The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Ruthlandian West Final Recap

SURPRISE! Vigilantes Best In The West!
10 years have past since the Volusia Vigilantes were in a pennant race and almost 30 years since the V's made the playoffs, but they have finally done it - Volusia is the best in the Ruthlandian West - they won the division by 7 games over the Fort Benton Defenders and the Middlefield Roosters. The Vigilantes ran up a comfortable 7-game lead at the halfway point and then just held off all comers the rest of the way. The Stoner Stars and Forest City Lumberjacks tied for fourth place, 14 games back. Rocky Rapids finished sixth and trailed by 15. Preseason pick Colfax stumbled badly and wound up 19 games out in seventh place and Sligo ended up dead last, 21 games off the pace. The RU West is one of the weaker divisions in the IPA and had only one team with a winning record.

Longtime skipper Alfonso Feliz guided Volusia (84-70) from the outhouse to the penthouse this year... forecast to finish near the bottom again, the V's surprised and won the pennant with a solid group of hitters and an adequate mound staff... the Vigilantes posted a .281 BA (4th), scored 751 runs (5th) and smacked 165 homers (6th)... on the hill they compiled a respectable 3.78 ERA (19th)... top performers at the plate were All-Star 1B Ernie Pryor (.303/31/100/82), rookie C Tubby Tarkanian (.316/29/85/77), rookie All-Star CF Antonio Diaz (.302/19/85/83), CF Ernesto Andujar (.316/25/79/96) and veteran RF Sonny Oliver (.277/18/81/71)... top hurlers were All-Star Tommy Smith (20-14/2.79), Jacy Chandler (20-8/3.40) and All-Star Marv Webb (18-9/3.57)... Volusia will be a decided underdog to the Eastshore Elegants in the opening round of the Pro Cup playoffs that start Thursday... but watch out - the V's attack could give them a shot at an upset... the Crystal Lake Crushers are heavily favored to whip the Ranford Bulls in the other RU matchup.

The Fort Benton Defenders (77-77) were the second choice to take the division in The Islandian Times preseason poll... manager Robbie Brooks has had them close in two of the last four seasons - they lost a single-game playoff for the pennant last year - and Defender fans were hoping this would be the year to finally make the Pro Cup playoffs... Fort Benton has never made the playoffs in its 33 years of IPA play... the Defenders are just a mediocre ballclub with a .259 team BA (24th) and a 3.93 team ERA (24th)... workhorse ace Augie Marquis (24-15/2.87) had a career year and was second in the IPA in victories... Chris Calsworth (17-16/3.72) had a decent year as well... All-Star rookie 3B Edmund Daisek (.280/21/87/67) led the offense with help from rookie SS D. D. Badeaux (.263/14/77/74)... the two freshmen were the best of the lot in a weak batting order.

The Middlefield Roosters (77-77) did a little better than expected with a tie for second with Fort Benton... the Roosters were ranked sixth in the preseason poll... Bailey Norcross hasn't seen his team in the postseason since 2026... the Roosters have only one Pro Cup, which came in 2005... Middlefield has good bats with a .269 BA (12th), scored 732 runs (9th) and topped the RU with 198 roundtrippers (1st)... on the hill they put up a 3.90 team ERA (23rd)... All-Star SS Kenny Johnston led the team with a .310 BA and 95 runs... longball leaders were C Brad Alexander (.270/31/69/65), All-Star 2B Paul Coker (.260/29/85/68), RF Yank Quinlan (.286/24/62/65) and CF Timmy Angelakos (.259/21/67/48)... best mound performers were Ron Sinclair (16-14/4.09) and Tyrus Cobb (14-14/3.63)... keep in mind the small ballpark helped the power numbers greatly and makes it really tough for the pitchers.

Benny Stern and his Stoner Stars (70-84) had another lackluster season... the Stars tied with Forest City for the fourth spot in the standings, 14 games out of first... neither of them challenged Volusia after the All-Star Game... Stoner last won the RU West in 2029, but has never hauled in a Pro Cup crown in its history... last year they were third in the standings and forecast for fourth this season... Stern's doesn't have much in the way of pitching or offense... the Stars hit .263 (22nd) and chalked up a 4.18 ERA (28th)... young standout LF Felix Jobin (.350/21/77/86), solid 1B Fletch Fowler (.317/13/75/65), CF Don Cain (.316/5/60/79) and reliable veteran 3B Dorak Aranda (.278/23/86/65) sparked the club at the plate, while on the mound it was Lou Neuman (18-11/3.80).

For the first time in five seasons the Forest City Lumberjacks (70-84) just barely squeezed into the RU West first division in the fourth spot tied with Stoner... manager Joe Judlin's club was picked to be the third-best team in the division... his pitching staff was respectable with a 3.69 team ERA (13th), but wasn't up to snuff offensively with a .252 BA (29th)... Rich Barstow (17-18/3.34) and Jeff Watford (17-18/3.47) had decent years on the mound... while C Bob Brisdon (.306/23/70/63) was one of the few good bats.

It's been almost 15 years since the Rocky Rapids Snappers (69-85) have won a pennant... they took four straight flags from 2017 to 2020... the Snappers copped their only Pro Cup during that great run in 2019... manager Junior Noland's team were place near the bottom in the preseason poll, but managed to come in sixth, 15 games behind in the race... the Snappers are only an average club with a .264 BA (18th) and a 3.87 team ERA (21st)... but do have a little bit of power with 152 HRs (12th-tied)... Paulie Pieroni (17-18/3.18) and Ed Ayers (13-17/3.33) were respectable pitchers... only SS Kelvin Cassidy (.316/23/70/65) put up good batting numbers.

After a disappointing fourth-place finish last year, the Colfax Blasters (65-89) looked like the team to beat in the RU West this season... they were ranked first in The Islandian Times preseason poll, but the Blasters fizzled badly, coming in seventh, 19 games off the pace of winning Volusia... Colfax won two pennants in the last five years... in its history the Blasters have won 10 flags and one Pro Cup (2010)... manager Ilya Szabo has pretty fair pitching with a 3.68 team ERA (12th), but has horrible hitting with a .246 BA (31st)... one of his hurlers, Rudy Rosario (15-13/1.83), was splendid and topped the IPA in ERA, but suffered severely from a lack of run support... 3B Lou Wilhoit (.270/24/72/48) and C Mitch Fullerton (.287/16/47/69) were just fair hitters, but the best Colfax had.

