Cool story.

You know, you are right... it is a nice story.

Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

For Dark Horse

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 10, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 5 At Bay St. Clair

Tars Slam Bucs 13-5, Win First Pro Cup
Taranto proved they can hit the ball out of the park any place and anywhere... the Tars boomed 4 out of Shoreline Park and slammed the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers 13-5 to win the 2015 IPA Pro Cup in just five games... it was Tommaso Lazzorda and the Tars first ever IPA championship.

Taranto showed they meant business by blasting the Bucs for 8 runs in the first frame... RF Augie Marshall (.375) and LF Arnie Kennedy (.304) sparked the rampage with 4 RBIs each... Marshall hit 2 homers and Kennedy and 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.279) belted one apiece... Marshall and Kennedy rapped 5 each in the postseason, while Skrmetta had 4... Bay St. Clair's CF Todd Bryant (.328) and LF Bruno DiPirro (.344) went deep, but the Bucs couldn't get any closer than 9-4 in the third... Taranto sent them reeling with 3 more runs in the top of the fourth for an 8-run lead.

Jimmy Mosley (3-2 4.13) came up with another important win... Mosley surrendered 5 runs and 8 hits, but was good enough to win... Surprise starter Don Yaden (0-1) sustained the loss and had to endure the terrible first inning... Guy Rondre gave Yaden the start in hopes that he could slow down the Tars the plate and get the Buccaneers back into the series... Yader was an effective reliever during the season with a 6-1 record in 51 games.

Lazzorda lauded his entire team, saying, "Everybody on the club contributed... the hitters get the press and the glory, but my pitchers did a fine job, too... actually we won because of our pitching... it's not easy to pitch in a place like the Palazzo di Sport and stay sane." He added, "When you have as many good bats as I do, it makes my job a breeze... If there has ever been a better hitting team in the IPA, I have never seen them."

Bay St. Clair's Guy Rondre was greatly disappointed in losing the Pro Cup. He told the press, "I really thought we could beat anybody after we knocked off Ozarka."

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 11, 2015

Marshall and Kennedy Pro Cup MVPs
The 2015 IPA Pro Cup Series was a hitter's delight. Consequently the Most Valuable Player Award went to a pair of prolific hitters: Augie Marshall and Arnie Kennedy of the champion Taranto Tars shared the award. The two sluggers demolished Bay St. Clair pitching and sparked the Tars to the IPA crown in five games.

Marshall, the 21-year-old right fielder, hit .375 in the playoffs with 5 home runs, 18 RBIs and 18 runs scored, while 27-year-old left fielder Arnie Kennedy rapped 5 out of the park, drove in 20 runs, scored 16 times and posted a .304 batting average. Each one of them delivered crucial hits at various times in the postseason. Chazzie DiBartolo played a big part in the Tars title run with a fine 4-0 record and was the only other votegetter in the poll.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2052

FAVORED WMACS CAPTURE RU EAST
Preseason predictions in the Ruthlandian East Division forecast a tight race between four contenders with Wynnamac getting the final call... and it transpired that way until the All-Star Game... with a great April (22-5) the Elnora All-Stars forged into the lead with Wynnamac, last year's division champ Sugar Valley and Marston snapping at their heels... all within 3 games of the top spot... but Elnora was only a .500 club the rest of the way and soon dropped out of the race... the Rattlers and Nine also faded in the second half... it was the favored Sundowners (95-59) who took over and easy won it by 9 games over the Marston Nine (86-68), 12 games better than Elnora (83-71) and 18 games over Sugar Valley (77-77).

1st Place: Wynnamac Sundowners (95-59)
Last Year: 3rd Place (85-59) (18 GB)
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2007)
Playoffs: 7
Last Appearance: 2044

Team Stats: .268 BA (12th)/758 runs (10th/105 HR (23rd)/3.02 ERA/.968 FA
Pitchers: strong set of vets: All-Star Sammy Hayes (21-11/2.61), Simon Northcott (20-4/2.85) and Garan Parula (14-13/3.23)... rookie George Medworth (21-8/2.90) was a huge find.
Batters: three rookies stood out at the plate: RF Wally Bonds (.334/17 HR/87 RBI/83 R), C Jethro Bibbs (.316/14 HR/70 RBI/62 R) and 1B Enos Benham (.324/17 HR/46 RBI/78 R)... solid vet Dickie Key (.277/15 HR/82 RBI/83 R/14 SB) was a solid bat, too.

Outlook: manager Jerry Meeks has the Sundowners cranking on all cylinders...strong pitching, good offense and fine defense paved the way to the pennant for Wynnamac... moved up from distant third last year... should be tough in the Pro Cup playoffs... third-best record in the Ruthlandian Union this year... topped only by Middlefield (106-48) and Taranto (98-56).

2nd Place: Marston Nine (86-68) (9 GB)
Last Year: 2nd Place (94-60) (9 GB)
Season Forecast: 4th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 7
Last Appearance: 2047

Team Stats: .291 BA (2nd)/832 runs (3rd)/122 HR (13th)/3.74 ERA (16th)/.970 FA
Pitchers: aging starters John Newton (16-9/2.76) and Thomas Stuart (15-10/3.81)... two good bullpenners in Robert Tringle (15-9/2.29/16 saves/82 G) and Kiki Vukk (6-6/2.44/6 saves/52 G)
Batters: All-Star 2B Damien D'Amboise (.332/7 HR/61 RBI/110 R/42 SB), rookie C Johnny Tibbetts (.321/18 HR/89 RBI/81 R), vet 3B Gary Armitage (.255/19 HR/84 RBI/107 R/24 SB), SS Andy Kirk (.309/4 HR/65 RBI/86 R/19 SB), vet CF D'Wayne Dotson (.306/13 HR/79 RBI/65 R/9 SB)... rookies LF Lou Greenleaf (.342/14 HR/68 RBI/54 R) and RF Curly Yeats (.317/10 HR/68 RBI/54 R/18 SB) did well in platoon roles... as did vet 1B Charley Gilmore (.338/5 HR/37 RBI/47 R)

Outlook: For Marston to stay a contender manager Russ Woodward need to infuse some youth into his rotation... the Nine has an aging staff... but they can hit, score and play defense.

3rd Place: Elnora All-Stars (83-71) (12 GB)
Last Year: 7th Place (68-86) (35 GB)
Season Forecast: 2nd Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2033)
Playoffs: 9
Last Appearance: 2035

Team Stats: .298 BA (1st)/881 runs (2nd)/154 HR (5th)/4.49 ERA (28th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: 7 rookies really contributed: Billy Ehrenreich (22-13/4.09) and Wade Mendenhall (16-18/4.37), along with long-time vet Slim Harding (16-17/4.45)... vet Stan Everett (9-4/3.39/11 saves/65 G) is reliable in the bullpen.
Batters: LF Robb Norwood (.367/12 HR/71 RBI/97 R/5 /SB), 2B Mickey Wilbur (.347/18 HR/89 RBI/74 R), 3B Dickie DeBusshere (.333/14 HR/82 RBI/90 R/6 SB), CF Pedro Abreu (.324/20 HR/64 RBI/102 R/13 SB), RF Dino Rosetti (.294/22 HR/86 RBI/68 R), SS Bobby Lee Carnahan (.288/9 HR/59 RBI/73 R) and 1B Glenn Ullman (.300/8 HR/77 RBI/82 R).

Outlook: vastly better this season... the future is bright for skipper Stan Kivas and his All-Stars and all his talented and youthful offense... but improved pitching is a must... can't get to the top level without a solid rotation.

4th Place: Sugar Valley Rattlers (77-77) (18 GB)
Last Year: 1st Place (103-51)
Season Forecast: 3rd Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2045)
Playoffs: 18
Last Appearance: 2051 and 3 years prior

Team Stats: .258 BA (23rd)/727 runs (17th)/182 HR (3rd-tied)/3.73 ERA (15th)/.971 FA
Pitchers: veteran staff, aging... 34-year-old Christopher Dunsberry (10-7/2.72), 37-year-old Davey Brennan (11-8/3.57), 32-year-old Joe Snow (15-16/3.95) and 34-year-old Antonio Cedeno (13-17/3.87)... Dunsberry and Brennan missed half the season with injuries.
Batters: prime players are 37-year-old CF Carl Ramsey (.267/37 HR/93 RBI/91 R/6 SB), rookie 1B Deke Lundy (.305/39 HR/104 RBI/79 R), rookie 3B Tuck Alstott (.298/25 HR/78 RBI/97 R/23 SB) and vet LF Marv Shaw (.294/23 HR/71 RBI/79 R/8 SB).

Outlook: manager Bobby Gamble has an aging mound corps... went from excellent to just pretty good this year... team ERA fell from splendid 2.81 to 3.73 ERA... injuries hurt in second-half slump... Rattlers hit with power, but are only average offensively... excellent defense.

5th Place: Beechwood Blues (73-81) (22 GB)
Last Year: 8th Place (62-92) (41 GB)
Season Forecast: 7th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 3
Last Appearance: 2027

Team Stats: .256 BA (24th)/676 runs (25th)/103 HR (24th/4.16 ERA (24th)/.969 FA
Pitchers: 36-year-old Lanny Medford (19-10/2.91) only reliable starter... very good relievers with rookie Owen Greenacre (11-5/2.73/14 saves/72 G) and vet D. W. Downs (9-10/3.04/16 saves/64 G).
Batters: CF Rod McClellan (.294/21 HR/74 RBI/87 R/14 SB) and rookie SS Eldon Gilbert (.322/3 HR/51 RBI/55 R) are just about the only run producers... Gilbert made the RU All-Star team... not much talent in the batting order.

Outlook: improved a little this season... skipper Maury Patterson needs much more talent... in most respects just a lackluster, second-division club at this point.

6th Place: Belle Plaine Musketeers (69-85) (26 GB)
Last Year: 4th Place (77-77) (26 GB)
Season Forecast: 6th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 1
Last Appearance: 2009

Team Stats: .269 BA (11th)/766 runs (8th)/153 HR (6th)/4.60 ERA (29th)/.964 FA
Pitchers: not a lot of quality... best of the lot is Joe-Joe Bouvier (10-14/4.39) and Al McKeown (14-20/4.91)... bullpen is decent with Takeo Kawamura (15-8/3.70/11 saves/86 G) and Clint Quick (8-4/3.46/8 saves/50 G)
Batters: the Muskies have two standout batters in stars RF Lenny Buisson (.333/36 HR/119 RBI/98 R/12 SB) and 1B Chuck Gregory (.316/27 HR/92 RBI/62 R)... 3B Kale Woodard (.307/4 HR/52 RBI/69 R) is a so-so bat, too... little else in the batting order.

Outlook: historically, one of the worst IPA franchises... just one playoff appearance, way back in 2009... pretty fair offense, but lousy pitching with poor defense... manager Slick Hammill has a tough job in Belle Plaine.

7th Place: Cold Creek Catamounts (62-92) (33 GB)
Last Year: 6th Place (69-85) (34 GB)
Season Forecast: 6th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 8
Last Appearance: 2041

Team Stats: .266 BA (15th)/715 runs (19th)/108 HR (21st)/4.70 ERA (30th)/.966 FA
Pitchers: Spooky Robison (11-21/4.29) is just a fair starter... vet star Sammy Wright (14-20/5.15) may be ready to retire at 34.
Batters: 6-time All-Star 3B Joe Cochrane (.338/17 HR/89 RBI/101 R) is gifted player on the roster... he's a standout... 2B Milt Swallow (.242/26 HR/98 RBI/67) can hit with power, but not for average... but he can drive in runs... CF Albie Forbush (.278/12 HR/69 RBI/56 R) and RF Mel Parnell (.263/11 HR/75 RBI/74 R/10 SB) are just fair players.

Outlook: manager J. J. Gillespie has terrible pitching, average offense and defense... not a whole lot to look forward to... wholesale changes are needed.

8th Place: Eastshore Cotton Kings (59-95) (36 GB)
Last Year: 5th Place (70-84) (33 GB)
Season Forecast: 8th Place
Pro Cups: 2 (2016 and 2017)
Playoffs: 7
Last Appearance: 2034

Team Stats: .254 BA (27th)/662 runs (27th)/98 HR (27th)/4.34 ERA (26th)/.960 FA
Pitchers: closer Trent Niven (12-7/2.86/14 saves/81 G) does his job very well, but the club lacks starters... Malcolm Tansbury (9-23/3.84) is the best of the lot in the rotation
Batters: except for fine rookie 3B Herman Fair (.345/14 HR/71 RBI/75 R/20 SB) there are no quality ballplayers on the roster.

Outlook: manager Scotty Lagrange really needs some help... the Cotton Kings are really, really bad.

*

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2052

NO CONTEST IN RU WEST, ROOSTERS RULE ROOST
The baseball experts picked the Middlefield Roosters (106-48) to run away with the Ruthlandian West Division and without question they did... the Roosters had it won at mid-season with a 10-game lead... but Middlefield continue to roll and wound up winning the pennant by a whopping 19 games over runner-up Rocky Rapids (87-67), topping third place Forest City (85-69) by 21 and fourth place Volusia (82-72) by 24 games... with the best record in the IPA this season, the Roosters are ready to crow some more and bring home their second IPA Pro Cup crown... Middlefield won its only IPA title in 2005.

1st Place: MIDDLEFIELD ROOSTERS (106-48)
Last Year: 1st Place (82-72)... the Roosters have won the pennant years 4 years in a row... and 7 times in the last 12 seasons.
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2005)... beat Denton City Redbirds in 5 games
Playoffs: 15
Last Appearance: 2051

Team Stats: .270 BA (9th)/925 runs (1st)/206 HR (1st)/3.26 ERA (6th)/.969 FA
Pitchers: All-Star James Long (26-9/2.57), Hollis Dale (23-10/3.66), Larry Wheelhouse (20-14/4.14) and Chris Collier (16-8/3.57)... super bullpen with a 2.10 ERA, led by Norm Coventry (8-5/2.84/15 saves/47 G) and Ricky Farris (8-2/1.48/7 saves/42 G)
Batters: power galore with LF Trip Agarn (.292/37 HR/117 RBI/96 R/6 SB), CF Johnny Wyatt (.299/35 HR/101 RBI/96 R/4 SB), RF Rufus Blackburn (.260/34 HR/99 RBI/96 R/11 SB), SS Stan Radzikowski (.267/23 HR/82 RBI/84 R/9 SB) and 2B Natty Colclough (.254/21 HR/90 RBI/97 R)

Outlook: manager Rinky Tinker's Roosters do everything well... should be the favorite to win the Pro Cup trophy this year... one future problem is an aging rotation with most of the staff 32 to 37 years old.

2nd Place: Rocky Rapids Snappers (87-67) (19 GB)
Last Year: 8th Place (60-94) (22 GB)
Season Forecast: 2nd Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2019)... upset favored Ozarka in 4-game sweep
Playoffs: 6
Last Appearance: 2046

Team Stats: .258 BA (22nd)/667 runs (26th)/115 HR (17th-tied)/2.66 ERA (1st)/.968 FA
Pitchers: super rotation with ace Jamie Taylor (21-15/2.28), Clay Callaghan (19-9/2.28), Elvis Bonham (18-15/2.48) and Sammy Sterling (14-10/2.79)
Batters: not a lot at the plate... except for All-Star 2B Marty Featherstone (.312/26 HR/89 RBI/97 R/5 SB)... some decent hitters like CF Franciszka Antek (.290/11 HR/47 RBI/67 R/18 SB) and 1B Masaharu Kawasaki (.245/17 HR/73 RBI/65 R)... not much else.

Outlook: manager Junior Noland has a top-notch group of starters... not much in the bullpen... very little in the way of offense... it's tough to win pennants with pitching alone in the IPA... plays solid defense.

3rd Place: Forest City Firebirds (85-69) (21 GB)
Last Year: 7th Place (68-86) (14 GB)
Season Forecast: 3rd Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 5
Last Appearance: 2048

Team Stats: .260 BA (18th)/792 runs (5th)/182 HR (3rd-tied)/3.91 ERA (19th)/.964 FA
Pitchers: vet ace Rusty Howard (19-12/2.97) is excellent... aging vet Kelly Gilliam (17-16/4.04) may be slowing down at 36... Tim Varnado (13-6/3.20/22 saves/79 G) was a quality reliever this season.
Batters: manager Rich Barstow depends on the longball... LF Buddy Bessent (.281/25 HR/64 RBI/69 R), RF Dedrick Crone (.242/25 HR/74 RBI/60 R/6 SB), SS Clancy Beaufort (.230/22 HR/80 RBI/52 R/4 SB) provide the power... 1B Zippy Regan (.295/12 HR/56 RBI/102 R/21 SB) is a fine contact hitter.

Outlook: the Firebirds play better than they look on paper... they don't look like a third-place team.

4th Place: Volusia Vigilantes (82-72) (24 GB)
Last Year: 3rd Place (73-81) (9 GB)
Season Forecast: 4th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2001)... V's won the inaugural IPA Pro Cup... swept 4 games from the Ginza Ninjas
Playoffs: 9
Last Appearance: 2043

Team Stats: .253 BA/610 runs (32nd)/42 HR (32nd)/3.10 ERA (4th)/.970 FA
Pitchers: quality staff... 5-starter deep... Drew Selby (21-13/3.01), Rique Batista (15-14/3.16), Casimiro Ramires (14-13/2.31), Mateus Branco (11-15/4.11) and Glen Horton (7-5/2.59)... closer Dan Hunt (13-10/3.93/14 saves/68 G) was very good at times, but inconsistent.
Batters: may be the worst offense in the IPA... zilch power... no strong hitters at all... 1B Santino Garcia (.285/9 HR/72 RBI/71 R/14 SB), SS Enos Cravens (.286/6 HR/46 RBI/58 R/9 SB), 2B Xando Passos (.278/2 HR/61 RBI/45 R/16 SB) and LF Leonardo Sanches (.273/3 HR/49 RBI/54 R/10 SB) are just fair hitters at best.

Outlook: pitching and defense carried Volusia quite a ways this season... manager Tubby Tarkanian need mucho help in scoring runs to really contend in the RU West.

5th Place: Stoner Stars (75-79) (31 GB)
Last Year: 2nd Place (75-79) (7 GB)
Season Forecast: 6th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 3
Last Appearance: 2029

Team Stats: .252 BA (31st)/696 runs (23rd)/76 HR (31st)/3.84 ERA (18th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: Ira Monaghan (20-14/3.25), Stan Ulmer (14-12/3.86), Jayson Mannon (16-13/4.02) and Billy Horton (8-12/3.37) are a fair-to-middling rotation with a bad bullpen (4.36 ERA - 31st)
Batters: not much in the batting order... 2B Mac Lord (.275/8 HR/66 RBI/92 R/13 SB), SS Ernie Bowen (.302/3 HR/53 RBI/51 R/8 SB) and LF Al Cummings (.295/2 HR/64 RBI/70 R/38 SB) are just modest hitters with no power.

Outlook: skipper Fletch Fowler has some good, young arms... but has no offense at all... the Stars are just a second-division team.

