THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, July 1, 2059

ONLY 3 CLOSE RACES IN THE IPA
We all love hot-and-heavy pennant races... living and dying on a daily basis for our beloved baseball teams... well, going into the fourth month of the current Islandian Pro Alliance campaign 6 of the divisions have fairly close races... in the Ruthlandian South Division the Valka Blackhawks (40-37) are up by a single game over runner-up St. John (39-38)... defending Pro Cup titleholder Crystal Lake is 2 games back in third place... Marston (52-45) is 5 up on Wynnamac in the RU East... Sligo (47-30) tops the RU West by 2 over the Colfax Blasters (45-32) with last year's flag winner Volusia (43-34) sticking close and trailing by 4 games... over in the Tycobbian East the Red Bluff Red Sox are being squeezed by runner-up High Mesa (42-35), only a game out of first and Tuckanarra (40-37), just 3 games behind in third... in the Tycobbian South the Ginza Ninjas (47-30) have a 4-game edge over second place Summerland (43-34) with last year's champ Southport (41-36) 6 games off the pace... Rolling Hills (44-33) has chalked up a 5-game lead over Denton City (39-38) in the Tycobbian West... two divisions are bordering on runaways... the Valmara Vipers (51-26) have vaulted to a comfortable 7-game margin over the Glasco A's (44-33) in the Ruthlandian North, while the biggest lead of all is enjoyed by the Oxford Red Caps (50-27) in the Tycobbian North... they have shot ahead of last year's division winner, Luxora (42-35) by 8 games.

VIPERS SUPER PLAY IN JUNE
High-scoring Valmara (51-26) soared ahead in the RU North with a torrid 21-5 mark in June... Glasco (44-33) went 18-8... Far Mountain (43-34) was 17-9... and LaGrange (43-34) ended up 16-10... Ancona (40-37) chalked up 15-11... Kilkenny (32-45) a poor 10-16... Taranto (31-46) was only 12-14 and Ranford was a lowly (29-48) 10-16.

Ruthlandian North Season Outlook:
Valmara looks like a shoo-in for its third straight pennant in the RU North... the Vipers' power-laden attack and solid pitching are just too much for the other teams... Look for Valmara to go far in the postseason this year...the Vipers are very well-balanced with no apparent weaknesses... Pro Cup trophy #5 could be in the club's future... Far Mountain and Glasco will fight it out for second place... LaGrange and Ancona will tussle for the fourth spot... all of the others are just second-rate second-division clubs.

SUPER TIGHT IN RU SOUTH
The race in the Ruthlandian South is super tight with 4 challengers trying their best to dethrone the IPA champion Crystal Lake Skippers... at the end of June, Valka (40-37) has the lead by just a game over St. John (39-38)... the Blackhawks were even for the month at 13-13... the Crusaders were 14-12... the Skips had an horrendous 8-20 May, but turned it up in June with a 16-10 mark, the best in the division... the Claxton Diamonds (37-40) could only put up a 10-16 and fell below .500... they were tied with Valka last month for the top spot... the rest of the division were bad, too... Grand City (37-40), Belair Beach (35-42) and Waleska (34-43) wound up only 11-15... and stuck in the RU South basement are the sad San Dimas Rancheros (29-49)... the Vaqueros could only manage 10-16 in May.

Ruthlandian South Outlook:
The teams are evenly matched in the RU South... nobody is heads-and-shoulders better... it's gonna be a genuine donnybrook with 6 teams in the mix... reigning Pro Cup titlist Crystal Lake gets the call, but will sweat it out... they will have to fend off more than St. John this year... Valka, Claxton and Belair Beach could be spoilers, along with Grand City... the Skippers can score runs and the pitching is good... they are just a little better than the rest of the contenders... the Skips should repeat as division champion... however, Pro Cup champ again may be quite a stretch... Crystal Lake doesn't seem to have the power it had last year.

MARSTON, MAY BE BEST NINE IN IPA
One of the strongest divisions in the Islandian Pro Alliance is the Ruthlandian East... 5 of the teams are over the .500 mark with the Marston Nine leading the way with the best record in the IPA at 52-25... the Nine can do it all... hitting with power, scoring runs and standout pitching... they are the class of the RU East, and perhaps, the best in the IPA... Marston came in a distant 6th last year, but certainly has set the league on fire this year... the Nine had the best division record in June at 16-10 and upped its lead over Wynnamac (47-30) to 5 games... the Macs registered a 13-13 record... the Sundowners won the pennant last year... Cold Creek (42-35) has done well early in the year, but slipped to 12-14 in June... the Catamounts were under .500 in '58 and wound up 5th... Elnora (42-35) only went 11-15 for the month, despite having a terrific attack... bad pitching is a killer... the Sugar Valley Rattlers (40-37) compiled a good 14-12 mark... Eastshore (33-44) continued its losing ways with 11-15... Belle Plaine (37-46) had an atrocious May with only 7 victories and 19 losses... and the dead last Beechwood Blues (24-53) were even worse at a hellacious 5-21.

Ruthlandian East Outlook:
Marston is the odds-on favorite in the RU East... and should be one of the prime Pro Cup contenders... the Macs, All-Stars, C'Cats and Rattlers will cat fight it out for the runner-up spot... Belle Plaine, Eastshore and Beechwood will be distant also-rans at the bottom of the barrel.

SLIGO STAFF SENSATIONAL IN RU WEST
Well, it is June, but the Sligo Rovers mound staff did not fling and sway and fade away... they are still going at a sensational pace with a near IPA record 2.50 team ERA... the Rovers may have the best overall pitching corps in IPA history... top to bottom all 11 pitchers can not only get the job done well, they can do it in style and quality... there are no bad pitchers on the team... but the Colfax Blasters and Volusia Vigilantes are still giving chase... Sligo (47-30) is only 2 games up on the Blasters (45-32) and 4 games in front of third place Volusia (43-34), last year's RU West flag winner... hurlers and homers are leading the way for the Rovers... they had a 15-11 mark in June, while surprising Colfax was ringing up a sparkling 17-9... the V's were 15-11... fourth place Forest City (39-38) broke even for the month at 13-13... fifth place Rocky Rapids (37-40) went 15-11, while Fort Benton (37-40) could only muster a 13-13 draw... followed by the Middlefield Roosters (36-41) and the cellar-dwelling Stoner Stars (35-42)... the Roosters wound up 11-15 and the Stars recorded 13-13 for the month.

Ruthlandian West Outlook:
It's going to continue to be a 3-team tussle with Sligo hauling in the division title this year, nipping out last year's winner Volusia... Colfax has the best offensive arsenal, but the Vigilantes have them beat on the slab... the Blasters will have to be satisfied with the third position in the standings... four clubs, Forest City, Rocky Rapids, Fort Benton and Stoner, will fight it out for fourth place... it appears the best Middlefield can do is last place.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, July 1, 2059

OXFORD OWNS THE TU NORTH
It's only July, but the red-hot Oxford Red Caps (50-27) already have an 8-game lead in the Tycobbian North Division... the Red Caps are running roughshod over all comers with an explosive attack second to none in the IPA... Oxford chalked up a 16-10 mark for June to increase its lead over last year's TU North champion, the Luxora Zorros (42-35)... the Z's lost ground with a 13-13 record... at 39-38 North Hills, Fairfax and Hartsdale are tied for the third spot in the division standings, 11 games behind Oxford... the Hawks had a good month at 16-10 and climbed up from 7th place... the Frogs played fairly well with a 14-12 June... but the Hellcats slipped badly to 11-15 for the last month... the lesser lights did not do well... 6th place Blue Lake (37-40) continued its downward trend with a sluggish 11-15 record... 7th place White River (35-42) was only 11-15... and poor last place Mahaska (27-50) finished the month 12-14.

Tycobbian North Outlook:
Hitting home runs and scoring runs at a record pace, Oxford is running away with the TU North... led by the dynamic duo Buddy Blackford and Showboat Lynn, the Red Caps are ripping through the league with wild abandon... it looks the pennant race is already over... no one is likely to catch them... the only race left is the battle for second place between Luxora, Fairfax, North Hills and Hartsdale... none of the bottom three clubs, Blue Lake, White River and Mahaska, are likely to finish any higher.

GINZA GRAB LEAD IN TU SOUTH
June was a good month for the first place Ginza Ninjas (47-30)... they mopped up along with Summerland (43-34) and surging Southport (41-36)... the top team in May, Cape Coral (41-36), crumbled and tumbled... so did highly-rated Turon (40-37)... Ginza grabbed the lead via a solid 16-10 run... the Ninjas are 4 games ahead at midseason... Summerland is in the runner-up spot... the Sunsets also posted a 16-10 mark... third place now belongs to defending division champ Southport after a terrific 19-7 showing last month... the Cape Coral Hurricanes dipped to fourth with a lousy 9-17... Turon fell from the 3rd spot down to 5th by going only 11-15... sixth place Colchester (39-38) went over the .500 mark with a 15-11 record in June... also-rans Arroyo Grande (36-41) and San Alejo (36-41), deadlocked for last place, had lackluster months at 12-14 and 13-13.

Tycobbian South Outlook:
There is no real standout team in the TU South... the winner will come from Ginza, Turon, Cape Coral and Summerland or last year's winner Southport... of the five, the Ginza Ninjas and the Cape Coral Hurricanes might have the best chance... Ginza's big plus is three solid and dependable starters... Cape Coral because of their high-powered offense, combined with fairly decent pitching... the other clubs have trouble putting runs on the scoreboard... Summerland's strength is also its mound corps... but the Sunsets can't score... Southport had a great month, but they have big time troubles on the hill and are just average at the plate... Turon has adequate pitching, but not much at the plate... the sixth place Colchester Elites can boom the ball, but so can the opposition... the Elites hurlers are not very elite... the bottom two teams, Arroyo Grande and San Alejo, are not all that bad... either of them could sneak up and challenge for the first division... from top to bottom only 14 games separate them from first place... the Suns can't hit a lick for average, but the short fences give them lots of longballs... the Suns also come up short on the hill... San Alejo certainly doesn't look like a last place club... the Montaneros have average hitting, average power and average pitching... the Monties could climb as high a fourth place.

