THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 21, 2033

Bat Champs Honored By IPA
The Islandian Pro Alliance announced that Dayton McCall of Cape Coral and Kelvin Cassidy of Rocky Rapids won the league's batting crowns this season. McCall, a 27-year-old third baseman for the Hurricanes, topped the Tycobbian Union with a .339 BA. For the season he cranked out 155 hits with 14 home runs, 67 RBIs and 58 runs. Cassidy took the Ruthlandian batting title with a .344 average. The Snappers 23-year-old shortstop hit 34 home runs, drove in 90 runs and scored 83 times in 136 games. This was the first time the winners led the league in hitting.

Cassidy won a tight race with rookie catcher Stan Stanek of Crystal Lake, who batted .340 with 28 roundtrippers, 105 RBIs and 89 runs. Veteran infielder Leevi Viri of Valka finished third with a .338 mark, 23 homers, 85 runs batted in and 101 runs scored.

McCall just barely beat out Babe Hankins of the Kenwood Wildcats, nipping him by one point. Hankins hit .338 with 28 home runs, 119 RBIs and 84 runs. Winding up third was Charley Kota of the Chicopee Braves, who chalked up a .333 BA, hit 22 home runs, scored 110 times and drove in 74.

2033 IPA Final Individual Batting Leaderboards

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 21, 2033

Fairfax And Elnora Forecast For Pro Cup, Frogs Favored
The winningest teams in the IPA were chosen by the baseball scribes around the Islands to meet for the Pro Cup championship this season. In the annual poll conducted by THE ISLANDIAN TIMES, the Fairfax Frogs were picked to win the Tycobbian playoffs and meet the Ruthlandian winner, the Elnora All-Stars, in the Pro Cup Finals. The baseball experts put the Frogs in the favorite's role because they posted the best overall record in the IPA with a 102-52 record. Elnora topped the RU with a 93-61 mark. Both of the teams are talented and experienced and feature well-balanced hitting and pitching. The LaGrange Sports and La Claire Lynx were ranked third and fourth in the voting. Only three of last year's postseason clubs return this year. Fairfax, Elnora and LaGrange will give it another shot at the Islands' Holy Grail.

Last year Elnora was the Pro Cup choice with Fairfax the third choice after Colfax. The eventual Pro Cup champ San Alejo was ranked fourth in the poll, but won with great pitching over Colfax's high-powered offense. Colfax swept Elnora in the RU Elite 8 and San Alejo surprised Fairfax in the first round, too. The Montaneros knocked off the Frogs in a hard-fought six-game series. LaGrange played well last year. The Sports were picked seventh in the poll, and were eliminated in the RU Finals by Colfax in five games.

2033 IPA Pro Cup Poll
1. Fairfax Frogs (102-52)... rock-solid hitting, pitching, bullpen and defense
2. Elnora All-Stars (93-61)... facsimile of Frogs... no weaknesses
3. LaGrange Sports (91-63)... notch below Frogs and All-Stars, but more power... lack bullpen
4. La Claire Lynx (86-68)... similar to Sports, but not as much power
5. East Point Panthers (88-66)... could be a sleeper... have excellent starters and power-hitting... but weak bullpen
6. Summerland Sunsets (83-71)...good all-around club... might surprise in playoffs
7. St. John Crusaders (87-67)... great defense... lack homer power... good relievers
8. Sligo Rovers (79-76)... just barely .500 team... little chance in playoffs

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 21, 2033

2033 IPA Final Recaps

Elnora, Fairfax, IPA's Best
The regular IPA season is now history and the "second season" begins - the all-important Pro Cup playoffs - 8 teams have won their divisions and now they will go up against one another in quest of the coveted IPA Pro Cup, symbolic of professional baseball superiority in the Islands. The Elnora All-Stars were the best team in the Ruthlandian Union with a 93-61 record, while the Fairfax Frogs were the superior squad in the Tycobbian Union with a 102-52 mark. They have been chosen the teams most likely to capture Pro Cup this year.

The Elnora All-Stars outdueled the Belle Plaine Musketeers by 5 games and hauled in the RU East for the third straight season. They never were pressed very hard for the title. Other RU divisional winners were LaGrange, a comfortable 11-game victor over Far Mountain in the RU North. The Sports won for the second year in a row. St. John whipped San Dimas, Grand City and Crystal Lake by 6 games in the RU South. The victor in the RU West was Sligo, who won a single-game playoff to edge out Fort Benton. The Rovers were 9 games back of the Defenders at the halfway mark.

The Fairfax Frogs had a 5-team battle on their hands in the first half of the season, but they went on a 53-21 rampage in the second half and ran away with the Tycobbian North by 20 games over the Hartsdale Hellcats. In the TU South, Summerland had to fight off the Turon Typhoons the entire season and finally nipped them by 2 games. Over in the TU East the East Point Panthers were third at mid-season and trailed Midway and Tuckanarra by a few games, but they turned it on and swept past both of them in the second half and finally bested runner-up Hillsboro by 4 games. The La Claire Lynx were victorious in the TU West, but they had to overcame the Kenwood Wildcats with a second-half surge to win by 6 games. The Lynx were 2 games behind at the All-Star Game.

2033 Ruthlandian North Final Recap

Sports Win RU North Again
Manager Quincy Peterson again led his LaGrange Sports (91-63) to the Ruthlandian North title with the help of four fine veteran starters and three solid hitters... Walt Thurber (20-13/2.62), Ryan Janssen (22-12/3.08), Mike York (19-14/3.36) and Alex Gillespie (14-11/3.89) are a solid mound corps and 1B Chris Charbonnier (.299/34/105/80), LF Russell Watkins (.262/30/82/89) and rookie RF Anton Hymel (.318/17/58/44) supplied the offense... The Sports had an easy time in the RU North, walloping second-place Far Mountain by 11 games... average defensively with a .973 FA... LaGrange was seeded third in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll. Fairfax of the Tycobbian North is the number-one seed and Elnora of the Ruthlandian East is seeded second.

Like Peterson, Far Mountain (80-64) skipper Don Nichols had very capable pitchers in vets Jakob Wagner (18-11/3.04), Jeff Cooper (17-13/3.27), Keith Griggs (17-17/2.91) and Frankie Moreland (15-16/3.32)... the Redhawks ranked fourth in the league with a fine 3.20 ERA... were one of the best defensive teams with a .977 FA... 31-year-old Cooper past the 200-victory milestone this season... Nichols needs more offense... Far Mountain has trouble scoring runs (26th)... his best were CF Ernie Schleicher (.301/15/56/91), 2B Johnny Kaufman (.313/9/48/70) and 1B Johnny Burrell (.295/18/61/62)... nonetheless it was a good year for Nichols and the Redhawks, who rose up from sixth place the year before.

The Ranford Bulls (78-76) just barely topped the .500 mark, but did finish in third place, 13 games off the pace... Ranford was second last year... Rick Fargnoli has a pretty average team... he has some quality arms with Rube Satcher (20-16/2.92), Chad Cummings (16-15/2.98) and Jimmy Collins (16-12/3.26)... C Kyle Hunt (.321/10/67/69) is a bonafide star with a .308 career BA, 5 Golden Gloves and 7 All-Star Game appearances... but there is not much after him except for 1B Elton Graff (.288/16/64/48), who is a .302 lifetime hitter... defense was average with a .972 FA.

The Kilkenny Cats (73-81) were tied for fourth this year with Glasco, 18 games out... Rusty Denicola's club improved at the plate, but dipped on the mound... the Cats' 30-year-old ace Dave Whitaker (18-17/3.22) reached the 200-win milestone this year... he probably would have over 300 victories by this time with a contending team... Dean Harris (14-19/2.95) didn't win often, but was a strong starter... Harris also suffers from a lack of decent offensive support... both he and Whitaker have ERAs under 3.00... Whitaker (204-164) compiled a 2.81 ERA in 11 seasons, while Harris (97-99) has posted a 2.89 ERA over 7 years... Kilkenny is really weak at the plate and with the gloves (.966 FA)... 2B Thomas Rutherford (.288/12/49/61) and C Bill George (.278/10/55/46) are the most productive regulars.

Glasco (73-81) doesn't have much to brag about... the Athletics were 18 games behind LaGrange with mediocre pitching, just fair hitting and defense with a .973 FA... Paco Morales (18-9/3.51) and Sam Jensen (18-17/3.70) topped the twirlers for manager Barry McCord... his top bats C Eddy Martin (.287/19/74/54), 3B Kyle Giles (.299/10/30/69) and RF Warren Steele (.290/14/59/46) were just adequate.

The Valmara Vipers (68-86) had their worst season in over 15 years with a sixth-place finish, 23 games back in the race... they were picked to possibly beat LaGrange this year, but that never did materialize... the Vipers faltered badly at bat and on the hill in a very disappointing year for manager Jet Kazmarek, who has won 8 pennants in the last 10 years... defensively the Vipers were average (.973 FA)... only Ivan Guzek (16-13/3.24) had a credible season... Carroll Cain (12-11/3.56) has dropped off considerably in the last two years... he was a 20-game winner in 2028 and 2029... and Garry Gronek (12-20/3.81) had an atrocious year for him... he won 21 games in 2031... the offense failed miserably ranking near the bottom in batting and scoring... LF Benny Hooper (.276/16/68/64) and RF Reno DiBenedetto (.270/15/67/69) were the best run producers... no one on the team had good years, they were all below average, many of them way below average.

For the sixth consecutive season the Taranto Tars (67-87) have wound up near the bottom of the TU North... this year manager Denny Radke came in seventh, 24 games back... the only thing the Tars excel in is home runs and that's because they play in such a small ballpark... they hit 147 homers, but gave up 184... leading the power brigade was LF Pasquale Zavaglia (.275/30/82/67), CF Alonzo Venacio (.286/23/88/68), RF Rhett Gentry (.270/21/76/47) and 3B Scotty McNeill (.288/4/51/88)... only Ron Perrilloux (17-13/2.88) sparkled on the mound... team ERA was a poor 4.05, while defense was bad, too, with a .969 FA.

The Ancona Red Elephants (65-89) with longtime skipper Manny Mickens at the helm slumped badly this season after winding up third in 2032... nothing much went right for Mickens this season and the Red Elephants dropped to last place in the standings, 26 games behind... the team ranked near the bottom in pitching, scoring and defense (.966 FA)... no one in the regular starting rotation had an ERA under 4.00... Ancona's only decent performers were 2B Ricky Boyer (.321/13/75/50) and 3B Tommy Richardson (.314/11/38/31)... the starting lineups were a constant merry-go-round... only a handful of players batted enough times to quality for the batting title.

