ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Friday, May 18, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

West Division

Frogs Win Thriller with Lynx
The Fairfax Frogs had a lot to croak about at Capitol Park Stadium in La Claire. They won the game 8-6 and also have moved within a half-game of the Lynx in the TBU West race. With the score tied 6-6 in the top of the eighth, second baseman Greg Inman (.269) doubled, catcher Marv McCoy (.315) tripled him in to take a 7-6 lead and center fielder Billy Echevarria (.261) added an insurance run with an RBI single. The Frogs laced 11 hits a well-balanced attack. Five players had two hits apiece and six of them had at least one RBI. Echevarria and third baseman Stan Cobb (.387) each drove in two runs and had two hits. Echevarria homered and doubled, while Cobb had a double and a single. La Claire cracked 10 hits and were led by shortstop Dirk Lindahl (.230), who plastered two roundtrippers and drove in three runs. Center fielder Lucky Collins (.304) helped out with 3 hits in 5 tries.
Takehide Takahashi (2-1) nabbed the win even though he gave up a run and three hits in his 2+ innings. Closer Monoto Kishata (1-1) worked one inning and took the loss. He was tagged for two runs and two hits in the eighth.

Fairfax (16-12) is now challenging La Claire (17-12) and Bayview (17-13) for the TBU West lead.

Smith Tosses 4-hitter, Beats Bayview
34-year old Craig Smith limited Bayview to four measly singles in Arlon's 6-1 win at Downtown Plaza Park, spoiling the Vikings chance to take over the top spot in the TBU West. Smith (4-2) was in command as he struck out 5 and walked three. The Champs were hitting well, too. They socked 12 hits off three Viking hurlers and tied an IPA mark for the most triples in a game with three. Belair Beach hit three against Waleska on May 4th. First baseman George Lyons (.255) led the charge with three hits and three RBIs, including one of the triples. Frank Wells (4-1) lost for the first time this season as Arlon slapped him around for nine hits and four runs before he departed in the seventh. But only two of them were earned.

Bayview (17-13) is in the third spot in the division and trail the leader, La Claire (17-12), by a half-game. Fairfax (16-12) currently has second place by a few percentage points over the Viks. Arlon is fourth with a 14-15 record and tied with Blue Lake (14-15).

Sox Sink Bucs 6-5 in 14
The Blue Lake Blue Sox made the home crowd happy at Harbor Stadium with a come-from-behind 6-5 victory. They were down a run in the ninth and tied it 3-3. Then in the fourteenth they were down 5-3. This time the Blue Sox won it. Second baseman Dandy Wilson's (.240) two-run double made a loser out of Norm Gross (4-3) and made a winner out of Derek Manetti (3-0), who got the last out in the top of the fourteenth.
Blue Lake had 15 hits in the game and were paced by shortstop Cy Orgeron (.291) with three hits and Fred Taranto (.318) with two hits and two RBIs. Shoichi Tanaka (.265) netted three hits in five tries and two runs scored for the Buccaneers and first baseman Maury Smith (.333) pounded his 3rd homer of the year.

Blue Lake (14-15) and Arlon (14-15) are in a dead heat for fourth place in the TBU West. Bay St. Clair (9-20) is wallowing in last.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 19, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North Division

FM Nips Colfax 3-2
Far Mountain skipper Alex Groveland got another quality start from Sonny Elliott. The 29-year-old righthander defeated the Colfax Blasters 3-2. Elliott (4-3 2.62) struck out 7 and walked 3, while giving up 9 hits. In a losing effort Harry Manning (4-2 3.27) went eight innings, allowed three runs, six hits, fanned five and walked two. Right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.279) batted in the winning run in the sixth with a sacrifice fly. Pat Lott (.266) drove in both of the Blasters runs.

Colfax (17-12) is in first place in the RBU North. The Redhawks (14-16) tied for fourth place with Elnora (14-16).

Vigilantes Wipe Out Vipers in 10th
In the first game of a doubleheader, the Volusia Vigilantes exploded for three runs in the tenth to subdue the Valmara Vipers 6-3. The V's teed off on loser Zarek Zalewski (5-2 1.41)), the Vipers ace starter, who was working in relief. It was their third successive victory. Second baseman Chaco Rivera (,275) doubled in the tiebreaker, Scooter Perez (.360) added an RBI-double and Alex Luna (.303) an RBI-single before the inning was over. Closer Ricky Moreno (3-0 1.84) got a reprieve -- he had blown the save in the eighth -- and gained the win. He gave up one run in three innings and fanned four. It was Zalewski's second relief appearance for Valmara. He got a save the first time around, but not his time.

Valmara missed a golden opportunity to move into a first place tie in the RBU North Division. They are still one game behind the Colfax Blasters (17-12). Volusia (13-17) is last in the division.

4 In a Row for Volusia
Volusia swept the twinbill and captured their fourth straight from Valmara. They shellacked the Vipers 8-4 as lefty Raul Sandoval won his fourth game of the season. He was helped by 13 hits. The Vigilantes were paced by third baseman Bennie Anderson (.270) with two hits and three RBIs, including his 2nd homer. Catcher Jorge Rosado (.450) and right fielder Dan Rogers (.233) drove in two runs apiece. Rogers did it with a roundtripper. Sandoval (4-3 2.58) was tagged for 11 hits, but only four runs.

The Vipers (16-14) are now 1.5 games behind the Colfax Blasters (17-12) in the RBU North race. Volusia improved to 14-17, but is still in last place.