6th Place: Sligo Rovers (74-80) (32 GB)
Last Year: 5th Place (tie) (69-85) (13 GB)
Season Forecast: 5th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2021)... topped the White River Rascals in 5 games
Playoffs: 9
Last Appearance: 2040

Team Stats: .269 BA (10th)/737 runs (15th)/89 HR (29th)/3.30 ERA (7th)/.960 FA
Pitchers: good set of starters with Mitch Taylor (18-10/2.34), Mickey Walsh (18-12/2.50), Ayden Evans (17-14/3.17) and Craig Hurley (13-17/4.07)... not much help in the bullpen
Batters: an average attack and little power with SS Tommy Alberts (.276/18 HR/80 RBI/94 R/22 SB), C Jim Sadler (.310/7 HR/73 RBI/60 R), 1B Curly Burgess (.283/14 HR/62 RBI/57 R), CF Merle Bliss (.281/10 HR/61 RBI/70 R/21 SB) and 3B Paddy Durham (.257/11 HR/77 RBI/56 R/15 SB).

Outlook: manager Les Patterson has a young squad with good potential... better bullpen and more power would do wonders for the Sligo Rovers.

7th Place: Colfax Blasters (64-90) (42 GB)
Last Year: 4th Place (70-84) (12 GB)
Season Forecast: 7th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2010)... edged the Turon Typhoons in a thrilling 7-game series
Playoffs: 13
Last Appearance: 2042

Team Stats: .273 BA (7th)/722 runs (18th)/140 HR (7th)/4.41 ERA (27th)/.963 FA
Pitchers: only good starter is Keith Himmel (12-14/2.88)... only one good reliever... that is Robbie Parker (1-2/2.24/12 saves/54 G)
Batters: three All-Stars carry the offense: C Darrell Dillon (.312/32 HR/110 RBI/87 R), LF Robb Maddux (.319/17 HR/79 RBI/94 R/16 SB) and SS Dan Zalewski (.312/11 HR/75 RBI/91 R)... not much after them in the lineup

Outlook: manager Mitch Fullerton has to build up his pitching corps and add some bats, too... didn't make any progress this year... likely to stay on the bottom of the division for awhile

8th Place: Fort Benton Defenders (54-100) (52 GB)
Last Year: 5th Place (tie) (69-85) (13 GB)
Season Forecast: 8th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 1
Last Appearance: 2037

Team Stats: .272 BA (8th)/746 runs (13th)/82 HR (30th)/4.96 ERA (32nd)/.961 FA
Pitchers: rookie Perry Blystone (6-4/2.63) was the only good starter... 37-year-old Jordy Raeburn (11-22/5.62) had the best stats, but looks he will retire after this year... 32-year-old vet Darius Kimberly (8-7/2.85/9 saves/84 G) did fairly well in the bullpen
Batters: the most productive bats were CF Freddie Woodruff (.291/7 HR/65 RBI/98 R/24 SB) and RF Tom Turner (.287/12 HR/75 RBI/76 R/14 SB)... rookie 3B Eamon Hooper (.282/11 HR/68 RBI/63 R/11 SB) had a productive season... rookie LF Charlie Bondy (.302/4 HR/64 RBI/64 R), C Varnell Larrimore (.263/9 HR/85 RBI/56 R) and SS Lucien Lindsey (.262/11 HR/59 RBI/94 R/30 SB) helped the offense as well.

Outlook: manager Augie Marquis has some good up-and-coming players in his arsenal, but Fort Benton will stay at the bottom of the RU West until it comes up with some quality pitchers... they are sorely lacking now.

*

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2052

RED CAPS END RASCALS' RUN IN TU NORTH
The White River Rascals have been running roughshod over the Tycobbian North Division for the past four seasons... but the Rascals' run came to an end in 2052 at the hands of the Oxford Red Caps... it could have easily been the Mahaska Haymakers that did it, but they lost a sudden-death playoff game to Oxford... the Red Caps ravaged them 11-3 for the TU North pennant... third place did go to White River... the Rascals lost out by 3 and a half games... in the fourth spot were the Hartsdale Hellcats, just 4 and a half game out.

This will be the first time Oxford has been to the playoffs since 2007, when they won their only Pro Cup over four decades ago... it's been a long, long, long time coming.

It really was a fierce, year-long battle in the Tycobbian North between Oxford (86-69), Mahaska (85-70) and Hartsdale (81-73)... White River (82-72) didn't play well in the first half of the season and trailed by 12 games at mid-year... they got hot late, but couldn't catch Oxford or Mahaska, but they came close to winning again.

1st Place: OXFORD RED CAPS (86-69)
Last Year: 5th Place (75-79) (22 GB)
Season Forecast: 2nd Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2007)... Oxford captured its only IPA crown by beating Stoner in 5 games... hasn't made the postseason since.
Playoffs: 5
Last Appearance: 2007

Team Stats: .270 BA (11th)/900 runs (3rd)/167 HR (7th)/4.19 ERA (23rd)/.960 FA
Pitchers: good trio of starters in Lou Ellison (21-16/4.02), Rudy Mellancamp (21-14/3.66) and Tekkan Nishikawa (18-12/4.75)... they have to pitch in a small ballyard with close fences down the lines... not much of a bullpen.
Batters: the Red Caps can really swing a bat... sparked by All-Star CF Dwayne Wagner (.287/28 HR/125 RBI/101 R), All-Star SS Mito Fujikawa (.265/25 HR/108 RBI/100 R/24 SB), LF Ozzy Ackerman (.294/29 HR/98 RBI/96 R/37 SB), 3B Allen Spears (.290/10 HR/80 RBI/90 R/8 SB) and RF Wade McGrew (.277/27 HR/81 RBI/74 R/5 SB)

Outlook: Oxford manager Dennis Hartwig has plenty of hitters, but lacks the pitching to go deep into the Pro Cup playoffs... East Point, Kenwood and Turon can all hit well, but has superior pitching staffs... the Red Caps can look forward to the future... they are a relatively young club.

2nd Place: Mahaska Haymakers (85-70) (1 GB)
Last Year: 2nd Place (87-67) (10 GB)
Season Forecast: 3rd Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 4
Last Appearance: 2028

Team Stats: .275 BA (5th)/769 runs (15th)/98 HR (28th-tied)/3.73 ERA (11th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: Pip Cordice (20-15/3.04), Bobby Kelman (22-7/3.57) are the only quality starters... bullpen is just average
Batters: Haymakers don't have a knockout punch... not much punch and power... but can make contact and score runs... RF Roy Wilson (.328/3 HR/67 RBI/82 R/18 SB), rookie SS Paul Waldrep (.311/2 HR/66 RBI/77 R/10 SB), CF Tom Norborne (.301/19 HR/61 RBI/71 R/7 SB), 3B Goose Fulton (.266/12 HR/79 RBI/58 R) and C Johnny Samarin (.262/7 HR/69 RBI/60 R)

Outlook: Haymaker skipper Travis Tuttle has the club on the rise with a fairly young team... looking good for the future.

3rd Place: White River Rascals (82-72) (3.5 GB)
Last Year: 1st Place
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 8
Last Appearance: 2048 to 2051... won TU North four years in a row... lost to IPA champ three straight years in the playoffs... Pro Cup finalist in '49 and '50... lost to Valmara... fell to Arlon in Tycobbian LCS in '51

Team Stats: .255 BA (26th)/725 runs (24th)/144 HR (17th)/3.50 ERA (7th)/.969 FA
Pitchers: only Nicky Palmer (21-12/2.41) had a good year... the other starters slipped a notch or two this season... Keil Trickett (15-13/3.63) and Artie Wynyard (15-13/4.13) had fair years, but not standout years as they did a year ago.
Batters: club leaders were All-Star CF Pudge Tate (.298/30 HR/84 RBI/91 R/13 SB), LF Ryne Hyland (.295/27 HR/82 RBI/106 R/33 SB) and 1B Billy Joe Hickman (.293/24 HR/79 RBI/59 R)

Outlook: White River manager Marty Blake still has a young ballclub... the Rascals should be around and in contention for the next few years... they just need to get their pitching staff back to where it was last year... too many of them had down years this year... the core of the team is still there.

4th Place: Hartsdale Hellcats (81-73) (4.5 GB)
Last Year: 4th Place (80-74) (17 GB)
Season Forecast: 5th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2046)... the Hellcats took an exciting 7-game series from Valmara
Playoffs: 9
Last Appearance: 2047

Team Stats: .266 BA (19th)/738 runs (21st)/148 HR/13th-tied)/3.84 ERA (12th)/.964 FA
Pitchers: two fine starters in Perry Givens (19-9/3.25) and Gil Younger (15-17/3.77)... reliable bullpen with Roy Krieger (12-6/1.48/20 saves/78 G) and Steve Owens (8-5/2.22/10 saves/59 G)
Batters: just a bunch of average hitters... the top run producers are All-Star C Kenton Carmichael (.292/26 HR/82 RBI/89 R), 3B Smokey Nix (.274/17 HR/62 RBI/78 R.7 SB) and CF Justin Cutler (.264/14 HR/64 RBI/57 R/8 SB)

Outlook: Hellcat manager Wayne Dawson had them in contention the entire year... all he needs is a solid starter or two... and one or two longball threats to step it up another notch to hoist the TU North pennant over their ballpark.

5th Place: Blue Lake Blue Sox (72-82) (13.5 GB)
Last Year: 6th Place (61-93) (36 GB)
Season Forecast: 7th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2030)... the Blue Sox were surprise victors over the Valmara Vipers in 7 games
Playoffs: 3
Last Appearance: 2030... the Pro Cup year

Team Stats: .235 BA (32nd)/629 runs (31st)/98 HR (28th-tied)/3.86 ERA (14th)/.962 FA
Pitchers: a pair of pretty good starters in Al Easley (14-12/3.08) and Dookie Denham (13-12/3.00)... Marty Manush (13-11/2.40/10 saves/71 G) is the best in the bullpen... overall a better-than-averge mound staff
Batters: poor offense... best of the worst is C Juan Luis Barcelona (.284/12 HR/70 RBI/66 R)... LF Burl Baugh (.242/25 HR/83 RBI/64 R) can produce runs on occasion with longballs... best of the bad are 2B Tyler Blake (.268/2 HR/50 RBI/61 R) and 1B Jude Rupp (.248/13 HR/64 RBI/69 R)

Outlook: Blue Sox skipper Frankie Quinn has a tough row to hoe... not a lot of talent in Blue Lake... just a second-division team.

6th Place: North Hills Hawks (71-83) (14.5 GB)
Last Year: 8th Place (46-108) (51 GB)
Season Forecast: 4th Place
Pro Cups: 4... won them all '34 to '41... whipping Crystal Lake (2034), St. John (2036), Far Mountain (2038), Cold Creek (2041)
Playoffs: 13
Last Appearance: 2045... won 11 pennants in 12 years from 2034

Team Stats: .268 BA (17th)/718 runs (26th-tied)/65 HR (32nd)/4.01 ERA (17th)/.972 FA
Pitchers: Thad Vachon (15-18/3.36), Stan Kallis (14-17/4.06) and Doyle Blalock (13-15/4.18) are decent starters... and DeWitt Dobkins (10-6/2.96/12 saves/75 G) is a solid closer
Batters: no power at the plate... but they have several pretty fair hitters in 2B Sam Dunstone (.327/0 HR/47 RBI/102 R/21 SB), RF Cliff Mahaffey (.289/6 HR/81 RBI/99 R/18 SB) and 3B Justin Roscoe (.291/11 HR/98 RBI/59 R)

Outlook: North Hills manager David Michael did well in his first season, improving from a disasterous 46-108 in '51 to a decent 71-81 this season... the team still has a ways to go get into contention for the division flag.

7th Place: Luxora Zorros (68-86) (17.5 GB)
Last Year: 3rd Place (82-72) (15 GB)
Season Forecast: 8th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 11
Last Appearance: 2031

Team Stats: .257 BA (25th)/713 runs (29th)/127 HR (20th-tied)/4.08 ERA (21st)/.967 FA
Pitchers: Mack Wellman (16-16/3.62) and Paolo De Freitas (15-13/4.25) are the most reliable starters... the overall staff is fairly good, but is aging a little.
Batters: just a bunch of decent hitters... no one special... led by 1B Tuff McLendon (.291/17 HR/97 RBI/74 R)... and SS Emmett Cusack (.280/10 HR/57 RBI/96 R/42 SB)

Outlook: Manager Kent Halloran took over the Zorros this year, but the season wasn't as bad as expected... it will take quite a few talented players to get Luxora up into contention... not likely to happen soon.

8th Place: Fairfax Frogs (64-90) (21.5 GB)
Last Year: 7th Place (57-97) (40 GB)
Season Forecast: 6th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 8
Last Appearance: 2033

Team Stats: .273 BA (9th)/714 runs (28th)/85 HR (31st)/4.48 ERA (25th)/.969 FA
Pitchers: staff is bad at best... Shaun O'Riley (11-16/3.92), Jay Jay Dillaway (13-14/4.20) and Luca Cusimano (15-18/4.35) are just mediocre starters... bullpen isn't much better... closer is Lyle Linden (8-10/3.45/15 saves/86 G) is fairly reliable.
Batters: no power... but some fairly decent contact hitters in RF rookie Paddy Fenroy (.291/3 HR/60 RBI/102 R/26 SB), CF Kaz Ozaki (.291/10 HR/57 RBI/93 R/22 SB), C Scott Courtney (.296/21 HR/84 RBI/68 R), rookie RF Downtown Wyatt (.301/7 HR/81 RBI/65 R/8 SB) and SS Cade Durning (.290/5 HR/49 RBI/80 R)

Outlook: new Fairfax manager John Velasco saw modest improvements this season, mainly from the influx of several talented rookies... still has a long, long way to go... improvement needed in all aspect of the team... could be a few years from contention.

*

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2052

TYPHOONS TRASH TU SOUTH BY 15 GAMES
The baseball forecasters predicted a three or four-team tussle in the Tycobbian South Division, but it only lasted until the All-Star break and became a one-team runaway... the Turon Typhoons crushed everybody, winning the pennant by 15 games over San Alejo (81-73), 17 better than Southport (79-75) and 19 games over Summerland (77-77)... solid pitching combined with good scoring made it look easy for the Typhoons... this will be the first postseason appearance for Turon in 14 seasons... they could be in the thick of things in the Pro Cup playoffs... could make a run at its 5th Pro Cup... first since 2018.

1st Place: TURON TYPHOONS (96-58)
Last Year: 2nd Place (91-64) (1 GB)
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 4 (beat Valmara in '03... Volusia in '06... Far Mountain in '09... and Ancona in '18... also lost in Finals in '10 to Colfax and to Eastshore in '17)
Playoffs: 15
Last Appearance: 2039

Team Stats: .270 BA (14th)/828 runs (8th)/122 HR (23rd-tied)/3.44 ERA (6th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: lost All-Star Yancey Hedges (13-8/2.83), a rookie, injured in July... still did very well led by All-Star Nate Scottsdale (26-8/2.67), Russell Mallory (16-7/3.72), Tom Fuller (10-8/3.17) and mid-season rookie Glenn Avery (7-2/2.11)... bullpen not very strong with a 3.57 ERA (19th).
Batters: former star C. C. Kingsford took over as manager this season and put together a fine hitting team that was rookie dominated... 3B Joel Guidry (.295/26 HR/91 RBI/101 R/10 SB) and C Doyle Ashcroft (.279/23 HR/113 RBI/88 R) really stood out... other newcomers were SS Fernando Labrera (.274/2 HR/43 RBI/97 R/35 SB), 1B Shoyo Yuro (.298/18 HR/66 RBI/71 R), CF Maxie Mullinax (.269/5 HR/58 RBI/85 R/32 SB) and LF Darrell Faust (.351/11 HR/38 RBI/44 R).

Outlook: with such an abundance of youthful talent, the future is bright for Turon and skipper C. C. Kingsford... it will be interesting to see how they perform against some of the veteran IPA teams in the playoffs.

2nd Place: San Alejo Montaneros (83-73) (15 GB)
Last Year: 1st Place (92-63)
Season Forecast: 2nd Place
Pro Cups: 1 (defeated Colfax in 7 games in 2032)
Playoffs: 8
Last Appearance: won pennants in '49 and '51

Team Stats: .263 BA (22nd)/744 runs (20th)/148 HR (13th-tied)/3.94 ERA (15th)/.966 FA
Pitchers: Montaneros depend almost totally on two of the IPA's best hurlers All-Star Will McKinney (23-10/2.11) and All-Star Matt Bell (23-14/2.50)... also get some help from Tommy Carter (16-11/3.81)... no help whatsoever in the relief corps with its terrible 5.03 ERA (32nd)
Batters: vets CF Paulo Teixeira (.297/40 HR/121 RBI/99 R) and LF Royce Grantham (.265/31 HR/87 RBI/73 R) sparked the attack with some help from vets 1B Alanzo Grassi (.277/19 HR/62 RBI/40 R) and 3B Sal McAllister (.286/5 HR/51 RBI/64 R).

Outlook: manager Filipe Zamora could use a few more good bats... age might be catching up with the Monties... won't have McKinney and Bell forever.

3rd Place: Southport Sun Sox (79-75) (17 GB)
Last Year: 5th Place (78-76) (13.5 GB)
Season Forecast: 4th Place
Pro Cups: 3 (won in '27 over Crystal Lake... over Wynnamac in '44... and Middlefield in '47)
Playoffs: 10
Last Appearance: 2050... 7 times since '42

Team Stats: .266 BA (20th)/756 runs (17th)/122 HR (23rd-tied)/3.87 ERA (13th)/.961 FA
Pitchers:the Sun Sox used to thrive on great pitching, but the staff has fallen off the past two seasons... at 35 Hal Combs (22-12/2.73) became a starter for the first time in his career... he was an excellent closer for 12 years... Troy Hill (10-7/2.73/18 saves/70 G) took his place and thrived... Champ Shafer (16-18/3.44) was a quality starter, while Daron O'Rourke (11-13/4.12) was just fair... 4-time 20-game winner Johnny Swanson (3-2/3.90/1 save/22 G) has been relegated to the bullpen the last two years and has struggled... he's only 34.
Batters: Southport only has an average offense... the best run producers are terrific rookie RF Manuelo Garcia (.341/17 HR/71 RBI/91 R/14 SB), vet All-Star 3B Ricky Whitaker (.307/4 HR/53 RBI/84 R) and LF Tony Pastrano (.296/22 HR/72 RBI/68 R)... rookie 1B Zee Graham (.325/15 HR/72 RBI/46 R) may turn out to be a jewel.

Outlook: Sun Sox skipper Lorne Evans needs to improve his mound staff to get back into pennant contention.

4th Place: Summerland Sunsets (77-77) (19 GB)
Last Year: 7th Place (67-87) (24.5 GB)
Season Forecast: 5th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 4
Last Appearance: 2046

Team Stats: .255 BA (27th)/605 runs (32nd)/112 HR (26th)/2.91 ERA (1st)/.969 FA
Pitchers: the Summerland staff is young and talented... but led by 35-year-old ace Jayson Hallstrom (16-18/2.60)... rookie Corey Vinson (18-8/3.01), Rory Poe (14-11/2.38) and Tommy Underhill (15-12/2.59) are strong, too... look for good things from rookie starter Dicky Towers (7-13/3.19/5 saves/37 G), too.
Batters: not a lot of threats in the Sunsets batting order... 3B Zane Howe (.286/18 HR/71 RBI/55 R), RF Rick Mayes (.270/17 HR/54 RBI/58 R/7 SB) and 1B John Paul McCullum (.269/11 HR/56 RBI/77 R/14 SB) are just reliable bats at best.

Outlook: manager Antonio Vasques has a super staff, but really needs some longball power and run-scoring to move up to the top echelon in the Tycobbian South.

