ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, May 1, 2059

RED CAPS QUICK OUT OF THE GATE IN TU NORTH
The Oxford Red Caps (16-7), the prohibitive favorite to capture the Tycobbian North this year, have rocketed to the top of division and have the best record in the Islandian Pro Alliance for the opening month of April... they are being chased by runner-up Hartsdale (15-9), third place Blue Lake (14-9) and last year's champion Arlon (12-11), tied with White River (12-11) for fourth place in the standings... trailing behind in the 6th spot are the North Hills Hawks (10-13), 7th-place Fairfax (9-14) and last place Mahaska (5-18).

Oxford has won the Tycobbian North 3 times in the last 7 years... the most recent pennant came in '57... and the Red Caps are already rolling toward another division title with a great first month of the new season, tied with Elnora of the RU East for the top mark in the IPA (16-7)... this year the club has stepped its pitching staff up to another level... the team ERA is 3.20 (5th)... this is the best ERA in the team's history... coupled with its fine batting attack, Oxford looks hard-to-beat this season... the top starters are Meldon Eddington (4-0/2.48), Wiley Beckford (4-0/1.88), Dingo Willmon (4-0/4.02), R. C. Russell (1-2/2.08) and ace Maury Statler (1-3/4.41), who had a tough April... the high-powered attack hasn't gotten going yet, but it still put up a lot of runs... the Red Caps scored 113 runs (6th), batted .259 (14th) and rapped 23 out of the park (12th) in a slow month... budding star LF Showboat Lynn (.329/6 HR/17 RBI/19 R/1 SB) led the offense with help from superstar 1B Buddy Blackford (.300/2 HR/16 RBI/9 R) and SS Roger Bajon (.292/1 HR/11 RBI/11 R)... Blackford was honored last year with the TU Golden Bat and Most Valuable Player Award... together Blackford and rookie Lynn totaled 93 homers... this could a Pro Cup year in the making... that's how good Oxford is.

Last year the Hartsdale Hellcats wound up fifth in the standings (77-77)... the Hellcats have been stuck there for 5 consecutive seasons... the last pennants came in back-to-back years 2046 and 2047... Hartsdale won the Pro Cup in '46... the mound staff has been truly amazing so far this season with a microscopically low 2.40 ERA (1st)... the bullpen is even better at 2.14 (4th)... offensively the club has been a little less than average with a .252 BA (20th), 93 runs (21st-tied) and 19 homers (20th-tied)... so far, so good... the second place Hellcats (15-9) are clinging close to first place Oxford, just a game behind them... if they continue to pitch anywhere near this good, they will seriously challenge the Red Caps for the TU North title... the pitching has been superb with starters Lew Clydesdale (5-0/1.80), Christopher Wolfe (3-1/1.14), Tommy Johnson (3-0/3.44), Cris Knighten (1-1/2.16) and Bradley Barr (1-1/1.06)... veteran closer Roy Krieger (0-1/3.06 ERA/9 saves/12 G) heads up a solid bullpen... the offense has been adequate, paced by 1B Al Wakefield (.322/6 HR/19 RBI/17 R), who is enjoying his best season ever... so is SS Walt Ivy (.330/3 HR/11 RBI/16 R/1 SB)... 2B Smokey Nix (.286/1 HR/7 RBI/12 R) and and backup OF Nathan Ivy (.400/2 HR/10 RBI/8) have been productive bats, too... maybe this year Hartsdale is first division bound... or better.

It's been 10 years since the Blue Lake Blue Sox won more games than they lost... for the previous 3 seasons they have been mired in 8th place... sadly, the last playoff appearance was in 2030... boy, the Blue Lake fans need a good season... could this be it?... it's a dream month for them... the team is hitting like crazy with a .290 BA (1st), scoring well with 103 runs (10th) and cracking a few homers (16 HR/26th-tied)... and would you believe the team ERA is a marvelous 2.85 (2nd) with the #1 bullpen (1.27 ERA)?... would you believer Blue Lake (14-9) is in third place, just 2 games out of first?... leading the starting rotation are Weldon Eddington (2-1/1.49), Bobby Layne (2-0/1.05), Eddie Lucas (2-2/3.83) and Jeff Galvan (1-2/2.14)... after losing 2 starts, Dookie Denham (4-2/4.02 ERA/1 save/9 G) switched to closer and has excelled with 4 victories and a save... the Blue Sox batters are led by C Daryl Monaghan (.338/2 HR/12 RBI/15 R/1 SB), CF Steve Schueler (.380/0 HR/7 RBI/13 R/2 SB), 1B Billy Blue (.344/2 HR/11 RBI/11 R) and 2B John Gilbert (.279/0 HR/11 RBI/8 R)... maybe the Blue Sox will rid themselves of the blues in 2059.

Two contenders, Luxora (12-11) and White River (12-11), are currently deadlocked in 4th place in the TU North standings, 4 games off the pace of Oxford... Luxora won the division last season and lost in the Pro Cup Finals to champion Crystal Lake in 5 games... the Zorros' slow start is caused by lousy hitting... 40 points lower than last year... the Z's are batting only .223 (32nd), but have scored 93 runs (21st-tied), mainly because of 22 home runs (13th-tied)... the mound corps has been fine with a 3.60 ERA (8th)... nobody is hitting well for average except for RF Omar Solis (.338/3 HR/8 RBI/8 R)... the top power guy is C Francisco Queiro (.279/5 HR/16 RBI/10 R)... and LF Marvin Harrelson (.247/3 HR/12 RBI/16 R/2 SB) has been productive, too... 1B Wayne Tibbs (.259/2 HR/14 RBI/11 R) batted .323 last year with 28 home runs, but has started slowly this year... 2B Ryo Nijo (.188/3 HR/8 RBI/5 R) and SS Felipe Alvares (.156/1 HR/4 RBI/7 R) have both been terrible so far this season... in '58 Nijo hit .280 with 18 roundtrippers and Alvares batted .303 with 10 home runs... on the positive side of the ledger Luxora pitching has held up, led by Mack McKitrick (4-1/2.30), Wallace MacPherson (2-3/2.79), Paolo De Freitas (1-1/2.96) and Juliano Machado (2-3/4.29)... the bullpen has been fine with Bartolo Baptista (0-0/3.21 ERA/6 saves/11 G) in the closer role... the Zorros should be fine once the offense perks up... Luxora could be in the hunt this year again... the Z's will not go away without a fight.

5th in the Tycobbian North standings are the White River Rascals (12-11)... they were a potent force in the division with 7 flags in 9 years (2048-2056), but not lately... last season the Rascals suffered their first losing season in 12 years, falling to 7th place... both pitching (3.93 ERA) and hitting (.240 BA) declined... the mound staff has improved (3.67 ERA/10th), but the run-scoring is pitiful, ranking dead last in the TU with only 78 runs (32nd), a .257 BA (17th) and 17 home-run swats (25th)... ace Greg Zacharie (3-1/1.83) is off to a very impressive start, aided by rookie Dink Scully (2-3/3.19) and vet Bobby Ralston (2-2/3.26)... veteran star CF Pudge Tate (.229/5 HR/19 RBI/10 R) has been the main RBI guy... the only other two modest contributors are RF Jed Small (.296/5 HR/10 RBI/13 R) and 2B Mark Gates (.301/2 HR/9 RBI/6 R)... it will be tough for White River to contend this year... with zero offense.