The Sligo Rovers (63-91) are a strange ballclub with a topsy-turvy history in recent years... Eddie Keys' club won the TU West in 2031 and last year, but sunk to the cellar in 2032 and this season... ranked the fourth-best club in the preseason, the Rovers tumbled to last place, 21 games in back of Volusia... Sligo hit just .263 (20th) with 152 homers (12th-tied), but scored only 642 runs (27th)... and registered a poor 4.15 team ERA (27th)... Mark Smith (17-18/3.57) led the team in wins, while the top bats were newcomer 3B Paul Newton, who came in a trade with Eastshore, sparkled at age 35 with a .301 BA, 33 HRs and 97 RBIs, LF Vasco Aguilar with 24 homers, 74 RBIs and a .283 average and SS Neil Mitchell with .289 BA, 20 home runs, 59 RBIs and 90 runs scored... C Kyell Rindahl made the All-Star squad but ended hitting only .262 with 15 roundtrippers and 53 RBIs... IPA all-time great 1B Marty Blake went over 700 homers this year in his 22nd season... he hit .270 at age 40 with 11 homers and 45 RBIs... msot of Blake's best years were with White River over in the Tycobbian Union.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian North Final Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian North Final Recap

NH Hawks Fend Off WR Rascals In TU North
It's been a long, long time coming, but the North Hills Hawks are once again the best team in the Tycobbian North. They fended off the White River Rascals by two games in a season-long battle to gain their first crown since 2016. The third spot went to the much-improved Hartsdale Hellcats, who wound up 9 games out in the race. Last year's division champion Fairfax came in fourth and trailed by 10 games. The second division was tight with all four teams within four games of each other. Oxford was fifth, 18 games off the pace, followed closely by Luxora and Blue Lake, tied for sixth place, 20 games back, with Mahaska pulling up the rear in last place, 22 games behind.

It was a magnificent season for manager Todd Simons and his North Hills Hawks (94-60)... they were picked fourth in The Islandian Times preseason poll, but won it all... the Hawks did it with strong pitching and solid hitting... they registered a 3.20 team ERA (3rd) and a .278 BA (4th) with 155 HRs (13th)... leading the mound corps were All-Star David Michael (26-13/2.80), who tied J. J. Gillespie of Cold Creek for the most victories in the IPA and All-Star Jeff Owens (23-13/2.82)... Nelson Hooper (12-10/2.98) and reliever Frankie Lambert (7-3/3.07/15 saves) also contributed, too... topping the batting list were All-Star LF Adam Thurgood (.329/35/114/95) and All-Star 3B Dean O'Donnell (.310/19/86/93)... North Hills will be a worthy foe in the Pro Cup playoffs with two talented starters and a pretty fair offense... its only shortcoming is a weak bullpen with a 4.33 ERA (25th).

Mick Cronyn's White River Rascals (92-62), the favorite to win the division this year, ran a good race, but just couldn't catch North Hills... the Rascals closed the season with 9 straight wins, but still couldn't catch the stubborn Hawks... this was Cronyn's best season since winning four flags between 2021 and 2027... three last-place finishes 2029-2031 were hard to take, but the Rascals have made steady progress the last three seasons... White River is still looking for its first Pro Cup... they may be poised for better and bigger things next year... Cronyn has a high-powered attack that hit 179 HRs (5th) and scored 858 runs (2nd) to go along with a .270 BA (15th) and a better-than-average 3.63 team ERA (12th)... All-Star 1B-3B Davey Sloan (.293/31/96/81) sparked the offense with help from veteran star 2B Koora Nawajuk (.282/21/85/90), RF Hal Littleton (.324/6/51/65) and 1B Allan Ferris (.321/14/44/37)... on the hill vets Emil Kaltenborn (18-7/3.49), Kenny Nikas (20-12/3.51) and Paul Sardini (18-13/3.36) were a strong threesome... Nikas chalked up his third consecutive 20-game season and Kaltenborn, a free agent from High Mesa, had a good comeback season after losing 30 games the last two years with the Cowboys.

The Hartsdale Hellcats (85-69) won the TU North five years ago, but went into decline from 2030 to 2032 with second-division finishes... but they regrouped with good seasons the last two years... skipper Kendry Moulton's Hellcats batted .273 (11th) and ranked 8th in scoring with 782 runs, while putting up a 3.79 team ERA (17th)... CF Joe McGarrett (.304/35/110/112) has come of age in his two seasons with Hartsdale after six lackluster years with four other clubs... 2B Duffy Day (.282/16/89/92) and C Don Pontros (.298/22/91/62) had good years, too... Eric Isenhart (18-14/3.82) and Hank Cooke (17-12/4.08) led the starters, while Art Reese (12-5/3.54/12 saves) and Mike Rinaldi (13-6/3.73/10 saves) did well as occasional starters and in the bullpen.

The Fairfax Frogs (84-70) won the TU North the previous two years and totaled 102 wins last season, but took quite a dip this year to the fourth spot in the standings, 10 games back... a big drop in both hitting and pitching caused the decline... the team BA fell from .286 to .274 (10th) and the team ERA shot up from 3.33 to 3.76 (15th)... pitchers Stephen McLeod (17-7/3.37) and Sean McBride (13-8/3.79) had good years, along with bullpen specialist Matty Mateo (10-7/2.66/16 saves), but Dudley Dickens, a 23-game winner last year, was only 2-10 with a 4.83 ERA and relegated to the bullpen... same thing for Manny Hunsinger, who went from winning 20 games to a disappointing 7-5 record with a pathetic 5.00 ERA... however the Frog bats continued to do well, paced by rookie CF Michael Hudson (.323/18/107/85), All-Star 2B John Velasco (.290/23/81/97), LF Eric Kusek (.299/14/53/96), RF Roger Krieger (.335/8/48/60) and OF Max Lebowitz (.303/12/43/63)... Lebowitz missed one-third of the season with injury.

For the 27th successive year the Oxford Red Caps (76-78) missed the postseason... the last time they made the postseason was 2007 when the Red Caps copped its only Pro Cup... manager Kamara Cameron's club only has two fourth-places in the last nine seasons, the rest of the time Oxford was in the second division... the Red Caps were fifth this year, winding up 18 games behind the division champ... Oxford can put plenty of runs on the scoreboard, but they can't keep runs off the scoreboard... the Red Caps batted .271 (13th) with 221 HRs (2nd) and scored 816 runs (3rd), but surrendered runs, too, compiling a poor 4.34 team ERA and allowing 217 HRs (30th)... Oxford had three players with over 30 roundtrippers and two more that hit nearly 30 each... 1B Kerry Sterling (.309/35/102/88) led the way, followed by 2B Alonzo Norris (.300/28/92/92), 3B Boyd Olsen (.266/38/98/74), RF Dennis Hartwig (.275/29/78/96), CF Crusher Derringer (.264/30/88/72) and LF Denny Braun (.299/14/65/84)... Kent McKinley (16-12/3.74) was the only starter with a winning record.

The Luxora Zorros (74-80) have been quite competitive the last few years, but not this year... they came in sixth and were 20 games out of first place, tied with Blue Lake... manager Lacey Tompkins' team has contended seriously the previous five years, winning the pennant in 2031 and finishing no worst than third place... his pitching was still good with a 3.38 team ERA (8th), but the offense suffered with a .245 BA (29th) and a lack of runs... the Z's scored only 605 runs (31st) and hit only 132 HRs (23rd)... starter Kent Halloran (18-13/2.47) had a great year and might have won well over 20 games with better run support... All-Star closer Fernando Sanches (8-7/2.87/23 saves) stood out, too... Sanches led the IPA in saves... veteran 1B Gerry Hathaway (.268/26/82/73) was the most reliable bat... not much besides him in the batting order.

