ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, June 2, 2061

RED CAPS OFF TO POOR START IN TU NORTH
Who'da thunk it?... the heavily-favored Oxford Red Caps (26-28) under the .500 mark... yep, so far, they are stuggling at the plate and it's showing in their subpar season... Oxford is in the third spot in the Tycobbian North Division, but they are just four games back of first place Mahaska (30-24) and 3 games behind second place North Hills... so they are not out of the race by any means... just give the bats a little more time to get going and then we'll see what the Red Caps are made of... Blue Lake (25-29) and White River (25-29) are tied for fourth and hanging close, five games off the pace... Fairfax (24-30) has also slumbered at the start like Oxford, but the Frogs could leap back in the chase fairly soon... like Oxford, their bats have been iced cold thus far... Fairfax was picked to be one of the better challengers to the Red Caps in the preseason poll... Luxora (23-31) and Hartsdale (18-36) are facing a tough year.

North Hills and Blue Lake had the best marks in May with 16-13... Oxford improved a bit from its poor April (11-14)... this month the Red Caps were 15-14... Mahaska may be a flash in the pan... they were 13-16 this month... same thing for Fairfax and Luxora, 13-16... Hartsdale was a terrible 10-19 last month.

SUNS SHINING BRIGHTLY IN TU SOUTH
The lightly-regarded Arroyo Grande Suns (33-21) have suddenly found some pitchers to go with their home-run power and they are doing quite well in the Tycobbian South... they have a three-game margin over another team on the rise with its fine mound staff, the runner-up Summerland Sunsets (30-24)... the Suns added some additional ground in the pennant race in May with a super 19-10, while the Sunsets were 16-13... in the third spot in the standings are the unlikely San Alejo Montaneros (29-25), just four games behind after a so-so 14-15 month... preseason pick Southport (28-26) is just slightly over the .500 mark after going only 13-16 in the month... be patient, the Sun Sox are a good club... they will be in the hunt for the TU South title... Turon (27-27), expected to be the Sun Sox's only challenger, did poorly in May, just 11-18... you can also expect the Typhoons to do better... Ginza (24-30), the division winner the last two years and the Pro Cup champ in 2059, apparently is on the decline... the Ninjas had a bad month at 11-18... and certainly is not the team of the last two seasons... the Cape Coral Hurricanes (22-32) are seventh in the standings after an awful 10-19 month, 11 GB... the 'Canes are more like a tropical storm this year... not a full-flown hurricane... and as bad as they are, the last place Colchester Elites (19-35) were 15-14 in May.

MIDDIES BEST IN TU EAST AGAIN
After a lackluster fifth-place finish (73-81) a year ago, the Midway Wolves are right back in the thick of things... actually they are right back on top of the Tycobbian East Division standings with a three-game edge on their old rival, the Red Bluff Red Sox (33-21)... and a five-game lead over talented South Fork (31-23)... the TU East may be the best overall division in the Islandian Pro Alliance... there really isn't a bad team in it... here are the division records for May... take a gander: Midway 21-8, Red Bluff 18-11, South Fork 18-11, fourth place Tuckanarra was 14-15, fifth place High Mesa 15-14, sixth place Hillsboro 16-13, seventh place Ozarka 16-13... even last place East Point was decent at 13-16... like it has been for the last decade in the TU East, it should be a heck of a race between the top four contenders.

REMARKABLE RACERS ROMPING IN TU WEST
Sorry, the race is over in the Tycobbian West Division... the defending Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers (40-18) are making shambles of the entire IPA... they are having an unbelievably good year... batting .318 as a team... that's not typo... .318 BA... the Racers are far ahead of everybody in team batting average... Volusia is having a great year, too, but they aren't even close to the Racers... they are batting .301 as a team... only Valmara of the RU North can match the Racers on the scoreboard... the IPA all-time best is .298 by the Elnora All-Stars of the Ruthlandian East Division in 2052.. the Tycobbian Union mark is held by the 2034 Kenwood Wildcats of the TU West Division with a .297 BA.

That's why Rolling Hills is already 10 games in front of second place Denton City (30-24) and 11 games up on Bayview (29-25) and Kenwood (29-25), the only other competition they have... for the month of May, the Racers were 20-9, the Redbirds 17-11, the Vikings 14-15 and the Wildcats 16-13... there is absolutely no need to cover the other four clubs in the Tycobbian West... they don't even have a chance for the first division (top four teams)... much less a chance at the pennant.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

SATURDAY, JUNE 18, 2061

IPA STARS READY TO SHINE IN ALL-STAR GAME WEDNESDAY
The best Islandian Pro Alliance pitchers against the best Islandian Pro Alliance batters... life is good today in the Islands... life is good today... coming up this Wednesday afternoon at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills, it's the 61st IPA All-Star Game... both the Ruthlandian All-Stars and the Tycobbian All-Stars will be shining on the diamond... the competition is totally one-sided with the TU Stars triumphant 41 times in 60 games... Tycobbian has won 10 of the last 11 midsummer classics.

Two Tycobbian teams, the Rolling Hills Racers and the Denton City Redbirds led with the most selections... they each had three players chosen to the elite squad... the oldest player on the TU Stars is outfielder Norishige Ito at age 34... the youngest is first baseman Mark Carmickle, just 21... the eldest participant on the Ruthlandian Stars is pitcher Mark Faber and second sacker Mickey Wilbur, both 34 years old... the youngest is 21-year-old first baseman Dayne Killian... one rookie, Mark Carmickle, made the All-Star squad... he'll be playing for the TU Stars.

