ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

8th Place: Belair Beach Sunbirds (62-92) (32 GB)
Last Pennant: 2047
Pro Cups: None

It's been 17 years since the Sunbirds had a winning season... '48 was the last time... only appeared in the postseason playoffs on 8 occasions... never won a Pro Cup trophy... have a losing record overall in the IPA... Belair Beach has been mired near the bottom of the RU South for the last three seasons... in the cellar the last two... the Sunbirds hit for average pretty well with no home-run power, therefore they don't put a lot of runs on the scoreboard... plus pitching is pathetic and pitiful... it's gonna take a long, long time for Belair Beach to right the ship... it's stuck in sinking sand right now.

[Eugene Church]

Around the Ruthlandian East Division

2065 Ruthlandian East Final Standings


1st Place: Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60)
Last Pennant: 2064
Pro Cups: 2 (2008, 2055)

Easy season for the Macs this year in the Ruthlandian East... they led from the git-go in April, jumped way ahead by 10-11 games in June and July, but cooled down in August and September and won by 7 games over Sugar Valley... Marston came in third, trailing by 11 and Cold Creek finished in the fourth spot, 12 games off the pace.

The Sundowners won the RU East for the second straight season and 6th time in the last 8 years... Wynnamac is a solid, good all-around club... they can hit, score runs, go deep, have fine starting rotation, good bullpen and they play excellent defense... no wonder they do well year-after-year in the regular season... the Sundowners will have a tough time in the postseason playoffs... they depend on 2-3 stars in the batting order... they don't seem to have enough solid bats to get by pitching powers like Claxton and LaGrange... Wynnamac will have to play one of them for the Ruthlandian Union title... their first round opponent is the offensive-minded Colfax Black Sox... the Macs might get past Colfax in the first round, but don't seem to have the talent to go deeper in the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

2nd Place: Sugar Valley Rattlers (87-67) (7 GB)
Last Pennant: 2051
Pro Cups: 1 (2045)

The Rattlers are one of the better franchises in IPA history with 18 postseason appearances and one of the best won-loss percentage (.536)... they ran good races the last two seasons and are on the upgrade... Sugar Valley has a good staff, but can't match Wynnamac at the plate... that's the difference... the Rattlers didn't get it going until July... April, May and June they were just a .500 team and 12 games behind Wynnamac... then they took off and had a strong second half, but they were too far behind the Macs to catch them and fell 7 game short.

[Eugene Church]

3rd Place: Marston Nine (83-71) (11 GB)
Last Pennant: 2059
Pro Cups: None

The Marston Nine topped the Ruthlandian Union with a robust .292 batting average, but they had no home-run power... only 73 roundtrippers this year... but the pitching was solid... however, the Nine don't play good defense... consequently, they did not play well the first couple of months and had a losing record, then Marston kicked it in gear and played well the rest of the way, but like Sugar Valley, they had too much ground to make up to get back inTO serious pennant contention... a couple of heavy-hitting sluggers could make serious contenders out of the Marston Nine... overall in its history Marston has been a decent ballclub, but they have never won a Pro Cup or even gone deep into the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

4th Place: Cold Creek Raccoons (82-72) (12 GB)
Last Pennant: 2041
Pro Cups: None

Cold Creek has just been an average franchise down through the years in the IPA... only 8 appearances in the playoffs with no Pro Cups... it's been a 25-year drought as far as winning the RU East... 2041 was the last year... the Raccoons have done fairly well the last four years, but have been stuck in fourth place... there are no great sticks in the batting order... not a lot of power... just average on the hill and defense... Cold Creek began to click in August, going 31-20 the final two months of the season... the Raccoons are looking for a serious run at the pennant in 2066.

[Eugene Church]

5th Place: Elnora Clippers (77-77) (17 GB)
Last Pennant: 2063
Pro Cups: 1 (2033)

Elnora has a fairly good IPA history with 12 postseason appearances and one Pro Cup... they have played well in recent seasons... however, this was a disappointing year for Clippers... they won the RU East in '62 and '63 and played well in the playoffs both years... they went into a slight decline in '64 and fell to third place, but they were still a pennant contender, 8 GB... not so this year... lousy pitching was the culprit... the Clippers can still hit and put runs on the scoreboard with good power, but they finished the year just a .500 club... for Elnora to get back into pennant contention, they have to get much better pitching.

