ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

ST. JOHN CRUSADERS

Owner: The Brothers of St. John the Baptist
General Manager: Clayton Luck
Manager: Nicky Farrugia

St. John is an isolated college town of 79,000, located in the sparsely-settled southwestern part of Ruthlandia. It is in the Southern Lowlands about a 100 miles inland from Belair Bay and the Southern Sea. Originally established by the Brothers of St. John the Baptist as a monastery and religious retreat. It is now the home of St. John University, a center of learning and the country's elite academic institution and research center. The university is run by the St. John Brothers.

The school's academic specialties are educational, agricultural and medical research. The university is the site of the oldest and largest library in the country. It also houses the largest medical center and hospital in Ruthlandia.

The Sisters of the Holy Cross Convent is also in St. John. The nuns are active in nursing and education. Together the two orders supply many doctors, nurses and teachers for the Islands.

Another important industry run by the Brothers is the Crusader Wagon Company, the makers of top-of-the-line cars, trucks and tractors used throughout Tycobbia and Ruthlandia. The company was started in the 1860s and made wagons and buggies, expanding to automobiles in the early 1900s.

The picturesque and idyllic town is filled with parks and boulevards, all centered around the university and is a nice place to call home and raise a family.

St. John is also home of the St. John Crusaders of the IPA's Ruthlandian Union South Division, who play at lovely Cathedral Stadium on the university campus. The stadium has a great view of the revered gothic cathedrals that pervade the campus. The fans also get a great panoramic view of the downtown area in the distance. The outfield walls and buildings in left, center and right fields are made of white marble. The Crusaders are owned and operated by the Brothers of St. John. Spectators and fans at the stadium can feast on wonderful and delicious sandwiches made with bread from the monastery's famous ovens and sample exquisite wines from its classic cellars and delightful cheeses from its marvelous dairies. All available at nominal prices. Typical baseball fare is also offered at the concession stands.

Crusader fans are noted for being true sportsmen in the truest sense of the word. They never boo the umpires or utter a discouraging word toward their beloved team or the visiting clubs. They will even applaud a good play by opposing players. A visit to Cathedral Stadium is truly unique and enjoyable.

Clayton Luck is the general manager of the Crusaders. He was a solid outfielder for St. John for 18 years from 2005 to 2022, retiring with a .279 career average, 2200 hits, 182 homers, 1278 runs and 846 RBIs.

The current skipper is Nicky Farrugia, who took over in 1949... Farrugia was a standout outfielder for the Crusaders from 2034 to 2047, batting .321 lifetime (13th-best in IPA history) with 365 homers and 1204 RBIs... he was a 5-time All-Star and won the Ruthlandian MVP and Golden Bat Award in 2039... Farrugia was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2047.

Cathedral Stadium (1948)
Capacity: 7,450

Dimensions:
LF Line 360
LF 375
LCF 390
CF 400
RCF 390
RF 375
RF Line 360

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

RANFORD BULLS

Owner: Barnes Enterprises
President: Satch Buckman
GM/Manager: Bert Skippman

The Ranford Valley has long been known for its rough and tumble lifestyle. During its early years the town of Ranford was a hamlet set up to offer merchant services to the soldiers at Fort Branagh which was built to protect the Valdar Bay gateway.

The army decided to consolidate all the island’s armed forces in Valmara in 1912. Ft. Branagh was abandoned and Ranford became a refuge for outlaws, gamblers and bootleggers. It was sometimes referred to as the "forgotten city" as much of Ruthlandia cut any existing ties to the area which was kept afloat by the economic backbone of barkeepers and gambling halls.

After the great revival of ’29, churches slowly started to outnumber the saloons and commerce and merchants from the mainland began to return and expand into Ranford. For the next 35 years Ranford’s reputation moved from a town of debauchery to being known as the hardest-working town in Ruthlandia. It was a well-earned distinction as those who toiled with the rough and rocky terrain were well-suited for the country’s lumber and manufacturing faction.

