The Islandian Times

Sunday, April 7, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

BELLE PLAINE MUSKETEERS

Owner/GM/Manager: Boo Ladreau (pronounced "Lah-droh")

Belle Plaine, "beautiful plain" in French, is a rural town of 93,000 situated in north central Ruthlandia on the Central Plains in a region known as the "Breadbasket of Ruthlandia". The plains stretch all across the country from east to west and includes the towns of Rocky Rapids, Wynnamac, Elnora and Marston. It is a region known for wheat, oats and corn products, large graineries and grain processing plants and dairy, poultry and meat processing industries. The LeBat factory is located in Belle Plaine as well. It manufactures most of the bats used throughout the Islands.

Belle Plaine was first inhabited by Frenchmen seeking religious freedom. Both English and French are officially spoken here, with French spoken the most. The town is famous for its Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday", a time of parades, carnival and costume balls just prior to Lent. It is a time for the kids to enjoy a multitude of great rides, games, cotton candy, candied and caramel apples and sweets on the carnival midway and enjoy the wonderful parades. Visitors come from all over to attend the fun and festivities at the two-week long event.

It is also the home of the Belle Plaine Musketeers of the Ruthlandian Union's East Division. The team is named for the elite guard of King Louis XIII. They were excellent shots with the musket, but because a musket had to be reloaded, were also excellent swordsmen. It is a tradition at Musketeer Field for the Belle Plaine Can-Can Girls, all lovely young ladies, scantily clad in their cute little outfits, to draw their swords and to use them to rally and to spur on their beloved Musketeers by raising them skyward and shouting in unison, "charge...charge...charge" (with a decided French accent). Every time the Musketeers score a run, the Cancan Girls strut their stuff with their famous can-can dance on top of the dugouts.

Fans can win $10,000 at Musketeer Field, compliments of the LeBat Company. If a player hits the sign ("Hit It Here"), located in center field 420 feet from home plate, it will ring a bell and the lucky ticket holder will win the prize.

Musketeer Field is a big ballpark to hit in, especially for righthanded hitters, who have to deal with huge distances of 363' feet down the line, 380' to straightaway left and 415' in the left center alley. Lefthanded batters love it though... a very short 318' down the right field line, only 340' to straightaway right and just 375' in the power alley.

At the concession stands fine French cuisine can be savored: hot beignets (hot doughnuts with powdered sugar...pronounced "ben-yays"), cafe au lait (strong, flavorful coffee with chicory and steamed milk) and melt-in-your-mouth, sweet and tasty eclairs. Plus the traditional ballpark foods: hot dogs, cokes, peanuts and crackerjacks.

Belle Plaine's owner is Boo Ladreau, the proprietor of the finest restaurant in town. A fine shortstop and manager in the company leagues in his early years. When it looked like Belle Plaine might not get a franchise in the PBA, he stepped up and bought a spot in the league. "Tee Boo" ("Little Boo" in French) , is only 5'4" in height, but he really stands tall and is a bigtime favorite in Belle Plaine because of his community spirit. Tee Boo is also the GM and Manager of the Musketeers.

Musketeer Field (1999)

Capacity: 11,650

Dimensions:
LF Line 363
LF 380
LCF 415
CF 400
RCF 375
RF 340
RF Line 318

I have made an executive decision. I am going to stop being the commissioner and controlling everything in the game. I am going to turn everything over to the AI and let it run the league. I will just report on it.

I am going to have to resort to simming a half season at a time and writing two summaries a season. I will cover all playoff games in detail. I have put too much work in this league just to stop playing it. I hope to play 20 seasons at least, so I can see how the players and the teams do over time.

I should have listened to edog, when he told me to expand slowly, a few teams at a time.

64 teams is just too much to administer. It takes me two days to play a day's schedule. Add to that taking care of the line-ups, pitching rotations and roster transactions is just overwheming. You can't really enjoy a league when this happens. I violated my own philosophy, which is to keep your leagues to 12-16 teams.

Do you guys still want to follow the league, if I don't cover each game?

Comments appreciated.

Eugene, that was a huge step forward adding all of those teams. I can see how after a week or two playing the games out and doing all the write ups might make you go crazy. I guess if you need to, just go with either bi-weekly or monthly reports instead of everyday. That could save some time, I guess. It would be pretty cool though if you could still report on the history of the teams you added for the second season. Don't worry, I'll still be following the league and I'm sure I won't be alone on this.

Erik

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 6, 2002

Three Holdover Teams Atop of RU North
The oldline teams in the Ruthlandian Union North Division have dominated the expansion teams thus far in season two of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Glasco, Far Mountain and Valmara hold the top three positions in the division standings at the All-Star break. The Glasco Athletics are in first place with a 4-game lead over the second place Far Mountain Redhawks and a 5-game edge over the third place Valmara Vipers. The fourth place LaGrange Sports are the best newcomer to the division and trail by 9 games. Rounding out the second division are Ranford, 11 games out, Taranto, 12 games behind, Kilkenny 13 games out and Ancona trails by 18 games.

Glasco (47-24), managed by McDuffie Hughes, has excellent pitching (3.31 ERA), decent hitting (.262) and excellent fielding (.980). Jerry Smith (9-3 3.26), Ray Cook (6-2 3.99), Charles Darby (8-8 2.88) and Jesse Balfour (5-6 4.08) have provided an excellent starting rotation with closer Jake Nyberg (7-2 2.44) heading up a strong bullpen. Danny Stewart (7-0 1.80) has been brilliant in middle relief.

First baseman Maury Smith (.315/4 HR/30 RBI/28 R) and left fielder Ox Beauvais (.307/6 HR/31 RBI/32 R) are Glasco's top hitters. They recently traded for outfielder Bobby Pascarelli (.265/9 HR/37 RBI/31 R), who should add some punch to the offense.

Runner-up Far Mountain (43-28) is piloted by Alex Groveland and he has crafted himself a fine mound corps in his four starters, Mike McCabe (9-3 2.83), Robby Kelly (6-2 3.55), Doc Randolph (4-1 3.23) and Sonny Elliott (7-6 3.10). Groveland could have the best foursome in the league. In the relievers Dave Johnston has stood out with a 5-1 record and a 2.82 ERA. The Redhawks have 3.38 ERA (4th) and a team fielding average of .978 (5th). They are tied for second in batting with a .268 mark.

Third baseman Mike Murphy (.352), center fielder Sid Cameron (.332), catcher Dave Davis (.318) and first baseman Royce Benson(.308) give Groveland some good sticks for average. For power he goes to right fielder Karl Dietz (.247) with 10 homers and outfielders Lee Maddox (.286) and Doogie Stanzel (.286) with 8 roundtrippers each.

The third place Valmara Vipers (42-29) of J. Jackson Samuel are the top club as far as pitching and hitting with an outstanding 3.10 ERA and a .271 batting average. Fielding-wise they are fifth with a solid .978 fielding percentage.

On the hill Danny Blauser tops the list with a 7-4 mark with a 2.18 ERA, followed by Vanya Vasylenko (6-3 3.07) and Jace Allardyce (6-0 2.87). In the batter's box, the Vipers are led by outfielder Jet Kazmarek, who leads the league with a sensational .401 mark. Kazmarek has 4 homers, 49 RBIs and has scored 50 times. He also has stolen 34 bases. Shortstop Fred Vinson is batting .318 with 3 homers, 47 RBIs and 46 runs scored. Outfielder Jan Szymanski (.232) has 10 roundtrippers and 44 runs batted in, along with outfielder Val Krol (.282) with 8 home runs and 37 RBIs.

Foxy Jimison is at the helm of the LaGrange Sports (38-33). His club is hitting .263 as a team, has a 3.43 ERA and is fielding .976 so far this season. The Sports are in the middle of the pack in most categories.

Jimison's top arms are starters Tony Amick (8-4 2.87) and Barney Prohaska (9-6 3.13). In the bullpen his closer Sean Stone (1-2 1.10) has stood out with nine saves and a microscopic 1.10 ERA. Jack Ratelle (7-5 3.16) has done well as a spot starter and long relief man. Heading LaGrange's hitters are outfielders Pat Lacroix (.289) with 9 homers and 41 RBIs and Maurice Jauvert (.278) with 10 homers and 22 RBIs. Shortstop Kyle Villere (.281) has three roundtrippers and 34 RBIs.

The fifth place club is the Ranford Bulls (36-35), managed by Page Satcher, who has molded a pretty fair staff with Chris Bernhoffer (9-7 3.18) and Jackie Hunter (8-6 3.61) his standouts. Satcher's top hitter average-wise is outfielder Junie Darton with a .341 mark. First baseman Jordy John (.307) is his biggest run producer with 12 home runs and 40 batted in. Outfielder Teddy Halvorsen (.267) has belted 10 out of the park and driven in 29 runs.

The Bulls are tied for second with a .268 team batting average, third with a 3.36 ERA and last with a .975 fielding percentage.

The Taranto Tars (35-36) are sixth so far under the leadership of jovial Tommaso Lazzorda. The Tars have a hefty 3.88 ERA (6th), are last with a .255 batting average, but way ahead in homers with 75. Taranto is also the number one fielding club in the division with a fine .981 mark.

Taranto best twirlers are starters Carlo Bianchi (8-7 3.44) and Anthony Nardone (5-3 2.74). A recent add to the rotation, Arnie Wickersham (4-2 3.13) has done well since being promoted. Pacing Lazzorda's batters are power hitters Teddy Giacone (.261), his center fielder, and Dominic Zuccaro (.328), his right fielder. Giacone has 16 homers and 41 RBIs and Zuccaro has 14 and 32 RBIs.

Next-to-last in the RU North are the Kilkenny Cats (34-37), guided by Kieran McKenna. The Cats are in seventh place in the standings and just about as low in most categories, too. Kilkenny (7th) has a mediocre 4.23 ERA and .258 batting average (6th), but stands out with the glove with a .979 fielding average.

Kilkenny has one of the best all-around performer in the league in center fielder Kirk Pitzer, who is hitting a lofty .357 with 8 roundtrippers. He has scored 52 runs, driven in 35 and stolen 23 bases. Third baseman Red Barbosa (.332) has 7 homers and 27 RBIs and first baseman Rowdy O'Leary (.267) with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs. McKenna has only two pitchers of note: starter Dino Carravaggio (7-6 3.05) and closer Timmy Beattie (1-2 2.61) with 6 saves since taking over there.

The Ancona Red Elephants (29-42) are dead last in the division and also last in just about everything, hitting (.257), pitching (4.41 ERA) and fielding (.971). Manager Manny Mickens doesn't have much brag about this year.

But he does have some good words for two of his starters, Marty Sellick (7-6 3.62) and Rick Bourikas (6-5 3.87). Ancona does have a trio of troublesome hitters, first baseman Issie Manos (.322), third sacker Dmitri Vrotsos (.264) and catcher Dale Kerr (.258). Manos has 9 homers and 40 RBIs, Vrotsos 9 homers and 41 RBIs and Kerr has 13 and 42 RBIs.

Division Forecast: It's going to be a three-team battle for the division crown with Glasco the probable winner because of its strong pitching corps, both starters and bullpen. The A's can hold their own in the hitting department with Valmara and Far Mountain. It's pitching where Glasco has the edge. The Vipers and the Redhawks have solid starters, but fall short in the bullpen. They can't match Glasco's relievers.

The top four clubs in each division will make the playoffs. Glasco, Far Mountain and Valmara are the class of the North Division. It will be a dogfight for first place. Anyone of the the three teams could win the pennant. Battling for the fourth spot will be LaGrange and Ranford. The remaining three clubs, Taranto, Kilkenny and Ancona will have to wait until next year.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

BLUE LAKE BLUE SOX

Owners: Chance Franklin, Tink Joseph, Ev Johnson
GM/Manager: Cobb Tyson

Blue Lake is a lovely, modern university town on the western edge of its namesake, Blue Lake. Located in the central part of Tycobbia, Blue Lake has about 82,000 residents. Tycobbia State University is the biggest employer in the city. People graduate, but never seem to leave. Blue Lake is a very liberal town in politics and lifestyle. Residents are outdoor and sailing enthusiasts and concerned environmentalists. Only bicycles and pedestrians are permitted downtown.

Blue Lake also has a thriving bicycle and sailboat industry. Saddida and Ekin athletic shoe companies are headquartered here. Computer and hi-tech companies are centered here as well. Fine arts flower in abundance as the symphony, theatre, ballet, art galleries and museums can be enjoyed by the intellectual elite.

It is also the home of the Blue Lake Blue Sox of the Islandian Pro Alliance and they play in the Tycobbian Union's North Division. The club is owned and operated by a three former university athletes. The University loves its sports and support even their former greats. The University owns the baseball stadium and shares Harbor Stadium with the Blue Sox.

Harbor Stadium has a gorgeous view of the downtown skyline across Blue Lake Harbor. There is a festive college atmosphere at Blue Sox games with lots of college cheers led by the Blue Sox cheerleaders, the “Sox-it-to-‘em Girls". One of the fans’ favorite cheers is when they chant, “Sox it to ‘em ... Sox it to ‘em” to spur the Sox to victory. During the seventh inning stretch everyone stands and sings the university’s alma mater, followed by “Take me out to the ballgame”. At the concessions booths you will find the traditional soft drinks, peanuts, crackerjacks, hamburgers and hot dogs, but also gourmet expresso, cappuccino and latte coffees, and fine esoteric foods like quiche and tofu. Attending a Blue Sox game is truly a unique sporting experience.

Three former TSU baseball players, the famous double play combination during their boola boola days at the university, Chance Franklin, Tink Johnson and Ev Johnson, own and operate the team together. The field manager and GM is one of the all-time greats in company league baseball, Cobb Tyson. He was a tremendous hitter and very fine outfielder, known for his fiery and intense competitive play.

Harbor Stadium (1965)

Capacity: 11,743

Dimensions:
LF Line 320
LF 350
LCF 408
CF 398
RCF 400
RF 365
RF Line 330

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CAPE CORAL HURRICANES

Owner: Conway Birdie

GM/Manager: Huggy Miller

Cape Coral is a town of 112,000 on the northshore of Arvonian Island, jutting out into Belair Bay. Arvonian Island is bordered on three sides by the Southern Sea.

It is a resort area famous for great weather year-round in idyllic tropical surroundings. Serene sky blue waters with magnificent sunsets, white, glistening beaches, luxury hotels, night clubs, legendary entertainers and retirement communities. It is a place to be pampered.

It is also known for an occasional tropical storm or hurricane spawned out of the warm tropical currents of the Southern Sea. Hence, the Cape Coral baseball team in the IPA's Tycobbian Union is nicknamed the Hurricanes. They play at Seaside Stadium, which has an eyecatching view of Belair Bay. Some of the myriad of magnificent hotels and casinos can also be seen rising up in grandeur over the island landscape.

Seaside Stadium is known for its exotic beverages and gourmet fare fit for a king. Every fan treasures the house speciality, "The Hurricane", a fantastic blend of tropical flavors and liqueurs, served up in a beautiful souvenir glass.

The buffet foods make every game very special for the fans and resort visitors. Hot dogs and cokes are available, too, along with the best grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich outside of Memphis, Tennessee.

Seaside Stadium is a huge ballpark. It takes quite a wallop to put one into the stands. The foul lines are 365' and 350' respectively.

Music is provided by the Beachcomber Boys, a rock 'n' roll combo. Their version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" really reverberates, rocks and rolls. One of the Beachcomber Boys, Conway Birdie (old rock 'n' roll star and connoisseur of grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches) is the proud owner of the Hurricanes. Birdie was instrumental (pun intended) in the creation of the Islandian Pro Alliance along with Jock Ewing of Waleska, John Banson (former amateur and industrial league czar) and Jorge Trujillo of Belair Beach. The old rock 'n' roller was a pretty fair ballplayer in his day, too.

Huggy Miller is the GM and Manager of Cape Coral. He was a journeyman second baseman in the industrial leagues, but a truly gifted manager and baseball tactician.

Seaside Stadium (1987)

Capacity: 13,100

Dimensions:
LF Line 365
LF 375
LCF 400
CF 390
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 350

Eugene, ultimately you have to do whatever provides you with the most enjoyment out of your game.

I have a feeling that no matter how you choose to run your league, people (including myself) will be stopping in to read your posts on the dynasty board.

As much as I love the game notes, I really love the "Around the town in the IPA" reports. That's great reading!!

Erik

Thanks for the comments and thanks for being loyal followers.

I think as time goes by and I get to know all of the teams, I will be able to tolerate having to sim. I learned a lot about the teams in the first summary. I am getting ready to pick the all-stars, so that process should tell me who the stars are in the league.

But it really tears me up to see the new depth charts, line-ups and pitching rotiations done by the AI. It has taken excellent closers and put them in as starters and leaving the teams with mediocre closers. It also platoons players way too much. It has taken stars from last year and split their playing time.

But I will just have to accept it. :)

A very special thanks to ukhotstove for an excellent history of Chicopee.
I did about 5% of the story. The song was added by me.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CHICOPEE BRAVES

Owner : Benjamin "Trip" Jenkins III of Jenkins Lumber Company

GM : Lou Littlefeather

Manager : Harry Fleetfoot

Chicopee was founded in 1852 by a small band of Chicopee Indians who had left America because of the constant persecution by the American government and rich land owners. To understand the story of Chicopee, we have to go back to 1828 in North Carolina, USA. The Chicopee had spent generations living in Carolina, but because of the influx of the white man, their lands were shrinking all the time. Before this, the Chicopee shared Carolina with the Creek Nation, but by 1849 the Creek Nation had left Carolina and it wasn’t long before the Chicopee Nation would follow.

The Chicopee Nation at the time were split with many wanting to fight the “Indian Removal Act“ but also many, who didn’t want to fight. By 1851 the United States began to relocate the Chicopee from North Carolina to Oklahoma. But a small group of about 20 Chicopee led by Chief Black Fox decided they want to live on free land. So one night, they slipped away from the soldiers and headed on up to Alaska. However, before they got to Alaska they met up with famous mountain man and fur trapper Jim Beckworth in Colorado. Beckworth had been a friend of many Native Americans and took pity on the plight of the few Chicopee he had met.

So he told Chief Black Fox about Tycobbia and that it was a country that welcomed any man, woman or child, no matter what their skin color or background. He then travelled to San Francisco with the band of Chicopee, where he managed to persuade a ship's captain to take them to the new world of Tycobbia. He gave up all the furs and money he had to pay the captain and said farewell to the Chief and his people, who would always be in debt to Beckworth.

On reaching Tycobbia in 1852, the Chicopee settled along the coast near Bay St. Clair, a remote spot that had good hunting and fishing to help them survive their new environment. In 1860 land rights were granted to them by the Tycobbia government as a thank you to them for being law-abiding citizens and good neighbors. It was when these land rights were granted that Chief Black Fox and the Chicopee council decided on naming the land where they lived Chicopee. Thus the town of Chicopee was born in 1860. The Chicopee had found what they had always wanted...a land they could call their own and which would be theirs for generations to come.

As the years went by more and more people came to live in Chicopee. A rich, multicultural society began to grow up. Besides the Chicopee, there were also Negro slaves who had also fled America. Irish, Scotch and English emigres also arrived. The land was rich for farming, lumber, fishing and hunting. The first enterprises were the Jenkins Lumber Company and a Chicopee company, Happy Hunting Grounds, that arranged hunting and fishing for rich gentlemen from all over Tycobbia and Ruthlandia.

Baseball came to Chicopee and its townspeople in the early 1900s. At first it wasn't organized, but it was a popular sport among the people and was played everyday during the spring and summer and even by some hardier souls during winter. The most popular team was the Towners, who even travelled to places like Colchester, Tuckanarra and Denton City to play games against teams from those towns. They ever went to distant Valdar Island and promoted the game there. These other towns referred to the team as the Chicopee Indians, since so many of the players were Indians. It was due to this that the team voted on changing their name to the Chicopee Braves as they felt it would be more suitable than Indians. So in 1924 the Chicopee Braves were born.