5th Place (tie): Colchester Elites (68-85) (27 GB)
Last Year: 4th (81-73) (10.5 GB)
Season Forecast: 3rd Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 4
Last Appearance: 2036

Team Stats: .273 BA (8th)/727 runs (22nd-tied)/133 HR (18th-tied)/4.13 ERA (22nd)/.966 FA

Pitchers: three pretty fair starters in Zip Sharpe (20-15/4.16), Denzel Durand (10-21/3.88) and Greg Ginger (12-16/3.85)... have to pitch in a hitter-friendly park... vet Haden Fraser (7-9/2.37/18 saves/70 G) is a good closer.
Batters: solid core of hitters... good contact and some power... led by RF Greg Sutton (.310/33 HR/106 RBI/76 R), CF Kelton McFalls (.326/87 RBI/71 R/10 SB), LF Eldon McLennan (.329/11 HR/71 RBI/102 R/46 SB), 2B James Murchison (.306/8 HR/60 RBI/93 R/9 SB) and SS Ernie Larmon (.305/9 HR/52 RBI/97 R/8 SB).

Outlook: manager Blake Barrister was ready to challenge for the TU South flag this season, but his pitching staff didn't perform for him... still has a better-than-average attack... team can score runs... needs a stopper in the rotation... looks to be just a fair-to-middling team.

5th Place (tie): Cape Coral Hurricanes (69-85) (27 GB)
Last Year: 6th Place (71-83) (20.5 GB)
Season Forecast: 7th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 8
Last Appearance: 2041

Team Stats: .269 BA (15th)/796 runs (11th)/146 HR/15th)/4.83 ERA (28th)/.964 FA
Pitchers: 38-year-old Vernon Marks (16-6/3.84) did well coming off an arm injury... best of the rest are vet Stacy Boyle (15-17/5.17) and rookie Ivan Dalrymple (14-19/4.47)... bullpen manned entirely by rookies... show some potential.
Batters: 'Canes can score runs... best bats are vet All-Star 3B Kent Mantle (.319/26 HR/103 RBI/78 R), rookie CF Billy Lee Wakefield (.320/16 HR/73 RBI/88 R/13 SB), vet SS Scotty Jackson (.263/21 HR/98 RBI/73 R), vet LF Marki Heinsohn (.312/11 HR/73 RBI/71 R/12 SB), 2B Lynwood Barley (.285/7 HR/60 RBI/79 R/12 SB) and rookie 1B Shinjo Tabuchi (.313/6 HR/37 RBI/64 R/19 SB).

Outlook: new Cape Coral skipper William Snyder inherits a club with some potential, but most likely will wind up in the second division... pitching is just plain bad.

7th Place: Arroyo Grande Suns (67-87) (29 GB)
Last Year: 8th Place (64-90) (27.5 GB)
Season Forecast: 8th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 4
Last Appearance: (2024)

Team Stats: .250 BA (30th)/783 runs (12th)/211 HR (1st)/4.78 ERA (27th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: rookies are the top pitchers... show some promise... led by Nap Vickerson (7-4/2.30), who was promoted in August... Rocky Steed (15-14/4.38) topped the club in wins... Stan Chaffin (3-3/2.04 /9 saves/54 G) stood out in the bullpen.
Batters: superstar RF Norishige Ito (.346/58 HR/133 RBI/144 R/13 SB) won the Tycobbian Triple Crown... may be the best player in the IPA... he gets offensive help from veterans SS Russell Taylor (.294/22 HR/82 RBI/98 R/13 SB) and 1B Vince Kinston (.275/40 HR/107 RBI/89 R)... rookie CF Rueben Jones (.244/27 HR/64 RBI/90 R/30 SB) had a fine first season... rookie 2B Levi McCollum (.291/5 HR/46 RBI/81 R/8 SB) also played well.

Outlook: Suns have had a winning record only 3 times in the last 25 years... not likely to change soon under new manager Rusty Vizcarra... but infusion of rookies may pay off in the long run.

8th Place: Ginza Ninjas (59-95) (37 GB)
Last Year: 3rd Place (88-66) (3.5 GB)
Season Forecast: 6th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 7
Last Appearance: 2031

Team Stats: .270 BA (12th)/746 runs (19th)/127 HR (20th-tied)/4.96 ERA (30th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: one of the worst staffs in the IPA... only decent pitchers are starter T. C. Gallimore (12-17/4.06) and Abram Worth (9-8/2.76/10 saves/74 G)
Batters: top run producers are vets All-Star SS Kuzuki Tamura (.316/12 HR/99 RBI/98 R/9 SB) and 39-year-old superstar LF Sojo Takagi (.267/24 HR/92 RBI/87 R/4 SB)... 3B Horace Dyson (.325/6 HR/53 RBI/89 R) is a good contact hitter... and 1B Kyle Estes (.250/11 HR/82 RBI/64 R/9 SB) can drive in runs, but doesn't hit for much average.

Outlook: prime star Sogo Takagi retired at the end of the season... he said he wanted to go out looking fairly good and not just hang on... Ginza made him the new skipper... the Ninjas have a long way to go to be a contender... Takagi has some tough years facing him.

*

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2052

EP PANTHERS PREVAIL IN TU EAST
For the second time in three seasons the East Point Panthers (96-58) are back on top of the Tycobbian East Division... after losing the pennant by 2 games last year to the Hillsboro Blazers, the Panthers are back in business... they ran up good 8-game lead at mid-year and then held off the Midway Wolves (91-63) by 5 games... Red Bluff (88-66) came in third, 8 games back... and last year's champ Hillsdale (86-68) was 10 games behind and finished fourth.

Overall the TU East may be the best division in the IPA... 5 of the clubs were over .500... fifth place High Mesa (82-72) was 10 games over .500... sixth place Tuckanarra (76-78) and South Fork (76-78) were only 2 games below .500... even last place Ozarka won 70 games.

1st Place: EAST POINT PANTHERS (96-58)
Last Year: 2nd Place (96-58) (2 GB)
Season Forecast: 3rd Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 6
Last Appearance: 2050

Team Stats: .280 BA (3rd)/909 runs (2nd)/207 HR (2nd)/3.63 ERA (9th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: Ralph Wallace (21-16/2.62) is the ace of the staff with quality help from Benny Allen (20-11/3.84) and Lee Price (23-9/4.61)... Armed Forces Stadium is not a pitcher-friendly park... the Panthers had a solid bullpen, too, with Pudgy Putnam (10-4/1.79/9 saves/52 G) and Kerry Woodburn (7-5/3.35/11 saves/48 G).
Batters: this is where manager Frank Blair is blessed... he has a plethora of solid hitters: RF Doug Dennhardt (.312/35 HR/109 RBI/77 R/8 SB), 1B Alvaro Cavacas (.301/27 HR/92 RBI/71 R/19 SB), C Kenny Bailey (.309/32 HR/113 RBI/80 R), 3B Justin McRae (.313/12 HR/69 RBI/108 R/24 SB), CF Pokie Ash (.280/16 HR/61 RBI/102 R/21 SB) and 2B Major Woods (.307/12 HR/67 RBI/78 R/8 SB).

Outlook: East Point is a talented and young ballclub... can hit with power and score... if the Panthers get solid pitching they can go deep into the Pro Cup playoffs... tied for the best record in the Tycobbian Union with Turon... the Tycobbian champ will come from East Point or Kenwood... it could be the Year of the Cats in the TU.

2nd Place: Midway Wolves (91-63) (5 GB)
Last Year: 5th Place (83-71) (15 GB)
Season Forecast: 2nd Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 3
Last Appearance: 2027

Team Stats: .265 BA (21st)/759 runs/16th)/145 HR (16th)/2.99 ERA (2nd)/.962 FA
Pitchers: with HOF pitcher Bobby Dorignac (315-228/2.96) as skipper, the name of the game in Midway is pitching... Beau McCloud (13-13/2.37) and Charlie Chase (17-16/3.14) were the prime starters, along with rookie Will Deberry (13-9/2.54)... McCloud was injured in August and Chase in September... hurt Midway for the stretch drive... but Yank Atchley (7-5/3.58) and Arnie McGill (7-0/2.81) did well filling in... and the bullpen is one of the IPA's best with Rocket Rhodes (11-2/1.86/8 saves/56 G) and Jeffrey Leonard (8-2/2.37/10 saves/47 G).
Batters: the Wolves have a lot of fairly good hitters, but no real threats... SS Kax Clark (.317/8 HR/76 RBI/101 R/15 SB) is one of the few productive bats... Dorignac platoons a lot... the best of the rest are rookie 3B Jamey Southwick (.296/18 HR/57 RBI/56 R) and LF Alfie Kincade (.298/17 HR/51 RBI/45 R)... rookie 2B Odis Tomlin (.243/21 HR/71 RBI/48 R), rookie RF Daryl Vale (.266/16 HR/58 RBI/61 R/13 SB) and rookie Norbert Karns (.12 HR/41 RBI/43 R) show some power potential.

Outlook: good young team with fine pitching and good potential... Midway should be a contender for a few years.

3rd Place: Red Bluff Red Sox (88-66) (8 GB)
Last Year: 4th Place (88-66) (10 GB)
Season Forecast: 4th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2004)... whipped Sugar Valley Rattlers in 5 games
Playoffs: 8
Last Appearance: 2047... the Red Sox had a nice run with pennants from '44 to '47

Team Stats: .251 BA (29th)/753 runs (18th)/176 HR (5th)/3.40 ERA (5th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: ace is veteran Sonny Wheat (23-13/2.50)... Mickey Rosen (22-12/3.42) is still a fine starter at age 35... Felix Delatte (9-10/3.23) is a reliable starter, too... team needs help in the bullpen.
Batters: LF Toni Kolkov (.291/35 HR/85 RBI/93 R/8 SB) is manager Ike Sweetwater's top batsman... 3B Dazzy Bevis (.243/26 HR/86 RBI/93 R/18 SB) doesn't hit for average, but can go deep and drive in runs... SS Joe Patrick (.260/13 HR/63 RBI/70 R/11 SB) and 1B Monty Lyons (.263/13 HR/59 RBI/69 R/15 SB) are good, solid regulars... rookie RF Marty Parker (.340/21 HR/59 RBI/48 R) looks like a hitter with fine potential... but he needs to play everyday... currently platooned.

Outlook: Prospects are on the upgrade for Red Bluff skipper Ike Sweetwater... he needs to perk up his hitters... the Red Sox would be a threat if they get another solid starter and a good closer... it's wouldn't hurt to beef up the bats, either.

4th Place: Hillsboro Blazers (86-68) (10 GB)
Last Year: 1st Place (98-56)
Season Forecast: 7th
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 1
Last Appearance: 2051

Team Stats: .250 BA (31st)/727 runs (22nd-tied)/179 HR (4th)/3.28 ERA (3rd)/.971 FA
Pitchers: Clay Spencer (18-10/3.81), Steve Cooper (12-10/3.10), Hank Greenberry (15-17/2.79) and Scott Cole (16-9/3.89) were a good rotation, but didn't perform as well as last year... Jamie Lee Bradley (8-4/2.67) had a fine half season, but was injured in June and was greatly missed... would have challenged for the top spot with him... bullpen needs help... Ron Pryor (9-12/3.40/10 saves/64 G) was the best.
Batters: the offensive output was much less this year... homers down from 217 to 179... LF Rupert Calkins (.266/29 HR/78 RBI/69 R), RF Eli Nickelson (.271/27 HR/73 RBI/94 R/20 SB), C Harry Edwards (.271/15 HR/84 RBI/62 R/5 SB) and 2B Bob Foster (.297/12 HR/63 RBI/82 R/11 SB) didn't hit for average, but did have some pop... no one on the club hit .300.

Outlook: considering the loss of Bradley and the power drop, manager Andy Jefferson did fine job keeping his Blazers in the first division... Hillsboro is an aging club... especially needs younger pitchers.

5th Place: High Mesa Mustangs (82-72) (14 GB)
Last Year: 3rd Place (91-63) (7 GB)
Season Forecast: 8th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2002)... swept Elnora in three games... back when 32 teams qualified for the playoffs... IPA Pro Cup was best-of-five back in the early days.
Playoffs: 3
Last Appearance: 2048

Team Stats: .260 BA (23rd)/841 runs (5th)/205 HR (3rd)/3.98 ERA (16th)/.958 FA
Pitchers: pitching slumped badly this year... team ERA went from 3.23 to 3.89... stars Tuffy Hammel (15-13/3.57) and Lucius Quarles (19-15/3.93) had off-years... Dickie Sternfeld (17-10/3.93) is a dependable #3 starter... Sal Delliger (10-12/4.42) is a fair #4.... bullpen doesn't offer much help.
Batters: HOF legendary slugger Jack Elliott (848 career homers) has club that can go deep and put runs on the scoreboard... rookies were a big part of the improved hitting... led by All-Star Joe Duplantis (.310 BA/41 HR/102 RBI/87 R/5 SB), 3B Kagetoki Myazaki (.236/24 HR/80 RBI/61 R), SS Tommy Yost (.269/14 HR/71 RBI/78 R), CF Tracy McGriff (.286/22 HR/64 RBI/73 R/3 SB), RF Dix McIntosh (.275/19 HR/51 RBI/48 R) and C Gerry Glidden (.272/15 HR/49 RBI/31 R)... plus one of the few vets on the team 2B Randy Sweetland (.313/2 HR/47 RBI/75 R/12 SB), a slick fielder and reliable hitter.

Outlook: pitching staff is getting old... could be a problem... but the hitters are young and very productive... as long as Quarles and Hammel are effective, the Mustangs will do alright... might even contend in the coming season... defense is also a huge problem... one of the worst in the IPA.

6th Place (tie): Tuckanarra Blue Jays (76-78) (20 GB)
Last Year: 6th Place (79-75) (19 GB)
Season Forecast: 5th Place
Pro Cups: 3 (2023) beat Valmara in 6 games... (2024) swept Sugar Valley in 4... (2035) swept Elnora in 4... also were Pro Cup finalists in '12 and '28, losing to the great Far Mountain Redhawks in a 4-game sweep and to Waleska in 7 games.
Playoffs: 18
Last Appearance: 2049

Team Stats: .271 BA (10th)/781 runs (14th)/153 HR (11th)/4.08 ERA (20th)/.972 FA
Pitchers: mound mainstays Dickie Pittman (13-18/3.51) and Ozzie Leslie (15-13/3.44) in their 30s and may be on the downgrade... no quality starters after them in the rotation... young Paul Landale (13-5/2.91/15 saves/78 G) is a fine reliever... but not much after him in the bullpen.
Batters: top bats are All-Star CF Harv Bannerman (.278/34 HR/102 RBI/102 R/40 SB) and All-Star 1B Rodger Parsons (.305/20 HR/89 RBI/97 R)... three rookies contributed: LF Jali Toba (.274/17 HR/60 RBI/89 R/20 SB), 3B Newt Crutchfield (.325/16 HR/69 RBI/68 R) and RF Jay Jay Bachelor (.277/13 HR/72 RBI/47 R/6 SB).

Outlook: the Tucks have fairly good offense, average pitching and very good defense... manager Junior Bristow needs help in at the plate and on the hill to move up in the standings... looks like a second-division club for the next few seasons.

6th Place (tie): South Fork Stallions (76-78) (20 GB)
Last Year: 8th Place (56-98) (42 GB)
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 2 (2025... edged Middlefield in 7 games... 2042... swept the Colfax Blasters in 4 games)
Playoffs: 6
Last Appearance: 2043

Team Stats: .267 BA (18th)/721 runs (25th)/127 HR (20th-tied)/3.57 ERA (8th)/.973 FA
Pitchers: most of the staff was rookies... led by Brett McCracken (17-15/3.21) and Bud Bowens (14-12/3.26)... vet Jay Murphy (14-17/3.90) was one of the few to survive the postseason firesale last year... young bullpen did well with a 2.30 ERA (3rd)
Batters: All-Star C Rudy Maroney (.295/27 HR/89 RBI/76 R) was the club leader, along with All-Star LF Jack Boswell (.310/24 HR/79 RBI/80 R/7 SB)... CF Frank Stewart (.263/18 HR/79 RBI/61 R/6 SB) also provided a little offense.

Outlook: the baseball forecasters really thought South Fork had improved greatly in the off-season with some really fine rookies and surprisingly picked them to win the division, but no serious sportswriter or broadcaster took them seriously and they turned out to be right... manager Eldon Jacoby's young squad did well, but no where near first place... but they did get 20 games better... but South Fork is still pretty much a second-division team.

8th Place: Ozarka Naturals (70-84) (26 GB)
Last Year: 7th Place (77-77) (21 GB)
Season Forecast: 6th Place
Pro Cups: None (but the Nats did make the finals 5 times... lost to super power Far Mountain in '11 and '12, IPA juggernaut Eastshore in '18, Rocky Rapids in '19 and Crystal Lake in '20)
Playoffs: 15
Last Appearance: 2040

Team Stats: .269 BA (16th)/718 runs (26th-tied)/95 HR (30th)/4.07 ERA (19th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: ace is vet Carl Hemus (16-19/308), a quality IPA starter... not much after him... he got some help from rookie Toby Rivera (15-12/4.22)... bullpen is fairly good, but inconsistent... top reliever is vet Jim Greene (6-11/2.78/18 saves/78 G).
Batters: team has no home-run power... doesn't score well... just a bunch of fairly-reliable contact hitter paced by CF Frank Mason (.309/19 HR/57 RBI/86 R/15 SB), 1B Kyle Hartman (.280/11 HR/89 RBI/78 R/23 SB), rookie RF Miron Lezak (.282/21 HR/82 RBI/73 R/3 SB), rookie LF Donny Joe Jacks (.293/11 HR/62 RBI/84 R/17 SB) and C Tuffy Palmiero (.282/2 HR/52 RBI/67 R).

Outlook: Ozarka will be skippered by Jaak Pajukivi next season... the club has been stuck in the second division of the Tycobbian East for the last 8 years... it will take Pajukivi a few years to be a first-division contender... much longer to be in the pennant race... the Naturals have a weak offense and mediocre pitching.

*

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2052

KENWOOD KO'S IPA CHAMP ARLON IN TU WEST
At midseason in the Tycobbian West Division reigning Pro Cup crownbearer Arlon (90-64) had the best record in the Tycobbian Union and was well on their way to another division title and a shot at repeating as IPA champ... the Champions took an 8-game bulge into the All-Star hiatus, but they were sidetracked by the Kenwood Panthers (91-63), who caught them in the stretch and nabbed the pennant by one scant game... no one else was in the race for the flag... third place Bay St. Clair (80-74) stumbled in 11 games off the pace and fourth place Rolling Hills (72-82) was even further back in the race 19 games behind.

1st Place: KENWOOD PANTHERS (91-63)
Last Year: 7th Place (65-89) (23 GB)
Season Forecast: 5th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2014)... bopped the Belair Beach Sunbirds in 7 games.
Playoffs: 9
Last Appearance: 2047... had a great run with 6 pennants in 7 years.

Team Stats: .281 BA (2nd)/833 runs (6th)/105 HR (27th)/3.31 ERA (4th)/.964 FA
Pitchers: vets Rusty Bradford (20-13/2.92), Tony Myerson (19-11/3.12) and Elian Verjano (15-11/3.53) are all in their 30s... have impressive bullpen, too, with vet closer Mike Jones (14-7/2.71/17 saves/84 G).
Batters: top run producers were 3B Bailey Brumley (.273/10 HR/98 RBI/98 R/9 SB), LF Chris McNeal (.266/26 HR/98 RBI/84 R/17 SB)... two aging stars C Corky DiNozzo (.293/21 HR/74 RBI/78 R) and 1B Country Crowder (.323/3 HR/73 RBI/77 R) did their parts... rookie SS Kiko Vidal (.282/13 HR/82 RBI/68 R/6 SB) and 2B Jace McFalls (.354/6 HR/54 RBI/62 R) pitched in offensively, too.

