Attachment 826215
Thursday, October 15, 2071

SUNBIRDS SOCK IT TO TURON AND MULROY IN PRO CUP SERIES OPENING GAME
The slight underdog Belair Beach Sunbirds busted loose late in the game and belted the favored Turon Typhoons and their ace pitcher Skippy Mulroy 7-3 in the Pro Cup Series opener at Typhoon Stadium... the Sunbirds now have a 1-0 margin in the best-of-five affair... Belair Beach is looking for its first Pro Cup, while Turon is seeking its 5th trophy.

2071 IPA Stars of the Day
Attachment 826216

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 1
Attachment 826217
Attachment 826218
Attachment 826219

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series Game 2 Starters

Attachment 826221

Attachment 826464
Saturday, October 17, 2071

TYPHOONS TOP SUNBIRDS WITH HR POWER... PRO CUP SERIES TIED AT ONE GAME EACH
The Turon Typhoons are mostly known for their strong pitching staff and not some much as a bunch of longballers... but in game two of the Islandian Pro Alliance it was power guys that won the day with some great help from the pitchers, too... Turon evened the IPA Pro Cup Series at one game each with a 5-1 victory over the Belair Beach Sunbirds.

IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Day
Attachment 826465

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 2
Attachment 826466
Attachment 826467

IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 3 Pitchers
Attachment 826468

Attachment 826676
Saturday, October 17, 2071

TYPHOONS BLOW LEAD IN 9TH, SUNBIRDS SOAR INTO PRO CUP SERIES LEAD 2-1
Turon took a 2-run lead into the last of the 9th, but couldn't hold off a determined bunch of Belair Beach Sunbirds, who took a two games to one lead in the best-of-five Pro Cup Series... Belair Beach is one victory away from its very first Pro Cup Trophy... for the last 71 years the Sunbirds have been on an annual quest for the highly-sought after trophy and now lo and behold, it is within their grasp.

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Day
Attachment 826680

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 3
Attachment 826681
Attachment 826682
Attachment 826683

Attachment 826986
Sunday, October 18, 2071

IPA PRO CUP GAME 5... WINNER-TAKE-ALL GAME BETWEEN TYPHOONS AND SUNBIRDS
The 2071 Islandian Pro Alliance season will come to a close with the 5th game of the Pro Cup Series set for Sunday afternoon at Typhoon Stadium in Turon... the homestanding Typhoons will be seeking their 5th Pro Cup Trophy in the team's history, while the Sunbirds are going for their very first overall IPA championship.

Turon forced a 5th and final game by trimming Belair Beach on their home diamond in game four yesterday afternoon 6-1... that victory tied the series at two games each in the best-of-five Pro Cup Series.

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series Stars of the Day
Attachment 826987

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 4
Attachment 826988
Attachment 826989
Attachment 826990

Deleted.

Attachment 827206
Monday, October 19, 2071

SUNBIRDS ARE FLYING HIGH OVER THE ISLANDS WITH THEIR VERY FIRST PRO CUP TROPHY
"Good things comes to those who wait" -- just ask the Belair Beach Sunbirds, who waited 71 years to enjoy their very first Pro Cup title -- the Sunbirds flew higher than ever this season by capturing their first-ever Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy... Belair Beach bested the Turon Typhoons in 14 tense innings 7-6 to win the IPA Pro Cup Series 3 games to 2.

2071 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 5
Attachment 827207
Attachment 827208
Attachment 827209
Attachment 827210

Another team clinches on the road, just like in real life!

Attachment 827494
Tuesday, October 20, 2071

BELAIR BEACH OUTFIELDER ACCLAIMED IPA POSTSEASON MVP... ELBOURNE EDGES OUT CLOSER EDGEWORTH IN POLL
The two most important players on the Pro Cup champion Belair Beach Sunbirds were center fielder Alfie Elbourne and closer Rick Edgeworth... both were invaluable in bringing home to Belair Beach the first-ever Pro Cup Trophy... it was a very tight vote -- maybe the best thing to do was to declare them co-MVPs -- but the Islandian Baseball Writers and Sportscasters did their thing and split hairs... By a very narrow margin Elbourne is the 2071 Islandian Pro Alliance Postseason Most Valuable Player.

Elbourne led the Sunbirds with a .297 BA in 13 games... he had 7 doubles, 1 triple and 1 home run... the 32-year-old center fielder drove in 14 runs and scored 6 times... during the regular season he batted .327 in 114 games... he missed 6 weeks of the season in April and May with a shoulder injury... still he finished with 14 homers, 81 RBIs, 77 runs and 27 stolen bases... Elbourne is a 14-year veteran with the Sunbirds.

Rick Edgeworth is a 28-year-old right-hander... he has been with Belair Beach for the past 3 seasons... Edgeworth began his career with Mahaska and played his first two seasons there... Edgeworth had a standout postseason this year... in 9 relief appearances he hurled 18 innings, was 2-0 with 2 saves and posted an excellent 1.02 ERA... teams only batted .221 against him... in the regular season Edgeworth was 10-9 with 13 saves and a 3.66 ERA in 56 games... he made 17 starts and was 5-8 with a 4.57 ERA... switched to the bullpen he thrived with a 5-1 mark and a 2.36 ERA in 30 appearances... in his career Edgeworth is only 49-48 with a modest 3.56 ERA.

Winding up a distant third in the IPA Postseason MVP poll was Turon's ace pitcher Skippy Mulroy... he was one of the prime performers in the playoffs with a 3-1 mark in 5 starts... Mulroy compiled a 3.23 ERA in 39 innings of work... one of his victories was in game 4 of the Pro Cup Series over champion Belair Beach 6-1... his only playoff loss was to the Sunbirds in the opening game 7-3... at age 28 left-hander Mulroy has been superb in his 3 seasons with a 52-15 record and a strong 2.57 ERA.

