ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, September 25, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Late Rally Saves Colfax, Still Trails Marston
Riding on the brink of a four-game sweep, the Colfax Blasters rallied for 4 runs in the seventh and remained alive in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... The Nine were behind 4-1 and headed toward elimination, when 2B Ilya Ivanchuk (.118) saved the day with a clutch 2-run triple to win the game 5-4... Marston still has a hefty three games to one lead in the series... starter Rodger Wright (1-1 5.40) got credit for the win in spite of giving up 4 runs in 7 innings... three relievers saved it for him with two scoreless innings... Bryan Vidmar logged the save... Colfax had the lead in hits 7-6... RF Richie Mazzone (.500) and 1B Pat Farris (.533) topped Marston with 2 RBIs each... Farris had a two-run homer in the first frame... Hunk Sweitzer (1-1 4.50) labored and lost it in a complete-game effort.

Claxton Outlasts Taranto 9-7 In 10 Innings, Tars Lead 3-1
Allen Lemay was the man of the hour in Claxton when he stepped to the plate trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the tenth and delivered a dynamic 3-run homer to keep the Diamonds in the best-of-seven RU Elite 8 Series with the very tough Taranto Tars, who still lead it three games to one and only need one more win to advance in the Pro Cup playoffs... Claxton collected 11 hits and were paced by 1B Mike Luzzatti (.467) and 3B Erik Carducci (.417) with 3 hits apiece... both of them had home runs... Carducci drove in 4 runs and Lemay 3 to lead the Diamonds... 3B Wayne Pounders (.294) and 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.231) had solo homers for the Tars... Reliever Tony Havercamp (1-0) was the winner, while Chris Hall (1-1) lost it... Haverkamp got a reprieve when Lemay got the walk-off homer... he had given up the lead 7-6 in the top of the tenth when Skrmetta went deep.

Tycobbian Union

Burg Stalls Haymakers 4-2, 'Canes Fight Back
The Mahaska Haymakers had won the first three games of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series and were poised to sweep the series, but Cape Coral's ace right-hander Cody Burg spoiled the party with an impressive 4-2 victory, holding the Haymakers to just 3 hits in 8 innings... Burg (1-0 0.49) totaled 8 Ks and walked only one... Burg is 9-2 in the postseason in his career... closer Bobby Maas posted the save with an inning of relief... Burg and Mahaska starter Joey Wallace were locked up in a 1-0 game with the Hurricanes in the lead... RF Glenn Armstrong's (.133) second-inning homer was the only difference... both pitchers ran into trouble in the eighth... Cape Coral cashed in for 3 runs to go up 4-0 on CF Derek Ryckman's (.105) solo shot and an RBI single by PH James Flanagan and RBI triple by SS George Longmire (.316)... then the Haymakers made some noise in the bottom of the inning with a pair of scores... Losing pitcher Wallace (0-1 2.65) worked 8 frames and was tagged for 12 hits and 4 runs.

DiPirro's HR Evens Bucs-Nats Series
Home run power decided game four of the TU Elite 8 Series between Bay St. Clair and Ozarka... the Buccaneers blasted three out of the park and had 10 hits, while the Naturals got just one, but had 11 base hits... LF Frank DiPirro (.400) led off the last of the tenth with a game-winning homer off losing pitcher Eddie Roberts (1-1) to even the series at two games each... SS Jimmy Sawyer (.267) and 1B Gerry Fields also chipped in homers for the victors... rookie 3B Andre Dumas (.375) cracked one in defeat... Duke DeVree (1-0) registered the win with two scoreless innings.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 26, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Moves On, Beats Colfax in 5 games
The Marston Nine will be moving on in the 2013 IPA Pro Cup... Marston got great pitching from Roberto Conception in game 5 of the RU Elite 8 Series... He outpitched Colfax's ace Ilya Szabo 2-1 and the Nine took the series in five games... They will meet the Taranto-Claxton winner in the RU Final 4 for the league championship... Conception (2-0 1.59) held Colfax to 5 hits and 1 run over 8 innings, struck out 6 and issued 3 walks... Closer Bob Daniel sat the Blasters down in order in the ninth for his second save... Szabo (0-2 4.85) hurled a fine game, too... he went the distance, fanned 9, walked 2 and only gave up 2 runs on 6 hits... Colfax CF Ryan Raines (.214) opened the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth and that stood up until Marston tied it in the eighth on RF Richie Mazzone's (.444) single... The Nine won it in the ninth when CF Russ Woodward (.200) singled, stole second, advanced to third on a ground-out and came home on PH Ernie Fox's (.500) base hit.