A's Take Third in RBU North
Glasco scored five big runs in the second inning on the way to a 6-4 triumph over the Elnora All-Stars. They got rid of John Tinker (3-3 4.50) in quick fashion. The Athletics spanked a dozen base hits around State Fair Park. Sparking Glasco was catcher Nick O'Neil (.286) with two RBIs and third baseman Rick Adkins (.244) with three hits. Left fielder Quincy Peterson led the All-Stars with a perfect 4-for-4 day. Elnora had 11 hits for the day. Starter Kenny Metcalf (3-1) collected the win, but needed Ray Cook to close it out. Metcalf (3-1 4.63) chalked up six innings and permitted four runs, ten hits, three walks and seven strikeouts. Cook allowed only one hit in the last three innings for his second save.

Glasco evened their season mark at 14-14 and sit 2.5 games off the pace in third place, while Elnora (14-16) is tied with Farm Mountain (14-16) for the fourth spot in the RBU North standings.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 19, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

South Division

Ledbetter Lifts Marston to First
Everything went right for the Marston Nine in the 10-0 rout of the Claxton Diamonds. Casey Ledbetter (5-1 3.69) hurled a three-hit shutout and his teammates lit up Claxton pitching for 15 hits. And to make things even better, Sugar Valley split with Waleska and that made the Nine first in the RBU South Division.
Marston manager, Johnny Walters, said, "My boys made it easy for me today. I could just sit back and enjoy it."
Ledbetter had four strikeouts and walked none in an outstanding outing. The hitters had a great day, too. Shortstop Lenny Torricelli (.302), left fielder Ronnie Horn (.287) and right fielder Chris Deangelo (.309) all slammed three hits. Deangelo tied the IPA record for most doubles in a game with three. Jerry Keller of Arlon set the mark on May 6th. Zach Nuxhall (1-2 4.50) took the loss and the brunt of the Nine attack. Marston assaulted him for seven runs and eight hits. The Diamonds committed four errors. Only three of the runs were earned. Nuxhall departed for the showers in the sixth inning.

Marston (17-13) is now in the top spot in the South Division, a half-game in front of the Sugar Valley Rattlers (16-13). Claxton (11-19) is last and trails by six games.

Rattlers Whip Westerners in 10
Trailing 6-1 in the opening game of a twinbill, Waleska stunned Sugar Valley with a five-run ninth-inng rally, but the Rattlers recovered and rebounded in overtime to edge the Westerners 8-6. In the tenth second sacker Timmy Bell (.265) and left fielder Paul Winston (.220) had RBI-singles to spark the victory. Closer Gregg Neal (2-2 1.66) had a rough ninth, but settled down and put Waleska away in the tenth. Bullpen specialist Buddy Kennedy (1-1 1.26) didn't do his job this time out and got tagged with the loss. Sugar Valley rapped out 12 hits and were led by third baseman Jorge Vargas (.343) and first baseman Ken Arnold (.289), both were 2-for-5 with two RBIs. Each one homered. The Westerners collected 11 hits and were paced by right fielder Charley Williamson (.301) with three hits and left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.293) had two RBIs.

Hill's Walk-Off Triple Wins It For Westerners
Waleska stunned Sugar Valley in the ninth inning in both games -- but they only managed to split with the Rattlers today at Westerner Field. A walk-off triple off the bat of catcher Jordy Hill (.180) gave the Westerners the victory 3-2 in the nightcap. But it took a three-run rally in the last of the ninth to do it. Rattler starter Tony Michelet had a 2-0 shutout until left fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.301) tied it up with a last-minute two-run homer. Michelet (3-3 4.65) surrendered seven hits overall, fanned six and walked two. Waleska's Marv Chancellor tossed a fine game. He went eight innings and struck out ten, while yielding eight hits and a pair of runs. However, Jack Wagner (2-0) got credit for the win with a scoreless ninth. Catcher Slingshot McFall (.382) went 4-for-4 for Sugar Valley and right fielder Karl Dietz (.300) was 3-for-4. McFall had a solo roundtripper.

The second-game defeat cost the Rattlers (16-13) the top spot in the RBU South as Marston (17-13) took over first by a half-game. Waleska (16-15) is in the third spot in the standings and trails by 1.5 games.

Garrett and Sunbirds Blank 'Jacks
The third place Belair Beach Sunbirds have won their last three games. Dirk Garrett weaved his magic well as he shut out the Forest City Lumberjacks 6-0 at Riverside Stadium. Garrett (3-5 4.50) stopped the 'Jacks on just five hits. He walked three and whiffed two in an impressive stint. The Sunbird batters put up 10 hits and were led by third baseman Rick Sullivan (.297), who had two hits, including a three-run double. First sacker Nickie Gulino (.195) was 1-for-3 and drove in two runs. Losing pitcher Buddy Huchinson (2-5 3.79) didn't last long against Belair Beach. He exited after allowing six runs on seven hits in just two innings.

"I felt strong the entire game," Garrett said. "I felt like I had my good stuff. It was just one of those games when everything was working."

The Sunbirds (16-14) are right on the tails of the top two clubs in the RBU South, Marston (17-13) and Sugar Valley (16-13). Forest City (14-16) is in the fifth spot in the division.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 19, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

East Division

Cunningham's 3-Run HR Wins It for Nats
In the first game of a doubleheader, third baseman Doug Cunningham (.259) belted a three-run homer in the eighth inning and made Ozarka a 4-3 winner over South Fork. Up until then, Ken Olson (1-3 2.42) had everything his way and was breezing along with a 3-1 lead. The comeback victory was the Naturals 5th straight over the Stallions. The winning pitcher was Yasuyuki Nakagawa (4-1 1.23), who hurled eight innings, gave up nine hits and three runs. He fanned five and walked two. Reliever Alec DiMaggio (3-0 1.50) got his first save of the season with a runless ninth, although his two walks made it more interesting than the hometown fans or manager Joe Mac Carney wanted.

