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Eugene Church 02-03-2013 12:22 AM
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, April 1, 2035

Frogs To Feast In TU North
Two years ago the Fairfax Frogs won 102 games and made shambles of the Tycobbian North winning by 20 games. The writers that cover the IPA think it'll be the Frogs year again, but they won't be quite so dominant. The Oxford Red Caps were a distant second in The Islandian Times preseason poll with White River coming in third and Blue Lake fourth. Second-division clubs were the Hartsdale Hellcats fifth, Pro Cup champion North Hills was a startling sixth, followed by seventh place Luxora. Mahaska was ranked eighth and last.

Poll Ranking/Team/2034 Record
1. Fairfax Frogs (84-70) (10 GB) - fourth
2. Oxford Red Caps (76-78) (18 GB) - fifth
3. White River Rascals (92-62) (2 GB) - second
4. Blue Lake Blue Sox (74-80) (20 GB) - sixth tied
5. Hartsdale Hellcats (85-69) (9 GB) - third
6. North Hills Hawks (94-60) (--) *Pro Cup Champion
7. Luxora Zorros (74-80) (20 GB) - sixth tied
8. Mahaska Haymakers (72-82) (22 GB) - eighth

1. Fairfax Frogs: .274 BA/3.76 ERA
Top Pitchers: Steven McLeod (17-7/3.37), Sean McBride (13-8/3.79), Mac Flowers (11-5/3.79), Manny Mateo (10-7/2.66/16 saves)
Top Batters: CF Michael Hudson (.323/18 HR/107 RBI/85 R/20 SB), 2B John Velasco (.290/23 HR/81 RBI/97 R), LF Eric Kusek (.299/14 HR/53 RBI/96 R/27 SB), RF Roger Krieger (.335/8 HR/48 RBI/60 R), LF Max Lebowitz (.303/12 HR/43 RBI/63 R/22 SB)
Comments: For Frogs to win pitchers Dudley Dickens (2-10/4.83), Manny Hunsinger (7-5/5.00) and Jay Barajas (14-22/3.73) must regain 2033 form... they let the club down last season... offense is good.

2. Oxford Red Caps: .271 BA/4.34 ERA
Top Pitchers: Kent McKinley (16-12/3.75), Mario Lopez (17-19/3.76), Kelly Morton (15-17/4.27)
Top Batters: 1B Kerry Sterling (.309/35 HR/102 RBI/88 R), 2B Alonzo Norris (.300/28 HR/92 RBI/92 R/25 SB), 3B Boyd Olsen (.266/38 HR/98 RBI/74 R), RF Crusher Derringer (.264/30 HR/88 RBI/72 R), LF Dennis Hartwig (.275/29 HR/78 RBI/96 R/11 SB), OF Donny Braun (.299/14 HR/65 RBI/84 R)
Comments: Drastically needs better pitching... offense is awesome... hit 221 HRs, second in IPA behind Bayview Vikings with 242.

3. White River Rascals: .270 BA/3.63 ERA
Top Pitchers: Kenny Nikas (20-12/3.51), Paul Sardini (18-13/3.36), Emil Kaltenborn (18-7/3.49)
Top Batters: 1B Davey Sloan (.293/31 HR/96 RBI/81 R), RF Hal Littleton (.324/6 HR/51 RBI/65 R)
Comments: Good starters, but team needs more bats... added free agent reliever Lucien Vashon (4-2/3.39/9 saves) from Elnora.

4. Blue Lake Blue Sox: .277 BA/3.91 ERA
Top Pitchers: Dallas Casey (19-16/3.42), Frankie Quinn (16-15/3.71)
Top Batters: 2B James Hamilton (.317/16 HR/82 RBI/79 R/13 SB), CF Jack Ryan (.302/8 HR/66 RBI/84 R/20 SB), SS Joe Korman (.279/16 HR/88 RBI/81 R/29 SB), 3B Matt Thompson (.313/11 HR/63 RBI/84 R), 1B Elton Graff (.283/13 HR/65 RBI/61 R), RF Greg Robinson (.283/20 HR/72 RBI/68 R)
Comments: Short on pitching... ace Casey is 37... rookie starters Kris DeGeest (age 35) and Denny Hawkins (age 28) must produce to contend...good bats in lineup.

5. Hartsdale Hellcats: .273 BA/3.79 ERA
Top Pitchers: Eric Isenhart (18-14/3.82), Hank Cooke (17-12/4.08)
Top Bats: CF Joe McGarrett (.304/35 HR/110 RBI/112 R), 3B Duffy Day (.282/16 HR/89 RBI/92 R/12 SB), SS Robinson Alomar (.297/18 HR/60 RBI/55 R)
Comments: McGarrett, Day and Alomar only reliable bats... Alomar should play everyday... no real contender... lacks both pitching and hitting.