Diamonds van Riebeeck Shines, Tames Tars 5-0
The Claxton Diamonds got big game performances from Ernie van Riebeeck and Mike Luzzatti in game five of the RU Elite 8 Series... van Riebeek (1-1 2.12) tossed a 4-hit shutout and tamed Taranto 5-0 to cut the Tars series' lead to three games to two... The Diamond defense sparkled and turned 4 doubles plays... Luzzatti went deep twice and batted in 4 runs to lead the Claxton offense... Luzzatti (.474) now has 5 homers in the playoffs... loser Jimmy Mosley (0-1 5.40) yielded 5 runs and 7 hits and went the route.

Tycobbian Union

Mahaska KO's Hurricanes In 5 Games
Mahaska got another impressive mound job from Yuri Dozhenko, who stopped Cape Coral on 5 hits in a 5-1 victory that gave the Haymakers the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series four games to one... Dozhenko (2-0 1.06) pitched a complete game, walked only 1 and whiffed 3... C Bucky O'Brian (.375) and RF Ross Burke (.273) supplied the offense with 2 hits each and 2 runs batted in... Mahaska's Final 4 opponent will be either Ozarka or Bay St. Clair.

Ozarka Bombs BSC Bucs, Takes Series Lead
The Ozarka Naturals blistered Bay St. Clair for 4 homers and 13 hits en route to an 8-2 shellacking in game five of the best-of-seven TU Elite 8 Series... the win gave the Nats a 3-2 edge in games... 3B Andre Dumas (.333) hammered his third roundtripper of the playoffs, 2B Todd Chadwick (.263) and 1B Benny Rousseau (.238) each got number two and LF Vic Weinstein (.211) unloaded his first of the postseason... All total Ozarka has hit 10 to just 4 for the Buccaneers... starter Wayne Gates (1-1 1.69) was also sharp on the hill as he held the Bucs to just 4 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings... Eddie Roberts closed it out with 2 scoreless frames... Bay St. Clair got only 6 hits... Lloyd Weber (1-1 3.00) was the loser... He surrendered 5 runs in 6 innings.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 27, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Taranto Prevails Over Claxton In RU Elite 8, Final 4 Next
Tommaso Lazzorda's Taranto Tars terrorized the Ruthlandian Union this year with their bats and it continued into the postseason... The Tars piled up 11 hits in game six of the Elite 8 Series and powered by Claxton 7-6 to eliminate them four games to two... CF Miles Rogers (.476) smacked two out of the Palazzo di Sport today and 1B Pietro Skrmetta hit another... the Diamonds tried valiantly with 4 home runs of their own, but came up short... Claxton had 9 hits with K. C. Moerdijk (.261), SS Bobby Bayas (.300), C Allen Lemay (.182) and 2B Tommy Bleek (.150) going deep... Taranto led 6-4 after 5 innings, the Diamonds tied it a 6-6 with 2 in the sixth and the Tars won it in the seventh on Bryan Miles' (.217) pinch-hit double... Anthony Zinacola (1-0 0.00), the first of four Taranto relievers notched the win with one and two-thirds scoreless innings... Ted Capetto saved it... Tony Haverkamp (1-1 3.18), the second of three Claxton pitchers, was the loser... Haverkamp worked two and two-thirds innings and allowed the final run of the game... The Tars will now tangle with the Marston Nine for the RU overall title in the IPA Final 4 Series... the victor will represent the league in the Pro Cup Finals against the Tycobbian Union Champion.

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Beat Nats 8-4, Force 7th Game
It was do or die for Bay St. Clair in game six of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series and the Bucs lived to play another day... They derailed the favored Ozarka Naturals 8-4 to deadlock the series at three games each... the seventh and deciding game is tomorrow in Ozarka... Bay St. Clair cracked 14 hits and were sparked by LF Frank DiPirro (.409) with 3 RBIs... 1B Gerry Fields (.250) and pitcher Bobby Joe Belvin (.400) also added two more RBIs each... Trent also turned in a gritty outing... Trent (1-1 5.79) gave up runs in the first three frames, but then held Ozarka to just one over the last six innings... starter Dennis Purcell (1-1 4.60) suffered the defeat... He allowed 5 runs and 10 hits in 7 innings... the Nats 3B Andre Dumas (.320) and 1B Benny Rousseau (.280) homered in the loss... it was Dumas' fourth in the series and Rousseau's third.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 28, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Upset Favored Nats In TU Elite 8
The Ozarka Nats won more games than any team in the IPA this season, they topped the IPA in batting and were ranked second in pitching, they were picked to win the Pro Cup, yet the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers overcame all of that to upset them in the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series... Though they were outhit 7 to 2, the Bucs survived with a 3-2 win in game seven to take the series.