Tycobbian has the most experienced players: Norishige Ito has been selected 8 times, his teammate Daryl Vale 6 times, Vincent McCloud 6 times, Bob Purkey 4 times and Kagetoki Miyazaki 4 times... the top honoree for the Ruthlandian Stars is Dickie DeBusshere, chosen 5 times in his career, Snooky Bartels 4 times and three players, who have been picked 3 times: Carlo Silva, Mickey Wilbur and Callum Slattery.

Ruthlandian Union All-Stars:
SP: Tom Bloodworth (Glasco) (8-4, 2.81 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Sam Carmon (Eastshore) (7-4, 2.09 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Levi Coleridge (LaGrange) (5-3, 2.50 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Mark Faber (St. John) (9-2, 2.67 ERA) (2-time All-Star)
SP: Tommy Holloway (Ranford) (7-2, 2.69 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Lance McElween (Marston) (7-3, 2.39 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Tomaz Mota (Volusia) (9-3, 2.41 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
CL: Luis Villavaso (Beechwood) (3-3, 1.81 ERA, 10 saves) (1-time All-Star)
C: Glen Chambliss (Ranford) (.370 BA, 16 HR, 36 RBI, 40 R) (2-time All-Star)
C: Freddie Civik (Valka) (.319 BA, 11 HR, 35 RBI, 34 R, 1 SB) (1-time All-Star)
C: Carlos Silva (Volusia) (.346 BA, 6 HR, 47 RBI, 32 R) (3-time All-Star)
1B: Dayle Killian (Eastshore) (.307 BA, 13 HR, 57 RBI, 39 R) (1-time All-Star)
1B: Manny Sendejas (Wynnamac) (.343 BA, 20 HR, 71 RBI, 60 R, 3 SB) (2-time All-Star)
2B: Clancy Beaufort (Sligo) (.319 BA, 15 HR, 43 RBI, 55 R, 2 SB) (2-time All-Star)
2B: Ozwaldo Romero (St. John) (.318 BA, 14 HR, 47 RBI, 48 R, 1 SB) (2-time All-Star)
2B: Mickey Wilbur (Elnora) (.339 BA/12 HR, 37 RBI, 41 R) (3-time All-Star)
SS: Dickie DeBusshere (Elnora) (.338 BA, 5 HR, 31 RBI, 31 R) (5-time All-Star)
SS: Bama Quade (Crystal Lake) (.286 BA, 2 HR, 31 RBI, 43 R, 9 SB) (1-time All-Star)
LF: Callum Slattery (Glasco) (.320 BA, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 41 R, 2 SB) (3-time All-Star)
CF: Jud Gilbride (Valmara) (.336 BA, 22 HR, 74 RBI, 73 R, 2 SB) (1-time All-Star)
CF: Tyler O'Reilly (Belair Beach) (.305 BA, 13 HR, 56 RBI, 53 R, 8 SB) (1-time All-Star)
RF: Snooky Bartels (Wynnamac) (.342 BA, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 48 R) (4-time All-Star)
RF: Bitsy Boccabella (Waleska) (.376 BA, 13 HR, 60 RBI, 50 R) (1-time All-Star)

Tycobbian Union All-Stars:
SP: Dontrelle Gilbreath (Red Bluff) (7-2, 2.11 ERA) (2-time All-Star)
SP: Rance Hasbrough (Denton City) (9-3, 2.18 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Weldon Herrington (High Mesa) (8-4, 2.54 ERA) (2-time All-Star)
SP: Darcey Kennedy (Bay St. Clair) (7-2/2.53 ERA) (3-time All-Star)
SP: Mick Marlow (Summerland) (10-3, 2.31 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Herm McClanahan (South Fork) (7-2, 1.87 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
SP: Marty Mobley (Mahaska) (10-3, 2.26 ERA) (2-time All-Star)
SP: Jeff Moncriffe (Southport) (7-3, 1.39 ERA) (1-time All-Star)
C: C. J. Chambliss (White River) (.317 BA, 4 HR, 28 RBI, 25 R) (1-time All-Star)
C: Ozzy Crenshaw (Denton City) (.344 BA, 4 HR, 35 RBI, 26 R) (2-time All-Star)
C: Francisco Queiro (Luxora) (.318 BA, 15 HR, 52 RBI, 29 R) (3-time All-Star)
1B: Buddy Blackford (Oxford) (.314 BA, 21 HR, 61 RBI, 46 R) (3-time All-Star)
1B: Mark Carmickle (Rolling Hills) (.321 BA, 14 HR, 63 RBI, 53 R) (1-time All-Star rookie)
2B: Derek Winchester (La Claire) (.313 BA, 4 HR, 37 RBI, 46 R, 3 SB) (2-time All-Star)
3B: Kagetoki Miyazaki (High Mesa) (.335 BA, 29 HR, 66 RBI, 61 R, 1 SB) (4-time All-Star)
3B: Teddy Stonich (Rolling Hills) (.330 BA, 16 HR, 58 RBI, 58 R) (3-time All-Star)
SS: Vincent McCloud (Denton City) (.293 BA, 10 HR, 44 RBI, 41 R, 7 SB) (6-time All-Star)
SS: Jameson Mulbert (Rolling Hills) (.379 BA, 4 HR, 30 RBI, 58 R, 7 SB) (3-time All-Star)
LF: Norishige Ito (Midway) (.364 BA, 14 HR, 46 RBI, 55 R, 1 SB) (8-time All-Star)
CF: Johnny Pendergrass (Summerland) (.382 BA, 4 HR, 32 RBI, 47 R, 8 SB) (1-time All-Star)
CF: Daryl Vale (Midway) (.322 BA, 21 HR, 68 RBI, 51 R, 8 SB) (6-time All-Star)
RF: Gabriel Macedo (Kenwood) (.346 BA, 29 HR, 67 RBI, 59 R, 1 SB) (1-time All-Star)
RF: Bob Purkey (South Fork) (.347 BA, 15 HR, 56 RBI, 52 R, 1 SB) (4-time All-Star)

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, June 23, 2061

TU STARS TOP RU WITH 6-RUN 7TH
Everything was pretty much going Ruthlandia's way in the annual Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star classic at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills... the RU Stars were up 3-1 going into the bottom of the 7th when the roof caved in on them... the Tycobbian Stars clubbed them for six runs and walloped the RU Stars 7-4... it was the Tycobbian Union's 11th win in the past 12 games and increased their overall record in the series to 42 victories and 19 defeats.