6. North Hills Hawks: .278 BA/3.20 ERA
Top Pitchers: David Michael (26-13/2.80), Jeff Owens (23-13/2.82), Nelson Hooper (12-10/2.98), Frankie Lambert (7-3/3.07/15 saves), Alvar Vickers (11-6/2.53/10 saves)
Top Batters: RF Adam Thurgood (.329/35 HR/114 RBI/95 R), 3B Dean O'Donnell (.310/19 HR/86 RBI/93 r/14 SB), C Mikhail Romanovsky (.281/13 HR/56 RBI/80 R), 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.317/8 HR/34 RBI/62 R)
Comments: Defending IPA champ not rated very high in the preseason poll, despite pretty much the same club... should be stronger on the mound with addition of free agent starter/reliever Alvar Vickers (11-6/2.53/10 saves) from LaClaire... strong starters and good bullpen... could use more offense in the lineup.

7. Luxora Zorros: .245 BA/3.38 ERA
Top Pitchers: Kent Halloran (18-13/2.47), Benny DeVito (12-11/3.77), Francisco Guerrero (11-12/3.61), Nelson Wise (10-15/3.30), Johnny Duncan (11-5/2.32/17 saves), Fernando Sanches (8-7/2.87/23 saves)
Top Batters: 1B Gerry Hathaway (.268/26 HR/82 RBI/73 R), CF Buster Landry (.282/17 HR/47 RBI/65 R/10 SB), RF Carl Denton (.230/27 HR/75 RBI/56 R)
Comments: Mound staff solid with pretty good starters and great relievers... but bats are absolutely terrible.

8. Mahaska Haymakers: .272 BA/3.99 ERA
Top Pitchers: Greg Douglas (18-16/3.57), Mark Pennington (16-17/3.96), Carl Druex (14-18/4.16), 28-year-old free agent Valente Viero (8-1/2.63) from Eastshore
Top Batters: CF Bill Whittier (.283/20 HR/84 RBI/93 R/34 SB), 33-year-old free agent RF Anton Hymel (.287/20 HR/86 RBI/87 R) from LaGrange
Comments: Mediocre pitching... decent hitting, but little power... Zorros got two fine signees in RF Anton Hymel, who will really improve offense and Viero should give them a strong starter.

My Tycobbian North Forecast: Sorry to disagree with the experts so much, but North Hills is no sixth-place team... the Hawks will be in the race for sure and will beat out Fairfax... the Frogs' pitching will do them in... White River will be in the running and will finish third... the Rascals don't hit well enough to challenge the Hawks and the Frogs... Oxford with the big bats will come in fourth... Blue Lake's hitting will be good enough for fifth place... Hartsdale should be sixth... and Luxora and Mahaska will be seventh and eighth respectively.

Eugene Church 02-03-2013 10:20 PM
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, April 1, 2035

SA Monties Top Choice In TU South
If the baseball experts are right, the reigning Tycobbian South crownbearer, the San Alejo Montaneros, will easily haul in their second successive pennant. The Monties were chosen the top team in the division by The Islandian Times preseason poll by a wide margin over runner-up Colchester and third place Turon, and by an even bigger margin over fourth place Ginza. Heading up the TU South second division was fifth place Summerland, followed by Cape Coral in the sixth spot in the standings. Southport was ranked next-to-last in seventh place and Arroyo Grande pulled up the rear in the basement.

Poll Ranking/Team Name/2034 Record/Standings
1. San Alejo Montaneros (91-63) (--) *Division Champion
2. Colchester Elites (81-73) (10 GB) 2nd Place
3. Turon Typhoons (75-79) (16 GB) 4th Place
4. Ginza Ninjas (58-96) (33 GB) 7th Place
5. Summerland Sunsets (65-89) (26 GB) 6th Place
6. Cape Coral Hurricanes (57-97) (34 GB) 8th Place
7. Southport Sun Sox (79-75) (12 GB) 3rd Place
8. Arroyo Grande Suns (72-82) (19 GB) 5th Place

1. San Alejo Montaneros (.266 BA/3.19 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Pablo Pilar (21-9/2.47), Tommy Smith (20-14/2.79), Clete Lawson (19-9/3.08), Johnny Brown (18-16/2.86), Ollie Olivares (11-5/3.37/11 saves), Frank Jankowski (13-11/2.79)
Top Batters: CF Dusty Rogan (.304/28 HR/108 RBI/78 R), 3B Bubby Blackwell (.310/15 HR/72 RBI/84 R), LF Adrian Otero (.261/34 HR/71 RBI/110 R/13 SB), C Steve Daniels (.257/27 HR/86 RBI/66 R)
Comments: San Alejo has a plethora of talented pitchers with an adequate offense... perhaps the top starting foursome in the IPA... club is the cream of the crop again in the TU South... no one appears to be close to the Monties... lost to IPA champ North Hills in seven games last year in first round... ready to do better this year.