In the mid 1960’s oil was discovered inland and within five years extensive exploration had begun. In what seemed overnight, much of Ranford’s blue collar work force had joined the aristocracy.

Ranford has a diverse population with just about all ethnic groups in the Islands represented. They come from near and far to participate in the oil prosperity in the area. Ranford has become one of the most affluent cities in Ruthlandia, but has kept to its blue collar roots.

The early years of baseball in Ranford consisted of amateur teams made up of soldiers, sailors and ruffians from the area. Despite the amateur status of the teams, the games were taken very seriously and brawls often took place between players and fans alike. During the industrial years the team was known as the Outlaws, but in efforts to makeover the town’s reputation it was later changed to Bulls and stayed that way when the Islandian Pro Alliance was formed in 2001.

The original owner of the Bulls was Cliff Barnes of the Barnes Oil Company. He inherited the company from his father, Digger Barnes. The Barnes have always had a running feud with the Ewing family that still continues to this day because Jock Ewing had swindled Digger out of his share of an oilfield partnership, when both were just getting started in the oil industry.

Barnes hired O'Neal Buckman as chief operating officer. Buckman had played for and managed Barnes Oil company teams in the amateur leagues for 30 years and had been quite successful. Buckman surprisingly hired a teammate of many years, Page Satcher, to be his manager. Satcher was a heck of a player, but had no experience as a manager. Satcher alway gave the appearance of not taking the game of baseball too seriously. Many baseball people questioned Buckman's choice for those reasons.
When grilled about this, Buckman just grinned and said, "Old Satch is gonna make you guys regret those words. He's gonna be a darn good manager. You just wait and see."

Satcher, who was a local star for the Ranford Outlaws back in the industrial league years and one of the best pitchers ever to throw a baseball. Satcher played into his 50s and never revealed his age, saying, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" Not only was he good on the baseball mound, but he was good with a quote, too. "I ain't ever had a job, I just always played baseball."

Another of his poetic jewels was his work ethic. "I don't generally like running. I believe in training by rising gently up and down from the bench."

Satcher had the reputation for doctoring up the ball. "I never threw an illegal pitch. The trouble is, once in a while I would toss one that ain’t never been seen by this generation."

Asked what the secret of his success was, he would reply, "Just take the ball and throw it where you want to. Throw strikes. Home plate don’t move."

After two decades at the helm, Satcher retired as manager and became the team's GM. He was followed by Chris Bernhoffer, who starred for Ranford for 14 years from 2002 to 2015, going 202-197 for mostly mediocre clubs... Bernhoffer posted a solid 3.37 ERA in his career... he was especially good in the playoffs with a 6-2 mark and a terrific 1.89 ERA in nine starts... Bernhoffer retired in 2043 and turned the reins over to standout catcher Kyle Hunt, an 8-time All-Star with a career .292 batting average... after 16 years as skipper Hunt retired and the Ranford management decided to go to the college ranks and hired a very successful college coach, Bert Skippman.

The Ranford Bulls play at Ranford County Stadium, a nondescript, but adequate ballpark... over the years the population of Ranford has remained a steady 50,000.

Ranford County Stadium (1953)

Capacity: 7,850

Dimensions:

Left Field Line - 315
Left Field - 362
Left Center - 382
Center Field - 402
Right Center - 382
Right Field - 362
Right Field Line - 315

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Map of Islandia

Just thought you might want to see where all the towns are located... I will give you a brief history of each town and a look at their stadium.

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

Around the Town in the IPA

SLIGO ROVERS

Owner: Derrick Dalrymple, CEO of the Silver Mountain Ski Resort
GM/Manager: Les Patterson

Sligo is located in the slopes of the Silver Mountains in northern Ruthlandia. Because of its remote location, the area was largely uninhabited until 1872 when silver was discovered in the hills surrounding the town. The name of the town comes from Theodore Sligo, one of the men who originally discovered the silver. Sligo laid out the roads and a tent city popped up shortly after the discovery. By the turn of the century, the mines had produced more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the nation. Many fine examples of Victorian architecture that were built during the era are well-preserved today.

