EC's South Island League

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 1955
EC's Tryin' To Survive in '55

It's early June... school is out... EC has completed the 9th grade at Barton Academy... grades were mostly A's and B's... got C's in algebra... I made the huge mistake of not studying algebra and doing the homework... this would haunt me well into college... the lack of a good foundation in algebra.

I don't remember a lot about the kids at Barton Academy or the teachers... it was a lost year for EC... I didn't get involved... the only friends I had were the guys I played basketball with in the Mobile Recreation League and the Mobile YMCA... I didn't socialize with them off the court, just played ball with them... we didn't win the Rec League title this season... my Baltimore Knicks came in second to the Toulminville Tigers, who had Harvey Creighton, Calvin Clay and Bert Miller, some very talented ballplayers... we had a 13-point lead with 4 minutes to go in the third quarter... we were playing really well and were in control, but we got too cautious and tried to slow the game down and use up the time... big mistake... they slowly got back into the game and tied the score... they won on a last minute shot by Billy Crow... he hit a jumper from the top of the key as time ran out... probably the worst loss I ever suffered in all of my playing days... it was our only loss of the season in the Rec League... we were unbeaten and the champions at the Mobile YMCA league... the only time we lost was when we went out of town to other YMCA tournaments in places like Columbus, Mississippi and Pensacola, Florida... we would usually go 2-2 or 3-2 in the double-elimination tourneys played Friday, Saturday and Sunday on the weekend... the YMCA talent was pretty darn good... a step up in talent from us... I had a typical season for me... averaged 8 points a game... Tommy Williamson, George Hayes and George Hoyt were out top scorers with about 12 points a game each... Dix Riggs and my best high school friend, Richard Yelverton, also tallied 8 points a game apiece... and Bobby McNew scored about 5 points a game... we had seven players and played equally... no one played the whole game... we averaged about 65 points per game as a team... we played together for about 4-5 years and really worked well together... none of us were selfish players... thank goodness, I had basketball and these guys in high school... it was one of the few joys I had in high school.

I didn't play Rec League football, softball or baseball this year... I didn't live in the old neighborhood in Mobile... I was living in Prichard now, a town adjacent to Mobile... Prichard must have not had a Rec League... I tried out for the Barton Academy Junior High basketball team, but didn't make the cut... and rightly so... I was just not good enough... but two of my buddies and teammates did... Carl Vernon Smith and George Hayes were starters and leading scorers... Barton won the league title and were unbeaten in 8 games... they beat Toulminville Junior High for the league title... that was the same bunch that beat us for the Rec League title... but I did make the baseball team at Barton... played a good solid third base... didn't make any errors and hit about .275... EC was no great shakes at the plate, but I could handle the glove and the hot corner... I really had a strong and accurate throwing arm... record-wise we wound up 5-3 and came in third in an 8-team league.

EC had a huge crush on one of the Barton cheerleaders, an 8th grader named Louise Regan... better known a "Weesie" Regan... I had a crush on Weesie all through high school, but didn't have the nerve to tell her or ask her out... at Barton she and my basketball buddy, George Hayes. were a steady twosome that year... yes, EC was in love with the girl of my best friend... I used to moon over Weesie while she and George were walking home together holding hands each day after school... I walked behind them every day, wishing it was me holding her hand... yep, EC was smitten... but they never knew this.

Boy, was I smitten with Louise Regan... I did a silly, silly thing... EC carved my initials and her initials on all of the my desks at Barton Academy... silly me was hoping she would see "EC Loves LR" carved on those desks and find out someone secretly adored her... I was hoping she would respond by carving "LR Loves EC" on all of those desks and we would finally get together.

Sadly my plan to capture the heart of Louise "Weesie" Regan didn't work out as planned.

So it's summertime and time for EC to head to Northwest Alabama and visit my relatives in the Sheffield and Florence area... but it's not the same... I'm 15 now... I didn't spend the whole summer there like I usually did... just a week or so... I did play one baseball game while I was there... Sheffield played Huntsville in some sort of league for 15-16 year olds... it was sort of an All-Star Team from the PONY League I starred in the previous summer... I played a new position, second base, but didn't do too well... I lost a high fly in the lights and dropped it... this was something new to me... playing baseball under lights... making an error was something new to me, too... I think that was the only fly ball I ever dropped in my entire career... the Huntsville pitcher was really good... I led off for the team... I popped out to shortstop to start the game... the pitcher struck out the next eight batters in a row... the second time around I got a walk... we ended up losing 3-2... I think the pitcher struck out 18 batters that night... I was the only one on my team who did not whiff... I went 0-2... got another base on balls the third at-bat... grounded out to short the last time at bat... that was the last baseball game of my life... never played it again.

I often wondered why I never played baseball again...growing up, I was always one of the best players on the baseball team... but when I hit 15, it seemed many of the other kids caught up with me and surpassed me in talent and skill... looking back on it, the problem wasn't age, it was due to my lack of playing experience, practice and playing time... I no longer played baseball at the playground sunup to sundown, year-round... I just played the short junior-high season and didn't get the endless reps that I needed to progress in the game... my basketball skill continued to progress because I never stopped playing it for endless hours and endless years until I was 55 years old... my doctor told me to stop playing sports because I had bulging discs in my neck caused by too many auto accidents... over a 30-year period I had the misfortune to get hit from behind in a car while sitting stopped at traffic lights... it happened 5 times... my discs got worse each time it happened... my doctor told me I might be in a wheel chair if I fell on the softball diamond or basketball court... it was an easy decision to make... I dearly loved my sports, but good health easily won out.

