The Islandian Times
Sunday, June 22, 2025

IPA All-Stars Picked
It's All-Star Game time -- time for the superstars to shine! Every year the Islandian Pro Alliance takes a break in the schedule to play the annual All-Star Game. It's a battle of the superstars -- the Ruthlandian Union All-Stars versus the Tycobbian Union All-Stars. For the second straight year the All-Star Classic will be held at Tuckanarra's Central Park Stadium, home of the IPA champion Blue Jays, this Wednesday afternoon. Tycobbian has a decided edge in the All-Star competition, winning the last four games in a row and 18 of the 24 games so far.

There are 18 first-timers on the Ruthlandian Stars and 15 on the Tycobbian Stars with only 3 rookies. The RU Stars will have freshmen Kyle Hunt and Lloyd Kelly and the TU Stars will have Don Pascioni. Nicky Engstrom is back for his 12th All-Star appearance for Tycobbian and Paul Shelton is making his 7th game for Ruthlandia. Other repeaters are Crash Davis (10th), Bucky O'Brian (10th), Andy Pearson (10th), all for the TU Stars. Tycobbia also has Danny Redd (6th), Marty Blake (6th), Clell Renshaw (4th), Jim Schubert (4th), Sal Jordan (3rd), Tommy Shore (3rd), Dennis Hartwig (3rd), Rusty Vizcarra (2nd), Koora Nawajuk (2nd), Rusty Graves (2nd) and Rob Gigler (2nd).

The RU Stars with multiple All-Star appearances are Russ Woodward (6th), Les Patterson (6th), Todd Nasso (5th), Duncan Welch (4th), Donnie Lewis (4th), Pete Gibbs (3rd), Eddie Darby (3rd), Shannon White (2nd), Rob Buckley (2nd), Kees Draeger (2nd) and Jan Kessinger (2nd).

Ruthlandian All-Stars
SP Lucien Vachon (ELN) (8-6 1.69)
SP Duncan Welch (CL) (10-6 1.79)
SP Jaden Bungarooba (BB) (8-4 1.94)
SP Billy Chapel (STO) (10-4 2.23)
SP Karl Franz (FM) (10-1 2.25)
SP Les Patterson (SLI) (10-6 2.56)
SP Shannon White (SD) (9-4 2.27)
SP Jakob Wagner (FM) (8-3 2.29)
CL Chris Phillips (VLM) (4-2/2.03/14 saves)
CL Joel Shepard (STO) (2-1/1.38/18 saves)
C Kyle Hunt (RAN) (.350 BA/5 HR/36 RBI/32 R) (.994 FA/5 PB/36.4% RTO)
C Rob Buckley (MDF) (.351 BA/9 HR/23 RBI/33 R) (.987 FA/5 PB/31.0% RTO)
C Pete Gibbs (VLM) (.226 BA/6 HR/20 RBI/20 R) (.997 FA/0 PB/38.1% RTO)
1B Lloyd Kelly (SD) (.421 BA/4 HR/23 RBI/23 R)
1B Kees Draeger (BB) (.356 BA/16 HR/44 RBI/44 R)
1B Denny Zaffino (TAR) (.330 BA/17 HR/51 RBI/44 R)
2B George Varsh (MAR) (.329 BA/5 HR/40 RBI/31 R)
2B Paul Shelton (RR) (.306 BA/11 HR/39 RBI/36 R)
3B Eddie Darby (GLS) (.361 BA/5 HR/43 RBI/36 R)
3B Todd Nasso (ANC) (.275 BA/13 HR/48 RBI/46 R)
3B Tyler Verret (BP) (.292 BA/12 HR/36 RBI/44 R)
SS Jan Kessinger (SV) (.348 BA/4 HR/29 RBI/45 R)
SS Olari Ojastu (VLK) (.305 BA/10 HR/31 RBI/41 R)
LF Nickie Tomasiewicz (TAR) (.332 BA/10 HR/42 RBI/49 R)
LF Lil Hoss Burkhalter (WYN) (.300 BA/12 HR/44 RBI/38 R)
CF Ray Ford (SD) (.347 BA/8 HR/37 RBI/37 R)
CF Russ Woodward (MAR) (.270 BA/11 HR/43 RBI/41 R)
RF Donnie Lewis (ANC) (.327 BA/5 HR/36 RBI/51 R)
RF Nick Baldini (GC) (.357 BA/5 HR/34 RBI/36 R)
RF Leon Bourque (BP) (.315 BA/8 HR/32 RBI/43 R)

Tycobbian All-Stars
SP Greg Moss (BSC) (12-3 1.67)
SP Ben Garvik (HIL) (10-4 2.05)
SP Sal Jordan (RH) (11-4 2.18)
SP Nicky Engstrom (TUR) (10-2 2.22)
SP Sammy Kafelnikov (MAH) (9-5 2.23)
SP Daniel Ferguson (GIN) (12-4 2.31)
SP Don Pascioni (SPT) (8-4 2.24)
SP Kevin Meeks (FFX) (9-4 2.10)
CL Ronnie Galus (SPT) (6-0/0.00/9 saves)
CL Gregg Hughes (HIL) (3-2/0.68/14 saves)
C Crash Davis (GIN) (.353 BA/6 HR/30 RBI/37 R) (.995 FA/2 PB/31.6% RTO)
C Bucky O'Brian (MAH) (.347 BA/8 HR/38 RBI/36 R) (.993 FA/1 PB/42.9% RTO)
C Jim Schubert (RB) (.275 BA/5 HR/27 RBI/33 R) (.995 FA/2 PB/44.1% RTO)
1B Johnny Scott (HAR) (.359 BA/14 HR/48 RBI/53 R)
1B Rusty Vizcarra (AG) (.297 BA/15 HR/59 RBI/46 R)
1B Marty Blake (WR) (.339 BA/9 HR/40 RBI/40 R)
2B Julio Canseco (LUX) (.323 BA/0 HR/22 RBI/30 R)
2B Tommy Shore (BAY) (.290 BA/5 HR/32 RBI/23 R)
3B Koora Nawajuk (TUC) (.350 BA/16 HR/48 RBI/52 R)
3B Rusty Graves (MDW) (.322 BA/9 HR/37 RBI/39 R)
3B Ryan Hicks (ARL) (.301 BA/9 HR/32 RBI/44 R)
SS Rob Gigler (MDW) (.303 BA/13 HR/41 RBI/51 R)
SS Andy Pearson (AG) (.350 BA/9 HR/31 RBI/45 R)
LF Dennis Hartwig (OXF) (.367 BA/12 HR/49 RBI/51 R)
LF Pat Webb (RH) (.326 BA/9 HR/65 RBI/36 R)
CF Carlos Quintana (ARL) (.290 BA/17 HR/43 RBI/48 R)
CF Clell Renshaw (SUM) (.299 BA/8 HR/43 RBI/39 R)
RF Don Smithers (BSC) (.362 BA/10 HR/41 RBI/40 R)
RF Tommy O'Hara (HIL) (.315 BA/17 HR/40 RBI/46 R)
RF Danny Redd (TUC) (.332 BA/3 HR/24 RBI/47 R)

It might be interesting to edit your 5th post in this thread with a brief history update of each team.

That was the original group of teams.
I wish I had stayed at 32 teams... actually I wish had only 16 teams.
I expanded to 64 and really created a monster league to report on and administer.

What would you like in the history update on the teams?
I'll see what I can do.

Thanks for your comment.

I'm getting ready to select All-Decade Teams from the first two decades and also induct players in the Hall of Fame. I will probably do an All-Time IPA Team, too.