2033 Ruthlandian Union South Final Recap

St. John Class Of The RU South
Manager Clayton Luck has had the St. John Crusaders near the top the last few seasons... This year the Crusaders made the move and won the Ruthlandian South by 6 games over San Dimas, Crystal Lake and Grand City... St. John took over early with a great May and maintained a comfortable lead throughout the year... defending division champ Claxton tumbled down to sixth this season. Preseason favorite Waleska flopped to fifth.

St. John (87-67) lacked longball power, but hit well, scored well, pitched well and was one of the best defensive clubs in the IPA with a .979 FA... Larry Urban (18-12/3.14), Zack Dowdle (19-13/3.54) and Nelson Hawthorne (16-16/3.47) all had solid seasons on the hill... top bat performers were CF Roger Haley (.287/16/92/69), 2B Byron Johannsen (.294/7/78/81), 3B Norm Murdoch (.294/6/86/49) and 1B Johnny Zahn (.301/6/57/75)... skipper Luck has a lot of steady ballplayers... the baseball scribes have picked the Crusaders to be the seventh-best club in this year's Pro Cup rankings in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES.

The San Dimas Rancheros (81-73) were tied for the runner-up spot with Crystal Lake and Grand City... none of them really challenged division winner St. John... manager Wesley Pate had fair hitting (.258-24th), so-so pitching (3.56-14th), average defense (.973 FA) and good scoring (686-12th tied) with modest power (131 HR-15th)... vets Joaquin Lima (18-15/3.55) and Hector Villa (14-14/3.71) were the staff leaders... the Rancheros lost one of their top hurlers when Jay Barajas (10-5/3.15) was lost in June for the season... Barajas would have made them a much stronger pennant contender... the offensive leaders were LF Clyde Chalmers (.295/5/47/71), 1B Barry McKnight (.284/24/74/74), 3B Glendon Pratt (.288/16/73/56), CF Klaus Stordahl (.284/14/69/69) and 2B Joey Harris (.267/14/53/100).

The Grand City Cybercats (81-73) are a club on the rise with some fine hitters and consistent starters... the Cycats hit for average (.262-17th), for power (150-7th) and score runs (713-5th)... manager Wade Joslin is still running the ballclub and has them poised for better things... the only thing that could hold the Crushers back is an aging mound staff... Ralph Teague (19-14/3.06) is his ace, but is 39 years old... Norm Dawson (15-16/3.03) is the number-two starter... leading the attack are LF Wes Marlowe (.259/30/85/77), RF Thomas Hall (.281/28/93/88), 2B Teddy Grantham (.272/23/84/86), 3B Dave Sulligent (.297/14/76/75) and 1B Mick Langston (.289/19/82/69)... all of them are fairly young and in their primes... Grand City is just average with the gloves with a .973 FA.

The Crystal Lake Crushers (81-73) hit well for average (.267-7th), but don't score enough runs (20th) and lack home-run power (113-28th tied)... defense is below par with a .970 FA... however, Crystal Lake climbed up from 8th in 2031 and 7th last season to a tie for second place this year... longtime skipper Baby George needs help offensively... he has good starters in Arnie Cason (19-12/3.33), Douglas Merrill (13-9/3.26), Denny Mills (15-17/3.35) and T. D. Burnham (14-19/3.44)... the bullpen is lousy except for Eddie Lang (8-4/2.65/25 saves)... the batting order is led by rookie C Stan Stanek (.340/28/105/89), who had a terrific year, RF Herm Taylor (.329/3/55/67), 1B Juku Truuvali (.304/19/65/60) and CF Augie Danka (.313/6/47/59)... rookie SS Mackie Cummings added 20 homers and 68 RBIs, but batted only .243.

For the first time in 12 years the Waleska Westerners (73-81) had a losing season... McGraw Johnson's club came in 14 games behind winning St. John and finished a disappointing fifth in the RU South... in preseason polls the Westerners were favored to win in a close race with Grand City... they can still score runs (7th) and have fair power with 129 homers (17th), but have trouble getting people out... the team ERA has soared to 4.12 (29th)... superstar LF Loco Dillinger (.314/44/137/97) still swings a strong bat at age 33 and topped the RU in homers and RBIs... but he didn't have the help he usually has... RF Niles Gregory (.261/27/94/104) had a productive year, but hit 66 points under his rookie season .327 mark... CF Mark Schumann (.287/9/52/80) was the only other reliable bat in the lineup... Terry Richards (16-16/3.39) and Kevin Meeks (16-19/3.47) were the most dependable pitchers... half the staff had ERAs over 5.00... the defense is mediocre with a .969 FA.

The Claxton Diamonds (72-82) came into the new season with high hopes... manager Dixie Baker had led them to the pennant and playoffs for the first time in a dozen years... 2033 was going to be a big year for the Diamonds... but it didn't happen... Claxton spiraled down to sixth place, 16 games out of the running... Claxton pitching went into the pits with the team ERA rising from 3.44 to 3.83... team batting average also fell from .280 to .264... Baker's mound mainstay Freddi Hahn (19-15/4.23) had trouble holding down the opposition... his hitters saved him from defeat quite a few times... new free agent from Valmara Richie Raeburn (10-20/3.89) had a very tough season and didn't pan out... 21-game winner Jerry Smith slipped to 5-7 with a 3.98 ERA and was traded in July to Oxford... the Diamonds still possess some solid hitters in 2B Gary Colton (.303/19/97/89), RF Ivan Krause (.298/32/90/78), 3B Jonas Weiss (.284/16/77/63) and 1B Brad Jenkins (.290/13/56/69)... Claxton's defense was subpar with a .970 FA.

The Valka Blackhawks (71-83) and the Belair Beach Sunbirds deadlocked for seventh and last place in the standings... this is the fifth successive year the Blackhawks have ended up at or near the bottom of the division... Valka has not made the postseason since 2018 and have had only 6 winning seasons during that span... manager Ron Landauer has no pitching to speak of with a skyhigh 4.46 ERA (32nd), but a very good offensive team with a .273 BA (3rd), 751 runs (2nd) and 139 homers (9th)... his lineup was chocked full of capable hitters, sparked by SS Leevi Viru (.338/23/85/101), 1B Mikk Kukk (.321/21/85/106), LF Luukas Palli (.308/19/62/63), 3B Ed Metzinger (.285/20/53/42) and RF Kenny Mitzusaka (.286/12/55/42)... none of the pitchers had good years... Villem Arumaa (13-13/4.10) topped the team in wins and ERA... Vanni Lakos (10-7/4.40/10 saves) was the best of the rest... defensively the Blackhawks are solid with a .975 FA.

Bad seasons continue to pile up for the Belair Beach Sunbirds (71-83), who haven't made the playoffs since 2016 and have only 3 winning seasons in that time frame... the best thing the Sunbirds do is hit a few home runs (135/12th)... the offense is just average (.264/13th)... they are ranked 17th in runs scored with 673... pitching is below league average at 4.08 (28th)... team fielding is also just average at .971... manager Little Jake Bungarooba's best bats belong to CF Bobby Meusel (.296/20/73/93), LF Pat Webb (.253/23/99/68), RF Phil Kerkman (.283/23/68/69) and 1B Kees Draeger (.253/18/51/68)... top pitchers were Joel Gregg (10-8/3.84), Jaden Bungarooba (10-10/3.93), Stefan Zeeman (16-19/3.90) and Rob Thrasher (15-19/4.05).

2033 Ruthlandian East Final Recap

All-Stars Top RU East 3rd Year In A Row
After a slow start in April, the powerful Elnora All-Stars played in sterling fashion the rest of the season and captured the Ruthlandian East by 5 games over the Belle Plaine Musketeers. It was the third year in a row Elnora claimed the pennant. The All-Stars drew even with the Muskies at the end of August and pulled away in September. Belle Plaine held a 3-game lead at mid-season, but folded the final two months of the season. The Cold Creek Catamounts, favored in many quarters to win the flag, came in third, trailing by 8 games. Wynnamac has a good season and wound up in fourth place 11 games behind. Sugar Valley and Eastshore also finished well above the .500 mark and tied for fifth place. They were 12 games back in the race. The RU East is one of the toughest divisions in the IPA with six teams posting winning records.

Manager Leon Carter did another impressive job directing Elnora (93-61) to the division title... The All-Stars won more games than anyone in the RU. When you bat .280 (1st) as a team, score 758 runs (1st), go deep 121 times (20th-tied), chalk up a splendid 3.05 team ERA (2nd) and play defense with a .976 FA, it's tough to beat you... top to bottom Carter has quality pitchers led by Freddy Pfeffer (21-8/2.96), Jeremy Sellers (22-12/2.81), Jesus Robles (15-5/2.88) and Paul Martina (13-11/2.94)... Stan Kivas (6-3/2.44/10 saves) heads up a solid bullpen... the potent starting lineup boast five .300 hitters in RF Pettis Pentleton (.318/15/90/85), CF Travis Glass (.314/29/112/95), 2B Akihiro Samurakami (.324/10/72/83), 1B Matt Boyd (.323/12/76/74) and 3B Danny Bierhoff (.320/16/71/61)... LF Clint Thomas almost joined the elite group with a .299 mark, 14 HR, 49 RBIs and 118 runs... it's no surprise that Elnora just might win its first IPA Pro Cup... the All-Stars are the second-seeded team in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll... Carter has the goods to win it all this season.

2031 (8th) and 2032 (6th) were dismal seasons for the Belle Plaine Musketeers (88-66), but manager Dave Torregrossa kickstarted them this year and brought them home in the second spot in the standings... weak showings in the final two months cost him the pennant... the Muskies could match Elnora offensively with a .278 BA (2nd), 716 runs (4th) and 132 HR (13th-tied), but fell short on the hill with a 3.74 team ERA (22nd)... defensively they were only a .970 fielding team... Belle Plaine's best bats were RF Noel Martin (.319/28/96/97) and C Derek Roman (.290/16/86/76) with solid help from CF Harry Tashina (.332/7/47/58), 2B Patrice Jourdan (.313/12/55/48), rookie 1B Tony Thayer (.286/12/62/54) and rookie LF Felix Jobin (.292/15/53/67)... closer Johnny Duncan (11-7/2.03/25 saves) had a superb season appearing in 74 games... Rocket Richard (21-14/3.50) and Mac Shaw (18-8/3.70) were the most reliable starters... the Musketeers are just a pitcher or two away from being a top-level team.