For the past 6 seasons North Hills (10-13) has been in pennant contention with first-division finishes... last year the Hawks were 4th, but just 3 games out of first... but this season the pitching has been woeful with a 4.48 ERA (26th) and the club has slipped to the 6th spot in the TU North... the offense is still productive with a .266 BA (12th) and 102 runs (11th-tied)... however, they lack the longball with just 11 HR (30th-tied)... the top bats are 1B Victor Bates (.367/2 HR/15 RBI/16 R) and star 2B Sam Dunstone (.346/1 HR/9 RBI/14 R), LF Clifton Mahaffey (.308/1 HR/8 RBI/11 R) and CF Nicky Pappas (.302/2 HR/13 RBI/7 R/1 SB)... the only good starter has been Denver Blissard (2-0/2.66)... 22-game winner and ace Eddy Salem (2-4/4.50) has struggled thus far in 6 starts... so has #2 Zip Harben (1-0/6.60)... Harben was 15-14 last year... no much in the bullpen, either... North Hills could get back in the hunt, if Salem and Harben get themselves straightened out... they will be the keys to contention.

Last year's cinderella club, Fairfax, came out of nowhere and almost snatched the division crown, losing out by just one single game to Luxora... it was a marvelous year for the Frogs (88-66)... solid hitting and solid pitching... alas, but not so this year, dearly beloved Fairfax fans... lo and behold the hurlers have gone to Hades with a 4.36 ERA (23rd) and Fairfax has slumped to 7th place (9-14) at the end of April... rookie 22-game winner Ronnie Custer (0-3/5.40) and 14-game winner Clyde Sowers (0-3/4.91) haven't won a game yet... and the IPA leader with 38 saves, Val Jackson (2-0/4.29 ERA/3 saves/13 G), has seen his ERA skyrocket... but give the Frogs some time to get revitalized... they will still probably make a racket in the TU North pennant chase... the offense is still there with LF Paddy Fenroy (.348/1 HR/9 RBI/14 R/3 SB), RF Rory Sutcliffe (.370/3 HR/15 RBI/13 R/1 SB), CF Wayne Clausen (.289/0 HR/12 RBI/13 R/2 SB) and 1B Skeeter Butler (.243/4 HR/17 RBI/9 R)... and this list doesn't include two of the best hitters: LF Ron Travis (12 G/.119/1 HR/3 RBI/3 R) and 2B Kirk Waner (21 G/.207/1 HR/3 RBI/5 RBI/2 SB), who are both in the throes of bad slumps this season... Travis (.330 BA) and Waner (.298 BA) each hit 23 out of park last year.

Last place in the Tycobbian North belongs to Mahaska (5-18)... the Haymakers have the worst record in the IPA this year... it's been 6 seasons since they posted a winning mark (85-70)... they lost a single-game playoff to Oxford in '52... you have to go back 3 decades for the last pennant (2028)... the Mahaska mound staff has a ghastly 5.81 ERA (32nd) and the offense is not a whole lot better with a .253 BA (19th), 89 runs (27th) and 25 homers (9th)... quality starters Pip Cordice (0-1/5.20) and Marty Mobley (1-3/5.88) have been blistered badly so far in the early going... Cordice won 19 games last year, while Mobley chalked up 21 victories... looks like another second-division finish and losing season for the Haymakers in '59.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, May 1, 2059

CHAOS IN UPSIDE-DOWN TU SOUTH
Mighty strange things are going on in the Tycobbian South Division... preseason favorite and defending champion Southport (7-16) is on the bottom of the standings, while not one, but two usurpers are on top of the standings... perennial duds, Arroyo Grande (14-9) and Ginza (14-9), have taken over the top spot... it's been 35 years since the Suns won the pennant and 28 years since the Ninjas graced the playoffs... and nobody picked them to even make the first division this season... surprisingly after one month of play they are the co-leaders in the TU South, one game up on two legitimate contenders, Turon (13-10) and Cape Coral (13-10)... even lowly Summerland (12-11) has gotten in on the chaos... they are a very close 5th place, only 2 games out of first... the Sunsets were cellar-dwellers last year... lightly-regarded Colchester (10-13) and San Alejo (9-14) are 6th and 7th respectively... at least, the Elites and Montaneros know their place... and good golly, miss molly, the Southport Sun Sox (7-16) are in the basement... who would have thunk it?... sounds like "fake news" to me!

And now in the spirit of true sports journalism, here is what transpired in April down in the TU South... Arroyo Grande hit a lot of homers and got pretty good pitching... the Suns only batted .250 (23rd), but with the help of 34 longballs (2nd), they scored 118 runs (4th)... and on the hill they put up a 3.90 team ERA (16th)... the big bats belonged to C Sammy Workman (.281/9 HR/20 RBI/13 R), 1B Russell Taylor (.305/6 HR/16 RBI/17 R/1 SB), CF Rueben Jones (.222/7 HR/15 RBI/14 R/2 SB) and RF Gaston Robin (.241/1 HR/13 RBI/15 R/1 SB)... two Suns' starters really shined in April: Rocky Steed (3-0/1.85) and Diego Avalos (4-0/2.77)... Beau McCloud (1-2/2.40) also pitched well... Arroyo Grande needs help in the bullpen with its 4.60 ERA (28th)... to hang in the race, they also need decent starters in the #4 and #5 slots.

It was a good, solid month of play for the Ginja Ninjas (14-9)... they batted .281 (4th), scored 101 runs (14th) and tagged 20 out of the park (18th-tied)... on the hill the Ninja staff was pretty good with a 3.86 team ERA (14th)... at 33 star 2B Kuzuki Tamura (.322/2 HR/10 RBI/14 R/3 SB) deserves to win a pennant... he's seen only one good run for the pennant in his 12 years with the club... that was back in '51, but they came in 3rd, 3.5 games behind... C Gerry Glidden (.410/7 HR/16 RBI/9) has been super productive in just 12 games... the Ninjas have 4 other .300 batters: LF Jamie Fellows (.315/0 HR/4 RBI/14 R/2 SB), SS Kideki Nakano (.306/3 HR/13 RBI/12 R), 3B Vic Carnaggio (.309/1 HR/11 RBI/8 R) and CF Tamotsu Saikawa (.305/2 HR/9 RBI/9 R)... Ginza has the offense to challenge for the pennant... it's the pitchers that will make or break them... standouts so far have been Kenny Cabot (4-1/1.76) and Kurt Brophy (3-0/2.97)... but that's not enough... they need some help... the bullpen is stable with veteran closer Adam Worth (3-1/2.35 ERA/2 saves/10 G)... Ginza may be for real if they can find two more reliable starters... that's a tall order to fill... but the Ninjas do have a chance to be a winning club this season and put an end to their 7-year losing streak.