Oh, while I'm thinking about it... I think EC had my first real date this summer in Sheffield... my cousin George got his girlfriend Jeannie to get me a date with her best friend... I think we went to a movie... I knew the girl, Ann... I went to school with her briefly in the sixth grade and the whole year in the seventh grade when I lived with George's family after my stepfather passed away suddenly in 1952... Ann always had a crush on me... She was a really nice girl, but the relationship went nowhere... there were no sparks on my part.

Got some good news at the end of the summer of '55... so long, Prichard... EC is moving back to Mobile and will attend Murphy High School in September.

[Eugene Church]

Time to recap the inaugural South Island League season.

[Eugene Church]

Monday, June 20, 1955

BASEBALL SUCCESS IN FIRST SEASON ON SOUTH ISLAND
Both amateur leagues on South Island prospered in their inagural seasons... both enjoyed good competition, good races and fine fan support... the top league, the South Island Supreme League, showed evenly-matched squads with tight games, close scores and very little difference in run differentials... last place Columbia lost 6 games by one run... and pennant-winning Jackson lost its season finale to fifth place Bar Harbor after clinching the league title with a week to go... over in the wild and crazy South Island Secondary League three teams performed better than the other three... St. Pete was the league champion... they edged out Gull Lake and Grin Hill for the honor... no one dominated... and even the lesser clubs Littleville and Moon Valley had their moments... only last place Billings had to endure some trying games and lots of defeats... the Secondary League put a lot of runs on the scoreboard... it was a high-powered league with some high-scoring teams.

SI SUPREME LEAGUE SEASON SUMMARY

The Jackson Jackalopes (7-3) garnered the SI Supreme League flag because they handled their prime opponents well... that was mainly because of the solid pitching of Denny McCain (4-2/2.55 ERA)... he gave the Jacks a quality start in 6 of his 7 starts... and when McCain got tired or in trouble, Donnelle Crochet (3-1/4.00 ERA/8 games) came to his rescue... the Jackson staff gave up only 2 home runs, tops in the league... leading the Jackson attack were first baseman J.B. Shoemaker (.378), second baseman Harper Lovejoy (.324) and center fielder Kenny Butler (.293)... Allen Miller (.184/2 HR) and Jules Fourroux (.189/3 HR) didn't hit much for average, but did go deep occasionally and drive in some runs... the Jackalopes ran the bases extremely well, leading the league by far with 28 stolen bases... however, defense was a calamity for Jackson... they were the worst in the league with a .931 FA... yet, overall, they did something right -- Jackson won the South Island Supreme League crown.

The Braxton Bruins (6-4) and Pelham Oaks (6-4) deadlocked for second place... the Bruins had the second-best pitching in the league with left-hander Jim Black (4-4/2.63 ERA) as their main starter... what they didn't have was a capable reliever... offensively, Braxton was first with a .292 BA... the Bruins were as good as anybody with hitters like right fielder Brian Howe (.373), third baseman Dan Harding (.359), second sacker Phil Butler (.351), catcher Andy Brown (.306) and shortstop Matt Swain (.355)... Brown topped the league with 4 roundtrippers and ranked third with 8 RBIs... the Bruins also hit 9 out of the park to lead the league... and Braxton played defense as well as anyone (.955 FA)... the Bruins split their season series with Jackson.

Pelham's (6-4) biggest shortcoming was its bullpen with a 5.68 ERA and 0-3 record... but starter Rufus Chenevert (6-1/3.27 ERA) did his job well... the Oaks also couldn't whip Jackson... they lost both games to the Jackalopes... Pelham played the best defense in the SI Supreme (.966 FA)... the Oaks had a capable attack, batting .287 (2nd) with 7 homers (2nd)... top guns were second baseman Cliff Lamaire (.433), first baseman Rudy Allemand (.433), left fielder Clarence Wells (.297) and center fielder Tony Ferrara (.293)... Wells finished second in the Supreme League with 12 RBIs, while Ferrara was 5th with 7.

4th place went to the Delta Stars (5-5)... they had a good offense and scored the most runs 54, while batting .285... but the pitching was mediocre (4.19 ERA) and the fielding downright bad (.948 FA)... the Stars also couldn't whip the good teams, losing all 4 games to Jackson and Pelham... Delta had two of the best hitters in the Supreme League... first baseman Nick Hill (.433) and catcher Gene Frazier (.433) tied for the batting crown... Hill also paced the league with 13 RBIs... other quality bats were center fielder Byron Babcock (.300) and second baseman Randy Otto (.276)... the Stars' hurlers were just fair with Phil Salvaggio (5-3/4.37 ERA) the primary starter and Adam Evans (0-2/4.84 ERA) his relief.

Winding up in the fifth spot in the Supreme League standings were the Bar Harbor Acadians (4-6)... the Cajuns were just fair-to-middling at the plate (.266 BA) and on the hill (4.29 ERA), but they played good defense (.963 FA)... Claude Achord (3-3/3.36 ERA) was a pretty good starter, but his bullpen was plain bad (4.82 ERA)... first baseman Duke Poche (.303) was the most productive hitter with 6 RBIs and 10 runs scored... Achord (.407) provided some offense, too... so did second baseman Doyle Dunn (.355) and left fielder Noel Langlois (.282)... Bar Harbor played well at times... they split their 4 games with champ Jackson and runner-up Braxton.