RED SOX UPRISING IN TU EAST
Powerhouse Red Bluff (43-34) is back in business in the Tycobbian East Division... the Red Sox went on an 18-8 winning spree in June and took the top spot away from the High Mesa Mustangs, Tuckanarra Blue Jays and Ozarka Naturals, the division co-leaders in May... the TU East is jam-packed, tightly-tangled and bunched... from top to bottom is only 9 games... the Mustangs (42-35) stayed near the top with a 14-12 record last month... the Red Sox have a 1-game lead over them... the Tucks (40-37) slipped to third place, 3 games back, after going 12-14... the perennial power Midway Wolves (38-39) are still struggling in the fourth spot in the standings... the Middies also posted a 12-14 mark and trail by 5... the Nats (37-40) and East Point Panthers (37-40) are tied for fifth place, 6 games off the pace... Ozarka took a bad plunge in June, recording a very poor 9-17 mark... the Panthers are on the prowl and did well with 15-11... the seventh place Hillsboro Blazers got out of the TU East basement... they were 14-12 and are 8 games behind... and South Fork (34-43) sunk to the cellar with 12-14, falling 9 games out in the race.

Tycobbian East Outlook:
Red Bluff really got it going in June and is considered the prime team to take the division title this year... but High Mesa could challenge them... the Red Sox have the best pitching in the division by far... they have a solid offense, too... the Mustangs may be better at the plate, but not on the mound... Tuckanarra is not quite in the same league as Red Bluff and High Mesa... the Blue Jays lack offense... as far as Midway, the Wolves are not the same club that has won 6 of the last 7 pennants... they still bang homers, but the mound corps is mediocre... the Middies are just a fair-to-middling ball club now... no longer one of the elite IPA franchises... looking at the second division clubs, fifth place East Point appears to be the best of the lot... followed by Ozarka, South Fork and Hillsboro.

REDS UP LEAD IN TU WEST
In May, the Rolling Hills Reds (44-33) took over first place in the Tycobbian West Division... and in June, they expanded it with a 15-11 mark... the Denton City Redbirds (39-38) tailed off to 12-14 in the month and fell 5 games behind the Reds... two teams are tied for the third spot and 7 games off the lead, last year's title winner Arlon (37-40) and Bay St. Clair (37-40)... the Champs were only 12-14 last month, while the Buccaneers broke even at 13-13... the Kenwood Wildcats (36-41) suffered a bad month (10-16) and dropped to fifth place, 8 GB... they are tied with the up-and-coming Bayview Vikings (36-41)... the Viks put up the best month in the TU West at 16-10... the La Claire Lynx (34-43) didn't do well with an 11-15 record and sunk to seventh place, 10 GB... poor eighth place Chicopee (32-45) had an awful June with only 6 wins and 20 defeats.

Tycobbian West Outlook:
The prime pennant contenders are Rolling Hills, Arlon and Denton City... the Reds hit very well for average and put runs on the scoreboard, but they have questionable pitching and only average home-run power... the Champions have won the division crown 3 times in 5 years... they have solid bats and starters, but have a woeful bullpen... the DC Redbirds have a fine mound staff and pretty good firepower, but they are just average at scoring runs... give the edge to Arlon... they have won it often before and have a good chance to repeat again this season... Bay St. Clair and Kenwood are not contenders... neither are La Claire and Chicopee... but Bayview could make a move on the first division this year... they have some good young arms in their rotation and a few young sluggers... the Vikings looked impressive in June... let's see how they do in July.

Tycobbian Union Division Leaders

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, August 2, 2059

TOP IPA ROOKIE PERFORMERS
The 2059 Islandian Pro Alliance rookie class is sparse and few in numbers, but 14 have had an impact on their teams... the best bets for this season's Rookie of the Year honors are Skippy Hayes, right-hander for the Far Mountain Redhawks and right fielder Johnny Pendergrass for the Summerland Sunsets... these budding newcomers are the frontrunners for the Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year Awards.

Hayes is 11-4 for the year with a 3.33 ERA in 17 starts... the Redhawk rookie has tossed 2 shutouts and fanned 79 batters in 140 innings with 37 bases on balls... his biggest competition will come from third baseman Norbert Ruston of Eastshore, who is batting .309 with 23 doubles, 11 triples and 1 home run... Ruston has driven in 39 runs and scored 60 in 103 games... San Dimas second sacker Rodrigo Valdez has shown some good power... he is batting .275 in 89 games with 20 homers and 58 RBIs... Stoner shortstop Lyle Clanahan is hitting .266 in 101 games with 23 doubles, 2 triples, 1 homer, 31 ribbies, 54 runs and 9 stolen bases... and Claxton hurler Kurt Fritsch (10-9/4.31) has started 22 games and performed well at times.

The top freshmen performers in the Tycobbian Union are RF Johnny Pendergrass of Summerland... twice he has been named the Rookie of the Month... for the year Pendergrass is sporting a .325 BA with 15 roundtrippers, 45 RBIs, 55 runs 10 SB, while playing 103 games... another standout is East Point pitcher Vitorio Descalsco with an 11-5 mark and a strong 2.91 ERA... he has made 20 starts and posted one shutout... Rolling Hills has two newcomers... in 87 games third baseman Lloyd Bearden has hit .323 so far with 22 doubles, 2 triples, 3 home runs, 37 RBI and 40 runs... in 82 games his Reds' teammate CF Gil Arthur is carrying a .274 BA with 16 doubles, 6 triples, 6 homers, 39 RBIs, 46 runs and 14 SB... Tuckanarra second basemen Rex Heyman has done well in 99 games with a .282 BA, 19 doubles, 2 triples, 8 HR, 45 RBI, 60 R and 3 SB.

A few other rookies have contributed: White River southpaw Dink Scully (9-9/3.56) has 116 Ks in 151 innings and has hurled one shutout... lefty starter Ed Hill of Kenwood is 9-5 for the season with a pretty good 3.70 ERA... La Claire Maurice Aronson is 10-10 with a 4.26 ERA and one shutout... he has struck out 117 batters in 133 innings... and South Fork's Caine Hanlon is 8-7 with a 4.23 ERA in 19 starts.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, August 2, 2059

6 WEEKS TO GO IN THE IPA
Four months into the '59 Islandian Pro Alliance season, only a couple of the divisions are still a good horse race... the other six have teams with seemingly borderline safe leads going into the final six weeks of the season... in the Ruthlandian Union the RU South is still up-in-the-air... Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake (56-51) has a slight 2-game edge on the Valka Blackhawks (54-53)... and in the Tycobbian Union the Rolling Hills Reds (59-48) are in a tight race with the Arlon Champions (57-50), just 2 games behind.

The teams that are in somewhat of a "comfort zone" are the Sligo Rovers with a 5-game edge in the RU West and the Valmara Vipers with a 6-game lead in the RU North... the teams in the "feel good zone" are the Red Bluff Red Sox, on top of the TU East by 7 games, and the Ginza Ninjas, leading the TU South, also by 7 games... the teams in the "safe and sure" zone are the Marston Nine in the RU East with a 9-game margin and the Oxford Red Caps in the TU North with a 10-game lead... but, hey, we all know that it ain't over till it's over... that's what history and Yogi tells us.

VIPERS HAVE SOLID LEAD IN RU NORTH
So lets's take a whirlwind tour of the Islandian Pro Alliance and see what has transpired thus far in the 2059 season... in the Ruthlandian North, first place Valmara (67-40) went 16-13 in July, but lost some ground to on-coming Far Mountain Redhawks (61-46) and LaGrange (61-46).... the Redhawks and Sports are tied for second place and trail by 6 games... both had good Julys... FM was 17-12... LaGrange was better at 18-10... the Glasco Athletics were 15-14 and dipped to the fourth spot in the standings, 7 GB... those four clubs are the only ones in the pennant hunt... the bottom four in the RU North second division are just playing out the season... 5th place Ancona (52-55) posted a 12-17 mark and is 15 games back in the race... Taranto (47-60) and Kilkenny (47-60) are deadlocked in sixth place, 20 games behind... they both were 15-14 in July... and last place Ranford registered a 12-17 record and are a whopping 26 games off the pace.

Ruthlandian North Outlook:
Valmara has an awesome arsenal... .277 BA (5th)... 591 runs (1st)... 135 HR (1st)... and fine pitching to go with that potent attack... 3.36 ERA (4th)... 'nuff said... if the offense holds up, the Vipers are headed for their 3rd straight division title... and a 5th Pro Cup could be on the horizon, too... Far Mountain is almost as good... should finish second... the Redhawks have better starters... but no bullpen... 3.55 ERA (7th)... .259 BA (19th)... 493 runs (8th)... and 113 circuit clouts (5th)... LaGrange is solid, too, with good pitching (3.48 ERA/6th) and scoring (467 R/14th).. and will come in third... the Glasco A's are the fourth-best team.

SKIPS HAVE SLIGHT EDGE IN RU SOUTH, Y'ALL
It's still nip-and-tuck in the Ruthlandian South Division with 7 clubs still in the race... the defending Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake Skippers (56-51) have finally recovered from the miserable 8-20 May and moved into the top spot in the Ruthlandian South Division by 2 games over the Valka Blackhawks (54-53), 4 games up on the Claxton Diamonds (52-55) and 5 on the Belair Beach Sunbirds (51-56)... the St. John Crusaders (50-57), in 5th place are only 6 games out... the sixth place Grand City Cybercats (49-58) are 7 back and the Waleska Westerners (48-59) are seventh in the standings and trail by just 8 games... the Skippers topped them all with a good July, going 17-12... the Blackhawks slipped to 14-15... the Diamonds 15-14... the Sunbirds 15-14... the Crusaders flopped badly with an 11-18 month... the Cybercats also did poorly, winding up 12-17... with the Westerners only 13-16.

