. The current batch of Rascals have standout pitching with a 2.83 team ERA (3rd)... only Pro Cup champ Midway (2.69 ERA) and Summerland (2.63 ERA) had better seasons... also White River can put runs on the scoreboard fairly well with a .257 BA (21st), 699 runs (15th) and 128 homers (19th)... skipper Marty Blake has a well-rounded club... his top starters are 35-year-old ace Nicky Palmer (21-15/2.39), solid veteran Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) and reliable vet Glen Horton (19-12/3.26)... the other two starters also did well... both youngsters Cody Butler (6-1/2.43) and Ringo Lanier (9-7/2.74) impressed after being put into the starting rotation in the second half... the Rascals are led at the plate by star LF Pudge Tate (.296/26 HR/84 RBI/107 R/23 SB)... dependable 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.281/18 HR/71 RBI/66 R/20 SB)... and youngsters RF Jed Small (.274/17 HR/52 RBI/46 R/4 SB) and 2B Mark Gates (.288/14 HR/63 RBI/53 R/2 SB). Outlook: White River can compete in the Pro Cup playoffs with the big boys because of its outstanding mound staff... Midway, Turon and Middlefield beware... don't look past them... you could get burned... the Rascals should be contenders in the Tycobbian North for several years to come... the only aging personnel is mound ace Nicky Palmer (229-149/2.89)... he will be a big loss when he retires, but he is still going strong at age 35... Palmer is also 8-4 in postseason play with an impressive 2.70 ERA in 17 starts. 2. Luxora Zorros (82-72) (7 GB)... 48-30 at midyear, the Z's fell apart in July and August (22-35) and were overrun by fast-closing and redhot White River (50-26)... it's been 24 years since the Zorros made the playoffs... '31 was the last division crown... 11 times they made the postseason, but Luxora never has won a Pro Cup trophy... were whipped by IPA Pro Cup champ Red Bluff in the TU Finals in '04... and were eclipsed by IPA Pro Cup titlist Turon in first round in a seven-game series in '18... however, manager Kent Halloran has them on the rise, going from seventh place (68-86) in '52 to fifth place (67-87) in '53 and up to the second spot at 82-72 this season... Halloran has a better-than-average ballclub... 3.83 ERA (16th)... with modest hitting and run scoring... .254 BA (23rd), 680 runs (24th) and 107 homers (28th)... the starters Mack Wellman (14-14/3.61), All-Star Juliano Machado (16-16/3.66) and Paolo De Freitas (16-14/4.28) are dependable... however Wellman is up in age at 37... 23-year-old rookie Roy Foxton (7-4/2.84) showed very well when he was added to the starting rotation in late July... the Luxora bullpen is in good hands with Kippy Stearns (2-4/2.48/23 saves/45 G)... the Zorros' best batsman is 1B Tuff McLendon, but he only plays against right-handers... McLendon hit .355 in 109 games with 11 HRs and 59 RBIs... the top regulars are LF Tommy Lee Townsend (.264/16 HR/70 RBI/82 R/20 SB), CF Rodrigo Santana (.283/4 HR/54 RBI/70 R/35 SB) and 3B Bobby Portonova (.255/18 HR/62 RBI/68 R)... Luxora could use a hefty influx of firepower. Outlook: White River is the main power in the Tycobbian North Division... as it presently stands, Luxora can't keep up with the Rascals... they should be able to contend for the first division in this weak division... not a lot of good teams... the Zorros will be in the running for second, third or fourth place. 3. Oxford Red Caps (79-75) (10 GB)... manager Dennis Hartwig's club has hit its way to two pennants in a row in the TU North, winning in 2052 and 2053, but he didn't get the pitching this year... but the arsenal is still there... the Red Caps boast beaucoup batters sparked by RF Wade McGrew (.312/37 HR/113 RBI/100 R/13 SB) and All-Star LF Ozzy Ackeman (.314/27 HR/97 RBI/100 R/35 SB)... other reliable contributors are CF Dwayne Wagner (.296/24 HR/99 RBI/86 R/9 SB), 2B Roger Bajon (.294/14 HR/79 RBI/90 R/5 SB) and 3B Ethan Cuthbert (.246/26 HR/83 RBI/81 R/6 SB)... Oxford also has quite a few solid hitters on the bench... the Red Caps need some mound depth... the bullpen is lousy with a sky-high and out-of-sight 5.53 ERA (32nd)... Hartwig has three fairly good starters in veterans Rudy Mellancamp (20-13/3.68), Lou Ellison (18-14/3.97) and 18-year-old rookie Maury Statler (15-11/3.48)... but that's it for the pitching corps. Historically, Oxford did very well in the early seasons of the IPA, making the playoffs five of the first six seasons... even winning their only Pro Cup in 2007... from '08 to '51 they missed the playoffs every year... a dismal performance... but they have perked up a bit in recent years with two TU North division titles in the last three seasons. Outlook: Good sticks and a few decent pitchers can take Oxford a long way... not to the level of White River, but the Red Caps are good enough, as is, to be in contention for second, third and fourth place in the next few years. 4. North Hills Hawks (78-76) (11 GB)... manager David Michael had a fine first half (48-30) and was tied for first place with Luxora... they were 9 games ahead of White River, but it didn't last... the Hawks swooned terribly in the second half with a 30-46 record and wound up in fourth place... Michael has pretty good pitching with a 3.70 ERA (13th) and fairly respectable scoring with 670 runs (21st) and .259 BA (18th), but very little home-run power with only 99 HR (30th-tied)... North Hills' top hurlers are starters Johnny Kristoff (18-13/3.50), Thad Vachon (15-21/3.58) and Stan Kallis (15-16/4.29)... closer DeWitt Dobkins (5-5/1.82/20 saves/49 G) tops the bullpen... the Hawks don't have any real threats in the lineup, just a lot of lackluster hitters... the main run providers are 2B Tony Durant (.314/11 HR/72 RBI/66 R/8 SB), 1B Sam Dunstone (.287/6 HR/56 RBI/76 R/10 SB), CF Rusty Redd (.275/11 HR/60 RBI/68 R/21 SB), RF Ryan Webbe (.247/21 HR/68 RBI/64 R) and C Leland Backus (.271/12 HR/74 RBI/54 R). The Hawks had a tremendous 12-year run from 2034 to 2045 when the club captured 11 pennants... not only did they totally dominate the Tycobbian North, they also commanded the entire IPA with four Pro Cups ('34, '36, '38, '41)... skipper Dave Michael was a big part of that success with a 315-234 mark with a 3.11 ERA... his postseason record stood out well with a 20-13 record and a great 2.32 ERA in 37 starts... Michael was selected for the IPA Hall of Fame in 2047... the Hawks have made the playoffs 13 times in all... the Turon Typhoons (.03, '06, '09, '18) and Valmara have also won four Pro Cups... and the Tuckanarra Blue ('23, '24, '35), Far Mountain Redhawks ('11, '12, '13), Southport Sun Sox ('27, '44, '47), Waleska Westerners ('28, '37, '39) and Rolling Hills Reds ('29, '31, '48) have won it three times each . Outlook: the prognosis for North Hills is not very good... they really went downhill in the second half of the year... the Hawks may drop down into the second division next year. 5. Hartsdale Hellcats (69-85) (20 GB)... the current skipper is Wayne Dawson... he was a solid starter for the Hellcats for most of his 17 seasons... Dawson was 204-203 with a lifetime 3.38 ERA... he retired in 2046... Hartsdale has fallen off the past two years... they were eighth in '52 with a 65-89 record... a little bit better this year with 69-85, good for the fifth spot in the TU North standings... in the Hellcat history they have made the playoffs on nine occasions... they last won the division in '42, '46 and '47... also garnered the team's only IPA crown in '46. This year Hartsdale possessed just average pitching with a 3.98 ERA (19th) and only a fair to mediocre offense with a .252 BA (25th), 641 runs (26th) and 141 homers (14th)... veteran Perry Givens (16-16/3.78), Chet Salsbury (12-12/3.52) and Mick Merling (13-13/4.36) are just average starters... while closer Roy Krieger (6-6/2.70/20 saves/64) is a stalwart in the bullpen... the Hellcats are led at the plate by so-so batters: 1B Bruno Bardella (.263/26 HR/89 RBI/58 R), LF Rico Visaggi (.282/8 HR/50 RBI/65 R/6 SB), 3B Smokey Nix (.261/16 HR/67 RBI/86 R/15 SB) and C Kenton Carmichael (.252/15 HR/68 RBI/56 R). Outlook: Hartsdale needs more talent on its roster... the future doesn't look too bright... currently the Hellcats are just a second-division club. 6. Mahaska Haymakers (66-88) (23 GB)... the Haymakers have a poor IPA history... only four playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... they did reach the Pro Cup Finals in 2026, but were swept by the Valmara Vipers in four games... the last TU North pennant was raised at the ballpark way back in 2028... in 2052 they were beaten out by one game for the division title... Mahaska had an 85-70 record that year... the Haymakers have been sixth the last two seasons with 66-88 marks... former slugger and outfielder Travis Tuttle (.308 BA/273 HR/875 R) had good success with the club from '23 to '33... he is the present manager... Mahaska is just a second-rate team, destined for a second-division finish... they hit .257 (20th), scored 681 runs (18th) and rapped 133 home runs (17th)... on the hill they are just average with a 3.83 ERA (17th)... 21-year-old youngster Morrie Dalman (15-15/2.89) is a quality arm, along with Pip Cordice (14-17/3.64) and Marty Mobley (11-14/3.47)... they are the makings of a pretty good rotation... Rique Batista is the fourth man... he was a quality starter his first two seasons, then Batista slumped this year... if he can return to form, it will give Tuttle something to work with... but there is nothing in the bullpen... as far as offense, 21-year-old CF Dub Forrester (.303/14 HR/77 RBI/87 R/13 SB) is the club leader and a good one... at 22, 2B Paul Waldrep (.301/6 HR/53 RBI/72 R/8 SB) looks to have good potential... as far as veteran players, CF Tom Norbonne (.292/19 HR/59 RBI/55 R/10 SB) and 1B Roger Lewis (.234/18 HR/69 RBI/47 R) are just fair-to-middling and nothing special. Outlook: Not a rosey future for Tuttle and his Haymakers... they are not likely to escape the second division for a while. 7. Fairfax Frogs (63-91) (26 GB)... the Frogs haven't had a lot of success in the IPA... just eight playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... Fairfax has never gone real deep in the postseason... twice they lost out in the Tycobbian Finals... 2033 was the last division title... the Frogs have been mired in the second division of the TU North for the past eight seasons... and 10 of the previous 12 years... Fairfax has been last or next-to-last for the last six seasons... Scott Courtney is the playing manager at age 32... his club lack home-run power... they hit only 88 out of the park this year and ranked last in the Tycobbian Union, but they can score with a .276 BA (5th) and ranked 13th in runs scored with 711... however pitching is non-existent with a 4.69 team ERA (29th)... the skipper, C/1B Scott Courtney (.273/13 HR/88 RBI/68 R), is one of the Frogs' best run providers, along with LF Kaz Ozaki (.267/21 HR/92 RBI/95 R/14 SB), 1B/C Mike Mitchell (.343/12 HR/75 RBI/67 R), LF Paddy Fenroy (.293/3 HR/59 RBI/73 R/18 SB), SS Sammy Monroe (.279/10 HR/67 RBI/74 R/14 SB) and 3B Cade Durning (.301/8 HR/44 RBI/47 R). Outlook: despite the good offense, Fairfax will mostly likely wind up deep in the second division of the TU North. 8. Blue Lake Blue Sox (51-103) (38 GB)... the Blue Lake franchise is one of the worst in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only three times have they made the playoffs, but fortunatly they did win one Pro Cup in 2030... that more than a lot of teams can say... 35 of the 64 franchises have never won the overall IPA championship -- the Pro Cup. This season was a total disaster for manager Frankie Quinn and his Blue Lake Blue Sox... they were 72-82 in '52 and 76-78 in '53, but the bottom fell out in '54 with a terrible 51-103 record... the Blue Sox pitching staff posted a poor 4.37 ERA (26th), while the club hit only .249 (28th), scored only 628 runs (28th) and totaled 125 homers (23rd-tied)... not many quality hitters... the best ones Blue Lake had were LF Burt Baugh (.229/24 HR/72 RBI/57 R), RF Johnny Harding (.270/17 HR/67 RBI/60 R), C Juan Luis Barcelona (.277/10 Hr/58 RBI/69 R), SS John Gilbert (.258/12 HR/57 RBI/80 R/6 SB) and CF Jude Rupp (.268/14 HR/55 RBI/75 R)... on the hill ithe quality wasn't very good, either... the best of the lot were just barely effective: Dookie Denham (12-9/3.85) and Dirk Sinclair (9-23/3.85)... however, the Blue Sox had a quality closer in Marty Manush (6-6/2.39/13 saves/61 G). Outlook: there's a very good chance Blue Lake will be cellar-dwellers for sometime to come... the future for Blue Lake is very bleak. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-31-2017 at 12:24 AM.