When the mines stopped producing in the late 1940s, the town lost almost half of its population and fell upon hard times. It survived mainly on its timber industry until the 1970s when environmental concerns caused the town to form a commission that would seek alternative industries that could sustain the economy. The commission findings led to a rebirth of the once-beautiful city. Through various tax breaks, the town was able to attract several builders to construct ski resorts just outside of town. The town also refurbished many of the historic buildings that had fallen into disrepair and decided to place its economic emphasis on tourism.

With a population of only 38,000, Sligo is the smallest town to own a team in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Sligo Rovers go back to the early days of baseball to the days of amateur and industrial-league baseball. At various times the team struggled to make ends meet despite having very loyal fans. The 1973 commission made it clear in its report that the town should figure out a way to provide long-term stability to the local nine as it would be a devastating blow to civic pride if the Rovers were to fold or to leave town. As a result, the ballpark was part of the downtown refurbishment and the team signed a long-term lease that makes it difficult for the Rovers to leave. In the 1980s, the team was sold to Myron Dalrymple, owner of the highly successful Silver Mountain Ski Resort. Dalrymple is respected among long-time Sligo residents for settling in town and helping to revive its economy... his grandson, Derrick, is at the helm of the Ski Resort enterprise and operates the Rovers ballclub, too.

The Rovers play at Silver Mountain Park, one of the oldest parks in the Islands, which seats 5,678 spectators and was built in 1912. The ballpark is built on a bluff overlooking the town. Some of the homers hit actually do go downtown, so to speak. The ballpark’s 1975 facelift did a good job of preserving its historic nature and the town funded yet another update in 1998 when four sky suites were added along with expanding the clubhouses. SM Park sports its original brick façade at its entrance and is tucked away in the historic Main Street shopping district. There is no parking here, but the sight of fans walking to the ballpark on a balmy summer afternoon fits in well with the town’s quaint ambiance. The team plays to that ambiance by having a barber shop quartet stationed outside the main ticket booth to greet approaching fans.

Speaking of music, you won’t find loud rock and roll music blaring from a state of the art sound system here. Like Hillsboro, Kenwood, Ozarka and Marston, the team employs an organist who serenades fans with classic tunes and is quite adept at finding songs that have something to do with the batter’s skill or idiosynchracies. Food here is among the most affordable in all of the IPA, and while you will find classic ballpark fare like peanuts, hot dogs, and crackerjacks, the most popular item on the menu may well be the roasted corn on the cob that is slathered with mayonnaise.

Despite its nod to the traditional, the team has added one of those big fuzzy mascots in recent years. “Rover”, a giant red dog, roams the stands entertaining children and adults alike. When fans catch a foul ball, the public address announcer will announce to “give that fan a contract,” and Rover will indeed present the fan with a “contract” and a "doggy bag" filled with club gifts. Another Silver Mountain park tradition traces its roots back to the team’s longtime manager in the early days of the franchise, Eddie Keys. During his playing days in the industrial leagues, fans would jingle their keys whenever he came to bat. The tradition continues to this day whenever a rally is in order.

The current manager, Les Patterson, had a Hall-of-Fame career with the Rovers... he went 306-230 lifetime with a splendid 2.79 ERA... Patterson was inducted into the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame in 2034... he has been in charge of the team since 2030 and is still going strong... Patterson won the Ruthlandian Golden Arm twice, in 2021 and 2022.

