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Thursday, October 12, 2062

4 FINALISTS SET FOR PRO CUP
Four teams are gone from the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs and four winners remain... the Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills Racers, fifth-pick Southport, sixth-rated Volusia and eighth-choice Far Mountain all made the first-round cut and are set to go in the IPA League Championship Series - round two of the Pro Cup playoffs... three highly-touted and talented clubs were gloriously upended... biting the diamond dust were juggernauts Oxford, Elnora and High Mesa.

In the Tycobbian Union title series it will be Rolling Hills hosting the Southport Sun Sox, the conquerors of the 2061 IPA Pro Cup champion Oxford Red Caps... and it will be the Far Mountain Redhawks traveling to tangle with the Volusia Vigilantes, last year's Pro Cup runner-up... the best-of-seven series will start this Saturday afternoon at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills and the Jailhouse in Volusia.

On the surface, this looks like Rolling Hills will roll to its fifth Pro Cup title... it's main challengers Oxford, Elnora and High Mesa have been eliminated... they were the second, third and fourth choices of winning the coveted IPA crown this season... however, examining the teams a little closer, the Sun Sox, V's and Redhawks are not going to roll over and play dead... first of all, Southport rallied to beat potent Oxford in a sizzling seven-game series... the Sun Sox had to come back from a 3-1 deficit... that is not an easy way to win a series... this is only the sixth time it has ever happened in 62 IPA seasons... secondly, spirited Volusia never seems to pay any attention to the Pro Cup polls that never give them much of a chance to win... just ask Wynnamac, St. John and Elnora if the Vigilantes are any good... they were all highly-ranked postseason victims of the V's the last two years.

Thirdly, I am personally sick and tired and greatly frustrated by the postseason prosnosticators missing the mark so much and so often... and I am personally sick and tired and greatly frustrated by yours truly, EC, being so wrong, so much and so often in the Pro Cup prognostications... so I have decided to consult the guru of all gurus, Carnac the Magnificent, and have the "renown mystic from the East", predict the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union champions.

I have his predictions in my possession... his precious prognostications have been placed in a hermetically sealed envelope and have been kept in a mayonnaise jar in my refrigerator since noon today... no one has seen these precious prognostications until now... EC now proudly shares Carnac the Magnificent's precious hermetically-sealed IPA postseason predictions.

And just in case there are some scoffers out there that question the skill and veracity of Carnac the Magnificent -- Beware -- he has been known to put curses on unbelievers.

Carnac the Magnificent is impressed with the spunky and scrappy Volusia Vigilantes... they will dispose of the Far Mountain Redhawks in six games... the V's can score plenty of runs in spite of the fact they do not hit homers... they only had one roundtripper in first round play... however, they never run out of good hitters in their batting order... take a gander at what they did against Elnora in the first round... Clement Belliveau (.474 BA), Carlos Silva (.450 BA), Scoots Perez (.417 BA), Carlos Vaz (.407 BA), Bandy Barnwell (.308 BA) and Teddy Cornelius (.308 BA)... that is some kind of hitting... and they have just enough pitching with starters Dan Hunt (0-1, 4.09 ERA), Lonny Rinehart (1-0, 5.25 ERA) and Reynaldo Medrano (0-1, 4.26 ERA) and relievers Gustavo Clemente (1-0, 1.04 ERA) and Cloyd Queen (1-0, 3.00 ERA) to handle the Redhawks.

It will be tough for the Far Mountain staff to cool down Volusia's top guns at the plate... Benny Van (0-0, 5.56 ERA), Derek Meijer (1-0, 6.30 ERA) and Jeffrey Chandler (0-1, 5.40 ERA) don't seem to be up to it... but the Redhawks can bang the ball around the ballpark, too... they may be better than the prognostications show... they just might be right up there with the V's... note the Redhawks hit 6 out of the park in the first round... playoff standouts are Ox Gless (.429 BA), Luke Hazlett (.409 BA), Jarrick Beauchamp (.391 BA), Mack McKenley (.375 BA), Curt Miley (.286 BA) and Lew Aston (.364 BA)... it will be an exciting series... should you not believe Carnac the Magnificent, "May you have to walk a mile in the desert under a diseased camel."

As far as the Tycobbian title series, Carnac the Magnificent is going to buck the trends... Carnac the Magnificent would bet his best diseased camel that the Southport Sun Sox will be a radiant beam in the IPA playoffs and upset the number-one ranked Rolling Hills Racers in a seven-game series... and why would Carnac predict this, ye of little faith question?... because Southport has superior pitching... Roman Littrell (2-0, 1.59 ERA) just might get three starts against the high-scoring Racers... and he just might be able to win a couple of games... maybe even three... Jeff Moncriffe (1-1, 3.86 ERA) is a pretty good number-two starter... the Sun Sox should be able to get a fairly decent number three starter from the likes of Sandy Wilbur (0-0, 3.60 ERA), Jody Wales (0-0, 9.00 ERA) and Jake Shank (1-1, 7.20 ERA)... all of them were really solid in the regular season... plus Southport handled a very good club in the first round... Carnac the Magnificent thought Oxford would repeat as champion, but the Sun Sox staff chilled them down enough to beat them... and the bats were good enough, too, despite being outhomered 13-0... it wasn't baseball that won it... it had to be divine intervention... the series had to be decided by fate or karma or whatever... Keiland Forrester (.393 BA), Buzzy McGinnis (.393 BA) and Pee Wee Little (.321 BA) led the way and were aided by Perry Parkhill (.227 BA), Junior Evans (.227 BA) and Walt Walmsley (.172 BA) with critical hits and RBIs... can they do it again?...can they upset the Rolling Hills Racers?... will there be divine intervention again?... Carnac the Magnificent thinks so.