The Blue Lake Blue Sox (74-80) have sunk to the depths of the division since surprisingly winning the 2030 Pro Cup... the last three years have been in the basement twice and sixth this year... the Blue Sox handle the bats well with a .277 BA (6th), but are just average on the hill with a 3.91 team ERA (21st)... the best bats belong to .300 hitters 2B James Hamilton (.317/16/82/79), CF Jack Ryan (.302/8/66/84) and 3B Matt Thompson (.313/11/63/84)... SS Joe Korman had a solid season with 16 HRs, 88 RBIs and 82 runs, while batting .279... in a platoon role LF Jojo Davis sparkled with a .343 BA in 93 games... RF Greg Robinson topped the team with 20 homers while batting .277 and driving in 72 runs... vets Dallas Casey (19-16/3/42), Derek Joubert (16-14/3.54) and Frankie Quinn (16-15/3.71) led the pitching corps... Casey and Quinn were highly-regarded free agents... Casey came from Sugar Valley and Quinn from Fort Benton, both teams in the Ruthlandian Union.

Manager Rusty Lanussa's Mahaska Haymakers (72-82) continued to struggle for the sixth season in a row... it's been all downhill since they claimed the TU North pennant in 2028... this year the Haymakers fell to last place, 22 games away from first... Lanussa's club doesn't score well, ranking 26th with only 658 runs... and is not that good on the mound with a 3.99 team ERA (24th)... starter Greg Douglas (18-16/3.57) was the biggest winner with reliever Dennis Austin (9-7/2.99/10 saves), the best in the bullpen... All-Star Mark Pennington was 11-4 at mid-year, but ended up just 16-17 with a 3.57 ERA.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian South Final Standings

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian South Final Recap

SA Monties TU South Champ
After a close duel with four other clubs until midseason, the Tycobbian South champion San Alejo Montaneros soared in the second half, kicked it into overdrive and left everybody far behind. The Monties swept to the title by a 10-game margin over runnerup Colchester, 12 over third place and defending champ Southport, 16 better than fourth place Turon, the preseason favorite, and 19 games ahead of fifth place Arroyo Grande. Summerland was 26 games out and ended up in sixth, followed by Ginza in the seventh spot and trailing by 33 games. Cape Coral was in the cellar and 34 games off the pace.

San Alejo (91-63) won the Pro Cup in 2032 with great pitching, then fell down to sixth place the next year as the bats and hurlers wilted... now all of the sudden, the Montaneros are back on top of the TU South... a little better hitting made the difference... manager Alberto Herrera's Monties had average hitting with a .266 BA (18th), but good power with 173 HRs (7th-tied)... in the pitching department they were rock solid with a 3.19 team ERA (2nd)... All-Star Pablo Pilar (21-9/2.47), Clete Lawson (19-9/3.08), Johnny Brown (18-16/2.86), Ollie Olivares (11-5/3.37/11 saves) and Frank Jankowski (13-11/3.41/4 saves) formed a fine starting nucleus... Lawson, Brown and Olivares were prime members of the Pro Cup team... the Monties signed a very good free agent in CF Dusty Rogan (.304/28/108/78), who came over from Tuckanarra... holdovers from the great 2032 season did their part again this year: LF Adrian Otero (.261/34/71/110), 3B Bubby Blackwell (.310/15/72/84) and 2B Dwight Dickey (.310/6/49/66)... rookie C Steve Daniels (.257/27/86/66) was a big plus at the plate with his power... San Alejo could be a big factor in the Pro Cup playoffs this year... this club is perhaps a little more talented than the 2032 IPA champion... the postseason future looks good for the Montaneros.

The Colchester Elites (81-73) played poorly in the early season and couldn't make up the deficit... they wound up 10 games behind winning San Alejo... this year's club was much improved over last season's seventh place finish... but it's been a long time since Colchester made the playoffs... 2007 was the last time... the Elites have never won the Pro Cup... better bats and better arms made the difference...Colchester batted .270 (16th), hit 178 out of the park (6th) and scored 793 runs (7th), while on the hill they chalked up a 3.88 team ERA (20th)... superstar All-Star CF Jim Lewellen (.292/50/125/110) had another terrific season and topped the IPA in homers and was second in RBIs to Eastshore's (RU) Scotty Lagrange, who drove in 127... free agent from Tuckanarra 1B-3B Billy Christianson (.288/15/78/81) was a valuable addition, along with 2B Jackie Jackson (.281/15/70/96), All-Star C Benny Donaldson (.309/14/54/46) and SS Joey Rogers (.290/4/39/81)... manager Patsy Bates had a trio of quality starters in Mackie McGinnity (18-17/3.59), Roy Watson (15-7/3.86) and Dave Lacoste (13-11/3.22).

The Southport Sun Sox (79-75) rose up from fifth place to third place in the standings this year, piloted by Charley Oscar and ending up 12 games back of the division leader... except for 2033 the Sun Sox have been regular contenders in the TU South in the last decade... they last won the pennant in back-to-back years 2027 and 2028... Southport only Pro Cup victory came in 2027... Oscar has above average bats and only average pitching... the team hit .275 (8th), scored 737 runs (13th) and totaled 146 HRs (14th-tied)... Southport pitchers posted a 3.96 team ERA (23rd)... the leading hitters were CF Billy Gray (.341/8/47/50), 2B Yancey Duvicque (.328/4/47/47) and rookie C John Paul (.290/24/62/49)... All-Star Don Pascioni (20-13/2.98) won 20 games for the fifth time in his 10 years with Southport... his overall mark is 181-131 with an impressive 3.11 ERA... at 27 he has a good shot at quite a few more years of productivity... Pascioni was one of the few pitchers to win more than they lost... reliever Ronnie Galus (8-6/3.65) was the other.

It's been 15 years since the Turon Typhoons (75-79) have participated in the Pro Cup playoffs... and 16 years since they won their fourth Pro Cup, an IPA league record... the Typhoons came in a very close second a year ago, losing by just one game... Turon was the choice to win the flag this year in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... they were in the race trailing by just two games at the mid-point of the season, but then faded to fourth place, 16 games back by season's end... skipper Alan Hansen had good pitching with a 3.61 team ERA (10th), but only average offense with a .269 BA (17th)... All-Star and rookie closer Ralph Fulton (10-4/1.76/10 saves) had a fine year... the Typhoons most dependable starters were Jonathan Pitri (11-7/3.58), Victor Suarez (13-12/3.54) and Wes Brynnton (16-19/3.24)... at age 40 longtime IPA star Errol Gaudet (11-22/4.06) added to his career victory total and now is 283-193 with a great 2.97 ERA in 15 seasons... leading the offense were rookie 2B C. C. Kingford (.308/21/85/95), CF Clint Dunn (.299/17/60/63), LF Dennis Kaiser (.280/15/58/55), along with 32-year-old star 3B Michael Page, who hit only .241 with 18 homers and 64 RBIs... Page had his first off-season in his 14 years with Turon.