Silver Mountain Park (1912)

Capacity: 5,678

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 328
Left Field - 350
Left Center - 382
Center Field - 387
Right Center - 382
Right Field - 366
Right Field Line - 342

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

WYNNAMAC SUNDOWNERS

Owner: Granger Co-Operative Association
GM/Manager: Jerry Meeks

Wynnamac is a town of 86,000 residents and can be found about 50 miles inland from the Valerian Ocean, which is near the eastern coast of Ruthlandia. It is located in the northeastern part of the country in the Central Plains, which spans east to west across it and is a well-known farming region, filled with seemingly endless fields of ripe golden wheat and rustic farms. It is the "Breadbasket of Ruthlandia". Settled by a diverse band of hearty and hardworking Canadian and Australian immigrants, who worked "sunup to sundown". They became known as "Sundowners" because of their great work ethic and love for the land...and for their love of baseball and the homestanding Wynnamac Sundowners. The area is also a center for meat packing and dairy industries.

Life hasn't changed much here for several hundred years and probably won't change much in the next hundred years. Wynnamac is a member of the IPA's Ruthlandian East Division. The club plays at Granger Field, which is built right next to a grain processing plant with huge silos and a water tower with a gigantic ear of corn on it...all visible from the ballpark. The Sundowners are owned by the Granger Co-operative Association, farmers banded together for the common good and welfare.

At the concession stands you get nothing fancy...just soda pop, hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, peanuts, crackerjacks and ice cream. No beer or alcoholic beverages are permitted at the stadium. It is against the law in Wynnamac county and strictly enforced.

Wynnamac's General Manager and Field Manager is Jerry Meeks, the famed Sundowner southpaw, who piled up a 313-214 record with an outstanding 2.93 career ERA... in 2013 he captured the Ruthlandian Most Valuable Player Award and also the RU Golden Arm trophy... Meeks played in Wynnamac his entire career from 2008 to 2028 and was named to the IPA Hall of Fame in 2029... he took command of the Macs in 2050 and thus far has captured 6 pennants and one Pro Cup trophy (2055).

Capacity: 7,965
Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 355
Left Field - 375
Left Center - 415
Center Field - 404
Right Center - 375
Right Field - 350
Right Field Line - 325

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

Ginza Ninjas

Owner: OmniSea, Ltd.
GM: Crash Davis
Manager: Sogo Takagi

Ginza began as a little fishing village in southeastern Tycobbia, settled by seafaring Japanese immigrants, who came in the 1860s during the Meiji Dynasty, a period of westernization. Today Ginza is a prosperous town of 88,000 with about one-third of its citizens being Japanese. Both Japanese and English are spoken here.

The name Ginza comes from “silver mint”, which Japanese authorities built in 1612. The modern day Ginza is a fabulous shopping area in Tokyo. The Tycobbian Ginza emulates it namesake, but on a much smaller scale. It is a free trade port and has many importers and exporters at the International Bazaar. Great bargains are in abundance in Ginza. The town also has a thriving fishing fleet and seafood processing industry.

Baseball got a late start in Ginza. The town inhabitants began playing amateur baseball in the 1930s, but soon began to challenge other towns in the sport. OmniSea Marine Processors, the largest employer in town, began sponsoring leagues and invested heavily in the game's development. OmniSea eventually expanded to industrial leagues and now to the Islandian Pro Alliance. They own the Ginza Ninjas of the Tycobbian Union South Division.

Ginza plays at Ninja Stadium, a ballpark built in 1998. A game at Ninja Stadium is really special. Most of the fans are quite reserve and quiet, typical Japanese social demeanor. However, in the left field bleachers it is another world...a wild and noisy place. There, the Ninjas have an official cheering section called “oendan” (pronounced “oh-en-dan”), that plays songs, beats drums and gongs, blows trumpets and waves flags. They stand up the entire time the Ninjas are at bat and sit down, when the opposition is batting. Fans clap plastic megaphones along with the oendan and sing chants to each Ginza player. Many fans carry umbrellas to the ballgame. Whenever the Ninjas score a run, they also open up all of the umbrellas, their way of telling the opposing pitcher, he is headed for the showers.

In the Lucky Seventh, the traditional seventh-inning stretch, they sing the Ninja fight song and then release hundreds of rocket balloons (jetto fusen). Other unique things about Ninja baseball is the public address announcer is female, the only one in the Islands. You will also see the pitcher bow in reverence to fielders, who make good plays.

