ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

SUN SOX TO REPEAT IN TU SOUTH IN CLOSE RACE
The Southport Sun Sox were the supreme team in the Tycobbian South Division last season... they won it by double-digit figures by piling up 100 victories... Southport is favored to repeat this year, but according to the preseason prognosticators it looks like a closer race... Ginza and San Alejo will be their main challengers with the possibility that Turon and Cape Coral might make a race of it, too... Summerland is on the decline and is forecast to finish in the sixth spot in the standings... followed by the division's perennial also-rans Arroyo Grande and Colchester.

Southport pitching carried them last season (3.14 ERA) all the way to the Tycobbian title series, which the Sun Sox lost to IPA champ Rolling Hills in six games... to perk up the bats they made a trade with the Racers and got an aging first baseman Dayton Mayfield... they had to give up some young pitchers to get him... Southport thinks the 33-year-old Mayfield may be just what they need to put more runs on the scoreboard... and that he has a few more productive years left at a top level... last year Mayfield (.364) played little... he was third string to two fine first sackers Luca Palazzi (.303) and Mark Carmickle (.300/18 HR)... the Sun Sox have been one of the better teams in the TU South the last decade, winning three pennants, '55, '58 and last year... they may have improved on the mound and also at the plate this year... Southport is the top-rated team in The Islandian Times Pro Cup Preseason Poll... anchoring the mound corps is budding star Roman Littrell (16-8/2.72) with some good help from solid vets Jeff Moncriffe (14-7/3.13) and Jake Shank (16-7/3.45)... heading up the bullpen is closer Greg Brisbourne (13-7/2.88 ERA/ 26 saves/81 games), aided by Billy Ray Echols (12-5/3.36 ERA/5 saves/29 games)... the Sun Sox hit pretty well for average (.270 BA), but lack the longball... the club leaders are Buzzy McGinnis (.301/14 HR), Walt Walmsley (.295/14 HR) and Maurice Garcia (.296/10 HR) and Keiland Forrester (.331/13 HR)... adding newcomer Mayfield into the batting order bodes well for the team... on paper Southport looks better than last year... they could run away with the Tycobbian West again.

The Ginza Ninjas flopped last year, winding up near the bottom in sixth place, trailing Southport by 34 games... the Islandian baseball experts have made them the second choice to win the pennant... that's hard to see, but what do I know... Ginza has had only two good seasons in the last decade, but my goodness, they were really special... the Karate Kids surprisingly won the IPA Pro Cup in '59 and went to the TU Finals in '60 and lost in seven games to Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills... not very likely to happen this year... Ginza starting pitching is nothing special... Kurt Brophy (15-11/4.00) is the best of the bunch, followed by Marcelo Cervantes (9-15/3.40), Sparky Dane (9-13/3.50) and Frank Funicello (8-13/4.32)... even at age 33 the bullpen is still in good hands with Abram Worth (7-7/2.84 ERA/23 saves/53 games)... but he's not as dominant as he once was... the Ninjas are not much at the plate... don't hit for average... don't have any powerhitters... the best of the lot are so-so at best: Jamie Fellows (.317/1 HR), Tamotsu Saikawa (.269/4 HR), Vic Carnaggio (.264/10 HR), Masato Okamura (.288/6 HR) and Yota Fujishima (.254/13 HR)... if Ginza contends for the pennant that would surprise me... at best, middle-of-the-pack is what the Ninjas appear to be.

The past decade has not been good to the San Alejo Montaneros... no pennants... no pennant races... only two winning seasons, '53 and '62... the Monties rebounded greatly last year with an abundance of hurlers and came in second to Southport, but trailed by a lot, 12 games... the last time San Alejo won the TU South was in 2051, when they had two of the finest starters in IPA history: Matt Bell (391-225/2.42 ERA) and Will McKinney (314-187/2.66 ERA), both inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2057... they are well-staffed this season with returnees Paolo Passos (16-6/2.76), Joca Qartez (14-8/3.04), Moises Chavallos (11-6/3.23) and closer-turned-starter Adrian Acosta (8-10/3.00 ERA/15 saves/67 games)... toss in Jimmy Doak (10-5/3.66) and Alvaro Muniz (3-3/3.13) and you come up with a fine starting rotation... Elmer Cane (6-10/2.35 ERA/12 saves/51 games) will take over as the closer... San Alejo should be improved on the mound this year and also in the batting order, too... the Monties are not a good-hitting team, in fact, they are a bad-hitting team (.246 BA)... the only one in the lineup that is reliable is Dominque Juban (.288/11 HR)... he gets a little bit of help from Hector Cavazos (.255/13 HR), Hershel McKowen (.271/15 HR) and Roman Redondo (.231/16 HR)... the club is optimistic about new rookie shortstop Bob Raven (.319 BA/3 HR/21 RBI), who drew rave notices in the Spring and won a spot in the lineup... San Alejo should do well again this season in the Tycobbian South... they probably won't challenge Southport, but they certainly look like they could finish as high as second for the second straight season... the future looks bright for the Montaneros.

