ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS) - Page 52

Eugene Church · 06-17-2009, 05:22 PM

The Islandian Times

March 6, 2004

Another Tight Race Forecast For TU North
The baseball scribes are forecasting another tight race in the Tycobbian Union in what might be the best division in the IPA. From top to bottom only 15 games separated the eight teams. Last year Hartsdale came out the winner by a scant one game over Oxford and Fairfax with Luxora only six games out.

Manager Zim Donner expects his pennant-winning Hellcats to be in the thick of the battle again this season. Hartsdale has two All-Star pitchers in Gus Kostro and Tal Vaitkus and a solid line-up of .300 hitters in Mac Faulkner, Jud Turchin, Emile Djorovich and Hoppy Hill. Donner's only question marks are his four rookie pitchers. Two of them will be tested right away as spot starters. The other two will be in middle relief. Hartsdale has more talent than Donner can play. He platoons at several positions and use almost everybody on his team.

Best Pitchers: All-Star Gus Kostro (25-6 2.39), All-Star Tal Vaitkus (21-7 3.24) and closer Nico Carnera (5-13 3.16) with 24 saves in 72 games

Best Batters: 1B Mac Faulkner (.327 BA/27 HR/134 RBI/120 R), SS Jud Turchin (.321 BA/11 HR/75 RBI/106 R/25 SB), CF Marty Poe (.277 BA/19 HR/61 RBI/95 R), 3B Whiz Weaver (.250 BA/20 HR/82 RBI/81 R) and RF Ed Djorovich (.314 BA/6 HR/67 RBI)

Eugene Church · 06-17-2009, 06:19 PM

The Islandian Times

March 6, 2004

High Mesa Ranks High In Preseason TU East Poll
The High Mesa Cowboys received high marks from the baseball forecasters for the coming IPA season. The Cowboys under manager Frisky Franks won the whole shebang two years ago. The hard-hitting High Mesa bunch were division co-champions along with the South Fork Stallions and then swept through the playoffs to garner the IPA Pro Cup in their first year of play. Last season the Cowboys came up one game short and lost the regular season flag to the Red Bluff Red Sox. And in the Pro Cup playoffs went out in the opening round at the hands of the Tuckanarra Blue Jays.

Asked about the quick exit in the playoffs last year, Franks responded, "As you guys know the worst team in the league can win two of three games against the best team in the league. Anything can happen in a short series. I'm hoping that the owners will come up with a plan to play best three-out-of-five series. That way the better team will won most of the time. We just ran into a hot Tuckanarra team that beat us. It's that simple."

Franks has just about the same club back for season number three and with his great track record is almost certain to be in the running again for the TU East crown and then make a deep run into the playoffs. The baseball experts love the High Mesa Cowboys and consider them one of the premier teams in the Islands. The Cowboys hit for average, hit for power and run like the wind.

High Mesa has a whole host of fine hitters, combined with a steady and consistent staff of pitchers. The pitchers really do a remarkable job considering how small the ballpark is. Queen Ranch Stadium is called "Homer Heaven" around the league. Only one rookie made the club this year. Jack Reeder is a 36-year-old righthanded power pitcher (95 mph) and he will step in as spot starter and long reliever.

Best pitchers: LHP Joey Popovich (17-11 3.53), LHP John Owens (18-10 3.92), Kael Claxton (15-8 4.22), Donnie Rinaldi (14-11 4.14) and closer Ken Edgar (4-1 1.52) with 14 saves in 34 games in a half season.

Best Batters: LF Adam Zitek (.276 BA/34 HR/111 RBI/93 R), 2B Ed Granberg (.359 BA/21 HR/108 RBI/119 R/27 SB), SS Rolf Kellgren (.293 BA/17 HR/72 RBI/110 R/28 SB), C Jay Fessler (.302 BA/6 HR/61 RBI/100 R/37 SB), RF Kenny Edelstein (.327 BA/16 HR/85 RBI/87 R/12 SB), 1B Babe Holloman (.253 BA/26 HR/92 RBI) and CF Lex Neville (.262 BA/22 HR/83 RBI/88 R/19 SB)

Eugene Church · 06-19-2009, 12:24 AM

The Islandian Times

March 6, 2004

Pitching Key To Hillsboro's Season in TU East
The slugging Hillsboro Blazers bottomed out in the cellar in 2002 with a 75-79 record in the Tycobbian Union East pennant chase, 12 games in back of the division co-champions, the High Mesa Cowboys and South Fork Stallions. That was the year High Mesa won the IPA Pro Cup Series. Last season Hillsboro won fewer games, but rose in the standings to sixth place and ended up 14 games behind the division-winning Red Bluff Red Sox.

This year skipper Arky Spanderson hopes to do better. Last season the Blazers hit with authority, topping the IPA mark with 201 homers, breaking East Point's record of 198 roundtrippers set in 2002. Hillsboro slammed 188 in its opening season. The Blazers play at one of the smallest field in the IPA. Spanderson told the press, "Pitching is the key to our playoff chances. We have the hitting." He has signed a pair of new rookie twirlers, Ralph Slocum and Ronnie Mathis, and re-signed closer Frankie Coleridge to a contract. Spanderson has also switched his All-Star second baseman Tommy Emrick to third base to make room for a good defender in Lenny Jagneaux. Hillsboro and Oxford are the only teams in the Islands with three players with 30 or more home runs.

In spite of all these roster and line-up moves, the baseball analysts think sixth may be the best Hillsboro can do in a strong division.

Best Pitchers: Ronnie Greinke (19-13 3.82) and Hap Howerton (8-5 3.40)

Top Batters: 1B Sloan Shatner (.297 BA/38 HR/109 RBI/96 R), 3B Tommy Emrick (.319 BA/31 HR/106 RBI/98 R), SS Jerry Pontros (.292 BA/27 HR/69 RBI/119 R), LF Kevin Baker (.254 BA/30 HR/83 RBI/88 R) and RF Rawhide Marshall (.255 BA/24 HR/84 RBI/89 R)

Eugene Church · 06-19-2009, 06:28 PM

The Islandian Times

March 7, 2004

Wildcats Will Be Pussycats Again In TU West
Aaron Hankins' Kenwood Wildcats were one of the surprisingly good expansion teams in 2002 with a fine 85-69 record, good for a second-place tie with Rolling Hills in the Tycobbian West, seven games behind the division winner, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers. But last year was dismal as the Wildcat pitching turned into pussycats and Hankins' club fell to last place with a terrible 59-95 mark, 33 games behind the champion Bayview Vikings. Unless Kenwood comes up with better pitching, the Wildcats are destined for the basement again.

Hankins has a good hitting ball club. If the pitching can recover, fifth place is not out of the question. There are several other weak teams that finished just a few games ahead of the Wildcats last season. It wouldn't take much for them to overtake Chicopee (62-92), La Claire (61-93) and Arlon (61-93). However, the baseball writers don't expect Kenwood to contend for a playoff spot. They have too much ground to make up to compete with the likes of Bayview, Rolling Hills, Denton City and Bay St. Clair.

Rookie southpaw Glenn Stewart is Kenwood's only newcomer. The rest of the mound staff is recycled from 2002 and 2003. Hankins is hoping the magic of 2002 will re-emerge in 2004.

Best Pitchers: Johnny McBee (13-6 3.58)

Top Hitters: RF Aydan Winthrop (.262 BA/24 HR/92 RBI), LF Sassy Garfield (.318 BA/12 HR/53 RBI/66 R/21 SB) in 105 games, 3B Cecil Curry (.304 BA/17 HR/75 RBI), SS Nate Chamberlain (.288 BA/18 HR/76 RBI/85 R/16 SB), 2B Denholm Carruthers (.306 BA/11 HR/62 RBI/79 R)

Eugene Church · 06-19-2009, 09:17 PM

The Islandian Times

March 7, 2004

Kilkenny Cats Also-Ran Again In RU North
The Kilkenny Cats were seventh in their first season in the IPA in 2002. They put up a 72-82 mark and ended up 24 games off the pace of the RU North Division winner, the Glasco Athletics. The Cats compiled a 70-84 record last season, finishing up 25 games back of first place Valmara. And it looks like more of the same in 2004. The BNN poll placed Kilkenny in the sixth spot again, topping only LaGrange and Ancona. At best, the Cats are just a less-than-average ball team with only adequate hitting and pitching and poor defense.