The TU Stars rapped seven Ruthlandian hurlers for 12 hits... Buddy Blackford (Oxford), Johnny Pendergrass (Summerland) and C. C. Chambliss (White River) each had two hits apiece... the most damaging blow was delivered by Vincent McCloud (Denton City) in the decisive seventh, a two-run base hit that put Tycobbia up 6-3... leading the RU Stars was Carlos Silva (Volusia) with two-run homer in the second frame... Ruthlandia could only manage five hits off Tycobbian pitching... McCloud was chosen the game's Most Valuable Player.

[Eugene Church]

Friday, July 1, 2061

IPA MIDSEASON RECAP
At the halfway point in the 2061 season, five of the eight divisions in the Islandian Pro Alliance are still in question... but three of them may be nearly decided... the Valmara Vipers in the Ruthlandian North are ahead by six games... the Wynnamac Sundowners are up by seven in the Ruthlandian East... and the defending Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers have a comfortable eight-game edge in the Tycobbian West race.

Five of the preseason favorites are currently in the top spot in their division... Wynnamac and the Volusia Vigilantes in the Ruthlandian Union... and Rolling Hills, Midway Wolves and Oxford Red Caps in the Tycobbian Union.

The Vigilantes still have competition in the RU West from the Sligo Rovers, who trail by four games... the Red Caps are in a tight race with at least two other clubs in the TU North... Mahaska is just one game out in the race... and North Hills is only two games off the pace... in the TU East, the Wolves are still being pressured by South Fork, 4 GB... Red Bluff, 5 GB and by Tuckanarra, 7 GB... Arroyo Grande is on top of the TU South, leading Summerland by four, Ginza by five and Turon by seven.

The best race in the IPA is in the Ruthlandian South Division where the St. John Crusaders are being challenged by four teams, the San Dimas Rancheros, Waleska Westerners, Claxton Diamonds and Belair Beach Sunbirds... only four games separate the five clubs.

VIPERS HAVE GOOD 6-GAME CUSHION IN RU NORTH
In the Ruthlandian North, the high-scoring Valmara Vipers (54-26) continued its very good play in June with an 18-8 mark... last year's champ Ranford (48-32) and Glasco (47-33) stayed right with them at 17-9... but preseason pick Far Mountain (46-34) dipped to 13-13... the rest of the division is pretty much out of the hunt... they are way behind, 16 or more games back.

5-TEAM STRUGGLE IN RU SOUTH
It's a close five-team tussle in the RU South... last year's division winner, St. John (47-33) jumped to the top of the standings with a 17-9 month in June... surprising second place San Dimas (45-35), picked for the cellar, is just two games out after going 16-10... last month's leader and this year's favorite, Waleska (44-36) slumped to 11-15 in June and is now three games behind... Claxton (43-37) broke even last month at 13-13 and is now tied for fourth, 4 GB... Belair Beach (43-37) had a good month with a 15-11 record... they are tied with the Diamonds for fourth place... none of the others look like contenders.

MACS OPEN UP A LEAD IN RU EAST
The Wynnamac Sundowners continued their winning ways in the Ruthlandian East with a 17-9 mark in June... the Macs upped their lead to seven games over runners-up Marston (41-39) and Elnora (41-39)... the Nine has a bad month with a 12-14 record, but the Clippers had a solid 17-9... as long as they can stay away from a losing month, Wynnamac looks like they are headed for the third pennant in the last four seasons... Elnora appears to be their only challenger.

V'S, ROVERS BATTLE IN RU WEST
It appears to be just a two-horse race in the Ruthlandian West this season... first place Volusia (50-30) and second place Sligo (46-34) are the best in the west this year... the Vigilantes finished 15-11 in June, while the Rovers were just a tad better at 16-10... third place Stoner (40-40) and Middlefield (40-40) had lackluster months at 13-13 and 11-15 respectively... fifth place Rocky Rapids (39-41) , picked to be a pennant threat to Volusia in the preseason poll, has floundered badly and trails by 11 games... however, they had a decent month at 14-12 in June... the other teams have too much ground to make up to get back in the race.

Ruthlandian Union

[Eugene Church]

Friday, July 1, 2061

OXFORD REDHOT IN JUNE, ATOP TU NORTH
Preseason pick Oxford (44-36) slumbered for awhile in the Tycobbian North, but the Red Caps got redhot in June and shot past Mahaska (43-37) and North Hills (42-38), last month's co-leaders... going 18-8 Oxford moved one game in front of Mahaska and two up on North Hills... the Haymakers and Hawks were both 13-13 for the month... two clubs are tied for the fourth spot, six games behind Oxford... Luxora (38-42) and Blue Lake (38-42) can still make a race of it... the Zorros were 15-11 last month... the Schooners wound up 13-13... sixth place Fairfax (36-44) is eight games back, but could still close some ground if they have a good second half... but the Frogs posted a 12-14 record in June... White River (34-46) and Hartsdale (29-51) are not going anywhere this season.

