Home | Webstore
Latest News: OOTP 25 Available - FHM 10 Available - OOTP Go! Available

Out of the Park Baseball 25 Buy Now!

  

Go Back   OOTP Developments Forums > Out of the Park Baseball 25 > OOTP Dynasty Reports

OOTP Dynasty Reports Tell us about the OOTP dynasties you have built!

Reply
 
Thread Tools
Old 02-10-2020, 06:40 PM   #6961
care4ameatball
Minors (Single A)
 
Join Date: Jun 2016
Posts: 61
Hey man, it’s been a while since I’ve been on this site but I came back mainly to check this league back out. I love all the work and effort you put into this, it must be taxing but so much fun to have all that baseball to read about and pick apart. I was thi nking about some all time greats, so I’m asking you, Mr Church, who do you consider the all time best player in IPA history? Also who’s the all time stolen base leader? Sorry for the questions just wanted to hear it from the man himself.
care4ameatball is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2020, 10:42 PM   #6962
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Jack Elliott of the High Mesa Cowboys is probably the greatest player in IPA history.

IPA THIRD ALL-DECADE TEAM 2021-2030

1B Jack Elliott (2013-2031)
Only a limited few superstars will make an IPA All-Decade Team. And even fewer players will do it twice. The great slugging first sacker and Hall-of-Famer Jack Elliott is one of those superstars that did it. He was picked for the Second All-Decade Team and then again on the Third All-Decade Team.

At age 38, Elliott called it quits after 19 seasons, 18 of them spent with the High Mesa Cowboys (became Mustangs in 2052). The standout first baseman made the All-Star team 13 times, won 12 Golden Bats, 5 Golden Gloves and 3 MVPs (2013, 2021, 2022). The gifted player led the league 9 times in homers, runs 8 times and in batting average 7 times. He is second all-time with 848 roundtrippers. Only Jerry Culpepper with 878 had more. However, Culpepper never hit for the average Elliott did, batting .304 in his career. Elliott played in 2758 games, hit .332 lifetime (3rd) with 3467 hits (11th), 2120 RBIs (4nd) and 2192 runs (3rd). He made the IPA Hall of Fame in 2032. Much to his dismay, Elliott never played in the postseason.

Click on Stats to Enlarge
Attached Images
Image 

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-10-2020 at 11:07 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2020, 10:54 PM   #6963
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Rocco Belasario, great outfielder for the Arlon Champions, topped the IPA in stolen bases.

Click on Stats to Enlarge
Attached Images
Image 
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2020, 10:59 PM   #6964
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
However, Jet Kazmarek was quite a base stealer for the Valmara Vipers.

HIs 102 thefts in 2003 is the all-time record for a single season.
Kazmarek is the only .400 hitter in IPA history... he batted a ridiculous .428 in 2002.
Lifetime Kazmarek batted .350, the best in IPA history.


Click on Stats to Enlarge
Attached Images
Image 

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-10-2020 at 11:03 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2020, 11:09 PM   #6965
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Go to page 231 and you will see the all-decade teams for the first 30 years of the IPA.

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...58631&page=231
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2020, 11:16 PM   #6966
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Here is the 50th Anniversary IPA team.
See post # 5069... scroll back to find it.

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...am#post3966449

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-10-2020 at 11:18 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2020, 11:25 PM   #6967
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Here are the pages for the other All-Decade teams.

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...+team&page=251
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-10-2020, 11:34 PM   #6968
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
James Long, great pitcher for the Middlefield Roosters, would be in the running for the greatest player in IPA history... Long is the all-time leader in wins with 442.

He was 442-250 in his 21 seasons with a 2.68 ERA.
Attached Images
Image 
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2020, 04:46 PM   #6969
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
36 teams updated for the new season... 28 more to go.

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-12-2020 at 08:14 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-12-2020, 08:13 PM   #6970
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
50 team rosters updated... 14 more to go... and then IPA season 2063.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-14-2020, 11:49 PM   #6971
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Only did 3 teams tonight... slow going... watching too much MLB network.

53 team rosters updated... 11 to go.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-15-2020, 06:43 PM   #6972
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
5 more teams updated... won't be long till IPA season 2063.

58 rosters have been updated with new rookies... and I have cleaned out all the mediocre players on the reserve rosters... also retired the unproductive veterans lingering on the active rosters that should have been retired 2-3 years ago.

Just 6 more teams to go.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-16-2020, 08:40 PM   #6973
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
61 of the 64 IPA teams have been updated for the new 2063 season.

Just three more to go... will do it tomorrow... tonight my lovely wife and me will enjoy a movie.

Sorry, guys... I have to spend some time with her... she controls all of the money... and I want to be able to purchase OOTP21 at the end of the month.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-17-2020, 10:38 PM   #6974
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
All the postseason work has been completed.

Get ready for some IPA baseball... Get ready for Season 63.

Preseason Picks coming up.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-2020, 06:20 PM   #6975
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Name:  ISLANDIAN TIMES BANNER.png
Views: 749
Size:  18.6 KB
Thursday, April 6, 2063

IPA BEGINS 63RD SEASON TOMORROW
And away we go... Opening Day 2063 has finally arrived... no more standing at the window and staring bleakly at the wintry landscape... break out the baseballs... break out the gloves... and start swinging the bats... the new Islandian Pro Alliance season is here... the Green Mansions are open for business... the grass is green in all its glory and the stadiums are refurbished and all spruced up and open for business... Opening Day is tomorrow all across the Islands... we are ready for some baseball.

Will the Rolling Hills Racers repeat as the IPA Pro Cup champion?... Will the Racers win their third Pro Cup trophy in the last four years?... and if not, who has the best chance of knocking them off the IPA pedestal of power?... Will it be the Oxford Red Caps?... the Southport Sun Sox? or the club that has come in second in the Pro Cup Series the last two years?... the spunky Volusia Vigilantes?

Nobody knows the answer to these questions better than the sportswriters and the broadcasters that cover the Islandian Pro Alliance... The Islandian Times has surveyed their opinions and gotten their predictions for the coming year... and here is the results of that poll... the newspaper got votes from four media people in each of the IPA towns... a total of 256 votes... the baseball prognosticators overwhelmingly chose the reigning kings of IPA baseball, the Rolling Hills Racers.

The Islandian Times ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE PRESEASON POLL
1st: Rolling Hills Racers 140
2nd: Oxford Red Caps 40
3rd: Volusia Vigilantes 30
4th: Southport Sun Sox 25
5th: Glasco Foxhounds 17
6th: Valka Blackhawks 12

According to the baseball gurus, Rolling Hills is locked, loaded and ready to win it all again... not only do they have a powerful offense, during the offseason via the trade route they added several new starters to their pitching corps and are better than ever... the already powerful Racers are even more of a powerhouse.

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-18-2020 at 06:24 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-18-2020, 10:43 PM   #6976
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Name:  ISLANDIAN TIMES BANNER.png
Views: 717
Size:  18.6 KB,
Thursday, April 5, 2063

FOXHOUNDS ARE FAVORED IN RU NORTH
Last year the Glasco Foxhounds came in near the bottom of the barrel in the Ruthlandian North race, but this year they are the pick of the litter because of three fine starting pitchers, led by standout veterans Jonathan Barnett (12-13/2.96) and Monte France(17-10/2.54) and sensational youngster Evan Acklin (11-7/2.09)... according to the experts Glasco has better pitching than last year's division champion Far Mountain... and can hit well enough to beat the Redhawks and the second place Valmara Vipers this year... Rick Farns (.301/15 HR), Aidan Gifford (.310/15 HR), Andy Rooney (.266/12 HR) and Callum Slattery (.287/8 HR) will pace the offense.