The Turon Typhoons (13-10) have won 5 of the last 7 division titles in the TU South and they will certainly be in the pennant mix this season... the Typhoons hit well with a .282 BA (3rd), score well with 102 runs (11th-tied), but could use a little more power... only have 15 homers (27th-tied)... on the hill Turon has a good group of 5 starters... no great ones, but some reliable, quality arms... the rotation consists of Neil Riley (3-2/2.18), Yancey Hedges (2-2/3.76), Ivar Jevicks (0-0/3.46), Judson Bacall (1-0/4.20) and Larry Lynch (2-2/4.70)... a couple of steady veteran relievers head up a good bullpen: Bobby Reimer (3-2/2.63 ERA/2 saves/12 G) and Dickie Parmenter (0-0/0.00/0 saves/1 G)... at the plate the lineup is full of quality batters, led by 2B Bo Kaline (.337/0 HR/11 RBI/15 R/3 SB), LF Tank Shepperton (.312/2 HR/12 RBI/12 R/3 SB), RF Matthew Fears (.328/3 HR/11 RBI/10 R), SS Bill Wolverton (.349/1 HR/7 RBI/8 R/2 SB), 3B Joel Guidry (.278/4 HR/13 RBI/10 R) and C Louie Hartsock (.290/0 HR/7 RBI/7 R)... the Typhoons are the real deal and just might be the best team in the TU South this year.

Wouldn't be nice if good starters grew on trees and all you had to do was go pluck one when you got hungry for hurlers?... nope, it don't work that way... what you do is pluck one from the draft and wish, hope and pray that they will be a good one... this season Cape Coral is wishin' and hopin' and prayin' for some pitching... the Hurricanes hit the heck out of the ball, but they can't keep the opposition from doing the same thing... the 'Canes are hitting a whopping .285 (2nd), scoring a heck of a lot of runs with 123 (3rd) and go deep well with 24 home-run blasts (10th-tied)... but the mound staff is just borderline average with a 4.22 team ERA (19th)... they have two respectable starters in Frisco Francis 95-1/3.68) and Dale Johns (1-2/3.21)... the rest of the rotation are not even run-of-the-mill... the bullpen is OK with closer Manny Rosetti (2-2/2.66 ERA/3 saves/13 G)... he has been great his first two seasons with 53 saves, but Rosetti has slipped a tad in the early going this year... wow!... it must be a joy to make out the lineup card for the Hurricanes... take a gander at these guys: RF Gil Burnette (.373/2 HR/16 RBI/13 R/2 SB), LF Marvin Cordice (.344/2 HR/13 RBI/18 R/4 SB), CF Randy Previn (.294/2 HR/16 RBI/8 R/1 SB), plus three sluggers, superstar 3B Jaybird Ethridge (.241/6 HR/17 RBI/16 R), star 1B Kalian Coston (.268/5 HR/16 RBI/15 R) and OF Lucius Clippard (.429/4 HR/10 RBI/7 R/1 SB)... that kind of hitting will keep Cape Coral in the race the whole year... Crystal Lake won the whole shebang in the IPA last year with a dynamite attack and fair pitching... it could happen again.

It's been a while since Summerland (12-11) topped the TU South... '46 was the last pennant for the Sunsets... doubt seriously if they will get one this year... absolutely no offense, but like they do most all the time, 5th place Summerland has good pitching... the team ERA is 3.40 (6th), but the team BA is .250 (22nd)... and to make it even worse, just 10 homers (32nd)... Sunset Stadium is a huge ballpark... great for pitching, but not for homers... but somehow the Sunsets are average at putting runs on the scoreboard with 93 (21st)... the team has a solid rotation with 4 good starters in Corey Vinson (3-1/1.35), Dave Browning (2-2/2.75), Tommy Underhill (2-1/3.15), Tex Dalford (2-1/3.21) and could really use a reliable #5... Summerland is sparked at the plate by rookie phenom RF Johnny Pendergrass (.425/5 HR/13 RBI/15 R/5 SB), who has taken the IPA by storm with a .425 BA... he is literally carrying the club all by himself... but he does get a little help from 3B Markus Cruyssen (.200/0 HR/10 RBI/13 R/1 SB) and SS Jayson Nickell (.228/2 HR/13 RBI/8 R/2 SB)... C Jojo McWhirter (.333/0 HR/6 RBI/6 R) helps out a little, too... 5th place may be the highest the Sunsets can reach with its solid pitching and pathetic offense... the four clubs ahead of them can stick it well.

Only 3 times in the last 16 seasons have the hapless Colchester Elites (10-13) had a winning record... it's been over 2 decades since the last pennant (2036)... don't count on them winning one this year... Colchester is running 6th in the standings at the end of the first month of play... they were 7th last year, but may be a little better this year... the Elites wield the bats well with a .270 BA (9th)... are average in scoring with 100 runs (15th) and they can go deep with 26 HR (7th-tied)... it's the pitching that holds them team back... it's mediocre at best with a 4.19 ERA (18th)... the bullpen is especially bad with a 4.78 ERA (29th)... right now, the current rotation is looking pretty good with Bucky Trueblood (2-0/1.88), Warner Washam (3-2/2.65), Bryan Allen (2-1/3.25) and Bunky McCracken (3-3/3.86)... adding a quality #5 starter is what Colchester needs to climb up in the TU South race... RF Graig Sutton (.291/7 HR/19 RBI/13 R), CF Paddy Terry (.287/7 HR/17 RBI/18 R) and 1B Erroll Waldrep (.289/6 HR/15 RBI/12 R) are the offensive mainstays.

The San Alejo Montaneros (9-14) are in 7th place and going nowhere... it looks like the Monties will ring up their 6th straight losing record... they won the TU South in '49 and '51, but it's been all downhill since... this year's club has decent pitching with a 3.87 ERA (15th), but not much offense... the Montaneros are batting only .239 (29th), scored only 84 runs (29th), but have walloped 21 homers (15th-tied)... the only decent hitter is C Afonso Marques (.328/2 HR/11 RBI/8 R/1 SB)... the most productive bats are Dontrelle Bradbury (.256/2 HR/14 RBI/12 R) and 2B Roman Redondo (.238/6 HR/14 RBI/12 R)... the only productive pitcher is starter Joca Qartez (4-1/2.59)... no one else is having much success... closer Marcelo Cervantes (0-0/2.53 ERA/4 saves/7 G) heads up a good bullpen (2.29 ERA/5th)... not a lot of talent in San Alejo.

It's bewildering and stunning what has happened in Southport... the Sun Sox (7-16) ran away with the division last year (95-59) and they were picked to repeat by the baseball media this year... instead they have played terribly and have sunk all the way to the very bottom of the TU South, going from the penthouse to the outhouse... the Sox are amazingly bad... the pitching staff stinks with a 5.47 ERA (31st)... last year it was a solid 3.26 ERA... the offense has slipped, too... they are hitting only .242 (27th) with 93 runs (21st) and 19 roundtrippers (20th)... Southport hit .271 last season... look how bad the starting rotation is: Jordy Wales (1-3/4.36), Percy McGuinness (0-3/4.43), Jake Shank (2-2/6.11), Irv Carwell (0-2/7.31) and Brett Egan (0-2/8.22)... Wales was 23-10 last year... other stalwarts last season were Champ Shafer (19-12) and Jeff Moncriffe (17-15)... they have been exiled to the bullpen this year... Shafer is 0-1 in 2 starts with a lofty 5.79 ERA... Moncriffe is 1-2 in 4 starts with a crummy 8.79 ERA... nothing like this has ever happened in the history of the Islandian Pro Alliance... we'll just have to see if it's just a freak happening or is it for real... common sense says the Sun Sox are not this bad and they have the talent to get back into the pennant race... come September, we'll know.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, May 1, 2059

TU EAST RIVALS, RED SOX, WOLVES, AT IT AGAIN
Two bitter rivals are waging all-out war again in the Tycobbian East... Red Bluff and Midway are at it battling for the top spot... heading into May, the Red Sox (15-8) have a scant one-game edge on the Wolves (14-9) with Ozarka, South Fork, East Point and High Mesa on their heels... the Naturals (13-10) are tied with the Stallions (13-10) for third place in the standings, while the Panthers (12-11) and the Mustangs (12-11) are just 3 games back in the 5th spot... 7th place Tuckanarra is only 4 games off the pace... and in the TU East basement, it's the Hillsboro Blazers (8-15), trailing by 7 games.