SUNS STILL SHINING IN TU SOUTH
At the midpoint in the IPA season, the Arroyo Grande Suns (48-32) are still holding their own... the Suns were not well thought of in the preseason polls... they were picked seventh in the TU South... Arroyo Grande is no longer considered and also-ran in the race, they are a bonifide contender...the Suns had a solid 15-11 record in June and still have a four-game edge over the runner-up Summerland Sunsets (44-36)… the Sunsets were 14-12... Arroyo Grande is five games better than last year's pennant winner, the Ginza Ninjas (43-37)... after a slow start, the Ninjas revved it up to 19-7 last month and they are now back in the pennant chase for real... highly-respected Turon (41-39) is fourth in the standings and close enough to make a second-half run... the Typhoons recorded a 14-12 mark in June... preseason favorite Southport (40-40) has just been lackluster so far... the Sun Sox were only 12-14 for the month and are in fifth place, 8 GB... none of the bottom half teams, San Alejo (36-44), Cape Coral (34-46) and Colchester (30-50) are likely to get into the pennant race.

MIDDIES IN A BATTLE IN TU EAST
The Tycobbian East Division just might be the toughest division in the Islandian Pro Alliance... year after year there are three or four clubs that contend for the pennant... no exception this year... at the midseason mark the Midway Wolves (52-28) are riding high in the top spot... the Middies are four games up on second place South Fork (48-32), last year's division champ... the Wolves were favored in the preseason poll and they have fared well thus far... but they have several talented teams staying close... third place Red Bluff (47-33) is just five games out... and fourth place Tuckanarra (45-35) is seven games back... and all of them are playing well... in June Midway was 16-10, South Fork 17-9, Red Bluff 14-12 and Tuckanarra 16-10... the Wolves have the advantage right now, but it should be a fight right down to the finish.

RACERS STILL RULE IN TU WEST
The Rolling Hills Racers (55-25) won it all last year including the Pro Cup and they are determined to do it all over again... right now they are heads and shoulders above everybody in the Tycobbian West... the pollsters made the Racers the slight favorite over the Kenwood Wildcats and Denton City Redbirds, but so far it has not been close... Rolling Hills is eight games in front of the Redbirds (47-33) and 12 ahead of the Wildcats (43-37)... no one else is in the pennant picture... looks like Denton City is the only club that has a shot... and it's a pretty long shot... the Racers slowed down a bit in June with a 15-11 mark, while the Redbirds went 17-9 and the Wildcats wound up 14-12.

Tycobbian Union

[Eugene Church]

Monday, August 1, 2061

3 IPA RACES MAY BE OVER
Three division leaders in the Islandian Pro Alliance have double-digit leads heading into the final six weeks of the season... riding high in the saddle are the Wynnamac Sundowners in the Ruthlandian East, Volusia Vigilantes in the Ruthlandian West and Rolling Hills Racers in the Tycobbian West... the Macs and the V's are ahead by 11 games and the defending IPA crownbearer Rolling Hills is rollicking along with a 12-game bulge.

VIPERS ON TOP IN RU NORTH
Let's take a quick tour around the baseball diamonds in the IPA... in the RU North Valmara (70-39) with its high-scoring attack are six games in front of second place Glasco (64-45)... preseason pick Far Mountain (61-48) is in the third spot, 9 GB... and last year's champ Ranford (59-50) is fourth in the standings, trailing by 11 games... it's doubtful they can do it, but the Foxhounds have the best chance of overtaking the Vipers... in July: Valmara was 16-13, Glasco 17-12, Far Mountain 15-14, Ranford 11-18

CRUSADERS WILL BE TESTED IN RU SOUTH
One of the best races remaining is in the RU South where St. John (65-44) has a four-game edge on unheralded San Dimas (61-48), one of this year's biggest surprises... for the past eight seasons the Rancheros have been wallowing at the bottom of the division... they were forecast for the cellar this year... third place Claxton (59-50) and preseason pick Waleska (59-50) are hanging close, six games off the pace... fifth place Valka (57-52) is playing very well of late and is not to be written off... first place St. John is a very well-rounded ballclub and will be tough to beat... it will take a heck of team to whip them... all of the challengers did pretty well in July: the Crusaders were 18-11, Rancheros and Diamonds 16-13, Westerners 15-14 and the up-and-coming Blackhawks a sizzling 19-10.

SUNDOWNERS STREAKING ALL ALONE IN RU EAST
In the Ruthlandian East, the Wynnamac Sundowners (70-39) are speeding toward their seventh division flag in 11 seasons... the Macs are a well-balanced club... no one will catch them... Wynnamac blistered everybody in July with a 22-7 mark, runner-up Marston (59-50) lost ground in spite of a strong 18-11 record... third place Elnora (55-54) floundered with 14-15... no one will catch the Sundowners.

VIGILANTES BEST IN THE RU WEST BY FAR
In the Ruthlandian West, the top club, the Volusia Vigilantes (73-36), couldn't have played any better last month... the V's posted a terrific 23-6 mark and are making shambles of the division... second place Sligo (62-47) is 11 games behind and has very little chance of catching Volusia... yet, the Rovers had a good month in July going 16-13.

Ruthlandian Union

[Eugene Church]

RED CAPS AND HAYMAKERS FIGHT IT OUT IN TU NORTH
Over in the Tycobbian Union in the TU North, Oxford only had a one-game edge over Mahaska and North Hills heading into July, but the preseason favorite played like gangbusters with 21 wins and only 8 losses for the month and the Red Caps (65-44) jumped five games up on the Haymakers (60-49)... the Hawks (52-57) went into a 10-19 tailspin and dropped to fourth place and out of the race, 13 GB... the Blue Lake Schooners (57-52) climbed in the standings with a fine 19-10, but they are still eight games back of Oxford.