2. Colchester Elites (.270 BA/3.88 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Mackie McGinnity (18-17/3.59), Roy Watson (15-7/3.86), Dave Lacoste (13-11/3.22), Kyle Shepard (11-13/3.60)
Top Batters: CF Jim Lewellen (.292/50 HR/125 RBI/110 R/20 SB), 3B Billy Christianson (.288/15 HR/78 RBI/81 R), SS Joey Rogers (.290/4 HR/39 RBI/81 R/11 SB), 2B Jackie Jackson (.281/15 HR/70 RBI/96 R), 33-year-old free agent from Volusia (RU) Sonny Oliver (.277/18/81 RBI/71 R)
Comments: fairly good starters... good offense with power (178 HRs)... Oliver was a good addition and will give them another reliable and productive bat.

3. Turon Typhoons (.269 BA/3.61 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Wes Brynnton (16-19/3.24), Victor Suarez (13-12/3.54), Jonathon Pitri (11-7/3.58/2 saves), 30-year-old free agent from Claxton (RU) Armin Boehm (8-20/3.93)
Top Batters: 2B C. C. Kingsford (.308/21 HR/85 RBI/95 R), 1B Steve Burns (.306/8 HR/56 RBI/54 R), 3B Michael Page (.241/18 HR/64 RBI/48 R)
Comments: just an average team with fair pitching and hitting... at age 32 Michael Page is slowing down after 13 good seasons, his average was down last year, but still can hit it out... free agent Boehm will be no more than a .500 pitcher... might give them an adequate number four starter.

4. Ginza Ninjas (.263 BA/5.07 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Hollis Pace (17-14/2.94)
Top Bats: LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.303/16 HR/88 RBI/93 R/10 SB), 2B Roger Lanier (.284/27 HR/73 RBI/76 R/11 SB), RF Scott Sparks (.282/26 HR/78 RBI/60 R), 1B Kazzy Nishimura (.284/17 HR/70 RBI/69 R), 32-year-old free agent C Ted Jarzinski (.272/14 HR/64 RBI/64 R) from Valmara (RU), 33-year-old free agent CF Vince Barbieri (.319/14 HR/80 RBI/72 R) from Kenwood (TU)
Comments: Ginza has a solid core of hitters with good power... Barbieri and Jarzinski will add to the scoring ability... plus Jarzinski is an outstanding defensive catcher... Hollis Pace is a fine pitcher, who has put up an impressive 130-84 record with a 3.12 ERA in his 8 seasons with the Ninjas, but he is all they have... after the terrible 5.07 ERA last year, Ginza will have four new pitchers, including two rookies... the Ninjas should have replace everybody but Pace from last year team and just start over again... they need much improvement on the mound to get to the contender level in the TU South.

5. Summerland Sunsets (.246 BA/3.92 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Freddi Rossi (14-18/3.06), Mark Shoopman (11-10/3.64), Don French (8-11/3.16), 34-year-old free agent Terry Johnson from Red Bluff (TU)
Top Batters: CF Antonio Vasquez (.287/6 HR/49 RBI/62 R/18 SB), 2B Ken Wyman (.273/18 HR/60 RBI/73 R), LF Eamon O'Toole (.260/16 HR/70 RBI/72 R)
Comments: Starting pitching is fair... bullpen is bad... hitting is atrocious... didn't get much help in the off-season... don't expect much from the Sunsets this year.

6. Cape Coral Hurricanes (.275 BA/5.06 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Norm Dawson (15-14/2.84)
Top Batters: RF William Snyder (.324/20 HR/90 RBI/89 R/9 SB), 3B Joel Collins (.299/12 HR/81 RBI/76 R), 2B Vic Hayes (.324/5 HR/57 RBI/63 R/10 SB)
Comments: better-than-average contact hitting, not a lot of power... horrendous pitching except for Norm Dawson... a second-division club... does have several rookie position players that have potential.

7. Southport Sun Sox (.275 BA/3.96 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Don Pascioni (20-13/2.98)
Top Batters: LF Cody Dougherty (.304/23 HR/80 RBI/59 R)
Comments: Not a lot of quality ballplayers... average bats... sub-par pitching... Pascioni is a gifted workhorse pitcher and the only bonifide star on the club.