The Chicopee Braves have played baseball since the early 1900s. When baseball first caught on in Chicopee there were about 6-7 teams, but two teams always stood out, the Chicopee Towners and the Chicopee Atlantics. Both teams were equally good, but the Towners had the more progressive leadership. The Towners owner was Benjamin Jenkins, owner of Jenkins Lumber Company. He took his team to other towns on barnstorming trips. It was also because of his forward thinking that the Towners first started to use the name Chicopee Braves.

It was in 1922 that the Braves and Atlantics decided to merge their talent into a Chicopee all-star team, but keeping the name Chicopee Braves as that was the one most people in Tycobbia recognized. In 1924 the town started to build a baseball park for the Braves, which was finished in 1925. The stadium has been used over the years for amateur and industrial league teams.

Brewster Street Ballpark is still used today for the IPA Chicopee Braves. Because of its age and history, baseball fans from all over Tycobbia and Ruthlandia come to visit the vintage stadium located at 4th & Brewster. It is heresy to speak of a new stadium in Chicopee. The citizens still hold onto its small town identity, not just in the town, but also at the ballpark, where there’s no fancy food on sale...just the usual hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, soda pop and good old fashioned peanuts and crackerjacks. No beer or alcoholic beverages are allowed at the ballpark or even in the county. Chicopee is a dry county and it is strictly enforced.

A trip to Brewster is exciting. Chicopee fans are constantly doing tomahawk chops, war chants and war dances to rally their beloved Braves. They have been known to do rain dances when the Braves are losing early in the game, hoping for a rainout. It is all in good fun and nobody in Chicopee takes offense. It really is special at the seventh inning stretch when the whole stadium sings the Chicopee national anthem.

They took the whole Chicopee Nation
And put us on a reservation
Took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife

They tried to take our native tongue
And taught their English to our young
And all the beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan

Chicopee people, Chicopee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

They took the whole Indian Nation
And locked us on this reservation
And though I wear a shirt and tie
Im still a red man deep inside

Chicopee people, Chicopee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

But maybe someday when they learn
Chicopee Nation has returned
Has returned
Has returned
Has returned
Has returned
(lyrics by Paul Revere and the Raiders...adapted a little bit by EC)

The Braves are still owned by the Jenkins Family. Benjamin Jenkins ran the club until his death in 1964. His son, Junior Jenkins was in charge until 1984. Since then, Benjamin "Trip" Jenkins III has been the owner. The Jenkins family were really excited about the new Islandian Pro Alliance and managed to get a franchise. The story goes that the Chicopee tribe threatened to go on the warpath, if the town was left out it. We think they were just kidding...but then again...they really do take their baseball seriously in Chicopee.

Chicopee's General Manager is Lou Littlefeather, a longtime baseball player and executive in company league baseball. The Braves are managed by Harry Fleetfoot, a very successful player, noted for stealing bases in the industrial leagues, and also a fine manager. Both are full-blooded Chicopee.

Brewster Street Ballpark (1925)

Capacity: 8,250

Dimensions:
LF Line 334
LF 360
LCF 387
CF 400
RCF 410
RF 360
RF Line 331

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CLAXTON DIAMONDS

Owner: DeBeers Mining Company

GM/Manager: Stacy Engel

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 play 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 run by longtime baseball man known throughout the Islands as "The Old Perfessor". Stacy Engel is both GM and Manager. Engel holds the record for the most industrial league titles with the DeBeers company team. The Diamonds are in the Ruthlandian Union and play in the South Division.

Avalon Stadium (1990)

Capacity: 10,500

Dimensions:

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

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

COLCHESTER ELITES

Owner: Heyward Rubber Company

GM/Manager: Robbie Wilbertson

Colchester is located on the southern coast of Tycobbia near Belair Bay, midway between Turon on the west and Ginza to the east. It has 78,000 inhabitants of a diverse ethnic makeup. Colchester, like its English counterpart, is a garrison town. The Tycobbian government created a fort in the early 1820's in this area to protect the in-coming settlers and to give law and order to the frontier settlements. It has been a military town since that time. Over time it developed into a special army base for elite troops. The Colchester Elite Garrison is the best of the best in the Tycobbian military.

In addition to the military, the major enterprise is Heyward Rubber Company, established in 1847. Nathaniel Heyward was connected to Charles Goodyear. It is said that Heyward discovered the process of vulcanized rubber and was the true inventor, Goodyear just provided the funds for the research. Heyward Rubber is still in business today and manufactures tires for cars, trucks and farm, military and construction equipment. The South Coast Railroad has its home office in Colchester. It was built in the 1840s and was originally set up to move troops and equipment quickly around the country. Later it became a vital transportation link between Turon and Ginza, two important seaports.

Locally, the game of Base Ball (as it was originally called) was started in the 1880s at the Colchester Garrison. The soldiers latched on to the new game and by the 1890s developed very competitive leagues. By the 1900s the townspeople began leagues and were on par with the military after a couple of decades. In the 1920s, the Garrison and the town leagues consolidated into one league. Amateur leagues came first, then company and industial leagues. Heyward Rubber Company and the South Coast Railroad got involved in the 1930s and a very fast league was established. Colchester baseball would rival any in the Islands.

The next step in the baseball evolution came this year with the establishment of the Islandian Pro Alliance. With such a storied history in Tycobbian baseball, it should have been no problem for Colchester to get a franchise in the Islands first ever pro league. But it didn't happen right away. But with league expansion Heyward Rubber Company was awarded a franchise. Thus the Colchester Elites came into being, named for the honored and revered Colchester Elite Garrison. Heyward Rubber commissioned a state-of-the-art stadium and named it Heyward Field, after the company's founder. It was finished in early 2002, just in time opening day.

Heyward Field is designed to look like an old time ballpark, yet with modern amenities. It is a classic stadium with character, built downtown, with an asymmetical outfield configuration. In right field is an old South Coast Railroad warehouse with a brick facade, that is now used for team offices. Heyward Field is a great place to watch a ballgame. There isn't one bad seat in the house. Colchester fans take their baseball seriously and will not tolerate the hype and fanfare you see at some ballparks. They just want to watch their team win, win and win. Just give them a hot dog, coke, peanuts and crackerjacks as far as food is concerned. Most of all, give them a good baseball game. That is why they come to the ballpark.

The Colchester Elites organization is run by GM and Manager Robbie Wilbertson, a fine catcher in his day and a topnotch manager, who has a reputation of getting the most out of his players. The Colchester fans and his players call him "Uncle Robbie".

Heyward Field (2001)

Capacity: 9,600

Dimensions:

LF Line 333
LF 353
LCF 373
CF 399
RCF 386
RF 340
RF Line 318

A very special thanks to Splitter24 for the great history of Cold Creek.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

COLD CREEK CATAMOUNTS

Owner: Cold Creek Catamounts Baseball Club, LLC
(John Cockraham, President)

GM/Manager: T. Kelly Holmes

The Town of Cold Creek is a quaint little hamlet located in north-central Ruthlandia. The town straddles a beautiful tributary of the Green River. Cold Creek, named after the body of water which flows through its heart, boasts a population of 58,000. The majority of the population resides in the town proper. The rest are mainly inhabitants of the sizeable parcels of farmland outside of the town which make up the Cold Creek Township.

History of Cold Creek

The area around Cold Creek has been home to some families dating back to the 1700's. Among the early inhabitants of the area were opportunistic farmers and devout religious groups seeking a safe haven from those intolerant of their beliefs. All in all, these were hearty folk seeking a home that they could call their own.

The people formed small villages and farming communities in the area that would become Cold Creek. Villages such as Dana, Enfield, Prescott and Greenwich dotted the landscape for over a century. Mostly owing to its harsh winters and its other generally unpredictable climate conditions, the Cold Creek area remained generally sparsely populated throughout the first half of the 1800's.

That is until 1860, when the first influx of American immigrants came to the shores of Ruthlandia. These people wished to find a haven for peace and tolerance. The Cold Creek area afforded them the home they sought and the villagers welcomed them with open arms.

But change itself is a catalyst for more change. With the growth of residents came dilemmas that the tiny villages were unable to solve on their own. The growing population spurred the need for a hospital, schools and law enforcement. Not all of the immigrants were of the agrarian bent; jobs were soon in very short supply.

So it was that in 1862 village selectmen and representatives of the outlying farm collectives gathered together to draw up plans to unite the little villages into one town. The voting was quick. The majority ruled. The town of Cold Creek had been established.

It was soon after the vote that Cold Creek experienced a renaissance. And no one embodied the period more than Stephen Deckster. Deckster emigrated from America to Ruthlandia in 1862. After a brief apprenticeship to an American shoemaker, Deckster set sail for Ruthlandia looking for the success that his apprenticeship could no longer offer. After hearing about the growth-related problems of the newly-incorporated Cold Creek, Deckster sensed an opportunity that he could only dream of. In Cold Creek, Deckster utilized his innate skills as a salesman combined with his knowledge of shoe making. He succesfully raised enough seed capital to establish Deckster Shoe Company. And the many unemployed residents of Cold Creek offered him a sizeable pool from which to draw a work force.

It was only a short time before the whole of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia were clamoring for their own fine shoes from the Deckster Shoe Company in charming Cold Creek. The town as a whole was experiencing success on a grand scale. And Stephen Deckster was soon the wealthiest man in Cold Creek.

Deckster was a man who enjoyed the fruits of his success. Yet he was always accutely aware of the debt of thanks that he owed to the people of Cold Creek. He made sure that the schools and libraries always had book shelves stuffed to the ceilings. The hospital was staffed by doctors whose educations were funded from Mr. Deckster's pockets.

Deckster's son Michael continued the family tradition, inheriting the family business shortly after his father's death in 1919. Time moved slowly for Cold Creek during Michael's half-century tenure as president of Deckster Shoes. But change was about to hit Cold Creek again. And this time, the problems would be more difficult.

Michael died suddenly in the summer of 1969. It was assumed that the company's Vice President, Clint Billings, would assume control of Deckster Shoes. But a lawsuit challenging that progression was successfully won by Michael's son, Patrick. Patrick Deckster knew as much about the shoe business as he did about work in general: extremely little. Patrick immediately jettisoned any high-ranking Deckster executive who might pose a threat to his stewardship. After a series of questionable business decisions (including the use of a cheap plastic-like leather substitute in place of the high quality hide that Deckster was famous for), the fortunes of the company began to fade. In 1982, Deckster announced that it was closing its doors for good.

For the next ten years, the fortunes of the Town of Cold Creek mirrored the demise of Deckster Shoes from the previous decade. Unemployment was high. Buildings were falling into disrepair. Some residents voiced their concern by leaving Cold Creek alltogether. The heart of the town had stopped beating. Cold Creek was dying.

But in the mid-90's, things started to change. Not like a phoenix rising up from the ash. But more akin to a tree, whose dormant limbs weather the brutal winter only to sprout leaves once more come spring. The demise of the goliath that was Deckster Shoes took with it many of the long time family-operated businesses that called Cold Creek home.

A new renaissance was beginning to take hold in Cold Creek. New small businesses appeared, the majority of which were started by Cold Creek families. The rustic downtown area crossed over to the good side of the line that separates those which time had forgot from those which time had left behind. Cold Creek had become the wonderfully nostalgic town that we know and love today. And partly because of that, a new industry began to take hold.

Cold Creek Today

No longer the tiny Shoe Capital of Ruthlandia, Cold Creek has become one of the darlings of the tourist industry. Ruthlandians and Tycobbians alike journey to little Cold Creek, especially during the fall. The cool autumn air that comes down from the Appian Mountains brings with it a pallette of colors which turn the foliage of the Cold Creek area into a firestorm of reds, yellows and oranges.

The annual Maple Festival also brings together its own flock of curiosity seekers. Cold Creek's week-long Maple Festival draws approximately 10,000 out-of-towners each fall, inevitably overflowing the many Bed and Breakfasts in the downtown area. It boasts the finest combination of culinary goods and arts and crafts this side of the Silver Mountain Range. From it's huge fall harvest farmer's market to the many booths where Ruthlandia's finest artisans can display their wares, the Maple Festival offers everything that can be enjoyed about the season. And lest you forget why it's called the Maple Festival, there are reminders everywhere. Maple syrup, maple candy, maple flavored meat jerkies, maple butter... if it can be flavored with (or coated in) maple, you'll find it here.

Oh, and don't forget to make it to the village green during the middle of the festivities where you can have a chance to meet the winner of the Ms. Maple contest and members of the Cold Creek Catamounts, the local professional baseball team. Cold Creekers take their festival more seriously than anything. Well, except for their beloved Catamounts.

Baseball History in Cold Creek

With the influx of American immigrants came the game of baseball. The sport became an obsession in Cold Creek. Not a summer day went by when the old Cold Creek Grounds wasn't filled with local boys (and men!) tossing around the horsehide. And when Michael Deckster (a true sportsman's sportsman) assumed control of Deckster Shoes, baseball became even more interesting in Cold Creek. For when the ABA passed its resolution in 1924, allowing companies to offer employment to men of skill on the ball field, the obsession reached a whole new level. The Deckster club soon became the best local squad in North-Central Ruthlandia (much to the chagrin of townsfolk of Stoner, their neighbors and rivals to the north).

The baseball frenzy led to the Deckster family building a wonderful ballyard in 1938, christened Deckster Park. And with the new ball park came the most fabled player in Cold Creek history.

T. Kelly Holmes was the Cold Creek poster boy. He was a friendly, gregarious fellow who was a hero to every little boy on the sandlots of Cold Creek. Not possessing the home run power of other ABA legends, Holmes never the less was one of the more feared batsmen on the circuit. He had a penchant for coming up with game-winning hits. And the sound of his line drives banging off of the big tin wall in right field was a constant source of dread to many opposing pitchers. And after Kelly would scurry around the basepaths for his inevitable doubles and triples, Cold Creek yanigans would burst into their familiar chant: "T! K!... Ho!", a clever melding of their hero's initials and the abrupt end of a boxing match.

Despite the wonderfully entertaining squads fielded by the Deckster Shoe Company, the club was only able to net one championship trophy. That was in 1945, Kelly Holmes' greatest season. The Deckster Club remained competitive throughout the 60's. But when the company went down, it took the Deckster Club with it.

Without the funding of Deckster Shoes and the general bleakness of the local economy, baseball disappeared from the Cold Creek Landscape. Deckster Park became a ghost town. Weeds replaced the pasture where Kelly Holmes once roamed. The wooden bleachers that once stretched from left field to center began to decay due to neglect before collapsing alltogether. But when the fortunes of the town began to reverse course, the familiar Cold Creek story of change bringing changes reappeared yet again.

While all of the success stories of Cold Creek in the mid-90's bringing some sunshine to a blighted community, there was still something missing. And that something was baseball. Without the benefit of a major corporation to field a legitimate ball club, the people of Cold Creek lamented the lack of opportunity of ever bringing a team back to the town. But all because of the innocence of a little boy, Cold Creek had a future with baseball once more.

Jimmy Gustafson recalled sitting on his grandfather's lap while being regaled with stories of T. Kelly Holmes dashing around the field (Like a catamount! he used to say) and the Deckster Club winning out over those no-good Stoner Stars. When he asked why no one played baseball in Cold Creek anymore, he was told that when Deckster Shoes closed down, no one could afford to have all of those ballplayers on their payroll. After absorbing the explanation provided by his grandfather, young Jimmy approached his father (owner of Gustafson's Drugstore on the corner of 3rd and Main) one day about having a ballclub in Cold Creek again. If he could hire one ball player, then Cold Creek Bank could hire one. And the Happy Toast Tavern could, too. "But who's going to pay all of the money to build a new ballfield?" was the obvious reply, to which Jimmy responded "We already have one." But Deckster Park needed money to be useable again. A lot of it. Who had that kind of money? The answer, as Jimmy would later remember saying to his father, was "All of us."

And so began the rebirth of baseball in Cold Creek. The first money was the $8.63 that little Jimmy had in his piggy bank. Then, reviving the spirit of Stephen Deckster, Jimmy Gustafson went door-to-door all around Cold Creek, raising funds for the renovation of the decaying ballpark. With the attention to detail on par with a successful accountant, Jimmy kept track of everyone who gave , even little 4-year-old Chrissie Mirenda who reached into her pocket and donated 5 cents and a slightly melted Cadbury Flake bar. When Jimmy's grandfather passed away, he bequeathed his meager life savings to the Bring Back Baseball to Cold Creek Fund. T. Kelly Holmes, still a spry septigenarian, donated some of his precious Deckster club items to the cause. Memorabilia filled with many sweet memories, so future generations could have sweet memories of their own.

The town rallied. Local contractors offered their services for free. Volunteers would show up at the old ballfield after a long day of work, just so they could work a little more. New strapping, young employees began showing up on local business payrolls. The renovations came to a close. The circle was complete. Baseball was back in Cold Creek.

Baseball returned to Cold Creek on April 5th, 1990. The rejuvenated ballpark, renamed Holmes Field in honor of the local hero, played host to the Stoner Stars that day. The new local nine, the Cold Creek Catamounts, emerged victorious on a walk-off line drive off the old refurbished tin wall in right field. Sometime after the game, groundskeepers swore they heard the faint whispers of something that sounded like "T... K... Ho..." echoing throughout the field.

Baseball Today in Cold Creek

The Cold Creek Catamounts today are members of the Islandian Pro Alliance. They are the only team in Ruthlandia that is owned by the citizens of the town in which they play as opposed to a single individual or civic group.

Each year, a town meeting is held to elect members of the board of the Cold Creek Baseball Club, LLC, the governing body representing the citizens' interest in the ball club. For the 4th consecutive year, local lawyer John Cockerham has been voted president of the board.

When it came time to select a manager for the Catamounts, the job went to none other than "T. K. Ho" himself - T. Kelly Holmes - who had managed the amateur Cold Creek Catamounts to much success in the company leagues. Holmes, still an astute baseball man was also appointed general manager.

One final note: Little Jimmy Gustafson has now grown up and is a relief pitcher for the Catamounts. Sounds like a Hollywood script, doesn't it?

Holmes Field

Capacity 7,777

Dimensions:

LF line 350
LF 360
LCF 380
CF 408
RCF 373
RF 345
RF line 320

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Ruthlandian Union South Division Standings

Cybercats Pitchers Dominate RU South Race
The Grand City Cybercats are head-and-shoulders above the crowd in the tight Ruthlandian Union South race with a 6-game lead over the Waleska Westerners, Belair Beach Sunbirds and the Crystal Lake Crushers. And hanging close by are the Valka Blackhawks and the Claxton Diamonds, both 7 games behind. The St. John Crusaders are seventh in the division, trailing by 8 games and pulling up the rear are the San Dimas Rancheros, who are 9 games off the pace.

Grand City Cybercats (42-29) manager Torry Joseph has fine pitching from top to bottom in his rotation. The 'Cats are number one in the division with a sparkling 3.07 team ERA, led by Rob Martyn (8-2 3.35) and Lefty Paddison (6-2 2.56). You name it and Joseph has it - starters, long and short relief and closer, too. Fred Loggia (4-2 2.28) and Rich Walters (3-2 2.15) are his third and fourth starters. In the bullpen, closer Dick Blessing (4-2 1.90) has 4 saves since taking over that role in the last month.

As a team Grand City is batting only .248 (4th), but this is a pitching division. Nobody is hitting well except for Valka with a .263 average. The Cybercats top batters are shortstop Wynn Joslin (.295), who has 6 homers, scored 44 times and batted across 34 runs, third baseman Robby Maynard (.262) with 10 homers and 38 RBIs and right fielder Johnny Keitel (.246) with 13 home runs and 38 runs batted in. As far as fielding, Grand City is tied for fourth with a .978 mark.

In a three-way tie for second place are McGraw Johnson's Waleska Westerners (36-35). Their strong point is pitching, too. His starting rotation consists of Smokey Joe Carter (9-3 3.20), Gary Hill (7-7 3.03), Buddy Kennedy (4-2 3.02) and Jack Wagner (6-8 3.20). Johnson's closer is Andrei Marsiske (3-5 2.97) and he has saved 6 games thus far.