The Turon Typhoons are slated for the fourth spot in the TU South standings this season by The Islandian Times pollsters... that's where they came in last year, 19 games back of Southport... that is a reasonable expectation... Turon has been the best overall franchise over the last 10 seasons with 6 division flags ('52, '53, '54, '56, '57, '61), but they are not quite as talented... both the pitching and the hitting has declined the last two years... the Typhoons are swooning just a little bit downward mainly due to one huge loss... Neil Riley (16-11/2.72 ERA), one of their prime starters will be out for about 12 months with an elbow injury suffered in the Spring... but they will still have ace Ollie Dickenson (14-5/2.68)... Riley is a big gap to fill... without him, Turon may drop in the standings... the offense is about average in the TU South with the likes of Maxie Mullinax (.304/8 HR), Matthew Fears (.296/14 HR) and Andy Wilkerson (.266/13 HR)... no rookies excelled in the Spring... fourth, fifth or sixth may be the best Turon can do this year.

The Cape Coral Hurricanes haven't blown anybody away since they won the pennant way back in 2041... they haven't done well in the last decade, rarely competing with the contenders... they wound up a distant seventh last season... but optimism is back... the 'Canes might be an improved club this year... may even be a winning team... improved bats and improved pitching could do it... the Hurricanes are forecast to wind up fifth this season in the preseason predictions... Cape Coral has the best-scoring team in the TU South with two fine contact hitters Lynwood Barley (.327/3 HR) and Barney Fiske (.327/6 HR)... Kalian Coston (.278/18 HR), Dain Coxson (.278/17 HR), Marvin Cordice (.283/11 HR) and Lenny Larker (.272/8 HR) are reliable, too... not a lot on the hill... best of the returnees are Michael Nagy (12-12/4.17) and Frisco Francis (11-13/4.29)... the other starters will be untried rookies Vinny McAfee, Johnny McCormick and Cedric Ashford... only McAfee had a good Spring Training... manning the closer spot will be 6-year vet Manny Rosetti (6-9/3.62 ERA/25 saves/68 games)... he was only adequate last season... the bullpen needs improvement.

It's been years and years since the Summerland Sunsets won the Tycobbian South pennant... the last crown came in 2046... however, the Sunsets ran really good races in '60 and '61, losing out by four games to Ginza and 5 games to Turon... they always do it with superior pitching... offense in Summerland is non-existent... as always the hurlers are back, led by solid veterans like Rudy Hilgendorf (16-8/2.70), Mick Marlow (10-8/2.70), Marty Westhuizen (17-10/3.05 ERA), Tommy Underhill (12-7/3.75) and rookie Kip Dzerko... Jared Drobish (7-6/2.93 ERA/10 saves/38 games) and Jacob Vandenboom (6-8/2.83 ERA/17 saves/58 games) will again handle the strong bullpen... last year the Sunsets had a solid season and came in third, 13 games behind TU South champ Southport... one would think with such good pitching, they would be a higher pick in the preseason ratings than sixth place... sadly, the Sunsets just can't score runs... they depend almost entirely on three bats for offense... Johnny Pendergrass (.296/11 HR), Klaus Kronenberg (.296/18 HR) and Gerrit Peerenboom (.287/11 HR)... a fourth, Rip Norfield (.228/18 HR), hits for power and drives in runs, but just doesn't make contact often enough... rookie shortstop Bernie Erstad (.304/2 HR/11 RBI, 12 R) impressed in Spring Training and will begin the season as one of their prime hitters.

The Arroyo Grande Suns would probably be in the running for the worst franchise in Islandian Pro Alliance history... only four times have they made the postseason playoffs... the last TU South pennant came in 2024... they have never won a Pro Cup trophy... only three times in the last decade did they put up winning numbers ('55, '56, '61)... the Suns had a special season in 2061, losing out by just one game to Turon... but they couldn't stand prosperity and dropped back into oblivion to last place last year, 39 games behind Southport... awful pitching (4.59 ERA) and pathetic hitting (.228 BA) will do it every time... nobody hits for average, but they can hit it out of the ballpark, mainly because Capet Stadium is a "homer haven" with short fences all around... Arroyo Grande is led at bat by Rueben Jones (.259/29 HR), Chris Hardcastle (.223/25 HR), Gaston Robin (.241/23 HR), Dan Fargo (.223/17 HR) and Dick Barney (.236/15 HR)... none of the five rookies, three hurlers and two position players, did well in the Spring... Carlos Jaromillo (11-12/3.78) is the only decent starter on the club... former ace Beau McCloud (8-17/5.07) has had trouble in recent years... overall he is 207-173 in his 13 years in the IPA with a 3.39 ERA... 4 seasons with Midway and 9 with the Suns... at age 32, McCloud should still have a few more productive seasons... The Islandian Times preseason poll has it pegged just about right... this season Arroyo Grande will finish near the bottom of the Tycobbian South standings... mostly likely in the seventh spot.