Outlook: 15 rookies added depth to the roster and kicked the talent level up... manager Babe Hankins saw notable improvement at the plate and on the hill... hitting rose .272 to .281 and ERA lowered from 4.38 to 3.31... the Panthers are a solid ballclub and will be a factor in the Pro Cups this year... only shortcoming is Kenwood is short of longball power.

2nd Place: Arlon Champions (90-64) (1 GB)
Last Year: 1st Place (88-66)
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2051)... beat Waleska in 5 games.
Playoffs: 6
Last Appearance: 2051... prior to the Pro Cup the last time was in '43.

Team Stats: .279 BA (4th)/912 runs (1st)/168 HR (6th)/3.72 ERA (10th)/.959 FA
Pitchers: rotation dropped off this year... team ERA rose from 2.81 to 3.72... vet star Lanny Gray (8-6/4.13) missed half the year... was 21-14 with 2.89 ERA in Pro Cup season... Erik Branham (19-10/3.32) did well, but did not approach his brilliant rookie season of 22-12 with a 2.09 ERA... J. C. Hilburn (19-14/3.10) had another fine year... rookie Ty Coffee (15-11/3.70) was a plus, too... bullpen was only so-so... Mack Blair (12-11/3.40/16 saves/74 G) was inconsistent and his ERA soared much higher.
Batters: the Arlon arsenal was greatly enhanced by a dozen or so rookies... the Champions led the Tycobbian Union in scoring with a strong attack, led by rookies SS Art Catlin (.302/27 HR/110 RBI/94 R/7 SB), P. J. Flagg (.281/27 HR/74 RBI/82 R/12 SB) and 1B Shiloh Harris (.269/25 HR/88 RBI/72 R)... other run providers were rookies 2B Leon Normand (.298/13 HR/73 RBI/51 R) and C Jarred Yandell (.249/15 HR/80 RBI/70 R).

Outlook: Mike Cameron's Arlon club is young and talented... should be a force in the TU West for several years... pitcher Lanny Gray is the oldest player on the roster at age 36... no one else is over 31... most are in the 20s.

3rd Place: Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (80-74) (11 GB)
Last Year: 3rd Place (82-72) (6 GB)
Season Forecast: 2nd Place
Pro Cups: None (got to the Finals in 2015 against Taranto)
Playoffs: 11
Last Appearance: 2050... won the TU West in '49, too.

Team Stats: .270 BA (13th)/782 runs (13th)/133 HR (18th-tied)/4.06 ERA (18th)/.971 FA
Pitchers: lost #1 starter Jerry MacIntyre (3-0/2.79) in April injury... other starters are so-so quality: Scotty Hedwall (17-17/3.92) and Dion Hawkins (16-15/4.21)... bullpen is excellent with 2.09 ERA (1st)... vet All-Star Cadillac Bogart (7-5/1.68/9 saves/64 G) and Steve Swanwick (4-0/1.47/6 saves/41 G) top the relievers.
Batters: Bucs' offense is better-than-average with the likes of All-Star RF Stan Kovalenko (.328/10 HR/77 RBI/114 R/31 SB), 1B Clive Caviness (.305/21 HR/89 RBI/79 R), LF Jed Killick (.266/27 HR/105 RBI/77 R) and CF Don Holliday (.287/33 HR/92 RBI/75 R).

Outlook: Bay St. Clair skipper Cotton Cornwall has a quality club... a few talented finds could put them up into a challenging position in the TU West Division.

4th Place: Rolling Hills Reds (72-82) (19 GB)
Last Year: 4th Place (80-74) (8 GB)
Season Forecast: 6th Place
Pro Cups: 3 (2029 bested Stoner Stars in 4-game sweep... 2031 beat Valmara 4-2... clipped Claxton in 5 games in 2048)
Playoffs: 11
Last Appearance: 2050 (also won the Tycobbian West in '49)

Team Stats: .275 BA (6th)/829 runs (12th)/152 HR (12th)/5.13 ERA (32nd)/.964 FA
Pitchers: Reds rotation is lousy... best of the worst are Johnny Howard (13-19/4.61) and Darrell Cook (13-20/4.64)... best in relief is Rob Gates (12-6/4.11/12 saves/60 G).
Batters: offense is capable with quality bats like SS Dustin Thibodeau (.312/23 HR/91 RBI/109 R/23 SB), 1B Darwin Tard (.304/16 HR/74 RBI/86 R/17 SB), All-Star 2B Miguel Romeros (.297/22 HR/95 RBI/85 R/8 SB) and RF Jackson Toefield (.316/8 HR/48 RBI/66 R/5 SB).

Outlook: manager Billy Christensen has the bats to compete for the TU West Division title, but not the pitching... Rolling Hills was really fortunate to come in 4th this season... not likely in the future with this personnel.

5th Place: Chicopee Braves (71-83) (20 GB)
Last Year: 5th Place (73-81) (15 GB)
Season Forecast: 4th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 3
Last Appearance: (2036)... Braves have won only 3 pennants in its history... '34, '35 and '36.

Team Stats: .282 BA (1st)/880 runs (4th)/160 HR (9th)/4.69 ERA (26th)/.957 FA
Pitchers: rookie Russ Clooney (15-15/3.84) was the only decent starter in the rotation... all the rest were 5.00 ERA or worse... rookie Chipper Gilton (9-5/3.07/12 saves/73 G) was a pretty good closer... two other freshman did well... Cy Abernathy (6-8/3.19/6 saves/64 G) and Rocky Dowling (1-1/2.16/6 saves/39 G) also showed potential.
Batters: top bats were rookie 2B Tex Whatley (.301/30 HR/108 RBI/94 R/5 SB), rookie RF Rico Visaggi (.326/10 HR/84 RBI/79 R/3 SB) and All-Star 1B Sam Patrick (.237/25 HR/103 RBI/72 R)... the 33-year-old Patrick had 21 homers at the mid-year break... fell off thereafter with a poor rest of the season.... other reliable hitters were all rookies: LF Adam Maxson (.297/11 HR/52 RBI/67 R/3 SB), RF Travis Ledger (.309/5 HR/48 RBI/61 R/7 SB), SS Derrell Stelly (.314/13 HR/66 RBI/60 R) and 3B Yancey Kimball (.283/11 HR/54 RBI/58 R).

Outlook: Chicopee manager Augie Meaux got a lot of mileage out his rookies and they put some punch in his batting order... the Braves were one of the better attacks in the IPA... but they just don't have the pitching... look like a second-division club until some decent pitchers come along.

6th Place: Denton City Redbirds (67-87) (24 GB)
Last Year: 5th Place (73-81) (15 GB)
Season Forecast: 3rd Place
Pro Cups: None... but did reach the Pro Cup Finals twice, losing to Middlefield in 5 games in '05... and to Wynnamac in 6 in '08.
Playoffs: 9
Last Appearance: (2040)... prior to that it was 2013... the Redbirds were a powerhouse in the IPA early years... made the postseason 8 times in the first 13 seasons.

Team Stats: .274 BA (7th)/797 runs (10th)/162 HR (8th)/4.38 ERA (24th)/.958 FA
Pitchers: not a very good mound corps... two vets topped the team... still quality starters... Flash Stringfellow (19-17/4.05) and Johnny Wingate (16-11/3.56)... zilch in the bullpen.
Batters: Denton City has a solid core of hitters that can score runs... paced by CF Harper Catlow (.300/25 HR/75 RBI/96 R/30 SB), All-Star SS Vincent McCloud (.315/14 HR/87 RBI/94 R), RF Tristan Redgrave (.271/20 HR/78 RBI/52 R/6 SB), 1B Val Anniston (.260/16 HR/71 RBI/52 R), 2B Joey Lake (.317/7 HR/46 RBI/74 R/10 SB) and 3B Ronny Lambert (.299/12 HR/58 RBI/67 R/12 SB).

Outlook: Redbirds skipper Pete Gibbs has a fine offense, but only mediocre pitching... plus his defense is terrible... Denton City is destined for the second division of the Tycobbian West for awhile.

7th Place: Bayview Vikings (65-89) (26 GB)
Last Year: 8th Place (45-109) (43 GB)
Season Forecast: 7th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 6... lost to IPA champions in Elite 8 twice... '03 and '04 (Turon and Red Bluff)... lost to IPA champions twice in the Final 4... '06 and '07 (Turon and Oxford)... had a pretty fair team from 2002 to 2007... very little since.
Last Appearance: 2016

Team Stats: .254 BA (28th)/811 runs (9th)/156 HR (10th)/5.04 ERA (31st)/.954 FA
Pitchers: only one reliable pitcher on the staff... Herm Monday (14-11/3.80)... Arlo Lounsberry (18-16/5.41) won games, but many times only because the team backed him with a lot of runs.
Batters: Bayview has three fair bats in RF Vern Woodcock (.285/25 HR/83 RBI/67 R/5 SB), SS Bing Wolverton (.284/10 HR/67 RBI/64 R) and 3B Rusty Hunter (.292/2 HR/57 RBI/90 R/10 SB)... the best of the rest are RF Coco Donzy (.275/16 HR/56 RBI/50 R/10 SB) and 1B Joe Lee Scaggs (.262/10 HR/57 RBI/52 R/14 SB)... two others drive in runs, but hit for a very poor BA: CF Cooter Cannon (.224/15 HR/68 RBI/81 R/20 SB) and C Wayland Bryant (.204/23 HR/81 RBI/79 R).

Outlook: slugger Jerry Culpepper, the IPA's all-time home-run hitter (.304 BA/876 HR/2178 RBI), took over the club this season and improved the offense... the Vikings won 20 more games over the year before when they lost 109 times... now Culpepper has to go to work on the pitchers... however, right now the cupboard is bare and could be for a few years or so... Bayview will be lucky to get out of the second division anytime soon.

8th Place: La Claire Lynx (58-96) (33 GB)
Last Year: 6th Place (65-89) (23 GB)
Season Forecast: 8th Place
Pro Cups: None
Playoffs: 4
Last Appearance: 2038... reached the Final 4 in '38, but lost to IPA champ North Hills in 7 games... also won pennant in '37.

Team Stats: .258 BA (24th)/696 runs (30th)/113 HR (25th)/4.91 ERA (29th)/.960 FA
Pitchers: sadly Joel Orgeron (9-24/4.93) and Sato Ishii (9-21/5.04) won the most games... 'nuff said... terrible pitching staff... one of worst in the IPA
Batters: not a lot of good hitters... 36-year-old superstar LF Rikky Van Dalen (.307/20 HR/79 RBI/75 R/5 SB) can still swing a good bat... three rookies SS Frisco Thorpe (.284/20 HR/88 RBI/71 R/9 SB), 3B Mickey Demas (.280/18 HR/62 RBI/51 R) and rookie 2B Derek Winchester (.286/7 HR/51 RBI/76 R/28 SB) were fairly impressive, too... very limited talent after these.

Outlook: Hall-of-Famer SS and La Claire manager Flash Devlin (.317 BA/559 HR/1799 RBI/1995 R/270 SB) has had a tough go... the Lynx haven't had a winning season in 9 years... could be quite a few more till they go over the .500 mark... Devlin is very short on talent in La Claire... not a good prognosis for the club.

*

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 18, 2052

TRIPLE CROWN YEAR FOR SUNS ITO
Norishige Ito is sitting on top of the world tonight... he got himself a Triple Crown this year -- the 6th player in IPA history to ever accomplish this feat... the Arroyo Grande Suns right fielder outpaced the rest of the Tycobbian Union offensively this year... Ito, age 25, hit .346, collected 58 home runs and chipped in 133 RBIs for the Suns... he led in all three categories to capture the Triple Crown, one of the rarer feats in baseball... despite Ito's great performance, the best Arroyo Grande could do was seventh place in the Tycobbian South Division... the Suns finished a poor 67-87 this season.

Previous winners of this prestigious honor were Karol Zodoka of East Point in 2002... Fairfax's Dane Wesner in 2010... High Mesa's Jack Elliott did it twice... 2017 and 2021... and Lorne Evans accomplished it with Southport in 2030... all of the stars are in the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame except for Zodoka... he was a late comer to the IPA and peaked early.

Previous IPA Triple Crown Winners:

Zodoka (.351 BA/54 HR/146 RBI) in 2002
Wesner (.383 BA/46 HR/146 RBI) in 2010
Elliott (.360 BA/56 HR/149 RBI) in 2017
Eliott (.380 BA/65 HR/156 RBI) in 2021
Evans (.386 BA/59 HR/134 RBI) in 2030
Ito (.346 BA/58 HR/133 RBI) in 2052

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 18, 2052

ISLANDS POISED FOR PRO CUP PLAYOFFS
Tomorrow afternoon all across the Islandia baseball delirium steps it up to another level at Pro Cup time... baseball fever is always high year-round in the Islands, but it peaks when the IPA Pro Cup is really on the line... four division champions from Ruthlandia and four division winners from Tycobbia will go head-to-head for the next three weeks to determine the best team in Islandia... it all comes to fruition when the number one team in the Ruthlandian Union is pitted against the top club in the Tycobbian Union for the much-revered Pro Cup.

Only two clubs return from last season's Pro Cup playoffs... the Middlefield Roosters and Waleska Westerners, both from the Ruthlandian Union, are the only ones to make it back this year... defending titlist Arlon was beaten out by the Kenwood Wildcats in the TU West Division... the Champions toppled Waleska in 5 games for the '51 Pro Cup trophy.

The Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series will feature the Middlefield Roosters (106-48) hosting the Wynnamac Sundowners (95-59) at Middlefield Park and the Waleska Westerners (90-64) traveling to take on the Taranto Tars (99-55) at the Palazzo di Sport... over in the Tycobbian Union DCS, the East Point Panthers (96-58) will entertain the Kenwood Panthers (91-63) at Armed Forces Park and the Turon Typhoons (96-58) will be at home at Typhoon Stadium against the Oxford Red Caps (86-69)... all Pro Cup series are best-of-seven... the team with the best-season record gets the homefield advantage.

Most of the current squads are relatively inexperienced in Pro Cup play... overall in IPA history Turon is tied with Valmara and North Hills for the most trophies with 4 Pro Cups each, followed by Waleska, tied with Tuckanarra, Southport, Far Mountain and Rolling Hills with 3 apiece... five of this year's teams have each taken home one Pro Cup: Middlefield, Taranto, Wynnamac, Kenwood and Oxford... only one participant has never captured the IPA title... the East Point Panthers are hoping they will finally win it this year.

And just who is the best?... most years it's up-in-the-air... only occasionally do the baseball prognosticators come up with the right prediction... last year two of the least-favored clubs made the Finals... the favorites ended up also-rans in the '51 playoffs... the eventual champ Arlon was rated the 6th-best team and runner-up Waleska was ranked 7th-best.

Here is how the baseball experts are picking the 2052 Pro Cup playoffs... THE ISLANDIAN TIMES polled all of the major sportswriters and broadcasters throughout the Islands and ranked this year's participants in this order:

1. MIDDLEFIELD ROOSTERS (106-48)
Last Year: 1st Place (82-72)... the Roosters have won the pennant years 4 years in a row... and 7 times in the last 12 seasons.
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2005)... beat Denton City Redbirds in 5 games... lost twice in the Finals, both times in 7 games... to South Fork in '25 and Southport in '47
Playoffs: 15
Last Appearance: 2051

Team Stats: .270 BA (9th)/925 runs (1st)/206 HR (1st)/3.26 ERA (6th)/.969 FA
Pitchers: All-Star James Long (26-9/2.57), Hollis Dale (23-10/3.66), Larry Wheelhouse (20-14/4.14) and Chris Collier (16-8/3.57)... super bullpen with a 2.10 ERA, led by Norm Coventry (8-5/2.84/15 saves/47 G) and Ricky Farris (8-2/1.48/7 saves/42 G)
Batters: power galore with LF Trip Agarn (.292/37 HR/117 RBI/96 R/6 SB), CF Johnny Wyatt (.299/35 HR/101 RBI/96 R/4 SB), RF Rufus Blackburn (.260/34 HR/99 RBI/96 R/11 SB), SS Stan Radzikowski (.267/23 HR/82 RBI/84 R/9 SB) and 2B Natty Colclough (.254/21 HR/90 RBI/97 R)

Pro Cup Prediction: Middlefield is the best team on paper... can do it all... this may be their year in the Pro Cup playoffs.

2. East Point Panthers (96-58)
Last Year: 2nd Place (96-58) (2 GB)
Season Forecast: 3rd Place
Pro Cups: None... made '33 Finals and fell to Elnora in 7 games
Playoffs: 6
Last Appearance: 2050

Team Stats: .280 BA (3rd)/909 runs (2nd)/207 HR (2nd)/3.63 ERA (9th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: Ralph Wallace (21-16/2.62) is the ace of the staff with quality help from Benny Allen (20-11/3.84) and Lee Price (23-9/4.61)... Armed Forces Stadium is not a pitcher-friendly park... the Panthers have a solid bullpen, too, with Pudgy Putnam (10-4/1.79/9 saves/52 G) and Kerry Woodburn (7-5/3.35/11 saves/48 G).
Batters: this is where manager Frank Blair is blessed... he has a plethora of solid hitters: RF Doug Dennhardt (.312/35 HR/109 RBI/77 R/8 SB), 1B Alvaro Cavacas (.301/27 HR/92 RBI/71 R/19 SB), C Kenny Bailey (.309/32 HR/113 RBI/80 R), 3B Justin McRae (.313/12 HR/69 RBI/108 R/24 SB), CF Pokie Ash (.280/16 HR/61 RBI/102 R/21 SB) and 2B Major Woods (.307/12 HR/67 RBI/78 R/8 SB).

Pro Cup Prediction: Good blend of experience and youth... strong bats with power, but only average staff with an excellent bullpen... could do well in the playoffs.

3. Wynnamac Sundowners (95-59)
Last Year: 3rd Place (85-59) (18 GB)
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2008)... defeated Denton City in 6 games... fell to Southport in 7 in '44 Finals
Playoffs: 7
Last Appearance: 2044

Team Stats: .268 BA (12th)/758 runs (10th/105 HR (23rd)/3.02 ERA/.968 FA
Pitchers: strong set of vets: All-Star Sammy Hayes (21-11/2.61), Simon Northcott (20-4/2.85) and Garan Parula (14-13/3.23)... rookie George Medworth (21-8/2.90) was a huge find.
Batters: three rookies stood out at the plate: RF Wally Bonds (.334/17 HR/87 RBI/83 R), C Jethro Bibbs (.316/14 HR/70 RBI/62 R) and 1B Enos Benham (.324/17 HR/46 RBI/78 R)... solid vet Dickie Key (.277/15 HR/82 RBI/83 R/14 SB) was a solid bat, too.

Pro Cup Prediction: good starters with good depth... offense is suspect with little power... but could go far in Pro Cup playoffs this year.

4. Kenwood Wildcats (91-63)
Last Year: 7th Place (65-89) (23 GB)
Season Forecast: 5th Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2014)... nipped the Belair Beach Sunbirds in 7 games.
Playoffs: 9
Last Appearance: 2047... had a great run with 6 pennants in 7 years.