If anyone else is interested in a history update, let me know what you want me to cover and I'll give it a try.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian North Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian North Mid-Season Recap

Far Mountain, Ancona, Ranford Challenge Champs Valmara
It's a four-ring circus so far at the halfway point in the Ruthlandian North with the Far Mountain Redhawks on top by 2 games over second-place Ancona and 6 in front of Ranford. Defending division champs Valmara and Taranto are tied for the fourth spot in the standing, 7 games out. The Ranford Bulls are the big surprise. Last year they were cellar-dwellers, but not this year. The Redhawks, Vipers and Red Elephants were expected to be among the leaders this season.

It's another year of the pitchers in the IPA. Far Mountain (44-29) has an elite mound corps with the likes of starters All-Star Karl Franz (10-1 2.25), All-Star Jakob Wagner (8-3 2.29) and Jeff Cooper (8-6 2.27) and closer Hans Becker (1-4 2.45) with 15 saves.

The Ancona Red Elephants (42-31) are the top team in the RU with a .274 BA and in scoring, but are a little worse than average on the mound with a 3.67 ERA (21st)... All-Star RF Donnie Lewis (.327 BA/5 HR/36 RBI/51 R), 1B Alekos Kotas (.321 BA/11 HR/49 RBI/39 R) and All-Star 3B Todd Nasso (.275 BA/13 HR/48 RBI/46 R) topped the offense... rookie right-hander Hal Holmes (5-1 2.22) heads up the starting rotation... Kenny Nikas (2-1 1.45) is strong in the closer role with 10 saves.

Ranford (38-35) is led by a good staff with starters Angelo Coppolo (9-4 3.13), Sam Hart (9-6 3.11) and Jimmy Travis (7-6 2.24)... the Bulls hit better than the other contenders, paced by 2B Ed Ford (.356 BA/7 HR/26 RBI/25 R), rookie All-Star C Kyle Hunt (.350 BA/5 HR/36 RBI/32 R) and rookie 1B Elton Graff (.310 BA/5 HR/26 RBI/36 R)... Ranford is the best fielding club in the RU with a standout .979 FA.

Valmara (37-36), the flag winner the past two seasons, is suffering badly at the plate, but still has starters Clem Carmouche (7-4 2.52), Billy Ray (8-6 2.77) and Johnny Vasylenko (8-6 3.02) on the hill, along with a standout closer in All-Star Chris Phillips (4-2 2.03) with 14 saves.

The Taranto Tars (37-36), deadlocked with the Vipers, trailing by 6 games... the Tars are right on the heels of Ancona offensively with a .273 BA (2nd) and is number two in scoring runs... but Taranto ranks near the bottom with a 4.12 ERA (28th)... Tommaso Lazzorda's top bats are All-Star LF Nickie Tomasiewicz (.332 BA/10 HR/42 RBI/49 R) and All-Star 1B Denny Zaffino (.330 BA/17 HR/51 RBI/44 R)... Alfredo Barsotti (10-5 3.78) is the top hurler.

The Kilkenny Cats (34-39), which had a great season last year, winning 91 games, have tumbled to sixth this year because of a drop-off in pitching... last year Golden Arm and MVP winner Dave Whitaker (8-8 2.67) has slumped a bit this season... only rookie Kyle Ferguson (7-5 3.22) has been effective among the other starters... the Cats are 10 games off the pace at mid-year.

The LaGrange Sports (32-41) haven't had a winning season since 2014 and are in seventh place again this year, 12 games behind... the Sports have only one solid player in Gabe Thomas, who is 9-7 with a 3.06 ERA.

Last place Glasco (25-48) is just about last in everything... the Athletics are already 19 games out in the pennant race and they have only one outstanding player... All-Star 3B Eddie Darby is having a great season so far with a .361 BA, 5 HR, 43 RBI and 36 runs... Darby is second in the RU to San Dimas' first-year phenom All-Star 1B Lloyd Kelly, who had the best batting average in the IPA with a fantastic .413 mark.

RU North Outlook:
This may be the year of the Redhawks... Far Mountain may have what it takes to upend Valmara this season... manager Alex Groveland had four solid starters, while Jet Kazmarek only has three... neither club hits well... Ranford and skipper Rick Fargnoli may be in for the long haul with four capable starters and some heavy bats... the Ancona Red Elephants have the hitters, but suffer on the mound... Far Mountain will win a close battle with Valmara, with Ranford not far behind... Ancona will have to settle for fourth.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian South Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian South Mid-Season Recap

Waleska Leads RU South, Sunbirds And Crushers 2 Games Out
Last year's division champ Waleska may have a battle on its hands this year from Crystal Lake and Belair Beach. The Westerners are just 2 games up at mid-season over the Crushers and Sunbirds. San Dimas is fourth, but 6 games back. No one else will challenge this season.

Manager McGraw Johnson has a well-rounded club with excellent pitching and solid bats. Waleska (41-32) is fourth with a standout 2.90 team ERA and seventh in hitting with a .260 BA... the Westerners are better-than-average with the gloves with a .976 FA (4th-tied)... Johnson has two very capable starters in Chet McNeil (10-6 2.97) and Doug Watts (10-3 3.19)... Sammy Grimaldi (8-9 2.98) and Pete Herrmann (7-9 2.96) complete the starting four... Waleska is ever better in the bullpen, which is headed up by Jarred Laclair (2-0 1.86), who has chalked up 11 saves... the Westerner bullpen is fifth in the league with a 2.11 ERA... LF Loco Dillinger (.325 BA/14 HR/42 RBI/35 R), 1B Glenn Childress (.320 BA/8 HR/34 RBI/42 R) and Roy Hobbs (.284 BA/7 HR/42 RBI/42 R) are the top hitters.

Marty Pedroza has his Belair Beach Sunbirds (39-34) tied for second, mainly due to good pitching, led by his son Jaime Pedroza (7-6 2.70) and Jaden Boogarooba (9-5 2.07)... great relief corps, too, with a 2.26 ERA (6th)... closer Kirsten Lydecker (4-4 1.17) has posted 11 saves... the Sunbirds are weak at the plate... All-Star 1B Kees Draeger (.357 BA/16 HR/47 RBI/48 R) and LF Ray Pelligrini (.282 BA/10 HR/39 RBI) provide most of the run production.

For the last nine seasons Herman "Baby" George has had the Crystal Lake Crushers (39-34) near the top of the heap in the RU South, winning 3 pennants with fine pitching... the Crushers are still talented on the hill with a 3.12 team ERA (8th), but lousy in the batter's box with a .238 BA (29th) and only 30 homers (32nd)... Duncan Welch (10-7 2.05) is still going strong at age 31 and made the All-Stars again this year for the fourth time in his career... Dennis Taylor (9-7 2.88) is also quite a pitcher, too... bullpen ace Keith Hunter (2-3 1.03) has been splendid with 18 saves, second-best in the IPA, topped only by Joel Sheppard of Stoner with 19... CF Herm Taylor (.300 BA/2 HR/40 RBI/32 R) is the only decent bat in George's line-up... defensively Crystal Lake does well with a .975 FA (7th-tied)... league average is .972 FA.

The San Dimas Rancheros (35-38) are in fourth place, 6 games behind, but playing below .500 baseball... manager Ron Armstrong has solid starting pitching, but is pitiful when it comes to relievers... the starters have a 3.08 team ERA (4th), but the bullpen is at 4.55 (31st)... the Rancheros are next-to-last in scoring and 22nd in batting with a poor .244 BA... All-Star Shannon White (9-4 2.31) and Keir Wells (10-5 2.67) gives Armstrong two quality starters, along with Rod Bailey (7-10 3.34)... closer Matt Stevens (2-4 1.71) has notched 14 saves... two All-Stars 1B Lloyd Kelly and CF Ray Ford are the only threats in the batting order... rookie phenom Kelly has hit an astounding .413 so far with 5 homers and 26 RBIs, while Ford is batting .340 with 9 home runs, 40 RBIs and 44 runs.