Two years ago Pro Cup champion Red Bluff spoiled Midway's hopes for a 5th consecutive division flag... while last year the Wolves knocked off the Red Sox and ended their Pro Cup reign... normally Red Bluff hits their way to the pennant, but this year it's hurlers and homers... the Red Sox have chalked up an impressive 2.86 team ERA (3rd) and coupled that with 29 fourmasters (3rd-tied) to take the lead in April... the club is batting .259 (15th) with 96 runs (17th)... at the top of the Red Bluff rotation are Wilson Sharpe (3-1/1.86) and Duane Sturgeon (4-0/2.30), helped out by Fred Taylor (1-1/1.29) and Mac King (1-0/3.16)... the Red Sox bullpen is only average with closer Dontrelle Gilbreath (2-4/3.28 ERA/4 saves/14 G)... star slugger RF Toni Kolkov (.312/9 HR/19 RBI/16 R) is off to a great start and tearing up the league... giving him some aid with the offense are LF Ian Driskell (.321/1 HR/7 RBI/10 R/1 SB), CF Paul Gaddison (.235/2 HR/6 RBI/15 R/1 SB), 1B Jonathan Haworth (.244/4 HR/13 RBI/8 R) and 3B Dazzy Bevis (.220/3 HR/9 RBI/11 R/2 SB)... look out, everybody in the IPA, the Red Bluff Red Sox are raging again and ready to win another Tycobbian East pennant and another IPA Pro Cup.

If it hadn't been for Red Bluff snatching the TU East from them in '57, the mighty Midway Wolves would be working on their 6th straight division title... the Middies had a great April swinging the bats with a .268 BA (10th), 44 HR (1st) and 128 runs (1st-tied)... however, the mound corps is suspect with a 4.35 team ERA (22nd)... only two of the starting five are reliable: Rob Land (2-1/2.63) and Mel Merlo (2-0/3.86)... Dookie Higgins (4-1/4.41) has a good record, but he has given up a lot of runs... the bullpen is quite questionable, too... closer Steve Swanwick (2-2/3.98 ERA/4 saves/14 G) has had some shaky appearances... but the bats are boomin' with super superstar LF Norishige Ito (.365/8 HR/18 RBI/18 R), superstar Daryl Vale (.245/10 HR/28 RBI/17 R), star SS Kax Clark (.281/2 HR/17 RBI/16 R), C Rob Hughes (.271/5 HR/13 RBI/12 R), RF Kody Kenyon (.282/2 HR/5 RBI/15 R/1 SB) and 2B Bryan Busby (.262/5 HR/7 RBI/11 R/1 SB)... it's going to be quite a race in the Tycobbian East again this year... the last man standing could be the Midway Wolves again.

Third place Ozarka (13-10) put up a good record in the first month of play, but they will not keep it up... the Nats have managed only 2 winning seasons out of the last 16... they are long overdue for a pennant... the last one came almost two decades ago in 2040... I don't think it will be this year... the Naturals have bad pitching with a 4.44 team ERA (25th)... Willis Reece (3-2/4.11), Ronny Belzer (1-1/4.54) and Ezra Hancock (3-1/4.21) have to do it all... they need more help in the rotation... the bullpen is just average... at the plate the Nats are pretty good at putting runs on the scoreboard... they are batting a solid .267 (11th) with 102 runs (11th-tied), but lack firepower with only 15 out of the park clouts (27th-tied)... the top bats in the lineup are 1B Sookie Lagerberg (.396/2 HR/12 HR/10 R) and LF Heck Bibbins (.357/2 HR/10 RBI/8 R/1 SB)... other threats are 3B Foxy Alderson (.286/2 HR/14 RBI/13 R/1 SB), CF Chris Kile (.292/0 HR/12 RBI/9 R) and 2B Happy Springs (.293/0 HR/2 RBI/9 R)... Ozarka came in 7th last year... probably won't do any better than 6th this year... South Fork, High Mesa and East Point are better than the Nats... and there is no way Ozarka can challenge the two big boys, Red Bluff and Midway.

It's been almost 20 years since South Fork was a force in the TU East... the Stallions won 3 years in a row in '41, '42 and '43... even won their only Pro Cup in '42... the Hosses came in 4th last year (82-72)... 2059 might be their year to make a run for the roses... the talent is there... South Fork has a lineup filled with solid hitters... they are batting .277 (6th), have scored 107 runs (7th) and cracked 26 homers (7th-tied)... and the pitching is much improved this season with a 3.72 ERA (11th)... on paper the Stallions can compete with anybody... South Fork (13-10) is currently resting in the 4th spot, but it's not out of the question that they could win the TU East and and go on and go all the way to the IPA crown... that's not too far fetched... leading the way in the potent batting order are LF Rudi Eberhardt (.304/7 HR/14 RBI/19 R), star C Rudy Maroney (.250/5 HR/20 RBI/13 R), CF Johnny Godfrey (.364/0 HR/4 RBI/10 R/3 SB), blossoming superstar RF Bob Purkey (.282/3 HR/7 RBI/16 R/1 SB), SS Lyle Tatton (.291/4 HR/17 RBI/10 R/1 SB) and backup OF Artie Greer (.351/3 HR/8 RBI/10 R)... the Stallions' outfield is so strong that Greer has trouble getting playing time.... anchoring the starting rotation is 25-game winner Emmett Coogan (2-2/3.58), rookie Caine Hanlon (3-2/3.00), Tris Desselle (3-0/2.48) and 17-game winner Brett McCracken (0-1/2.75)... South Fork needs help in the subpar relief corps (4.41 ERA/26th)... other than that, the Stallions are off and running for a fine season in the Tycobbian East.

The High Mesa Mustangs (12-11) are another highly-regarded club... currently tied with East Point for 5th place... they ran a good race and wound up 5th last year (81-73) and could give Red Bluff, Midway and South Fork a run for their money... High Mesa came very close in '57, winding up a very, very close third, losing out by just one and a half games... their last TU East division title came in 2048... the Mustangs would like nothing better than to do it again in '59... they are similar to South Fork with a fine offense and good starters, but lack a good bullpen... High Mesa doesn't hit well for average, batting only .243, but they have scored 105 runs (9th) with 29 roundtrippers (3rd-tied) doing most of the damage... on the hill the Mustangs have a 3.83 team ERA (13th), which is inflated by a terrible 5.26 ERA (30th) in the relief corps... the starters have a good 3.52 ERA (6th)... High Mesa is blessed with two fine rookies that have really revved up the offense: sensational RF Billy Putman (.329/7 HR/22 RBI/16 R/2 SB) and solid 1B Sonny Bledsoe (.278/3 HR/14 RBI/8 R)... they join an already-solid core of hitters like 3B Kagetoki Miyazaki (.280/7 HR/14 RBI/14 R/2 SB), LF Tracy McGriff (.268/2 HR/7 RBI/17 R) and CF Curly Yeats (.266/4 HR/13 RBI/12 R/1 SB)... the Mustangs have four quality starters in their rotation that consists of Bucky Dodge (4-0/1.67), David Newell (1-2/3.13), Scott Findlay (1-3/3.26) and ace Weldon Herrington (1-2/3.93)... the bullpen numbers are staggering bad... closer Sandy Stevenson (1-1/7.20 ERA/4 saves/12 G) has been put through the ringer... High Mesa could finish as high as 4th in the standings this year... could do better if they can get a decent bullpen.

