The Racers are going to have a tough time... all the three remaining teams have outstanding pitching... at a minimum, Rolling Hills will have to get decent pitching for them to repeat as IPA champion... they surprisingly pitched very well in the first round in the win over Red Bluff, a very fine pitching team.

The Racers only scored 17 runs in 4 games against the Red Sox... they only batted .243... but they only allowed 9 runs... Red Bluff would not have been swept, if the Rolling Hills pitchers hadn't had such a great series with a 1.29 ERA... during the regular season their ERA was nearly 4.00.

Red Bluff pitching is at least as good as Claxton, Forrest City and Southport.

The Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Title Series should be humdingers.

Attachment 777475
Sunday, October 14, 2068

IPA FINAL FOUR: #1 ROLLING HILLS, #3 SOUTHPORT, #7 FOREST CITY, #8 CLAXTON
4 teams are gone, 4 teams have survived... it's the Islandian Pro Alliance Final 4, the Tycobbian Union Title Series and the Ruthlandian Union Title Series... the #1 pick to win the IPA Pro Cup trophy this season is the reigning champion, the highly-touted Rolling Hills Racers... they will take on the #3 rated club, the Southport Sun Sox for the TU title... in the Ruthlandian Union two unsung and unheralded teams, the #7 ranked Forest City Firebirds and the #8 Claxton Diamonds, are matched up in the second round of postseason play... both series will be the best-of-seven games.

Rolling Hills had chalked up 6 Pro Cups in its history, the most ever... Southport has snared 4 Pro Cups... Claxton possesses just one Pro Cup title... and Forest City is seeking its first ever... the Racers are trying to repeat again this season... the Sun Sox won Pro Cups in 2065 and 2066... the Diamonds won it in 2064.

Action gets underway Monday afternoon with Rolling Hills welcoming Southport at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds and Claxton hosting Forest City at Avalon Stadium... it will be the vaunted Racers' offense pitted against the sound pitching of the Sun Sox in the Tycobbian Union... it will be the mound corps that will be key in the Firebirds and Diamonds series in the Ruthlandian Union.

Roman Littrell (13-9/3.00 ERA) is slated to start the opener for Southport... he will be opposed by Durrell MacLeod (18-2/3.08 ERA) for Rolling Hills... Pete Manush (18-11/2.66 ERA) takes the hill for Forest City with Mark Meisner (19-4/1.96 ERA) getting the nod for Claxton.

It will be Rolling Hills' offense against the other clubs' standout pitching... the key to victory for the Racers is its mound staff... should they continue to pitch like they did in sweeping Red Bluff, the #2 choice to win the Pro Cup, they will be very tough to beat... if Southport gets a little offense, coupled with its fine hurlers, it has a shot at upending Rolling Hills, especially if the Racers are just average on the hill, and not dominating like they were in the first round against Red Bluff.

It's a toss-up between Forest City and Claxton... both have standout pitching... the key will be who can summon some semblance of offense... the Firebirds shut down one of the best attacks in the IPA in round one... their superb staff held Wynnamac to a .227 BA... Claxton upset LaGrange in the first round... the Gators are a solid, good all-around ballclub... LaGrange was rated the 4th best club in the postseason playoffs... the Diamond hurlers were brilliant and they had to be... the Claxton hitters did almost nothing against LaGrange and yet the Diamonds still won the series.

TU and RU Title Series Outlook: Both series will probably go seven games... the teams are all evenly matched... give the edge to Rolling Hills and Claxton.

Rolling Hills Racers
Attachment 777476

Southport Sun Sox
Attachment 777477

Claxton Diamonds
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Forest City Firebirds
Attachment 777479

Lets go Forest City! I hope they can take home the Pro Cup.

The Firebirds have really good pitching and if you look at their batting lineup, all of them hit fairly well throughout the lineup... I have found teams that only have 2-3 solid hitters in the lineup, don't do well in the playoffs... Oxford has tried for the last few years to get by with just two superstar sluggers Showboat Lynn and Buddy Blackford and they always fall short... that is just not good enough to beat a team that has productive bats from 1 to 8 in the batting order.

Forest City may have enough offense to whip Claxton's superb pitching staff... the Diamonds are woeful at the plate... it will take real good pitching to defeat the Firebirds.

Attachment 777854
Tuesday, October 16, 2068

SUN SOX, FIREBIRDS SNATCH TITLE SERIES OPENERS FROM RACERS AND DIAMONDS
Four fine clubs are all primed and poised to win the Islandian Pro Alliance overall championship this year and it showed in the opening games of the Tycobbian Union and the Ruthlandian Union Title Series... the Southport Sun Sox won an extra-inning extraganza 5-4 over the Rolling Hills Racers, the current Pro Cup titleholder... and the Forest City Firebirds were victorious over the Claxton Diamonds 4-2 in another dramatic confrontation.