The Colchester Elites are another of the least successful franchises in IPA history... never won a Pro Cup... appeared only 4 times in the playoffs... last time was in 2036... the last time Colchester finished above .500 was 13 seasons ago in 2051... otherwise they are almost always in the bottom depths of the TU South... the closest they have come to first place in recent years has been 20 games... last year they were pretty good, comparatively speaking, Colchester wound up 71-83 and in fifth place, 29 games out of first place... not expected to be that good this year... the baseball world has picked them to end up dead last in the Tycobbian South in 2063... Johnny Walker (16-8/3.20) was easily the best starter last year... no one came close to his success... Jud Chesbro (11-14/4.37) was good at times... not much in the bullpen, either... closer Elliott Sexton (8-10/4.06 ERA/22 saves/58 games) was fairly good at times... the Elites have no standout players... 24-year-old center fielder Howie Sarkisian (.265/22 HR/102 RBI/90 R/16 SB) is a solid, good-around player... Mel Albertson (.296/17 HR/71 RBI) and Paddy Terry (.254/21 HR/59 RBI) have a little pop in their bats, too... but that's it as far as offense... the baseball gurus are probably right... Colchester will be last in the TU South this year.

*********************************************** 2063 Preseason Prediction ************************************************** ****************************************** 2062 Tycobbian South Final Standings *********************************

[Dark Horse]

I'll be rooting for the Marston Nine. I've always liked that nickname. I use it in my dynasty too.

Plus, your description of them reminds me of the Washington Senators in Damn Yankees.

"One long ball hitter, that's what we need! I'd sell my soul for one long ball hitter."

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

I'll be rooting for the Marston Nine. I've always liked that nickname. I use it in my dynasty too.

Plus, your description of them reminds me of the Washington Senators in Damn Yankees.

"One long ball hitter, that's what we need! I'd sell my soul for one long ball hitter."

I also like old-time names that take me back to days of yore when life was simple and uncomplicated... and yes, I know that the "good old days were not as good was we remember"... old-fashioned names like Elites, Esquires, Athletics... and just colors... Blues, Greens... or Grays... and of course, the Marston Nine.

To get the names of the towns in the IPA, I just got a list of the top 50 towns in each state in the US and just started going through them.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, April 5, 2063

TU EAST BEST RACE IN IPA
The forecast is for a wide-open race for the Tycobbian East Division title this year... five or six clubs could be in the hunt... the easiest way and most scientific method to come up with a projected winner is to put a list of teams on the wall and throw a dart at it... otherwise, we just have to depend on the sportswriters, sportscasters or the pretty guys and pretty ladies with the stylish suits and beautiful coiffures to let us know the outcome.

The pollsters in The Islandian Times preseason poll picked a three-way tie for the TU East Division title between South Fork, Tuckanarra and Ozarka... right on their heels will be the Red Bluff Red Sox and last year's champion High Mesa... even Midway has an outside chance to win the pennant... it appears that only the hopeless Hillsboro Blazers and pathetic East Point Panthers will be out of the running.

We'll begin with the first co-champion, the South Fork Stallions, because they finished a close second to High Mesa last year, losing out by just 3 games... the Stallions won the division flag in '60, but slipped to third in '61, beaten out by champ Midway and runner-up Tuckanarra... but they have been strong contenders the last three seasons... South Fork will seeking its third Pro Cup... they won it in 2025 and 2042... the club features outstanding starters led by Herm McClanahan (14-7/2.57), Emmett Coogan (12-6/2.48), Rex Waller (16-2/2.21) and Tris Desselle (8-5/2.15)... last year the Stallions posted a 3.01 ERA... the bullpen is not on par with the starting rotation... but Benito Banuelos (11-7/2.94 ERA/18 saves/68 games) is a fine closer... South Fork is no slouch at the plate... the Stallions are the best-hitting club in the division... they have a good bunch of batters like Bob Purkey (.327/22 HR), Rudy Maroney (.302/18 HR), Rudy Gatlin (.285/7 HR), Lyle Tatton (.260/18 HR) and Royce Cain (.260/13 HR)... it will take a good team to beat out well-rounded South Fork.

The next co-leader in the TU East is the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats... they wound up third last year, just 5 games behind High Mesa... they were second in '61, 5 games back of champ Midway... and second in '60, just 4 games back of winner South Fork... it's about time for another pennant... the Tucks have been one of the most successful franchises in IPA history... the Tiger Cats have gone to the postseason 18 times and won 3 Pro Cups ('23, '24, '35)... they last appeared in 2049... checking out the roster this year, Tuckanarra does not appear to be as good as the previous three seasons... they don't look like they can beat South Fork... they don't have the pitching, nor the scoring... but one thing the Tiger Cats do have is star pitcher Ian Timms (13-7/2.71), twice the Tycobbian Golden Arm winner in '57 and '58... and still in his prime and a topnotch starter... the rest of the rotation is pretty fair with Mick Dooley (12-10/3.38), Ward Harlin (15-10/3.79) and Justin Shank (10-7/3.84)... the bullpen is only fair with closer Danny Turbow (12-11/4.05 ERA/19 saves/71 games)... the Tucks don't have a lot of big bats in the lineup... Boomer Carlton (.293/30 HR) is a legitimate threat... but he's about it... other fairly productive hitters are Odell Overstreet (.298/17 HR), Duncan McLemore (.253/15 HR) and Duke Cummins (.254/12 HR)... if I had a vote in The Islandian Times preseason poll, I would place the Tucks fourth or fifth.