The East Point Panthers tumbled badly last year, ending up in last place (66-88) in the TU East... that ended an 8-year run in the first division... they won two pennants during that time ('50, '52)... last season the Panthers' pitching failed them (4.32 ERA)... well, now, it just might be back... East Point (12-11) is tied for 3rd, mainly because of its standout 3.14 ERA (4th)... now it's the offense holding them down... the Panthers are batting only .239 (28th)... have trouble scoring with just 83 runs (30th-tied)... but are alright with 20 HR (18th-tied)... two rookies have certainly improved the starting rotation... one of them, Vitorio Descalsco (2-1/1.66), has been sensational... the other one, Katsuhiko Hirayama (1-3/3.00), has pitched well... Marty Yaden (4-1/2.68) is also having a good season... now all they need is for veteran Eddy Winbourne (1-3/4.19) to get going... not a lot to talk about in the batting order... the best of the lot is CF Skip Donley (.244/5 HR/7 RBI/13 R/1 SB), 2B Justin McRae (.318/0 HR/7 RBI/9 R) and 3B Cal Goldsberry (.293/2 HR/10 RBI/10 R)... Justus Coles (.326/2 HR/8 RBI/7 R) recently took over the shortstop position and he has performed very well in the field and with the bat... long-time reliables 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.122/0 HR/2 RBI/4 R) and LF Pokie Ash (.225/1 HR/4 RBI/8 R/1 SB) have been mired deeply in slumps... Cavalos hit 40 homers and drove in 100 runs last year... while Ash is a steady .278 career batter... if these two and Skip Donley perk up at the plate, it would pay great dividends for the Panthers... they might be in the running for 4th place... it's not very likely they will beat out the TU East powers like Red Bluff, Midway, South Fork and High Mesa.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays (11-12) are 7th in the Tycobbian East race this year... it's been over a decade since the Bluebirds had a strong team... that was 2049 when they won the pennant... but, boy, let me tell you something... the Tucks were really something from '23 to '38... they won 11 pennants and 3 Pro Cups (2023, 2024, 2035)... 18 times Tuckanarra has appeared in the postseason playoffs... but that was days of yore... in 2059 the Blue Jays have an average offense and good pitching... they are batting .245 (25th), but scored fairly well with 94 runs (20th) and 24 home runs (10th-tied)... on the mound Tuckanarra has compiled a 3.67 team ERA (9th)... 22-game winner Ian Timms (2-1/3.60) heads up a good staff... Timms has won the TU Golden Arm the past two seasons... helping him out are Ralph Ayers (3-0/1.36), Russell Knowles (2-2/2.80) and Justin Shank (1-1/2.87)... the bullpen is average (3.57 ERA) and nothing special (18th)... the offense is paced by 1B Boomer Carlton (.300/5 HR/15 RBI/11 R), rookie 2B Rex Heyman (.309/4 HR/10 RBI/16 R/1 SB), C Odell Overstreet (.306/3 HR/7 RBI/13 R) and LF Ira Rider (.271/3 HR/10 RBI/9 R/1 SB)... the Blue Jays will more than likely wind up in the second division of the TU East for the 5th time in the last 6 years... it's a tough division.

Hillsboro was in the pennant fight last season, coming in 3rd and 7 games out in the race (85-69), which was won by the Midway Wolves (92-62)... this was the Blazers' best season since winning the pennant in '51 (98-56)... in fact, that is the only time Hillsboro has ever made the playoffs... one of the worst records in the IPA... the Blazers (8-15) have plunged to last place this season because of poor pitching... the team ERA is a sad 4.60 (27th)... last year it was an acceptable 3.85 (14th)... Hillsboro hit poorly last year (26th) and is still bad with a .246 BA (24th)... not much in scoring with just 92 runs (26th) and only fair in firepower with 19 clouts (20th-tied)... 'nuff said... it's pretty obvious the Blazers are suffering this year... RF Eli Nickelson (.295/4 HR/17 RBI/14 R/1 SB) and 1B Darlon Danford (.264/2 HR/17 RBI/14 R) are the most productive hitters on the squad... along with SS Bobby Bartell (.275/1 HR/5 RBI/11 R/4 SB), LF Ichiro Ishikawa (.294/3 HR/7 RBI/7 R/1 SB) and 2B Bob Foster (.313/2 HR/10 RBI/8 R/1 SB)... 19-game winner Ellie Frampton (1-3/2.67), 18-game winner Ian Barrie (1-2/3.23) and 18-game winner Clay Spencer (1-1/3.20) are still pitching well, just not winning any games... the bullpen is not very good except for closer Jeffrey Bevan (1-1/2.57 ERA/6 saves/9 G)... it's still early in the year, the Blazers could rebound and play like last year... super closer Ron Pryor (4-3/3.03 ERA/41 saves/55 G) just returned to the club... he held out this year for more money and was just signed... Pryor led the IPA with 41 saves last year... his addition should give the club a big lift.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, May 1, 2059

TIGHT SQUEEZE IN TU WEST
Goodness gracious, what a longjam in the Tycobbian West at the end of April... definitely not the strongest division in the Islandian Pro Alliance, but from top to bottom, it's a very tight squeeze... only 3 games separate first place Kenwood (12-11) from last place La Claire (9-14)... four clubs are tied for second place with 11-12 records: Rolling Hills, Denton City, Bayview and Bay St. Clair are just one game back... and Chicopee (10-13) and last season's champ Arlon (10-13) are just 2 games behind, tied for 6th... last year division winner Arlon won by 8 games... from first to last was a 33-game difference... wonder what was the closest division race in IPA history was?

Well, I just happened to have those figures right off the top of my head... just kidding... it took me a little while to peruse the IPA history page... the closest division in history was the 2008 Tycobbian West when only 8 games separated the 8 teams... the tightest Ruthlandian race was the RU West in 2033 with a spread of 10.5 games.

The Kenwood Wildcats (12-11) are the king of the hill this week in the tightly bunched Tycobbian West... who knows where they will next week in such a topsy-turvy race?... the Wildcats are blistering the ball with a .277 BA (5th), tied for first first in run scoring with 128 and have socked 21 out of the park (15th-tied)... but it's an entirely different story on the mound... the Kenwood team ERA is a skyscraping 4.64 (28th)... Mickey Maughan (4-1/3.96) and Ben Warwick (2-0/2.20) are the only effective starters... the bullpen is in much better shape with closer Pee Wee Windham (0-0/1.59 ERA/6 saves/7 G) leading the way... Kenwood is chocked full of hotshot hitters: CF Rick Lundgren (.361/1 HR/16 RBI/21 R/8 SB), SS Jackie Hawkins (.366/4 HR/9 RBI/15 R), 2B Joe Kellogg (.329/1 HR/15 RBI/13 R), 1B Bralen Connolly (.306/3 HR/14 RBI/14 R) and LF Gabriel Macedo (.290/5 HR/12 RBI/14 R)... if the Wildcats want to win their first TU West Division flag since '52, they must improve their pitching.