Waleska's best offensive weapons are third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.270) with 5 homers, 36 RBIs and 52 runs scored, along with Big Hoss Burkhalter (.241) with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs.

In Belair Beach (36-35), skipper Marty Pedroza's crew has been woefully weak at the plate, but pretty formidable on the mound. The Sunbirds are third with a 3.26 ERA, but fifth in batting with a .246 average. Belair Beach is even worse with only 35 homers this season, ranking sixth. Pedroza's club is tied for fourth in defense with a .978 fielding percentage.

On the hill the starters are a big plus for Pedroza. The Sunbirds have a good starting four with Ray Watson (9-3 2.50), Slim Mosley (6-3 2.97), Tiny Lundgren (8-6 3.98) and Carl Thompson (5-10 3.56). That is their strength. Pedroza could use a better closer. Lou Zanelli is only 2-6 with a 3.59 ERA and 7 saves.

Belair Beach has only a few productive hitters with shortstop Danny Church (.302/4 HR/30 RBI/38 R), third baseman Dom Corbelli (.311/0 HR/20 RBI) and left fielder Nicky Swift (.230/9 HR/47 RBI). Swift led the league last year with 44 home runs, 107 RBIs and a .321 average, but has dropped significantly this season. Improved pitching in the IPA this season has put the damper on quite a few of last year's stars.

To challenge the Grand City Cybercats, Belair Beach will need to really pick up the pace with its hitting and power numbers.

The famed slugger Herman "Baby" George, the all-time home run hitter in the industrial leagues, is the manager of the Crystal Lake Crushers (36-35). He is also the club's GM and he has molded together a pretty fair ball team, currently tied for the runner-up spot in the South Division.

The Crushers don't hit for average, but they hit for distance. They are second in the division with 56 home runs, while putting up a mediocre .241 batting average (6th). Crystal Lake depends on left fielder Ben Butler (.279/14 HR/37 RBI), first baseman Jordy John (.264/14 HR/43 RBI) and center fielder Derren Prince (.278/9 HR/33 RBI) for its offense.

When it comes to pitching, the Crushers struggle with a 3.84 ERA, last in the division. But George has a couple of good starters in Mack Harrell (9-6 3.76) and Bill Ehrhardt (7-7 3.27) and a good closer in Pablo Orantes (1-0 0.83), who has just taken over that slot. Reliever Tim Allison (2-1 1.95) has stood out with 11 saves. Another quality pitcher has been Mike Zuccardo (1-0 2.43). Overall Crystal Lake needs more depth in pitching and better hitting to contend with Grand City.

The Valka Blackhawks (35-36) are deadlocked for fifth place with the Claxton Diamonds and trail first place Grand City by 7 games. The Blackhawks have Jaan Kurus at the helm. His team leads the South Division with a .263 batting average, is fourth in homers with 47, fourth with a 3.51 ERA and third with a .980 fielding percentage.

Kurus gets good production from his batters, led by shortstop Villem Kask (.321/1 HR/37 R/17 DB), right fielder Jimmy Tremayne (.310/8 HR/48 RBI), center fielder Ron Landauer (.290/4 HR/29 RBI/41 R/17 SB), catcher Kristjan Kasik (.272/9 HR/36 RBI) and second baseman Bryan McGinnis (.311/3 HR/17 RBI).

To move up in the standing, Valka is going to have to get improvement from its pitching corps. Kurus can count on only two solid starters and they are very impressive. Roberto Peralta is 8-3 with an outstanding 2.44 ERA, while Andrei Kokk is 7-5 with a strong 2.98 ERA. His number three man is Arvo Krimm, who is 7-3 with a 4.01 ERA. Two relievers have performed well in middle relief with Juri Valk recording a 2-1 mark and a fine 2.79 ERA and Bobby Karu registering a 1-0 record with a superb 2.13 ERA in since joining the team a month ago. Closer Daryl Vannoy (0-2 4.80) has 10 saves, but has not consistently done his job.

"The Old Perfesser", Stacy Engel, is struggling again this year at Claxton (35-36), but is only 7 games off the pace. The Diamonds are hitting a paltry .240, last in the division. They are seventh with a 3.72 ERA and tied for sixth with a .977 fielding average. Engel's one plus on the team is its power. Claxton has hit 50 out of the park and are ranked third in that category.

Right fielder Jackie Allemand (.306/11 HR/26 RBI/28 R), center fielder David Shelton (.322/4 HR/23 RBI/32 R) and left fielder Dixie Baker (.247/11 HR/38 RBI/28 R) have supplied the offense for the Diamonds. But production is way off from last year. Baker was one of the top hitters in the IPA last season with a .290 average, 38 roundtrippers and 123 runs batted in. That seems to indicate the pitching is vastly improved over last year with the influx of 40 expansion teams.

Claxton has some quality hurlers in its rotation. Terry Kuznetsov (7-1 2.84) has been terrific. Sal Tallis (3-5 2.27) has pitched better than his record shows. Closer Geno Franchi (2-2 2.55) had been strong with 9 saves and Johnny Szwak (3-1 3.25) has pitched well when called upon in relief.

The Claxton Diamonds had been playing much better ball in June with a 9-4 record. If it continues, they don't have far to go to get into the first division and qualify for the playoffs in season two of the Islandian Pro Alliance. A little more hitting could do it for them. The second half of the year is looking up for "The Old Perfesser" and his boys.

The St. John Crusaders (34-37) are a bad team on paper - last in just about everything - still only 8 games out of first place - but only two games out of second place. Things could be a lot worse for a team with a .240 batting average (7th-tied), only 34 homers (7th), 3.65 ERA (6th) and a poor .976 fielding average (8th).

Skipper Dickie Billings has tried a lot of line-ups to try and shake the Crusaders out of their hitting doldrums. Same thing in his pitching rotation. Half of his staff have joined the team in the last month. In June, St. John is 8-5 and playing well.

But when you look at the stats, only pitcher Zach Simon and recent signee, Eddie Thorsen are really doing the job on the hill. With a sixth-place team, Simon has been astounding with a 12-5 mark and an excellent 2.80 ERA. His 12 wins are the most in the Ruthlandian Union and second in the IPA. Only San Alejo's Ernie Arredondo has more victories with 13, while playing with a team that has the best overall record in the IPA at 52-19. Thorsen was signed a month ago and has chalked up 1-1 mark as the Crusader closer. Thorsen has 9 saves and a brilliant 1.32 ERA.

Billings has no .300 hitters. Second baseman Frankie Faber (.281/2 HR/20 RBI/26 R) is number one average-wise. Right fielder Jack Dillon (.270/11 HR/31 RBI/25 R) is his most productive, along with first baseman Richie Renaudin (.253/5 HR/35 RBI/30 R) and third baseman George Longmire (.246/4 HR/47 RBI/37 R).

If a couple of pitchers and a couple of hitters step it up, St. John could make the playoffs. With the division so tightly bunched, it wouldn't take much to do it.

Just looking at the stats, you would think the San Dimas Rancheros (33-38) were one of the top clubs in the Ruthlandian Union South Division, but not so. Manager Paco Banderas' team is the cellar, 9 games off the pace of first place Grand City. This, despite hitting .258 (2nd), having 57 homers (1st) and a .981 fielding average (1st). Apparently the Rancheros downfall is its .355 ERA (5th).

San Dimas has a solid attack, sparked by first baseman Sancho Duran (.296/13 HR/39 RBI/37 R), third sacker Domingo Rios (.287/12 HR/37 RBI/35 R), left fielder Fernando Baldera (.286/8 HR/31 RBI/24 R) and second baseman Cyclone Cobb (.306/1 HR/17 RBI/37 R/53 SB).

On the mound Balderas has outstanding starters in Josh Houston (7-7 2.96), Cliff Pope (7-2 2.54), Wayne Mallard (7-6 2.79) and Beau Juneau (4-3 2.85). In the bullpen Zippy Hodge (2-2 3.29) had done well with 9 saves this season. However, the rest of the staff have struggled with ERAs 4.50 to 6.50.

Several competent relievers could do wonders for San Dimas and put them back in the race for the playoffs.

Forecast: Grand City's pitching is too strong for this division. The Cybercats seemed headed for the South Division title. It will be a battle royal for the three other playoff slots with most of the other clubs vying for them. Because of their good pitching, Belair Beach and Waleska should finish in the top four. Crystal Lake, Claxton, Valka and maybe St. John will be in the running for the last playoff position. It should be quite a finish in the second half of the season in the Ruthlandian Union South.

COLFAX BLASTERS

Owner: Enim Dlog (Precious Metals Corporation)

GM/Manager: Clem Rogers

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 westward 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 Blasters of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the West Division. The team is nicknamed for the dynamite blasters, so important in mining the gold, silver, copper and coal...and also the longball hitters, therefore giving Blasters a double meaning.

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 player hits a ball that ends up in the "Pot of Gold", the player and a fan each receive $5,000. 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 Blasters' owner is Enim Dlog, whose ancestors are from somewhere in the Baltics. It was his great-great-granddaddy, who first discovered gold in the 1850's. In fact, the new ballpark was built on the same site as the first gold mine.

The GM and Manager of the Colfax Blasters is Clem Rogers, one of the top righthanded pitchers of all-time in the industrial leagues. He is number two on the all-time strikeout list, just a few hundred behind the the strikeout king, Ryan Noland.

Mountain View Stadium (1971)

Capacity: 10,850

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

A very special thanks to Raideroo for this excellent town history.
He wrote about 90% of it. My apology to him for editing his very creative work.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CRYSTAL LAKE CRUSHERS

Owner: John William Flood III, Casino Enterprises
GM/Manager: Herman "Baby" George

Crystal Lake is the largest lake in Ruthlandia, situated in the southeastern corner of the country. The town, Crystal Lake, is located on a spit of land at the southwestern corner of the lake from which it got its name. Crystal Lake is south of Valka and just 25 miles across the lake. Belair Beach, San Dimas and Grand City are also close by. Crystal Lake is a polyglot town of 77,000 people who march to the beat of a different drummer.

Crystal Lake is best known for its liberal politics. Think of San Francisco in the United States for a comparable culture. Environmentalists, Jesus Freaks, Rock 'n' Roll enthusiasts in a fairly free society. Locals claim they are not liberal, they are libertarians. Critics counter that residents aren't libertarians, they are libertines. European tourists compare the town to Amsterdam, but not quite as notoriously liberal.

The lowlands around the town are more properly classified as bogs. Glacial activity 10,000 years ago scooped out what would become Crystal Lake and dumped quite a moraine when retreating, forming the land that was settled in the late 1800's. The area never really did grown because of the swampy terrain.

That all changed. Crystal Lake was a planned town and came into being in the early 1920s when John William Flood began developing it. It was intended to be a summer resort getaway for the wealthy to escape the dog days of summer before the invention of air conditioning. It is laid out on a grid with north-south streets given names based on trees in alphabetical order (Aspen, Birch, Cedar...) and east-west streets given numbers (First, Second, Third...) and called avenues. Crystal Lake has always been a footloose and fun-loving town. 80 years ago, during the brief Ruthlandian prohibition experiment, they ran speakeasys and night clubs. 50 years ago, they built casinos. Present day Crystal Lake is a little Las Vegas.

Getting around Crystal Lake is pretty easy to do. The town was built around an electric traction trolley system that takes people everywhere. The town never adapted to the automobile, which is practically prohibited by ordanance today. It is a biker and walking society, that espouses pollution-free air, exercise and health.

The baseball team has been in business in some form for 70 years. The team name comes from a 1921 letter from the team owner to his manager on his vision for building the club.

John William Flood wrote to the first ballfield manager Andy Capson: "I don't like watching a bunch of dandies or young boys prancing around the basepaths like thieving fools. Bunting is for the birds. I want to see men crush the ball."

Hence, the Crushers were born.

John William Ford III owns the team now. He makes his money in the casino business and is rather diffident about day-to-day baseball operations. Since he's in his late 60's, he has been concerned about his legacy. He's been examining the Green Bay Packers business model closely and is seriously considering willing the club to the people of Crystal Lake.

The Floods have always been shady characters. John Williams Flood II was considered a scamp, regularly testing the will of the ABA commissioner in the days of the company leagues. John Williams Flood III is too busy developing real estate to break the rules like his ancestors did. The team has a somewhat unsavory reputation that is no longer deserved because of what happened more than three generations ago.

The famed slugger, Herman "Baby" George, the most prolific home run hitter in the annals of Islandian amateur leagues, is the manager of the Crystal Lake Crushers. When it comes to hitting a baseball, Baby George is "Mr. Baseball" in the Islands. There has never been anyone quite like him. George is a bon vivant and literally in a class by himself. George began as a pitcher and was a very good one, but his hitting prowess soon converted him into a fulltime position player. He holds the all-time career homer mark in the industrial league. He turned out to be a pretty darn good manager, too. And the fans love him in Crystal Lake for his savoie-faire attitude.

The Crystal Lake Crusher amateur and industrial teams played in John William Flood Stadium in the 1920s. A new ballpark, Lakefront Stadium, was built in 1985 by the town council. Lakefront Stadium is located right at the water's edge on Crystal Lake. Occasionally a player will hit one over the right center field fence into the beautiful blue waters. Fans get a magnificent view of the lake. On game days, the best way to get to the ball park is by taking The Traction to the stadium or by sailing up to the marina.

The food is typical baseball fare that tries to cater to both tourists and to the whole earth day crowd. The hot dog is a foot long kosher dog served on a dark brown wheat roll. The beers are local microbrews and all claim to be genetically-modified organism free. Manager Baby George is known to gulp down several hot dogs and imbibe a few cool refreshments while in the process of manipulating strategies and line-ups during the game.

Lakefront Stadium

Capacity: 10,500

Dimensions:

Left Field Line - 340'
Left Field - 370'
Left Center - 405'
Center Field - 400'
Right Center - 381'
Right Field - 370
Right Field Line - 340'

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Tight Race in RU East, Marston and Sugar Valley Co-Leaders
At the All-Star break, two of the better teams from last year are the co-leaders in the Ruthlandian Union East standings. The Marston Nine and the Sugar Valley Rattlers are 1 game up on an expansion club, the Cold Creek Catamounts, who are in their first season in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Holdovers from last season, the Elnora All-Stars are in the fourth spot and are only 2 games off the pace. The top five positions are tight with the Eastshore Elegants only 4 games back of the leaders. The Beechwood Bobcats are tied for sixth with the Wynnamac Sundowners, 8 games behind. Rounding out the division in the basement are the Belle Plaine Musketeers, 18 games out.

Both Marston and Sugar Valley possess good hitting and good pitching. Elnora also hits well and has a good pitching staff. Cold Creek and Eastshore are using the longball power for success and suffer from pitching. And as you always hear from the experts, good pitching beats good hitting. But the power teams are hanging close at mid-season.

The Marston Nine (39-32) are piloted by Johnny Walters, perhaps the finest righthanded hurler in the history of the Islands... His veteran club is solid in all aspects of the game... .263 BA (3rd)... 44 HR (5th)... 3.28 ERA (1st)... .978 FA (3rd-T)... Starters: Excellent... Nick Pace (8-6 2.68)... Casey Ledbetter (10-5 3.15)... Vinnie Gardner (4-2 2.07)... Booger Burchfield (3-4 3.01)... all vets from last year... Bullpen: Mediocre... Closer: Mediocre - Walt Sellers (4-4 4.22) 9 saves... Hitting: Solid - 2B Ken Green (.325/3 HR/30 RBI)... CF Kerby Jost (.294/8 HR/30 RBI/25 R)... IF Don Nichols (.266/7 HR/29 RBI/32 R)... Disappointments: SS-3B Roland Thomas .359 hitter last year, down to .270 this year... and Sellers in the closer spot... Bright spots: Starters... and 3B Roddy Teague (.348/3 HR/13 RBI).

The hard-nosed and tough Gibson Bobkins is the Sugar Valley (39-32) manager. The former pitching great has a well-rounded team... .270 BA (1st)... 55 HR (4th)... 3.32 ERA (2nd)... but lacking good defense with a .975 FA (6th)... Good starters... Lacks 4th starter... excellent with Ron Benson (8-7 2.89)... Jay Washington (5-4 1.95)... Gregg Neal (6-5 2.40)... Bullpen: Respectable... Closer: Poor - Harvey Hines (6-4 4.98) only 3 saves... Hitting: Very Good - LF Bruno DiPirro (.369/2 HR/35 RBI/38 R/16 SB)... SS Flipper Bird (.319/10 HR/40 RBI/45 R/18 SB)... CF Freddie Vaux (.319/2 HR/21 RBI/44 R/26 SB)... and 2B Jorge Vargas (.253/9 HR/41 RBI)... Disappointments: Closer Hines and Vargas... Vargas hit .323 last season and hit 32 homers... Bright spots: DiPirro is the #2 hitter in the RU... other hitters Bird and Vaux.

Both Marston and Sugar Valley will make the playoffs, while the Nine are favored to take the RU East crown in the regular season... Marston's starting pitching gives them the edge.

In third place in the RU East and only one game out are the heavy-hitting Cold Creek Catamounts (38-33) under T. Kelly Holmes, the renowned "T. K. Ho" in amateur league circles. The Catamounts are batting .257 (4th)... have hit 65 homers (2nd)... with a 4.06 team ERA (5th)... and are the #1 defensive team with a .981 FA (1st-Tied)... one outstanding starter in Dave Molinari (6-3 2.89)... two good ones in Pat Saunders (5-1 3.55) and Mitch Saffo (7-5 3.61)... and a fine closer in Lew MacAlester (6-2 2.44), who leads the IPA in saves with 13... solid middle relief in Jimmy Gustafson (1-3 3.03) and Bobby Windsor (1-0 2.02)... powerful hitters with 1B Johnny Carducci (.310/13 HR/54 RBI/39 R)... RF Karl Yashin (.300/8 HR/36 RBI/32 R)... LF Joel Reed (.284/6 HR/33 RBI/44 R) and CF Trip Holmes (.282/15 HR/39 RBI/51 R)... Holmes is the grandson of skipper T. Kelly Holmes... methinks, no nepotism here.

Manager Zoggy White has the Elnora All-Stars (37-34) running on all cylinders and a very close fourth in the race, just two games behind the co-leaders... his crew is batting .266 (2nd)... 41 home runs (6th)... with a 3.36 ERA (3rd)... and .979 FA (2nd)... hitting is strong point with 2B Gil Foster (.354/10 HR/35 RBI/46 R)... CF Rusty Gilbert (.313/8 HR/36 RBI/42 R/15 SB)... and LF Quincy Peterson (.287/8 HR/45 RBI/48 R/16 SB)... White's ace is Carl Costas (10-4 3.02)... others in rotation are Charlie Murphy (5-1 3.14), Hunk Sweitzer (3-4 2.89) and Taylor Gibbs (4-4 3.42)... best middle relievers are Stevie Howard (3-0 1.56) and Harry Dye (4-5 3.56)... pretty fair closer in Tyrone Gray (4-5 3.28)... Disappointments are 13-game winner from last year Pat Savoie (1-5 4.36) and RF Paul Giles (.206/2 HR/24 RBI)... Giles hit .285 with 32 HRs and 92 RBIs in 2001.

If Giles can rebound in the second half of the season and Elnora can get another dominant pitcher to go with Costas, the All-Stars could be right up there with Marston, Sugar Valley and Cold Creek.

The fifth place Eastshore Elegants (35-36) trail by only 4 games... They are managed by Killer Brewster, who starred for many years in the industrial leagues as a slugging third baseman... Brewster's club is following in his footsteps... The Elegants top the division with 71 roundtrippers (1st), but are hitting a puny .238 (8th)... pitching is not too strong with a 3.89 ERA (4th)... fielding only adequate at .976 (5th)... It's hard to win when your best pitcher Justin Lloyd is only 5-5 with a 3.89 ERA... but things really perk up when you have in the line-up LF Darrel Alston (.314/10 HR/43 RBI/51 R)... 1B Vito Iacoboni (.283/8 HR/48 R)... 2B Miles Sheehan (.261/13 HR/35 RBI... and RF Ron Dizon (.254/16 HR/57 RBI/48 R)... Dizon leads the RU in RBIs and is second in HRs.

