ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 18, 2057

STOLARSKI AND STONICH ARE BEST IPA ROOKIES
It was a bumper crop of new talent in the Islandian Pro Alliance this season... competition for the best newcomer trophies was keen and fierce... when the final ballots were counted, the 2057 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award was presented to Valmara's standout shortstop Alek Stolarski and the 2057 Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year Award went to Rolling Hills' fine freshmen first baseman Teddy Stonich.

In his debut season Alek Stolarski sparkled in 147 games with a .302 BA, 11 HR, 70 RBI and 108 runs... the 24-year-old was solid in the field, too... Stolarski was a part of the Vipers' terrific turnaround year, rising up from fourth place in the RU North Division to capture the pennant and winning more games than any other team in the IPA with a 96-58 record.

Coming in second in the Ruthlandian top rookie voting was Kip Drumm, Fort Benton's center fielder, who led the Defenders to their first-ever RU West Division flag... Drumm, just 20 years of age, played in 144 games, batted .315 with 7 homers, 65 RBI, 92 runs and 15 SB... he made the All-Star team and covered center field like a gold glove... winding up in the third spot was Taranto's 21-year-old first sacker Buddy Lark, who posted a .316 batting average in 130 games with 28 roundtrippers, 68 runs and scored 75 runs... the Tars finished in fourth place in the Ruthlandian North... Lark played very well on defense, too.

The 2057 newcomer of the year in the Tycobbian Union, Teddy Stonich, had a marvelous first year in Rolling Hills at age 23... his Reds shot up from fourth place in '56 to the runner-up spot this year... they were beaten out by in a sudden-death playoff by Denton City for the TU West title... in his initial season Stonich made the TU All-Star team, put up a .307 BA, hit 36 out of the park (4th-tied in IPA), drove in 121 runs (2nd in IPA) and scored 109 times (2nd in IPA).

In a very tight vote, Stonich edged out two strong contenders to take the trophy... the number-two votegetter, Weldon Herrington, had an outstanding year with High Mesa at age 21, leading the Mustangs to a close third-place finish in the super strong TU East... they were just one and a half games behind powerful Pro Cup champ Red Bluff and mighty Midway... Herrington, an All-Star, recorded a 23-9 mark (4th in TU) with an impressive 2.77 ERA (9th in TU)... his totals included 22 complete games and 6 shutouts... Red Bluff's great rookie, Duane Sturgeon, and Herrington led the IPA in shutouts... ending up a very-close third for the Rookie of the Year award was another prized Red Bluff rookie, Paul Gaddison... what a great introductory season he had for the remarkable Red Sox... the 23-year-old center fielder compiled a .299 BA with 27 home runs, 94 RBIs, scored 99 runs and stole 16 bases, while solidly covering the outfield... in a sensational season Red Bluff just barely beat out Midway and High Mesa for the TU East pennant and then went on to win the IPA Pro Cup for the second time in the club's history.

******* 2057 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year *************************************** 2057 Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year *******

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 19, 2057

ITO NABS 4TH MVP, YODER SURPRISES IN RU
No shock that Midway's Norishige Ito, the most talented, all-around player in the IPA, continues to rack up the honors year-after-year... for the 4th time in his illustrious career Ito has been acclaimed the Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player... however the Ruthlandian MVP trophy was a bit of a surprise, going to the unheralded Zeke Yoder of the Fort Benton Defenders.

Yoder's win was not expected... he came in fourth in this year's RU Golden Arm competition... but it is well-deserved when one looks at what he did for his team, the perennially downtrodden Defenders, who finally won a pennant after over 50 years of frustration... Yoder was their ace, their go-to guy when they needed a win... he stood out with a 20-10 record in 33 starts, logged a 2.74 ERA and fanned 218 batters in 269 innings... sadly an arm injury in August robbed him of the chance to lead Fort Benton in the Pro Cup playoffs... Yoder was certainly missed in the postseason and could have made a huge difference... without him the Defenders fell in the first round to Elnora in 6 games... the All-Stars were Pro Cup finalists.

Norishige Ito had his best season ever and was a cinch to take the TU Most Valuable Player Award... the 30-year-old slugger topped the IPA with 50 homers, 150 ribbies and 118 runs, while batting .341 (2nd in TU) with 202 hits (2nd in TU) and coming close to winning his second Triple Crown award... Ito is one of five players to accomplish this feat... he was a Triple Crown winner in 2052... this year's MVP was beaten out in the batting race by Chicopee's Travis Ledger, who topped the IPA and the Tycobbian Union with a .352 batting average... Ito also easily captured his 5th Tycobbian Golden Bat trophy this year... in his 11-year career his average is .318 with over 400 homers and 1100 RBIs... Ito spent his first 8 seasons with Arroyo Grande and came to Midway in 2054.

But both MVPs had some stiff competition... Ito just barely whipped Maury Statler of the Oxford Red Caps... Statler paced the IPA with 26 victories and registered a 2.94 ERA with 5 shutouts and 18 complete games... he lost 10 times... the 22-year-old righty was the co-leader in wins with Tuckanarra's Ian Timms (26-5/2.24 ERA), who won the Golden Arm... Statler was a big factor in Oxford winning the TU North pennant... a distant third in the Tycobbian MVP balloting was Rolling Hills' sensational first baseman, Teddy Stonich, who challenged Ito at the plate with a .307 BA, 36 HR, 121 RBI and 119 runs scored... the Reds were beaten out by just one game by Denton City in the TU West race.

The fact that Zeke Yoder pretty much carried the Fort Benton Defenders to the playoffs greatly influenced the MVP vote... Taranto outfielder Lenny Buisson was Yoder's biggest challenger... the 12-year veteran easily led the Ruthlandian Union with 49 roundtrippers and hauled in his 4th Golden Bat trophy this year... Buisson batted .304 and drove in 105 runs, helping the Tars to a fourth-place finish in the RU North... Yoder's Fort Benton teammate, young 20-year-old rookie center fielder, Kip Drumm, wound up third in the voting... Drumm made the RU All-Star squad, hit a solid .315 with 185 hits in 144 games with 7 home runs, 65 RBIs and 92 runs, while stealing 15 bases... he was also a very good defender in the outfield.

**************** 2057 Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player ************************** 2057 Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player *********

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 20, 2057

IPA TOP DEFENDERS HAUL IN GOLD GLOVES
Defense is the name of the game for the 2057 Golden Glove Award winners... they range far and wide to make a big difference in the game's outcome... the Golden Glovers don't always get the recognition they deserve, but they are an important part of the game... you better believe that the guys on the hill really appreciate them when they save the day with a super play.

The Islandian Pro Alliance proclaimed the 2057 Golden Glove honorees for the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union yesterday... the top defenders were led by the Glasco Athletics with three recipients, Gordy Glisson, Allen Spears and Oliver Crotwell... no other teams had multiple winners... only two rookies made the squads: catcher Goldy Zellmer of Southport and center fielder Steve Schueler of Blue Lake... third baseman Allen Spears of Glasco and right fielder Daryl Vale of Midway chalked up their third Golden Glove trophy to top the teams.

2057 Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Team

Pitcher: Joe-Joe Bouvier (Belle Plaine Musketeers) (age 34) (18-15/3.99 ERA) (1.000 FA) (first-time winner)
Catcher: Gordy Glisson (Glasco Athletics) (age 25) (.303/9 HR/75 RBI/60 R) (.996 FA/7 PB/40.6% RTO) (first-time winner)
First Baseman: Ox Gless (Far Mountain Redhawks) (age 26) (.285/24 HR/90 RBI/93 R/9 SB) (.993 FA) (2-time winner)
Second Baseman: Eldon Gilbert (Beechwood Blues) (age 26) (.287/10 HR/54 RBI/46 R) (.980 FA) (2-time winner)
Third Baseman: Allen Spears (Glasco Athletics) (age 31) (.299/9 HR/82 RBI/74 R/8 SB) (.980 FA) (3-time winner)
Shortstop: Gonzie Spencer (Ranford Bulls) (age 31) (.298/7 HR/43 RBI/65 R) (.982 FA) (first-time winner)
Left Fielder: Zippy Coburn (Crystal Lake Skippers) (age 28) (.314/23 HR/100 RBI/98 R/5 SB) (.988 FA) (first-time winner)
Center Fielder: Oliver Crotwell (Glasco Athletics) (age 24) (.274/6 HR/71 RBI/79 R/13 SB) (1.000 FA) (first-time winner)
Right Fielder: Mel Shadwell (Valka Blackhawks) (age 31) (.269/12 HR/56 RBI/74 R) (.976 FA) (2-time winner)

2057 Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Team

Pitcher: Oscar Mathewson (Arlon Champions) (age 24) (11-14/4.02 ERA) (1.000 FA) (first-time winner)
Catcher: Goldy Zellmer (Southport Sun Sox) (age 22) (.266 BA/11 HR/62 RBI/56 R) (.993 FA/9 PB/46.6% RTO) (rookie winner)
First Baseman: Shoyo Yuro (Turon Typhoons) (age 32) (.264 BA/18 HR/79 RBI/71 R) (.993 FA) (first-time winner)
Second Baseman: Derek Winchester (La Claire Lynx) (age 24) (.275/8 HR/50 RBI/71 R/13 SB) (.985 FA) (2-time winner)
Third Baseman: Allen Hooper (San Alejo Montaneros) (age 30) (.251/3 HR/39 RBI/57 R/12 SB) (.980 FA) (first-time winner)
Shortstop: Jameson Mulbert (Rolling Hills Reds) (age 25) (.294/6 HR/48 RBI/107 R/5 SB) (.983 FA) (first-time winner)
Left Fielder: Marvin Cordice (Cape Coral Hurricanes) (age 26) (.297/17 HR/69 RBI/94 R/23 SB) (.992 FA) (first-time winner)
Center Fielder: Steve Schueler (Blue Lake Blue Sox) (age 22) (.333 BA/5 HR/52 RBI/93 R/16 SB) (.993 FA) (rookie winner)
Right Fielder: Daryl Vale (Midway Wolves) (age 24) (.287/29 HR/108 RBI/85 R/10 SB) (.997 FA) (3-time winner)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 21, 2057

BEST IPA SKIPPERS GO TO SWEETWATER AND RITCHIE
There are good skippers galore in the Islandian Pro Alliance this year... it was not an easy task to choose the top head honchos in baseball... it came down to three managers in each league with Red Bluff's Ike Sweetwater selected in the Tycobbian Union just slightly ahead of two of his esteemed competitors, Billy Christensen of Rolling Hills and Jack Elliott of High Mesa... ditto in the Ruthlandian Union where rookie skipper Don Ritchie nudged out Augie Marquis of the surprising Fort Benton Defenders and Charles Darby of the Glasco Athletics.