08-05-2017, 09:49 PM	#5524
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, September 21, 2054 MIDWAY HEADED FOR 2ND STRAIGHT PRO CUP Last year in the Pro Cup playoffs the powerful Midway Wolves devoured everybody in sight and won their first-ever IPA crown and it's their intent to do it again... the Wolves (107-47) raced to another Tycobbian East Division title, piling up an IPA record-tying 107 victories in the process... Midway shot to a 12-game lead at the All-Star break and left everybody in their dust... the Wolves didn't let up there, by season's end they increased their winning margin to a gigantic 19 games over second place East Point (88-66), 22 ahead of third place South Fork (85-69) and 27 better than fourth place Red Bluff (80-74)... it was a monstrous year for Midway... they tied Colfax for the most victories in a season... the Blasters also won 107 games in 2010. 1. MIDWAY WOLVES (107-47)... manager Bobby Dorignac guided the Wolves to 100 wins in 2053 and then did even better this season... part of the reason was an offseason trade for superstud Norishige Ito... Midway gave Arroyo Grande three fine players for the superstar... he lifted the Wolves to another level... prior to last year Pro Cup crown, Midway has a poor postseason history in the IPA... this will only be the fifth time they qualified for the playoffs... last year was the only time the team captured a Pro Cup trophy... the Wolves lost in first-round play in '14 and '27, but they reached the Pro Cup Finals in 2022, but were beaten by the IPA champion Crystal Lake Crushers in six games. Dorignac has a marvelous club this year... his mound staff posted a terrific 2.69 ERA (2nd), topped only by Summerland with a brilliant 2.63 ERA... at the plate the Wolves hit .270 (11th), scored 797 runs (5th) and slugged 177 roundtrippers (4th)... no wonder they won 107 games... anchoring the starting rotation was Arnie McGill (25-7/2.20), Will Deberry (21-11/3.49), Yank Atchley (17-10/2.97), All-Star Charlie Chase (16-9/2.41) and Dookie Higgins (11-4/2.58)... Atchley was voted the Pro Cup MVP last year... he went 5-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his 5 starts. Midway is also outstanding offensively with the likes of superstar and All-Star LF Norishige Ito (.317/39 HR/124 RBI/110 R/14 SB), 3B Jamey Southwick (.286/31 HR/90 RBI/67 R), All-Star RF Daryl Vale (.326/21 HR/91 RBI/87 R/23 SB), 1B Todd Merritt (.287/22 HR/89 RBI/74 R/8 SB), SS Kax Clark (.288/12 HR/74 RBI/98 R/13 SB) and 2B Tom Goodnight (.302/11 HR/52 RBI/81 R)... plus C Ralph Worley (.258/7 HR/59 RBI/46 R/8 SB) is also an All-Star and a standout defender... however, Midway did receive a setback when ace Charlie Chase went out with an injury in August... he will probably miss the postseason this year... Chase was 2-1 in the playoffs last year with an impressive 2.02 ERA... he fired two shutouts. Outlook: Midway is a genuine goliath and should be favored to win the Pro Cup trophy again, but it will have to beat off some formidable foes like Turon and White River in the Tycobbian Union and Middlefield, Wynnamac and perhaps last year's finalist, Taranto, in the Ruthlandian Union... with good teams galore, it should be a great Pro Cup playoff season for the fans. 2. East Point Panthers (88-64) (19 GB)... Frank Blair is the skipper of the Panthers... he was a quality starter for the club for 19 years, winding up with a career 265-248 mark (3.47 ERA)... he was five-time All-Star... East Point has had much success with him at the helm... two division titles ('50, '52) and three second-place finishes in the last five seasons... on seven occasions the Panthers have made the postseason... but have never won a Pro Cup... they did reach the Finals in '52, but were defeated by the Middlefield Roosters in six games. East Point is a pretty good ballclub that has the misfortune to play in the same division as the Midway Wolves... Blair's bunch hits well with a .273 BA (7th), scores very well with 853 runs (2nd) and has excellent HR-power with 188 roundtrippers (2nd)... and the Panthers are better-than-average on the hill with a 3.67 ERA (12th)... they have a good starting foursome in Ralph Wallace (18-12/3.35), Benny Allen (17-13/3.61), Chip Dowler (18-10/3.66) and Lee Price (13-12/3.83)... a quality bullpen as well with Kerry Woodburn (5-6/2.38/12 saves/52 G) and Pudgy Putman (8-4/3.75/8 saves/35 G)... top bats are RF Jakie Spears (.353/2 HR/64 RBI/92 R/12 SB), CF Pokie Ash (.310/15 HR/64 RBI/110 R/25 SB), 3B Justin McRae (.306/17 HR/93 RBI/106 R/25 SB), C Kenny Bailey (.282/35 HR/109 RBI/83 R), 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.273/28 HR/87 RBI/71 R/16 SB), RF Doug Dennhardt (.296/28 HR/70 RBI/51 R/8 SB) and LF Skip Donley (.267/23 HR/81 RBI/61 R/21 SB). Outlook: East Point will be near the top of the Tycobbian East for a few years to come... their only problem is the reigning champ of the IPA, the mighty Midway Wolves, who are in a league of their own right now with very few clubs capable of challenging them... the Panthers should finish no worst than second or third in the battle for the division flag. 3. South Fork Stallions (85-69) (22 GB)... another fine club that suffers from being in the same division as Midway... manager Eldon Jacoby has lifted the Stallions out of the depths of the second division in the TU East the last two seasons... his Hosses have finished third the last two years... going 83-71 in '53 (17 GB) and 85-69 this season (22 GB)... Jacoby has solid pitching with a fine 3.25 ERA (5th)... at the plate South Fork is solid with a .267 BA (14th) and 708 runs (14th), but a little short on firepower with only 118 homers (26th-tied)... the Stallions have two standout starters in All-Star Brett McCracken (24-11/2.42) and Emmett Coogan (24-9/3.15)... the other two hurlers in the rotation, Bud Bowens (10-13/3.75) and Rick Sampson (9-12/3.49) are just fair-to-middling... Jacoby has a good bullpen with a 2.85 ERA (9th), headed up by spot starter/closer John Clay Whitehurst (7-12/3.88/10 saves/42 G)... South Fork has no super threats in its batting order... the best the Stallions have to offer are All-Star C Rudy Maroney (.289/28 HR/89 RBI/86 R/3 SB) and All-Star 3B Pete Arnold (.308/9 HR/74 RBI/78 R/17 SB)... LF Brad Lancaster (.300/10 HR/68 RBI/73 R/13 SB) and CF Gus Russum (.289/9 HR/40 RBI/51 R/26 SB) also supply some offense. Outlook: South Fork is a solid third place team, but not in the class of Tycobbian East powers, Midway and East Point... however, they are a young and up-and-coming squad with a good future... historically the Stallions have appeared in the postseason playoffs only six times, but they have captured two Pro Cups, winning in 2025 and 2042... South Fork whipped Middlefield in a thrilling seven-game affair and had to come back from a 3-2 deficit... it was much easier the second time when they swept Colfax in four games. 4. Red Bluff Red Sox (80-74) (27 GB)... this year manager Ike Sweetwater has just an average ballclub in Red Bluff... it's been 12 years since the Red Sox had a losing season... only three times in that period did they fail to make the TU East first division... Red Bluff won four straight pennants in those years from '44 to '47... three times they came in fifth in the standings...ended up fifth in '53 at 78-76 (22 GB)... improved slightly this year... the Red Sox took their only Pro Cup long ago in 2004, topping Sugar Valley in five games... three times they have reached the TU Finals and lost to the eventual IPA champion: Southport whipped them in six games in '44... Hartsdale edged them in seven games in '46... and Southport did it again in '47 in six games again. Ike Sweetwater was a fine outfielder for Red Bluff from 2032 to 2050... a 5-time All-Star and also a Golden Glove winner... he hit .285 with 521 HRs and 1500 RBIs... his current club is woeful at the plate with a pitiful .235 BA... they are mediocre in scoring with 675 runs (20th), but do go deep with 182 home runs (3rd)... the Red Sox are average on the mound with a 3.98 ERA (18th)... two starters Felix Delatte (22-12/3.43) and Julius Eccleston (23-11/3.49) were 20-game winners... the bullpen was handled well by Calvin Carruth (3-6/2.94/23 saves/48 G)... All-Star LF Toni Kolkov (283/36 HR/79 RBI/76 R/8 SB), 2B Dazzy Bevis (.266/27 HR/72 RBI/101 R/20 SB) and 1B A. J. Tremaine (.229/27 HR/63 RBI/56 R/9 SB) were the top run producers. Outlook: Red Bluff will struggle to stay in the first division... the Red Sox are just a run-of-the-mill ballclub and nothing more. 5. Hillsboro Blazers (78-76) (29 GB)... manager Andy Jefferson led the club to its only playoff appearance in 2051... Hillsboro did well in the playoffs that year losing out to IPA champion Arlon in seven games in the first round... but they gave Arlon its toughest series in the postseason that year... the next year they fell to fourth place at 86-68... then the Blazers slipped back into mediocity under .500 and came in seventh (68-86) in 2053... and rebounded a bit to fifth this year... Hillsboro has very little offense except for home runs... they batted a paltry .235 (31st), scored only 639 runs (27th), but hit 156 out of the park (10th)... Jefferson has a better-than-average pitching staff with a 3.84 ERA (11th)... his bullpen ranks 10th with a 2.89 ERA... mound standouts are Steve Cooper (21-15/3.34) and Hank Greenberry (20-15/2.99)... young rookie Ian Barrie (10-7/3.44) did well in his first season... #4 starter Clay Spencer (15-18/4.07) may be showing signs of age at 33... top bullpenners are Ron Pryor (3-5/2.43/17 saves/39 G) and Jersey Joe Springsteen (1-2/2.69/10 saves/48 G)... Hillsboro's doesn't have any real threat in the lineup, but they do hit a few homers... none of them hit for much of an average... RF Eli Nickelson (.214/28 HR/74 RBI/75 R/18 SB), CF Vern Hodge (.259/24 HR/64 RBI/81 R/9 SB) and C Harry Edwards (.229/20 HR/71 RBI/71 R/4 Sb) were the best of the lot. Outlook: except for twirlers Cooper, Greenberry and Barrie, Hillsboro doesn't have a lot of talent... may linger in the depths of the Tycobbian East for awhile or so. 6. High Mesa Mustangs (77-77) (30 GB)... IPA legend Jack Elliott runs baseball operations at High Mesa... the team prospered from '45 to '52, winning one pennant in '48 and had only one losing season ('46)... they were contenders in '49, '50 and '51... the Mustangs have been mired in sixth place in the TU East the last two seasons... High Mesa has been to the playoffs only three times in its history, but has won a Pro Cup... the then-High Mesa Cowboys swept the Elnora All-Stars in three games for the IPA crown in 2002, the second year of the league... Elliott was enshrined into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2032... he had a fantastic career... 13-time All-Star, 12-time Golden Bat Award winner, 5-time Golden Glover, 2013 Rookie of the Year and 4-time Tycobbian MVP in '13, '21, '22 and '23... Elliott hit .332 lifetime (5th) with 848 homers (2nd), 2120 RBIs (4th) and 2192 runs (3rd)... sadly, he never played in the postseason. Like their slugging manager the present High Mesa Mustangs go deep very well with a Tycobbian-leading 200 homers (1st)... they score well with 786 runs (6th), but are only average with a .258 team BA (19th)... on the mound they are not very good with a 4.31 ERA (24th)... top bats for High Mesa are SS Tommy Yost (.284/15 HR/64 RBI/87 R), LF Dix McIntosh (.253/25 HR/83 RBI/58 R)... rookie phenom 1B Ward Catlin (.292/26 HR/64RBI/43 R) did extremely well and had some great numbers despite missing five weeks with injury... he hit 26 homers in 79 games... Elliott is expecting good things from Catlin in the future... same thing from young CF Tracy McGriff (.324/17 HR/57 RBI/50 R/4 SB)... the Mustang mound corps is in trouble... only Tuffy Hammel (15-16/2.98) is a strong starter... young David Newell (14-7/3.94) shows promise... at 37 Dickie Sternfeld (13-12/4.01) still is a quality starter... Elliott has no one past these three. Outlook: High Mesa will likely be stuck in the second division for the near future... not likely to contend anytime soon... pitching is much too weak. 7. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (75-79) (32 GB)... the Blue Jays have a fine IPA history with 18 postseason appearances and three Pro Cups (2023, 2024, 2035)... for 28 years they finished in the first division of the Tycobbian East (2023 to 2050)... however, the last division flag came in '49... it has been slowly downhill since... the current skipper is Junior Bristow, who starred for the Blue Jays for 10 seasons and compiled a fine 206-138 mark with a solid 3.20 ERA... seven times he won 20 games and two Golden Arms... won the Tycobbian MVP twice (2035, 2036) and retired early at age 33... his father is former Tucks' skipper Titus Bristow (342-258/2.75 ERA), a Hall-of-Famer since 2027, who also won the Tycobbian MVP and Golden Arm in 2006. Tuckanarra is now just a mediocre team with a .266 BA (15th), 682 runs (23rd) and only 127 dingers (20th-tied)... with a not-so-hot 4.12 ERA (21st)... veteran star 1B Rodger Parsons (.324/15 HR/68 RBI/82 R/2 SB) is a five-time All-Star and the best threat in the batting order... RF Jay Jay Batchelor (.281/23 HR/72 RBI/57 R/4 SB) and 3B Newt Crutchfield (.302/8 HR/79 RBI/51 R) also help out some offensively... Bristow's best starter is Smokey Joe Ellison (13-12/3.61)... the others in the rotation are so-so, Ozzie Leslie (13-18/4.20) and Terence Gargan (13-17/4.28)... however, there is one very bright spot, 20-year-old rookie Russell Knowles (8-1/2.07), who won all his games after joining the team in August... Tuckanarra also has a fine veteran closer in Paul Landale (5-2/2.55/18 saves/58 G). Outlook: the Blue Jays were only four games under .500... they have some talent... a few additions would go along way and give them a shot at the first division again... Tuckanarra is a pretty good seventh-place team... may be a few years from real contention in the Tycobbian East. 8. Ozarka Naturals (61-93) (46 GB)... the only bad club in the TU East... manager Duffy Morrison doesn't have a lot of talent to work with... the Nats only bat .250 (26th) with 606 runs (30th) and 115 roundtrippers (26th-tied)... on the hill not much better with a 4.21 ERA (23rd)... it's been 15 years since the club made the playoffs... 2040 was the last pennant... but at one time early in IPA history, Ozarka was a yearly regular in the postseason with a total of 15 appearances... fives times they were Pro Cup finalists, but they never won a Pro Cup trophy... the Naturals lost to Far Mountain in seven games in 2011, Far Mountain again in five games in 2012, to Eastshore in a four-game sweep in 2016, also swept by Rocky Rapids in 2019 and Crystal Lake whipped them in five games in 2020. Ozarka's top players are pitchers Willis Reece (14-15/3.22) and John Dickinson (12-21/3.98)... Reece is a 20-year-old rookie... and veteran Jim Greene (3-5/3.21/14 saves/51 G) is a pretty good closer... there are no big sticks in the batting order... 2B Foxy Alderson (.314/19 HR/85 RBI/64 R/13 SB) is a solid batter and defender... the only other decent bats in the lineup are RF Scotty Hannon (.263/20 HR/64 RBI/82 R/9 SB) and LF Donny Joe Jacks (.301/5 HR/46 RBI/50 R/5 SB). Outlook: it's pretty grim for the Ozarka Naturals... just simply a bad team... may be destined for the TU East cellar for years to come. Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-05-2017 at 10:16 PM.