[Eugene Church]

6th Place: Eastshore Cotton Kings (76-78) (18 GB)
Last Pennant: 2056
Pro Cups: 2 (2016, 2017)

Overall Elnora has not been a successful IPA franchise... only made 8 postseason appearances, but they have won 2 Pro Cups... did it years ago in back-to-back seasons... the Cotton Kings have not been in high cotton since... '61 was the last good season (3rd place)... they had a terrible year in '62 (8th place), but have somewhat rebounded and turned it around... this year Eastshore almost had a winning season... they can make contact and score fairly well in spite of the lack of firepower... only 96 homers... however, the pitching is pretty bad... especially the starters... defense is also mediocre at best... the Cotton Kings began the season well... heading into June they were 33-19 and just a couple of games behind leading Wynnamac (36-17)... but they went into a tailspin and dropped completely out of the pennant chase... the Cotton Kings posted losing marks in the next three months and fell to the wayside... improved pitching could get Eastshore back in contention.

[Eugene Church]

7th Place: Belle Plaine Musketeers (61-93) (33 GB)
Last Pennant: 2009
Pro Cups: None

You might say the Musketeers are just about the absolute worst franchise in the IPA... they ranked 59th in won-lost percentage at .470 (4637-5219)... only one time have the Muskies managed to make the playoffs... about a century ago in 2009... no Pro Cups... and no winning record since 2055... no better than 6th in the last decade... wound up 7th for the last three seasons... Belle Plaine can make contact (.271 BA), but doesn't score much... lack of longball power... only 93 home runs... couple that with second-rate pitching and just average defense and you wind up near the bottom of the division... sho 'nuff 7th place again.

[Eugene Church]

8th Place: Beechwood Jackrabbits (56-98) (38 GB)
Last Pennant: 2027
Pro Cups: None

Beechwood is another awful franchise... no Pro Cups ever... just 3 playoff appearances... no pennant for over 4 decades... no winning season for 20 straight years... 8th place this year... you name it and the Jackrabbits don't have it... no pitching, no offense, no defense... however, they do hit for a little power (135 HR).

[Eugene Church]

Deleted.

[Eugene Church]

Around the Ruthlandian West Division

2065 Ruthlandian West Final Standings


1st Place: Colfax Black Sox (92-62)
Last Pennant: 2063
Pro Cups: 1 (2010)

It was a great comeback season for the Black Sox... they were picked in the preseason to finish near the bottom, seventh place... instead, they captured their second Ruthlandian West in the last three years... Colfax fought Sligo, Fort Benton and Middlefield most of the season... running third most of the time... however, they went 19-4 in September and blew everybody out of the saddle and won the division flag by 7 games... the Black Sox had a great season in '63, losing out in the Pro Cup Finals to IPA overall champion Hartsdale in 6 games... is Colfax back and ready for another run for the Pro Cup trophy?... maybe... historically, Colfax has made 14 postseason appearances and won one Pro Cup.

This year's edition of the the Black Sox may be better than the '63 club... they have more a little more offense in the lineup... Colfax has some top guns this year (.279 BA)... they topped the Ruthlandian Union in scoring (780 runs) and were second in homers (173)... the Black Sox have three solid starters, but possess a mediocre bullpen... and they are good with the gloves (.979 FA)... the big question is can Colfax win the Pro Cup with just its bats?