The third co-leader is a bit of a surprise... the Ozarka Naturals have had only two winning seasons in the last decade ('56 and '62)... the last time they won a pennant was way back in 2040... they finished fifth last year, just barely over the .500 mark and trailed TU East winner High Mesa by 14 games... the Nats have had solid pitching the last two years, right up with South Fork, but they have mediocre hitting... that's why I have trouble seeing them beating the Stallions... the starting five are quality pitchers, led by Jordy Alberstadt (15-9/3.34), Willis Reece (11-15/3.16), Tommy May (12-14/3.62), Ronnie Belzer (9-6/2.77) and Jim Pippin (12-12/4.02)... there is quality at the closer, too, with Ezra Hancock (12-7/2.62 ERA/9 saves/43 games), but the bullpen is not deep... Ozarka is excited about rookie first baseman Ari Alpert, who batted .362 with 2 homers in the Spring and won a spot in the lineup... he could really liven up the batting order... he's a very good contact with fine power... Alpert will be a big help to Chris Kile (.270/1 HR/41 RBI/86 R), Luke Conlan (.288/12 HR/70 RBI/53 R), Kev MacKinley (.257/15 HR/76 RBI/83 R), Chuck Dodkin (.267/10 HR/67 RBI/49 R) and Claude Norbury (.265/14 HR/54 RBI/45 R)... but one good hitter and a bunch of so-so swingers won't win a pennant... the Nat could wind up second... but more likely third or fourth in the TU East standings.

The Red Bluff Red Sox won it all in 2057... the Tycobbian East flag and the IPA Pro Cup trophy, too... they did well in '58 and '59 ending up in second place both seasons, but then the Sox stopped hitting the ball and they went into a mild decline, finishing fifth and sixth the last two seasons... the Red Sox dipped below .500 last year... but the preseason prognosticators have them pegged a very close fourth this season... close enough that Red Bluff could easily win the pennant along with 4 or 5 other clubs... it really looks like a tight race in the TU East... Red Sox starters are mighty impressive with Wilson Sharpe (15-11/2.57), Ricky Lambert (14-5/2.53), Dontrelle Gilbreath (11-9/2.99) and Ben Laughlin (6-8/3.26)... however, the bullpen is subpar, led by closer Ian Goldsmith (3-13/4.33 ERA/10 saves/47 games) and Delroy Loggins (7-9/2.82 ERA/6 saves/39 games)... last season the team ERA was an excellent 3.40... might be better this year... the Red Bluff problem is a woefully lacking offense... they can't hit a lick and neither can the rookies they signed this year... no way the Red Sox can win the Tycobbian East with the likes of Paul Gaddison (.251/21 HR/79 RBI/74 R) and Odis Keener (.269/13 HR/67 RBI/53 R)... they are the best hitters and run producers... the rest of the lineup is just a little above the Mendoza line... sad, 'cause this year's mound staff could win it with an average offense.

OK, now let's take a look at last year's TU East champion, the High Mesa Mustangs... this year they are the fifth choice of the pollsters, but yet right up there close to the top picks... the Hosses won it last year with outstanding pitching and home runs... it should more of the same this season... just look at this staff of starters: Weldon Herrington (18-7/2.27), Robby Numbers (19-9/2.29), Sandy Stevenson (9-4/2.56 ERA) and Mickey Madison (13-8/3.44)... solid as rock in the bullpen, too, with Alex Crabtree (17-10/2.57)... Stevenson and Crabtree have traded spots... Stevenson was the closer last year and had 26 saves in 48 games... High Mesa also has a high-powered attack with Kagetoki Miyazaki (.264/44 HR/107 RBI), Roy Roberts (.254/44 HR/105 RBI), Zippy Coburn (.301/15 HR/84 RBI), Phil Cahoon (.261/23 HR/59 RBI) and Carmine Vizzoni (.278/14 HR/74 RBI)... the Mustangs will be right near the top of the standings at season's end... they are a good, solid ballclub... historically High Mesa usually has a winning record, but they have made the postseason playoffs only 5 times and won only one Pro Cup... that was the team's first season in the IPA in 2002... the Mustangs have a club that could win the whole shebang and get their second Pro Cup trophy... they edged out South Fork last season and just might do it all over again in 2063.

The top team in the Tycobbian East for the last decade of play has been the Midway Wolves... since 2053 they have racked up 6 pennants and 2 Pro Cups ('53, '54)... the last division flag came in '61, but the Wolves slipped to fourth last year (82-72), 10 games behind High Mesa... they had the pitching to win it last year with a 3.39 ERA, but not the offense... Midway batted only .249 for the year... they have been picked to wind up sixth in the standings this year, but may still be able to be in the pennant chase... the Middies still have two solid starters in Tino Montanez (13-7/2.54) and Ezra Wilcox (10-6/2.81)... the big question marks are three rookie starters, Ayasha Kanjorsky, Herm Kane and Stacey Witherspoon... they would have to come through big time for Midway to take the TU East division crown... the bullpen is still in good hands with Phil Bellamy (11-11/3.27 ERA/18 saves/85 games)... the Wolves still have superstars Norishige Ito (.289/33 HR/107 RBI) and Daryl Vale (.251/21 HR/81 R), but both did not put up the numbers of past seasons... Vale especially dropped off... in '61 he batted .314 with 45 homers and 131 RBIs... and none of the rest of the lineup picked up the slack... Ito is still a superstar at age 35... Vale is only 30 and should have several more star-studded seasons... Midway has signed 5 rookies... as they go, that's how the Wolves will probably go... the Middies look like a fair-to-middling team... too many question marks.