They did it with a masterful mound performance by Chris Van Arden (1-1 3.28), who stymied Ozarka on 2 runs and 7 hits in his 8 innings... Don Yaden took the hill in the ninth and worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning to seal the victory and take the series... rookie Benny Osterman (0-1 2.88) pitched all the way for the Nats, only gave up 2 hits, but walked 6 and lost the game.

Bay St. Clair scored first in the opening inning... 2B Bud Walker (.346) tripled and then scored on CF Todd Bryant's (.167) sac fly... the Naturals got to Van Arden for two runs in the bottom of the fourth and took a 2-1 lead... one run came in on a wild throw at third by C Vince Herbert, the other came in on 2B Todd Chadwick's (.308) double... in the Buccaneer sixth RF Alejandro Feliciano (.182) walked with two away and Todd Bryant tied it at 2-all with a two-bagger... the game and the series were decided in the top of the seventh when two walks put runners on second and third with two outs and SS Jimmy Sawyer (.304) scored on a passed ball by rookie C Frank Kiffin... Bay St. Clair will now play the Mahaska Haymakers in the TU Final 4 for the right to play the Ruthlandian champion in the IPA Pro Cup Finals.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

IPA Final 4s Begin Today
Holy Cow!
What's going on the 2015 IPA Pro Cup playoffs?
Three of the top four rated teams didn't make it out of the first round Elite 8. Most surprising of all, was the team picked to win it all, fell to the wayside. The powerful Ozarka Naturals took it on the chin and lost to the upstart Bay St. Clair Buccaneers, the team deemed least likely to win the Pro Cup this season. Taranto was the only highly-ranked club to make it to the Final 4. The Tars were chosen the second-best team in the Islands by the baseball journalists and broadcasters in The Islandian Times poll. They whipped Claxton, which was selected seventh. Sixth-ranked Mahaska knocked off Cape Coral, the number three team in voting. And the Marston Nine defeated the Colfax Blasters. Marston went into the playoffs rated fifth, while Colfax was number four.

Oddsmakers have made Taranto the favorite over Marston in the Ruthlandian Final 4, while the Bay St. Clair-Mahaska match-up is a toss-up for the Tycobbian league title. The Tars are forecast to beat the Nine and meet the Buccaneers in the IPA Pro Cup Finals for the Island championship. Taranto has an awesome batting order and decent pitching. Bay St. Clair hits well, too, but its pitching is suspect. Both Marston and Mahaska have the capability to contend with Taranto and Bay St. Clair. Mahaska pitching is outstanding, while Marston is a well-rounded ball club with good bats and good pitching.

The IPA Final 4 gets underway today with Taranto hosting Marston at the Palazzo di Sport and Bay St. Clair entertaining Mahaska at Shoreline Park. The Tars dominated Marston in the regular season with five wins in six games. The Mahaska Haymakers were 4-2 in the season series with Buccaneers.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

2015 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Thumps Taranto 9-5 In Opener
At the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto, the Marston Nine showed it has some muscle, too... They thumped the favored hometown Tars 9-5 with a 14-hit barrage to take game one of the Ruthlandian Union Final 4... Marston pounced on losing pitcher Vito Incardona (1-1 5.40) for 7 runs in the first three innings for a 7-5 lead and four relievers made it stand up... The Nine bullpen shut out Taranto after the fourth frame with the victory going to Adam Ford (1-0)... Marston's fine CF Russ Woodward (.250) went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer... SS Danny Church (.318) and 1B Pat Farris (.500) had 3 hits apiece... LF Arnie Kennedy (.241) and RF Augie Marshall (.370) whacked homers for the Tars... Kennedy drove in 4 runs.

Tycobbian Union

Haymakers Trim Bucs 8-7 In 10 Innings
It was a seesaw battle royal at Shoreline Park in Bay St. Clair where visiting Mahaska got the best of the Buccaneers 8-7 in 10 innings to go up one-game-to-none in the best-of-seven Tycobbian Final 4... 3B Enrico Pilar (.200) plated the winning run with a sacrifice fly that scored RF Ross Burke (.370) with the winning score... both clubs racked up 13 hits each... Burke went 4-5 and scored twice and SS Monty Davis (.320) was 3-4 and drove in a pair of runs... Davis had a home run... C Bucky O'Brian (.357) also sent one into the stands and drove in two runs... O'Brian now has 3 homers in the postseason... the Bucs were led by LF Bruno DiPirro (.355), RF Todd Bryant (.222), 1B Gerry Fields (.269) and SS Jimmy Sawyer (.333), all with two hits each... Ray Simpson (1-0 1.50) was the winner in relief of starter Joey Wallace... however Simpson gave up a run in his two innings of work... Duke DeVree (1-1 7.88) suffered through two innings and allowed 3 runs for the loss... Both Wallace and Bay St. Clair starter Lloyd Weber battled to a 5-5 draw in 8 innings... neither was very effective.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 30, 2015