Far Mountain, Kilkenny and LaGrange will be the main challengers to Glasco with Valmara not far behind in fifth place.... the Kilkenny Cats' main strength is on the mound with three solid starters in ace Dakota Evans (15-9/2.47), Billy Joe Wooster (13-10/3.36) and Frankie Dark (11-15/3.68)... plus Butch Baird (10-8/3.15/16 saves/68 games) is a good closer... the Cats are woefully weak in firepower... they don't often go deep... the key to the season will be the four rookies on the staff... Niles Bedford (.331/9 HR) is the best hitter by far... followed by Nicky Vallas (.282/8 HR), Clyde Cooper (.290/5 HR) and Rex Parkhill (.269/1 HR).

The LaGrange Gators put up a good fight last year and came in third, just 4 games behind RU North champ Far Mountain... their pitching staff is right up there with Glasco and Kilkenny with the likes of Chucky Beckman (14-8/3.25), Spike Swearingen (11-7/3.24), Dave Loxley (12-11/3.49), Levi Coleridge (6-14/3.58) and Amos Wadsworth (8-11/4.02)... plus a solid bullpen, anchored by Trey Ladner (15-10/3.66/13 saves/81 games)... the Gators need some offense... Cleve Juban (.313/18 HR), Kris Carper (.302/9 HR) and Tony Rojas (.284/6 HR) can only do so much to put runs on the scoreboard.

The Far Mountain Redhawks have the best attack in the Ruthlandian North Division led by Ox Gless (.292/23 HR), Oskar Neumann (.343/21 HR), Curt Miley (.339/13 HR) and Luke Hazlett (.280/16 HR)... they still pack a wallop in their lineup... however, the pitching is not there anymore... all that's left is three quality starters in Derek Meijer (10-12/3.24), Benny Van (12-6/3.24) and Jeffrey Chandler (12-11/3.93)... and a fairly good closer in Howie Haywood (17-12/3.80/17 saves/81 games)... the Redhawks need help in the bullpen to make a run at the pennant again... but, don't be surprised if the Redhawks don't repeat as champ... they may be better than the experts think.

The Valmara Vipers used to hit the heck out of the ball, but had trouble getting people out... now the bats are on the decline and the pitching prowess is still slack... fifth place may be the best the Vips can do... they still have two good starters in ace Jozef Duczynski (20-10/2.26) and veteran Tony Joe Carnes (19-12/3.88), but not a lot after that in the starting rotation... they do possess a standout closer in Kris Fourcade (1-4/1.85/30 saves/42 games)... at the plate Timmy Benford (.327/21 HR), Jud Gilbride (.260/27 HR), Alek Stolarski (.285/13 HR) and Harv Shepard (.300/9 HR) are still one of the best attacks in the RU North, but not like they have been in the recent past when the Vipers won 4 pennants in 5 seasons, 2057 to 2061... Valmara has a new rookie shortstop... Junior Jensen is the son of famed Gold Glover and All-Star shortstop Ken Jensen, who starred for the Vipers from 2040 to 2056... Junior has a good glove and is a good contact hitter... he won the starting spot in Spring Training, where he batted .300 in 30 games.

The other three clubs in the RU North, the Ancona Red Elephants, Taranto Tars and Ranford Bulls, will battle for sixth place... Ancona only has two quality arms... ace Yanni Bubas (16-12/3.80) and super closer Kontos Christakis (1-3/0.53/34 saves/49 games)... the Red Elephants only have a few productive batters... Franco Briganti (.346/23 HR) is a real threat, along with Marcellus Dillaway (.315/18 HR)... Allie Bryant (.275/16 HR) is also productive with the bat and steal bases, too... Bryant led the Ruthlandian Union in thefts.

The Taranto Tars hit homers, but that's because they play in the smallest park in the IPA, the Palazzo di Sport with its 320-foot foul lines... the only bonafide batter in the lineup is superstar Lenny Buisson (.297/47 HR)... at age 37, Buisson is still going strong... he led the RU last year in longballs for the 7th time in his illustrious career... Buisson has hit 671 out of the park in his 17 years with the Tars and Belle Plaine and is a lifetime .304 hitter... he is literally a "one-man wrecking crew" and a future Hall-of-Famer... surprisingly Taranto has some pitchers that do well in the small "homer haven"... Nico Croce (14-13/2.23) had a fine year last year... and 11-year star Phil Castle (13-14/3.69)... lifetime he is 150-109 with a fine 3.01 ERA... in a phenominal year Castle was the Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year, Golden Arm and Most Valuable Player in 2052.

Last place in the RU North belongs to the Ranford Bulls... they don't do much very well... last year they finished dead last and are likely to do it again... the Bulls cleaned house in the offseason... they have 8 rookies on the team, 6 of them are hurlers... Ranford does already have some decent arms in Zeppo Perrelli (12-2/3.55), Marv Douglas (11-15/3.81) and Barney Folse (12-10/4.26)... and closer Tommy Holloway (10-13/3.74/14 saves/70 games) does a fairly good job... the Bulls have one fine hitter in Garry Galbreath (.329/18 HR), who really blossomed in his second season... two vets, Glen Chambliss (.281/17 HR) and Jedd Blodgett (.263/21 HR), still carry a big stick as well... but, basically, Ranford is a bad ballclub.

*************** 2063 Preseason Prediction ************************************************** ************************************************** ************************* 2062 Ruthlandian North Final Standings ****************
Attached Images
Image Image Image Image 

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-28-2020 at 07:40 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-21-2020, 12:46 AM   #6977
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Name:  ISLANDIAN TIMES BANNER.png
Views: 704
Size:  18.6 KB

Thursday, April 5, 2063

VALKA VAULTS PAST ST. JOHN IN RU SOUTH
For the last three years the St. John Crusaders have reigned supreme in the Ruthlandian South Division... they have won the pennant in four of the last six years... according the Islandian baseball world it could change this season... the Valka Blackhawks are getting rave reviews this year in The Islandian Times Preseason Poll and are the choice to break up the St. John dominance of recent years... Valka ran a very good race last year, finishing in second place, but falling four games short of the division title... the Blackhawks have added a little more offense and still have some very solid pitching... the Blackhawks are ready to fly high... their main obstacles are the Claxton Diamonds primarily... and Grand City, Waleska and Belair Beach secondarily... surprisingly St. John is the sixth selection in the preseason poll... not sure I agree with this assessment... the Crusaders are still a threat in the pennant race, though they are not the team they were two years ago... however, they are on a the decline... the other two clubs in the RU South, San Dimas and Crystal Lake, are forecast to be near the bottom of the RU South this season.

