ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, July 17, 2063
RU STARS TOPPLE TU STARS, COLFAX'S WALDREP MVP

[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

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[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, August 1, 2063

IPA PRESEASON PICKERS HAVING TOUGH SEASON
It is a tough season for the IPA baseball experts so far... at least in the Ruthlandian Union where they are a dismal 0 for 4, but they are pretty much hitting the mark in the Tycobbian pennant races, where they are 3 for 4 in picking the division champions.

Heading into August, only Tycobbian favorites Rolling Hills, Oxford and South Fork are on top of their divisions... Glasco (51-49) in the Ruthlandian North is running fourth in the race behind LaGrange (68-33), Taranto (53-48) and Kilkenny (52-48)... this pennant hunt is over... the Gators are far and away the best club and look to be shoo-in for the division flag with a whopping 15-game bulge.

But there's still a tight race in the RU South where the Claxton Diamonds (59-42) are only one game up on last year's champion the St. John Crusaders (58-43)... four games better than the preseason choice Valka Blackhawks (55-46)... two other teams still are in the chase... the fourth place Crystal Lake Skippers (52-49) are seven games out, while the fifth place Waleska Westerners (51-50) trail by eight... in the last month the Blackhawks and the Crusaders have been playing the best ball of the contenders... however, the best team in the RU South the last two months has been the Westerners... after a very poor start they have turned it around, posting a torrid 33-19 mark in June and July... it should be a good pennant race down the stretch... it will probably be decided between Claxton, St. John and Valka... Crystal Lake and Waleska might have too much ground to make up.

Two of the better-ranked clubs are still in the battle in the RU East... the preseason choice Wynnamac Sundowners (58-42) are four games behind the Elnora Clippers (62-38)... the other contenders, the third place Cold Creek Raccoons (54-47) are eight and a half games out and the fourth place Marston Nine (51-50) are 11 and a half games back... neither club is likely to catch the Clippers and Sundowners... the outlook is for a two-team tussle between Elnora and Wynnamac.

All of the preseason challengers are still in the RU West race... this season's favorite and the division champion the last two years, the Volusia Vigilantes, have floundered a bit... the V's started poorly in April and just played .500 ball in May and June... the fourth place Vigilantes (53-48) are currently seven and a half games back of the first place Colfax Black Sox (60-40)... but they got hot in July and should be in the thick of things down the stretch... the scrappy V's will not go quietly... in second place are the eternal bridesmaid of IPA baseball, the Sligo Rovers (59-42), just one and a half games behind Colfax... nine times in the last 11 seasons the Rovers have wound up in second place in the standings... the other two times they won the pennant... third in the RU West standings are the Rocky Rapids Snappers (55-46), five and a half games off the pace... it might be a four-team fight-to-the-finish to determine the best in west this season in the Ruthlandian West... right now you would have to lean toward Colfax... the Black Sox are a well-balanced team... Sligo, Rocky Rapids and Volusia just don't possess enough pitching to hang with Black Sox.

In the preseason prognostications, the pollster said hands down, the reigning Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers are the best team in the Islandian Pro Alliance and they are proving it... as predicted the Racers (71-30) are running roughshod over everybody in the Tycobbian West Division and just might be headed for their third IPA crown in four years... they are 17 games ahead of the runner-up Kenwood Wildcats (54-47)... the only thing left to play for is second place... Kenwood will have to fight off third place Bayview (51-49), fourth place La Claire (48-52) and fifth place Bay St. Clair (47-54)... the Wildcats should be able to fend off those clubs... so in the end most of the teams in the TU West are playing for third or fourth place, at best.

Another dynamite ballclub is the Oxford Red Caps... they were heavily favored to dominate the Tycobbian North Division again... right on schedule the Red Caps appear to be headed for their fifth consecutive division pennant and sixth in the last seven seasons... Oxford (60-41) currently is five games up on the second place Mahaska Haymakers (55-46), six games better than the third place Hartsdale Hellcats (54-47) and seven in front of the Blue Lake Schooners (53-48)... the most dangerous team among the three contenders is the Schooners, who went a sizzling 18-7 in August... however, it looks like high-powered Oxford will survive all challenges again this season and snare another TU North title... the Red Caps also have their eye on another IPA Pro Cup trophy... they won it in '61 and still have the ballclub to do it again.

A heck of a race was forecast in the Tycobbian East this season and this has come to pass... five clubs were picked to be in the pennant fight and that is exactly what has transpired thus far... heading into the last six weeks of the season, the South Fork Stallions (59-42) have a three-game edge over the second place Red Bluff Red Sox (56-45), four and a half up on the third place Ozarka Naturals (54-46), five and a half games in front of last year's pennant winner, the High Mesa Mustangs (53-47) and just seven games better than the fifth place Tuckanarra Tiger Cats (52-49)... the Stallions look to be the best, but they will have a battle down the stretch... the Red Sox, Nats and Mustangs still have a shot at the division flag... not so for the Tucks... too far behind and not quite the talent.

The big surprise of the year is in the Tycobbian South Division, where the unheralded Summerland Sunsets have been sensational... picked to wallow down in sixth place in the preseason poll, the Sunsets have surged to the top of the division with standout pitching... Summerland (61-40) has led the division for the whole season and they even built up a comfortable seven-game margin last month, but they have seen that lead decline since last year's TU South champion, the Southport Sun Sox (60-41) and the torrid Turon Typhoons (57-43) have gotten hot and really turned up the heat ... the Sun Sox are just one game behind and the Typhoons trail by just three and a half games...the Ginza Ninjas (52-48) were expected to be in the race, but they have fizzled in recent months, slumping to 21-31 in June and July and dropping to fourth place, eight and a half games off the pace... it looks like Summerland may be running out of gas after a poor 12-14 record last month... Southport will be a tough rival in the stretch drive... Turon might be in it, too... the sizzling Sun Sox are on a two-month tear with 34 wins and only 19 defeats... and the torrid Typhoons posted a fine 16-8 mark in July to get back near the top of the standings...methinks, I myself will be pulling for the underdog Sunsets.

Ruthlandian Union Standings
Wednesday, August 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union Standings
Wednesday, August 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, August 1, 2063

IPA TOP ATTACKS, TOP HITTERS AND TOP PITCHERS
Ideally you want your team to have the best offense and the best pitching... but it doesn't always work out that way in this imperfect world of baseball... in the Ruthlandian Union the high-scoring Elnora Clippers are the best attack in the league, batting .288 with 78 clouts and averaging over 5 runs a ballgame... they are on top of the RU East... but pitching-wise the Clippers are just average, but not at the plate... perennial RU East power Wynnamac is still in the race, just four games back of Elnora... the Macs can score runs well with a .277 BA and 77 roundtrippers... the pitching is not like it used to be, but it's sufficient with a 3.55 ERA... by contrast the other division leaders depend on their pitching corps for success... LaGrange leads the RU with a terrific 2.76 ERA, good enough to have a 15-game lead in the Ruthlandian North... with a .257 team batting average, the Gators are rated a little less-than-average offensively with 76 home runs... the Colfax Black Sox also have solid pitching with a 2.85 ERA and a better-than-average .269 BA, which is good enough to give them the lead in the RU West... the Black Sox have hit 93 out of the park this year... the Claxton Diamonds are leading the RU South with some fine pitching (2.96 ERA) and a lackluster offense (.253 BA)... but short on power (64 HR)... in the last few years in the Islandian Pro Alliance offense is the name of the game... recent Pro Cup champions possessed high-powered offense and so-so pitching... Rolling Hills has used this formula to win the IPA overall titles in '60 and '62, while Oxford hit their way to the championship in '61.