Fifth is about the best Eastshore will finish... Brewster just doesn't have the pitching like the top four teams do, but the Elegants pitching is much better than the teams behind them. It is not likely they will catch Eastshore.

The Wynnamac Sundowners (31-40) are currently tied with the Beechwood Bobcats for the sixth spot in the standings and are 8 games out of first place... Wynnamac seems to have a better ballclub than the Bobcats with slightly better pitching and much better fielding... Matt Donnelly, a very good hitter and first baseman in his amateur days, is in charge of the Sundowners... Wynnamac has a .253 average (6th)... 38 roundtrippers (7th)... 4.18 ERA (7th)... and tied for third in fielding percentage with .978... Donnelly has three fine offensive players, but little after them... 2B Fred Younger (.358/5 HR/41 RBI/58 R) is all-star caliber... RF Tee Boy Joubert (.299/9 HR/43 RBI)... and SS Marvin Hollis (.305/0 HR/17 RBI/40 R) help supply most of the Sundowners offense... Wynnamac's best pitcher Uko Illka (7-8 2.54) was just picked up in a trade a month ago from Valka... Liam Bristow (7-7 3.78) and Angus Conroy (4-5 3.81) are creditable pitchers and good at times... as far as the relief corps, Donnelly is in deep trouble when he has to go to the bullpen... they are all way over 5.00 ERAs except for the latest closer project Gerry Van Buren (0-1 1.80) with 4 saves... Van Buren just joined the team a month ago.

Beechwood's manager is Bret George, one the greatest third baseman ever in the Islands... The Bobcats (31-40) have compiled a .255 (5th) mark with the bats... have hit with good power with 56 homers (3rd)... are last in the division with a 4.24 ERA... and last in defense with a very poor .970 FA... No much chance of them moving up in the standings with stats like that... George has three decent starters in Will Cadbury (6-8 3.56)... Joe Hahn (7-7 3.85)... and Frankie Lacaze (4-7 3.47)... Beechwood only has one other capable pitcher... that is Shane Ross (3-1 3.44), who is a spot starter, but mainly a long reliever... offensively three players carry the Bobcats... LF L. J. Aldridge (.304/16 HR/54 RBI/46 R)... CF Lonnie Snider (.296/6 HR/21 RBI/45 R/20 SB)... and RF Clifton Czabo (.279/6 HR/35 RBI/45 R/12 SB).

Sixth is the best Beechwood will do this season... but seventh is more likely... Bret George is lucky Belle Plaine is in the East Division... otherwise it could be worse.

Belle Plaine (21-50) manager Boo Ladreau has one of the three worst teams in the IPA, rivaled only by Fort Benton (27-44) in the RU West and Arroyo Grande (21-50) in the TU South... his club is 18 games behind in the standings... Even 7th place is out of reach this year... The hapless Musketeers are hitting .246 (7th) with only 29 homers (8th)... 4.15 team ERA (6th)... and a .974 fielding percentage (7th)... Ladreau has only three quality players... LF Juan Mendes (.338/1 HR/26 RBI/23 R)... and two starters: Karl Antoine (3-7 2.78) and Lou Dozier (7-6 3.19)... it is going to be a very long season for the Belle Plaine fans.

It is going to be an exciting pennant chase in the second half of the season in the Ruthlandian Union East between Marston, Sugar Valley, Cold Creek and Elnora. The Marston Nine are a slight favorite over the other three because of their pitching. Eastshore has an outside shot at the playoffs. No chance for the other three ball clubs.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Ruthlandian Union West Division Standings

Forest City 2 Games Up on Middlefield In RU West
At the halfway point, the Forest City Lumberjacks are 2 games in front of the Middlefield Roosters in the RU West Division. In the third spot in the standings are the Rocky Rapids Snappers, 6 games behind the two leaders. Rounding out the top four clubs are the defending IPA champions, the Volusia Vigilantes. The V's trail by 7 games.

In the second division are the Sligo Rovers, who are tied with the Stoner Stars for fifth place. They are 10 games off the pace. The Colfax Blasters are seventh in the division, while the Fort Benton Defenders are resting in the cellar.

One of the most potent offenses in the Ruthlandian Union belongs to Robbie Jackson's Forest City Lumberjacks (42-29)... The 'Jacks are batting a lofty .278 (1st) with 56 home runs (2nd)... on the hill not quite so potent with a poor 3.94 ERA (6th)... on defense Forest City is tied with three other clubs with an impressive .981 FA... Manager Jackson can put five .300 hitters on his line-up card... His prime run producers are 1B J. T. Edmonds (.325/8 HR/44RBI/43 R/11 SB)... RF Chuck Hill (.315/10 HR/48 RBI/52 R)...CF Ryan Morse (.320/4 HR/17 RBI/47 R/16 SB)... C Joey Jarvis (.333/2 HR/30 RBI) and 2B Jesse Wolf (.284/9 HR/36 RBI/40 R)... SS Pops Keller (.336/2 HR/19 RBI/28 R) is having a fine year, too... Rookie SS Bill Nilsen has put up 10 homers and 42 RBIs, but is hitting only .236... On the mound Forest City depends on starters Timmy Brooks (7-3 3.87)... Glenn Moore (7-3 3.26)... Frank Loeffler (3-3 3.67) and Ernie Hill (4-1 4.17)... Vince Edelman (4-5 3.89) is the team's closer.

The Middlefield Roosters (40-31) can hit with the best of them, too. Guided by Smitty Michaels, one of the greatest homer-hitting and best defensive third baseman ever in Islandia, the Roosters carry a .267 team batting average (2nd) with 64 roundtrippers (1st)... Michaels has a better mound corps than the Lumberjacks... his team ERA is 3.72... defensively Middlefield has a .980 fielding average, ranked fifth, but only one percentage point behind the leaders... The Roosters rotation has used 17 pitchers this year and they are still experimenting... the current rotation consists of Jackie Lee Bevis (5-1 2.08)... Otis Canfield (5-1 4.00)... Herschel Mosby (4-3 4.25)... and Joshua Jackson (4-5 4.18)... Michaels has a new closer Dave Webb (1-3 0.71) with 6 saves... At the plate the bats have boomed with 2B Alfredo Soriano (.342/6 HR/29 RBI/42R/15 SB)... LF Cecil Clark (.303/10 HR/29 RBI/34 R/9)... RF Bailey Norcross (.294/8 HR/38 RBI/47 R)... 1B Ricky Tinker (.289/7 HR/30 RBI/28 R)... CF Ty DeWitt (.237/16 HR/50 RBI/41 R) hasn't hit for average, but has really been productive.

The Rocky Rapids Snappers (36-35) are managed by Ryan Noland, the all-time leading strikeout artist in the amateur leagues... Noland has got the Snappers in third place in the RU West... They are still in contention for the division crown... A good winning streak could put them right up with Forest City and Middlefield... Noland has a solid set of starters, who have put up a 3.45 ERA (4th)... Ben Mashburn (8-1 2.25) had been brilliant... Clay Milwaine (4-3 2.77) is tough to score on... Henry Ruskin (4-4 3.21) and Will Schneider (3-4 3.51) are dependable #3 and and #4... Middle relief is adequate... Former starter Kirk Beckmann (10-6 4.31) is now the closer... He opened the season with a 6-0 mark with an ERA around 2.00, then went into a tailspin and ended up as the closer. He is doing a good job as the bullpen ace... Rocky Rapids sports a .262 average (4th) with 54 homers (3rd-tied)... RF Doug Holt (.297/11 HR/36 RBI/32 R) is the big gun with help from 2B Timmy Peters (.296/8 HR/40 RBI/40 R)... recent additions to the line-up have done well... especially 3B Archie Jackman (.341/2 HR/18 RBI/21 R/6 SB)... LF Kyle Cutright (.283/3 HR/23 RBI/19 R) is doing well, too... Noland has a fine defensive squad and is tied for first with three other clubs with a .981 fielding percentage... To compete with the first place Lumberjacks and the second place Roosters, Rocky Rapids needs some improvement in hitting... that is Noland's shortcoming.

The defending IPA champions, the Volusia Vigilantes (35-36), have struggled this year, mainly with its offense and are 7 games off the pace. Last year's studs at bat and on the hill are not doing the job this season... However, manager Alfonso Feliz has an outstanding pitching corps with a 3.04 team ERA... spearheaded by several rookies... Mike Amato (8-1 2.40) has been sensational and taken over as Feliz's ace... rookie Carl Schmitz (3-4 2.89), Ricky Moreno (4-4 3.59) and Brian King (2-5 3.62) are the others in the current rotation... last year's ace Raul Sandoval, who was 18-15 with a 3.15 ERA has slumped badly to 3-7 and a 3.51 ERA... Sandoval has been relegated to middle relief... rookie closer Hernando Espaderos (2-3 1.00) has been quite strong with 7 saves since joining the team in early May... Kit Kivett (4-2 2.14), Hank Massey (2-1 2.01) and Tommy Betanzos (4-6 3.08) have been outstanding in the middle and late innings...The Vigilantes are hitting only .247 (6th) with only 35 homers (7th)... vets SS Scooter Perez (.305/3 HR/33 RBI/41 R/21 SB) and 2B Francisco Abreu (.305/7 HR/32 RBI/36 R) have done well, but not compared to last year... Perez led the Ruthlandian Union with a .374 mark, while Abreu hit 26 home runs... Rookie CF Ryan Raines (.301/7 HR/34 RBI/25 R/12 SB) has been a surprising plus... The V's are sorely missing output from last year's vital cogs 1B Alejandro Salazar (.209/4 HR/22 RBI) and RF Jesus Arroyo (.199/1 HR/20 RBI)... Salazar had 19 homers and hit .285 last season, while Arroyo batted .290 with 12 roundtrippers... Volusia suffers on defense, too... The Vigilantes are 7th with a .977 mark... Good second half rebounds by Salazar, Arroyo, Perez and Abreu would quickly put the V's back near the top... Despite the problems, Volusia seems to be assured of a playoff spot... the second division clubs have not been any threat so far.

The Sligo Rovers (32-39) are led by manager Eddie Keys, who starred for many years in the Sligo industrial league... The Rovers are 10 games out of first place and tied for fifth in the RU West standings with the Stoner Stars... They have a .263 batting average (3rd) with 45 homers (5th) and a not-so-good 4.13 team ERA (7th)... fielding-wise Keys' club is tied for the number one position with an excellent .981 mark... Keys can count only two of his pitchers... starter Colin McGrath (6-4 2.67) has been a tough customer and Sligo's new closer Razzy Raziano (3-1 1.69) was signed in May and has done an excellent job with 7 saves... Otherwise, the mound staff has struggled... The Rovers have two standout hitters in 3B Rusty Ellis (.356/2 HR/18 RBI/37 R/15 SB) and 1B Shane Redford (.330/3 HR/29 RBI/30 R)... other contributors are CF Waylon Moses (.299/3 HR/23 RBI/27 R/8 SB), LF Danny O'Shea (.266/7 HR/31 RBI/18 R) and RF Jason Melton (.261/8 HR/22 RBI/18 R)... The outlook for the rest of the season looks sixth or seventh place for Sligo... Colfax seems to have a slight chance to overtake them because of better pitching and more power in their line-up.

The Stoner Stars (32-39) are tied for fifth place and wallowing 10 games back in the RU West with not a lot of hope to climb any higher... The Stars are led by Willie Dickens at the helm as field manager... Dickens was a journeyman outfielder in amateur ball that found great success as a manager... Stoner has a good 3.34 ERA (2nd), but that has not translated into a lot of victories due to a lack of hitting and run scoring... The Stars are batting only .251 (5th) with only 27 homers (8th)... Stoner is ranked 64th in home runs... Defensively the Stars are doing a good job with a .979 percentage... They are rated sixth, but that is misleading as the West Division is gutted with good defensive teams... 6 of the 8 teams have fielding averages in the .979-.981 range... Dickens has a good starting rotation with Dwight Ruckman (8-5 3.14), Georgie West (6-5 2.22) and Mike Atkinson (5-6 2.97)... Dickens need another quality starter to move up in the standings... Orlando Sierra (4-3 2.23) started the season as the closer, was moved to the starting rotation and only did modestly well... Dickens returned him to the closer spot recently... 3B Allen Black (.295/7 HR/39 RBI/48 R/10 SB) tops the Stars with a little help from 1B Garland Andre (.262/4 HR/31 RBI/25 R)... With such pitiful power numbers, seventh place may be the best the Stoner Stars can accomplish in their first IPA season.

Last year the Colfax Blasters (30-41) were a second division team under manager Clem Rogers... ditto this year... His pitching has been good with a 3.39 ERA (3rd)... Colfax is blessed with a set of steady starters in Flash Guidry (8-8 3.10), Vic Jankovich (5-2 3.18), Robbie Smith (8-7 3.72) and Jasper LaForge (5-10 3.25)... Closer has been a problem with Harry Manning (0-2 4.50)... The Blasters need help in middle relief as well... Rogers only has one top hitter, last year's Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat winner, Dennis Cole (.297/18 HR/50 RBI/44 R)... Cole has picked up where he left off last year, but he can't do it all himself... 2B Tucker Hill (.245) has really been a disappointment and is hitting almost a 100 points lower than last season's .338 BA... Outfielders Pat Lott (.226), Cy Bartz (.250) and Tatsuya Sasaki (.190) all are having poor seasons... Improved second half performances by those under-performers might get Colfax as high as fifth, but the first division and a playoff spot don't seem to be in the cards.

The Fort Benton Defenders (27-44) are last in just about every category in the RU West... .221 BA (8th)... 39 homers (6th)... 4.54 ERA (8th) and .972 FA (8th)... Consequently, it is no surprise that manager Robbie Brooks' ball team is in last place, too... The Defenders are 15 games behind in the standings... RF Russ Murphy (.281/12 HR/46 RBI/43 R/19 SB) is just about Fort Benson's only quality ballplayer... and Adam Sommers (6-7 3.63) is Brooks' best pitcher, which tells you how dire the situation is... No hope this year for the Defenders... They are as high in the standings as they are going to get.

Eugene, both the Chicopee and Cold Creek posts were great! Like I said, the histories of the teams in this league is the best part of reading this thread in my opinion. I just wish Blue Lake was doing a bit better this season.

Erik

ukhotstove and Splitter24 really did a superb job on those stories. They put me to shame.

ukhotstove also did Denton City, which is very well done and will be coming up soon.

A very special thanks to ukhotstove for a very fine town history.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

DENTON CITY REDBIRDS

Owner : The Denton Family Foundation

GM/Manager: Ford Whiteman

Denton City is a town of 64,000 located in south central Tycobbia midway between Chicopee on the west coast and South Fork in the east near the slopes of the Silver Mountains.

Denton City was founded by Douglas Denton, for whom the town is named. Douglas Denton was born in 1832 in Montrose, Scotland. As a young man Denton had heard of a new country called Tycobbia and the stories he had heard made him eager to seek adventure, fame and fortune there.

At the age of 19, he arrived in 1851 by ship by way of the Kelynck Ocean, landing in the Bay of St. Clair. From there he headed south towards what he had been told was mostly virgin territory. He had travelled about 4 days when he reached what he described in his journal as “It was like I had found heaven upon earth, the grass was as green as it was back home in Montrose and the air I had never smelled anything like it - it was so pure and sweet."

Denton built a small log cabin for shelter and began life in his new country as a trapper. He did quite well and prospered over the next few years. Saving the money he got from selling furs in Bay St. Clair, Denton began to buy up land grants around his log cabin. So began the small origins of Denton City.

Denton expanded his business into real estate, renting and selling to trappers and their families. At this point he decided to start the Montrose Trading Company, named after his birthplace in Scotland. The area soon became known as Scotsman’s Fields.

Shortly before his 38th birthday, Denton sold the rights to mining to the McMillan Company. Because of the mining boom, the town grew rapidly with an influx of mining families from all over Tycobbia, Scotland, Ireland and England. Douglas Denton had finally made it. He was now a wealthy man.

Two years later in 1862 Denton met and married his wife Sarah and soon expanded the family with two sons, Greer and Murdock. By now Scotsman's Fields had McMillan Mining and Steel, but also a railway line to link the town with Bay St. Clair to ship out the steel and iron ore.

In 1872 on Denton’s 50th birthday Scotsman's Fields was officially named Denton City in his honor. Denton died in 1890 at the age of 68. He had dedicated his life and his fortune to Denton City. He had built a hospital, library, concert hall and the first ballpark in town.

Just like any other small town in Tycobbia at the time, it had started to follow the new sport of Base Ball. The first team in Denton City was called the Denton Miners due to the fact that the team was fielded by the miners. Many teams would come and go, teams like the Denton 9, The Denton Mutuals, Ball Club of Denton and lastly the Denton City Redbirds. One person who was always there to watch was Douglas Denton who loved the game of Base Ball. Eventually he sponsored and managed a team in the town league. He named the team the Ball Club of Denton.

The Denton City Redbirds name came about because of Sarah Denton. She would spend hours sitting in the fields with her paints and canvas, painting the beautiful scenery around Denton. She also had a passion for painting birds. One of her beautiful paintings of a cardinal was on her husband's office wall. One day a meeting was being held there to decide on a nickname for the Ball Club of Denton. Many names had been discussed, when all of a sudden Huck McKinney, who was shortstop and captain of the club, looked up at Mrs. Denton’s painting on the wall and said “that redbird would sure look pretty on a baseball jersey”.

It wasn’t long before Douglas Denton had a wooden stadium built for the town league. The first stadium was constructed in 1880 and just called the Base Ball Field. But it soon burned down and was had to be rebuilt. This time it had covered bleachers, was built of steel and seated 500 people. Denton named the new stadium McBride Park in honor of Jack McBride, who lost his life trying to put the fire out at the old ballpark.

It wasn’t long before baseball spread across Tycobbia and civic pride in each town raised the competition level. In Denton City they began to combine the local teams into a town team, in essence forming all-star teams. So the Denton Miners joined up with the Denton 9 to become the Denton Red Stockings and the Mutuals and the Ball Club of Denton became the Denton City Redbirds. Eventually all the teams combined as the Denton City Redbirds.

McBride Stadium was expanded several times over the years and finally was replaced in 1971 by a new state-of-the-art facility, funded by McMillan Steel. This time it was named Douglas Denton Stadium in honor of the town's founder and biggest baseball fan.

A day at Douglas Denton Stadium is just good old-fashioned baseball with peanuts, crackerjacks, cokes and hot dogs. And good old-fashioned baseball. The Redbirds GM and GM is Ford Whiteman, one of the best lefties in the industrial leagues. He was prominent in Denton City history for winning so many postseason games. Whiteman was at his best when the game was on the line. He still holds the record for most playoff wins.

Douglas Denton Field (1971)

Capacity: 9,250

Dimensions:

LF Line 335
LF 355
LCF 375
CF 395
RCF 375
RF 355
RF Line 335

EAST POINT PANTHERS

Owner: Silver Mountain Marble Works

GM/Manager: Griff Clarke

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

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

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

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

It is also home to the East Point Panthers Baseball Club of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Panthers are in the East Division of the Tycobbian Union. The club is owned and operated by the Silver Mountain Marble Works with longtime baseball pro, Griff Clarke, handling the roles of GM and Manager. Clarke has been active for 50 years in amateur and industrial league baseball and has handled the company's team very successfully for the last 35 years.

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

Music is supplied at the ballpark by the Army, Air Force and Navy bands to inspire the Panther fans and spur their team on to victory. At the seventh inning stretch one of the service anthems is played, followed by the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Food-wise you get soft drinks, beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, peanuts and crackerjacks. Sorry, no "military rations" or "SOS". One doesn't want to rile the troops. No "KP" either!