Attachment 828020
Sunday, October 25, 2071

RU GOLDEN SWINGER TROPHY GOES TO DE JONKER OF BELAIR BEACH
It's a delemma every year for the sportswriters and broadcasters that choose the IPA Award winners... should it be the guy with the lofty batting average that scores a lot of runs, but doesn't hit with a lot of power and drive in a big bunch of runs?... should it be a high-average contact hitter or the guy with all the homers and RBIs and sometimes a relatively low batting average?... this year the Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat trophy goes to Belair Beach's Andrianus De Jonker, a splendid hitter that drives in lots of runs and rarely strikeouts... De Jonker beat out Wilmer Blanton of the Grand City Cybercats and Stefan Skarzynski of the Valmara Vipers for the prestigious honor.

It was a marvelous year for the Belair Beach Sunbirds (100-54)... not only did De Jonker win the 2071 RU Golden Bat, the 28-year-old right fielder sparked them to the RU South Division flag, he led them to the biggest prize of all -- the IPA Pro Cup... De Jonker played in 142 games, led the league with a .347 BA and 199 hits... he doubled 33 times, tripled 10 times, homered 13 times, drove in 126 runs, 2nd highest total in the league and scored 91 runs... in his 6 years with the Sunbirds, De Jonker is batting .334... he is 28 years of age.

A similar-style hitter, left fielder Wilmer Blanton of the Grand City Cybercats, age 26, gave De Jonker the most competition in the poll... Blanton hit .343, ranking second to De Jonker for the batting crown, with 186 base hits in 133 games and a league-leading 42 doubles, 7 triples, 23 roundtrippers, 96 RBIs and scored 103 runs... Blanton also stole 24 bases... however, Grand City only came in tied for the 4th spot in the RU South standings with a 75-79 mark, 25 games back of the Sunbirds... Blanton is a 6-year veteran with the Cybercats with a lifetime .329 BA.

An up-and-coming powerhitter Stefan Skarzynski wound up number three in the RU Golden Bat poll... he played in all 154 games this year for the Valmara Vipers (101-53) and paced them to the Ruthlandian North pennant... the 22-year-old first baseman excelled in his second season with a .306 BA, 32 homers, 111 RBIs and 103 runs scored... he also stole 14 bases... Skarzynski also stood out on defense... so far the youngster sports a .297 BA overall.

I'm enjoying this post, thank you for all the hard work! Fascinating stuff. I'm hoping that once the new game comes out I can maybe do something like this!

Thank you for the nice words.

I hope to see your league next year here on the dynasty forum.

Writing a dynasty report on the OOTP Dynasty Forum will really increase your enjoyment of your league... it is worth the work.

Good luck.

Andrianus De Jonker - what a great name! I wonder what country he is from?

Reminds me of a player I had in my IPA - Aloysius Devadander Abercrombie. I borrowed the name from a song by Primus called "My Name is Mud."

It is a Dutch surname... could be I created it... I often change the names of free agents... too often for my taste, the AI comes up with some strange names... sometimes some stupid names... so I fix them.

I create the names of all the ethnically-based teams like Valmara (Polish), Valka (Estonian), San Alejo (Hispanic), Belle Plaine and LaGrange (French)... Tuckanarra and Wynnamac are Australian-based... I include aboriginal names on the Tucks and the Macs... Far Mountain is German... Kilkenny is Scotch... Glasco is Irish... Taranto is Italian.

I search on the internet for the most common ethnic first names and surnames... it is time-consuming to do, but I think it gives the IPA more personality.

I did create start creating players for my IPA, but the problem is that I made them too good. Some were batting .450 with 80 home runs. With 3 or 4 of them on the same team, I wound up with super teams. It got a little boring because it was too predictable in terms of who would win. So I retired every created player. I think I'll go ahead and do it again starting next season and create players based on expected statistics instead of ratings. If I create some players who will bat about .275 with 20-25 home runs, that should be good.

I like the idea of certain teams being based off of various ethnicities. It really does give the league more flavor.

For the most part I let the AI create the player ratings... I did create some players taken from movies and books... Jack Elliott, Roy Hobbs, Crash Davis... they all did well in the IPA... Elliott was too good... I overdid it there... but Hobbs and Davis were realistic... I also took fictional players from Duane Decker's Blue Sox anthology book series...about 15 of them and put them in the league... their stats were based on how they performed in the books... they came out realistically, too.

I messed up when I put myself in the IPA... I played too long and did much too well offensively... I put realistic ratings in at the beginning, but the AI developed me too much.

I also put myself in the North Island League as an average player at the plate... .275 BA with no power... good baserunner... good eye... and pretty good on defense at shortstop... pitching-wise, I was just fair-to-middling... good control, but no fastball... good curve ball... yep, I got hit regularly... my ERA was about 4.00... I thought my stats were fairly reasonable and realistic.

Attachment 828936
Monday, October 26, 2071

HIGH MESA'S ROBERTS WINS 4TH TYCOBBIAN GOLD BAT
High Mesa's high-octane slugger Roy Roberts is on a torrid pace... for the last 3 years the 32-year-old first baseman has amazingly topped the Tycobbian Union in home runs, RBIs and runs scored... Roberts has also won the TU Golden Bat Award the last 3 years... the 2071 Golden Bat trophy is the 4th time in his illustrious career he has been honored... Roberts won it the first time in 2066.

Superstar Jack Elliott has amassed the most Golden Bats in IPA history with an unbelievable 11 trophies won in consecutive seasons, which far outdistances his peers... Norishige Ito (Arroyo Grande/Midway) and Roy Hobbs (Waleska) nabbed the award 6 times apiece and Jerry Culpepper (Bayview) did it on 5 occasions.