Ruthlandian South Outlook:
Only Carnack the Magnificent could figure this race out... where is a crystal ball when you need one?... and the winner and still champion is: Crystal Lake... by just a little bit, the Skippers have the best offense and the best pitching in a very evenly-matched division... Claxton will edge Valka for the runner-up spot... Belair Beach will probably come in fourth... St. John pitching has declined to the point the Crusaders are a second-division team now... the Skippers will edge the bunch of them out in a close one... they have been playing well the last two months and could pull away from the crowd in the RU South.

MARSTON IN COMMAND IN RU EAST
The Marston Nine (70-37) are having a marvelous year... with a 9-game lead heading into the final six weeks of the campaign, the Nine should rack up their first Ruthlandian East flag since 2047... they have piled up the most victories in the IPA thus far this season and will probably be the favorite to take the Holy Grail of Baseball in the Islands, the much-revered IPA Pro Cup... Marston can hit, score runs and has very impressive pitching... the Nine are batting a lofty .292 (1st), scored 542 runs (4th) and have compiled a standout 3.09 ERA (2nd)... that's why second place Cold Creek (61-46) is 9 games behind them in the pennant race... a pretty good ball club and last year's division winner, third place Wynnamac (60-47) is 10 games back... another offensive powerhouse Elnora (58-49) is 12 games out of first place... the Nine had a good month in July with a 17-12 record... Cold Creek went 18-12... Wynnamac slumped to 13-16, while Elnora was 15-14... fifth place Sugar Valley (56-51) was also 15-14... Belle Plaine (48-59), sixth in the standings, put up a 16-13 mark for the month... seventh place Eastshore (44-63) was only 11-18... and eighth and last place Beechwood (36-71) wound up 12-17.

Ruthlandian East Outlook:
No crystal ball or fortune teller needed here... Marston is hands down the best team in the division and one of the best in the IPA... give second place to the Wynnamac Sundowners... they have superior pitching to the offensive-minded Cold Creek Catamounts and the high-scoring Elnora All-Stars... the Sugar Valley Rattlers will have to settle for fifth place... they have pretty good pitching and home-run power, but have trouble scoring... the other three clubs, Belle Plaine, Eastshore and Beechwood, are destined for the bottom of the second-division in the RU East.

SLIGO SUPER SLINGERS ON TOP OF RU WEST
The Sligo (66-41) super slingers are still going strong in the Ruthlandian West Division... the Rovers' super staff led them to an 18-11 record in July and they upped their lead to 5 games over the runner-up Colfax Blasters (61-40) and 7 over last year's flag winner, the Volusia Vigilantes (59-48)... both clubs had good months with identical 16-13 marks, but they still lost ground in the pennant race... Sligo's magnificent mound staff has a microscopic 2.47 ERA (1st), by far the best in the IPA... Marston in the RU East is next best with a 3.08 ERA... 2.41 is the all-time record set by the Forest City Lumberjacks in 2048... fourth place in the RU West belongs to the Rocky Rapids Snappers (55-52), 11 GB... they were 17-12 last month... Forest City (52-55) is fifth in the standings... the Firebirds had a down month at 13-16 and are now 14 games off the pace... Stoner (51-56) is tied for sixth with Fort Benton and 15 games behind... the Stars had a good July with 16-13... Fort Benton (51-56) was 13-16... the Middlefield Roosters (46-61) are having their worst season in almost three decades... dead last, 20 GB... the Roosters were a pathetic 9-20 in July.

Ruthlandian West Outlook:
Despite a lack of hitting, Sligo has adequate scoring to compliment its magnificent mound corps... the Rovers are batting .257 with 446 runs (20th) and have hit 82 out of the park (21st)... compare that to the hard-hitting Colfax Blasters, who sport a .272 BA (6th), scored 557 runs (3rd) and hit 92 homers (15th-tied)... the difference between the two contenders: Colfax has a 4.50 team ERA (29th)... third place Volusia has pretty good pitching with a 3.56 ERA (8th), but lacks scoring and firepower... the Vigilantes have scored only 431 runs (27th) and hit only 68 home runs (28th-tied)... Sligo is the odds-on favorite to capture its first RU West flag since 2040... Colfax's high-scoring ways should give them second place... Volusia will be third... Rocky Rapids, Forest City, Stoner and Fort Benton will vie for the fourth spot in the RU West... the Middlefield Roosters will definite have to wait until next year.

RUTHLANDIAN UNION STANDINGS

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, August 2, 2059

RED CAPS ROMP IN TU NORTH
When you have high-powered firepower and decent pitching, you can do well in the Islandian Pro Alliance... Crystal Lake, the reigning Pro Cup crownholder, is proof of that... that also fits the Oxford Red Caps (69-38) to a T... the Oxies are making shambles of the Tycobbian North with a devastating attack and OK pitching... the Red Caps have ballooned to a 10-game margin over last year's division winner, the Luxora Zorros (59-48), 13 better than the Fairfax Frogs (56-51) and 15 games ahead of the fourth place North Hills Hawks (54-53)... most baseball analysts would say the race is over.

In July the Tycobbian North Division had a good month... 6 of the clubs posted winning marks... led, of course, by Oxford's 18-11 record... the Z's were 16-13... Frogs 17-12... Hawks 15-14... Blue Lake 16-13... the Hellcats and Rascals were the only losing clubs with 13-16... even the last place Haymakers were on the winning side of the ledger at 16-13.

Tycobian North Outlook:
Oxford has been terrific at the plate this season with a .284 BA (2nd), 627 runs (1st) and 173 HR (1st)... the Red Caps make it look easy with two All-Stars in the lineup: first baseman Buddy Blackford with a .338 BA, 41 HR and 86 RBI and LF Showboat Lynn batting .337 with 30 roundtrippers and 94 ribbies... and enough quality pitching to get by with Maury Statler (14-6/3.59), Meldon Eddington (15-4/3.33) and Wiley Beckford (15-5/3.73)... add in standout All-Star closer Pat McFarlane (3-3/1.40 ERA/32 saves/43 G) and you have a high-quality ball club... one that is pretty likely to win the pennant... and a team likely to be one of the favorites in the Pro Cup playoffs.

Five teams are still in the chase for second place... Luxora has the best shot at it... the Zorros have two solid starters in Wallace MacPherson (15-6/2.83) and Mack McKitrick (16-6/3.06)... but the other three starters are lousy... the offense is also good with a .262 BA, 506 runs (6th) and 113 homers (9th)... evenly-matched Fairfax, North Hills, Blue Lake and Hartsdale will fight it out for the third spot on the TU North.

KARATE KIDS ON TOP OF TU SOUTH
One of the delights of the IPA season is on top of the Tycobbian South... the karate kids in Ginza (65-42) are kickin' butts with a 7-game edge over runner-up Turon (58-49)... third place Cape Coral (57-50) and Summerland (57-50) are still hanging around, but are 8 games behind the Ninjas... a lot of people are cheering and rooting for Ginza, which has not won a pennant for 28 years... maybe Mr. Miyagi can pull off another miracle.

The Ginza Ninjas are not doing it with mirrors or martial arts, they are doing it with impressive pitching... they have three quality starters with Kurt Brophy (11-4/3.27), Yoshiro Makihara (10-8/2.62) and Franco Funicello (11-5/2.96)... plus two more reliables in Kenny Cabot (8-5/3.82) and Kodai Norimoto (7-6/3.98)... and in the bullpen All-Star closer Abram Worth (7-4/2.42 ERA/24 saves/49 G)... the team ERA is 3.42 (3rd)... the Ninjas do need help in the batter's box... they have trouble scoring runs despite a .264 BA (9th)... only 83 homers (25th) and 445 runs (23rd)... but Ginza wins ball games... the Ninjas went 17-12 in July, tied with Turon for the best record in the TU South... the Cape Coral Hurricanes did well at 16-13... the Summerland Sunsets slumped to 14-15... the Arroyo Grande Suns were 16-13... Colchester only 12-17... San Alejo 14-15... and eighth place Southport fizzled at 10-19, thus killing its chance for a second-half comeback... the Sun Sox won the TU South a year ago... but it ain't gonna happen this year... no way, Jose... no way no how.

Tycobbian South Outlook:
Ginza is sitting pretty in first place and should make the playoffs with its fine mound staff... second place Turon also has good pitching with a 3.49 ERA, but lacks offense and home-run power... the Typhoons are batting .259 (13th) with 450 runs (22nd) and only 71 HR (29th)... the Cape Coral Hurricanes will be in the battle for second place because of its robust attack... the 'Canes are thumping the ball at a .294 clip (1st), scored 575 runs (2nd) and have hit 97 balls out of the park (18th)... and they are not bad on the hill with a 3.98 ERA (17th)... Cape Coral looks like the runner-up this season... the Summerland Sunsets have the best pitching corps in the TU with a real good 3.08 ERA (1st), but they are batting a paltry .248 (29th) and only have 413 runs (31st)... it looks like fourth in the standings for Summerland... any one of the second-division clubs could wind up 5th... Arroyo Grande, Colchester, San Alejo and Southport are just about even in talent... the Tycobbian South is fairly even top to bottom... only 14 games separate Ginza from Southport.

RED SOX UP BY 7 IN TU EAST
In July the Red Bluff Red Sox (64-43) took charge of the Tycobbian East Division with a marvelous 21-8 record... they broke open a tight race and now have extended their division lead to 7 games over the High Mesa Mustangs (57-50), 8 games better than third place Tuckanarra (56-51) and 10 games over their big rival, the Midway Wolves (54-53)... the Mustangs could only muster a 14-15 mark... the Tucks 15-14... Middies 16-13... and the fifth place East Point Panthers finished the month at 14-15.... and as far as the TU East also-rans, only sixth place South Fork did well at 15-14... Ozarka was a dismal 11-18 and basement-dwelling Hillsboro had a shameful month at 8-21.