Armed Forces Stadium (1935)

Capacity: 9500

Dimensions:

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

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Tycobbian Union League Standings

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Luxora Up By 2 Games Over Fairfax in TU North
In the Tycobbian Union North Division the Luxora Zorros have a 2-game margin over the runner-up Fairfax Frogs at the league nears the midseason break for the IPA All-Star Game. As in most of the other divisions around the IPA, the original franchises have the edge in the standings so far. Both the Z's and the Frogs have a year under their belts in the IPA as opposed to the expansion teams. The year's experience seems to make a difference.

The famed slugger Alejandro Rodrigo, one of the most prolific home run hitters in the amateur leagues, has led Luxora (42-29) to a first-half lead in the pennant race... Rodrigo has a bunch of bashers that have the highest team batting average in the IPA... The Zorros are hitting .285 (1st)... also have good pitching with a 3.34 ERA (3rd) and good defense with a .979 fielding average (2nd-tied)... Only shortcoming is 47 home runs (6th).

Rodrigo has four .300 hitters in his line-up: LF Pedro Vizquel (.355), CF Lacey Tompkins (.352), 1B Paul Hallenbeck (.333) and rookie RF Cristo Viamonte (.320)... rookie 3B Pancho Santa Cruz (.299) and 1B-3B Rico Vina (.296) are flirting with the .300 mark, too... another rookie 2B Bobby Bayas (.273) has played well... On the hill Tito Tovares (13-3 2.54) has been excellent... other starters include Keith Callahan (8-4 3.59), Eddie Hoffman (7-5 3.37) and Fernando Fernandes (3.-1 2.79)... Luxora's bullpen has been solid as well. The Z's are doing all the right things so far, but they do have some competition.

Manager Harry Buckley has his Fairfax Frogs (40-31) nipping at the Zorros' heels, just 2 games back... pitching has been Buckley's strong point with a 3.17 ERA (2nd)... the Frogs mainstays have been Kaz Hayagawa (10-4 2.79) and Robbie Meredith (8-4 3.38) with help from Fuzzy Olnick (4-4 3.75)... last year's star hurler Takehide Takahashi (2-8 3.52) has not been the same pitcher... Buckley's bullpen has been outstanding with a 2.35 ERA (1st)... middle relievers Ted Ellison (2-0 1.66), Mel Murray (2-0 1.69) and Barrett Carruthers (2-0 2.89) have excelled... Jay Sorensen (1-1 2.50) has 12 saves in his six weeks with the club.

In the offensive department, Fairfax is not the team they were last year, when they were one of the top teams... Buckley has gotten good years from SS Warren Lee (.306), 2B Cecil Parmenter (.294) and CF Billy Echevarria (.280), but last season's big bats RF Gregg Vincent (.239), 3B Stan Cobb (.257) and LF Gator Davis (.243) have not been productive... If the latter trio turns it around in the second half, the Frogs could make shambles of the race.

The first year Mahaska Haymakers (37-34) with manager Rusty Tanussa calling the shots have stayed close to the front-runners and are only 5 games behind... Tanussa has depended on strong pitching with a splendid 3.11 ERA (1st)... his standout starters are Boomerang Hines (9-6 2.69), Tony Lowe (6-2 2.42) and Kolya Andrasko (5-2 3.00)... Pacing his bullpen are closer Dain Abner (0-1 1.50) with 12 saves and Brayden Turner (1-1 1.15).

The Haymaker bats have been sparked by 3B Kris Dragovich (.353), SS Eddy McKinney (.307) and LF Stan Kobzar (.301)... Mahaska is hitting only .259 (3rd) with little long range power... they have hit only 36 homers (8th)... Improvement with the offense would certainly improve its chances to contend with Luxora and Fairfax.

The Oxford Red Caps (34-37) are currently in fourth place in the TU North Division. They pretty much live and die by the longball... Manager Campy Roy's crew tops the division with 62 roundtrippers (1st) and is runner-up with a .260 average (2nd)... Leading the way are 3B Joe Courtney (.290) with 17 homers and 50 RBIs, LF Mack Spenser (.342), RF Austen Conover (.335) and CF Ike Plunkett (.257) with 11 home runs.

On the mound, Roy has only two dependable arms... his standouts are Jim Melanakos (5-3 2.82) and Boomer Belinsky (6-7 3.19)... Overall his rotation has compiled a mediocre 3.84 ERA (4th)... defensively Oxford suffers with a poor .974 fielding percentage (8th)... unless Roy come up with some quality pitchers, it may be tough for the Red Caps to hold on to fourth place and a possible playoff spot. Hopefully June is a good omen for Oxford. They are an impressive 10-3 for the month so far.

It's been another tough season for Manager Zim Donner's charges... His Hartsdale Hellcats (33-38) have been pussycats thus far... they started off with a great 18-11 record in April, but have since come down to earth... The Hellcats are in the middle of the pack statistically and literally... Donner's bunch are in fifth place and are 9 games out of first... They have compiled a .256 batting average (4th) with 41 homers (7th) and a 3.88 ERA mark (5th)... Sub-par defense, too, with a .977 fielding percentage (5th-tied).

Hartsdale's weak offense is led by rookie SS Jud Turchin (.327), RF Emile Djorovich and CF Mac Faulkner (.310) with 10 homers... Donner's stud from last year 3B Whiz Weaver (.231) is having a down year... he had 27 home runs and batted .289 last year.

Not much better in the pitching department for the Hellcats... Only Gene Young (5-2 2.42), Phil Reed (7-7 3.13) and Tal Vaitkus (7-9 3.93) have done the job this season. Donner needs a lot of improvements in a lot of areas to move up in the standings this season... Hartsdale looks like a 5th or 6th place ball club.

Holding down the sixth spot in the TU North are Cobb Tyson's Blue Lake Blue Sox (32-39), who are suffering through a terrible season. It's ironic that Cobb's club is the worst-hitting team in the IPA with a pathetic .239 average... as a player Cobb had the all-time best career batting average in industrial league history with a .367 mark... Cobb recently remarked that even at the age of 50, he could hit .300 in the IPA... The Blue Sox have only 48 roundtrippers (5th), rank near the bottom in pitching with a 3.95 ERA (7th) and have a .977 FA (5th-tied)... Good reasons why Blue Lake trails by 10 games at the All-Star game.

Blue Sox pitchers Bennie West (8-8 3.67) and Jay Clay (5-7 3.77) have been inconsistent, but good at times for Cobb... His one bright spot has been closer Neil Krogstad (3-2 2.95).

What a difference a year can make... Last season Blue Lake finished second, only one game out of first place... But last season CF Donnie Frazier (.236) had 20 homers and a .281 BA, 2B Ken Bennett (.263) hit 25 home runs and a .287 BA, 1B Fred Taranto (.221) collected 20 homers and a .278 BA... Cobb's best batter has been shortstop Cy Orgeron (.316) and that's it... For Blue Lake to get on the right path, it will take wholesale improvements in all aspects of the game... it's not likely... the Blue Sox are destined to a sixth-place finish at best.

The White River Rascals (31-40) under the tutelage of John Randison are seventh in the division standings at midseason... the Rascals are 11 games back, but with not much hope of a higher finish because of its horrific 4.54 ERA (8th)... at the plate 1B Al Joyner (.322) has shined with 18 homers and 42 RBIs... CF George Stoshak (.306) is Randison's only other .300 batter.

White River's top starters are Butch Beaulieu (8-7 3.57) and Stan Effinger (5-5 3.97)... in the bullpen the Rascals have compiled an excellent 3.08 ERA... Ted Tereshinski (5-5 2.58), Denny Cargill (2-0 2.560 and closer Emile Sifko (1-0 3.14 have given a good account of themselves in relief roles.

The North Hills Hawks (30-40) are pulling up the rear in the Tycobbian Union North Division cellar... The only things Hub Carlson has to brag about is his defense... the Hawks are number one with a fine .981 fielding average... and the club's homer run prowess with 60 roundtrippers (2nd-tied)... Carlson doesn't have much to say about an offense that is hitting only .247 (7th) and has compiled a 3.90 ERA (6th).

Carlson, a great southpaw pitcher himself in his day, has pretty scant pickins when it comes to his inept pitching corps... his best starters are Jaybird Jackson (6-5 3.50) and Ben Dewberry (4-8 3.16)... standing out in relief are Aron Bresh (1-1 2.84) and Johnny Bond (0-0 2.08)... North Hills only has a couple of good hitters in RF Trent Gilbert (.322) and CF Roy Stainbrook (.264) with 17 home runs and 43 RBIs... the Hawks with some improvements in pitching and hitting might sneak up as high as fourth, only because five teams in the division are not playing very well.

Luxora and Fairfax are the best teams in the TU North by far... Mahaska looks like the best of the rest and will finish third... Oxford looks like the best bet for the final playoff spot.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

EASTSHORE ELEGANTS

Owner: Clark and Vivien Butler of Tara Plantation, Inc.

GM/Manager: Killer Brewster

Eastshore is a town of 85,000 on the southeast coast of Ruthlandia, situated on the Valerian Ocean, just 50 miles east of Crystal Lake. It was settled by emigres from the American South in the 1870s, who were disillusioned by the post Civil War problems. Agriculture has always been the backbone of the Eastshore economy because of the perfect climate for growning cotton. Cotton is king in Eastshore. The port of Eastshore is one of the Islands busiest and is also a vital part of the area's economy.

Southern charm and hospitality are a way of life here in Eastshore. One would think they were in Savannah or Charleston in the United States, instead of a world away. Moonlight, magnolias and mint juleps are still in vogue at the many plantation homes that inundate the farmlands in the area. The "Old South" is alive and well in Eastshore.

But modern day Eastshore is more friendly than formal. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, you'll be welcomed with true Southern hospitality. Hip and historic, robust and refined, Eastshore is where you'll find amazing architecture, spooky cemeteries and rich history, along with global sophistication, funky night life and fabulous food. It's where history resonates into the present day and where memories are still being made.

Like all of the towns in Islandia, Eastshore loves its baseball and has since it first began in the late 1890s. The community has supported town ball, amateur leagues and industrial leagues down through the years and now have a professional team. The proud owners of the IPA Eastshore Elegants are Clark and Vivian Butler, who own the Tara Plantation, one of the largest cotton plantations in Ruthlandia.

Running the Elegants is renowned hard-hitting slugger of the company leagues, Killer Brewster, one of the most prolific home run hitters of all-time. Eastshore will play their games at Kraft Stadium, a modern state-of-the-art stadium built by Kraft Foods in 1996. Since the 1920s Kraft has sponsored teams in company leagues.

Kraft Stadium (1995)

Capacity: 11,575

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 330
Left Field 350
Left Center 375
Center Field 400
Right Center 375
Right Field 350
Right Field Line 330

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the town in the IPA

ELNORA ALL-STARS

Owner/GM: George Costanza

Manager: Zoggy White

Elnora, population 101,000, is a port city at the edge of the Great Plains on the east coast of Ruthlandia near the Valerian Ocean. It is one of the earliest settlements in the Islands. Elnora is the site of grain processing plants, vast wheat fields and shipping docks.

It was the home of the first amateur teams formed by companies and commercial enterprises in the 1920s. Players were given jobs by the companies and then given ample time off to practice their skills and to play games to publicize the companies' wares, services and products to the baseball fans of Ruthlandia.

The Elnora All-Stars are owned by a wealthy eccentric by the name of George Costanza. He made a fortune in reality television with a show "about nothing". Costanza jumped at the chance to get a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance and immediately began signing up all of the amateur all-stars and named his team the All-Stars. But IPA commissioner, John Banson, refused to approve the contracts. Costanza had to go through the league draft to get his players.

Elnora plays in the Ruthlandian Union and is in the North Division.

The Elnora All-Stars play at State Fair Park, which is the site of the Ruthlandian State Fair each year. It is the largest midway and carnival in the Islands. State Fair Park is famous for serving great soups, made by the famous Elaine Benes Soup Company. Costanza imported a renowned and sometimes difficult chef from Argentina to manage his concessions. In addition to traditional baseball foods, wonderful soups like mulligatawny, lima bean, turkey chili, crab bisque, cold cucumber, corn and crab chowder are served up at the ballpark. A word of warning, don't ask for bread. The Chef demands that all customers in his restaurant follow his meticulous (and seemingly arbitrary) soup-ordering instructions to the letter, lest they be refused service by his insistent avowal, "No soup for you!"

Costanza did go out and get a great manager for the All-Stars. He hired one of the most successful industrial league manager in Ruthlandian baseball history, Zoggy White. He was only a semi-mediocre outfielder, but really made his mark as a manager. In reference to his success as a player versus his success as a manager, White once said, "Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it." His style of play, which was nicknamed "Whiteyball," concentrates on pitching, speed, and defense to win games rather than home runs. White's baseball philosophy also includes a preference for patient hitters with high on-base percentages.

State Fair Park (1971)

Capacity: 12,500

Dimensions:
LF Line 335
LF 370
LCF 399
CF 415
RCF 399
RF 370
RF Line 335

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

FAR MOUNTAIN REDHAWKS

Sky High Stadium (1997)

Owner: Johann Becker
GM/Manager: Alex Groveland

Far Mountain, located in northern Ruthlandia in the Appian Mountains, is a very popular year-round ski resort and convention center. A beautiful town of 75,000 founded by immigrants from the German and Swiss Alps, Far Mountain oozes Tyrolian charm and culture. Horse drawn sleighs and buggies provide free public transportation. The rich and famous come here for wonderful ski vacations, to savor the good life and to enjoy the great hotels, nightclubs, shops, restaurants and nightlife. Yet it is priced for every pocketbook. Middle class families also partake of its many pleasures and activities. And with fine convention facilities, Far Mountain plays host to many professional and educational organizations.

And it is the home of the Far Mountain Redhawks baseball team of the Ruthlandian Union. The team is in the North Division and play their games at Sky High Stadium with a magnificent panoramic view of the Appian Mountains in the distance. A specialty at all Redhawks games is a great polka band that furnishes music and songs, whenever there is a break in the game action. During the seventh inning stretch Redhawks supporters have a great time doing the “Chicken Dance” and singing “Take me out to the ballgame” to the accompaniment of the polka band. And fans get to enjoy special culinary treats of Bavarian beers, Nurnberg bratwurst mit sauerkraut (fried sausage with sauerkraut), Schwartzwalder kirschtorte (Black Forest cake) and Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) pastries and hot gourmet soups at the games. Many fine German beers are served in profusion, too. In addition all of the traditional ballpark favorites are provided.

The Far Mountain Redhawks are owned by Johan Becker, whose family has been for 150 years the proprietors of one of the oldest hotels in town, The Bavarian Gasthaus. Becker developed a love for baseball in high school and college and played varsity baseball for both. He met Jock Ewing of Ewing Oil and Ewing Enterprises and developed a business relationship with him to make Far Mountain into a tourist resort. When Ewing offered him one of the franchises in the IPA, Johan quickly invested in it.

For a general manager and field manager, he hired one of the great pitchers of the industrial leagues, Alex Groveland.

Sky High Stadium (1997)

Capacity: 10,444

Dimensions:
LF Line 330
LF 354
LC 380
CF 402
RC 380
RF 354
RF Line 330

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

FOREST CITY LUMBERJACKS

Owner/GM/Manager: Rob Jackson

Forest City is the capital of Ruthlandia and the second largest town in the Islands with a population of 125,000. The town was settled by a group of American abolitionists from the North and the South, who foresaw the coming Civil War and decided to emigrate to Ruthlandia and Tycobbia and establish countries free from the rigors of slavery and religious intolerance. It was one of the earliest settlements because of the access to timber and its strategic location near the intersection of the Green River and the Silver River in the central part of the country.

The beautiful Green River emanates out of the Appian Mountains in the north near Far Mountain (ski resort), runs south throught Rocky Rapids (lumber, grain and transportation center) in the western foothills and plains, flows through Forest City, then winds its way past agrarian Middlefield and Sugar Valley in the fertile southern lowlands and finally empties into Belair Bay and the Southern Sea at the bayside resort and shipping center, Belair Beach.

The Silver River originates in its namesake, the Silver Mountains, which form the western border of Ruthlandia. It travels eastward through Volusia in the western foothills (silver mining and timber interests) and merges with the Green River at Forest City.

The Ruthlandian capital is an old town with buildings and homes that go back a hundred years or more. It is rare that the town planning commission allows much in the way of a modern building. It is noted for being the seat of the Federal government, for banking, commerce, railroads, steel, advertising, autos, paper and lumber industries...and also the home of the Forest City Lumberjacks.

The club is named for the country's first important industry and is in the Ruthlandian Union in its South Division. The 'Jacks play their games at old and quaint Riverside Stadium (circa 1915), right on the riverbanks with a wonderful view of the Silver River just beyond the left and center field fences. Across the river in the distance the fans can see the main part of town. Hot and freshly fried river catfish is a house speciality at Riverside, along with traditional ballpark fare.

Forest City is owned and operated by Rob Jackson, who is GM and Manager, too. Jackson was a four-letter man in college, excelling in baseball, football, basketball and track. He played many years in the industrial league for one of the biggest banks in the Islands. When his playing days were over, he went to work for the bank, managed its company team, moved up in the bank hierarchy and eventually became its president and chief administrative officer. He then expanded to professional baseball and was one of the prime originators of the Islandian Pro Alliance. He joined with good baseball men like John Banson (IPA creator and commissioner), Manny Earl of the Sugar Valley Rattlers and Rip Calkin of the La Claire Lynx to create the first professional baseball league in the Islands.

Multi-millionaires also were involved and provided the needed finances to establish the league. Men like Jock Ewing of the Waleska Westerners, Brent Steiner of the Bayview Vikings, Jorge Trujillo of the Belair Beach Sunbirds, jazz great, Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles of the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers and rock 'n' roll superstar, Conway Birdie of the Cape Coral Hurricanes.

Riverside Stadium (1915)

Capacity: 14,780

Dimensions:

LF Line 332
LF 360
LC 388
CF 400
RCF 381
RF 350
RF Line 325

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

FAIRFAX FROGS

Owner: Frog Fashions

GM/Manager: Harry Buckley

Fairfax is a dynamic town of 107,000 on the northshore of beautiful Blue Lake in Central Tycobbia and at the mouth of the Rio Lobo. It is an important river and railway distribution hub for timber and wood products from North Hills and Hartsdale to the north and agricultural products from Mahaska to the west, which are brought by rail and the Appian River. Timber and manufactured goods from Luxora are shipped on the Rio Lobo.

Because of its proximity to the lake, it a tourist haven with hotels lining the peaceful blue waters, which provide sailing , swimming, skiing, fishing and other boating activities and a thriving recreational shipbuilding industry.

Fairfax is also the home of the popular and quite prosperous Frog Fashions, makers of fine men and women's fashions, including bathing suits and swimwear. The Frog logo is featured on all of the company's wearing apparel and is known throughout the Islands.

Frog Fashions is also the owner of the Fairfax Frogs, who play in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The ballclub is a member of the Tycobbian Union's North Division. Fairfax plays its games at the Frog Pond, one of the newest stadiums in the IPA. It is a beautiful, state-of-the-art stadium with a panoramic view of the downtown area over the outfield walls and was built just in time for the 2001 inaugural season.

It is a tradition from industrial and company league days for the Frog fanatics to cheer and urge their team on to victory with this rally chant, led by the team mascot, Jeremiah the Bullfrog:

"Who let the Frogs out?..ribbit...ribbit...ribbit...ribbit.
Who let the Frogs out?..ribbit...ribbit...ribbit...ribbit.
Who let the Frogs out?..ribbit...ribbit...ribbit...ribbit."

Jeremiah the Bullfrog, also leads the fans in singing "Take Me Out to the Frog Pond" during the seventh inning stretch. A Fairfax victory is always celebrated with a rousing chorus of "Joy to the World" when the last out of the game is made.

At the concession booths, the fans can savor ballpark regulars like hot dogs, hamburgers, beer, soft drinks, peanuts and crackerjacks. In addition, refreshing daiquiries of all flavors and concoctions are available.