The key to Rolling Hills winning the series will be its starters... Vance Dillaway (1-0, 5.25 ERA), Bob Corcorane (1-0, 2.40 ERA) and Brownie Ashmore (1-1, 4.02 ERA) will have to do better this round... and in addition, closer Bob Gates (1-0, 5.40 ERA) and the bullpen will have to be better, too... at the plate the Racers are hard to beat -- top to bottom in the batting order -- nothing but tough outs -- Jameson Mulbert (.333 BA), Luca Palazzi (.353 BA), Mark Carmickle (.429 BA), Teddy Stonich (.231 BA), Jean-Luc Roubique (.258 BA), Hugo Sutton (.357 BA), Lee Fountain (.381 BA), Jimmy Brandini (.233 BA) and Jasper Bowling (.250 BA)... can Rolling Hills beat Southport? -- Yes -- but they can't beat fate or karma or whatever... the Southport Sun Sox will "sho nuff" prevail in seven games and will advance to the Pro Cup Finals.

And should there be any doubters and naysayers amongst you concerning Carmac the Magnificent's magnificent and precious playoff prognostications, "May the mighty winds of the Sahara blow an irate scorpion very high up your pants' leg."

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Sunday, October 15, 2062

RACERS, V'S VICTORIOUS IN TU, RU OPENERS
The Rolling Hills Racers and Volusia Vigilantes snatched victories from the Southport Sun Sox and Far Mountain Redhawks in the opening games of the IPA League Championship Series... both the Racers and V's used grand slams to take an early lead in the best-of-seven series, which will determine the Pro Cup participants for this year's overall IPA title.
In the Tycobbian Union Rolling Hills smacked Southport 6-2 and in Ruthlandian Union playoffs Volusia socked it to Far Mountain 7-3 in the first games of the series.

2062 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 1

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2062 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 1

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Monday, October 16, 2062

RACERS WIN 2 FROM SOX, REDHAWKS, V'S SPLIT
Two games into the Islandian Pro Alliance League Championship Series, Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills has rolled to two straight triumphs over the Southport Sun Sox in the Tycobbian Union... and the Far Mountain Redhawks and the Volusia Vigilanted deadlocked at one game apiece in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian Union series... the Rolling Hills Racers ripped Southport 12-2 yesterday afternoon and Far Mountain trounced Volusia 11-4... games three will be played in Southport and Far Mountain.

2062 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 2

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2062 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 2

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Wednesday, October 18, 2062

RACERS NEAR SWEEP, V'S LEAD REDHAWKS
The Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills Racers are riding high in the Tycobbian Union title series with a 3-0 lead... and Volusia is up 2-1 in the Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series... the Racers edged the Southport Sun Sox 4-3 yesterday and could wind up the series in a four-game sweep... Volusia trounced the Far Mountain Redhawks 9-3 with a scorching barrage of hits.

2062 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 3

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2062 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 3

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Thursday, October 19, 2062

SUN SOX STAY ALIVE IN TU, V'S, REDHAWKS 2-2 IN RU
There were two tense-and-tight thrillers in the Island Pro Alliance yesterday... in the Tycobbian title clash Southport fought off elimination in a four-game sweep by the rampaging Rolling Hills Racers with a 3-2 triumph... the Sun Sox are still alive in the best-of-seven series, but just barely... winning four in a row against powerhouse Rolling Hills would really be something... in the Ruthlandian Union title series Far Mountain nipped the Volusia Vigilantes 3-2 and knotted the series at 2 games each.

2062 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 4

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2062 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 4

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:eatpop:

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Friday, October 20, 2062

SUN SOX, REDHAWKS ALIVE, BUT TRAIL 3-2
"It ain't over, till it's over"... and "never say die"... Southport Sun Sox may be the underdogs in the IPA playoffs against powerhouse and Pro Cup favorite, Rolling Hills, but they are not playing like it... they stayed alive against the Racers and clipped them 3-1 in game five of the Tycobbian Union title series, narrowing their lead to three games to two in the best-of-seven affair... in the Ruthlandian Union Volusia outscored Far Mountain 11-8 to take a 3-2 lead in that series.

2062 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 5
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2062 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 5
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Sunday, October 21, 2062

RACERS WIN TU TITLE, V'S FORCED TO 7TH GAME
Two dynamite games were played in the IPA playoffs... the #1-ranked Rolling Hills Racers were pushed almost to the limits by the 5th pick Southport Sun Sox in game six of the Tycobbian Union title series... finally the Pro Cup favored Racers rallied and triumphed 5-4 to take the series four games to two and will now get a chance to win an unprecedented 5th Pro Cup trophy... the Ruthlandian Union title series will indeed go to a full seven games after 8th-rated Far Mountain fought back and beat the 6th pick Volusia 6-5 in 10 innings.

2062 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 6
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2062 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 6
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Monday, October 23, 2062

2062 PRO CUP SERIES: VOLUSIA VERSUS ROLLING HILLS
The high-scoring feisty Volusia Vigilantes eliminated the valiant Far Mountain Redhawks from the IPA playoffs with some solid pitching in the seventh and deciding game... the V's defeated the Redhawks 5-2 in the Ruthlandian Union Championship Series and will now advance to the IPA Pro Cup Finals against powerful Rolling Hills, the champion of the Tycobbian Union.

2062 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 7
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Thursday, October 26, 2062

PRO CUP SHOWDOWN BETWEEN RACERS AND V'S
Have no idea of what it means, but did you know that last year in the IPA playoffs, the Rolling Hills Racers and the Volusia Vigilantes were eliminated by the eventual Pro Cup champion Oxford Red Caps... actually it could mean that both the Racers and the V's are pretty good ballclubs... they were beaten by the best last year and have played well enough in the 2062 season to make it back among the top echelon of elite IPA teams.