Most of manager Kieran McKenna's roster are mainly retreads from the first two seasons, though he has revamped his line-up and pitching rotation with some new blood. McKenna is stressing defense this time around, whenever possible. Kilkenny will feature a new second baseman, rookie James Whitehurst. He has a good glove and can hit with some power. Jeff Oldenburg is another first-year player, who will platoon at first base. On the hill McKenna has two newcomers in lefthanders Mookie Flanagan and Matty Cullen. Both will be spot starters and long relievers.

Best Pitchers: Dino Carravaggio (15-15 3.73), Collin Gilder (11-8 3.84), Mack Harrell (12-15 3.93), Yasuyuki Nakagawa (10-11 3.63) and closer Rhett Townsend (3-7 2.98)

Best Hitters: RF Rick Audubon (.290 B/27 HR/67 RBI), All-Star CF Kirk Pitzer (.307 BA/15 HR/70 RBI/92 R/51 SB) and SS Joey Zajac (.298 BA/10 HR/89 RBI/18 SB)

Eugene Church · 06-19-2009, 10:40 PM

The Islandian Times

March 7, 2004

La Claire Lynx Languish In Lower Rung Of TU West
The La Claire Lynx have been a second-division club since the beginning of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Manager Rip Calkin has piloted them to fifth place, eighth place and seventh place in three seasons. And the outlook is no better for 2004. The Lynx are forecast for the second rung again along with the Chicopee Braves, Arlon Champions and Kenwood Wildcats. Calkin's crew could end up anywhere from last to fifth, but no better. The TU West has four strong teams and four mediocre ones.

La Claire will have three rookies on its roster. 2B Red Robinson, a fair fielder and excellent contact hitter with little pop will get the starting assignment, while on the mound Calkin will use 20-year-old Henny Cossaboom as his closer and portsider Rick Navronski will get some spot starts and be used in long relief. The Lynx are desparate for hitters, especially some with some power.

Top Hurlers: Charley Boyer (10-13 3.03) and Munoto Kishata (15-19 3.18)

Top Hitters: 1B Kenny Jablonski (.343 BA/16 HR/80 RBI) and CF Lucky Collins (.274 BA/9 HR/71 RBI/82 R/24 SB)

Eugene Church · 06-19-2009, 10:43 PM

I have done 33 teams.

31 more to go and we'll start Year 4 in the IPA.

It will probably take at least another week or so to rework rosters, pitching rotations, line-ups and depth charts.

Don't ever design a league where you have any more than 16 teams.

You'll enjoy it much more when you are not overworked to administer it.

I really dread in-between seasons.

Eugene Church · 06-20-2009, 05:13 PM

The Islandian Times

March 7, 2004

Expectations Dim in LaGrange For 2004
The LaGrange Sports are managed by the legendary slugger of industrial league fame, Foxy Jimison. So far in two seasons the Sports have not had much success, finishing fifth in the RU North at 77-77 and 19 games behind the pennant-winning Glasco A's and ending up seventh with a 68-86 mark last year, 27 games in back of first place Valmara. The baseball experts are predicting no higher than sixth for the Sports this season. LaGrange is just short of talent in all areas of the game.

LaGrange does have two talented hurlers in Al Thibaut and Sean Stone, and a fine shortstop in Kyle Villere, but little else.

Jimison has six rookies on the roster, but only one looks like he will make any impact this year. Carl Peltier is a 32-year-old flamethrower with a 97 mph fastball, who is slated for a spot in the starting rotation. He is the #5 starter and will split starts with 29-year-old Dwight Gagneaux, who is beginning his second season on the team. Last year he was in the bullpen in middle relief and compiled a 3.10 ERA in 21 appearances and four starts with a 1-5 record.

Best Pitchers: Al Thibaut (18-13 3.58) and Sean Stone (10-5 2.57)

Best Batters: SS Kyle Villere (.308 BA/15 HR/70 RBI/87 R/28 SB) and 1B Artie Vicknair (.249 BA/24 HR/82 RBI/79 R)

Eugene Church · 06-20-2009, 06:48 PM

The Islandian Times

March 7, 2004

Solid Luxora Has Tough Task In Strong TU North
The Luxora Zorros have been a perennial playoff team in the TU North. Manager Alejandro Rodrigo has guided them to the playoffs twice in three seasons in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Zorros have advanced to the Sweet 16 for the last two years, only to be eliminated by the powerful Oxford Red Caps.

Luxora (72-78) was fourth in the inaugural IPA season, 14 games behind champion South Fork. The Zorros (83-71) were second to Oxford in 2002, finishing just three games behind them. Last year Luxora (82-72) was fourth and trailed the top team Hartsdale by six games.

Rodrigo has a solid ball club, but he has to play in the best-balanced and one of the stronger divisions in the league. As good as the Zorros are, they might not make the playoffs this year as the up-and-coming teams below them will severely challenge them. North Hills, Blue Lake, Mahaska and White River may be second-division teams, but they don't play like it.

Luxora is pretty much the same team as last year. Rodrigo has picked up a rookie reliever, Antonio Anaya. He is a righthander, throws 97 mph and has good command and movement. But the Zorros have no room for him in the starting rotation. Anaya will have to bide his time in the bullpen until he gets a chance to prove himself. His presence will make the mound staff better this season. Bobby Bayas will take over third base this year, giving the Zorros a better glove at third base. Otherwise the line-up remains the same. On the hill Rodrigo has promoted Gustavo Escalera to a starting role this year. Escalera pitched very well in middle relief last year.

Assessing the coming season with reporters, Rodrigo said, "With Escalera starting and having Marco Braceros for the entire year will make us a much better club. Braceros was outstanding with 8 wins in the second half. I think we can contend for the pennant this year."

Rodrigo told BNN recently, "The only thing that keeps us from contending with the top teams in the TU North is the long ball. Oxford and Fairfax have a big advantage there. Maybe we can overtake them with outstanding pitching."

Top Pitchers: Eddie Hoffman (17-13 3.27), Tito Tovares (17-15 3.65), Marco Braceros (8-3 2.87), LHP Gustavo Escalora (4-2 2.97) and closer Elio Laurente (3-7 2.43) with 25 saves in 67 games

Top Hitters: C Otto Kronvath (.301 BA/39 HR/97 RBI/90 R), CF Lacey Tompkins (.335 BA/19 HR/91 RBI/95 R), SS Rafael Lemos (.309 BA/10 HR/67 RBI/58 R) and RF Cristo Viamonte (.277 BA/18 HR/72 RBI/88 R/27 SB)

stevebydac · 06-20-2009, 07:18 PM

This is great Danny! I've popped in here once in a while to check out your little world.

Questions...I, like you, love fictional leagues. While I've never made one public here, all of my leagues have been fictional since OOTP5. But they have always consisted of real cities. I'm building a new league, and I'm going all out this time with custom logos, etc., multiple leagues, and tweaking settings perfectly.

Do you have fictional cities as player hometowns - in other words, have you altered the nations and/or cities text file? Or are you imagining that (example) a Dominican/Japanese/Cuban player has traveled to your island to play in your league? I've been considering creating a 100% fictional world (fake cities, nations) with no reference AT ALL to reality (lots of work to do that). I just don't think my brain can accept that I have a fictional nation, but oh by the way the US and all the other countries exist too. I'm leaning toward 1) real cities & nations with fictional players or 2) ALL fictional cities & nations with fictional players.

Financials - are yours similar to MLB, or have you constructed a very different financial setup based on your fictional population, size of two countries, etc.?

Any other words of wisdom?

You are doing a fantastic job.

Eugene Church · 06-20-2009, 09:06 PM

Thank you for checking in and thank you for the nice comments. They are much appreciated.

Replies in BOLD:

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevebydac

This is great Danny! I've popped in here once in a while to check out your little world.

Questions...I, like you, love fictional leagues. While I've never made one public here, all of my leagues have been fictional since OOTP5. But they have always consisted of real cities. I'm building a new league, and I'm going all out this time with custom logos, etc., multiple leagues, and tweaking settings perfectly.