Tycobbian East Outlook:
Red Bluff is a shoo-in for the TU East division title... the club continued its fine mound work... the team ERA is 3.16 (2nd), sparked by starters Duane Sturgeon (16-6/2.02) and Wilson Sharpe (11-6/2.17)... the Red Sox also get the job done at the plate with a .258 BA (15th), 504 runs (7th) and 111 homers (10th)... slugging star RF Toni Kolkov (.279/27 HR/71 RBI), CF Paul Gaddison (.271/22 HR/69 RBI), LF Ian Driskell (.300/5 HR/40 RBI) and 1B Monty Lyons (.304/6 HR/33 RBI) are the prime run producers... High Mesa can keep up with Red Bluff offensively, but not on the hill... the Mustangs sport a .255 BA (22nd), 492 runs (8th) and 135 roundtrippers (4th), but the mound staff comes in with a 3.79 team ERA (8th)... All-Star 3B Kagetoki Miyazaki (.304/31 HR/78 RBI) and RF Billy Putman (.255/24 HR/84 RBI) are the top guns in the batting order... the pitching standouts are Weldon Harrington (7-8/2.78), Bucky Dodge (9-5/2.95) and Tuffy Hammel (7-2/3.41)... the Blue Jays have 3 good starters in Ian Timms (16-6/3.11), Ralph Ayers (8-3/2.75) and Skip Eberly (8-10/2.83)... but not much of a bullpen... weak offensively, too... no chance to catch Red Bluff... the Wolves might catch the Tucks... that's the best they can do... Midway is just a so-so ball club that hits homers, but that's about it... offense is just average with 476 runs (15th) and 149 HR (3rd)... still have two of the best players in the IPA: superstars LF Norishige Ito (.310/33 HR/75 RBI/70 R) and CF Daryl Vale (.269/33 HR/78 RBI/68 R/6 SB)... pitching is fair with a 4.03 ERA (19th)... rookie Connie Kees (10-6/3.43) and veteran Dookie Higgins (9-7/3.36) are the only quality starters... the Wolves have dropped back in the pack now due to a decline in pitching... also offense is not like it was in the Pro Cup-winning years and pennant winning years from '53 to '58.

REDS, CHAMPS, REDBIRDS... CATFIGHT IN TU WEST
And just what do we have in the Tycobbian West Division?... lo and behold, I think there is a pennant race going on... and it's a good 'un... it's a catfight between 3 teams, the first place Rolling Hills Reds (59-48), second place and defending division champ, the Arlon Champions (57-50), and the third place Denton City Redbirds (56-51)... only 3 games separate them with just 6 weeks to play in the regular season... the Reds with their explosive bats and mediocre mound corps had a slow month in July, just 15-14... the Champions played like champs with a terrific 20-9 mark and chopped down Rolling Hills lead by 5 games... the Redbirds narrowed the gap by 2 games with a 16-13 record... the Bayview Vikings (52-55), in the fourth spot in the standings, also wound up 16-13 and are 7 games off the pace... the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (51-56) struggled at 13-16... the sixth place La Claire Lynx (49-58) went 14-15... the Kenwood Wildcats (46-61) took a deep dive toward the TU West cellar with terrible 9-20 mark... the hapless last place Chicopee Braves (40-67) were even worse, going 7-22 last month.

Tycobbian West Outlook:
It should be a ding-dong dilly down the stretch... Rolling Hills has the offense to win, but doesn't seem to have the pitching... the Reds are ripping the ball at a .283 clip (3rd), score very well with 548 runs (3rd) and go deep with 98 circuit swats (16th-tied)... but on the hill it's a different story... 4.31 Team ERA (29th)... star 1B Teddy Stonich (.371/35 HR/98 RBI/92 R/3 SB) is having a sensational season... helped out by LF Jean-Luc Roubique (.280/15 HR/67 RBI/53 R), C Lee Fountain (.257/9 HR/51 RBI/36 R) and RF Larry Lamm (.282/9 HR/46 RBI/36 R/5 SB)... Rolling Hills has only two reliable starters in the rotation: Vance Dillaway (10-9/3.45) and Rob Gates (9-4/3.51)... Tommy Otis (4-1/4.11) could be a big help with a good stretch drive... he will be a key factor... bullpen is just OK... second place Arlon is sitting pretty with 4 solid starters and a good offense... the Champions will probaby repeat as TU West titlists for the 4th time in 6 seasons... the mainly over-30 staff is led by J. C. Hilburn (11-9/3.36), Ty Coffee (12-6/3.28), Dicky Towers (8-4/3.77) and Bobby Conoway (4-1/3.38)... even #5 starter Mike Winters (6-8/4.02) can get the job done... 23-year-old Conoway is the only youngster... but the bullpen is hellaciously bad with a 4.15 ERA (29th)... Arlon has a rock-solid offense with a .270 team BA (6th), 522 runs (4th) and 127 homers (6th)... the leaders are LF Jaimey Stansfield (.271/33 HR/79 R), All-Star SS Art Catlin (.309/17 HR/56 RBI), RF Zeppo Thiel (.343/7 HR/35 RBI/43 R/3 SB), 1B Rhett Harper (.304/9 HR/30 RBI/47 R/5 SB), 3B Eduardo Garaza (.290/10 HR/33 RBI/42 R), 1B Jon Cress (.327/8 HR/38 RBI/21 R) and CF Rebel Bryce (.244/16 HR/58 RBI/51 R/2 SB)... Denton City should finish well with 3 good starters in superstar Flash Stringfellow (13-6/3.24), budding star Carl Coons (11-4/2.25) and reliable veteran Rance Hasbrough (8-11/3.73)... the bullpen is in good hands with Burnell Kelley (3-2/1.89 ERA/25 saves/33 G)... the batting attack is just average with a .257 BA (18th), 473 runs (16th) and 104 HR (12th-tied)... the Redbirds will challenge both Rolling Hills and Arlon for the TU West flag... fourth place Bayview has some punch in the lineup with 1B T. D. Proudfoot (.306/30 HR/85 RBI), RF Vern Woodcock (.216/20 HR/59 RBI) and 3B Byorn Karlsen (.234/21 HR/50 RBI)... the Vikings are hitting .253 (26th) with 478 runs (12th-tied) and 128 HR (5th), but they are fair to mediocre on the mound with a 4.10 team ERA (22nd)... the Viks have two fine starters with Ivar Rasmussen (13-9/3.07) and Jules Perot (9-4/3.12)... #3 James Farnham (8-8/3.59) is capable, too... the bullpen has much improved since Harv Hays (2-3/2.95 ERA/3 saves/15 G) took over the closing role... it has been quite poor this year with a 4.37 ERA (31st)... Bay St. Clair is the best of the rest, but will probably end up in 5th place... not likely to make the first division... La Claire, Kenwood and Chicopee are obviously not very good.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
August 2, 2059

TYCOBBIAN UNION STANDINGS

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
August 2, 2059

RUTHLANDIAN UNION LEADERBOARDS (Players and Teams)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, August 2, 2059

TYCOBBIAN UNION LEADERBOARDS (Players and Teams)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, August 2, 2059

IPA TOP STARS IN JULY
The Islandian Pro Alliance announced the top stars of the month... the July winners were Jedd Blodgett and Teddy Stonich as the Batters of the Month, Bob Speed and Claude Elliot were honored as the Pitchers of the Month and Norbert Ruston and Johnny Pendergrass were chosen the Rookies of the Month.

The Ruthlandian Union Batter of the Month was Blodgett, left fielder for the Radford Bulls... he smashed 11 homers, drove in 25 runs and scored 21 runs, while batting .280 in July... overall Blodgett carries a .269 BA with 23 roundtrippers and 66 RBIs.

The Ruthlandian Pitcher of the Month went to Bob Speed of the Far Mountain Redhawks... the 22-year-old right-hander was unbeaten in 6 starts with a 6-0 record... he fanned 27 batters in 54 innings, walked only 6 and held teams to a .173 BA... overall this year Speed in 14-4 with a strong 2.47 ERA.

The Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year Norbert Ruston won it for the second straight month... the Eastshore third baseman batted .351 in July with 9 doubles and 4 triples... Ruston scored 20 runs and batted in 12... this season he is hitting .306 with 39 RBIs and 60 runs scored.

The Tycobbian Union Batter of the Month trophy went to Teddy Stonich, the hard-hitting first baseman for the Rolling Hills Reds... he is also a repeat winner... Stonich also cop the award last month... in July he had a fabulous month with a .403 BA, 13 home runs, 33 ribbies and 26 runs... Stonich tops the Tycobbian Union with a .371 BA and 98 RBIs... he is third in the IPA with 35 roundtrippers.

The Tycobbian Pitcher of the Month in July was Claude Elliot of the Fairfax Frogs... he posted an impressive 6-0 mark and a 1.90 ERA for the month... Elliot improved his season record to 11-2 with a 2.47 ERA.

The Tycobbian Rookie of the Month is really something... Johnny Pendergrass had taken the award three times this year... this month he batted .301 with 4 homers, 16 runs and 16 RBIs... for the year Pendergrass sports a .326 BA with 16 homers, 45 RBIs, 55 runs and has stolen 10 bases.

Ruthlandian Union Players of the Month

Great kit for the Frogs franchise!

Yes, I was very fortunate to have a lot of really good graphics designers do my logos, jersey and caps... they were done by many of the truly gifted people in our OOTP Community.

This happened about 3 years ago... their wonderful work has made my league really enjoyable for me... I really get immersed in it because of their talented efforts.

About 15-20 of them contributed really good logos, jerseys and caps to my IPA dynasty.