Ozarka (19-10) is the top team in the TBU East Division and South Fork (10-20) is in last place.

Stallions End Nats 5-Game Win Streak
In the second game, South Fork got a late-inning homer to top first place Ozarka 2-1 and end their win streak at five. Third baseman Glenn Holliday (.239) poled a two-run shot in the top of the ninth for the victory. Loser Luther Hatch (5-2 2.84) was on the verge of his sixth win, when he served up the game-winner. He allowed only six hits and fanned four. Reliever Ken Conner (1-1 3.72) was the winner and worked two exceptional innings. He face six batters and struck four of them out. Stallion starter Flint Battle performed well, too. He pitched seven innings and limited the Nats to just four hits before he left for a pinchhitter. Third baseman Doug Cunningham (.268) got another home run in the nightcap. It was his 13th of the year, second to Fairfax's Gregg Vincent, who has hit 15 so far.

Splitting the twinbill gave Ozarka a 19-11 mark, while last place South Fork moved to 10-20.

Nakayama Knocks Off Zorros 7-2
Kazuhiro Nakayama stopped Luxora 7-2 today at Ninja Stadium in Ginza. Nakayama (3-4 2.87), a 5'6" righthanded stylist, held the Z's to six hits to garner his third win this year. The Ninjas rapped out 12 hits and were led by shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.282), who had two hits and two RBIs, including a home run. Catcher Howard Mitchell (.217) also drove in a pair of runs. Taking the loss for Luxora was starter Chris Pierce (3-1 2.12). He was hurt by faulty defense and allowed six runs and seven hits, but only two earned runs. He was relieved in the fifth inning.

Luxora (15-13) is second in the TBU East standings, three games out of first, while Ginza (14-15) is in a fourth place tie with Hartsdale (14-15).

Griffin Strikes Out 11 'Canes
Young 22-year-old Danny Griffin of the Hartsdale Hellcats gave Cape Coral fits today as Seaside Stadium. Griffin (4-4 2.58) fired a third strike past 11 Hurricanes on the way to a 3-0 shutout. He tired in the ninth and needed the help of Gene Young (1-0 2.61) for the final three outs. It was Young's 5th save. Offensively second baseman Francisco Abreu (.245) went 1-for-3 with an RBI double and a sac fly. Third baseman Whiz Weaver's (.284) 7th roundtripper accounted for the other run.
Kaz Hayakawa (3-3) suffered the loss. He tossed seven innings and yielded six hits and two runs.

Cape Coral (15-14) is in third place, 3.5 games behind the Ozarka Naturals (19-11). Hartsdale (14-15) is tied for fourth with the Ginza Ninjas (14-15).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Saturday, May 19, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

West Division

Frogs Bomb Lynx 7-3, Now in First Place
In the opening game of the doublehearder, the Fairfax bats were smoking today at Capitol Park Stadium in La Claire. The Frogs scorched the Lynx 7-3, belting four homers and five doubles among their 13 hits. They hit three roundtrippers back-to-back-to-back in the fourth inning. Right fielder Gregg Vincent (.306), left fielder Gator Brown (.275) and second baseman Vince Cooper (.118) all went downtown. First baseman Ernie Hutchinson (.316) had already hit one in the opening frame. Big Jack Leslie (5-2 4.31) went the distance and shut out La Claire on one hit for the first eight innings, but faltered in the ninth and allowed three runs. Leslie gave up five hits in all. Jerry Smith (4-3 4.30) was the losing pitcher as he was racked for six runs and eight hits before he left in the fifth inning.

Fairfax (17-12) took over first place in the TBU West with the win, while La Claire fell to second place (17-13), a half-game behind.

Frogs Sweep Lynx
Skipper Harry Buckley was beaming ear-to-ear as his Fairfax Frogs took a twinbill from the La Claire Lynx, winning the nightcap 8-5. Fairfax piled up 12 hits and were sparked by left fielder Gator Davis (.292), who went 3-for-5, scored twice and had two RBIs, second baseman Greg Inman (.275) with two doubles and right fielder Gregg Vincent (.302) with his 17th home run of the campaign. Left fielder Rich Hart (.283) had a two-run homer for the Lynx, his 8th, and first baseman Dominick Valmont (.217) got his 2nd, a three-run bomb. Righthander Robby Meredith (4-0 2.85) went the route, allowed nine hits and five runs with three Ks and two BBs. Nickie Baumgartner (2-5 4.83) was dealt the defeat. He was tagged for four runs and five hits in three innings.

Fairfax (18-12) took four-out-of-five from La Claire (17-14) and is now King of the Hill in the TBU West Division. The Lynx are in third and trail by 1.5 games.

Viks 4-3 Over Champs, Move Up to 2nd
Bayview's Mike Jardoin held Arlon down for eight innings and closer Buzzy Lewis finished them off in a 4-3 squeaker. Jardoin (2-2 6.64) struck out 11 and gave up three runs on five hits for the win. Lewis (0-1 3.66) was credited with his IPA-leading 8th save. The Vikings ran up a 4-0 lead after five and then held on. Ray Hunt lost it for the Champions, allowing four runs and six hits along with five walks in six innings. Two errors cost Arlon a pair of runs. The Champs shortstop Bama Hartley (.256) had the only home run in the game.

The Vikings (18-13) are in second place in the TBU West, just a half-game out of first. Arlon (14-16) is in the fifth spot in the division.