2015 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Tars Even Final 4, Mosley Stops Marston 5-3
In game 2 of the Ruthlandian Final 4, skipper Tommaso Lazzorda got a solid effort from Jimmy Mosley, who survived 3 homers and stopped Marston 5-3 to even the series at a game apiece... Mosley (1-1) struck out 9, walked two and permitted 7 hits for the win... C Denny Radke (.484) led the hitters with 3-3 and 2 RBIs...his solo blast gave Taranto a 3-2 lead in the fifth... The Tars kicked it up to 5-2 in the on a Radke triple and a sacrifice fly by SS Aron Aiello (.241)... Mosley gave up home runs in the first to RF Richie Mazzone (.370) and LF James Yardley (.308) and in the eighth to CF Russ Woodward (.286)... Woodward has hit 3 homers in the playoffs, Yardley 2... loser Hunk Sweitzer (1-2 4.91) gave up 5 runs in 6 innings... Both teams collected 7 hits each.

Bucs Bury Haymakers 8-1 Behind Belvin
It's all tied up in the Tycobbian Final 4, too... in game two Bobby Joe Belvin (2-1 3.91) hurled Bay St. Clair to an 8-1 triumph over the Mahaska Haymakers, checking them on 5 hits with 5 Ks and 3 walks... the Bucs laced Yuri Dozhenko (2-1 2.22) for 8 runs - only 4 earned - in 7-plus innings... Bay St. Clair piled up 10 hits and were led by RF Alejandro Feliciano (.259) with 3 hits, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored... and by 2B Bud Walker (.361) with 3 hits, 3 runs and an RBI... Both Feliciano and Walker had 2 doubles.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

Taranto Tars

Owner: Gianni Di Bello, CEO Papa Giovanni's Pizza
GM/Manager: Tommaso Lazzorda

Originally Taranto was just a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Valdar Island settled by Italian immigrants in the 1870s after the unification of Italy caused economic collapse in several areas of the country. Taranto was named after its namesake in Italy. Visitors are enthralled by the quaint and picturesque town. It has the feel and essence of the old country and should not be missed by tourists.

Taranto is also the origin of the common name of the Tarantula spider family, In ancient times, residents of the town of Taranto, upon being bitten by a spider, would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a jig. This was done in order to sweat most of the poison out of their pores and thus survive the spider bite. The dance they did became locally known as the Tarantella, which eventually became the name we use today to describe the large, sometimes hairy type of spider, the Tarantula.

The town got a big boost in the 1880s when the Ruthlandian government decided to construct a naval base here. The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Ruthlandian naval fleet. Taranto has since grown to a present-day population of 63,000. As a result of the naval expansion, baseball leagues sprang up in Taranto. First it was just for the sailors and marines, but soon spread to the town. Baseball has thrived in Taranto since the late 1880s.

The Navy is still the prime industy in Taranto. However, the town is also known for being the headquarters of Papa Giovanni's Pizza, the number one pizza in the Islands. Giovanni Di Bella began making pizzas in 1905 after emigrating from Italy. His pizzas with a special garlic butter sauce soon became a favorite of the townspeople. Papa Giovanni's Pizza's popularity soon spread throughout Vandar Island and then to the mainland of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia. You will now find a Papa Giovanni's Pizza shop in all of the main towns of Islandia.

Papa Giovanni was a good baseball player in his own right, but where he excelled was in sponsorship of the local amateur team. Papa Giovanni also managed the club and got most of his players from the navy leagues, hence the name Papa Giovanni's Tars. He used the team to publicize his expanding pizza business. The more popular his team got, the more pizza he sold.

A "tar" is a sailor. The name comes from the black, petroleum substance used to keep ropes and rigging dry aboard ship. It was also used to seal and make the ships water-tight. It would get on the sailors uniform, so people began to refer to them as Tars.

Papa Giovanni housed his team in the Palazzo di Sport, which was built in 1922 and is still in use today. The Palazzo is known for being a hitter's ballpark with its short fences. It's only 320 down the lines, 360 in the power alleys and just 385 to center. The Di Bello family has continued to big supporters of baseball in Taranto. When they heard that the IPA was going to expand the league, Grandson Gianni Di Bello got the backing of the Admiralty to insure a franchise would be granted to Taranto and to Papa Giovanni's Pizza.