Do you have fictional cities as player hometowns - in other words, have you altered the nations and/or cities text file? Or are you imagining that (example) a Dominican/Japanese/Cuban player has traveled to your island to play in your league?

It would have been to much work and computer knowledge to create a nation state for my league, so I just used the USA and manually change it when I want the players to be from a specific country. Most of my players come from the USA. I just ignore this and pretend they are from Islandia.

I've been considering creating a 100% fictional world (fake cities, nations) with no reference AT ALL to reality (lots of work to do that). I just don't think my brain can accept that I have a fictional nation, but oh by the way the US and all the other countries exist too. I'm leaning toward 1) real cities & nations with fictional players or 2) ALL fictional cities & nations with fictional players.

Do what you feel comfortable with. It is easy for me to relate to my fictional world as I created it in detail. I would love to live in my fantasy world. I prefer fictional players as you do not have any expectations from them. I am disappointed when Tom Seaver goes 7-22 with a 5.00 ERA in one of my earlier leagues with real life players. I could play with real cities and real teams, but use fictional players. That way you already have your real world and can use elements from it in your fantasy report. You save a lot of time creating a culture that way.

Financials - are yours similar to MLB, or have you constructed a very different financial setup based on your fictional population, size of two countries, etc.?

I disable financials. I am not interested in that aspect of the game.

I run my league in the commissioner mode and control all teams. I restrict the AI as much as I can. It does things I can't live with... like pinch hit for Ty Cobb just to get a righthanded batter to face a lefthanded pitcher... takes a starter out when he has a chance at a shutout and is not tired... takes a starter out when he has a big lead (10-2) late in the game and not tired and won't let him finish a game.

Any other words of wisdom?

[B]The best advice from my vantage point is K.I.S.S.
Keep it simple.
I wish I had just had a 16-team league with two divisions and a minor league. I would sim the minor leagues to save time. I could live with that, but not my main league.

In the major league, I could play out the last three innings of every game if I only had to play 8 games a day. This would allow me to keep team records and league records. My current league requires 32 games a day, so I was forced to sim the seasons. A season would take an entire year if I played out the last three innings of every game. I became impatient. I couldn't wait a year to find out how everything played out. This means I can't keep track of team and individual records, which is a disappointment for me.

And most of all, a 64-team league is just too much work if you are a control freak like me. Once I play 20 seasons in my Islandian Pro Alliance, I will cut back to a 16-team league and do it the way I suggested to you. I will keep it simple the next time. I have spent about three years on the IPA and just didn't want to abandon it and start over. I want to see how it progresses.

Also I can keep the AI from making stupid decisions like I mentioned above.
And most of all, you really can't get to know your players and teams when you sim, rather than play out at least the last third of the game.

I never use minor leagues because the stats are just not realistic unless you tweak the league modifiers. So the next league I will use the minor and have to tweak the modifiers to get realistic numbers.

I don't use financials. Just don't have the interest or the time to deal with it.

Get custom logos and uniforms. They get you more immersed in the league.
Get stadiums for each team. I have 64 stadiums for my league, all with dimensions and park factors based on those stadiums. This really makes fictional towns come alive.

Write a recap of each of your games, if you play them out at least in part.
Just a simple recap of the game, listing just the high points. This will help you really get into your league.

If you do a Dynasty Report, try to make the players and managers come alive in your story. My Dynasty is too much a stats dump and not enough about the individual players. I just don't have time to be that creative and administer the league, too.
[/B]

stevebydac · 06-20-2009, 09:32 PM

Thanks for the quick and detailed reply. You've given me a lot of good advice to contemplate. Have fun, my friend!

Eugene Church · 06-20-2009, 10:29 PM

stevebydac, let me know when you start your dynasty.

I'm looking forward to it.

Eugene Church · 06-20-2009, 11:03 PM

The Islandian Times

March 7, 2004

Long Season In Store For Mahaska In TU North
The Mahaska Haymakers are in their third season in the Islandian Pro Alliance, joining in the expansion year of 2002. The Haymakers did well the first year and made the playoffs with a 77-77 mark under Rusty Lanussa. They finished in the fourth spot in the TU North, which was won by the Oxford Red Caps. The Red Caps knocked them out of the Pro Cup Series in the first round. Year two saw just about the same record, but a drop to seventh place with a 76-78 mark. The Hartsdale Hellcats surprised everybody and went from last in 2002 to first in 2003. Lanussa's pitching went south in the second season and is still lingering there.

According to the sports prognosticators, Mahaska will be hard pressed to stay out of the cellar in 2004. The Haymakers just don't have the ballplayers. All of their rookies will have to come through with great seasons for them to rise up and challenge for a playoff spot. It could happen - look at the Hellcats last year - but it's not likely. Mahaska is ranked seventh or eighth in most preseason polls you see.

Lanussa top rookie is 3B Al Vodenlich, a fair fielder and excellent contact hitter. 2B Dusty Eaton is very good with the glove and makes good contact. CF Louie Sardisco is a fine talent, but has to compete with some strong outfielders and may have to play back-up this year. Sardisco plays excellent defense, runs, throws and hits well, but lacks the power of the Haymakers current starting outfield. He will be waiting in the wings if some of the sluggers fail to produce. Sardisco can run rings around most of them in the field. For most managers in the IPA, the mighty home run rules. Larussa has high hopes for Kurt Glinka, a 25-year-old giant righthander, who stands 6'7". He will be in the starting rotation.

Best Pitchers: LHP Boomerang Hines (19-15 3.24) and Greg Turchin (18-9 4.03)

Best Batters: LF Stan Kobzar (.334 BA/16 HR/57 RBI/54 R) in just 111 games and 1B Miles Shufford (.301 BA/10 HR/48 RBI/51 R)

Eugene Church · 06-21-2009, 12:39 AM

The Islandian Times

March 8, 2004

Marston Readies For Another Playoff Year In RU East
The Marston Legends, headed by the former pitching great, Johnny Walters, have made the IPA Playoffs in two of the league's three years. The Legends (84-66) won the regular season crown in 2001, but were beaten in the first round by the eventual Pro Cup Series winner, the Volusia Vigilantes. Walters' club (73-81) came up short in 2002 and missed the postseason by a single game as they lost out to the Cold Creek Catamounts. In 2003 Marston (77-77) finished third, 11 games off the pace of the division-winning Elnora All-Stars. They lost out again in the first round of the playoffs, this time to the #2-ranked team, the Sugar Valley Rattlers.

Marston topped the Ruthlandian Union last season with a robust .277 team batting average, but the Legends come up short in the long ball category, trailing five other division foes. Walters told reporters on the opening day of Spring training, "Without super pitching, it is hard to compete in the IPA without home run hitters. That's all the Legends are lacking right now."

Walters has a strong hitting, but needs more long distance power. Marston can't compete with Elnora and Sugar Valley. Both clubs outdistance the Legends in firepower and on the hill. The Legends have improved their mound corps by signing lefthander Jorge Bonilla, who will share the #4 slot in the pitching rotation. Bonilla is 25 years old and comes highly-regarded by the scouts and sportswriters. Bonilla is a great control artist with excellent movement and good velocity. Marston has only one pure rookie. That's 2B Glen Schumann, a good glove man and contact hitter. He will split time with holdover Rayford Winfrey early in the season.

Marston was forecast in the BNN Preseason Poll to finish third in the new season just ahead of the Eastshore Elegants and behind Elnora and Sugar Valley. Walters has three Tycobbian Union All-Stars at his disposal in closer Booger Burchfield, left fielder Sam Dixon and shortstop Don Nichols. Elnora and Bayview also have three All-Star performers.

Top Hurlers: Nick Pace (19-10 3.36), Vinnie Gardner (10-6 3.12) and All-Star closer Booger Burchfield (6-9 3.39) with 21 Saves and 65 relief appearances.