Bucs Bang Blue Sox 9-5
Bay St. Clair came on with a bang and rapped out 13 hits to whip Blue Lake 9-5 at Harbor Stadium today with first baseman Maury Smith (.336) leading the way with a grand slammer. Shortstop Chuck Hankins (.411) and pitcher Sean Lawrence (.333) also chipped in 2 RBIs each. Hankins got his with a home run. Lawrence (1-3) picked up his first win of the season with a complete game. He surrendered eight hits and five runs. The Blue Sox scored three in the ninth to make it look closer than it really was. Catcher Curly Harris (.198) hit a two-run shot in the inning.

Blue Lake (14-16) is now tied with Arlon (14-16) for the fourth spot in the division, while the Buccaneers (10-20) are in the cellar.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Times

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Belair Beach Sunbirds

Owner: Jorge Trujillo

GM/Manager: Marty Pedrosa

Belair Beach is a cosmopolitan resort town of 121,000 with both English and Portuguese officially spoken. It is a bilingual town. A mostly modern, thriving and exciting place to visit or to retire in. It is situated on the Green River delta, where that majestic and vital waterway, that begins in the north in the Appian Mountains near Far Mountain, runs the length of the country and finally empties into Belair Bay on the southwestern coast of Ruthlandia.

Originally settled by the Portuguese, later the Dutch and English, it was the first permanent settlement in the country. Primarily a port with shipping interests, shipbuilding, fishing, seafood processing as well as resort industries. An ideal tropical climate with miles and miles of white sandy beaches and the sparkling turquoise waters of Belair Bay and the Southern Sea make this a vacation paradise.

Luxurious hotels spring up amid the old Gaslight Quarter, where days of yesteryear come alive again as old-fashioned gas lamps glow along the wide brick walkways illuminating charming sidewalk cafes and coffeehouses. It is an entertainment district with a truly eclectic blend of food, fun and culture. Belair Beach is home to a plethora of museums and cultural events. It has the largest zoo and wildlife preserve in Ruthlandia and the Islands with some of the world's rarest animals, including giant pandas and koala bears.

It is also the home of the Belair Beach Sunbirds, named for the many tourists that vacation here year round . The Sunbirds play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the South Division. They play their home games at modernistic Bayside Park, which looks out over the placid and peaceful harbor area. Ballpark concessions include the traditional hot dogs and cokes, but also the wonderful Portuguese dish of paella, a seafood casserole and exotic cocktail concoctions to go with the tapas, Spanish hors d'oeuvres or appetizers. The Belair Beach management really pampers the hometown fans and the tourists.

The Sunbirds baseball team is owned by baseball aficionado and millionaire, Jorge Trujillo. Years ago his great grandfather was a Central American dictator, who loved his baseball and imported many U. S. players to play for his handpicked team. The Trujillos have been in exile for quite some time now. Trujillo helped finance the Islandian Pro Alliance with his friend, Jock Ewing of Waleska and some of his wealthy acquaintances. They were prime movers in getting the first pro league in the Islands on its feet.

The Belair Beach Sunbirds are directed by GM and Manager Marty Pedrosa, a famous fastballing righthander, who starred in the industrial leagues.

Bayside Park (1995)

Capacity: 12,040

LF Line 330
LF 365
LCF 375
CF 408
RCF 375
RF 365
RF Line 330

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Times

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Claxton Diamonds

Owner: DeBeers Mining Company

GM/Manager: Stacy Engel

Claxton is a company town, a mining town of 107,000 in the southwestern foothills of the Silver Mountains, famous for its very high quality diamond industry. DeBeers, the world's largest diamond company, has a branch in Ruthlandia, where the ultimate diamonds are mined, cut, polished and processed, then distributed to the four corners of the world.

Claxton Diamonds are very much in demand worldwide because of their very fine quality. Gold and silver mining is also a vital part of the town's and Ruthlandia's economy. Claxton is a hardworking, blue collar town, who really love their baseball team, the Claxton Diamonds.

The club is owned by DeBeers and play their games at gorgeous Avalon Stadium, built by DeBeers as a showcase stadium, complete with a scenic view of the Silver Mountains. The Avalon Casino is located in center field and is one of the most popular in the Islands. World famous entertainers appear regularly there.

DeBeers sponsors a "Lucky Diamond" sign on the right side of the left field scoreboard. DeBeers starts off each season with diamonds worth $1000 in the pot and increases it by $1000 each game, until someone wins it. Whenever a Claxton batter hits that sign, the player wins whatever is in the Diamond Jackpot and a lucky fan is also a jackpot winner, too. The lucky fan is chosen by the lucky scorecard number. During the seventh-inning stretch it is a Diamonds' tradition for the ladies at the game to sing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". Afterwards everybody joins in for "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". At the concession stands you can feast on hot dogs, hamburgers, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks.

The Claxton Diamonds are run by longtime baseball man, Stacy Engel, who is both GM and Manager. The Diamonds are in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union and play in the South Division.

Avalon Stadium (1990)

Capacity: 10,500

Dimensions:

LF LINE 325
LF 350
LC 390
CF 399
RC 365
RF 355
RF LINE 320

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

North Division

Blasters Break V's Win Streak
The Colfax Blasters put an end to Volusia's four-game winning streak with a 5-3 decision at Silver River Stadium. Colfax belted out 12 hits to back up Flash Guidry's (4-3 2.48) pitching. He fanned five, walked two and allowed nine hits and three runs to get his fourth victory of the season. Guidry (.208) even had a single and a double with an RBI. First baseman Dennis Cole (.313) and catcher Jeff Cook (.222) each contributed two hits and an RBI. Lenny Collins (2-2 4.28) was the losing pitcher as he gave up four runs and nine hits in seven innings.