Both Tycobbian powerhouses are doing quite well again this season... Rolling Hills has scored over 6 runs a game with a .299 team batting average and 92 home runs... this kind of explosive offense has lifted them to a ridiculous 17-game lead in the Tycobbian West... the Racers have their sights set on their third Pro Cup trophy in the last four seasons... couple that high-powered attack with solid pitching and you have a crackerjack club... Rolling Hills is good on the mound, too, with a 3.30 team ERA... the Racers have the best of both worlds... Oxford still has a solid offense with a .265 BA, 97 homers and good scoring... and its mound staff is fair with a 3.87 ERA... this combination has the Red Caps atop the TU North and headed for their seventh pennant in eight seasons... then it's on to the Pro Cup playoffs and another crack at mighty Rolling Hills... in the other two divisions, pitching is what they mainly depend on... Summerland leads the Tycobbian Union with a very impressive 2.86 ERA... the Sunsets are in first place in the TU South, but not by very much... last year's champ Southport is very close by with a .287 ERA... only one game separates the two clubs going into August and the last six weeks of the season... Summerland is batting a poor .248 with 86 homers and Southport is a little better average-wise at .261, but doesn't hit with much power... the Sun Sox have gone deep only 61 times... the TU East leader is the South Fork Stallions... they blend pretty good pitching (3.32 ERA) with a pretty good offense (.254 BA/102 HR) and have a slight edge over Red Bluff... in pennant chase the Red Sox are three games behind the Stallions... Red Bluff is hitting a pathetic .231 for average, but have hit 103 homers and posted a strong 3.00 ERA on the hill... the Ozarka Naturals are still in the chase in the TU East with a very good 3.17 ERA, but they lack offense, batting .263 with little power, only 72 roundtrippers.

Ruthlandian Union Team Batting and Pitching Leaderboards
Wednesday, August 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union Team Batting and Pitching Leaderboards
Wednesday, August 1, 2063

[Dark Horse]

Wow! Marston is scoring better than i expected. Looks like the pitching is lagging behind.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

Wow! Marston is scoring better than i expected. Looks like the pitching is lagging behind.

At a glance... the horrendous bullpen is the problem... ranked 31st in the Ruthlandian Union with a 4.58 ERA... the starters are average with a 3.77 ERA .. ranked 14th in the RU..

And yes, the bats are good with lots of contact hitters... they sure could use a couple of home-run hitters.

That's a lot of needs to overtake Elnora and Wynnamac.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, August 1, 2063

TOP SWINGERS, TOP TWIRLERS IN IPA
With 50 games left in the 2063 season the Islandian Pro Alliance is entering the home stretch and headed for the finishing line... right now Dallas Patton of Sligo is the best swinger in the Ruthlandian Union and the top twirler is Norm Griffith of Elnora... the best banger in the Tycobbian Union is Jarred Creed of North Hills and the King of the Hill is Tommy Underhill of Summerland... but it's too early for them to claim the trophies, much can happen in the last third of the season.

Most likely the King of Swing in Ruthlandia will come from these five hitters... Dallas Patton (Sligo) with a .374 BA, Callum Slattery (Glasco) .369 BA, Corey McGee (Rocky Rapids) .360, Mickey Wilbur (Elnora) .355 BA and Tony Rojas (LaGrange) .354 BA.

The most likely-to-succeed on the mound and chalk up the most victories is Norm Griffith (Elnora) 14-1 with a 2.70 ERA, Clark Harrington (Valka) 12-5 with a 2.68 ERA, Billy Joe Wooster (Kilkenny) 12-7 with a 3.11 ERA and Ron Beeman (Volusia) with 11-6 and 2.29 ERA.

The Ruthlandian ERA leader will probably come from Carlos Santa Ana (Valka) with a 9-4 record and 1.80 ERA, Al Glaser (Waleska) 10-4 with a 1.84 ERA, Mark Meisner (Claxton) 10-5 with a 2.02 ERA, Joe Ramey (Fort Benton) 8-6 with a 2.06 ERA) and Lyndon Harlow (Kilkenny) 6-6 with a 2.19 ERA.

The current RU saves leader is Kris Fourcade (Valmara) 7-5 with a 3.24 ERA and 21 saves, Stevie Tucker (Elnora) 8-5 with a 3.02 ERA and 19 saves, Luis Villavaso (Beechwood) 4-8 with a 3.89 ERA and 18 saves and Ron Beeman (Volusia) 11-6 with a 2.29 ERA and 16 saves.

The Ruthlandian strikeout leaders are Glen Smitherman (Grand City) with 111 Ks in 154 innings, 8-6 record and 3.50 ERA, Mark Meisner (Claxton) with 100 strikeouts in 151 innings, 10-5 mark and a 2.02 ERA, Robin Norbonne (Crystal Lake) with 100 strikeouts in 156 innings, 9-7 record and a 4.19 ERA and Don Rainer (St. John) with 100 Ks in 159 innings, 11-6 record with a 3.44 ERA.

It's hard to say who will emerge as the home-run king in the RU... right now Eliot Markum (Belle Plaine) has the edge with 27 roundtrippers with a .327 BA... followed by Gib Conlon (Beechwood) 24 HR and a .304 BA, Jamey Murton (Rocky Rapids) 24 HR and a .297 BA, Vince Norberg (Cold Creek) 24 HR and a .259 BA, Dino Lazzeri (Sugar Valley) 23 HR with a .225 BA and Lanny Waldrep (Colfax) 23 HR with a .315 BA.

The RU hits leader will probably come from Braley Josephson (Colfax), who has 140 to date with a .349 BA... Colin Carr (Glasco) with 139 hits and a .342 BA... Corey McGee (Rocky Rapids) 137 hits and a .360 BA... Marlon Hazard (Fort Benton) 136 hits and a .345 BA... and Tommy Howell (Crystal Lake) 136 hits and a .316 BA.

Colin Carr (Glasco) is the top RBI man with 79 and a .343 BA... followed by Marcos Cienfuegos (Beechwood) 73 RBIs and a .292 BA, Eliot Marcum (Belle Plaine) 73 RBIs and a .327 BA, Bobby Mingo (Sugar Valley) 72 RBIs and a .305 BA and Vince Norberg (Cold Creek) 72 RBIs and a .259 BA.

The top 5 best run scorers in the RU are Eliot Marcum (Belle Plaine) with 75 and and a .327 BA, Manny Sendejas (Wynnamac) 73 runs and a .273 BA, Braley Josephson (Colfax) 71 runs and a .349 BA, Norbert Ruston (Eastshore) 68 runs and a .290 BA and Corey McGee (Rocky Rapids) 67 and a .360 BA.

The tops in thefts in the Ruthlandian Union are speedsters Dan Timmons (Taranto) with 27 stolen bases and a .277 BA... Ned Woodward (Sugar Valley) is second with 23 SB and a .239 BA, followed by Teddy Keyes (Stoner) 22 stolen bases and a .234 BA, and Chad Cochran (Belair Beach) 19 SB and a .301 BA.

The present batting and pitching leaders in the Tycobbian Union are headed up by the best banger in the league, Jarred Creed (North Hills), who has a 16-point edge over second place Elvis Gilford (Mahaska)... Creed is rapping out hits at a .363 pace... Gilford is hitting .347, followed by Dominque Juban (San Alejo) at .342, Boomer Carlton (Tuckanarra) .341 BA and Hal Sutton (Rolling Hills) at the .329 mark.

Slugger Buddy Blackford (Oxford) is atop the longball hitters with 35 roundtrippers and a .277 BA... second is Kagetoki Miyazaki (High Mesa) with 32 HRs and a .235 BA... third is Roy Roberts (High Mesa) with 31 HRs and a .307 BA... fourth is Mick Carmickle (East Point) with 30 dingers and a .254 BA... and fifth is Chris Hardcastle (Arroyo Grande) with 25 HRs and .190 BA.