Harry Buckley is the GM and Manager of the Fairfax Frogs. He is a former company league second baseman and manager. Buckley was a fine hitter and fielder and also stood out as a manager.

The Frog Pond (2001)

Capacity: 11,700

Dimensions:
LF Line 340
LF 375
LCF 400
CF 422
RCF 400
RF 375
RF Line 340

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

FORT BENTON DEFENDERS

Owner: General Paddy George
GM/Manager: Robbie Brooks

Fort Benton, a military town of 62,000, is located in the rugged west central part of Ruthlandia in the Silver Mountains, which forms the western border of the country. Situated on the only land route into the country, Frontier Pass, and just east of the Tycobbian border town, East Point, Fort Benton is named for the garrison and fort that has protected the nation from invaders from the west down through the years. It is still a military training base and site of the Army College, famed for its military research and tactical innovations.

It is also the home of the Fort Benton Defenders of the Ruthlandian Union West Division, named in honor of the soldiers that have so long defended the nation. The team plays at a quaint old ballpark, Old Fortress Park, where the outfield walls are formed from the original stone walls and watchtowers of the old fort. Every time the home team hits a homer, an honor guard of soldiers fires a cannon shot for every run scored on the home run.

The Defenders are owned, operated and commanded by the former general of the Ruthlandian Armed Forces and lifelong resident of Fort Benton, General Patty George. Defender players are never out of shape or pampered...the General makes certain of that.

The General has his own thoughts about pampering fans, too. He says his philosophy is you come to watch a ballgame, not to eat, drink and be merry. Therefore the concessions are quite soldierly and Spartan at Old Fortress Stadium: hot dogs, cokes, hamburgers, peanuts, Crackerjacks, Baby Ruth candy bars and popcorn. Period. No alcoholic beverages are allowed by the teetotaling General. He doesn’t allow the players to have beards or facial hair, either.

The Ft. Benton Defenders are managed by Robbie Brooks, who also serves as the General Manager. Brooks was the finest fielding third baseman ever produced in Ruthlandian company leagues.

Old Fortress Park

Capacity: 8,500

Dimensions:
LF Line 340
LF 360
LCF 385
CF 420
RCF 385
RF 360
RF Line 340

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

GINZA NINJAS

Owner: OmniSea, Ltd.

GM/Manager: Huroko Uchiyama

Ginza began as a little fishing village in southeastern Tycobbia, settled by seafaring Japanese immigrants, who came in the 1860s during the Meiji Dynasty, a period of westernization. Today Ginza is a prosperous town of 88,000 with about half of its citizens being Japanese. Both Japanese and English are spoken here.

The name Ginza comes from “silver mint”, which Japanese authorities built in 1612. The modern day Ginza is a fabulous shopping area in Tokyo. The Tycobbian Ginza emulates it namesake, but on a much smaller scale. It is a free trade port and has many importers and exporters at the International Bazaar. Great bargains are in abundance in Ginza. The town also has a thriving fishing fleet and seafood processing industry.

Baseball got a late start in Ginza. The town inhabitants began playing amateur baseball in the 1930s, but soon began to challenge other towns in the sport. OmniSea Marine Processors, the largest employer in town, began sponsoring leagues and invested heavily in the game's development. OmniSea eventually expanded to industrial leagues and now to the Islandian Pro Alliance. They own the Ginza Ninjas of the Tycobbian Union South Division.

Ginza plays at Ninja Stadium, a modern ballpark built in 1998. A game at Ninja Stadium is really special. Most of the fans are quite reserve and quiet, typical Japanese social demeanor. However, in the left field bleachers it is another world...a wild and noisy place. There, the Ninjas have an official cheering section called “oendan” (pronounced “oh-en-dan”), that plays songs, beats drums and gongs, blows trumpets and waves flags. They stand up the entire time, when the Ninjas are at bat and sit down, when the opposition is batting. Fans clap plastic megaphones along with the oendan and sing chants to each Ginza player. Many fans carry umbrellas to the ballgame. Whenever the Ninjas score a run, they also open up all of the umbrellas, their way of telling the opposing pitcher, he is headed for the showers.

In the Lucky Seventh, the traditional seventh-inning stretch, they sing the Ninja fight song and then release hundreds of rocket balloons (jetto fusen). Other unique things about Ninja baseball is the public address announcer is female, the only one in the Islands. You will also see the pitcher bow in reverence to fielders, who make good plays.

At the Ninja Stadium concessions you will find not only traditional baseball fare, but Japanese as well. Ginza fans can enjoy yakisoba (fried noodles), yaketori (BBQ chicken on skewers), takoyaki (fried octopus dumplings) and bento (cold lunch in a wooden box). For the sweet tooth, kakigori (snowballs with flavored syrup and condensed milk), green tea ice cream, sweet potato ice cream, anmitsu (cold fruit dessert) and anpan (sweet bun).

The GM and Manager of the Ginza Ninjas is one of the alltime great players and managers in the Tycobbian amateur and industrial leagues, Huroko Uchiyama. They call him “Mr. Baseball” in Ginza.

Ninja Stadium (1998)

Capacity: 10,667

Dimensions:

LF Line 330
LF 355
LCF 377
CF 400
RCF 372
RF 360
RF Line 335

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

GLASCO ATHLETICS

Owner: Great Aberdeen Granite Company
GM/Manager: McDuffie Hughes

Glasco is a seaport town of 81,000 on the northwest coast of Ruthlandia, resting on a peninsula jutting out into Valdar Bay. It is known for offshore oil, shipping, shipbuilding, seafood and granite industries. Glasco was settled by Scots and is a prosperous cosmopolitan community.

It is a historical old town with a beautiful skyline with centuries old granite structures, replete with quaint stone bridges and gates and numerous canals and waterways. Granite has been quarried in the area for well over a hundred years. A unique aspect of Glasco is the Heritage Trail, a painted green and blue line (colors taken from the town’s coat of arms) on ancient brick sidewalks that connects all the history of the town and serves as a walking tour. Historical markers retrace all the important events in the town’s history. One can see the past and the present on the Heritage Trail.

Glasco’s gaslight district is known for its premier dining, shopping and entertainment.It is also home of the Glasco Athletics. The A’s have a long history of amateur baseball sponsored many years by the Aberdeen Granite Company. Now the professional ball club is owned by the Great Aberdeen Granite Company and plays in the Ruthlandia Baseball Union North Division of the Islandian Pro Alliance.

Glasco plays at beautiful Athletics Field overlooking scenic Valdar Bay. It is one of the newest parks in the Islands, finished just in time for the 2001 inaugural IPA season. The right field wall is made of solid granite, and the team’s green and blue colors are proudly taken from the town's coat of arms. When the Glasconians take the seventh inning stretch, they begin with kilted Highlanders playing the traditional “Take me out to the ballgame” on bagpipes and end up by singing it all in unison with a wee bit of a Scottish brogue. Traditional ballpark fare and epicurean dishes are served at the concessions stands. Scottish delicacies like haggis (it’s great until you find out what’s in it) and hotch-potch (a sumptuous stew) are offered, along with many fine Scottish ales. And if Scottish dishes are not your cup of tea, traditional baseball foods and drink are provided, too.

McDuffie Hughes is the GM and manager of the Glasco Athletics. He was a fine outfielder for the Aberdeen Granites, one of the premier industrial teams in Ruthlandia. He played for the company, then after his playing days were over, managed the team. And still does, now that they have gone pro.

Athletics Field (2000)

Capacity: 9,500

Dimensions:
LF Line 327
LF 350
LCF 375
CF 405
RCF 370
RF 350
RF Line 330

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

GRAND CITY CYBERCATS

Owner: Gates Billington, Windows Technologies

GM/Manager: Torry Joseph

Grand City is a town of 128,000 and the largest population-wise in the Islands. It has a very special and very short history. It was the brainchild of multi-millionaire Gates Billington, computer and financial genius. It was his vision to build the "perfectly planned" town. Originally Grand City was called Emerald and was just a small fishing village on the southern coast of Ruthlandia near the Valerian Ocean. It was settled by the Scotch-Irish and English in the early 1800's, who came to get away from religious intolerance.

It remained a sleepy little fishing village until 1990, when Billington bought up all of the real estate and decided to make his dream city come true. He and his entrepreneurial cohorts pooled their money, ideas and plans and made it come to fruition in 5 short years. Grand City went up overnight and soon became the most populous town/city in the Islands and one of the most prosperous.

Billington created a financial and high tech industrial complex. These ambitious business and civic leaders have boosted Grand City into a sophisticated, fastlane cultural metropolis. It is a town of skyscrapers, beautiful boulevards, condos, high rise apartments, all arranged in perfect symmetry. Autos are not permitted in Grand City. Residents must use it highly-advanced public transportation system, walk or ride bicycles. Only service vehicles are permitted on the streets of the city. And in keeping with the town's high tech, modernistic motif, the Grand City Gothams of the Islandian Pro Alliance play in a brand new state-of-the-art stadium, Entergy Park.

Billington is a big-time baseball fan and is the owner of the club. He has more money than he knows what to do with. No expense was spared at this ballpark. Everything is computerized. When you get your order at the concession stands, all the hot food items are hot, all the cold items are cold and you get them served quickly without standing in line very long.

The highly-paid technocrats are really pampered with the best of everything.
You don't miss any of the ballgame at Eutergy Park. Since the Grand City Cybercats have just come into in 2002, they have no amateur and industrial league history, so they have no established traditions.

To insure success on the diamond, Billington hired one of the best baseball minds in the Islands, Tory Joseph. He will be the Cybercats GM and manager. Joseph was a solid hitter and fair catcher in his playing days, who became one of the best industrial league managers.

Entergy Park (2001)

Capacity: 15,000

Dimensions:
LF Line 340
LF 360
LCF 375
CF 400
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 340

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Tycobbian Union South Division Standings

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

San Alejo Dominates TU South
The race is over in the Tycobbian Union South. Manager Lando Peceda's Montaneros have run up a 15-game lead at the halfway point in the season. There is no way any team will catch them this season. The San Alejo Montaneros are far and away the best team in the division. The other teams are just playing for playoff positions and then hope they don't finish fourth and have to play San Alejo.

It looks like a tight battle for the last three playoffs spots between five teams. The Colchester Elites and Summerland Sunsets are deadlocked for second place, 15 games off the pace. The Southport Sun Sox are fourth, 17 games behind with the Ginza Ninjas and Turon Typhoons 18 games out and tied for fifth. Cape Coral is seventh, 23 games back. The Arroyo Grande Suns are even further back and deep in the basement, trailing by 31 games.

The San Alejo Montaneros (52-19) have it all - hitting, pitching, power and defense... The Montaneros are batting .273 (2nd), have an unbelievably low 2.76 ERA (1st), have belted 70 homers (1st) and are fielding .981 (2nd).

Skipper Lando Peceda has excellent pitching with starters Ernie Arredondo (13-3 2.06), tied for the most wins in the IPA, Jaime Serrano (10-5 3.08), Alberto Herrera (6-1 1.84) and Vitorio Velarde (4-3 2.38)... Closer Tino Elardo (1-0 2.50) has 11 saves... and Gilberto De Paz (6-1 2.73) has done a fine job in middle relief... San Alejo has nothing but good pitchers.

The Montaneros hit well, too... SS Erico Pilar (.356) tops the list, followed by C Edmundo Franquez (.338) and LF Bernie Valente (.298)... supplying the power are RF Marcelino Zunigo (.290) with 13 homers and 52 RBIs, 3B Paolo Huerta (.286) 12 home runs and 53 RBIs and 1B Rodger Wooten (.268) with 12 homers and 36 RBIs.

Uncle Robbie Wilbertson pilots the Colchester Elites (37-34)... the club's strong point is its hitting... The Elites have compiled a .270 batting average (3rd) with 52 roundtrippers (3rd)... Wilbertson has three .300 hitters in 1B Harlan Roscoe (.321), 2B Leland Curtis (.313) and C Joey Siegfried (.304)... 3B Niles Stanton (.271) has socked 15 home runs and driven in 51 runs.

Colchester suffers on the mound except for three good starters... The Elites have split 2-2 with San Alejo this year because of Dickie Pendarvis (10-4 2.22), Barry Henry (8-4 2.63) and Jim Danza (5-1 2.29)... when Uncle Robbie has to go to the bullpen his task gets much tougher... a second or third place finish is predicted for the Colchester Elites... they are presently tied with Summerland for the runner-up spot in the TU South.

The Summerland Sunsets (37-34) under the guidance of manager Will Hackett are very similar to Colchester, but may have better overall pitching and much better defense... The Sunsets carry a .265 BA (4th) with 49 homers (6th), 3.59 ERA (3rd) and have a strong .982 fielding percentage (1st).

In his starting rotation, Hackett can call on Paul Felker (6-2 3.31), Duncan Cade (6-4 3.53), Bill Taft (5-2 2.92) and Byron Hastings (8-9 3.29)... Closer Pete Van Dijk (1-2 1.25) has 12 saves and just doesn't give up runs... Even Summerland's middle relief is decent.

The Sunsets attack is paced by RF Stacey Zacker (.309) with 15 home runs, 51 RBIs and 49 runs scored... LF Dennis Alsup (.339) and SS Tommy Westerfeldt (.269) with 27 RBIs, 51 runs scored and 14 SB have also made contributions. Our prediction for Summerland is second or third.

Rounding out the first division in the fourth spot are the Southport Sun Sox (35-36) of manager Charley Oscar... The Sun Sox live and die with its mound corps... the team ERA is an impressive 3.19 (2nd) with a fine group of starters in Walt Corbin (7-7 2.63), Chris Cahill (4-4 2.57), Johnny Ballard (8-9 3.28) and Seth Osmer (3-4 2.03)... However, Oscar's club suffers when he has to go to the bullpen... Southport also suffers on defense with a so-so .975 fielding percentage (5th-tied).

The Sun Sox are batting only .252 (6th), but have 50 homers (5th)... 1B Pat Mystryk (.278) has 7 home runs and 39 runs batted in on the year... LF Angelo Lombardi (.275) has 8 with 34 RBIs... Southport's top average belongs to C Alex Fourroux (.298)... Oscar's pitching should get him a fourth place finish and a spot in the playoffs by season's end.

Last year's finalist in the Islandian Pro Cup Series was the Ginza Ninjas (34-37), losing to the Volusia Vigilantes in a four-game sweep... The Ninjas have started off slow again this year and are tied for fifth in the TU South with Turon... Manager Huroko Uchiyama fields the top hitting team in the division with a standout .276 average (1st), but lacking power with only 40 home runs (8th)... and by contrast Ginza's ERA is a lousy 4.55 (7th)...the Ninjas are not great with the glove, either... with a .975 FA (5th-tied).

Ginza's top run-maker is 1B Kenshin Yamamoto (.285) with 8 homers and 43 RBI... Uchiyama can also put four .300 hitters in his line-up: OF Ronnie Cahill (.395), 3B Troy Connolly (.317), OF Charlie Campbell (.316) and OF Nick Winters (.307).

On the hill, the Ninjas have decent starters in Ken Conner (10-5 4.28), Toshiharu Ito (9-5 3.50) and Kojiro Matsumoto 7-6 4.69)... this year they are getting by because of the strong hitting support... All three are down considerably in ERA from last year... 2001 records: Conner (15-8 2.63), Ito (17-8 2.74), Matsumoto (19-11 3.00)... Uchiyama has nothing in the bullpen... fifth or sixth may be the best Ginza can do this year.

Manager Ashton "Whitey" Richburn heads up the Turon Typhoons (34-37) and has them in a tie for fifth... the Typhoons main strength is on the mound with starters Scotty Boswell (6-6 2.94), Jacques Lemaire (6-8 3.18), Keir McNamara (4-4 3.59) and Jeb Pickett (4-3 3.59)... but recent additions to the relief corps has also strengthened them... which may make them a very strong contender for second place as well... Turon is 18 games behind San Alejo, but only 3 games behind Colchester and Summerland, the second place teams... The Typhoons have a 3.82 team ERA (5th), but that is misleading... the present crop of pitchers are much better than that... new closer Mac Yokum (2-3 2.66) has solidified that position with 9 saves in his five weeks with the club.

Batting-wise Richburn's crew is hitting .256 (5th) with 51 roundtrippers (4th)... top hitters are 1B Boots Dubois (.309) with 5 homers, 36 RBIs, 46 runs and 9 stolen bases... and C Trace Crittenden (.288) with 7 home runs and 50 RBIs... Things are looking up the Turon Typhoons for the final half of the season.

This has been a terrible year for the Cape Coral Hurricanes (29-42) and manager Huggy Miller... They are in seventh place and 23 games back, but only 6 games out of fourth place... the top four teams in each division will make the playoffs... the 'Canes have a .251 BA (7th), 3.96 ERA (6th), have hit only 45 homers (7th) and are fielding .979 (3rd).

Miller's starting foursome are Cody Burg (3-3 2.91), Wally Robinson (5-7 3.50), Tommy Archer (5-6 3.82) and Jeff Salow (3.99)... they have been competent and fairly dependable, but Cape Coral's relievers have been bad... if the Hurricanes don't get help in the bullpen, they will be stuck in seventh place this season.

Cape Coral doesn't have much to brag about at the plate, either... Miller's best are just adequate... the Hurrricanes do not have any star players... 2B Hoshi Sato (.258) has 40 RBIs and 12 homers to lead the offense with some help from rookie CF Edmundo Montano (.314), and infielders Kenny Hall (.301) and Bobo Hatfield (.305).

The inept Arroyo Grande Suns (21-50) are last in hitting with a minuscule .237 BA, last with a humongous 5.63 ERA and last with a miserable .966 FA... No surprise the Suns are also in last place in the Tycobbian Union South Division.

However, there is one bright spot for manager Jean-Luc Marchand - Arroyo Grande is second with 68 home runs... sparked by CF Dante Brunet (.255) with 18 home runs and 52 RBIs and LF Robby Wells (.260) with 12 roundtrippers and 36 runs batted in.

The Suns only have two pitchers under a 5.00 ERA... starter Marty Patino is 3-3 with a 3.78 ERA and closer Vince Loggia is 0-0 in 21 appearances with a 3.24 ERA. Suffice to say Arroyo Grande will finish last this year... and probably for years to come.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

South Fork and Tuckanarra 1-2 in Tight TU East
From top to bottom in the "homer happy" Tycobbian Union East Division only 9 games separate 7 of the teams. At the All-Star break the South Fork Stallions have a scant 2-game lead over the second place Tucknarra Blue Jays. East Point and High Mesa are third, just 5 games off the pace with Ozarka and Red Bluff fifth, trailing by 7 games. The Midway Wolves are 9 games behind in the seventh spot and the Hillsboro Blazers are in last place, 16 games back. The TU East has the smallest ballparks in the IPA and the balls fly out with great regularity.

The well-rounded South Fork Stallions (43-28) are managed by Deroche "Lips" Leon. His club is batting a solid .273 (4th) with 63 home runs (6th-tied), has a strong pitching staff with a 3.21 ERA (1st) and a good .979 fielding percentage (3rd-tied).

Flint Battle (11-6 3.51) leads the Stallion staff in victories, followed by Vince Bernini (8-8 2.08) and Glenn Turnbull (5-2 3.58)... South Fork has solid relievers, too... Leon's top hitters are 1B Keith Burke (.303) with 11 homers and 37 RBIs, CF Ronnie Lee (.301) with 7 home runs, 43 runs scored, 33 RBIs and 16 SB, 3B Glenn Holliday (.268) with 16 roundtrippers and 46 runs batted in, LF Art Atkins (.290) with 7 homers and CF Lyle Lindsey (.288). It looks the Stallions and the Tuckanarra Blue Jays will be the main contenders for the division crown because of superior pitching.