The fifth place Grand City Cybercats (31-42) have finished in the first division for the last 7 seasons, but that may change this year because of a downturn on the mound... they are 10 games off the pace of Waleska... skipper Wade Joslin's club is 31st with a very poor 4.32 teams ERA... but the Cybercats have a good offense with a .263 BA (5th) and are ranked fifth in scoring runs... All-Star RF Nick Baldini (.351 BA/6 HR/41 RBI/42 R) and LF Ricky Rich (.349 BA/4 HR/39 RBI/42 R) sparked the offense... Clint Brewer (6-4 3.91) is the only adequate starter... all the rest have sky-high 4.50 or higher ERAs... Herb Watson (1-0) looks like a blossoming closer with 4 saves and a 0.98 ERA... Grand City does well on defense with a .978 FA, second-best in the RU... Ranford of the RU North is the best with a .979 fielding percentage.

St. John (30-43) and Valka are tied for the sixth spot in the RU South standings and trail by 11 games... the Crusaders best hurler is Wayne Matthews (7-7 3.68) and CF Joey Daigrepont (.304 BA/7 HR/35 RBI/35 R) and SS Vinny Teicher (.283 BA/7 HR/35 RBI/35 R) are the best run producers.

The Valka Blackhawks (30-43) seem to be headed for a fifth consecutive year in the second division... Richie Jost (8-6 3.02) and Adam Aru (9-9 3.52) are the top starters... All-Star SS Olari Ojastu (.287 BA/10 HR/32 RBi/46 R) and C Don Pontros (.329 BA/4 HR/36 RBI/32 R) are manager Andrei Kokk's top hitters.

The Old Perfesser Stacy Engel and his Claxton Diamonds (26-47) are in last place and 15 games out and going nowhere for the sixth successive season... Max Jung (9-8 2.86) is a fine young pitcher at age 22, but has little help on the hill and at the plate... vet LF George McKay (.295 BA/11 HR/32 RBI/41 R) is the Diamonds best performer offensively, but does get help from vet CF K. C. Moerdijk, who has 16 homers, 46 RBIs and 49 runs, but is batting only .229 for average.

RU South Outlook:
The Waleska Westerners are looking strong in the RU South with a good all-around team, good in all aspects... four fine starters give manager McGraw Johnson a big advantage over most clubs, combined with a good offense, makes them hard to beat... Crystal Lake will end up a distant second... the Crushers don't have the bats or enough starting pitching to beat the Westerners... San Dimas might pass Belair Beach for third place... the Rancheros have four capable starters... all they need is for the bats to catch fire... the Sunbirds should hang on to fourth place... rounding out the rest of the also-rans, it will be Grand City fifth... the Cybercats pitching is just atrocious, not likely to move up, but should hold on to fifth... St. John will be sixth, Valka seventh and Claxton eighth.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian East Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian East Mid-Season Recap

5-Team Tussle In RU East, BP Muskies On Top
Belle Plaine has been on the rise in the Ruthlandian East for the last couple of years. This could be the year they make it to the top after a 15-year postseason drought. But it will be quite a task. The Musketeers will have to contend with four other teams that have similar thoughts. At the halfway point Belle Plaine has a 2-game edge over the Marston Nine, 4 over last season's flag winner Sugar Valley, 5 games in front of Beechwood and 7 better than Wynnamac.

The Belle Plaine Musketeers (46-27) are on pace for the best season in the club's history... they have had only 5 winning seasons... but this year manager Dave Torregrossa has a solid club with good hitting and pitching... the Muskies sport a .266 BA (4th), score well (4th) and boast a pretty mound corps with a 3.36 team ERA (13th)... top pitchers are Mitch Graves (10-4 3.68), Rick Lafleur (9-5 3.20), Lucien Record (10-5 4.03) and Johnny Davenport (6-7 3.07)... Belle Plaine has some talented relievers with an overall 2.45 ERA (8th)... Torregrossa's line-up card is stacked with quite a few capable hitters: All-Star RF Leon Bourque (.295 BA/9 HR/34 RBI/46 R), All-Star 3B Tyler Verret (.286 BA/12 HR/39 RBI/47 R) and SS Slick Hammill (.282 BA/4 HR/43 RBI/39 R).

Johnny Walters and his Marston Nine (44-29) are poised to move it up a notch from last year's second place finish... despite losing 24-winner Ronald Schmitt (2-0 2.34) for the season in April after 5 starts, Walters still has a super-duper staff from starters to finishers... the Nine has a remarkable 2.76 team ERA (2nd), headed up by the best bullpen in the RU with a 1.40 ERA (1st)... in addition his offense takes care of business, too... Marston is batting .253 (11th) and is 8th in scoring, paced by All-Star 2B George Varsh (.315 BA/6 HR/45 RBI/35 R), All-Star CF Russ Woodward (.277 BA/13 HR/47 RBI/47 R) and SS Danny Church (.288 BA/3 HR/30 RBI/50 R)... on the hill Walters has four dependable starters: Wayne Taylor (9-7 3.13), Anson Thomas (9-8 3.17), Warren Tate (9-9 3.17) and Ron Vincent (5-5 3.57)... his closer is Alex Ehrlich (2-0 0.90), who had posted 11 saves since taking over the role.

Third place Sugar Valley (42-31), last year's Pro Cup runner-up to Tuckanarra, is still a potent ball club and a force to contend with... Gibby Bobkins' Rattlers have plenty of punch in the batting order with a .266 BA (3rd), 65 homers (3rd) and is also third in scoring runs... All-Star SS Jan Kessinger (.363 BA/4 HR/31 RBI/50 R) leads the way with good backup from 1B Dean Woods (.305 BA/16 HR/60 RBI/39 R) and 3B Conan O'Flaherty (.295 BA/4 HR/30 RBI/33 R)... Woods leads the RU with 60 RBIs and Kessinger is the number two hitter with a .363 average... Sugar Valley's pitching has slipped some from last season, but is still good enough to compete... Benny McConnell (9-5 2.73) is the ace of the staff and Dallas Casey (2-3) is still a capable closer with 15 saves and a 2.28 ERA.

The fourth-place Beechwood Bobcats (41-32) are on an 11-year run in the first division and within 5 games of first this season... skipper Bret George only has a fair staff, fair hitting and a lousy bullpen... the Bobcat bats are hitting only .248 (16th), but are 10th in scoring because they go deep occasionally with 65 home runs (3rd)... the overall team ERA is 3.60 (19th), but is a terrible 4.34 (29th) in the bullpen... what is getting them by is three solid starters: Ken DeGraw (10-4 2.61), Frank Mullins (10-7 3.10) and Marty Panko (9-6 3.83)... top offensive performers are 1B Eric Townsend (.295 BA/9 HR/38 RBI/34 R), CF Vic Valenti (.252 BA/11 HR/38 RBI/45 R) and 3B Skipper Smith (.296 BA/4 HR/24 RBI/41 R).