The Rolling Hills Reds (11-12) are in a 4-team tie for the runner-up spot... they are in the same boat as Kenwood... good offense, lousy pitching... the Reds had it all when they won the 2048 Pro Cup... that's the last time they made the postseason playoffs... this season the Reds are batting a solid .276 (7th), scored 109 runs (8th) and have poked 19 homers (20th-tied)... heading up the batting order are star 1B Teddy Stonich (.308/7 HR/16 RBI/19 R/1 SB), 3B Lloyd Bearden (.344/1 HR/8 RBI/12 R), LF Jean-Luc Roubique (.301/3 HR/10 RBI/12 R), rookie CF Gil Arthur (.281/2 HR/10 RBI/12 R/2 SB) and C Lee Fountain (.277/2 HR/12 RBI/8 R)... pitching is something else though... the team ERA is a very poor 4.66 (30th)... Rolling Hills has three fairly effective starters in Tommy Otis (1-0/2.57), Donny Joe Nelson (3-1/3.96) and veteran workhorse Vance Dillaway (1-4/3.80), but little else on the staff... the rest of the starters have ERAs over 5.00... in addition, the bullpen is not dependable.

The Denton City Redbirds (11-12) have had great success in the regular season the past 7 years... the Redbirds hauled in 3 pennants ('53, '55, '57) during that run, but they had some really fine pitching... not so, this year... DC is tied with three other teams for the the runner-up position in the standings... the Redbirds are very similar to Kenwood and Rolling Hills... good at the plate, weak on the mound... they are hitting a solid .274 (8th), score well with 115 runs (5th) and have pounded 29 roundtrippers (3rd-tied), but are skyhigh with an awful 4.63 team ERA (29th)... leading the Denton City attack are star SS Vincent McCloud (.390/5 HR/18 RBI/13 R) and old reliable 1B Val Anniston (.321/4 HR/4 RBI/17 R/1 SB), but they have a little bit of help from CF Winky Biggio (.247/4 HR/16 RBI/15 R), RF Elmer Salinger (.244/4 HR/13 RBI/12 R/4 SB) and 2B Sherm Dobkins (.290/2 HR/10 RBI/7 R/1 SB)... the only decent pitching comes from two vet starters, Flash Stringfellow (2-1/3.00) and Rance Hasbrough (2-1/3.57)... plus super closer Brunell Kelley (1-0/0.84 ERA/7 saves/9 G)... the Redbirds have use 9 starters this year... most of them with ERAs 5.00 and above... Denton pitching is usually much better than this... time will tell if it was just a bad April.

The Bayview Vikings) (11-12) are also in second place, mainly because of home-run power and pretty good starting pitching... the Viks don't hit for average, batting only .231 (31st)... they are just average in scoring with 93 runs (21st-tied), but have slammed 29 HR (3rd-tied)... the team ERA is so-so at 4.12 (17th)... the Bayview fans have been longsuffering... no pennants since 2016... with only one winning season (2057) in the last 15 years... the current starting rotation is doing pretty well with Jules Perot (4-1/2.87), Ivar Rasmussen (4-1/3.95), Wade Ramsey (1-2/2.08), Pedro Montalvo (0-1/2.91) and Sherm Crowley (0-0/3.31)... but the bullpen is really hurting with a 4.56 ERA (27th)... only two batters are hitting above the .250 mark: CF Jesus Silva (.284/5 HR/12 RBI/16 R/3 SB) and SS Gunnar Lindberg (.282/0 HR/3 RBI/17 R/2 SB)... the other contributors are swinging for the fences: 1B T. D. Proudfoot (.216/5 HR/14 RBI/6 R), RF Vern Woodcock (.246/5 HR/14 RBI/13 R), C Lou Fairhead (.238/4 HR/11 RBI/6 R) and 3B Byorn Karlsen (.211/3 HR/7 RBI/7 R)... Bayview finished 7th in the TU West standings last year (64-90)... could do a little bit better this year... but will probably remain a second-division team.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (11-12) stunk last year, winding up 8th with a 60-94 mark... they may be a tad better on the mound this year, but are pretty much the same old also-ran team... the last times the Bucs really contended were in '49 and '50 when they won the TU West... this year they are tied for 2nd place... the pitching is fair with a 4.30 team ERA (21st)... heading up a decent staff are journeymem starters Darcey Kennedy (4-1/3.50), Kermo Jarvi (3-2/3.62) and Jerry MacIntyre (1-1/3.33)... another quality pitcher may be Cookie Cranch (1-0/1.29), who had looked very good in his 2 starts... the bullpen is only fair... longtime closer Cadillac Bogart (1-1/3.86 ERA/8 saves/15 G) has been inconsistent thus far this year... could be a little overused... the Buccaneer bats are not very good... they are batting only .250... don't score many runs... ranked 28th with 85... don't go deep a lot with 18 longballs (24th)... most of the offensive load is carried by RF Manny Cedeno (.338/5 HR/14 RBI/9 R) with some help from LF Jed Killick (.259/4 HR/13 RBI/10 R) and CF Hal Driscoll (.254/3 HR/5 RBI/11 R/1 SB)... not an impressive batting order at all... Bay St. Clair will probably end up like last year... near the bottom of the TU West.

The Chicopee Braves had a solid season last year, finishing second to division champion Arlon with an 85-69 record (8 GB)... the Tribe was looking forward to this season, but they have been slow out of the gate, going a disappointing 11-12 in April and tied for the 6th spot in the standings... it's been over two decades since the Braves made the postseason playoffs ('34, '35, '36)... there was hope that this would be the year... however, offense is way down from last year... Chicopee is batting only .238 (30th), scored only 83 runs (30th-tied) and totaled just 12 home runs (29th)... pitching has declined, too... the team ERA is up to 4.24 (20th)... last year the Braves batted .272 and posted a fairly good 3.81 ERA... but give them time, it's still early in the campaign... despite the poor play, they are still only 2 games out of the top spot... the three main starters from last season have struggled so far... 20-game winner Johnny Brown (1-2/5.40), 15-game winner Manny Spaulding (0-2/6.33) and 15-game winner Chuta Shaman (1-0/3.52) have not been up to stuff yet... the most reliable starter has been Dave Rose (2-2/2.27), a 32-year-old rookie... the bullpen has done its job well with a 2.56 ERA (7th)... Chipper Gilton (3-0/2.59 ERA/1 save/12 G) is the prime closer... no one in the lineup is worth mentioning... that's how bad the Braves are at the plate... last year CF Mooki Ahanu hit .324, LF Travis Ledger .313, Luke Oxford .308 with 18 homers and 94 ribbies and 2B Kohana Chaska batted .267 with 22 HR and 105 RBIs... surely Chicopee will perk up at the plate and on the hill soon... there's too much talent on the team.