First place Colfax (18-12) is 2.5 games ahead of second place Glasco (15-14) and third place Valmara (16-15) in the RBU North race. The Vigilantes (14-18) are last in the division.

A's Darby Whips Vipers 6-1
The Glasco Athletics took advantage of a tired Valmara pitching staff and whipped the Vipers 6-1. Valmara has dropped five consecutive games. Manager J. Jackson Samuel had to go to his relief corps to get a rested pitcher. 20-year-old Ted Farentino got the start and gave the Viper staff some much-needed rest, despite losing the game. Farentino (0-2 16.20) went six innings and surrendered eight hits and four runs. Skipper McDuffie Hughes on the other hand had a very rested Charles Darby and he went the distance. He gave up a lot of hits -- 11 -- but the 21-year-old lefty stranded most of them, yielding only one run. Darby (4-2 1.95) totaled three walks and four strikeouts. Shortstop Zach Byorvik (.223) paced the A's at bat with 3-for-4. He had two doubles and a homer with a pair of RBIs. Second baseman Barry McCord (.254) and third baseman Rick Adkins (.245) also homered.

Valmara (16-15) fell 2.5 games off the pace of first place Colfax (18-12). The Glasco Athletics (15-14) have moved up to second place, percentage points in front of the third place Vipers.

Redhawks Edge Elnora 5-4 in Opener
In the opening game of a doubleheader, Far Mountain rallied twice in the late innings to edge the Elnora All-Stars 5-4 at Sky High Stadium. The Redhawk heroes were right fielder Tommy Sonnier (.270), who tied it up at 3-all in the eighth with a sac fly and center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.258), who won it with a two-run single in the bottom of the ninth. Doc Rutledge (4-1 2.38) pitched the last two innings and struck out four, but gave up a roundtripper to right fielder Art Atkins (.364) in the top of the inning that put Elnora up 4-3. Gallagher saved the day for Rutledge, who got the victory. The loss was pinned on John Tinker (3-4 4.58), who came on in relief in the ninth. Both clubs had 10 hits. The All-Stars hammered three homers in a losing cause. Left fielder Quincy Peterson (.292) belted a two-run shot in the third, starting pitcher Ted Gray (.188) had a solo home run in the sixth and Atkins hit one in the ninth.

Far Mountain (15-16) is in fourth place in the RBU North, while Elnora (14-17) fell to fifth.

FM Take Twinbill from All-Stars
The Far Mountain Redhawks won a doubleheader from the Elnora All-Stars. They won the nightcap 3-2 the same way they took the opener, by scoring in the late innings. The Redhawks trailed 2-0 until the sixth, when they tied it up on first baseman Royce Benson's (.309) RBI single and catcher Dave Davis' (.292) sacrifice fly . First baseman Will Jackson (.242) had put the All-Stars ahead in the second with a two-run homer. Then in the last of the eighth left fielder Gerald Davis' (.295) bases-loaded single decided the game. Mike McCabe (1-1 1.17) worked four fine innings for the win. He gave up only two hits in four innings. Each team totaled seven hits as both starters performed well, but had to leave early due to a rain delay. Carl Costas hurled the first five innings and blanked the Redhawks on two hits with four strikeouts. John Luzzatti allowed two runs and five hits in five innings with six Ks. Alonzo Herrera (0-2 8.79) received the loss. He came on in the seventh and departed in the ill-fated eighth, when he gave up two walks and a single to load the bases.

Far Mountain (16-16) improved their season mark to .500 with their third win in a row and is in the fourth spot in the standings, three games off the pace of first place Colfax (18-12). Elnora (14-18) fell down into the basement, now tied with Volusia (14-18).

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Ruthlandian Baseball Union

South Division

Benson Fans 13 for Rattlers
In the opening game of a big series between the top two clubs in the RBU South, the Marston Nine ran into a buzzsaw by the name of Ron Benson. The 25-year-old Sugar Valley righthander dominated with 13 strikeouts in the 4-2 victory at Farmers Memorial Park. The win moved Sugar Valley into the top spot in the division by a half-game over Marston.

The IPA record for most strikeouts is held by Flash Guidry of Colfax. He fanned 14 Glasco hitters on May 12th. Benson (5-2 2.14) held the Nine to just 5 hits and walked only one in a sensational performance, while the Rattlers smacked out 10 hits. Shortstop Flipper Bird (.283) doubled, tripled and drove in three runs. Nick Pace (5-4 4.31) got the loss. Sugar Valley peppered him for four runs and nine hits before he was relieved in the seventh.

The Rattlers (17-13) are now first in the RBU South, whlle Marston (17-14) dipped to second place, tied with Belair Beach (17-14).

BB Bombs Waleska 14-9
Winning for the fourth time in a row, the Belair Beach Sunbirds put on a hitting clinic at Bayside Park to the delight of the hometown fans and are now tied for the second spot in the RBU South with Marston. They pounded out 18 hits to bomb Waleska 14-9 with third baseman Rick Sullivan (.311) driving in six runs and catcher Denny Everhart (.270) knocking in four. Everhart and left fielder Nicky Swift (.345) unloaded homers. Everhart hit a three-run shot, his 5th of the year. Swift got his 13th, a solo job. He leads the RBU in home runs. The Westerners came back from a 7-2 deficit and took over the lead 9-8 in the eighth, but the Sunbirds tallied six in the bottom of the inning to cinch it. The pitching was negligible, but Lou Zanelli (4-0 0.48) got credit for the win and Buddy Kennedy (1-2 4.70) got the loss. Waleska had some offense, too. Third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.260) drove in four runs with his 6th and 7th roundtrippers.