Jimmy Brandini (Rolling Hills) is putting on the hits in the Tycobbian Union... he leads with 143 hits, while batting a strong .338 BA... Elvis Gilford (Mahaska) is the runner up with 140 base hits with a .347 BA... Hal Sutton (Rolling Hills) has 136 hits and a .339 mark at the plate... Boomer Carlton (Tuckanarra) has collected 134 hits with a .341 BA... and Tank Shepperton (Turon) also has 134 base hits and a .329 BA.

When it comes to driving in runs in the Tycobbian Union this year, no one has done it better this year than two Rolling Hills stars, Teddy Stonich and Hugo Sutton... Stonich is the current leader with 102 RBIs, while batting .312 for average... Sutton is near by with 98 ribbies and a .339 BA... no wonder the reigning Pro Cup champion Racers are setting records at the plate this season... homer leader Buddy Blackford (Oxford) is third in RBIs with 82, followed by Roy Roberts (High Mesa) with 80 and Chris Hardcastle (Arroyo Grande) with 72.

The best at scoring runs in the TU is Hugo Sutton (Rolling Hills) with 87... second place goes to his teammate Teddy Stonich with 76... in the third spot is Elvis Gilford (Mahaska) with 75... fourth is another Racer, Jimmy Brandini (Rolling Hills) with 72... and another Rolling Hills player is fifth... Jean-Luc Roubique with 71 runs scored... tied with Roy Roberts (High Mesa), who also had 71... the Rolling Hills Racers have scored 610 runs so far this season... that's 125 more than second place Kenwood... the Racers are hitting a lofty .298 as a team... no wonder they are on top of the TU West by 17 games... thus far this year Sutton is batting .339, Stonich .312, Guilford .347, Brandini .338 and Roberts .307.

The best base stealer in the Tycobbian Union currently is Walt Ivy (Hartsdale) with 29 stolen bases... way ahead of runner-up Whiz Ivie (Bay St. Clair), who has stolen 22... tied for the third spot is Josh Karnes (Denton City) with 21, along with Steve Schueler (Blue Lake)... fifth is Cooter Eldridge (Hartsdale) with 19 thefts this year... Ivy is batting .331, Ivie .286, Karnes only .226, Schueler .293 and Ethridge .301.

The Tycobbian Union top leaders on the hill are led by Phil Baylor (Hartsdale) with a 13-6 mark and a 3.15 ERA... followed by eight others that have 12 victories... Wilson Sharpe (Red Bluff) 12-1 record with a 1.78 ERA, reliever Billy Ray Echols (Southport) 12-5, 15 saves, 47 games and a 2.29 ERA, Jeff Moncriffe (Southport) 12-5 and a 2.32 ERA, Bartolo Baptista (Luxora) 12-8 with a 2.51 ERA and 13 saves in 58 relief appearances, Rudy Hilgendorf (Summerland) 12-5 and a 2.51 ERA, Rico Alessi (Oxford) 12-5 and a 2.71 ERA, Jimmy Douglas (Ozarka) 12-3 with a 2.77 ERA and Charley Clutterbuck (Rolling Hills) 12-5 with a 3.77 ERA.

The toughest guys to score on in the Tycobbian Union are the ERA leaders like Tommy Underhill (Summerland) with a brilliant 1.62 ERA and 11-4 record... followed closely by Wilson Sharpe (Red Bluff) with a terrific 1.78 ERA and 12-1 mark... third is Allan Dayton (Tuckanarra) with a very strong 1.90 ERA and 5-5 record... fourth on the leaderboard is Dontrelle Gilbreath (Red Bluff) with a standout 1.93 ERA and 6-5 record... and fifth is Mick Marlow (Summerland) posting an excellent 2.13 ERA and 10-6 record.

The best bullpen specialists in the Tycobbian Union are Larry Lynch (Turon) with 18 saves, 5-6 record and a 2.91 ERA in 57 games... Bobby Layne (Blue Lake) is second with 17 saves, 6-6 mark in 52 games with 3.25 ERA... Val Jackson (Fairfax) is in the third spot with 16 saves, 8-3 record, 59 games and a 2.90 ERA... tied with Marty Westhuizen (Summerland) with 16 saves, 9-6 record, 55 games and a 2.71 ERA... Billy Ray Echols (Southport) comes in fifth with 15 saves, 12-5 record, 47 appearances and a 2.29 ERA.

The swing-and-miss leaders in the Tycobbian Union are Marcelo Cervantes (Ginja) with 114 strikeouts in 161 innings, 7-8 record and 3.34 ERA... reliever Marty Westhuizen (Southport) is number two with 108 Ks in 129 innings, 9-6 record and 2.71 ERA... third is Roland Littrell (Southport) 105 strikeouts in 160 innings, 8-7 mark and a 3.14 ERA... fourth is Vidar Vestergaard (Bayview) with 94 strikeouts in 107 innings, 6-12 record and a 4.18 ERA... and fifth is Jordy Valdma (East Point) with 92 Ks in 156 innings, 8-5 mark and a 2.87 ERA.

Ruthlandian Union Player and Team Leaderboards


Tycobbian Union Players and Team Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, September 1, 2063

ALL OVER IN TU WEST AND RU NORTH
With two-thirds of the 2063 season history, two races are pretty much over in the Islandian Pro Alliance... Pro Cup champ Rolling Hills is way ahead in the Tycobbian West and the LaGrange Gators are leaps and bounds ahead in the Ruthlandian North... but there are still good races going on in the other six divisions... Claxton, Elnora and Colfax are at the top of the standings in the Ruthlandian Union... and Oxford, Southport and South Fork have the lead in the Tycobbian Union... there are 50 games remaining to be played and there are about 15 challengers for the final six postseason playoffs spots..

The LaGrange (84-44) lead in the Ruthlandian North has bulged to a colossal 17 games over the runner-up Taranto Tars (67-61)... the Gators have just about clinched the division title this year... all that is left for the other clubs is to close out well and try to catch the Tars... Kilkenny (66-62), preseason favorite Glasco (65-62), Far Mountain (63-65) and Valmara (63-65) all have a shot at second place in the standings... it's anybody's to win... no one is playing better that the others... LaGrange has dominated the RU North with exceptional pitching (2.96 ERA), less-than-average hitting (.257 BA), average scoring (14th), average power (16th-tied) and fine defense (.979 FA)... they have a fine starting rotation (3.23 ERA) with a superb bullpen (2.13 ERA).

Four clubs are in the hunt in the Ruthlandian South... the Claxton Diamonds (73-55) have led all season, but not by much... last year's division champion St. John (73-56) has been shadowing them the whole season and now trail by just one-half game... the pennant winner will most probably come from one of those two squads... both the Diamonds and Crusaders depend heavily on their pitching staffs... however, the third place Waleska Westerners (68-60) just might be a threat... the Cowpokes had a rough two months in April and May, but they have been the best team in the RU South since... they are coming off a fine month of August with a 17-10 mark and are looking very good for September, but the Westerners have 5 games to make up... the Valka Blackhawks (66-62) were highly-rated going into the season... the Blackhawks were the preseason favorite, but they have just been fair-to-middling most of the year... entering September they were only 11-16 last month.