A good case could be made that the Hillsboro Blazers are one of the worst teams in IPA history... only one time have they made the playoffs... that was back in 2051... historically, it took Hillsboro 15 years to have a winning team... that was in 2017... since then they have 28 more losing seasons and only 18 winning years... the Blazers (60-94) came in seventh last year, 32 games behind pennant-winning High Mesa... The Islandian Times made them the seventh choice in this year's preseason poll... Hillsboro is a pitifully bad-hitting team (.234 BA)... and not very good on the hill, either (4.25 ERA)... 6 rookies were signed this season, but none did much in the Spring... the Blazers will not be any better... Hillsboro has very little talent... Horace Almond (12-11/2.76) is a fine starter... Jeffrey Bevan (3-3/2.11 ERA/22 saves/49 games) is a fine closer... Jackie Hansford (.283/27 HR/76 RBI) and Rube Nealy (.296/13 HR/82 RBI) are solid hitters... that's all the talent Hillsboro has... they would be a cellar-dwelling team if East Point wasn't in the TU East Division.

Ah, the East Point Panthers... they came in "dead last" last year with a pathetic 52-102 record... they are forecast to lose at least 100 games again... maybe I should end here... no, let's look at some brighter days in the Panthers' past... in '50 and '52 they won the Tycobbian East pennant... they were second in '51, '53, '54, '55 and '56... came in fourth in '57... then East Point descended into the dismal and abysmal depths of the TU East, getting worse and worse every season since... and it may not end this year... last season the Panthers hit an abominable .228... a snowman from Tibet come do that, don't you think... pitching was not terrible... it was only lackluster with a 4.03 ERA... 6 rookies have been signed, but none of them did well in Spring Training... however, the Panthers did make a trade with the IPA champion Rolling Hills Racers... they got a whale of a first baseman Mark Carmickle in a trade for two starters Charley Clutterbuck (14-15/3.05) and Mark Yaden (8-14/3.48)... the 23-year-old Carmickle hit 6 homers in the Spring and hit .309 with 20 RBIs... hard to believe, but this year he was going to be a second stringer for the Racers, despite a .300 BA, 18 homers and 83 RBIs... this trade looks like a "win-win" for both teams... Carmickle won't have much help from the likes of George Leach (.240/18 HR/79 RBI), Cal Goldsberry (.260/12 HR/48 RBI) and Richie Timmons (.276/13 HR/40 RBI)... it's going to be an extra-long season in East Point again this year.
****************************************** 2063 Preseason Prediction ************************************************** *********************************************** 2062 Tycobbian East Final Standings *****************

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, April 5, 2063

DONE DEAL IN TU WEST!
REPEAT FLAG FOR RACERS
The best in the west just got better... The Islandian Times Preseason Poll has predicted that the Rolling Hills Racers will again steamroller everybody in the Tycobbian West Division and garner their fourth straight flag and they are also the favorite to win their third Pro Cup trophy in the last four seasons... the Islandian baseball experts and connoisseurs are picking the Racers to rampage to another easy TU West division title... and they will win it by double digits... Bayview, Kenwood, La Claire and Denton City are no match and will finish far behind Rolling Hills... and the other three clubs Arlon, Chicopee and Bay St. Clair will wind up deep in the depths of the division... they could trail Rolling Hills by 40 or more games.

Are the Rolling Hills Racers that good?... yessiree, they are that good... the Racers have outstanding hitting and scoring, plus they have now added several quality pitchers, too... they traded two talented backup first sackers and a fine backup center fielder for three starting pitchers and a second baseman... Rolling Hills got pitchers Charley Clutterbuck (14-15/3.05) and Marty Yaden (8-14/3.48) from East Point for Mark Carmickle (.300/18 HR/83 RBI) and pitcher Jordy Wales (15-5/3.10) from Southport for Dayton Mayfield (.364/0 HR/12 RBI)... Mayfield only made 10 starts last year for the Racers, but in 2060, his only full season, he batted .307 with 12 homers and 67 runs batted in... Mayfield is also a standout defender at first base... the Racers added a good second baseman Clayton Claiborne (.327/2 HR/54 RBI/52 R) from North Hill for center fielder Gil Arthur (.340/10 HR/58 RBI/51 R/10 SB)... Clutterbuck and Yaden will join starters Vance Dillaway (17-5/3.15) and Brownie Ashmore (14-5/3.34) in the starting rotation... Claiborne will be the regular second sacker this season... Rolling Hills has only one shortcoming... they could use some help in the bullpen... Rob Gates (12-6/3.66 ERA/14 saves/48 games) is just a fair-to-middling closer... Jordy Wales could be a big help there and also as a solid spot starter... and now we take a look at the Rolling Hills batting order... it's really scary... almost entirely .300 hitters, led by Teddy Stonich (.345/31 HR/134 RBI), Jean-Luc Roubique (.331/18 HR/87 RBI), Hugo Sutton (.329/16 HR/83 RBI), Jameson Mulbert (.299/2 HR/74 RBI/103 R/14 SB), Jimmy Brandini (.318/12 HR/60 RBI), Lee Fountain (.299/13 HR/8I RBI) and Clayton Claiborne (.327/2 HR/54 RBI)... and almost all of the backups are .300 hitters, too... add into the lineup, first baseman Luca Palazzi (.303/2 HR/22 RBI/41 R/6 SB)... he will be the fulltime first baseman this season... he didn't get to play much last year... Palazzi is highly-touted player and has much potential: .300 batter, 20 homers, 80 RBIs, 100 runs, 25 stolen bases are reasonable expectations according to the baseball scouts... the Rolling Hills Racers could win 110 games this year... they are that good... could be 115, too.