At the Ninja Stadium concessions you will find not only traditional baseball fare, but Japanese as well. Ginza fans can enjoy yakisoba (fried noodles), yaketori (BBQ chicken on skewers), takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings) and bento (cold lunch in a wooden box). For the sweet tooth, kakigori (snowballs with flavored syrup and condensed milk), green tea ice cream, sweet potato ice cream, anmitsu (cold fruit dessert) and anpan (sweet bun).

The GM of the Ginza Ninjas is all-time great catcher Crash Davis... inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2038 after a standout 21-year career (2013-2033)... the team enjoyed its best years during his tenure. Davis was a 15-time All-Star and 4-time Gold Glover. He batted .308 with 403 roundtrippers and 1556 RBIs. Later Davis skippered the Ninjas for many years to only modest success. The current manager is another of their superstar players, Sogo Takagi, who took over the club in 2058. Takagi made the IPA Hall of Fame in '57. He put up a .298 career batting average with 538 roundtrippers, 1768 RBIs, 1915 runs and stole 225 bases. 10 times Takagi was an All-Star and a 3-time Golden Glover. He played his entire career with the Ninjas from 2034 to 2054.

Ninja Stadium (1998)

Capacity: 10,667

Dimensions:

LF Line 330
LF 355
LCF 377
CF 400
RCF 372
RF 360
RF Line 335

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

OXFORD RED CAPS

Owner: Tyco-Tech
GM: Babe Friedriksen
Manager: Dennis Hartwig

Oxford is a town of 89,000 found in the east central plains of Tycobbia, 10 miles east of Blue Lake and 10 miles west of the Silver Mountains. It is a rural area, settled by English emigres in the 1850s and was originally called Mills Creek. In its early days farming and sheepherding were the mainstays of the economy. One of the emigres was a young commoner, Charles Emerson Winchester, who had been turned down for admission to the famed Oxford University in England. It was his dream to be an educator and eventually become a university scholar and administrator. His heart was broken by Oxford's rejection, so he enrolled in a lesser school and graduated summa cum laude. He then emigrated to Tycobbia, where there was no class system and started a small rural college in Mills Creek. Winchester said, "My voice shall be heard from this wilderness"... and it was. It was the first college in Tycobbia and within a few years became so successful that the name of the town was changed to Oxford. Winchester said his dream to teach at Oxford had finally come true. Oxford College rivals St. John University in Ruthlandia as the outstanding higher learning institution in the Islands.

Today Oxford College is a thriving private institution and much desired by the Islands high school graduates. The Oxonian graduates are in much demand in Tycobbia and Ruthlandia. The university is the town's dominant industry and supplies the local high tech companies with outstanding recruits. One of those high tech companies is Tycob-Tech, which is the owner of the Oxford Red Caps in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The team is named in honor of the university and adopted Oxford's red and white colors for their own. The school even shares historic Winchester Park (circa 1909) with the university Red Caps, the college team.

Oxford's entry into baseball began in the late 1890's, when the college began an intramural baseball league. That soon expanded to include the townspeople. By 1905, Oxford baseball expanded to playing other town teams in Tycobbia. In 1920 the Amateur Baseball Alliance changed it rules, so that players could be employed by companies and play baseball. In theory, they were not paid to play baseball, just given time off from work to practice and play games. It continued that way until 2001, when Ban Johnson, the ABA commissioner, said it was time for a professional baseball league, where players could be paid just to play baseball and do it legally. The company and industrial league sponsors had long been circumventing and violating the spirit of the amateur rules. Johnson said it was time to bring it out in the open. That is how the IPA came to be.