The top three choices in the preseason polls are running neck-and-neck this year in the Ruthlandian East... defending division champion Elnora (76-52) won easily last season by 10 games, but it's been a battle this year with the Wynnamac Sundowners (71-56) and the Marston Nine (70-58)... the Clippers are up by four and a half games over the Macs and six games better than the Nine... of the three, Marston is playing the best ball, heading into the September stretch drive... in August the Nine posted a standout 19-8 mark and got back into the race... Elnora was a so-so 14-14 and Wynnamac only 13-14 last month... the Clippers have a high-scoring attack and lead the RU in scoring runs with a .286 BA and average longball power (19th-tied)... they have two good starters and a good bullpen... the Sundowners can swat the ball and score runs (4th), too... they are batting .275 (4th)... the Macs have average starting pitching (3.84 ERA), but a solid bullpen (2.79 ERA)... Marston can match Elnora on the scoreboard... they are batting .285 (2nd), rank second in scoring, have good starters (3.67 ERA), but a subpar bullpen (4.09 ERA)... it will take another redhot month by the Nine to catch Elnora... the Clippers look like they can repeat as champion in the Ruthlandian East.

It still nip-and-tuck in the Ruthlandian West with a three-team tussle between the Colfax Black Sox (75-53), Sligo Rovers (74-54) and the preseason favorite and defending division champion Volusia Vigilantes (71-57)... the spunky V's are seeking their third consecutive RU West crown... and they are making a late-season surge... Volusia is tearing up the baseball with a 34-18 record the last two months.... but the Black Sox are not giving in... they put up a 30-23 mark in July and August... the Rovers, however, were only 27-25 during that period... Colfax is a rock-solid club with outstanding pitching (2.91 ERA), best in the Ruthlandian Union this year... offensively, the Black Sox can go deep (6th), hit well with a .270 BA (8th) and they can put runs on the scoreboard, ranking 11th in runs scored... Volusia has it work cut off for them... the Vigilantes are never-say-die... the last two seasons they have been the unheralded and surprising Pro Cup Finalists, losing to powerhouses Rolling Hills and Oxford... Sligo is a good, well-balanced club, but the Rovers have slumped in the second half of the season... they will have to do a turnaround in September to beat out the Black Sox and the hard-charging Vigilantes... the fourth place Rocky Rapids Snappers (67-61) were rated a serious pennant contender in the preseason picks... the Snappers stayed close to the leaders until July... slumped since then with a 25-28 record in the last two months... now they haven fallen eight games behind... Rocky Rapids has a good offense with a .268 BA (11th), ranked 3rd in scoring runs and 4th in roundtrippers (123 HR)... the Snappers have an average starting rotation and bullpen with a 3.73 ERA (18th)... it will be hard for Rocky Rapids to get back in the race in the final month of the season.

Ruthlandian Union Standings
Saturday, September 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, September 1, 2063

RACERS IN RUNAWAY AGAIN, RED CAPS ALSO LIKELY WINNER
Rolling Hills is barreling through the TU West again this year... Oxford looks like a winner, too... but there are a couple of pennant races in the Tycobbian Union... Southport and Summerland are going toe-to-toe in the TU South and South Fork, Red Bluff and Ozarka are going at it in the TU East.

The current colossus of IPA baseball, the Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers (86-42), had a "bad month" in August... the Racers were "only 15-12" and saw their commanding 18-game August bulge in the Tycobbian West fall to "just 13 games" at the beginning of September... it was the Bayview Vikings (73-55), who put together a fantastic 22-6 month to slow down the Racers... but it will take another truly fantastic month in September to dethrone the reigning Pro Cup titlists... no, it is not likely anyone can catch Rolling Hills... the Racers are pretty much a sure thing, shoo-in, slam dunk, sure bet or lead-pipe cinch to capture their fourth straight Tycobbian West pennant and get a chance to win their record-setting 6th Pro Cup trophy... there is a very slight chance Rolling Hills just might break the IPA record for most wins this year... 107 victories is the current all-time record, held by Colfax in 2010 and tied by Midway in 2054... but it would take an extraordinary month to do it... at least 22-4... that's a very tall order.

Rolling Hills is a magnificent offensive machine... the Racers are the top dog in the Islandian Pro Alliance with a .299 BA (1st), 753 runs (1st) and 130 HRs (9th)... overall the pitching is just average with a 3.72 ERA, but they don't give up many homers... just 75 this year (2nd)... Bayview looks like it will wind up in the second spot... the Vikings have a bunch of good bats, but nothing like the Racers... they are batting .263 (12th) with 139 homers (5th) and rank second with 634 runs scored... Bayview pitching is about on par with Rolling Hills with a 3.79 ERA (18th), but their hurlers have allowed 136 homers (26th) to be hit out of the park... quite a difference... third and fourth place in the TU West will go to the Kenwood Wildcats (65-63) or La Claire Lynx (65-63)... Kenwood did not have a good August (11-16), while La Claire prospered last month (17-11)... the Wildcats score well with a .277 BA (3rd) and 613 runs (5th), but don't have a lot of power... just 87 roundtrippers (26th)... but the key factor is the awful 5.04 ERA (32nd) for the starting rotation... the Lynx look to be the better ballclub, primarily because of its pitching... their starters have posted a 3.61 ERA (10th)... offensively, La Claire is just mediocre with a .272 BA (6th), 528 runs (17th) and with 96 HRs (22nd)... the other four clubs in the TU West haven't much to look forward to and will be just trying to stay out of last place.

The other Tycobbian Union team that's in good shape is the Oxford Red Caps (78-50) with a solid 7 and a half-game edge in the Tycobbian North Division... the redhot Red Caps went 18-9 last month and upped their lead over the second place Hartsdale Hellcats (71-58), the only team with any kind of chance to catch the Red Caps... the Hellcats are playing well, finishing up at 17-11 in August... four clubs are contesting for the third spot in the standings... right now third place belongs to the Blue Lake Schooners (65-63)... fourth to the Mahaska Haymakers (64-64), fifth to the North Hills Hawks (62-65) and sixth to the Luxora Zorros (62-66)... of the four the Hawks are playing the best by far, going 19-8 last month and have the best chance of moving up in the race for third place... in August Blue Lake was 12-16, Mahaska 9-18 and Luxora was 12-16.

Oxford won the Pro Cup in '61 and is still a potent club with a fine attack at the plate and a good starting rotation (3.60 ERA)... where they hurt is in the bullpen, ranking 29th with a poor 4.28 ERA... the Red Caps sport a .267 BA (11th), have banged 136 homers (7th) and scored 617 runs (4th)... they have a very good chance of winning the TU North for the fifth successive season and again make their presence known in the Pro Cup playoffs... runner-up Hartsdale hits well with a .272 BA (5th), scores well with 606 runs (6th) and has adequate power with 117 home runs (13th)... their starters are lackluster with a 4.09 ERA (23rd), but the bullpen is solid with a 3.22 ERA (12th)... third place Blue Lake depends on its pitching for success... the Schooners staff have posted an overall 3.60 ERA (8th)... offense is what the club lacks... the team batting average is a poor .247 with only 88 homers (25th) and 510 runs (24th-tied)... fourth place Mahaska can hit with a .269 BA (9th), score with 590 runs (7th), but is missing longball power... only 98 dingers this year (21st)... the Haymakers have a quality rotation with a fine 3.56 ERA (7th), but they have a weak bullpen with a 4.28 ERA (28th)... fifth place North Hills' biggest problem is its power shortage... only 67 homers (32nd)... the Hawks hit well with a .273 BA (4th), but that just doesn't put enough runs on the scoreboard... they have tallied only 519 runs (21st)... however, North Hills has four fine starters and a pretty fair bullpen... the Hawks' ERA is a pretty good 3.65 ERA (9th)... Luxora is currently sixth in the TU North... they do well on the hill with 3.47 ERA (6th), but suffer at the plate with only 481 runs (28th), 93 homers (23rd) and a subpar .253 BA (23rd).