08-05-2017, 10:04 PM	#5525
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	Tycobbian East Division Standings Attached Images

08-13-2017, 08:40 PM	#5526
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES September 21, 2054 ARLON TAKES TU WEST IN THRILLER The Tycobbian West Division came down to two clubs and it went down to the last days of the season to decide it... in a stirring finish the Arlon Champions (99-55) just barely held off the hard-charging Denton City Redbirds (98-56) by a single game... Denton City was the reigning TU West titlist... the Redbirds won 12 of the last 13 games and almost caught the Champions... Arlon went 8-5 down the stretch to fend off Denton City... third place went to the Kenwood Wildcats (82-72) and the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (81-73) came in fourth in the race... overall the division has some quality teams... it was a very tight four-team cluster at midseason, all within five games of each other... however the Wildcats and Bucs sputtered in the second half and fell to the wayside. 1. ARLON CHAMPIONS (99-55)... this was Arlon's seventh pennant in its history... the last one came in the Pro Cup year in 2051 when the Champs topped the Waleska Westerners in five games for the IPA title... Arlon also made the Pro Cup Finals in '39, but were beaten out by the same Westerners in six games... skipper Mark Cameron has a very impressive and well-balanced club... the Champions compiled a .262 BA (17th), clubbed 173 HR (5th-tied) and posted a solid 3.36 ERA (8th)... on the hill Ty Coffee (27-9/2.72) led the entire IPA in wins and he got good help from J. C. Hilburn (17-13/2.98), Erik Branham (17-9/3.30), Dicky Towers (12-12/3.41) and long-time star Lanny Gray (14-11/4.12)... Mack Blair (6-2/2.92/20 saves/48 G) and Clyde Burney (5-1/2.55/6 saves/34 G) anchored the bullpen... the primary offense was supplied by CF Rebel Bryce (.219/37 HR/116 RBI/97 R/13 SB), 2B Art Catlin (.303/22 HR/103 RBI/88 R/8 SB), LF P. J. Flagg (.281/22 HR/73 RBI/76 R/11 SB) and Timothy Webb (.340/9 HR/39 RBI/77 R/6 SB). Outlook: Arlon may be a better team this year than they were in the 2051 Pro Cup season... they still have the main core of starters in Branham, Gray and Hilburn, plus the great addition of Ty Coffee, along with Dicky Towers... the offense this year is much superior to the '51 squad... there has been an impressive influx of youthful talent in the last three seasons... Bryce, Catlin, Flagg and Webb didn't join the team until 2052... manager Mark Cameron's club won 99 games this season, but they must face the current Pro Cup champion in the first round of the playoffs... Arlon may be the forgotten team in the Tycobbian Union with the likes of powerful Midway and Turon as well as the White River Rascals, but their opponents will know they have been in a series... it is highly unlikely the Arlon Champions will just roll over and play dead in the postseason playoffs... Cameron has a very good team. 2. Denton City Redbirds (98-56) (1 GB)... it's tough to win 98 games in a season and not win the division crown... that's what happened to Denton City skipper Pete Gibbs... an 8-16 mark in April killed the Redbirds' season... he also lost his mound ace, Johnny Wingate, in June... overall Denton City has made the postseason 10 times in its history... mainly in the early years of the IPA... 8 times they made the playoffs from 2003 to 2013... only twice since, in 2040 and 2053... however, despite several valiant efforts in the playoffs, the Redbirds are still seeking their first Pro Cup trophy... in '04 they lost in the first round to IPA champ Red Bluff 3 games to 2... in '05 in the Pro Cup Finals the Redbirds fell 4 games to 1 to IPA champ Middlefield ... in '08 they lost in the Pro Cup Finals for the second straight year when Wynnamac whipped them in six games... in '09 Denton City was topped in the TU Finals by eventual Pro Cup champion Turon in a torrid 7-game series... and last year the Redbirds were the only playoff team to win a game against the IPA winner, the mighty Midway Wolves... DC was beaten in six games in the Tycobbian Union Finals... Midway was 12-2 in the postseason last year... in the last two rounds they swept their other two series against Turon (TU Finals) and Taranto (Pro Cup Finals). Denton City has a topnotch team with a .274 BA (6th), 749 runs (8th), 166 HR (7th) and a very good 3.41 ERA (9th)... heading up a solid staff are Jayson Mannon (21-10/2.85) and Flash Stringfellow (19-10/3.12)... the other two in the starting rotation are dependable: Rob Hanshaw (13-7/4.17) and Howie Malcolm (11-6/4.23)... Johnny Wingate (9-5/3.01), a 21-game winner the season before, was lost in June with an arm injury... he was sorely missed down the stretch... and manager Pete Gibbs has one of the best bullpen in the IPA with All-Star closer Burnell Kelley (7-5/1.72/28 saves/59 G) and Freddy O'Neal (9-3/1.64/6 saves/39 G)... Kelley was tops in saves in the Tycobbian Union... third best in the IPA behind Trent Niven (3-8/1.87/30 saves/64 G) of Eastshore and Martin Futch (5-7/1.86/29 saves/71 G) of Ranford... the Redbirds have some hefty and reliable bats with 1B Val Anniston (.300/36 HR/92 RBI/92 R), LF Harper Catlow (.275/29 HR/78 RBI/81 R/18 SB), SS Vincent McCloud (.308/26 HR/83 RBI/104 R/11 SB) and RF Tristan Redgrave (.297/19 HR/70 RBI/69 R/8 SB). Outlook: it's a shame that Denton City will not be in the postseason playoffs... Pete Gibbs has a fine club, which should be a serious challenger for the TU West flag for several years to come. 3. Kenwood Wildcats (82-72) (17 GB)... manager Babe Hankins had his club in serious contention at midyear... just a game behind Arlon and tied with Denton City, but they slumped badly in the late summer and slipped to the third spot in the division standings, 17 games out of first... Hankins led the Wildcats to the TU West pennant just two years ago with a 91-63 mark, but his pitching staff fell apart the next year and Kenwood stumbled in with a 70-84 record, tumbling to sixth place... now they have recovered a bit and got back on the winning side of the ledger... 10 times the Wildcats have made the playoffs and they have one Pro Cup trophy, which was won in 2014... but they have performed very well on several occasions: in '23 they lost to IPA champion Tuckanarra in 6 games in round one... in '41 and '42 Kenwood reached the Tycobbian Finals and fell to the eventual IPA titlists, the North Hills Hawks in 6 games and to the South Fork Stallions in 6 games. The current edition of Wildcats hit very well with a .277 BA (4th), score well with 739 runs (9th), but are a quite short on power with only 101 HR (29th)... pitching-wise they are better than average with a 3.79 ERA (15th)... All-Star 1B Bralen Connally (.299/23 HR/93 RBI/94 R/2 SB), RF Chris McNeal (.273/17 HR/67 RBI/64 R/4 SB) and SS Eliot Epperson (.284/10 HR/65 RBI/51 R/6 SB) are the prime run providers... other contributors are LF William Gloucester (.346/9 HR/55 RBI/68 R/4 SB), 3B Bailey Brumley (.310/6 HR/57 RBI/42 R/7 SB) and CF Hank Hankins (.292/5 HR/39 RBI/42 R/14 SB)... on the hill Kenwood has four quality starters in Emmitt Oates (21-13/3.47), long-time ace Rusty Bradford (19-17/3.54) and two rookies Al Bryant (13-12/3.62) and Tory Reynolds (10-12/3.97)... skipper Babe Hankins could use some help in the bullpen, which is not too reliable with a 4.24 ERA (26th). Outlook: Kenwood should remain in the first division for some time to come, but they are not in the class of Arlon and Denton City... the Wildcats are just a third or fourth place club. 4. Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (81-73) (18 GB)... for the past six seasons manager Cotton Cornwall and his Bucs have finished in the TU West first division, which is the top four teams... they were second to Denton City in '53 with an 83-71 record (6 GB)... the Buccaneers were third the previous two years ('51 and '52) and they hoisted division flags in '49 and '50... Bay St. Clair has made 11 postseason appearances, but have never won a Pro Cup trophy... they lost to IPA Pro Cup champ Taranto in 2015, beaten 4 games to 1 in the Pro Cup Finals... IPA champ Turon eliminated the Bucs in 6 games in the 2018 Tycobbian Finals... and they were defeated by Pro Cup winner, Blue Lake, in the 2030 Tycobbian Union Finals in 6 games. Bay St. Clair's current crop has impressive pitching with a 3.36 ERA (7th)... the Buccaneers are fairly good at the plate with a .263 BA (16th), 677 runs (19th) and 125 HR (23rd-tied)... Scotty Hedwall (19-13/2.91) is the main guy in the rotation, along with Dion Hawkins (16-9/2.90), who was injured in August and missed the rest of the season... the Bucs get quality starts from Kermo Jarvi (17-16/3.86)... not a lot in the rotation otherwise... however, skipper Cornwall has a fine bullpen, one of the better ones in the IPA... they chalked up a 2.38 ERA (2nd)... his top relievers are veteran Cadillac Bogart (6-7/2.47/12 saves/55 G) and Darcey Kennedy (5-4/1.28/6 saves/38 G)... the Bucs' batting order is led by LF Jed Killick (.274/30 HR/118 RBI/84 R), RF Don Holliday (.269/25 HR/85 RBI/61 R/7 SB), SS Pip Blaylock (.264/9 HR/52 RBI/103 R/30 SB), 3B Trace Burney (.304/12 HR/63 RBI/91 R/6 SB), All-Star 2B Ike Ritter (.302/1 HR/46 RBI/68 R) and 1B Clive Caviness (.289/15 HR/64 RBI/76 R). Outlook: The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are getting a little long in the tooth, but may hang around in the top four teams for a few more seasons... third or fourth will be the best they can do. 5. (tied) Rolling Hills Reds (72-82) (27 GB)... the Reds had a string of 8 years in the TU West first division from from '45 to '52, but have slumped to the second division the last two seasons... 7th place with a 67-87 mark (22 GB), followed by a tie for 5th this year with a 72-82 record (27 GB)... Rolling Hills last pennant came in '48, which was a Pro Cup winning year... overall the club has made the postseason playoffs 11 times and copped three Pro Cups (2029, 2031, 2048)... most of the Reds' success was from '19 to '32 ... 