Sorry, been busy posting requests to update the IPA team logos, jerseys and caps... golem64 has done a beautiful job on his 5 teams.

Will play games six of the first round playoffs on Tuesday.

Man, the graphics gurus are doing a great job on updating my IPA teams with new logos, jerseys and caps... can't wait to post the new graphics.

Sorry for not playing playoff games recently, but I need to post the teams that need reworking for the graphics guys... takes a lot of time.

Will try to play playoff game six today.

Take your time, it's worth it for the new graphics!

Attachment 723740
Friday, October 9, 2065

3 OF 4 IPA PLAYOFFS GO THE LIMIT IN 1ST ROUND
How about the Islandian Pro Alliance postseason playoffs?... three of the four series will go the limit... Claxton-LaGrange, Colfax-Wynnamac and Rolling Hills-Tuckanarra will all feature a 7th-game finale to decide the first-round action... there is nothing better in sports than a 7th-and-decisive game... and the IPA has three of them... only the Southport Sun Sox and Hartsdale Hellcats failed to go the distance in the best-of-seven series... the Sun Sox spoiled a true fanatical feast by sweeping the Hellcats in five games.

Defending Pro Cup champion Claxton just barely kept its back-to-back Pro Cup hopes alive by forcing a seventh game with the tough LaGrange Gators... the Diamonds' great pitching saved their season by shutting out the Gators 4-0 and staving off first-round elimination... Wynnamac evened its series at three wins apiece with Colfax, trouncing the Black Sox 9-3... and Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills staved off elimination with a dramatic 5-2 comeback victory over the feisty Tuckanarra Tiger Cats... the Racers did not go home for the season... their Pro Cup aspirations are still alive.

2065 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series - Game 6 (best-of-seven series)
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Three Game 7s? Not bad at all!

Yeah, it's exciting.

I really enjoying playing out the playoff games... the animation is really something to behold... OOTP is really special.

Hope I live to see it when the animation is truly perfected... 10-15 years ago I remember looking forward to the day when I would be able to watch the IPA stars on the field playing out the game instead of reading about it... I had a game called Front Page Baseball with amazing graphics... I think it was around 2005.

And now it is happening.

Hope it is perfected and made more realistic in the next the 3-4 years.

Markus and crew just might do it.

Attachment 724425
Saturday, October 10, 2065

CLAXTON, COLFAX, ROLLING HILLS WIN 7TH GAMES
It took all seven games, but Claxton finally beat LaGrange, Colfax finally whipped Wynnamac and Rolling Hills finally defeated Tuckanarra in first-round action in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs... Southport was the only club that had a relatively easy time... the Sun Sox swept the Hartsdale Hellcats in four games.

In yesterday's seventh-game showdowns defending Pro Cup champion Claxton kept their hopes for a repeat performance alive by outlasting the very tough LaGrange Gators 4-2... Colfax was victorious over the scrappy Wynnamac Sundowners 4-1... and Rolling Hills finished off the valiant Tuckanarra Tiger Cats 2-1.

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I had Front Page Sports Baseball also, and it was much earlier - I had '94 and '98.

Were the Front Page Sports' animation really that good?
I was impressed, but can't really remember how good it was?

It was a lot better than OOTP animation, wasn't it..

Somebody on this Forum gave me an old copy from the 90's... it wouldn't work properly on my computing operating system, so I gave it to someone else.

But what little I did see of the animated graphics... it was pretty good for its time..

jg2977, I will mail you my IPA logos, jerseys and caps this week.

Send me a private message or post it here when you receive them.

Let me know that they will work in your game.

Will do. Thanks!

It was so long ago, don’t really remember what the animations looked like. I remember that ‘94 only had 12 ballparks so some teams had to share the same ballpark. The ‘98 version had all of the current ballparks at that time. I used to invite my friend over in the summer and we would play that game for hours!

Attachment 724795
Saturday, October 10, 2065

IPA SEMI-FINAL SHOWDOWNS
One round down, two to go... up next in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs is the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian title series... we are now down to just four teams... the RU and TU League Championship Series will begin Monday afternoon in best-of-seven series... in the Ruthlandian Union defending Pro Cup champion Claxton (94-60) made it past the first round just barely... it took them seven games to subdue the LaGrange Gators... now the Diamonds will be dealing with the Colfax Black Sox (92-62), who knocked off the Wynnamac Sundowners also in a full seven-game series... round two in the Tycobbian Union will feature two powerhouses... this year's Pro Cup favorite, the Rolling Hills Racers (101-53) and the Southport Sun Sox (96-58) tee it up... Claxton and Rolling Hills will have the homefield advantage... the Racers were pushed to seven games by the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats... they trailed three games to two before they took games six and seven... Southport kayoed the Hartsdale Hellcats four games to one in round one... the Diamonds will host the Black Sox at Avalon Stadium, while the Racers will entertain the Sun Sox at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds.