Sadly, as the last place team in the South Island Supreme League, the Columbia Black Cats (2-8) will lose their spot and be demoted downward to the SI Secondary League next season... atrocious pitching was the crux of the Black Cats (5.25 ERA)... they also topped the league in home runs allowed (11)... Roland Carlson (2-7/5.20) was their primary starter... otherwise Columbia was a pretty fair team... they handled the gloves well with a fine .965 FA... hit OK with a .272 BA and 7 homers... top batters were left fielder Artie Spencer (.368/8 RBI), pitcher Roland Carlson (.313/7 RBI) and third baseman Chris Hebert (.263/7 RBI)... the Black Cats split the season series with two top teams, Jackson and Pelham, but couldn't beat anybody else.

SI SECONDARY LEAGUE SEASON SUMMARY

At the conclusion of the regular season the South Island Secondary League had a three-way tie for the top spot, necessitating a single-elimination playoff to determine the winning team... it was the St. Pete Pelicans that survived that late-season trial and proved to be the best team.

Lots of home runs, lots of runs and solid relief pitching sparked the St. Pete Pelicans (8-3) to the South Island Secondary League title this year... the Pels batted .289, hit 31 roundtrippers and plated 97 runs in an 11-game season... they also won 3 of the 5 matches they had against their main contenders, Gull Lake and Grin Hill... my, oh, my, how St. Pete could hit, led by the hitter with the best batting average in the league, first baseman Mike Williams (.435 BA/8 HR/14 RBI/16 R), left fielder Bobby Hammond (.367 BA/6 HR/13 RBI/14 R), third baseman Neill Schexnaydre (.381 BA/4 HR/9 RBI/10 R), center fielder Grady Moore (.288 BA/3 HR/9 RBI/12 R), second baseman Eric Lynch (.298 BA/3 HR/15 RBI/13 R) and even pitcher Marcel Jolissaint (.294 BA/0 HR/5 RBI/6 R)... Mike Willams topped the Supreme League with 8 home runs and was tied for third with 14 RBIs... on the mound Jolissaint (6-1/4.54 ERA) had a poor ERA, but his bullpen made the difference... Pat Hamilton (1-1/3.32 ERA/7 games) and Frank Rossi (1-1/3.75 ERA/7 games) came to his aid and saved the day quite a few times... St. Pete's relief corps topped the league with a 2.83 ERA... the second-best bullpen ERA belonged to last place Billings with a much higher 4.67 ERA... the Pelicans were just average with a .963 FA... the Pels won the SI Secondary League pennant with powerhouse hitting and good relievers.

Second place Gull Lake (8-4) was no match for St. Pete offensively... pitcher Calvin Callaway (6-2/4.20 ERA) was the key to their success... he gave them 7 quality starts, but his bullpen failed him with an astronomical 7.80 ERA... plus the Sailors were the absolute worst in giving up home runs with 33... another positive note: Gull Lake led the Secondary League with an impressive .974 FA... however, the Sailors only scored 60 runs with 10 home runs and a .273 BA... no way were they in the league offensively with their primary challengers St. Pete and Grin Hill... it's a wonder the Sailors came in second.

Third place Grin Hill (7-4) may have been even better at the plate than St. Pete... the Smileys led the SI Secondary League with a .319 BA and came in second to the Pelicans with 28 homers and 93 runs... but they had no pitching with a 4.95 ERA and no defense with a league-worst .949 FA... primary starter Jeff Lynch (3-4/4.47 ERA) and his main relief and secondary starter Jim Smiley (2-0/5.35 ERA) just didn't do the job... but boy, could Grin Hill hammer the old horsehide... what a lineup!... second baseman Jose Jimenez (.391 BA/4 HR/11 RBI/13 R), first baseman Cody Kaiser (.356 BA/6 HR/14 RBI/14 R), center fielder Slim Smiley (.314 BA/3 HR/7 RBI/13 R), right fielder Tim Smiley (.326 BA/0 HR/10 RBI/6 R), left fielder Hollis Stanley (.306 BA/4 HR/11 RBI/14 R), catcher Lindsey Nelson (.313 BA/7 HR/17 RBI/9 R) and even pitcher Jim Smiley (.409 BA/0 HR/3 RBI/3 R)... Nelson led the Secondary League in RBIs and finished second in homers... Hardy was third in RBIs.

The fourth place Littleville Supermen (4-6) and Moon Valley Dreamers (4-6) were fair teams... they just couldn't hit as well or pitch as well as the three top clubs above them... Littleville had a fairly good starter in Eddie Jackson (4-2/4.03 ERA), but his bullpen was terrible (7.45 ERA)... the Supermen handled the leather well (.970 FA)... the best bats in the Littleville lineup were third baseman Gerald Williams (.400 BA/6 HR/9 RBI/15 R), first sacker Bobby Carty (.372 BA/5 HR/12 RBI/9 R) and second baseman Jimmy Olson (.345 BA/2 HR/8 RBI/8 R)... Littleville just didn't have enough good hitters... or good relievers.