Just look at the bland uniforms and graphics from the first 10 years of this dynasty report... I thought the pages came alive with the addition of the excellent graphics created by the great gurus.

It's certainly doubled my interest in this dynasty... and it increased the number of daily views, too... doubled it, at least.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 1, 2059

7TH-INNING STRETCH FOR IPA
After 5 months of hot-and-heavy action the Islandian Pro Alliance is getting down to the nitty gritty... September is upon us... and only 3 weeks are left in the regular season... just 20 games to go to decide the Pro Cup playoff teams... the Oxford Red Caps have a huge 12-game lead in the Tycobbian North... Valmara is 6 games up in the Ruthlandian North... likewise for Marston in the Ruthlandian East... defending Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake leads the Ruthlandian South by 5 games... Sligo is the Ruthlandian West leader and 4 games in front... over in the Tycobbian Union Ginza also has a 4-game edge in the TU South... according to professional oddsmakers, those clubs will probably win the pennants... and then we have the other two races where the outcome is certainly in doubt... in the Tycobbian East the Red Bluff Red Sox totally collapsed in August... they blew a 7-game bulge and now trail the High Mesa Mustangs by 1 game... there is also a very close race in the Tycobbian West, where Rolling Hills took a dive in August and got knocked out of first by Arlon... the Champions lead the Reds by 2 games and third place Denton City by 3.

Taking a whirlwind tour around the IPA... the big story is in the Tycobbian East... going into August Red Bluff (75-59) had a seemingly safe 7-game lead and they blew it... the Red Sox slumped badly to 11-17, while High Mesa (76-58) leaped past them by 2 games with a sensational 20-8 month... third Tuckanarra (72-62) posted a 17-11 mark and is still in the pennant chase... fourth place Midway (70-64) was 16-12, but they are 6 games back and its pennant chances are remote.

Tycobbian East Outlook:
High Mesa is hot and playing very well... they will win out over Red Bluff... the Mustangs can match the Red Sox on the mound and are better with the sticks.

There is also a fight to the finish in the Tycobbian West... the Rolling Hills Reds had a 2-game lead over Arlon last month... however, the Reds slumped to a 14-14 record, while the Champs went 18-10 and third place Denton City 17-11... now Arlon is 2 games better than Reds and 3 ahead of the Redbirds... Arlon took the lead despite losing one of their veteran starters J. C. Hilburn (11-10/3.46) to injury in early August... they also lost valuable closer Mack Blair (0-1/1.17 ERA/5 saves/10 G) in May.

Tycobbian West Outlook:
Arlon gets the call... the Champs are experienced in close races and playoff competition... they also are on a roll and have been one of the best teams in the IPA the last two months with a 38-19 record... Rolling Hills and Denton City are just not quite equal to the Champions... the Reds should beat out the Redbirds for the second spot in the standings... they have better pitching.

In August, the standings didn't change much in the Ruthlandian North... the first place Valmara Vipers (82-52) maintained its 6-game lead over the Glasco Athletics (76-58) and Far Mountain Redhawks (76-58)... the V's chalked up a 15-13 mark last month, while the A's were 17-11 and the Redhawks 16-12.

Ruthlandian North Outlook:
Valmara has too much firepower for Glasco and Far Mountain... all three are talented teams... but the Vipers have that 6-game lead... 'nuff said.

The Crystal Lake Skippers (74-60) sailed to an impressive 19-9 record in August and boosted its lead in the Ruthlandian South to 5 games over the Valka Blackhawks (69-65) and 7 games over the St. John Crusaders (67-67)... last month the Blackhawks finished 15-13 and the Crusaders 17-11.

Ruthlandian South Outlook:
The Skippers have righted the Good Ship Lollipop since that atrocious 8-20 posting in the merry month of May... the defending Pro Cup champion is a solid ball club and ready to go for its second straight IPA title... Valka and St. John are not likely to overcome the Crystal Lake lead.

In the Ruthlandian East race, it's down to just two teams... Cold Creek (79-55) shaved 3 games off Marston's 9 game lead with an impressive 19-9 showing for the month... however, the Nine (85-49) had a good month with 16-12 and retained a 6-game margin going in the September... third place Wynnamac (72-62) and fourth place Elnora (70-64) slipped further back in the race... the Macs were only 12-16 and the All-Stars 13-15 and now both clubs trail by double digits.

Ruthlandian East Outlook:
Statistically, teams with a 6-game bulge going into the last 20 games of the year win the pennant 95% of the time... I like that number... also like the Marston Nine, one of the best clubs in the IPA this year and one of the favorites to win the Pro Cup... Cold Creek has come a long way this year and is on the rise, but the Catamounts are not likely to overcome that big Marston lead.

The Sligo Rovers (76-58) are still on top of the Ruthlandian West by 4 games over the Colfax Blasters (72-62)... last year's division winner Volusia (71-63) is running 5 games behind... none of them played well in August... the Rovers and Blasters were only 11-17... the Vigilantes 12-16.

Ruthlandian West Outlook:
Superior pitching can win a lot of ball games... Sligo has a standout staff... the Rovers are headed for the postseason playoffs for the first time since 2040... they should hold off Colfax and Volusia.

It's no contest in the Tycobbian North where Oxford (86-48) has totally dominated this year... the Red Caps rolled to an 18-10 mark in August and are 12 games in front of the runner-up Fairfax Frogs (74-60)... the Frogs also stood out with 18-10... last year's TU North flag winner Luxora (68-66) really fell to the wayside with only 10 wins and 18 losses... The Zorros are now 18 games off the pace and tied for third with Blue Lake (68-66).

Tycobbian North Outlook:
I'll go out on a limb and make a daring prediction: Oxford will win the TU North... you would probably agree with me.

Things have tightened up in the Tycobbian South Division... the Ginza Ninjas went into August with a healthy 7-game edge over second place Turon (75-59), but the Typhoons narrowed it to just 4 games with a strong 18-10 record... the Ninjas were 15-13... Summerland (73-61) and Cape Coral (72-62) still have slight chances of taking the pennant, but are 6 and 7 games out respectively... the Sunsets compiled a 16-12 mark last month, while the Hurricanes came in at 15-13.

Tycobbian South Outlook:
Don't you hope the Karate Kids hold off the Turon Typhoons... this may be right down to the wire... but I think Mr. Miyagi will come through for us... Ginza still looks like the better ball club... Summerland and Cape Coral have too many shortcomings and too much ground to make up... the Sunsets can't hit... and the 'Canes can't pitch a lick... neither will catch the Ninjas.

Rutlandian Union Standings (September 1st)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 1, 2059

ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE PLAYER AND TEAM LEADERBOARDS
Ruthlandian Union (top image)
Tycobbian Union (bottom image)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 1, 2059

BEST OF THE MONTH STARS HONORED
Another month has come and gone in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the league has honored the standout stars for the month of August... the Batters of the Month were Franco Briganti of the Ancona Red Elephants and Kagetoki Miyazaki of the High Mesa Mustangs... taking the Pitcher of the Month trophies were Jonathan Burnett of the Glasco Athletics and Jeff Moncriffe of the Southport Sun Sox... and Jeff Cress of the Ranford Bulls and Johnny Pendergrass of the Summerland Sunsets bagged the Rookie of the Month Awards... Pendergrass had won it four times this season.

RU Batter of the Month:
Ancona left fielder Franco Briganti used and abused Ruthlandian pitchers to the tune of a .363 BA with 37 hits, 10 homers, 17 RBIs and 21 runs... for the season in 124 games he is batting .330 with 24 home runs and 81 runs driven in.

TU Batter of the Month:
High Mesa third sacker Kagetoki Miyazaki hit .321 in August with 15 roundtrippers, 31 RBIs and scored 25 runs... in 129 Miyazaki has 45 roundtrippers, 108 RBIs and a .308 batting average.

RU Pitcher of the Month:
Glasco right-hander Jonathan Burnett went 5-1 in 6 starts and a superb 1.80 ERA for the month and improved his season mark to 15-5 with a 3.00 ERA... Burnett is a 4-year IPA veteran with an overall 56-42 record and a solid 3.49 ERA.

TU Pitcher of the Month:
Southport southpaw Jeff Moncriffe earned the spotlight with a 5-0 record and a brilliant 0.75 ERA during August... upping his season stats to 11-7 with a 3.28 ERA... the 23-year-old is in his second season with the Sun Sox.

RU Rookie of the Month:
Ranford right fielder Jeff Cress put up a fine month of stats with a .433 BA, 1 home run, 7 RBIs and 10 runs scored... he went 26 for 60 during this stretch... in 80 games this season the Bulls' newcomer has batted .336 with 4 homers, 29 RBIs and scored 40 runs.

TU Rookie of the Month:
No surprise here... for the 4th time in 5 months the best Tycobbian freshman is Johnny Pendergrass, Summerland's sensational right fielder... in August he batted .316 with 7 HRs, 18 RBIs and tallied 16 runs... Pendergrass has had an excellent rookie season with a .324 mark at the plate, 23 HRs, 63 ribbies, 71 runs and 14 stolen bases, while playing in 114 games.

Ruthlandian Union Top Performers in August

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 15, 2059

CRUNCH TIME IN THE IPA
It's time to put up or shut up in the Islandian Pro Alliance... it's a crucial time for all the pennant-winning wannabes... it's the final week of the season... the way teams play this week will make or break the season... it's crunch time for the current Pro Cup holder Crystal Lake and four other challengers, Valka, Denton City, Rolling Hills and Arlon... the 2059 season is on the line... only 7 games are left to play.

6 teams have probably locked up the division titles: Valmara has a 7-game lead in the Ruthlandian North... Marston is also up by 7 in the Ruthlandian East... Sligo by 4 in the RU West... in the Tycobbian North, Oxford is ahead by a whopping 12 games... High Mesa has ballooned to a 6-game margin in the Tycobbian East... and the Karate Kids, the Ginza Ninjas... YEAH! YEAH! YEAH!... are in front by 5 games in the Tycobbian South... my thanks to the Beatles and Mr. Miyagi.