47-year-old Ike Sweetwater had a fabulous 2057 and was tabbed the Tycobbian Manager of the Year... Sweetwater had the uneviable job of beating out perennial powers Midway and East Point in the super strong TU East Division... but he did it... Sweetwater raised his Red Sox from a sorry sixth place in '56 with a mediocre 71-83 record, 30 games behind Midway, to the division flag with an 87-68 mark, just one game better than the mighty Wolves, which had won four straight pennants and copped two Pro Cups in '53 and '54... Sweetwater played for Red Sox for 19 seasons and has been skipper since 2050... even though the postseason is not considered in the IPA awards process... it's based only on the regular season... Sweetwater also sparked Red Bluff to this year's ultimate prize, the IPA Pro Cup...his Red Sox defeated Elnora in six games for the Islandian crown.

Billy Christensen was the close runner-up in the balloting... he guided his Rolling Hills Reds to a sparkling 94-61 mark, good for second place in the Tycobbian West... Denton City beat them out in a sudden-death playoff game... the year before the Reds were fourth in the standings with a 79-75 record, 17.5 games off the pace of champ Arlon.

Third place in the TU Manager of the Year went to IPA immortal Jack Elliott, who roused his High Mesa Mustangs from also-ran status to a very serious pennant contender in the tough TU East race with Red Bluff and Midway... the Ponies raced up from 71-83 a year ago to 87-68 this season, just narrowly losing out to first place Red Bluff and Midway... High Mesa came in third, just one and a half game out of the top spot.

Valmara's skipper Don Ritchie had a glorious year in his rookie season with the Vipers... he sparked them to the best overall record in the Islandian Pro Alliance with 96 victories and only 58 defeats... Valmara was just 72-82 the previous year, winding up a dismal fourth and trailing the pennant-winning Taranto Tars by 19 games... Ritchie, just 38 years old, took over this season from the legendary Uncle Vanya Vasylenko, who had paced the Vipers to three Pro Cup titles in '43, '49 and '50.

Augie Marquis of the lightly-regarded Fort Benton Defenders gave Ritchie a tussle in the top manager poll... Marquis was highly instrumental in the rise of the Defenders, who had never before made the playoffs... he took his club from 77-77 and fourth place all the way to the top spot in the Ruthlandian West, knocking off mighty Middlefield, which had captured the division title the previous 8 years in a row and had won Pro Cups in 2052 and 2056.

Third place in the voting was Glasco's Charles Darby, who did a superlative job, leading his Athletics upward from the sixth spot in the RU North in '56 to the runner-up position... his A's improved from 68-86 to 89-65, ending up 7 games back of juggernaut Valmara... Darby would have been in special company if he had won the Manager of the Year Award again... twice Darby had been honored as the best skipper... in 2045 and 2051... Alex Groveland of Far Mountain hauled in three best manager trophies in 2012, 2013 and 2014... and Valmara's Vanya Vasylenko took the honor in 2046, 2048 and 2050... two Tycobbian skippers have bagged three awards: Matty Christianson of the Rolling Hills Reds in 2019, 2022 and 2027, along with Charley Oscar of the Southport Sun Sox in 2042, 2044 and 2045.

[Eugene Church]

That wraps up another season in the IPA... will get started on updating the rosters for the 58th season.

Thanks to all of you for checking out the IPA... much appreciate it.

[SuperHappyTime]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

That wraps up another season in the IPA... will get started on updating the rosters for the 58th season.

Thanks to all of you for checking out the IPA... much appreciate it.

Fantastic Season! Can’t wait for the next one to get under way!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by SuperHappyTime

Fantastic Season! Can’t wait for the next one to get under way!

Thank you for following the IPA.

And thank you for your comments and observations.

[Eugene Church]

I wish I could blame it on the Islandian Baseball Writers Association, but I can't.

Yours truly has neglected the IPA Hall of Fame for two years... I need to see if there are any worthy players to be inducted this year.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 28, 2057

IPA HALL EXPANDED IN FIRE SALE
For whatever reason, the Islandian Baseball Writers Association did not added anyone to the IPA Hall of Fame for the last two seasons... to make up for it the IBWA greatly expanded its membership with a fire sale... they added 11 IPA greats to the much-revered and vaunted institution... and when you look at the inductees' deeds on the diamond, each and every one deserved it... some of them several years ago... 6 position players and 5 hurlers will be enshrined next year.

The very deserving new additions to the IPA Hall of Fame in Marston will be installed in a special ceremony in Febuary... Amos Thurgood, Nioka Inkamara, Waylon Stetson, Paolo Teixeira, Sogo Takagi, Kenny Mitzusaka, Matt Bell, Ralph Hawk, Nate Scottsdale, Will McKinney and Jamie Taylor.

North Hills' fine outfielder Amos Thurgood was the biggest slight... Thurgood retired in 2048 at age 37... he should have been inducted years ago... in his splendid 16 seasons with the Hawks (2033-2048), they captured 4 Pro Cups and 11 pennants... Thurgood played a big part of that success with a career .311 BA, 506 homers, 1613 RBIs and 1338 runs... he was 9-time All-Star and was voted the 2033 Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year and the 2038 Tycobbian Union Golden Bat... Thurgood also excelled in the postseason, batting .294 overall with 30 homers in 123 games with 89 RBIs and 82 runs.

Sogo Takagi starred for the Ginza Ninjas for 21 years (2034-2054)... he called it quits in 2054 at 40, finishing up with a .298 lifetime batting average, 538 home runs, 1768 RBIs and 1915 runs with 225 stolen bases... Takagi was a 10-time All-Star outfielder and 3-time Gold Glover, but sadly, played for a perennial also-ran... Takagi never played in the playoffs.

Waylon Stetson was a sterling first baseman for the Denton City Redbirds from 2037 to 2050... he finished up with three other teams before retiring in 2053... in 17 seasons Stetson compiled a .309 BA with 543 HRs, 1543 RBIs and 1152 runs... he won 2 Tycobbian Golden Bats in '43 and '44... was a 7-time All-Star... and was twice awarded a Golden Glove... Stetson only made postseason play twice and hit .281 in 14 games... he was 36 at retirement.

Paolo Teixeira patrolled the San Alejo outfield for 18 standout years from 2039 to 2056 and was named to the All-Star squad 9 times... he batted .297 with 559 home run, 1624 RBIs and 1660 runs... the Montaneros were almost always pennant contenders when Teixeira played... they were a first-division team his first 15 seasons with the Monties... in his two postseason appearances Teixeira struggled at the plate, batting only .206, but did have 3 homers and 6 RBIs in 9 games... he will be joined by two of his teammates in the IPA Hall of Fame... pitchers Matt Bell and Will McKinney were also voted in this year... Teixeira retired at 37 in '56.

Outfielder Nioka Inkamara played most of his 14 years with the Wynnamac Sundowners... his final three seasons were with the Bayview Vikings... he retired in 2051 with a .303 BA, 488 roundtrippers, 1385 RBIs and 1137 runs... Inkamara made the All-Star team on 5 occasions, won 3 Golden Bat trophies ('40. '42, '50), 2 Golden Gloves and one Ruthlandian MVP in '42... Inkamara was a crackerjack in the playoffs, hitting .333 in 20 games with 3 home runs, 17 RBIs and 18 runs scored... he was only 33 at retirement.

Flychaser Kenny Mitzusaka had a wonderful career with the Valka Blackhawks from 2033 to 2051... 4 times he was an All-Star and 3 times he was named a Golden Glover... Mitzusaka was a fine ballplayer on a mediocre team... he never got to the playoffs... his lifetime batting average was .312 with 444 roundtrippers, 1703 RBIs and 1476 runs... Mitzusaka was 37 when he retired.

All of the Hall of Fame pitchers have just recently retired... four of them in 2056 and one at the end of this season... Matt Bell was the biggest winner, posting a great 391-225 mark in his 19 years with San Alejo... Bell is ranked second in all-time IPA victories... only Middlefield's James Long has won more games... Long is still an active player at 37 and has chalked up a sensational 405-227 record... Bell retired at the end of this year at age 37 and ranked second in strikeouts with 4819... topped only by the IPA strikeout king, Cody Burg of Cape Coral, who fired strikes past 5280 batters... Bell won 3 TU Golden Arms ('45, '47, '49)... and made the TU All-Stars 6 times... he was one of the prime reasons the Montaneros were contenders almost every season... for his 15 years with the Monties the club wound up in the first division and contended regularly for the division flag... Bell was 391-225 with an outstanding 2.42 ERA, the 7th-best ERA of all-time... Kenny Robinson is number one with a 2.25 career ERA... however, Bell tossed almost 6000 innings, compared to reliever Robinson, who worked only 1063 innings... but Bell didn't fare well in the playoffs... he was only 0-3 in 3 starts with a poor 6.27 ERA in two postseason appearances... still Bell piled up 391 wins with a poor-hitting ballclub.

At age 38 Ralph Hawk retired from the Ranford Bulls... he carried the Bulls from 2038 until 2056, recording a super 351-195 mark with a superb 2.46 lifetime ERA... at age 22 Hawk led Ranford to its only Pro Cup trophy in 2040, going 4-2 in eight starts with a brilliant 2.02 ERA... the next year the Bulls didn't repeat, but he was even better with a 5-1 record in 6 starts and a ridiculously low 1.04 ERA... Ranford lost in 7 games in 2041 to Cold Creek in the Ruthlandian LCS... the Catamounts were edged in 7 games by the IPA Pro Cup winner, powerhouse North Hills... Hawk was a combined 9-3 in the postseason in 14 starts with an excellent 1.55 ERA... Hawk was awarded the Ruthlandian Golden Arm three times, in '48, '49 and '51... he was a 6-time All-Star... during his 19-year tenure with Ranford, the Bulls were usually a first-division contender.

Nate Scottsdale was a workhorse for the Turon Typhoons for 20 years... he retired in '56 at age 41 with a 362-277 record and a fairly-high 3.44 ERA and lots of losses, but the electors felt he deserved a place in the Hall... they went on precedent... several others had finally made the Hall of Fame despite similar statistics... Scottsdale was the Tycobbian Rookie of the Year in 2037 and he seemed to get better with age, winning 21, 26, 25, 24 and 22 games from age 35 to 40... but he had a tough time in the playoffs, going just 3-7 in 20 games with a modest 4.26 ERA... Scottsdale sparked the Typhoons to 6 TU South flags in his fine career... he was a 3-time All-Star.