For the tenth year in a row the Arroyo Grande Suns (72-82) did not make the postseason playoffs... they came in fifth this year, 19 games behind San Alejo... manager Buddy Brechtel suffered from poor hitting with a .242 BA (32nd) and only modest pitching with a 3.83 ERA (18th)... Mateus Castro (17-14/3.67) and Matt Stevens (15-18/3.15) were the most dependable starters... closer John Nelson (6-2/2.09/7 saves) was strong in relief... the only productive bats were 2B Frank Marcello (.245/38/108/79) and RF Gregorio Oliviera (.243/20/93/71), but neither hit for much of an average.

The Summerland Sunsets (65-89) enjoyed brief success last year by winning its first pennant ever in the IPA, but it didn't last long, they tumbled back to sixth place this season, 26 games out of first... manager Will Hackett's Sunsets didn't hit much and only had decent pitching... they batted only .246 (28th) and ranked 30th in scoring with a 3.92 team ERA (22nd)... Freddi Rossi (14-18/3.06) was the only quality starter on the team, but down from last year's 22-12 record... of the regulars CF Antonio Vasquez (.287/6/48/62) had the best BA... RF Eamon O'Toole (.260/16/70/72) led the team in RBIs, while 2B Ken Wyman (.273/18/60/73) had the most home runs and scored the most runs... 1B Oscar Pendleton (.313/16/47/44) did quite well in his freshman season and looks to be a budding star of the future... Pentleton played only against right-handers and appeared in 83 games... he will probably be 35-year-old 1B Mandu Purula's (.280/5/17/17) successor when the aging star retires.

This was the worst year ever for the Ginza Ninjas (58-96)... prior to this season, the worst record manager Huroko Uchiyama had ever endured was 70-84 in 2010... five times in the last 11 years the Ninjas won the TU South flag... this season Ginza sunk to seventh place, 33 games off the pace... the Ninjas' mound staff simply stunk this year with an atrocious 5.17 team ERA (32nd), ranking very last in the entire IPA... Uchiyama had a decent offense with a .260 team BA (20th)... Hollis Pace (17-14/2.94) and Ryuji Kaneko (10-13/4.44) were the only pitchers with ERAs under 5.00... Ginza's best batters were LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.303/16/88/93), 2B Roger Lanier (.284/27/73/76), RF Scott Sparks (.282/26/78/60), 1B Kazzy Nishimura (.284/17/70/69) and SS Johnny O'Rourke (.262/20/68/68).

Flipper Bird had another terrible year as his Cape Coral Hurricanes (57-97) finished last for the third year in a row... they last won the TU South in 2030 and haven't challenged since... the 'Canes pitching is almost as bad as Ginza... they compiled a pathetic 5.06 team ERA (31st), second worst in the IPA... offensively Cape Coral is capable with a .275 BA (7th), but lacks firepower with only 101 HRs (31st)... the Hurricanes are 16th in scoring with 726 runs... leading the lineup are All-Star RF William Snyder (.324/20/90/89), SS Joel Collins (.299/12/81/76), CF Alan Ellis (.273/9/52/90) and 2B Vic Hayes (.324/5/57/63)... on the hill Billy Trakas (12-16/4.82) and Angelo Coppolo (12-15/4.76) were the best of the lot.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian East Final Standings

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian East Final Recap

No Contest In TU East, Tucks Triumph
Absolutely no contest in the Tycobbian East this season - the powerful Tuckanarra Blue Jays led start-to-finish and made shambles of the pennant race, winning by 16 games over the Ozarka Naturals... last year's titleholder and Pro Cup finalist East Point was third and 18 games behind... the Midway Wolves came in fourth, trailing by 20... Red Bluff was at the top of the second division, coming in fifth and 27 games off the pace of Tuckanarra... High Mesa was sixth and 32 back... South Fork seventh and 37 games out... and last place went to the Hillsboro Blazers, who were 39 behind.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays (98-56) ran roughshod over the TU East this season and easily won their 11th pennant, totaling an IPA-leading 98 victories... for 12 years in a row the Tucks have made the division's top four teams... they have posted 7 flags in that time and won two Pro Cups... they were the top pick in this year's ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll and more than lived up to the hype... the Blue Jays built up a 5-game edge at midseason and never were seriously challenged... this could the year for Pro Cup number three... Tuckanarra won the IPA title in 2023 and 2024... manager Carlton "Lefty" Stevens seems to have it all this year with a potent offense and good pitching... the Blue Jays are very intimidating at the plate with a .288 BA (2nd), 863 runs (1st) and 163 homers (11th)... on the mound they registered a 3.32 team ERA (6th)... defense is their only shortcoming with a poor .969 FA (27th)... top Blue Jays bats are superstud All-Star LF Lorne Evans (.331/39/124/128), a free agent from Southport... CF Pancho Villa (.299/28/100/77), RF Spade Weldon (.323/17/94/102), C Paul Jackson (.316/68/71) and 1B Josh George (.273/23/84/82)... top twirlers were All-Star Bobby Reid (25-8/2.59), rookie Junior Bristow (21-13/3.23), Duke Mahoney (18-7/3.66) and Jeff Buttrum (17-9/3.03)... three of them were free agents: Reid from Cold Creek in the RU, Mahoney from Hillsboro in the TU East and Buttrum from La Claire in the TU West... any one of the Tycobbian Union division winners could win the Pro Cup... it will be a battle royal between Tuckanarra (98 wins), Chicopee (96 wins), North Hills (94 wins) and San Alejo (91 wins).

Manager Frank Kiffin got a good effort from his Ozarka Naturals (82-72) with a second-place finish, up from sixth a year ago... the Nats last made the postseason in 2030... they have been one of the most successful franchises in the IPA with 14 playoff appearances, but no Pro Cups so far despite being in the finals five times... Kiffin has a little better-than-average squad overall with a .271 BA (14th), 736 runs (14th), 113 HRs (29th) and a 3.75 team ERA (14th)... Glen Jenkins (18-12/2.97), Stan Carey (11-11/2.98) and Teddy O'Shea (15-12/3.95) were the best starters... CF Lonnie Gillespie (.319/8/69/100) and 3B Jimmy Woods (.311/10/90/59) were the top run producers.