Marty Pedrosa's Sunbirds (17-14) continued to play well and now are just a half-game out of first place. The Westerners (16-16) are in fourth.

Lumberjacks Jolt Diamonds
It was a good all-around performance by manager Rob Jackson's Forest City Lumberjacks in the first game of a doubleheader. They clubbed the Claxton Diamonds 8-3 at Avalon Stadium with good hitting and good pitching and put a stop to a three-game losing skein. The 'Jacks unloaded 13 base hits, led by second baseman Jesse Wolf's (.311) two home runs and four RBIs. That gives him 10 for the season.

Jackson went to the pen and gave Herm Bahr the start after he had worked in 11 relief appearances. Bahr (3-3 2.48) went seven innings and gave up 13 hits, but only two runs. He fanned five and walked only one. Chris Gallagher (0-4 3.66) lost it for Claxton. He was shelled for four runs and eight hits in four innings.

The Lumberjacks are now 15-16 this year, while the Diamonds are 11-20 and in last place.

'Jacks Whack Clax Twice
Forest City bombarded Claxton 9-4 in game two to sweep the twinbill. Lumberjack hitters came alive with six runs in the last two innings to subdue the Diamonds. They were spearheaded by third baseman Ricky Mitchell (.227), left fielder Chuck Hill (.364), second baseman Jesse Wolf (.307) and right fielder Bennie Davis (.236) with two RBIs each. Forest City rapped out 13 hits in all. Glenn Moore and closer Timmy Brooks teamed up to win it. Moore (3-0 2.41) worked seven innings, permitted nine hits and four runs for the win, while Brooks (1-2 1.72) picked up his 2nd save with two perfect innings and three strikeouts. Dennis Scott (1-4 4.43) absorbed the loss as he was battered for eight runs and eleven hits. He headed for the shower in the ninth behind 8-4.

The Lumberjacks (16-16) are now tied for the fourth spot in the RBU South with the Waleska Westerners (16-16), but only two games out of first place. Claxton (11-21) is in the basement.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Tycobbiian Baseball Union

East Division

Callahan Hurls 2-Hitter, 11 Ks
Luxora's Keith Callahan pitched his third straight superb game. This time he tossed a two-hitter against the number one team in the TBU East. Callahan (4-2 2.05) blazed it past the Ozarka Naturals and rang up 11 strikeouts in the 12-1 slaughter. Center fielder Ryan Patterson's sixth-inning single (.224) and first baseman Fred Snow's (.255) seventh-inning homer were the only hits the Nats got off the 20-year-old wunderkind. This was really the Zorros day. They stroked 15 hits in the runaway, led by catcher Eric Richter (.352) with 3-for-4 and three RBIs and third baseman Rico Vina (.280) with 2-for-4. Vina belted a two-run homer and second baseman Paco Benitez (.263) hit a solo shot. A five-run first got the Z's off and running and the seven-run eighth finished it off. The losing pitcher Tony Didriksen (4-2) didn't even get out of the first inning.

Ozarka (19-12) is two games ahead of second place Luxora (16-13).

Hurricanes Blow Away Stallions 9-7
The Cape Coral Hurricanes blew South Fork away 9-0 in the first seven frames, then had to hold on for dear life as the Stallions surged back for 7 runs in the eighth. But South Fork came up short 9-7. Cape Coral's 12-hit attack was paced by first baseman Rodger Wooten (.284) with three hits in four at-bats, second baseman Andy Anderson (.278) with three hits in five tries, center fielder James Middleton (.354) two hits in four tries and shortstop Bobo Hatfield (.276) with two hits in six at-bats. The Stallions comeback charge was spurred by catcher Darryl Burnett (.234) with 3-for-4, including a 3-run homer and center fielder Mike Yastrzemski (.283) with 3-for-5.

Wally Robinson (6-2 2.78) started for the 'Canes and got credit for his 6th victory, the most in the IPA this season. He was the victim of the South Fork seven-run uprising and had to be relieved in the eighth by Scotty Lohmeyer (0-1 2.16), who got his first save. Starter Jerry Harrison (1-3 4.85) sustained the loss, giving up six runs in three innings.

Cape Coral (16-14) broke a two-game losing streak and is in third place in the TBU East standings. The Hurricanes are 2.5 games out of first place. South Fork (11-21) had won its last two and is last in the division.

Ninjas Nip Hellcats 3-2
The Ginza Ninjas have won three games in succession. Vic Rousakis halted Hartsdale 3-2 at Pioneer Park in the opener of a twinbill. Rousakis (3-4 3.35) fired a four-hitter, fanned five and walked two in a strong outing. The Ninjas trailed 2-1 until the seventh, when they scored twice. First baseman Kenshin Yamamoto's (.262) solo roundtripper accounted for Ginza first run. Third baseman Toshiro Nomura (.294) tied it up with a double and Rousakis (.250) won his own game with a single. Shortstop Mike Burke (.324) homered in the secord for both Hellcat runs. The defeat went to Glenn Mann (2-5 3.47), who struck out seven, walked nobody and allowed three runs and seven hits in eight innings.

Record-wise Ginza is 15-15 and Hartsdale is 14-16.

Ninjas Take Pair from Hellcats
The Ginza Ninjas won their fourth straight game and took the twinbill from Hartsdale, taking the nightcap 6-4 on ninth-inning homers by center fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.264) and first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.268). Reliever Jackie Bond (0-1 3.32) gave them up and caught the loss. The winning pitcher was closer Ken Watkins (2-1 2.70), who worked two scoreless innings. The Hellcats collected 16 hits, but lost the game. The Ninjas chalked up 11.