Team Stats: .281 BA (2nd)/833 runs (6th)/105 HR (27th)/3.31 ERA (4th)/.964 FA
Pitchers: vets Rusty Bradford (20-13/2.92), Tony Myerson (19-11/3.12) and Elian Verjano (15-11/3.53) are all in their 30s... have impressive bullpen, too, with vet closer Mike Jones (14-7/2.71/17 saves/84 G).
Batters: top run producers were 3B Bailey Brumley (.273/10 HR/98 RBI/98 R/9 SB), LF Chris McNeal (.266/26 HR/98 RBI/84 R/17 SB)... two aging stars C Corky DiNozzo (.293/21 HR/74 RBI/78 R) and 1B Country Crowder (.323/3 HR/73 RBI/77 R) did their parts... rookie SS Kiko Vidal (.282/13 HR/82 RBI/68 R/6 SB) and 2B Jace McFalls (.354/6 HR/54 RBI/62 R) pitched in offensively, too.

Pro Cup Prediction: 15 rookies added depth to the roster and kicked the talent level up... manager Babe Hankins saw notable improvement at the plate and on the hill... hitting rose .272 to .281 and ERA lowered from 4.38 to 3.31... the Panthers are a solid ballclub and will be a factor in the Pro Cups this year... only shortcoming is Kenwood's lack of longball power.

5. Taranto Tars (99-59)
Last Year: 5th Place (82-72) 22 GB
Pro Cups: 1 (2019)... beat Bay St. Clair in 5 games.
Playoffs: 5
Last Appearance: 2019

Taranto depends on standout pitching and home-run power... Taranto (99-55) ranks 2nd with an exceptional 2.74 ERA and 191 homers, topped only by Rocky Rapids (2.66 ERA) and Middlefield (206 HR)... they are 6th in scoring runs with 775 runs... and on defense the Tars are just average with a .965 FA.

Taranto's twirlers were paced by rookie Phil Castle (23-3/1.83), who had a marvelous year, and two vets Valerio Rossi (20-11/2.52 and Armani Pizzoconi (10-5/2.98)... however, Pizzoconi was injured at mid-season and will not be available for the playoffs... a severe loss for Marshall... filling in for Pizzoconi will be rookies Enzo Ferrara (17-15/3.58) and Freddy DeAngelis (8-8/3.48)... the Tars are strong in the bullpen, led by rookie Louie Toscano (10-1/0.70/8 saves/33 G)... offensively the prime run providers are 1B Phil Wilson (.292/21 HR/88 RBI/99 R) and rookie C Niccolo Parisi (.291/24 HR/86 RBI/73 R)... vet LF Kuma Toyota (.266/30 HR/65 RBI/70 R) and rookie CF Renzo Caruso (.240/26 HR/62 RBI/72 R/16 SB) were productive bats, too... Castle, Rossi and Parisi all made the Ruthlandian All-Star team.

Pro Cup Prediction: Taranto may not have the mound depth to challenge in the Pro Cup playoffs... three solid starters are usually needed to contend.

6. Turon Typhoons (96-58)
Last Year: 2nd Place (91-64) (1 GB)
Season Forecast: 1st Place
Pro Cups: 4 (beat Valmara in '03... Volusia in '06... Far Mountain in '09... and Ancona in '18... also lost in Finals in '10 to Colfax and to Eastshore in '17)
Playoffs: 15
Last Appearance: 2039

Team Stats: .270 BA (14th)/828 runs (8th)/122 HR (23rd-tied)/3.44 ERA (6th)/.965 FA
Pitchers: lost All-Star Yancey Hedges (13-8/2.83), a rookie, injured in July... still did very well led by All-Star Nate Scottsdale (26-8/2.67), Russell Mallory (16-7/3.72), Tom Fuller (10-8/3.17) and late-season rookie Glenn Avery (7-2/2.11)... bullpen not very strong with a 3.57 ERA (19th).
Batters: former star C. C. Kingsford took over as manager this season and put together a fine hitting team that was rookie dominated... 3B Joel Guidry (.295/26 HR/91 RBI/101 R/10 SB) and C Doyle Ashcroft (.279/23 HR/113 RBI/88 R) really stood out... other newcomers were SS Fernando Labrera (.274/2 HR/43 RBI/97 R/35 SB), 1B Shoyo Yuro (.298/18 HR/66 RBI/71 R), CF Maxie Mullinax (.269/5 HR/58 RBI/85 R/32 SB) and LF Darrell Faust (.351/11 HR/38 RBI/44 R).

Pro Cup Prediction: with such an abundance of youthful talent, the future is bright for Turon and skipper C. C. Kingsford... it will be interesting to see how they perform against some of the veteran IPA teams in the playoffs... loss of rookie hurler Hedges hurt... he would have given them three solid starters.

7. Waleska Westerners (90-64)
Last Year: 1st Place (87-67)
Pro Cups: 3 (2028, topped Tuckanarra in 7 games... 2037, whipped San Alejo in 6... 2039, beat Arlon in 6 games... beaten in 5 games in '51 by Arlon in Finals)
Playoffs: 8
Last Appearance: 2051

Waleska made the Finals last year... manager Roy Hobbs hopes to do better this year and win it all... the Westerners hit the cover off the ball with a sensational .288 BA (3rd), scoring 819 runs (4th), but they come up short in long-distance power with only 101 HRs (26th)... pitching is better-than-average with a 3.56 ERA (13th)... the bullpen is excellent with a 2.26 ERA (4th)... on defense Hobbs has an average club with a .966 FA... Waleska upset the powerhouses Valmara and Sugar Valley last year... maybe they can do the same thing to Taranto (98-56), Wynnamac (95-69) and Middlefield (106-48), the other three Ruthlandian playoff teams.

Hobbs heavily platoons and has a slew of hitters, none with power... heading up the Waleska attack are 2B Richie Fry (.350/4 HR/55 RBI/83 R/10 SB), 3B Hisachi Yamaguchi (.335/7 HR/53 RBI/81 R), LF Allie Connors (.328/10 HR/58 RBI/63 R/32 SB), 1B Rob Rice (.323/8 HR/46 RBI/51 R), CF Lynn Washington (.313/13 HR/80 RBI/70 R) and SS Jingo Jernigan (.268/12 HR/73 RBI/83 R/23 SB)... on the hill Hobbs has a young and talented staff... the Westerner ace is Lou Carlson (20-10/3.85) with help from Kenny Foster (16-12/3.40), Vince Foster (15-11/3.49), Trey Earnest (18-16/3.51) and Niles Nielsen (14-13/3.98/12 saves/51 G)... problem is the latter two are injured and will miss the first weeks of the playoffs.

PRO CUP PREDICTION: well-balanced club... good offense... good set of starters if all were healthy... injury to starter Trey Earnest probably takes them out of the Pro Cup hunt.

8. Oxford Red Caps (86-69)
Last Year: 5th Place (75-79) (22 GB)
Season Forecast: 2nd Place
Pro Cups: 1 (2007)... Oxford captured its only IPA crown by beating Stoner in 5 games... hasn't made the postseason since.
Playoffs: 5
Last Appearance: 2007

Team Stats: .270 BA (11th)/900 runs (3rd)/167 HR (7th)/4.19 ERA (23rd)/.960 FA
Pitchers: good trio of starters in Lou Ellison (21-16/4.02), Rudy Mellancamp (21-14/3.66) and Tekkan Nishikawa (18-12/4.75)... they have to pitch in a small ballyard with close fences down the lines... not much of a bullpen.
Batters: the Red Caps can really swing a bat... sparked by All-Star CF Dwayne Wagner (.287/28 HR/125 RBI/101 R), All-Star SS Mito Fujikawa (.265/25 HR/108 RBI/100 R/24 SB), LF Ozzy Ackerman (.294/29 HR/98 RBI/96 R/37 SB), 3B Allen Spears (.290/10 HR/80 RBI/90 R/8 SB) and RF Wade McGrew (.277/27 HR/81 RBI/74 R/5 SB)

Pro Cup Prediction: Oxford manager Dennis Hartwig has plenty of hitters, but lacks the pitching to go deep into the Pro Cup playoffs... East Point, Kenwood and Turon can all hit well, but have superior pitching staffs... the Red Caps can look forward to the future... they are a relatively young club.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 19, 2052

ROOSTERS ROMP OVER WMACS IN OPENER
Three homers, 12 hits and a fine mound performance by James Long (26-9) gave Pro Cup favorite Middlefield an easy 12-2 romp over Wynnamac in the opening game of IPA Pro Cup playoffs at Middlefield Park... 1B Natty Colclough, SS Stan Radzikowski and LF Trip Agarn bashed solo home runs to lead the way... Long (1-0) went all the way, stopping the Sundowners on two runs and six hits... 21-game winner Sammy Hayes (0-1) was shelled hard for eight runs and eight hits in his five-plus frames... six of the scores were unearned... Wynnamac had a bad day in the field with four errors... Middlefield was even worse with five miscues, but they didn't do any harm.

TARANTO'S CASTLE SHACKLES WALESKA IN GAME 1
Taranto's terrific rookie Phil Castle shackled visiting Waleska 2-1 in game one of the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series, played at the Palazzo di Sport... Castle, 23-3 in his freshman season, fired a complete game and stopped the Westerners on just five hits... Castle (1-0) fanned four and walked only two batters and outpitched veteran Vince Gibson (0-1)... also going the distance Gibson was sharp, too, yielding just two runs on eight hits with one walk and six Ks... the Tars got both of their runs in the 3rd frame on RBIs by LF Kuma Toyota and RF Cody Losby.

GUIDRY'S DOUBLE WINS FIRST GAME FOR TURON
Game one of the Tycobbian Division Championship Series was a tense, extra-inning thriller... Turon 3B Joel Guidry doubled in the winning run in the last of the 10th and gave the hometown Typhoons a 3-2 triumph over the Oxford Red Caps... 26-game winner Nate Scottsdale hurled nine and two-thirds innings and didn't allow an earned run... he held the Red Caps to two runs and eight hits, but didn't get the victory... it went to reliever Russell Mallory (1-0), who got the final out in the top of the 10th... Oxford starter Lou Ellison (21-16) was impressive, too, giving up only two runs on five hits in his eight innings... his relief, Rene McCanless (0-1), was not as good... he took the loss.

WALLACE TOPS BRADFORD IN 1ST GAME
Both clubs got strong pitching in the opener of the Tycobbian DCS between East Point and Kenwood... East Point 21-game winner Ralph Wallace bested Kenwood 20-game winner Rusty Bradford 3-2 at Armed Forces Park... Wallace struck out nine, walked only two and limited the Panthers to just five hits... Bradford tossed eight frames and surrendered only two runs and three hits... Bradford didn't get the loss... it went to Mike Jones (1-0), who relieved him to start the last of the 9th.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 20, 2052

ROOSTERS ROUTS SUNDOWNERS AGAIN
Pro Cup favorite Middlefield is playing like a champion... the Roosters routed Wynnamac for the second day in a row, walloping them 14-4 to go up two games to none in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian Division Championship Series... the Roosters slammed five out of the park with LF Trip Agarn (.571) and 1B Natty Colclough (.600) getting two apiece... they both have hit three in the first two games of the playoffs... C Johnny McDonald (.333) also went deep... Agarn drove in five runs, Mitchell (.333) got three ribbies and Colclough batted in two... on the mound Carroll Collier (1-0) posted the win, going the route and permitting just two earned runs... the defeat went to Simon Northcott (0-1), who was bashed for four of the homers.

HARDY HOMER EVENS SERIES
The only difference in game two of the Ruthlandian DCS between Waleska and Taranto was CF Kenny Hardy's (.111) two-run blast in the 2nd inning... that gave the Westerners a 2-1 victory over the Tars to even the series at one game each... young Kenny Foster (1-0) was sharp as a razor, restricting the heavy-hitting Tars to just one run on six hits in eight innings... John McElveen topped it off for him, blanking the Tars in the last of the 9th, striking out two of them... 20-game winner Valerio Rossi (0-1) was the loser... Waleska only got seven hits off of him... 1B Phil Wilson (.625) accounted for Taranto's only run with a solo shot in the 2nd frame.

HARDY HOMER EVENS SERIES
The only difference in game two of the Ruthlandian DCS between Waleska and Taranto was CF Kenny Hardy's (.111) two-run blast in the 2nd inning... that gave the Westerners a 2-1 victory over the Tars to even the series at one game each... young Kenny Foster (1-0) was sharp as a razor, restricting the heavy-hitting Tars to just one run on six hits in eight innings... John McElveen topped it off for him, blanking the Tars in the last of the 9th, striking out two of them... 20-game winner Valerio Rossi (0-1) was the loser... Waleska only got seven hits off of him... 1B Phil Wilson (.625) accounted for Taranto's only run with a solo shot in the 2nd frame.

RED CAPS RAP TYPHOONS, TIE SERIES
On the road in Turon at Typhoon Stadium, the Oxford Red Caps clubbed three roundtrippers to top Turon 6-2 and tie the Tycobbian Division Championship Series at a game apiece... CF Dwayne Wagner (.429) whacked a three-run homer... and SS Mito Fujikawa (.111) and LF Ozzy Ackerman (.286) chimed in with a solo salvo each to put away the Typhoons... Lou Ellison (1-0) got the win, but left after five innings with a 3-1 lead... Ellison's shoulder tightened up and he was relieved by Tyrone Marte, who finished the game, allowing only one run in four innings... Tom Fuller (0-1) took the loss... the Red Caps ripped him for six runs in seven innings... Turon outhit Oxford 8 to 5.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 23, 2052

WMACS STOP MIDDLEFIELD RAMPAGE
Game three was a daunting task for rookie hurler George Medworth... in the first two games on the road in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series, the Middlefield Roosters had ravaged Wynnamac's best pitchers for 26 runs and two easy victories... in the friendly confines of Granger Field, the 25-year-old right-hander took charge and cooled off the torrid Rooster bats, posting a 5-2 victory and narrowing the Middlefield lead to two games to one in the best-of-seven series... Medworth was 21-8 in the regular season with a sparkling 2.90 ERA... the Roosters were held to eight hits... two solo homers were all the damage Middlefield could do... LF Rufus Blackburn (.364) and 2B Natty Colclough (.500) both went deep... it was Colclough's 4th of the series... CF Dickie Key (.273) homered and topped the Sundowners with three hits, two runs and an RBI... C Jethro Bibbs (.231) had two RBIs for Wynnamac... games four and five will also be in Wynnamac... Middlefield errors hurt starter and loser Hollis Dale (23-10/3.66)... he only gave up one earned run in six frames.

CARLSON TAMES TARS, WESTERNERS LEAD 2-1
The strong pitching continued in the Waleska-Taranto Ruthlandian Division Championship Series, especially by the Westerners' Lou Carlson (20-10/3.85)... the hard-throwing right-hander struck out nine and only allowed four hits en route to a 5-1 win over the favored Tars at Westerner Field... rookie Enzo Ferrara (17-15/3.58) didn't do well... Waleska bashed him for five runs and 11 hits in six-plus innings... RF Boomer Barnes (.500) led the Westerners with three RBIs and LF Zip McHan (.500) chimed in with two more... it was Waleska's second straight victory... they now have a 2-1 edge in the series.

PANTHERS PREVAIL, 3RD WIN IN A ROW
It took the East Point Panthers 12 innings, but they prevailed 9-6 over the Kenwood Wildcats for the third straight time in the Tycobbian DCS... the winning score came in on a passed ball... C Kenny Bailey (.182) drilled a two-run single to give the Panthers a three-run cushion... East Point got a fine relief job from winning pitcher Kerry Woodburn (7-5/3.35/11 saves/48 G), who shut down the Wildcats without a run over the final three frames, striking out four batters... the Panthers racked up 15 hits and were led by LF Jay Jay Nix (.750) with three hits and two RBIs... 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.300) also had three hits and a home run... top bats for Kenwood were C Corky DiNozzo (.308) and RF Micah Yarbrough (.286) each with a homer and two RBIs.

RED CAPS EDGE TYPHOONS ON CUTHBERT'S TRIPLE
At Winchester Park in Oxford, the hometown Red Caps captured a seesaw battle with Turon, edging the Typhoons in game three of the Tycobbian Division Championship Series 5-4 on 2B Ethan Cuthbert's game-winning triple in the bottom of the 9th... the Red Caps are now up 2-1 in the series... Oxford slammed three homers and came back to win after trailing 4-3 going into the 8th frame... RF Wade McGrew (.154) and CF Dwayne Wagner (.364) hit back-to-back blasts in the 4th and LF Ozzy Ackerman (.273) tied the score 4-4 in the 8th... the Red Caps had the advantage in hits 8 to 5 with the win going to reliever Rene McCanless (2-2/2.23/6 saves/37 G)... he held Turon scoreless in the 9th... in a lackluster outing rookie Glenn Avery (7-2/2.11) went all the way in defeat... the longballs killed him.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 24, 2052

MIDDLEFIELD MAULS WMACS, UP 3-1 IN SERIES
For the third time in four games in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series, Middlefield mauled Wynnamac, scoring in double digits... this time around it was 13-2 at Granger Field, the home of the Sundowners... the Roosters lashed 16 hits and three homers to take a commanding three games to one lead in the best-of-seven set... Middlefield has gone deep 13 times so far... CF Johnny Wyatt (.308) hammered a grand slammer... 1B Timothy Hayworth (.364) walloped a three-run blast and batted in four runs... and 3B Cramer Landis (.316) hit a solo job... veteran lefty Larry Wheelhouse (20-14/4.14) toyed with Wynnamac, holding them to six hits and no earned runs... James Duncan (8-5/2.98) lost it, giving up five runs in six innings.

TARS TIE SERIES BEHIND DE ANGELIS
It's all tied up at 2-2 in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian DCS... Taranto got a solid mound performance from a 30-year-old rookie Freddy De Angelis (8-8/3.48), who went all the way in a 4-1 victory... De Angelis scattered nine hits and stranded 10 baserunners... he struck out four and issued only one base on balls... loser Niles Nielsen (14-13/3.98) was tagged for 11 hits and four runs in his seven frames... he whiffed six and walked two batters... the Tars got 12 hits, but left 11 men on base.

KENWOOD HANGS IN, BARELY ALIVE
It wasn't a thing of beauty, but the Kenwood Wildcats fought off the favored East Point Panthers at the Olde Towne Grounds and stayed alive in the Tycobbian Division Championship Series... down 3-0 and on the verge of elimination, Kenwood rallied from a 4-1 deficit and pulled out the victory 5-4 in 10 innings... with two away in the 10th CF Sean Gammon (.316) got aboard on an infield error, stole second base and rode home on 2B Jace McFalls (.263/3 RBI) single... Kip Patrick (2-1/2.25/11 G) got credit for the victory with two scoreless frames... Kerry Woodburn (7-5/3.35) was pinned with the loss... there were 9 errors in the game... five of them by Kenwood.

RED CAPS GO UP 3-1 ON TYPHOONS
At home in Oxford, the Red Caps moved closer to eliminating Turon from the Pro Cup playoffs... Oxford jumped out to a 9-3 lead after the first four frames and staved off the Typhoons' rally... the Red Caps held on to win 9-7 and are now ahead in the best-of-seven series three games to one... Oxford was led at the plate by 3B Allen Spears (.333) with two hits and three ribbies... 2B Ethan Cuthbert (.188) knocked in a pair of scores... and 1B Cliff Nilssen (.313) went 4-for-4 and batted in a run... the win went to starter Tekkan Nishikawa (18-12/4.75)... he tossed five innings, gave up four runs - two earned - and eight hits... he was lucky his bullpen didn't blow his big lead... top bats for Turon were RF Matthew Fears (.286) with three RBIs and 3B Joel Guidry (.357) with three hits, two runs and two RBIs... losing pitcher was starter Russell Mallory (16-7/3.72), who exited early after being shelled for eight runs in less than three innings.