For the eighth consecutive season under skipper Karol Zodoka the East Point Panthers (80-74) have finished third or higher with pennants in 2031 and 2033... last year they took IPA champ Elnora to seven games in the Pro Cup Finals... they were chosen to run a close second to Tuckanarra in the preseason poll... instead the Panthers were a very distant third and 18 games behind the Tucks... Zodoka has strong pitching with a 3.21 team ERA (4th), but little at the plate except for 214 HRs (3rd)... the Panthers hit only .243 (31st) and ranked 25th in runs with 664... the Killer B staff pitched well, but just didn't get enough run support... last year's MVP and Golden Arm winner Dixie Brooks was only 17-15 with 3.16 ERA... Stephen Edwards stood out with an 18-12 mark and a 2.98 ERA... while Frank Blair struggled with a 14-19 record a 3.49 ERA... last year Blair was 16-10 with a 2.99 ERA... Johnny Moore did well in the bullpen with a 6-7 record, 15 saves and a 2.36 ERA in 60 appearances... five players had 20 or more homers, but didn't hit much for average... All-Star 1B Jaxon Shatner (.253/29/79/79), 2B Tetsu Tanaka (.267/26/69/79), All-Star C Chris Cardinale (.263/25/75/65), 3B Lanny Lansberry (.260/21/56/66) and LF Lee Wade (.268/20/44/49) were the power bats.

The most recent playoff appearance for the Midway Wolves (78-76) was 2027... Midway has never claimed a Pro Cup trophy... for the last three seasons they have been second, third and fourth in the TU East... they were 20 games back in the race this year... manager Cochise Chandler pretty much has a so-so club this season with a .260 BA (23rd) and a 3.77 team ERA (16th)... veteran aces Bobby Dorignac (19-12/2.83) and Cary Snead (20-12/3.08) essentially carried the club this year... 34-year-old Dorignac is getting close to the 300 mark in wins... he is 262-175 with a brilliant 2.77 lifetime ERA and is surely headed for the IPA Hall of Fame... All-Star SS Albert Wherry (.294/30/91/84) was the only real threat in the Wolves' batting order... young CF Yancey Tanner also had a good year with a .318 BA, 1 HR, 55 RBIs and 76 runs scored... he also stole 38 bases to top the Tycobbian Union.

The fifth-place Red Bluff Red Sox (71-83) moved up a little in the standings, much-improved over 2032 and 2033 when they came in seventh with just 54 victories and 69 victories... they ended up 27 games behind Tuckanarra... the Red Sox have a 25-year drought going and haven't made the postseason since 2009... however they do proudly possess one Pro Cup, won in 2004... manager Jim Schubert's club can go deep... the Red Sox slammed 164 out of the park (9th), but ranked 21st with 679 runs and a .261 team BA... on the hill they chalked up a fair 3.88 ERA... Jimmy McMillan (20-13/3.05) easy led the starters in wins... All-Star CF Ike Sweetwater led the hit parade with 29 homers, 107 RBIs, 94 runs and a .309 BA, followed by All-Star SS Cody Hanks (.303/26/84/71), 2B Pat Ellis (.281/19/70/61), 3B Fran Blanchard (.281/16/60/76) and RF Lynn Wharry (.303/5/36/60).

For the eighth year in a row the hard-pressed High Mesa Cowboys (66-88) finished in the second division... they were sixth and trailed by 32 games... the Cowpokes have won only one Pro Cup... that was way back in 2002, their first year in the IPA... they haven't made the playoffs since 2003... High Mesa ranks low with a .253 BA (26th) and a 4.17 team ERA (25th)... closer James Warner (12-5/2.39/12 saves) was one of the few pitchers to have a good season... the best starter was Doug Hansack with a 13-20 mark and a 3.41 ERA... all other staffers were 4.00 or more in ERA... not much at the plate either with the likes of SS Timmy Marsh (.297/8/42/47), RF Randy Williams (.279/23/62/56) and 2B Tony O'Neill (278/7/52/65)... rookie Hercules Hunter showed good power with 23 homers in 301 at-bats, but hit only .249.

The South Fork Stallions (61-93) tooked the 2025 Pro Cup in a big upset, but haven't done much since... Duroche "Lips" Leon's team came in seventh this year, the third year in a row they have place in the TU East second division... it's hard to succeed when you bat only .255 (24th) and post a lofty 4.48 team ERA (28th)... the most reliable bats belonged to CF Corbett Brooks (.259/24/80/85), LF Keenan O'Dwyer (.286/23/83/87), 3B Elton Jacoby (.283/18/28/75) and 2B Jay Barbour (.284/7/47/87)... only two pitchers had ERAs under 4.00... that was Alex Gillespie (12-20/3.41) and Denny Sorvino (8-5/3.58).

2034 was looking good for the Hillsboro Blazers (59-95)... they were coming off a fine second-place finish and were expecting to seriously contend for the TU East flag, which the Blazers have never won in its 33-year IPA history... but it didn't happen... the Blazers surprisingly burned out this year and plummeted back all the way to the basement, 39 games off the pace... Hillsboro hit only .243 (30th) and compiled a bad 4.49 team ERA (29th)... 1B Phillip Stafford led the club with a .295 average and 79 RBIs, while LF Bernie Kegel has 24 homers, but batted only .252... Freddy Berry (14-15/3.80) and Ralph Quick (9-15/3.17) were the only decent pitchers on the staff... the rest had ERAs 5.00 or worse.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian West Final Standings

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2034

2034 Tycobbian West Final Recap

Chicopee Romps To First TU West Title
2034 was a miraculous year for the Chicopee Braves, who ended 33 seasons of frustration and finally captured a Tycobbian West pennant to qualify for the Pro Cup playoffs and their first shot at the IPA championship trophy. The Braves had come close a half a dozen times in history, but never claimed the division title. This year they did it in style winning by a 11 games over runnerup Bayview, 12 up on Bay St. Clair in third place and 14 in front of fourth place Kenwood. Last year's crownbearer La Claire was 15 games back in fifth place, followed by sixth place Denton City 17 games behind, seventh place Arlon 28 games out and last place Rolling Hills, which was 31 games off the pace. The Tycobbian West is one of the stronger divisions in the IPA with six clubs playing .500 or better. The Ruthlandian South and Ruthlandian East also had six clubs with winning records.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll made Chicopee (96-58) the division favorite as they were coming off two good seasons... Manager Ivan Burkholder's Braves took charge early and led the TU West from April to September, building up an almost insurmountable 12-game bulge by the All-Star break and they won going away, never really challenged after the first month of the season... the Braves batted a solid .275 (9th), scored well with 804 runs (4th) and socked 173 home runs (7th-tied), while holding their own on the mound with a 3.62 team ERA (11th)... the Braves' best offensive performers were All-Star 1B Kurt Gustavsen (.325/26/109/92), All-Star CF Alfredo Cobos (.307/24/110/77), LF Charley Kota (.283/27/94/104) and RF Nelson Hunter (.264/18/56/101)... Burkholder has a good starting four in Kajika Fleetfoot (21-13/3.23), Ryan Ledbetter (18-10/3.49), rookie Byron Wilson (18-7/3.80) and Heyoka Chaska (17-12/3.26)... all durable and workhorses... Chicopee's explosive bats will bode well for them in the postseason... the Braves should be in the running for their first-ever Pro Cup.