This year's division favorite, the Valka Blackhawks, has some solid pitching... they were the king of the hill in the Ruthlandian South last year with a 3.48 ERA and look to be just as good this year... maybe even better... heading up the veteran starting rotation are Aavo Keskkula (17-6/3.04), Ilmar Olesk (12-8/2.70), Carlos Santa Ana (13-12/3.47) and Clark Herrington (9-11/3.79)... the bullpen is a good one, but closer Stosh Matusczak (11-13/3.97/20 saves/82 games) needs more consistency... the middle relievers are more than adequate... rookie third baseman Rolli Allikas won the job in Spring Training and adds a good contact hitter to the batting order to go along with the returning players such as last year's best bats, Jonas Kahn (.296/13 HR), Freddie Civik (.309/13 HR), Dai Morikawa (.302/4 HR) and Erik Hookfin (.273/8 HR)... Valka comes up short in the longball category, but should be good at putting runs on the scoreboard this year... new rookies have some good sticks, but it's tough to find a spot in the lineup for outfielder Woodrow Dunmire and second baseman Flipper McCastle... but they look like some good ones for the future.

The Claxton Diamonds played well two years ago and came in a strong second to St. John, but they faltered last year and dipped down to sixth place, 18 games behind... the pitching failed them... the Diamonds are picked to regain their luster and make a race of it this year... better offense is the reason... star third baseman Fred Hahn (.296/19 HR) is the leader, but he has some solid help from Scoops Dunn (.272/20 HR), Arlen Queen (.269/8 HR) and Karl Dornhauer (.272/6 HR)... Dude Rafferty (.322/10 HR) will no longer be platooned and will get more at bats this year as a fulltime player... he should add some perk and pop to the attack... on the hill Claxton will depend on Matt Goodrum (13-14/3.66), Eric Braun (15-13/3.83) and Lennard Kruger (14-13/3.61) as their prime starters... closer Alvie London (5-8/3.03/30 saves/52 games) does a good job in the bullpen... looks like third place for the Diamonds this season, but they will have some competition.

The Grand City Cybercats are ranked third this year in the RU South... just average pitching and average offense... will have to battle Waleska and Belair Beach for this spot in the standings... they are all rated pretty even in talent and potential... Grand City's offense appears to be better this year... their best run producers are Boots Luckham (.278/22 HR), Lyndon Hazard (.288/15 HR) and Zippy Balencia (.305/3 HR)... on the mound it will be anchored by Fred Barrow (13-13/4.01), Gil Lloyd (11-8/3.85) and Leonard Hamilton (14-13/4.26)... Garrett Guthrie (8-4/3.95) should see some duty in the starting rotation, too... the Cybercats' relief corps is led by quality closer Glen Smitherman (14-6/3.32/11 saves/61 games)... the Cybercats wound up third last season and finished 13 games off the pace of division champ St. John.

The Waleska Westerners were a .500 ballclub last year... and look to be the same this year... the baseball analysts rated them the fourth-best club in the RU South for the coming season... the Cowpokes were fourth last year, 14 games behind... seven rookies made the squad this season... Buck Branam will be at second base and Dandy Devine will handle the catching... both stood out in Spring Training and made the starting lineup... Calen Joss also stood out and looks like the shortstop in coming years... Waleska will be led at the plate by Ramiro Villegas (.358/5 HR), Bitsy Boccabella (.272/17 HR), Boomer Barnes (.322/16 HR) and Cuz Patterson (.274/7 HR)... the key to the Westerners' season could be four rookie hurlers... three of them will be in the starting rotation to begin the season, Curly Duckworth, Ethan Addy and Frankie Moriana... Dub Dwight looks good in the bullpen, too... he will join several solid vets in the relief corp: closer Kieran Roy (13-8/3.72/8 saves/60 games) and Kenneth Statler (7-4/2.77/2 saves/30 games)... looks like boom or bust for Waleska depending on the newcomers.

It's been 14 years since the Belair Beach Sunbirds had a winning record... they just might make it this year... last year they were 76-78 in fifth place, winding up 15 games out of first place... then again, it might the "same old, same old" with the Birds... much-improved pitching would do it... they were terrible last year on the hill with a 4.69 ERA... Belair Beach has the offense to contend for the pennant, sparked by a slew of rock-solid sockers like Alfie Elbourne (.339/19 HR), Curtis Cochran (.306/3 HR), Casey Keats (.301/10 HR), Deron Nelson (.298/8 HR), Mel McCorkle (.294/2 HR), Victor Hanford (.288/6 HR) and Dylan Lanier (.274/17 HR)... the Sunbirds can put runs on the scoreboard... they just need some hurlers to hold down the opposing hitters better... no one in the Sunbird starting rotation had a good year last year... the best of the lot was starter Chris Malborough (8-10/3.90)... in the bullpen closer Glen Christ (15-5/4.15/26 saves/87 games) performed very well at times... sadly Christ was injured in Spring Training and will miss the entire season with a torn labrum... Belair Beach could end up anywhere from third to sixth this year, depending how productive their offense is.

Defending RU South champion St. John is still pretty much the same club, but the media has picked them to wind up way down the list this year - sixth place... the experts point out that the pitching is not what it was several years ago... and that the offense is not what it was... the outlook is bad for the Crusaders this year... but here's who they have returning on the mound: ace Teddy de Grom (19-2/2.36), Mark Faber (19-4/3.54), Smoke Early (12-6/3.17/20 saves/65 games) and Deke Eubanks (9-7/2.91/6 saves/33 games)... Early and Eubanks will be in the starting rotation this year... Teddy Howell (7-10/3.68/1 save/30 games) and Don Rainer (6-5/3.33/2 saves/26 games) will take care of the bullpen... the bats are still plentiful, too, with the likes of Mark Warner (.313/8 HR), Tuffy Palmieri (.313/1 HR), Freddie Woodruff (.307/9 HR), Ozwaldo Romero (.270/11 HR) and Matt Silverman (.269/16 HR)... the Crusaders are aging... Woodruff is 36 and Palmieri is 34, but they appear to still be productive... neither have shown any decline at the plate or on the field... St. John could still be in the thick of the pennant fight... the Crusaders certainly will not go quietly... many think they will still make some noise in the Ruthlandian South.

The San Dimas Rancheros have been a dormat for years in the RU South... just one winning season in the last decade... that was a third-place finish two years ago in 2061... but their pitching tanked last season and they spiraled downward to last place... the pitching could improve with the addition of rookie starter Jim Ainsley, who stood out in the Spring... the Rancheros only have one reliable starter... that's Hernando Almora (15-10/3.77)... the San Dimas offense isn't much either... the best of the lot is Quin Dustin (.298/26 HR), Rufus Sikes (.299/10 HR), Eldon Gilbert (.291/7 HR) and Julian Ortiz (.299/4 HR)... all in all, San Dimas will be about the same... just a bad ballclub... seventh place will be as high as they can get.

What has happened in Crystal Lake?... the Skippers won the RU South pennant in 2058 and 2059... they even won the whole shebang, the Pro Cup in '58... since then, the pitching corps has moved way south... they were out-and-out terrible the last three years... 4.73 team ERA last season... the only decent pitchers are Bucky Dodge (14-15/3.48) and Julio Cordova (10-8/4.01)... Jack Ellison (15-10/4.76) would be sensational, if he had any control at all... Crystal Lake can still hit the ball, paced by Mel Brouwer (.286/19 HR), Tommy Howell (.309/11 HR), Speedy McCormick (.307/7 HR) and Bama Quade (.274/1 HR)... the Skippers may beat out San Dimas for seventh place, but that's about it... Crystal Lake needs to clean house... that's the only way to get back to their former winning ways.