8. Arroyo Grande Suns (.241 BA/3.83 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Mateus Castro (17-14/3.67), Matt Stevens (15-18/3.15), reliever John Nelson (6-2/2.09), reliever Freddy Farentino (3-1/1.99), 28-year-old free agent Derek Joubert (16-14/3.54) from Blue Lake (TU)
Top Batters: 2B Frank Marcello (.245/38 HR/108 RBI/79 R), RF Gregorio Oliviera (.243/20 HR/93 RBI/71 R)
Comments: Terrible at the plate for average... does hit for some power... pretty good starters and bullpen... 14-year vet reliever John Nelson is still going strong at age 40... Nelson is 65-53 with 166 saves and a sparkling 2.33 career ERA.

My Tycobbian South Forecast: I think The Islandian Times preseason poll nailed this division... the TU South should pretty much end up the way the sportswriters and scribes predicted.

Eugene Church 02-04-2013 09:05 PM
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, April 1, 2035

Dogfight In TU East Between Panthers And Blue Jays
Two old enemies are back at each other's throat in the Tycobbian East. It should be quite a dogfight between East Point Panthers and Tuckanarra Blue Jays before the dust settles. The pollsters in The Islandian Times preseason poll have named the Panthers a slight favorite over the Blue Jays. The rest of teams are given little chance of challenging for the pennant this year. Tuckanarra had a monstrous season with 98 victories in 2034 and handily won the pennant by a healthy margin. The Blue Jays are still a juggernaut, but the Panthers are expected to rebound from a disappointing third-place finish last year. They are still a gifted club that captured the division in 2031 and 2033. The Tucks took it in 2032 and 2034. Last year's runner-up Ozarka is rated the third-best team in the race with the Midway Wolves placed fourth in the standings. In the TU East second division will be the High Mesa Cowboys in the fifth slot, Hillsboro number six, Red Bluff seventh and South Fork eighth and last.

Poll Ranking/Team Name/2034 Record/Standings
1. East Point Panthers (80-74) (18 GB) 3rd Place
2. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (98-56) (--) * 1st Place
3. Ozarka Naturals (82-72) (16 GB) 2nd Place
4. Midway Wolves (78-76) (20 GB) 4th Place
5. High Mesa Cowboys (66-88) (32 GB) 6th Place
6. Hillsboro Blazers (59-95) (39 GB) 8th Place
7. Red Bluff Red Sox (71-83) (27 GB) 5th Place
8. South Fork Stallions (61-93) (37 GB) 7th Place

1. East Point Panthers (2.43 BA/3.21 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Dixie Brooks (17-15/3.16), Frank Blair (14-19/3.49), Jack Bolden (9-8/3.03) and Johnny Moore (6-7/2.36/15 saves)
Top Batters: 2B Tetsu Tanaka (.267/26 HR/69 RBI/79 R), 1B Jaxon Shatner (.253/29 HR/79 RBI/79 R), C Chris Cardinale (.263/25 HR/75 RBI/65 R), Ed Milstead (.274/18 HR/69 RBI/70 R) and SS Lanny Lansberry (.260/21 HR/56 RBI/66 R)
Comments: East Point still possesses a strong pitching staff... however Stephen Edwards (18-12/2.98) will be missing as he was traded to Denton City for a promising CF Alden Evans (.268/17 HR/75 RBI/56 R)... 20-year-old rookie Scotty Bentley is highly-rated, but will slowly be broken worked into the rotation... it was the bats that let them down last season... the Panthers still hit homers, but not much for average... they have no standout sticks... free agent Ricky Urbina (.291/7 HR/40 RBI/47 R) came over from Ranford (RU) and might help a little.

2. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (.288 BA/3.32 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Bobby Reid (25-8/2.59), Junior Bristow (21-13/3.23), Jeff Buttrum (17-9/3.03), Duke Mahoney (18-7/3.66), James Warner (12-5/2.39/12 saves), 31-year-old free agent Rudy Rosario (15-13/1.83) from Colfax (RU)
Top Batters: RF Spade Weldon (.323/17 HR/94 RBI/102 R), LF Lorne Evans (.331/39 HR/124 RBI/128 R/15 SB), C Paul Jackson (.316/16 HR/68 RBI/71 R), CF Pancho Villa (.299/28 HR/100 RBI/77 R), 1B Josh George (.273/23 HR/84 RBI/82 R)
Comments: The very good just got a lot better... the Tucks added free agent Rudy Rosario to its already fine staff... he led the IPA with a superb 1.83 ERA last season... the Blue Jays have it all... it's not secret they will do well this season... it should be a great pennant race with talented East Point.