Moon Valley (4-6) was similar to Littleville except in HR power and in ERA... the Dreamers batted .264, scored 60 runs, but hit only 7 out of the park and posted a ghastly 6.63 ERA... the main starter Karl Isenberg (1-3/4.03 ERA) could keep them in the ball game for awhile, but it turned deadly when he turned it over to the bullpen... reliable bats were few and far between... second baseman Corey Villere (.429 BA/0 HR/7 RBI/5 R), left fielder Max Kleindienst (.350 BA/0 HR/2 RBI/10 R/9 SB) and center fielder Lucky Malone (.262 BA/2 HR/10 RBI/12 R/7 SB) were their only productive batters... Moon Valley had good defense with a .967 FA.

There's not much good to say about the last place Billings Rams (1-9)... well, I could say they have nice colors, nice jerseys and a nice logo... but that may be it... when a team hits .233 with 7 homers and scores only 32 runs, they can't expect much... combine that with a miserable 5.34 ERA and a .955 FA and that adds up to a 1-9 season... luckily for Billings, there is no relegation in the South Island Secondary League, only promotion... plainly put, there isn't much talent on the Rams... the best of the lot are second baseman Carroll Magee (.375 BA/0 HR/5 RBI/5 R) and first baseman Jimmy Rogers (.314 BA/3 HR/6 RBI/5 R).

That's all, y'all... oh yes, I will add... I like the name of the main Billings starter: Arnold Palmer (0-4/4.82 ERA)... in deference to my favorite golfer of all-time, maybe I should leave off the stats.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Really enjoyed the first season of the South Island Leagues... it was good to play out each and every game in one-pitch mode and to watch the animation... OOTP has really come a long way since OOTP3, when I first discovered the game... I never thought I would live to see the day I could watch the batters swing, run and pitch like a real live baseball game... OOTP is really somethin'.

When I finish the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs, I intend to upgrade to OOTP22... it is perfected just about all its going to be perfected this year... hope the animation is improved and smoother... would be nice if foul balls looked normal...they fly off at strange angles too often... hope the outfielders stop running through the fence to chase down balls.

But those are just minor things... one must learn to live with the minor problems in life... accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative -- some mighty good words of wisdom.

[Eugene Church]

I will soon begin work on the team rosters for the second season.

I will add 3 players to each team from the free agents list... I just let the AI create the new ballplayers... I don't create them like I have in the Islandian Pro Alliance to insure a good rookie class... I just take what the AI gives me talent-wise in the South Island Leagues... all I do is give all of the players the abilities to play multiple positions because of the small 15-man rosters... all of the pitchers can fill in at other positions.

[Eugene Church]

Monday, June 20, 1955

SOUTH ISLAND LEAGUES NAME MVPs AND TOP GLOVEMEN FOR 1955 SEASON
The South Island Leagues, the Supreme League and the Secondary League, named their top players for the 1955 season... heading up the starstudded list were Delta first baseman Nick Hill, the Supreme League Most Valuable Player and St. Pete first baseman Mike Williams, the Secondary League Most Valuable Player... the two leagues also announced the Golden Glove Award winners.

The South Island Supreme League Most Valuable Player Award went to 25-year-old Nick Hill, the star first sacker for the Delta Stars... Hill tied for the best batting average with his teammate Gene Frazier... they both batted a scorching .436 and collected 17 hits each to top the league... Hill also led the league with 13 RBIs and 6 doubles... Delta ended up in fourth place in a tight pennant race, 2 games off the pace... runner-up in the MVP voting was Braxton catcher Andy Brown... he topped the Supreme League with 4 homers...Brown batted .306 and drove in 8 runs, while helping his Bruins wind up tied for second place in the standings, just one game behind champion Jackson.

Mike Williams of the league champion St. Pete Pelicans was acclaimed the standout player in the South Island Secondary League... he was named the 1955 Secondary League Most Valuable Player because of his league-leading .435 BA, league-leading 8 home runs and 14 RBIs... Williams, only 20 years of age, outpolled Grin Hill's talented catcher Lindsey Nelson for the MVP honor... Nelson also enjoyed an outstanding year with a .313 BA, 7 roundtrippers and a league-leading 17 runs batted in... Nelson was also named to the Secondary League Golden Glove team... his Smileys finished a very close third in the pennant race.

Home runs and high batting averages seem to get the most headlines, but the unsung guys that play standout defense also play a big part in the outcome of a baseball game... Golden Glove trophies were also presented to the top defenders in the South Island Leagues.

1955 South Island Supreme League Golden Glove Team

Pitcher: Roland Carlson - Columbia (1.000 FA) (2-7/5.20 ERA/10 games) (.313 RBI/1 HR/7 RBI/5 R)
Catcher: Tim Jardin - Columbia (.980 FA 18.2% RTO) (.222 BA/0 HR/2 RBI/5 R)
First Baseman: Nick Hill - Delta (.978 FA) (.436 BA/2 HR/13 RBI/7 R)
Second Baseman: Harper Lovejoy - Jackson (1.000 FA) (.324 BA/0 HR/4 RBI/7 R/7 SB)
Third Baseman: Ricky Keegan - Pelham (1.000 FA) (.316 BA/0 HR/3 RBI/3 R)
Shortstop: Matt Swain - Braxton (1.000 FA) (.355 BA/0 HR/7 RBI/2 R/1 SB)
Left Fielder: Mike Bryan - Braxton (1.000 FA) (.216 BA/2 HR/5 RBI/4 R)
Center Fielder: Karl Meier - Columbia (1.000 FA) (.244 BA/0 HR/0 RBI/7 R)
Right Fielder: Tommy Clark - Columbia (1.000 FA) (.256 BA/1 HR/5 RBI/7 R)