With the sweep Ginza (16-15) is in the fourth spot in the TBU East Division, three full games behind the leading Ozarka Naturals (19-12). Hartsdale (14-17) has slipped to fifth place.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Tycobbian Baseball Union

West Division

Bucs Blast Bayview 11-4
They may be in last place, but today in the first game of a doubleheader Bay St. Clair stomped the best team in the TBU West 11-4. Bayview never was in the game. Start to finish it was all Buccaneers. They electrified the hometown crowd at Shoreline Park by banging out 18 hits, led by left fielder Charley Moon (.295) with 3-for-5 and three RBIs, third baseman Bobby Tracy (.296) with 2-for-4 and two RBIs, second baseman Tony Mann (.368) with 2-for-5 and 2 RBIs and right fielder Nickie Friedrich with 4-for-4, three runs and an RBI. The Vikings got 13 hits off Norm Gross, but couldn't bunch them together. Gross (5-3 3.97) rang up six Ks and walked two in going the distance. Adrian Strom (3-3 5.34) was stuck with the loss, giving up four runs and seven hits in three innings.

Bucs Surprise Viks with Sweep
The Buccaneers did it again! They took the nightcap and swept a twinbill from the Vikings.

"Like one of my old teammates used to say, 'It ain't over till it's over,'" Bay St. Clair skipper Guy Rondre commented to the press after his club came back to win a thriller over Bayview 11-10 in twelve innings,

An errant throw by left fielder Glenn Burns allowed the winning run to score. A decent throw would have easily gotten Tony Mann at home. Mann tagged up at third on a fly ball to short left.

It was a wild and crazy game. Bayview scored six in the first, then allowed the Bucs to tie it 6-6 in the seventh. The Viks went ahead 8-6 in the ninth and the Bucs tied it again. In the tenth Bayview went ahead again 10-8, but unbelievably, Bay St. Clair knotted it for the third time.

It was a day for the record books. The Buccaneers ripped 20 hits and the Vikings totaled 16 to break the old IPA mark of 33 hits in an extra-inning game. Elnora (19) and Valmara (14) set the old record on May 3rd. Denny Coulon (1-2 7.43), the fifth pitcher used by Rondre, got the victory, while Charley Andrews (3-3 5.36) was pinned with the loss. Manager Walter Johanssen of Bayview also used five pitchers. Top Buc batters were first baseman Mike Smith (.364) 4-for-4, right fielder Charlie Moon (.317) 4-for-6, catcher Jake Singleton (.360) 3-for-5 and second baseman Tonny Mann (.374) 3-for-6. Second baseman Alan Hansen (.408) and catcher Tommy Harrell (.276) both paced the Vikings with three hits apiece.

The twin losses sent the Bayview record tumbling down to 18-15. Bay St. Clair improved to 12-20. The Vikings fell to third place behind Fairfax (18-13) and La Claire (18-14).

Blue Sox Halt Frogs Win Streak
First place Fairfax fell for the first time in three games as Blue Lake beat 6-2 them at the Frog Pond. The Blue Sox socked 15 hits en route to an easy victory. Third baseman Timmy Smith (.314) led the hitters with 4-for-4 and two RBIs, second baseman Ken Bennett (.207) was 3-for-5 with two doubles and drove in a pair of runs and catcher Curly Harris (.221) was 3-for-5 and scored twice. Bennie West (5-3 1.96) was touched for 10 hits in eight innings, but held Fairfax to only two scores. West fanned eight and walked just one. Losing pitcher Jimmy Dalton (2-3 3.65) had a bad outing and was slapped around for 13 hits and 6 runs in five innings. The only bright note for the Frogs was their fine right fielder Gregg Vincent (.308), who had two hits and slammed his IPA-leading 18th home run.

Fairfax (18-13) is still first in the TBU West, while Blue Lake (15-16) is three games back in fourth place.

Lynx Climb to Second Place, Beat Arlon 4-3
La Claire snapped a three-game losing streak, but they waited until the last two innings to get back in the ballgame against the Arlon Champions at Derby Downs. Ace Howe blanked them 3-0 on four hits through seven innings, but the roof caved in on him, when the Lynx came roaring back to win 4-3. The game was decided in the top of the ninth. With the bases loaded, a walk by Howe tied the score at 3-3 and a balk by his relief, Jeff Nieman, plated the winning run. Frank Lamoreaux (4-0 0.81) nabbed the victory with a scoreless eighth and closer Monoto Kishata (1-1 1.38) closed it out for his 6th save in 1-2-3 fashion. Howe (3-3 2.61) pitched well in defeat, giving up four runs and nine hits in eight innings of work. He fanned five and walked two. Both clubs had nine hits in the game.

The win moved La Claire (18-14) up to second place and within a half-game of first place Fairfax (18-13) in the TBU West standings. The Champs (14-17) dropped to the fifth spot.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Forest City Lumberjacks

Owner/GM/Manager: Rob Jackson

Forest City is the capital of Ruthlandia and the second largest town in the Islands with a population of 125,000. The town was settled by a group of American abolitionists from the North and the South, who foresaw the coming Civil War and decided to emigrate to Ruthlandia and Tycobbia and establish countries free from the rigors of slavery and religious intolerance. It was one of the earliest settlements because of the access to timber and its strategic location near the intersection of the Green River and the Silver River in the central part of the country.