Matt Donnelly's Wynnamac Sundowners (39-34) are in fifth place in the RU East and trail first place Belle Plaine by 7 games... the Sundowners are similar to Beechwood with three very fine starters: Lon Marshall (12-6 2.85), Jerry Meeks (10-6 2.62) and Jimmy Nichols (7-4 2.65)... but Donnelly has bullpen problems with a 4.22 ERA... Wynnamac is only an average team offensively with a .249 BA (15th), 19th in scoring and 17th in homers with 51... Donnelly's best batters are All-Star LF Lil Hoss Burkhalter (.296 BA/12 HR/47 RBI/40 R), 1B Pete Simmons (.318 BA/2 HR/39 RBI/34 R), 3B Liam Cadbury (.296 BA/7 HR/27 RBI/57 R) and RF Tommy Lambright (.290 BA/10 HR/40 RBI/28 R).

It's been a long time since the downtrodden Cold Creek Catamounts (36-37) have won a pennant, made the playoffs or made any noise in the RU East... they won the division in 2007 and 2012 and have made the playoffs only three times in the team's history... manager Trip Holmes got them started like a ball of fire this season... the Catamounts surprised even themselves with a great April, even leading the league with a 15-8 record, but they soon came back to reality and sixth place at the All-Star break, 10 games back... two rookies gave them the spark they needed... 1B Steve Daniels (.313 BA/8 HR/39 RBI/44 R) and C Damon Klein (.303 BA/4 HR/39 RBI/25 R) have made fine debuts in the IPA... LF Carl Glick (.286 BA/10 HR/36 RBI/49 R) has also been a dependable bat for Holmes... Mike Butler (9-8 3.25) and Jon Howard (8-9 3.49) are Cold Creek's most effective pitchers.

One-time power Eastshore (35-38) with championships four years in succession 2016-2019 and two Pro Cups, no longer has the horses to compete... this season the Elegants are next-to-last in seventh place and 11 games out... Only starter Melvin Key (8-6 2.84) and closer Milt Campbell (2-3 1.71) remain from the title seasons... manager Killer Brewster had run out of talent in Eastshore.

The last-place Elnora All-Stars (34-39) came out of nowhere and shined for one year in 2023 with a stunning 98-56 mark, but then returned to sudden oblivion and the bottom rungs of the division for the last two seasons... manager Sam Malone still has most of the players from the title year, but they are not producing like they did that season... two of his starters Mario Colon and Hal Wilkerson have really fallen on hard times... Colon went from 25-11 to 15-16 last year and to 3-12 this year with an atrocious 7.45 ERA... Wilkerson went from 16-14 in 2023 to 4-17 last year... this season Wilkerson (1-0 1.17) went down to injury in his first start and will miss the season... there are some notable exceptions like starters Lucien Vashon (8-8 1.79), who made the RU All-Star squad, and Will Hamilton (8-5 2.60), both of whom have pitched well the last two years... 1B Benny Cortazzo (.291 BA/11 HR/45 RBI/36 R) is Elnora's only decent hitter.

RU East Outlook:
The fans in the RU East can look forward to a great second half with at least four clubs fighting down-to-the-wire in a tightly-bunched pennant chase... give the edge to experience: Sugar Valley will win in the end, edging out Marston... third place will go to Belle Plaine... the Muskies don't have the pitching to stay in the hunt the whole season... and Wynnamac will take the fourth spot... the Sundowners bullpen will kill them... Beechwood will slip to fifth place... Elnora will escape the cellar and climb to sixth because of its good pitching... Cold Creek will end up seventh and Eastshore is doomed to the cellar.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian West Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Ruthlandian West Mid-Season Recap

Rovers, Roosters, Stars Top RU West
Three teams are hotly-contesting in the Ruthlandian West at the All-Star break. The Sligo Rovers have a very slight one-game lead over runners-up Middlefield and Stoner at the season's mid-point. The Volusia Vigilantes are fourth and trail by 6 games.

The Sligo Rovers (43-30) recently went on tear and took over the top spot with 9 wins in 10 games... Eddie Keys relies on two fine starters to get the job done... All-Star Les Patterson (11-7 2.50) and Sam Tate (9-5 2.56) are veterans and as good as you'll find in the league... in his 9 years Patterson is 167-109 and a 6-time All-Star... Tate in 10 years is 153-102... young Milt Flanagan (0-2) has stepped into the closer position and done extremely well with a 1.11 ERA and 14 saves... however, Keys' club struggles at the plate, hitting only .240 (28th) with 38 home runs (29th)... LF Biff Blauer (.292 BA/6 HR/33 RBI/46 R) is the only credible bat.

Defending champ Middlefield (42-31) took a big hit when they lost superstar 1B Allan Stewart for the season... Stewart, a 4-time All-Star and Golden Bat winner, suffered a skull fracture in June and will be out a year... Stewart was batting .282 with 11 homers and 34 RBIs at the time of the injury... manager Bailey Norcross depends on starters Danny Denver (13-4 3.07) and Frank Dean (8-7 3.47), a strong closer Waylon Hillman (4-4 1.85) with 14 saves and the longball... the Roosters rule the RU with 82 homers, second-best in the IPA to High Mesa's 93... All-Star C Rod Buckley leads the line-up with a .359 BA and 10 homers... LF Floyd McClellan is batting only .258, but has 47 RBIs and 10 roundtrippers... Middlefield's other quality players have been subpar so far this year and will need to pick it up in the second half to make up for the loss of Stewart and win a third straight division flag.

Benny Stern's Stoner Stars (42-31) are great on the mound, but mediocre at the plate... they are the best in the IPA with a splendid 2.68 ERA... Stern's starters are strong and his bullpen, too... All-Star Billy Chapel (12-4 2.28) is the ace with help from vet Tommy Tuckman (8-5 3.42), vet Charley Norton (8-9 3.02) and rookie Raul Hidalgo (8-9 2.46)... All-Star closer Joel Shepard (2-2) leads the relievers with 19 saves and a superb 1.32 ERA... 1B Fletch Fowler (.330 BA/10 HR/48 RBI) is Stoner's only real threat in the batter's box.

Fourth-place Volusia (37-36) is the only other team in the RU West with a winning record... the Vigilantes are 6 games back of Sligo... the V's are only an ordinary ballclub with a .244 team BA (21st) and a 3.82 ERA (26th)... Sixto Moreno (7-6 2.97) is a solid starter... so is Duane Jenkins (8-9 2.63)... leading the offense are CF Joe DeLucca (.284 BA/6 HR/38 RBI), LF Marty Hollenbeck (.278 BA/7 HR/39 RBI) and SS Vince Wilson (.309 BA/4 HR/18 RBI/31 R).

The Rocky Rapids Snappers (35-38), guided by skipper Ryan Noland, are 8 games off the pace in fifth place in the RU West... Noland's pluses are veteran starter Don Chaney (6-8 2.69) and 20-year-old Walter Noland (10-6 2.94), one of four Noland brothers on the team... the Snappers are just an average team that has trouble scoring runs... they are ranked 29th in scoring despite a .255 BA (9th)... All-Star Paul Shelton (.293 BA/12 HR/46 RBI/38 R), a Golden Bat winner and 7-time All-Star, is the club's offensive leader... 1B Angelo Nardone (.287 BA/5 HR/39 RBI), CF Tiger Noland (.311 BA/2 HR/26 RBI) and SS Tommy Noland (.293 BA/5 HR/21 RBI) also contribute... Rocky Rapids has no power, only 41 homers (28th).

The sixth spot in the standings is held by the Forest City Lumberjacks (33-40), who are 10 games behind the leader... manager Rob Jackson only has a so-so club this year... the 'Jacks have three quality starters, but little else... Stephen Phillips (6-7 2.36), Norm Dawson (5-8 3.33) and Doug Haynes (7-10 3.53) could use some bat support... RF Luc St. Germain (.304 BA/5 HR/40 RBI) and LF Ryan Ray (.271 BA/14 HR/37 RBI) lead the team at the plate... 3B Rusty Hood has 12 home runs and 42 RBIs, but is hitting only .240.