There is still a darn good race in the Tycobbian South Division between the defending champion and preseason favorite Southport Sun Sox (77-52) and the surprising Summerland Sunsets (76-52)... the Sunsets were picked to finish sixth in the preseason prognostications, but they had everything going their way for the first three months of the season... on the first of July, they had an impressive 7 and a half-game edge over second place Ginza and were 8 and a half games ahead of third place Southport... since then the Sun Sox have shined and sparkled on the diamond with a 35-22 record... Southport jumped up to the top spot by a half game... Summerland has slumped to 27-26 in the last two month... now momentum favors the Sun Sox... Southport really has impressive pitching with a 2.91 ERA (1st), tops in the IPA... they get by with an average offense with a .258 BA (18th), 526 runs (19th), but only 81 roundtrippers (29th)... the Sun Sox are looking to repeat as TU South titlists... they went deep into the Pro Cup playoffs last year... Southport knocked off powerful Oxford in the first round in 7 games and pushed Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills to 6 games in the Tycobbian title series... they would like nothing better for another go-round with the Red Caps and Racers... the Sun Sox would dearly love to raise their third Pro Cup flag over Pleasure Beach Park... Southport was the IPA champions in '27, '44 and '47.

Summerland is just as strong as Southport on the mound and has had the better offense so far this season... the Sunsets carry a .256 BA (19th), but have scored 570 runs (8th) and hammered 116 homers (14th)... on the hill the Summerland staff has compiled a very good 3.05 ERA... to whip the Sun Sox, the Sunsets have to pitch, hit and score like they did the first half of the season... Turon is running third in the Tycobbian South... heading into August the Typhoons were just two and a half games out of first place, but they posted a terrible 10-18 mark last month and dropped out of the pennant race... Turon has an average offense with .259 BA (16th), 538 runs (15th), 83 homers (28th) and better-than-average mound work with a 3.66 ERA (10th)... but they need to get back on track, otherwise Ginza (64-64) , Cape Coral (62-66) and San Alejo (62-66) might overtake them.

The Ginza Ninjas have a lousy offense... only 475 runs scored (30th) with only 71 home runs (30th) and a .254 BA (22nd)... pitching is just average with a 3.77 ERA... the Ninjas did well in the first two months of the season, but have fizzled the last three months... on June 1st, they were a great 32-17 in second place and just 3 games back of Summerland... then they stumbled badly... they were only 12-16 last month... it's been a lackluster year for the Cape Coral Hurricanes, but they perked up in August with a 15-12 record... the 'Canes just might overtake Turon... they have crackerjack hitters with a .283 BA (2nd)... strong scoring with 619 runs (3rd) and fair home-run power with 90 HRs (24th)... however, the Hurricanes can't get anybody out with an atrocious 4.47 ERA (31st)... the San Alejo Montaneros were picked to be a serious contender this season, a very close third to Southport and Ginza, but they haven't played that way except for the last two months... the Monties went 30-20 in July and August and are heading down the home stretch playing quite well... pitching is their strong suit with a 3.56 ERA (7th), but they can score runs, too... San Alejo is batting .258 (17th) with 121 homers (10th) and have scored 553 runs (10th)... the Montaneros are a good, all-round team... don't be surprised if they come in third in the TU South standings.

It's a three-team race in the Tycobbian East Division... one of the preseason picks, the South Fork Stallions (75-53), has a four-game edge over the runner-up Red Bluff Red Sox (71-57) and is six games up on the Ozarka Naturals (69-59)... actually the preseason poll predicted a three-way tie among these three contenders... last year's TU East division winner South Fork has been in the top spot in the standings from the git-go... the Stallions have led the entire year and seems to headed for their second pennant in the last four years... the South Fork strength is in its mound corps, both starters and bullpen... the Stallions rank 4th in the TU with a very fine 3.25 ERA... and they have a few bats and a little bit of offense to compliment the pitching, too... South Fork is hitting a modest .255 (20th) with 119 homers (11th) and 547 runs (14th)... the Stallions have not had a losing record in any month this season and they head into the September home stretch with a 16-11 mark in August... second place Red Bluff is doing it with very strong pitching... the Red Sox pitching corps is second best in the Tycobbian Union with a superb 2.95 ERA... what hampers them is a poor offense... they have horrible hitting overall with a .232 BA (31st) and only 491 runs (27th), but they do go deep with 135 home runs (8th)... Red Bluff is playing good ball... in August they posted a 15-12 mark... it will be tough for the Red Sox to overtake South Fork... just too little offense... third place Ozarka also struggles at the plate with a .259 BA (15th), 510 runs (24th-tied) and 99 roundtrippers (20th), but the Nats have some fine starters and relievers that have posted fine 3.32 ERA (5th)... not likely to catch up with South Fork down-the-stretch... too much ground to make up in the last month of the season... High Mesa (65-62), Midway (65-63) and Tuckanarra (65-64) will have a catfight for fourth place.

Tycobbian Union Standings
Wednesday, September 1, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 2, 2063

SUPER SEASON IN THE IPA ! GLORIOUS FINISH !
The 2063 Islandian Pro Alliance season is over... and it really finished with a flourish... one division was decided on the final day of the regular season... one division was decided in the last few days of the season... two divisions were decided after the regular season was over in dramatic sudden-death fashion with one-game playoffs... what a fantastic fan-friendly photo finish!

The Elnora Clippers claimed their second straight Ruthlandian East title with a 9-3 shellacking of the Wynnamac Sundowners in sudden death... and the Hartsdale Hellcats did the improbable in the Tycobbian North and upset heavily-favored powerhouse Oxford... the Hellcats made up a six and a half-game deficit in a rousing September surge to force the Red Caps into a one-game winner-take-all clash... Hartsdale finished the Cinderella comeback with a 4-2 victory over stunned Oxford... the Claxton Diamonds won the Ruthlandian South on the final day of the season... they won their last game, while the St. John Crusaders lost their last game... in the Ruthlandian West, the Colfax Black Sox went 4-2 the last week of the season and beat out the Sligo Rovers by two games... the Rovers could only manage a 2-4 mark and lost by two games... for the 9th time in the last 11 seasons, Sligo has finished in the runner-up spot.

2063 Ruthlandian Union Wrap-Up
2063 was a glorious season for the pennant-starved LaGrange Gators... they topped the Ruthlandian North Division start-to-finish and won their first division title in 37 years... the Gators (96-58) chomped up on everybody and won going away by 15 games over the preseason choice, the Glasco Foxhounds (81-73)... the Taranto Tars (80-74) and Kilkenny Cats (80-74) tied for the third spot in the standings... the rest of the division wound up under .500... LaGrange posted the second-best record this year with 96 victories... current Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills led with 106 wins... the Gators will have trouble getting past the firepower of Elnora and Colfax in the Ruthlandian Union... and an even tougher task of whipping Rolling Hills and Hartsdale in the Tycobbian Union... LaGrange pitches very well, but has a lackluster offense with limited home-run power... the postseason does not bode well for the Gators.