*******************2063 Preseason Prediction ************************************************** ************************************************** **************************** 2062 Ruthlandian South Final Standings *******************
Attached Images
Image Image Image Image 

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-24-2020 at 11:04 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-22-2020, 10:39 PM   #6978
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Name:  ISLANDIAN TIMES BANNER.png
Views: 676
Size:  18.6 KB
Thursday, April 5, 2063

MACS ARE BACK IN RU EAST
Last year was a very, very bad year for the mighty Wynnamac Sundowners in the Ruthlandian East Division... they came in second... and finished 10 games behind the surprising flag-winning Elnora Clippers... but, hold on, all is not lost... "those in the know", the astute baseball experts around the Islands, are high on the Sundowners rebounding this year - the Macs are back according to The Islandian Times IPA Preseason Poll... according to the poll, here is how the Ruthlandian East will go this year, at least in theory... Wynnamac will win it in a very close race with the Marston Nine and defending champ Elnora... the fourth spot in the standings will be up for grabs between four clubs, Eastshore, Sugar Valley, Cold Creek and Beechwood... with hapless and hopeless Belle Plaine way behind the other seven clubs as usual.

Wynnamac won 7 pennants in 10 years... the RU East pretty much was their domain... they did it with very good pitching and fairly good hitting... but last year Wynnamac's pitching totally collapsed... they went from a very good 3.23 ERA to a devastaing 4.31 team ERA... hopefully, the Sundowners can get some pitching help from a couple of newcomers... but, more importantly, they need to have their veterans get back to the form and performance of recent seasons... the Macs are looking for better seasons from Billy Skidmore (12-8/3.66) and Kylee Callender (7-7/3.94) as starters, along with Dick Vanner (3-4/4.49)... D'Marcus Clemons is back for another try... he was 10-6 with a 4.05 ERA in '61, but didn't make the team in '62... highly-rated rookie Norm Van Brocklin will get his chance to shine this year... if he can learn to control his great stuff, he should do well... one of last year's most effective starters Luc Ogburn (14-6/3.95) will be the closer this year... last year the bullpen was pretty ineffective... Ogburn should be a much-needed improvement there, but will be missed as a starter... it may be up to the bats to get the Sundowners back on top... and the Macs have a lot of them that can really smack the ball... star players like Snooky Bartels (.363/26 HR), Manny Sendejas (.321/26 HR) and Nikki Inkamara (.337/23 HR)... Chuck Waterman (.322/7 HR) and Nathan Tuttleton (.283/13 HR) should help out, too... it should be a much batter race this year between last year's pennant winner Elnora and the third place Marston Nine.

Marston is ranked second in the Preseason Poll this year... the Nine finished third last year, 11 games behind Elnora... they have better pitching than Wynnamac and Elnora and just might surprise this season... two rookie hurlers Dean Walton and George Gaither should improve the bullpen... the starting five in the rotation are ace Jerome Kincade (18-10/2.66), Lance McElveen (15-12/4.10), Garrett Stanfield (13-13/3.90), Vince Boscarino (13-4/3.25) and Wayne Walker (3-4/3.88)... and they are raring to go and win the division title like they did in '59... and maybe the team's first-ever Pro Cup trophy... but to reach that high level, the Nine will need more power... Marston hits well for average, but just rarely goes deep... lots of Punch and Judy hitters on the team, similar to the Volusia Vigilantes... Johnny Tibbetts (.281/15 HR) and Damien D'Amboise (.299/10 HR) are the only one with any power whatsoever... but Marston has some fine contact hitters and can manufacture runs quite well, led by Harv Beauchamp (.330/3 HR), Gino Mastroianni (.320/1 HR), Luke Cranshaw (.302/8 HR) and Gus Beasley (.282/5 HR)... Marston's strength is on the mound and it could carry them a long way.

It hard to see the Elnora Clippers sinking to the third spot in the Ruthlandian East... they just hit the ball too well... for the past decade the Elnora Clippers have done well in the RU East... they have not had a losing season in 11 years... since '51... they won the pennant in '57 and last year, mainly with lackluster pitching and big bats... the Clippers ran away with the pennant last year, winning by a whopping 10 games... they got fairly good pitching last year... far better than Wynnamac... that was the difference... optimism abounds in Elnora to win back-to-back pennants... key elements last year were the high-scoring attack and the excellent work of closer Stevie Tucker (5-1/1.90 ERA/33 saves/51 games)... Tucker saved a bunch of games for so-so starters Dana Witherspoon (18-11/4.52), Norm Griffin (19-8/4.22), Matthew Minder (15-14/3.68) and Matt Mackowiak (18-8/4.70)... and the top guns are back again and ready to bang... heading up the big bad batting order are Mickey Wilbur (.296/32 HR), Donald Ray Mooney (.367/30 HR), Gus Abreu (.345/18 HR), Kuro Ishihara (.303/16 HR), Robin Staroff (.313/12 HR) and Keith Colburn (.276/10 HR)... the Clippers lost to Volusia in first-round action last year four games to two... the Vigilantes went all the way to the Pro Cup Finals for the second straight year.... there's a good chance the two powers could meet again this year in round one... if I had a ballot in the preseason voting, I would pick Elnora over Wynnamac and Marston... the Clippers are a dynamite offense and that's a lot to handle.

The Eastshore Cotton Kings were definitely not in high cotton last year... after a third-place finish in '61, they tumbled down to last place... terrible pitching did it (4.83 ERA) combined with a weak offense... it's hard to see the Cotton Kings improving enough to reach as high as fourth place, but that is where the baseball gurus are picking them... the rookie class of seven don't look like any great game changers this year... the top run producers in the lineup are rising young star Norbert Ruston (.326/2 HR), Rook Copley (.252/23 HR), Dayle Killian (.267/19 HR), Ian Kelehan (.321/10 HR) and Champ Askew (.249/10 HR)... the mound staff have a long way to go... Sam Carmon (10-10/3.55) was a decent starter last year with help at times from Bebe Kinney (12-9/4.34), but that was it... rookies Curtis Kilshaw and Karl Kuebler have good credentials and potential, but both will begin the season in the relief corps... Kilshaw had a fine Spring, while Kuebler struggled... rookie center fielder Doug Carnevale did well in Spring Training and could be an asset this year... sixth place or seventh place may be attainable for the Cotton Pickers... they would be overjoyed with fourth place in the RU East race.

The Sugar Valley Rattlers came in fifth last year, a little over the .500 mark... the outlook this year is for fifth place as well... actually the Rattlers had the best pitching in the RU East last year with a 3.62 team ERA... and the baseball people think they will be better this year... Sugar Valley has not won the division flag since 2051 and it's not likely to happen this year... but they could nudge Eastshore out of the fourth spot... good pitching and good power can go along way in the IPA... the Rattlers can go deep... 8 players hit 10 or more roundtrippers last year, paced by Dino Lazzeri (.251/39 HR), Pierre LaPlante (.253/23 HR), Davy Driskill (.265/19 HR), Gus Wingfield (.265/19 HR), Robby Gamble (.259/18 HR), Bobby Wingo (.292/18 HR), Mark Northrup (.275/14 HR) and Rick Turgeon (.268/10 HR)... however, as a team, they only batted .251... heading up the Sugar Valley mound staff is ace Bret Massey (13-6/2.67)... others in the starting rotation are likely to be Claudio Quezada (9-6/3.49), Elvis Bonham (8-9/3.11) and Harland Chaunce (8-13/3.83)... two newcomers could help out... rookie Teddy Evanek could be a find... he will be in the rotation to start the season, but he only had modest success in the Spring... ditto for journeyman Doyle Mattson... it will be a godsend if those two come through and prove to be capable starters.