The San Alejo Montaneros possessed another tremendous pitcher... and southpaw Will McKinney will be in the Hall of Fame along with his mound mate of many years, Matt Bell... he retired at the end of the season in 2056 with 321 victories and only 188 losses, posting a very strong 2.64 ERA... with Bell, he formed a formidable 1-2 punch for San Alejo for many years... McKinney nabbed the TU Rookie of the Year trophy in '42 and was a 4-time recipient of the prestigious TU Golden Arm Award ('48, '50, '51, '52)... 7 times he was chosen to the All-Star team... in 3 starts in the playoffs, McKinney was 1-2 with a fine 2.86 ERA... McKinney was 36 when he retired.

Jamie Taylor finally ended his standout career in 2056 with an impressive 304-218 mark and 2.55 ERA, playing all 17 seasons with the Rocky Rapids Snappers (2039-2056)... Taylor was 39 at retirement... most of those years the Snappers finished in the first division of the RU East... he hold the single-season mark for most victories... he had a terrific 30-7 record with a microscopic 1.85 ERA in '46... that year Taylor was acclaimed both the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player and the Golden Arm Award winner... Taylor performed well in the postseason that year with a 3-2 record in 5 starts and a 2.52 ERA... Rocky Rapids was beaten in 7 games by Pro Cup finalist, Valmara, in the RU League Championship Series... the Vipers went on to fall in 7 games to IPA Pro Cup champion Hartsdale... overall in the playoffs Taylor was 4-2 with a 2.25 ERA in 7 starts... and Taylor made the Ruthlandian All-Stars 3 times.

[Eugene Church]

Preparation are underway for the 2058 season in the Islandian Pro Alliance... I'll update their rosters with new rookies and glean out the old vets that are past their prime and hanging on... the AI should do a better job of retiring players.

It may take me a week or so to update all 64 teams.

[MrHaroldG]

[Eugene Church]

Eugene "Kenesaw Mountain" Church has made an executive decision... for the first time in any of my leagues, I will just let the AI handle everything.

It will save me a lot of work... but I'll have to see how things progress.

It may not be a permanent thing.

I hope the AI handles the Islandian Pro Alliance well.

[Eugene Church]

IPA season 58 is coming soon to a ballpark near you.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

BASEBALL RETURNS TO ISLANDIA TOMORROW
Well, time really does fly by in the Islands... it seem like it was just a few days ago that we were talking about the Pro Cup champion Red Bluff Red Sox and their wonderful season... it's a new year in the Islandian Pro Alliance... season number 58 begins tomorrow afternoon all across Islandia… 64 ballclubs will figuratively engage in mortal combat for the Holy Grail of Baseball - the IPA Pro Cup trophy.

And to help you in your picks and prognostications, here is what the famed baseball writers across Islandia are saying about the teams this coming season... last year our renowned sportswriters and scribes forecast that Middlefield would whip Denton City for its second straight IPA overall title... instead upstart Red Bluff reeled in the Pro Cup by defeating Turon in a six-game series.

2058 Ruthlandian North Division Preview

VIPERS FAVORED IN RU NORTH, REDHAWKS AND A'S WILL CHALLENGE
The Valmara Vipers had the best overall record last year in the Islandian Pro Alliance and they are favored to repeat again in the Ruthlandian North Division... only two clubs are predicted to contend with the Vipers... Far Mountain with its fine pitching staff just might slow down the Valmara pennant express... the Glasco A's are going to be in the mix as well with its good starting rotation and pretty good offense... the rest of the clubs in the RU North will be vying for the fourth spot in the standings.

1st: Valmara Vipers
Last Year: 1st Place (96-58)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (72-82) (19 GB)
Outlook: despite an aging pitching staff, Vipers will be the class of the RU North again this year... they will hit well and just might pitch even better... manager Don Ritchie has a strong club... should repeat as division champ... two rookie pitchers Manabu Ozaki and Tadzio Zajkowski will get some work in the bullpen... nobody new in position players... starters Primo Sirak (19-12) and Darus Grajek (20-16) will be the key to the season... Sirak is 38... Grajek 34... reliever Carver Dillon is 35... Ritchie has some rock-solid hitters in Timmy Benford (.312 BA/24 HR/87 RBI/90 R), Alek Stolarski (.302 BA/11 HR/70 RBI/108 R), Vladimir Szymanski (.308 BA/10/70 RBI/74 R) and Borys Balicki (.312 BA/8 HR/71 RBI/63 R).

2nd: Far Mountain Redhawks
Last Year: 3rd Place (81-73) (15 GB)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (88-66) (3 GB)
Outlook: new skipper Benjy Donahue has improved hitting and pitching and is forecast to challenge Valmara this year... the Redhawks have some solid starters with vets Frankie Frasier (19-14), Eldon Bittner (12-15) and last year's impressive rookies Jeffrey Chandler (6-4/2.05 ERA/11 starts) and Bob Speed (4-5/2.95 ERA/11 starts)... both Chandler and Speed joined Far Mountain in July last season... Donahue has also added some youngsters in the relief corps... look for Carl Gray and Whitlow Dumas to stand out in the bullpen... Far Mountain could nip at the Vipers' heels all season long... and could win the pennant should Valmara's old staff suddenly fall apart... Donahue's offense is subpar... only reliable hitter is CF Ox Gless (.287/24 HR/90 RBI/93 R)… but the mound staff is a good one and can carry the club.

3rd: Glasco Athletics
Last Year: 2nd Place (89-65) (7 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (tied) (68-86) (23 GB)
Outlook: manager Charles Darby has a fine foursome with Monte France (18-17), Jayden Furman (19-12), Herb Goodman (20-12) and Jonathan Burnett (14-13) in the starting rotation and they are predicted to be better this year... offense is fine, too, with Rick Farns (.302 BA/22 HR/98 RBI/70 R), Callum Slattery (.325 BA/20 HR/82 RBI/96 R), Gordy Glisson (.303/9 HR/75 RBI/60 R) and Allen Spears (.299 BA/9 HR/82 RBI/74 R)... the A's will be in contention all season long again like last year... Darby has a good club... not much expected from his rookie crop.

4th: Ancona Red Elephants
Last Year: 6th Place (74-80) (22 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (tied) (68-86) (23 GB)
Outlook: Better pitching this year... two rookies hurlers may contribute: starter Benny Arledge and reliever Dinos Kyrkos... third-year pitcher Eugene Holifield showed well in relief in spring training... manager Tommy Richardson is looking for good years from starters Yanni Bubas (21-12) and Burnell Simms (16-19) and he's hoping Arledge can add to the mound corps, along with second-year man Bill Bumgardener, who really stood out this spring... he did fairly well in his debut year, going 4-5 with a 4.13 ERA in 11 starts... the Red Elephants have an adequate offense led by Franco Briganti (.325 BA/18 HR/77 RBI/66 R), Skeets Barker (.300 BA/20 HR/67 RBI/97 R), Horace Nickens (.277 BA/18 HR/66 RBI/83 R), Jerry Coppock (.284 BA/16 HR/84 RBI/68 R) and Tony Nardi (.306 BA/13 HR/60 RBI/64 R)… Ancona might sneak up into the RU North first division, but no higher... they are nowhere near the talent of the top three clubs.

5th: Taranto Tars
Last Year: 4th Place tied (78-76) (18 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (91-63)
Outlook: manager Augie Marshall doesn't have the pitching like he did when he won the RU North pennant in '56... he's excited about second-year pitcher Zeppo Perrelli (3-2/2.67 ERA)... he and rookie reliever Mario Abatucci both had good springs... Marshall already has two strong starters in Phil Castle (21-9) and Valerio Rossi (17-15)... he just need 35-year-old Freddy De Angelis to revert to the form of his first two seasons when he was 18-10 and 22-7... last year he slipped to 8-11 and a 4.19 ERA... Taranto can still tag the ball... anchoring the Tars' arsenal are Golden Bat winner Lenny Buisson (.304 BA/49 RBI/105 RBI/90 R), Buddy Lark (.316 BA/28 HR/68 RBI/75 R) and Mark Trupiano (.300 BA/27 HR/73 RBI/77 R)… Tars could get back into the thick of things if the mound staff returns to the 2056 level.

6th: Kilkenny Cats
Last Year: 4th Place tied (78-76) (18 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (65-89) (26 GB)
Outlook: the Cats still look like a middle-of-the-road ballclub under Dave Whitaker... his strength is his starters: Bretton McKay (19-12), Billy Joe Wooster (18-14), Jamie Ayers (17-10) and Carroll Hudsmith (14-12)... Kilkenny may have improved its mound staff some with the addition of rookie reliever Larry Henley, who looked very good in training camp and preseason... look for some good progress for Al Pinckney in his third season in the bullpen... no new blood among the position players... the offense is still just mediocre at best... you know you're in trouble when Jimmy Gunn (.302 BA/15 HR/52 RBI/72 R) and Niles Bedford (.274 BA/7 HR/71 RBI/54 R) sport your best offensive numbers... veteran slugger Ryan Reagan hit 21 homers and drove in 79 runs, but only hit .226 for average.

7th: LaGrange Sports
Last Year: 8th Place (69-85) (27 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (73-81) (18 GB)
Outlook: rookie skipper John Rodgers has added three newcomers to his mound corps in hopes of kickstarting his Sports... the pitching was terrible last year... Rodger Gagnier (15-11) and Amos Wadsworth (16-14) are two good ones in the starting rotation and will be joined by rookie Dave Loxley and returnee Spike Swearingen, who got a taste of the IPA in a short run in '55... Rodgers is also optimistic about his bullpen this season... Trey Ladner, Willie Doolittle and Kelvin Delacroix did well in spring training... it's Ladner's third year with the team, Doolittle's fourth and second for Delacroix... but the Sports will go with the same bunch of batters... nobody new in the batting order to kickstart the offense... however, Rodgers has some reliable hitters in Sonny Ricard (.284 BA/27 HR/86 RBI/72 R), Billy Broadway (.311 BA/20 HR/86 RBI/69 R), Rick Wade (.308 BA/15 HR/77 RBI/64 R), Tony Rojas (.309 BA/10 HR/62 RBI/82 R) and Earl Walker (.303 BA/5 HR/52 RBI/83 R).