The 2062 Pro Cup Series is on tap beginning this Saturday afternoon in the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills in Tycobbia... the hometown Racers will host the Volusia Vigilantes in game one of the best-of-seven series... it will be the Tycobbian Union champion against the Ruthlandian Union titlewinner... they will be battling for the revered and much-coveted Holy Grail of Islandian Pro Alliance baseball -- the IPA Pro Cup Trophy... it's a repeat of last year's finalists... a high-powered, high-scoring team versus and an underdog low-octane attack that can generate a whole lot of runs on the scoreboard... it has all the makings of a slam bam affair... playoff pollsters chose Rolling Hills as the top team in the postseason this year, while Volusia was rated the sixth-best team in the playoffs... last year the baseball gurus said the Vigilantes were the seventh-best team and they almost won the IPA crown.

Rolling Hills is seeking its record-setting fifth Pro Cup... the Racers were IPA champions in 2029, 2031, 2048 and 2060... Volusia won the very first Pro Cup in 2001, but hasn't won one since... although they were finalists last year, eventually losing to Oxford in six games... all six games were decided by one run... that's how tough the spunky Vigilantes played the IPA champion.

Rolling Hills, 102-52 this year, has the homefield advantage and will have the first two games at home... unheralded Volusia, just 88-68 for the year, will entertain the Racers at the Jailhouse for the third, fourth and fifth games... should they be needed, the final two games are slated for Rolling Hills... both clubs will use three starters... Volusia manager Tubby Tarkanian will use Dan Hunt (15-5, 2.75 ERA), Lonny Rinehart (11-13, 3.70 ERA) and left-hander Reynaldo Medrano (11-11, 3.30 ERA) in his playoff rotation, backed up by Cloyd Queen (11-6, 2.88 ERA) and Ron Beeman (18-7, 3.78 ERA, 18 saves, 73 games) in the bullpen... Rolling Hills skipper Billy Christianson will give the assignments to Vance Dillaway (17-5, 3.15 ERA), Bob Corcorane (9-2, 3.20 ERA) and Brownie Ashmore (14-5, 3.34 ERA)... his main relievers will be Clyde Akins (5-6, 4.30 ERA) and Rob Gates (12-6, 3.66 ERA, 14 saves, 48 games).

Offensively, both batting orders, top to bottom, are chocked full solid hitters... just about everybody in the lineups is hitting .300... the pitchers will not have an easy out anywhere... both Volusia and Rolling Hills can score runs... the Racers have more home-run power... Rolling Hills might have a slight edge in pitching... the starters are a little better... and the relievers more reliable... Volusia plays better defense... overall, the Racers are the favorite and should whip the Vigilantes in six games... however, the Vigilantes have upended a lot of good teams in recent seasons in the postseason... but, it would be miraculous if they pull it off this year... the Rolling Hills Racers are rolling good and should ramble home this year with its fifth Pro Cup trophy.

Attachment 668190
Sunday, October 28, 2062

V'S 9TH-INNING RALLY TAKES PRO CUP OPENER
In lightning fashion, spunky Volusia turned defeat into victory in the opening game of the 2062 Pro Cup Series... trailing 3-1 going into their final bat, the Vigilantes came back and edged the Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills Racers 4-3.

2062 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 1 (Best-of-Seven Series)
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Monday, October 30, 2062

V'S WIN AGAIN IN 13TH, TAKE 2-0 LEAD OVER RACERS
You would be hard pressed to find a more thrilling ballgame in the history of the IPA Pro Cup Series... Pro Cup longshot Volusia did it again... they zapped Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills 12-10 in a 13-inning hitfest to take a huge 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.

2062 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 2

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Wednesday, October 31, 2062

RACERS SLOW DOWN SIZZLING V'S IN GAME 3
Pulling out all stops in an effort to get back into the Pro Cup Series, Rolling Hills pulled out a 6-4 victory in crucial game three of the best-of-seven affair with the sizzling Volusia Vigilantes... the Racers slowed down the red-hot bats of the V's to cut their lead to two games to one... it is still an uphill battle for Rolling Hills to win their unprecedented fifth Pro Cup trophy.

2062 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 3
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Thursday, November 1, 2062

ROLLING HILLS RACERS ROLLIN', BEAT V'S AGAIN
Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills finally found some pitchers who can sometimes get the red-hot hitting Volusia Vigilantes out... the Racers notched their second straight victory over the V's... solid pitching and clutch hitting paved the way for a 5-2 triumph and knotted the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

2062 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 4 (Best-of-Seven Series)
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Friday, November 3, 2062

V'S VICTOR IN PIVOTAL GAME 5, ONE WIN AWAY FROM PRO CUP TROPHY
Underdog Volusia is on the verge of its second Pro Cup trophy... they got a fantastic outing from Gustavo Clemente, who stymied powerhouse Rolling Hills 2-0 in pivotal game five of the best-of-seven series.

2062 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 5
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A special thanks to txranger for the very fine update of the Volusia Vigilantes' logo.
txranger did 95% of the creative work... I just made it show up a little better on the game's black backgrounds by adding the white and orange borders.
knuckler's Volusia jerseys and caps are still outstanding... I didn't change them.
The old Vigilantes' logo was very good, too, but recently I saw where txranger did a logo with a masked bandit and asked if he would rework it for me.
I plan on updating some of the teams logos, jerseys and caps in the coming months.
It's been five years since some of them have been updated.
A few teams will get new nicknames, logos, jerseys and caps.