The Bayview Vikings (85-69) came out of nowhere... for 11 successive seasons they were in the TU West second division, five times finishing last... they haven't made the playoffs since 2016, but nonetheless they posted a winning season and a second-place finish, rising up from the cellar, piloted by Chancey Quibedeaux... free agents pitchers made a big difference... the Viks also had great power with an IPA-leading 242 homers, 754 runs (10th) and a .264 team BA (19th)... on the hill the staff posted a 3.48 ERA (9th)... All-Star 3B Jerry Culpepper batted .284 and led the team with 45 homers and 113 RBIs... 1B Claude Kingston rapped 36 HRs and had 86 RBIs, while hitting .272 for average... SS Marien Lokken cracked 33 HRs, batted .299 and drove in 86 runs... LF Roy Ricks had 30 roundtrippers, 81 RBIs, 93 runs and a .269 BA... it didn't end there... RF Tandy Connery went deep 28 times, batted .291 and had 79 RBIs and CF Cleve Belton knocked 21 homers, hit .261 and batted in 64 runs... quite a powerful lineup... Quibedeaux has four quality starters, too, headed up by Jergen Fyelstad (16-10/3.61), free agent Chris Landry (14-6/3.96), 14-year vet, a free agent from Blue Lake, free agent from Kilkenny of the RU Christy Lane (14-11/3.14) and free agent from San Dimas in the RU Joaquin Lima (15-15/3/65)... Bayview is a relative young bunch with good potential... the future is bright for the Vikings.

In recent years the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (84-70) have been in the pennant hunt most seasons, last taking the crown in 2030... the Bucs have never won a Pro Cup, but did make the Finals in 2015 and lost to Taranto of the Ruthlandian Union... the Buccaneers wound up third this season, but 12 games behind winning Chicopee... they were chosen second in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... skipper Denny Coulon has impressive pitching with a 3.32 team ERA (5th), but he could use better offense... the team hit .260 (22nd) and ranked 23rd in scoring with 675 runs with 134 HRs (22nd)... Coulon's duo of Jim McBride (25-10/2.34) and John Karlsen (20-11/2.81) had super seasons and were responsible for most of the team's success... talented CF and recent Golden Bat winner Cotton Cornwall missed one-third of the season with injuries, but still hit 27 HRs, drove in 87 runs and chalked up a .316 BA... RF Milt Powers led the club with 93 RBIs and 81 runs... Powers hit only .252, but collected 19 HRs... Bay St. Clair has good individuals, but doesn't have the overall roster strength of Chicopee and Bayview.

The hard-hitting and record-setting Kenwood Wildcats (82-72) were forecast to battle Chicopee and Bay St. Clair for the TU West title this year... they were picked the third-best club in the division... however, the Wildcats never really challenged and wound up fourth, trailing by 14 games... it's been a decade or so since Aaron Hankins had a playoff team... his last was in 2024... the Wildcats have won one Pro Cup, that came in 2014... Kenwood blistered the ball at a record pace this year with a .297 average and set a new IPA mark, breaking Ozarka's .295 BA record in 2017... Hankins had pretty fair mound work, too, with a 3.68 team ERA (13th)... the Wildcats scored well with 799 runs (5th), but they were only fair with a 127 HRs (27th)... 12 of the 17 position players hit .300 or better... All-Star RF Pettis Pentleton (.315/18/73/82), All-Star CF Vince Barbieri (.319/14/80/72), 2B Jan Kessinger (.310/0/69/72), C Antonio Dominguez (.305/7/69/65) and LF Rodney Harrison (.281/14/50/83) paced the regulars... while part-timers 1B Glen Carraway (.381/16/66/54), 3B Cal Copeland (.305/16/49/41) and C Gary Thompson (.291/10/47/27) added more punch to the batting order... the top pitchers were Freddy Gooch (17-14/3.59) and Claude Watson (17-13/3.91)... a few more good arms would make Kenwood a very strong contender next year... one of Hankins' top hurlers Trigger Rogers (2-1/2.24) tore a muscle in his arm and missed almost all of the season.

The defending division champ, the La Claire Lynx (81-73) roared out of the gates in the early season and hung close to Chicopee, but slumped from May to August, eventually losing to the Braves by 15 games and winding up in fifth place... La Claire has only made the playoffs on two occasions... that was in 2028 and 2033... the Lynx have never won the Pro Cup... manager Zeppy Deshotel had the best staff in the TU with a fine 3.10 team ERA (1st)... All-Star pitcher Rance Raymond (21-9/2.13) had a brilliant year... Pat Kovacs (16-14/3.14) and Alvar Vickers (11-6/2.53/10 saves) also were solid performers... offense was the crux of Deshotel's problem with a .253 team BA (25th), 665 runs (24th) and 125 HRs (25th)... putting up the best numbers in the batter's box were 3B Jarred O'Neal (.275/23/58/80), CF Andy Tibbett (.282/5/49/84) and SS Harmon Brewster (.285/15/64/53)... losing CF Carroll Candy to Rolling Hills via free agency really cost the Lynx some valuable offense and defense... Candy is a lifetime .307 hitter, a 4-time All-Star and Golden Glove winner.

The Denton City Redbirds (79-75) were sixth in the standings, but ended up four games over the .500 mark in one of the IPA's stronger divisions... the Redbirds haven't made the postseason in 21 seasons and have never won the IPA Pro Cup... this was the fourth straight year manager Trevor Tomlinson's team wound up in the sixth slot... and you have to go back over three decades since Denton City was in the Pro Cup playoffs... 12 of the first 15 years in the IPA the Redbirds participated in the playoffs, but never won them... twice they made the Finals in 2005 and 2008... the Redbirds have a robust offense, but not much on the mound... DC batted .278 (5th), put 795 runs on the scoreboard (6th) and slammed 184 out of the park (4th), but they were killed by a sky-high 4.48 team ERA (27th)... the Redbird attack was sparked by 1B Barry McKnight (.290/33/92/72), rookie RF Kenny Kuebler (.335/21/86/94) and CF Sam Carson (.295/28/80/111)... McKnight was a free agent from San Dimas of the RU South and a very valuable acquisition... rookie Kuebler led the Tycobbian Union in batting average... Francisco Salcido (19-10/3.92) was the only reliable pitcher.

Seventh place Arlon (68-86) had no bats, but pretty good pitching... this is the fifth consecutive season the Champions have wallowed in the second division... 2020 was the last pennant year... manager Rocco Belasario is having a tough time... his staff posted a very good 3.34 team ERA (7th), but the team hit only .248 (27th), were last in scoring with only 557 runs and last in homers with just 76... Alex Beckner (14-12/2.75) had a very fine year considering the lousy run support... Lacy Dalton (7-11/2.77) and Tom Pierson (9-9/3.28/14 saves) did well, too... along with Ken Lawson (13-16/3.45)... Lawson was a 21-game winner last year... Pierson came over from Rolling Hills as a free agent this year... All-Star C Paco Diaz topped the team with a .305 BA, along with 6 HRs, 59 RBIs and 60 runs scored... RF Mark Cameron led them in the power department with 25 homers, also with 70 runs... he hit .277 and batted in 70 runs... Arlon has a long way to go to respectability.