It's been tough going in the early going this year for the defending Tycobbian West champ... the Arlon Champions went all the way to the Pro Cup Finals last year before losing out to Crystal Lake... so we know they have talent... but it might be aging pitcher-wise... 4 of the main guys on the mound are 34 and older... time does take its toll... currently Arlon (10-13) is in 6th place... but that is not as bad as it sounds... they are just 2 games behind first place Kenwood... the Champions could move to the top of the heap with a short winning streak... Arlon is down at the plate in April... but the pitching is holding up well... last season they hit very well with a .273 BA... this year it's down to .258 (16th)... run-scoring is just average with 95 runs (18th-tied) and 22 homers (13th-tied)... on the mound the team ERA is a healthy 3.75 (12th)... so don't give up on the Champions just yet... solid vets Ty Coffee (3-1/3.15), Dicky Towers (2-1/2.59) and J. C. Hilburn (3-1k/4.32) are doing alright, but Eric Branham (0-6/6.03) has slipped badly and he's one of the youngsters on the staff, just 30 years old... Coffee is 36, Hilburn is 37 and Towers is 31... 34-year-old journeyman Mike Winters (2-2/2.53) has really helped out with 4 solid starts... 35-year-old closer Mack Blair (0-1/1.17 ERA/5 saves/9 G) is still going strong... Arlon still has a few good bats in the lineup, led by star LF Jamey Stansfield (.308/5 HR/17 RBI/14 R/1 SB), 3B Eduardo Garaza (.341/2 HR/5 RBI/11 R), solid threat SS Art Catlin (.310/4 HR/6 RBI/13 R/1 SB), 1B Jon Cress (.313/2 HR/11 RBI/5 R) and 2B Mel Hawkes (.244/3 HR/13 RBI/16 R)... if CF Rebel Bryce (.179/3 HR/14 RBI/6 R) and RF Zeppo Thiel (.256/1 HR/3 RBI/8 R) perk up at the plate to their usual levels, all will be fine in Arlon... the Champs will be near the top by season's end.

All is not well in La Claire... the Lynx have posted only one winning season in the last 15 years (2053)... the last playoff appearance was in '37 and '38... they have been under the .500 mark for the last 6 years... finishing 6th last year (66-88)... they are mediocre on the mound with a 4.43 ERA and really terrible in the bullpen with an atrocious 6.55 ERA (31st)... La Claire is just average at the plate with a .253 BA (18th), 95 runs (18th-tied) and 21 circuit swats (15th-tied)... this year the Lynx are 9-14 and last in the TU West, but only 3 games out... they have three pretty good starters in Hank Raborn (3-1/3.12), Chance Coursey (2-1/2.30) and Tommy Trantham (2-2/3.12)... with absolutely nothing in the bullpen... La Claire has some pretty good bats in the batting order with LF Taro Lansing (.269/6 HR/17 RBI/12 R/3 SB), 1B Charlie Rodgers (.342/3 HR/10 RBI/12 R), reliable 2B Derek Winchester (.333/2 HR/16 RBI/15 R/1 SB), 3B Horace Rutherford (.269/3 HR/7 RBI/10 R), CF Wynn Bennington (.258/2 HR/10 RBI/10 R/2 SB) and LF Sean McEuen (.256/2 HR/9 RBI/12 R/1 SB)... it looks like La Claire might climb up a little in the TU West standings... 5th might be possible this year.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, May 2, 2059

IPA PLAYERS OF THE MONTH HONORED
The Islandian Pro Alliance honored the best player performances for the first month of the 2059 season... the Ruthlandian Union's top players in April were Lanny Waldrep, Julio Cordova and Rodrigo Valdez... the standout performers in the Tycobbian Union were Norishige Ito, Lew Clydesdale and Johnny Pendergrass.

Lanny Waldrep was the RU Batter of the Month... he hammered out a .346 BA, 6 homers, 30 RBIs and scored 19 runs for the Colfax Blasters... the top pitching star was Crystal Lake's Julio Cordova, who posted a superb 5-1 mark in April with a 1.67 ERA... and the RU Rookie of the Month was Rodrigo Valdez of the San Dimas Rancheros... the young second baseman batted .309 with 6 home runs, 17 runs batted in and scored 23 runs.

The Tycobbian award winners were Midway superstar Norishige Ito... he was the TU Batter of the Month and stood out with a .365 batting average, 8 roundtrippers, 18 ribbies and 18 runs scored... the top hurler and Pitcher of the Month trophy went to Hartsdale's Lew Clydesdale... he sparkled on the mound with a perfect 5-0 record and an excellent 1.80 ERA... the top newcomer in the Tycobbian Union in April was Summerland's sensational outfielder Johnny Pendergrass, who blistered IPA pitchers for a remarkable .425 BA, 5 doubles, 1 triple, 5 homers, 13 RBIs and 15 runs.

Ruthlandian Union Players of the Month

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union Players of the Month

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

HOPES STILL HIGH FOR MOST IPA TEAMS
After two months of play in the 2059 season hopes are still running high for most of the 64 Islandian Pro Alliance franchises... maybe 40 clubs still have pennant possibilities this year... the most shocking thing thus far is the fall of the Southport Sun Sox (22-29)... they have sunk deeply in the Tycobbian South and are 10 games behind... still in the basement, heading into June... the Sun Sox dominated the division last year and were the odds-on favorite to take the title again... Southport has been upstaged by Cape Coral (32-19) and Ginza (31-20), the top two clubs... the Hurricanes and Ninjas are doing far better than expected... two other cinderellas are in the making... the Valka Blackhawks (27-23) and Claxton Diamonds (27-23) are tied for the top spot in the Ruthlandian South... other than this, around the IPA the good teams that are supposed to be good, are doing well and the teams that are supposed to bad, are doing badly.

Favored Valmara (30-21) is sitting atop the Ruthlandian North with a 3-game edge on the fading LaGrange Sports (27-24), 4 games ahead of third place Glasco (26-25) and Far Mountain (26-25) and 5 up on fifth place Ancona (25-26)... the Vipers had a good May with a 16-12 mark... the Sports slipped to 12-16)... the rising Athletics sizzled last month at 16-12... the improving Redhawks got really hot with 18-10 for the month... and the Red Elephants broke even at 14-14... pulling up the rear are 6th place Kilkenny (22-29) and two clubs tied for 7th place, Taranto (19-32) and Ranford... the Cats recorded a 13-15 mark for May, while the Tars came in 14-14 with the Bulls at 12-16.

RU North Outlook: Just like last year, it will probably get down to a Valmara-Far Mountain showdown... the Vipers whipped the Redhawks by 9 in 2058... may be a bit closer this season... Valmara has the better offense... the two contenders are just about even on the mound... the Glasco A's and Ancona Red Elephants might get into the mix, too... they were a distant 4th (17 GB) and 3rd (16 GB) last season... the LaGrange Sports probably won't be in the first division much longer.

[Eugene Church]

********Valmara ************************************************** ******************* Glasco ************************************************** **************** Far Mountain Team Statistics

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

BUNCH OF TEAMS BUNCHED IN RU SOUTH
7 teams are still alive and contending in the Ruthlandian South race... there are only 5 games separating co-leaders Valka (27-24) and Claxton (27-24) and 7th place Crystal Lake (22-29)... Grand City (26-25) is third in the standings, just a game behind... with St. John (25-26) holding forth in the fourth spot, only 2 games off the pace... it looks like it's anybody's race to win... only last place San Dimas (19-32) has no chance... Belair Beach (24-27) is fifth, clinging close 3 games out... Waleska (23-28) is 6th and trails by 4 games... the current IPA Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake has flopped so far, but still is well within striking distance with over 3 months to play... the Skippers have plenty of time to right the ship and get back on track.