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Sunday, November 5, 2062

RACERS ROLL IN GAME 6, FORCE GAME 7
The Rolling Hills high-octane attack really got rolling in game six... in a must-win situation, the Racers crushed the Volusia Vigilantes 13-5 to force a winner-take-all seventh game in the IPA Pro Cup Series... Rolling Hills will get a crack at its fifth Pro Cup trophy... and they will be on their home turf at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds... in spite of yesterday's shellacking, the scrappy and talented Volusia Vigilantes will be ready, willing and able to wrap up their second Pro Cup trophy... Sunday's finale is anybody's game to win... it should be fight to the finish... may the best team win.

2062 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 6
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Monday, November 6, 2062

RACERS CAPTURE RECORD-SETTING 5TH PRO CUP
The Rolling Hills Racers were picked to win the 2062 IPA Pro Cup and they did it, taking their fifth Pro Cup trophy, the most any team has ever won in IPA history... but it wasn't easy... the feisty Volusia Vigilantes fought them tooth and nail before losing out in seven games, four games to three... the scrappy V's snatched the first two games and then had the Racers down three games to two after five games, but couldn't finish them off... Rolling Hills won the Pro Cup Series in grand style, smacking Volusia 13-5 and 11-3 in games six and seven.

2062 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 7

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2062 IPA Playoff Brackets

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Tuesday, November 7, 2062

PRO CUP MVP GOES TO RACERS' STONICH IN TIGHT VOTE
Teddy Stonich of the IPA Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers, saved his best for the last two games... and he came away with the 2062 IPA Pro Cup Most Valuable Player Award... to get the honor Stonich had to outpoll several of his teammates and a star on the losing team... a total of 5 players received votes in the Pro Cup MVP balloting... Stonich closed out the title series in a flurry with 6 hits, 5 RBIs and 2 homers in the games six and seven, both "must-wins" for the Racers.

In a poll of sports media outlets throughout the Islands conducted by The Islandian Times, Teddy Stonich got the best of teammate Jean-Luc Roubique and Volusia's Carlos Vaz... Stonich received 35 votes, Roubique 30 and Vaz 20... 5 players received support in the poll... finishing fourth was Rolling Hills catcher Lee Fountain with 15 votes... and fifth in the balloting was Rolling Hills starter Vance Dillaway... he totaled 14 votes.

Pro Cup MVP, Rolling Hills third baseman Stonich, hit .355 in the 7 games in the Pro Cup Series with three homers, 7 runs batted in and 9 runs scored... second in the voting was the Racers first baseman Jean-Luc Roubique... he batted .321 with one homer, 9 RBIs and 4 runs... the number three votegetter was Volusia center fielder Carlos Vaz... he had a standout series, too... Vaz sported a .389 BA with 2 roundtrippers, six RBIs and 7 runs... fourth in the vote was Rolling Hills catcher Lee Fountain... he excelled with a .385 BA, 1 home run, 7 ribbies and 4 scores... and in the fifth spot in the Pro Cup MVP poll was pitcher Vance Dillaway, who won some crucial contests for Racers... Dillaway was 2-1 with a 4.63 ERA in 23 IP and 3 starts.

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Sunday, November 12, 2062

IPA HONORS TOP RUTHLANDIAN AND TYCOBBIAN BATS
The Islandian Pro Alliance have announced the names of the premier hitters in the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union... the 2062 Golden Bat Awards went to Cold Creek's Vince Norberg and Rolling Hills' Teddy Stonich... in close competition they outpolled Lanny Waldrep of Colfax, Donald Ray Mooney of Elnora, Buddy Blackford of Oxford and Vincent McCloud of Denton City.

Ruthlandian Union

The youngest of the six contenders was the best batter in Ruthlandia, Vince Norberg, the 21-year--old second baseman for the Cold Creek Raccoons... just in his second year in the IPA, Norberg blistered the league with a .319 batting average, .370 on-base percentage... in 151 games he piled up 197 hits, 35 doubles, 10 triples, 40 home runs, 127 RBIs and scored 128 runs... Norberg topped the RU in RBIs and finished second in homers and runs scored... he was also a fine gloveman and sparked the Raccoons to a winning season, a fourth-place finish in the Ruthlandian East Division.

Norberg got the best of two fine, experienced batters... runner-up in the Ruthlandian Golden Bat voting was Colfax's longballer, Lanny Waldrep... the six-year veteran outfielder torched pitchers for a .333 BA in 147 games with 31 roundtrippers, 121 RBIs and 103 runs scored... however, his Blasters came in sixth in the Ruthlandian West Division standings.

Winding up third the RU Golden Bat Award voting was left fielder Donald Ray Mooney of the pennant-winning Elnora Skippers in the RU East Division... Mooney had a standout season with a .367 BA in 142 games... he slammed 30 out of the park, drove in 121 runs and scored 108.

Tycobbian Union

The 2062 Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award trophy winner was Rolling Hills' outstanding third baseman Teddy Stonich... this was a repeat performance for Stonich... he also won the TU Golden Bat honor two years ago in 2060... the 28-year-old Stonich paced the Racers to the Tycobbian West title with the most wins in the IPA with a 102-52 mark... Stonich posted a .345 BA and led the TU with 134 RBIs and 219 hits... he had 31 home runs and came in second with 123 runs... Stonich is a 3-time All-Star... he also was named the 2062 Pro Cup Series Most Valuable Player and helped the Rolling Hills Racers win their fifth Pro Cup.

Oxford's stellar first baseman Buddy Blackford gave Stonich his stiffest competition... Blackford topped the Tycobbian Union with 49 homers and 127 runs... he came in second to Stonich with 127 ribbies... in 154 games Blackford had 187 hits and a .323 BA... he led the Red Caps to their fourth straight pennant in the TU North Division... Blackford copped the TU Golden Bat in 2058... he was also the TU MVP that year.