But we also have several intensive duels around the IPA... Crystal Lake is tied with the Valka Blackhawks in the Ruthlandian South... so are Denton City and Rolling Hills in the tightly-tangled Tycobbian West... with last year's division winner Luxora just barely hanging on in the race, 3 games behind the Redbirds and the Reds.

The Crystal Lake Skippers are on the rocks in the RU South... they are staggering with a 6-7 September record... the fast-closing Valka Blackhawks are swooping in wins like crazy... the Skippers are going to have to play like Pro Cup champions to stave off the high-flying Blackhawks... Valka is a standout 11-2 this month... over in the Tycobbian West the Denton City Redbirds are on a tear, too, piling up an 11-2 mark... Rolling Hills is right there with them at 10-3... last year's TU West champ Arlon has swooned in September, going 5-8 so far... they dropped from first place to third place, 3 GB with only 7 to go.

Hey, the cokes are in the icebox and popcorn's on the table... my thanks to swingin' Sammy Cooke for that phrase... let's all party hearty this week watching crunch time in the Islandian Pro Alliance, my favorite dynasty report. :D

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 16, 2059

DOWN-THE-STRETCH IN THE IPA

SKIPS AND REDS TAKE OVER TOP SPOTS
September crunch time in the IPA has brought out the best in the Crystal Lake Skippers and the Rolling Hills Reds... in the Ruthlandian South race, the Skips (81-67) whipped Rocky Rapids 5-2 to take first place away from the Valka Blackhawks (80-68)... and in head-to-head play in the Tycobbian West, the Reds (84-64) shut out rival Denton City (83-65) 4-0 to go up by one game.

Crystal Lake slammed three homers to topple the Snappers... Jim Clary, Mel Brouwer and Gib Conlon all went deep in the 4-run eighth inning to break open the game... Robin Norborne (15-12/3.78) nailed down the crucial victory, working 7 strong innings and allowing 2 runs... Yuri Kirchoff (5-4/1.93 ERA/51 G) finished up with 2 scoreless frames and picked up his 28th save.

On the road in Grand City, Valka ran into too much pitching by Steve Shirley (3-3/3.20), who stopped them on one run and three hits in his 7 innings to smack the Blackhawks 6-1 and knocked them out of a tie with Crystal Lake for the top spot in the RU South... only 6 games are left in the regular season... Oxford and Marston are the only teams to clinch a spot in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs.

On the road at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City, Rolling Hills salvaged the third game of the critical series with the hometown Redbirds and took a one-game lead in the TU West pennant race... it was all Rob Gates (15-5/3.58)... not only did he blanked the Redbirds 4-0 on just two hits, the big 6-5 right-hander also slammed a two-run homer out of the park... Denton City won the opener 2-1, but dropped the last two, 1-0 and 4-0.

In other IPA action, four of the division leaders were victorious... two of them lost, but didn't lose any ground to their challengers... Ginza fell to Fairfax 9-8 in 10 innings and Valmara lost to Wynnamac 6-4... in the TU South, the Ninjas (91-57) are still up by 5 games over Turon (86-62), who were beaten by the East Point Panthers 5-3 in 10 innings... the Valmara Vipers (90-58) have a 6-game lead over second place Far Mountain (84-64) in the RU North... division winner Marston (94-54) defeated Ancona 4-1 and has an 8-game edge over runner-up Cold Creek (86-62) in the RU East... Sligo (85-63) bested Middlefield 9-8 in 10 innings and is still 4 games up on second place Colfax (81-67) in the RU West... the High Mesa Mustangs belted South Fork 8-1 and is 6 games ahead of Red Bluff in the TU East race... and runaway winner Oxford defeated Cape Coral 8-6 in 10 innings... the Red Caps have a huge 12-game margin in the TU North.

Let's go Ginza! Im proud of my Karate Kids :friday:

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 17, 2059

DOWN-THE-STRETCH IN THE IPA

VIPERS AND MUSTANGS WIN DIVISION FLAGS
Yesterday two more clubs were added to the Islandian Pro Alliance postseason playoffs... the Valmara Vipers and High Mesa Mustangs joined division champions Oxford and Marston in the Pro Cup playoffs... Valmara nipped Rocky Rapids 6-5 to wrap up the Ruthlandian North title and High Mesa walloped Mahaska 9-5 to clinch the Tycobbian East... four divisions in the IPA are still up for grabs with less than a week to go in the regular season.

In the closest race going in the IPA, the Rolling Hills Reds (85-64) stayed one game ahead of the Denton City Redbirds (84-65) in the Tycobbian West... the Reds polished off Hartsdale 5-1, using four pitchers to claim the win... little-used Donald Saner (1-3/6.50) got the win, but struggled in his 5 innings with 3 walks and 6 hits... Teddy Stonich (.368) led them at bat with a double, triple and 2 RBIs... the Redbirds got a 10-strikeout performance from Robert Currie (9-6/3.78) in a 4-3 triumph over the Kenwood Wildcats... and closer Burnell Kelley got his 38th save of the season.

In the hotly-contested Ruthlandian South, Crystal Lake (82-67) extended its lead over the Valka Blackhawks (80-69) to 2 games with a 7-6 decision over the Marston Nine... Mel Brouwer (.308) led the Skippers attack with four hits, 2 homers and 3 RBIs... he has 33 roundtrippers and 104 RBIs... a 6-run fifth saved the day for Crystal Lake as they rallied from a 4-0 deficit... the Blackhawks lost a close one 5-4 to the Sligo Rovers with Clark Harrington (13-10/3.39) suffering the loss... he tossed 8 innings and was rapped for 5 runs... the Rovers won despite issuing 11 bases on balls... Sligo (86-63) is the leader in the RU West with a 4-game margin over second place Colfax (82-67)... at home, the Blasters turned back Sugar Valley 4-2 yesterday with a solid performance by winning pitcher Thom Harlin (7-7/4.15).

In one of the undecided races, the Karate Kids, the Ginza Ninjas (92-57), continued to roll in the Tycobbian South with a 5-2 victory over Blue Lake... it was their 8th triumph in 9 games... portsider Kenny Cabot (11-8/4.22) chalked up the win by holding the Blue Sox to just 2 runs in 8 innings... the Ninjas bashed out 15 hits in the triumph, sparked by Gerry Glidden (.272) with 4 hits and Tamotsu Saikawa with 3... Ginza is still 5 games up on second place Turon with only 5 games left on the schedule... a Ninja win or a Typhoon loss will give the regular-season division flag to Ginza, their first since 2031... yesterday the Typhoons bombed Red Bluff 10-3 to keep pace with Ginza.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 18, 2059

SLIGO, GINZA CINCHES PLAYOFF SPOTS
6 down, 2 more to go... the Sligo Rovers and the Ginza Ninjas became the 5th and 6th teams to make the Pro Cup playoffs... Sligo nudged past the Valka Blackhawks 3-2 with Mickey Walsh (17-7/1.88) winning his 250th game in his Islandian Pro Alliance career... he shut down the Blackhawks on 7 hits in a route-going performance... Dallas Patton cracked a two-run two-bagger in the top of the 7th to send Valka down to a heartbreaking defeat... the Blackhawks are now 3 games back of Crystal Lake in the Ruthlandian South race with only 4 games left on the schedule... Valka has lost three straight games.

And it's all over in the Tycobbian South, too, where Ginza beat Blue Lake 6-1 behind the impressive pitching of Yoshiro Makihara (16-11/2.64), who went the distance, holding the Blue Sox to 5 hits... Kentaro Koga and Kuzuki Tamura sparked the Ninjas' 11-hit attack with solo homers... this is the first division title in 28 years for Ginza... the Ninjas haven't made the postseason since 2031... Ginza finished the season with a flourish... 9 victories in the last 10 games.

Crystal Lake (83-67) added another game to its lead over Valka (80-70) in the Ruthlandian South Division... the Skippers pulled out a ninth-inning victory 8-7 over the tough Marston Nine, winning on a sac fly by Speedy McCormick... it was their fifth win in a row.

In the seesaw battle in the Tycobbian West, it's all tied up again... Denton City (85-65) drubbed Kenwood 5-1, while Rolling Hills (85-65) was routed by Hartsdale 11-6... Carl Coons helped the Redbirds get back into a first-place tie with his 20th victory of the season... he tossed six solid innings, allowed only one run and five hits... Pee Wee Crenshaw (.268) homered and drove in a pair of runs for the Redbirds... the Hellcats really put it on the Reds, slamming five pitchers for 14 hits, led by Walt Ivy with four hits and 3 RBIs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 19, 2059

SKIPPERS WIN RU SOUTH, WILL THEY REPEAT?
It wasn't easy, but the reigning Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake Skippers won the Ruthlandian South and will get the chance to win its second straight Pro Cup trophy... the Skips nipped Marston 1-0 with the only run in the game coming in on an Alex Mundy (.329) double in the second frame... Jed Hartwick outhurled Billy Rogen in a masterful duel... Hartwick (17-8/2.92) captured his 8th straight victory with a 4-hitter... Rogen (9-11/3.43) was just about as stingy and only gave up 4 hits and one run... Crystal Lake's (84-67) win and the Valka (80-71) loss gave the Skippers the RU South division title.

Valka dropped their fourth consecutive game... they blew a 6-0 lead to the Sligo Rovers and lost 7-6 in 10 innings... Paddy Dunham (.270) doubled in the winning run... the Rovers pounded out 18 hits, led by Artie Hartwell (.267) with four hits, including a home run and 3 singles.