8th: Ranford Bulls
Last Year: 7th Place (71-83) (25 B)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (71-83) (20 GB)
Outlook: manager Kyle Hunt is under the gun to make some progress this season with the Bulls and he may have a difficult task... Ranford has steadily declined ove the past three seasons and seems to be headed further south this year... offensively the club is about the same as last year... but Hunt is looking for good things from first baseman Cal O'Leary... he's back for a third try after flunking out with mediocre years in '55 and '56... he didn't make the team last year, but did very well this spring with a great glove and good bat... the pitching looks worse... the best thing going for the Bulls is in the bullpen... closer Martin Futch (2-4/1.55 ERA/21 saves/46 G) is always steady as a rock and still going strong at 32... Hunt's starters are just fair and average: Dave Brewster (11-10), Darrell Askew (17-17) and Primo Uzzo (13-18)... rookie Troy Chisholm will get his chance in the rotation, but didn't do well in the spring... #5 starter Mac Roberts (12-18) needs better control and command to succeed... the only decent hitter in the lineup is All-Star second baseman Erik Neilson, who stood out in his rookie year with 25 homers and 100 RBIs... and he is a slick defender, too... but Neilson batted only .262 for the year... not much after him on the lineup card.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

2058 Ruthlandian Union South Division Preview

CYBERCATS CHOICE IN RU SOUTH
The Grand City Cybercats are the choice to capture the Ruthlandian South flag in 2058... they got the call over their main challenger, the Crystal Lake Skippers, the runner-up last year... defending champion St. John came in third in the preseason poll... only a two-team race is forecast... the RU South is generally the weakest division in the Ruthlandian Union... none of the teams except the Waleska Westerners have ever won the Pro Cup and it was decades ago when they won the IPA crown ('28, '37 and '39)... rarely do the teams do well in the postseason playoffs.

1st: GRAND CITY CYBERCATS
Last Year: 5th Place (74-80) (13 GB)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (tied) (81-73) (5 GB)
Outlook: Manager Thomas Hall led the Cybercats to the pennant in '55... had them close in '56 and then slipped last year... a rookie starter and two rookie relievers has gotten the team excited... Gil Lloyd made the starting rotation and Goose Guthrie and Elton Poindexter will get a lot of innings in the bullpen... all of them performed well in the spring... Hall said this is the best staff he's ever had... while the staff is solid, Hall's hitters are subpar... he really needs help at the plate.... anchoring the staff are Steve Shirley (16-11/2.78), Jozef Chojnaki (14-17/3.75), Arnie McConnell (10-4/3.80) and Fred Barrow (17-18/4.09)... the bullpen is strong with closer Yuri Kirchoff (3-3/2.64 ERA/21 saves/42 G)… Grand City's main shortcoming is scoring runs... they only have three reliable hitters: 1B Vince Kinston (.329/22 HR/74 RBI/75 R), LF Dave Durocher (.260/20 HR/80 RBI/72 R) and 2B Zane Faulkner (.298/4 HR/64 RBI/81 R)… the Cybercats can win in the weak RU South, but must get much better at the plate to get far in the Pro Cup playoffs.

2nd: Crystal Lake Skippers
Last Year: 2nd Place (86-68) (1 GB)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (78-76) (8 GB)
Outlook: skipper Duncan Welch's club has done well the last few years... the Skippers have a winning record the past three seasons... this could be his year to win the RU South... new rookie starter Jedd Hartwick is the reason for the optimism... he will join an already quality starting rotation with Merle Pitts (19-13/2.90), Robin Norborne (19-15/3.74) and Tony Calamari (9-5/2.90)... the offense is pretty solid with the likes of SS Gib Conlan (.275/24 HR/101 RBI/90 R), RF Mel Brouwer (.308/23 HR/92 RBI/94 R), LF Zippy Coburn (.314/23 HR/100 RBI/98 R) and 3B Jasper Shackleford (.292/22 HR/75 RBI/81 R).

3rd: St. John Crusaders
Last Year: 1st Place (87-67)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (tied) (5 GB)
Outlook: manager Nicky Farrugia doesn't agree with the sportswriters... he thinks his club is better this year... he will have his ace Whitlow Cornwell (12-5/3.69) back very early in the season... he was sorely missed in the second half of the season and in the playoffs last year... Farrugia also is encouraged by rookie hurlers Don Rainer and Harry Barden, along with 4-year vet Ira Newhouser... all of them showed potential in spring training... according to Farrugia the Crusaders are ready to repeat in the RU South with Tom Smithson (16-13/3.37), Teddy Howell (14-12/3.35), Deke Eubanks (12-14/3.83), Teddy de Grom (18-12/4.06) and Gibby Pritchell (5-5/2.73) joining with Cornwell... St. John is healthy on the hill, but woeful on HR power... CF Freddie Woodruff (.293/9 HR/59 RBI/79 R), 3B Jimmy Upchurch (.296/10 HR/63 RBI/65 R), LF Lou Endicott (.348/11 HR/50 RBI/50 R), C Tuffy Palmieri (.283/13 HR/61 RBI/76 R) and 2B Ozwaldo Romero (.288/19 HR/80 RBI/63 R) are just modest run producers... the offense keeps St. John from having an elite team.

4th: Belair Beach Sunbirds
Last Year: 7th Place (67-87) (20 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (76-78) (13 GB)
Outlook: the Sunbirds digressed last year under new manager Jason Butler... 5 new rookies on the squad this year... starting rotation is good with Chris Malbrough (18-14/3.00), Jeffrey Verblen (13-15/3.50), Glen Long (10-17/3.54) and Jeff Chojnacki (11-11/4.07)... four rookie pitchers will decide the Sunbirds' season... Lucky Calvanico, Doyle Hicks, Alastair Howerton and Anxo Matsukas... Belair Beach has one outstanding talent in All-Star and Gold Glove CF Curtis Cochran (.348/9 HR/69 RBI/86 R/26 SB)... he led the RU with a sparkling .348 mark, but doesn't hit with power... the rest of the lineup is just so-so with 2B Rusty Van Slyke (.272/20 HR/78 RBI/55 R), C Johnny Samarin (.269/11 HR/44 RBI/71 R), 3B Mark Hawkins (.294/10 HR/43 RBI/32 R) and LF Douglas Duff (.292/4 HR/42 RBI/52 R)... the Sunbirds will be just a run-of-the-mill ballclub until they get some strong bats in the lineup.

5th: Valka Blackhawks
Last Year: 8th Place (62-92) (25 GB)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (80-74) (6 GB)
Outlook: skipper Arno Vainmaa has had the Blackhawks in contention in recent years... he won the RU South pennant in '54 and stayed close in '55 and '56, but plummeted last year to the cellar... the Valka offense is terrible... the only decent bats are 1B Taavi Soosaar (.296/26 HR/81 RBI/68 R), C Freddie Civik (.286/15 HR/67 RBI/67 R) and RF Mel Shadwell (.269/12 HR/56 RBI/74 R)... and there's no help coming from the sparse rookie class unless LF Erki Hookfin provides it... he arrived at spring training with great credentials... Vainmaa only has a fair staff, led by Norbert Borden (15-12/3.94), Clark Harrington (9-23/3.47), Eerik Jogi (9-16/3.77) and Aavo Keskkula (8-16/4.31)... rookie Vidrik Valdma stood out in training camp and won a spot in the rotation... he's the only newcomer on the staff... until the Blackhawks can put some runs on the scoreboard, Vainmaa will have a hard time winning.

6th: Claxton Diamonds
Last Year: 4th Place (75-79) (12 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (68-86) (18 GB)
Outlook: last year rookie manager Abe Schiffman perked up the Diamonds with the long ball and got them out of the RU South basement... he also possessed two capable starters in Leon Reynolds (20-9/3.70) and Matt Goodrum (20-13/3.82), along with a super closer in Mark Meisner (2-3/1.34 ERA/25 saves/46 G), but the rest of the staff stunk... Schiffman is hoping to get help from two rookies on the hill... Sammy Proudfoot and Jerry Urban showed some promise in camp... Claxton will be led again at the plate by LF Bobby Bright (.277/33 HR/87 RBI/97 R), 42-year-old 15-time All-Star and IPA icon, 2B Jojo DeLucca (.296/26 HR/107 RBI/73 R), 3B Fred Hahn (.300/23 HR/90 RBI/94 R) and RF Jimmy John Ramsey (.285/22 HR/70 RBI/51 R).

7th: Waleska Westerners
Last Year: 3rd Place (80-74) (7 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (86-68)
Outlook: manager Roy Hobbs has won 4 RU South division titles since 2051... so he's not accustomed to being assigned a spot deep in the second division... his key to success is how well the offense performs... Hobbs has good pitching, at least on paper... Bret Shockley (19-15/3.16), Johnny Merriman (22-9/3.48) and Lou Carlson (8-9/3.36) are all vets... rookie right-hander Theron Pritchett did well in spring training and should see a lot of action in the bullpen and maybe work his way into the starting rotation... Ethan Addy, in his second year, stood out as well and got the spot starter spot in the rotation... not a lot of standout hitters in the Westerners' batting order... most of them are just adequate... CF Boomer Barnes (.281/21 HR/84 RBI/92 R) is the best bat, followed by 1B/3B Johnny Dillinger (.273/15 HR/74 RBI/76 R), LF Bitsy Boccabella (.264/22 HR/65 RBI/70 R), SS Javon Grammer (.273/9 HR/70 RBI/50 R) and C Cubby Nash (.258/15 HR/67 RBI/59 R).

Hobbs has his grandson, Royce, on the team this year as a backup at first base... the scouts say he is an excellent fielder with modest ability at the plate... can play anywhere on the diamond well... both infield and outfield... but rookie Hobbs is nothing like his old Hall-of-Famer granddad, who was one of the greatest players ever in IPA history with a .345 career batting average, nearly 600 homers and over 2000 RBIs and runs... Roy Hobbs was a 15-time All-Star infielder, Golden Glover and 7 times captured the Ruthlandian Golden Bat Award... Royce's dad, Roger Hobbs, also was a standout player and had a fine career with Sugar Valley, batting .289 overall with 412 homers and 1500 RBIs... he was a prime element in the Rattlers winning 8 RU West pennants and the 2045 Pro Cup... a 5-time All-Star Hobbs played from 2034 to 2052... he began his career with hometown Waleska, but was traded in his second year... that was huge mistake by the Westerners' front office... Hobbs needs a lot more pop in this lineup to return to the top of the standings again.

8th: San Dimas Rancheros
Last Year: 6th Place (71-83) (16 GB)
Two Years Ago: 7th Place (73-81) (13 GB)
Outlook: Ranchero manager Leonard Purkey is in his second year... he has very little run-scoring capability except for RF Gilberto Gallardo (.324/27 HR/100 RBI/80 R) and 3B Julian Ortiz (.290/17 HR/72 RBI/68 R)... San Dimas is a little better on the mound with starters Emile Wade (19-11/3.51), Hernando Almora (19-17/3.40) and Tomas Olmeda (11-13/4.03)... closer Kenny Robinson (5-9/3.02 ERA/22 saves/46 G) is slowing down a bit at age 36... last year was not a real good one for him... Purkey has added three rookies to his mound corps... Adrian Garza is in the starting rotation and two others, Gail Backman and Diego Rivera will see action as relievers... no new position players made the team this year... and that's, by far, their biggest need... looks like a long year for Purkey and his Rancheros this season.