3. Ozarka Naturals (.271 BA/3.75 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Glen Jenkins (18-12/2.97), Stan Carey (11-11/2.98/11 Saves), Teddy O'Shea (15-12/3.95), Leon Bernard (11-18/3.97)
Top Batters: CF Lonnie Gillespie (.319/8 HR/69 RBI/100 R/17 SB), 3B Jimmy Woods (.311/10 HR/90 RBI/59 R), 2B Jay Barbour (.284/7 HR/47 RBI/87 R/14 SB)
Comments: Nats need more offensive firepower to contend for pennant... pitching is pretty fair... not in the class of East Point and Tuckanarra.

4. Midway Wolves (.260 BA/3.77 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Bobby Dorignac (19-12/2.83), Cary Snead (20-12/3.08 ERA), Bobby Boy Wolf (9-6/3.41/6 saves)
Top Batters: 2B Albert Wherry (.294/30 HR/91 RBI/84 R), CF Yancey Tanner (.318/1 HR/55 RBI/76 R/38 SB)
Comments: Two quality starters in Dorignac and Snead, but they need a solid number three man in the rotation... Dorignac is headed for the HOF... in 14 seasons the 34-year-old is 262-175 with a terrific 2.77 ERA... at 31, Snead is going into this 12th year... lifetime he is 129-87 with a fine 3.15 ERA... they need to give free agent from Waleska (RU) Freddi Hahn a good shot at the number three spot... Hahn (1-0/4.50) was little used last year... he averaged 15 wins a year for Claxton (RU)... reliever Wolf will go into the starting rotation this year after an impressive rookie season in the bullpen... the Wolves have to score more runs, too... Midway is just a middle-of-the-road club.

5. High Mesa Cowboys (.253 BA/4.17 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Garret Danielson (10-16/4.17), Virgil Hasper (10-15/4.84)
Top Batters: C John Paul (.290/24 HR/62 RBI/49 R), LF Randy Williams (.279/23 HR/62 RBI/56 R)
Comments: Just a lackluster ball club, both in pitching and hitting... no top-notch players... they did sign a very good starter Dean Harris (15-18/3.35) from Kilkenny (RU)... Harris is 112-117 in 8 years in the IPA with a strong 2.95 ERA... the Cowpokes will remain in the second division of the TU East this year.

6. Hillsboro Blazers (.243 BA/4.49 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Freddy Berry (14-15/3.80), Ralph Quick (9-15/3.17), Russell McIntosh (12-17/4.18), free agent from Cold Creek (RU) Eddie Brasher (7-5/3.25/20 saves)
Top Batters: 1B Phillip Stafford (.295/19 HR/79 RBI/65 R), 2B Marty O'Reilly (.287/16 HR/80 RBI/75 R), LF Rhett Scarlett (.275/15 HR/68 RBI/64 R)
Comments: basically just a bad team with no hitting and no pitching to speak of... will finish near the bottom of the division again this year... the Blazers were deep in the cellar last year.

7. Red Bluff Red Sox (.261 BA/3.88 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Jimmy McMillan (20-13/3.05), reliever Dennis Austin (9-7/2.99/10 saves)
Top Batters: CF Ike Sweetwater (.309/29 HR/107 RBI/94 R), 2B Cody Hanks (.303/26 HR/84 RBI/71 R), 1B Garris Aiken (.262/23 HR/84 RBI/63 R), SS Fran Blanchard (.281/16 HR/60 RBI/76 R)
Comments: Red Sox have some power led by 24-year-old star Ike Sweetwater, Harris and Aiken, but comes up way short in the pitching department... McMillan is a solid starter at age 27... Red Bluff will be an also-ran again this season.

8. South Fork Stallions (.255 BA/4.48 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Tyrus Cobb (14-14/3.63), Alex Gillespie (12-20/3.41), Denny Sorvino (8-5/3.58)
Top Batters: RF Keenan O'Dwyer (.286/23 HR/83 RBI/87 R), SS Elton Jacoby (.283/19 HR/78 RBI/75 R/21 SB), CF Corbett Brooks (.259/24 HR/80 RBI/85 R)
Comments: Stallions have lousy pitching overall, but have three fair starters in Cobb, Gillespie and Sorvino... not much at the plate either... South Fork will be stuck in the second division again... future does not bode well for the Stallions.

My Tycobbian East Forecast: I think Tuckanarra will again capture the Tybobbian East flag for the second year in a row... The Tucks will outhit and outpitch East Point... the Panther bats are nowhere equal to the Blue Jay bats... in recent years Tuckanarra and East Point have alternated winning the pennant... but this year I think it goes to the Blue Jays, who are poised to win themselves another Pro Cup... it's been a decade since they won back-to-back IPA titles in 2023 and 2024... the Panthers will be second, followed the Midway Wolves in third place... rounding out the first division in the fourth spot will be the Ozarka Naturals, who have suspect hitting... Midway's mound staff will keep them in front of the Nats... there's no standout in the rest of the division... Red Bluff gets the nod for fifth place with its offense... give sixth to Hillsboro because of its pitching... High Mesa and Southport will battle it out for last place.