Around the Town in the Islandian Pro Alliance
Attachment 724796

COLFAX BLACK SOX
Owner: Enim Dlog (Precious Metals Corporation)
GM: Mitch Fullerton
Manager: Garry August

Colfax is found in west central Ruthlandia, population 89,000. It is a "City of Gold" situated on the scenic Silver River, which flows out of the Silver Mountains northwest of Volusia, past Colfax and then eastward to the nation's capital, Forest City. It then merges with the Green River, which winds its way through the southern half of the country and ends at Belair Beach.

The town was settled during the Gold Rush of the 1850's and is still quite profitable. It is also an important coal mining center.

It is also the home of the Colfax Black Sox of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the West Division. The team is nicknamed for the miners, so important in mining the gold, silver, copper and coal. For the first six decades the club was known as the Blasters, which has a double meaning. A "blaster" would set off the dynamite in the mines, while a "blaster" at the ballpark would blast the ball out of the park.

Due to its great financial wealth and success, Colfaxians have a town of stunning beauty and charm. Built by the coal barons and the gold mine owners, it is filled with grand buildings and mansions, intermingled with the smokestacks that loom over the landscape. To lessen the environmental impact, quiet canals and man-made waterways flow through the town. Visitors can glide by boat along the tranquil Silver River or walk the fabled cobblestoned streets and discover a town that time has almost forgotten. You can hear its famous landmark, "The Belfry", a carillon or bells that toll every hour and has continuously for over 150 years. Colfax also boasts an opera house, concert hall, theater and a ballet company.

Colfax's Mountain View Stadium is known for its gorgeous view of the town, the Silver Mountain backdrop beyond the outfield fence and for its "Pot of Gold". It is an actual pot, five feet in diameter, located in the center field section of the ballpark, 410 feet away. Whenever a Blaster or Black Sox player hits a ball that ends up in the "Pot of Gold", that player and a fan each receive $5,000 in gold coins. The fan is chosen in a "lucky scorecard number" drawing.

At the ballpark you have hardworking and hard-living miners and the white collar and managerial set...the beer set and the champagne set. Both are attended to at Mountain View Stadium. You can get anything from hot dogs to caviar at the concession stands.

The Colfax original owner was Enim Dlog, whose ancestors are from somewhere in the Baltics. It was one of his ancestors, who first discovered gold in the 1850's. In fact, the new ballpark was built on the same site as the first gold mine.

One of the greatest players in Colfax history is Hall-of-Fame hurler Ilya Szabo, who pitched 19 seasons for the Blasters from 2003 to 2021. Lifetime Szabo was 327-210 with a great 2.57 ERA. He sparked them to 8 pennants and a Pro Cup in his tenure as a player. Colfax beat Turon in the 2010 Pro Cup. Szabo was inducted into the first HOF class in 2027. He was a 9-time All-Star, captured 4 RU Golden Arm Awards and was twice the Ruthlandian Most Valuable Player. He retired as a player in 2021 at age 42. Szabo went 18-17 his final season with a 3.76 ERA... Szabo also served as General Manager and Manager of the Blasters for many years.

The current General Manager is former star catcher Mitch Fullerton... he played with Colfax for 19 seasons and finished with a lifetime .294 BA, 300 homers and 1244 RBIs... Fullerton's career spanned from 2026 to 2044... Garry August, the skipper of the Black Sox, never played in the Islandian Pro Alliance... in fact, he never played baseball at any level... never played any sports at all in organized leagues... he got his experience in as a high school coach, was very successful in all sports, went to work for Fullerton as a bench coach when Fullerton was the manager and was hired as manager in 2062.

Mountain View Stadium (1971)
Capacity: 10,850

Dimensions:
LF Line 315
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 405
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 345

Attachment 724797

CLAXTON DIAMONDS
Owner: DeBeers Mining Company
GM: Dixie Baker
Manager: Abe Schiffman

Claxton is a company town, a mining town of 107,000 in the southwestern foothills of the Silver Mountains, famous for its very high quality diamond industry. DeBeers, the world's largest diamond company, has a branch in Ruthlandia, where the ultimate diamonds are mined, cut, polished and processed, then distributed to the four corners of the world.