Winchester Park is situated on the beautiful Oxford campus. Smokestacks and school buildings are visible beyond the outfield fences. The Oxonian fans have a rousing good time at the Red Cap games. It is a college crowd, filled with undergrads and alumni. Cheerleaders and a dance team inspire the fans with all of the old Oxford cheers, adapted for the Red Caps. You still hear "two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar" and the Oxford fight song reverberating throughout the ballpark. In the seventh inning there is the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Then in the eighth, everyone sings the Oxford Alma Mater. If the game goes into extra innings and reaches the fourteenth frame, the fans will sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the Fourteenth Inning Stretch. This is unique in all of baseball. No one else does this. Food concessions at Winchester Park are just the typical hot dogs, hamburgers, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks.

The Oxford Red Caps have an experienced management team, consisting of Babe Friedriksen as general manager and Dennis Hartwig as manager. She was the women's softball coach and athletic administrator at Oxford. Hartwig was an outstanding hitter and outfielder, who played college ball at Oxford, then signed with the Red Caps upon graduation. He starred for 16 years, batting .303 with 338 home runs and 1349 RBIs. Hartwig was a Golden Glover, Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year in 2023, Batter of the Year in 2025 and a 5-time All-Star.

Winchester Stadium (1909)

Capacity: 10,250

Dimensions:

LF Line 335
LF 355
LCF 382
CF 420
RCF 368
RF 335
RF Line 300

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

ROLLING HILLS REDS

Owner: Lemroh Meat Company
GM/Manager: Billy Christianson

Rollings Hills has a population of 78,000 and is located in the west central part of Tycobbia and was originally settled by the Kewanna Indians. "kewanna" means "hills that rise and fall" in their language. That is exactly what the landscape looks like here...gentle, rolling hills populated with sporadic groves of birch trees and acre after acre of cattle, dairy, pig, chicken and agricultural farms. Crops include wheat, oats and corn, potatoes and vegetables. In town are the stockyards and meat and grain processing plants. The population is mainly Americans and Brits with only a few Kewannas remaining.

Rolling Hills is an oldtime middle class town with wooden storefronts and bricks streets, lined with gas lamps and pedestrian walkways. No cars are allowed in the midtown area.

It is the home of the Rolling Hills Racers of the IPA's Tycobbian Union West Division. The were the Reds for six decades and became the Racers in 2060... The Racers play at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds, a relic from the early days of baseball. Built in 1907, it is surrounded by birchwood trees in a picturesque park area of town, where families can picnic and enjoy strolls, bicycle rides and boat rides on the park ponds, all amid the peaceful shade trees. A quaint aspect of the ballpark is that the power alleys are deeper than center field. They measure 425 feet, while to dead center it is 410 feet. It takes quite a blast for righthanders to get it out...350 down the line in left field and 375 in straightaway left. However, the lefthanded hitters love it...only 320 down the right field line and 350 to straightaway right .

The Lemroh family owns the team as well as being the owners of the stockyards and meat processing plants. The concessions stands are unique in design. All are set up like soda fountains, complete with stools. They serve up tasty hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, ice cream, sundaes, banana splits, thick shakes and malts.

A Dixieland band provides the music between innings and helps the Rolling Hillians cheer their Racers to victory. Many times throughout the game the fans will dance The Charleston (dance popular in the 1920s). During the seventh-inning stretch you get a rousing Dixieland version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

The first GM and Manager of the Rolling Hills Reds (Racers) was the legendary pitcher, Matty Christianson, one of the most revered players and managers in Tycobbian baseball history. Christianson stood out as a player and manager in the company leagues. When the IPA began play in 2001, Christianson became a vital part of the Rolling Hills franchise. A record four times he was named the Tycobbian Manager of the Year. Under his leadership the Reds won 10 TU West flags, made the playoffs 12 times and captured 3 Pro Cups (2029, 2031, 2048)... this IPA legend retired after 51 years at the helm... since Christianson's retirement, his sons Billy and Matthew, have starred for the team... Billy Christianson made the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame in 2049... he had a career batting average of .302 with 258 homers and 3173 hits... Billy has managed the club since 2052... Matthew retired in 2052 after 18 seasons with a fine 292-219 record and an impressive 2.98 ERA... he was a 4-time All-Star.