The Bayview Vikings are rated the second-best club in the Tycobbian West... mainly because they have the second-best pitching staff... plus some good, solid hitters with some power... '57 (84-70) and '60 (82-72) were good years for the Viks, at least record-wise, but they haven't won a TU West pennant since 2016... they are not a very successful IPA franchise... Bayview has only appeared in the postseason playoffs 6 times with no Pro Cup trophies yet... but the Vikings are certainly not in the class of Rolling Hills... not on the hill and not at the plate... last season Bayview came in fifth, just 4 games over .500... but they have two quality starters in Ivar Rasmussen (16-9/2.90) and James Farnham (16-6/3.23)... the starters need help... and the bullpen really needs help... but the Bayview bats are pretty good with Gunnar Lindberg (.349/17 HR/72 RBI/102 R), Lou Fairhead (.283/25 HR/93 RBI), Goldy O'Toole (.287/19 HR/93 RBI), Yazzy Ricks (.244/22 HR/103 RBI), Vern Woodcock (.271/24 HR/67 RBI/87 R), Jonas Stephens (.283/16 HR/59 RBI) and Noel Connors (.300/10 HR/60 RBI).

According to the baseball scribes and sportcasters the third-best team in the TU West will be the Kenwood Wildcats... they had a fine season last year, winding up 93-61... but not good enough to compete with Rolling Hills... the Wildcats trailed that powerhouse by 9 games... they had the offense to hang with the Racers (.287 BA), but didn't have the pitching (4.24 ERA)... same thing this year, except the pitching appears to be worse... Dennis Tarrant (19-7/3.66) is the best starter... the rest are just mediocre: Red Bradford (16-8/4.12) and Mickey Maughan (13-9/4.28)... the bullpen is not so good, either, with closer Pee Wee Windham (6-11/4.35 ERA/29 saves/58 games)... but Kenwood can hit... leading the attack are Bralen Connally (.307/27 HR/102 RBI), John Michael Lansdell (.342/24 HR/96 RBI), Gabriel Macedo (.304/29 HR/88 RBI), Joe Kellogg (.305/8 HR/77 RBI), Bailey Brumley (.309/6 HR/69 RBI), Lorne Latimer (.313/5 HR/55 RBI), Esra McCluskey (.345/5 HR/36 RBI) and Eliot Epperson (.318/3 HR/29 RBI)... down through its IPA history the Wildcats have fared well with an overall winning record (.514)... with 10 playoff appearances and one Pro Cup (2014)... Kenwood did well last year with a high-octane attack... may be they can do it again... second place in the Tycobbian West sounds good... methinks, on paper the Wildcats are better than Bayview.

The La Claire Lynx are pretty much in the same boat as Kenwood... good offense, lackluster pitching... last year they did well with an 84-70 mark, good enough for the third spot in the standings, but that was still 18 games behind TU West champion and Pro Cup winner Rolling Hills... they are picked to finish fourth in the race this season... heading up the offensive attack are Jonny Bacon (.285/23 HR/100 RBI), Derek Winchester (.320/12 HR/100 RBI), Taro Lansing (.277/17 HR/94 RBI), Sean McEwen (.277/13 HR/83 RBI/100 R/20 SB), Dandy Zack (.300/15 HR/61 R/105 R), Pat Delancy (.294/12 HR/60 RBI/78 R) and Horace Rutherford (.316/11 HR/47 RBI)... that's a fairly potent bunch of bats... La Claire's starters are fairly good with Kraig Cutler (13-3/2.97), Maurice Aronson (15-7/3.65), Tim Halliburton (10-8/3.90) and Tommy Trantham (11-14/4.01)... but the bullpen is bad... Aronson was last year's closer with 15 saves... taking his spot will be Lanny Phipps (9-8/3.81 ERA/12 saves/48 games)... the Lynx have not fared well in the Islandian Pro Alliance... they have won only 4 pennants in the team's history... never won a Pro Cup... never gone deep into the playoffs... no TU West pennants since '37 and '38... last year was the first winning season in 8 years... fourth place sounds good... might sneak up to third place... Bayview may not be as good as the pollsters are forecasting.