[Eugene Church]

While doing the roster updates and the preseason preview of the teams, I noticed that there were very few rookie position players added to the teams, so I have been working on that the last few days.

I will continue to preview the divisions races as soon as I add some new blood to the IPA... sure do wish the AI would do this... I just don't understand why it creates so many bad rookies that will never play an inning in the league... all they do is sit on the reserve rosters until I release them when they are over 30.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

MACS SLIM PICK IN HARD-FOUGHT RU EAST
The Wynnamac Sundowners will be back on top of the Ruthlandian East again according the baseball scribes' preseason predictions... the Macs won it four straight seasons from 2052 to 2056 and even won it all in the IPA with the Pro Cup crown in '56... but they were beaten out by Eastshore (2 GB) and Elnora (4 GB) since then in pretty close races... however, it won't be easy for them... five other clubs are bunched very closely with the pennant race wide open... no more than 3 games will separate the top three teams... with the next 3 lurking close by, too... current champ Elnora will certainly be in contention, along with Eastshore, Sugar Valley, Marston and Cold Creek... hapless Belle Plaine and Beechwood seem to be the only teams out-of-the-running.

1st: WYNNAMAC SUNDOWNERS
Last Year: 2nd Place (82-72) (4 GB)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (90-64) (2 GB)
Outlook: long time skipper Jerry Meeks is optimistic this year, saying his WMACs are better-than-ever... Meeks has a well-rounded club on the hill and at the plate... he will open the season with two impressive rookies in the rotation: Dan Loewenthal and Kuparr Bunji... both won the spots with good springs... returning vets Sammy Hayes (16-17/3.67) and George Medworth (11-3/2.62) will be the other two starters... Hayes is up in age at 38 and will be closely watched... the Sundowner arsenal is still there with potent bats by Manny Sendejas (.252/37 HR/116 RBI/101 R), 1B Enos Benham (.330/27 HR/80 RBI/107 R), CF Snooky Bartels (.340 BA/21 HR/83 RBI/66 R) and 2B Phil McLemore (.300/15 HR/69 RBI/78 R)... after a good training camp rookie CF Scotty Clevenger will also get some playing time.

2nd: Eastshore Elegants
Last Year: 3rd Place (80-74) (6 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (92-52)
Outlook: Scotty Lagrange said his Elegants are back in business and ready to take the division flag again... it just depends on his offense scoring runs... Lagrange thinks he has the staff to win it like they did in '56... Homer Lawler (20-4/2.72), Bebe Kinney (19-12/3.16), Sam Carmon (14-14/2.71) and Dain Moore (13-13/3.54) are a rock-solid foursome... the Eastshore bullpen is strong, too... four rookies Tubby Meade, Vic Darnell, Billy Clemons and Floyd Mays did well in spring training and will be good additions to veteran Ted Weiss (2-5/2.85 ERA/20 saves/36 G), who had his best year last year... Lagrange is hoping to get a more offense from rookie RF Percy Basford... scoring runs is a problem for the Cotton Kings... they only get modest numbers from RF Ian Kelehan (.278/22 HR/67 RBI/78 R), CD Elton Woody (.266/16 HR/70 RBI/89 R), C Ezra Cummings (.283/14 HR/63 RBI/58 R) and 3B Logan Moncriffe (.267/14 HR/60 RBI/45 R)... Bedford will be a godsend if he can hit IPA pitching.

3rd: Sugar Valley Rattlers
Last Year: 5th Place (74-80) (12 GB)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (78-76) (14 GB)
Outlook: SV skipper Carl Ramsey is starting his second season at the helm and the experts think his Rattlers just might make some noise in the RU East... his strength is on the mound with a good starting four: Elvis Bonham (21-15/3.40), Antonio Cedeno (14-15/4.19), Alan Montreuil (12-13/4.45) and Linus Bourque (9-7/3.80)... their numbers are inflated because of the Rattlers' short fences... as per usual, Sugar Valley depends on good pitching and home runs for success... Ramsey is banking on rookie reliever Doyle Mattson improving his bullpen... Claudio Quezada (2-4/3.41 ERA/19 saves/30 G) had a pretty good rookie year and really stood out this year in the springtime... the Rattlers can hit home runs, but don't hit for average... LF Fuzzy Durel (.277/33 HR/91 RBI/71 R) blossomed in this third season last year... but he is just about the only decent hitter on the club... it will be tough for Sugar Valley to whipped Wynnamac, Elnora and Eastshore with their puny offense, but they may be good enough for fourth place and a first-division finish... third place just might be beyond their reach.

4th: Elnora All-Stars
Last Year: 1st Place (86-68)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (13 GB)
Outlook: manager Stan Kivas had a banner year last season, taking the RU East division title and going all the way to the Pro Cup Finals before losing out to the Pro Cup champion Red Bluff in 6 games... the club stayed pat pretty much in the offseason, adding only one rookie starter, Pat Vale, who arrives very highly rated, but he struggled in spring training... Kivas will depend on last year's great offense again, led by SS Dickie DeBusshere (.314/31 HR/105 RBI/97 R), LF Donald Ray Mooney (.334/20 HR/97 RBI/78 R), 1B Gus Abreu (.320/16 HR/69 RBI/100 R) and 2B Mickey Wilbur (.267/23 HR/86 RBI/95 R)... Elnora could make it two in a row in the RU East.

5th: Marston Nine
Last Year: 4th Place (77-77) (9 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (82-72) (10 GB)
Outlook: the Nine has prospered the last 7 seasons with first-division finishes in the RU East... when manager Russ Woodward has some good pitching, his club contends for the division title... last year his staff was just mediocre and the club dropped to the fourth spot in the standings... his so-so starters Lance McElveen (17-12/3.63), Mark Henley (16-10/3.96), Billy Rogen (15-16/3.57) and Toby Claypool (13-17/4.71) are back for another turn... Marston didn't make many changes in the roster... they didn't impressed the sportswriters... the Nine may have their first-division string broken this year... however, Woodward has high hopes for his fine rookie 3B Gus Beasley, but he doesn't have a spot in the batting order for him yet... Marston can hit the ball and score with quality batters like 3B Jarrod Crutchfield (.318/32 HR/76 RBI/76 R), C Boomer Merritt (.292/28 HR/103 RBI/80 R), CF Jarrod Macauley (.299/22 HR/73 RBI/67 R), RF Luke Cranshaw (.329/19 HR/79 RBI/101 R) and 2B Damien D'Amboise (.275/9 HR/58 RBI/94 R)... it will a good or bad season based on the mound staff.

6th: Cold Creek Catamounts
Last Year: 7th Place (68-86) (18 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (73-81) (19 GB)
Outlook: playing manager 2B Joe Cochrane took over a lackluster team last year... the C'Cats have ended up in the RU East second division 6 times in the last 7 seasons... it looks like more of the same this year... they are just a second-rate club... four rookies have been added to try and improve the pitching corps... Tommy Kyle will be a starter, while Jacky Bonham, Rich Joyner and Jimmy Engels will work out of the bullpen... the returning vets are just humdrum at best: Lenny Toscano (16-17/4.06), Rusty Rotherham (15-17/4.52), Jake Fischer (12-17/4.34) and Steve Singleterry (9-19/4.71)... the Catamounts don't possess much hitting... at 38 Cochrane (.303/14 HR/63 RBI/73 RBI) and RF Ziggy Baggs (.302/14 HR/39 RBI/63 R) have the best averages, while 1B Bobby Dundee (.292/18 HR/76 RBI/84 R) and 3B Sandy Ketteridge (.257/73 RBI/80 R) are the most productive... no one on the squad has elite numbers.

7th: Belle Plaine Musketeers
Last Year: 6th Place (73-81) (13 GB)
Two Years Ago: 7th Place (72-82) (20 GB)
Outlook: new skipper Boo Boudreaux will take over a pretty bad club... the Muskies' last good season was in '55 with a third-place finish (85-69)... otherwise they have been in a second-division rut for the last five years... to right the ship and turn it around Boudreaux made wholesale roster changes, adding 8 rookies... 4 of them pitchers... Antoine Simon will be in the starting rotation, along with returnees Joe-Joe Bouvier (18-15/3.99), Ike Alister (16-16/3.95) and Jerome Kincaid (16-14/4.00)... at 35 Bouvier is the ace of the staff with a lifetime 164-135 mark and a respectable 3.85 ERA in his 11 seasons... Alister and Kincaid will be in their sophomore season... the only decent hitters in the Belle Plaine batting order are 33-year-old star 1B Chuck Gregory (.302/23 HR/78 RBI/84 R), star C Eliott Somers (.309/23 HR/90 RBI/72 R) and RF Levi Teed (.291/3 HR/41 RBI/84 R/23 SB)... Boudreaux thinks SS Shelley Busfield will do the job and anchor the infield and help out offensively... Busfield had a fine spring... this is the 30-year-old Busfield's third chance with the Musketeers... his first two seasons, '52 and '54 were not very good with the bat... he has hit only .245 overall in 172 games.

8th: Beechwood Blues
Last Year: 8th Place (54-100) (32 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (63-91) (29 GB)
Outlook: new manager Ken Arby took charge of a horrible team last year and did worse... the Blues haven't had a winning season for 12 years... 5 of those years they were dead last in the RU East cellar... '45 was their last good year (85-69) and good for second place... Beechwood was the worst team in the IPA last year with 100 defeats... in spite of the terrible record Arby added only two rookies to the squad... he said he think he has some talent in the current team and can develop it... his best pitchers last year were Corvell Eddins (9-21/3.84) and Craig Gillespie (9-21/3.51)... the Blues' best bats are just fair: 1B Thad Backman (.256/24 HR/67 RBI/67 R) and CF Tiger Tansey (.244/24 HR/62 RBI/60)... Arby really needs a lot of improvement in a lot of places to just become a respectable ballclub... right now the Beechwood future is as bleak as it could be.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

ROOSTERS WILL CROW AGAIN IN RU WEST
The Middlefield fans weren't happy last year when their beloved Roosters weren't the best in the Ruthlandian West for the first time in 8 years... upstart Fort Benton put an end to the Rooster dominance and came away with the division flag... but 2058 is a new year and the baseball preseason sages are going back to the tried and true Roosters as the top team... only the Sligo Rovers are given any chance of upending Middlefield... the Roosters are solid favorites... after the Rovers 5 other clubs will contest for third place in the standings... the Stoner Stars are the third choice in the race and defending champion Fort Benton was the fourth pick in the preseason poll.