1955 South Island Secondary League Golden Glove Team

Pitcher: Jim Smiley - Grin Hill (1.000 FA) (2-0/5.35 ERA/11 games) (.409 BA/0 HR/3 RBI/3 R)
Catcher: Lindsey Nelson - Grin Hill (.986 FA/42.9% RTO) (.313 BA/7 HR/17 RBI/9 R)
First Baseman: Cody Kaiser - Grin Hill (.988 FA) (.356 BA/6 HR/14 RBI/14 R)
Second Baseman: Eric Lynch - St. Pete (.957 FA) (.298 BA/3 HR/15 RBI/13 R)
Third Baseman: Howard Hayes - Gull Lake (1.000 FA) (.315 BA/0 HR/6 RBI/5 R)
Shortstop: Eddy Wright - Gull Lake (.985 FA) (.163 BA/0 HR/8 RBI/5 R/1 SB)
Left Fielder: Sal Geraci - Gull Lake (1.000 FA) (.352 BA/1 HR/10 RBI/12 R/5 SB)
Center Fielder: Deke Tanner - Billings (1.000 BA) (.121 BA/0 HR/2 RBI/1 R)
Right Fielder: Nate Wiggins - Moon Valley (1.000 FA) (.222 BA/1 HR/6 RBI/7 R)

1955 Supreme League Batting Leaderboard



1955 Supreme League Pitching Leaderboard

[Eugene Church]

1955 Secondary League Batting Leaderboard



1955 Secondary League Pitching Leaderboard

[Eugene Church]

1955 South Island League Most Valuable Players

[Eugene Church]

MY LIFE IN 2021
EC's Still Havin' Fun in 2021

Thanks to Mother Nature and Hurricane Ida chains saws are breaking out in abundance all across Sout' Looziana (South Louisiana for you Nawtherners)... so EC thought he would share a little bit of that great Cajun humor of Thibodeaux and Boudreaux with you all.

The Cajun Chain Saw

Boudreaux was down at the Montgomery Ward at Northgate Mall looking at the hand saws and power tools. The salesman came up and asked if he could help. Boudreaux said he had a lot of trees to cut down and needed a new saw. The salesman began to extoll the virtues and advantages of a new Huskavarna chain saw with a 42-inch blade and told Boudreaux that he could cut dem trees down fast, fast. Boudreaux bought the saw and left, only to return two days later telling the salesman that this was the slowest saw he had ever heard of and that he had spent two days cutting and had only manage to fell 10 trees. He wanted his money back. The salesman was taken aback and surprised... and said, "Let me check dis tang out." He proceeded to set the choke and pump the little plastic bulb, just as he had told Boudreax to do. Then he set the throttle and jerked the cord. The saw started immediately. Boudreaux jumped back and said "What the hell is that noise?"

[Eugene Church]

Need to begin work on the second season of the South Island Leagues.

I'm thinking I may expand the leagues to 8 or 10 teams each... I have some good towns I would like to use again... I miss them.

[Eugene Church]

No, no expansion this season... it's too late... I'm afraid I'll mess it up.

Will wait until next year and do it in the preseason.

However, I did go through Spring Training... lots of runs being scored... will have some new rookies on the teams... will preview season soon.

[jg2977]

Should be interesting - good job on the first season!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Should be interesting - good job on the first season!

Yep, EC enjoyed the South Island Leagues... they were kind of kinky and wacky statistically, lots of errors and high-scoring games, but it was supposed to be that way... a semi-pro sandlot-ish type league.

OOTP makes the league too competitive... too much parity... many times league like this have really good teams and really bad teams... the bad teams don't beat the good teams as much in real life and in OOTP.

Bar Harbor (3-6) would not have beaten Jackson (7-2) in real life in the last game of the season when the Jackalopes were on a six-game winning streak.

However, having said that... when I was in the Air Force in Turkey playing in a local base fast-pitch softball league... my team was unbeaten in 20 games... guess who beat us... the lousy, NCO team with a 3-17 record... they whipped us 3-2 with the worst hitter in the league getting the game-winning hit... a blooper to right... a dying quail... a texas leaguer.

Sho 'nuff... dat's the troot"... the whole troot... and nothing but the troot!

(OK, maybe EC embellished it a little bit)

[Eugene Church]

Just completed the schedules for the South Island Supreme League and the South Island Secondary League.

Need to refine the lineups and make sure I have plenty of back up players at each position... these are just 15-man rosters... need decent backups.

Should be opening day soon around the South Island.

[Eugene Church]

All lineups and rosters are complete... ready to open the second season of the South Island Supreme League and the South Island Secondary League.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

All lineups and rosters are complete... ready to open the second season of the South Island Supreme League and the South Island Secondary League.

[Eugene Church]

Friday, March 29, 1956

ISLANDERS READY FOR NEW BASEBALL SEASON
The townfolks all across South Island are bustin' out in springtime splendor, getting ready for the second seasons of the South Island Supreme League and it's subsidiary, the South Island Secondary League... winter time is over and the green grass is coming to life once again... play begin this Sunday afternoon at six diamonds around South Island.

There is also new life in the Island baseball leagues... last year's Supreme League champion, the Jackson Jackalopes, are hoping to defend their title and repeat... but there are five other clubs with the same aspirations and hopes, including a new threat, the St. Pete Pelicans, the Secondary League champion that is now a part of the Supreme League.