SUNS ARE SOLID IN TU SOUTH, BUT COULD BE PUSHED
Things stayed pretty much the same in the TU South race... first place Arroyo Grande (65-44) had a solid 17-12 July and increased its lead to five games over second place Summerland (60-49)... the Sunsets chalked up a good 16-13 mark for the month... both Turon (59-50) and Southport (58-51) did very well with 18-11 marks... they both drew closer to the top... the Typhoons are six games behind the Suns and the Sun Sox are seven games back in the race... the division champion the last two years, the Ginza Ninjas (54-55) fell apart in July and dropped out the race with a dismal 11-18 record... the history-making Karate Kids are now history this year.

WOLVES GETTING READY TO HOWL IN TU EAST
In the Tycobbian East, the Midway Wolves (71-38) soared to 19-10 and increased their lead to seven games over second place South Fork (64-45)... the Stallions went 16-13 in July... third place Tuckanarra (63-46) did very well at 18-11, but lost ground to the Middies... the Tiger Cats are eight games out... the fourth place Red Bluff Red Sox (58-51) fell out the race, winding up a poor 11-18 for the month... they trail Midway by a 13-game margin.

RACERS RACING TOWARD BACK-TO-BACK PRO CUPS
And lastly, there is not a lot to say about the Tycobbian West... it has been decided for several months... the race has belonged to the reigning IPA Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers (76-33) from the start... they led by six games at the end of April, eight games at the end of May, nine games at the end of June... and now by 12 at the end of July... the Racers raced to a 21-8 mark last month... the closest challanger Denton City (64-45) did well, too, posting a 17-12 record... the Redbirds would still be four games behind Rolling Hills even if they had gone unbeaten last month.

Tycobbian Union

[Eugene Church]

Friday, September 2, 2061

SEPTEMBER STRETCH TIME IN IPA
After five months of play in the Islandian Pro Alliance, it's time to put up or shut up... September is here... it's the stretch drive and it's the time you have to win... there is no tomorrow... only three weeks left to win a pennant and a glorious spot in the much-loved IPA Pro Cup playoffs.

Ruthlandian Union

MACS ALREADY WON RU EAST
Only one club, the Wynnamac Sundowners (91-46), has officially won its division, the Ruthlandian East... the Macs are up 18 games and there are only 17 remaining in the season... they are still winning with abandon with a sparkling 21-7 record in August.

V'S LOOK SOLID IN RU WEST
Volusia (86-51) is looking good in the Ruthlandian West with a 9-game edge over the Sligo Rovers (77-60)... the Vigilantes slumped to 13-15 last month, but second place Sligo could only muster a 15-13 mark... the Rovers will have to do a lot better down the stretch.

ST. JOHN MIGHT SNAG FLAG AGAIN IN RU SOUTH
The St. John Crusaders (82-55) have a solid 7-game margin over two rivals in the Ruthlandian South, Waleska (75-62) and San Dimas (75-62)... the Crusaders had a healthy 17-11 for the month, while the Westerners were 16-12 and and the Rancheros 14-14.

VIPS AND HOUNDS GO AT IT IN RU NORTH
The Valmara Vipers (86-51) are battling the Glasco Foxhounds (83-54) for supremacy in the Ruthlandian North... Glasco glistened with a super 19-9 in August and cut the Vipers' lead to just three games... Valmara posted a solid 16-12... third place Far Mountain (77-60) is still a remote possibility, but they are nine games back after a 16-12 month... last year's winner Ranford (75-62) is a distant 11 games out after the Bulls registered a good 16-12 mark.

Ruthlandian Union

[Eugene Church]

Friday, September 2, 2061

SEPTEMBER TIME TO WIN IN THE IPA
It's always good to win in the IPA... April, May, June... but it's really crucial put up a lot of Ws in the September stretch drive... it's the do or die month... success means the IPA Pro Cup playoffs and a way to win the whole shebang... the much-sought after and the much-revered Pro Cup trophy.

Tycobbian Union

ROLL ON RACERS, RUNAWAY IN TU WEST
The current Pro Cup titleholder, the Rolling Hills Racers (92-45), appear to be a cinch in the Tycobbian West... second place Denton City (79-58) is not likely to overtake them... the Redbirds have 13 games to make up... the Racers were 16-12 in August and Denton City was 15-13.

SUNS TRY TO STAVE OFF TYPHOONS, SUNSETS, SUN SOX IN TU SOUTH
Still in doubt is the Tycobbian South race where Arroyo Grande (79-58) is only four games in front of Turon (75-62) and Summerland (75-62)... preseason favorite Southport (72-65) is still clinging to a slight chance of nabbing the division title, but the Sun Sox are seven games behind... the Suns went 14-14 in August... Turon was 16-12... Summerland 15-13... and Southport wound up 14-14.

MIDDIES LIKELY WINNER IN TU EAST
Midway is still in a struggle in the Tycobbian East... the Wolves (86-51) are six games in front of Tuckanarra (80-57) and South Fork (80-57)... the Middies were 15-13 for the month of August... the Tucks had a 17-11 mark... and South Fork 16-12.

RED CAPS ROLLING IN TU NORTH
The Oxford Red Caps (84-43) are in the driver's seat in the Tycobbian North with a good seven-game margin over runner-up Mahaska (77-60) and eight ahead of third place Blue Lake (76-61)... the Red Caps thrived with a great 19-9 in August, while the Haymakers were a solid 17-11 and the Schooners a strong 19-9... but neither gained any ground on redhot Oxford.

Tycobbian Union

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, September 19, 2061

TYPHOONS, VIPERS WIN NAILBITERS
It took just about the whole IPA season and all of the 154 games to decide a couple of divisions... Wynnamac won the Ruthlandian East by September 1st... Rolling Hills captured the Tycobbian West with about 10 days to go... Oxford won the Tycobbian North with about a week to play... St. John cinched the Ruthlandian South in the last week... Volusia won the Ruthlandian West the final week of the regular season... so did the Midway Wolves in the Tycobbian East... Valmara finally fended off Glasco by two games in the Ruthlandian North, but it could have ended in a tie on the final day... the Vipers had to win the last day to clinch... however, Turon put it off until the very last day of the season where the Typhoons edged out the Arroyo Grande Suns by a single game... Turon was triumphant 11-6 over Blue Lake, while the Suns suffered a crushing 9-5 loss to also-ran Cape Coral.