Claxton Diamonds are very much in demand worldwide because of their very fine quality. Gold and silver mining is also a vital part of the town's and Ruthlandia's economy. Claxton is a hardworking, blue collar town, who really love their baseball team, the Claxton Diamonds.

The club is owned by DeBeers and plays their games at gorgeous Avalon Stadium, built by DeBeers as a showcase stadium in 1990, complete with a scenic view of the Silver Mountains. The Avalon Casino is located in center field and is one of the most popular in the Islands. World famous entertainers appear regularly there.

DeBeers sponsors a "Lucky Diamond" sign on the right side of the left field scoreboard. DeBeers starts off each season with diamonds worth $1000 in the pot and increases it by $1000 each game, until someone wins it. Whenever a Claxton batter hits that sign, the player wins whatever is in the Diamond Jackpot and a lucky fan is also a jackpot winner, too. The lucky fan is chosen by the lucky scorecard number. During the fourth-inning stretch it is a Diamonds' tradition for the ladies at the game to sing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". A diamond is given away at each game to some lucky lady. In the seventh inning everybody joins in for the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". At the concession stands you can feast on hot dogs, hamburgers, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks.

The Claxton Diamonds are in the Ruthlandian Union and play in the South Division. The first GM and manager was the iconic Stacy Engel, known as "The Old Perfesser". He was the most successful manager in the Islandian amateur and company leagues. Engel was the only one considered for the Claxton job in 2001, the first year of the Islandian Pro Alliance. His amateur success continued in the IPA with 8 division flags. Engel retired in 2029.

Currently the Diamonds are run by general manager Dixie Baker, a star Golden Glove outfielder for the Diamonds from 2001 to 2014. He batted .266 in his 13-year career with 363 homers and over 1100 RBIs. Claxton made the postseason playoffs 5 times in his playing days. Baker also skippered the club for 22 seasons, 2029 to 2051, garnering 6 pennants. He became the GM in 2052 with superstar player Jojo DeLucca taking charge as player-manager.

One of the greatest player in the history of the Islands, DeLucca had a fabulous 24 years in the IPA, batting .303 with 635 homers, 2425 RBIs and scored 2099 runs. The great infielder made the RU All-Stars 15 times, was a 6-time Golden Glover and was named the RU Most Valuable Player in 2045. Delucca retired as a player at age 42 and was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2061. But, after five straight subpar seasons, DeLucca resigned in 2057... durable and workhorse hurler Abe Schiffman took the helm and has turned the team around.

Schiffman was 238-177 with a 3.70 ERA for 15 seasons from 2037 to 2051 and helped the Diamonds win 5 pennants. Three times Schiffman paced the Ruthlandian Union in strikeouts.

Avalon Stadium (1990)
Capacity: 10,500

Dimensions:
LF LINE 325
LF 350
LC 390
CF 399
RC 365
RF 355
RF LINE 320

SOUTHPORT SUN SOX
Owner: Stage Productions
GM/Manager: Lorne Evans

Southport is located on Arvonian Island on its southeast tip, the southern-most city in Islandian. Arvonian Island, a tourist's treat, sits in the Southern Sea south of the main island and is separated from the mainland by Belair Bay. Cape Coral is on the island's north coast, Summerland on the northeast shore, Arroyo Grande on the southwest coast and San Alejo is in the mountainous interior.

Southport has a good natural port with beautiful white beaches and was settled by the British in the 1860s. They had first settled in Summerland, but thought that greater opportunities lay in the sparsely-populated southern part of the island.

Southport's population numbers about 75,000 fulltime residents, but is visited by many times that number of tourists from all over Tycobbia, Ruthlandia and recently by visitors from all over the world. The town got it start in 1870s when the "Father of Southport" Henry Banks built several hotels near the hot springs along with holiday cottages. Banks promoted Southport as "Heaven on Earth" and got the plant and factory owners on the mainland to send their workers there on holiday as a reward for their work. Banks arranged for cheap passage on ships to Southport as well. The growth intensified when he got the factory owners to close down for a week each year to service and repair the equipment. Banks got them to do it on different dates throughtout the year to insure a steady flow of tourists. As more and more industry developed in Tycobbia and Ruthlandia, the more Banks' tourist enterprise prospered and grew.