Parity was rampant last year in the Supreme League and the addition of the Pelicans will likely make it more competitive than ever... the Supreme League picked up St. Pete (8-3), a powerhouse, and got rid of its weakest team, the Columbia Black Cats (2-8), who were demoted to the Secondary League.

SUPREME LEAGUE SOOTHSAYINGS, SWAYINGS AND SLICK SUPPOSITIONS

Jackson (7-3) pretty much stayed the same roster-wise... pitching won it for the Jackalopes last year... so the Jacks added to their staff with Scott Duplessis... he will be in the bullpen in case Denny McCain (4-2/2.55 ERA) needs help... Donnelle Crochet (3-1/4.00 ERA/8 games) will also be back in the bullpen... he was a lifesaver last year... Duplessis is a left-hander like McCain... the only lineup change will be in right field... David Woodson will start the season in hopes of adding much needed offense to the batting order... offense will still be led by first baseman J.B. Shoemaker (.378 BA/5 SB), second baseman Harper Lovejoy (.324 BA/7 SB) and center fielder Kenny Butler (.293 BA/8 SB)... Jackson really helped itself score runs last season... they stole 28 bases, far more than any other teams... it was a vital element in their successful pennant run... no pun intended... it might be tough for the Jackalopes to repeat... the rest of the clubs seemed to take care of more of their problems... Jackson may have stayed pat too much.

The Braxton Bruins (6-4) were the second-best club... they also had fairly good pitching like Jackson... that was the key to success in the league... all the clubs hit about the same... Jim Black (4-4/2.63 ERA), a quality lefty, is back again, but he has competition for the starting spot... newcomer Peter Willis will get some looks, too, should Black falter... no bullpen help last year was a killer for the Bruins... Black only completed 4 of his 10 starts... the top hitters are back, except for one... second baseman Phil Butler (.351 BA), a solid bat and good gloveman, will miss this season with a shoulder injury... returning are RF Brian Howe (.372 BA), 3B Dan Harding (.359 BA), SS Matt Swain (.355 BA) and C Andy Brown (.306 BA/4 HR)... Brown is a plus at bat, but a liability behind the plate... new roster addition and highly-touted slugger Chris Bowler will take over at first base and bat cleanup... he could be a great addition to the batting order... the newcomers could make Braxton a very vibrant club this year.

The Pelham Oaks (6-4) had their shot last year... mediocre pitching was their problem (4.43 ERA)... the Oaks have added two new hurlers, George Strait and Bobby Derringer to try and right the ship... Pelham can hit... two of the Supreme League top bats, first baseman Rudy Allemand (.433 BA) and second baseman Cliff Lemaire (.433 BA) are also back to lead the charge...left fielder Clarence Wells (.297 BA/2 HR) and center fielder Tony Ferrara (.293 BA/2 HR) are also back with some help from Gold Glove third sacker Ricky Keegan (.316 BA) ... the Oaks have added depth to their infield with solid backup Chad Worthington... he might sneak into the lineup, possibly at shortstop, where Bernie Rivet handles the glove well, but only hit for .208 BA.

The Delta Stars (5-5) were in the battle last year... lack of capable and consistent pitching did them in... Phil Salvaggio (5-3/4.37 ERA), Adam Evans (0-2/4.84 ERA) are back again as the main chunkers... they will certainly have to improve for the Stars to move up in the standings... Delta has added some solid bats to go with first basemen and Supreme League MVP Nick Hill (.436 BA/2 HR/13 RBI) and catcher Gene Frazier (.436 BA)... Chris Clayton is at second base and Neal Kilgore has been added to left field... Delta can compete at the plate, but without improved pitching, the Stars may be destined to fall in the Supreme League standings.

The Bar Harbor Acadians (4-6) were a lackluster club last season with subpar pitching (4.19 ERA) and fairly good hitting... this year they certainly have tried to address those weaknesses... Ike Flynn, a good-hitting catcher has been added for good-field, no hit Paul Harrison (.176 BA)... a well-experienced pitcher Jesse Dodge could really help the staff... last year's starter Claude Achord (3-3/3.36 ERA) couldn't go deep and had no credible relief... Joey Stallworth (6.00 ERA/8 games) and Danny Hillman (8.00/6 games) just didn't do the job... Dodge may solve that... he may even take over as the top starter... the 26-year-old Dodge starred at the high school level and college level... he was an all-stater in 1949 and all-Gulf States pitcher at Nicholls State in the early 50s... new center fielder Buddy Gallagher should help out a lot defensively and may add a little offense... so may first sacker Adam Harper, who will platoon against lefties and provide a good bat off the bench... jack-of-all-trades Claude Achord (.407 BA), second baseman Doyle Dunn (.355 BA) and first sacker Duke Poche (.303 BA) head up the batting order... the Acadians look like a much sounder club this year.