7 of the 8 slots for the IPA Pro Cup playoffs have now been decided... only the Tycobbian West has to determine its champion... Denton City (86-65) is now in the lead by one game over Rolling Hills (85-66)... the Redbirds chalked up their third successive victory, whipping Kenwood 5-2 behind the fine pitching of Flash Stringfellow (19-8/3.03)... the Wildcats only managed 2 runs and 6 hits off of him in his 7 innings... Stringfellow was backed up by home runs by Vincent McCloud (.307) and Val Anniston (.286).

Rolling Hills bit the dust at home and slipped back to second place... the Reds were edged out 7-6 in 11 innings by the Hartsdale Hellcats... Walt Ivy (.275) doubled in the winning run for the Hellcats... and Al Wakefield (.250) rapped a 3-run homer... Ivy and Cooter Eldridge (.279) both has 3 hits in the ballgame.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 20, 2059

DOWN-THE-STRETCH IN THE IPA

REDBIRDS CLING TO 1-GAME LEAD IN TU WEST
Wins are a precious commodity in the Tycobbian West catfight between Denton City (87-65) and Rolling Hills (86-66)… nobody can afford to lose... both clubs racked up victories yesterday... with only 2 games to go, the Redbirds have a 1-game lead over the runner-up Reds... this is the only division in the IPA that hasn't been decided... the clubs are playing for a spot in the Pro Cup playoffs.

Denton City posted its 4th straight win, overpowering La Claire 8-3 with 4 roundtrippers at Douglas Denton Field... Winky Biggio (.281), Ozzy Crenshaw (.343), Josh Karnes (.284) and Vincent McCloud (.309) all went deep against the Lynx, who were outhomered 4 to 3 in the game... the Redbirds got a good effort from Rance Hasbrough (15-13/3.39), who went all the way... he gave up 11 hits, but only 3 runs... all of them on home runs.

The Rolling Hills Reds are sticking right with the Redbirds... they got solid mound work from three pitchers... starter Rob Gates (16-5/3.48) got credit for his 7th consecutive victory... he was touched for 7 hits in 5 innings, but gave up only one unearned run... Donny Joe Nelson and Donald Saner saved it for him with 4 scoreless frames... Jean-Luc Roubique (.298) and Teddy Stonich (.367) supplied the runs with homers... it was Roubique's 21st and Stonich's 48th.

Denton City will close out the season at home against La Claire (72-80), while Rolling Hills will be on the road against the Chicopee Braves (59-93)... just two games are left on the regular season schedule... that why wins are so precious.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 21, 2059

DOWN-THE-STRETCH IN THE IPA

TU WEST UNDECIDED, 1 GAME TO GO
Yesterday the Denton City Redbirds (87-66) missed a golden opportunity to capture the Tycobbian West Division title... a victory over the last place La Claire Lynx (73-80) would have sent them to the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... instead they lost 3-1 to the Lynx and gave second place Rolling Hills (86-67) another day of life.. the Reds also misfired, getting whipped by the last place Chicopee Braves (60-93).

La Claire's young portsider Tommy Trantham (11-8/3.04) stopped the Redbirds on just one run and 5 hits... he shut them out until the 9th and beat them 3-1, putting stop to Denton City's 4-game winning string... Robert Currie (9-7/3.75) took the crucial loss, yielding 3 runs on seven hits in 8 innings of work... Pat Delaney (.239) paced the Lynx with a 2-run roundtripper.

Rolling Hills started of like a ball of fire, rolling up a 4-0 lead after 3 and a half frames, but couldn't hold it... Chicopee bounced back with two homers and 5 runs in the bottom half of the inning to go up 5-4... they added 2 insurance runs in the 8th and then held off the Reds' rally in the 9th... Kohana Chaska (.259) belted a 2-run shot in the 4th and Frank Luckett (.237) added a 3-run swat, both off the Reds' ace Vance Dillaway (15-12/3.28)... Rolling Hills piled up 19 hits off 3 Braves pitchers, but stranded 14 baserunners... Teddy Stonich (.369) led them with 3 hits and 2 RBIs, including his 49th homer of the season... the Reds have lost 3 of their last 4 games.

Denton City will try to wrap up a spot in the postseason this afternoon at home at Douglas Denton Field... 20-game winner Carl Coons (20-5/2.11) gets the crucial starting assignment... La Claire will counter with its top pitcher Hank Raborn (15-11/2.74)... Rolling Hills only chance is for the Redbirds to lose... if that happens, the Redbirds could force a single-game playoff with a victory over Chicopee... left-hander Tommy Otis (10-3/4.02) will try to keep the Reds alive... the Braves will send Johnny Brown (8-14/4.42) to the hill... the game will be played at Brewster Street Park in Chicopee.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 22, 2059

DOWN-THE-STRETCH IN THE IPA

REDS WIN, REDBIRDS LOSE, FORCE PLAYOFF IN TU WEST
Thanks to the hapless La Claire Lynx, the Rolling Hills Reds are alive and kicking in the Tycobbian West pennant race... on the final day of the regular season, the Lynx defeated Denton City 6-1 and spoiled their chance to cop the division flag and a spot in the IPA postseason playoffs... Rolling Hills sneaked by the Chicopee Braves 3-1 and forced a single-game playoff this afternoon.

30-year-old veteran southpaw Tommy Otis (11-3/3.85) was right on target... he kept Rolling Hills in the hunt for the TU West title, halting Chicopee 3-1 on the road to tie Denton City for the top spot in the division... Otis went the distance, giving up just 6 hits... trailing 1-0, the Reds put runs on the board in the fourth, fifth and seventh frames... Jameson Mulbert (.299) and Gil Arthur (.268) drove in runs for the Reds... Braves starter Johnny Brown (8-15/4.33) also tossed a complete game in defeat.

All Denton City needed was a victory yesterday, but they couldn't deliver... La Claire battered 20-game winner Carl Coons (20-6/2.23) for 5 runs in 8 innings and forced the Redbirds into a do-or-die playoff this afternoon... Hank Raborn (16-11) recorded the victory, working the first 6 frames and only giving up one run... he departed for a pinchhitter with a 3-1 lead... Lanny Phipps and Tim Halliburton blanked the Redbirds the last 3 innings to seal the verdict... Wilmer Burgess (.306) and Pat Delaney (.243) both had 2 hits and 2 ribbies to lead the Lynx.

Denton City will host the single-game playoff... visiting Rolling Hills will have Rob Gates (16-5/3.48) on the hill, facing the Redbirds #1 starter Flash Stringfellow (19-8/3.03)... the two clubs have split 6 games this season... the winner will win the TU West Divison and claim a spot in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 22, 2059

Click on Box Score to Enlarge it

I apologize for not acknowledging your post.so late.. I just saw it today, when I going back to see what the Pro Cup predictions were last year.

Thank you for your very nice comment.

Much appreciate it.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 24, 2059

PRO CUP PLAYOFFS COMMENCE THURSDAY
This is that magical time of the baseball season where 8 towns around the Islands abound with abundant asperations, hopes and dreams... their beloved hometown team has a chance to make history and be the best in the land... optimism is rampant at this wonderful time of the year... the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs will begin tomorrow afternoon at four venues around the Islands... in the Ruthlandian Union, the Valmara Vipers (94-60) will play host to the reigning Pro Cup holder, the Crystal Lake Skippers (85-69), who are back for a chance to repeat as champion... and the Sligo Rovers (88-66) will travel to Marston (95-59) in first-round action... in the Tycobbian Union, it will be Oxford (97-57) at home against the Ginza Ninjas (96-58) and Denton City (88-77) on the road in High Mesa.

There are a lot of new faces this year in the postseason... only two clubs were in it last year... champ Crystal Lake and Valmara... only two teams have made it in the last decade... Oxford and Denton City were in the playoffs in '57... High Mesa last appeared in '48, Marston in '47, Sligo in '41 and Ginza, way back in '31.

This year's lineup of teams is very well-balanced... this year's Pro Cup is truly up for grabs... anybody can win... Oxford, the team with the best offense has the worst pitching... Sligo, the club with the best pitching has the worst offense... last year Crystal Lake captured the Pro Cup with its potent offense and average pitching... can Oxford do it this year?... going by the numbers Marston looks to be the top team... excellent offense and solid pitching, but possesses a lackluster defense... High Mesa could be in the mix, too, with its good bats, good arms and good defenders... along with Valmara with its explosive offense, pretty fair pitching and average defense... can defending champion Crystal Lake pull off another surprise with its home-run power, solid pitching and good defense?


2059 IPA Pro Cup Predictions:

1. Marston Nine: .286 BA (1st), 118 HR (21st), 755 runs (5th), starters 3.18 ERA (2nd), bullpen 3.08 ERA (6th), .273 FA

2. Valmara Vipers: .273 BA (5th), 192 HR (1st), 823 runs (1st), starters 3.46 ERA (6th), bullpen 3.19 ERA (9th), .976 FA

3. High Mesa Mustangs: .258 BA (17th), 195 HR (4th), 714 runs (7th), 3.37 ERA (2nd), 3.03 ERA (9th), .978 FA

4. Oxford Red Caps: .275 BA (4th), 244 HR (1st), 871 R (1st), starters 393 ERA (18th), bullpen 4.00 ERA (26th), .975 FA

5. Crystal Lake Skippers: .272 BA (6th), 138 HR (11th), starters 3.59 ERA (9th), bullpen 2.44 ERA (3rd), .978 FA

6. Denton City Redbirds: .259 BA (15th), 161 HR (10th), 692 runs (12th), starters 3.56 ERA (7th), bullpen 2.39 ERA (2nd), .976 FA

7. Sligo Rovers: .253 BA (27th), 126 HR (17th), 602 runs (27th), starters 2.71 ERA (1st), bullpen 3.09 ERA (7th), .978 FA

8. Ginza Ninjas: .270 BA (7th), 123 HR (23rd), 698 runs (11th), starters 3.52 ERA (5th), bullpen 3.87 ERA (23rd), .979 FA

Hey, show your knowledge of OOTP baseball.