Eugene Church 02-06-2013 12:30 AM
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, April 1, 2035

Chicopee Top Choice In TU West
The Chicopee Braves were the best in the Tycobbian West last season and the baseball scribes have chosen them to win again in The Islandian Times preseason poll. And they expect them to do it again in easy fashion despite the overall strength of the division where six of the squads played .500 or better baseball. Chicopee is even better than last season when they won the pennant by 11 games. Second in the voting was the Arlon Champions, the third spot went to Denton City and in fourth place was Bay St. Clair. The Bayview Vikings were at the top of the second division team in fifth place with La Claire sixth, Kenwood seventh and Rolling Hills eighth.

Poll Ranking/Team/2034 Record/Standings
1. Chicopee Braves (96-58) (--) *Division Champion
2. Arlon Champions (68-86) (28 GB) 7th Place
3. Denton City Redbirds (79-75) (17 GB) 6th Place
4. Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (84-70) (12 GB) 3rd Place
5. Bayview Vikings (85-69) (11 GB) 2nd Place
6. La Claire Lynx (81-73) *15 G B) 5th Place
7. Kenwood Wildcats (82-72) (14 GB) 4th Place
8. Rolling Hills Reds (65-89) (21 GB) 8th Place

1. Chicopee Braves (.275 BA/3.62 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Kajika Fleetfoot (21-13/3.32), Heyoka Chaska (17-12/3.26), Ryan Ledbetter (18-10/3.49)
Top Batters: 1B-3B Kurt Gustavsen (.325/26 HR/109 RBI/92 R), LF Alfredo Cobos (.307/24 HR/110 RBI/77 R), 2B Todd Goodwin (.316/20 HR/83 RBI/82 R), CF Charley Kota (.283/27 HR/94 RBI/104 R), RF Nelson Hunter (.264/18/56 RBI/101 R/30 SB)
Comments: The Braves were strong last season at the plate... pitching was a little better-than-average in 2034... 31-year-old free agent from Grand City (RU) Vito Sanfratello (4-2/3.29) could make them ever better... Chicopee has its sights set squarely on the Pro Cup... the Braves came close last year, losing to IPA champ North Hills in seven games in the TU Final 4.

2. Arlon Champions (.248 BA/3.34 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Alex Beckner (14-12/2.75), Lacy Dalton (7-11/2.77), Ken Lawson (13-16/3.45)
Top Batters: RF Mark Cameron (.277/25 HR/70 RBI/70 R), C Paco Diaz (.305/6 HR/59 RBI/60 R), 28-year-old free agent from Bayview 2B Todd Benson (.264/6 HR/50 RBI/89 R/12 SB), 35-year-old free agent from Bayview LF Tandy Connery (.291/28 HR/79 RBI/78 R)
Comments: Analysts think Champs' pitching and batting are much improved over last year... Lacy Dalton will get full season in the rotation... plus rookie John Hillburn arrives with great potential... Connery will add some good punch to the batting order... and Benson is an excellent gloveman and a good contact hitter.

3. Denton City Redbirds (.278 BA/4.48 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Francisco Salcido (19-10/3.92), 26-year-old free agent from Crystal Lake Denny Mills (22-13/3.35), 28-year-old free agent from East Point Stephen Edwards (18-12/2.98 ERA)
Top Batters: RF Kenny Kuebler (.335/21 HR/86 RBI/94 R), 1B Barry McKnight (.290/33 HR/92 RBI/72 R), 3B Dominique Raynaud (.267/19 HR/64 RBI/78 R)
Comments: Adding star pitchers like Mills and Edwards greatly improves the Redbirds... combined with good hitting and a strong bench elevates Denton City to the first division of the Tycobbian West... but not in the same league with Chicopee this year.

4. Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (.260 BA/3.32 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Jim McBride (25-10/2.34) won Golden Arm in 2034, John Karlsen (20-11/2.81)
Top Batters: CF Cotton Cornwall (.316/27 HR/87 RBI/70 R), 3B Bailey Holmsworth (.299/17 HR/50 RBI/38 R), RF Milt Powers (.252/19 HR/93 RBI/81 R), 2B Terry Adams (.299/16 HR/62 RBI/53 R)
Comments: two excellent starters like McBride and Karlsen and pretty fair offense makes the Bucs a first-division contender.