Fort Benton (32-41) is one of the least successful franchises in the IPA... the Defenders have never won a pennant or made the playoffs and have been cellar-dwellers 10 times in their history... but having said that, the team has made great progress this season on the hill with a fine 3.20 ERA (9th), but they are still in seventh place and 11 games behind... the mound staff is led by two youngsters, rookie Paul Flowers (3-8 2.48), and second-year man Matt Harmon (7-7 3.77)... plus 35-year-old veteran Nick Walker (7-8 3.27)... manager Robbie Brooks has a fine bullpen, too, with closer Kurt Cobb (4-7) with 10 saves and an impressive 1.26 ERA... Cobb is only 24 and in his third season... CF Vince Boylan paces the offense with a .280 BA, 11 homers, 43 RBIs and 44 runs... not much else in the batting order.

Over the last decade, the Colfax Blasters (27-46) under manager Clem Rogers have declined from a perennial pennant winner, 7 pennants and one Pro Cup, to a chronic also-ran... this could be the worst season in the club's history... the Blasters are last and 16 games back... a .231 BA (31st) and 4.26 ERA (29th) will not get you very high in the standings... vets James Elliott (7-9 3.99) and Cliff James (6-13 3.83) are the best of the starters... RF Glen Smith (.292 BA/7 HR/39 RBI) tops the team in average, while 1B Doug Kirkwood leads with 12 homers and 47 RBIs, but is hitting just .259.

Rutlandian West Outlook:
And who's going to win the pennant?... Go with the defending champs, the Middlefield Roosters, who will perk up at the plate in the second half and surpass the Sligo Rovers for a third title in a row... the Stoner Stars with a wealth of starters will also move ahead of the Rovers into second place, but will not catch the Roosters... Stoner bats are just too lame... Sligo will wind up in third place... fourth place will go to Volusia... the Vigilantes have an edge in pitching and hitting over Rocky Rapids, who will be fifth... Forest City should hold on to the sixth spot... Fort Benton's fine young staff should keep them ahead of Colfax.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian North Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian North Mid-Season Recap

Rascals First In TU North, Frogs 2 Out
The White River Rascals have won 2 of the last 3 Tycobbian North pennants and could be headed for another one this season, but they have three other contenders that will have a say in the matter. Fairfax is second, just 2 games out, while Hartsdale is third and 5 behind and Oxford is in the fourth spot, trailing by 7 games.

The defending division champion White River (44-29) began slowly in April, but has turned it on since... Ron Hendrix (10-6 2.61) and Paul Sandini (9-8 2.22) are Mick Cronyn's prime starters and All-Star 1B Marty Blake (.347 BA/9 HR/47 RBI/46 R), LF Jim Abrams (.312 BA/5 HR/46 RBI/30 R) and 3B Sammy Tucker (.292 BA/2 HR/31 RBI/41 R) lead the Rascals attack... they are hitting .266 as a team (6th) and are tied for fifth in scoring... Cronyn mound staff is solid with a 3.08 ERA (6th)... Cronyn's club handles the glove well with a .976 FA (8th-tied)... the Rascals are the cream of the crop in the TU North and a solid, all-around team.

Pitching and defense are the strong points for the second place Fairfax Frogs (42-31)... they are the IPA's best defenders with a strong .980 fielding percentage... the Frog hurlers are seventh in the TU with a fine 3.07 team ERA, paced by All-Star Kevin Meeks (11-4 1.95) and veteran Ken Hill (10-7 2.94)... Manny Hunsinger (0-2) is doing quite a job in the bullpen with 18 saves and a standout 1.19 ERA... Hunsinger tops the TU in saves and is tied for second in the IPA, just one behind leader Joel Sheppard of Stoner... manager Dane Wesner could use more offense... CF Alton Dale (.340 BA/8 HR/30 RBI/41 R) and 3B Sandy Coburn (.289 BA/1 HR/20 RBI/41 R) are his most productive bats.

Year after year Zim Donner keeps his Hartsdale Hellcats (39-34) near the top, almost always in the first division with an occasional pennant... Hartsdale has won three times, but the last was in 2014... the Hellcats are third this year, but nothing more than an average club... All-Star 1B Johnny Scott is Donner's top player with 15 homers, 50 RBIs, 56 runs and a .344 BA... other reliable hitters are SS Jed Turchin (.279 BA/6 HR/31 RBI/40 R), C Derek Yurek (.272 BA/9 HR/42 RBI/31 R) and CF Ken Wessel (.254 BA/6 HR/41 RBI/35 R)... Hartsdale's best starters are 24-year-old Bill Vessels (10-6 3.55) and 41-year-old Bobo Boisseau (9-9 3.55)... Tommy Klein (2-2) is doing very well in the closing role with 16 saves and a super 1.23 ERA.

The Oxford Red Caps (37-36) made a real run last year and fell one game short of White River... this year was supposed to the "the" year... however, it hasn't panned out that way... manager Mack Spencer is just barely over .500 and is 7 games off the pace of White River... last season's Rookie of the Year and 22-game winner Carmine Scalise is back on track with an 11-5 mark and a 3.37 ERA and closer Arnie Bradshaw (0-2) has piled up 16 saves and an impressive 1.83 ERA... All-Star LF Dennis Hartwig is having another great year, his third in the IPA, with a .367 batting average, tops in the TU and runner-up in the IPA to rookie Lloyd Kelly of San Dimas with an amazing .413 BA... Hartwig has 13 HRs, 52 RBIs and 55 runs... SS Tom Perry has chipped in with a .287 BA, 6 HR and 37 runs batted in... the Red Caps play well defensively with a .976 FA (5th-tied).

The North Hills Hawks (32-41) were in the TU North basement last year, but have climbed up to the fifth spot at mid-season, but 12 games out... manager Masaichi Okawa doesn't have a lot of talent... his best performers are a trio of dependable starters: Kerry Hoffman (10-5 3.53), Valeri Kalinnikov (8-7 3.70) and Riley Simpson (8-8 3.79)... no one on the line-up card is much of a threat.

Rusty Tanussa's Mahaska Haymakers (31-42) are a second-division team in sixth place in the standings, 13 games back of White River... 21-year-old right-hander Sammy Kafelnikov is a blossoming star... he made the All-Star team with a 10-6 record and an excellent 2.33 ERA... 29-year-old Arno Vainmaa is 9-7 with a 3.70 ERA in his 10th season... All-Star C Bucky O'Brian sparks the offense with a .353 batting average, 10 homers, 43 RBIs and 40 runs... RF Travis Tuttle and 1B Paul Davies are also strong with the bats... Tuttle has 13 homers, 38 RBIs and a .302 BA, while Davies sports a .325 mark with 2 roundtrippers and 26 runs batted in.

The other two teams in the TU North are pathetic... the Blue Lake Blue Sox (22-51) are seventh and already 22 games behind... manager Cobb Tyson is almost destitute... he has no pitcher of any note... and very few batters... the Blue Sox are near the bottom in everything... 3B Sal Avallone is a plus with a .311 average, but only 2 home runs, 22 RBIs and 25 runs.

The Luxora Zorros (17-56) could be headed for the worst season in IPA history... in 2019 the North Hills Hawks could only manage a 47-107 record... the Z's are on pace to lose more than that... manager Cristo Viamonte only has two decent players: All-Star 2B Julio Canseco (.320 BA/0 HR/23 RBI/31 R) and C Jim Thorpe Chandler (.280 BA/11 HR/33 RBI/41 R).