The general manager and field manager of the Taranto Tars is Tommaso Lazzorda. He gained his fame as a crafty southpaw for the Papa Giovanni's Tars. Lazzorda gained even more success and notoriety as the team's skipper. When the Tars switched over to professional baseball, Lazzorda came, too. Lazzorda loves to eat and loves his baseball. The congenial Lazzorda is good with a quote, too. "When we win, I'm so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I'm so depressed, I eat a lot. When we're rained out, I'm so disappointed I eat a lot."

And the people of Taranto love him, too. There's no better ambassador of baseball than Tommaso Lazzorda. He often tells reporters, "I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer."

Palazzo de Sport

Capacity: 7,175

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 320
Left Field 335
Left Center 360
Center Field 385
Right Center 360
Right Field 335
Right Field Line 320

[Eugene Church]

Palazzo di Sport

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

Bay St. Clair Buccaneers

Owner: Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles
GM/Manager: Guy Rondre (pronounced "Gee Ron-dray")

Bay St. Clair is a major port, tourist destination and petroleum and railroad center, located in southwestern Tycobbia on its namesake, Bay St. Clair, a great natural harbor. It is a town of 117,000 resting on the Appian River, which empties into the Kelnyck Ocean. The town was established in the 1850s by a group of American abolitionists from the North and the South, who saw the coming Civil War. They wanted to set up a country free from slavery and religious intolerance.

Offshore oil rigs in the Southern Sea provide a great boost to the local economy and a thriving petroleum business. Noxxe Oil Corporation is one of the nation's biggest and its home office is in Bay St. Clair.

Breathtakingly beautiful white beaches and luxurious hotels dot the coastline. Bay St. Clair has a multicultural heritage with French and Creole backgrounds. It is known for great music, exquisite cuisine and good times. Bon Temps ("Good Times" in French) is a lenten carnival, famous for parades, costumed balls and frivolity. Jazz funerals are a noted part of the town's culture.

Another important annual event and tourist lure is the Bay St. Clair Jazz and Music Heritage Foundation's "Razzmatazz". This is ten days of jazz, blues, gospel and rock greats.

Bay St. Clair is also home of the Buccaneers baseball team of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Bucs are in the Tycobbian Union's West Division. They are owned by jazz immortal, Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles. This Creole singer and trumpeteer loves his baseball just about as much as his music. He was one of the league creators along with Jock Ewing, Rob Jackson and John Banson.

The club plays at Shoreline Stadium, which looks out on the beautiful white beaches and blue-watered bay. A brass band, often led by "Sugar Lips", entertains the fans at all Buccaneers' games. At the seventh inning stretch, the band plays "When the Bucs Go Marching In". And when the opposing teams have to go to the bullpen for a relief pitcher, the band welcomes him with a funeral dirge, a sad and mournful song. When the game is decided in favor of the Bucs, they begin playing a lively Dixieland victory tune and parade around the stadium.

Concessions are great with wonderful Creole soul food, gumbo (seafood soup), red beans and rice, jambalaya (seafood casserole), hot beignets (pronounced "ben-yays"), hot out-of-the-grease doughnuts, covered in powdered sugar, cafe au lait (chicory coffee with hot milk), pecan pralines (candy), snowballs, topped with sweet condensed milk, and the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs.

Bay St. Clair's GM and Manager is hometown boy, Guy Rondre, a fine southpaw in his industrial league days. He was known for a great fastball and was nickname "Lightning".

Shoreline Stadium (1940)

Capacity: 11,900

Dimensions:
LF Line 332
LF 360
LCF 388
CF 400
RCF 381
RF 350
RF Line 325

[Eugene Church]

Shoreline Park

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 1, 2015

2015 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

DeBartolo Skuttles Marston 6-1, Tars Up In Final 4
The Pro Cup favorite, the Taranto Tars, took the lead in the best-of-seven RU Final 4 with a 6-1 verdict over Marston at Legends Field in game three... crafty southpaw Chazzie DeBartolo (2-0 3.63) fashioned a 4-hitter with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks in his 8 innings... Only RF Richie Mazzone's sixth-inning clout spoiled his performance... closer Anthony Zinacola retired the side in order in the ninth to complete the win... 2B Ed Miles (.212) and LF Arnie Kennedy (.250) drove in 2 runs each to lead the victors... Dennis Townsend (1-1 2.66) caught the loss... the Tars had 5 hits and 3 runs off of him in 8 innings, just one of the runs was earned.