Roberts had another banner season in High Mesa with a .284 BA in 154 games, 61 homers, 136 RBIs and 127 runs scored... his Mustangs finished with a winning season at 80-74, good for 5th place in the tough TU East Division... in his career has hammered 634 roundtrippers and driven in 1467 runs... and he is still going strong... currently he is ranked 13th in IPA history in home runs... Roberts will likely wind up in the top 10 of all-time.

Two Rolling Hills stars came in 2nd and 3rd in the TU Golden Bat poll... 23-year-old right fielder Kit Clemmons gave Roberts a run for the trophy... only in his 2nd season with the Racers, Clemmons put up some lofty figures... in 149 games he topped the TU with a .335 BA and 209 hits... Clemmons rapped 35 doubles, 4 triples, 21 homers, drove in 114 runs and scored 112 times... he helped Rolling Hills win its record-setting 12th straight TU West title.

Winding up in the 3rd spot was Rolling Hills talented center fielder Hugo Sutton... the 31-year-old had another super season with a .317 BA in 152 games with 180 hits, 34 two-baggers, 10 triples, 24 homers, 110 RBIs, 123 runs and 24 stolen bases.

That's really cool. I put in players from the Major League movies - Willie Mayes Hayes, Ricky Vaughn, Jake Taylor, Roger Dorn, Pedro Cerrano. But they were all super players. In another league in the past I put my brothers and some friends in the game too, that was fun.

I'll do it starting in my 1961 season but will make their projected stats more realistic.

Agree... the stats should be realistic... the Freemans in my IPA will be set up by the AI... I may change them so they can be on the active rosters, but they will be superstars only if the AI makes them that way.

I have been putting all my college buddies in my leagues... but I give them ratings based on their skill levels... so far, they have played pretty much like they played in real life... most of us were just good "intramural" players... nothing more... but we won both the intramural league and the fraternity league for about 2 years in a row... we were the Hurricanes and didn't lose for those two seasons... we did have a tie game in the intramurals, but beat the team 10-0 in the playoff game.

Attachment 829193
Tuesday, October 27, 2071

VALMARA LEFTY KAMINSKI RU TOP TWIRLER OF THE YEAR
The 2071 Ruthlandian Union pitcher of the year is Valmara left-hander Jaromir Kaminski... he is the recipient of this season Golden Arm Award... Kaminski edged Nicky Mosley of the Wynnamac Sundowners in a vote of the Islandian Baseball Writers and Broadcasters... third in the poll was Eric Connor of the Ranford Bulls.

Kaminski compiled a 21-7 record in 31 starts, tallied 182 strikeouts in 239 innings with a 2.19 ERA... other clubs only hit .226 against him... the 24-year-old southpaw tossed 4 shutouts, completed 8 games and made 28 quality starts... he paced Valmara (101-53) to the RU North pennant... Kaminski led the Ruthlandian Union in victories and was 4th in ERA... he has been outstanding in his 3 seasons with the Vipers, posting a 54-25 mark with a very impressive 2.46 ERA... Kaminski was the RU Rookie of the Year in 2069... he went 16-13 with a 2.70 ERA in 38 starts.

Only 25 years old Nicky Mosley also has been a stalwart for the Macs in his 3 seasons, chalking up a 55-26 record with an overall 2.97 ERA... this season was his best with a standout 19-6 mark and an IPA-leading 1.98 ERA... Mosley was also tops with 8 shutouts... he was one of the prime ingredients in the Sundowners (103-51) winning the RU East Division.

Third place in the Ruthlandian Golden Arm balloting was 29-year-old Ranford left-hander Eric Connor... due to his fine performance the Bulls (89-65) came in 3rd in the RU North pennant race... Connor is an 8-year veteran... this was his top season with a 17-8 record, 5 shutouts, 27 quality starts and a very strong 2.23 ERA in 32 starts and 238 innings... career-wise Connor is 108-80 with a fine 2.85 ERA.

Attachment 829426
Wednesday, October 28, 2071

WHITE RIVER'S LUCAS IS TU KING OF THE HILL
Everything went right this year for 27-year-old Ken Lucas of the White River Rascals... his club made shambles of the Tycobbian North Division, winning it by 16 games... they finished the season 97-57... Lucas played a dynamic part of that overwhelming success with a marvelous 22-7 record, that led the entire Islandian Pro Alliance in wins with a strong 2.65 ERA in 31 starts, 238 innings, 179 Ks, 4 shutouts and 22 quality starts... those numbers boosted Lucas to the 2071 Tycobbian Union Golden Arm Award, given to the pitcher of the year... second in the voting was Skippy Mulroy of the Turon Typhoons and third was was Mulroy's Typhoons teammate Ivan Malek.

Lucas has really bloomed the last two seasons... his first three years were pedestrian with a 24-25 record, though his rookie year was outstanding with a 16-6 mark... he slumped badly the next two seasons... then Lucas kicked it up into high gear with 15-3 record last season and kept on rolling into this season... in his 5 years in the IPA Lucas is now 61-35 with a career 2.89 ERA.

Mulroy has never had a bad year in the IPA... in 3 seasons he is 52-15 overall with a spectacular 2.29 ERA... this season Mulroy once again shined on the hill with a 17-3 record and a low 2.29 ERA... his Turon Typhoons posted more victories than any other IPA team, going 104-50 and easily winning the TU South Division.

Mulroy's teammate Ivan Malek has never had a bad year, either... at age 24 he is 50-21 lifetime with a standout 2.70 ERA... this season Malek was 17-4 with a 2.42 ERA in 28 starts and 201 innings.

Attachment 829600
Thursday, October 29

TOP RUTHLANDIAN AND TYCOBBIAN ROOKIES CHOSEN BY IPA SPORTWRITERS AND BROADCASTERS -- CLAXTON'S NORTHROP AND SOUTHPORT'S HICKMAN 2071 SELECTIONS
The Islandian Pro Alliance sports reporters have chosen the top freshmen players of the year... Jon Northrop of Claxton had been lauded as the 2071 Ruthlandiand Union Rookie of the Year and Bucky Hickman of Southport has been hailed as the 2071 Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year.