Topn Hitters: All-Star LF Sam Dixon (.322 BA/20 HR/104 RBI), All-Star SS Don Nichols (.311 BA/18 HR/75 RBI/109 R/45 SB), CF Paulie Rizzutto (.290 BA/14 HR/74 RBI/80 R/25 SB), 1B Pat Farris (.320 BA/9 HR/67 RBI/74 R) and 3B Roddy Teague (.320 BA/11 HR/56 RBI/47 R)

Eugene Church · 06-21-2009, 09:02 PM

The Islandian Times

March 8, 2004

Roosters Lose Top Pitcher, Season In Doubt
Middlefield is a very successful franchise starting its third year of play in the IPA. The Roosters have gone deep in the Pro Cup Series both years. They went to the Elite 8 in 2002 in the RU West and even further last season, making the Final 4. After a third place finish their first year with an 80-74 mark, Middlefield fell to the Valka Blackhawks. This past season they compiled an 85-69 record and almost made the finals, but were upended by the Valmara Vipers after making a spirited run for the Pro Cup.

But the Roosters were stunned in the off-season with the retirement of their All-Star ace, Jackie Lee Bevis. Although 40 years old, Bevis was on top of his game and went 23-9 with a 3.20 ERA to spark them to a Final 4 Finish with a 3-0 postseason mark and a 1.88 ERA. At his retirement Bevis just said he had had a wonderful baseball career, both in company league play and in the pros, and it was time to move on while he was still able to compete at a high level. "I've seen guys try to play too long. I wanted to go out on top. It would have been nice to win the Pro Cup, but that just wasn't to be. Final 4 wasn't a bad way to go out."

The loss could send Middlefield reeling this season. It is doubtful that Bevis will come close to being replaced. Four rookies will be vying for his place in the Rooster rotation. As a result, the baseball scribes are predicting a huge slide this season. Sixth place is not out of the question. The RU West is the most evenly-matched division in the league and several clubs are likely to move past Middlefield.

The Middlefield Roosters play in one of the smaller parks in the Islandian Pro Alliance and it comes in handy for the hitters, but really makes it tough for the pitchers. Manager Smitty Michaels' club certainly entertains the homer-happy fans at Middlefield Park. The powerful Roosters led the Ruthlandian Union with 186 home runs, but also gave up 186. Michaels has gone through quite a few clunkers and chuckers. In 2004 he almost has a new staff with newcomers Ross Jacobs, Daryl Malone, Don Shaw and Darby Bush. Michaels told reporters, "You are going to regret putting us down near the bottom in the league. My rooks are gonna prove you wrong."

Middlefield has added a slick fielder to its powerful line-up. Timmy Gage will be installed at second base. Gage is a patient, contact hitter with good range and good hands in the field. He will be a big plus with just his glove. Michaels expects Gage to hit around .300 and thinks he could be a Rookie of the Year candidate. That's how impressed he is with Gage.

The Rooster skipper also chided the reporters, "Just wait until my boys with the booming bats make you eats your words."

Best Pitchers: LHP Jamie Hicks (14-11 3.23), LHP Denny Yarrow (15-6 4.06) and closer Dave Webb (5-4 3.56) with 28 saves in 77 games. Yarrow was second in appearances and third in saves.

Best Batters: All-Star CF Ty DeWitt (.275 BA/37 HR/117 RBI/109 R/16 SB), Golden Glove RF Bailey Norcross (.312 BA/34 HR/98 RBI/116 R/63 SB), LF Cecil Clark (.292 BA/29 HR/81 RBI/111 R/22 SB), 1B Allie Ludlow (.266 BA/25 HR/105 RBI) and 3B Lowell Satterwhite (.285 BA/20 HR/71 RBI)

Eugene Church · 06-21-2009, 10:48 PM

The Islandian Times

March 8, 2004

Midway Ranked Near Bottom Of TU East
Not much to say about the Midway Wolves of the Tycobbian Union East. They were 76-78 in 2002 and ended up sixth behind the co-champs South Fork and High Mesa, 11 games off the pace. Last year the Wolves slipped slightly to 71-83 and seventh place, trailing the flag winner Red Bluff by 14 games. It could be worse this season for manager Cochise Chandler.

This year the baseball experts are forecasting a fall even further to last place. Midway just doesn't hit well. They are fortunate to play in one of the bigger ballparks, so it is tough for the visiting teams to hit at Joe Wolf Stadium, too.

Chandler is tailoring his ballclub for defense and pitching this season. He told BNN, "We have several pitchers that blossomed in the second half of the season last year. Calder, Carper and Millham look like solid starters in their second year along with our top guy Mac Chaney. We also have two rookie pitchers on our roster that could make an impact, especially our new closer, Joe Eckermann. There are a lot of unknowns, but we think we will be a better team this season. SS Tory Bidwell gives us better defense and better offense than a year ago. He can also go deep occasionally. We are going to have manufacture runs more than ever as our only two power hitters will be platooned in left field, sacrificing a lot of power, but gaining defense. We'll find out if pitching and defense can win in the IPA."

Best Pitchers: Mac Chaney (16-12 3.53), Felix Calder (2-2 2.41), C. J. Carper (7-1 2.15) and Brook Millham (5-5 2.92)

Best Batters: All-Star CF Johnny Gillespie (.295 BA/15 HR/85 RBI/92 R/26 SB), 3B Tommy Kawatoose (.281 BA/16 HR/69 RBI/69 R/32 SB) and 2B Little Johnny Yuma (.297 BA/8 HR/52 R/89 R/17 SB)

Eugene Church · 06-22-2009, 12:07 AM

The Islandian Times

March 8, 2004

Strong Pitching Puts North Hills Into Playoff Contention In TU North
The North Hills Hawks flopped badly in its first IPA season, ending up with a 65-89 record and 21 games out from the pennant-winning Oxford Red Caps. But the Hawks manager Hub Carlson, the great portsider of the industrial leagues, built on it in season two and came within three games of a playoff spot. North Hills chalked up a fifth-place spot in the TU North and wound up with a 79-75 mark, 9 games back of the first place Hartsdale Hellcats.

Carlson is setting his sights higher in 2004, but he knows he has a tough row to hoe battling against such talented teams as Hartsdale, Oxford, Fairfax, and Luxora. Even the Blue Lake Blue Sox and White River Rascals will be challenging for a playoff spot. North Hills certainly turned it around last season, however a lack of firepower keeps them from moving up into the upper echelon of the division. The Hawks were selected fifth in this year's preseason BNN baseball poll with the voters citing a severe shortage of home runs as their main shortcoming. North Hills hit only 97 roundtrippers in 2003, while the teams in front of them in the standings hit 129 or more.

North Hills has stood pat in the off-season, signing only one player, first baseman Terry Sauer, who has some pop in his bat and can handle the glove well. Sauer is the only rookie to make the club this year.

Carlson assessed his club this way, "We've got real good chemistry on this club and three fine starters in Clinkscales, Dewberry and Jackson. I like my chances with this year's team."

Best Pitchers: LHP Leland Clinkscales (16-7 2.65), Ben Dewberry (15-14 2.91) and LHP Jaybird Jackson (15-13 3.64)

Best Hitters: CF Roy Stainbrook (.287 BA/26 HR/89 RBI/84 R/18 SB), LF Kevin Schmidt (.271 BA/19 HR/80 RBI/80 R), 2B Jimmy Ryland (.282 BA/19 HR/55 RBI/91 R/21 SB), 3B Russell Beal (.299 BA/8 HR/88 RBI) and RF Trent Gilbert (.299 BA/7 Hr/84 RI/81 R/14 SB)

Eugene Church · 06-22-2009, 02:52 PM

The Islandian Times

March 8, 2004

Oxford Ready To Win It All In 2004
Campy Roy's Oxford Red Caps are one of the prime and most potent teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Red Caps have reached the Final 4 the last two years, only to lose to the eventual Pro Cup champions, the High Mesa Cowboys and Turon Typhoons. Now it's time to go all the way and win it all. In the BNN preseason poll, Oxford is the favorite to take the TU North regular season crown. But that's a tall order given the overall strength of the division. Top to bottom there are no weak sisters in it.

Roy's Red Caps have it all - excellent hitting, standout pitching and good defense. They are set at all positions and only added one new player, rookie outfielder Spunky Tolliver. The newcomer is a fine defensive outfielder, but a light hitter. Tolliver will be a defensive replacement and available to give the regular fly chasers occasional rest.