TU North Outlook:
White River has the experience and the talent to handily win its third TU West division title in a row and fourth in five years... Fairfax is up-and-coming, but not quite on par with the Rascals... Hartsdale will wind up in third place... the Hellcats don't have the pitching or hitting to contend for the pennant... ditto for Oxford, who will come in fourth, followed by Mahaska in fifth place... the Haymakers have better pitching than the North Hills Hawks... North Hills will be number six... Blue Lake will be seventh and poor Luxora just might be headed for 110 losses and is a cinch for last place.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Recap

Turon Up By 1 In TU South, Ginza 2nd
After two lackluster seasons the Turon Typhoons are back in the hunt in the Tycobbian South. At the season's halfway mark, they have a narrow one-game margin over the Ginza Ninjas and 4 up over the defending champion Arroyo Grande Suns and up-and-coming Southport Sun Sox, who are tied for third place. The TU South is one of the stronger division in the IPA with 6 teams having winning records.

The bats are booming again in Turon (48-25) and the pitching is excellent, too... the Typhoons are hitting .272 (3rd) and ranked 7th in scoring runs... on the hill they have a 2.98 team ERA (4th)... Turon has the best record in the IPA this year... Whitey Richburn's top performers at the plate are SS Roland Campbell (.320 BA/7 HR/33 RBI/44 R), RF Ryan O'Bryan (.299 BA/6 HR/43 RBI/37 R) and 3B Grant Odom (.324 BA/3 HR/28 RBI/32 R)... 1B Michael Page supplies the longball with 12 homers, 40 RBIs and 40 runs, but is batting only .247... on the mound Turon has a solid threesome in All-Star Nicky Engstrom (11-2 2.45), Bobby Byrd (11-3 2.92) and Sal Quattrone (7-4 2.50)... however, the Typhoons are in need of a closer... Merle Studebaker (3-5) has 15 saves, but has struggled with a high 4.41 ERA this year... defensively Turon plays pretty well with a .975 FA (8th-tied).

The Ginza Ninjas (47-26) are right on Turon's tail... skipper Huroko Uchiyama thrives on good pitching... the Ninjas have a 3.00 team ERA (5th), led by All-Star Daniel Ferguson (14-4 4 2.11), tied with Greg Moss of Bay St. Clair for the most wins in the IPA this season... Yutaka Yoshida (9-4 2.93) is the number two starter... Ron Koehler (5-4 3.49) and Yuko Takata (5-6 3.55) are number three and four... Frank Beard (4-3 3.07 ) is the closer with 15 saves... All-Star 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.292 BA/16 HR/46 RBI/50 R) and All-Star C Crash Davis (.347 BA/6 HR/31 RBI/41 R) carry the offensive load for the Ninjas... Ginza is not very good with the gloves with a poor .969 mark (23rd-tied).

The powerful Arroyo Grande Suns (44-29) have won 4 of the last 5 years in the TU South and will be a factor this year, too... they are currently tied for third with the Southport Sun Sox... manager Cyclone Cobb has a strong offensive machine that tops the IPA with a .277 BA, is first in runs scored and third with 77 homers... leading the way are All-Star 1B Rusty Vizcarra, the IPA RBI leader with 68, 17 homers and a .297 average... other top batters are All-Star SS Andy Pearson (.348 BA/10 HR/35 RBI/49 R), LF Eduardo Villanueva (.316 BA/11 HR/45 RBI/56 R), RF Buddy Bechtel (.289/15 HR/46 RBI/47 R) and C Gary Troxell (.261 BA/13 HR/44 RBI/35 R)... a 4.04 team ERA (24th) is the Suns major problem... Cobb's only reliable pitchers have been veteran starters Ernie Matthews (12-6 3.49) and Earl O'Reilly (9-4 3.30), along with his sensational closer Steve Sampson (1-1), who has notched 17 saves with an extraordinary 0.68 ERA... the Typhoons play very good defense with a .978 FA (2nd-tied).

After having four solid seasons in succession, the Southport Sun Sox (44-29) slumped badly to seventh last year, but skipper Charley Oscar has righted the ship with a much-improved 3.33 team ERA (12th), but little else... the Sun Sox are hitting a poor .244 BA (28th) and rated 29th in scoring... but are good on the defensive side of the ball with a .975 FA (8th-tied)... All-Star Don Pascioni (8-6 2.46) and and Wiley Wheeler (13-5 3.30) head up the pitching rotation with All-Star closer Ronnie Galus (6-0 0.00), who has posted 11 saves and has yet to allow a run... 3B Timmy Gilbert tops the team with a .318 BA... 1B Kyle Ross (.231 BA) leads in home runs with 8, 30 runs batted in and 37 runs.

The Colchester Elites (39-34) are in fifth place, 9 games out, but enjoying a solid season... manager Uncle Robbie Wilbertson has capable hurlers with a 3.27 team ERA... the Elites have four quality starters in Brian Britt (11-6 3.57), Mac Flowers (9-7 2.80), Brandy Snow (8-9 3.18) and Jess Carpenter (6-8 3.75)... in the bullpen Cholly Burdette (2-2) has saved 11 games and possesses a strong 1.69 ERA... at the plate 1B Steve Burns (.350 BA/6 HR/40 RBI/37 R), CF Terry Thorsen (.329 BA/5 HR/34 RBI/39 R) and 2B Rod Newton (.302 BA/2 HR/23 RBI/18 R) are Colchester best batters... the team is hitting .262 (8th), but doesn't score well (18th) and has little power with only 35 homers (31st-tied).

In sixth place are the Summerland Sunsets (37-36), who are one game above .500 and 11 games off the pace... Will Hackett just has an average team with a .256 BA (16th) and a 3.79 ERA (18th)... but not so good on defense with a mediocre .969 FA (23rd-tied)... top players are closer Cary Snead (2-0), who had been superlative with a microscopic 0.67 ERA and 15 saves... and starter James Beckworth (11-6 3.70)... hitting-wise the Sunsets have some solid bats with 1B Mandu Purula (.322 BA/7 HR/34 RBI/47 R), RF Brady Gilbert (.303 BA/5 HR/28 RBI/39 R), SS Greg Proctor (.283 BA/8 HR/51 RBI), All-Star CF Clell Renshaw (.289 BA/8 HR/44 RBI/42 R) and C Archie Shanahan (.251 BA/6 HR/49 RBI).

Even down at the bottom of the TU South, the teams are playing good baseball... the seventh place San Alejo Montaneros (34-39) are led by two quality starters John Kaltenbach (9-6 3.61) and Jose Dominguez (9-6 3.86), plus bullpen ace Konrad Koch (1-4) with 17 saves and a sparkling 1.48 ERA... Trini Corona (9-9 4.00) is another capable starter... leading the offense are veterans LF Warren Love (.273 BA/13 HR/47 RBI/42 R) and RF Lou Browning (.289 BA/9 HR/30 RBI/48 R).

The Cape Coral Hurricanes (32-41) are in the basement, 16 games behind in the race with terrible hitting and bad pitching... Huggy Miller's squad is hitting only .236 (31st) with only 46 homers (20th-tied) and a 4.03 team ERA (23rd)... however, the 'Canes are one of the best fielding clubs with a .978 FA (2nd-tied)... Flapper Bird (0-2) is a strong closer with 17 saves and a fine 1.69 ERA... Karl Zenger (8-9 3.01) is the only dependable starter... 1B Neil Ribbens (.327 BA/9 HR/32 RBI) is the only reliable hitter.