8 times they won the TU West pennant, winning two Pro Cups... Rolling Hills lost in '25 to the IPA champion South Fork in six games in the first round of the playoffs... they were beaten by IPA champ Southport in '27, falling in six games in the TU Finals... and they really came close in '32, beaten in seven games in the TU Finals by the eventual IPA winner San Alejo. Rolling Hills is skippered by Billy Christenson, a Hall of Fame infielder, who played 16 of his 21 seasons with the Reds... Christenson was a 6-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glover... his career average was .302 with 258 homers and 1446 RBIs... Christenson was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2049... Rolling Hills hit well for average this season and scored well, but didn't hit with power... on the hill the Reds were mediocre... the club batted .273 (8th), scored 718 runs (11th), but hit only 99 out of the park (30th-tied)... the team ERA was only 4.19 (22nd)... leading the Reds offensively this year were All-Star SS Dustin Thibodeau (.301/20 HR/92 RBI/89 R/12 SB), All-Star C Ryan Nelms (.248/18 HR/67 RBI/56 R), 1B Darwin Tard (.296/19 HR/85 RBI/81 R/12 SB), 2B Adam Hynes (.323/2 HR/54 RBI/71 R/28 SB) and CF Mike Josephson (.280/5 HR/62 RBI/83 R/14 SB)... the ace of the mound staff is 40-year-old Johnny Howard (22-13/3.79), who sparked them to the IPA crown in '48 with a flawless 5-0 record and 2.66 ERA in five starts... the others in the rotation are inconsistent, but do come up with some quality starts: Vance Dillaway (13-15/3.77), Kerry Tidland (10-10/4.22) and Rob Gates (10-16/4.13). Outlook: not so good... many of the Rolling Hills regulars like Tard and Nelms are showing signs of wear, tear and age... it's not likely hurler Howard can keep going for many more years... the Reds need to replace them fairly quickly... without those stars, it would be tough for them to finish even as high as fifth... seventh or last would be more likely. 5. (tied) Chicopee Braves (72-82) (27 GB)... a team very similar to Rolling Hills, but with far worse pitching... the Tribe have only had two winning seasons since 2038... they came in fourth in '53 with an 80-74 mark (9 GB)... most of the time the Braves were bogged down deep in the TU West second division... the club rarely has made the playoffs... only three times in its dismal history (2033, 2034 and 2035)... never won a Pro Cup trophy, but Chicopee had a fine club at that time... the Braves lost twice to North Hills in '34 and '36 in hotly-contested six and seven-game series in the TU Finals... North Hills went on to win the IPA crowns in both years... the Hawks of that period were just about the best the IPA has ever seen... they won four Island crowns from '34 to '41... a remarkable achievement... in '35 Chicopee came very close, too, defeated by Pro Cup champion Tuckanarra in seven games in the TU Finals. The current Chicopee manager Augie Meaux was a mainstay of the Braves during their glory years... Meaux was a solid defensive catcher for Chicopee for 16 seasons with a .265 lifetime batting average, 166 homers and 776 ribbies... the Braves hit a solid .267 (12th) this year with 732 runs (10th) and 127 roundtrippers (20th-tied)... on the hill they were totally inept and ineffective with a whopping 4.61 ERA (28th)... Meaux has a lot of reliable hitters in CF Johnny Helwig (.309/8 HR/53 RBI/66 R/6 SB), 2B Tex Whatley (.282/20 HR/76 RBI/80 R/6 SB), 1B Sam Patrick (.314/28 HR/71 RBI/81 R), 3B Derrell Stelly (.296/14 HR/64 RBI/55 R), LF Travis Ledger (.306/8 HR/62 RBI/74 R/15 SB) and RF Alex Mendes (.322/7 HR/56 RBI/61 R/15 SB)... what Meaux badly needs is some pitchers to go with them... the starters are terrible, but the bullpen is decent... the best of the lot in the rotation are Manny Spaulding (17-14/4.31) and Sharlon Barbour (17-17/4.99)... tops in the bullpen are Chipper Gilton (5-3/2.05/18 saves/43 G) and Cy Abernathey (6-5/2.44/6 saves/48 G). Outlook: Chicopee will be a second division club for the near future... the pitching is just too bad to move up into the first division of the Tycobbian West. 7. La Claire Lynx (56-98) (43 GB)... the Lynx are not one of the most successful franchises in the IPA... they have never won a Pro Cup... La Claire has only made the playoffs four times in the team's history... 17 years have past since their last pennant in 2038... the club has had very little success in the postseason, but they did push powerful North Hills to the hilt in '38, falling in a tense seven-game series in the Tycobbian Finals... the Hawks went on to capture the Pro Cup trophy that year... the Lynx did not go very deep in the playoffs the other three appearances. The La Claire manager is Hall of Famer Flash Devlin... he was a 13-time All-Star and was elected in 2038 after starring for the Lynx for 19 years, batting .317 lifetime with 559 homers and 1799 RBIs... Devlin has not had a lot of success as skipper... the club rose up from eighth place in '52 to third in '53 and that saved his job, but they have lapsed back in '54 and he's right back on the hot seat... the Lynx has average hitting and scoring, but totally lack pitching... they batted .272 (9th), scored 691 runs (16th) and hit 126 home runs, while posting a terrible 4.76 ERA... La Claire has a few fairly good hitters in its lineup like 2B Derek Winchester (.305/9 HR/60 RBI/87 R/20 SB), CF Whit Miley (.330/13 HR/47 RBI/60 R), SS Frisco Thorpe (.258/17 HR/77 RBI/67 R/6 SB), 1B Charlie Rodgers (.305/14 HR/49 RBI/37 R), LF Wilmer Burgess (.303/5 HR/44 RBI/65 R) and LF Kippy Born (.229/17 HR/77 RBI/40 R/4 SB)... not a lot to note on the hill... starter Jacques Guichard (13-17/3.64) and reliever Troy Pless (5-6/1.85/9 saves/39 G) are the only decent moundsmen. Outlook: rumor is Devlin will not survive this time around... look for some changes in La Claire... the future is gloomy in La Claire regardless of who's running the show... it will be a tough task to rebuild the Lynx into a contender in the TU West. 8. Bayview Vikings (49-105) (50 GB)... it was another very bad season for the Vikings, which is nothing new for the fans... the last time the Viks won the Tycobbian West Division was long ago in 2016... 39 years ago... Bayview has participated in the postseason playoffs just six times with no Pro Cup trophies to show for it... most of their success was in the early years of the IPA... they were beaten in 2003 in the Elite 8 Series by the Pro Cup champion Turon Typhoons... Bayview also lost to Pro Cup champ Red Bluff in 2004 in the Elite 8 Series... in 2006 the Vikings reached the Tycobbian Finals and fell to Pro Cup titlist Turon... also reached the TU Finals in 2007 and were whipped by Pro Cup champion Oxford. The head of operations in Bayview is the all-time leading slugger in IPA history, Hall of Famer Jerry Culpepper... the hard-hitting infielder batted .304 in his 19-year career with 878 homers (1st) and 2170 RBIs (2nd)... he was a 15-time All-Star, 2-time MVP (2040, 2041) and 5-time winner of the Tycobbian Golden Bat Award... managing has not been as easy... Culpepper has guided the Vikings to 7th, 8th and 8th in his three seasons... this past year the Viks has mediocre hitting and absolutely atrocious pitching... they batted .254 (24th), scored 663 runs (22nd) and hit 165 homers (8th)... on the hill the Bayview staff put up a lousy 5.26 ERA (32nd), easily the worst in the entire IPA by a wide margin... only one starter, Arlo Lounsberry (7-17/4.65) had an ERA under the 5.00 mark... Herm Monday (12-22/5.25) had the most wins... the only decent pitchers were in the bullpen: closer Wayne Stewart (2-11/3.92/13 saves/63 G) and Skeets Dyess (2-2/3.83/2 saves/32 G)... Culpepper did have a few pretty good batsmen in 1B Eddie Beeman (.290/33 HR/102 RBI/79 R/6 SB), CF Noel Connors (.308/22 HR/80 RBI/89 R/23 SB), RF Vern Woodcock (.263/24 HR/83 R/56 R) and C Lou Fairhead (.263/23 HR/81 R/60 R)... the very small stadium helped the batters greatly and also tremendously hindered the mound corps stats... 380' in CF and 310' down the lines is a tough place to pitch in. Outlook: IPA icon or not, Culpepper needs some improvement soon in Bayview... it looks like the long pennant drought will not come to an end soon for the Vikings. Attached Images

08-13-2017, 08:42 PM	#5527
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	The hard work has been done... recapping each team's season... now for the absolute sheer joy of playing out all the playoff games to decide the IPA Pro Cup champion for 2054. It really looks like its going to be one of the better Pro Cups in the league's 54-year history. 7 of the 8 playoff teams could win... don't think the Valka Blackhawks have much of a chance... otherwise it should be a donnybrook. Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-13-2017 at 08:48 PM.

08-16-2017, 10:09 PM	#5528
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Tuesday, September 22, 2054 HOLY GRAIL BATTLE BEGINS WED September is a special time to all of the baseball fans in the Islands... 8 premier teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance go head-to-head seeking the ultimate quest -- the Holy Grail of Islandia -- the IPA Pro Cup... play begins this Wednesday afternoon all around the Islands... there will be three rounds, the Division Championship Series, League Championship Series and the IPA Pro Cup Finals... all series will be best-of-seven... the lone surviving team will be awarded the grand prize -- the IPA Pro Cup trophy. The reigning IPA crown holder Midway Wolves (107-47) will be tested in the first round by the Arlon Champions (99-55) in the Tycobbian Union... the White River Rascals (89-65) are pitted against the Turon Typhoons (104-50) in the other series. In the Ruthlandian Union the Middlefield Roosters (104-50) will engage the Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60) and last year's Pro Cup finalist, Taranto Tars (86-68), will be challenged by the Valka Blackhawks (82-72). Among this year's participants, Turon has accumulated the most Pro Cups... the Typhoons captured the trophy in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2018... next in line is Middlefield with two titles... 2005 and 20052... four of the clubs have claimed one Pro Cup... Midway won last year in 2053... Arlon in 2051... Taranto in 2015 and Wynnamac in 2008... White River and Valka have never won the overall IPA championship. Five of the postseason participants are back again this season: current IPA champ Midway and last year's finalist, Taranto, along with Turon, Middlefield and Wynnamac... White River and Arlon made the playoffs last in 2051... poor Valka hasn't appeared in the Pro Cup playoffs since 2017.