The beautiful Green River emanates out of the Appian Mountains in the north near Far Mountain (ski resort), runs south throught Rocky Rapids (lumber, grain and transportation center) in the western foothills and plains, flows through Forest City, then winds its way past agrarian Middlefield and Sugar Valley in the fertile southern lowlands and finally empties into Belair Bay and the Southern Sea at the bayside resort and shipping center, Belair Beach.

The Silver River originates in its namesake, the Silver Mountains, which form the western border of Ruthlandia. It travels eastward through Volusia in the western foothills (silver mining and timber interests) and merges with the Green River at Forest City.

The Ruthlandian capital is an old town with buildings and homes that go back a hundred years or more. It is rare that the town planning commission allows much in the way of a modern building. It is noted for being the seat of the Federal government, for banking, commerce, railroads, steel, advertising, autos, paper and lumber industries...and also the home of the Forest City Lumberjacks.

The club is named for the country's first important industry and is in the Ruthlandian Baseball Alliance in its South Division. The 'Jacks play their games at old and quaint Riverside Stadium (circa 1915), right on the riverbanks with a wonderful view of the Silver River just beyond the left and center field fences. Across the river in the distance the fans can see the main part of town. Hot and freshly-fried river catfish is a house speciality at Riverside, along with traditional ballpark fare.

Forest City is owned and operated by Rob Jackson, who is GM and Manager, too. Jackson was a four-letter man in college, excelling in baseball, football, basketball and track. He played many years in the industrial league for one of the biggest banks in the Islands. When his playing days were over, he went to work for the bank, managed its company team, moved up in the bank hierarchy and eventually became its president and chief administrative officer. He then expanded to professional baseball and was one of the prime originators of the Islandian Pro Alliance. He joined with good baseball men like John Banson (IBA creator and commissioner), Manny Earl of the Sugar Valley Rattlers and Rip Calkin of the La Claire Lynx to create the IBA.

Multi-millionaires also were involved and provided the needed finances to establish the league. Men like Jock Ewing of the Waleska Westerners, Brent Steiner of the Bayview Vikings, Jorge Trujillo of the Belair Beach Sunbirds, jazz great, Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles of the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers and rock 'n' roll superstar, Conway Birdie of the Cape Coral Hurricanes.

Riverside Stadium (1915)

Capacity: 14,780

Dimensions:

LF Line 332
LF 360
LC 388
CF 400
RCF 381
RF 350
RF Line 325

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, May 20, 2001

Sugar Valley Rattlers

Owner/GM: Manny Earl

Manager: Gibson "Gibby" Bobkins

Sugar Valley is an agricultural town of 84,000 in the Southern Lowlands on the banks of the great Green River, which splits Ruthlandia in half and runs from Far Mountain in the north near the Appian Mountains, all the way south to Belair Beach on Belair Bay and the Southern Sea.

Sugar Valley is famous as a lush farming region, that specializes in sugar cane, rice, citrus fruits and vegetables.

It is also the home of the Sugar Valley Rattlers, a team in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union (South Division) of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Rattlers play at Farmers Memorial Stadium, named in honor of the area's most respected profession. They get their nickname for the ever-present cane rattlesnakes, commonly found in the Southern Lowlands.

It is a traditional for the Rattler fans, especially the kids, to try and rally the team with a chorus or two of the song "Sneaky Snake", led, of course, by the Sugar Valley mascot, Sneaky Snake:

Boys and girls take warning, if you go near the lake
Keep your eyes wide open, and look for sneaky snake
Now maybe you won’t see him, maybe you won’t hear
But he’ll sneak up behind you, and drink all your root beer.

And then sneaky snake goes dancin’, wigglin’ and a-hissin’
Sneaky snake goes dancin’, gigglin’ and a-kissin’
I don’t like old sneaky snake; he laughs too much you see
When he goes wigglin’ through the grass, it tickles his underneath.

(Thanks to Country Music Hall-of-Famer,Tom T. Hall, a wonderful country singer and songwriter for those lyrics)

The sound of mechanical rattlers and noisemakers are a tradition and also pervade the ballpark as Sugar Valley hardcore fans create quite a racket and try to ignite their team. They also do prolonged "hissing", whenever the Rattler opponents do something good or should the umpires make any decisions detrimental to their beloved ballclub.

At the concession stands you'll get the regular hot dogs, cokes and hamburgers, but also mouthwatering, made-from-scratch, country biscuits, topped with sugar cane molasses and "to die for" homemade ice cream. Be sure to try the wonderful homemade root beer, too.

The architect in charge of all of this is one of baseball's premier and most creative owners and general managers, Manny Earl. Nobody out promotes Manny Earl. He was an important cog in the IPA organization along with Jorge Trujillo of Belair Beach, Jock Ewing of Waleska, John Banson (league commissioner) and Rob Jackson of Forest City.

The Rattlers' manager is the very capable Gibson Bobkins. Gibby was one fierce competitor, when he was on the mound. He was one of the best righthanders ever in the industrial leagues and a good manager, too.

Farmers Memorial Stadium (1967)

Capacity: 11,655

Dimensions:

LF Line 310
LF 340
LCF 370
CF 385
RCF 370
RF 340
RF Line 310

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, May 21,2001

Islandian Pro Alliance Standings

[Eugene Church]

RBU League Batting

Monday, May 21, 2001

[Eugene Church]

RBU League Fielding

Monday, May 21, 2001

[Eugene Church]

RBU League Pitching

Monday, May 21, 2001

[Eugene Church]

TBU League Batting

Monday, May 21,2001

[Eugene Church]

TBU League Pitching

Monday, May 21,2001

[Eugene Church]

TBU League Fielding

Monday, May 21,2001