[Eugene Church]

2nd Place: Sligo Rovers (85-69) (7 GB)
Last Pennant: 2064
Pro Cups: 1 (2021)

Should one feel sorry for the Sligo Rovers, the eternal bridesmaid in IPA history?... 10 times in the last 13 seasons the Rovers have come in second... the other three times they were the Ruthlandian West champion... naw, ain't gonna feel bad for such a good ballclub... there is no shame in coming in second... Sligo won it last year and looks like they would go back-to-back and repeat this year... they led the tight RU West in May, June, ranked a razor-thin second in July and August to Middlefield, then took the top spot again in September, only to be outdone by a red-hot Colfax team by season's end... the Rovers have very good pitching, starting rotation and bullpen, but they don't score a lot of runs... however, the lineup is dependable from one to eight in the batting order... not great, but reliable contact hitters, combined with a little bit of power... defense is solid with a .979 FA... all Sligo needs to be a perennial Pro Cup challenger is a couple of respectable longball hitters... that would do it... actually, one might do it... till then, the Rovers will have to be happy to be a bridesmaid... and occasionally, a beautiful bride in the RU West.

[Eugene Church]

3rd Place: Fort Benton Defenders (83-71) (9 GB)
Last Pennant: 2057
Pro Cups: None

It was going to be a good year for the perennial also-ran Defenders... Fort Benton has made the postseason playoffs only two times in its history... they have posted one of the worst won-lost record in IPA history (.469), but they were second in '64... things were looking good... in '65 the baseball critics picked them to wind up a close third, expecting them to make a good run for the RU West title and they did... they stayed close to the leaders until September, when Colfax (19-4) put them all away with a great month of baseball... Fort Benton has some rock-solid contact hitters (.279 BA) that can put runs on the scoreboard, despite the lack of home-run power... the Defenders also have a fine starting rotation, but not much in the bullpen... another negative and shortcoming is the defense is subpar (.976 FA)... a good closer and a good longball hitter would do wonders in Fort Benton.

[Eugene Church]

4th Place: Middlefield Roosters (77-77) (15 GB)
Last Pennant: 2056
Pro Cups: 3 (2005, 2052, 2056)

The Roosters have had much success in the IPA with 20 postseason playoff appearances and 3 Pro Cup trophies... but little success in the last six seasons... Middlefield was not forecast to have a good year, picked to wind up 6th in the Ruthlandian West... but, much to the experts' surprise, the Roosters played well until late in the summer, then tanked... they had the league lead on the first of July and August, then Middlefield stumbled badly the rest of the season and ended up a very distant fourth in the standings, 15 games behind... the '65 club could hit (.264 BA), score runs (700) and crack homers out of the park (174 HR)... the starting pitching was fine, but the bullpen was dismal... and the defense was horrible (.973 FA)... a good closer is just what the doctor ordered for the Roosters... might make them a contender next year.

[Eugene Church]

5th Place: Volusia Vigilantes (74-80) (18 GB)
Last Pennant: 2062
Pro Cups: 1 (2001)

The press and broadcasters liked the Vigilantes' chances this season... Volusia won the pennant in '61 and '62 and almost won the Pro Cup both years, losing in 6 games to Oxford and in 7 games to Rolling Hills, both powerhouses... they were picked second to the Stoner Silver Sox in the Ruthlandian West this season... but, in neither case, did it happen... both teams flopped badly... the V's just didn't have any pitching this year... they still hit and scored well, but couldn't get anybody out... as usual, Volusia did not hit a lot of homers (94)... and the defense was average (.978 FA)... the Vigilantes played poorly to midseason (32-47), but did fairly well the rest of the year (40-33), but it was way to late.

[Eugene Church]

6th Place: Rocky Rapids Snappers (73-81) (19 GB)
Last Pennant: 2046
Pro Cups: 2019

Not a lot of success postseason-wise for the Snappers... only 6 playoff appearances in the club's history... but they do have one Pro Cup trophy... and their overall won-loss record is fairly good at .506... until this year, Rocky Rapids had finished 3rd or 4th in the standings the previous six seasons... picked for fifth place in the preseason poll, the Snappers came in sixth... they hit well for average (.268 BA), are average in scoring runs (646) and hitting homers (126) with average pitching (3.87 ERA)... but the Snappers are solid defenders (.980 FA)... overall Rocky Rapids is just a second-rate team.