Southport's early growth and character was predicated on its pioneering use of electric power. In 1879 Banks created Southport Illuminations, lighting up the Promenade, the main downtown area, with 12 arc lamps. Banks called it "Artificial Sunshine". This was a year before Edison got the patent on the electric light bulb. Also as an attraction, Banks built was one of the world's first electric tramways running from Cocker Street to Dean Street on the Promenade. The tram has remained in continuous service to this day. Southport Illuminations has now grown to a three-mile stretch on the Promenade and lit up by 100,000 light bulbs. Tourists from all over Islandia and the world come to see the light spectacle. At Christmastime the Promenade is aglow with Christmas lights and decorations. It's a wondrous sight to behold and see.

In 1912 Pleasure Beach, a world-class amusement park, was the brainchild of a town alderman, William George Bean. He wanted to create "a place where adults could feel like children again". It succeeded beyond his wildest dreams and is still a huge attraction today. The amusement park includes a baseball stadium, built in 1962 for the town's industrial leagues. It is named Pleasure Beach Ballpark and is run by Stageworks Productions, a company Bean's son-in-law, Leonard Thompson, established to run Pleasure Beach. You can see the beautiful blue waters of the Southern Sea beyond the outfield fences.

It was through Amanda Thompson, the daughter of Leonard Thompson and CEO of Stageworks, that the corporation ventured into professional baseball and obtained a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance. She thought it would be a great addition to Southport's tourist attractions, considering how much the Islanders love baseball. That's how the Southport Sun Sox came into being.

The first skipper of the Southport Sun Sox was Charlie Oscar, one of the greatest all-around player ever, who starred as in the company leagues for over 25 years. Oscar was great with the glove and the bat. He could run, throw, field, hit for average and hit with power, a true 5-tool player. Oscar retired and appointed a former Sun Sox superstar Lorne Evans as his replacement. Evans played in the IPA from 2025 to 2043, 9 years with Southport and then 10 with Tuckanarra. He was a 12-time All-Star, 4-time Tycobbian MVP, 5-time Golden Bat winner and twice was honored with a Golden Glove. Evans has led his clubs to 7 pennants and one Pro Cup in his career. That was in 2047, his first season as manager... He was a lifetime .305 batter with 2928 hits, 701 homers, 1836 RBIs and 2045 runs. Evans is 7th in the IPA all-time in homers and 9th in runs scored... he is ranked 15th in RBIs.

Pleasure Beach Ballpark (1962)
Capacity: 12,500

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 330
Left Field 355
Left Center 385
Center Field 395
Right Center 385
Right Field 355
Right Field Line 330

ROLLING HILLS RACERS
Owner: Lemroh Meat Company
GM/Manager: Billy Christianson

Rollings Hills has a population of 78,000 and is located in the west central part of Tycobbia and was originally settled by the Kewanna Indians. "kewanna" means "hills that rise and fall" in their language. That is exactly what the landscape looks like here...gentle, rolling hills populated with sporadic groves of birch trees and acre after acre of cattle, dairy, pig, chicken and agricultural farms. Crops include wheat, oats and corn, potatoes and vegetables. In town are the stockyards and meat and grain processing plants. The population is mainly Americans and Brits with only a few Kewannas remaining.

Rolling Hills is an old-timey middle class town with wooden storefronts and bricks streets, lined with gas lamps and pedestrian walkways. No cars are allowed in the midtown area.

It is the home of the Rolling Hills Racers of the IPA's Tycobbian Union West Division. They were the Reds for over 50 years and became the Racers in 2060... The Racers play at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds, a relic from the early days of baseball. Built in 1907, it is surrounded by birchwood trees in a picturesque park area of town, where families can picnic and enjoy strolls, bicycle rides and boat rides on the park ponds, all amid the peaceful shade trees. A quaint aspect of the ballpark is that the power alleys are deeper than center field. They measure 425 feet, while to dead center it is 410 feet. It takes quite a blast for righthanders to get it out...350 down the line in left field and 375 in straightaway left. However, the lefthanded hitters love it...only 320 down the right field line and 350 to straightaway right .

The Lemroh family owns the team as well as being the owners of the stockyards and meat processing plants. The concessions stands are unique in design. There are even soda fountains, complete with stools. They serve up tasty hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, ice cream, sundaes, banana splits, thick shakes and malts.