Much was expected from the Cold Creek Catamounts (85-69) this year... after five years near the bottom of the division, Scoop Lemieux's Cats suddenly jumped to second in 2032 and then were forecast to be a serious challenger this season... slumps in April and June hurt the club... they ended up in third place and 8 games behind Elnora... Cold Creek's mound corps is excellent... they topped the entire IPA with a near-record 2.72 ERA... Crystal Lake of the RU South set the mark in 2022 with a sensational 2.66 ERA... the foursome of J. J. Gillespie (22-8/2.03), Bobby Reid (21-10/2.30), George Bailey (14-13/2.72) and Harvey Fullerton (11-16/3.31) were outstanding... at the plate the Catamounts were only fair and only average with gloves (.973 FA)... it's hard to win consistently without good run support... Lemieux's most productive performers were vet Roland Campbell (.288/11/59/73), LF Kelly Milligan (.278/15/65/67), 1B Steve Daniels (.238/21/70/69) and CF Guy St. Laurent (.250/11/76/76).

The Wynnamac Sundowners (82-72) have been a quality team in the RU East under skipper Matt Donnelly with nine straight seasons .500 or above with two pennants to show for it... the Sundowners came in fourth this year, 11 games off the pace... slumps in June and August dropped them out of the race... Donnelly still has a strong ball club with a very good offense with power, good pitching and average defense, but a shaky bullpen... Wynnamac had 151 roundtrippers (6th) and scored well with 700 runs (9th)... CF Terry Weigand (.317/19/78/63), LF Allen Dundee (.303/20/63/62) and 3B Lou Borcellino (.301/6/34/47) paced the hitters... SS Ed Lane played well on defense and scored 99 runs with 14 homers, but hit only .248... 33-year-old free agent John Kaltenbach (16-11/2.67) from Pro Cup champ San Alejo certainly did his part along with 35-year-old Jeremy Vincent (13-11/2.16), who came over in a trade with Stoner for longtime 3B Dorak Arando (.253/20/64/57)... vets Killara Bardo (16-16/3.90) and Jason Meeks (19-12/3.99) saw their ERAs soar, but still were effective most of the time... the bullpen was not up to par.

In a turnaround season, the fifth-place Sugar Valley Rattlers (81-73) ran a great race until August... Gibby Bobkins' club was right in the thick of things at mid-season, tied with Elnora for the runner-up spot, 3 games behind Belle Plaine... the year prior the Rattlers were buried deep in the RU East cellar with a 68-86 record... Bobkins features a lot of firepower offensively, but the small ballpark takes its toll on the pitching staff... Sugar Valley was sixth with 709 runs scored and second in homers with 177... despite giving up 196 homers (32nd) the staff registered a fine 3.49 ERA (11th)... 36-year-old Dallas Casey (17-12/2.68) keeps getting better with age... young 26-year-old Juan Navarro (20-12/2.91) had his best season and Jeremy Blanchard (15-18/3.39) was a solid starter... Eddie Petre (10-6/3.32/16 saves) did well in the bullpen... LF Tyler White (.273/44/123/105) had a tremendous break-out season... 20-year-old rookie CF Bobby Gamble (.292/28/96/113) also was a standout... rookie SS Jesse Burns (.270/0/32/90) showed good promise in his first season.

The sixth-place Eastshore Elegants (81-73) had their third good season in a row, but faltered in the last two months and fell 12 games out... manager Killer Brewster's club hits well with a .266 BA (9th), 702 runs (8th) and 121 HRs (20th-tied), but is just fair on the mound with a 3.72 ERA (21st)... and just a little better than average on the defensive side with a .974 FA... CF Scotty Lagrange (.322/32/93/105) is a talented all-around player with a good bat and a good glove... SS Larry Romney (.252/10/69/60) is also a solid player... Killer's son 3B Harmon Brewster (.288/12/65/40) made good progress this year... 35-year-old ace Randy Boone (4-5/3.21) missed most of the year with an elbow problem and made only 9 starts... Ramon Contreras (20-16/3.51) and Koy Clampett (15-13/3.60) paced the pitching corps.

The Marston Nine (76-78) finished seventh and 17 games behind Elnora, but was just two games under the .500 mark... the Nine has been stuck in the second division since skipper Danny Church led them to the RU East pennant in 2028... Marston has the offense, pretty fair starters and fine defense (.976 FA), but lacks a bullpen... the team hit .265 (12th) with 687 runs (11th) and walloped 172 out of the park (3rd), while the team ERA was a 3.68 (20th)... the bullpen ranked 31st with an atrocious 4.77 ERA... the starters are impressive with 22-year-old Pat Brown (20-11/2.23), veteran Alex Ehrlich (18-13/3.10) and Ryan Ledbetter (20-13/3.66)... 1B Marco Ameche (.284/34/117/102 had an exceptional year in his sophomore season... 7-year-vet LF Ken Armstrong (.327/25/73/81) also made an impression, along with C Ron Marlowe (.269/21/69/59) and 1B Lonnie Trekell (.293/26/67/44)... rookie 3B Andy Ruffino (.306/3/31/31) made his mark, too.

The Beechwood Bobcats (74-80) and skipper Bret George have fallen on hard times in recent years after winning the division crown in 2026 and 2027... this year the Bobcats sunk to last place, winding up 19 games out... the team hits well with a .268 BA (6th), 686 runs (12th) and fair power with 117 home runs (26th)... but fall short on the hill with a 3.92 ERA (26th) and on defense with a poor .969 FA... bat leaders are 3B Leonard Mason (.283/18/76/104), along with platooners CF Pat Pizarro (.315/4/29/42), RF Freddie Baxter (.284/12/49/33) and SS Ralph Hammond (.304/5/32/18)... RF Jojo Davis (.279/2/35/61), a career .329 hitter with three batting crowns had an off-year at age 34, missing the .300 mark only for the second time, when he hit .282 in 2025... veteran Maury Patterson (18-15/2.90) was the biggest winner and most effective starter... the others struggled... former RU MVP and Golden Arm winner Ken Arby (17-14/4.07) posted his worst-ever ERA... aging vets 35-year-old Hans Becker (13-18/4.36), obtained in a trade with Far Mountain, and 36-year-old Pete Woods (14-15/4.06), picked up in a trade with Eastshore, both failed to live up to expectations.

2033 Ruthlandian West Final Recap

Sligo Rallies, Beats FTB In RU West Playoff
It has been an incredible journey for the Sligo Rovers, newly-crowned champion of the Ruthlandian West. Sligo had to overcome a 9-game mid-season deficit to claim a berth in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs this year. The Rovers garnered the division title with a 4-1 triumph in a sudden-death playoff game with the Fort Benton Defenders. Sligo trailed Fort Benton by 9 games at the All-Star break. The Rovers got red-hot in August and September with a 30-16 record to surpass the Defenders, who slumped to 20-26. The Stoner Stars and last year's division winner Colfax Blasters tied for third, three and a half games out. Middlefield was fourth, four and a half back. Sligo and Fort Benton were the only clubs in the RU West with winning records.

Eddie Keys has remarkably seen his Sligo Rovers (79-76) go from first to last and back to first in the last three seasons... This was Sligo's sixth division flag in its history and third in the last seven seasons... the Rovers are only an average ball club... Terry Bailey (14-7/2.82) and Lou Page (14-11/3.55) are the top starters with Mike Rinaldi (8-3/2.34/10 saves) the best reliever... free agent 1B Marty Blake (.274/22/77/80) was a gift from Belle Plaine... 39-year-old Blake supplied vital offense to the impotent Rover lineup... Blake is one of the greatest player in league history and is expected to a shoo-in for the IPA Hall of Fame when he retires... he has a career .314 BA with 698 homers and 2075 RBIs... Blake had a little help from SS Howie Robertson (.272/6/47/100), 3B Neil Mitchell (.275/14/60/79) and LF Teddy Brunet (.276/14/60/63)... Sligo is rated the weakest team in the Pro Cup playoffs and is ranked 8th and last in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll... they lost valuable pitcher Earl Perkins (15-14/3.35) to injury in mid-August and they will not have him for the postseason.

Halfway through the season with a 6-game lead, the Fort Benton Defenders (78-77) seemed destined to win its first RU West pennant... manager Robbie Brooks still looked like a winner as late as August, but it wasn't to be as the Defenders were beaten out by one game... Fort Benton had three quality starters in Edd Farmer (19-12/2.94), Frankie Quinn (17-17/2.86) and Augie Marquis (18-12/3.44)... Brooks had some capable bats, too, with 3B Monty McMurtry (.330/6/44/88), 2B Hans Gustavsen (.303/58/52), 1B Chuck Moyer (.281/16/87/69) and LF Darrell Daly (.287/12/42/51).

The Stoner Stars (75-79), piloted by Benny Stern, waited too late to make their move... like champ Sligo, they were also 9 games back at mid-year, but they ended up tied for third with Colfax, three and a half games out of first place... the Stars had the pitching, but lacked offense... Stern had a solid threesome in starters Kurt Cobb (18-11/2.91), Darrell Geoffrey (18-16/2.92) and Frank Robichaux (14-15/2.67)... they deserved a better fate, but suffered from a lack of scoring and also a good bullpen... Stoner's top bats were 1B Fletch Fowler (.293/16/90/63), CF Al Rispone (.284/16/64/67), 2B Jesse Walker (.255/12/65/82) and trade acquisition from Wynnamac, 3B Dorak Aranda (.253/20/64/50), who topped the team in homers.

The Colfax Blasters (75-79) won the RU West last year and in 2030, too... the Blasters were finalists in the IPA Pro Cup last year and came in second to titlist San Alejo... manager Ilya Szabo's problem was his offense... it went from high-powered to just average, falling from .282 to .264... LF Hal Granders (.324/3/39/75), rookie RF Dom DeJohnette (.282/23/83/68) and 1B Lou Wilhoit (.302/14/64/56) had good seasons, but mainstay C Mitch Fullerton (.244/12/57/66) fell off considerably... Fullerton, a lifttime .303 hitter, fell off over 100 points at the plate... he had a career .351 season last year with 109 RBIs...Colfax still has some solid starters in Milton Garnett (21-16/2.83), Rudy Rosario (14-18/2.66), Andy Velasco (11-9/3.14) and Randell Perkins (13-17/3.51).

Bailey Norcross guided the Middlefield Roosters (74-80) to a fifth-place finish, trailing by four and a half games, yet four games under the break-even point... the Roosters have less-than-average pitching, but they can go deep with 161 homers (5th)... so can the opposing teams in little bitty Middlefield Park... they hit 186 (31st) out of it... 1B Zipp Kobzar (.265/21/73/50) and 2B Wes Gore (.269/18/49/51) led the power parade... the Middlefield mound staff was led by Jaime Pedroza (14-10/3.57).

For the fourth successive season the Forest City Lumberjacks (73-81) under skipper Joe Judlin were in the second division, finishing sixth, five and a half games short of winning Sligo... the 'Jacks are nothing special at the plate or on the hill... Rich Barstow (22-11/3.48) was the ace with some help from Jules Delhomme (9-7/3.11)... 1B Al Withers (.268/13/87/67) and CF Ronnie Pollet (.280/20/64/62) were the only dependable hitters.