Top Pitchers: All-Star Dan Phillips (23-10 3.36), LHP Boomer Belinsky (20-13 2.41), Nicky Nicholson (16-14 2.83) and closer LHP Emerson Cannell (5-5 2.68)

Top Hitters: 3B Joe Courtney (.342 BA/47 Hr/122 RBI/127 R), CF Ike Plunkett (.314 BA/36 HR/115 RBI/119 R/20 SB), LF Mack Spencer (.272 BA/33 HR/92 RBI), C Brad Earp/.277 BA/21 HR/72 RBI), RF Dante Vander Meer (.268 BA/17 HR/60 RBI) in 100 games

Eugene Church · 06-22-2009, 05:42 PM

The Islandian Times

March 9, 2004

Ozarka Could Be Playoff Team Again in TU East

The Ozarka Naturals are not as good as the top teams in the TU East, but they are better than the bottom teams. The Nats under skipper Joe Mac Carney have finished fifth twice with 70-80 and 77-78 marks, while last season they managed to break .500 with a 78-76 record and made the Pro Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the First Round of the playoffs the Nats were eliminated by the TU East titlists, Red Bluff.

In the preseason polls Ozarka is usually rated fourth or fifth. The Naturals are about even with the South Fork Stallions and will have to beat them out for the last playoff position like they did last year. Ozarka edged out the Stallions by one game on the last day of the regular season.

Carney's club has improved over the winter with the addition of a quality pitcher in righthander Karl Kleinert and a power-hitting, good-fielding 3B Nathan Ferrell, both rookies. Kleinert will get a shot at the #4 starter slot, while Ferrell will split time with last year's regular Ray Robinson. An outstanding gloveman, switch-hitting Gil Lantz, is back at second base after being released in 2002 for poor hitting. Lantz will be the fulltime second sacker.

Best Pitchers: Pat Schwartz (22-9 3.54) and closer Dayle Claypoole (6-2 2.16) with 6 saves in 36 games.

Best Batters: Gold Glove CF Kermit Wiggins (.342 BA/3 HR/67 RBI/107 R/71 SB), SS Duffy Douglas (.290 BA/13 HR/90 RBI/88 R/18 SB)

06-17-2009, 06:19 PM	#1022
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 6, 2004 High Mesa Ranks High In Preseason TU East Poll The High Mesa Cowboys received high marks from the baseball forecasters for the coming IPA season. The Cowboys under manager Frisky Franks won the whole shebang two years ago. The hard-hitting High Mesa bunch were division co-champions along with the South Fork Stallions and then swept through the playoffs to garner the IPA Pro Cup in their first year of play. Last season the Cowboys came up one game short and lost the regular season flag to the Red Bluff Red Sox. And in the Pro Cup playoffs went out in the opening round at the hands of the Tuckanarra Blue Jays. Asked about the quick exit in the playoffs last year, Franks responded, "As you guys know the worst team in the league can win two of three games against the best team in the league. Anything can happen in a short series. I'm hoping that the owners will come up with a plan to play best three-out-of-five series. That way the better team will won most of the time. We just ran into a hot Tuckanarra team that beat us. It's that simple." Franks has just about the same club back for season number three and with his great track record is almost certain to be in the running again for the TU East crown and then make a deep run into the playoffs. The baseball experts love the High Mesa Cowboys and consider them one of the premier teams in the Islands. The Cowboys hit for average, hit for power and run like the wind. High Mesa has a whole host of fine hitters, combined with a steady and consistent staff of pitchers. The pitchers really do a remarkable job considering how small the ballpark is. Queen Ranch Stadium is called "Homer Heaven" around the league. Only one rookie made the club this year. Jack Reeder is a 36-year-old righthanded power pitcher (95 mph) and he will step in as spot starter and long reliever. Best pitchers: LHP Joey Popovich (17-11 3.53), LHP John Owens (18-10 3.92), Kael Claxton (15-8 4.22), Donnie Rinaldi (14-11 4.14) and closer Ken Edgar (4-1 1.52) with 14 saves in 34 games in a half season. Best Batters: LF Adam Zitek (.276 BA/34 HR/111 RBI/93 R), 2B Ed Granberg (.359 BA/21 HR/108 RBI/119 R/27 SB), SS Rolf Kellgren (.293 BA/17 HR/72 RBI/110 R/28 SB), C Jay Fessler (.302 BA/6 HR/61 RBI/100 R/37 SB), RF Kenny Edelstein (.327 BA/16 HR/85 RBI/87 R/12 SB), 1B Babe Holloman (.253 BA/26 HR/92 RBI) and CF Lex Neville (.262 BA/22 HR/83 RBI/88 R/19 SB) Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-17-2009 at 06:26 PM.

06-19-2009, 10:43 PM	#1027
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	I have done 33 teams. 31 more to go and we'll start Year 4 in the IPA. It will probably take at least another week or so to rework rosters, pitching rotations, line-ups and depth charts. Don't ever design a league where you have any more than 16 teams. You'll enjoy it much more when you are not overworked to administer it. I really dread in-between seasons. Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-20-2009 at 10:22 AM.

06-20-2009, 07:18 PM	#1030
stevebydac All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: In a fictional baseball world Posts: 835	This is great Danny! I've popped in here once in a while to check out your little world. Questions...I, like you, love fictional leagues. While I've never made one public here, all of my leagues have been fictional since OOTP5. But they have always consisted of real cities. I'm building a new league, and I'm going all out this time with custom logos, etc., multiple leagues, and tweaking settings perfectly. Do you have fictional cities as player hometowns - in other words, have you altered the nations and/or cities text file? Or are you imagining that (example) a Dominican/Japanese/Cuban player has traveled to your island to play in your league? I've been considering creating a 100% fictional world (fake cities, nations) with no reference AT ALL to reality (lots of work to do that). I just don't think my brain can accept that I have a fictional nation, but oh by the way the US and all the other countries exist too. I'm leaning toward 1) real cities & nations with fictional players or 2) ALL fictional cities & nations with fictional players. Financials - are yours similar to MLB, or have you constructed a very different financial setup based on your fictional population, size of two countries, etc.? Any other words of wisdom? You are doing a fantastic job. __________________

06-20-2009, 09:32 PM	#1032
stevebydac All Star Reserve Join Date: Dec 2005 Location: In a fictional baseball world Posts: 835	Thanks for the quick and detailed reply. You've given me a lot of good advice to contemplate. Have fun, my friend! __________________

06-20-2009, 11:03 PM	#1034
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 7, 2004 Long Season In Store For Mahaska In TU North The Mahaska Haymakers are in their third season in the Islandian Pro Alliance, joining in the expansion year of 2002. The Haymakers did well the first year and made the playoffs with a 77-77 mark under Rusty Lanussa. They finished in the fourth spot in the TU North, which was won by the Oxford Red Caps. The Red Caps knocked them out of the Pro Cup Series in the first round. Year two saw just about the same record, but a drop to seventh place with a 76-78 mark. The Hartsdale Hellcats surprised everybody and went from last in 2002 to first in 2003. Lanussa's pitching went south in the second season and is still lingering there. According to the sports prognosticators, Mahaska will be hard pressed to stay out of the cellar in 2004. The Haymakers just don't have the ballplayers. All of their rookies will have to come through with great seasons for them to rise up and challenge for a playoff spot. It could happen - look at the Hellcats last year - but it's not likely. Mahaska is ranked seventh or eighth in most preseason polls you see. Lanussa top rookie is 3B Al Vodenlich, a fair fielder and excellent contact hitter. 2B Dusty Eaton is very good with the glove and makes good contact. CF Louie Sardisco is a fine talent, but has to compete with some strong outfielders and may have to play back-up this year. Sardisco plays excellent defense, runs, throws and hits well, but lacks the power of the Haymakers current starting outfield. He will be waiting in the wings if some of the sluggers fail to produce. Sardisco can run rings around most of them in the field. For most managers in the IPA, the mighty home run rules. Larussa has high hopes for Kurt Glinka, a 25-year-old giant righthander, who stands 6'7". He will be in the starting rotation. Best Pitchers: LHP Boomerang Hines (19-15 3.24) and Greg Turchin (18-9 4.03) Best Batters: LF Stan Kobzar (.334 BA/16 HR/57 RBI/54 R) in just 111 games and 1B Miles Shufford (.301 BA/10 HR/48 RBI/51 R) Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-20-2009 at 11:11 PM.

