ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

TU TITLE SERIES GOES FULL 5 GAMES... MCDADE WINS "MUST WIN" GAME FOR RED SOX
Angus McDade came through again in a critical game for the Red Bluff Red Sox... he derailed the Pro Cup favorite Turon Typhoons at least for a little while with a 3-2 victory in the fourth game of the series to force a 5th-and-deciding game for the Tycobbian Union title and a spot in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series against the Ruthlandian champion Stoner Silver Sox.

IPA Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

Stoner is really going well... they are hitting a remarkable .354 as a team in 8 games with 51 runs... over 6 runs a game... plus they are getting solid pitching with a 2.79 ERA in 71 innings... only allowed 2 home runs.

Not even Rolling Hills had numbers like this.

One negative tidbit... the Silver Sox have given up 11 unearned runs... yep, that's a lot.

[Dark Horse]

Typhoons - Red Sox game five... this is so IPA playoffs.

[jg2977]

I'm actually rooting for the Red Sox so that we get a Red Sox vs. Silver Sox Pro Cup!

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by jg2977

I'm actually rooting for the Red Sox so that we get a Red Sox vs. Silver Sox Pro Cup!

Me, too.

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, October 15, 2072

TURON TAMES RED BLUFF WITH LATE RALLY IN 5TH AND FINAL GAME... TYPHOONS WIN TU TITLE, PLAYS STONER FOR PRO CUP
5 games of intense play decided the Tycobbian Union title... and some way, some how, the Pro Cup favorite Turon Typhoons pulled it out with a last-ditch rally to beat the spunky and determined Red Bluff Red Sox... now Turon goes from the frying pan into the fire to take on the high-spirited, high-flying, hard-hitting and high-scoring Stoner Silver Sox for the overall IPA championship - the vaunted Pro Cup Trophy... games one and two are slated for Nonnac Stadium in Stoner... game five will also be there, if needed... the 2072 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series begins this coming Wednesday afternoon.

IPA Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 18, 2072

CAN SIZZLING STONER SUBDUE PRO CUP-FAVORED TURON?... IPA PRO CUP SERIES STARTS TOMORROW IN STONER
The burning question on everyone's mind in the Islands is whether or not the hottest team in the Islandian Pro Alliance can take care of the Pro Cup favorite?... based on performance so far in the playoffs, all of the famed Islandian pundits, second guessers and Monday morning quarterbacks, renowned prognosticators like jg2977, Dark Horse and CD, are choosing the red-hot Stoner Silver Sox to capture the revered relic - the IPA Pro Cup Trophy... personally, I'm waiting to hear what Red Auerbach and the Fat Lady have to say about this fabled subject.

The answer to this incendiary question will begin to unfold this Wednesday afternoon at Nonnac Park in Stoner in the first game of the best-of-five Pro Cup Series.

Do I want to get aboard of the crowded Stoner bandwagon?... 'twould be an easy thing to do... the Silver Sox have hit an unworldly .354 in the playoffs, scored 51 runs in 8 games and their so-called so-so pitching staff has put up a very impressive 2.79 ERA... those hard-to-believe numbers speak for themselves.

However, I will pose a thought... maybe a thought or two or three... (where is the astute careforameatball when you need him?)... Turon has been a Pro Cup finalists the last two years... they were edged out in tight Pro Cup Series by Wynnamac in '70 and Belair Beach in '71... the Typhoons have something going for them... good starting pitching with Skippy Mulroy (12-7/3.42 ERA) and Ivan Malek (16-5/3.29 ERA)... and occasionally from Cookie Culpepper (16-3/2.73 ERA)... however, Culpepper has not done well in the postseason... he was great in the regular season, but only 1-2 with a 5.29 ERA in 3 starts in the playoffs... we have lost faith in him... yet the bullpen with Billy Pearl (8-12/3.62 ERA) and Sherm Weatherford (7-13/4.30 ERA) has done well in the postseason... the Typhoons don't hit like the Silver Sox, but they are productive throughout the batting order... Corky Apple (.324/20 HR/106 RBI), Robert Newell (.299/18 HR/82 RBI), Freddie Civik (.313/12 HR/87 RBI), Joe Dan Goldsmith (.311/12 HR/74 RBI) and Mitch Geoghegan (.315/0 HR/70 RBI) are pretty good threats... longtime star outfielder Maxie Mullinax is back with the club... at age 41, he missed the last month with a bad back... however, first baseman Oscar Finch is out with a bad knee and will miss the Pro Cup Series... Finch is Turon's top batter in the playoffs with a .432 BA (16-37) and a first-class gloveman... highly-touted rookie Lorenzo Benitez will fill his spot in the lineup.