Perennial also-ran Rocky Rapids (71-83) had its one-year of glory in 2032 when it soared magnificently from 7th to 2nd... the Snappers came back to earth this year and wound up in 7th place, seven and a half games behind... Junior Noland has some firepower, but not enough on the mound... the Snappers batted .271 (4th), scored 730 runs (3rd) and slammed 189 homers to lead the IPA... pitching-wise the team compiled a 3.64 ERA... SS Kelvin Cassidy had a wonderful year and topped the IPA with a .344 BA... Cassidy collected 34 home runs, drove in 90 runs and scored 83... C Allie Blackwell (.301/14/60/76) and 1B Angelo Nardone (.305/16/57/58) also contributed offensively... leading the staff in wins was Matt Loudermilk (17-14/3.34).

The last-place Volusia Vigilantes (68-86) continued to struggle in the RU West... for the eighth time in ten years the V's were a second-division team... skipper Alfonso Feliz's club came in dead last and were 10 and a half games out... his offense is just average, while his pitching is just plain bad with a 4.21 team ERA (31st)... RF Sonny Oliver (.268/26/75/60), LF Vasco Aguilar (.285/17/70/50) and 1B Ernie Pryor (.306/11/51/50) are the most dependable run producers... Tommy Smith (16-15/3.78) is the best of the lot on the mound.

2033 Tycobbian North Final Recap

Frogs Frolic In TU North, Fly Flag Again
For the second year in a row the Fairfax Frogs have hauled in the Tycobbian North divisional title. This year the Frogs won by leaps and bounds over the rest of the clubs. Though it was a tight five-team race at the All-Star break, they ran away from everybody and won by a colossal 20 games over runner-up Hartsdale, 21 games better than third-place Luxora and 23 games ahead of Oxford in the fourth spot in the standings. Fairfax won more games than any other team in the IPA with a splendid 102-52 mark. The Frogs are now set to win their first-ever Pro Cup. They were voted the favorites in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll. Elnora, LaGrange and La Claire are forecast to be Fairfax's biggest obstacles to the Pro Cup quest.

Manager Dane Wesner's Fairfax Frogs (102-52) hit very well with a .286 BA (1st), have solid pitching with a 3.33 team ERA (8th) and good fielding with a .975 FA... Wesner has a fine attack, highlighted by SS John Velasco (.297/21/115/98), CF Eric Kusek (.332/13/83/108), LF Max Lebowitz (.325/18/74/98) and C Brian Davis (.291/7/63/75)... the Frogs' top twirlers are Dudley Dickens (23-8/3.05), Manny Hunsinger (20-13/3.65), Mac Flowers (12-4/2.66) and Arno Vainmaa (14-5/3.44)... despite losing ace Kenny Nikas (25-9/2.58) to White River in free agency, the Frogs still had a fabulous season... free agents Flowers from Colchester and Vainmaa from Mahaska were great signees and really helped ease the loss of Nikas.

The second-place Hartsdale Hellcats (82-72) climbed up from the basement in 2032 to second place this year... they featured pretty fair starters with a 3.42 team ERA (8th), but only average offense with a .255 BA (23rd) and average scoring with 692 runs (14th-tied)... heading up Kendry Moulton's mound corps were vets Hank Cooke (21-9/3.25), Lou Chylak (15-13/2.71) and Ken Crawford (15-12/3.58)... pacing the offense were LF Joe McGarrett (.299/28/90/83), 3B Duffy Day (.267/15/84/82) and 2B Glen Duffy (.320/4/44/71).

For the last four seasons the Luxora Zorros (81-73) have been at the top of the division, winning the flag in 2031... the Z's were a distant third this year, losing out to Fairfax by 21 games... skipper Lacey Tompkins' top performers on the hill were Fernando Sanches (13-10/2.96), Kent Halloran (13-11/3.02) and Benny DeVito (16-16/3.41)... at the plate it was 1B Gerry Hathaway (.312/31/93/66), 2B Julio Canseco (.298/19/66/76) and SS Lenny Ballenger (.287/13/58/61)... Luxora's batters will have to perk up a lot to contend with Fairfax... that's Tompkins' biggest need.

For the previous two years the Oxford Red Caps (79-75) under manager Cameron Kamara have managed winning seasons... this season the Red Caps came in fourth, trailing Fairfax by 23 games... Kamara has good batting with a .268 team average (8th), good scoring (11th) and fine firepower with 172 homers (6th), but only modest pitching with a 3.81 team ERA (20th)... offensively 1B Kerry Sterling (.311/39/101/86) and CF Dalton Ward (.264/43/92/102) carried the club with some help from LF Dennis Hartwig (.316/18/49/61), RF Crusher Derringer (.257/26/72/62), C John Fitzgerald (.298/4/44/75) and 2B Francisco De la Hoya (.285/10/60/35)... Johnny Petrie (18-15/3.39), Mario Lopez (17-15/3.68) and Kent McKinley (13-12/3.72) were the most dependable starters.

White River (76-78) was two games under .500 with manager Mick Cronyn at the helm... the Rascals finished fifth, 26 games off the pace and were tied with North Hills... putting runs on the scoreboard was the problem... the Rascals only hit .251 (28th), but did have some power with 154 roundtrippers (11th)... White River's strong point was its mound staff that posted a 3.30 team ERA (6th)... the Rascals signed 25-game winner Kenny Nikas away from Fairfax in the off-season and he topped the club with a 21-14 mark and a 2.48 ERA... Paul Sardini (16-13/2.950 was the number-two man on the staff... Gregg Moore was number three in the rotation... he slumped from 19-9 with a sparkling 2.46 ERA last season to 15-16 with a 3.37 ERA this year... 1B Davey Sloan (.299/42/94/76) had a sensational sophomore season... 2B Taro Mori (.312/5/32/64) was the only other dependable bat in the order.

The North Hills Hawks (76-78) dropped from third place in 2032 to a fifth-place tie this year... Todd Simons' Hawks are just an average all-around team with a .262 BA and a 3.69 team ERA (17th)... Dave Michael (17-15/2.85) was the mound leader and the batting leaders were rookie RF Adam Thurgood (.276/33/104/80), CF Ronnie Guillaume (.291/13/47/72) and 3B Tommy Vavas (.296/3/38/75).

Manager Rusty Tanussa got great pitching last year from his Mahaska Haymakers (70-84), but not this year as the club's ERA jumped from a superb 2.83 to a so-so 3.58... as a consequence the Haymakers won 12 fewer games and slipped to seventh place in the TU North... coupled with a .258 team BA (21st), it was a long year for them... the only bright spot was rookie Greg Douglas, who chalked up a very impressive 19-10 mark with a 3.02 ERA... Mark Pennington, a 19-game winner in 2032, was just 12-16 record-wise this year, but had a strong 2.90 ERA... James Allington, 17-15 with a 2.59 ERA a year ago, fell to 13-23 with a lofty 4.40 ERA this season... offense was pathetic... C Ronald Reid paced the team with a .287 average... RF Johnny Yestushenko batted .284 and led the team in RBIs with just 54... 1B Wallace Buchanan topped the team in homers with 17 and hit .251.

The Blue Lake Blue Sox (64-90) continued their downward spiral... after winning the 2030 Pro Cup Rick Hilliard's club has wound up third, seventh and eighth, hitting rock bottom this year, 38 games out of first... no offense and mediocre mound work are the culprits... the Blue Sox are last in scoring runs, hit only .258 (19th) and ranked 24th in ERA (3.90)... Doug Kirkpatrick (12-20/3.07) is still a top-notch hurler that get very little run support... but Blue Lake has no quality hurlers after him... LF Boom-Boom Baker still make a little noise in the batter's box and led the club with 18 homers... Baker hit .261 and drove in 66 runs... 3B Matt Thompson boasts the best average with a .289 mark and also tops the team in RBIs with 71... Thompson had 10 roundtrippers... SS Sal Higgins added 13 home runs, 54 RBIs and a .286 BA.

2033 Tycobbian South Final Recap

Summerland Finally Wins TU South
Finally after almost three decades of frustration, the Summerland Sunsets are going to the Pro Cup playoffs. 24 times in 31 seasons in the Islandian Pro Alliance the Sunsets have been wallowing in the second division at season's end - but not this year. Summerland came out of nowhere to win the Tycobbian South. Last year they came in seventh, some 28 games off the pace. This year the Sunsets won a season-long three-team battle with the Turon Typhoons and the Ginza Ninjas. Summerland skimmed by Turon by a game and beat Ginza by four games. A September tailspin almost spoiled it all. Turon won four of its final five contests and almost caught the fading Sunsets. The Typhoons lost on the last day, otherwise they would have forced a one-game playoff.

1. Summerland Sunsets (83-71/--) managed by: Will Hackett
Team Stats: .268 BA (9th), 707 runs (9th), 124 HR (23rd-tied), 3.20 ERA (4th), .971 FA
Best Batters: 3B Mandu Purula (.328/17/73/55), RF Eamon O'Toole (.289/12/56/73, CF Antonio Vasquez (.282/5/71/76) and 1B Mark Delaney (.263/20/85/64)
Best Pitchers: Freddi Rossi (22-12/2.09), Ron McDonald (14-11/2.77) and Lloyd Anderson (18-13/3.86)
Pro Cup Forecast: picked sixth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll... good, all-around team... Summerland could surprise in the playoffs... lost fine hitter Mandu Purula with a broken hand in early August... he will be muchly missed in the postseason.