The Denton City Redbirds wound up fourth last year (82-72), 10 games over the break-even mark, but 20 games back of Rolling Hills... they are just a middle-of-the-road club this season and forecast to finish in fifth place in The Islandian Times IPA preseason poll... the Redbirds hit well, score well and have some pitching... Robert Currie (19-10/3.87) and Rance Hasbrough (16-12/3.91) give them two quality starters... the bullpen is fairly good, led by longtime closer Burnell Kelley (3-5/3.38 ERA/32 saves/36 games)... at age 33 he may be showing signs of decline... to improve over last season, Denton City needs to find 2 or 3 more quality starters and some help in the bullpen... the Redbird offense seems to be in fine shape with superstar Vincent McCloud (.323/25 HR/107 RBI/114 R), TU batting average champ Ozzy Crenshaw (.365/15 HR/75 RBI/95 R), Danley Donovan (.284/25 HR/96 RBI/80 R), Winky Biggio (.282/17 HR/84 RBI/85 R), Josh Karnes (.275/10 HR/55 RBI/109 R/14 SB) and Troy Helton (.317/4 HR/62 RBI/41 R)... looking back over the Denton City history, they have made the postseason 13 times, but never won a Pro Cup, but the Redbirds reached the Pro Cup Finals twice (2005, 2008)... in recent times Denton City has won the Tycobbian West pennant four times in the last decade ('53, '55, '57, '59)... the mound corps was better in those seasons.

The last three teams in the Tycobbian West suffer from a lack of hitting, power and pitching... the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are slated for the sixth spot in the Tycobbian West this season... that will be much-improved over last year's basement-dwelling finish (49-105)... it's been five years since the Bucs had a winning season... the last pennants came in '49 and '50... 11 times Bay St. Clair has made the postseason playoffs, but they have never captured a Pro Cup... the Buccaneers made the Pro Cup Finals in 2015, but were beaten by Taranto in 5 games... checking out this year's Buccaneer edition, Darcey Kennedy (5-17/3.41) is an effective starter... he gets a little help from Jerrock Gillock (11-13/4.23) and Benny Daye (8-9/4.37)... that's it for pitchers... zilch in the bullpen... also there are no reliable threats in the lineup... the hitters are average at best and there are not many of them... Bay St. Clair is just not a very good baseball team... they look like a 100-loss team again... Whiz Ivie (.289/2 HR/41 RBI/69 R/16 SB) has the best average... followed by Steven O'Connor (.270/15 HR/75 RBI/76 R), Dan Berryhill (.276/4 HR/63 RBI) and Manny Cedeno (.242/15 HR/57 RBI/56 R)... this team may not escape the TU West cellar.

The Chicopee Braves have been mired in the bottom of the Tycobbian West for the past four seasons... they came seventh last year (63-91), 39 games behind Rolling Hills... and it looks like more of the same this year... they are rated by the pollsters to be the seventh-best team in the TU West... but help may be on the way... the pitching rotation has been revamped with four rookies: Kevin Quick, Mark Meriweather, Canaan Harris and Chatan Kota... all of them did well in the Spring... Chuta Shaman (13-13/4.02) is the only returning starter... and the bullpen has a fairly good closer in Cy Abernathy (3-7/3.46 ERA/28 saves/53 games)... so Chicopee could be better this year on the hill... however, the batting order is filled with lightweight hitters... the best of the lot are Herm McCanless (.303/11 HR/75 RBI), Lou Stankowski (.319/11 HR/53 RBI), Stacey Whitmire (.300/6 HR/50 RBI) and Phil Crichton (.292/4 HR/52 RBI... the most productive is Kohana Chaska (.250/15 HR/92 RB)... sixth, seventh or eighth place is the Braves most likely destiny in 2063... in its history Chicopee is one of the lesser lights in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only three playoff appearances ('14, '15, '16)... with no Pro Cups... the Braves have never gone deep into the postseason.

The Arlon Champions had a nice stretch of success from '51 to '59, winning four Tycobbian West pennants ('51, '54, '56, '58) and one Pro Cup (2051) in that time frame... overall in their IPA history they have made the playoffs on 9 occasions with one Pro Cup... since '60 the Champs have been stuck near the bottom of the division... not a lot of hitting... and not a lot of pitching... the top bat is Rebel Bryce (.261/28 HR/90 RBI/90 R)... the best contact hitter is Enos Benham (.324/14 HR/65 RBI/67 R)... Landon Moore (.317/6 HR/65 RBI/40 R) makes good contact, too... but that's about it in the batting order... the best arms in the Arlon starting rotation are 11-year veteran Ty Coffee (12-12/3.91) and 12-year veteran Erik Branham (11-15/4.06)... Coffee is 40 and Branham is 34 and both are on the downgrade... the bullpen chores are handled well by closer Clyde Burney (8-7/2.67 ERA/9 saves/53 games) and Rex August (7-6/3.29 ERA/9 saves/57 games)... the outlook for Arlon in '63 is not very optimistic... the Champions are ranked last by the preseason pollsters in The Islandian Times.