The Cold Creek Raccoons can hit the ball (.278 BA) and hit with power, but they come up short on the hill (4.30 ERA)... they are picked to come in sixth in the Ruthlandian East this year... they had a fine season last year and ended up in fourth place, 6 games better than .500... it may be tough to duplicate that... the Raccoons have five workhorses on the staff... all of them worked over 200 innings each last year... Lenny Toscano (13-12/3.35) is the most reliable, followed by Bobo Troy (15-10/4.30), Jake Fischer (17-12/4.55), Charley Cayley d(11-13/4.71) and Carl Reichardt (11-15/4.82)... but they have to get their ERAs down quite a bit to contend in the RU East... the bullpen is in good hands with Zeke Dial (2-2/2.83 ERA/27 saves/37 games) in the closing role... rookie Jarrod Pennock and veteran Rodger Brockhoff could improve the bullpen... the best thing about Cold Creek is their bats, sparked by the sensational Vince Norberg (.319/40 HR), Floyd Constable (.282/26 HR), John Gaddison (.252/19 HR), Jimmy Lange (.288/12 HR) and Kent Phillips (.308/5 HR)... the Raccoons can go deep and also hit for average... rookie center fielder Sam Parker stood out in the Spring time and is hoping to win a spot in the starting lineup.

The Beechwood Jackrabbits had a lousy season in '62, winding up in seventh place, 38 games behind division champ Elnora... and it looks like more of the same this year according to the IPA preseason pollsters... the Jacks are forecast again for one of the bottom rungs in the Ruthlandian East... seventh place... they have the worst offense in the division and one of the worst pitching staffs... but they can go deep with the likes of Marcos Cienfuegos (.269/28 HR) and Kellen Dunne (.289/24 HR)... they do get a little bit of help scoring runs from Tim Baham (.269/13 HR) and Erik Coulter (.258/9 HR), but they need more than that... sadly, Beechwood is pretty much the same team as last year... no rookie newcomers... the Jackrabbits need help everywhere, especially in their mound corps... the only effective hurler on the staff is closer Luis Villavaso (8-11/2.98 ERA/21 saves/89 games)... here's the best they have coming back: Ivan Stefferson (11-14/4.54) and Junior Blauser (9-16/4.70)... they are the only starters with an ERA under 5.00... gonna be another long season for the Jackrabbits, who haven't won an RU East flag since 2027.

And who is destined for the Ruthlandian East basement?... none other than the down-and-out, disappointing and threadbare Belle Plaine Musketeers... in '62 they were last in pitching and also nearly last in scoring runs, but they scored enough runs to finish in the sixth spot in the standings, just ahead of Beechwood and Eastshore... the Muskies just might be the worst franchise in IPA history... only one time has the club won the RU East pennant... that was eons ago in 2009... and that tradition is still alive and well in 2063... Belle Plaine just might have the worst pitching corps in IPA history... for the last three years they have posted a 5.46 ERA, 5.65 ERA and last year it was a 5.25 ERA... Ike Alister (14-12/4.36) is the best of the worst... all the other starters are terrible with ERAs over 5.00... the only decent and dependable hurler is closer Adrien Renaud (.11-10/3.75 ERA/20 saves/56 games)... however, Belle Plaine has a promising rookie pitcher making his debut this year... Erroll Durbin will begin the season working in relief, but the word is that he could be a starter soon... fortunately, the Musketeers have a few talented hitters, led by blossoming star slugger Eliot Marcum (.286/38 HR), who had a career year with 108 RBIs and scored 114 runs... other good contributors are Jed McIntosh (.286/23 HR), Julien Brodnax (.291/17 HR) and Cody Losby (.308/15 HR)... Belle Plaine has a long, long way to go to be a competitive team in the IPA.

***************2063 Preseason Prediction ************************************************** ************************************************** ******************************** 2062 Ruthlandian East Final Standings
Attached Images
Image Image Image Image 

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-24-2020 at 11:03 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-24-2020, 10:59 PM   #6979
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Name:  ISLANDIAN TIMES BANNER.png
Views: 659
Size:  18.6 KB
Thursday, April 5, 2063

3 RU CROWNS IN A ROW FOR V'S
This season the Islandian Pro Alliance baseball beat writers and broadcasters are forecasting a three-peat for the spunky Volusia Vigilantes in the Ruthlandian West Division... the V's have been named the top team, but they will be tested by the Colfax Black Sox, Rocky Rapids Snappers and Sligo Rovers... the Vigilantes and the Black Sox have the hitters and the Snappers and Rovers have the hurlers... lately in the IPA, the bats have prevailed.

Three of the previous five seasons the Volusia Vigilantes have captured the RU West crown... and for the last two years the V's have come close to winning the IPA Pro Cup trophy... they scrapped their way to the Pro Cup Finals, but came up just a little short... guess what?... Volusia could be better in 2063... they have stepped up the offense... rookie first baseman Johnny Lee Washington had a great Spring Training and won a spot in the lineup batting .347 and hitting 6 out of the park... now he will be in the batting order along with Mauricio Tejada (.290/12 HR), Teddy Cornelius (.293/9 HR), Ellie Hudgins (.322/13 HR), Scoots Perez (.295/8 HR), Carlos Vaz (.332/6 HR), Carlos Silva (.303/1 HR) and Bandy Bardwell (.323/4 HR)... the V's expect Washington to provide a very valuable commodity that is missing from the Volusian arsenal - home runs... the best in the West, may have just got better... the V's don't have the best pitching in the RU West, but they can hold their own with the likes of Dan Hunt (15-5/2.75), Gustavo Clemente (15-5/3.90), Reynaldo Medrano (11-11/3.30) and Lonny Rinehart (11-13/3.70)... the bullpen is in pretty good hands, too, with Ron Beeman (18-7/3.78 ERA/18 saves/73 games) and Cloyd Queen (6-4/2.88 ERA/2 saves/21 games)... Look Out!... Volusia just might bring home their first Pro Cup since 2001.

It been over two decades since Colfax last graced the postseason playoffs... 2042 was the last time... the Colfax fans are excited about the coming year, not only because of the new nickname - the Black Sox - but also because the club is on the verge of being a legitimate pennant contender in the RU West... last season the club came in sixth, 15 GB... this year the baseball experts have labeled them a threat to upend Volusia, citing the potent batting order featuring Lanny Waldrep (.333/31 HR), Owen McElwain (.282/28 HR), Bralen Josephson (.368/25 HR), Steven Keener (.280/12 HR) and Jerry Vayda (.284/10 HR)... Colfax is just about on par with Volusia... plus they have a mound staff that is much improved according to the pollsters... their aces are Blaine Barkins (20-10/3.95) and Quince Blakeley (18-10/3.59)... they will need quick improvement from the rest of the staff to challenge Volusia... Dan Murtaugh (7-4/4.05) is the most likely source... left-hander Terry Starr (6-2/3.06 ERA also may be ready to contribute to the cause, along with reliever Gerry Gamble... all three of them had strong Springs... in the bullpen they have a standout closer with Karl Kruger (2-1/2.14 ERA/25 saves/40 games)... things are looking up for the rebranded Colfax Black Sox.