2068 Tycobbian Union Title Series - Game 1
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Star of the Game
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2068 Ruthlandian Union Title Series - Game 1
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Star of the Game
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Wednesday, October 17, 2068

FOREST CITY WINS AGAIN OVER CLAXTON, ROLLING HILLS AND SOUTHPORT SPLIT TWO GAMES
Forest City hurlers once again dazzled the Claxton Diamonds 2-0 in the second game of the Ruthlandian Title Series... Rolling Hills also did the same in an 8-1 shellacking of the Southport Sun Sox... the Racers and the Sun Sox split the opening two contests.

2068 Ruthlandian Union Title Series - Game 2
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Star of the Game

2068 Tycobbian Union Title Series - Game 2
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Star of the Game

Attachment 778513
Thursday, October 18, 2068

FOREST CITY NEARS SWEEP IN RU, ROLLING HILLS UP 2-1 IN TU
Danger time for the Claxton Diamonds and the Southport Sun Sox in the IPA postseason playoffs... game four just might be do-or-die time for both clubs... Forest City has won all three games so far in the Ruthlandian Title Series with Claxton... the Firebirds outlasted the Diamonds 5-4 in game three yesterday afternoon, while Rolling Hills held off Southport 3-2 in the Tycobbian Title Series... it was the Racers second successive victory and put them in front with a two games to one margin.

2068 Tycobbian Union Title Series - Game 3
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2068 Ruthlandian Union Title Series - Game 3
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Friday, October 19, 2068

RACERS TAKE COMMAND IN TU TITLE SERIES, CLAXTON HOLDING ON IN RU
It beginning to look a lot like a Rolling Hills-Forest City Pro Cup Finals this year in the Islandian Pro Alliance... defending Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills smacked Southport 8-1 to take a big 3-1 advantage in the Tycobbian Union Finals... Forest City is still looking good in the RU Finals with a 3-1 lead, but they were beaten 2-1 by the Claxton Diamonds in the fourth game of the series.

2068 Tycobbian Union Title Series - Game 4
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Stars of the Game

2068 Ruthlandian Union Title Series - Game 4
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Just a curious question but who’s the best hitting pitcher in the history of the IPA? I’m assuming there’s no DH in either league.

No DH in my IPA.

That's an interesting question... Russell Krohn of the Claxton Diamonds is a two-way player... fine pitcher (96-45/2.71 ERA), but just a fair second baseman (.954 FA)... in 337 games Krohn is batting .293 in his career with 25 doubles, 25 triples, 25 homers, 117 RBIs,128 R, 19 SB.

Harry Vodenlich of the Marston Nine has hit .329 in his career with 19 doubles, 1 triple and 8 homers with 54 RBI and 63 runs... two-way player... 7-8 this year as a pitcher with a 4.25 ERA... he plays left field... just .974 FA... 28-23 in his career with a 3.73 ERA.

Tuffy Hatfield, two-way player for Kilkenny Cats... rookie pitcher and first sacker (.996 FA)... played 79 games at 1B... batted only .251 with 17 homers and 62 RBIs... was 14-12 on the mound with a 2.95 ERA.

Career-wise Jason Irons of the Valka Blackhawks was quite an athlete... hit .288 in his career with 50 doubles, 20 HR, 134 RBIs, 132 runs, 40 SB... .993 FA in left field... 33-20 on the mound with a 3.56 ERA.

Tyrus Cobb of the Middlefield Roosters... 172-165 on the hill with a 3.63 ERA... batted .280 in his career with 46 doubles, 7 triples, 16 homers, 94 RBIs and 121 ribbies... all as a pitcher... no two-way player.

Hubie Croft of the Arlon Champions and Ancona Red Elephants... 199-169 as a pitcher with a 4.09 ERA... hit .312 in his career with 36 doubles, 14 triples, 16 HRs, 91 RBI, 127 runs, 31 SB... was not a two-way player.

Thanks for asking this... it is a nice tidbit to add to my IPA trivia.

Attachment 779532
Saturday, October 20, 2068

AND THEN THEY WERE JUST TWO: MIGHTY RACERS AND UNHERALDED FIREBIRDS 2068 IPA PRO CUP FINALISTS
David versus Goliath on the baseball diamond... that could be the storyline for the 2068 IPA Pro Cup Series... the little noticed and unlikely Forest City Firebirds taking on the proverbial and perennial powerhouse, the Rolling Hills Racers... it will be the super slingers against the super swingers... may the best team win.

The two sensational clubs quickly eliminated two fine teams in the second round of play four games to one... Rolling Hills whipped Southport 5-1 in game five of the best-of-seven Tycobbian Union Title Series and Forest City got the best of Claxton 4-1 in the Ruthlandian Union Title Series.