08-16-2017, 10:13 PM	#5529
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	2054 Ruthlandian Union Pro Cup Teams Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-16-2017 at 10:15 PM.

08-16-2017, 10:15 PM	#5530
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	Tycobbian Union Pro Cup Teams Attached Images

08-18-2017, 06:32 PM	#5531
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Tuesday, September 22, 2054 MIDWAY FAVORED TO WIN PRO CUP AGAIN For what it's worth, the IPA sportswriters and broadcasters have made the reigning Pro Cup champion Midway Wolves the favorite to win back-to-back crowns... in a poll conducted by The Islandian Times, Midway was chosen the most likely winner in the Pro Cup playoffs... history is not on the side of the critics' number one pick... only three times in the last decade have the baseball experts been correct... Southport in '44, Valmara in '50 and Middlefield in '52... history has shown the postseason predictions are a crap shoot most of the time... almost any team can win... the number six choice Arlon came away with the Pro Cup trophy in '51... the number five selection in '48 Rolling Hills was the champ... however the Pro Cup champion usually is one of the first four picks... this has occurred eight times in the last decade. In the poll released today, the Midway Wolves were the darlings of the baseball media, ranking first in the voting... the Wolves rampaged through the schedule this year, tying the all-time wins mark with 107, matching Colfax's magical figures in 2010... the Middlefield Roosters were the second choice of the prognosticators... the Turon Typhoons were given the third-best chance of winning it all... ranked fourth in the survey were the Wynnamac Sundowners... with good teams galore, it should be a great Pro Cup playoff season for the fans... only seventh-rated Taranto and eighth-ranked Valka don't seem to have much chance for winning the IPA title. 1. MIDWAY WOLVES (107-47) .270 BA (11th) 797 runs (5th) 177 homers (4th) 2.69 ERA (2nd) .978 FA (excellent defense) Manager Bobby Dorignac guided the Wolves to 100 wins in 2053 and then did even better this season... part of the reason was an offseason trade for superstud Norishige Ito... Midway gave Arroyo Grande three fine players for the superstar... he lifted the Wolves to another level... prior to last year Pro Cup crown, Midway has a poor postseason history in the IPA... this will only be the fifth time they qualified for the playoffs... last year was the only time the team captured a Pro Cup trophy... the Wolves lost in first-round play in '14 and '27, but they reached the Pro Cup Finals in 2022, but were beaten by the IPA champion Crystal Lake Crushers in six games. Dorignac has a marvelous club this year... his mound staff posted a terrific 2.69 ERA (2nd), topped only by Summerland with a brilliant 2.63 ERA... anchoring the starting rotation is Arnie McGill (25-7/2.20), Will Deberry (21-11/3.49), Yank Atchley (17-10/2.97), All-Star Charlie Chase (16-9/2.41) (injured) and Dookie Higgins (11-4/2.58)... Atchley was voted the Pro Cup MVP last year... he went 5-0 with a 2.41 ERA in his 5 starts. Midway is also outstanding offensively with the likes of superstar and All-Star LF Norishige Ito (.317/39 HR/124 RBI/110 R/14 SB), 3B Jamey Southwick (.286/31 HR/90 RBI/67 R), All-Star RF Daryl Vale (.326/21 HR/91 RBI/87 R/23 SB), 1B Todd Merritt (.287/22 HR/89 RBI/74 R/8 SB), SS Kax Clark (.288/12 HR/74 RBI/98 R/13 SB) and 2B Tom Goodnight (.302/11 HR/52 RBI/81 R)... plus C Ralph Worley (.258/7 HR/59 RBI/46 R/8 SB) is also an All-Star and a standout defender... however, Midway did receive a setback when ace Charlie Chase went out with an injury in August... he will probably miss the postseason this year... Chase was 2-1 in the playoffs last year with an impressive 2.02 ERA... he fired two shutouts. Pro Cup Forecast: Midway is a genuine threat to win the Pro Cup trophy again, but it will have to beat off some formidable foes like Turon, Arlon and White River in the Tycobbian Union and Middlefield, Wynnamac and perhaps last year's finalist, Taranto, in the Ruthlandian Union... the Wolves are a talented club with impressive hitting, pitching and defense. 2. Middlefield Roosters (104-50) .279 BA (5th) 933 runs (1st) 189 HR (2nd) 3.75 ERA (15th) .975 FA (good) It was another monster season for the mighty Middlefield Roosters (104-50)... they copped the Ruthlandian West Division for the sixth straight season and eighth time in the last decade... Middlefield has had super seasons the last three years, winning 106, 99 and 104 games... 18 times the Roosters have made the playoffs... twice they came home with the Pro Cup trophies... Middlefield whipped the East Point Panthers in 2052 and the Denton City Redbirds in 2005... now they have high hopes that they will add to their totals this year and bring home a third IPA crown... the Roosters also made the Pro Cup Finals in 2025 and 2047, but lost out to the South Fork Stallions and the Southport Sun Sox. Long-time skipper Ricky Tinker is still at the helm... Middlefield has a lot going for it, including four All-Stars... the Roosters possess a high-powered arsenal with All-Star CF Johnny Wyatt (.277/41 HR/131 RBI/108 R/10 SB), RF Trip Agarn (.322/36 HR/116 RBI/94 R/11 SB), All-Star SS Stan Radzikowski (.289/29 HR/100 RBI/116 R/10 SB) and RF Skyler Hanson (.318/3 HR/65 RBI/114 R/11 SB)... Middlefield has a good mound staff, too, anchored by 34-year-old All-Star James Long (24-5/2.36), 40-year-old All-Star Hollis Dale (21-10/3.97) and 33-year-old Scott Cole (12-9/3.36)... the bullpen is well-takened care of with the likes of 33-year-old Norm Coventry (9-5/2.44/16 saves/60 G) and 33-year-old Yazzy Yastrzewski (6-0/1.66/9 saves/45 G). Pro Cup Prediction: Middlefield is a very potent ball club and is one of the favorites for the Pro Cup trophy this year. 3. Turon Typhoons (104-50) .281 BA (1st) 838 runs (4th) 151 HR (12th) 3.24 ERA (4th) .971 FA (fair defense) Things are just getting better and better for the Turon Typhoons and skipper C. C. Kingsford... the Typhoons just blew past everybody in the Tycobbian South Division to take their third division crown in a row... for the last three seasons Turon has notched 96 wins, 101 wins and this year recorded 104 victories, tied for the second-best mark in the Islandian Pro Alliance with the Middlefield Roosters of the Ruthlandian West... Pro Cup champ Midway was the leader with a record-tying 107 victories... in the early years of the IPA, Turon was major factor with four Pro Cup championships... they won in 2003, 2006, 2009 and 2018... also made the Finals in '10 and '17... success has come hard since 2020 with only five postseason appearance and no Pro Cup trophies... this will be Turon's 18th Pro Cup playoffs. Turon has had a fantastic year under manager C. C. Kingsford... Kingsford has a wealth of solid batters with All-Star CF Maxie Mullinax (.331/10 HR/62 RBI/105 R/37 SB), All-Star 3B Joel Guidry (.301/24 HR/102 RBI/97 R/5 SB), All-Star Bill Wolverton (.317/13 HR/74 RBI/67 R/11 SB), 1B Shoyo Yuro (.329/26 HR/97 RBI/79 R/5 SB) and C Doyle Ashcroft (.268/19 HR/79 RBI/61 R)... Turon has a very good starting foursome in All-Star Yancey Hedges (24-10/2.56), Nate Scottsdale (24-9/2.87), Jose Beltran (19-8/3.22) and Spunky Kinchlow (10-5/3.18)... the bullpen is fairly good with Bobby Reimer (5-4/3.49/14 saves/34 G) and Dickie Parmenter (9-7/3.07/6 saves/38 G). Pro Cup Prediction: To go deep in the Pro Cup playoffs Turon will have to contend with the reigning Pro Cup champ Midway... also first-round foe White River has standout pitching... and Arlon has a well-rounded club as well... whoever survives in the Tycobbian Union will be a bonafide ballclub... the Midway Wolves will be the favorite to win it all again this year, but Turon will be in the battle, too. 4. Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60) .283 BA (2nd) 821 runs (2nd) 138 HR (9th) 3.32 ERA (4th) .977 FA (very good defense) Wynnamac skipper Jerry Meeks led them to their third consecutive RU East crown with fine pitching and strong bats... ... checking out the Wynnamac track record down through the years, the Sundowners have made the playoffs 10 times with one Pro Cup trophy... they topped the Denton City Redbirds in six games in 2008... years later in 2044 Wynnamac went seven games before losing to a very fine Southport Sun Sox club. Meeks had a very good season... his top batters were RF Charley Bristol (.321/25 HR/88 RBI/96 R), 1B Enos Benham (.346/15 HR/68 RBI/74 R), C Jethro Bibbs (.314/10 HR/67 RBI/61 R), 3B Dale Fisher (.303/6 HR/66 RBI/54 R/10 SB), CF Dickie Keys (.342/14 HR/49 RBI/53 R/8 SB), 2B Whiz Ivie (.299/7 HR/67 RBI/87 R/31 SB) and CF Wally Bonds (.302/12 HR/51 RBI/51 R/4 SB)... on the hill James Duncan (21-7/3.22) won the most games, but he had plenty of support from Simon Northcott (18-9/3.47) and Sammy Hayes (17-12/2.74)... even rookie Dion Delgiorno (11-10/3.16) pitched well... two other spot starter/relievers George Medworth (11-7/3.75/11 saves/39 G) and Garan Parula (11-12/3.87/5 saves/48 G) had some quality starts. Pro Cup Prediction: Wynnamac has solid pitching and an abundance of better-than-average bats... but the Sundowners have to get past mighty Middlefield to get to the Pro Cup... that's not easy... they have been eliminated in the first round the last two seasons... it will probably happen again... the Roosters are better than ever and one of the favorites to capture the IPA overall title. 5. Arlon Champions (99-55) .262 BA (17th) 752 runs (7th) 173 HR (5th-tied) 3.36 ERA (8th) .972 FA (average defense) This was Arlon's seventh pennant in its history... the last one came in the Pro Cup year in 2051 when the Champs topped the Waleska Westerners in five games for the IPA title... Arlon also made the Pro Cup Finals in '39, but were beaten out by the same Westerners in six games... skipper Mark Cameron has a very impressive and well-balanced club... on the hill Ty Coffee (27-9/2.72) led the entire IPA in wins and he got good help from J. C. Hilburn (17-13/2.98), Erik Branham (17-9/3.30), Dicky Towers (12-12/3.41) and long-time star Lanny Gray (14-11/4.12)... Mack Blair (6-2/2.92/20 saves/48 G) and Clyde Burney (5-1/2.55/6 saves/34 G) anchored the bullpen... the primary offense was supplied by CF Rebel Bryce (.219/37 HR/116 RBI/97 R/13 SB), 2B Art Catlin (.303/22 HR/103 RBI/88 R/8 SB), LF P. J. Flagg (.281/22 HR/73 RBI/76 R/11 SB) and Timothy Webb (.340/9 HR/39 RBI/77 R/6 SB). Pro Cup Prediction: Arlon may be a better team this year than they were in the 2051 Pro Cup season... they still have the main core of starters in Branham, Gray and Hilburn, plus the great addition of Ty Coffee, along with Dicky Towers... the offense this year is much superior to the '51 squad... there has been an impressive influx of youthful talent in the last three seasons... Bryce, Catlin, Flagg and Webb didn't join the team until 2052... manager Mark Cameron's club won 99 games this season, but they must face the current Pro Cup champion in the first round of the playoffs... Arlon may be the forgotten team in the Tycobbian Union with the likes of powerful Midway and Turon as well as the White River Rascals, but their opponents will know they have been in a series... it is highly unlikely the Arlon Champions will just roll over and play dead in the postseason playoffs... Cameron has a very good team. 6. White River Rascals (89-65) .257 BA (21st) 699 runs (15th) 128 HR (19th) 2.83 ERA (3rd) .977 FA (very good defense) Manager Marty Blake has enjoyed a lot of success in his tenure at the helm of the Rascals... after four straight pennants from '48 to '51, his club slipped slightly to third place in '52 (82-72) and in '53 (80-74) came in second, but with a worst record... this year he got his pitching straightened out and White River returned to the top of the TU North standings... this will be the Rascals' ninth postseason appearance... they still don't have a Pro Cup championship, but have been very competitive several times over the years... lost in Pro Cup Finals in '21 to the Sligo Rovers... fell to IPA champ Tuckanarra in TU Finals in '23 and '24... defeated by IPA champ Southport in '27 TU Finals... in '49 and '50 were beaten by IPA champ Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals. The current batch of Rascals have standout pitching... his top starters are 35-year-old ace Nicky Palmer (21-15/2.39), solid veteran Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) and reliable vet Glen Horton (19-12/3.26)... the other two starters also did well... both youngsters Cody Butler (6-1/2.43) and Ringo Lanier (9-7/2.74) impressed after being put into the starting rotation in the second half... the Rascals are led at the plate by star LF Pudge Tate (.296/26 HR/84 RBI/107 R/23 SB)... dependable 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.281/18 HR/71 RBI/66 R/20 SB)... and youngsters RF Jed Small (.274/17 HR/52 RBI/46 R/4 SB) and 2B Mark Gates (.288/14 HR/63 RBI/53 R/2 SB). Pro Cup Prediction: White River can compete in the Pro Cup playoffs with the big boys because of its outstanding mound staff... Midway, Turon and Middlefield beware... don't look past them... you could get burned. 7. Taranto Tars (86-68) .252 BA (30th) 718 runs (9th) 229 HR (1st) 3.61 ERA (10th) .975 FA (good defense) The Taranto Tars captured their third Ruthlandian North flag in a row with skipper Marty Blake again in charge, but it was not as great as last year when they racked up 101 wins and reached the Pro Cup Finals before losing out to champion Midway... the Tars' overall IPA history shows 7 pennants and one Pro Cup (2015)... this year manager Augie Marshall saw his pitching and batting diminish... that's why they just barely won the pennant... but Taranto can still hammer the longball and topped the IPA with 229 homers... and the Tars have good pitching with Armani Pizziconi (21-13/3.10), Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) and Freddy De Angelis (19-15/4.11)... RF Lenny Buisson (.296/40 HR), LF Kuma Toyota (.306/34 HR), C Niccolo Parisi (.241/28 HR), CF Renzo Caruso (.279/27 HR) and SS Dan Armistead (.246/22 HR) lead the offensive attack. Pro Cup Prediction: Taranto made the Pro Cup Finals last year and lost to IPA champion Midway in a four-game sweep... not likely to get that far this season... the Middlefield Roosters may be too tough for the Tars this year... not likely the Tars will whip them in the Ruthlandian Finals this season. 8. Valka Blackhawks (82-72) .263 BA (16th) 670 runs (19th) 107 HR (24th-tied) 3.65 ERA (12th) .973 FA (average defense) The long, long wait is over... after 38 long, long seasons the Valka Blackhawks have finally captured another Ruthlandian South pennant... the Blackhawks will be in the Pro Cup playoffs for the first time since 2017... the Blackhawks rose up from fifth place (75-79) and 15 games behind in '53 to win the division flag... manager Arno Vainmaa has just a so-so ballclub and not very likely to make any waves in the postseason playoffs... this is only the fifth appearance in the Pro Cup playoffs... Valka has never contended for a Pro Cup trophy... never even reached the IPA Finals... anchoring the pitching staff are Eerik Jogi (18-16/3.27), Adrian Stanhouse (19-10/3.29) and Arvi Tamm (14-18/3.65)... this year 34-year-old closer Ricky Cockburn (4-3/2.47/14 saves/35 G) had his best season... All-Star RF Mel Shadwell (.323/17 HR/86 RBI?85 R/17 SB) is Valka's most productive hitter, helped out by CF Marcos Arredondo (.252/11 HR/55 RBI/102 R/45 SB), 2B Olev Tarvas (.289/11 HR/51 RBI/82 R) and 3B Corey Belk (.289/9 HR/65 RBI/66 R/8 SB). Pro Cup Prediction: things are looking up in Valka... but in the Pro Cup playoffs, look for the Blackhawks to bite the dust early... Vainmaa just doesn't have enough hosses. Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-18-2017 at 09:10 PM.