NORTHRUP BEST RUTHLANDIAN NEWCOMER
Northrop was the top newcomer in the Ruthlandian Union... the runner-up was Taranto hurler Marcello Rossi... in the third spot was Volusia center fielder Benito Santana.

Jon Northrop easily stood out with 140 games played, .310 BA, 184 hits, 8 home runs, 63 RBIs, 94 runs scored and 30 stolen bases... however, his Claxton Diamonds did not do well... they finished a lackluster 75-79 this year.

Rossi helped the Taranto Tars to a strong season with a 94-60 record, good for 2nd place in the RU North Division... at age 22, Rossi compiled a 12-11 mark with a fine 2.90 ERA in 202 innings pitched... he started 26 games.

Santana was a excellent defender in center field... the 24-year-old outfielder had a modest year with the bat... in 122 games he collected 123 hits with 27 doubles, 6 triples, 10 homers, 58 ribbies, 64 runs and 13 stolen bases... his Volusia Vigilantes claimed the RU West pennant.

TU TOP FRESHMAN IS HICKMAN
Bucky Hickman is a tall 6'5" portsider for the Southport Sun Sox... he was one of the few bright spots on an otherwise dismal season for the Sun Sox (79-75), who finished 4th in the TU South (25 GB)... in his rookie season this year's best Tycobbian rookie performer fashioned a 12-8 record in 25 starts and 175 innings with an impressive 2.83 ERA.

Another twirler Carl Shafer wound up second in the TU top rookie voting... he posted a 12-9 mark with a 3.36 ERA in 28 starts and 209 IP... his Denton City Redbirds were a subpar 74-80 this season, winding up a distant 5th in the TU West, 22 GB... the only position player to get any votes was left fielder Jonah Wright of the Southport Sun Sox... in 144 games he batted .261 with 144 hits, 22 doubles, 1 triple, 20 roundtrippers, 76 RBIs, 77 runs scored and stole 7 bases... Wright is 25.

2071 Ruthlandian Union Rookie Stars of the Year

Attachment 829720
Friday, October 30, 2071

SCRIBES AND SPORTSCASTERS PICK JOSEPHSON AND TAKAGI AS TOP IPA MANAGERS FOR '71
In a super tight poll the Islands baseball sportswriters and sportscasters selected the managers of the year in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the 2071 Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year Award went to Brock Josephson of the Belair Beach Sunbirds and the 2071 Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year Award honoree is Sogo Takagi of the Ginza Ninjas... it was Josephson's first time to receive the award... it was the 2nd time for Takagi, who won it initially in 2059.

Josephson beat out some other worthy RU skippers like Nioka Inkamara of Wynnamac, Don Ritchie of Valmara and Garry August of Colfax... Takagi outpolled several top-notch TU managers such as Turon's Nate Scottsdale, White River's Marty Blake, Tuckanarra's Quinn Starr and South Fork's Jay Murphy.

Currently in his 6th season as skipper, Brock Josephson first won the RU South last year with a 91-63 mark... his Sunbirds improved to 100-54 this year... coming in second in the best manager balloting was Nioka Inkamara... his Macs have won back-to-back pennants in the RU East... he upped his team's record from 99-55 in '70 to 103-51 this season... in the third spot was Don Ritchie of Valmara, who has twice gained the honor, in '57 and '61... Valmara won the RU North for the second year in a row... Ritchie's Vipers jumped from 97-57 to 101-53 this season... 4th in the RU top skipper award poll was Garry August of Colfax, who guided his club up from 8th place to 3rd place in the RU West race.. the Black Sox bettered their record from 55-99 and 39 games behind to 81-73 and just 5 games off the pace, a dramatic improvement.

It was a marvelous 14th season at the helm of the Ginza Ninjas for Sogo Takagi... his Karate Kids came in second place, 9 games back of Turon in the TU South this year with a 95-59 mark, much improved from 5th place and 71-83, 28 games off the pace the previous season... Nate Scottsdale had a great year with Southport... he captured his second straight pennant in the TU South with a splendid 104-50 record... that topped the '70 mark of 99-55... Tuckanarra manager Quinn Starr led his team up from 2nd place in '70 with a 91-63 record, 2 GB, to 97-57 and first place in the tough TU East... and South Fork manager Jay Murphy raised his record from 79-75 in 2070 to 94-60 this season, moving up from 3rd place and 14 games out to 2nd place in the TU East and just 3 games out of first place... 5th in the top manager competition was Marty Blake of White River... the Rascals have won the TU North the last two seasons, increasing their record from 96- 58 upwards to 97-57.

Attachment 829855
Saturday, November 1, 2071

RUTHLANDIAN AND TYCOBBIAN GOLDEN GLOVERS NAMED
The top glovemen in the Islandian Pro Alliance were named today by the Islands' sportswriters and broadcasters... the 2071 Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Award and the 2071 Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Award were presented to the best defenders in the Islands... there were a lot of new faces and names on the two squads... most of them first-time winners... in the Ruthlandian Union Claxton third baseman Andrew Woodfork picked up his 3rd trophy and Ranford center fielder Chris Kile was named for the second time... over in the Tycobbian Union Southport first sacker Sasha Osinski won his 3rd Golden Glove and Denton City shortstop Jay Coursey nabbed his second troply... all the rest were newcomers and named to the teams for the first time in their careers.

Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Team
Attachment 829856

Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Team
Attachment 829857

Whew... that completeS 2071 Islandian Pro Alliance season.

I will get busy working on the new 2072 IPA season.

Thanks to all of you who continue to follow the IPA.
Your support is much appreciated.