A Dixieland band provides the music between innings and helps the Rolling Hillians cheer their Racers to victory. Many times throughout the game the fans will dance The Charleston (dance popular in the 1920s). During the seventh-inning stretch you get a rousing Dixieland version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

The first GM and Manager of the Rolling Hills Reds (Racers) was the legendary pitcher, Matty Christianson, one of the most revered players and managers in Tycobbian baseball history. Christianson stood out as a player and manager in the company leagues. When the IPA began play in 2001, Christianson became a vital part of the Rolling Hills franchise. A record four times he was named the Tycobbian Manager of the Year. Under his leadership the Reds won 10 TU West flags, made the playoffs 12 times and captured 2 Pro Cups (2029 and 2031). This IPA legend retired after 51 years at the helm. Since Christianson's retirement, his sons Billy and Matthew, have starred for the team. Billy Christianson made the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame in 2049. He was a 6-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glove winner. In his 20 seasons Christianson had a career batting average of .302 with 258 homers and 3173 hits. At age 38 he retired. Billy has managed the club since 2052. Matthew retired in 2052 after 18 seasons with a fine 292-219 record and an impressive 2.98 ERA. He was a 4-time All-Star. Matthew is the Racers' pitching coach... so far, Billy Christianson has won 6 Tycobbian South pennants and 2 Pro Cups (2060, 2062).

Midtown Base Ball Grounds (1907)
Capacity: 6,850

Dimensions:
LF Line 350
LF 375
LCF 425
CF 410
RCF 425
RF 350
RF Line 320

*

Thanks for posting pictures and descriptions of the teams! It gives me an idea of what ballpark the teams in my IPA will play in. Southport will definitely use Dodger Stadium, and Rolling Hills can possibly use Old Comiskey Park.

I love the customized stadiums. Did someone on the forum make those for you?

In the early days of OOTP there were about 5 stadium designers that created about 100 stadiums... real ones... and fictional ones... one of them Teflon Skies did extraordinary work... he said it took him 100 hours to do a stadium.

I collected all of the stadiums that they would post... that's where the IPA stadiums came from... I have about 68 stadiums.

The Claxton Diamonds' stadium Avalon Stadium was created by Teflon Skies... he must have done 20 fictional stadiums... sorry, don't remember the other guys... Henry might been the one that would create real MLB parks like the Polo Grounds and Sportsmen's Park.

Here's a link showing two of Teflon Skies best creations:

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...skies+stadiums

Attachment 724969
RU, TU TITLE SERIES BEGIN MONDAY
They began the season with 64 teams and now they are down to just four... it's Final Four time in the IPA playoffs... last year's champion Claxton made the cut, this year's favorite Rolling Hills is still alive, along with two other Pro Cup hopefuls, the Colfax Black Sox and the Southport Sun Sox... who will prevail in the second round of the Island Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoff and advance to the Pro Cup Finals and play for the coveted Pro Cup trophy?... will the dominating pitching of Claxton repeat with back-to-back Pro Cups?... will the hard-hitting Rolling Hills Racers outscore everybody?... will the good all-around Southport Sun Sox have their day in the sun?... can the underdog Colfax Black Sox use a well-balanced attack with fairly good pitching and pull a couple of upsets?... the baseball-crazed nation of Islandia will soon find out... starting this Monday afternoon it's the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union League Championship Series... Claxton and Colfax will tangle for the RU title and Rolling Hills and Southport will square off for the TU title in best-of-seven series.

In the first round 2nd-ranked Claxton whipped 4th-rated LaGrange in a standout seven-game series... number 6 Colfax upended number 7 Wynnamac in seven tense games... top-ranked Rolling Hills bested 5th-rated Tuckanarra, but had to go the full seven games to prevail... and 3rd-rated Southport took care of number 8 Hartsdale in just five games.

Defending IPA champion Claxton probably looked the best in the first round... they whipped an outstanding LaGrange squad... the Diamonds did it with superb pitching, adequate hitting and excellent defense... unheralded Colfax can hit the ball and score runs... their success depends on how well they stop the Claxton bats... the Diamonds should win... they are devastatingly good on the hill... Claxton is the better club and should win in 5 or 6 games... the Diamonds have a strong chance to defend its IPA title.

Rolling Hills was better-than-ever against a strong Tuckanarra team... as expected the Racers hit well and scored runs, but it was the excellent pitching that impressed and won the series... Rolling Hills will have their work cut out for them... Southport may be as good as Claxton and LaGrange when it comes to standout pitching... in the first round the Sun Sox staff handled the Hartsdale Hellcats pretty well and the Hellcats had a fine year at the plate... they certainly were no patsies at the plate... the Tycobbian title is up for grabs... it a toss-up between two fine squads... both can hit, both can pitch... in recent years in the playoffs, Rolling Hills has had suspect pitching, especially in the bullpen... another critical shortcoming is the Racers' defense... if that proves to be the case this year, Southport will win... the Sun Sox have a much better defensive club... no matter what, it looks like a seven-game survival of the fittest and both clubs are fit... if the Racers continue to pitch like they did against the Tucks, Rolling Hills will win in seven games.