Also expected to make a big splash in the Supreme League is the latest addition, the promoted St. Pete Pelicans (8-3)... they edged out the Gull Lake Sailors (8-4) and the Grin Hill Smileys (7-4) in a hard-fought campaign in the South Island Secondary League last season... the Pels did it pretty much with firepower... they hammered 31 homers and scored almost 9 runs a game.. it's not saying much, but St. Pete possessed the best pitching, too, with a so-so 4.16 ERA... Marcel Jolissaint (6-1/4.54 ERA) benefited greatly from the massive run support... his relief, Frank Rossi (1-1/3.75 ERA/7 games) and Pat Hamilton (1-1/3.32 ERA/7 games), did a pretty good job from the bullpen... but it was the high-octane bats that won the pennant, sparked by first baseman and Secondary League MVP Mike Williams (.435 BA/8 HR/14 RBI/16 R), third baseman Neill Schexnaydre (.381 BA/4 HR/9 RBI/10 R), left fielder Bobby Hammond (.367 BA/6 HR/13 RBI/14 R), second baseman Eric Lynch (.298 BA/3 HR/15 RBI/13 R) and center fielder Grady Moore (.288 BA/3 HR/9 RBI/12 R)... this season the biggest plus for the Pelicans is 30-year-old right-hander Tony Tortorich... he could be some help on the mound and is contending with Jolissaint for the number-one spot in the rotation.... not that they need any help, the offense is pretty much the same... however, Gino Gagliano (.286 BA/2 HR/6 RBI/5 R/7 games), will take over for James McAndrews (.174 BA/1 HR/3 RBI/2 R/8 games) in right field... McAndrews struggled badly at the plate and also in the field... one would expect the Pelicans to fly high in the Supreme League, too.

EC'S PRESEASON PEEK-A-BOO PRECISE AND PERFECTED PREVIEW PICKS

1. ST. PETE PELICANS
2. BAR HARBOR ACADIANS
3. JACKSON JACKALOPES
4. BRAXTON BRUINS
5. PELHAM OAKS
6. DELTA STARS

[Eugene Church]

Boy, that is a good way to get familiar with the players... preview the season in pretty good detail.

Yep, the time was worth it.

I'm really getting into the South Island Leagues... hope you do, too.

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, March 30, 1956

SECONDARY LEAGUE SLY SLANTS, SENTIMENTS AND SUSPICIONS

What a season it was last year in the South Island Secondary League!
Three clubs, St. Pete (8-3), Gull Lake (8-4) and Grin Hill (7-4), tussling, scuffling and brawling like "all get out" just for the fun of playing the dear old sport of rounders... the 1955 South Island Secondary League was a thing of joy to watch... now those same good old boys of summer are back in business and are rarin' to go and do it all over again...

Get ready for some more good old baseball South Island style!
It's coming to a local diamond near and dear to you and me this Sunday afternoon.

Last year the St. Pete Pelicans pounded their way to the first-ever Secondary League pennant and earned a promotion upwards to the Supreme League... 31 roundtrippers flying out of the park made a lot of difference... I'm sure the other five clubs are more than happy to say, "Bye bye to the Birds and good riddance."... or maybe at least, "So long Pels, Hello Cats."... that would be the nice neighborly thing to do.

The Pelicans have flown the coop and the Columbia Black Cats are going to use one of their proverbial nine lives to start anew in the South Island Secondary League... spring is bloomin' out all over and away we go -- the baseball season is here again.

All six clubs are refreshing and reloading with some new faces, but there are a lot of old friends, too... last year's runner-up Gull Lake (8-4) will try to repair their pitching corps (4.92 ERA), build up their attack (only 10 HR) and improve the defense... in spite of some tribulations in those areas of the game, they almost won the title last year... the Sailors are hoping newcomers Andre Aubin and Chris Landino will give their pitching rotation a shot in the arm... Curtis Callaway (6-2/4.20 ERA) started all 12 games last season, but finished only 2... relievers Felton Simms (1-1/7.56 ERA) and Lenny Rogers (1-1/9.00 ERA) just didn't cut the mustard... Landino has already impressed enough to take over center field and the leadoff spot in the batting order... hopes are that Landino will kickstart the batting attack and help out left fielder Sal Geraci (.352 BA/1 HR/10 RBI/12 R/5 SB), first baseman Carroll Hardy (.327 BA/4 HR/14 RBI/8 R), third baseman Howard Hayes (.315 BA/0 HR/6 RBI/5 R), right fielder Josh Hayes (.300 BA/1 HR/6 RBI/8 R) and catcher Matt McGovern (.235 BA/4 HR/10 RBI/6 R)... Landino will also improve the outfield defense... only a few changes for Gull Lake, but they will still be serious challengers for the SI Secondary League flag again this year.

The Grin Hill Smileys (7-4) were right up there with the big boys, St. Pete... they could match the Pelican power... they hit 28 homers and scored 93 runs... they topped the league with a skyhigh .319 BA... but they were sorely lacking on the hill (4.95 ERA)... thank goodness, it's the same good old bats, but it's also the same good old clunkers, er, chunkers... it will be Jeff Lynch (3-4/4.47 ERA) and Jim Smiley (2-0/5.35 ERA) doing most of the mound work again... it would really be nice if Smiley could pitch as good as he hits (.409 BA)... I think it would really be nice if Smiley could get his ERA down to something similar... a 4.09 ERA wouldn't be bad... Lynch is a .286 batter... it would really, really, really be nice if he could lower his ERA down to 2.86... don't worry, though, Grin Hill still possesses 2B Jose Jimenez (.391 BA/4 HR/11 RBI/13 R/3 SB), 1B Cody Kaiser (.356 BA/6 HR/14 RBI/14 R), RF Tim Smiley (.326 BA/0 HR/10 RBI/6 R), center fielder Slim Smiley (.314 BA/3 HR/7 RBI/13 R/7 SB), C Lindsey Nelson (.313 BA/7 HR/17 RBI/9 R) and LF Hollis Stanley (.306 BA/4 HR/11 RBI/14 R)... their worst batter is 3B Mark Wade (.283 BA/2 HR/7 RBI/9 R)... 'nuff said... the Smileys will be smiling again this season... may just win the SI Secondary crown... Grin Hill hits that well.