1st: MIDDLEFIELD ROOSTERS
Last Year: 3rd Place (83-71) (4 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (95-59)
Outlook: long-time hurler Hollis Dale (246-170/3.74) retired last year and is now the new Rooster skipper, replacing the hugely successful Rinky Tinker, who moved to the front office... last year too many star hitters suffered subpar seasons... the first thing Dale did was sign some new bats and give them a shot this spring... apparently 1B Del Ganley and OF Al Barbour passed the test and made the team... both can stroke the ball and hit with power... on the hill the IPA all-time wins leader, James Long (24-10/2.62), is back for his 19th season at age 37... lifetime Long is an amazing 405-227 with a 2.65 ERA... but he needs some help from Scott Cole (16-15/4.10) and Rick Goldman (12-14/4.66)... last year they had awful years and need to get back to the way they were in '56... 30-year-old Frank Williams is back for a fourth try... in limited action he didn't do much in '53, '54 and '55, going 6-7 in 13 starts... superstar OF Trip Agarn (.300/26 HR/101 RBI/71 R) will again top the batting order... OF Johnny Wyatt (.257/21 HR/67 RBI/55 R) and SS Stan Radzikowski (.249/24 HR/83 RBI/94 R) are hoping to improve their poor batting averages this year... look for the Roosters to fend off the tough Sligo Rovers and the rest of the RU West... Middlefield will again be the best in the west... the Roosters have the best-hitting club in the division, by far, and the pitching is just good enough to win the pennant.

2nd: Sligo Rovers
Last Year: 2nd Place (84-70) (3 GB)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (89-65) (6 GB)
Outlook: it appears manager Les Patterson will have to be happy with the runner-up spot in the RU West for the 6th straight season... Sligo has a standout 5-man staff anchored by Tiger Snodgrass (16-4/2.65), Jacky Harshman (17-18/3.08), Mickey Walsh (16-14/3.32), Judah Carmack (14-7/3.37) and Mitch Taylor (11-11/3.38)... what he desparately needs is some home-run firepower to overcome mighty Middlefield... SS Clancy Beaufort (.284/26 HR/88 RBI/86 R), RF Josh Brolin (.263/17 HR/69 RBI/75 R) and CF Merle Bliss (.265/11 HR/71 RBI/63 R) is just not enough... Sligo signed 1B Duncan Murrell, who played part-time years ago for St. John and posted fairly good numbers from '51 to '53... Murrell did well in the spring and won a spot on the roster... he will platoon at first base... the Rovers will always be in the race with its solid pitching... a productive hitter or two could get them over the hump and into the postseason playoffs.

3rd: Volusia Vigilantes
Last Year: 4th Place (tied) (78-76) (9 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (69-85) (26 GB)
Outlook: new manager Leonard Purkey perked up the V's last year... getting them up to fourth place in the RU West... good pitching was the reason... Purkey has fairly good starting four in Reynaldo Medrano (19-9/3.44), Lonny Rinehart (19-18/2.99), Cloyd Queen (18-13/3.86) and Philip Duron (12-18/4.05), plus a fine bullpen headed up by superb closer Dan Hunt (3-3/0.88 ERA/24 saves/34 G)... and Purkey may have found another starter in rookie southpaw Gustavo Clemente, who did very well in spring training and earned a spot in the rotation... what Volusia could use is improved offense... there is not one decent hitter on the roster... 2B Teddy Cornelius (.249/8 HR/63 RBI/67 R) and C Carlos Silva (.297/8 HR/43 RBI/55 R) are the most productive bats... nowhere close to what is required to be a successful team and a bonafide pennant contender... however, the mound staff is good enough for a distant third or fourth place finish.

4th: Stoner Stars
Last Year: 6th Place (tied) (76-78) (11 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (81-73) (14 GB)
Outlook: Took Noonan is the new manager in Stoner... he was just a journeyman right-hander for 14 seasons, winding up with a mediocre 119-130 mark, but a respectable 3.95 ERA... Noonan inherited a quality staff, led by Jake Warrick (13-7/2.90), Ivan Kleczko (15-12/3.81), Al Raver (15-18/3.20) and Alberto Temozos (15-12/3.58), but he doesn't have much hitting... his most reliable bats are just humdrum: RF Tyler Stoddard (.286/25 HR/76 RBI/67 R) and C Jean St. Julien (.286/23 HR/69 RBI/72 R)... though Stoddard was the Ruthlandian Golden Bat and Rookie of the Year in '55... the Stars have added 5 rookies to the roster, but none did much in the spring... like 4 or 5 other teams in the RU West, Stoner could wind up anywhere from third to seventh.

5th: Fort Benton Defenders
Last Year: 1st Place (87-67)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (77-77) (18 GB)
Outlook: Defender manager Augie Marquis pooh-poohed the 5th-place ranking by preseason gurus... he thinks his club is improved over last year, when Fort Benton surprisingly copped the RU West pennant, knocking off the defending Pro Cup winner, Middlefield... Marquis cited new rookie starter Joe Ramey, a left-hander... Ramey had an excellent spring and will be his #3 starter... the ace will be the Ruthlandian MVP from last year, Zeke Yoder (20-10/2.74), helped out by Noel Blissard (19-12/4.01) and Gil Hicks (17-16/3.88)... the Fort Benton bats are as strong as ever... Marquis would like to hit more homers, but they won a lot of ballgames last year by just making solid contact and hitting for average... he thinks his Defenders can do it all over again this year... three .300 hitters will lead the way: 1B Mel Lightfoot (.334/17 HR/81 RBI/56 R), RF Charlie Bondy (.319/12 HR/81 RBI/80 R) and CF Kip Drumm (.315/7 HR/65 RBI/95 R)... LF Teddy Keyes (.298/1 HR/48 RBI/83 R) and 3B Eamon Hooper (.284/12 HR/78 RBI/65 R) are reliable, too.

6th: Rocky Rapids Snappers
Last Year: 6th Place (tied) (76-78) (11 GB)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (71-83) (24 GB)
Outlook: Buster Noland is the new man in Rocky Rapids, a family-owned franchise... his father Junior was "promoted" up to the GM position... from 2039 to 2052 Buster had a fine 14-year career with a 214-155 mark and a 3.43 ERA... for almost 2 decades the Snappers were a winning ballclub, but not the last 3 seasons... a decline in pitching was the main culprit... this year's preview gave the staff high marks, but low-rated the offense... the Snappers' rotation is sparked by star hurler Clay Callaghan (17-14/2.45) and aided by Kip Golden (16-13/3.59), Lance Obermueller (16-11/3.88) and Sammy Sterling (13-14/3.52)... closer Yoshi Kojima (3-4/2.58 ERA/19 saves/42 G) is a good one... the Snappers are the worst-hitting team in the RU West by far... they won't be a contender until the offense improves... Noland's has no studs at the plate, just decent ones... 1B Deke Lundy (.297/29 HR/106 R/69 R) is a rock-solid hitter... and RF Joe Clarkson (.289/19 HR/65 RBI/56 R) is a fair one... not much in the lineup beyond them... no newcomers to the club, so Rocky Rapids will not get any influx of talent... Buster Noland could land anywhere from 4th to 7th in his rookie year.

7th: Forest City Firebirds
Last Year: 4th Place (tied) (78-76) (9 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (65-89) (30 GB)
Outlook: last year manager Rich Barstow saw his club climb out of the RU West basement and up into respectability, fourth in the standings... the Firebirds have the second-best offense next to powerhouse Middlefield, but lack pitching... they are forecast to finish 7th this year, but could also be as high as the 4th spot... the Ruthlandian West is a pretty competitive division with 6 or 7 clubs expected to have winning records or near-winning records... Barstow has three fairly good starters with Cale Ballentine (18-10/3.75), Dale Madison (15-15/3.67) and Ben Drummond (11-18/3.66)... he also had a fine closer in Tim Varnado (5-4/2.08 ERA/30 saves/47 G), but it doesn't look like any of the three rookies will contribute much... top hitters are CF Randy Snow (.321/25 HR/98 RBI/72 R) and 1B Ziggy Regan (.293/8 HR/50 RBI/102 R)... LF Buddy Bessent (.258/29 HR/65 RBI/57 R) can go deep... along with RF Dedrick Crone (.288/16 HR/46 RBI/31 R)... RF Louie Langhorne, who played sporatically for the Firebirds from '52 to '56, had a good spring and could be a good addition at age 29... Langhorne might be a late bloomer.

8th: Colfax Blasters
Last Year: 8th Place (70-84) (17 GB)
Two Years Ago: 7th Place (69-85) (26 GB)
Outlook: for the 8th straight year the Blasters had a losing season and it looks like number 9 is on the way... Jorgen Krogstad took over last year and came in last in the RU West, but not by much... his pitching is pathetic, but the offense can score runs... 1B Nicky Yorke (.328/29 HR/100 RBI/82 R) had a career year and is his best hitter... OF Stan Kovalenko (.278/11 HR/47 RBI/101 R) is still a fine lead-off hitter and scores a 100 runs and walks a 100 times each year... at 33 Kovalenko is still a valuable player... other reliable run producers are CF Emile Schwartz (.274/20 HR/75 RBI/63 R), SS Gordy Bidenwald (.275/17 HR/76 RBI/63 R) and 2B Len Downer (.274/10 HR/60 RBI/71 R)... Colfax has only two quality arms with Alan Schmitt (14-7/3.32) and Terry Dubronik (13-15/3.82)... as bad as the starters are, the bullpen is worse... not one good reliever last year... the Blasters have the worst ERA in the RU West... last year it was 4.33... the year before a whopping 4.66.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

CAN FROGS REALLY WIN THE TU NORTH?
Leapin' Lizards!... the downtrodden Fairfax Frogs fans are jumping for joy... the Frogs have been tabbed the frontrunner in the Tycobbian North Division in the preseason poll... do the baseball scribes really expect the hapless Frogs to leap from last place to first place in one giant jump?... Fairfax has been mired in the second division for 11 years in a row and was the unlikely choice in the pennant chase... on paper they are nowhere near the quality of last year's division-winning Oxford Red Caps, forecast to be their toughest competition, along with the Hartsdale Hellcats... three other so-so clubs are slated to battle for the fourth spot in the standings: White River, North Hills and Luxora... none of the latter trio are expected to contend for the division flag, but look superior to Fairfax.