A distant third in the Tycobbian Golden Bat voting was Denton City's fine shortstop Vincent McCloud... at age 34, the 14-year veteran McCloud had a career year with a .323 BA in 150 games with 25 homers, 107 RBIs and 114 runs scored... the Redbirds wound up in the fourth spot in the Tycobbian West Division.

2062 Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award

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Monday, November 13, 2062

IPA GOLDEN SLINGERS ANNOUNCED
The Islandian Pro Alliance has selected its 2062 Golden Arm Award winners... this year's prime slingers and twirlers in the Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union were 34-year-old southpaw Teddy de Grom of the St. John Crusaders and 25-year-old right-hander Rico Alessi of the Oxford Red Caps... they got the nod over four other impressive hurlers, Jozef Duczynski of Valmara, Dan Hunt of Volusia, Weldon Herrington and Robby Numbers, both of High Mesa.

Ruthlandian Union

A 14-year veteran, Teddy de Grom, had an extraordinary season with 19 wins and just two defeats... it was a career year for the left-hander and his first Golden Arm trophy... de Grom sparked St. John to its third straight Ruthlandian South Division title... he ranked third with 19 victories, fourth with a 2.36 ERA and fifth with a .222 opponents batting average... in 198 innings de Grom only permitted 160 hits... his only losses were by the scores of 3-1 and 3-2... he tossed 2 shutouts and logged 12 complete games.

2062 was also the best year Valmara's Jozef Duczynski ever had... the 28-year-old lefty led the Vipers to a very close second place finish in the RU North and he wound up second behind de Grom for this year's RU Golden Arm trophy... Duczynski topped the league with 20 wins and 279 innings... overall he was 20-10 with 23 complete games in 32 starts and 4 shutouts... ranking third with a 2.26 ERA.

The number three choice for the RU Golden Arm trophy was 16-year veteran Dan Hunt of the Volusia Vigilantes... at age 36 Hunt stood out with a 15-5 mark, 2.75 ERA and 4 shutouts and paced the V's to their second RU West title in a row... Hunt started 31 games and worked 216 innings.

Tycobbian Union

The 2062 Tycobbian Union Golden Arm Award went to a 25-year-old right-hander Rico Alessi of the Oxford Red Caps... he compiled a fine 19-7 record in 30 starts, tossed 228 innings with an impressive 2.60 ERA and 3 shutouts with 14 complete games... Alessi tied for the most wins with 19... in his fifth season, he led the Red Caps to their fourth straight Tycobbian North pennant and made the TU All-Star team... this was Alessi's second time to be named the TU top pitcher... he also nabbed it in 2060.

Winding up number two and three in the Tycobbian Union Golden Arm balloting were two hurlers for the High Mesa Mustangs, Weldon Herrington and Robby Numbers... they were like two peas in a pod with almost identical numbers... Herrington came in second to this year's winner, Alessi... the 26-year-old righty posted an 18-7 mark and ranked second in the league with a 2.27 ERA, 265 innings and 6 shutouts... Herrington made 32 starts and completed 16 of them... he also made the Tycobbian All-Star team and High Mesa won the Tycobbian East pennant.

In his sixth season with High Mesa, 26-year-old Robby Numbers really blossomed with a league-leading 19-9 record, ranked third with a 2.29 ERA and 263 inning pitched and fired 4 shutouts... Numbers wound up a very close third in the race for the top pitcher in the Tycobbian Union and also was a member of this year's TU All-Star team... and he was a vital part of this year's TU East Division Division champion Mustangs.

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Tuesday, November 14, 2062

BEST ROOKS, DILLAWAY & DARBY REAP IPA REWARDS
The talent level of the 2062 Islandian Pro Alliance freshman class was pretty darn good... about 50 rookie players got starting roles this season on the 64 teams... leading the pack were two stellar newcomers, Marcellus Dillaway of Ancona and Denny Darby of North Hills... Dillaway hauled in the 2062 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award, while Denny got the honor in the Tycobbian Union.

Ruthlandian Union

In his first season in the IPA, Marcellus Dillaway, the RU Rookie of the Year, stood out with a .315 batting average and 160 hits in 141 games... the 21-year-old centerfielder racked up 29 doubles, 6 triples, 18 HR, 86 RBI and 80 runs... Dillaway was one of the reason the Red Elephants improved from last place in the Ruthlandian North Division to fifth place... Dillaway also was a fine defender, too... he is the younger brother of Vance Dillaway, star hurler for the Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers in the Tycobbian Union.

Polling second in the RU best rookie category was LaGrange's fine third baseman, Cleve Juban... he had a whopper first season with a .313 BA, 177 hits, 24 doubles, 18 homers, 97 RBIs and scored 70 runs in 144 games... Juban also was a solid gloveman at the hot corner... his Gators came in a very close third in the RU North race, just four games behind pennant-winning Far Mountain.

Coming in third in the top rookie balloting was Grand City's standout second sacker, Lyndon Hazzard... he helped the Cybercats climb from last place to third place in the RU South this year... Hazzard was a good defender that played in 146 games and finished with a .288 BA, 21 doubles, 16 triples, 15 homers, 78 RBIs and 88 runs scored... he also stole 12 bases.

Tycobbian Union

The 2062 Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year honoree was North Hills' right fielder Denny Darby, age 23... he starred with a .347 BA in 125 games, collecting 169 hits with 31 doubles, 9 triples, 16 roundtrippers, 79 RBIs, 88 runs and 11 stolen bases... his Hawks came in a distant fourth in the TU North Division.