Midtown Ballpark (1907)

Capacity: 6,850

Dimensions:
LF Line 350
LF 375
LCF 425
CF 410
RCF 425
RF 350
RF Line 320

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AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

SOUTH FORK STALLIONS

Owner: Bobby Ewing Enterprises (CEO Christopher Ewing)
GM: Finley Charles
Manager: Jay Murphy

South Fork is a rural and provincial town with a population of 58,000. The main industries are cattle and ranching mixed with agriculture. South Fork is situated in the fertile Caledonian River basin in southern Tycobbia. Rich and black alluvial soils produce a plethora of crops on the farms in the area.

This is cowboy country and home of the South Fork Stallions of the Islandian Pro Alliance, originally owned and started by Bobby Ewing of the wealthy, influential and powerful Ewing family headed by patriarch Jock Ewing. The Stallions play in the Tycobbian Union East Division.

Bobby and brother J. R. were squabbling vice-presidents of the Waleska Westerners of the Tycobbian Industrial League. To separate the two siblings, the family patriarch bought each one of them a baseball team. Rich folks can do things like this. Bobby got South Fork and J. R. got the Ozarka Naturals. Bobby built a beautiful new stadium and named it after his daddy, Jock Ewing Stadium. It is located at the edge of town and has a wonderful panoramic view of the town rising up behind the gigantic electronic scoreboard. J. R. built a new state-of-the-art stadium with a monstrous scoreboard, too, and named it Ellie Ewing Stadium after his mom, Miss Ellie. So much for rich sibling rivalries.

Stallions fans are a rowdy bunch who love their team. They never let up on the opposing teams, giving them a lot of discouraging words and a lot of harassing at every opportunity. They even throw home run balls hit by the opposition back onto the playing field. No self-respecting Stallions fan would want possession of a ball that harmed the best interests of their favorite team.

For entertainment the Stallions have a Texas swing band at every game. You ain’t never heard a better version of “Take me out to the ballgame”. There is a whole lot of two-steppin’ during the seventh inning stretch at Jock Ewing Stadium. And when the buckaroos and littl darlins' mosey on over to the concessions stands hot and juicy charcoal-broiled steak sandwiches await them there along with imported Lone Star Beer (“Brewed deep in the heart of Texas”).

Life at Jock Ewing Stadium was always quite interesting for the fans... Finley Charles was the Stallions’ GM and promotions director for the first 20 years. Charles was famous for his creative promotions and innovations in baseball. His teams were the first to wear loud-colored uniforms, like solid orange road uniforms. One of his amateur teams even dressed in a soft pink and wore Bermuda shorts. He also experimented with an orange baseball and having only 3 balls and 2 strikes in the game. He said it would speed up the game and create more action. None of his leagues instituted his ideas, but he kept trying. Charles retired in 2025 and things settled down to normalcy in South Fork baseball circles.

The Stallions were quite a team with a GM like wacky and creative Finley Charles and an outspoken skipper like Deroche "Lips" Leon... Never was a dull day on the range and on the ranch with this dynamic duo. South Fork finally won the Pro Cup in 2025 under Leon, who had a stormy career. Lips didn't get along with many people. And he didn't care, saying "nice guys finish last". Believe it or not, but Lips was among the suspects when J. R. was shot. But Leon lasted 38 years as the skipper. Taking over after Lips was Blackie Terranova. He starred for them for 15 seasons (2010-2024), winding up with a fine 273-202 record and a 3.31 ERA... Terranova retired at age 42. His last season was 15-21 with a 3.56 ERA for a sixth-place club... South Fork had a rejuvanation under Terranova, winning the Tycobbian East three years in a row from 2041 to 2043... in 2042 the Stallions won their second Pro Cup... he was fired in 2051 after a 56-98 season.

The current manager is Jay Murphy, a former player... he was the ace of the 2042 Pro Cup title team... Murphy was the Tycobbian Golden Arm winner in 2042 (25-7) and 2044 (28-7). Also captured the Tycobbian MVP in '44. He has turned the Stallions around since taking over in 2058. Overall his lifetime statistics for 16 seasons is 250-185 with a fine 3.24 ERA.