Impress us with your Pro Cup predictions.

Who do you think will win the Ruthandian Union title? Valmara, Crystal Lake, Marston or Sligo?

Who will take the Tycobbian Union crown: Oxford, Ginza, High Mesa or Denton City?

And most of all, who will win the Islandian Pro Alliance much-coveted and much-cherished Pro Cup trophy?

Look at the team stats and make your predictions.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 24, 2059

PRO CUP PLAYOFFS COMMENCE THURSDAY
This is that magical time of the baseball season where 8 towns around the Islands abound with abundant asperations, hopes and dreams... their beloved hometown team has a chance to make history and be the best in the land... optimism is rampant at this wonderful time of the year... the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs will begin tomorrow afternoon at four venues around the Islands... in the Ruthlandian Union, the Valmara Vipers (94-60) will play host to the reigning Pro Cup holder, the Crystal Lake Skippers (85-69), who are back for a chance to repeat as champion... and the Sligo Rovers (88-66) will travel to Marston (95-59) in first-round action... in the Tycobbian Union, it will be Oxford (97-57) at home against the Ginza Ninjas (96-58) and Denton City (88-77) on the road in High Mesa.

There are a lot of new faces this year in the postseason... only two clubs were in it last year... champ Crystal Lake and Valmara... only two teams have made it in the last decade... Oxford and Denton City were in the playoffs in '57... High Mesa last appeared in '48, Marston in '47, Sligo in '41 and Ginza, way back in '31.

This year's lineup of teams is very well-balanced... this year's Pro Cup is truly up for grabs... anybody can win... the team with the best offense has the worst pitching... the club with the best pitching has the worst offense... last year Crystal Lake captured the Pro Cup with its potent offense... can Oxford do it this year?... going by the numbers Marston looks to be the top team... excellent offense and solid pitching, but possesses a lackluster defense... High Mesa could be in the mix, too, with its good bats, good arms and good defenders... along with Valmara with its explosive offense, pretty fair pitching and average defense... can defending champion Crystal Lake pull off another surprise with its home-run power, solid pitching and good defense?

Only 5 of this year's Pro Cup participants have ever won the IPA championship... Valmara leads with 4 (2026, 2043, 2049, 2050)… Crystal Lake has captured 3 titles (2020, 2022, 2058)… and Sligo (2021), High Mesa (2002) and Oxford (2007) have garnered one apiece... the Vipers are tied with Turon and North Hills for the most in IPA history with 4 apiece... followed by Tuckanarra, Middlefield, Waleska, Southport, Rolling Hills, Far Mountain and Crystal Lake, all with 3 Pro Cups... overall in Islandian Pro Alliance history, the Tycobbian Union leads the Ruthlandian Union with 30 Pro Cups... the RU has claimed it 28 times.

2059 IPA Pro Cup Predictions:

1. Marston Nine: .286 BA (1st), 118 HR (21st), 755 runs (5th), starters 3.18 ERA (2nd), bullpen 3.08 ERA (6th), .273 FA

2. Valmara Vipers: .273 BA (5th), 192 HR (1st), 823 runs (1st), starters 3.46 ERA (6th), bullpen 3.19 ERA (9th), .976 FA

3. High Mesa Mustangs: .258 BA (17th), 195 HR (4th), 714 runs (7th), 3.37 ERA (2nd), 3.03 ERA (9th), .978 FA

4. Oxford Red Caps: .275 BA (4th), 244 HR (1st), 871 R (1st), starters 393 ERA (18th), bullpen 4.00 ERA (26th), .975 FA

5. Crystal Lake Skippers: .272 BA (6th), 138 HR (11th), starters 3.59 ERA (9th), bullpen 2.44 ERA (3rd), .978 FA

6. Denton City Redbirds: .259 BA (15th), 161 HR (10th), 692 runs (12th), starters 3.56 ERA (7th), bullpen 2.39 ERA (2nd), .976 FA

7. Sligo Rovers: .253 BA (27th), 126 HR (17th), 602 runs (27th), starters 2.71 ERA (1st), bullpen 3.09 ERA (7th), .978 FA

8. Ginza Ninjas: .270 BA (7th), 123 HR (23rd), 698 runs (11th), starters 3.52 ERA (5th), bullpen 3.87 ERA (23rd), .979 FA

1. Marston Nine Team Lineups and Pitching Rotation

Thanks to Txranger for the wonderful Marston logo... note the #9 on the batter's jersey... an amazing work!

2. Valmara Vipers Team Lineup and Pitching Rotation

Thanks to cephasjames for the Vipers logo.

3. High Mesa Team Lineup and Pitching Rotation

EC did the logo... with much help from cephasjames great logo thread and justafan's great logo software.

4. Oxford Team Lineup and Pitching Rotation

Thanks to knuckler for the fine logo.

5. Crystal Lake Team Lineup and Pitching Rotation

Thanks to the knuckler for the excellent logo.

6. Denton City Team Lineup and Pitching Rotation

EC did the logo with the great help of cephasjames 5000 logos and justafan's great software.

7. Sligo Team Lineup and Pitching Rotation

Thanks to knuckler for his very special logo... notice the shield with the baseball glove and bat... plus the dog on top of the shield... brilliantly done!

8. Ginza Team Lineup and Pitching Rotation

EC did the logo with the help of cephasjames 5000 logos and Japanese font from an unknown nice person.

Just notice a serious flaw in the IPA graphics... I'm seeing red!

Too much red.:D

If you need more info to make your Pro Cup pick, let me know what else you need.

Hope you will make a prediction.

This thread needs more interaction, me thinks.

My choice to win the Pro Cup this year is the Marston Nine... they seem to be loaded.

Actually, in past seasons, I have seen lowly-rated clubs regularly win the Pro Cup.

The last two years, '57 and '58, showed that a very good-hitting club with less-than-average pitching could win the Pro Cup... the Red Bluff Red Sox did it in '57 and the Crystal Lake Skippers in '58.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 25, 2059

PRO CUP PLAYOFFS BEGIN ALL ACROSS THE ISLANDS
Opening day games went to Valmara, Sligo, High Mesa and Ginza in the IPA Division Championship Series... the Vipers defeated Crystal Lake, the reigning Pro Cup holder, 4-1 at War Memorial Stadium... on the road the Rovers clipped Marston, this year's favorite, 9-8 in 11 innings... at home High Mesa topped Denton City 8-4 and visiting Ginza polished off high-powered Oxford 7-1... each series is best-of-seven in each round.

Click on Line Score to Enlarge

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 25, 2059

ROVERS RALLY PAST NINE IN 11TH
In an up-and-down affair at Legends Field in Marston, Sligo rallied past the Nine 9-8 in 11 innings... Gerald Porterfield and Dallas Patton teamed up to topple powerful Marston in the first game of the RU Division Championship Series... in the decisive inning Porterfield singled and then came around to score on Patton's three-bagger... reliever Denver Brickman (1-0) notched the victory with 2 scoreless innings... Buddy Wilkes (0-1) took the loss... Patton went 4 for 7 in the game and drove in 4 runs... Porterfield scored 3 times and had 3 hits... Sligo outhit Marston 12-10.

The Rovers jumped out 5-0 in the first 2 innings, but then fell behind 8-5 after 8 innings... they rallied against Marston's superb closer Robert Tringle for 3 runs in the top of the ninth and forced extra innings.

Click on Line Score to Enlarge

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 25, 2059

MIYAZAKI MAUL REDBIRDS IN TYCOBBIAN DCS OPENER
50-HR man Kagetoki Miyazaki took up where he left off in the regular season and bashed 2 more in the first game of the Tycobbian Division Championship Series at Queen Ranch Stadium in High Mesa... the Mustangs mauled the Redbirds 8-4 with Billy Putnam also hammering a 2-run swat and Tracy McGriff cracking 3 hits and driving in a pair of runs... starter Weldon Herringdon got the win, working 6 innings, allowing 8 hits, but just 2 runs... Herringdon departed with a 4-2 lead, which High Mesa stretched to 8-2 by the eighth... 20-game winner Carl Coons took the loss, permitting 4 runs in his 5 innings... Herringdon rang up a 15-10 mark during the year.

Click on LIne Score to Enlarge

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 25, 2059

KARATE KIDS CLUB RED CAPS IN GAME ONE
The darlings of the Islandian Pro Alliance this year were the Ginza Ninjas... the Karate Kids charmed the Islands with a magical season and they started off the playoffs in style with a 7-2 thumping of the powerful Oxford Red Caps... a 6-run first inning did the trick, highlighted by Hideki Nakano's grand slammer... Akio Ikeda also went deep with a two-run blast in the opening frame... 17-game winner Kurt Brophy shut down the heavy-hitting Red Caps on just 2 runs and six hits... he went the distance in cruise control... Brophy bested 19-game winner Meldon Eddington, who was slammed for 7 runs in less than 4 innings.

Click Line Score to Enlarge

I think you already knew that my choice to win the pro cup are my ninjas... I just hope they can pull off a few upsets on the way there. I think they're definitely a weaker team out of the 8 in the playoffs but anything can happen

Looking closely at the Ninjas, they have four fine starters and an excellent closer... and it seems most of the lineup hit fairly well and drives in runs.

I have seen teams like this win in the past.

Maybe, Mr. Miyagi can produce a Pro Cup Miracle for the Karate Kids and their fans.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 27, 2059

VIPS, ROVERS, MUSTANGS UP 2-0
Three clubs have jumped started to a 2-0 lead in the IPA playoffs... yesterday afternoon Valmara bested Crystal Lake 5-3, Sligo slipped past Marston 3-2 and High Mesa shut out Denton City, while favored Oxford has split the first two with the upstart Ginza Ninjas.

2059 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 2

Click on the Line Score to Enlarge

2059 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 2

Click on Line Score to Enlarge