A very special thanks to knuckler, who did most of the IPA team logos, jerseys and caps... knucker did 3 of the 4 above, the Bulls, Sun Sox and the Redbirds... and about 50 of the 64 teams overall... his graphics work really makes my league sparkle here on the Dynasty Forum... and also for me personally when I play out the playoff games... nice graphics really get me immersed in my fictional world.

Thank you, knuckler... it is great to see you posting again... do you have any interest in reworking all 64 IPA teams? ;)

I converted the Islandian Pro Alliance to OOTP22... hope all converted well... will soon find out.

The Boys of Summer are back in business in the Islands... the 72nd IPA season is coming to a ballpark near you !!

Great! I'm sure you will enjoy the IPA in OOTP22 - it is worlds better than 21.

Attachment 830556
Wednesday, March 30, 2072

ISLANDS KICK OFF THE 72ND IPA SEASON THIS FRIDAY
Once again those gorgeous words "play ball" will be resonating all across the Islands... baseball is bustin' out all over as the 72nd season of the Islandian Pro Alliance and 64 teams gets started on Friday afternoon on a journey that they hope ends up with the Holy Grail of IPA baseball - the treasured Pro Cup Trophy... the current titleholder is the Belair Beach Sunbirds of the Ruthlandian Union... they reigned supreme last season, triumphing over the Turon Typhoons of the Tycobbian Union in a torrid 5-game series.

Primed, poised and ready to give the Sunbirds a run for the money for the IPA crown are the Valmara Vipers, Valka Blackhawks, Volusia Vigilantes, Turon Typhoons, Tuckanarra Tiger Cats, White River Rascals, Red Bluff Red Sox and Chicopee Braves... all of these challengers have been given the blessings of the sportswriters and broadcasters in the annual Islandian Times Preseason Pro Cup Poll... the Typhoons, Vipers, Blackhawks and Rascals are forecast to be the biggest obstacles to keep Belair Beach from repeating as IPA champion.

Islandian Times Preseason Pro Cup Poll
1. TURON TYPHOONS
2. Belair Beach Sunbirds
3. White River Rascals
4. Valka Blackhawks
5. Valmara Vipers
6. Tuckanarra Tiger Cats
7. Red Bluff Red Sox
8. Chicopee Braves

Around the IPA

VIPERS TOP TEAM IN RU NORTH
Valmara is a strong pick to nab its 3rd straight Ruthlandian North Division crown and go deep into the IPA postseason playoffs... the Vipers possess one of the better offenses in the Islands and a pretty good pitching staff... only the Ranford Bulls are touted to give Valmara any kind of fight for the pennant... the Vipers ran away with the RU North last year, topping runner-up Taranto by 12 games.

IN RU SOUTH RACE SUNBIRDS HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL WITH BLACKHAWKS AND WESTERNERS
Belair Beach copped the RU South flag last year in fairly easy fashion... they whipped the Valka Blackhawks by 8 games... the Blackhawks are back again and better than ever according to the prognosticators... the Waleska Westerners could be troublesome, too... all three clubs can score runs, but only have decent pitching.

BIG 6-TEAM TUSSLE IN RU EAST
It looks likes almost all of the clubs in the Ruthlandian East Division could be in the battle for the pennant... Marston is favored, but not by much over Eastshore, Beechwood, Sugar Valley, Elnora and last year's champ, the Wynnamac Sundowners... no matter who prevails, none of them have impressed the baseball pundits... the RU East champion is not likely to go deep into the playoffs.

V'S AGAIN BEST IN THE RU WEST
The Volusia Vigilantes are favored to capture the Ruthlandian West for the 3rd year in a row, but it will be another tight race with the Forest City Firebirds, Middlefield Roosters and Rocky Rapids Snappers... the Firebirds' mound corps should keep them close to the top... the Vigilantes are the best offense in the RU West.

RASCALS TOO STRONG ON HILL... SHOULD WIN 3RD STRAIGHT TU NORTH
White River should take the 3-team race in the Tycobbian North Division... the Rascals have solid pitching and good home-run power... they should be able to hold off the Mahaska Haymakers and Luxora Zorros.

TYPHOONS TO TAKE 3RD TU SOUTH IN A ROW
Turon trampled everyone last year, leaving everybody in the dust... they defeated the surprising second-place Ginza Ninjas by a comfortable 9 games... it was the Typhoons' third Tycobbian South flag in a row... Turon has one of the best-hitting club in the IPA and also has a solid pitching corps... no team is expected to rival the Typhoons again this season... they should win the pennant by double digits... San Alejo and Ginza will again finish far behind Turon.

3 TO TANGO IN TIGHT TU EAST
Red Bluff is usually right near the top of the Tycobbian East standings... they have been the pennant winner in 3 of the past 6 seasons... the Red Sox are the choice to beat out last year's winner Tuckanarra and perennial contender South Fork in a tight squeeze.

COULD BE THE YEAR FOR CHICOPEE IN TU WEST
One of the most downtrodden franchises in the Islandian Pro Alliance has finally gotten some respect in the Tycobbian West... the Chicopee Braves could make shambles of the division race this year and just might make some waves in the postseason... the Braves have some capables hurlers and a pretty good offense... they are predicted to put an end to Rolling Hills' amazing 12-year domination of the TU West... the Racers and the La Claire Lynx will be distant challengers in the pennant chase... Chicopee is favored to win the race by 10 or more games... the Braves have not been to the Pro Cup playoffs since 2036.