The Ruthlandian South was hotly contested by six clubs... Claxton (85-69) and defending RU South champion St. John (84-70) ran a spirited race with no more than two games separating them during the entire season... the Diamonds finally eked it out by one single game over the Crusaders the last day of the season... St. John had won it the past three years in a row... this was Claxton's first RU South flag since 2047... the Valka Blackhawks (81-73) were forecast the best team in the preseason poll... they did well but came in third, winding up 4 games back in the race... the Waleska Westerners (79-75) and Crystal Lake Skippers (79-75) tied for fourth place, just 6 games behind... sixth place went the Grand City Cybercats (77-77), who broke even for the year and were just 8 games off the pace... the division bottom dwellers were the Belair Beach Sunbirds (66-88) and the San Dimas Rancheros (65-80)... the Sunbirds' last RU South crown came in 2047 and the Rancheros last won the pennant in 2041... Claxton depends heavily on its fine pitching... offensively the Diamonds will have a tough time in the Pro Cup playoffs... the offense is mediocre at best with little power... when you go up against the big boys with the big bats like Elnora and Colfax, you have to be able to score runs... and that's just to win the Ruthlandian title... not to mention what you might have to face in the Pro Cup Finals with likes of mighty Rolling Hills and and up-and-coming high-powered Hartsdale.

And speaking of the devil, the Ruthlandian East champion Elnora Clippers (88-67) are a dynamite ballclub... they led the Ruthlandian Union with 765 runs scored and a .285 batting average... the high-explosive attack helped them beat out the Wynnamac Sundowners (87-68), but just barely... Elnora had to beat the Macs in the one-game sudden-death playoff game for the RU East crown... the Marston Nine ran a solid race and came in third, just 4 and a half games out... one bad month, 9-17 in July, killed their pennant hopes... the fourth place Cold Creek Raccoons (82-72) were another solid challenger in the pennant chase... they finished only 5 and a half games out of first place... a poor June (10-18) and mediocre August (13-15) hurt their pennant chances... the rest of the Ruthlandian East was just mediocre to bad and never really contended.

It was a colossal year for the Colfax Black Sox (91-63) in the Ruthlandian West Division... they hadn't made the playoffs for 32 long seasons... but this year they put together a solid, well-balanced club with good scoring, good power and good pitching... they batted .271 (6th), scored 691 runs (6th), homered 142 times (6th-tied) and really sparkled on the mound with an excellent 2.95 ERA (2nd)... the Black Sox could be the surprise of the postseason this year... in spite of the great season, they were pushed hard by the runner-up Sligo Rovers (89-65), who wound up just 2 games back in the race... a 12-13 mark in July hampered the Rovers... just a few more wins that month and they might have copped the RU West Division title... the preseason pick was the Volusia Vigilantes (84-70), who won the division three of the last six seasons... the V's were good enough to make the Pro Cup Finals the last two years... a slow start in April and May put them too far behind... they closed it to just 3 games going into September, but then ran out of gas with a 13-13 month and ended up 7 games behind Colfax... another good ballclub was the Rocky Rapids Snappers (83-71)... they hung close throughout the entire year, but just didn't have enough pitching to move up into the class of Colfax and Sligo.... none of the second tier of teams in the Ruthlandian West were ever seriously in the hunt, but the Stoner Silver Sox did have a few days of glory... the Silver Sox (16-8) led the division at the end of April, but they faded to seventh place by season's end... the Forest City Firebirds also had a brief fling in the sun... they were in third place (27-23) at the end of May... but soon reality set in... at the end of June the Firebirds (33-43) were near the bottom of the RU West standings.

2063 Ruthlandian Union Final Standings
Tuesday, October 2, 2063

[Dark Horse]

Well, Marston had a nice run. Wait 'til next year.

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 2, 2063

SUMMERLAND, HARTSDALE SURPRISE IN TU, ROLLING HILLS, SOUTH FORK WIN, TOO
No surprise that defending Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills romped to their fourth straight Tycobbian West title... no big deal that preseason pick South Fork won the division flag in the Tycobbian East... but how in the world did the Hartsdale Hellcats and the Summerland Sunsets overcome favored Oxford and Southport?... the Hellcats came up with a small miracle in the last month of the season to overcome the Red Caps in the Tycobbian North and the Sunsets put away the Sun Sox with a September spurt in the Tycobbian South.

TU FINAL RECAPS
In the Tycobbian North Division never-say-die Hartsdale trailed Oxford by six and a half games going into the final month of the season and had little chance of catching the Red Caps, but in a remarkable run they caught them on the last day of the season and then whipped them in the sudden-death playoff for the pennant... Hartsdale skied to 16-9 in September, while Oxford slumped to a miserable 9-17... the Hellcats just might be troublesome to the postseason powers-that-be, teams like current IPA champ Rolling Hills, the Elnora Clippers and the Colfax Black Sox... Hartsdale won their only Pro Cup in 2046... this could be the Year of the Cat.

In a highly-unlikely finish Hartsdale (88-67) stunned the second place Oxford Red Caps (87-68) to snatch the 2063 Tycobbian North flag and a spot in the IPA postseason playoffs... the Hellcats upset a team that has dominated the division the last decade, winning five of the last seven seasons... Oxford was seemingly headed for its fifth straight pennant, but they were suddenly derailed in September by Hartsdale... all went right for the Hellcats, while the season fell off the tracks for the Red Caps... both clubs used the same success formula... a high-powered offense with good home-run power and fairly good pitching... Hartsdale trailed Oxford for almost the entire season... the Red Caps had a 4 to 6-game edge most of the year over the various contenders... third place went to the Blue Lake Schooners (81-73)... the Schooners had a sluggish first half, but perked up in the second half of the season and finished well... the Blue Lakers had solid pitching, but were just average with the bats with a minimum of longball power... the next three clubs in the TU North standings were just fair-to-middling... fourth place went to the Luxora Zorros (78-76)... the Z's had good pitching, but lacked offense... in fifth place was Mahaska (77-77)... the Haymakers could put runs on the scoreboard, but didn't go deep often... and they had decent pitching... the sixth-place North Hills Hawks (75-79) had fine pitching, but a lackluster offense with no power... Fairfax (69-85) began the season with a flair... they were 14-10 at the end of April and running second to first-place Oxford... however, the Frogs faded quickly and ended up near the bottom in seventh place... Fairfax could score pretty good, but did not have much power at the plate... the mound staff was mediocre at best... winding up way behind in the basement were the White River Rascals (62-92)... they possessed a poor offense and just average pitching... the Rascals have been stuck in the bottom of the TU North for the last three seasons... '56 was the last good season when they nabbed the pennant for the third straight season... but those good ole days are past history.

The Tycobbian South champion Summerland Sunsets was not picked very high in the preseason poll, forecast to come in a distant sixth in the standings... however, the Sunsets shined just about the entire season, while preseason favorite Southport slumbered and trailed by 8 games until July when they made finally their move...the Sun Sox went 35-18 for two months... going into September the Sun Sox had moved to the top of the division by a small margin... during that period Summerland hit a lull and posted a 27-26 mark... then the Sunsets made their move with a splendid 19-7 month and blitzed past the Sun Sox by 5 games at season's end... Southport didn't completely fold, they had a decent 13-12 record for the month.