And just what has little ole Stoner got going for themselves?... just look at the batting averages for the playoffs so far: Billy Burbank (.553), Dwight Paulson (.444), Tony Thacker (.400), Koy Magruder (.394), Brayden Earwood (.353) and Lenny Clements (.314)... yep, 'nuff said... the Silver Sox can certainly hammer the old horsehide all over ye olde ballparks.

2072 IPA Pro Cup Series Outlook:
It will come down to Mulroy and Malek... if they can win three games between them, Turon has a chance... however, that's a tall order... one part of me says Stoner is just too much of an offensive juggernaut, but way down deep, I sense that Turon is always better than I think... Mulroy and Mullinax, money ballplayers, will lead the Typhoons to their 5th Pro Cup Trophy... the Silver Sox are bound to cool off at the plate and on the scoreboard and will have to wait until "that proverbial next year" for their first Pro Cup.

Cool, calm and talented Turon in 5 games over red-hot Stoner... the time has come for the Typhoons to win another Pro Cup Trophy... my gosh, it's been 54 years since they last won it... way, way, way back in 1918... the year of EC's birth... just kidding... EC is nowhere near that age.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, October 20, 2072

FAVORED TURON TOPS HOT STONER IN IPA PRO CUP OPENER
Pro Cup favorite Turon put it all together in the first game of the IPA Pro Cup Series for a 5-1 victory... on the road the Typhoons combined good pitching, good hitting and good defense to cool off the sizzling Stoner Silver Sox.

IPA Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

Friday, October 21, 2072

STONER WINS THRILLER TO EVEN IPA PRO CUP SERIES AT ONE GAME APIECE, SERIES HEADS TO TURON FOR GAMES 3 AND 4
Game 2 of the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series was an intense engagement with Stoner coming dangerously close to dropping the first two games of the best-of-five series to the Turon Typhoons... but the Silver Sox rose to the occasion and pulled it out with a 4-3 comeback victory.

The Pro Cup Series will now change venues and head to Turon for the next two clashes.

IPA Pro Cup Series - Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, October 22, 2072

TURON'S PEARL TOSSES GEM IN GAME 3 OF IPA PRO CUP SERIES... TYPHOONS TAKE 2-1 LEAD OVER STONER SILVER SOX
Billy Pearl has been a solid and reliable starter for the Turon Typhoons in his 6 years with the club... the 27-year-old right-hander has prospered with an overall 66-47 mark and a 3.57 ERA... he got the starting assignment in pivotal game 3 of the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series and rose to the occasion... Pearl defeated the Stoner Stars 7-4 to give Turon a 2-1 margin in the best-of-five series.

2072 IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, October 24, 2072

AFTER A LAPSE OF 54 YEARS TURON WINS 5TH IPA PRO CUP TROPHY... TYPHOONS TOP STONER SILVER SOX IN 4 GAMES
At last, Turon has won its 5th Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy... it took them 54 long, frustrating seasons to do it, but the Typhoons finally did it... they defeated one of the best offensive clubs in the IPA, the Stoner Silver Sox... Turon took the overall IPA crown by defeating Silver Sox 3 games to one in the best-of-five Pro Cup Series on the road at Nonnoc Stadium in Stoner game 4 went to the Typhoons 5-2.

IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 25, 2072

TURON TWIRLER MULROY TAKES IPA POSTSEASON MVP TROPHY
No doubt about it... when it comes to most valuable players there is no one on this year's Pro Cup champion Turon Typhoons more valuable than Skippy Mulroy... the 30-year-old southpaw is also the 2072 Islandian Pro Alliance Postseason Most Valuable Player... giving evidence that top-notch pitching is crucial and very important in the Pro Cup playoffs, the Islandian Baseball Sportswriters and Broadcasters bestowed that honor on Mulroy in a decisive and one-sided vote... the talented Turon twirler outpolled a bunch of standout Stoner batsmen for the award... the MVP runner-up was left fielder Billy Burbank, followed by first baseman Dwight Paulson and center fielder Lenny Clements.