06-17-2009, 05:22 PM	#1021
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 6, 2004 Another Tight Race Forecast For TU North The baseball scribes are forecasting another tight race in the Tycobbian Union in what might be the best division in the IPA. From top to bottom only 15 games separated the eight teams. Last year Hartsdale came out the winner by a scant one game over Oxford and Fairfax with Luxora only six games out. Manager Zim Donner expects his pennant-winning Hellcats to be in the thick of the battle again this season. Hartsdale has two All-Star pitchers in Gus Kostro and Tal Vaitkus and a solid line-up of .300 hitters in Mac Faulkner, Jud Turchin, Emile Djorovich and Hoppy Hill. Donner's only question marks are his four rookie pitchers. Two of them will be tested right away as spot starters. The other two will be in middle relief. Hartsdale has more talent than Donner can play. He platoons at several positions and use almost everybody on his team. Best Pitchers: All-Star Gus Kostro (25-6 2.39), All-Star Tal Vaitkus (21-7 3.24) and closer Nico Carnera (5-13 3.16) with 24 saves in 72 games Best Batters: 1B Mac Faulkner (.327 BA/27 HR/134 RBI/120 R), SS Jud Turchin (.321 BA/11 HR/75 RBI/106 R/25 SB), CF Marty Poe (.277 BA/19 HR/61 RBI/95 R), 3B Whiz Weaver (.250 BA/20 HR/82 RBI/81 R) and RF Ed Djorovich (.314 BA/6 HR/67 RBI)

06-19-2009, 12:24 AM	#1023
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 6, 2004 Pitching Key To Hillsboro's Season in TU East The slugging Hillsboro Blazers bottomed out in the cellar in 2002 with a 75-79 record in the Tycobbian Union East pennant chase, 12 games in back of the division co-champions, the High Mesa Cowboys and South Fork Stallions. That was the year High Mesa won the IPA Pro Cup Series. Last season Hillsboro won fewer games, but rose in the standings to sixth place and ended up 14 games behind the division-winning Red Bluff Red Sox. This year skipper Arky Spanderson hopes to do better. Last season the Blazers hit with authority, topping the IPA mark with 201 homers, breaking East Point's record of 198 roundtrippers set in 2002. Hillsboro slammed 188 in its opening season. The Blazers play at one of the smallest field in the IPA. Spanderson told the press, "Pitching is the key to our playoff chances. We have the hitting." He has signed a pair of new rookie twirlers, Ralph Slocum and Ronnie Mathis, and re-signed closer Frankie Coleridge to a contract. Spanderson has also switched his All-Star second baseman Tommy Emrick to third base to make room for a good defender in Lenny Jagneaux. Hillsboro and Oxford are the only teams in the Islands with three players with 30 or more home runs. In spite of all these roster and line-up moves, the baseball analysts think sixth may be the best Hillsboro can do in a strong division. Best Pitchers: Ronnie Greinke (19-13 3.82) and Hap Howerton (8-5 3.40) Top Batters: 1B Sloan Shatner (.297 BA/38 HR/109 RBI/96 R), 3B Tommy Emrick (.319 BA/31 HR/106 RBI/98 R), SS Jerry Pontros (.292 BA/27 HR/69 RBI/119 R), LF Kevin Baker (.254 BA/30 HR/83 RBI/88 R) and RF Rawhide Marshall (.255 BA/24 HR/84 RBI/89 R)

06-19-2009, 06:28 PM	#1024
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 7, 2004 Wildcats Will Be Pussycats Again In TU West Aaron Hankins' Kenwood Wildcats were one of the surprisingly good expansion teams in 2002 with a fine 85-69 record, good for a second-place tie with Rolling Hills in the Tycobbian West, seven games behind the division winner, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers. But last year was dismal as the Wildcat pitching turned into pussycats and Hankins' club fell to last place with a terrible 59-95 mark, 33 games behind the champion Bayview Vikings. Unless Kenwood comes up with better pitching, the Wildcats are destined for the basement again. Hankins has a good hitting ball club. If the pitching can recover, fifth place is not out of the question. There are several other weak teams that finished just a few games ahead of the Wildcats last season. It wouldn't take much for them to overtake Chicopee (62-92), La Claire (61-93) and Arlon (61-93). However, the baseball writers don't expect Kenwood to contend for a playoff spot. They have too much ground to make up to compete with the likes of Bayview, Rolling Hills, Denton City and Bay St. Clair. Rookie southpaw Glenn Stewart is Kenwood's only newcomer. The rest of the mound staff is recycled from 2002 and 2003. Hankins is hoping the magic of 2002 will re-emerge in 2004. Best Pitchers: Johnny McBee (13-6 3.58) Top Hitters: RF Aydan Winthrop (.262 BA/24 HR/92 RBI), LF Sassy Garfield (.318 BA/12 HR/53 RBI/66 R/21 SB) in 105 games, 3B Cecil Curry (.304 BA/17 HR/75 RBI), SS Nate Chamberlain (.288 BA/18 HR/76 RBI/85 R/16 SB), 2B Denholm Carruthers (.306 BA/11 HR/62 RBI/79 R)

06-19-2009, 09:17 PM	#1025
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 7, 2004 Kilkenny Cats Also-Ran Again In RU North The Kilkenny Cats were seventh in their first season in the IPA in 2002. They put up a 72-82 mark and ended up 24 games off the pace of the RU North Division winner, the Glasco Athletics. The Cats compiled a 70-84 record last season, finishing up 25 games back of first place Valmara. And it looks like more of the same in 2004. The BNN poll placed Kilkenny in the sixth spot again, topping only LaGrange and Ancona. At best, the Cats are just a less-than-average ball team with only adequate hitting and pitching and poor defense. Most of manager Kieran McKenna's roster are mainly retreads from the first two seasons, though he has revamped his line-up and pitching rotation with some new blood. McKenna is stressing defense this time around, whenever possible. Kilkenny will feature a new second baseman, rookie James Whitehurst. He has a good glove and can hit with some power. Jeff Oldenburg is another first-year player, who will platoon at first base. On the hill McKenna has two newcomers in lefthanders Mookie Flanagan and Matty Cullen. Both will be spot starters and long relievers. Best Pitchers: Dino Carravaggio (15-15 3.73), Collin Gilder (11-8 3.84), Mack Harrell (12-15 3.93), Yasuyuki Nakagawa (10-11 3.63) and closer Rhett Townsend (3-7 2.98) Best Hitters: RF Rick Audubon (.290 B/27 HR/67 RBI), All-Star CF Kirk Pitzer (.307 BA/15 HR/70 RBI/92 R/51 SB) and SS Joey Zajac (.298 BA/10 HR/89 RBI/18 SB)

06-19-2009, 10:40 PM	#1026
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 7, 2004 La Claire Lynx Languish In Lower Rung Of TU West The La Claire Lynx have been a second-division club since the beginning of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Manager Rip Calkin has piloted them to fifth place, eighth place and seventh place in three seasons. And the outlook is no better for 2004. The Lynx are forecast for the second rung again along with the Chicopee Braves, Arlon Champions and Kenwood Wildcats. Calkin's crew could end up anywhere from last to fifth, but no better. The TU West has four strong teams and four mediocre ones. La Claire will have three rookies on its roster. 2B Red Robinson, a fair fielder and excellent contact hitter with little pop will get the starting assignment, while on the mound Calkin will use 20-year-old Henny Cossaboom as his closer and portsider Rick Navronski will get some spot starts and be used in long relief. The Lynx are desparate for hitters, especially some with some power. Top Hurlers: Charley Boyer (10-13 3.03) and Munoto Kishata (15-19 3.18) Top Hitters: 1B Kenny Jablonski (.343 BA/16 HR/80 RBI) and CF Lucky Collins (.274 BA/9 HR/71 RBI/82 R/24 SB)