Tycobbian South Outlook:
This should be a great fight-to-the-finish with at least four of the teams contending for the title... give the edge to Turon because of its balanced attack... they hit better than Ginza and Southport... and pitch a lot better than Arroyo Grande... give Ginza second place, Arroyo Grande third place and Southport the fourth spot... Colchester's solid bats will keep them ahead of Summerland for fifth... San Alejo will be seventh and Cape Coral last.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian East Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian East Mid-Season Recap

Tucks Still Best In TU East, Wolves, Blazers Close
Beware Pro Cup aspirants! 2-time Pro Cup champ Tuckanarra may be better than ever. Yet, the Blue Jays are in a dogfight this year in the Tycobbian East with the Midway Wolves and Hillsboro Blazers. At the All-Star game Tuckanarra only has a 2-game advantage over second place Midway and 4 games ahead of third place Hillsboro. There's a tie for the fourth spot between the Ozarka Naturals and the South Fork Stallions, who are 7 games off the pace.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays (47-26) sport good hitting with a .269 BA (5th), are third in scoring and tied for ninth in homers with 69... they are second with a very impressive 2.91 team ERA... and are solid with the gloves, chalking up a .975 FA (8th-tied)... Lefty Stevens' mound corps is led by Quinn Starr (12-7 2.59), Glynn Starr (9-6 2.75), Rick Griffith (11-3 3.58) and Croc Wedgedale (7-6 3.02)... veteran closer Archie Desmond (4-1) has 11 saves and a standout 1.86 ERA... the Blue Jay batting order is chocked full of fine hitters: All-Star 3B Koora Nawajuk (.330 BA/16 HR/49 RBI/53 R), All-Star RF Danny Redd (.322 BA/3 HR/24 RBI/51 R), 1B Lynn Starr (.290 BA/10 HR/40 RBI/48 R) and SS Narra Gilyinju (.325 BA/2 HR/28 RBI/36 R)... Stevens is looking for a three-peat and just might get it.

The Midway Wolves (45-28), skippered by Cochise Chandler, just might be a little better than last year, too... they hit better this season with a strong .273 BA (2nd), 70 homers (7th-tied) and are 4th in scoring... Midway has a wealth of solid hitters: All-Star 3B Rusty Graves (.340 BA/10 HR/44 RBI/45 R), CF Chitto Chandler (.308 BA/7 HR/46 RBI/38 R), All-Star SS Rob Gigler (.293 BA/15 HR/47 RBI/56 R), LF Johnny Lee (.326 BA/12 HR/39 RBI/50 R) and C Sammy Murphy (.295 BA/7 HR/39 RBI/30 R)... on the hill Chandler's rotation consists of last year's MVP and Golden Arm winner Bobby Dorignac (10-7 2.67), Motega Wolf (12-4 3.07) and Luka Abromowitz (10-3 3.09)... 21-year-old second-year man Alberto Toledo (5-5 3.87) gives them a pretty fair number four starter... Midway needs help in the bullpen, where 16-year vet Dom Vilaggio (0-4 4.60) has struggled this year... otherwise, the Wolves can compete with Tuckanarra.

Rawhide Marshall's Hillsboro Blazers (43-30) have run third to Tuckanarra and Midway the last two seasons and appear headed for that again... pitching and power are the Blazers strong points... they have posted a fine 3.22 team ERA (9th) and slammed 76 roundtrippers (4th), while batting a decent .258 (13th) and are also 13th in runs scored... however, Hillsboro is a poor fielding club with a .963 FA, the worst in the IPA... Marshall has three strong starters: 23-year-old All-Star Ben Garvik (10-6 2.57), 38-year-old Tom Edgar (10-6 2.86) and 34-year-old Pat Buettner (9-5 3.26)... and a superb closer: All-Star Gregg Hughes (4-2) with 16 saves and a 0.63 ERA... at the plate the Blazers top performers are 1B Larry Guichard (.341 BA/7 HR/44 RBI/46 R), All-Star RF Tommy O'Hara (.314 BA/19 HR/44 RBI/51 R), CF Biggy Washington (.296n BA/8 HR/26 RBI/49 R) and LF Paul Green (.274 BA/12 HR/38 RBI/30 R).

Two clubs are deadlocked in fourth place in the TU East, one of the stronger divisions in the IPA with 5 teams above the .500 mark...the Ozarka Naturals (40-33) and improved South Fork Stallions are each 7 games out of first... the Nats are led by pitchers Jeb Mashburn (8-7 2.50), Wayne Gates (7-5 3.35) and Stan Carey (9-5 3.70)... in the bullpen manager Joe Mac Carney has a good one in Josh Carpenter (2-4) with 17 saves and a strong 2.22 ERA... Ozarka has compiled a 3.28 team ERA (11th)... the Nats excel on defense with a .978 FA (2nd-tied)... they are 7th with a .264 BA, but are tied for 20th in scoring... the Naturals lack home-run power with only 43 for the year (25th)... Carney has four .300 hitters in his line-up with 1B George Jenkins (.329 BA/14 HR/48 RBI/39 R), SS James Couch (.306 BA/6 HR/35 RBI/46 R), CF Ryoma Nakayama (.300 BA/7 HR/37 RBI/26 R) and catcher T. C. Baranski (.300 BA/4 HR/25 RBI/24 R).

Duroche "Lips" Leon is still in charge of the South Fork Stallions (40-33), who finished a distant sixth last season, but have a shot at the first division this year... 26-year-old Gary Price (11-8 3.07) and 19-year-old rookie Bill Massey (10-4 3.18) lead a much-improved rotation... in the bullpen 22-year-old Tom Galloway (2-0) has been sensational with 14 saves and a splendid 0.33 ERA... the Stallions main run providers are LF Patric Giles (.286 BA/11 HR/40 RBI/55 R) and CF Shelby Glasscock (.258 BA/13 HR/34 RBI/34 R).

After a couple of good seasons near the top, the High Mesa Cowboys (33-40), with Frisky Franks at the helm, have slipped back into the second division into sixth place, 14 games behind... the Cowpokes still have the greatest hitter in IPA history, superstar 1B Jack Elliott, who is still in his prime age 31 and a potent force, but has slipped over 50 points from his lifetime .355 average so far this season... Elliott is batting only .297, but has 20 homers, 49 RBIs and 47 runs... brothers SS Stephen Andrews (.277 BA/10 HR/49 RBI) and RF Bill Andrews (.256 BA/16 HR/39 RBI) also chip in offensively... High Mesa leads the TU with 93 homers... 33-year-old veteran starter Ronald Ward is Franks' best pitcher with a 9-8 record and a 3.83 ERA.

The Red Bluff Red Sox (26-47) are again near the bottom for the third year in a row and in seventh place, 21 games back... manager Bucky Frizzell's pitching corps has an astronomical 4.77 team ERA (29th)...that's the crux of the problem... the Red Sox have firepower with 81 home runs (2nd), are hitting .258 (12th) and tied for 5th in scoring... it's hard to win when your best starter Grady Daggs is 5-9 with a sky-high 4.88 ERA... offensively 3B James Mack (.285 BA/11 HR/45 RBI) and LF Corbett Brooks (.289 BA/18 HR/49 RBI) lead the club... the Red Sox have one of the best catchers in the IPA with 6-time Golden Glover Jim Schubert (.261 BA/5 HR/27 RBI/33 R)... 37-year-old Schubert made the All-Stars again this year for the fourth time in his career.

Last year the East Point Panthers (24-49) surprised and wound up fourth in the standings, but this season they are back to normal, back to the basement and already 23 games off the pace at the All-Star game... manager Robbie Brooks has absolutely atrocious pitching with an out-of-sight 5.61 team ERA (32nd), which is one of the worst in IPA history... Arroyo Grande set the mark with a pitiful 5.79 in 2002... Sam Ervin (5-8 3.98) is the top pitcher, while RF Kenko Aoki (.284 BA/14 HR/39 RBI/39 R) and rookie C George Hawk (.298 BA/12 HR/37 RBI) are the Panthers best bats.