Last year the Rocky Rapids Snappers moved up another level... they went from an average, run-of-the-mill team to a pennant contender... greatly improved batting and slightly upgraded pitching did it... it was a turnaround season... the Snappers wound up a close third, trailing division winner Volusia by just 4 games... Rocky Rapids trailed by 21 games in '61... they are expected to be in the pennant chase again this year... it's been 17 years since Rocky Rapids last hoisted a pennant over their stadium... The Islandian Times Preseason Poll has them a close third again this year... the baseball media ranks the Snappers' staff the best in the Ruthlandian Union... three fine starters head up the rotation: Clay Callaghan (17-10/3.11), Lance Obermueller (15-13/3.40) and Rian Noland (17-10/3.72)... plus the addition of two highly-touted rookies, Al Ogden and Carl Roscoe... both of them did well in Spring Training and earned a starting role... the bullpen is pretty good, anchored by Ricardo Cepeda (5-7/2.89 ERA/24 saves/45 games)... Rocky Rapids has plenty of contact hitters and decent power... leading the lineup will be Jose Montanez (.342/2 HR), Cory McGee (.324/13 HR), Jamey Murton (.294/22 HR), Erv Vollmuth (.266/22 HR), Bernie Tillis (.296/13 HR), Deke Lundy (.279/11 HR) and Bucky Ward (.268/11 HR)... rookie first baseman Ian McKenna looked very good in the Spring and will be platooned... he adds good power... the Snappers look like a club to be reckon with in '63... the pennant is not out of the realm of possibility... Volusia and Colfax will have to watch out for Rocky Rapids... they will be "snapping" at their heels.

Overall in their history, the Sligo Rovers have done well with winning records 75% of the time... for the last decade the Rovers have won 2 RU West titles and come in second 8 times... and there is a good chance they will be challenging Volusia, Colfax and Rocky Rapids this year... like Rocky Rapids, Sligo has strong pitching, second best in the Ruthlandian Union, but they can't put runs on the scoreboard like Volusia and Colfax... Mickey Walsh (12-7/2.42), Aydan Evans (10-9/2.99), Jacky Harshman (12-7/3.19) are formidable starters, one of the best threesome in the IPA... three hurlers will be key to the success of the club... longtime closer Tiger Snodgrass (6-11/3.58 ERA/26 saves/72 games) will be in the starting rotation this year, along with youngster Carlyle Ketchum (7-3/5.01)... Snodgrass was standout 14-5 in '61 as a starter with a fine 3.34 ERA... the club is hoping that he will put up similar or better numbers this season... Farrell Wedgeworth (7-6/4.74 ERA/4 saves/29 games) will replace Snodgrass and be the closer this year... Sligo needs more offense to win the pennant... they just don't hit for power... but they do have a few fair bats, led by Dallas Patton (.311/2 HR), Reg French (.293/15 HR), Merle Bliss (.274/13 HR) and Sonny Sikes (.259/13 HR)... the top hitters are platooned: Rene Purcell (.333/0 HR), Duncan Murrell (.322/4 HR) and Gus Drago (.312/2 HR)... three rookie position players did not do well in the Spring and don't look like they will be much help... fourth place may be the best Sligo can do this year.

There are four good clubs in the Ruthlandian West Division and four second-rate teams... none of the bottom four are likely to any kind of a threat in the pennant race... the Fort Benton Defenders are picked fifth in the preseason poll, but they could end up last, too... the Defenders haven't had a winning season in five years... have won only two pennants in their history... the last postseason appearance was in '57... Fort Benton does hit very well for average (.291 BA), but they have bad pitching (4.67 ERA)... they possess one of the best hitters in the IPA... Marlon Howard led both the Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union with a splendid .384 BA, topped the leagues with 223 hits, drove in 99 runs and scored 94... he also get a lot of help from the rest of the lineup that is stocked full of good contact hitters: Terry Caslin (.312/9 HR), Marcos Aguilar (.301/4 HR), Sam Arnett (.289/2 HR), Travis Litchfield (.304/8 HR), Kip Drumm (.285/1 HR), Nate Bryson (.271/4 HR) and Kaz Ambroziak (.299/4 HR).

The outlook for the Middlefield Roosters is sixth place this year... from 2049 to 2056 the Roosters had a remarkable run in the Ruthlandian West... they won it 8 consecutive times... also rang up 2 Pro Cups, too, in '52 and '56... but since then they have been on the decline and have become an also-ran team... bad pitching will do it every time... plus the power numbers fell drastically... the Roosters have fair starters, but nothing in the bullpen... the starters are decent with Mickey O'Donnell (15-11/3.83), Andy Phillips (12-10/4.15), Nate Dorignac (12-11/4.13) and Buddy Wilkinson (12-13/4.91)... they need someone more effective than Terry Cahoon (13-11/4.31 ERA/24 saves/76 games) in the closing role... two rookie starters Joey Blinn and Pat Sorensen will get their chance to shine this year, but they both struggled in the Spring... six new rookie position players have been added to the roster this season... three of them made the opening day lineup: right fielder Hank Stavros, center fielder David Bell and catcher Warner Vickerson... they will join vets Donnie Hix (.289/8 HR), Jasper Kenton (.286/16 HR), Buddy Butler (.275/10 HR), Luke Glenn (.310/5 HR) and Bubby Cranmore (.321/1 HR) in the starting lineup... Stavros and Bell should add more power and pop at the plate.

The Stoner Silver Sox were the seventh choice in The Islandian Times Preseason Poll... the club has poor pitching, mainly in the relief corps, and a so-so offense with little power... you would think the Silver Sox were on the rise after they came in a close fourth last year, just 6 games off the pace of division champ Volusia... not sure why... Stoner is pretty much the same team, but may be aging... ace Brad Squires (17-7/2.87) had his best year last year at age 34... Nicky Sharman (13-9/4.23) is a quality pitcher... so are Alberto Temozos (7-14/3.70) and Calvin Sturgeon (11-6/4.13)... the bullpen is fairly stable with 34-year-old closer and 16-year vet Ira Monaghan (10-11/3.74 ERA/15 saves/62 games)... rookie southpaw Jared Haliburton (0-1/7.71) will get a shot in the rotation in the early going... the Silver Sox have a few threats at the plate that really sock the ball, but not with a lot of power... the best one is Hector Francisco (.332/7 HR), followed by Al Dodge (.332/8 HR) and Tommy Boutwell (.329/8 HR)... they depend on Jean St. Julien (.307/23 HR) and Tyler Stoddard (.267/17 HR) for firepower... like the other second division teams, Stoner could end up anywhere from fourth to eighth... two rookies will be in the starting lineup... Benny Childers in center field and third sacker Chris Talbert... both of them can go deep... Stoner has only made the postseason playoffs three times in its history, the last appearance was long ago in 2029... the short-term forecast and long-term is for the drought to continue... no RU West title for the Silver Sox anytime soon.