At the helm of the Tucknarra Blue Jays (41-30) is Carlton "Lefty" Stevens, who starred for many years in the industrial leagues... The Blue Jays have put up an outstanding .278 BA (2nd), 73 homers (4th) with a 3.43 ERA (3rd), which is commendable in this hitters' division. Stevens has put together a good pitching corps with Coorain Janama (12-4 2.83), Niles Applewhite (8-3 3.51) and Leland Akana (5-6 3.27), but it is the Blue Jays batters, who are the team's lifeblood... LF Corey Tavington (.355) is all-star caliber with 11 homers, 53 RBIs and has scored 51 times... Other contributors include C Clint Hardesty (.322) with 6 home runs and 38 RBIs, SS Donnie Allgood (.322) 7 homers and 24 RBIs, 2B Owen MacArthur (.301) with 5 homers and 52 runs scored and RF Monty Draycott (.280) with 18 roundtrippers, 49 runs batted in and has scored 52 times... 1B Charley Schofied (.276) has chipped with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs... Stevens needs help in the bullpen, but thus far, his hitting is keeping the Blue Jays at the top of the standings.

High-scoring East Point and High Mesa are in a dead heat for third place in the TU East and are 5 games behind South Fork. The secret of success for the East Point Panthers (38-33) is power hitting... Griff Clarke's club tops the IPA with 93 home runs, paced by 2B Karol Zodoka (.337) with 21 homers and 67 RBIs, 3B Rex Sokolov (.266) with 19 roundtrippers and 51 RBIs, LF Tom Drenner (.288) with 10 home runs and 35 RBIs, CF Bobby Joseph (.321), RF Travis Buchanan (.302) and SS John Cottrell (.290) with 9 home runs... East Point has an out-of-sight 4.65 ERA (8th), but carries a .276 (3rd) batting average and a .978 fielding average (5th-tied).

On the mound the Panthers pitching takes a pounding because of the short fences, but skipper Clarke gets good work out of starters Jack Black (9-5 4.17) and Charley Hale (7-5 3.92)... in the bullpen his closer Bill Glasscock (5-3 2.87) is a standout with 8 saves... East Point could finish anywhere from third to sixth this year.

The High Mesa Cowboys (38-33) hit even better than East Point with a .282 team batting average (1st) with 87 roundtrippers (2nd) and pitch a little better with a 4.31 ERA (7th)... defensively the Cowboys have a .978 fielding average (5th-tied), the same as the Panthers.

Manager Frisky Franks has an explosive offensive line-up with five players hitting over .300... LF Adam Zitek (.342) leads the IPA with 24 home runs and has batted in 63 runs, while scoring 59 runs... 1B Babe Holloman(.342) has 7 HRs and 34 RBIs, 2B Ed Granberg (.313) with 10 home runs, 37 RBIs and 48 runs scored, SS Rolf Kellgren (.310) with 6 roundtippers, 30 RBIs, 67 runs scored and 13 SB, C Jay Fessler (.304) with 3 HRs, 39 RBIs and has scored 39 runs... CF Lex Neville (.235) hasn't hit much for average, but has 13 homers, 50 runs batted in and scored 40 times.

Surprisingly High Mesa has two hurlers with sub-3.00 ERAs... John Owens has been splendid with an 8-0 mark and a 2.78 ERA, while Jim Dreyer is 3-3 with a 2.70 ERA. We predict that the Cowboys will strongly contend for the third spot in the TU East and will make the playoffs.

The Ozarka Naturals (36-35) combine very good pitching with great defense and are tied with the Red Bluff Red Sox for the fifth spot in the standings, 7 games out of first... The only thing holding manager Joe Mac Carney's Nats back is poor hitting... Otherwise they would be a strong contender for the TU East crown... the club is batting only .243 (6th-tied) with only 47 homers (8th)... but on the hill Ozarka sports a 3.29 ERA (2nd)... Defensively, they lead the division with an exceptional .984 fielding percentage (1st).

The Naturals have four fine hurlers in their starting rotation in Alex DiMaggio (6-4 2.62), Sid Hyder (6-4 2.82), Yasuyuki Nakagawa (10-8 2.91) and Tony Didriksen (7-6 3.55)... But the bullpen is a little bare... Carney needs a lot of help there.

Ozarka's only quality hitters are CF Kermit Wiggins (.325) with 31 runs scored and 24 SB... 2B Duane Starr (.273) with 7 homers, 34 RBIs and 31 runs... and rookie 3B Royce Robinson (.309) 3 homers and 21 RBIs... If the hitting would perk up and Carney can find some relief help, the Naturals might challenge East Point and High Mesa for the third or fourth place and a playoff spot... More than likely fifth place is Ozarka's likely destination this season.

The Red Bluff Red Sox (36-35) are 7 games behind at the All-Star Game, but only 2 games out of third place under the leadership of Mack Connery... The Red Sox are doing better in the standings than their stats justify... .263 BA (5th)... 69 home runs (5th)... 4.14 ERA (6th)... and .976 FA (8th).

Red Bluff has some talented batters in CF Howard Fullerton (.337) with 10 roundtrippers and 30 RBIs, RF Tony Scalise (.307) 12 home runs and 39 RBIs, 1B Bucky Frizzell (.281) 10 Home runs and 28 runs batted in and C Vito Belisario (.317)... Red Sox bats have been doing their job.

Connery has two impressive starters in Mila Mohoski (6-2 2.48) and Jerry Kline (2.78)... Zeke Bowden (6-5 3.87) had looked good at times, too... Newcomer John Dougherty (3-1 1.33) may turn out to be the best of all of them in the closer's role... Look for Red Bluff to contest for a playoff spot, although sixth is the most probable finish.

The Midway Wolves (34-37) are near the bottom of the barrel in the Tycobbian Union East Division, sitting 9 games back in the race... Manager Cochise Chandler's group is also near the bottom statistically as well with a poor .240 BA (8th), 63 homers (6th-tied), 4.14 ERA (5th)... but rates highly with a .981 FA (2nd).

Shortstop Tommy Kawatoose (.309) is Midway's best all-around player with 11 homers, 37 RBIs and 58 runs scored... RF Gerry Alger (.273) has hit 12 out of the park with 50 RBIs and LF Archie Greene (.261) has totaled 9 home runs and 46 runs batted in.

On the mound, Nosyt Sani (5-3 2.94), Johnny Parker (3-2 1.80) and Tecumseh Aranu (4-2 3.69) have been Chandler's best arms... Midway looks solid for a seventh place finish this year.

The last place Hillsboro Blazers (27-44) are managed by Arky Spanderson, a well-known and very respected manager in the industrial league circles, but that success has not translated over to the IPA... The Blazers are hitting only .243 (6th-tied)... but do have 80 homers (3rd)... on the hill the team has compiled a 4.08 ERA (4th)... defensively they have a .978 FA (5th-tied)... Hillsboro trails the TU East leader, South Fork, by 16 games.

Pacing the Blazer attack are 2B Tommy Emrick (.295) 15 homers, 38 RBIs and 41 runs scored, RF Rawhide Marshall (.252) has hit 13 roundtrippers and driven in 27 runs, CF Arnie Greco (.290) has 7 home runs and SS Jerry Pontros (.281) has 7 as well... Spanderson recently traded for third baseman Johnny Strickland (.287) to add another longball hitter to his line-up... Strickland was traded from Far Mountain and has 7 home runs this season in abbreviated play.

Hillsboro has gone through quite a few pitchers this season. Recent acquisitions Nick Brennan (3-5 2.25) and Johnny Dennis (3-4 2.08) have done very well since coming aboard in May. Things have been sparse otherwise... The Blazers don't have much hope for this season and will have to build for next year... Last place is the forecast.

In the last half of the year, it will be South Fork and Tuckanarra sparring for the regular season TU East flag... with East Point, High Mesa and Ozarka contesting for the other two playoff positions...Red Bluff is a longshot for a playoff berth... Midway and Hillsboro have no chance.

George Costanza...that's stellar!

Your detail here is remarkable, Eugene.

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

HARTSDALE HELLCATS

Owner: Pioneer Brewing Company

GM/Manager: Zim Donner

Hartsdale, with population of about 74,OOO, is situated on the slopes of the Appian Mountains of Northern Tycobbia. It is a blue-collar, working class town, functional and old-fashioned in architecture. Primary industries are coal and iron ore mining, timber, glassware and beer. The vital Appian River begins in the Appian Mountains near North Hills, travels most of the country from north to south, past Hartsdale to the capital city, La Claire, then finally culminates at Bay St. Clair, a seaport town on the west central coast. The river provides an inexpensive source of transportation and is crucial to Hartsdale’s and Tycobbia’s economies.

Hartsdale is also the home of the Hellcats baseball team of the Islandian Pro Alliance. They are in the Tycobbian Union North Division and play at Pioneer Park. The Pioneer Brewing Company owns the club and is the maker of Tycobbia’s favorite brew, Pioneer Premium Beer. The brewery can be seen just beyond the center and right field fences of Pioneer Park. In fact, the brick walls of the factory form part of the right field bleachers. Company bigwigs can watch the ballgame from their offices.

Hellcats fans take their baseball very seriously and are serious students of the game. It’s baseball, beer and hot dogs in the hearts of the fans -- and the last two are a very distant second. When they go to a game, their eyes stay glued to the action on the field. They are hardcore Hellcats fans, too, and give no breaks or quarter to the opposing team or their fans. Very few visiting fans have the courage to display their loyalties very much in front of the rough and rowdy Hellcats. They get some very hard stares if they do. The Hartsdalians are tough and demanding on the Hellcats players, too. At the traditional seventh inning stretch each adult is gifted with a small sample of Pioneer Beer and it is used to toast their cherished baseball team as they sing a few bars of “99 bottles of beer on the wall”, followed by “Take me out to the ballgame”. And you can get the best burgers and dogs in Tycobbia, grilled to perfection on the concessions concourse.

The Hellcats are corporately-owned. Zim Donner, a 50-year veteran in amateur and professional baseball, is the GM and Manager. He was a fine up-and-coming shortstop until he suffered a couple of beanballs that turned him into just a journeyman infielder. But he is one fine manager and baseball teacher. He has been known to charge the mound occasionally. The fiery Hellcats fans love him.

Pioneer Park (1954)

Capacity: 10,000

Dimensions:
LF Line 322
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 415
RCT 375
RF 345
RF Line 322

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

HIGH MESA COWBOYS

Owner: Dixon and Lula Belle Queen of the Queen Ranch

GM/Manager: Frisky Franks

High Mesa is located in the sparsely-populated central region of Tycobbia, a dry, dusty plains area with scrubby vegetation and low rainfall. It is midway between Ozarka in the Silver Mountains to the east, Bay St. Clair on the west coast and Midway on the Appian River to the northwest, about 100 miles from each. High Mesa has about 40,000 population.

It was sleepy little village when the Queen family arrived in 1870 from war-torn Texas in the United States. Richard Queen had made his money in shipping and riverboats during the Civil War and lost much of his wealth for being on the wrong side. He and his family migrated to Tycobbia to start anew. Queen was a good businessman and when he toured the high plains area east of Bay St. Clair, he found the perfect spot for his ranch. It had the only water hole for 100 miles in any direction and was shaded and sheltered by large mesquite trees. From that small holding Queen expanded to the biggest ranch in the Islands over the next 50 years. The Queen Ranch has grown to almost a million acres and is still in business today, guided by Richard Queen's descendants.

For the last century and a half the Queen Ranch has concentrated on raising cattle and supplies much of beef in Tycobbia. In the 1930's oil was discovered on the property and made the ranch even more profitable. The Queen family's oil industry contacts made it much easier for them to get an IPA franchise, quite an achievement for such a small town. Friends like the Ewing Oil family made it possible. The Queen Ranch is also famous for its thoroughbred horses and has produced many Arlon Derby winners over the years.

The High Mesa Cowboys play at a beautiful old stadium built in 1914. Queen Stadium has ivy-covered outfield fences that are unique in all of the Islands. It's a hitter's ballpark with short power alleys and a short center field. High-scoring slugfests are commonplace at Queen Stadium. The Cowboys have a Rhinestone Cowboy as their mascot. He gallops around the field on a splendid golden Palomino whooping it up and exhorting the crowd to cheer for the Cowboys.

Queen Stadium also serves a delicious ribeye steak sandwich at the concession stands. They are cooked right before you eyes on huge barbecue grills, filling the stands with the fragrance of sizzling steaks and grilled onions. Mouth-watering hamburgers and hot dogs are also on the menu along with the customary soft drinks and beer.

The High Mesa Cowboys are managed by Frisky Franks, who starred as a great second baseman in college and the industrial leagues. Franks is one of the all-time greats in Islandian baseball history, both as a player and a manager. He also doubles as the club's general manager.

Queen Stadium (1914)

Capacity: 6,575

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 355
Left Field 357
Left Center 368
Center Field 390
Right Center 368
Right Field 363
Right Field Line 353

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

HILLSBORO BLAZERS

Owner: Hanford Banking and Insurance Company, Robert Hanford, President and CEO.

GM/Manager: Arky Spanderson

Hillsboro is a very prosperous town in Tycobbia with 46,000 residents, located on the Caledonia River bluffs in the Silver Mountains in the southeastern corner of the country. It is noted for it vast forest and timber reserves, lumber processing mills and its insurance and banking interests. It is the smallest town population-wise in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Its financial power and influence are the only reasons that Hillsboro was placed in the Islands' elite league.

Hillsboro is an elegant, old-timey town intermingled with a little modernity. Ancient Hanford Stadium (circa 1903), the home of the Hillboro Blazers, is a prime example of the architecture prevalent in the area. The team is named for one of the country's outstanding early amateur baseball clubs, the Blazers Baseball Club of Hillsboro. The BBCH Athletic Club was established in 1899 and evolved into the present day Blazers.

Hanford Stadium is a unique configuration and was built in 1903 to house the original Blazers. It is a bandbox with short distances all around. It is a hitter's paradise with center field only 370' and the power alleys 375'. It is only 318' and 320' down each foul line.

The Blazers are owned by the Hanford Banking and Insurance Company with its headquarters housed in office buildings that form the outfield walls of the ballpark. An air of yesteryear pervades both the town and the stadium.

Blazer fans take their game seriously. They come to the ballpark to watch their beloved game of baseball. So you won't find many distractions and promotions once the game begins. All eyes are glued to the diamond. The only music is provided by an old-fashioned organist. Hanford Stadium is one of only three ballparks that still have this tradition. Ozarka, Kenwood and Marston are the only other places in the Islands that have a live organ player.

There is a lot to be said about organ music and baseball. They go together quite well. Beer, soft drinks, peanuts, popcorn, crackerjacks, ice cream, cotton candy, hot dogs and hamburgers go together quite well with baseball, too. And these are the only concession staples you'll find at Hanford Stadium.

The Hillsboro Blazers are run by GM/Manager Arky Spanderson, ex-industrial league journeyman. He played many years and managed the Hanford Insurance team. Arky is a very fine manager, but was only a so-so second baseman. "Good field, no hit" would aptly describe his playing days. When the Islandian Pro Alliance came to Hillsboro, the ownership naturally turned to Spanderson to direct its pro team.

Hanford Stadium (1903)

Capacity: 7,755

LF Line 318
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 370
RCF 375
RF 350
RF Line 320

The Islandian Times

Around the Town in the IPA

KENWOOD WILDCATS

Owner: Kenwood Farmers Co-op

GM/Manager: Aaron Hankins

Kenwood, a rustic and rural town of 50,000 located 25 miles off the Kelnyck Ocean in west central Tycobbia, is an agrarian area with little industry. Farms as far as the eye can see dot the landscape. Founded by English and Welsh settlers, life is like merry olde England of a century or two ago. Country inns and pubs with fine ales, fresh trout out of the crystal clear streams or a piece of juicy wild boar or game bird are always on the menu, and you can sample all of the homemade cheeses and wonderfully fresh produce of the region. Corn, wheat, barley and other grains are the main crops; dairy, pork and chicken products are important to the economy, too.

Life is peaceful and sedate in Kenwood, where tradition is important. All new construction in the town has to be approved by the Planning Board. Modern architecture is not permitted in Olde Towne, as the central downtown area is known. All buildings must be designed circa 1850 and fit in with the historic décor of the existing buildings. Even the ballpark where the Kenwood Wildcats play is an old ballpark; the fans wouldn’t have it any other way. Olde Towne can be seen over the center field and right field fences and the new part of the town over the left field fence. Olde Towne has a wonderful old-fashioned soda shoppe where you can get homemade ice cream in flavors like orange-pineapple (with bits of pineapple and orange), grape (with real grapes), strawberry (with bits of strawberry), banana (with bits of banana) and vanilla, chocolate and fudge ripple, too. Cherry cokes, vanilla cokes, chocolate cokes and thick shakes, malts and hamburgers as well. It is a great place to meet after the ballgame.

Olde Towne Grounds is perfect for the Kenwoodians. They are old-fashioned at the ballpark, too, with only cold drinks, ale, hot dogs, hamburgers, peanuts and Crackerjacks and marvelous thick milk shakes made with delicious homemade ice cream at the concession stands. And in keeping with the oldtime flavor of Kenwood, there is live organ music to entertain the fans. Only three other parks boast an organ player; Ozarka, Hillsboro and Marston.

Olde Towne Grounds is is a quaint ballpark with an asymmetrical configuration. The left field line is 380', the same as it is to straightaway center. Right field is more realistic at 350'. It was built in 1911.

The Kenwood Wildcats are owned by the Kenwood Farmers Co-op and are managed and directed by one of the all-time great home run hitters and outfielders in Tycobbian industrial league history, Aaron Hankins.

Olde Towne Grounds (1911)

Capacity: 6,115

Dimensions:
LF Line 380
LF 365
LCF 370
CF 380
RCF 365
RF 345
RF Line 350

The Islandian Times

Tycobbian Union West Division Standings

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Saturday, June 15, 2002

The Islandian News

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Bay St. Clair, Denton City, Kenwood, TU West Contenders

It's a closely-bunched pennant chase in the Tycobbian Union West at the midpoint in the season with almost every team still with a chance to at least make the playoffs. The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are only 1 game ahead of the Denton City Redbirds, 2 games in front of the third place Kenwood Wildcats and 4 up on the Rolling Hills Reds. Bayview is tied with Chicopee for the fifth spot, just 6 games off the pace. Rounding out the division are the Arlon Champions, who are 7 games out in the seventh spot in the standings and the cellar-dwelling La Claire Lynx, trailing by 9 games.

Guy Rondre's Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (40-31) have gone from worst to first since last year... The Bucs still hit the cover off the ball just like last season, but Rondre found some pitchers to go with it and now they find themselves at the top of the heap in the TU West... The Buccaneers are batting .273 (1st) with 51 homers (5th)... excel with a superb 3.03 ERA (1st)... but take a nose dive with a .972 fielding average (7th-tied).

Rondre's top starters are Duke DeVree (6-1 1.71), Duncan McFalls (7-6 3.06) and Denny Coulon (6-3 3.01)... The Bucs bullpen is even better than the starters with Kenny Metcalf (5-2 2.08) leading the way.

In the batter's box, Bay St. Clair's best hitters are 2B Tony Mann (.359) with 4 home runs and 36 RBIs, 3B Ed Albrecht (.315) with 17 homers and 55 RBIs, RF Jose Valenzuela (.298) with 5 roundtrippers and 31 RBIs, C Jake Singleton (.292) with 37 RBIs, CF Wayne Latham (.291) 3 home runs and 27 runs batted in and LF Charley Moon (.305) has 3 home runs and 19 RBIs... With such a well-balance blend of batting and pitching, the Bucs are the favorites for the division banner, but will have a tough battle on their hands.

The Denton City Redbirds (39-32), piloted by Ford Whiteman, don't have good stats, but they have a winning record... The Redbirds have compiled a .258 average (5th-tied), hit only 39 homers (8th), notched a poor 4.44 ERA (8th), but still are only one game out of first place... Denton City did well in April with a 19-10 mark, but have only been 20-22 since... However, the Redbirds can catch the ball and lead the division in defense with a fine .981 fielding average (1st).

Whiteman, a superb southpaw in his playing days, only has three dependable pitchers... Starters Bob Coleman (9-4 2.69) and Joe Hoffman (8-5 3.39) have been impressive and consistent, while Pappy Waterhouse (2-2 2.63) has been stong as the Redbird closer.