So the postseason playoffs are set with all eight pennant winners preparing to go at it on the diamond for the jewel of the Islands, the IPA Pro Cup trophy... Rolling Hills is the defending champion... the Racers will be seeking its recording-breaking fifth Pro Cup (2029, 2031, 2048, 2060)... same thing for the Valmara Vipers (2026, 2043, 2049, 2050) and the Turon Typhoons (2003, 2006, 2009, 2018)... so three challengers will be trying to make this year's playoffs very special... it should be quite a battle... all the eight clubs are given a chance to bring home the trophy.

Wynnamac (2008, 2055) and Midway (2053, 2054) have copped two IPA titles apiece... Volusia (2001) and Oxford (2007) one each... only the St. John Crusaders have never won the overall Islandian title.

2061 Ruthlandian Union Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

2061 Final Tycobbian Union Standings and Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

Monday, September 19, 2061

IPA KINGS OF THE HILL & SULTANS OF SWAT
The World of Baseball thrives on statistics... baseball fans dearly love their statistics... so here goes... a quick look at the 2061 Islandian Pro Alliance Kings of the Hill and the Sultans of Swat.

Ruthlandian Union Kings of the Hill
Three hurlers tied for the most wins with 19: Eric Braun (19-11, 3.46 ERA) of Claxton, Jonathan Burnett (19-10, 3.29 ERA) of Glasco and Monte France (19-9, 3.35 ERA) of Glasco.
Bullpen ace Luis Villavaso (10-7, 2.20 ERA) of Beechwood had the best ERA... he pitched in 89 games and posted 24 saves.
Terry Cahoon (7-12, 3.86 ERA) of the Middlefield Roosters topped the RU with 229 strikeouts in 210 innings.
Ace reliever for the Valmara Vipers, Kris Fourcade (13-15, 3.05 ERA), led the RU with 33 saves.
Phil Castle (16-6, 2.92 ERA) of Taranto posted the most shutouts with 5.
Frankie Dark (13-7, 2.22 ERA) of the Kilkenny Cats was the hardest to hit... he held batters to a .209 BA.
Jonathan Burnett (19-10, 3.29 ERA) of Glasco also worked the most innings with 268.
and Valmara's Tony Joe Carnes (16-8, 3.45 ERA) made the most quality starts with 24.

Ruthlandian Union Sultans of Swat
The RU batting title went to Ranford's Glen Chambliss with a .375 BA.
Zippy Coburn (.358 BA) of the Crystal Lake Skippers collected 220 hits.
Coburn also hit the most doubles with 48.
Rocky Rapids' Jose Montanez (.303 BA) led with 18 triples.
Valmara's Jud Gilbride (.302 BA) blasted 41 out the park for the home run title.
Dayle Killian (.325 BA) of Eastshore drove in 143 runs.
Valmara's Gilbride (.302 BA) also scored the most runs, 124.
Soseki Ishida (.266 BA) of Marston topped the RU with 38 stolen bases.
Donnie Hix (.258 BA) of Middlefield led with 106 walks.
and Marston's Luke Cranshaw (.346 BA) posted a .433 on-base percentage.

Tycobbian Union Kings of the Hill
Pat McFarlane (20-7, 2.27 ERA) of the Oxford Red Caps scored the most victories with 20.
South Fork's Herm McClanahan (16-7, 2.07) topped the league with a 2.07 ERA.
The number one strikeout artist in the TU was Ginza's Marcelo Cervantes (12-16, 3.87) with 231 in 258 innings.
The best closer was Denton City's Burnell Kelley (2-3, 1.59 ERA, 39 games) with 31 saves.
Cubby Darville of the Mahaska Haymakers hurled 6 shutouts.
The toughest guy to hit was Ian Timms of Tuckanarra... batters only hit .213 off of him.
Tossing the most innings was Rance Hasbrough (19-8, 3.00) of Denton City with 261.
and the ERA leader, Herm McClanahan of South Fork, also topped with 28 quality starts.

Tycobbian Union Sultans of Swat
Midway superstar Norishige Ito won his second batting title with a .365 BA.
La Claire's Derek Winchester socked the most hits with 213.
Duncan McLemore (.320 BA) of Tuckanarra smacked 51 doubles.
Josh Karnes (.302 BA) of Denton City had the most triples with 20.
High Mesa's Kagetoki Miyazaki (.334 BA) had a marvelous year with 63 circuit clouts.
Gabriel Macedo (.325 BA) of the Kenwood Wildcats excelled with 142 runs batted in.
High Mesa star Miyazaki also topped everybody in the TU with 124 runs.
Brendan Coomer (.300 BA) of Mahaska was the best at stealing bases with 36.
Timothy Honor (.308 BA) of Mahaska had the best eye, getting 105 walks.
and Midway's great Norishige Ito (.365 BA) led with a .457 on-base percentage.

2061 Final Ruthlandian Union Pitching Leaderboards




2061 Final Ruthlandian Union Batting Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

2061 Final Tycobbian Union Pitching Leaderboard




2061 Final Tycobbian Union Batting Leaderboard

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, September 21, 2061

8 PENNANT WINNERS CLASH SAT IN PRO CUP PLAYOFFS
For the 61st time the Islandian Pro Alliance will conduct the Pro Cup playoffs to determine the top baseball teams in Ruthlandian and Tycobbia... then those two champions will bang heads and bats against one another for arguably the supreme achievement in Islandia... to capture the IPA Pro Cup trophy... it all happens at a ballpark near you beginning this Saturday afternoon.