Recapping the Tycobbian South season, pennant-winning Summerland (90-64) prevailed with a good, all-around performance on the hill and at the plate... the Sunsets staff had a marvelous 2.94 ERA (1st), scored well with 693 runs (7th) and had good power with 142 homers (12th)... if they can hit continue to hit well in the postseason, Summerland could go deep in the playoffs... second place Southport's success was keyed on its very fine pitching... they posted a strong 3.01 ERA (2nd)... offensively, the Sun Sox were just average with a .261 BA (15th) and 636 runs (17th)... power-wise, not so good... only 101 homers (28th)... this year was not so good for third place Turon (81-73)... 6 times in the past 12 seasons the Typhoons have won the TU South title... but they have not been in the race the last two years, winding up far behind the contenders... this year they opened well and stayed close to the leaders until midyear (42-35) and then fell out of contention... Turon is just a shade above average at the plate with 665 runs (12th) with little longball power... just 98 roundtrippers (29th)... and just a little above average on the hill with a 3.69 ERA (13th)... the Typhoons have declined since they claimed the TU South in '61... the Ginza Ninjas (77-77) were expected to be a serious contender... they stayed in the chase until midseason and then went into a tailspin and wound up way back in fourth place, 18 games behind... Ginza has average pitching with a 3.75 ERA (15th), but has no power and no offense... they batted .254 (20th), scored only 587 runs (27th) and hit only 88 balls out of the ballpark (30th)... like Ginza, the San Alejo Montaneros (76-78) were expected to be in the hunt... on paper, the Monties looked good, but they never were in the pennant race and ended up under .500 and in fifth place, 19 games out... strangely, San Alejo looked good losing... they pitched well with a 3.47 ERA (6th), possessed a decent offense with 645 runs (15th) and fairly good firepower with 138 home runs (14th)... sixth place Cape Coral (75-79) could match runs with the top teams... the 'Canes sported a very good .284 mark (2nd) and 748 runs (3rd), but the Hurricanes mound staff was dismal with a poor 4.44 ERA (30th)... 'nuff said... as far as seventh place Arroyo Grande (64-90) is concerned, it has been 4 decades since the Suns won a pennant... 2024 was the last time... the Suns are just a bad ballclub... they set an all-time IPA low this season with a horrendous .221 BA (32nd)... they are ranked near the bottom on the mound with a 4.31 ERA (30th)... but the Suns hit homers... they banged 201 this season (2nd)... since Arroyo Grande is really bad... what about the Colchester Elites (58-96)?... they are even worse... the Elites just might be the worst franchise in IPA history... only one time in the last 28 seasons have they had a winning record... that was in 2051... the last TU South title came in 2036... this season Colchester finished 37 games out... hit just .240 (29th)... scored only 545 times (31st)... but they had pretty good power with 140 dingers (13th)... and on the hill the Elites were not so elite with a mediocre 4.17 ERA (27th).

The Tycobbian East race was forecast to be 6-team free-for-all and that's exactly what transpired... the baseball gurus' preseason picks were pretty much right on the mark... the favored South Fork Stallions (88-66) led start-to-finish, but they had close company all the way with four teams hanging on their heels... the Stallions slowly built the lead to 6 games going into September and won it by 4 games over the runner-up Ozarka Naturals (84-70)... South Fork had fine pitching with an impressive 3.21 ERA (4th)... and sufficient offense with a .251 BA (24th)... they scored 622 runs (21st)... and had adequate homers with 137 (15th)... the Stallions don't look like a postseason threat... they just don't have the offense to compete with the top guns like Rolling Hills, Colfax and Elnora... South Fork will find out very quickly how good they are... the Stallions' first-round opponent will be the Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers, the favorite to win the whole shebang again... second place Ozarka (84-70) had back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in two decades... the Naturals played steady and consistently the entire season... good mound work is their forte... they posted a very good 3.23 ERA (5th), but were slack when it came to scoring runs... the Nats batted .256 (19th), hit 129 homers (18th), but only put 594 runs on the scoreboards (26th)... it's been 24 years since Ozarka graced the postseason playoffs in 2040... the third place Red Bluff Red Sox (80-74) might have won the pennant, except for two bad months... 11-16 in June and a horrible 9-17 in September... they wound up 8 games behind pennant winner South Fork... the Red Sox pitching corps was superb this season with a 3.09 ERA (3rd)... but the offense just wasn't there... they batted a lousy .232 (31st), scored only 575 runs (29th), but did go deep 155 times (8th)... Red Bluff has Pro Cup pitching, but needs a boost in offense... they won the Pro Cup in '57 with that combination... but have seriously fallen short with the bats since then... the fourth-place Midway Wolves (80-74) started slowly in April and May and ranked near the bottom of the TU East as late as August, but the Middies finished well, chalking up a 32-21 mark the final two months of the season... but it was too late to catch South Fork, Ozarka and Red Bluff... the fifth place clubs never really made any waves in the pennant race, but they had winning seasons... Tuckanarra (79-75) was right up with the top teams for just the first month of the season (16-8), but never really challenged South Fork... ditto for the High Mesa Mustangs (79-75)... both were middle-of-the-pack teams most of the season and wound up tied for the fifth spot in the standings, 9 games off the pace... the Tucks were a good, all-around team... they batted .265 (10th), scored well with 666 runs (10th-tied), had good power with 146 HRs (11th)... and the pitching was solid with a 3.63 ERA (10th)... last year's TU East winner, High Mesa, had an explosive lineup, but didn't have the pitching this year like they did in '59 and '62, when the won the TU East division flag... High Mesa led the IPA with 254 homers (1st), scored 685 runs (8th-tied), but batted a woeful .243 for average (28th)... the Mustangs mound staff also performed fairly well with a 3.85 ERA (20th)... but not good enough to win the pennant... the perennial IPA losers, the seventh place Hillsboro Blazers (75-79), had their best season in years, but still didn't have a winning season... the Blazers have one of the worst, perhaps the worst overall won-lost record in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only one time have they made the playoffs... Hillsboro's only TU East title came in 2051... but the Blazer fans enjoyed the season... the club hit 180 homers (3rd), scored 660 runs, but batted only .248 (27th)... and the pitching was halfway fair with a 3.92 ERA (23rd)... maybe Hillsboro is on the rise... the Blazers went 31-23 the last two months of the season... could a winning season be on the horizon?... boy, this was another bad year for the last place East Point Panthers (51-101)... for the second straight season they lost 100-plus games... it was the sixth year in a row with a losing record... not a lot went right for the Panthers... they hit a pathetic .235 (30th), scored only 542 runs (32nd) and had second-rate pitching with a 4.11 ERA (26th)... but East Point walloped 174 homers (4th), which livened up the friendly confines occasionally and made the hometown fans happy.

And just who won the Tycobbian West, you ask?... would you believe it was the current Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers (106-48), who galloped away with the division crown by 25 games over the beleaguered second place Bayview Vikings (81-73) and the other six dazed ballclubs... what a magnificent season it was for the Racers... they came within one game of tying the all-time IPA win mark held by the 2010 Colfax Blasters and the 2054 Midway Wolves with 107 victories... strange as it might seem, Kenwood (31-19) led the TU West as late as early June... runner-up Bay St. Clair (29-20) was also ahead of the powerhouse Racers (29-21)... at that point Rolling Hills ramped it up into high gear and went on a two-month 42-10 rampage and left everybody in a cloud of dust, destruction and demolition... by July they were 12 games in front and 18 ahead in August... this was Rolling Hills' fourth consecutive TU West title... in the postseason playoffs they will be seeking an unprecedented 6th Pro Cup trophy and their third IPA title in the last four years... and here's how the Racers did it... they batted .302 (1st) and set a new IPA record for the best team BA... they topped the IPA with 901 runs (1st)... they belted 153 homers... and they had pretty darn good pitching with a 3.64 ERA (11th)... key to this year's marvelous success was four offseason trades that shored up the shaky mound staff.