Claxton Diamonds
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Colfax Black Sox
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Rolling Hills Racers
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Southport Sun Sox
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Tuesday, October 13, 2065

VISITORS VICTORS IN IPA LCS OPENERS, UNDERDOGS WIN
The homefield advantage wasn't an advantage in the opening games of the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian League Championship Series... both underdogs won, too... the visiting Colfax Black Sox trounced the hometown Claxton Diamonds 7-3 in the first game of their series, while visiting Southport smacked the homestanding Rolling Hills Racers 6-3 in 11 innings.

2065 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 1 (best-of-seven series)
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2065 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 1 (best-of-seven series)
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Wednesday, October 14, 2065

SUN SOX WHIP RACERS AGAIN, SOX AND DIAMONDS SPLIT
Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills is in trouble... undaunted Southport with its fabled pitching staff has upended the powerful Racers twice in two tense games to take a huge 2-0 edge in the Tycobbian Union title series... the Sun Sox skimmed by Rolling Hills 3-2 in game two... in the Ruthlandian Union title clash it's all even after the first two games of a best-of-seven affair... Claxton got some standout pitching in a 5-0 blanking of the Colfax Black Sox... the two clubs have split the first two games.

2065 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 2 (best-of-seven series)

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2065 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 2 (best-of-seven series)

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Thursday, October 15, 2065

BLACK SOX, RACERS TRIUMPH IN GAME 3
Unheralded Colfax took the Ruthland Union title series lead two games to one over defending Pro Cup titleholder Claxton by nicking the Diamonds 6-5 in the third game of the best-of-seven affair... while it was this year's Pro Cup choice Rolling Hills that rallied in the late innings to defeat Southport 9-8, thus cutting the Sun Sox's edge in the Tycobbian Union series to two games to one.

2065 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 3 (best-of-seven series)
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Thursday, October 15, 2065

2065 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 3 (best-of-seven series)
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Friday, October 16, 2065

BLACK SOX UP 3-1 ON DIAMONDS IN RU TITLE SERIES, RACERS AND SUN SOX TIED 2-2 IN TU
The Colfax Black Sox took a huge leap in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian title series with cliff-hanging 4-3 thriller over the defending Pro Cup champion Claxton... over in the Tycobbian title series this year's Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills won a shootout with the Southport Sun Sox 10-5 to knot that series at two wins each.

2065 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 4 (best-of-seven series)
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Rooting for the Black Sox to take home the gold this time round. Like their offensive style, seems like they got a solid lineup of bats.

Claxton has some really good pitchers, but the Black Sox are like you say, solid up-and-down in the lineup... they have done very well at the plate against the Diamonds so far... two years ago Colfax lost in the Pro Cup Finals to Hartsdale four games to two with basically the same team... The Black Sox have put Claxton in a deep, dark hole... not very likely the Diamonds can hit their way out of it... it's tough to win three in a row against a bad team, much less against a very good team.

If they can get there, either one will do well in the Pro Cup Finals... Blaine Barkins and Terry Dubrovnik are going to have to do much better for the Black Sox to win the Pro Cup... Mark Meisner and closer Alvie London will be the keys for the Diamonds... Colfax is looking great for game five with Karl Kruger on the hill... good chance they will finish off Claxton and end their hopes for back-to-back Pro Cups... Meisner is slated to start for the Diamonds.

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Saturday, October 17, 2065

BLACK SOX ELIMINATE DIAMONDS, ADVANCE TO PRO CUP FINALS
It's all over, but the crying in Claxton... the upstart Colfax Black Sox are headed back to the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals once again for the second time in three seasons... they eliminated last year's Pro Cup champion in five games... the Black Sox finished off the Claxton Diamonds by the score of 3-2 in game five of the best-of-seven set... now Colfax will take on the Tycobbian Union champion for the overall IPA title... this year's Pro Cup choice, the Rolling Hills Racers, whipped the Southport Sun Sox 6-3 to take a 3-2 advantage in that series... the Racers have two chances at home to beat the Sun Sox.