:eatpop:

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 25, 2052

WMACS RAP ROOSTERS, STILL DOWN 3-2
The Wynnamac Sundowners are back in the hunt after rapping Middlefield 7-5 in game five... they whipped Pro Cup favorite Middlefield for the second day in a row and cut their lead in the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series to three games to two... The Sundowners SS Jonathan Garrett (.300/2 RBI) busted up a 5-5 tie in the 7th with a two-run hit... LF Scott Clevenger (.667) led their 12-hit attack with four hits and two runs scored... 1B Enos Benham (.375) also drove in a pair of runs... Middlefield 1B Natty Colclough (.529) had three hits in defeat.... reliever Johnny Mitchell (5-6/3.31/11 saves/52 G) registered the win with two scoreless innings... the series will now switch back to Middlefield Park for the last two games... all the Roosters need is one more victory to move on to the Ruthlandian title series.

TARS TRIM WESTERNERS IN GAME 5, UP 3-2
Taranto got another strong start from rookie Phil Castle, who hurled them past Waleska 4-2 in the fifth game of the Ruthlandian DCS at Westerner Field... the favored Tars are now up by a 3-2 margin in the series and just need one more victory to advance to the next round, the Ruthlandian Finals... Castle (2-0/0.54) didn't permit an earned run, allowed only four hits in seven and two-third innings... Louie Toscano (10-1/0.70/8 saves/33 G) relieved and shut the door on Waleska the last inning and a third... Vince Gibson (0-2/2.40) lost for the second time in the series, giving up four runs - two earned - on six hits... four runs in the second did him in... C Niccolo Parisi (.333) doubled in a run, RF Cody Losby (.214) ground out to second for run number two, 2B Rico Messina (.375) singled in a run and pitcher Castle (.333) got the last one in with an RBI single... the Westerners could muster only five hits, while the Tars got 8.

RED CAPS ROLL TO TYCOBBIAN FINALS
Playing at home at Winchester Park, the Oxford Red Caps roared past Turon 11-6 in game five of the Tycobbian Division Championship Series and advanced to the Tycobbian title series... in a mild upset Oxford copped four of the five games... the Red Caps clubbed 13 hits and four homers, paced by C Giles Gilliam (.267/7 RBI) with two roundtrippers and five RBIs... a pretty good day's output for a number eight hitter... RF Wade McGrew (.238/3 RBI) and LF Ozzy Ackerman (.316/5 RBI) both hammered two-run homers for Oxford... Turon got 14 hits, but lacked home-run power... the Typhoons didn't have a single roundtripper in the five-game series, while the Red Caps hit 10.

Oxford skipper Dennis Hartwig said he knew his club could hit, but it was surprising that they handled Turon pitching so well... especially in the last two games... Turon manager C. C. Kingsford told the reporters that he couldn't believe how bad his pitchers performed... "We couldn't keep the ball in the ballpark."

Oxford will now take on the winner of the East Point-Kenwood series for the Tycobbian Union championship.

KENWOOD STOPS PANTHERS, STILL BEHIND 3-2
Two 36-year-old "old pros" saved the day for the Kenwood Wildcats... Corky Di Nozzo and Country Crowder teamed up to top powerful East Point 5-3 in game five of the Tycobbian DCS, forcing a game six... the much-favored Panthers are still in the driver's seat with a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series... with the game tied 3-3 in the 8th Di Nozzo (.273) doubled to start the inning and Crowder (.273/4 RBI) singled him in for the game-deciding run... RF Micah Yarbrough (.348/5 RBI) tacked on an extra run for good measure with an RBI single... reliever Emmitt Oates (1-1/0.00/2 G) came to the rescue of starter Tony Myerson (19-11/3.12) with three shutout innings... 21-game winner Ralph Wallace (1-1/2.65) went the route and logged the loss... he gave up five runs on eight hits, while fanning five batters and walking two... Kenwood 3B Bailey Brumley (.250/2 RBI) hit a solo homer in the 5th and CF Sean Gammon (.318/3 RBI) drove in two runs... East Point 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.300/3 RBI) had a single and a homer, scored twice and drove in a pair... C Kenny Bailey (.421/6 RBI) got three hits and batted in a run... the best-of-seven series now returns to East Point to decide the winner.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 26, 2052

ROOSTERS ELIMINATE WMACS IN 6 GAMES
Pro Cup favorite Middlefield came through with flying colors and eliminated tough Wynnamac in six games... the Roosters will now advance to the Ruthlandian League Championship Series against the Taranto Tars... in game six at Middlefield Park, the Roosters ran up an early 7-3 margin and managed to hold off the Sundowners 7-6 in spite of being outgunned 12 hits to 6... Middlefield LF Trip Agarn (.444) cracked his 4th homer of the series and batted in four runs, giving him a total of 13 RBIs in the six games... leading the WMACS was CF Dickie Key (.318/5 RBI) with three hits and three RBIs... his two-run smash cut the Rooster lead to one run in the top of the 8th... the Sundowners also made a last-ditch effort in the 9th putting the winning runs on base with two away when Middlefield finally finished them off.

Middlefield manager Rinky Tinker praised his home-run hitters and solid pitching staff... "The mound corps did their job and the hitters did, too... 14 roundtrippers and 56 runs in six games is some kind of offense."

Wynnamac's skipper Jerry Meeks said his club was just overmatched... "Too much power combined with good pitching... our defense let us down, too, with 15 errors... Middlefield will be hard to beat this year."

TARS PUT AWAY WESTERNERS IN 6 GAMES
The Ruthlandian League Championship Series is decided... it will be Pro Cup favorite Middlefield taking on up-and-coming Taranto for the Ruthlandian title... the Tars qualified by walloping Waleska in six games, trouncing them 10-5 in game six at the tiny Palazzo di Sport... Taranto slammed 6 out of the park in the rout with RF Leo Marchetti (.400/4 RBI) hitting two of them and batting in three runs... LF Kuma Toyota (.148), 3B Gaetano Palombo (.250), C Niccolo Parisi (.318) and CF Renzo Caruso (.087) also went deep... it was a rain-filled afternoon with several long delays... Valerio Rossi (1-1/1.79) picked up the win, but departed in the 6th with a 10-2 lead, after giving only two hits and no earned runs.

Speaking at the post-game news conference, Augie Marshall, manager of Taranto told the press, "Our pitching was quite impressive... we beat a pretty fair ballclub... they were Pro Cup runner-ups last year and were looking to win it this year... Castle, Rossi and De Angelis pretty much shut down the Waleska bats... fortunately we got enough runs to beat them."

A disappointed Roy Hobbs, Waleska's skipper, commented, "We had a better team this year than last... I really was looking forward to the playoffs this year... thought we had a chance to win it all... to win in the postseason, you need balance... good pitching, good scoring and good defense... our pitching was fine with Gibson, Carlson and Neilsen... our bats just went south in the series... but you have to give credit to Taranto... they have really good pitching... Castle is a rookie, but he is unhittable... together with Rossi, the Tars are a force this year."

PANTHER POWER PREVAILS IN 6 OVER KENWOOD
East Point had too much firepower for Kenwood... the Panthers prevailed in six games to advance to the Tycobbian title series against the Oxford Red Caps... game six went to East Point 7-5 in 13 innings... 2B Major Woods' two-run blast put an end to Kenwood's fine season... the Panthers got excellent bullpen work, which shut down the Wildcat bats with only two hits over the last six frames... 21-year-old rookie Chip Dowler (1-0) was the winner... he struck out two of the three batters he faced... Pudgy Putnam worked two scoreless innings and Joey Dulles blanked Kenwood in his three frames... Perry Ryker (0-1/2.08) permitted two runs in four-plus innings and suffered the loss... East Point got a three-run homer from C Kenny Bailey (.360) and a solo salvo from CF Pokie Ash (.310)... in all, the Panthers outpowered the Wildcats 8-4 in the long ball department... it was a hard-fought and close series with four of the games extending into extra innings... all six games were in doubt and could have gone either way.

After such a tense ordeal, East Point manager Frank Blair said he was mighty glad to see Kenwood gone... "They gave us all we could handle... fortunately our pitching held up well, both starters and relievers... and I was quite happy with the hitters, too."

Babe Hankins, Kenwood's skipper, was very pleased with the experience but not the outcome... "My youngsters put up a good fight against a really good team... don't be surprised if East Point wins the Pro Cup this year... I'll tell you one thing, it will take a special team to beat them this year."

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 25, 2052

RU FINALS, TU FINALS SET TO PLAY
After one round of playoff action in the Islandian Pro Alliance, 8 teams have been downsized to 4... the fortunate 4 are Middlefield and Taranto in the Ruthlandian Championship Series and East Point and Oxford in the Tycobbian Championship Series... these Pro Cup title contenders will square off tomorrow afternoon in best-of-seven series.

The Pro Cup favorite Middlefield Roosters (106-48) will be at home at Middlefield Park welcoming the 6th-ranked Taranto Tars (99-55) for the first two games... while the 2nd-ranked East Point Panthers (96-58) will host 8th-rated Oxford (86-69) at Armed Forces Stadium... both the Roosters and Panthers will be favored... Middlefield slightly... and East Point, a hefty favorite.

The Middlefield Roosters dominated a good Wynnamac club, whipping them in five games in the Ruthlandian Division Series... the Roosters scorched the Sundowner pitchers for 14 homers and 53 runs in five games... this was startling because Wynnamac has a fine crop of pitchers, ranked third-best in the Ruthlandian Union... will Trip Agarn (.440/4 HR/13 RBI), Natty Colclough (.500/4 HR/6 RBI) and Cramer Landis (.320/1 HR/7 RBI) be able to handle perhaps the best staff in the RU, the Taranto Tars, who posted the second-best team ERA this season with a superb 2.74 ERA... only Rocky Rapids was better with a splendid 2.66 ERA.

Taranto is coming off a tough series with last year's Pro Cup finalist, the Waleska Westerners... they defeated the Westerners four games to two in a pitcher-dominated series... Waleska was the 7th-rated team in the Pro Cup poll... Middlefield is a much stronger club with the bats than the Westerners... they had 7 roundtrippers in the Waleska series, but 6 of them came in the 10-5 finale.

Taranto is no slouch when it comes to scoring runs and going deep... they were second in the RU with 191 homers... Middlefield led with 206... the Roosters also hit for a better average with .270, while the Tars batted .258... top bats so far in the Pro Cup playoffs for Taranto are Phil Wilson (.455/1 HR/2 RBI), C Niccolo Parisi (.318/1 HR/4 RBI) and Leo Marchetti (.400/2 HR/4 RBI).

Taranto's rotation was super in the first round, led by rookie phenom Phil Castle (23-3/1.83), Valerio Rossi (20-11/2.52) and rookie Freddy De Angelis (8-8/3.48/7 saves/36 G)... Enzo Ferrara (17-15/3.58) will be their fourth starter... manager Augie Marshall may soon also have Armani Pizzoconi (10-5/2.98) returning from the DL... if that happens the Tars-Roosters series just might be one made in heaven.

Middlefield skipper Ricky Tinker has a high-quality rotation, too, with James Long (26-9/2.57), Carroll Collier (16-8/3.57), Hollis Dale (23-10/3.66) and Larry Wheelhouse (20-14/4.14)... and the Roosters have one of the best bullpen in the Islands with Norm Coventry (8-5/2.84/15 saves/47 G) and Ricky Farris (8-2/1.48/7 saves/42 G)... Taranto has a fine relief corps as well, paced by Louie Toscano (10-1/0.70/8 saves/33 G).

Forecast: whew... this is a tough one... Middlefield is a monster team this year... but the addition of hurler Pizzoconi could be put Taranto right up there with the Roosters... should be a whale of a series... Middlefield in 7 games.

The Tycobbian title series looks like a mismatch... on paper the East Point Panthers are far superior to the Oxford Red Caps... during the regular campaign the Panthers batted .280 (3rd), scored 909 runs (2nd) and slugged 207 home runs (2nd)... the Red Caps were good, too, with a .270 BA (11th), 900 runs (3rd) and 167 homers (7th)... East Point has much better pitching with a 3.63 ERA (9th), compared to Oxford's 4.19 ERA (23rd).

The young Kenwood Wildcats gave East Point more than was expected... the Panthers topped the rookie-laden Wildcats in six games... in all, the Panthers outpowered the Wildcats 8-4 in the long ball department... it was a hard-fought and close series with four of the games extending into extra innings... all six games were in doubt and could have gone either way... Kenwood was ranked the 4th-best club in the IPA playoffs this year.

Oxford, voted least likely to win the Pro Cup this year, took on Turon in the first round of the postseason and surprised the 6th-ranked Typhoons, routing them in five games... the Red Caps clouted 10 homers, while Turon didn't hit any... Pokie Ash (.310/2 HR/6 RBI), Kenny Bailey (.360/2 HR/9 RBI), Alvaro Cavacos (.308/2 HR/3 RBI) and Jay Jay Nix (.438/1 HR/3 RBI) will spark East Point at the plate... on the hill it will be Ralph Wallace (21-16/2.62), Benny Allen (20-11/3.84), Lee Price (23-9/4.61) and Milt Easterling (11-11/4.25)... the Panthers' bullpen is impressive with Pudgy Putnam (10-4/1.79/9 saves/52 G) and Kerry Woodburn (7-5/3.35/11 saves/48 G).

Oxford will counter with Rudy Mellancamp (21-14/3.66), Lou Ellison (21-16/4.02), Tekkan Nishikawa (18-12/4.75) and Homer Keaton (11-16/4.55) or Tyrone Marte (10-15/4.21)... not a lot in the Red Caps' pen... Rene McCanless (2-2/2.23/6 saves/37 G) has been the most effective.

Heading up the Oxford attack will be 3B Allen Spears (.400/0 HR/5 RBI), Ozzy Ackerman (.316/3 HR/5 RBI), Cliff Nilssen (.300/0 HR/1 RBI), Giles Gilliam (.267/2 HR/7 RBI), Wade McGrew (.238/2 HR/3 RBI) and Dwayne Wagner (.235/2 HR/4 RBI)... look for Ethan Cuthbert (.211/0 HR/3 RBI) and Mito Fujikawa (.143/1 HR/2 RBI) to provide some offense, too... Oxford went deep 10 times in the opening series.

Forecast: East Point in no more than 5-6 games... Oxford is overmatched.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES

AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

EAST POINT PANTHERS

Owner: Silver Mountain Marble Works
GM: Karol Zodoka
Manager: Frank Blair

East Point is primarily a military town with a population of 84,000 inhabitants. It is a splendid town surrounded and fortified by a ringed wall of white marble, which is found in great abundance in local quarries and pits. The marble business is one of the important elements of the local economy.

East Point is reminiscent of ancient Rome and Athens, but on a much smaller scale. Majestic marble statues and buildings are ever present sights. East Point is on the westside of the Silver Mountains in east central Tycobbia and located right on the Ruthlandian border at Frontier Pass, the only land route connecting the two countries. East Point was established to protect Tycobbia from invasion from the east. Right across the border is Ft. Benton, its Ruthlandian military counterpart.

All branches of the military are headquartered here. Basic training is conducted on the base. It is also the site of the War College, which trains the officer corps at East Point Military Academy. Future officers are educated and trained here. It is also a retirement home and medical facility for veterans. Many military and medical suppliers have their home offices here as well.

East Point is a model town, organized and structured in military fashion. It is a well-designed and well-planned town with perfectly square blocks, all identical in size. All streets run perfect parallel, north to south and east to west. There is a civilian government, but it works closely with the military authorities, who provide boot camp trainees for sanitation purposes. Streets are pristine clean and well-manicured because the military recruits sweep through the town each morning and police the town of any trash, litter and debris.

It is also home to the East Point Panthers Baseball Club of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Panthers are in the East Division of the Tycobbian Union. The club is owned and operated by the Silver Mountain Marble Works. Running the ball club is general manager Karol Zodoka, who excelled as a player for the Panthers. Zodoka was a power-hitting infielder. He had an outstanding career from 2002 to 2017. He was a 7-time All-Star, won 4 Golden Gloves, a Golden Bat and RU MVP Award. Zodoka batted .293 with 391 homers and over 1300 RBIs. The field manager is Frank Blair, a former star twirler for East Point. He toiled long and hard for mostly mediocre teams and compiled 265-248 mark from 2025 to 2043 and posted a career 3.47 ERA. Only 3 times in his 19 seasons did the club make the first division. During his playing career the Panthers never came close to winning the division title.

The Panthers play at ancient and majestic Armed Forces Stadium, named in memory and in honor of the men and women of the Tycobbian Armed Forces. Marble was used extensively in the stadium construction and peripheral facade. Beyond the outfield walls there is a breathtaking view of the town in the distance, replete with marble buildings and monuments. Armed Forces Stadium is not a big ballpark dimension-wise. The fans and batters love it because of the high-scoring games, but pitchers dread pitching here.

Music is supplied at the ballpark by the Army, Air Force and Navy bands to inspire the Panther fans and spur their team on to victory. At the seventh inning stretch one of the service anthems is played, followed by the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Food-wise you get soft drinks, beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, peanuts and crackerjacks. Sorry, no "K-rations", "MREs" or "SOS".

Armed Forces Stadium (1935)

Capacity: 9500

Dimensions:

LF Line 326
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 388
RCF 375
RF 345
RF Line 326

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES

AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

OXFORD RED CAPS

Owner: Tyco-Tech

GM: Babe Friedriksen

Manager: Dennis Hartwig

Oxford is a town of 89,000 found in the east central plains of Tycobbia, 10 miles east of the Blue Lake and 10 miles west of the Silver Mountains. It is a rural area, settled by English emigres in the 1850s and was originally called Mills Creek. In its early days farming and sheepherding were the mainstays of the economy. One of the emigres was a young commoner, Charles Emerson Winchester, who had been turned down for admission to the famed Oxford University in England. It was his dream to be an educator and eventually become a university scholar and administrator. His heart was broken by Oxford's rejection, so he enrolled in a lesser school and graduated summa cum laude. He then emigrated to Tycobbia, where there was no class system and started a small rural college in Mills Creek. Winchester said, "My voice shall be heard from this wilderness"... and it was. It was the first college in Tycobbia and within a few years became so successful that the name of the town was changed to Oxford. Winchester said his dream to teach at Oxford had finally come true. Oxford rivals St. John University in Ruthlandia as the outstanding higher learning institution in the Islands.

Today Oxford University is a thriving private institution and much desired by the Islands high school graduates. The Oxonian graduates are in much demand in Tycobbia and Ruthlandia. The university is the town's dominant industry and supplies the local high tech companies with outstanding recruits. One of those high tech companies is Tycob-Tech, which is the owner of the Oxford Red Caps in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The team is named in honor of the university and adopted Oxford's red and white colors for their own. The school even shares historic Winchester Stadium (circa 1909) with the Red Caps.

Oxford's entry into baseball began in the late 1890's, when the college began an intramural baseball league. That soon expanded to include the townspeople. By 1905, Oxford baseball expanded to playing other town teams in Tycobbia. In 1920 the Amateur Baseball Alliance changed it rules, so that players could be employed by companies and play baseball. In theory, they were not paid to play baseball, just given time off from work to practice and play games. It continued that way until 2001, when Ban Johnson, the ABA commissioner, said it was time for a professional baseball league, where players could be paid just to play baseball and do it legally. The company and industrial league sponsors had long been circumventing and violating the spirit of the amateur rules. Johnson said it was time to bring it out in the open. That is how the IPA came to be.