08-20-2017, 10:16 PM	#5532
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Thursday, September 24, 2054 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1 MIDDLEFIELD MAULS WMACS IN OPENER All across the Islands, baseball is aglow everywhere... Pro Cup fever is rampant, especially in the eight playoff cities... Middlefield, one of the favorites to win the coveted Pro Cup trophy, got started on the right food and walloped Wynnamac 9-3 in the opening game of the Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series played at Middlefield Park... the hometown Roosters routed the Sundowners with a 13-hit attack and solid pitching by 34-year-old veteran star right-hander and 24-game winner, James Long... SS Stan Radzikowski led the way with three RBIs... and 2B Gil McCormick, RF Skylar Hanson and CF Johnny Wyatt added in two ribbies each... hurling a complete game, Long (1-0) checked Wynnamac on nine hits, whiffed six and walked nobody... 17-game winner Sammy Hayes (0-1) suffered the loss... he gave up five runs and five hits in just two innings... three of the scores were not earned. TARS FEATHER BLACKHAWKS IN GAME 1 Three homers and fine pitching paced Taranto to a 6-2 victory over Valka in game one of the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... LF Kuma Toyota slammed two out of the Palazzo di Sport and drove in four scores... CF Renzo Caruso chimed in with a two-run salvo... on the hill southpaw Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) took charge, tossing a complete game, allowing only six hits with three walks and four Ks... Blackhawk starter Eerik Jogi (18-16/3.27) was ripped for six runs in six-plus innings. Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1 WOLVES WIN 11-INNING THRILLER As predicted Midway and Arlon were expected to battle tooth-and-nail and that's exactly what happened in the opening game of the Tycobbian Division Championship Series... it was a classic extra-inning thriller with the reigning King of the Hill in Islandian baseball, the defending Pro Cup champion Wolves edging the Arlon Champions 2-1... a two-base throwing error by third baseman Eduardo Garaza (.945 FA) put the go-ahead run on second base... and SS Kax Clark blooped a game-winning single to right, driving in pinchhitter Kalian Bishop... starters Ty Coffee and Arnie McGill fired scoreless ball for the first seven frames... in the eighth Arlon C Riley Earnshaw sent one soaring out of Joe Wolf Stadium for a 1-0 lead, but Midway got another gift run to tie the score... Garaza committed an error putting Kax Clark on second base,.. he advanced to third on a groundout with one away and scampered in on a sacrifice fly by rookie 1B Ted Merritt... McGill (25-7/2.20) was brilliant, shutting out the Champions for seven innings on six hits... closer Jeffrey Leonard (5-4/1.89/20 saves/45 G) got the victory, tossing four fine frames, touched only by Earnshaw's roundtripper.. Coffee (27-9/2.72) stood out as well, working into the eighth and permitting only one unearned runs on six hits... reliever Mack Blair (6-2/2.92/20 saves/48 G) was the losing pitcher. TYPHOONS BLOW OUT RASCALS IN 1ST GAME At Typhoon Stadium in Turon, the favored Typhoons blew out White River 10-5 in the first game of the Tycobbian DCS, taking full advantage of 10 bases on balls issued by the Rascal staff... Turon was sparked by SS Bill Wolverton with three hits and three RBIs... RF Darrell Faust and 3B Joel Guidry also chimed in with a pair of RBIs... a seven-run third pretty much did the Rascals in... 24-game winner Yancey Hedges logged the win, working into the eighth frame, but he was tagged for 11 hits and five runs... closer Bobby Reimer 95-4/3.49/14 saves/34 G) got the final four outs... White River ace Nicky Palmer and 21-game winner took the loss, shelled for seven runs in less than two innings of work. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-23-2017 at 06:52 PM.

08-22-2017, 12:17 AM	#5533
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Friday, September 25, 2054 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 2 WMACS EVEN ROOSTERS SERIES IN SHOOTOUT Wynnamac upended favored Middlefield in game two of the RU Division Championship Series 9-6 in a shootout at Middlefleld Park... the clubs have now split the first two games... in a lackluster outing Simon Northcott (18-9/3.47) got the win, but was hit hard by the Roosters for six runs and 10 hits in seven innings... the Sundowners' offensive leaders were SS Whiz Ivie (.556), CF Dickie Key (.222) and C Jethro Bibbs (.444), all with two RBIs apiece... Key's was a two-run homer... Middlefield had many chances to get back into the fray, but stranded 13 baserunners... RF Skylar Hanson (.778) got five of the Roosters' 13 hits... losing pitcher Hollis Dale (21-10/3.97) was creamed for seven runs in just four innings. PIZZICONI FIRES 1-HITTER, TARS UP 2-0 Taranto right-hander Armani Pizzaconi (21-13/3.10) fired a brillant one-hit shutout to send his Tars up 2-0 in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian DCS... at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto, Pizziconi blanked the Valka Blackhawks 4-0, winding up with three strikeouts and just one walk... heading up the Tars' attack was 1B Rico Messina (.500) with a two-run triple and RF Lenny Buission (.571) with a solo home run... Adrian Stenhouse (19-10/3.29) lost it, yielding three runs in seven innings. Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 2 TURON GOES 2 UP ON RASCALS The Turon Typhoons trounced the White River Rascals 12-1 to win their second in a row in the Tycobbian Division Championship Series... Nate Scottsdale (24-9/2.87) was in command all the way, stopping the Rascals on just four hits, while striking out nine batters and giving up three bases on balls... Turon RF Darrell Faust (.571) had a field day with two roundtrippers and three RBIs... 2B Galen Clive (.444) also belted a home run and batted across four runs in the rout... White River starter Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) wasn't up to par... the Typhoons punished him for eight runs in only four frames. MIDWAY NIPS ARLON AGAIN Great pitching and clutch hitting prevailed again for the second straight day at Joe Wolf Stadium in Midway, where the current Pro Cup holders nipped tough Arlon 3-1... Midway had to overcome some fine pitching by Arlon starter J. C. Hilburn (17-13/2.98)... he shackled them 1-0 for the first seven innings, but the Wolves pounced on him for three scores in the bottom of the eighth... singles by SS Kax Clark (.500), RF Daryl Vale (.125) and LF Norishige Ito (.429) loaded the bases for Midway... Arlon sent in its closer Matt Blair, but he couldn't put out the fire... 1B Ted Merritt (.000) knotted it up with a deep sac fly, 3B Jamey Southwick (.500) put Midway in front 2-1 with a double and 2B Tom Goodnight (.429) completed the scoring with an RBI single... the victory went to Doogie Higgins (11-4/2.58), who tossed two runless innings in the eighth and ninth... Yank Atchley (17-10/2.97) started for the Wolves and was impressive, holding the Champs to just one run and six hits over the first seven frames... Midway had the edge in hits 12 to 8... Clark had three of them... with Ito, Southwick and C Ralph Worsley (.333) getting two each... 2B Art Catlin (.250) got Arlon's only run with a solo shot in the sixth. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-23-2017 at 06:52 PM.