Rolling Hills is aspiring to repeat as the IPA overall champion and garner its record-setting 7th Pro Cup... Forest City will be seeking its first-ever Pro Cup.

2068 Ruthlandian Union Title Series - Game 5
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2068 Tycobbian Union Title Series - Game 5
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Forest City vs. Rolling Hills - excellent!

#1 pick Rolling Hills against #7 pick Forest City.

It may be a better matchup than I think.

The Firebirds' staff may be as good as, if not better, than Red Bluff's... the Red Sox really did well against the Racers despite losing all four games.

2068 could be like 2065 when Claxton and its fine staff whipped the Racers and their hot-hittin' hitters in the Pro Cup Series.

Attachment 779841
Tuesday, October 23, 2068

CAN FIREBIRDS COOL OFF RACER BATS IN IPA PRO CUP FINALS?
The big question being pondered all across the Islands: Are Forest City's big arms good enough to shut down the big guns of Rolling Hills?... well, not only do the Firebirds have to slow down the Racers' attack, they also have to put some runs on the scoreboard, too... and this year in the postseason no one has been able to do that against the surprisingly brilliant Rolling Hills' mound corps... the Racers seem to have it all this year and are heavy favorites to capture its unprecedented 5th Pro Cup in the last 9 seasons... can Forest Hill rise to the occasion and win their first Pro Cup?... the upcoming 2068 IPA Pro Cup Series will give up all the answers to everyone's questions... it gets underway tomorrow afternoon at the historic Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills, the site of game one of a best-of-seven series... games one and two are slated for Rolling Hills, games three through five at Riverside Stadium in Forest City and the final two back at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds.

Regular season comparison shows Forest Hill can compete with Rolling Hills, but when you look at what the Racers have done in the postseason on the mound... it looks like a no-brainer... Rolling Hills is clearly the better team... the Racers should win the 2068 Pro Cup trophy... the question is which Rolling Hills' staff will show up?... that will be the key to the series.

2068 IPA Pro Cup Outlook: upon gazing into my mystical crystal ball and meditating profusely, it all came to me suddenly in crystal-clear fashion: Rolling Hills will defeat Forest City in 7 games... I saw those exact 9 words very plainly in that mystical crystal ball that never deceives... the Racers' all-star lineup is just too hard to shut down... if they just get decent pitching, they should win... it will be close though... Forest City has some really good pitchers, but they lack the offense to whip the Racers.
Please note, I use the very same crystal ball used by Carnac the Magnificent on the Johnny Carson Show.

Forest City Firebirds
Attachment 779842

Rolling Hills Racers
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Attachment 780183
Thursday, October 24, 2068

FIREBIRDS ARE FOR REAL, NAB PRO CUP OPENER FROM FAVORED RACERS
The Forest City Firebirds have gotten by two fine teams in the first round and second rounds of the IPA playoffs... now they have to beat the best of the best, the Rolling Hills Racers, in the Pro Cup Finals.

So far, so good... Forest City shut down Rolling Hills 4-1 in the first game of the best-of-seven series... they have a long way to go, but this was a great start for the unheralded and unruffled Firebirds.

2068 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series: Game 1
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Friday, October 26, 2068

GIANT AWAKES IN GAME 2, RACERS SOCKED IT TO THE FIREBIRDS IN THE IPA PRO CUP SERIES
Little David got a huge opening-day win in the Islandian Pro Cup Series when Forest City totally shut down the powerful bats of Rolling Hills, the defending Pro Cup champion... however, in game two Goliath awoke from the slumber and zapped the Firebirds 7-5 to even the best-of-seven series at one game each.

2068 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series: Game 2
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Saturday, October 27, 2068

FOREST CITY JUST MIGHT BE HEADED FOR ITS FIRST IPA PRO CUP TROPHY
If the Forest City Firebirds continue to keep the mighty Rolling Hills' hitters off the scoreboard, they just might reach the highest heights in the Islands... the Firebirds are playing some serious baseball and their prize could be the much-cherished Pro Cup... but it's been only three games... it's a best-of-seven series... so let's not count our chickens too soon... there is a whole lot of baseball left to be played.

Yesterday, Forest City was outhit, but not outpitched or outplayed... the Firebirds stopped the Racers 5-2 in game three and moved ahead in the series two games to one.

2068 IPA Pro Cup Series: Game 3
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Racers missed a chance to get a needed road win in game three. Too many walks, too many men LOB. :eatpop:

I think the Racers have their hands full with the Firebirds... Rolling Hills needs a win badly from the ancient arm of 39-year-old Clay Callaghan... he came through for them in the first round... he beat Red Bluff in the fourth game... and he did the same thing to Southport in the Tycobbian Title Series.