The Bayview Vikings (81-73) came in a very distant second in the Tycobbian West... the Viks had a pretty fair attack with a .261 BA (14th), 721 runs (5th) and 158 roundtrippers (7th)... pitching-wise they were just average with a 3.88 ERA (21st)... the La Claire Lynx (79-75) came in third for the second season in a row, ending up 27 games back of the Racers... they had a solid staff with a 3.68 ERA (12th) with just an average offense... the Lynx batted .268 (8th) and scored 634 runs (19th), but were short on longballs... they only hit 111 homers (23rd-tied)... in April and May the Kenwood Wildcats (76-78) were front-runners... they did well until a June swoon came along and knocked them down to the fourth spot in the TU West standings, 30 games off the pace... the Wildcats can smack the ball and put runs on the scoreboard... they hit .280 (2nd)... piled up 744 runs (2nd)... but didn't hit a lot of home runs... Kenwood was way down the stats list with just 111 homers (23rd-tied) this season... Kenwood clobbered the ball, but their terrible twirlers doomed them... the starters forged a very poor 4.96 ERA (32nd) and the bullpen wasn't a whole lot better with a 4.03 ERA (27th)... the remainder of the TU West were on par with each other... fifth place Chicopee (71-83) hit well with a .276 BA (4th), scored well with 641 runs (16th), but was woefully weak on power... the Braves only hits 81 homers (32nd)... plus they possessed mediocre pitching with a 4.21 ERA (28th)... Chicopee is near the bottom of IPA franchises with only three postseason appearances... the Braves only success occurred in '34, '35 and '36 with three straight pennants... the Denton City Redbirds (69-85) finished sixth... just a second-class ballclub with a 3.80 ERA (18th), 616 runs (23rd), only 116 homers (20th) and a .261 BA (16th)... for most of the past decade Denton City did well with four pennants since 2053... they peaked in '59 and have slowly declined... this is the worst year since 2052 when the Redbirds were 67-87... the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (29-20) stood out in the first two months of the season, running second to then-leader Kenwood (32-19)... but the Buccaneers' bubble burst and they sank to rock bottom in the summer months... Bay St. Clair ended up in seventh place, 39 games behind Rolling Hills, tied with Arlon (67-87)... from '51 to '58 the Arlon Champions copped four TU West flags and the 2051 Pro Cup... but it's pretty much been all downhill since then... the last four years the Champs have been near the bottom of the division... statistically Arlon had a fairly good attack... they batted .270 (7th), scored well with 666 runs (10th-tied) and had good firepower with 131 home-run clouts (16th)... but they suffered on the hill with a 4.29 ERA (29th)... a few good hurlers and Arlon could bring back the good times of the 50s.

2063 Tycobbian Union Final Standings
Tuesday, October 2, 2063

[Eugene Church]

Friday, October 5, 2063

PRO CUP PREVIEW
Once again it is a magical time all over the Islands when all eyes and ears turn to the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs... for the next glorious month everyone in Islandia will primarily focus on one thing and one thing only... eight IPA division champions are ready, willing and hopeful that they will soon be the overall Islandian baseball champion and the recipient of the renowned Holy Grail of IPA baseball -- the revered Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup trophy... everyone around the Islands has a favorite and an opinion... there will lots and lots of predictions and prognostications... but the bottom line is that even the baseball gurus seldom know what they are talking about... only twice in the last 10 years have the best baseball minds picked the Pro Cup winner... the Midway Wolves were the top choice in the polls in 2054 and they won it... ditto last year when the Rolling Hills Racers were the prime pick and they came home with the trophy... the other 8 times the baseball experts were wrong.

If it was just a matter of a success formula, we all can come up with a good one... which is best?... magnificence in pitching?... high-powered hitting?... fantastic fielding?... it would never hurt a team's chances if it had all of the those elements, but that rarely happens... not even powerhouses like the '49 Valmara Vipers, '52 Middlefield Roosters or the '54 Midway Wolves had everything, but they did come close... let's see, does any current club come within range of those mighty and majestic ideals?

Nope!

The heavy hitters can put runs on the scoreboard... teams like reigning IPA champ Rolling Hills, Hartsdale, Elnora and Colfax... the great pitching teams can cool off the hitters and keep runs from piling up on the scoreboards... teams like Summerland, LaGrange and Colfax... but none of them are without flaws and a few shortcomings.

In 8 of the last 10 years it's been high-explosive teams that have taken the Pro Cups... only Wynnamac in '55 and Ginza in '59 won without a good offense... if we make our decision based on this criteria, then pitching-dominated teams are not likely to win... so, we'll go with the boys with the bats, the top guns... then we find out that the superslabber Summerland Sunsets also can score runs and hit homers... so can the Colfax Blasters... perhaps we should take that into consideration, too.

Well, after much thought and deliberation, combined with a lot of guessing, it will be the Rolling Hills Racers winning their record-setting 6th Pro Cup... they should beat out their main challengers, Summerland, Colfax and Elnora.

It all begins this Sunday all around the Islands... in the first round Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series it will be 8th-rated Claxton traveling to play 6th-ranked LaGrange and the fourth pick Elnora on the road in Colfax against the third choice Black Sox... over in the Tycobbian Union DCS, seventh-rated South Fork will be entertained by Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills and second-ranked Summerland will host the number five pick, the Hartsdale Hellcats.

2063 IPA Pro Cup Prediction
1st: ROLLING HILLS RACER (106-48)
The Racers ran roughshod over the Tycobbian West this year, winning it by an unheard-of 25 games... the current IPA titlist has too many weapons to beat you... and the pitching is better this year than last year... it was not easy last year for the Racers because of a subpar pitching staff... all three series went to six or seven games... trades corrected that year... there may be no stopping the Rolling Hills express this year... dynamite sticks like Stonich, Sutton and Roubique coupled with pitchers like Clutterbuck, Wales and Yaden, who will now join ace Vance Dillaway in the starting foursome... the weak bullpen has also been upgraded this season.... Rolling Hills almost tied the record for most wins with 106... just one away from the all-time IPA mark... in round one the mighty Racers will take on the South Fork Stallions and their good quality .

[Eugene Church]

2063 IPA Pro Cup Prediction
2nd: Summerland Sunsets (95-59)
The Sunsets had a tough battle in the Tycobbian South, but they defeated last year's division winner Southport by 5 games... pitching has always been the name of the game in Summerland... they have always been short on offense in their IPA playoff history, but not this year... the Sunsets have mustered a good offense to go along with its masterful mound corps... this year Underhill, Hilgendorf, Marlow and Drobish will have some run support... Johnny Pendergrass, Rip Norfield and Reg Leyden have done the job this year at the plate... the Sunsets could be on the rise in the IPA... if the hurlers get some help from the hitters, Summerland could bring home its first-ever IPA Pro Cup.. but they have quite a task -- first of all, they have to beat heavy-hitting Hartsdale in first-round action... then get past the powerful Rolling Hills Racers in the Tycobbian Finals... and ultimately whip the Ruthlandian Union champion for the whole shebang... it will take good hitting and good pitching to win it all in the Islandian Pro Alliance.
.

[darkcloud4579]

Astounded at you still going strong after all these years on this story, kudos.

[Eugene Church]

2063 IPA Pro Cup Prediction
3rd: Colfax Black Sox (91-63)
A good, solid all-around club... Colfax can do it all... score runs, go deep and is strong on the hill... and plays defense well... the Black Sox are deep in starters and have a fine bullpen, too... Kruger, Barkins, Starr and Trahan are very capable and reliable starters... Dubrovnik and Birchfield anchor the relief corps... and Bralen Josephson, Lanny Waldrep, Owen McElwain and Monty McDermott are good RBI guys... look for Colfax to go far in the playoffs this year... the Black Sox will give LaGrange and Elnora a run for their money in the Ruthlandian Union... their first Pro Cup since 2010 is not out of the question... that was the year the old Blasters piled up an IPA record of 107 victories, still the most ever, tied with the 2054 Midway Wolves... we'll see how good Colfax is in the opening round... they will be tested by the Elnora Clippers, a hard-hitting club.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by darkcloud4579

Astounded at you still going strong after all these years on this story, kudos.

Thank you.

I hope your new dynasty will be around even longer.
You have a good concept.
I will be sure to check it out often.

Here is the link to darkcloud4579 new dynasty league on the Dynasty Forum:

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...d.php?t=312525