06-20-2009, 05:13 PM	#1028
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 7, 2004 Expectations Dim in LaGrange For 2004 The LaGrange Sports are managed by the legendary slugger of industrial league fame, Foxy Jimison. So far in two seasons the Sports have not had much success, finishing fifth in the RU North at 77-77 and 19 games behind the pennant-winning Glasco A's and ending up seventh with a 68-86 mark last year, 27 games in back of first place Valmara. The baseball experts are predicting no higher than sixth for the Sports this season. LaGrange is just short of talent in all areas of the game. LaGrange does have two talented hurlers in Al Thibaut and Sean Stone, and a fine shortstop in Kyle Villere, but little else. Jimison has six rookies on the roster, but only one looks like he will make any impact this year. Carl Peltier is a 32-year-old flamethrower with a 97 mph fastball, who is slated for a spot in the starting rotation. He is the #5 starter and will split starts with 29-year-old Dwight Gagneaux, who is beginning his second season on the team. Last year he was in the bullpen in middle relief and compiled a 3.10 ERA in 21 appearances and four starts with a 1-5 record. Best Pitchers: Al Thibaut (18-13 3.58) and Sean Stone (10-5 2.57) Best Batters: SS Kyle Villere (.308 BA/15 HR/70 RBI/87 R/28 SB) and 1B Artie Vicknair (.249 BA/24 HR/82 RBI/79 R)

06-20-2009, 06:48 PM	#1029
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 7, 2004 Solid Luxora Has Tough Task In Strong TU North The Luxora Zorros have been a perennial playoff team in the TU North. Manager Alejandro Rodrigo has guided them to the playoffs twice in three seasons in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Zorros have advanced to the Sweet 16 for the last two years, only to be eliminated by the powerful Oxford Red Caps. Luxora (72-78) was fourth in the inaugural IPA season, 14 games behind champion South Fork. The Zorros (83-71) were second to Oxford in 2002, finishing just three games behind them. Last year Luxora (82-72) was fourth and trailed the top team Hartsdale by six games. Rodrigo has a solid ball club, but he has to play in the best-balanced and one of the stronger divisions in the league. As good as the Zorros are, they might not make the playoffs this year as the up-and-coming teams below them will severely challenge them. North Hills, Blue Lake, Mahaska and White River may be second-division teams, but they don't play like it. Luxora is pretty much the same team as last year. Rodrigo has picked up a rookie reliever, Antonio Anaya. He is a righthander, throws 97 mph and has good command and movement. But the Zorros have no room for him in the starting rotation. Anaya will have to bide his time in the bullpen until he gets a chance to prove himself. His presence will make the mound staff better this season. Bobby Bayas will take over third base this year, giving the Zorros a better glove at third base. Otherwise the line-up remains the same. On the hill Rodrigo has promoted Gustavo Escalera to a starting role this year. Escalera pitched very well in middle relief last year. Assessing the coming season with reporters, Rodrigo said, "With Escalera starting and having Marco Braceros for the entire year will make us a much better club. Braceros was outstanding with 8 wins in the second half. I think we can contend for the pennant this year." Rodrigo told BNN recently, "The only thing that keeps us from contending with the top teams in the TU North is the long ball. Oxford and Fairfax have a big advantage there. Maybe we can overtake them with outstanding pitching." Top Pitchers: Eddie Hoffman (17-13 3.27), Tito Tovares (17-15 3.65), Marco Braceros (8-3 2.87), LHP Gustavo Escalora (4-2 2.97) and closer Elio Laurente (3-7 2.43) with 25 saves in 67 games Top Hitters: C Otto Kronvath (.301 BA/39 HR/97 RBI/90 R), CF Lacey Tompkins (.335 BA/19 HR/91 RBI/95 R), SS Rafael Lemos (.309 BA/10 HR/67 RBI/58 R) and RF Cristo Viamonte (.277 BA/18 HR/72 RBI/88 R/27 SB)

06-20-2009, 10:29 PM	#1033
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	stevebydac, let me know when you start your dynasty. I'm looking forward to it.

06-21-2009, 12:39 AM	#1035
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 8, 2004 Marston Readies For Another Playoff Year In RU East The Marston Legends, headed by the former pitching great, Johnny Walters, have made the IPA Playoffs in two of the league's three years. The Legends (84-66) won the regular season crown in 2001, but were beaten in the first round by the eventual Pro Cup Series winner, the Volusia Vigilantes. Walters' club (73-81) came up short in 2002 and missed the postseason by a single game as they lost out to the Cold Creek Catamounts. In 2003 Marston (77-77) finished third, 11 games off the pace of the division-winning Elnora All-Stars. They lost out again in the first round of the playoffs, this time to the #2-ranked team, the Sugar Valley Rattlers. Marston topped the Ruthlandian Union last season with a robust .277 team batting average, but the Legends come up short in the long ball category, trailing five other division foes. Walters told reporters on the opening day of Spring training, "Without super pitching, it is hard to compete in the IPA without home run hitters. That's all the Legends are lacking right now." Walters has a strong hitting, but needs more long distance power. Marston can't compete with Elnora and Sugar Valley. Both clubs outdistance the Legends in firepower and on the hill. The Legends have improved their mound corps by signing lefthander Jorge Bonilla, who will share the #4 slot in the pitching rotation. Bonilla is 25 years old and comes highly-regarded by the scouts and sportswriters. Bonilla is a great control artist with excellent movement and good velocity. Marston has only one pure rookie. That's 2B Glen Schumann, a good glove man and contact hitter. He will split time with holdover Rayford Winfrey early in the season. Marston was forecast in the BNN Preseason Poll to finish third in the new season just ahead of the Eastshore Elegants and behind Elnora and Sugar Valley. Walters has three Tycobbian Union All-Stars at his disposal in closer Booger Burchfield, left fielder Sam Dixon and shortstop Don Nichols. Elnora and Bayview also have three All-Star performers. Top Hurlers: Nick Pace (19-10 3.36), Vinnie Gardner (10-6 3.12) and All-Star closer Booger Burchfield (6-9 3.39) with 21 Saves and 65 relief appearances. Topn Hitters: All-Star LF Sam Dixon (.322 BA/20 HR/104 RBI), All-Star SS Don Nichols (.311 BA/18 HR/75 RBI/109 R/45 SB), CF Paulie Rizzutto (.290 BA/14 HR/74 RBI/80 R/25 SB), 1B Pat Farris (.320 BA/9 HR/67 RBI/74 R) and 3B Roddy Teague (.320 BA/11 HR/56 RBI/47 R) Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-21-2009 at 07:00 PM.

06-21-2009, 09:02 PM	#1036
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 8, 2004 Roosters Lose Top Pitcher, Season In Doubt Middlefield is a very successful franchise starting its third year of play in the IPA. The Roosters have gone deep in the Pro Cup Series both years. They went to the Elite 8 in 2002 in the RU West and even further last season, making the Final 4. After a third place finish their first year with an 80-74 mark, Middlefield fell to the Valka Blackhawks. This past season they compiled an 85-69 record and almost made the finals, but were upended by the Valmara Vipers after making a spirited run for the Pro Cup. But the Roosters were stunned in the off-season with the retirement of their All-Star ace, Jackie Lee Bevis. Although 40 years old, Bevis was on top of his game and went 23-9 with a 3.20 ERA to spark them to a Final 4 Finish with a 3-0 postseason mark and a 1.88 ERA. At his retirement Bevis just said he had had a wonderful baseball career, both in company league play and in the pros, and it was time to move on while he was still able to compete at a high level. "I've seen guys try to play too long. I wanted to go out on top. It would have been nice to win the Pro Cup, but that just wasn't to be. Final 4 wasn't a bad way to go out." The loss could send Middlefield reeling this season. It is doubtful that Bevis will come close to being replaced. Four rookies will be vying for his place in the Rooster rotation. As a result, the baseball scribes are predicting a huge slide this season. Sixth place is not out of the question. The RU West is the most evenly-matched division in the league and several clubs are likely to move past Middlefield. The Middlefield Roosters play in one of the smaller parks in the Islandian Pro Alliance and it comes in handy for the hitters, but really makes it tough for the pitchers. Manager Smitty Michaels' club certainly entertains the homer-happy fans at Middlefield Park. The powerful Roosters led the Ruthlandian Union with 186 home runs, but also gave up 186. Michaels has gone through quite a few clunkers and chuckers. In 2004 he almost has a new staff with newcomers Ross Jacobs, Daryl Malone, Don Shaw and Darby Bush. Michaels told reporters, "You are going to regret putting us down near the bottom in the league. My rooks are gonna prove you wrong." Middlefield has added a slick fielder to its powerful line-up. Timmy Gage will be installed at second base. Gage is a patient, contact hitter with good range and good hands in the field. He will be a big plus with just his glove. Michaels expects Gage to hit around .300 and thinks he could be a Rookie of the Year candidate. That's how impressed he is with Gage. The Rooster skipper also chided the reporters, "Just wait until my boys with the booming bats make you eats your words." Best Pitchers: LHP Jamie Hicks (14-11 3.23), LHP Denny Yarrow (15-6 4.06) and closer Dave Webb (5-4 3.56) with 28 saves in 77 games. Yarrow was second in appearances and third in saves. Best Batters: All-Star CF Ty DeWitt (.275 BA/37 HR/117 RBI/109 R/16 SB), Golden Glove RF Bailey Norcross (.312 BA/34 HR/98 RBI/116 R/63 SB), LF Cecil Clark (.292 BA/29 HR/81 RBI/111 R/22 SB), 1B Allie Ludlow (.266 BA/25 HR/105 RBI) and 3B Lowell Satterwhite (.285 BA/20 HR/71 RBI) Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-22-2009 at 12:09 AM.