Fourth place Littleville (4-6) and Moon Valley (4-6) had some good moments under the sun last year... they both put some runs on the scoreboards at times... Littleville was lucky they had a decent starter in Eddie Jackson (4-2/4.03 ERA)... but they were also unlucky to have a bullpen filled with the likes of Dave Corley (0-2/7.62 ERA) and Kent Clarke (0-1/8.31 ERA)... Randy Jones (0-1/12.00 ERA) was even worse... sadly for the Supermen, there is no help on the hill in sight... it will be the same old same old... only Luke Lexus made the roster this year... he will take over in left field for good fielder and longballer Randy Jones (.200 BA/3 HR/8 RBI/8 R)... Lexus will join the lineup of 3B Gerald Williams (.400 BA/6 HR/9 RBI/15 R), 1B Bobby Carty (.372 BA/5 HR/12 RBI/9 R), 2B Jimmy Olson (.345 BA/2 HR/8 RBI/5 R/5 SB), SS Duane Wicker (.303 BA/1 HR/7 RBI/2 R) and CF David Barbour (.262 BA/4 HR/8 R/8 R/6 SB)... Littleville will probably stay in the bottom half of the SI Secondary.

The Moon Valley Dreamers (4-6) pretty much kept the status quo... they added three newcomers, but only one of them, outfielder/pitcher Andy Lockwood, looks like he will get playing time and that will be in right field... pitching will still be lousy... Karl Isenberg (1-3/4.03 ERA) will still be the #1 starter... little-used Julien Cassimere (0-0/5.06 ERA/5 IP/2 games) may be in the mix, too... along with Denny Dyess (2-2/10.29 ERA/8 games), despite his atrocious ERA last season... there will be another new starter, 2B Warren Johnson, a good-fielder, no-hitter... Cassimere will take over at shortstop... he's a pretty good gloveman, but has no bat and no punch... C Red Ryder (.200 BA/0 HR/0 RBI/4 R) will be an improvement behind the plate and might up the offense a little... heading up the offense will be LF Max Kleindienst (.350 BA/0 HR/2 RBI/10 R/9 SB), 3B Preston Ward (.294 BA/1 HR/5 RBI/6 R/2 SB), CF Lucky Malone (.262 BA/2 HR/10 RBI/12 R/7 SB)... the Dreamers were no threats last year and don't look any better this year... near the bottom of the heap is what we see in EC's crystal ball for Moon Valley.

The Billings Rams (1-9) were terrible last year and will not be very much better this year... the Rams didn't pick up any quality players except for a pretty fair college pitcher... Clifton Chenier stood out for the Southwestern Louisiana Institute Ragin' Cajuns during his time in the Gulf States Conference from '50 to '53... he made the All-Conference team his junior and senior years... the last two years he pitched pro ball in the Evangeline League for the Lafayette Bulls and did well, but he didn't like the money... Chenier will be tossed to the wolves this weekend... his backups, all from last year, will be Arnold Palmer (0-4/4.82 ERA/8 starts/10 games), Darnell Banks (1-3/5.54 ERA/2 starts/9 games) and Clancy Renard (0-1/4.50 ERA/4 games)... sadly, the offense is worst than the mound corps... Billings only batted .233 with 7 homers and only managed to put a pathetic 32 runs across home plate... 2B Carroll Magee (.375 BA/0 HR/5 RBI/5 R/2 SB) and 1B Jimmy Rogers (.314 BA/3 HR/6 RBI/5 R) were the only decent threats in the batting order... new outfielders Brian Curry and Ralph Ziegler could add a little punch and hitting to the lineup... don't look for the Rams to move up in the Secondary League standings this year.

Right now, we want to say a big howdy do to the newest team in the league, the Columbia Black Cats (2-8)... they were demoted to the Secondary League this season... Columbia will give us a good direct comparison to the talent levels of the two leagues... the Black Cats hit OK (.273 BA) with a fair offense, but they had the worst pitching (5.25 ERA) in the Supreme League... Columbia was paced at the plate by LF Artie Spencer (.368 BA/2 HR/8 RBI/6 R) and SP Roland Carlson (.313 BA/1 HR/7 RBI/5 R/1 SB)... that was pretty much it... Carlson (2-7/5.20 ERA/10 starts) was a workhorse on the mound, but did not do very well... Jack Sullivan (0-1/3.20 ERA) did pretty well out of the bullpen... he may get some starts early this season, along with new arms Angelo Cervelli and Vincent Gendusa... both were fair-to-middling for Louisiana College and Loyola in Gulf States Conference circles in recent years... Cervelli will see more action in center field... none of the other three new position players are expected to be starters... it looks like the Columbia Black Cats may struggle in the Secondary League, too... not much talent.

EC'S CRYSTAL-CLEAR CHATTER, CONTORTIONS, CONTRIVANCES, CHOICES AND CONFIRMATIONS

1. GRIN HILL SMILEYS
2. GULL LAKE SAILORS
3. LITTLEVILLE SUPERMEN
4. MOON VALLEY DREAMERS
5. COLUMBIA BLACK CATS
6. BILLINGS RAMS