Tycobbian Union

BSC Bucs Pound Mahaska 8-4 In Game 3
The Bay St. Clair bats had their way with Mahaska pitching... the Buccaneers pounded out 16 hits in the 8-4 victory to go ahead in the Tycobbian Final 4 by a game... the Bucs have won two of the three games played so far... SS Jimmy Sawyer (.314) had the big blow in the game, a 3-run shot that put the Bucs up 5-2 in the top of the fifth... in addition to lousy pitching, the Haymakers made 4 errors... winning pitcher Chris Van Arden (2-1 3.82) needed help from two relievers to nail down the win... Van Arden worked the first six frames, yielded 4 runs and 5 hits, while fanning 5 and walking none... It was 6-4 when he exited... Duke DeVree and Hal Meissner blanked Mahaska over the final 3 innings... Johnny Picou (1-1 4.02) started and lost it, allowing 7 runs and 13 hits in his 6+ innings... Homers by LF Dalton Leeds (.300) and SS Monte Davis (.290) kept the Haymakers close for awhile.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 1, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

MARSTON NINE

Owner: Abe Doubleday of Doubleday Sporting Goods
GM/Mgr: Johnny Walters

Marston has a population of 95,000 and is situated on the Central Plains in East Central Ruthlandia approximately 75 miles from the Valerian Ocean. Its main industry is sporting goods equipment, sportswear and fashions. The Doubleday Family dominates the industry in Ruthlandia and its company headquarters is here. The family also resides in Marston. Grain processing plants are in abundance in the "Breadbasket of Ruthlandia".

Marston is famous as the site of the first organized baseball game in the Islands in the late 1890's. The first amateur club and the first industrial league team were formed here, both known as the Marston Nine. They played at Legends Field (circa 1903), which is the second oldest ballpark in Ruthlandia (Waleska is the oldest - 1902) and is built on the actual site of the first organized game. In fact, home plate is in the exact same spot as the original home plate for the first game. Every ninth seat in the stadium is painted red in honor of those two early Marston Nines. The other seats are painted black. Marston's colors are red and black.

The Marston Nine plays in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union's East Division and are owned and operated by the Doubleday family, headed by the board president, Abe Doubleday. They are distant relatives of the creator of American baseball, Abner Doubleday.

A special feature of Legends Field is the Ruthlandian Baseball Hall of Fame. It is located in the stadium and houses memorabilia from the country's amateur and industrial league past. The Marstonians sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the traditional seventh-inning stretch, but they also have the ninth-inning stretch, when they give the home team a standing ovation, win or lose. If they win, the fans are treated to an exciting fireworks display, all accompanied by live organ music.

Live organ music is played throughout the game, a tradition still practiced in only a few other towns - Ozarka, Kenwood and Hillsboro. Marston fans are among the most knowledgeable and intense in the Islands. They watch every pitch and are mesmerized by the action on the field.It is a tradition at Legends Field to throw back any ball hit in the stands by the opposing teams. No self-respecting Niner fan would want to get a souvenir baseball that way. Every Sunday is Niner Day at Legends Field and every ninth fan through the turnstiles is given a free pass (or “Annie Oakley”) to a game in the next homestand.

At the concessions stand nothing special is served. All you get is baseball basics: peanuts, crackerjacks, popcorn, soda pop, cotton candy, ice cream, hot dogs and hamburgers. It is a family town and a family-oriented ballpark...no alcoholic beverages are served.

The great and legendary righthanded pitcher of company leagues, Johnny Walters is the manager of the Marston Nine.

LEGENDS FIELD (1903)

CAPACITY: 12,500

LF Line 320
LF 345
LCF 385
CF 375
RCF 405
RF 380
RF Line 345

[Eugene Church]

Legends Field

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 1, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

MAHASKA HAYMAKERS

Owner/GM: Rickey Branch
Assistant GM: Rick Branch, Jr.
Manager: Rusty Tanussa

Mahaska, a township of 67,000 nestled on the banks of the White River in the west central plains of Tycobbia, is part of the nation’s breadbasket and heartland with vast fields of wheat, corn, oats and other grains. Grain elevators, storage silos and processing plants are its main industry, along with cereal factories and beef, chicken and pork meat processing plants. The Mahaska townspeople have a strong work ethic and live a nice middle-class existence. Church and family are of prime importance in their lives. Shady streets and quiet subdivisions best describe life in Mahaska.

Mahaska was settled in the 1850s by immigrants from Iowa in the United States. They were hearty farm people well-versed in all aspects of agriculture. The transplanted Iowans named their town after the Iowa county where most of them lived. Mahaska was named after a famous Iowa indian chief. Around 1900 the town got an influx of emigres from the Ukraine, who fit in real well with their expert knowledge of growing wheat and grains. The Ukraine is the breadbasket of Russia.The new additions to Mahaska quickly were assimilated into the town culture and even picked up the game of baseball, which was rapidly becoming the National Pastime in Tycobbia.