[Eugene Church]

7th Place: Stoner Silver Sox (68-86) (24 GB)
Last Pennant: 2029
Pro Cups: None

The Silver Sox (nee Stars) have not had a lot of success in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only 3 playoff appearances and no Pro Cup trophies... it's been almost 50 years since the Sox won a pennant... the last good seasons were in '56 (81-73) and '62 (82-72)... the last three years Stoner came in 6th, 7th and 7th... however, optimism was rampant for '65... the Silver Sox were the preseason favorite in the Ruthlandian West... but the pitching let them down (4.05 ERA)... it was forecast to be much better... as far as the rest of the team... they were average hitters (.266 BA), not a lot of punch... just 100 home runs... and the Sox didn't score a lot of runs (636)... but they had good fielders (.979 FA)... overall Stoner is not a very good baseball team.

[Eugene Church]

8th Place: Forest City Firebirds (64-90) (28 GB)
Last Pennant: 2048
Pro Cups: None

The Firebirds (nee Lumberjacks) are a poor franchise in the IPA... only 5 postseason playoff appearances and no Pro Cups in its history... 8 years have past since the last winning season in '57 (78-76)... 5 of the last 6 years Forest City has come in dead last in the Ruthlandian West... the offense is fairly good (.264 BA) with pretty good power (141 HR) and average scoring (643 runs)... pitching is lackluster and mediocre (4.17 ERA)... and the defense is just plain bad (.975 FA)... the Firebirds need a lot of improvement to get up with the contenders in the RU West.

[Eugene Church]

Around the Tycobbian North Division

2065 Tycobbian North Final Standings


1st Place: Hartsdale Hellcats (87-67)
Last Pennant: 2063
Pro Cups: 2 (2046, 2063)

The up-and-down Hartsdale Hellcats are up again... happy days are here again in Hartsdale... they were sixth in '62, in a shocker won the Pro Cup in '63... then they slumped below .500 and dipped to 5th place in '64... now the Hellcats are back atop the Tycobbian North... Hartsdale was picked for the middle-of-the-pack in the preseason poll (4th place)... they started slowly (24-27) and did poorly in April and May, trailing White River, Luxora, Blue Lake, Oxford and Mahaska in the standings... then went on torrid winning spree in June and July with a 36-16 mark and took charge of the TU North... everybody except the Oxford Red Caps dropped out of the race... and Hartsdale managed to hold the Oxonians off down the stretch and won the pennant by 4 games... this will be the Hellcats' 11th postseason appearance.

This year's edition is much like the 2063 Pro Cup champion... will it be deja vu all over again?... Hartsdale hits well with a .273 BA, scores well with 730 runs and had good power with 137 homers... pitching is pretty much average with a 3.71 ERA... defense is just average with a .977 FA... nobody expects the Hellcats to whip the Tycobbian powers, Rolling Hills, Tuckanarra and Southport, or even to get a chance to knock off the Ruthlandian division champs, LaGrange, Claxton (current Pro Cup champ), Wynnamac and Colfax... will the impossible dream of another Pro Cup trophy be on the Hartsdale horizon?... highly unlikely, but that's what they said two years ago.

[Eugene Church]

2nd Place: Oxford Red Caps (83-71) (4 GB)
Last Pennant: 2064
Pro Cups: 2 (2007, 2061)

The Red Caps are the dominant power in the Tycobbian North for the past 14 seasons... during that time they have piled up 8 division crowns and also captured the 2061 Pro Cup... even when they lose in the pennant race, Oxford almost always is within a few games of first place... the only exception was 10 games out in third place in 2054... the Red Caps have good firepower with 152 homers, score well with 697 runs, hit for a good average (.265 BA)... and have pretty fair pitching with a 3.86 ERA and standout defense (.982 FA)... the Red Caps still have superstars Buddy Blackford and Showboat Lynn in their lineup... and they are still going strong, along with two fine pitchers, Rico Alessi and Pat McFarlane... only McFarland (35) is up in age... these guys keep Oxford in the race year-after-year.