2065 Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 5 (best-of-seven game series)
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2065 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 5 (best-of-seven game series)
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Monday, October 19, 2065

SUN SOX PUSH RACERS TO THE LIMIT, A 7TH GAME
In the last six seasons the powerhouse Rolling Hills Racers have been involved in a bunch of seven-game series... 7 times out of the last 13 playoff series, Rolling Hills has gone to seven games... some they win, some they lose... 4 times Rolling Hills has been victorious... 3 times they have been beaten... well, it time again for a another tense seventh-game showdown for the Racers... the spunky Southport Sun Sox refused to go away... they spoiled the Racers' Pro Cup plans at least for a day...they whipped them 7-2 in game six... the seventh and deciding game in the Tycobbian title series is scheduled at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills... the Sun Sox have won 3 Pro Cup trophies, while Rolling Hills has snagged a record 5... the Racers are the number-one pick to win the coveted IPA title this season... the Sun Sox were ranked third in the Pro Cup poll... a very good team will advance to the Island Finals... and a very good team will call it a season.

2065 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 6 (best-of-seven series)
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Monday, October 19, 2065

SUN SOX RALLY PAST RACERS FOR TU TITLE, ADVANCE TO PRO CUP FINALS
The sun is shining brightly in Southport today and the Sun Sox are basking in all its radiant glory after they upended this year's Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills in game seven of the Tycobbian Union Championship Series... Southport roared back from a big 4-0 first-inning deficit and rallied to whip the Racers 7-5 on their home ground... the Sun Sox had to win two in a row in Rolling Hills to dethrone the powerful Racers and spoil their shot at an unprecedented 6th Pro Cup trophy... Southport will now take on the Ruthlandian Union champion, the Colfax Black Sox, in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... it will be winner-take-all for the Holy Grail of Islandian baseball... the Sun Sox will be seeking a fourth Pro Cup trophy to add to their showcase.

2065 Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 6 (best-of-seven series)
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Wow. Road team wins all seven games in the Sun Sox-Racers of the series.

Yeah... and lots of 7-game series, too... this has been an exciting postseason.

Southport beat the Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills in a rip-roaring 7-game series.

Since Southport is the number three-rated team in the Pro Cup playoffs and the Colfax Black Sox are sixth-ranked... it's quite logical that Colfax will win Pro Cup, I guess... my forecast average might be abysmal if I looked it up over time in covering the IPA for 65 seasons... probably below the Mendoza Line.

The Black Sox hit well and have pretty good pitching... that combo usually works well in the playoffs.

Then again, Southport beat an outstanding team... the Racers had 7 All-Stars and hit .319 in the series... and I think they have hit over .300 for the last few seasons... .304 this year... may be an IPA league record.

Dark Horse, guess who posted in the OOTP Mods and Graphics Forum... Goody... I remember him as Portlander in the fabulous Laseron Baseball Association, which you participated in... Goody is posting some graphics on the Graphics Forum.

Maybe your Geo Bahn Rock Hounds will live again one day... GEAUX ROCK HOUNDS... GEAUX!... VIVE LA LBA!

("Geaux" is Cajun French for "Go" in Luzianna) ;)

I made contact with Goody about a month ago. But I haven't been able to get back with him. RL has kept me busy. That's why I haven't posted here in a while. But I'm glad Goody's back on the board. He's very creative.

LOL I'm from Texas. And I had cousin graduate from LSU. We know "geaux" :friday:

From Texas, you say... that gives me another reason to like you... Texans are good old boys and love country music... especially Texas Swing with twin fiddles like Bob Wills and the Texas Troubadours used to play... or good music like Ernest Tubb and his Texas Troubadours used to play... any way, any friend of George Strait or George Jones is a friend of mine.

Hook 'em Horns... GEAUX TEXAS... GEAUX!

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Sunday, October 18, 2065

IPA PRO CUP FINALS START THIS FRIDAY IN SOUTHPORT
The Islands will be in all their glory this coming Friday...baseball will be in air and shining radiantly in the spotlight all across Islandia for the next week... the 2065 IPA Pro Cup Finals will start this Friday afternoon at Pleasure Beach Park in Southport... the two challengers are the champion of the Ruthlandian Union, the Colfax Black Sox, and the champion of the Tycobbian Union, the Southport Sun Sox, going head-to-head in a best-of-seven series for the Holy Grail of Baseball - the IPA Pro Cup.

Southport will be the favorite because they beat powerful Rolling Hills to reach the Finals and and because they have the better pitching... the Sun Sox will be trying to win its 4th Pro Cup in the team's history... the Sun Sox won previously in 2027, 2044 and 2047... 2047 was the current skipper Lorne Evans' first year at the helm... Colfax has only one Pro Cup in its trophy showcase... you have to go all the way back to 2010 when they were the overall Islandian champion.