It was an easy choice for the pollsters... the Forest City Firebirds have finished in the Ruthlandian West basement the last three years, why not make it four years?... the Firebirds have never been very successful in the Islandian Pro Alliance... they have made the playoffs only five times over the years with three of them coming in the first three seasons of the team's existence... Forest City has the worst pitching in the division and ranks near the bottom in scoring runs, too... not a lot of talent on the Firebirds... Randy Snow (.323/26 HR) is by far the best... and he is a very good one... the 35-year-old outfielder has been solid for 11 years with a .299 lifetime batting average, 266 homers and almost 1000 RBIs... Snow gets some help from Edward Pierson (.293/27 HR) and Kenny Bostick (.293/7 HR)... there appears to no help from the sparse rookie class this year... the best of the lot is Jim Singletary, who will be in the bullpen this year... he did well in Spring Training... not a lot of talent on the mound, either... Rick Adriano (15-14/4.04) is the ace, but there is not a lot after him... the best of the rest is Ben Drummond (9-16/4.29) and Harry Jasper (8-16/4.21)... the only adequate reliever is 36-year-old Tim Varnado (0-4/4.14 ERA/19 saves/35 games), but time and age may be catching up with him... this will be his 14th season.

****************** 2063 Preseason Prediction************************************************** ************************************************** ********************** 2062 Ruthlandian West Final Standings *****************************
Attached Images
Image Image Image Image 

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-28-2020 at 07:41 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 02-27-2020, 06:51 PM   #6980
Eugene Church
Hall Of Famer
 
Eugene Church's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2002
Posts: 35,055
Blog Entries: 1
Name:  ISLANDIAN TIMES BANNER.png
Views: 614
Size:  18.6 KB
Thursday, April 5, 2063

RED CAPS DOMINATE TU NORTH AGAIN
What comes to mind when you think of the Oxford Red Caps in the Tycobbian North Division?... "old hat", "commonplace" or maybe "here we go again"... yes, it seems the Oxford Red Caps are going to win the Tycobbian North Division again this year... just like they have for the previous four years and seven of the last 11... The Islandian Times Preseason Poll has the Oxonians winning the TU North once again and by a big margin... just like the last four years... nobody will be close... all of the other contenders will just be playing "second fiddle" to the Red Caps again... Blue Lake will come in second, followed at a distance by Fairfax and Hartsdale in the third and fourth spots... Luxora could give the Frogs and Hellcats a fight for third... White River should have sixth to themselves... North Hills and Mahaska will be trying to avoid the TU North cellar... that's the Tycobbian North pennant race in a nutshell.

The mighty Oxford Red Caps are raring to go again in the Tycobbian North... they can score runs, they hit for average and they can go deep... plus the Red Caps easily have the best pitching in the division... the latter really set them apart from the rest of the clubs... only Blue Lake has a staff anywhere close to Oxford... how about a starting rotation featuring Rico Alessi (19-7/2.60), the TU Golden Arm winner in '60 and '62 and Pat McFarlane (16-9/2.78), the TU Golden Arm winner in '61... and add in at the number three spot in the rotation Maury Statler (17-4/3.61), who has posted a very impressive 165-93 mark in his nine years with the club... this has got to be one of the best starting staffs in the Islandian Pro Alliance... in the number four slot will be last year's closer Chucker Pitts (14-7/3.34 ERA/17 saves/62 games)... but the closer role has been placed in some very capable hands, Freddy Tilford (7-3/2.52 ERA/1 save/17 games)... Tilford was the 2061 Pro Cup Most Valuable Player when he was 3-0 with a 2.11 ERA in 8 games in the playoffs... in the Pro Cup Finals against Volusia, Tilford did not give up a single, solitary run in 10 innings and got credit for the wins in game four, five and six... so it appears all is well on the hill in Oxford... and all appears quite well, too, with the batting order that has the superstar tandem of Buddy Blackford (.323/49 HR) and Showboat Lynn (.294/41 HR)... Roland Latimer (.268/25 HR) is a quality bat, too, along with Wade Armour (.295/4 HR), Scott Schneider (.294/7 HR) and Raylan Theodore (.266/13 HR)... yes, you might say the Oxford Red Caps are loaded for bear... or maybe loaded for the Racers, the defending Tycobbian champion and defending Pro Cup champion from Rolling Hills... the Red Caps are ready, willing and able to knock the Racers off of their pedestal like they did in the '61 playoffs.

The Blue Lake Schooners have been stuck in a pretty good rut the last four seasons, finishing third each time and with a winning record... not bad for a team that had losing records for 10 years in a row... this year the Schooners are the second choice to win the pennant in the Tycobbian West by the media... it has been a long, long time since Blue Lake has been to the postseason playoffs... 2030 was the last time... but they did it right that year, they captured their one and only Pro Cup trophy... this season the Schooners have very solid pitching, pretty good run-scoring ability, but not a lot of power... Weldon Nettleton (12-12/2.73) will be the ace of the mound staff with help from Timmy Aaron (14-11/3.43) and Albert Kendrick (9-9/3.99)... two rookies Dwight Combs and Kale Ryburn will be in the starting rotation after standing out in Spring Training... Bobby Layne (8-13/3.72 ERA/11 saves/53 games) will return in the closing role... heading up the batting order is Steve Schueler (.330/2 HR), an All-Star center fielder and Golden Glove... left fielder Amos Hunnicutt (.289/24 HR) had a very fine rookie season and came in second in the Rookie of the Year voting... and Daryl Monaghan (.275/16 HR) is a 3-time All-Star catcher... Blue Lake is hoping for some breakout years from several players... the Schooners need more firepower to overtake powerhouse Oxford... but they are superior to the other six clubs in the Tycobbian North.

Four clubs will battle for third place in the TU North standings this season... the hot-hitting Fairfax Frogs are given the best chance... they can score just about as well as the Oxford, though they lack the home-run power of the Red Caps... what the Frogs lack most is pitching... they have been absolutely terrible the last two years, but help may be on the way... three rookies looked pretty good in Spring Training... keep an eye on Landon Little, Red Starcher and Tom Carney, all are slated for the bullpen in the early season... Fairfax is also hoping for some improvement in the returning starters Jazzy Dutton (16-13/4.29), Claude Elliot (11-10/3.88) and Colin Colvin (10-15/4.39)... for the sixth year in a row solid veteran Val Jackson (3-5/3.40 ERA/28 saves/46 games) will handle the closing chores... the Frogs have contact hitters galore, sparked by All-Star second baseman Butch Longman (.320/1 HR), Arlie Buckridge (.314/1 HR), Derrek Yorke (.303/9 HR) and Rory Sutcliffe (.310/12 HR)... the power guys are Ron Travis (.306/18 HR), Wyatt Clausen (.287/18 HR), Kirk Waner (.263/12 HR), Babe Gartland (.280/12 HR) and Otto Piper (.285/9 HR)... improved pitching will be the key to Fairfax's success in 2063... the Frogs' fans are long-suffering... 2033 was the last pennant and the last time the club made the playoffs... a few good pitchers could go a long way to end that suffering... give them time... 2-3 years from now Fairfax could be a serious pennant contender in the TU North.