Blue Lake's left fielder Amos Hunnicutt sizzled at the plate and in the outfield in his first year in the Islandian Pro Alliance... he finished in the runner-up spot to Darby... in 138 games Hunnicutt hit .289 with 27 doubles, 5 triples, 24 home runs, 104 RBIs and scored 78 runs... and he played defense with the best of them... the talented Hunnicutt led the Schooners to a third-place finish in the Tycobbian North Division.

Rookie pitchers didn't fare too well in the IPA this season... one exception wasTimmy Aaron, a teammate of Amos Hunnicutt in Blue Lake... he wound up third in the best rookie balloting... Aaron, a right-hander, made 32 starts, posted a 14-11 mark for the third place Schooners in the TU North... he worked 244 innings, completed 18 games, hurled 2 shutouts and registered a 3.43 ERA.

i really like the CyberCats uniform.:thumbup1:

Yes, it really is well done.
rocknfire7 did that for me... and quite a few others, too.

I'm have been quite fortunate to have the great graphics gurus do the IPA logos, jerseys and caps for me.
A list of them would be like a Graphics Hall of Fame.
I need to compile a list of everybody and post them here.

Attachment 669661
Wednesday, November 15, 2062

IPA GOLDEN GLOVERS SHINED IN '62
Real baseball fans in recent years have taken notice that it takes more than hits and homers to win games... it also take good pitching... and good pitching depends greatly on its defenders, those guys that are featured in all of the highlight reels everyday of every season... there were plenty of standout plays that won a lot of games in the Islandian Pro Alliance this season... and here are the players that could go get 'em and throw 'em out... the 2062 Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union Golden Glove teams... only one rookie, pitcher Timmy Aaron, made the teams... Tuffy Palmieri led with 6 Golden Gloves... Chad Cochran and Buddy Blackford are three-time winners.

2062 Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Awards
Pitcher: Tony Joe Carnes (Valmara Vipers) (1.000 FA) (32 G/19-12/3.88 ERA) (first-time winner)
Catcher: Tuffy Palmieri (St. John Crusaders) (125 G/.992 FA/5 PB/54.3% RTO) (.313 BA/1 HR/59 RBI/56 R) (6-time winner)
First Baseman: Hector Francisco (Stoner Silver Sox) (149 G/.996 FA/75 Assists) (.332 BA/7 HR/74 RBI/95 R/4 SB) (2-time winner)
Second Baseman: Vince Norberg (Cold Creek Raccoons) (151 G/.986 FA/426 Assists) (.319/40 HR/127 RBI/128 R/5 SB) (first-time winner)
Third Baseman: Gus Beasley (Marston Nine) (150 G/.967 FA/241 Assists) (.282 BA/5 HR/75 RBI/74 R/3 SB) (2-time winner)
Shortstop: Cal O'Leary (Ranford Bulls) (151 G/.984 FA/487 Assists) (.244 BA/8 HR/64 RBI/59 R/2 SB) (first-time winner)
Left Fielder: Curtis Cochran (Belair Beach Sunbirds) (153 G/.993 FA/10 Assists/432 PO) (.306 BA/3 HR/64 RBI/100 R/17 SB) (3-time winner)
Center Fielder: Tyler O'Reilly (Belair Beach Sunbirds) (152 G/.990 FA/24 Assists/567 PO) (.234 BA/15 HR/87 RBI/82 R/20 SB) (2-time winner)
Right Fielder: Zippy Balencia (Grand City Cybercats) (138 G/.992 FA/20 Assists/373 PO) (.305 BA/3 HR/67 RBI/75 R/10 SB) (first-time winner)

2062 Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Awards
Pitcher: Timmy Aaron (Blue Lake Schooners) (32 G/1.000 FA) (14-11/3.43 ERA) (rookie winner)
Catcher: Otto Piper (Fairfax Frogs) (126 G/.991 FA/8 PB/61.7% RTO) (.285 BA/9 HR/80 RBI/51 R) (first-time winner)
First Baseman: Buddy Blackford (Oxford Red Caps) (154 G/.994 FA/94 Assists) (.323 BA/49 HR/127 RBI/127 R) (3-time winner)
Second Baseman: Rube Nealy (Hillsboro Blazers) (146 G/.982 FA/463 Assists) (.296 BA/13 HR/82 RBI/59 R) (2-time winner)
Third Baseman: Roman Redondo (San Alejo Montaneros) (147 G/.990 FA/300 Assists) (.231 BA/16 HR/77 RBI/70 R/1 SB) (2-time winner)
Shortstop: Jack Ferris (Colchester Elites) (149 G/.984 FA/440 Assists) (.279 BA/6 HR/52 RBI/60 R/2 SB) (first-time winner)
Left Fielder: Marvin Cordice (Cape Coral Hurricanes) (152 G/.994 FA/12 Assists/491 PO) (.283 BA/11 HR/64 R/96 R/12 SB) (2-time winner)
Center Fielder: Rudy Gatlin (South Fork Stallions) (152 G/995 FA/8 Assists/565 PO) (.285 BA/7 HR/77 RBI/94 R/8 SB) (first-time winner)
Right Fielder: Showboat Lynn (Oxford Red Caps) (153 G/.994 FA/13 Assists/342 PO) (.294 BA/41 HR/119 RBI/121 R/5 SB) (first-time winner)

Attachment 669777
Thursday, November 16, 2062

IPA MVP AWARDS GIVEN TO MOONEY AND STONICH
One of the most prestigious awards in Islandian Pro Alliance circles is the Most Valuable Player Awards... next to being elevated to the IPA Hall of Fame, this might be the next most-revered honor... the 2062 honorees are Elnora's fine outfielder Donald Ray Mooney and Rolling Hills' talented third baseman Teddy Stonich... both standouts sparked their clubs to great heights this year... Mooney was a vital part of the Clippers sudden rise to the Ruthlandian East division flag and Stonich was the main catalyst for the Racers super season... they won the Tycobbian West division crown for the third straight year and also won it all - the team's record-setting fifth Pro Cup trophy.