Winchester Stadium is situated on the beautiful Oxford campus. Smokestacks and school buildings are visible beyond the outfield fences. The Oxonian fans have a rousing good time at the Red Cap games. It is a college crowd, filled with undergrads and alumni. Cheerleaders and a dance team inspire the fans with all of the old Oxford cheers, adapted for the Red Caps. You still hear "two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar" and the Oxford fight song reverberating throughout the ballpark. In the seventh inning there is the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Then in the eighth, everyone sings the Oxford Alma Mater. If the game goes into extra innings and reaches the fourteenth frame, the fans will sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the Fourteenth Inning Stretch. This is unique in all of baseball. No one else does this. Food concessions at Winchester Stadium are just the typical hot dogs, hamburgers, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks.

The Oxford Red Caps have an experienced management team, consisting of Babe Friedriksen as general manager and Dennis Hartwig as manager. She was the women's softball coach, basketball coach and athletic director at Oxford. Hartwig was an outstanding hitter and outfielder, who played college ball at the Oxford, then signed with the Red Caps upon graduation. He starred for 16 years, batting .303 with 338 home runs and 1349 RBIs. Hartwig was a Golden Glover, Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year in 2023, Batter of the Year in 2025 and a 5-time All-Star.

Winchester Stadium (1909)

Capacity: 10,250

Dimensions:

LF Line 335
LF 355
LCF 382
CF 420
RCF 368
RF 335
RF Line 300

Love the look of that stadium!

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 26, 2052

Ruthlandian League Championship Series - Game 1 at Middlefield Park in Middlefield

MIDDLEFIELD MOPS UP ON TARS IN OPENER
The Pro Cup favorite Middlefield Roosters made it look easy Thursday afternoon in game one of the Ruthlandian League Championship Series, played at Middlefield Park... Middlefield mopped up on Taranto 10-4 with 3B Cramer Landis (.379/10 RBI) rapping three hits and driving in three runs... 1B Timothy Hayworth (.300/6 RBI) and C Johnny McDonald (.261/5 RBI) helped out with two RBIs each... Hayworth and LF Tim Agarn (.433/14 RBI) both went deep for the Roosters... it was Agarn's 5th in the playoffs... Taranto manager Augie Marshall might be second-guessed for his opening game starter Armani Pizziconi (10-5/2.98), who just came off the Disabled List and hasn't pitched since mid-June... in a dismal outing Pizziconi was humbled for six runs in six innings... he was tagged for six hits and walked four batters... the Tars were miserable in the field with five errors... only two of the runs charged to Pizziconi were earned... Hollis Dale (1-1/3.00) breezed through the Taranto batting order... the Tars touched him for 10 hits with LF Kuma Toyota (.219/4 RBI) getting three hits, including a two-run roundtripper... but Dale shut them down until the game was decided... the Roosters were up 9-1 going into the 8th.

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 1 at Armed Forces Stadium in East Point

DENNHARDT HR WINS OPENER FOR PANTHERS
Heavily-favored East Point staggered early against underdog Oxford in the Tycobbian Union title matchup, but still came away with a 5-3 win in the opening game of the best-of-seven series at Armed Forces Stadium, thanks to a dramatic two-run clout by RF Doug Dennhardt (.200/5 RBI) in the last of the 8th... going into the inning the Red Caps were ahead 3-2, but losing pitcher Rudy Mellancamp (0-1/4.02) caved in to East Point power.... Mellancamp permitted five runs- just three earned - on six hits... he also walked five batters... Panther #4 starter Lee Price (23-9/4.61) did well and only allowed two runs in his six innings... Price turned it over to the bullpen with the score tied 2-all... the victory went to Kerry Woodburn (2-1/0.00/3 G), who sat down the Red Caps with 1-2-3 innings in the 8th and 9th... not a lot of hits in the contest... Oxford had the edge 7-6 with LF Ozzy Ackerman (.333/6 RBI) getting his 4th postseason homer.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 27, 2052

Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series: Game 2 at Middlefield Park in Middlefield

TARS TAME ROOSTERS, SPLIT SERIES
Taranto's talented rookie twirler Phil Castle (23-3/1.83) had trouble with his control, but he still came out the winner, taming Pro Cup favorite Middlefield 7-2 in game two of the Ruthlandian League Championship Series... the Tars split the two games at Middlefield Park and now will head home for the next three contests... Castle (3-0/1.14) won his third postseason game... he walked five batters in seven innings, but held the Roosters to just two runs, then gave way to closer Louie Toscano (0-0/0.00/2 saves/3 G) for two scoreless innings... rookie C Niccolo Parisi (.345/8 RBI) drove in three runs to lead Taranto... Parisi hit his 2nd postseason roundtripper... 1B Phil Wilson (.400/4 RBI) added in two RBIs... 2B Natty Colclough (.435/8 RBI) accounted for all of the Rooster runs with a two-clout, his 5th in the playoffs this season... 26-game winner James Long (1-1/3.68) copped the loss, slapped for four runs in his seven innings.

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series: Game 2 at Armed Forces Park in East Point

RED CAPS POUND PANTHERS IN GAME 2
The underdog Oxford Red Caps pounded powerful East Point 10-4 in the second game of the Tycobbian League Championship Series... the two clubs divided the first two games at Armed Forces Park in East Point... Oxford slashed 14 hits including 6 doubles, a triple and a home run and were led by 3B Allen Spears (.455/8 RBI) with three RBIs... CF Dwayne Wagner (.208/6 RBI) crashed his 3rd roundtripper in the postseason and drove in two runs... LF Ozzy Ackerman (.308/8 RBI) batted in a pair of runs, too... Panther RF Doug Dennhardt (.241/8 RBI) went deep and poled another homer, driving in three runs... veteran hurler Lou Ellison (2-0/2.05) cashed in another victory, surrendered four runs and nine hits in a complete-game stint... 21-game winner Ralph Wallace (1-2/5.57) never had a chance... the Red Caps ramrodded him for eight runs and 11 hits after just four frames... it's on to Winchester Stadium in Oxford for the next three games in the best-of-seven set.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 27, 2052

AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

MIDDLEFIELD ROOSTERS

Owner: Middlefield Merchants Association
GM: Smitty Michaels
Manager: Ricky Tinker

Middlefield, population 76,000, is located in the southern lowlands in east central Ruthlandia on the scenic Green River. The river traverses north to south from Far Mountain in the Appian Mountains, through Rocky Rapids in the northwest plains, eastward to the state capitol, Forest City. There it intersects with the Silver River, then meanders down through Middlefield where it takes a westward bend before continuing on to Sugar Valley, to end at Belair Beach on Belair Bay.

Middlefield was settled in the 1850s by disgruntled Southerners from the United States that wanted to preserve their culture and livlihood and not be involved the political problems that evolved due to slavery. They came to a new country and left slavery back in the USA.

The wonderfully rich and fertile black alluvial soil deposits are vital to the area’s economy. It is a rich farming region with cotton farms, textiles and farm equipment factories and a wide array of agricultural products. The town itself is rural and rustic in nature; the visitor feels that he has traveled back a hundred years in time. Middlefield takes great pride in its revered past and goes to great lengths to keep its old-fashioned flavor. By law, modern architecture is not allowed by the city fathers.

The town’s centerpiece is the exquisite Cotton Palace Fair and Exhibition Center. It is over 150 years old and plays host to farm conventions, music concerts, theatre and the Cotton Palace Opry, famed for its live country music show and dance every Saturday night. Middlefield is a nice quiet place to live, work and raise a family.

It is also home of the Middlefield Roosters Baseball Team. The town merchants banded together in civic pride and sold bonds to individual investors to get the franchise. It truly is a “town team” owned by the citizens of Middlefield and is a member of the IPA’s West Division. The Roosters play at ancient Middlefield Park on the outskirts of town, right in the middle of farmland. Whenever a new pitcher is brought in from the bullpen, he rides in style on a fancy blue and red tractor (team colors) to pay homage to the farm industry. While the relief pitcher is being chauffeured in to the mound, the fans sing “Old MacDonald had a farm” with special lyrics:

Old MacDonald had a farm, Ee-i-ee-i-oh.
Old MacDonald raised pitchers, Ee-i-ee-i-oh.
A fastball here and a curveball there
The Roosters will rule, don't you despair.
Old MacDonald had a farm, Ee-i-ee-i-oh.

It might sound corny, but the Middlefield folks get a big kick out of it, especially the young’uns. They get a big kick out of the great fried chicken, hot dogs, hamburgers, peanuts, crackerjacks, cokes, beer and ice cream at the concessions stand, too.

The Merchants Association has hired Smitty Michaels as GM. A lifelong resident of Middlefield, Michaels is a famous third baseman and slugger who played many outstanding seasons in the local company leagues. Michaels didn't need it as he packed prodigious power in his swing, but he did benefit from the short fences at Middlefield Park, one of the most compact in the IPA.

The Roosters are skippered by Rinky Tinker, solid-hitting first baseman for the team from 2002 to 2020... he batted .290 in his career with 188 home runs and 833 RBIs... Tinker has a gap in his resume... he couldn't make the club from 2006 through 2009... but Tinker did resurrect his career and had another decade of modest success... Tinker has enjoyed much success at the helm of the Roosters taking them to quite a few pennants.

Middlefield Park (1927)
Capacity: 7,450

Dimensions:
LF Line 315
LF 330
LCF 362
CF 385
RCF 375
RF 335
RF Line 326

AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA

TARANTO TARS

Owner: Papa Giovanni's Pizza
GM/Manager: Augie Marshall

Originally Taranto was just a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Valdar Island settled by Italian immigrants in the 1870s after the unification of Italy caused economic collapse in several areas of the country. Taranto was named after its namesake in Italy. Visitors are enthralled by the quaint and picturesque town. It has the feel and essence of the old country and should not be missed by tourists.

Taranto is also the origin of the common name of the Tarantula spider family, In ancient times, residents of the town of Taranto, upon being bitten by a spider, would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a jig. This was done in order to sweat most of the poison out of their pores and thus survive the spider bite. The dance they did became locally known as the Tarantella, which eventually became the name we use today to describe the large, sometimes hairy type of spider, the Tarantula.

The town got a big boost in the 1880s when the Ruthlandian government decided to construct a naval base here. The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Ruthlandian naval fleet. Taranto has since grown to a present-day population of 63,000. As a result of the naval expansion, baseball leagues sprang up in Taranto. First it was just for the sailors and marines, but soon spread to the town. Baseball has thrived in Taranto since the late 1880s.

The Navy is still the prime industy in Taranto. However, the town is also known for being the headquarters of Papa Giovanni's Pizza, the number one pizza in the Islands. Giovanni Di Bella began making pizzas in 1905 after emigrating from Italy. His pizzas with a special garlic butter sauce soon became a favorite of the townspeople. Papa Giovanni's Pizza's popularity soon spread throughout Vandar Island and then to the mainland of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia. You will now find a Papa Giovanni's Pizza shop in all of the main towns of Islandia.

Papa Giovanni was a good baseball player in his own right, but where he excelled was in sponsorship of the local amateur team. Papa Giovanni also managed the club and got most of his players from the navy leagues, hence the name Papa Giovanni's Tars. He used the team to publicize his expanding pizza business. The more popular his team got, the more pizza he sold.

A "tar" is a sailor. The name comes from the black, petroleum substance used to keep ropes and rigging dry aboard ship. It was also used to seal and make the ships water-tight. It would get on the sailors uniform, so people began to refer to them as Tars.

Papa Giovanni housed his team in the Palazzo di Sport, which was built in 1922 and is still in use today. The Palazzo is known for being a hitter's ballpark with its short fences. It's only 320 down the lines, 360 in the power alleys and just 385 to center. The Di Bello family has continued to big supporters of baseball in Taranto. When they heard that the IPA was going to expand the league, Grandson Gianni Di Bello got the backing of the Admiralty to insure a franchise would be granted to Taranto and to Papa Giovanni's Pizza.

The first general manager and field manager of the Taranto Tars was Tommaso Lazzorda. He gained his fame as a crafty southpaw for the Papa Giovanni's Tars. Lazzorda gained even more success and notoriety as the team's skipper. When the Tars switched over to professional baseball, Lazzorda came, too. Lazzorda loves to eat and loves his baseball. The congenial Lazzorda is good with a quote, too. "When we win, I'm so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I'm so depressed, I eat a lot. When we're rained out, I'm so disappointed I eat a lot."

And the people of Taranto love him, too. There's no better ambassador of baseball than Tommaso Lazzorda. He often tells reporters, "I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer."

Though retired for many years now, Lazzorda is still found around the Palazzo di Sport at game time. The current manager and general manager is Augie Marshall, one of the greatest Tar stars in history. Marshall starred for almost 10 seasons, from 2013 to 2022. A heavy-hitting outfielder he swatted 504 homers and drove in 1719 runs, batting .287 for his career. Marshall was voted the 2013 Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year, a 9-time All-Star and inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2049. Augie Marshall played right field for six teams in his 19 years in the IPA, but played primarily for the Taranto Tars, where he enjoyed his most success from 2013 to 2022. Marshall led the Ruthlandian Union in homers and RBIs in 2014 and 2015. He helped two clubs win Pro Cups. Taranto won in 2015 and Crystal Lake took it in 2022. Marshall played until 2033 when he retired at age 39.

Palazzo de Sport

Capacity: 7,175

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 320
Left Field 335
Left Center 360
Center Field 385
Right Center 360
Right Field 335
Right Field Line 320

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 28, 2052

Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series: Game 3 at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto

ROOSTERS ROUT TARS, COLLIER BLANKS 'EM
Looking every bit a Pro Cup champion, the Middlefield Roosters routed Taranto 10-0 in the third game of the Ruthlandian LCS and moved up two games to one the best-of-seven affair... and they did it at the Palazzo di Sport, the home of Tars... the Roosters crowed loudly with three homers in the top of the 9th... all back-to-back-to-back by CF Johnny Wyatt (.233/7 RBI), 2B Natty Colclough (.440/10 RBI) and RF Rufus Blackburn (.229/6 RBI)... this was Colclough's 6th roundtripper in the playoffs... Middlefield has now hit 20 postseason homers... in addition the Roosters got a magnificent 2-hit shutout from Carroll Collier (3-0/2.31)... the game was over after a 6-run explosion in the top of the 3rd... Valerio Rossi (1-2/3.27) was no match for Middlefield today... the 20-game winner was jolted for seven runs in eight innings.

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series: Game 3 at Winchester Park in Oxford

PANTHERS SOCK IT TO THE RED CAPS, UP 2-1
Boy, you talk about a bad day at the office... or on the baseball diamond... nothing went right for Oxford at their home field, Winchester Park... the Red Caps committed 8 errors that produced 7 freebies for the East Point Panthers and walked 9 batters... needless to say the visiting Panthers pounded out a 10-3 victory to go up 2-1 in the Tycobbian League Championship Series... East Point only got 7 hits, but it was more than enough to wallop Oxford... LF Jakie Spears (.409/2 RBI) sparked the Panthers with three hits... RF Doug Dennhardt (.229/10 RBI), SS Mason Woods (.219/6 RBI) and pinchhitter Jay Jay Nix (.409/5 RBI) all batted in two runs each... Benny Allen (1-0/3.48) and Chet Dowler (1-0/0.00/1 save/3 G) combined to beat the Red Caps... Allen chalked up the win... he held Oxford to two runs and five hits in six innings and left for a pinchhitter in the 7th with a 4-2 edge... Dowler went the last three frames and gave up one run... losing hurler Tekkan Nishikawa (1-1/2.38) allowed eight runs in six-plus innings, but only one was earned.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 29, 2052

Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series: Game 4 at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto

TARS TROUNCE ROOSTERS, EVEN SERIES 2-2
The Ruthlandian League Championship Series is all even at two games apiece after Taranto trounced visiting Middlefiield 14-4 in game four at the Palazzo di Sport... the Tars exploded for 14 hits, paced by C Niccolo Parisi (.306/11 RBI) and 2B Rico Messina (.269/6 RBI) with three RBIs each... and LF Vic Lombardi (.400/2 RBI), SS Nick Grasso (.209/2 RBI) and pitcher Freddy De Angelis (.286/2 RBI) all batted in two runs apiece... De Angelis (2-0/2.50) put it into cruise control after Taranto tacked nine runs on the scoreboard in the last of the 3rd inning... he surrendered seven hits, stuck out one batter and walked four... loser Larry Wheelhouse (1-1/3.09) was slammed for nine runs in just two and two-thirds innings... game five will also been in Taranto.

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series: Game 4 at Winchester Park in Oxford

OXFORD KNOTS SERIES 2-2, MCCANLESS HERO
Playing at home underdog Oxford slowed down the favored East Point Panthers yesterday afternoon the fourth game of the playoffs at Winchester Park, battered the Roosters for four runs in the 8th to top them 5-2 and knotted the Tycobbian LCS at two games each... the Red Caps got sharp hurling from starter Homer Keaton (11-16/4.55) and his relief Rene McCanless (2-1/5.87/6 G)... Keaton halted the powerful bats of the Panthers to two runs and seven hits in his seven innings... McCanless shined with two scoreless frames in the 8th and 9th and collected the victory... McCanless also batted in the winning run... the Red Caps also got RBIs from SS Mito Fujkawa (.200/4 RBI), 1B Cliff Nilssen (.351/3 RBI), RF Wade McGrew (.206/5 RBI) and CF Dino Rastelli (.250/1 RBI)... both clubs garnered nine hits each in the game... taking the defeat was starter Milt Easterling (0-1/2.87), who was pelted for five runs in 7-plus innings.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 30, 2052

Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series: Game 5 at the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto

ROOSTERS TAKE LEAD ON WYATT'S GRAND SLAM
All closer Louie Toscano needed in game five was three outs in the 9th and Taranto would take the series lead from the Pro Cup favorite Middlefield Roosters... but it didn't happen... instead the Roosters went on a 6-run rampage and battered the Tars 9-4 for a game lead in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian League Championship Series... one more Middlefield victory and it's on to the Pro Cup Finals... in the top of the 9th Rooster CF Johnny Wyatt (.263/12 RBI) walloped a grand slammer to put his club ahead to stay... for the day Wyatt had five RBIs... LF Trip Agarn also hit one out of the park, his 6th in the playoffs... he also had driven in 16 runs... Taranto stayed in the game for a while with three solo homers by CF Renzo Caruso (.178/4 RBI), LF Kuma Toyota (.200/6 RBI) and 1B Phil Wilson (.400/5 RBI)... Toscano (0-1/6.23) was the losing pitcher, charged with six runs in less than two innings... Middlefield had the edge in hits 11 to 10... the rest of the series will be played at Middlefield Park, home of the Roosters.