Jock Ewing Stadium (2000)

Capacity: 11,750

Dimensions:
LF Line 347
LF 360
LCF 383
CF 400
RCF 383
RF 360
RF Line 347

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Monday, September 20, 2060

PRO CUP POLL PICKS MACS OVER RED CAPS
The IPA Pro Cup Playoffs are filled with eight fine and evenly-matched ballclubs... even the lower-rated clubs are deemed worthy and capable of winning the Island championship... looking at the postseason pairings at a glance, on the surface here's how it will go down as per the Islandian baseball experts:

In the Ruthlandian Union first round, high-scoring Ranford (99-55) will slip past well-balanced St. John (94-60) in a tight series... and powerhouse Wynnamac (104-50), the team with everything, will have an easier time with steady and consistent Sligo (90-64) in the other series.

In first-round action in the Tycobbian Union South Fork (95-59), a good, all-around team, will edge out rock-solid Rolling Hills (93-61) in a tense duel... and high-explosive Oxford (97-57) will dispose of the current IPA Pro Cup champion Ginza (89-65) in a tough tussle.

Round two in the Ruthlandian Union will be something to behold, two juggernauts going for the jugular in a titanic shootout... Wynnamac will outsmack the Ranford Bulls and win a spot in the Pro Cup Finals... and the Oxford Red Caps will outgun the South Fork Stallions with their high-octane attack to garner the other spot in the coveted Pro Cup Finals.

And then... and then... after six magnificent series... the Macs will be triumphant and victorious over the Red Caps in a battle for the ages... the Sundowners will garner their third Pro Cup trophy in a big bang bash.

2060 Pro Cup Poll conducted by The Islandian Times

1. WYNNAMAC SUNDOWNERS... Macs may have it all this year... scoring... good power... strong arms... trouble spot could be defense... won Pro Cups in 2008 and 2055.
2. Oxford Red Caps... mighty monsters at the plate... solid group of starters... good defense... lacks bullpen... won Pro Cup in 2007.
3. South Fork Stallions... best pitching... fine defense... more than adequate offense... sleeper... could surprise and win it all... won Pro Cups in 2025 and 2042.
4. Ranford Bulls... bats solid top to bottom of lineup... lots of firepower... fairly good pitching... solid defenders... decent bullpen... won Pro Cup in 2040.
5. Rolling Hills Racers... just about as good as the top four... strong attack... fairly good power... quality vet starters... fairly good bullpen... fine defense... won Pro Cups in 2029, 2031 and 2048.
6. St. John Crusaders... can play with the best... batting order deep with good hitters... can score runs... only fair power... defense a little suspect... never won Pro Cup.
7. Ginza Ninjas... not picked high last year and still won Pro Cup... playing well going into the postseason... excellent defense... great closer... good offense... lacks power... starters are not as strong this year... only Pro Cup was in 2059.
8. Sligo Rovers... may be better than people think... fine starting four... offense better than people think... can score runs... fair HR power... so-so bullpen... but questionable defense... only Pro Cup was in 2021.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, September 22, 2060

IPA PRO CUP PLAYOFFS UNDERWAY
The 60th edition of the IPA Pro Cup playoffs is underway with eight studs in the race... it looks like a wide-open affair and anyone can win it... on opening day of the postseason, three of the four favorites won the first game... Wynnamac and Ranford in the Ruthlandian Union... South Fork also won its opener in the Tycobbian Union... only favored Oxford lost, but that was to the defending Pro Cup holder, the remarkable Ginza Ninjas, who are back in defense of the coveted trophy they snatched last year in a remarkable championship run.

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1

[Eugene Church]

**

[Eugene Church]

***

[Eugene Church]

Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1

[Eugene Church]

*****

[Eugene Church]

******

[Eugene Church]

* Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1 *

[Eugene Church]

*******

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

**** Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 1 ****