Mahaska is also home of the Haymakers baseball team who play at the new Heartland Stadium, where the best barbecue in Tycobbia is served along with delicious, melt-in-your-mouth hamburgers. Traditional ballpark food and soft drinks are available in abundance, too. Musical entertainment during games is provided by the Mahaska Sym-Phony, a group of musically-inclined fans. They entertain during games and highstep around the field in celebration after every Haymaker victory...it's the only symphony in Mahaska.

The team is family-owned and family-operated; no high-powered corporation or millionaire runs it. Rickey Branch is one of the most knowledgeable baseball administrators in Tycobbia and is the sole owner of the team. He is also one of the league founders. His son, Rick Branch, Junior, is the assistant GM and is a fine baseball man in his own right; the team will be passed down to him when his dad retires. The Branches are well-respected members of the Mahaska community and active in civic activities. Team manager Rusty Tanussa was a journeyman outfielder in the company leagues, but was a top-notch and very successful industrial league manager.

Heartland Stadium (2000)

Capacity: 7,935

Dimensions:
LF Line 340
LF 365
LCF 390
CF 425
RCF 390
RF 365
RF Line 340

[Eugene Church]

Heartland Stadium

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 2, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Tars Nip Nine 4-3, Need One Win
Taranto nipped Marston 4-3 for its third win in four games and only needs one more victory to wrap up the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series... The Tars rallied late to pull out the win... they got the game-winning run in the top of the ninth when PH Miles Rogers (.440) slammed a two-out double and was driven with by PH Rickey Gilliam's (.333) RBI single... Taranto had trouble with Roberto Conception and trailed 2-0 until a 3-run seventh gave them the first lead... the damage was done by C Dennis Radke's (.450) two-run double and CF Bryan Miles' (.143) one-run clout... Marston tied it up in the last of the eighth on LF James Yardley's (.300) solo homer... winner Vito Incardona (2-1 4.44) only allowed 3 runs in 8 innings, struck out 7 and walked 2... and closer Anthony Zinacola did his job with a perfect ninth for his second save in the postseason... Conception (2-1 2.42) went the route in defeat, gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, walked 5 and whiffed 3... one more Tar triumph will send Marston home for the season and give Taranto a shot at its first Pro Cup crown.

Bucs Beat Haymakers 6-4, Lead 3-1 in Series
In game four of the Tycobbian Final 4, Bay St. Clair inched closer to its first Pro Cup Final with a 6-4 win over Mahaska on the road in Heartland Stadium... the Buccaneers now lead the series three games to one and need just one more win in the best-of-seven series for a crack at its first Pro Cup trophy... Bucs LF Bruno DiPirro (.341) snapped a 3-3 score in the top of the seventh with an RBI single and 1B Gerry Fields (.308) made it 6-3 with a two-run double... manager Guy Rondre got a gutsy performance from Lloyd Weber (2-1 3.94), who fanned 6, walked one, permitted 8 hits and 4 runs, yet survived... Weber was 19-12 during the regular season and he outpitched Joey Wallace, who was 23-9... Wallace (0-2 4.60) was battered for 6 runs and 10 hits in 6+ frames... Bay St. Clair had the edge in hits 11-8 with Fields and 2B Bud Walker (.370) getting 3 hits each.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 3, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Gets New Life, Derails Tars 7-6
Taranto only needed a win to advance to the Pro Cup Finals, but they didn't get it... the Marston Nine derailed the Tars express 7-6 at Legends Field to stay alive in the RU Final 4 Series... however Taranto still leads three games to two... Marston unloaded 4 home runs and ran up a 7-1 lead in the first seven innings and then had to hold on as the Tars banged them around for 5 runs late in the game... CF Russ Woodward socked two homers and batted in 4 runs for the winners... Woodward (.316) has 15 RBIs in the playoffs... LF James Yardley (.303) and 3B Jimmy Holman (.270) got the other two... Taranto outhit Marston 10-8 and were led by RF Augie Marshall (.366) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... Marston starter Hunk Sweitzer (2-2 4.20) had a fine outing, holding the Tars to 3 runs in 8 innings... after John Updike was rocked for 3 runs in the top of the ninth, closer Bob Daniel came in and put Taranto away... it was Daniel's third postseason save this year... Jimmy Mosley (1-2 5.10) sustained the loss as he permitted 5 runs in 6 innings.