Attachment 830557
Attachment 830558
Attachment 830559

Attachment 830775
Sunday, July 10, 2072

WHO'S THE BEST? RU OR TU? 72ND IPA ALL-STAR GAME THIS TUESDAY IN BELAIR BEACH
What the best league?... the Ruthlandian Union or the Tycobbian Union... well, the facts show that Tycobbia has won 39 Pro Cups to 32 for Ruthlandia... but all that shows is that one team is better than another in a short series... it doesn't reveal which league is overall the best... well, the facts also show that Tycobbia is also overwhelmingly superior with 47 victories in the IPA All-Star Game, while Ruthlandia trail with just 24 wins... does this really prove anything?... while you ponder these provocative questions, you also need to know this fact: the 72nd Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Classic is set for this Tuesday afternoon at Bayside Park, the home of the Pro Cup champion, the Belair Beach Sunbirds... one could say this game will give one of the teams bragging rights for a little while... but that's all.

46 of the IPA's finest players will engage in the annual midsummer epic... the Ruthlandian All-Stars will welcome the Tycobbian All-Stars... each team is hoping to show that their league is the best... at least these players are the best on this given day and in this game.

No rookies made the All-Stars this season... the Ruthlandian Stars are much younger than the Tycobbian Stars... pitcher Al Ragsdale (Belair Beach) and second baseman Andre Lemoine (Belle Plaine) are the senior citizens on the RU Stars... they are just 30... the oldtimers on the Tycobbian Stars are pitchers Val Jackson (Fairfax) and Adrian Acosta (Denton City), ages 38 and 37 respectively... the youngest players are both on the RU Stars... catcher Charley McLaglen (Marston) and first basemen Stefan Skarzynski (Valmara) are 23.

Freddie Civik (Turon) is appearing for the 4th time for Tycobbia and this is Barney Fiske's (Cape Coral) 3rd time as an All-Star... Ruthlandia is quite young... Andre Lemoine (Belle Plaine) will make his 3rd appearance in the midsummer classic... there are many first-time honorees this year... it is a much younger crowd than usual... looks like there is a changing of the old guards this year...both squads are skewing younger.

(special thanks to knuckler for the Turon jersey and cap... to rock'n'fire for the Cape Coral jersey and cap... and to cephasjames for the Belle Plaine jersey and cap... my, oh, my these guys are talented... they make the IPA really look good.)

Attachment 830817
Attachment 830818
Attachment 830819
Attachment 830820
Attachment 830821

2072 Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game - Stars of the Game

(Special thanks to txranger for the great IPA league logo... and special thanks to knuckler for the excellent Bayview Vikings jersey and cap... also special thanks to EC for the other two jerseys and caps ;))

Here are the 2072 IPA All-Star Game rosters.

Attachment 830835
Attachment 830836

:eatpop:

Thanks for being so faithful, Dark Horse.

Hope all is well with you.

I have played to midseason using OOTP22.

I played out my first game -- the All-Star Game.

The animation is much, much smoother... it really looks good.

But the strange thing is I did not have a foul out... not one.

I am anxious to see if they have fixed the weird flight of foul outs.

Nobody ran through fence in the All-Star Game, either.

Yep, I know this is a small sample.

Attachment 830967
Thursday, July 13, 2072

IPA MIDSUMMER SUMMARY
Halfway through the Islandian Pro Alliance season, half of the 64 clubs still have hopes and dreams for a pennant and perhaps even a far-fetched Pro Cup Trophy... most of the highly-rated teams are doing well, however there are a few surprises... unsung Stoner, Bayview and Hartsdale are on top of their divisions and lightly-regarded also-rans Eastshore, Crystal Lake, Waleska, Ozarka and Luxora are making some strong waves in their divisional races... there are some disappointing teams as well... three preseason pennant picks, Volusia, White River and Mahaska have floundered so far... and perennial power Rolling Hills is far behind in the pennant chase... methinks, after 12 glorious seasons, the Racers' fabulous dynasty run is over... yep, EC is going to miss the Racers in the playoffs every year.

RECAPPING THE RUTHLANDIAN UNION FIRST HALF
Valmara is having a tougher time in the Ruthlandian North than expected... they are currently tied for first place with Taranto with 3 other clubs right on their heels, Ranford, LaGrange and Far Mountain... the RU North is up for grabs.

Reigning IPA Pro Cup champion Belair Beach started poorly in April (10-17), but the Sunbirds are back in the race and in the runner-up spot, just 2 games behind... Valka is the top dog in the Ruthlandian South at this point, followed closely by unheralded Crystal Lake and Waleska in 3rd and 4th place respectively.

It's a tight 4-team race in the Ruthlandian East... preseason favorite and defending division champ Wynnamac is being tested by perennial rival Marston... and also by overlooked Eastshore and Sugar Valley... 2 up-and-coming teams.

The Ruthlandian West was forecast to be a dogfight between last year's winner Volusia, Forest City, Middlefield and Rocky Rapids... lo and behold and out of the blue, the Stoner Silver Sox have bolted to the top of the standings and look like the real McCoy... the Sox have a comfortable 6-game margin at midseason.

TYCOBBIAN UNION FIRST-HALF TRIBUTES, TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS
The Hartsdale Hellcats have regrouped after a dismal 7th-place finish last year... the Hellcats are back in business and raising heck in the Tycobbian North... they are the highest-scoring club in the IPA, hitting homers and have decent pitching... Hartsdale has had a terrific first half with the most victories in the IPA... so has underated Luxora, but the Zorros trail by 5 games... nobody else is close... preseason favorite Mahaska is 10 games out and not likely to catch the red-hot Hellcats.

Nothing new to report in the Tycobbian South... current champion and last year's Pro Cup finalist Turon is on top, seeking its 3rd consecutive divisional crown... and they are tied with Southport, a contender year-after-year... plus the Ginza Ninjas are also in the mix, too... looks like a 3-team battle.

As per usual, there is a sizzling pennant race in the Tycobbian East... preseason-favored Red Bluff has a slight lead over habitual contender South Fork... highly-touted Hillsboro and surprising Ozarka are running very good races, too... and highly-respected Tuckanarra is still in the fight, too.