Offensively for Denton City, RF Cris Willis (.360) has 42 RBIs, scored 43 times and stolen 12 bases, SS Trevor Tomlinson (.277) has hit 5 homers, driven in 27 runs, scored 49 runs and stolen 29 bases, 3B Kenny Sterling (.260) has homered 11 times, batted in 40 runs and scored 40... 1B Josh Swift (.336) and C Kyle Hamilton (.303) are the Redbirds other .300 batters... Judging by their play in the last month and a half, Denton City will have trouble maintaining their lofty perch... a downward spiral is indicated.

In the third spot in the TU West are the Kenwood Wildcats (38-33)... They started off strong in the early going, but have slumped in the last few weeks... Piloted by one of the all-time home run hitter, Aaron Hankins, the Wildcats do hit the ball well... They are batting .271 as a team (2nd) with a division high 65 home runs (1st)... with a 3.65 ERA (5th) and a poor .972 fielding percentage (7th-tied).

SS Ned Chamberlain (.346) has been outstanding with 13 roundtrippers, 47 RBIs and 53 runs scored... IF Denholm Carruthers (.331) has 2 home runs, 21 RBIs and 23 runs scored, IF Jamie Meade (.320) has homered 4 times, has 30 RBIs and has scored 25 times, LF Grover Chilcott (.336) with 2 homers, 23 RBIs and 21 runs... RF Aydan Winthrop (.260) has supplied 17 home runs and 46 RBIs.

Hankins has only two reliable hurlers in starters Nick Deville (7-2 2.76) and Andrew York (7-4 3.19)... Kenwood's bullpen is adequate and has outpitched the starting rotation overall... As long as the Wildcats keep hitting and hitting with power, they should remain in the first division... Kenwood seems to be a good bet to make the playoffs and just might contend for the division regular season title, too.

Homers, decent pitching and solid defense have carried the Rolling Hills Reds (36-35) this season... Skipper Matty Christianson has led them to a fourth-place slot at midseason, just 4 games behind Bay St. Clair... The Reds are batting only .246 (8th), but have clouted 64 home runs (2nd)... pitching has been alright with a 3.63 ERA (4th), while defense has been solid with a .978 fielding average (3rd).

Rolling Hills CF Willie Mays Nixon (.282) and 1B Sunshine Anaba (.277) have provided the power... Nixon has 17 homers, 45 RBIs, scored 45 times and stolen 16 bases, while Anaba has homered 10 times with 34 runs batted in.

Christianson's starting rotation includes Dennis McCarley (3-3 3.17), Keith Greenwood (4-5 3.30) and Roger Davidson (4-6 3.86)... His bullpen standout has been Hondo Anoki (5-5 2.86)... Rolling Hills will be in the running for a playoff slot... third or fourth place most likely.

The Bayview Vikings (34-37) and Chicopee Braves (34-37) are running neck-and-neck and are tied for fifth place in the Tycobbian West...but well within striking distance of first place and most certainly a playoff position... The Viks and the Braves are only 6 games off the pace. Looking at the two clubs season stats, they are deadlocked there, too... Both clubs might hit their way into the playoffs.

The Vikings are run by Walter Johanssen, perhaps the finest righthanded pitcher in the industrial league history... Bayview has a .264 team batting average (4th) with 52 homers (4th) and a 3.90 ERA (6th)... The Viks are fielding at a .977 pace (4th-tied)... On offense, 2B Alan Hansen (.299) has only 1 home run, but has driven in 25 and scored 42, while stealing 25 bases... C Hank Bethel (.267) has walloped 10 roundtrippers, has 41 RBIs and scored 28 runs... 3B James Scott (.389) has done well in a platoon role with 2 homers, 19 RBIs, scored 27 times and stolen 9 bases... same thing for 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.311) with 6 home runs and 21 RBIs.

Skipper Johanssen has two solid starters in Jerry Harrison (8-5 3.39) and Paul Hood (9-8 2.92), but needs help for the other two slots... Bayview's bullpen has done well with Adrian Strom (1-0 2.44) and Terry Banks (1-0 2.05) getting most of the relief work... The Vikings really could use a closer.

Chicopee is hitting at a .268 clip (3rd) with 56 homers (3rd) and a 4.16 ERA (7th)... defensively the Braves are fielding .977 (4th-tied)... CF Orville Butler (.302) is manager Harry Fleetfoot's biggest run producer... Butler has 21 homers and 62 RBIs... 2B Black Hair Shilah (.326) has hit 5 roundtrippers with 36 RBIs and 38 runs scored... 3B Johnny Kajika (.322) has 5 home runs with 24 RBIs and scored 32 runs... Platooners 1B Big Charlie Hansa (.333) with 5 homers and 25 RBIs and LF Big Stick Takala (.302) with 4 home runs and 17 runs batted in.

Fleetfoot's mound corps needs some help... but starters Wayne Blackwell (11-7 3.33) and Warren Paul (6-5 3.14) have been steady and solid... Closer Chitto Dasan (1-3 2.93) has done well, too... Chicopee and Bayview could finish anywhere from 2nd to 6th... how much their pitching improve will be the key factor.

Holding down seventh place in the TU West are Gary Louis' Arlon Champions (33-38)...the Champs are 7 games back in the pennant race, mainly because of a poor offense... they are hitting a collective .254 (7th) with 50 home runs (6th) with a good 3.35 ERA (3rd) and a very good .980 fielding average (2nd).

It has been Arlon's mound corps that stood out this year... Jeff Nieman (7-7 2.49), Ace Howe (9-5 3.21) and Kurt DeHaan (3-2 2.88) all are very capable starters with good relievers, too... Closer Craig Smith (4-2 1.53), Sean Dudek (2-2 3.00) and Ray Hurt (0-0 3.52 have anchored the bullpen.

Arlon needs some big sticks... Louis' bat crew consists of only three hitters... LF Matt Merrill (.297) with 3 homers, 33 RBIs and 37 runs scored... CF Steve Barnett (.287) has homered 8 times with 27 RBIs, 41 runs scored and 15 stolen bases... and SS Nicky Sweet (.276) has collected 6 roundtrippers, 24 RBIs and 26 runs scored... It will take more scoring for the Champions to make a playoff run... seventh place seems to be where Arlon will finish the season.

The La Claire Lynx (31-40) are in the same boat as Arlon... Manager Rip Calkin's club suffered from a lack of hitting... The Lynx have recorded a .258 mark (5th-tied) with 49 homers (7th)... registered a decent 3.51 ERA (3rd) and are fielding .975 (6th).

Calkin has good starters in George Gentry (8-7 3.69), Pat Daniels (6-8 3.69), Munoto Kishata (6-4 2.66) and Kimo Orlando (7-8 3.87)... La Claire has some good arms in the bullpen, too... Andy Murray (2.73), Tony Nygaard (3.27), Frank Lamoreaux (3.25) and Matt Johnson (1.80) have kept them in the ballgame most of the time. The Lynx pitching corps is more than adequate... Calkin needs hitters.

3B Luis Marquez (.320) has homered 5 times and batted in 37 runs this season... CF Lucky Collins (.315) has chipped in with 3 homers, 31 RBIs, scored 48 times and stolen 21 bases... and rookie first baseman Kenny Jablonski (.320) has belted 5 out of the park and driven in 17 in limited action since being obtained in a trade with the Eastshore Elegants in early May... More offense could do wonders for La Claire... The Lynx might contend for the playoffs if it happens... Last place is the more probable forecast.

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, June 19, 2002

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. The All-Star Game will spotlight the best hitters, the best pitchers and the best fielders, all doing battle against one another, all trying to prove their league is best.

The Ruthlandian Union roster will feature these outstanding players:

SP Ray Watson (BB)
SP Zach Simon (STJ)
SP Tony Amick (LAG)
CL Lew MacAlester (CCR)
SP Carl Costas (ELN)
SP Mike McCabe (FM)
SP Casey Ledbetter (MAR)
SP Mike Amato (VOL)
SP Ben Mashburn (RR)
SP Roberto Peralta (VLK)
LF Jet Kazmarek (VLM)
CF Kirk Pitzer (KIL)
1B Dennis Cole (CFX)
2B Gil Foster (ELN)
RF Bailey Norcross (MDF)
SS Flipper Bird (SV)
3B Allen Black (STO)
C Dave Davis (FM)
C Dale Kerr (ANC)
LF L. J. Aldridge (BEE)
2B Fred Younger (WYN)
1B J. T. Edmonds (FC)
CF Trip Holmes (CCR)
3B Yoshihide Nishida (WLK)
RF Dominic Zuccaro (TAR)
C Slingshot McFall (SV)
SS Villem Kask (VLK)
RF Ron Dizon (ETS)

And the Tycobbian Union roster will have these elite performers:

SP Ernie Arredondo (SA)
SP Tito Tovares (LUX)
SP Dickie Pendarvis (CCH)
SP Coorain Janama (TUC)
SP Kaz Hayagawa (FFX)
SP Bob Coleman (DC)
SP Boomerang Hines (MAH)
SP John Owens (HM)
SP Duke DeVree (BSC)
LF Adam Zitek (HM)
2B Karol Zodoka (EP)
SS Ned Chamberlain (KEN)
RF Stacey Zacker (SUM)
CF Lacey Tompkins (LUX)
CF Willie Mays Nixon (RH)
1B Al Joyner (WR)
C Edmundo Franquez (SA)
C Jay Fessler (HM)
LF Corey Tavington (TUC)
RF Marcelino Zuniga (SA)
SP Alberto Herrera (SA)
SS Rolf Kellgren (HM)
3B Joe Courtney (OXF)
C Trace Crittenden (TUR)
1B Boots Dubois (TUR)
2B Ed Granberg (HM)
3B Rex Sokolov (EP)

TU Stars Blank RU Stars 6-0 in IPA All-Star Game
In the 2002 Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game played at Legends Stadum in Marston, a full house witnessed the Tycobbian All-Stars 6-0 shutout of the Ruthlandian All-Stars... Tycobbia cracked three homers and nine hits to easily beat Ruthlandia... First baseman Al Joyner of White River put them up 2-0 in the second inning with a two-run blast off losing pitcher Zach Simon of St. John... Summerland right fielder Stacey Zacker also added a home run in the same inning to make the score 3-0... It stayed that way until the ninth when left fielder Corey Tavington of Tucknarra homered for a 4-0 lead... San Alejo right fielder Marcelino Zuniga tripled and scored on Turon first sacker Boots Dubois' base hit... three straight bases on balls forced in the final run... Seven Tycobbian pitchers blanked Ruthlandia on just four hits, all singles... Tito Tovares of Luxora pitched two perfect innings for the victory with the loss going to Simon. The TU All-Stars had nine hits with the game's MVP Al Joyner the only player with two hits. Attendance for the game was 12,445.

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Ruthlandian Union North Division Final Standings

Glasco A's Nab RU North Crown - Redhawks, Bulls, Vipers in Playoffs

The Glasco Athletics pretty much led the Ruthlandian North Division the entire season. At mid-season they led by only 3 games. The A's captured the division crown by 5 games over Far Mountain and Valmara. The Ranford Bulls, who had a sizzling 54-29 record in the second half, finished fourth, only 6 games back. These four clubs will now move into the First Round of the IPA playoffs with Glasco playing Ranford and Far Mountain opposed by Valmara. All of the playoff series will be best-two-out-of-three, except the Islandian Pro Cup Series, which will be best three-out-of-five. The team with the best regular season record in each series will get the home field advantage.

Best Hitting Team - Ranford .276 BA
Most Homers - Taranto 172
Best Pitching - Far Mountain 3.25 ERA
Best Defense - Glasco .981 FA

Glasco Athletics - McDuffie Hughes, Manager
Top Pitchers - Charles Darby (18-14 3.00), Ray Cook (14-5 3.24), Jake Nyberg (18-8 3.42), Jerry Smith (18-12 3.78)
Top Hitters - 1B Maury Smith (.333/7 HR/62 RBI), LF Ox Beauvais (.324/19 HR/68 RBI), OF Bobby Pascarelli (.280/17 HR/70 RBI), C Les Ferguson (.270/29 HR/84 RBI)

Far Mountain Redhawks - Alex Groveland, Manager
Top Pitchers - Doc Randolph (13-6 3.02), Robby Kelly (18-11 3.08), Sonny Elliott (18-12 3.25), Mike McCabe (16-13 3.50), Cliff Pope (11-7 3.54)
Top Hitters - C Dave Davis (.315/13 HR/82 RBI), CF Sid Cameron (.295/10 HR/50 RBI), LF Karl Dietz (.289/28 HR/81 RBI), RF Lee Maddox (.276/19 HR/70 RBI)

Valmara Vipers - J. Jackson Samuel, Manager
Top Pitchers - Andre Trepanier (10-2 2.49), Ted Farentino (10-10 3.00), Vanya Vasylenko (17-12 3.04), Danny Blauser (17-10 3.33)
Top Hitters - LF Jet Kazmarek (.428/15 HR/111 RBI/135 R/85 SB), SS Fred Vinson (.327/6 HR/117 RBI), CF Jan Szymanski (.222/22 HR/96 RBI), C Yoshi Motsuzuki (.269/10 HR/56 RBI/116 R/50 SB)

Ranford Bulls - Page Satcher, Manager
Top Pitchers - Jim Maxwell (14-12 2.89), Chris Bernhoffer (21-11 3.01), Lloyd Huff (12-5 3.44), Leland Shaddock (11-7 3.57)
Top Hitters - CF Warren Gravois (.318/4 HR/42 RBI/25 SB), C Walt Horvath (.318/6 HR/60 RBI), 1B Donny Jorgensen (.307/14 HR/57 RBI), 1B Jordy John (.302/14 HR/64 RBI), 3B Robin O'Donoghue (.290/10 HR/50 RBI)

LaGrange Sports - Foxy Jimision, Manager
Top Pitchers - Al Thibaut (16-9 3.48), Barney Prohaska (19-15 3.64)
Top Hitters - SS Kyle Villere (.306/9 HR/73 RBI/80 R/24 SB), RF Phil Lacroix (.277/13 HR/64 RBI), 1B Arnie vicknair (.260/20 HR/68 RBI)

Taranto Tars - Tommaso Lazzorda, Manager
Top Pitchers - Anthony Nardone (16-10 2.90), Arnie Wickersham (12-7 3.48)
Top Hitters - RF Dominic Zuccaro (.330/39 HR/94 RBI/90 R), 1B Anthony Cavaliere (.266/23 HR/81 RBI), CF Teddy Giacone (.240/28 HR/73 RBI)

Kilkenny Cats - Kieran McKenna, Manager
Top PItchers - Dino Caravaggio (19-12 3.27), Mack Harrell (19-11 3.46)
Top Hitters - CF Kirk Pitzer (.318/17 HR/77 RBI/93 R/43 SB), SS Rowdy O'Leary (.267/21 HR/76 RBI/79 SB), LF Zoro Volakis (.264/16 HR/70 ERA), 2B Joey Zajac (.265/16 HR/70 RBI)

Ancona Red Elephants - Manny Mickens, Manager
Top Pitchers - Marty Sellick (12-10 3.25), Shannon Estes (10-13 3.16)
Top Hitters - 1B Issie Manos (.316/15 HR/69 RBI), 3B Dmitri Vrotsos (.314/24 HR/96 RBI/79 R), C Dale Kerr (.252/22 HR/82 RBI)

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Ruthlandian Union South Division Final Standings

Valka Rallies In Second Half, Wins RU South Pennant

The Valka Blackhawks got hot in the July, August and September to win the Ruthlandian South pennant. Valka was 7 games behind first place Grand City at the All-Star break and finished up with a 50-33 mark the rest of the year. Three teams were deadlocked for second place in the race. Belair Beach, Claxton and Grand City all finished 3 games off the pace. The Claxton Diamonds turned it on with a 47-36 record in the second half to make the playoffs. All four clubs will be in the playoffs with the champion Blackhawks engaging Grand City and the Diamonds tangling with the Sunbirds. First Round playoff games are best-two-out-of-three series.

Best Hitting Team - San Dimas .271 BA
Most Homers - San Dimas 130
Best Pitching - Grand City 3.41 ERA
Best Defense - Waleska .983 FA

Valka Blackhawks - Jaan Kurus, Manager
Top Pitchers - Roberto Peralta (17-6 2.31), Andrei Kokk (18-10 3.63), Arvo Krimm (14-12 4.00), Daryl Vannoy (4-5 2.53) with 33 saves
Top Hitters - SS Villem Kask (.315/4 HR/55 RBI/69 R/23 SB), RF Jimmy Trymayne (.296/14 HR/79 RBI/76 R), C Kristjan Kasik (.293/19 HR/82 RBI/72 R), CF Ron Landauer (.291/9 HR/64 RBI/86 R/ 39 SB)

Belair Beach Sunbirds - Marty Pedroza, Manager
Top Pitchers - Slim Mosley (17-9 3.25), Tiny Lindgren (17-14 3.57), Ray Watson (16-11 3.79)
Top Hitters - LF Nicky Swift (.264/33 HR/112 RBI/89 R/18 SB), RF Matty McDermott (.264/8 HR/56 RBI/91 R/60 SB), C Denny Everhart (.279/12 HR/82 RBI), SS Danny Church (.296/6 HR/56 RBI/82 R), 1B Phil Gravelli (.246/19 HR/70 RBI)

Claxton Diamonds - Stacy Engel, Manager
Top Pitchers - Terry Kuznetsov (20-4 2.94), Sal Tallis (13-11 3.12)
Top Hitters - LF Dixie Baker (.263/28 HR/83 RBI/82 R), RF Jackie Allemand (.276/22 HR/61 RBI/68 R), CF David Skelton (.299/4 HR/43 RBI/62 R/12 SB)

Grand City Cybercats - Torry Joseph, Manager
Top Pitchers - Freddy Loggia (16-10 3.34), Lefty Paddison (14-12 2.87), Dick Blessing (8-8 3.17)
Top Hitters - SS Wynn Joslin (.299/18 HR/82 RBI/107 R), 1B Robby Maynard (.287/21 HR/80 RBI/70 R)

Waleska Westerners - McGraw Johnson, Manager
Top Pitchers - Buddy Kennedy (14-6 3.22), Gary Hill (18-14 3.22), Smokey Joe Carter 914-12 3.43)
Top Hitters - 3B Yoshihide Nishida (.277/17 HR/80 RBI/109 R/37 SB), LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.247/26 HR/79 RBI/82 R), RF Rick Vaughn (.276/12 HR/68 RBI/71 R)

San Dimas Rancheros - Paco Banderas, Manager
Top Pitchers - Josh Houston (14-13 3.14), Wayne Mallard (15-15 3.42), Zippy Hodge (9-6 3.94) with 21 saves
LF Fernando Baldera (.318/18 HR/76 RBI/60 R), 2B Cyclone Cobb (.314/2 HR/34 RBI/88 R/95 SB), 3B Domingo Rios (.296/23 HR/76 RBI/90 R), SS Russ Russell (.296/16 HR/75 RBI/76 R), 1B Sancho Duran (.286/27 HR/82 RBI/63R)

Crystal Lake Crushers - Herman "Baby" George, Manager
Top Pitchers - Rocky Giambi (18-17 3.76), Bill Ehrhardt (13-17 3.75)
Top Hitters - LF Ben Butler (.287/34 HR/98 RBI/87 R/12 SB), 1B Johnny James (.277/24 HR/93 RBI/59 R), CF Derren Prince (.280/15 HR/61 RBI/89 R/21 SB), 3B Richie Dunn (.284/4 HR/41 RBI/94 R/30 SB)

St. John Crusaders - Dickie Billings, Manager
Top Pitchers - Zach Simon (21-15 3.09), Eric Mayes (10-10 3.48), Eddie Thorsen (4-7 2.53) with 19 saves
Top Hitters - CF Jake Dillon (.257/16 HR/57 RBI/57 R), 2B George Longmire (.245/9 HR/63 RBI/79 R/62 SB)