2. Turon Typhoons (82-72/1 GB) managed by Alan Hansen
Team Stats: .257 BA (20th), 691 runs (16th), 131 HR (19th), 3.58 ERA (14th), .972 FA
Best Batters: 3B Michael Page (.287/26/82/69), LF Clyde Willis (.276/13//76/58), LF Edwin Asher (.271/6/51/71) and 1B Steve Burns (.254/15/70/58)
Best Pitchers: Emile Papajohn (20-14/3.62), Wes Brynnton (17-17/3.67) and Errol Gaudet (14-16/3.12)
Comment: rose up from fifth to second this year... have missed postseason 14 consecutive seasons... last pennant in 2019... won most Pro Cups (4)... last Pro Cup in 2018

3. Ginza Ninjas (79-75/4 GB) managed by Huroko Uchiyama
Team Stats: .267 BA (10th), 675 runs (20th), 139 HR (15th), 3.87 ERA, .974 FA
Best Batters: 1B Roger Lanier (.303/29/77/89), LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.305/12/75/82), 3B Kohana Yumni (.302/16/53/70), CF Chuck Wilson (.300/19/62/57) and 2B Johnny O'Rorke (.270/19/68/51)
Best Pitchers: Hollis Pace (19-11/3.07), Ryuji Kaneko (16-12/3.54) and Gary Mills (11-8/3.66)
Comments: improved from sixth to third this year... have won 5 of the last 11 pennants

4. Arroyo Grande Suns (76-78/7 GB) managed by Buddy Bechtel
Team Stats: .236 BA (32nd), 623 runs (29th), 153 HR (12th), 3.51 ERA (10th), .972 FA
Best Batters: C Frank Jourdan (.222/24/80/47), RF Gregorio Oliviera (.268/20/65/66)
Best Pitchers: Jules Capet (16-14/3.70), Mateus Castro (14-19/3.16), John Nelson (4-1/2.29/19 saves), Pete Robertson (4-1/1.81/6 saves)
Comments: lousy hitting, good bullpen... last pennant was in 2024... mainly second-division club since then

5. Southport Sun Sox (73-81/10 GB) managed by Charley Oscar
Team Stats: .264 BA(13th), 665 runs (22nd), 153 HR (12th-tied), 3.81 ERA (21st), .969 FA
Best Batters: RF Lorne Evans (.281/51/110/119), C Davy Reichert (.285/26/78/95), LF Cody Dougherty (.268/19/63/57), CF Billy Gray (.304/10/60/47)
Best Pitchers: Bob Bondy (19-14/3.31), Wiley Wheeler (15-18/3.83) and Don Pascioni (15-18/3.88)
Comments: Lorne Evans is one of the IPA's premier players, led IPA with 119 runs... second in IPA with 51 homers... one of the top contenders in the TU South from 2027 to 2032... slumped to 5th this year with suspect pitching... won flags in 2027 and 2028.

5. San Alejo Montaneros (73-81/10 GB) managed by Alberto Herrera
Team Stats: .252 BA (26th), 635 runs (27th), 151 HR (14th), 3.24 ERA (5th), .967 FA
Best Batters: LF Adrian Otero (.253/29/94/86), 3B Bubby Blackwell (.315/10/47/75), 2B Dwight Dickey (.289/6/43/53) and 1B Rob Lewis (.269/12/64/50)
Best Pitchers: Clete Lawson (14-16/2.51), Johnny Brown (12/18/3.31), Ollie Olivares (12-19/3.35) and Herb Stewart (14-14/3.50)
Comments: in a shocker won the 2032 Pro Cup with great 2.73 ERA, but shot up to 3.24 this year... poor hitting team... not much with gloves, either... still has strong pitching staff... had bad first half, improved in second half.

7. Colchester Elites (70-84/13 GB) managed by Patsy Bates
Team Stats: .253 BA (24th), 743 runs (3rd), 161 HR (8th), 4.05 ERA (28th), .969 FA
Best Bats: CF Jim Lewellan (.288/54/138/119), 1B Don Schoenweiss (.278/18/76/78), SS Joel Collins (.267/7/63/93), 2B Jackie Jackson (.265/14/68/76) and RF Cleve Belton (.252/18/86/70)
Best Pitchers: Dave Lacoste (12-17/2.92) and Mike Kierkegaard (12-5/3.86/2 saves)
Comments: terrific powerhitter in CF Jim Lewellan, who topped the IPA with 54 homers and 139 RBIs... strong pennant contender for seven seasons from 2026, but tumbled down to seventh this year, mainly because of mediocre pitching

8. Cape Coral Hurricanes (69-85/14 GB) managed by Flipper Bird
Team Stats: .276 BA (4th), 754 runs (2nd), 133 HR (17th-tied), 4.78 ERA (32nd), .974 FA
Best Batters: 1B Bucko Parks (.282/28/98/85), 3B Dayton McCall (.339/14/67/58), RF Douglas Pitts (.304/24/67/73), CF Alan Ellis (.297/10/47/68) and LF Jan Drammer (.353/12/39/36)
Best Pitchers: rookie Tommy Van Noord (19-15/3.31)
Comments: 'Canes can score runs, but pitching is pathetic... finished sixth, last and last the last three seasons... won TU South in 2030

2033 Tycobbian East Final Recap

EP Panthers Win TU East In Late-Season Spree
It was a four-team race in the Tycobbian East for most of the season and the East Point Panthers finally settled it with a hot streak over the last two months of the campaign. The Panthers trailed Midway by 5 games going into August, but overcame the Wolves by going 30-15 the rest of the way. Hillsboro was in the runner-up spot and trailed by four games. Midway wound up third, five games off the pace and Tuckanarra was six games back in fourth place. This was the Panthers second flag in the last three years and third in history.

1. East Point Panthers (88-66/ --): managed by Karol Zodoka
Team Stats: .246 BA (30th), 692 runs (14th tied), 194 HR (2nd), 3.09 ERA (2nd), .971 FA
Best Batters: 1B Jaxon Shatner (.279/33/116/106), 2B Tetsu Tanaka (.259/28/72/104), rookie C Chris Cardinale (.266/23/85/58) and CF Sean Flynn (.257/23/60/68)
Best Pitchers: Dixie Brooks (23-7/1.72), Frank Blair (16-10/2.99) and Jack Bolden (19-13/3.25)
Comments: super starters led the IPA with a 2.81 ERA... overall the Panthers boasted a 3.09 team ERA (2nd)... ranked fifth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll, but could be a serious factor because of standout starters and home run power

2. Hillsboro Blazers (84-70/4 GB): managed by Andy Jefferson
Team Stats: .237 BA (31st), 636 runs (26th), 155 HR (10th), 3.06 ERA (1st), .979 FA
Best Batters: 1B Philip Stafford (.282/25/102/81), RF Bill Kelly (.278/15/60/83), SS Dandy Meredith (.277/7/56/78) and LF Teddy Szymanski (.289/20/59/38)
Best Pitchers: Duke Mahoney (20-10/2.37), Russell McIntosh (19-10/2.97) and Gregg Hughes (14-16/2.19)
Comments: Hitting doesn't match strong starting rotation... except in home-run power... excellent defense, best in the IPA... much-improved since finishing in the cellar three years ago

3. Midway Wolves (83-71/5 GB): managed by Cochise Chandler
Team Stats: .276 BA (5th), 699 runs (12th), 159 HR (9th), 3.30 ERA (7th), .973 FA
Best Batters: 1B Jake Welch (.290/32/96/65), LF Justin McCall (.325/16/58/49), 3B Rusty Graves (.273/10/62/60), SS Albert Wherry (.282/17/57/52) and CF Marty Hollenbeck (.311/6/35/39)
Best Pitchers: Ko Yoma (19-10/2.80), Cary Snead (19-13/2.67) and Taima Nodin (14-10/3.45)
Comments: led at the halfway mark and deep into the summer, but the Wolves folded in the stretch, blowing a 5-game lead in August and September with a 20-30 record... ace Bobby Dorignac had an off-year with a 16-17 record and a 3.81 ERA... Dorignac's lifetime ERA is 2.76... on paper Midway is the best team in the TU East... fine all-around club... lost the pennant in a playoff in 2032.

4. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (82-72/6 GB): managed by Carlton "Lefty" Stevens
Team Stats: .279 BA (3rd), 706 (10th), 124 HR (23 tied), 3.55 ERA (12th), .967 FA
Best Batters: CF Dusty Rogan (.305/21/80/79), RF Pancho Villa (.299/22/71/65), SS Eddie Darby (.292/12/49/69), C Paul Jackson (.289/6/62/70) and 1B Nicky Weill (.329/9/44/46)
Best Pitchers: Joel Sheppard (22-12/3.30), Glynn Starr (18-13/3.17) and Philip Marston (17-14/3.24)
Comments: won pennant in 2032... was in the running for the top spot in the TU East with East Point and Hillsboro going into August, but couldn't keep pace in the final stages... not very good defensively... 35-year-old Quinn Starr (12-18/4.36) had the worst year in his career and may be showing his age... longtime bat leader Lynn Starr (.299 BA/294 HR/1058 RBI/1066 R) was dropped from the roster in late April.

5. South Fork Stallions (71-83/17 GB): managed by Deroche "Lips" Leon
Team Stats: .252 BA (27th), 625 runs (28th), 133 HR (17th tied), 4.18 ERA (29th), .974 FA
Best Batters: CF Corbett Brooks (.287/19/73/74), rookie RF Keenan O'Dwyer (.282/18/65/53) and rookie SS Elton Jacoby (.269/17/53/78)
Best Pitchers: Ozz Gatsby (13-9/3.40) and Al Thompson (6-4/1.93/23 saves)
Comments: Stallions have had only modest success since taking the Pro Cup in 2025... worst season in last 10 years... tied for fifth with Ozarka

5. Ozarka Naturals (71-83/17 GB): managed by Frank Kiffin
Team Stats: .263 BA (15th), 679 runs (18th), 104 HR (30th), 3.89 ERA (23rd), .973 FA
Best Batters: SS James Couch (.287/17/86/93), 2B Sid Elmore (.274/14/72/75), 1B George Jenkins (.275/11/54/52) and CF Marv Franklin (.263/10/55/78)
Best Pitchers: Brady Bell (15-12/3.52) and Marty Murchison (13-8/4.06)
Comments: no standout talents except for 37-year-old 9-time All-Star SS James Couch, a career .309 hitter with 211 homers, 2832 hits, 1411 runs and 1188 RBIs,,, just a second-division club

7. Red Bluff Red Sox (69-85/19 GB): managed by Jim Schubert
Team Stats: .259 BA (18th), 727 runs (4th), 197 HR (1st), 3.69 ERA (18th), .964 FA
Best Batters: RF Ike Sweetwater (.307/33/107/89), 1B Garris Aiken (.277/29/83/86), 3B Pat Ellis (.291/21/71/79), 2B Gene Bates (.296/30/82/68) and SS Leander Burks (.211/35/87/78)
Best Pitchers: rookie Banzuki Hasegawa (21-10/2.30)
Comments: potent attack with good firepower, but lacks pitching to move up in standings... tied with High Mesa for last place... was seventh last year... last postseason appearance was in 2009... won Pro Cup in 2004.