MOONEY, DE GROM AND NORBERG, 1-2-3 IN RU MVP POLL
This year's Ruthlandian MVP, Donald Ray Mooney, is an 11-year veteran with the Elnora Clippers... at age 29, Mooney made the All-Star team this season, was third in the Golden Bat balloting and paced his team to the RU East flag as they improved drastically from a 73-81 mark in '61 to a super 98-56 record in '62... in a fantastic year Mooney had the third-best batting average at a lofty .367... hammered 30 homers out of the park, drove in 121 runs (2nd) and scored 108 times... in addition Mooney was a go-getter in left field... a standout defender... in his career Mooney is a .309 hitter with 234 roundtrippers and he has been selected to the All-Star team four times... this was a career year for him.

Mooney outpolled several fine performers for the 2062 Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player trophy... his main contender was St. John's topnotch twirler, Teddy de Grom, who led the Crusaders to another magical season... they were the RU South champion for the third year in a row... de Grom captured the Ruthlandian Golden Arm Award this season with an extraordinary 19-2 record... he almost went unbeaten this year - the only games he lost were 3-2 and 3-1... de Grom completed 12 of 19 starts, compiled a 2.36 ERA, fourth best in the RU, and tossed 2 shutouts... at age 34, this was his best season... overall in 14 seasons with the Crusaders de Grom has posted a 207-154 record with a 3.47 ERA... twice he made the Ruthlandian Union All-Stars... he has paced them to five division titles in his tenure.

Ending up third in the Ruthlandian Most Valuable Player poll was Cold Creek's second baseman Vince Norberg... just 21 years old and in his second season in the IPA, he had a sensational season with a .319 batting average in 151 games with 35 doubles, 10 triples, 40 home runs, 127 RBIs and 128 runs... Norberg topped the RU in RBIs and came in second in runs scored... he made the All-Star team this year, copped the Ruthlandian Golden Bat trophy and also won a Golden Glove... the Cold Creek Raccoons rose up from seventh to fourth in the RU East standings, improving from 70-84 last year to 80-74 this year... in his rookie year Norberg batted .280 with 33 homers, 123 ribbies and scored 100 runs... he was the 2061 RU Rookie of the Year

Attachment 669918
Friday, November 17, 2062

ROLLING HILLS STAR STONICH WINS 2ND TU MVP
It was a glorious season for the 2062 Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player, Teddy Stonich, the brilliant third sacker for the IPA Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers... the Racers have captured the overall IPA crown twice in the past three seasons... the six-year star put up massive numbers this season, leading the league in home runs, hits and RBIs and ranking second in runs scored... Stonich batted .345 in 151 games with 219 hits, 34 doubles, 1 triple, 31 home runs, 134 RBIs and 123 runs... he won his second Golden Bat and led the Racers to a third straight Tycobbian West division title... Stonich also was named the Pro Cup MVP this year... Stonich started off his IPA career with a bang... he was the TU Rookie of the Year in 2057... lifetime Stonich is hitting at a .335 clip with 209 homers and has won one batting title in 2059... three times he has made the All-Star squad... this is the second time Stonich has been selected the Tycobbian Most Valuable Player... he also took the honor in 2060.

The runner-up for the TU MVP was a most worthy competitor, Oxford's splendid first baseman Buddy Blackford... since he joined the Red Caps in 2057, the team has won the Tycobbian West 5 out of the previous 6 seasons, the last 3 years in a row... they also copped the IPA Pro Cup in 2061... this year Blackford led the league for the third time in longballs... it was his first time to top the league in runs scored... and he came in second in RBIs... a 6-year veteran at age 26, he posted a .323 BA with 49 homers, 127 RBIs, 127 runs, while participating in 154 games... 4 times Blackford has made the Tycobbian All-Star team and 3 times been award the Golden Glove... he also snagged the Tycobbian MVP trophy and Golden Bat in 2058.

The Islandian Times selected Blackford's Oxford teammate as the third-best votegetter for Tycobbian MVP...Rico Alessi is a 25-year-old right-hander, who has been acclaimed the Tycobbian Golden Arm in two of the past three years... he won the trophy in 2060 and this season... Alessi led the league in victories in those seasons... with him the Red Caps have won pennants in four of his five seasons, the last four in a row... Alessi was also part of the 2061 Pro Cup championship team, going 3-0 in 5 starts with a superb 1.55 ERA... this year he stood out with a 19-7 record, 2.60 ERA in 30 starts, 3 shutouts and 14 complete games... Alessi worked 228 innings and made the All-Star team... overall in he has compiled a 65-23 mark with a fine 2.83 ERA.

Finishing fourth and fifth in the TU MVP voting were two fine hurlers for the up-and-coming High Mesa Mustangs, Weldon Herrington and Robby Numbers... the two workhorses led the club from fourth place to first place in the TU East this season... Herrington is in his sixth IPA season... the 26-year-old right-hander was picked for the All-Star Game and came in second in the Golden Arm poll... he finished 18-7 with a strong 2.27 ERA, second best in the league... also came in second with 265 innings pitched and 6 shutouts... Herrington made 32 starts... lifetime he is 100-58 with an excellent 2.74 ERA... High Mesa has won the TU East title twice in his time with the club.