The once-proud Rolling Hills Reds (65-89) have been decimated in the last two seasons, dropping to fifth in 2033 and to last this year, 31 games behind TU West winner Chicopee... not a very good year for a club that has racked up 8 pennants and 2 Pro Cups in the last 15 seasons... the Reds won the IPA crown in 2029 and 2031... manager Matty Christianson's club still hits with some authority with a .strong .281 team BA (3rd), scores adequately with 734 runs (15th) and 144 dingers (17th), but comes up woefully pitching-wise with a 4.62 team ERA (30th)... veteran star LF Scotty Yiska had a solid season with 32 homers, 97 runs, 63 RBIs and a .295 BA... 1B Angelo Nardone added 20 home runs, a team-high 83 RBIs and scored 62 runs, while batting .299, tops among regulars... 3B Marty O'Reilly hit .287 with 16 HRs, 80 RBIs and 75 runs... free agent from La Claire Carroll Candy has found himself in Christianson's doghouse despite batting .361 in 95 games... the Reds' longtime star 1B-3B Billy Christianson left the club and signed with Colchester after a run-in with his father Matty... Billy's bat, glove and leadership were a big lost to Rolling Hills... he had a good year with the Elites batting .288 with 15 roundtrippers, 78 RBIs and scoring 81 runs... at age 29 Christianson is a career .314 batter, four-time All-Star and three-time Golden Glover.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 20, 2034

2034 Ruthlandian Union Final Individual Batting Leaderboards

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 20, 2034

2034 Ruthlandian Union Final Individual Pitching Leaderboards

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 20, 2034

2034 Tycobbian Union Final Individual Batting Leaderboards

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 20, 2034

2034 Tycobbian Union Final Individual Pitching Leaderboards

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 21, 2034

2034 Ruthlandian Union Final Team Batting

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 21, 2034

2034 Ruthlandian Union Final Team Pitching

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 21, 2034

2034 Tycobbian Union Final Team Batting

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 21, 2034

2034 Tycobbian Union Final Team Pitching

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 21, 2034

Elegants Richard RU BA Champ
Neil Richard is only 20 years old and has played only a brief time in the IPA, but the Eastshore Elegants' right fielder certainly made a name for himself in the Ruthlandian Union by hitting the blazes out of the baseball this season. Richard, only in his second season, easily captured his first batting title with a .367 batting average, the best in the IPA. The sizzling sophomore racked up 205 hits, which also led the IPA. Richard sparked the Elegants to the RU East title. He chalked up 36 doubles, 9 triples, 16 homers, drove in 78 runs and scored 82, while playing in 130 games. Richard also made the Ruthlandian All-Star squad.

Felix Jobin of the Stoner Stars was a distant second in the batting race with a .350 BA. The Stars' left fielder had 21 homers, 77 RBIs and scored 86 runs. Crystal Lake's right fielder Paul Dillon was third with a .342 mark. In 131 games he scored 102 runs with 11 home runs and 64 runs batted in. Dillon is only 19 years old and a first-year man.

DC Rookie Kuebler Best Average In TU
Another youngster topped the Tycobbian Union with a .335 batting average in his freshman season. Denton City's 22-year-old right fielder won in a hotly-tested battle with a bunch of premier hitters. Kuebler won by just four points over Tuckanarra's talented veteran Lorne Evans, six points better than Adam Thurgood of North Hills and 10 points ahead of Chicopee's Kurt Gustavsen. Kuebler collected 160 hits in 129 games with 21 homers, 86 RBIs and scored 94 times.

All-Star Evans led the TU with 46 doubles and 128 runs, while ranking near the top in homers and RBIs. He paced the entire IPA in scoring runs, had 39 homers and drove in 124 runs in 148 games, leading the Blue Jays to the most wins in the IPA with 98 and into the playoffs with the TU East title. All-Star Thurgood sparked North Hills to the TU North division crown with 35 roundtrippers, 114 RBIs and 95 runs. Third baseman Kurt Gustavsen helped the Chicopee Braves make the Pro Cup playoffs for the first time in the club's history. In 144 contests he slammed 26 home runs, 30 doubles, batted in 109 runs and scored 92. Gustavsen also made the Tycobbian All-Star team.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 20, 2034

Pro Cup Prime Time Begins Tomorrow, Eastshore Favorite
Late September is the best time of the season for Islander baseball aficionadas. The IPA prime time teams will be battling for the coveted Pro Cup. It all gets underway tomorrow afternoon at four towns around the nation. Featured in the Ruthlandian Union opening round will be the Eastshore Elegants hosting the Volusia Vigilantes and Crystal Lake Crushers entertaining the Ranford Bulls. Over in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series it will be the Chicopee Braves going up against the Blue Jays in Tuckanarra and the North Hills Hawks welcoming the San Alejo Montaneros. All rounds in the Pro Cup playoffs are best-of-seven series.

The Tycobbian teams have garnered four of the last five Pro Cups, but overall Ruthlandia holds a slight 17-16 lead in the competition. Last year's winner Elnora is not back to defend its title. They tied for fifth in the RU East. The 2033 runnerup East Point didn't make it to the postseason either. The Panthers finished a very distant third to Tuckanarra in the TU East this year. The only recent Pro Cup trophy winner among the teams is San Alejo, who won just two years ago. Chicopee is making its first ever appearance in the playoffs. Volusia returns after a 28-year absence. Same thing for the Ranford Bulls. North Hills hasn't participate in the postseason since 2016. Eastshore was last in the Pro Cup playoffs in 2019. Crystal Lake played in the 2029 season, while Tuckanarra and San Alejo played in it in 2032.

Five of the clubs have won Pro Cups in the past. Crystal Lake, Eastshore and Tuckanarra have captured the IPA title trophy on two occasions, while San Alejo and Volusia each have one Pro Cup in their history. Any one of seven teams have a shot this season according the the baseball scribes around the Islands. Ranford was the only team that got very little support in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll.

On paper the Eastshore Elegants are the favorite to take the Pro Cup this year, but it won't be easy. Tuckanarra, North Hills and Crystal Lake are all formidable clubs, along with Chicopee and Volusia. It's a wide-open field this year.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES PRO CUP POLL

1. Eastshore Elegants (98-56)... .285 BA, 2.95 ERA, 151 HR, 730 runs, .975 FA... potent attack led by Scotty Lagrange (.332/41 HR), Neil Richard (.367/16 HR), Johnny Petrak (.296/22 HR) and Larry Romney (.290/21 HR)... strong staff with Koy Clampett (22-13/2.90), Don Klingenberg (21-10/2.90) and Ramon Contreras (18-11/2.76)... Eastshore doesn't seem to have a weakness.

2. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (98-56)... .288 BA, 3.32 ERA, 163 HR, 863 runs, .969 FA... terrific offense and good pitching, but lacks defense... poor bullpen... top hitters are superstud Lorne Evans (.331/39 HR), Pancho Villa (.299/28 HR), Spade Weldon (.323/17 HR), Paul Jackson (.316/16 HR) and Josh George (.273/23 HR)... best hurlers are Bobby Reid (25-8/2.59), Junior Bristow (21-13/3.23), Jeff Buttrum (17-9/3.03) and Duke Mahoney (18-7/3.66).

3. North Hills Hawks (91-63)... .278 BA, 3.20 ERA, 155 HR, 740 runs, .972 FA... two super starters in David Michael (26-13/2.80) and Jeff Owens (23-13/2.82)... top run producers are Adam Thurgood (.329/35 HR) and Dean O'Donnell (.310/19)... may not have the depth at pitching or at the plate like Eastshore and Tuckanarra... Michael and Owens could make them serious contenders.

4. Crystal Lake Crushers (91-63)... .292 BA, 3.70 ERA, 140 HR, 782 runs, .976 FA... good all-around balance... strong batting order with Big Sam Takota (.313/31 HR), Pat Dillon (.342/11 HR), Mackie Cummings (.320/22 HR) and Stan Stanek (.315/23 HR)... impressive starters in Arnie Cason (21-5/2.84) and Denny Mills (22-13/3.35)... can put runs on the scoreboard... excellent defense... number three starter Douglas Merrill (16-16/3.70) could be the key to the Crushers' playoff success.

5. San Alejo Montaneros (91-63)... .266 BA, 3.19 ERA, 173 HR, 713 runs, .967 FA... lots of experience, good power and abundance of top-notch pitchers, but poor defensively... Monties are a better team overall than the 2032 Pro Cup champs... winning it again wouldn't be a great surprise... staff led by Pablo Pilar (21-9/2.47), Clete Lawson (19-9/3.08), Johnny Brown (18-16/2.86) and Ollie Olivares (11-5/3.37/11 saves)... top bats belong to Adrian Otero (.261/34 HR), Dusty Rogan (.304/28 HR), Steve Daniels (.257/27 HR), Bubby Blackwell (.310/15 HR) and Dwight Dickey (.310/6 HR).

6. Chicopee Braves (96-58)... .275 BA, 3.62 ERA, 173 HR, 804 runs, .977 FA... high-powered attack, excellent defense with good starting pitching, only fair bullpen... best starters are Kajika Fleetfoot (21-13/3.23), Ryan Ledbetter (17-12/3.26), Heyoka Chaska (17-12/3.26) and Byron Wilson (18-7/3.80)... offensive leaders are Kurt Gustavsen (.325/26 HR), Alfredo Cobos (.307/24 HR), Charley Kota (.283/27 HR) and Nelson Hunter (.264/18 HR)... the Braves can go as far as their pitchers will take them.

7. Volusia Vigilantes (84-70)... .281 BA, 3.78 ERA, 165 HR, 751 runs, .973 FA... hit well for average, pretty good power, average pitching and defense... mound leaders are Jacy Chandler (20-8/3.40), Tommy Smith (20-14/2.79) and Marv Webb (18-9/3.57)... lots of .300 hitters, sparked by Ernie Pryor (.303/31 HR), Tubby Tarkanian (.316/29 HR), Ernesto Andujar (.316/25 HR), Antonio Diaz (.302/19 HR) and Sonny Oliver (.277/18 HR)... could challenge if pitchers come through.

8. Ranford Bulls (84-70)... not much offense compared to the other 7 Pro Cup clubs, fairly good pitching, average defensively, poor bullpen... .259 BA, 3.42 ERA, 107 HR, 643 runs, .971 FA... Jimmy Collins (21-9/3.38), Chad Cummings (17-14/2.43) and Rube Satcher (14-15/2.80) are all quality arms... Alex Vanno (.280/27 HR) is the only threat in the lineup... not expected to go far in the playoffs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 21, 2034

2034 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Elegants Edge V's 4-3 In 10 Innings
At home at Kraft Stadium, the Pro Cup favorite Eastshore battled back from a 3-0 deficit to edge the Volusia Vigilantes 4-3 in 10 innings to take the Ruthlandian Elite 8 opener... 1B Gilbert Rose knotted the score at 3-all in the bottom of the sixth with a 2-run double... a one-out double by 3B Grego Johnson and an RBI single by 2B Johnny Petrak decided the game in walk-off fashion in the tenth.

Starter Ramon Contreras went 9 innings for Eastshore, gave up 3 runs and 8 hits with 6 Ks and a walk... reliever Delaney Moss (1-0) picked up the victory with a scoreless tenth... V's starter Tommy Smith worked well, surrendering only one earned run on 7 hits in 9 frames... the loss went to Lou Page (0-1), who came on in the tenth... each club collected 9 hits... there were no homers in the game.

Bulls Blast Lakers 7-3 In Game One
In game one of the RU Elite 8 Series at Crystal Lake, the unsung Ranford Bulls broke open a 2-1 game with a 5-run ninth to knock off the favored Crushers 7-3... the Bulls racked up 12 hits and did most of their damage against the Crusher bullpen... winning pitcher Chad Cummings (1-0) hurled a complete game, holding Crystal Lake to 3 runs and 9 hits... loser Arnie Cason (0-1) started for the Crushers, allowed only 2 runs on 6 hits in his 8 innings... he struck out 7 and walked no one... Eddie Lane was gored by the Bulls for 5 runs and 4 hits in one-third of an inning.

Tycobbian Union

Hawks Nip Monties 3-2 In Opener
Playing at home at the Hawk's Nest, North Hills took a tense 3-2 triumph over San Alejo in the first game of the TU Elite 8 Series... 26-winner David Michael (1-0) went the distance in fine style, stopping the Montaneros on 6 hits and one earned run... he bested Clete Lawson (0-1), who also worked the entire game, giving up only one earned run on 7 hits with 6 strikeouts and a walk... North Hills got their 3 runs in the first three frames and held off a late rally by San Alejo... the Hawks were sparked at the plate by LF Adam Thurgood and 3B Dean O'Donnell, who had 3 hits and an RBI apiece... 2B Dwight Dickey and 3B Bubby Blackwell paced the Monties with one RBI each.

Braves Top Tucks 5-3 In TU Elite 8
On the road in Tuckanarra, the Chicopee Braves won the first postseason game in its history... they topped the Blue Jays 5-3 and beat 25-game winner Bobby Reid... southpaw Ryan Ledbetter held the hard-hitting Tucks to 3 runs - only one earned - in 7 and two-thirds innings, departing with a 5-3 lead... Ledbetter (1-0) got the win and Byron Wilson notched the save by getting the final four outs... Reid (0-1) was hit hard by the Braves, who battered him for 10 hits and 5 runs in 8 innings... Chicopee built up a 5-1 margin after six innings... Tuckanarra got its final 2 runs in the last of the eighth... the Blue Jays were led by RF Spade Weldon with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in, including a solo home run, the only one of the day in the four playoff games.