7. High Mesa Cowboys (69-85/19 GB): managed by Rolf Kellgren
Team Stats: .249 BA (29th), 644 runs (25th), 167 HR (7th), 3.94 ERA (26th), .977 FA
Best Batters: SS Tony O'Neill (.268/12/47/58), C Cliff Brown (.236/22/65/64), RF Matt Marsh (.264/19/52/53), LF Randy Williams (.242/29/64/50) and LF Brad Holland (.281/2/28/63)
Best Pitchers: Doug Hansack (19-13/2.68), Roger Hart (15-10/3.39) and George Ford (13-8/3.22)
Comments: Cowboys have three good starters, who do quite well in spite of playing in one of the smallest ballparks in the IPA... staff gave up 233 roundtrippers (32nd)... no playoff appearance since 2003... only Pro Cup trophy came in 2002... have spent the last two years in the basement... on a string of seven straight seasons in the second division... last winning season was in 2026

2033 Tycobbian West Final Recap

La Claire Champs In TU West
The new Tycobbian West champion La Claire Lynx hovered close to the top through most of the season, then turned it up a notch and past the field of contenders in the last two months of the year. The Lynx won by a good margin, beating second-place Kenwood by 6 games. Pre-season favorite Chicopee and Bay St. Clair deadlocked for the fourth spot and finished 8 games out in the race. Perennial winner and defending divisional champ Rolling Hills slumped to fifth place this season, winding up 12 games off the pace.

1. La Claire Lynx (86-68/--): managed by Zeppy Deshotel
Team Stats: .263 BA (14th), 683 runs (17th), 130 HR (20th), .970 FA
Best Batters: 3B Jarrod O'Neal (.310/36/116/109), C Craig Peck (.284/2/49/83), RF Carroll Candy (.275/17/70/49), LF Kelly Chamberlain (.260/23/74/80) and 1B Stan Hynoski (.276/15/68/43)
Best Pitchers: Pat Kovacs (22-8/2.06), Rance Raymond (20-14/2.80) and Jeff Buttrum (21-15/3.01)
Comments: won TU West flag with solid 26-19 mark the last six weeks... chosen fourth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll behind Fairfax, Elnora and LaGrange... features three very capable starters, but lacks bullpen... Lynx possesses decent bats and adequate power... only fair defense.

2. Kenwood Wildcats (80-74/6 GB): managed by Aaron Hankins
Team Stats: .279 (2nd), 722 runs (7th), 120 HR (25th tied), 4.39 ERA (31st), .978 FA
Best Batters: CF Babe Hankins (.338/28/119/84), LF Rodney Harrison (.301/19/70/100), 1B Randy Towns (.316/1/51/90) and 3B Jeff Lang (.278/9/62/64)
Best Pitchers: Claude Watson (18-14/3.30)
Comments: Wildcats led division at the All-Star game, but fizzled in the latter part of the season with a mediocre 21-24 record... had almost no pitching except for Claude Watson... bullpen was atrocious with a 5.32 ERA (32nd)... the bats carried the ballclub... rose up from seventh place the previous year... has outstanding defense... Kenwood has appeared only three times in the postseason... the last time was in 2024... the Wildcats captured their only Pro Cup in 2014

3. Chicopee Braves (78-76/8 GB): managed by Ivan Burkholder
Team Stats: .271 BA (6th), 726 runs (5th), 180 HR (4th), 3.70 ERA (19th), .976 FA
Best Batters: LF Charley Kota (.333/22/74/110), rookie Alfredo Cobos (.287/25/76/83), 3B Kurt Gustavsen (.290/28/95/86), rookie SS Felix Roubique (.310/10/77/79) and 1B Pierre Giguere (.258/18/61/70)
Best Pitchers: Kajika Fleetfoot (14-6/2.62) and Rick Beasley (18-12/3.15)
Comments: favored to win the TU West this year, but had poor start, fell 7 games back by mid-year... played better the rest of way, but couldn't catch up with La Claire... Braves have good, solid offense, excellent defense, but not a lot of pitching... Chicopee has never graced the postseason in its 31 seasons in the IPA... however the Braves have made progress the last two years with third-place finishes... with budding stars in Kota, Cobos, Gustavsen, Roubique, Fleetfoot and Beasley, the future is brighter for the Braves

3. Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (78-76/8 GB): managed by Denny Coulon
Team Stats: .256 BA (22nd), 618 runs (30th), 134 HR (16th), 3.52 ERA (11th), .974 FA
Best Batters: RF Milt Powers (.303/33/107/84), 1B Terry Adams (.286/22/72/72), CF Cotton Cornwall (.251/20/61/71) and 2B Eddy Hunt (.294/7/54/46)
Best Pitchers: John Karlsen (16-15/3.60), Jim McBride (16-18/2.87), Carlo Nardini (13-14/3.02) and reliever Don Sawyer (6-1/1.18/26 saves)
Comments: first division club for last four years... have been in the playoffs 9 times... last won the TU West in 2030... wound up fourth the last two years... needs better pitching to be serious contender... Bucs have never captured a Pro Cup in their history

5. Rolling Hills Reds (74-80/12 GB): managed by Matty Christianson
Team Stats: .270 BA (7th), 696 runs (13th), 120 HR (20th tied), 3.94 ERA (25th), .976 FA
Best Batters: 3B Billy Christianson (.310/15/81/71), LF Jason Garrett (.313/9/63/89), RF Scotty Yiska (.292/22/79/74) and 2B Derek Kristensen (.286/6/38/74)
Best Pitchers: Maury Cantrell (19-13/3.14)
Comments: seriously hurt by loss of ace Bud Myers for almost all of the season... Myers made only 3 starts late in the season and compiled an 0-2 mark with a 3.57 ERA... vets Tom Pierson (13-17/4.00) and Bobby Morris (12-12/4.21) had poor seasons... hitting was off by 15 points this year... handles defense well... still a young club... needs everybody healthy at the same time... Rollings Hills has made the postseason 10 times with two Pro Cups (2029 and 2031)... the Reds are looking forward to 2034

6. Denton City Redbirds (73-81/13 GB): managed by Trevor Tomlinson
Team Stats: .266 BA (11th), 720 runs (8th), 184 HR (3rd), 3.98 ERA (27th), .973 FA
Best Batters: CF Sam Carson (.303/32/92/104), 1B Big Sam Takota (.302/35/106/69) and LF Alden Evans (.319/16/71/50)
Best Pitchers: Glen Nichols (10-4/3.48) and Francisco Salcido (14-14/3.7)
Comments: Fine attack with good power, but needs pitching help... quality starter Dan Antonioni missed the entire season with a torn rotator cuff... just average defensively... three solid bats in Carson, Takota and Evans... Redbirds haven't made the Pro Cup playoffs in 20 seasons with only 3 fourth-place finishes during that span

7. Arlon Champions (72-82/14 GB): managed by Rocco Bellasario
Team Stats: .253 BA (25th), 657 runs (23rd), 116 HR (28th), 3.67 ERA (16th), .973 FA
Best Batters: rookie C Paco Diaz (.279/6/50/85), 3B Ryan Hicks (.285/19/75/76), 1B Fred Schussler (.294/24/70/51) and CF Del Carpenter (.235/14/75/86)
Best Pitchers: Ken Lawson (21-12/3.67)
Comments: 13 years since last TU West pennant (2020)... average mound staff with so-so bats... Arlon has never won the Pro Cup... drooped from fifth in 2032 to seventh this year

8. Bayview Vikings (71-83): managed by Chancey Quibedeaux
Team Stats: .266 BA (12th), 724 runs (6th), 177 HR (5th), 4.28 ERA (30th), .966 FA
Best Batters: LF Roy Ricks (.296/29/95/109), SS Marius Lokken (.309/28/77/86), rookie 3B Jerry Culpepper (.285/20/69/59) and 1B James Wallace (.244/25/104/66)
Best Pitchers: Jamie Gustafson (18-16/3.59) and Valente Viero (15-18/3.77)
Comments: Vikings are eternal also-rans most of the time the last 17 seasons... 2016 was the last year they captured the division flag... the club has a good offense, but very little on the hill... fielding is weak, too... for the last two years and five of the last nine seasons Bayview has been basement-bound... the Vikings have no Pro Cups in the team's trophy cases

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 21, 2033

Fairfax And Elnora Forecast For Pro Cup, Frogs Favored
The winningest teams in the IPA were chosen by the baseball scribes around the Islands to meet for the Pro Cup championship this season. In the annual poll conducted by THE ISLANDIAN TIMES, the Fairfax Frogs were picked to win the Tycobbian playoffs and meet the Ruthlandian winner, the Elnora All-Stars, in the Pro Cup Finals. The baseball experts put the Frogs in the favorite's role because they posted the best overall record in the IPA with a 102-52 record. Elnora topped the RU with a 93-61 mark. Both of the teams are talented and experienced and feature well-balanced hitting and pitching. The LaGrange Sports and La Claire Lynx were ranked third and fourth in the voting. Only three of last year's postseason clubs return this year. Fairfax, Elnora and LaGrange will give it another shot at the Islands' Holy Grail.

Last year Elnora was the Pro Cup choice with Fairfax the third choice after Colfax. The eventual Pro Cup champ San Alejo was ranked fourth in the poll, but won with great pitching over Colfax's high-powered offense. Colfax swept Elnora in the RU Elite 8 and San Alejo surprised Fairfax in the first round, too. The Montaneros knocked off the Frogs in a hard-fought six-game series. LaGrange played well last year. The Sports were picked seventh in the poll, and were eliminated in the RU Finals by Colfax in five games.

2033 IPA Pro Cup Poll
1. Fairfax Frogs (102-52)... rock-solid hitting, pitching, bullpen and defense
2. Elnora All-Stars (93-61)... facsimile of Frogs... no weaknesses
3. LaGrange Sports (91-63)... notch below Frogs and All-Stars, but more power... lack bullpen
4. La Claire Lynx (86-68)... similar to Sports, but not as much power
5. East Point Panthers (88-66)... could be a sleeper... have excellent starters and power-hitting... but weak bullpen
6. Summerland Sunsets (83-71)...good all-around club... might surprise in playoffs
7. St. John Crusaders (87-67)... great defense... lack homer power... good relievers
8. Sligo Rovers (79-76)... just barely .500 team... little chance in playoffs

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 22, 2033

2033 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven series)

Elnora Edges Sligo 5-4 In Opener
22-game winner and last year's Golden Arm winner Jeremy Sellers struggled early in the opening game of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series, but he settled down and Elnora edged Sligo 5-4 at State Fair Park... Sellers (1-0) was tagged for 3 runs in the first 2 innings... overall he worked into the eighth, allowed 4 runs on 10 hits... Sellers' control was his main problem as he walked 6... Stan Kivas got the final 4 outs for him and got the save... Sellers was the winning pitcher... 2 errors by 2B Wally Buck cost losing hurler Terry Bailey (0-1) the game... in 6 frames Bailey only gave up 2 earned runs on 9 hits, fanned 4 and walked one.

After trailing 3-2 at the end of 2 innings, Elnora fought back with a run in the fourth and went ahead to stay 5-3 with 2 more in the sixth... the All-Stars collected 11 hits and were led by LF Clint Thomas with 3 hits... RF Pettis Pentleton, 3B Danny Bierhoff and 1B Matt Boyd added 2 hits apiece with Boyd hitting a solo homer... 1B Marty Blake paced the Rovers with a solo homer among his 3 hits... Blake and RF Everett Dirksen drove home 2 runs each... Sligo had 10 hits in all.