5. Bayview Vikings (.264 BA/3.46 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Sam Dunbar (11-8/3.09), Christy Lane (14-11/3.14), Chris Landry (14-6/3.96) and Joaquin Lima (15-15/3.65)
Top Batters: 2B Jerry Culpepper (.284/45 HR/113 RBI/82 R), 1B Claude Kingston (.272/36 HR/86 RBI/84 R), 3B Marius Lokken (.299/33 HR/86 RBI/82 R), LF Roy Ricks (.269/30 HR/81 RBI/93 R/18 SB), RF Cleve Belton (.261/21 HR/64 RBI/67 R), 27-year-old free agent from Sugar Valley 1B Giles Butler (.288/27 HR/70 RBI/73 R)
Comments: Very impressive power with four decent starters makes the Vikings a viable first-division challenger, too... could finish as high as second place.

6. La Claire Lynx (.253 BA/3.10 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Rance Raymond (21-9/2.13), Pat Kovacs (16-14/3.14), Mac Jackson (7-7/2.78/10 saves), Angelo Rossi (16-17/3.41)
Top Batters: 3B Jarrod O'Neal (.275/23 HR/58 RBI/80 R), SS Harmon Brewster (.285/15 HR/64 RBI/53 R), CF Andy Tibbett (.282/5 HR/49 RBI/84 R/27 SB)
Comments: Deep mound corps top to bottom, led by stars Raymond and Kovacs, but lacks scoring... still will challenge for first division.

7. Kenwood Wildcats (.297 BA/3.68 ERA)
Top Pitchers: Freddy Gooch (17-14/3.59), Claude Watson (17-13/3.91), Lee Dixon (13-15/3.51), Doug Kirkpatrick (14-16/3.70)
Top Batters: 3B Koora Nawajuk (.282/21 HR/85 RBI/90 R), RF Pettis Pentleton (.315/18 HR/73 RBI/82 R), LF Rodney Harrison (.281/14 HR/50 RBI/83 R), 1B Glen Carraway (.381/16 HR/66 RBI/54 R), CF Cal Copeland (.305/16 HR/49 RBi/42 R)
Comments: Excellent contact hitting, but not much power... fair starting rotation... has a shot at the first division.

8. Rolling Hills Reds (.281 BA/4.62 ERA)
Top Pitchers: 31-year-old free agent from Far Mountain Jakob Wagner (20-12/2.77), 34-year-old free agent from Wynnamac (RU) Kevin Meeks (9-2/2.25)
Top Batters: LF Scotty Yiska (.295/32 HR/63 RBI/97 R), 1B Angelo Nardone (.299/20 HR/83 RBI/62 R), CF Jason Garrett (.294/9 HR/69 RBI/84 R/14 SB), C Stan Ellis (.278/18 HR/67 RBI/75 R), RF Carroll Candy (.361/2 HR/26 RBI/22 R)
Comments: Reds are not the powerhouse they used to be... the last two seasons have been bad and another is looming on the horizon unless free agents Wagner and Meeks come through for them... Reds have a good offense, but they need more than two good pitchers... might finish near the bottom of the TU West for a second year in a row.

My Tycobbian West Forecast:
Hands down, dominant Chicopee will win the TU West pennant... tight battle between Bayview Vikings, Bay St. Clair Buccaneers and Denton City Redbirds for the runner-up spot... I'll go with the Viks because of the powerful offense and quality four-man starting rotation... the Buccaneers will be third... they need better #3 and #4 starters... and the Redbirds will round out the first division in the fourth spot because of its improved pitching to go along with a good offense... the Kenwood Wildcats will beat out Arlon for fifth place... La Claire will be seventh in the standings and Rolling Hills will suffer another last place finish.

Eugene Church 02-06-2013 08:07 PM
I am currently working on filling up my reserve rosters.

About halfway through the 64 teams.

Season 35 will be coming up in a few days.

Eugene Church 02-09-2013 06:14 PM
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, June 20, 2035

Sports On Top In RU North At All-Star Break
The LaGrange Sports have snuck past Far Mountain and Kilkenny to rest atop the Ruthlandian North at the All-Star break... the Sports lead them both by 4 games with Taranto ranked fourth and 7 games off the pace... LaGrange has been consistently good with solid starting pitching and explosive bats... Chazz Bassett (10-5/3.00), Ryan Janssen (9-7/3.54), Jaime Pedroza (6-0/3.72) and Walt Thurber (8-7/3.44) head up the mound staff... at the plate the Sports are paced by CF Russell Watkins (.277/13/52/38), 3B Claude DesJardins (.277/17/53/50), 1B Chris Charbonnier (.276/12/41/39) and rookie RF Charles Bacque (.272/10/29/43)... free agent from Colchester (TU) 2B Norm Petitjohn (.323/8/25/27) has been a good addition to the lineup... LaGrange has a .271 team BA (5th) with 89 homers (4th).