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Bats Boom, BSC Makes Pro Cup Finals
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers blasted their way to the 2015 Pro Cup Finals with 9-2 romp over shell-shocked Mahaska... the Bucs won their fourth consecutive game and took the TU Final 4 in five games... now for the first time in its history Bay St. Clair will play in the Finals against the winner of Taranto-Marston in the Ruthlandian series... CF Todd Bryant (.295) sparked the win with 3 hits and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run smash in the opening frame... 2B Bud Walker (.380) added 2 hits and 2 RBIs and RF Alejandro Feliciano (.289) chipped in with 2 hits and 2 runs scored... Bobby Joe Belvin (3-1 3.09) worked 8 sharp innings, yielding only 2 runs on 6 hits, while chalking up 9 Ks... losing pitcher Yuri Dozhenko (2-2 2.53) was hit hard for 10 hits and 8 runs, but was charged with only 3 earned runs... The Buccaneers were one of the best hitting clubs in the IPA this season and it continued in the playoffs, despite the fact that Mahaska had one of the best pitching staffs... the Bucs averaged almost 8 runs a game in the series.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 4, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Taranto Eliminates Marston 8-5 In RU Final 4
The Taranto Tars tore into Marston for 8 runs in the first three innings and came away with an 8-5 victory to eliminate the Nine in six games in the Ruthlandian Final 4... Taranto qualified for its first IPA Pro Cup Final and will go up against the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers of the Tycobbian Union beginning Tuesday in Taranto at the Palazzo di Sport... It's a best-of-seven series... The Buccaneers have never played for the Pro Cup either.

RF Augie Marshall (.364) and pitcher Chazzie DeBartolo (.375) led the Tars attack with 3 RBIs each... Marshall smashed a 3-run shot in the 5-run second and DeBartolo got his with a sac fly in the second and a 2-run single in the third... DeBartolo (3-0 4.45) got the win, but allowed 5 runs on 9 hits... Randy Pitri finished up for DeBartolo and blanked Marston over the final 3 frames on 2 hits for the save... The Nine rapped 11 hits and 3 home runs, but got too deep in the hole early in the game and couldn't make up the difference... 3B Jimmy Holman (.300), RF Richie Mazzone (.341) and LF James Yardley (.324) all went deep for Marston... It was Yardley's 5th in the postseason and Mazzone's 4th... Dennis Townsend (1-2 3.22) suffered the loss as he was tagged for 6 runs in just 2 innings, 4 of them unearned... the Tars only had 6 hits.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 5, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals

High-Scoring Finals, Tars And Bucs Battle
Get warm and stay ready in the bullpen, Taranto and Bay St. Clair both have a wealth of hitters and put runs on the scoreboard. This year could be the highest-scoring Pro Cup in history. Neither the Tars, nor the Buccaneers have an abundance of pitching. The 2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals start tomorrow afternoon at Taranto's Palazzo di Sport, one of the smallest venues in the IPA. The Tars have the homefield advantage in the best-of-seven series. Both ball clubs are making their debuts in the IPA finals.

Tommaso Lazzorda's Tars had a monstrous year with 219 home runs, topping the IPA in most offensive categories. Guy Rondre's Bucs are quite capable, too, but not as potent as Taranto. The clubs are about even on the hill except for Jimmy Mosley (16-4 2.98) and Vito Incardona (13-7 3.26). They give the Tars the edge as far as starters go. Chris Van Arden (11-6 3.13) and Lloyd Weber (19-12 4.02) are the Bucs best hurlers. Both clubs have problems in the relief corps. Defensively they both are good with the gloves and about equal with .976 fielding averages.

Taranto is a strong favorite to hit their way to the IPA crown, but don't dismiss Bay St. Clair too quickly. They surprised powerful Ozarka in the Tycobbian Final 4. The Naturals were picked to win it all in the IPA this season by the baseball experts. Not only did Ozarka hit very well, they had excellent pitching, too. It didn't matter to the Buccaneers, they didn't pay any attention to the experts, who voted Bay St. Clair least likely to win the Pro Cup this year in The Islandian Times poll. Guy Rondre's Bucs finished last in a field of 8 teams. Taranto was rated number two in the poll.

Everybody in Lazzorda's line-up is a threat. Taranto had 8 players with 10 or more homers, led by RF Augie Marshall (.323 BA/47 HR), LF Arnie Kennedy (.309 BA/34 HR) and CF Miles Rogers (.365 BA/20 HR). However, Bay St. Clair has a couple of sluggers in 1B Gerry Fields (.332 BA/46 HR) and SS Jimmy Sawyer (.307 BA/30 HR), along with some excellent contact hitters in LF Bruno DiPirro (.307 BA), 2B Bud Walker (.314 BA), RF Alejandro Feliciano (.296 BA) and C Vince Herbert (.289 BA).

It should be a highly-entertaining series. I'm going to pick Bay St. Clair in an upset in seven games.

Taranto Tars (93-61)
.271 BA (1st)
885 runs (1st)
219 HR (1st)
4.06 ERA (26th)
.976 FA (3rd tied)

Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (86-68)
.273 BA (5th)
761 runs (8th)
174 HR (6th)
4.16 ERA (24th)
.976 FA (5th)