08-23-2017, 06:48 PM	#5534
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Saturday, September 26, 2054 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 3 BIBBS BLAST GETS MACS BACK Underdog Wynnamac had all kinds of chances to put up runs on Middlefield for 12 innings, but they just couldn't get a key hit until the last of the 13th, when C Jethro Bibbs (.357) went yard to rally past the powerful Roosters 5-3... it was the Macs second straight victory over the favored Roosters and they now have a two games to one lead in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... Bibbs' three-run blast overcame SS Stan Radzikowski's (.500) go-ahead homer in the top of the final frame, which gave Middlefield a short-lived 3-2 lead... in game three the Macs thrived on pitching and defense... they pulled off four double plays and got fine work out of the bullpen... Middlefield was held to just six hits by four Sundowner hurlers... James Duncan (21-7/3.22) started, but was wild with eight walks in six innings, but he only allowed two runs... two relievers, George Medworth (11-7/3.75/11 saves/39 G) and Dion Delgiorno (11-10/3.16/5 saves/39 G), blanked the Roosters for the next five frames... then winning pitcher Duncan Heathershaw (1-0/2.25/2 G) finished up, but he did give up another Radzikowski four-bagger in two innings of work... Bibbs sparked Wynnamac with four RBIs and Radzikowski drove in three runs for the Roosters with his two home runs. B'HAWKS TOP TARS IN 3RD GAME The Valka Blackhawks got back into the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series with a good performance by Arvi Tamm (14-18/3.65) at Cybertel Park... he worked the first eight frames and notched the win, holding Taranto to four runs and seven hits, while walking no one and fanning six... Ricky Cockburn came on in the ninth and closed it out with a scoreless inning... the best-of-seven series now stands at 2-1 in favor of Taranto... all of the Tars runs came on four-baggers... CF Renzo Caruso (.167/3 RBI), 1B Rico Messina (400/3 RBI) and RF Lenny Buisson (.500/3 RBI) all went deep... topping the Blackhawks were 3B Corey Belk with a double, homer and three RBIs and LF Marek Matlik (.167) with two runs and two ribbles... Taranto had the advantage in hits 8-6, but Valka chalked up the victory... the defeat went to 35-year-old Mario Martinelli (5-2/4.02)... he was tagged for six runs in six innings. Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 3 TURON NEARS SWEEP, RASCALS DOWN 3-0 Powerhouse Turon is showing its muscles on the road at White River Stadium... SS Bill Wolverton (.571/8 RBI) walloped three homers and drove in five runs as the Typhoons rung up their third win in a row over White River... one more Turon victory and the Rascals' season is done... 24-year-old rookie Spunky Kinchlow (10-5/3.18) twirled an impressive complete game, stopping the Rascals on just one run and five hits... Kinchlow whiffed six batters and issued three walks... his shutout was spolied by CF Elton Belifort's (.231/1 RBI) solo home run... Rascal starter Glen Horton (19-12/3.26) suffered the loss, shelled for five runs in five innings. ARLON HANGS TOUGH WITH MIDWAY, WINS 3RD GAME After a third straight low-scoring game, underdog Arlon is hanging tough with Pro Cup favorite Midway with a tense 2-1 triumph over the reigning IPA champion at beautiful Derby Downs in Arlon... Erik Branham (17-9/3.30) stiffed the Wolves on one run and six hits, working into the ninth... after a lead-off single exited Branham, reliever Clyde Burney stepped to the mound and retired all three batters he faced and cut Midway's margin in the best-of-seven series to two games to one... C Landon Moore (.429/2 RBI) provided the victory with a two-run bomb in the last of the sixth... the Wolves narrowed it to one run in the top of the eighth on a double by RF Daryl Vale (.250), a groundout got him to third and 1B Tiim Merritt's (.000/3 RBI) deep fly to left got him in... Midway got fine pitching, too, from Will Deberry (21-11/3.49) and his relief Rocket Rhodes (7-1/2.07/8 saves/56 G)... Deberry suffered the defeat, but only permitted two runs in his six innings... Rhodes fired two shutout innings... Arlon had nine hits to six for the Wolves. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-25-2017 at 10:25 PM.

08-26-2017, 12:44 AM	#5535
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Sunday, September 27, 2054 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 4 SUNDOWNERS UP ON ROOSTERS 3-1 It's not really surprising because Wynnamac is one of teams touted to be Pro Cup quality... still it is a surprise that the Sundowners are now leading the powerful and highly-rated Middlefield Roosters three games to one in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... in the fourth game of the best-of-seven series at Granger Field in Wynnamac, the Macs took a huge step in their quest for the much-revered Pro Cup trophy by nipping Middlefield 3-2 in 10 inniings... with one away in the last of the 10th and the bases loaded SS Whiz Ivie (.400/4 RBI) flied out deep and scored C Jethro Bibbs (.421/7 RBI) from third base with the winning score... both Ivie and Bibbs had homered earlier in the contest... both clubs left a lot of runners on base... the Sundowners stranded 12 baserunners and the Roosters left 14... the Macs had a 14-11 edge in hits... Garan Parula (1-0/2.70) logged the victory in two innings of relief... he retired all six batters he faced... Norman Coventry (0-1/0.00) was pinned with the loss... the winning run was unearned... the Sundowners will try and wrap up the series tomorrow at home... Middlefield has eliminated Wynnamac in the first round of the postseason playoffs the last two years. JOGI SINKS TARS, B'HAWKS TIE SERIES 2-2 Lightly-regarded Valka got a splendid game from their top pitcher Eerik Jogi in the fourth game of the series at Cybertel Park in Valka... the underdog Blackhawks sneaked by much-favored Taranto 1-0 to even the Ruthlandian DCS at two games apiece... Jogi (1-1/3.45) outpitched the Tars' ace Phil Castle (1-1/1.59), blanking them on seven hits with four Ks and four bases on balls... Castle was quite stingy, too, limiting Valka to just three hits... the only run in the game came in the bottom of the second frame when SS Dai Morakawa (.071/1 RBI) bounced into a fielder's choice at second base with the bases loaded... the Tars failed to turn the double play... game five will be also be in Valka. Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 4 RASCALS STAVE OFF ELIMINATION IN GAME 4 Rascal rookie right-hander Ringo Lanier came up with a big win yesterday afternoon at White River Stadium... the 24-year-old Lanier tamed tough Turon 5-3 in game four to stave off elimination in the Tycobbian DCS... the Rascals survived to battle another day, but they still face an uphill fight... White River trails the highly-rated Typhoons three games to one... Lanier yielded only four hits and three runs in his eight innings... closer Ronald Doss (7-6/2.34/12 saves/33 G) cinched the game by getting the final three outs in the ninth... 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.412/5 RBI) and SS Joey Rutigliano (.231/2 RBI) both supplied two-run homers to the Rascal attack... Yarbrough batted in three runs... 2B Gaylen Clive (.313/6 RBI) tripled in two scores for the Typhoons and SS Bill Wolverton (.500/9 RBI) added his fourth roundtripper of the playoffs, but to no avail... starter and loser Jose Beltran (19-8/3.22) was socked for five runs and seven hits in just six innings of work... it's a best-of-seven affair with the fifth game slated for White River Stadium. WOLVES HOLD OFF CHAMPS, UP 3-1 For the fourth game in a row, it was another hotly-contested battle between the current Pro Cup champ Midway and upstart Arlon... the Wolves pulled out a 5-3 thriller, but they needed a super catch by CF Ernesto Diaz deep in cener field with the bases full... Diaz saved the day with a one-handed catch... Midway snapped a 2-2 tie in the sixth frame on 1B Tim Merritt's (.077) solo salvo and then added two more scores in the seventh on Diaz's (.133/1 RBI) two-bagger and an RBI base hit by SS Kax Clark (.500/2 RBI)... Arlon threatened to get back into the game by twice loading the bases in the bottom of the ninth, but closer Jeff Leonard (5-4/1.89/20 saves/45 G) cut the rally short by getting the final two outs... the last one was the toughest... Diaz had to run the third out down in deep center... Pro Cup favorite Midway will try to finish off Arlon tomorrow afternoon in game five on the road at Derby Downs. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-28-2017 at 09:15 PM.

08-29-2017, 12:25 AM	#5536
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, September 28, 2054 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 5 ROOSTERS RALLY LATE, STAY ALIVE IN 5 Middlefield was in dire straits after six innings in game five of the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series on the road at Granger Field in Wynnamac... they were down 3-1 in the series and they were down 3-1 in the game with Simon Northcott cruising along in control, but the Roosters snapped out of their slumber and tied the score 3-3 in the seventh on a clutch two-run double by 2B Rupert Forbest (.273/3 RBI)... then they really went to town in the next frame, tallying three runs off losing hurler Dion Delgiorno (0-1/5.40)... LF Trip Agarn (.227/2 RBI) put the go-ahead run on the scoreboard with a sac fly and 3B Kenny Jenkins (.308/4 RBI) delivered the coup de grace, a two-run homer... however, the Sundowners didn't give up... they loaded the bases in the ninth with only one out, but Ricky Farris doled out a double-play ball to end the game... Middlefield pulled it out 6-4 and remained alive in the best-of-seven series, but the are still down three games to two to Wynnamac... the Sundowners pretty much dominated the game with 14 hits to just seven for the Roosters, but they left 12 runners on base... starter Hollis Dale (1-1/7.59) got credit for the win, despite giving up 11 hits and four runs in seven innings... the teams will now head back to Middlefield for the rest of the series. VALKA AHEAD OF TARS AFTER 5 Not many people gave much respect to the Valka Blackhawks in the Pro Cup playoffs... they would soon be one and done in the postseason... but that's not how it is playing out thus far... the Blackhawks just won their third in a row from Taranto and they now have a three games to two edge in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian DCS... Valka polished off the Tars 6-3 in game five with solid pitching... Adrian Stenhouse (1-1/3.95) wasn't great but he was adequate... he tossed six and two-thirds innings, leaving with a 4-3 edge... Blackhawk closer Ricky Cockburn followed him and sealed the verdict with two and one-third innings of scoreless ball... Armani Pizziconi (1-1/1.80) caught the loss, allowing four runs in his six frames... Taranto totaled 10 hits to seven for Valka... six different Blackhawks drove in runs with 3B Corey Belk (.500/4 RBI) leading the attack with three hits... and RF Mel Shadwell (.200) homered for Valka... Taranto's 2B Rico Messina (.412), CF Renzo (.182) and LF Kuma Toyota (.350) collected two hits each... underdog Valka will have to win the series on the road at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto... the feisty Blackhawks need one win there... the Tars have to take both contests to survive and advance to the Ruthlandian title series. Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 5 TURON TOPS RASCALS IN 5 GAMES In the Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series Turon topped White River much easier than expected... the Typhoons trounced the Rascals 7-1 and won the series in just five games... White River's noted mound staff just didn't get the job done... but the Turon twirlers did... in a route-going performance Yancey Hedges (2-0/2.70) won for the second time, stopping the Rascals on just seven hits, struck out eight batters and walked just one... the Typhoons were sparked at the plate by 1B Shoyo Yuro (.533/4 RBI) with three hits, three runs and two RBIs... Yuro hit a two-run roundtripper in the seventh and put the game out of reach... 21-game winner Nicky Palmer (0-2) floundered for the second time in the series as Turon torched him for six runs in six-plus innings... Turon was the third choice to win the Pro Cup this year, White River was selected sixth in the Pro Cup poll... the powerful Typhoons now head to the Tycobbian title series against the victor of the Midway-Arlon series. Turon skipper C. C. Kingsford was elated with his club's first-round performance... "We not only pitched well, but we did a great job at the plate against one of the better pitching corps in the IPA... even in a seven-game series I never expected to score 38 runs... and we scored that much in five games." Marty Blake, the White River manager, said his club's only chance was its fine pitching staff... "Turon tore us up... on the mound and at the plate... totally beating us in four of the games... they never gave us a chance.". Turon outscored White River 38-13 in the series, outhitting the Rascals .269 to .213, outhomering them 9 to 5 and outpitching them with a 2.45 ERA to 5.65. MIDWAY KO'S ARLON IN 5-GAME SERIES In the fifth and deciding game of a best-of-seven affair, the mighty Midway Wolves, the current reigning king of the IPA and favorite to win back-to-back Pro Cups, had to pull out all stops to get by the plucky Arlon Champs 9-8 in a high-scoring scorcher... Midway KO'ed Arlon in five games to advance to the Tycobbian Union Championship Series, but each and every one of them was a fight to the finish... in the elimination game Arlon went down swinging and almost came away the victor, scoring three runs in the last of the ninth... they had the tying and winning runs on base with only one away when closer Jeff Leonard finally put away the Champions for the season, retiring two of Arlon top sluggers, LF P. J. Flagg and CF Rebel Bryce... after four low-scoring affairs Midway finally broke loose and put some runs on the scoreboard, walloping 18 hits with SS Kax Clark (.500/4 RBI), 1B Tim Merritt (.111/7 RBI), CF Ernesto Diaz (.211/3 RBI) and pitcher Yank Atchley (.750/2 RBI) batting in a pair of runs apiece... Arlon piled up 11 hits, led by SS Campy Campanella (.200/3 RBI) with a three-run homer and 1B Darlon Danford (.333/3 RBI) with a three-run double... each and every game was a tense duel with four of the five games decided by a single run... the fifth was a two-run decision... Midway won four games to one, but they certainly knew that they were in a series... Arlon gave them quite a tussle. Victorious manager Bobby Dorignac sighed a breath of relief to reporters after the game... "Whew!... I'm glad it's over... I can't remember a tougher playoff series... Arlon pushed us to the limit and then some... they are a whale of a ballclub." Mark Cameron, the Arlon skipper, echoed those same sentiments to the press, "We lost four close games to an extremely talented team... but not by much... a few hits, here and there, and we could be headed to the next round... of course, I'm disappointed we didn't win, but I am extremely proud of my Champions... all you can give is your all... and they did." Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 08-29-2017 at 12:27 AM.