Valka and Claxton were deep in the RU South second division last year... the Blackhawks went 14-14 for May, while the Diamonds slipped to 13-15... Claxton was tied for the top spot with Belair Beach and Crystal Lake last month... third place Grand City just barely stayed above .500, going 13-15... fourth place St. John got it going in May with a solid 16-12 mark... the fifth place Sunbirds had a horrible 10-18 for the month... the 6th place Waleska Westerners did alright with 14-14... while last year's division winner Crystal Lake floundered badly at 8-20... the Skippers had the worst record in the division for the last month... even the last place San Dimas Rancheros did better at 10-18.

Ruthlandian South Outlook: the teams are all evenly matched offensively... it may come down to who has the best pitching staff... that gives Valka, St. John and Crystal Lake a slight upper hand... look for the RU South pennant winner to come out of those three clubs.

[Eugene Church]

Valka Blackhawks Team Statistics (27-24)****************************************** Claxton Diamonds Team Statistics (27-24)

[Eugene Church]

St. John Crusaders Team Statistics (25-26) ********************************** Crystal Lake Skippers Team Statistics (22-29)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

MARSTON AND MACS DUEL IN RU EAST
At the end of the first two months of action in the Ruthlandian East Division , it's a tight duel between the Marston Nine and the Wynnamac Sundowners... the Nine (36-15) have a 2-game edge over the Macs (34-17)... also hanging around close are the third place Elnora All-Stars (31-20) and fourth place Cold Creek Catamounts (30-21)... Marston and Wynnamac were forecast to be contenders, while the All-Stars and Catamounts are doing better than expected... well-regarded Eastshore (22-29) has fallen to the wayside, slipping down to the 7th spot in the standings.

Both Marston and Wynnamac bolted past the April leader Elnora with standout months in May... the Nine had a brilliant month with a 22-6 mark and the Macs were almost as good at 20-8... the All-Stars dipped a little to 15-13, while the Catamounts did well with a 17-11 record... fifth place Sugar Valley (26-25) did well in April, but fell back with a 13-15 mark in May... the Rattlers lost a lot of ground and are now 10 games off the pace.

Ruthlandian East Outlook: Marston is playing splendid baseball and has posted the best record in the IPA... and rightly so... the Nine are hitting over .300 as a team, can score and have very good pitching with decent firepower... right now they are the best team in the IPA... the race will probably narrow down to just the Nine and Sundowners... the Macs have the second-best record in the IPA and will really test Marston... they have a solid, good all-around ballclub... both teams have Pro Cup potential, too... the Sundowners are the defending division champion and will not give up the title lightly... Marston finished 6th last year ((73-81)... Wynnamac has won the RU East 5 times in the last 7 seasons... Elnora and Cold Creek hit well, but can't match the other teams on the hill... the All-Stars and Catamounts will fight it out for the third and four spots in the RU East... no one else figures to challenge them.

[Eugene Church]

****** Marston Team Statistics (36-15) ********************************************** *** Wynnamac Team Statistics (34-17) ******************************

[Eugene Church]

********* Elnora Team Statistics (31-20) ************************************************** Cold Creek Team Statistics (30-21)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

SLIGO SURGES INTO RU WEST LEAD
The Sligo Rovers (32-19) blew everybody away in May with a fine 19-9 record to surge into the Ruthlandian West lead with a 4-game margin over runners-up Volusia (28-23) and Colfax (28-23)... Forest City (26-25) is in the fourth spot in the standings... for the previous 6 seasons the Rovers were bridesmaids, coming in second each time... this year Sligo is seeking its first pennant since 1940... the Vigilantes stumbled to 13-15 in the month, while the Blasters and Firebirds were even at 14-14.

Ruthlandian West Outlook: Sligo has unbelievably good pitching with a 2.50 team ERA for the first two months of the campaign... the offense is just lackluster... looks for the race to get closer... it's doubtful the Rovers can sustain this kind of pace on the mound... although they had the lead at the end of April, defending division champion and preseason pick Volusia has not played up to its capability yet... Sligo will have to beware of them... the others in the race don't have the pitching to compete with the Rovers and the V's and will fight it out for the third spot... Colfax, Middlefield, Fort Benton and Forest City will be in the battle for the first division spots, but Rocky Rapids and Stoner at the bottom of the RU West, will have to wait until next year.
[B]

[Eugene Church]

****** Sligo Team Statistics (32-19) ************************************************** **** Volusia Team Statistics (28-23) *************************************** Colfax (28-23) Team Statistics

[Eugene Church]

************* Forest City Team Statistics (26-25) *********************************** Middlefield Team Statistics (25-26) ******************************** Fort Benton Team Statistics (24-27)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

RED CAPS ROLLING IN TU NORTH
Big time favorite in the Tycobbian North, the Oxford Red Caps (34-17) rolled to another strong month in May and built up a 5-game cushion on second place Luxora (29-22), 6 games better than 3rd place Hartsdale (28-23) and 8 games up on the 4th place club, the Blue Lake Blue Sox (26-25)... the Red Caps have the best record in the Tycobbian Union.

In May Oxford chalked up an impressive 18-10 mark and created a little breathing room in the pennant chase... last year's TU North champ Luxora almost kept pace with with a 17-11 record, but the Zorros still lost ground to the Red Caps in both April and May... after a good April, Hartsdale slacked off to 13-15... the Blue Lake Blue Sox also did well the first month of the season, but didn't maintain it... they slumped to 12-16 in May... the Blue Sox honeymoon near the top of the division is about to come back down to earth and reality...the Fairfax Frogs, touted to be a pennant contender, fizzled in the opening month, but put together a good 16-12 mark in month two, but they are 9 games behind Oxford... last month wasn't good for White River... the Rascals could only put up a 12-16 record... the North Hills Hawks ran a close third in '58, losing out by just 3 games, but have fluttered and flittered badly this year... the Hawks were a poor 13-15 in the second month of play and are far back, 11 games off the pace... last in the TU North standings are perhaps the worst team in the IPA, the hapless Mahaska Haymakers... they got better in May with a 10-18 effort... in April they were a pathetic 5-18.

Tycobbian North Outlook: Right now nobody in the TU North can compare to the Oxford attack... the Red Caps are easily the top offensive club with an IPA-leading 83 circuit slams, a skyhigh .288 team BA (3rd) and 295 runs (2nd)... and they have fair-to-middling pitching with a 4.07 ERA (20th)... Luxora depends on its pitching staff and strong defense to compete with Oxford... the Z's only have average bats with 228 runs (14th) and 50 homers (13th-tied)...Hartsdale has the strongest mound corps in the division, but flops dismally at the plate... the team ERA is a splendid 2.89 (1st), but the bats are just not there with a .246 BA (28th) and only 201 runs (26th)... Blue Lake won't be in the hunt much longer... not likely to make the first division... but the Blue Sox might improve on last season's last place finish... the Fairfax Frogs are too good to stay in the second division, look for them to climb back up into the first division... the Frogs have an awful amount of ground to make up to catch and overtake the Red Caps... White River has solid pitching, but lousy offense... looks like a second-division season again for the once potent Rascals... they were 7th last year... Mahaska, with only 15 victories this season, is absolutely last in the IPA and headed nowhere.

[Eugene Church]

****** Oxford Team Statistics (34-17) ************************************************** * Luxora Team Statistics (29-22) **************************************** Hartsdale Team Statistics (28-23)

[Eugene Church]

***** Blue Lake Team Stats (26-25) ************************************************** * FairfaxTeam Stat (25-26)