Numbers blossomed this year in his sixth season... at age 26, the tough portsider made 31 starts with a 19-9 record in 263 innings with a stout 2.29 ERA... tied for the most wins in the Tycobbian Union... wound up third in ERA and Innings Pitched... Numbers fired 4 shutouts, completed 17 games and made 27 quality starts (87.1%)... he also was chosen for the All-Star team and ended up third in the Golden Arm balloting.

Attachment 670150
Saturday, November 18, 2062

RACERS AND CLIPPERS SKIPS NAMED BEST IN IPA
What makes the best managers in the Islandian Pro Alliance?... Does he know how to shrewedly handle people?... Is he a communicator?... Does he handle public relations well?... Does he get along with team management?... Can he walk out of the dugout day-after-day and get the lineup card to the umpires?... can he go out to the mound, politely ask for the ball and graciously slap the pitcher on the butt when he takes him out of a game?... Well, all of that is well and good, but basically, what makes a good manager is good players... as one award-winning skipper put it, "If you got the hosses, hoss... you will will a lot of games."

Well, I guess you could say the Rolling Hills Racers had the hosses... and you could also say that the Elnora Clippers did, too... they both won a bunch of ballgames this year in the Islandian Pro Alliance and their managers were named as the best managers in Island baseball for the year 2062... Rolling Hills' Billy Christianson and Elnora's Stan Kivas were lauded as the top skippers in the Tycobbian and Ruthlandian Unions... it was the second straight season Christianson won the honor.

CHRISTIANSON TOP TYCOBBIAN MANAGER
After a 21-year Hall of Fame career Billy Christianson took charge of Rolling Hills in 2052... his father is the famed IPA manager and superstar amateur pitcher Matty Christianson... after four or five so-so seasons Billy turned the Racers into contenders and they have really thrived the last three years with two Pro Cup trophies... this year Rolling Hills won more ballgames than any other team... they went 102-52 and scampered away with their third consecutive Tycobbian West title... that was good enough for the IPA media to choose him the 2062 Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year.

In spite of this sparkling record, Christianson got some very still competition from Southport's Lorne Evans, who came in a very close second in The Islandian Times poll... Evans, also a Hall of Famer, has enjoyed a wealth of success as skipper of the Sun Sox... the team has won six pennants in his 16 seasons, including a Pro Cup in his first season, 2047... the Sun Sox are almost always a contender in the TU South race... but this was a special year even for Evans... they were fourth in 2061 with an 80-74 record... but this year they shot up to 100-54 and won the division flag... and they almost won a fourth best-manager honor for Evans... he won it in 2047, 2055 and 2058... Evans would have broken the record if he had won this year... he is tied with Matty Christianson of Rolling Hills and Charley Oscar of Southport each with three best-manager awards.

Winding up a distant third in the TU Best Manager balloting was the rookie skipper of the San Alejo Montaneros, Matt Bell... under Bell, the Monties went from sixth place in '61 to second place this year... San Alejo went from 67-87 to 88-66... quite a jump for anybody, especially a freshman manager... Bell is a Hall of Fame pitcher, who starred 21 years for the Montaneros, going 391-225 in his career with a magnificent 2.42 ERA.

KIVAS COPS BEST MANAGER IN RUTHLANDIAN UNION
The 2062 Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year Award easily went to Stan Kivas of the Elnora Clippers... under his helm Elnora had a terrific year, improving from 73-81 and fourth place last season to 98-56 and the RU East pennant this season... Kivas was a starter for Elnora, compiling a 237-203 mark with a 3.45 ERA in 16 seasons... three times he was voted an All-Star and once he captured the Golden Arm... that was in 2044... as a rookie reliever in 2033 Kivas helped Elnora win its only IPA Pro Cup.

Benjy Donahue of the Far Mountain Redhawks finished second to Kivas... Donahue was a light-hitting solid first sacker for 12 years with the team... Donahue hit .300 lifetime, but only had 32 homers... he retired in 2057 and took over the club in 2058... this season the Redhawks flourished, going from fourth place to first place in the Ruthlandian North Division... in his five years as Far Mountain skipper, Donahue has always ended up in the top four teams, winning at least 82 games.

Third in the RU best-manager competition was Buster Noland of the Rocky Rapids Snappers... his family has always owned the ballclub... Buster's daddy was Junior Noland, who posted a 169-144 record and 3.46 ERA with the Snappers in his 11 seasons... and his granddad was the famed strikeout and no-hit artist in company league baseball, Ryan Noland... in the family tradition Buster also did very well in the IPA, going 214-155 with a 3.43 ERA in 14 years with Rocky Rapids... he won 20 games four times... made the All-Star team one time in 2048... he retired in 2052... was made manager in '58 and has made slow improvement each year... this year was his best... the Snappers improved from 76-78 to 84-70 this season, winding up third both years... they came in 21 games behind in '61... and just 4 games behind this year.

Ah... at last... finished another fine season in the IPA.
Took two and a half months real time.

I really enjoyed this season... probably because Rolling Hills finally won its fifth Pro Cup trophy... they should have won it in 2061 but they blew a big lead in the ninth inning in the second round to get eliminated from the playoffs.

I had mixed emotions... Volusia really has done well in the playoffs the last two years... finishing second both times with less talent than some other teams... actually, they are talented, just don't have longball firepower... it was hard to pull for the Racers and not the V's.

I noticed in playing out all the postseason games that the AI ignores some very good players and plays lesser players.

Going to go through all the team rosters and fix this through forced trades.
This will make both teams better... and yes, EC is impartial... will not favor anybody.

At the same time I will clean out the reserved rosters of the useless talent there.

Will also create the new rookie class of free agents and assign them to teams randomly, based on the team needs.

May take a while to do all 64 teams.

Updated 8 team rosters with rookies and purged reserve rosters of poor talents.

56 to go.