The Hartsdale Hellcats haven't been raising much of it lately in the Tycobbian North race... they last broke even in '58... haven't had a winning season since '52... and no pennants since 2047... last year the Hellcats came in sixth, 18 games behind champ Oxford... the forecast for this year is third place or fourth place, just a little over the .500 mark... Hartsdale has decent pitching, but lacks the offense like its main competitors... they will compete with Fairfax and Luxora for the third and fourth spots in the TU North... judging from Spring Training, there's no help in scoring runs, but they might get a starter and some help in the bullpen... Colby Pickens earned a spot in the starters and Cris Knighten should be a help in the relief corps... returning hurlers are Tommy Johnson (13-10/3.10), Wallace Roscoe (17-7/3.83) and Lew Clydesdale (11-14/4.17)... the bullpen is bare... longtime closer Roy Krieger threw in the towel after a mediocre 2062... it looks like bullpen by committee for awhile... at the plate Walt Ivy (.325/9 HR) leads the way with help from Cooter Eldridge (.306/18 HR), Leon Croyle (.272/7 HR) and Nathan Ivy (.307/17 HR)... Hartsdale is just a middle-of-the-road ballclub... nothing special... will probably wind up somewhere between fourth and sixth.

The Luxora Zorros are a very similar team to Hartsdale... fair hitting and decent pitching... not a lot of longball power... the Z's are rated the fifth-best team in The Islandian Times Preseason Poll... the last good season was '58 when they nabbed the TU North flag... the Zorros have just been so-so since... rookies that showed well in the Spring are starter Benidito Dos Santos and reliever Roman Montalvo... and third baseman Armand Pryor... holdovers on the hill are Julio Machado (13-6/3.30), Howie Huntsman (14-13/3.79), Wallace MacPherson (16-12/4.28) and Terence Dupont (9-12/4.27)... in the bullpen last year closer Bartolo Baptista (10-13/4.03 ERA/22 saves/92 games) pitched a lot of games with modest success... the best bat is Donald Wren (.320/11 HR), followed by Marvin Harrelson (.292/18 HR), Odis Easter (.276/16 HR), Omar Solis (.276/16 HR), Francisco Queiro (.294/14 HR), Felipe Alvares (.279/10 HR) and Lance Lindsey (.259/10 HR)... Luxora can wind up anywhere between fourth and sixth in the TU North standings.

The White River Rascals will finish anywhere from fourth to sixth as well... they are in the same boat as Hartsdale and Luxora... fair scoring... average pitching... and not a lot of firepower... the preseason experts have place them as the sixth-best team in the division... the Rascals had a standout run from '48 to '56 with 7 TU North pennants in 9 years, but they have stumbled since, ranking near the bottom of the division... last year White River was a dismal eighth, 30 games back of Oxford... judging by the Spring, three rookies should be of help... that's center fielder Mack Hamblen, third sacker Paulie Sardini and shortstop Mack Cronyn... on the mound the Rascals have three dependable arms in Wes Chadwick (12-10/3.97), Noel Woods (9-10/3.88) and Hampton Mathews (7-11/3.89)... the bullpen is fair, headed up by Ringo Lanier (13-10/3.99 ERA/6 saves/55 games)... what little offense White River has is from Fred Kraft (.265/18 HR), Dick Robinson (.312/15 HR), Jerry Boggs (.317/2 HR), Bill Wolverton (.267/9 HR) and C. J. Chambliss (.273/8 HR)... first baseman Clarence Desaix (.350/10 HR) did well as a backup... however, the Rascals need to get him in the lineup fulltime... if the rookies come through, White River could improve in the standings this year.

The remaining teams are not very good according to the Island baseball experts... the North Hills Hawks hit very well... 294 last year, but lacked power... while the hurlers are for the most part mediocre... the Hawks are rated seventh in the preseason poll... years ago North Hills had a great team, one of the greatest in IPA history... from 2034 to 2045, the Hawks chalked up 11 Tycobbian North titles in 12 years... not only that, they captured 4 Pro Cups during that splendid era... not so any longer... they have had winning years only 5 times in the last 18 seasons... North Hills has three pretty good starters in Cy Swindell (16-10/3.37), Lance Lear (13-5/3.59) and Eddy Salem (12-10/3.83), but the bullpen is horrible... Johnny Denver (6-17/5.06 ERA/23 saves/81 games) is a poor closer, but was the best of the bad last year... two rookies Hal Christy and Ron Payton earned starting spots in this year's rotation, which should improve the relief corps... former starters Lew Luxton (12-11/3.59) and Zip Harben (3-9/4.11) will take over closer and setup roles... one thing for sure, the Hawks made a great trade in the offseason... they obtained a fine center fielder Gil Arthur (.340/10 HR) from IPA Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills... the 24-year-old Arthur got tired of being a backup outfielder and riding the bench too much and forced a trade... Arthur should certainly add some sock to the Hawks' batting order... he will join Denny Darby (.347/16 HR), Victor Bates (.329/6 HR), Jarrod Creed (.329/6 HR), Eric Passmore (.280/8 HR) and Pat Johnston (.260/4 HR)... that is a darn good lineup of hitters... if the bullpen perks up from the changes, North Hills could move up quite a bit in the TU North pennant race... the Hawks may be much better than seventh place.

What in the world has happened to the Mahaska Haymakers?... three years in a row they came in second to mighty Oxford... what has happened for them to fall to last place in the Tycobbian North?... what do the preseason pollsters know that we don't know?... looking at their mound staff, it looks like it might be better this year... rookie Charlie Blaylock had a very good Spring Training... three other newcomers, Alberto Vadilla, Ray Coryell and Ace Monroe should make them better, too... and the returning staff is fairly good with Luke Grantham (19-6/3.32), Marty Mobley (17-8/4.07), Major Jacobson (10-6/4.39) and Pip Cordice (8-7/3.78)... but they do need help in the bullpen... closer Wiley Youngblood (12-8/3.96 ERA/21 saves/70 games) was the prime guy in the bullpen and he did alright... but Cubby Darville (6-10/4.71 ERA/10 saves/44 games) slumped badly last year... batting-wise Mahaska put lots of runs on the scoreboard last year with the likes of Elvis Gilford (.317/22 HR), Brendan Coomer (.299/5 HR), Lanny Neagle (.271/20 HR), Timothy Honor (.267/18 HR), Stefano Marisciano (.264/20 HR) and Patick Boatman (.278/11 HR)... Devon Greeley (.344/10 HR) had a fine year in a platoon role... he will play fulltime in right field this season... sorry, this does not look like a bad ballclub... they will not finish last... they could be better than last year... the Haymakers will not fall from second place to last place... methinks, the baseball gurus are going to regret picking them for the TU North cellar in The Islandian Times Preseason Poll.

******************************** 2063 Preseason Prediction ************************************************** ************************************************** ********* 2062 Tycobbian North Final Standings **************************************
Attached Images
Image Image Image Image 

Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-28-2020 at 07:40 PM.
Eugene Church is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks

Thread Tools

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 04:24 AM.

 

Major League and Minor League Baseball trademarks and copyrights are used with permission of Major League Baseball. Visit MLB.com and MiLB.com.

Officially Licensed Product – MLB Players, Inc.

Out of the Park Baseball is a registered trademark of Out of the Park Developments GmbH & Co. KG

Google Play is a trademark of Google Inc.

Apple, iPhone, iPod touch and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries.

COPYRIGHT © 2023 OUT OF THE PARK DEVELOPMENTS. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

 

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.10
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.
Copyright © 2020 Out of the Park Developments