1st: FAIRFAX FROGS
Last Year: 7th Place (tied) (72-82) (16 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (73-81) (9 GB)
Outlook: there is not a lot about the Frogs that will impress you...second-year skipper Ken Hill only has second-rate pitching and just a fair offense... but the 2058 edition of the Fairfax Frogs has impressed the preseason pollsters for some reason, although they look pretty much the same as last year roster-wise... only one rookie made the team... slick-fielding SS Cade Durning, who is a fairly good hitter... he will join with RF Paddy Fenroy (.314/7 HR/63 RBI/96 R/10 SB), CF Wyatt Clausen (.292/11 HR/61 RBI/93 R/16 SB), 1B Lamont Tyler (306/19 HR/70 RBI/48 R) and C Mike Mitchell (.296/9 HR/67 RBI/52 R) to try and inject more offense in the lineup... Norb Eberly (16-12/3.60), Ken Wallington (16-19/3.79) and Clyde Sowers (10-9/3.82) are just fair starters... the bullpen has a pretty good closer in Val Jackson (1-2/1.23 ERA/23 saves/34 G)... time will tell if the Frogs are genuine pennant contenders... the Frogs can hit the ball, but the pitching is spotty.

2nd: Oxford Red Caps
Last Year: 1st Place (88-66)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (78-76) (4 GB)
Outlook: last year the Red Caps hit their way to the pennant with tons of homers... they hit 257 out of the park, the third-best total in IPA history... the pitching was mediocre at best, but it was good enough to win the division crown... and manager Dennis Hartwig thinks the power numbers will be up this year with the addition of rookie slugger Showboat Lynn... the scouts are drooling over Lynn this year... he will join a bevy of bombers like 1B Buddy Blackford (285/41 HR/113 RBI/82 R), 3B Roland Latimer (.253/36 HR/90 RBI/75 R), CF Frankie Beckwith (.303/34 HR/76 RBI/71 R), RF Wade McGrew (.322/31 HR/73 RBI/74 R), OF Dwayne Wagner (.255/21 HR/73 RBI/83 R), SS Roger Bajon (.260/16 HR/62 RBI/80 R) and C Giles Gilliam (.300/12 HR/46 RBI/67 R)... the Red Caps have one outstanding starter in Maury Statler (26-10/2.94), who tied for the most victories in the IPA last season... Hartwig is hoping one of the 5 rookie hurlers will give aid and support to Stadler this year... all of them showed pretty well in spring training... and he's hoping for improvement from last year's starters Meldon Eddington (17-11/4.14), R. C. Russell (11-12/4.71) and Dingo Willmon (9-9/4.26)... one would think that Oxford will be the class of the Tycobbian North Division again this year.

3rd: Hartsdale Hellcats
Last Year: 5th Place (74-80) (14 GB)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (74-80) (8 GB)
Outlook: the last winning year for the Hellcats was '51... new manager Emilian Burgess hopes to change that trend this year... could happen... the Hellcats looked to be better on the hill and and they still are a good-scoring team, too... 4 rookie hurlers have created some optimism with 2 of them, Cris Knighten and Phil Baylor moving into the starting rotation at the 4 and 5 spots... they will team with Christopher Wolfe (14-18/3.46), Chet Salsbury (15-17/3.47) and Bradley Barr (17-17/3.91) in the starting rotation... Hartsdale has a consistent bunch of batters led by SS Walt Ivy (.293/18 HR/61 RBI/98 R/18 SB), LF Leon Croyle (.311/18 HR/68 RBI/86 R/14 SB), 1B Al Wakefield (.275/23 HR/75 RBI/70 R), RF Nathan Ivy (.286/19 HR/76 RBI/58 R/10 SB), 2B Smokey Nix (.283/17 HR/78 RBI/79 R) and C Kenton Carmichael (.240/25 HR/80 RBI/78 R)... just might be the Year of the Hellcats... Burgess has a good ballclub on the rise... Hartsdale should definitely be a pennant contender.

4th: White River Rascals
Last Year: 4th Place (78-76) (10 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (83-72)
Outlook: 7 division flags in the last 10 years looks good, but Marty Blake's Rascals don't have the solid pitching any longer... and none of the 4 rookies made the starting rotation... but one of them, Gerry Gamble, showed well in the spring... White River will depend heavily on starters Greg Zacharie (13-5/2.30), Ringo Lanier (17-9/2.82) and Glen Horton (15-9/2.99)... Blake is in trouble when he has to go to the bullpen, unless the newcomers come through for him... his vet relievers are over-the-hill and just hanging on... the Rascals are stagnant on offense, too... no help at the plate will come from a weak rookie class... but Blake has three solid veterans in the lineup: CF Pudge Tate (.277/31 HR/86 RBI/79 R/8 SB), RF Jake Bohannon (.277/28 HR/95 RBI/65 R/8 SB) and 1B Fred Kraft (.262/26 HR/73 RBI/86 R/4 SB)... White River could wind up anywhere from third to sixth this year.

5th: North Hills Hawks
Last Year: 2nd Place (81-73) (7 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (78-76) (4 GB)
Outlook: manager Dave Michael has his Hawks headed in the right direction... they battled White River two seasons ago for the TU North division crown... and the Hawks harassed pennant-winning Oxford last year... Michael added only 2 new hurlers to his staff, but neither prospered in the spring... no new position players made his roster... North Hills is hoping for improvement in its present staff and lineup... Johnny Kristoff (20-15/3.56) anchors a good staff with help from Juan Cintron (15-15/3.68) and Zip Harben (11-16/3.73)... Michael is expecting big things from young Eddy Salem (4-0/2.50), who joined the Hawks late last year and made 5 fine starts and won 4 of them... the Hawks also have an excellent closer in Bobby Antonio (7-3/1.54 ERA/19 saves/44 G)... North Hills' problem is a total lack of power and run scoring... you know you are in for a long season, when your most productive batters are 1B Victor Bates (.316/7 HR/54 RBI/64 R), 2B Sam Dunstone (.307/2 HR/54 RBI/74 R), SS Pat Johnston (.268/1 HR/70 RBI/76 R) and C Jarred Creel (.285/13 HR/65 RBI/52 R... the Hawks' pitching just might keep them in the first division of the Tycobbian North... the lack of offense could also see them fall down as low as fifth or sixth.

6th: Luxora Zorros
Last Year: 3rd Place (80-74) (8 GB)
Two Years Ago: 7th Place (69-85) (13 GB)
Outlook: manager Kent Halloran and his Zs did well last year and didn't make many roster changes... adding only 2 rookie pitchers... Halloran is pleased with his present players... his offense is fairly good with some punch in the lineup... his top producers are LF Marvin Harrelson (.283/28 HR/86 RBI/74 R/6 SB), 1B Wade Tibbs (.279/22 HR/84 RBI/76 R), C Francisco Queiro (.289/20 HR/85 RBI/71 R), CF Odis Easter (.237/20 HR/64 RBI/80 R/8 SB) and 2B Ryo Nijo (.278/19 HR/59 RBI/72 R/4 SB)... his main starters are Mack McKitrick (18-11/3.66), Paolo De Freitas (17-17/3.53), Jimmy Hollis (16-15/3.92) and Juliano Machado (14-13/4.21)... but the bullpen is weak... closer Bartolo Baptista (7-7/3.69 ERA/25 saves/46 G) is inconsistent... you would think Luxora still can hang with everybody except Oxford and Hartsdale... the Zorros could wind up as high as third place this year... they don't look like a second-division club.

7th: Blue Lake Blue Sox
Last Year: 8th Place (72-82) (16 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (59-95) (23 GB)
Outlook: Juan Luis Barcelona took over the helm of the Blue Sox last year and turned them around... Blue Lake was much improved... but they did not get out of the Tycobbian North cellar... the Blue Sox are just pathetic at the plate, but decent on the hill... they only hit .241 last year with no power to speak of... CF Steve Schueler (.333/5 HR/52 RBI/93 R/16 SB) is a good ballplayer, but lacks power... same thing for 3B Billy Blue (.303/14 HR/56 RBI/78 R)... they are the best Barcelona has with no help on the horizon... only one rookie made the team this year... Alvin Dover is great with the glove and the arm, but zilch with the bat... Weldon Nettleton (14-18/3.15) is the ace of the Blue Sox staff, with some help from Dirk Sinclair (18-15/3.99) and Dookie Denham (19-12/4.16)... overall the bullpen is just mediocre, but closer Bert Calvin (2-0/2.31 ERA/5 saves/35 G) showed some potential last year in his fourth season with the club... it's hard to see Blue Lake getting out of the TU North basement this year.

8th: Mahaska Haymakers
Last Year: 6th Place (73-81) (15 GB)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (75-79) (7 GB)
Outlook: Gold Glove star shortstop Rocco Bertara took over the Haymakers this season... he retired in '54 after 20 seasons... don't expect much from him, he doesn't have much talent... and only 4 rookie pitchers were added to the roster... none of them did well in the spring... last place may be a forgone conclusion for Mahaska again this year... Marty Mobley (14-21/3.35) is the most reliable starter with a little help from the rest of the staff: Kerstan Koening (11-11/3.86) and Pip Cordice (15-14/4.08)... to try to improve the club Bertara is giving rookie Vladimir Belsky the fourth spot in the rotation... while closer Cubby Darville (2-6/3.14 ERA/29 saves/49 G) occasionally shows flashes of brilliance in the bullpen, the rest of the pen is questionable.... not much in the batting order either... Mahaska's offense is mediocre... Bertara has several solid hitters with 2B Elvis Gifford (.295/12 HR/82 RBI/86 R/11 SB), RF Dub Forester (.280/14 HR/70 RBI/85 R/6 SB) and 1B Timothy Honor (.267/25 HR/76 RBI/87 R/7 SB, but no standout sticks.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

SUN SOX TO SHINE BRIGHTLY IN TU SOUTH
The Turon Typhoons might have won 6 of the last 7 pennants in the Tycobbian South Division and ran away with it by 16 games last season, but they didn't get the favorite's role this year in the preseason polling... that went to the pitching-strong Southport Sun Sox... Turon is forecast to slip below the .500 mark and wind up in fourth place in the standings... Cape Coral and Ginza were ranked higher in second and third place.