In the recent past Colfax has the better playoff performance... the Black Sox made the 2063 Pro Cup Finals and lost to the Hartsdale Hellcats in 6 games... most of the '63 team is back for another try... Southport's last foray into the Pro Cup Finals was in '62 when they were eliminated in the TU Finals by Rolling Hills 4 games to 2... the Racers won the Pro Cup that year beating Volusia... the Sun Sox roster has changed a lot since then... mainly in the regular positions... not the same team... both Colfax and Southport may both be better this time around.

For Southport to win, the pitchers will have to stop the Black Sox bats... Roman Littrell (18-7, 2.11 ERA) and Eddy Salem (17-5, 2.77 ERA) are both #1 starters... the outcome of the series will be how well the other starters perform... Bebe Kinney (16-8, 2.55 ERA) will get the game-three assignment... game four will to Pernell Milstead or Jeff Moncriffe (9-10, 3.20 ERA)... Milstead (12-8, 3.08 ERA) was fine in the regular season, but he was ineffective in 2 postseason starts... Moncriffe was in the bullpen in the playoffs and did pretty well... game four is a toss-up between them... the #3 and #4 starters for both teams will probably be the keys to the Pro Cup title.

Karl Kruger (16-8, 3.29 ERA) is the Colfax ace and he has been outstanding in the postseason with a 3-0 mark and a superb 1.13 ERA in 4 starts... but he needs help from the other three starters... Terry Dubrovnik (12-9, 3.48 ERA) will get the call in game two...Terry Starr (12-6, 4.30 ERA) will be the #3... both are quality arms, but inconsistent... Blaine Barkins (18-3, 3.32 ERA) was solid in the regular season, but he has totally bombed in the playoffs this year... Barkins has a horrible 15.26 ERA in 3 starts and an 0-2 record... manager Garry August may have given up on him... each postseason start is critical in a short series... you just don't have time to experiment... August may go with Tommy Birchfield (10-10, 4.32 ERA), who has done well in postseason relief, but not in his one start... the #4 assignment is still up in the air.

Offensively, the edge goes to Colfax... they hit with more power, for a better average and get on base better... top-to-bottom in the batting order, the Black Sox are chocked full of RBI guys... they beat a very good group of Claxton pitchers in the RU title series... so far in the postseason Lanny Waldrep (.318, 5 HR, 9 RBI), Bralen Josephson (.292, 1 HR, 4 RBI), Steven Keener (.360, 1 HR, 3 RBI), Jerry Vayda (.476, 1 HR, 8 RBI) and Rhett Weatherall (.326, 1 HR, 7 RBI) have done the job at the plate... one bat Colfax needs to get going is Owen McElwain (.156, 1 HR, 3 RBI)... he is their third-big power guy... since the Black Sox were good enough to beat the Claxton Diamonds, they may be good enough to top Southport.

Surprisingly, Southport beat Rolling Hills by outscoring them... it wasn't the highly-regarded hurlers that won the day... it was the a well-balanced offense that prevailed, along with some pitching that looked bad because of the potent attack of the Racers... Junior Evans (.298, 2 HR, 7 RBI), Pee Wee Little (.304, 1 HR, 8 RBI), Goldy Zellmer (.342, 0 HR, 8 RBI), Curtis Clift (.327, 1 HR, 8 RBI), Arnold Evans (.289, 1 HR, 7 RBI) are a productive bunch of bats... two of their best bats Walt Walmsley (.231, 0 HR, 4 RBI) and Tonto Tidwell (.200, 1 HR, 5 RBI) have not done well in the playoffs... look out, if they do.

On defense, both Southport (.979 FA) and Colfax (.978 FA) are just average... call it even here... but I might give the edge to the Sun Sox... the Evans brothers turn a lot of double plays... they are the sons of manager Lorne Evans, an IPA Hall of Fame outfielder.

Pro Cup Forecast: Southport's pitching tandem of Roman Littrell and Eddie Salem give them two solid starters... Colfax's Kruger can't win the series by himself... the Sun Sox staff will hold down the Black Sox offense... and the Southport offense will be just good enough to win... the Sun Sox will win the 2065 IPA Pro Cup in 6 games... the Black Sox have not faced pitching like they will see in the Pro Cup Finals.

As the baseball-loving Islanders are always saying, "Have a ball, you all... it's Pro Cup time!"

Southport Home Page
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Colfax Home Page
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