************************************* 2063 Tycobbian West Preseason Prediction ************************************************** ******************************* 2062 Tycobbian West Final Standings *********************

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, May 1, 2063

GATORS, DIAMONDS, RACCOONS, BLACK SOX TOP RU
In Ruthlandian Union play the first month of the 2063 Islandian Pro Alliance season, the contenders are doing well and a few lesser lights may be playing over their heads... the LaGrange Gators jumped out into the lead in the Ruthlandian North, the Claxton Diamonds head up the Ruthlandian South, the Cold Creek Raccoons are sitting atop of the Ruthlandian East and the Colfax Black Sox took the early lead in the Ruthlandian West... only the Raccoons raised any eyebrows... the other three leaders were forecast to be contenders.

Several other unlikely challengers made a little noise in April... The Taranto Tars are tied for second in the RU North... the Crystal Lake Skippers are third in the RU South... and the Stoner Stars are running second in the RU West... Cold Creek, Taranto, Crystal Lake and Stoner were not highly touted in the preseason polls... there were several well-rated teams that started off the year slowly... in the RU North, Kilkenny and Glasgo had poor months... Grand City slumped in the RU South... and Volusia had a bad first month of play in the RU West.

2063 Ruthlandian Union Standings
Tuesday, May 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Ruthlanian Union Division Leaders
Tuesday, May 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Ruthlandian Union Leaderboards
Tuesday, May 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, May 1, 2063

TOP TEAMS DOING WELL IN TU
Over in the Tycobbian Union the top teams for the most part played well as expected... Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills got off to a fast start, however its main competitor Kenwood got off to an even faster start and leads the TU West... just as forecast the high-powered Oxford Red Caps already have a very healthy lead in the TU North... the good teams are doing fine in the Tycobbian South race, but its the lightly-regarded Summerland Sunsets that are setting the pace at the end of April... all of the top-rated teams in the TU East got out of the gate well... Red Bluff and South Fork are pretty much tied for first place... but there were a few disappointments... the Blue Lake Schooners slumped a little bit in the early going in the TU North race... the High Mesa Mustangs also had a sluggish start in the TU East.

2063 Tycobbian Union Standings
Tuesday, May 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union Division Leaders
Tuesday, May 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union Leaderboards
Tuesday, May 1, 2063

[Dark Horse]

Nine on a five game winning streak!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Nine on a five game winning streak!

Since you are my main fan... I thought you might like to see the Marston Nine Team Page... also pitching stats and batting stats... home and away jerseys... and logos.

Note that the Nine has a new number three hitter... Jerald Wheeler just might add a lot of perk to the offense... we'll have to keep an eye on him.

Also note the schedule... Marston will be playing the worst teams in the division in the next week, the Beechwood Jackrabbits and the Belle Plaine Musketeers.
I also saw they are playing first place Cold Creek, too.

Click on Image to Enlarge

[Eugene Church]

Marston Pitching and Batting Stats

Click on Image to Enlarge

[Eugene Church]

Marston Logo and Home and Away Jerseys

Great logo done by the great txranger.
Sorry, not sure who did the jerseys and caps... my best guess would be knuckler... also one of the greatest graphics designers.

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Marston Logo and Home and Away Jerseys

Great logo done by the great txranger.
Sorry, not sure who did the jerseys and caps... my best guess would be knuckler... also one of the greatest graphics designers.

The mods do a great job, txranger and knuckler are two of the best.

Can't wait to see what Wheeler does.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

The mods do a great job, txranger and knuckler are two of the best.

Can't wait to see what Wheeler does.

Wheeler flopped... only batted .185 with 3 homers and 5 RBIs in 18 games... he was sent down for more seasoning.

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, July 15, 2063

IPA GAME OF DREAMS IN ROLLING HILLS WED
The Game of Dreams has been a nightmare for the Ruthlandian Union All-Stars in recent years... the Tycobbian Union All-Stars have put them to sleep in 11 of the last 12 Midsummer Classics... the 63rd edition of the superstar spectacular is scheduled to be played at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills this coming Wednesday afternoon.

The RU Stars will have 15 first-time selections this year, while the TU Stars will have 13 players making their debuts in the All-Star Classic... the oldest Ruthlandian performers will be Mickey Wilbur of the Elnora Clippers, who will be appearing for the fifth time in his career at age 36... Snooky Bartels of Wynnamac and Bob Purkey of South Fork have also been chosen five times... Callum Slattery of Glasco, Rudy Maroney of South Fork and Jameson Mulbert of Rolling Hills will be in their fourth All-Star Game... the youngest players are a pair of 22-year-olds, Marcos Cienfuegos of Beechwood and Hugo Sutton of Rolling Hills... each club has a rookie... Dean Walton of Marston and Roland Daye of Arroyo Grande... both pitchers.

The Elnora Clippers topped the Ruthlandian All-Stars with five representatives, while the Rolling Hills Racers had the most for the Tycobbian All-Stars with five.

The Tycobbian All-Stars will be managed by Billy Christianson of the IPA champion Rolling Hills Racers and Tubby Tarkanian will handle the Ruthlandian All-Stars... his Volusia Vigilantes have made the Pro Cup Finals for two seasons in a row.

[Eugene Church]

700 views today... that is nearing the all-time mark of 715.
Thanks to all of you for following the IPA.
Really appreciate each and every one of you.

I will play the All-Star Game tomorrow... and then recap the first half of the season.

[Eugene Church]

Deleted.

I want the entire All-Star Game on one page.