TU East Outlook:
Should be another down-to-the-last-days drama again in the Tycobbian East between defending IPA Pro Cup titlist Tuckanarra, tough Midway and Hillsboro... the Blue Jays have won the pennants the last two seasons by just one game each time... they are better this year, but so are the competitors... Tuckanarra will wind up on top with Midway number two and Hillsboro in the third spot... Ozarka will hang on to fourth place, followed in order by South Fork, High Mesa, Red Bluff and East Point.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian West Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2025

2025 Tycobbian West Mid-Season Recap

RH Reds Cruising Atop TU West, BSC Bucs 2nd
Everything is coming up rosy for the Rolling Hills Reds in the Tycobbian West this season. The Reds are doing everything right and have a 4-game lead over second place Bay St. Clair midway in the campaign. The Bucs appear to be the only competition with third place Chicopee 8 games back and fourth place Bayview 9 behind. Last year's division champ Kenwood has faltered and dipped down to fifth place, 11 games off the pace.

Rolling Hills (45-28) has remarkable pitching with a ridiculously low 2.55 team ERA, by far the best in the IPA... manager Matty Christianson has three sons on the team, two of them in the starting rotation... the Reds rotation is blessed with two outstanding veterans in All-Star Sal Jordan (11-6 2.42) and Errol Gaudet (10-5 2.48)... add in youngsters Joey Christianson (10-4 2.77) and McGraw Christianson (9-8 3.38) and you have a dynamite staff... on top of excellent starters, the Reds possess a terrific relief corps with the best ERA in the IPA... led by vet closer Alfonso Gonzales, the bullpen has compiled a great 1.45 ERA... Gonzales has 14 saves and a 1.35 ERA himself... the Reds play very good defense, too, with a .976 FA (6th-tied)... and have adequate scoring (10th), though they are batting only .249 (25th) with 44 homers (24th)... All-Star LF Pat Webb is having a booming season, leading the IPA with 75 RBIs... Webb is hitting .340 with 10 homers... CF Skip Greene (.289 BA/7 HR/30 RBI/58 R) and 1B Billy Christianson (.282 BA/4 HR/23 RBI/37 R) also contribute with the offense.

Guy Rondre has got a very good team in Bay St. Clair (41-32) that has stepped it up another notch, both at the plate and on the hill... the Buccaneers will really test Rolling Hills in the second half... the Bucs are batting .270 (4th), are ranked second in scoring runs and have decent power with 54 home runs (17th-tied)... on the mound they have a strong 2.96 team ERA (3rd) and just like the Reds feature a standout bullpen with a 1.85 ERA (3rd)... one glaring weakness is defense... the Buccaneers have a .966 FA (27th-tied)... All-Star RF Don Smithers tops the line-up card with a .349 BA, 10 homers, 43 RBIs and 43 runs... Rondre also has two more reliable bats with veterans 2B Bud Walker (.291 BA/2 HR/22 RBI/48 R) and CF Bill Howell (.274 BA/0 HR/33 RBI/46 R)... Howell is a 4-time All-Star and Walker a 3-timer... Bay St. Clair can't match Rolling Hills starters, but their bats may make up the difference... All-Star Greg Moss is the IPA leader in wins and IRA... Moss is 14-3 with a super-low 1.65 ERA.

It's likely everybody else is playing for third place in the TU West... the Chicopee Braves (37-36) are the only other club above the .500 mark... Harry Fleetwood's top performers are rookie 1B Gary Burchfield (.330 BA/15 HR/39 RBI/40 R), 39-year-old LF Dominick DiCaprio (.276 BA/15 HR/47 RBI/43 R) and CF Vinny Anderson (.269 BA/11 HR/31 RBI/43 R)... the Braves have fairly good power with 74 roundtrippers (5th), are ranked 9th in scoring and are batting .257 (15th)... pitching is only average with a 3.87 team ERA (19th)... Bob Ferguson (5-4 3.05), Papoose Littlefeather (6-3 3.64) and Will Joseph (6-5 3.74) are quality starters.

Fourth place belongs to the Bayview Vikings (36-37), who had a very poor April with a 6-17 record, but they have done an about-face since with a fine 30-20 mark... skipper Walter Johanssen's best players are veteran hurler Don Griggs (10-5 2.96), 1B Rafael Garza (.338 BA/9 HR/25 RBI/41 R), All-Star 2B Tommy Shore (.282 BA/5 HR/34 RBI/25 R) and youngster Knut Valen (.272 BA/11 HR/51 RBI).

Injuries have taken their toll on manager Aaron Hankins and his fifth place Kenwood Wildcats (34-39)... mound ace Jody Gentry (1-3 2.26) missed 7 weeks of the season and the boss' son RF Babe Hankins (.277 BA/4 HR/24 RBI/21 R) has been out a month... Gentry was a huge loss as he has won over 20 games in each of the last two seasons... Johnny Shaw (11-7 3.12) and Thomas Norman (7-4 3.61) have been the best starters... closer Glenn Kennedy (1-1) has been tremendous in the pen with 15 saves and a 0.89 ERA... veteran SS Lee Sullivan (.281 BA/13 HR/35 RBI/43 R) has been the best batter... it will be hard to make up the loss ground now... 11 games is a lot to make up.

The Arlon Champions (32-41) are 13 games out of first and in the sixth spot of the TU West standings... manager Gary Louis has a mediocre club with some power and a good bullpen, but little else... Buddy Palmer (2-1) is a strong closer with 17 saves and a fine 1.48 ERA... Arlon does have two All-Star bats: CF Carlos Quintana (.304 BA/21 HR/50 RBI/57 R) and 3B Ryan Hicks (.312 BA/12 HR/38 RBI/52 R)... Quintana tops the IPA with 21 homers.

Languishing in seventh place are the Denton City Redbirds (28-45) and La Clair Lynx, who don't often make the postseason... the Redbirds haven't seen the playoffs in a dozen seasons... the Lynx have never, ever made them... both of them trail by 17 games... 1B Don Timmons (.310 BA/9 HR/35 RBI/38 R) is the Redbirds offensive leader in everything except homers... C Wes McMahon leads that category with 11... George Hudson (8-8 3.82) is the best starter... in relief Johnny Duncan (1-2) has stood out with 10 saves and strong 1.62 ERA.

The La Claire Lynx (28-45) have gone 24 years without gracing the playoffs and will make it 25 years this year... manager Maka Bardinda has limited talent except for SS Flash Devlin... Devlin, a 13-year veteran and 9-time All-Star, is having an off-year, but is still the top hitter on the club with a .275 average 9 homers, 40 RBIs and 49 runs... Lifetime the 31-year-old Devlin is batting .328 with 410 homers... 1B Jess Swain (.303 BA/6 HR/33 RBI/38 R) and 2B Norman Petitjean (.263 BA/12 HR/52 RBI/36 R) have also chipped in with some offense.

TU West Outlook:
Definitely a two-team tussle this year in the Tycobbian West... with last year's champ Kenwood out of it, it will come down to Rolling Hills and Bay St. Clair... Will the Reds dominant pitching beat the Buccaneer bats?... We think so... the Reds will win a close race with the Bucs second... now that they are healthy, Kenwood should wind up in third place... Chicopee and Bayview will battle for fourth place with the nod going to the Braves... the Viks will finish fifth... followed by Arlon, Denton City and La Claire.