This is a very special edition of the Pro Cup playoffs... three of the participants, Valmara, Turon and Rolling Hills, will be seeking a record-setting fifth Pro Cup trophy... this year the title is up for grabs... all eight squads are given a pretty good chance at taking all the marbles... no one is writing off any of the teams... it's a wide-open affair... the experts are saying you can throw the regular season records out the window... the IPA postseason playoffs are a different creature, that doesn't always play out according to script.

The reigning Pro Cup champion is back again, shooting for back-to-back IPA titles... in the Tycobbian Union, two of the powerhouse clubs in the IPA will open up against one another... the 2060 Pro Cup winner, Rolling Hills Racers (99-55), will be entertaining the Midway Wolves (95-59) at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds for the opening two games of the best-of-seven series... Joe Wolf Stadium in Midway will be the site of the second set of games... games three, four and five... then, if necessary, it's back to Rolling Hills for the finale games... in the other TU first round series, it will be the Turon Typhoons (87-67) clashing with Oxford (96-58) on the Red Caps own home grounds, Winchester Park... after two games, the venue will switch to Typhoon Stadium... and if needed, the last two games will revert back to Oxford.

Playing for the Ruthlandian Union league title will be the Valmara Vipers (95-59) and the St. John Crusaders (89-65)... they will tangle at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara for the first two games... the Crusaders will be the home team for games three, four and five at Cathedral Park... if needed games six and seven will be held in Valmara... clashing in the first two games at Granger Field in Wynnamac will be the highly-regarded Sundowners (98-56) and the Volusia Vigilantes (97-57)... the Macs will be in Volusia for the next three games at the Jailhouse, or Silver River Stadium, as it's officially known... should the series go to game six or seven, they will be back in Wynnamac.

Rather than play on consecutive dates, this year the Islandian Pro Alliance had decided to give the teams a break between games five and six, so the pitching staffs will not be overtaxed.

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, September 20, 2061

RU NORTH RECAP
The Valmara Vipers had a much better season than the experts forecast for them... the Vipers (95-59) were the fifth choice to capture the Ruthlandian Union North Division, but they raised a few eyebrows and won the pennant in a slambang battle with the Glasco Foxhounds (93-61)... Valmara won its last four games to edge out Glasco by two games... the Foxhounds split their final four games... Far Mountain (82-72) was the favorite, but they only challenged early in the year and then faded in the second half to the fourth spot... defending champion Ranford (84-70) contended until midseason and then slipped back into the pack and wound up a distant third.

The Vipers have a very potent attack and paced the RU in scoring (878 runs) and longballs (198 HR)... pitching is their Achilles' heel... Rolling Hills won the Pro Cup crown last year using the same formula, so perhaps, the Vipers can make a run for the IPA title, too.








RUTHLANDIAN UNION NORTH DIVISION PRIME PERFORMERS

1st Place: Valmara (95-59)
Position Players: CF Jud Gilbride (.302 BA, 41 HR, 130 RBI, 124 R, 22 SB), 2B Vladimir Szymanski (.310 BA, 21 HR, 104 RBI), 3B Alek Stolarski (.322 BA, 7 HR, 68 RBI, 112 R)
Pitchers: Tony Joe Carnes (16-8, 3.45 ERA), Jozef Duczynski (13-7, 4.21 ERA), Phil Brewster (18-7, 4.33 ERA), closer Kris Fourcade (13-15, 3.05 ERA, 33 saves, 89 games)
Pro Cup Outlook: Vipers can hit like the dickens with .276 BA, 878 runs, 198 homers... pitching staff pretty darn bad with a 4.45 ERA... the key will be its three primary starters, Carnes, Duczynski and Brewster, along with erratic closer Fourcade... if they have a good postseason, Valmara can win it all... defense is also below league average... .973 FA... that could hurt, too.

2nd Place: Glasco (93-61)
Position Players: LF Callum Slattery (.304 BA, 15 HR, 101 RBI, 88 R, 5 SB), CF Lynwood Scroggs (.258 BA, 21 HR, 92 RBI, 88 R, 12 SB)
Pitchers: Jonathan Burnett (19-10, 3.29 ERA), Monte France (19-9, 3.35 ERA), Tom Bloodworth (17-9, 3.02 ERA), Royce Blackstreet (15-12, 3.69 ERA), closer Coy Gosselin (3-5, 2.16 ERA, 32 saves, 46 games)
Outlook: Best all-around team in the RU North... needs home-run power to top Valmara… the Foxhounds hit for a strong .218 BA, scored 762 runs, but only hit 123 out of the park... fine 3.66 ERA... good fielding with .977 FA.

3rd Place: Ranford (84-70)
Position Players: C Glen Chambliss (.375 BA, 25 HR, 62 RBI, 78 R), LF Jedd Blodgett (.279 BA, 27 HR, 92 RBI, 92 R, 23 SB)
Pitchers: Tommy Holloway (14-5, 2.89 ERA), Dave Brewster (14-10, 3.39 ERA)
Outlook: the Bulls have good HR power (178 HR)... best defense in the RU North (.979 FA)... and better-than-average hitting (.270 BA), scoring (712 runs) and pitching (3.88 ERA)... solid club.