Believe it or not, one of the worst franchises in the Islandian Pro Alliance, the pathetic Chicopee Braves, have suddenly become a contender in the Tycobbian West... the Braves (.468) have the 3rd-worst won-loss record in IPA history... only East Point (.449) and Arroyo Grande (.466) are worse... Chicopee rose up to 4th place last year with an 82-72 record after season-after-season down near the bottom... and they were picked to win the pennant in the preseason poll... but thus far they have been supplanted at the top of the standings by 2 glossed-over clubs, Bayview and La Claire... the Vikings are 4 games in front of the Lynx and 7 games better than the Braves.

(EC is pulling for Chicopee... they have one of the prettiest logos and jersey sets in the IPA, done beautifully by knucker, one of the best graphics designers in the OOTP Community... I have never got to see them in the playoffs when I play out the games... but come to think of it, Bayview might be fine, too... knuckler also did their great logo and jersey sets)

2072 Ruthlandian Union Midseason Standings
Attachment 830968

2072 Tycobbian Union Midseason Standings
Attachment 830969
Attachment 830970

2071 Islandian Pro Alliance Final Leaderboards

Ruthlandian Union
Attachment 831285

Tycobbian Union
Attachment 831286
Attachment 831287

Final standings and first round playoff matchups coming up soon?

Yep... my next thing is to preview the postseason playoffs.

The South Island Leagues are taking a lot of my time right now with the 12-team expansion.

2072 Islandian Pro Alliance Final Standings

2072 Ruthlandian Union Final Standings
Attachment 831557

2072 Tycobbian Union Final Standings
Attachment 831558
Attachment 831559

Attachment 831609
Wednesday, September 28, 2072

IPA POSTSEASON PLAYOFFS BEGIN THIS WEDNEDAY AFTERNOON
There is a infusion of newcomers in the Islandian Pro Alliance postseason playoffs this year... only three teams are returning from last year, the Valmara Vipers, Wynnamac Sundowners and last year's Pro Cup finalist, the Turon Typhoons... joining the returnees are the surprising Stoner Silver Sox, Hartsdale Hellcats, Valka Blackhawks, La Claire Lynx and Red Bluff Red Sox... for the first time in 12 seasons, missing from the eight IPA elites is super power Rolling Hills... in addition, last year's Pro Cup champion Belair Beach did not survive the cut this year... the Sunbirds fell to the Valka Blackhawks in the Ruthlandian South Division... La Claire prevailed over the mighty Racers in the Tycobbian West Division... the last time Rolling Hills failed to make the playoffs was in 2059.

The crusade for the Holy Grail of Islandian baseball -- the revered Pro Cup Trophy -- begins this Wednesday afternoon at four venues around the Islands... all playoff series will be the best-of-five... the Ruthlandian Union First Round will feature Wynnamac (91-63) traveling to Valmara (97-57) and Stoner (95-59) on the road, tangling with Valka (96-58)... in the Tycobbian Union First Round action it will be Hartsdale (94-60) at home hosting Red Bluff (87-67) and La Claire (92-62) entertaining Turon (91-63)... the Typhoons and Vipers will be seeking their 5th Pro Cup, the Macs their 4th and the Hellcats and Red Sox their 3rd... three of the postseason participants, the Blackhawks, Silver Sox and Lynx, have never won a Pro Cup title in their IPA history.

Wynnamac was the most recent winner... the Sundowners copped the crown in 2070, Valmara claimed it in 2066, Hartsdale last won in 2063, Red Bluff in 2057 and Turon in 2018.

Opening game starters in the Ruthlandian Union will be Sherm Boswell (10-6/3.51 ERA) for Stoner and Priit Laur (16-8/4.04 ERA) for Valka... and Wynnamac will go with Mick Flanders (19-5/2.92 ERA) opposed by Jaromir Kaminski (19-10/3.31 ERA) for Valmara... taking the hill in the Tycobbian Union will be Cookie Culpepper (16-3/2.73 ERA) for Turon and Alton Liddell (14-9/3.22 ERA) for La Claire... toeing the slab for Red Bluff will be Angus McDade (14-10/3.24 ERA) and Jay Jay Earnshaw (16-9/3.78 ERA) for Hartsdale.

Attachment 831872
Tuesday, September 28, 2072

TURON'S TURN TO WIN IPA PRO CUP, VIPERS, BLACKHAWKS AND SILVER SOX WILL CHALLENGE
The Turon Typhoons have been close to winning the coveted Pro Cup trophy the last two seasons... they have paid their dues... it's time to cash in on the talent and success... plus their arch nemesis Rolling Hills will not be around to haunt them... also tough Belair Beach, last year Pro Cup champion, will not be around either...but the Typhoons will have some pretty fair teams to contend with... Valmara, Valka, unsung Stoner and Red Bluff... in addition, hard-hitting and high-scoring Hartsdale is in the mix, too.

Here is what the smooth-talking soothsayers, witch doctors and quasi-experts are viewing in their microscopes, periscopes and crystal balls.

The Islandian Times 2072 IPA Pro Cup Poll
1. TURON TYPHOONS
2. Valmara Vipers
3. Valka Blackhawks
4. Stoner Silver Sox
5. Red Bluff Red Sox
6. Hartsdale Hellcats
7. La Claire Lynx
8. Wynnamac Sundowners

2072 IPA Pro Cup Fearless Forecast and Pie-in-the-Sky prognostications... could be wrong, but I don't think the super scribes and blustering broadchasers have picked a Pro Cup winner lately.

Turon is the choice... they are a very well-balanced team with good scoring, fine pitching and solid defense... good qualities to have to win the Pro Cup... Culpepper, Mulroy and Malek are capable starters... they have a few reliable batters in Apple, Civik, Geoghegan, Newell and Goldsmith...the Typhoons have playoff experience and success in recent years... Turon is looking good heading into the postseason playoffs.