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series: Game 5 at Winchester Park in Oxford

BIG COMEBACK GIVES PANTHERS SERIES LEAD
Just like Taranto blew game five to Middlefield in the Ruthlandian Union, Oxford did the same thing in the Tycobbian Series... the Red Caps built up a 6-3 lead in the first five frames, then lost it when East Point shelled them for 8 runs in the 7th inning, highlighted by a two-run single by 3B Justin McRae (.170/5 RBI), a two-run error and a three-run clout by pinchhitter Jay Jay Nix (.435/8 RBI)... East Point overwhelmed Oxford 11-8 to go up three games to two in the series... both teams piled up 13 hits apiece with LF Jakie Spears heading up the Panther attack with three hits and two runs scored... CF Pokie Ash (.264) also smacked three hits... and RF Doug Dennhardt (.233/12 RBI) cracked a homer... the Red Caps put up a fight with three roundtrippers, but 5 errors hurt them... LF Ozzy Ackerman (.282/11 RBI) hit two of the home runs and batted in three runs... that was his 6th of the postseason... 2B Ethan Cuthbert (.200/5 RBI) also belted on into the stands... the Panthers can wrap up the series tomorrow afternoon at Armed Forces Park in East Point... if needed, game seven will also be there.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 1, 2052

Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series: Game 6 at the Middlefield Park in Middlefield

CASTLE AND TARS FORCE 7TH GAME
Forecast to be a nip-and-tuck thriller, the Ruthlandian League Championship Series is playing out right according to script... in game six at Middlefield Park Taranto's terrific rookie southpaw Phil Castle (4-0/1.38) was on target again with a 3-2 verdict over Pro Cup favorite Middlefield... the series is tied at three games apiece with the seventh game on tap for tomorrow afternoon in Middlefield... at stake: the Ruthlandian Union title and a spot in the Pro Cup Finals against the Tycobbian Union champion... the Roosters touched Castle for nine hits, but stranded nine baserunners... Castle hurled a complete game, struck out six batters and issued only one base on balls... the Tars could only muster six hits off losing pitcher James Long (1-2/3.48)... he also went all the way, fanned five and walked one... two of the hits were solo salvos by LF Kuma Toyota (.208/7 RBI) and C Niccolo Parisi (.326/12 RBI)... it was Toyota's 4th homer in the playoffs and the 3rd for Parisi... they both came in the 6th frame... 1B Phil Wilson (.409/6 RBI) doubled in the other run in the 4th... the Roosters got both of their runs in the last of the 6th on C Johnny McDonald's (.317/8 RBI) RBI double and pitcher James Long's (.250/1 RBI) base hit.

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series: Game 6 at Armed Forces Park in East Point

RED CAPS RIP PANTHERS, 7TH GAME TOMORROW
What a day for underdogs in game six of the IPA playoffs... Taranto whipped Pro Cup favorite Middlefield... and lightly-regarded Oxford upended powerful East Point... those surprises set the stage for a game seven finale in both leagues... Oxford poured it on the East Point Panthers 14-1, demolishing them with 18 hits... RF Wade McGrew (.333/11 RBI) and 1B Cliff Nilssen (.362) both batted in four runs for the Red Caps... and SS Mito Fujikawa (.255), LF Ozzy Ackerman (.318/13 RBI) and C Giles Gilliam (.300/10 RBI) all collected three hits apiece... not only were the Red Caps on top of their game at the plate, Lou Ellison (3-0/1.45) turned in a fine performance on the mound with a 4-hitter... he struck out six batters and walked five, while going the route... Oxford torched Panther starter Ralph Wallace (1-3/6.66) for eight runs in the first four innings... the Tycobbian league title and a spot in the IPA Pro Cup Finals is up for grabs tomorrow afternoon at Armed Forces Stadium in East Point.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 2, 2052

ROOSTERS HEAD TO PRO CUP FINALS
The Pro Cup favorite Middlefield Roosters rule the roost in Ruthlandian baseball circles... they captured the Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series and are now headed to the IPA Pro Cup Finals against the Tycobbian titleholder East Point... Taranto didn't go down quietly... it took Middlefield seven games to finish off the tough Tars... the game seven finale went to the Roosters 5-2 behind the sharp pitching of Chris Collier (4-0/1.67), who stymied the Tars on just three hits... Collier had a no-hitter for six innings... he walked no one and fanned two batters... none of the runs were earned... Middlefield went up 5-0 with four runs in the 6th... Collier (.214/2 RBI) doubled in two runs, Rupert Forbest (.273/4 RBI) hit a sac fly and SS Stan Radzikowski (.254/3 RBI) singled in the last one... Taranto got both of the its runs in the 7th on C Niccolo Parisi's (.304/13 RBI) sacrifice flyball and LF Leo Marchetti's (.400/6 RBI) run-scoring single... the defeat went to Valerio Rossi (1-3/4.03)... the Roosters rapped him for five runs in seven innings.

Middlefield manager Ricky Tinker commented to the press, "It sure is good to have Taranto behind us... they were just as tough as we expected... fortunate for us, Collier really came through for us in his two starts... our offense did well against maybe the best staff in the IPA... 6 runs a game should beat most teams."

Augie Marshall, Tars' skipper, told reporters, "It was a hard-fought series between two fine teams... we gave it our best and came up one game short... Middlefield really has a potent offense... good hitters up-and-down their lineup... averaging 6 runs a game against our pitchers speaks volumes for how good they are... we scored almost 5 runs a game and lost... we were just outgunned."

DONLEY'S HR ADVANCES PANTHERS TO PRO CUP
Miracles still happen... just ask the East Point Panthers... down 6-1 going into the last of the 5th in the seventh and deciding game of the Tycobbian title series against the lightly-regarded Oxford Red Caps, the Panthers made a great rally to triumph 7-6 and advance to the IPA Pro Cup Finals against the Middlefield Roosters, the Ruthlandian champion... 20-year-old rookie pinchhitter Skip Donley (.250/3 RBI) got the biggest hit of his career, walloping a three-run homer and making East Point the Tycobbian champion... a remarkable victory for East Point... and a heartbreaking defeat for the underdog Oxford Red Caps... the Panthers got stellar relief work from rookie Chip Dowler and Pudgy Putnam, who blanked the Red Caps over the final five frames... the win went to starter Benny Allen (2-0/3.86), but Oxford went to town on Allen for six runs in five innings... the Red Caps left 13 runners on base... leaving them loaded in the 8th inning against Dowler without a run... Oxford also missed another golden opportunity to tie the score in the top of the 9th when Allen Spears (.390) led off with a triple, but Putnam stranded him there and escaped without giving up a run... East Point got 11 hits in the game, while Oxford collected 9... starter Tekkan Nishikawa (1-2/5.51) was the loser, permitting seven runs in five innings.

"Too close for comfort", is how victorious skipper Frank Blair described the outcome at the press conference... "Nishakawa and Oxford were well on the way to a win and the Pro Cup Finals, when we snapped out of the slumber and put six runs on the scoreboard... Donley got the biggest hit of the year for us."

Oxford manager Dennis Hartwig lamented the loss, "This one really hurts to the core... up 6-1 and we lose... we outscore them 49 to 40 and we lose... one win away from the Pro Cup Finals... sorry, it will take me a little time to get over this."... Later Hartwig offered a more positive note, "Despite this, it was a super season for us... mark my words, the Red Caps will be back next year."

THE ISLANDIAN NEWS
Thursday, October 3, 2052

DREAM PRO CUP FINALS
A match made in heaven... the top-ranked Middlefield Roosters tangling with the #2-ranked East Point Panthers for IPA Pro Cup trophy, the symbol of baseball supremacy in the Islands... the Pro Cup Finals are a dream matchup this year... and it all begins this Saturday afternoon at Middlefield Park with the hometown Roosters welcoming the visiting East Point Panthers... it's the champion of the Ruthlandian Union going up against the Tycobbian Union titlewinner for all the marbles in world of professional baseball in Islandia... whoever wins the best-of-seven series will gain the much-revered and much-coveted Pro Cup.

The two powerful diamond combatants only have one Pro Cup title between them... Middlefield whipped the Denton City Redbirds in 5 games way back in 2005... since then, the Roosters have come very close twice, losing 7-game series on both occasions... the South Fork Stallions nipped them in 2025 and the Southport Sun Sox edged them in 2047... East Point has never won the IPA title, but did reach the Finals in 2033, falling to the Elnora All-Stars four games to three.

The oddsmakers have made Middlefield the favorite... both clubs have potent attacks with good hitting and good power... the difference may be in the pitching and defense... Middlefield has four quality starters and the Roosters also have the better defense, .968 FA to .965 FA.

In the first two rounds Middlefield (106-48) got by two very fine teams, #3-ranked Wynnamac (95-59) in 6 games and #6-rated Taranto (99-55) in 7 games... and they did it with great hitting... 24 home runs... just about everyone in their batting contributed in the postseason... 2B Natty Colclough batted .444 with 7 roundtrippers, 13 RBIs and 17 runs... LF Trip Agarn hit .345 with 6 homers, 16 RBIs and 13 runs... CF Johnny Wyatt walloped 3 out of the park with 12 ribbies, 9 runs scored and a .261 BA... and 3B Cramer Landis posted a .321 BA with 2 home runs, 13 RBIs and scored 10 times.

On the hill manager Ricky Tinker has gotten a sensational playoff performance from Carroll Collier... he has compiled a splendid 4-0 record with a 1.67 ERA... Hollis Dale (1-1/3.27), Larry Wheelhouse (1-1/3.09) and James Long (1-2/3.48) are also quality starters... Middlefield has a capable bullpen, too, with Norm Coventry (1-0/1.59/1 save/2 G), Ken Willis (0-0/3.60/3 G) and Yazzy Yastrzemski (0-0/2.08/2 G)... mainstay reliever Ricky Farris has not fared well in the playoffs... in two assignments he has worked a total of one inning and been tagged for two runs... Farris was outstanding in the regular season with an 8-2 mark in 42 appearances, 1.68 ERA and 7 saves.

8 East Point players were on the 2047 team that made the Pro Cup Finals... still on the roster are first string C Johnny McDonald... and backup infielder Ike Gary and backup center fielder Russell Martin.. returning pitchers are Collier, Long, Dale, Wheelhouse and Farris.

East Point's competition in the postseason wasn't quite the quality that Middlefield faced... the Panthers (96-58) got past the 4th-rated Kenwood Panthers (91-63) in 6 games and were forced to 7 games by the 8th-ranked club in the playoffs, the Oxford Red Caps (86-69)... basically the Panthers hit their way into the Pro Cup Finals... skipper Frank Blair's entire staff struggled in the postseason... and now they must face arguably the best-hitting team in the Islands... Ralph Wallace (1-3/6.66), Benny Allen (2-0/3.86), Lee Price (1-0/5.29) and Milt Easterling (0-1/2.87) will have to revert to regular-season prowess or it will be a dismal finish to the season... Blair's bullpen is pretty good with Pudgy Putnam (1-0/3.65/2 saves/6 G), Kerry Woodburn (2-1/2.70/5 G) and Chip Dowler (1-0/0.00/1 save/5 G).

Only two hitters hit much for average in the postseason: RF Jay Jay Nix (.400/2 HR/8 RBI/6 R) and LF Jakie Spears (.432/1 HR/4 RBI/5 R)... however, the most productive bats belonged to RF Doug Dennhardt (.245/3 HR/12 RBI/8 R), C Kenny Bailey (.269/2 HR/11 RBI/10 R), 2B Major Woods (.204/1 HR/9 RBI/8 R) and CF Pokie Ash (.238/2 HR/7 RBI/8 R)... the Panthers have hit 14 homers in the postseason so far.

Pro Cup Prediction: On paper, it is a dream match... but when you look at the performance in the postseason, Middlefield seems to have the upper hand with its longball power and solid rotation... give it to the Roosters in 6 games.

Wow! Two back and forth seven game series!!! If the Pro Cup Series comes up to the level of the two League Championship Series, these will go down as the greatest playoffs in the Islandian Pro Alliance history.

Could be... I'll have to research it.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 6, 2052

IPA PRO CUP SERIES: Game 1 at Middlefield Park in Middlefield

WALLACE SHACKLES ROOSTERS IN OPENER
Coming into the IPA Pro Cup Finals, it was being built as a battle between two juggernaut, high-powered offenses... pitchers weren't given much chance for survival... and then comes along Ralph Wallace (2-3/4.93)... in the opening game of the Pro Cup Series at Middlefield Park, the East Point veteran right-hander fired a 6-0 shutout, stopping the powerful Middlefield Roosters on just five singles... the game was a scoreless duel between 21-game winner Wallace and 26-game winner James Long for the first six frames, then C Kenny Bailey (.286/16 RBI) torched Long for a three-run homer in the top of the 7th to snap the tie... the Panthers really put the Roosters away with three more scores in the 8th... Bailey drove in 5 runs in the game... Long (1-3/3.55) lost it,.. he allowed three runs on five hits, while fanning five batters and walking none.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 7, 2052

IPA PRO CUP SERIES: Game 2 at Middlefield Park in Middlefield

COLLIER EVENS PRO CUP FINALS AT 1-1
In the second game of the Pro Cup Finals at Middlefield Park, the Middlefield Roosters hit the ball well, pitched well and played good defense... and the Pro Cup favorite tied the series at one game each with an 8-1 drubbing of the East Point Panthers... Chris Collier (5-0/1.52) won his 5th game of the playoffs, stopping the potent Panthers on seven hits... his Rooster teammates smacked 13 hits and were paced by 2B Rupert Forbest (.370/6 RBI), SS Stan Radzikowki (.242/5 RBI), RF Rufus Blackburn (.208/8 RBI) and CF Johnny Wyatt (.259/14 RBI) each with two runs batted in... Wyatt hit his 4th homer of the postseason and Forbest had four hits... Benny Allen (2-1/4.55) caught the loss, going six frames and giving up five runs on seven hits... East Point splits the first two games on the road and will now take on the Roosters at Armed Forces Park in the next three games... if necessary, the last two games will be in Middlefield.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 8, 2052

IPA PRO CUP SERIES: Game 3 at Armed Forces Park in East Point

ROOSTERS NAB PRO CUP LEAD
Game three of the IPA Pro Cup Finals went to favored Middlefield... the Roosters won a seesaw battle on the road at Armed Forces Stadium 9-8 in 10 innings... behind 7-4 in the 6th Middlefield fought back and took a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series... the Roosters tied it up 8-all in the top of the 7th on an RBI single by CF Johnny Wyatt (.271/17 RBI) and a sacrifice fly by SS Stan Radzikowski (.250/6 RBI)... Middlefield won it in the 10th on another sacrifice fly by 2B Rupert Forbest (.375/9 RBI)... the Roosters got fine work from their bullpen... Ken Willis blanked the Panthers for three innings and Ricky Farris held them runless in the bottom of the 10th... Willis (1-0/5.40/5 G) notched the win and Farris (0-0/4.91/1 save/4 G) got the save... Chip Dowler (1-1/0.82/7 G) was the loser... he came on in the 10th.... Middlefield was paced at the plate by Johnny Wyatt with three RBIs... his 5th postseason homer was good for a pair of scores... Forbest also batted in three runs... the top gun for East Point was 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.232/8 RBI) with a three-run homer and four RBIs... it was homer #3 in the playoffs for Cavacos... RF Doug Dennhardt (.242/14 RBI) pitched in with two runs batted in... and CF Pokie Ash (.247/7 RBI) socked three hits and scored twice for the Panthers, who outdid the Roosters 13 hits to 11... games four and five will also be played in East Point.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 9, 2052

IPA PRO CUP SERIES: Game 4 at Armed Forces Park in East Point

MIDDIES WIN GAME 4, UP 3-1 IN PRO CUP
Two of the highest-scoring clubs in the IPA were shut down in game four of the IPA Pro Cup Series... Middlefield got a fine start from 20-game winner Larry Wheelhouse, who put down East Point 4-2 and gave the Roosters a crucial victory in the best-of seven series... the Middies are now up three games to one... one more win and they claim the Holy Grail of Baseball in the Islands - the much-cherished Pro Cup Trophy... Wheelhouse (2-1/2.75) tossed eight solid innings, gave up only two runs on seven hits... he left for a pinchhitter in the 9th, so reliever Ricky Farris (0-0/3.89/2 saves/5 G) finished up for him and worked a scoreless 9th... the loser was Lee Price, a 23-game victor in the regular campaign... Price (1-1/5.25) went seven frames and was tagged for four runs and six hits... homers accounted for three of the four Rooster runs... RF Rufus Blackburn (.237/10 RBI) cracked a two-run shot in the 4th and 2B Rupert Forbest (.361/10 RBI) nailed a solo roundtripper in the seventh... LF Jakie Spears (.415/7 RBI) and SS Justus Coles (.167/1 RBI) drove in the Panther runs... Middlefield could end it all tomorrow afternoon at Armed Forces Stadium in East Point... the Roosters are seeking their second IPA Pro Cup... they won their only one in 2005 when they defeated the Denton City Redbirds in 5 games.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 10, 2052

IPA PRO CUP SERIES: Game 5 at Armed Forces Park in East Point

PANTHERS LIVE, FEND OFF ROOSTERS IN GAME 5
The East Point Panthers stayed alive in the IPA Pro Cup Series with a stirring 4-3 triumph on their own home field in game five at Armed Forces Park and narrowed the Middlefield margin to three games to two in the best-of-seven series... the Panthers snapped a 3-3 tie in the last of the 6th frame when a single by Jakie Spears (.421), walk to Kenny Bailey (.282) and a force out at second put runners on the corners... East Point got the winning run on an RBI groundout by SS Thomas Crawford (.163/2 RBI)... starter Ralph Wallace (3-3/4.54) registered the win... he hurled seven innings, allowed three runs on five hits with five walks and four Ks... Pudgy Putnam (1-0/3.52/3 saves/8 G) logged the save with two scoreless frames, pinning the loss on Rooster starter James Long (1-4/3.80)... the Panthers touched him for four runs and seven hits in seven innings... Long fanned four and walked four... Crawford and 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.234/10 RBI) had two RBIs apiece to lead the winners... LF Trip Agarn (.301/17 RBI) hit a homer for Middlefield, his 7th of the postseason and 17th RBI... game six is scheduled for this afternoon at Middlefield Park... game seven, if necessary, will also be played there.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 11, 2052

IPA PRO CUP FINAL SERIES: Game 6 at Middlefield Park in Middlefield

ROOSTERS CROWING ALL ACROSS THE ISLANDS
Lots and lots of time has past - 47 years - but finally the Middlefield Roosters cashed in on their second Pro Cup trophy... the Roosters finished off the East Point Panthers 7-5 in game six of the IPA Pro Cup Series to capture it four games to two... the Roosters did it at home at Middlefield Park, led by Carroll Collier, who won his 6th postseason game... Collier (6-0/1.46) shut down the Panthers for eight innings and went into the 9th with a 7-2 lead... he held them to four hits and one earned run, but they got to him for two roundtrippers and four unearned runs as the Roosters committed four errors... Norm Coventry (1-0/2.16/2 saves/5 G) got the last two outs to save it for Collier... Middlefield only managed five hits, but two of them were homers... CF Johnny Wyatt (.246/20 RBI) hit his 7th of the playoffs, a three-run smash, and LF Trip Agarn (.299/18 RBI) hit his 8th, a singleton... East Point's Skip Donley (.273/6 RBI) blasted a three-run job and Alvara Cavacos (.247/12 RBI) connected on a solo clout... starter Benny Allen (2-2/4.54) took the loss, allowing four runs and four hits in six frames... the last Pro Cup title came to Middlefield in 2005 when the Roosters whipped Denton City in a 5-game series.

"I know it's cliche to say it," Middlefield's skipper Rinky Tinker to the press, "but this truly was a team effort... we had solid pitching and solid hitting in the regular season and it went on into the playoffs... and finally after almost five decades, we won another Pro Cup."

East Point manager Frank Blair echoed Tinker's sentiments... "Rinky has some very reliable pitchers... mix in the long-ball power and you have a winning combination that's hard to beat... I thought we had firepower... but they outhomered us in the playoffs 31 to 16... my staff slowed them down a lot, but they still hit 7 homers to our 4 in the Finals."

The Pro Cup Series did not disappoint. And East Point definitely went out with guns a blazing.

Great end to the thrilling championship! Looking forward to next season! Good work as always Eugene!