1st: SOUTHPORT SUN SOX
Last Year: 3rd Place (76-78) (17 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (80-74) (16 GB)
Outlook: Lorne Evans, the Sun Sox skipper, apparently has improved his club's offense and its pitching, too... he has added two 22-year-old rookies to his starting rotation and both did well in spring training... lefty Jeff Moncriffe and righty Jake Shank will join two talented veterans, Champ Shafer (19-15/2.89) and Jordy Wales (15-19/3.06) in the starting four... Evans thinks this year's Sun Sox may rival his 2055 division champion that piled up 99 wins... Southport still has its superb closer, Troy Hill, still going strong in the relief corps at age 35... the bats are fairly good with Bobby Lee Coats (.337/9 HR/46 RBI/67 R/8 SB), 1B Zee Graham (.294/24 HR/83 RBI/56 R) and SS Kenny Urban (.293/12 HR/68 RBI/73 R)... Southport has racked up 8 pennants in the last two decades... if the crystal-balling baseball prognosticators are correct, the Sun Sox could be hoisting another one over Pleasure Beach Park soon.

2nd: Cape Coral Hurricanes
Last Year: 2nd Place (77-77) (16 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (67-87) (29 GB)
Outlook: if manager William Snyder could get his pitching better, his 'Canes would be a bonafide contender in the Tycobbian South... so he signed 4 rookie hurlers this year, only one of them will start, but it may have improved his bullpen... Snyder already has a fine closer in Manny Rosetti (3-2/1.85 ERA/23 saves/42 G)... his ace on the mound is Edgardo Arriaza (19-12/3.30)... his #2 Jerrod Kipling (16-19/3.81) is pretty fair, too... hopefully #3 Frisco Francis (10-19/4.71) and #4 Davis Tyrrell (18-14/4.75) will cut down on the homers this season... #5 is a rookie Rod Mason... Cape Coral already has the best offense in the division with the likes of 3B Jaybird Ethridge (.274/29 HR/101 RBI/87 R), 1B Kalian Coston (.287/25 HR/93 RBI/94 R/8 SB) and LF Marvin Cordice (.297/17 HR/69 RBI/94 R/23 SB).

3rd: Ginza Ninjas
Last Year: 5th Place (tied) (66-88) (27 GB)
Two Years Ago: 7th Place (64-90) (32 GB)
Outlook: it's been 6 years since Ginza had a winning season ('51)... new rookie manager Sogo Takagi sees good progress on the mound with the addition of rookies Mikio Nosaka (#2 starter) and Shintaro Matsushina (bullpen)... both did well in spring training... Nosaka will join ace Kurt Brophy (18-10/3.20) in the starting rotation... three others Fran Kercheval (12-17/4.53), Yoshiro Makihara (12-17/4.55) and Franco Funicello (8-16/4.79) need drastic improvement to challenge in the pennant race... also the Ninjas don't put a lot of runs on the scoreboard... star SS and Gold Glover Kuzuki Tamura (.292/17 HR/56 RBI/92 R/10 SB) is his best by far... while RF Chris Pfeiffer (.252/21 HR/69 RBI/73 R/13 SB) is just a modest longball threat... rookie 2B Kai Toritani had a good spring and could work his way into the lineup... Takagi is hoping 1B Brendan Duffield (.276/14 HR/59 RBI/54 R/8 SB) and LF Otto Beckford (.253/15 HR/59 RBI/55 R/6 SB) will step it up to the next level after fairly good seasons last year... Ginza has a lot of question marks and ifs... the Ninjas just might sneak into the TU South first division this year.

4th: Turon Typhoons
Last Year: 1st Place (93-61)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (95-58)
Outlook: it's hard to see Turon falling to 4th place this year... they totally dominated the TU South last season... and the Typhoons are not getting old and long in the teeth... and they still have a fine starting rotation with Yancey Hedges (21-10/3.15), Dickie Parmenter (18-7/2.12), Ivar Jevicks (13-8/2.69) and Ollie Dickenson (15-13/3.38)... plus manager C. C. Kingsford has improved his bullpen a little bit with 3 rookies, who proved themselves capable in the spring... however, there are no newcomers in the regular position lineup... the Typhoons could still use an infusion of offense in their batting order... they will again depend on RF Matthew Fears (.276/19 HR/82 RBI/60 R), 1B Shoyo Yuro (.264/18 HR/79 RBI/71 R), LF Andy Wilkerson (.291/18 HR/52 RBI/62 R/5 SB), 2B Bo Kaline (.298/3 HR/43 RBI/65 R/11 SB) and CF Tank Shepperton (.293/7 HR/46 RBI/78 R/24 SB)... I wouldn't be surprised to see Turon win their third straight division flag... Kingsford still has a solid ballclub.

5th: Arroyo Grande Suns
Last Year: 5th Place (tied) (66-88) (27 GB)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (84-70) (12 GB)
Outlook: after fine third and second-place seasons in '55 and '56, manager Eduardo Villanueva saw his pitching go into the pits in '57 and the Suns sank way down to 6th place in the TU South standings... Roy Tuthill (8-27/5.43) and Rocky Steed (14-19/5.05) had terrible years... Tuthill was 19-15 (2.94) and 20-15 (3.15 ERA) in the good seasons... Steed was 14-10 (4.28 ERA) and 15-17 (4.06 ERA)... Villanueva still has star ace Beau McCloud (16-19/3.20), but even he dropped from 20-11 (2.55 ERA) and 25-12 (2.94 ERA) the previous two years... #2 starter Nap Vickerson (19-18/3.28 ERA) also dipped a little bit from 18-13 (3.57 ERA) and 19-14 (3.15 ERA) in '55 and '56... Arroyo Grande signed Diego Avalos just prior to the start of the regular season... his credentials are good enough to merit the #3 spot in the rotation... the Suns' season hinges on the mound staff... they depend on good pitching and home runs... the club doesn't hit much for average but can score runs... LF Chris Hardcastle (.221/31 HR/80 RBI/68 R/6 SB) and CF Rueben Jones (.250/25 HR/48 RBI/53 R/3 SB) are the top run producers... Villanueva has improved his infield with the addition of rookie SS Dick Barney... he's a very good defender and had a good spring, showing some pop in his bat... don't be surprised if Arroyo Grande gets better pitching and gets back among the top 3 or 4 teams in the Tycobbian South again.

6th: Summerland Sunsets
Last Year: 4th Place (72-82) (21 GB)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (78-76) (18 GB)
Outlook: Summerland's pitching may be on the decline... IPA great Jayson Hallstrom retired at the end of spring training, saying his time has come... the 41-year-old Hallstrom pitched 21 years and ranked 6th overall in victories in the IPA with a 368-274 mark and and a superb 2.65 lifetime ERA... Hallstrom was 8-10 (3.38 ERA) in his final season... that's why Antonio Vasques' Sunsets have been dropped to the 6th spot in the TU South standings in the preseason polls... Summerland always depends on its mound corps for success... the team is notorious for its lousy offense due to its big ballpark Sunset Stadium... on the hill this year Vasques will go with Rudy Hilgendorf (9-12/2.88), Tommy Underhill (15-14/3.05), Jared Drobish (5-6/3.11), Marty Westhuizen (8-7/3.49) and Jacob Vandenboom (10-17/3.72)... the bullpen is paced by reliable Rory Poe (5-8/2.61 ERA/20 saves/46 G)... two rookies Billy Braithwaite and Mick Marlow also worked in relief... Braithwaite looked especially good... not a lot to say about the Sunset hitters... the best of the lot is LF Cy Brigman (.259/18 HR/57 RBI/61 R), SS Jayson Nickell (.263/8 HR/60 RBI/64 R/9 SB), CF Gerrit Peerenboom (.268/8 HR/59 RBI/66 R/15 SB) and 1B Reg Leyden (.282/16 HR/48 RBI/41 R)... Summerland sure does look like a second-division team this year.

7th: San Alejo Montaneros
Last Year: 8th Place (63-91) (30 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (62-92) (34 GB)
Outlook: for two decades (2032-2053) San Alejo was a solid first-division team in the TU South, winning 6 pennants, one Pro Cup (2032) and regularly in pennant contention... most of the time winning 80 or 90 games a season... sometimes as many as 94, 96 or 100 games... those were the golden days of the dynamic pitching duo, Matt Bell and Will McKinney, along with the new skipper, Paolo Teixeira, a hard-hitting outfielder... but now hard times have set in... in the last four years the Montaneros finished 6th, 6th, 8th and 8th... this season the Monties have a new manager, Paolo Teixeira... and the future is as bleak as it can be... the cupboard is bare in San Alejo... just a few decent starters... bad bullpen... and 3 fair bats... that's it... Teixeira has added 5 rookies in hopes of rebuilding the ballclub... in the spring 3B Benito Clemente earned a spot in the batting order with a good glove and good contact... and Moises Chavallos and Terry Starr showed well in the bullpen in training camp... but San Alejo will need more than that to rise up in the standings... not likely this year... Teixeira has a couple of quality starters in Elmer Cane (11-15/3.27) and Adrian Acosta (19-17/3.92)... a third one may be better than his record shows... Tonico Ribiero (7-19/3.62) has good stuff and a good command... he has good potential... the Montaneros are weak at bat... LF Wilfredo Peralta (.300/28 HR/74 RBI/81 R/7 SB) is a solid ballplayer and played very well as a rookie... at age 36, 1B Alanzo Grassi (.300/25 HR/64 RBI/53 R) still swings a good bat, but his days are probably numbered... two others are so-so: 2B Roman Redondo (.261/22 HR/76 RBI/68 R) and C Afonso Marques (.254/15 HR/57 RBI/55 R)... not much after these four.

8th: Colchester Elites
Last Year: 7th Place (65-89) (28 GB)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (67-87) (29 GB)
Outlook: the Elites also have a new skipper, Dave Lacoste... he spent 18 years with Colchester as a good journeyman pitcher, finishing with a 217-258 mark and a good 3.50 ERA for a bad team... it's his job to turn the Elites around... 19 times in the last 20 years they have posted a losing record... only once in that period did they make the TU South first division... that was in '51 when they came in fourth with an 81-73 record... Colchester has fairly good power, led by 1B Erroll Waldrep (.302/35 HR/79 RBI/80 R) and RF Graig Sutton (.240/27 HR/69 RBI/66 R)... CF Eldon McLennan (.302/7 HR/41 RBI/79 R/17 SB) is also a good contact hitter, but doesn't have a lot of power... not a lot after them in the lineup... rookie CF Dan Humes may give them a lift at the plate... has a little bit of power... on the hill the Elites are not so good... could be the worst staff in the IPA this year... the best of the lot is Bunky McCracken (16-17/3.66) and Denzel Durand (14-20/4.00)... Lacoste has added two rookies Bryan Allen and Frank Hawkins to the starting rotation... they impressed him in the springtime.