Valmara is right up there with Turon... their stats and qualifications may even be a little bit better... the Vipers can go deep and have more punch than the Typhoons... Skarzynski and Kozak can hit the ball out of the park with relish... Gold Arm Kaminski, Zajac and Nowakowski are fine hurlers... and closer Villavaso is strong, too... in the past the Vipers enter the postseason playoffs with great credentials, but have not done well... they lost in the first round in '70 and '71.

The Valka Blackhawks have been a tough team in a tough division for the past 3 years, pushing both Belair Beach, last year's Pro Cup titan, and Claxton, a perennial playoff power, to the limits... this year they upended the Sunbirds in a close race... the Blackhawk bats can put runs on the scoreboard with the likes of Czarnecki, Kotli, Hansford and Petrov... starters Santa Ana, Laur and Bakoyannis are well-respected, too... a weak bullpen may be a hindrance... keep an eye on Valka... any team that can whip Belair Beach is a good one.

And now, lo and behold, we come to a team that has not made the Pro Cup playoffs in 4 decades...a team with just one winning season in 10 years... a team that finished 6th a year ago -- the darling of IPA baseball this season -- the unnoticed and seldom-seen, if ever, Stoner Silver Sox... how did they go from awful and pathetic to possible Pro Cup glory?... the Silver Sox can really sock the heck out of the old horsehide... they can't hit it out of the park, but they can hit it all over the park... Stoner hit .290 this year and scored 796 runs... and they feature fine defense... 2 out of 3 is pretty good... however, their shortcoming is their average pitching...starters Boston, Boswell and Edmonds will have to do well... Longshore and Kleinhausen are pretty darn effective in the bullpen... but top-to-bottom in the lineup, the Silver Sox can hit the ball... they have six .300 hitters and the other two are in the .290s... we haven't seen this in the postseason very much, except for the mighty Rolling Hills Racers and we know how they terrorized the IPA playoffs the last 12 years... Stoner is the Cinderella of the playoffs this year... the sky is the limit for them... the Silver Sox are halfway to Heaven -- the Pro Cup Trophy.

Red Bluff doesn't hit much for average... they have trouble scoring runs... and the Red Sox only hit with modest home-run power... but they have some good starting pitching, a very capable closer Ledbetter and they play very good defense... McDade, Baxendale, Angeletti and Coomer are a quality rotation... Red Bluff also survived in the hotly-contested TU East Division... the Red Sox can compete.

Hartsdale has a high-octane attack... the topped the Tycobbian Union in scoring runs, came in near the top in batting average, homers and stealing bases... however, they are hard-pressed to find any pitchers except for veterans Earnshaw and Streeter... they don't play good defense... but the Hellcats can score some runs... it will be difficult to overcome their mound problems and defense.

La Claire has competed fairly well with juggernaut Rolling Hills the last decade in the TU West... the Lynx regularly came in near the top of the standings, but they never seriously challenged the dominant Racers... but this year the Lynx triumphed... La Claire just doesn't have what it takes to win a Pro Cup... they are just average at best across the board... Larson, Gordon and Newell can't do it all at the plate... they need others to help out... pitching-wise Liddell and Morse are just average starters... La Claire will not stay long in the IPA playoffs.

The Wynnamac Sundowners are not the team they were in 2070 when they won the IPA Pro Cup... the Macs have won the RU East three years in a row and 9 times in the last 16 seasons... but overall, they are just a little above average team... Oshima, Joshua, Rainer and Waterman are quality players... and Flanders is a fine starter... Merckx and Crafton are quality starters as well... but Wynnamac is not good enough to go deep into the postseason playoffs... average teams just don't win the IPA Pro Cup Trophy.

*

"LET THE GAMES BEGIN"

It's Pro Cup time in the Islands!

I really liked your description for the Silver Sox: the Silver Sox can really sock the heck out of the old horsehide... they can't hit it out of the park, but they can hit it all over the park.

That’s a great line.

I’m looking forward to seeing their lineup and statistics. I think Stoner has a great chance to go deep this postseason. They allowed 621 runs overall. Compared with the top contenders Turon and Valmara, they allowed 618 and 579 respectively. If the Silver Sox keep doing what they do well, which is hitting for contact, they can do something special this postseason.

I feel like teams who can hit the ball out of the park fail a lot of the time in the playoffs. Because they live and die by the home run, when they face elite pitching who can prevent the long ball in the postseason, it’s usually lights out and an early exit.

As for Hartsdale, allowing 702 runs, they’ll have to hope they win a lot of high scoring games if they want to compete for the Pro Cup. Their games should be exciting, but can their high-powered offense continue to carry them?

Thanks for your support of the IPA... I really appreciate you following it and giving me feedback.

Wow, when you say that Stoner can't hit the ball out of the park, you're right. They look like a deadball era team!

And you're welcome!

Attachment 832195
Saturday, October 1, 2072

PRO CUP PLAYOFFS UNDERWAY... WHO WILL BE MR. OCTOBER IN THE IPA PLAYOFFS?
All of the 8 IPA Elite playoff teams are hoping they will be the team with Mr. October... that will be the standout that sparks his team to the Pro Cup title and the one that usually gets the Pro Cup Most Valuable Player Award... the two go hand-in-hand.

The Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs got underway yesterday with 4 opening games... in Ruthlandian Union First Round action Valka socked it to the Stoner Silver Sox 9-5... and Valmara smacked Wynnamac 14-7... in the Tycobbian Union First Round Pro Cup favorite Turon and Red Bluff took the openers... the Typhoons trimmed the La Claire Lynx 3-2 and the Red Sox defeated the Hartsdale Hellcats 6-2.

IPA Stars of the Games
Attachment 832196