STJ Slips By LaGrange 2-1, Urban Outduels Thurber
In game one of the RU Elite 8 Series at LaGrange's Sports Stadium, Larry Urban outdueled Wally Thurber 2-1... St. John defeated the Sports on LF Roger Haley's 2-run single in the top of the eighth inning... LaGrange had taken the lead 1-0 on RF Russell Watkins' base hit in the last of the sixth.

Urban (1-0) notched the victory by going 8 solid innings, permitting one one run on 7 hits with 4 Ks and a walk... Russell Lawson hurled a scoreless ninth for the save... loser Thurber (0-1) surrendered 2 runs on 8 hits and worked 8 innings.

Tycobbian Union

Frogs Prevail Over Sunsets 6-4 On Davis' 2-Run HR
In the first game of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 at the Frog Pond, Pro Cup favorite Fairfax staved off two late-inning rallies by Summerland and got a clutch 2-run homer in the bottom of the ninth by C Brian Davis to turn back the Sunsets 6-4... both clubs picked up 11 hits apiece... Davis, RF Roger Krieger and SS John Velasco sparked the Frogs at the plate with 2 hits each... RF Eamon O'Toole had 3 hits for Summerland with CF Antonio Vasquez, 1B Mark Delaney and LF Nicky Titov adding 2 hits each... Delaney had a solo homer and Titov drove in 2 runs.

23-game winner Douglas Dickens (1-0) got the win despite giving up 11 hits and 4 runs... Dickens went the distance... Freddi Rossi, who registered 22 wins in the regular season, worked 8 innings and allowed 4 runs on 9 hits... the Sunsets erred 3 times in the loss... reliever Glenn Cadman caught the loss (0-1) when he was slammed for Davis' walk-off homer.

EP Pops La Claire 6-3 In Game One
Opening up at home at Armed Forces Stadium, the East Point Panthers broke open a 3-3 game with 3 runs in the last of the sixth to defeat La Claire 6-3 in the TU Elite 8 Series... C Chris Cardinale singled in the game-winner... a second run came in when RF Carroll Candy misplayed the ball... and 3B Larry Lansberry plated another one with a single.

Two 23-game winners got the call in opening game... Dixie Brooks weathered a slow start and got better as the game progressed... the Lynx got him for 3 runs in the first 3 frames and one in the ninth... Brooks (1-0) tossed a complete game, struck out 6, walked 2 batters and permitted 4 runs on 9 hits... Pat Kovacs (0-1) suffered the defeat as he was bashed for 6 runs and 6 hits in 6 innings, including two first-inning homers by RF Steve Stroud and 2B Tetsu Tanaka... Lansberry batted in 2 runs for the Panthers... La Claire was led by RF Carroll Candy and C Craig Peck, each with 2 runs batted in... Candy went deep for the Lynx... CF Leif Steinbrenner hit 2 doubles and scored twice.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 23, 2033

2033 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Rovers Clip All-Stars 5-4, Even Series
Game two of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series at State Fair Park in Elnora went to the visiting Sligo Rovers 5-4... the Rovers held off a ninth-inning rally by the All-Stars to even the series at a game apiece... veteran southpaw Lou Page hurled 7 sharp innings for the victory, but he left the game early due to injury... No word yet on the extent of the injury... Page allowed 2 runs on 8 hits, fanned 5 and walked none in his stint... Joey Santini finished up for him and got the save, but he didn't fare very well... Elnora smacked Santini for 2 runs and 3 hits in his 2 innings.

Sligo built up a 3-0 lead after 5 innings and managed to hang on... the Rovers ripped Elnora starter Jose Robles for 14 hits, sparked by C Don Pontros (.500) with 4 hits and 2 runs, SS Wally Buck (.500) with 3 hits and a run, and rookie 3B Neil Mitchell (.500) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... the All-Stars belted 3 homers in defeat... light-hitting SS Bobby Greb (.600) rapped 2 of them and drove in 3 runs... Greb led Elnora with 3 hits... 2B Akihiro Samurakami (.333) also went deep and had 2 hits... losing pitcher Robles (0-1) went all the way, struck out 6 and walked 2.

The next three games of the RU Elite 8 Series is slated for Sligo's Silver Mountain Park.

LaGrange's Janssen Mows Down STJ 5-1 To Tie Series
Towering 6-7 Ryan Jenssen showed his stuff in game two of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 at Sports Stadium in LaGrange... the 22-game winner gained a split in the series with a 5-1 win over the St. John Crusaders... Janssen stopped them on 6 hits, chalked up 6 Ks and walked only one in a complete-game outing... Janssen lost his shutout in the ninth... Crusader starter Zack Dowdle (0-1) held the Sports to one run in the first seven frames, but he was battered for 4 more in the eighth, highlighted by LF Russ Watkins (.500) 3-run homer... 1B Chris Charbonnier (.286) drove in the other 2 LaGrange runs... Dowdle gave up 9 hits, fanned 5 and walked 3.

The series now switches to St. John's Cathedral Stadium for games three, four and five.

Tycobbian Union

Sunsets Split With Frogs, Win Game Two 6-2
In the second game of the Tycobbian Elite 8 at the Frog Pond in Fairfax, Summerland picked up a split with a 6-2 triumph... Summerland racked up 13 hits in offense and got a fine performance from Ron McDonald, who held the Frogs to 5 hits and 2 runs in 6 and a third innings... McDonald (1-0) got help from Toshikuni Tanaka and Clive Coxford, who blanked Fairfax over the last two and two-thirds innings... McDonald totaled 4 strikeouts and walked none... Manny Hunsinger (0-1) was the loser as he was shelled for 4 runs and 9 hits in just 3-plus frames.

3B Mark Delaney (.556) and RF Eamon O'Toole (.556) led the Sunset attack... both homered... Delaney had 3 hits, scored twice and batted in 2 runs... it was the second game in a row that Delaney went deep... O'Toole popped 2 hits, scored 2 and batted in 2... CF Eric Kusek (.222) doubled in both Frog runs.

Games three, four and five are scheduled to be played at Sunset Stadium in Summerland.

Panthers Top Lynx 5-4, Up 2-0
It was a hard-fought game two at Armed Forces Park in East Point as the Panthers swept both Elite 8 games at their home park... they whipped La Claire 5-4 on a game-winning single by Steve Stroud in the last of the seventh... pinchhitter Lee Wade set the stage for Stroud with a lead-off two-bagger... Wade scored the winning run.

RF Stroud (.625) paced the Panthers with a perfect 4-for-4 day... 1B Jaxon Shatner (.143) and 2B Tetsu Tanaka both drove in a pair of runs... Shatner got his on a two-run shot in the 4-run first... Tanaka doubled in 2 runs in the opening frame... the Lynx battled back from a 4-1 deficit to tie it up 4-4 in the fifth... 3 solo roundtrippers by 3B Jarrod O'Neal (.125), 1B Stan Hynoski (.125) and LF Kelly Chamberlain (.167) provided most of La Claire's runs.

Frank Blair (1-0) notched the win for East Point... he was tagged for 4 runs and 5 hits in 7 innings... Blair whiffed 3 and walked 3... he needed help from Stephen Edwards, who stiffed the Lynx with 2 scoreless innings... 21-game winner Jeff Buttrum (0-1) caught the loss in a route-going effort... Buttrum surrendered 5 runs on 11 hits, struck out 4 and issued 2 bases on balls.

Capitol Park Stadium in La Claire is the site for the next three contests in the best-of-seven series.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, September 24, 2033

2033 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

All-Stars Nip Rovers 6-5, Take Series Lead
Highly-favored Elnora had another tough time with the underdog Sligo Rovers in game three of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... for the third straight game it was a one-run affair... Elnora nipped the Rovers 6-5 on the road at Silver Mountain Stadium to take a two games to one series' lead... the All-Stars put up a 5-2 lead after four frames, then had to fend off a Rover rally in the late innings.

After Sligo narrowed the score to 5-4 in the seventh, Elnora chalked up the winning run in the top of the eighth on a double by CF Travis Glass (.200) and an RBI single by C Cannon Johnson (.250)... the All-Stars collected 11 hits off three Sligo pitchers and were led by 3B Danny Bierhoff (.417) with 3 hits and 3 RBIs, LF Clint Thomas (.500) with 2 hits and 2B Akihiro Samurakami (.357) with a pair of hits... Thomas got the game's only home run... Sligo was held to 7 hits... winning pitcher Freddy Pfeffer (1-0) worked into the ninth, yielded 5 runs on 7 hits, struck out 6 and walked 3 batters... only 3 runs were earned... Paul Martina closed it out for the save by getting the last two outs of the game... starter Flapper Bird (0-1) was the loser, though he only allowed 2 earned runs in 5 innings... Bird gave up 5 runs on 6 hits... the Rovers were led at the plate by LF Teddy Brunet (.400), who had two doubles and 2 runs batted in.

The Sligo Rovers got some more bad news today... number-two starter Lou Page (14-11/3.55) has been lost for the season with a torn labrum, the same injury that befell Earl Perkins (15-14/3.32) in August... Page (1-0/2.57) got the 5-4 win in the second game of the series, allowing only 2 runs in 7 innings... the Rovers have signed 31-year-old left-hander Greg Walker to fill Page's roster spot... Walker (0-0/1.77) relieved in 9 games for the Rovers in 2032... veteran right-hander Joey Santini (9-16/4.76) will be moved from the bullpen into the starting rotation.

Sports Sock St. John 6-3, Up By A Game
At Cathedral Stadium in St. John, visiting LaGrange got the best of the Crusaders 6-3 in game three to take a one-game lead in the RU Elite 8 Series... the Sports cracked 14 hits and got a solid outing from Mike York (1-0), who went the distance, holding St. John to 6 hits... York benefited from 3 double plays.

C Mike Dunmire (.182) tripled and singled and batted in 3 runs for LaGrange... LF Russell Watkins (.538) banged out 3 hits... and 2B Whitlow Stokes (.385), CF Richard Charron (.500) and SS Harvey Creighton added 2 hits apiece... St. John was paced by CF Roger Haley (.250) with a homer and 3 RBIs... Haley has driven in all 6 Crusader runs so far... Jeremy Kirk (0-1) took the loss as he was shelled by the Sports for 11 hits and all 6 runs in the first four frames.