4th Place: Far Mountain (82-72)
Position Players: 2B Luke Hazlett (.309 BA, 27 HR, 110 RBI, 88 R), Oskar Neumann (.323 BA, 15 HR, 78 RBI, 82 R, 14 SB), CF Ox Gless (.295 BA, 23 HR, 69 RBI, 82 R), Curt Miley (.319 BA, 18 HR, 80 RBI, 78 R, 8 SB)
Pitchers: Skippy Hays (13-8, 2.99 ERA), Monte Westbrooks (10-4, 3.57 ERA), Benny Van (10-7, 3.72 ERA)
Outlook: very good offense with 758 runs, .276 BA, 183 HR... very good defense with .977 FA... mediocre pitching with a 4.12 ERA.

5th Place: LaGrange (81-73)
Position Players: rookie LF Kris Carper (.319 BA, 17 HR, 103 RBI, 82 R, 6 SB)
Pitchers: Amos Wadsworth (11-6, 2.74 ERA), Levi Coleridge (12-9, 3.69 ERA), closer Trey Ladner (9-10, 3.17 ERA, 25 saves, 92 games)
Outlook: lackluster offense and power... .267 BA, 116 HR, 656 runs... good defense (.977 FA)… good pitching with 3.69 ERA.

6th: Taranto (75-79)
Position Players: RF Lenny Buisson (.262 BA, 38 HR, 105 RBI, 77 R, 6 SB), 2B Mark Tripiano (.321 BA, 20 HR, 76 RBI, 77 R, 8 SB)
Pitchers: Phil Castle (16-6, 2.92 ERA)
Outlook: fair offense, good defense, poor pitching... .256 BA, 633 runs, 149 HR, .977 FA, 4.25 ERA.

7th Place: Kilkenny (65-89)
Position Players: CF Vance Snead (.311 BA, 30 doubles, 0 HR, 57 RBI, 73 R, 5 SB)
Pitchers: Frankie Dark (13-7, 2.22 ERA), closer Butch Baird (9-6, 2.95 ERA, 20 saves, 76 games)
Outlook: lousy attack, very poor power, good pitching, fair defense... .248 BA, 566 runs, 86 HR, 3.65 ERA, .971 FA.

8th Place: Ancona (64-90)
Position Players: LF Franco Briganti (.308 BA, 16 HR, 60 RBI, 56 R, 1 SB), CF Allie Bryant (.265 BA, 24 HR, 97 RBI,96 R, 31 SB)
Pitchers: Yanni Bubas (13-13, 3.51 ERA), closer Kontos Christakis (14-12, 3.24 ERA, 16 saves, 78 games)
Outlook: pretty good offense, terrible pitching, poor defense... .259 BA, 671 runs, 134 HR, 4.71 ERA, .970 FA.

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, September 21, 2061

RU SOUTH RECAP
The St. John Crusaders (89-65) pulled away in the second half of the season and took the Ruthlandian South Division by five games over second place Claxton (84-70)... it was a horse race until midyear with six clubs in the mix... this was the Crusaders second consecutive division title... they have won it three of the last five seasons.

Third place went to much-improved San Dimas (83-71)... long a division doormat, the Rancheros were infused by two fine new rookies... fourth place Waleska (82-72) was the preseason pick, but the Westerners had two losing months in June and September... after a fine April and May, they slowly dropped out of the pennant race... Valka (80-74) and Belair Beach (74-80) also contended until midseason.



1st Place: ST. JOHN CRUSADERS (89-65)
St. John is solid and sound in all aspects of the game... you name it and the Crusaders have it... they hit well, score well with power, pitch well and play defense well (.978 FA).
Outlook: going into the Pro Cup playoffs, St. John has the second-worst record... also their pitching has flopped in the postseason in recent years... but the Crusaders do have a fine batting order top-to-bottom... yet, they are not expected to be a factor in the playoffs.





2nd Place: CLAXTON DIAMONDS (84-70) (5 GB)
Outlook: Probably the best thing going for the runner-up Claxton Diamonds was its starting rotation... they were consistently good... however, their bats are not impressive... not a lot of power... but they do have a good defense (.978 FA).

[Eugene Church]

3rd Place: San Dimas Rancheros (83-71) (6 GB)
Outlook: the Rancheros were picked for the cellar again, but several rookies helped to change that forecast... pretty good home-run power... pretty good pitching, starters and bullpen... plus standout defense (.983 FA)... needs more offense... San Dimas may be a club on the rise after almost 20 years of mediocrity.





4th Place: Waleska Westerners (82-72) (7 GB)
Outlook: Waleska is just a fairly good ballclub... was supposed to be the team to beat in the RU South this season, but weak June and September quashed their pennant hopes... the Westerners need more firepower in the lineup to put more runs on the scoreboard... pretty much average in most areas of the game... defensively just average (.975 FA).

[Eugene Church]

5th Place: Valka Blackhawks (80-74) (9 GB)
Outlook: the Valka Blackhawks performed well this season, winding up in fifth place, six games over the .500 mark... possess several good starters, that's their strong point... have trouble scoring runs... need some power in the lineup... average with the gloves (.975 FA).





6th Place: Crystal Lake Skippers (75-79) (14 GB)
Outlook: the sixth place Crystal Lake Skippers carry big sticks and can use them... top-hitting team in the Ruthlandian Union with a .291 BA... can score and hit with power... but have lousy pitching and lousy defense (.972 FA)... they need to go out and trade for some hurlers to become pennant contenders like they were in '58 and '59 when they won the division flag... even won the Pro Cup in '58... offense is still pretty much the same... just lacks quality starters... and relievers, too.

[Eugene Church]

7th Place: Belair Beach (74-80) (15 GB)
Outlook: the Belair Beach Sunbirds hung in the race for a while, then faded badly in the last half, ending up in seventh place... mediocre offense... but they have several quality starters... fair HR power... and the defense is fairly good (.977 FA).





8th Place: Grand City (65-89) (24 GB)
Outlook: the last place Grand City Cybercats have a terrible offense... no power... average defense (.976 FA)... but with some pretty good pitching.