06-21-2009, 10:48 PM	#1037
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 8, 2004 Midway Ranked Near Bottom Of TU East Not much to say about the Midway Wolves of the Tycobbian Union East. They were 76-78 in 2002 and ended up sixth behind the co-champs South Fork and High Mesa, 11 games off the pace. Last year the Wolves slipped slightly to 71-83 and seventh place, trailing the flag winner Red Bluff by 14 games. It could be worse this season for manager Cochise Chandler. This year the baseball experts are forecasting a fall even further to last place. Midway just doesn't hit well. They are fortunate to play in one of the bigger ballparks, so it is tough for the visiting teams to hit at Joe Wolf Stadium, too. Chandler is tailoring his ballclub for defense and pitching this season. He told BNN, "We have several pitchers that blossomed in the second half of the season last year. Calder, Carper and Millham look like solid starters in their second year along with our top guy Mac Chaney. We also have two rookie pitchers on our roster that could make an impact, especially our new closer, Joe Eckermann. There are a lot of unknowns, but we think we will be a better team this season. SS Tory Bidwell gives us better defense and better offense than a year ago. He can also go deep occasionally. We are going to have manufacture runs more than ever as our only two power hitters will be platooned in left field, sacrificing a lot of power, but gaining defense. We'll find out if pitching and defense can win in the IPA." Best Pitchers: Mac Chaney (16-12 3.53), Felix Calder (2-2 2.41), C. J. Carper (7-1 2.15) and Brook Millham (5-5 2.92) Best Batters: All-Star CF Johnny Gillespie (.295 BA/15 HR/85 RBI/92 R/26 SB), 3B Tommy Kawatoose (.281 BA/16 HR/69 RBI/69 R/32 SB) and 2B Little Johnny Yuma (.297 BA/8 HR/52 R/89 R/17 SB) Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-21-2009 at 10:51 PM.

06-22-2009, 12:07 AM	#1038
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 8, 2004 Strong Pitching Puts North Hills Into Playoff Contention In TU North The North Hills Hawks flopped badly in its first IPA season, ending up with a 65-89 record and 21 games out from the pennant-winning Oxford Red Caps. But the Hawks manager Hub Carlson, the great portsider of the industrial leagues, built on it in season two and came within three games of a playoff spot. North Hills chalked up a fifth-place spot in the TU North and wound up with a 79-75 mark, 9 games back of the first place Hartsdale Hellcats. Carlson is setting his sights higher in 2004, but he knows he has a tough row to hoe battling against such talented teams as Hartsdale, Oxford, Fairfax, and Luxora. Even the Blue Lake Blue Sox and White River Rascals will be challenging for a playoff spot. North Hills certainly turned it around last season, however a lack of firepower keeps them from moving up into the upper echelon of the division. The Hawks were selected fifth in this year's preseason BNN baseball poll with the voters citing a severe shortage of home runs as their main shortcoming. North Hills hit only 97 roundtrippers in 2003, while the teams in front of them in the standings hit 129 or more. North Hills has stood pat in the off-season, signing only one player, first baseman Terry Sauer, who has some pop in his bat and can handle the glove well. Sauer is the only rookie to make the club this year. Carlson assessed his club this way, "We've got real good chemistry on this club and three fine starters in Clinkscales, Dewberry and Jackson. I like my chances with this year's team." Best Pitchers: LHP Leland Clinkscales (16-7 2.65), Ben Dewberry (15-14 2.91) and LHP Jaybird Jackson (15-13 3.64) Best Hitters: CF Roy Stainbrook (.287 BA/26 HR/89 RBI/84 R/18 SB), LF Kevin Schmidt (.271 BA/19 HR/80 RBI/80 R), 2B Jimmy Ryland (.282 BA/19 HR/55 RBI/91 R/21 SB), 3B Russell Beal (.299 BA/8 HR/88 RBI) and RF Trent Gilbert (.299 BA/7 Hr/84 RI/81 R/14 SB) Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-22-2009 at 01:36 PM.

06-22-2009, 02:52 PM	#1039
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 8, 2004 Oxford Ready To Win It All In 2004 Campy Roy's Oxford Red Caps are one of the prime and most potent teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Red Caps have reached the Final 4 the last two years, only to lose to the eventual Pro Cup champions, the High Mesa Cowboys and Turon Typhoons. Now it's time to go all the way and win it all. In the BNN preseason poll, Oxford is the favorite to take the TU North regular season crown. But that's a tall order given the overall strength of the division. Top to bottom there are no weak sisters in it. Roy's Red Caps have it all - excellent hitting, standout pitching and good defense. They are set at all positions and only added one new player, rookie outfielder Spunky Tolliver. The newcomer is a fine defensive outfielder, but a light hitter. Tolliver will be a defensive replacement and available to give the regular fly chasers occasional rest. Top Pitchers: All-Star Dan Phillips (23-10 3.36), LHP Boomer Belinsky (20-13 2.41), Nicky Nicholson (16-14 2.83) and closer LHP Emerson Cannell (5-5 2.68) Top Hitters: 3B Joe Courtney (.342 BA/47 Hr/122 RBI/127 R), CF Ike Plunkett (.314 BA/36 HR/115 RBI/119 R/20 SB), LF Mack Spencer (.272 BA/33 HR/92 RBI), C Brad Earp/.277 BA/21 HR/72 RBI), RF Dante Vander Meer (.268 BA/17 HR/60 RBI) in 100 games Last edited by Eugene Church; 06-22-2009 at 02:54 PM.

06-22-2009, 05:42 PM	#1040
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,092 Blog Entries: 1	The Islandian Times March 9, 2004 Ozarka Could Be Playoff Team Again in TU East The Ozarka Naturals are not as good as the top teams in the TU East, but they are better than the bottom teams. The Nats under skipper Joe Mac Carney have finished fifth twice with 70-80 and 77-78 marks, while last season they managed to break .500 with a 78-76 record and made the Pro Cup playoffs for the first time in franchise history. In the First Round of the playoffs the Nats were eliminated by the TU East titlists, Red Bluff. In the preseason polls Ozarka is usually rated fourth or fifth. The Naturals are about even with the South Fork Stallions and will have to beat them out for the last playoff position like they did last year. Ozarka edged out the Stallions by one game on the last day of the regular season. Carney's club has improved over the winter with the addition of a quality pitcher in righthander Karl Kleinert and a power-hitting, good-fielding 3B Nathan Ferrell, both rookies. Kleinert will get a shot at the #4 starter slot, while Ferrell will split time with last year's regular Ray Robinson. An outstanding gloveman, switch-hitting Gil Lantz, is back at second base after being released in 2002 for poor hitting. Lantz will be the fulltime second sacker. Best Pitchers: Pat Schwartz (22-9 3.54) and closer Dayle Claypoole (6-2 2.16) with 6 saves in 36 games. Best Batters: Gold Glove CF Kermit Wiggins (.342 BA/3 HR/67 RBI/107 R/71 SB), SS Duffy Douglas (.290 BA/13 HR/90 RBI/88 R/18 SB)