Tycobbian Union

Long's HR Gives Frogs 3-2 Win Over Sunsets
In the third game of the Tycobbian Elite 8, Mel Long (.167) homered in the top of the ninth to give the Pro Cup favorite Fairfax Frogs a 3-2 victory over Summerland at Sunset Stadium... Long's blast put the Frogs ahead in the series 2-1... soft-throwing Mac Flowers was aided by three DPs and checked the Sunsets on 6 hits for the win... Lloyd Anderson (0-1) suffered the defeat while going the route, too... he gave up 3 runs on 10 hits with 4 strikeouts and no walks.

LF Max Leibowitz (.273) also went deep for the Frogs... he had 2 hits and scored twice... RF Eamon O'Toole (.500) and SS Noel Cardin (.500) drove in runs for the Sunsets.

Panthers Edge Lynx 4-3, Near Sweep
East Point captured its third consecutive thriller from La Claire... this time edging the Lynx on their home field 4-3 with a dramatic 2-run rally... trailing 3-2 in the top of the ninth at Central Park Stadium, pinchhitter Ed Milsted tied the score on a sacrifice fly and Sean Flynn provided the victory with a game-winning single... the Panthers have now taken the first three games in the TU Elite 8 Series... all three contests have been nail-biters.

Starter Jack Bolden tossed the first 6 frames, permitting 3 runs on 8 hits, however 2 of them were not earned... he exited behind 3-2... Burton Cook (1-0) copped the win with scoreless seventh and eighth innings... hard-throwing Stephen Edwards notched the save with a runless ninth... 3 double plays helped the Panther cause... Rance Raymond started for La Claire and and was very effective as he left with a 3-2 lead after 8 innings, but Alvar Vickers (0-1) blew the save and the game in the ninth... the Lynx outhit the Panthers 11 to 10.

The East Point offense was sparked by solo homers by RF Steve Stroud (.583) and C Chris Cardinale (.444)... Cardinale knocked 3 hits and scored twice, while Stroud and Flynn (.308) had a pair of hits each... it was Stroud's second clout in the series... the Lynx top bat was SS Daryl Rhodes (.300) with a 2-run roundtripper in the sixth that gave his team the lead 3-2.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES

Around the Town in the IPA

EAST POINT PANTHERS

Owner: Silver Mountain Marble Works
GM: Jesse Goodwin
Manager: Karol Zodoka

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. Running the ball club is general manager Jesse Goodwin and his field manager Karol Zodoka. Both Goodwin and Zodoka excelled as players for the Panthers. Both were hard-hitting infielders. Goodwin played for 15 seasons from 2005 to 2019 with a .287 BA, 430 homers and 1300 RBIs. He made the All-Star team on 5 occasions and won the Golden Bat one time. Zodoka had an outstanding career from 2002 to 2017. He was a 7-time All-Star, won 4 Golden Gloves, a Golden Bat and RU MVP Award. Zodoka batted .293 with 391 homers and over 1300 RBIs.

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 the 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 "K-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

Around the Town in the IPA

LUXORA ZORROS

Owner: De la Vega Foundation
GM: Rodrigo Alejandro
Manager: Lacey Tompkins

Luxora is a picturesque town of 65,000 people of Spanish and Andorran ancestry located in the Silver Mountains of northeastern Tycobbia. Both Spanish and English are spoken there. Snowy winters and mild summers lure tourists from all over, who come in great numbers to enjoy the natural hot thermal springs and spas, snow skiing, snowboarding, whitewater rafting and the wonderful duty-free bazaar overflowing with electronics, luxury goods and fine handmade clothing made from the famous Luxoran wool in the town textile factory. Everywhere in the area you will see a plethora of sheep ranches, along with timber, lumber and wood products which are processed and manufactured there. Luxora benefits greatly from its proximity to the Rio Loco, a wild and raging river and a source of great hydroelectric power. By way of a series of dams and locks the river flows from high in the mountains, skirting the town on its western journey through the foothills before finally flowing into the sky blue waters of Blue Lake near Fairfax. As a result, it is the headquarters of the Tycobbia Electric Authority.

Luxora itself is a modest town steeped in traditional ways. It has narrow streets and plazas in which to get happily lost among the grand and ancient churches and mansions. Because of the cultural tradition of “siestas”, Spanish-owned companies give their employees time off each day so they can attend the local team’s games with their families, a practice and custom that soon spread to all of the townships in baseball-crazed Tycobbia and Ruthlandia.

It is also the home of the Luxora Zorros (“foxes” in Spanish) of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Z's are a member of the Tycobbian Union North Division. Luxora plays at De la Vega Stadium (affectionately called “The Foxhole” by the locals), named for Don Diego de la Vega, aka Zorro, the legendary black clad hero who fought Portuguese despotism during the 1800’s and eventually led the Tycobbian people to freedom. His descendants, wealthy landowners with huge sheep and Arabian horse farms, are the owners of the team. Of course, you can see Zorro atop his wondrous black stallion, Toronado (Spanish for “tornado”), galloping around the stadium to the cheers of the crowd as they rally the home team to victory. A splendid mariachi band serenades and provides a festive atmosphere at all the games. You can also enjoy the Spanish delicacies at the concessions stands: cunillo (succulent rabbit cooked in tomato sauce), escudello (a fantastic chicken, sausage and meatball stew), and fried ice cream, too. Traditional ballpark food is provided as well.

Even the GM and former manager of the Zorros is of Spanish descent. Rodrigo Alejandro, an outstanding power hitter and shortstop as an amateur, was the highest paid “amateur” ever in company league circles. Many say Alejandro was the best home run hitter in the Islands history. As Luxora's manager Alejandro made the playoffs 10 times and won 7 pennants. The current skipper of the Z's is a former standout outfielder Lacey Tompkins, who starred for Luxora from 2001 to 2007. Overall Tompkins played 18 seasons in the IPA and compiled a .296 career batting average with 205 home runs, 1081 RBIs and 1113 runs scored. He made the All-Star team twice and won two Golden Gloves.

De la Vega Stadium (1967)

Capacity: 9,487

Dimensions:
LF Line 330
LF 345
LCF 371
CF 408
RCF 371
RF 345
RF Line 330

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 25, 2033

2033 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Collins HR Evens Series, Rovers Eke By Elnora 5-3
The Sligo Rovers came within an eyelash of falling behind Elnora three games to one in the RU Elite 8 Series before stunning the All-Stars with a dramatic 5-3 ten-inning triumph at home at Silver Mountain Park... behind by a 3-0 score going into the bottom of the ninth, the Rovers staged an unlikely rally and scored 3 runs on one hit to send the game into extra innings, then won it on pinchhitter Darrell Collins' (.143) 2-run walk-off smash to even up the best-of-seven series at two games apiece.

SS Wally Buck started off the ninth with a triple and C Don Pontros walked... pinchhitter Teddy Brunet hit a scribler in front of the plate that Elnora catcher Cannon Johnson couldn't pick up and allowed Buck to score from third... Pontros went to third on the error and scored on a wild pitch to make it 3-2... Brunet then scored on 3B Neil Mitchell's sacrifice fly to sent the game to overtime.

It was a great pitchers' battle for the first 7 frames between Jeremy Sellers and Terry Bailey... but it all came apart in the top of the eighth when RF Pettis Pentleton slammed a solo homer and 2B Akihiro Samurakami slugged a 2-run salvo off Bailey... Sellers fired 7 and two-thirds scoreless innings, allowed 3 hits, fanned 4, but walked 5... 2 walks and an infield error loaded the bases in the last of the eighth and Stan Kivas came in from the bullpen and got the final out of the inning... Kivas was the victim of the 3-run uprising by the Rovers in the ninth and Paul Martina (0-1) was nailed with the loss by Collins' clout in the tenth... Bailey worked 9 innings, permitted 10 hits and 3 runs... the win went to Mike Rinaldi (1-0/0.00), who blanked the All-Stars in the tenth... Elnora still outhit Sligo 10 to 6... Pentleton (.353) led the All-Stars with 3-5 and Buck (.500) was the Rovers' best with 2-4.

Crusaders Spank Sports 5-1, Series Tied
St. John got another outstanding performance from Larry Urban to deadlock the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series at 2-2 with the LaGrange Sports... Urban stopped them again in game four 5-1 like he did in the series opener.

Urban (2-0/1.10) stayed around into the ninth, holding the Sports to just one run, but gave up 10 hits... Nelson Hawthorne got the final two outs and polished off the Sports... Wally Thurber (0-2/4.11) hung with Urban through 6 scoreless innings, but he was pounded for 5 runs and 4 hits in the seventh... overall Thurber surrendered 10 hits... RF Tony Kreskas (.313) and 2B Byron Johannsen (.375) drove in 2 runs each for the winners... Kreskas and 1B Norm Murdoch each had 3 hits for St. John... LaGrange was paced by CF Richard Charron (.500), who delivered 2 doubles and batted the Sports only run in the ninth.

Tycobbian Union

Frogs Flail Sunsets 5-2 In 12 Innings
On the road in game four of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series at Sunset Stadium, the Fairfax Frogs got a masterful mound performance from Dudley Dickens and 2 roundtrippers from 3B Gilbert Miles to outlast Summerland 5-2 in twelve innings... the win gave the Pro Cup number-one seeded Frogs a decisive 3-1 advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Miles boomed a 3-run homer in the top of the twelfth to give the victory to Dickens (2-0/2.70), who limited the Sunsets to 2 runs and 7 hits in 11 innings... Sean McBride finished up for Dickens with a runless twelfth and picked up the save... Freddi Rossi, the Summerland starter was sharp, too... in a no decision, Rossi threw the first 10 frames, allowed 2 runs and 8 hits with 4 Ks and a walk... Glenn Cadman (0-2) was the loser for the second time in the series.

Miles (.438) sparked the Fairfax 13-hit offense with 3-5, including 2 homers and a double with 3 RBIs... CF Eric Kusek (.316) also chipped in 3 hits and an RBI... and RF Roger Krieger (.313) had 2 hits and a run batted in... 2B Jay Hagedorn (.400) led Summerland with 3 hits and C Ray Perkins (.176) drove in 2 runs.

EP Sweeps LC, Brooks Fires Shutout
The East Point Panthers blitzed the La Claire Lynx in a four-game sweep to advance to the Tycobbian Final 4 against the Fairfax-Summerland survivor... Panther ace Dixie Brooks (2-0/2.00) was superb with a 3-0 shutout in game four at La Claire's Capitol Park Stadium... Brooks, a 23-game winner in the regular season, stuffed the Lynx on 5 hits, fanned 5 and also walked 5... a pair of first-inning homers gave him all the runs he needed... 1B Jaxon Shatner's (.133) 2-run blast and LF Kenko Aoki's (.133) solo shot dealt Pat Kovacs another loss in the series after he posted a 22-8 mark in the regular campaign... Kovacs (0-2/4.50) went 8 innings and was touched for 3 runs on 8 hits.