Attachment 781030
Sunday, October 27, 2068

RACERS NIP FIREBIRDS IN A PHOTO FINISH... PRO CUP SERIES DEADLOCKED AT 2 WINS EACH
The Rolling Hills Racers had game four all wrapped up with a 6-3 edge heading into the last of the ninth, but they almost blew it... the Racers had to go overtime for the victory 7-6 in 10 innings.

2068 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 4
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Racers guarantee that the series returns to Rolling Hills. :eatpop:

Can the Racers handle Pete Manush, who 4-0 in the playoffs with a splendid 1.54 ERA in 5 starts against some fine teams?

I think Rolling Hills has to beat Manush to win the series.... Manush is the key player.

i think Manush is the reason it was so important that they win game four. They can take two in a row at home, if they come back down 3-2.

But, i must admit, the Firebirds have the pitching to negate that home field advantage. :eatpop:

Attachment 781456
Monday, October 29, 2068

ROLLING HILLS RACERS CLOSING IN ON 7TH PRO CUP... UP LEAD OVER FIREBIRDS IN PRO CUP FINALS TO 3-2
Rolling Hills is within one victory of back-to-back IPA crowns... one more win over the Forest City Firebirds and the Racers will be raising their 7th Pro Cup pennant over the hallowed Midtown Base Ball Grounds... a 7-0 whitewashing in the fifth game of the Pro Cup Series set the stage for the Racers to put the wraps on another superlative season... the Racers are in the driver's seat in the best-of-seven series with a three games to two edge over the Firebirds.

2068 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 5
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Wow! i did not see that coming. You can't give a team like Racers extra outs. Even Manush couldn't escape it.

Now. Can the Racers finish? :eatpop:

What I wouldn't give for a front row seat for Game 6 in Rolling Hills!

Dark Horse and jg2977:

Rolling Hills dodged a bullet... I really thought Pete Manush would beat them.

Now the shoe is on the other foot... the Firebirds are gonna have to win 2 in a row on the road... they were 41-36 on the road this season (.532)... the Racers are 53-24 at home (.688).

Attachment 781844
Tuesday, October 30, 2068

FIREBIRDS SMOKE RACERS IN GAME 6, WINNER-TAKE-ALL GAME 7 NEXT
The whole IPA season will come down to the last game of the season... Yesterday afternoon in Rolling Hills, Forest City fought back in stunning fashion and forced a seventh game in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series... Rolling Hills was rolling along well on their way to their 7th Pro Cup, when the Firebirds came roaring back to beat them 6-5 in the sixth game to even up the series at three games apiece... it will be winner-take-all in game seven... there is no tomorrow... it's win or bust.

2068 IPA Pro Cup Series: Game 6 (best-of-seven series)
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Star of the Game

Thought you would like to know:

Forest City is 6-1 on the road in the playoffs, while Rolling Hills is 4-3 at home.

The Firebirds are a feisty flock!

I have mixed emotions... not sure who I want to win... my favorite must be Rolling Hills... I was disappointed when they blew game six after being ahead late in the game by 4 runs.

I have really gotten attached to the Racers in the last decade of play... I have really come to know the players on the team because they are in the playoffs so often.

I know what you mean - In my IPA I got really attached to Southport when they won 3 Pro Cups in 4 years. They were about to win their 4th Pro Cup in 6 years and I was rooting for them heavily, but they were upset by Valka who won their 2nd title. I was disappointed, but then Valka began their own dynasty by winning 3 in 4 years. So if Forest City wins, maybe it will be the start of something special for the Firebirds.

Wow, I’m kind of torn between rooting for Rolling Hills or Forest City because the Racers can get that 7th record Pro Cup... but Forest City is the scrappy underdog, not giving up and forcing a game 7.

Here we go. Pitching vs. Hitting. Game 7. :eatpop:

Rolling Hills fans should be nervous. When you have a chance to put a team away, you gotta do it. You don't want to give them another shot at you.

Eagerly anticipating the results of Game 7! History will be made no matter the outcome.

That's why I have the suspicion that Forest City will complete the upset.

Attachment 782149
Wednesday, October 31, 2068

FOREST CITY FIREBIRDS UPEND ROLLING HILLS RACERS FOR FIRST PRO CUP IN TEAM'S 68-YEAR HISTORY
Not many baseball pundits believed in the Forest City Firebirds... no one gave them a chance to beat one of the most dynastic powers in Islandian Pro Alliance history... but the Firebirds believed in themselves and they did the unthinkable... they defeated the Rolling Hills Racers in 7 games to captured their first Pro Cup in their history... in the seventh-game finale Forest City soundly defeated the Racers 6-2 and copped the IPA overall title four games to three.

2068 IPA Pro Cup Series: Game 7 (best-of-seven series)
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