09-01-2017, 06:49 PM	#5537
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Tuesday, September 29, 2054 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 6 MACS SMACK ROOSTERS, ADVANCE TO TU FINALS For the previous two years the Wynnamac Sundowners couldn't get past the powerful Middlefield Roosters in the first round of the Pro Cup playoffs... the third time around the Macs upset the Roosters in six games, taking the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series 4 games to 2 to advance to the RU Finals against the Taranto-Valka victor... Wynnamac smacked Middlefield 4-1 on the road in game six at Middlefield Park, riding the solid pitching of James Duncan, Duncan Heathershaw and George Medworth... Duncan (1-0/2.25) logged the win, tossing six impressive innings, stopping the Roosters on four hits and one run... Heathershaw followed him with two scoreless frames and Medworth got the save with a runless ninth... Middlefield got a good start from loser Scott Cole (0-1/2.08), who worked seven innings, yielding just two runs and four hits... C Jethro Bibbs (.379/8 RBI) put the Sundowners ahead with a solo homer in the second inning...and Rooster LF Trip Agarn (.240/3 RBI) matched it in fourth frame... two critical errors in the seventh gave the Macs the decisive run... Trip Agarn (.989 FA) muffed a flyball in left field and Bubby Cranston (.983 FA) dropped a throw at first base, allowing the go-ahead run. Middlefield was favored in the series... the Roosters were ranked second in the Pro Cup poll, expected to battle top-rated Midway for the IPA crown... but fourth-ranked Wynnamac had other ideas this year... according to manager Jerry Meeks, "We had better hitting this year... that was the key element... we outhomered Middlefield, outscored them and we outpitched them." The Sundowners hit .290 in the six games with seven homers and 28 runs... on the mound the Macs posted a 3.25 ERA... while the Roosters only batted .249 with five homers and 27 runs... the Middlefield mound staff had a 3.59 ERA. Middlefield manager told the press at the conclusion of the series, "Wynnamac always has good pitching... we got to them in the first two games, but only got a split... after that we just didn't hit well and they beat us, banging us around pretty good." TARS FORCE 7TH GAME WITH BLACKHAWKS Heavily-favored Taranto did what they do best to remain alive in the RU Division Championship Series... they hit three homers and got solid performances on the hill and came away with a 6-3 triumph over the underdog Valka Blackhawks to force a seventh and deciding game... the two clubs have split the first six games of the best-of-seven affair... CF Renzo Caruso (.231/6 RBI) homered twice and batted in three runs to pace the Tars... it was Caruso's fourth roundtripper in the series... RF Lenny Buisson (.458/4 RBI) also went deep, his third of the postseason... Freddy De Angelis (1-0/2.25) came through with a fine effort, holding Valka to two runs and five hits in six innings... De Angelis struck out three Blackhawks and walked one... closer Louie Toscano (0-0/1.00) wrapped up the game, stopping Valka on one run over the last three frames... LF Marek Matlik (.54/4 RBI) homered and drove in two runs for the Blackhawks... Arvi Tamm (1-1/5.40) was the losing hurler, going seven innings and allowing five runs on six hits... he fanned eight Tars and walked just one. The series finale will also be played at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto, scheduled for this afternoon... it will be aces high for both clubs... Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) will get the call for the Tars, while it will be Eerik Jogi (18-16/3.45) for the Blackhawks... they are both 1-1 in the postseason... Castle prevailed 6-2 in game one, but Jogi hurled a 1-0 shutout in the game four rematch. Attached Images

09-05-2017, 10:51 PM	#5538
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Wednesday, September 30, 2054 TARS RALLY PAST B'HAWKS IN 7TH GAME Favored Taranto had a tough time with lightly-regarded Valka... the Tars won the first two games, lost the next three and then escaped postseason elimination by rallying to take the final two games of the series on their homefield at the Palazzo di Sport... Taranto prevailed four games to three... game seven was an intense duel and went to Taranto 5-4, decided in the last of the seventh on a solo home run by 3B Gaetano Palombo (.241/4 RBI)... Palombo led the Tars with three RBIs... RF Lenny Buisson (.500/5 RBI) also went deep for Taranto... it was his fourth clout of the series... manager Augie Marshall got a gritty performance from his ace, Phil Castle, who gave up four runs in the second frame and then blanked the Blackhawks the rest of the way... Castle (2-1/2.42) was touched for six hits, fanned seven and walked two and went the distance, outpitching Valka's ace Eerik Jogi (1-2/3.42)... Jogi also tossed a complete game... the Tars collected nine hits... only three runs were earned. Neither team was expected to challenge for the IPA Pro Cup trophy... Taranto was ranked seventh in the Pro Cup poll, while Valka was the eighth and last choice... Taranto now advances to the Ruthlandian League Championship Series, opposed by the Wynnamac Sundowners. the conquerors of mighty Middlefield... the Macs were slight underdogs in the RU Division Series... they were the fourth pick in the postseason poll, the Roosters were the second selection... last year's Pro Cup champion Midway is rated number one with Turon ranked number three... they will go up against one another in the Tycobbian title series. Taranto reached the Pro Cup Finals last year, losing to champ Midway in a four-game sweep... the Tars used the home-run ball to get by the feisty Blackhawks... Taranto belted 11 out of the park in the series, outscored Valka 28-22, but hit only .238... Marshall praised his pitching staff, who composed a fine 2.70 ERA, holding the Blackhawks to just a .176 BA in the seven games... Marshall gave a lot of credit to starters Phil Castle (2-1/2.42), Armani Pizziconi (1-1/1.80) and Freddy DeAngelis (1-0/2.25) for keeping Valka off the scoreboard... but he also complimented his fine trio of hitters, Lenny Buisson (.500/4 HR/5 RBI), Kuma Toyota (.357/2 HR/9 RBI) and Renzo Caruso (.200/4 HR/6 RBI). Valka skipper Arno Vainmaa was proud of the way his team performed... "The Tars know they were in a series... we scrapped and scrapped and almost pulled an upset... Augie has a talented team with good pitching and good firepower... we wish him and his Tars well in the playoffs." Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 09-05-2017 at 10:54 PM.

09-08-2017, 07:40 PM	#5539
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Thursday, October 2, 2054 3 TOP TEAMS SURVIVE FIRST ROUND Three of the top four picks to win the IPA Pro Cup advanced to the second round of action in postseason play... last year's winner Midway (107-47), third-ranked Turon (104-50) and fourth-rated Wynnamac (94-60) all survived... only the second choice, the powerful Middlefield Roosters (104-50), failed to make the cut, falling to the tough and talented Wynnamac Sundowners in six games... lightly regarded and seventh-ranked Taranto (86-68) is the fourth challenger. It will be the Taranto Tars tangling with the Sundowners in Wynnamac in the Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series and the reigning IPA champion Midway Wolves hosting the dangerous Turon Typhoons in the Tycobbian Union LCS... second round action gets started tomorrow afternoon... each series will be a best-of-seven... homefield advantage goes to the club with the best season mark... Wynnamac and Midway get games one and two and if needed, games six and seven. In the Ruthlandian Union series Phil Castle (13-9/2.98) will start for Taranto and Sammy Hayes (17-12/2.74) will get the call for Wynnamac... Castle is 2-1 in the playoffs with a 2.42 ERA, while Hayes was 0-1 in two starts with a 3.38 ERA... two 20-game winners will go to the hill in the Tycobbian Union... Midway will start Arnie McGill (25-7/2.20) and Turon will go with Yancey Hedges (24-10/2.56)... in the first round McGill was 1-0 in two starts with a 1.76 ERA... Hedges went 2-0 with a 2.70 ERA. Ruthlandian Union Wynnamac Team Stats: (94-60) .283 BA 138 HR 821 runs 3.32 ERA .977 FA Taranto Team Stats: (86-68) .252 BA 229 HR 718 runs 3.61 ERA .975 FA Even though Taranto was a Pro Cup finalist last year, falling to Midway in a four-game sweep, they are underdogs to Wynnamac this season... the Macs were very impressive in disposing of mighty Middlefield... the Sundowners always have solid pitching, but this year Wynnamac has improved hitting, too... that's the difference. Outlook: Wynnamac in six games... Taranto has good pitching, but lacks offense... the Sundowners have both... the Tars only hope is the home-run ball... they led the IPA with 229 roundtrippers... most of the time, it's a home run or nothing for Taranto... that's how the Tars topped Valka in the first round... but they hit a poor .238 against a so-so Blackhawk staff... 11 homers sparked them... Wynnamac has a much better pitching staff... the Sundowners are a tad better defensively with a .977 FA to .975 for the Tars. Tycobbian Union Get ready for some serious baseball in the Tycobbian title series... Midway won an electrifying, record-tying 107 games this season and Turon totaled a terrific 104 triumphs... it's a matchup made in Heaven... the Wolves had a tough time with the underrated and number-five pick Arlon Champions... Midway won four of the five games, but it wasn't easy... each game was a close and hotly-contested encounter with outstanding pitching... Turon raced past the White River Rascals in five games, routing them handily in the four victories. Midway Team Stats: (107-47) .270 BA 177 HR 769 runs 2.69 ERA .978 FA Turon Team Stats: (104-50) .281 BA 151 HR 838 runs 3.24 ERA .971 FA Outlook: Midway has magnificent pitching, fine defense and a good offense, but they are playing a talented team in Turon... it should be a whale of a series... and go to the full seven games... to win back-to-back Pro Cup trophies, the Wolves will have to go through Turon and probably Wynnamac... neither of which is an easy task... but it looks like Midway will do it... they will edge the Typhoons in a tense seven games and whip Wynnamac in six for their second straight IPA Pro Cup crown. Last edited by Eugene Church; 09-08-2017 at 07:59 PM.

09-09-2017, 07:44 PM	#5540
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,673 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Saturday, October 3, 2054 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 1 HAYES HALTS TARS, MACS TAKE OPENER The Ruthlandian LCS opener at Granger Field in Wynnamac was a splendid duel between the Macs' Sammy Hayes and the Tars' Phil Castle... Hayes (1-1/1.59) fired a 2-0 shutout and gave the Sundowners a leg up in the RU title series... the 34-year-old portsider held Taranto to just five hits, while striking out six Tars and walking only one... Castle (2-2/2.53) was sharp, too, giving up only two runs in his six innings... the Taranto bats never had a chance against Hayes... Wynnamac got its first run in the second frame on a sacrifice fly by 3B Todd Bretton (.222//1 RBI) and the last one in the fourth on an RBI single by 2B Jonathan Garrett (.600/1 RBI). Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 1 MIDWAY'S MCGILL QUIETS TURON IN GAME 1 In the Tycobbian Union title series at Joe Wolf Stadium in Midway, the hometown Wolves and IPA champion drew first blood in the first game of the best-of-seven affair... 25-game winner Arnie McGill (2-0/1.64) was erratic, but hurled Midway to a 5-1 victory, stopping Turon on one run and five hits over the first six and two-thirds innings... McGill wore himself out on a rain-delayed afternoon, walking six Typhoons... closer Jeffrey Leonard (1-0/1.17/3 saves/4 G) came to his rescue and got the final five outs... 24-game winner Yancey Hedges (2-1/3.13) suffered the loss... it just wasn't his day... Midway smacked him for four runs and six hits in his six-plus innings... CF Ernesto Diaz (.261/5 RBI) homered and doubled to drive in two runs for the Wolves... 3B Jamey Southwick (.429/3 RBI) also swatted one out of the park... leading Turon was CF Max Mullinax (.217) with three hits: a double, triple and homer... Midway captured the Islands' Pro Cup trophy last season, topping the Taranto Tars in a four-game sweep... the Wolves are favored to take the IPA title again. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 09-09-2017 at 07:48 PM.