Mulroy, this year's IPA Postseason MVP, started 6 games against the best teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance and stood above his peers with a 4-0 record in 44 innings with 30 strikeouts and 8 walks... Mulroy compiled a strong 1.80 ERA and held the hitters to a .229 BA... he is a big-game pitcher and has been for several years... overall in the postseason Mulroy has excelled with a 9-2 mark in 15 starts over the past three postseasons with a superb 2.45 ERA in 110 innings... career-wise in 4 seasons with the Typhoons Mulroy has fashioned a 64-22 record with a 2.77 ERA.

The Stoner Silver Sox tried their best and almost hit their way to the IPA title, led by Burbank, Paulson and Clements and several others... you have to give credit to the Turon mound corps for cooling them off and slowing them down in the Pro Cup Series... left fielder Billy Burbank really sizzled at the plate in the postseason with 29 hits in 55 at-bats, batting .527 in 12 games with 12 runs scored and 3 RBIs... second in the Postseason MVP poll was first sacker Dwight Paulson... he batted a lofty .404 with 21 hits in 52 plate appearances with 2 homers and 13 RBIs... he scored 8 runs and stole 2 bases... third in the balloting was center fielder Lenny Clements, who batted .321, going 17 for 53 with 12 runs scored, 6 RBIs and 5 stolen bases.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, October 26, 2072

BEST DEFENDERS IN ISLANDIAN BASEBALL HONORED
The Islandian Pro Alliance gave tribute to the talented defenders that roam far and wide to make the plays that many times can determine the outcome of a baseball game... the Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union announced the 2072 Golden Glove teams... there were 5 repeat winners this season... pitcher Tuffy Hatfield of Sugar Valley and third baseman Oskar Hoffmeier of Valka picked up their second Golden Glove trophies for the Ruthlandian Union, while first baseman Sasha Osinski of the Southport was honored for the 4th time in his career, catcher Tory Akins of Rolling Hills for the 3rd time and left fielder Corky Apple of Turon was acclaimed for the 2nd time.

2072 Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Team:


2072 Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Team:

[Eugene Church]

Multi-year Golden Glove Winners

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, October 27, 2072

TOP IPA ROOKIE PERFORMERS HONORED IN THE RU AND TU
The premier rookies in the Islandian Pro Alliance for the year 2072 were honored by the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union... this year's best newcomers were Waleska center fielder Wesley Rountree and Arroyo Grande second baseman Tony Langhorne.

It wasn't a stroke of luck that got Rountree the 2072 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award, it was his skill on the field... the gifted 26-year-old outfielder batted .295 this season, playing in 150 games and delivering 176 hits in 597 at-bats... his totals included 6 homers, 81 RBIs, 91 runs scored and 56 stolen bases... Rountree could also cover the ground in the outfield, too, with a .979 FA, 12 assists and 451 putouts.

The standout rookie performance in the Tycobbian Union was 27-year-old Tony Langhorne... he put up some good numbers in his debut season in the Islandian Pro Alliance for the Arroyo Grande Suns... Langhorne hit .281 in 136 games with 140 hits in 499 at-bats... he had 9 roundtrippers, 47 RBIs, 63 runs and stole 16 bases... Langhorne was a solid defender with a .971 FA and 396 assists.

Rountree beat out two very capable freshman for the RU Rookie of the Year trophy... Darrin Chitwood of the Cold Creek Raccoons finished second in the voting, while Sherm Boswell of the Stoner Silver Sox wound up in third place... Chitwood is a 25-year-old catcher... in 122 games Chitwood posted a .328 BA with 9 homers, 59 RBIs, 71 runs and 20 stolen bases... Boswell compiled a 10-6 mark on the mound with a 3.51 ERA in 25 starting assignments... Boswell is 28 years old.

Langhorne got the best of two of his freshmen peers... Hartsdale backstop Lonnie Mack came in second in the top rookie balloting... Mack, age 25, played in 83 games and registered a .302 BA with 3 homers, 41 ribbies, 35 runs and 1 stolen base... Kenwood second sacker John Bircher was third in the Tycobbian rookie poll... Bircher hit .313 in 95 games with 3 home runs, 35 RBIs, 31 runs and 3 stolen bases... rookie talent in the IPA was not very good... very few rookies made much of an impact this season... overall talent was very sparse.

2072 Ruthlandian Union Best Rookies

[Eugene Church]

2072 Tycobbian Union Top Rookies