Preseason favorite Far Mountain has had wonderful pitching with a 2.69 team ERA (1st), but sure could use some bats... the Redhawk rotation has been sensational with Jeff Cooper (8-8/1.98), Chad Cummings (5-8/2.18), Dennis Sasek (8-5/2.84) and Frankie Moreland (8-8/2.95), but suffers from a lack of scoring... the most reliable hitters are CF Wes Wernstedt (.325/2/30/47), 2B Axel Bauer (.299/9/33/37) and 1B Johnny Burrell (.280/7/32/22).

The Kilkenny Cats are in the same boat as Far Mountain... they have good pitching, but little offense... All-Star Dave Whitaker (13-3/2.14) is having a monstrous season and carries the club... James Crockett (8-4/3.66) and Dave Stafford (6-6/3.54) are dependable starters... the top-ranked relief corps is a big plus, too, with its 2.07 ERA... only reliable bats are 3B Leevi Viru (.269/9/42/37) and C Bailey Wooten (.284/6/30/31).

Picked to finished near the bottom again, the downtrodden Taranto Tars have shot up from the cellar to fourth place this year with a high-powered attack, sparked by All-Star C Angelo Rossi (.282/24/49/50)... Rossi leads the IPA in homers... the Tars have gone deep 93 times and are tied with Sugar Valley (RU East) for second place... Middlefield (RU West) is tops with 101 HRs... other offense comes from CF Alonzo Venacio (.283/10/34/33), RF Rhett Gentry (.280/10/32/33), LF Wes Marlowe (.250/13/39/38) and 2B Scotty McNeill (.287/0/18/40).

Valmara is fifth... Janek Zoldak (7-3/3.38/4 saves), J. B. Boutin (8-9/3.26) and Garry Gronek (8-10/3.89) are the top pitchers... rookie 3B Janek Jakubek (.288/10/41/41) has been a pleasant surprise... vet LF Benny Hooper (.268/11/39/41) and 1B Pat Sautier (.282/11/38/41) have also chipped in some offense.

Glasco is sixth in the standings... staff is led by Zee Higgins (9-8/2.83) and Basil Newchurch (9-8/3.51)... the only threat in the batting order is long-time veteran 1B Kees Draeger (.280/12/43/20).

The next-to-last Ranford Bulls have two solid pitchers in All-Star Rube Satcher (11-6/2.33) and future HOF-er Duncan Welch (8-7/3.08), still quite a pitcher at age 41... Welch came over as a free agent this year from St. John (RU)... 3B Alex Vanno (.267/17/49/53), LF Tytus Zysk (.310/10/33/25) and rookie 3B Joey Gompers (.295/9/29/33) supply what little offense the Bulls have.

Basement-ridden Ancona has very little talent... Giannis Bakas (9-6/3.70) is the best of the pitchers... and SS Tommy Richardson (.288/7/29/27) and CF Carl Trent (.264/8/25/33) are the best run producers.

RU North Forecast: Looks like it's definitely LaGrange's year... the Sports are well-balanced with good arms, good bats and good power... it should be their third RU North flag in four seasons... Far Mountain should hang around with its impressive mound corps and come in second... Kilkenny and Taranto will battle it out for third place... we favor the Cats' pitching over the Tars' bats.

Eugene Church 02-11-2013 01:33 AM
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, June 19, 2035

What A Season For Waleska! Tops RU South!
Fortunately for the Waleska Westerners they have not lived up to their preseason billing- they were picked to finish near the bottom in the Ruthlandian South - much to the surprise of many sportswriters, the Westerners have taken charge and have a pretty confortable 7-game lead at the mid-year mark... Waleska was one of two teams given little chance of contending for the division crown... everyone else besides Valka figured to be in the running... after the Westerners, five teams are closely bunched... St. John is in the number two spot... San Dimas is third, 8 games back... Claxton is fourth and 9 games out... with Grand City and Belair Beach trailing by 11 and tied for the fifth spot in the standings... Valka and Crystal Lake are deadlocked in the basement and 15 games behind in the race.

Waleska was fifth last season with an 81-73 mark, good for fifth place... they have markedly improved on the hill with two standout starters and sufficient arms in the number three and four spots in the rotation... All-Star Terry Richards (11-3/2.58) and Craig Nash (9-7/2.38) have been rock solid with good support from Vern Bass (8-6/3.61) and Tony Haskell (8-5/3.94)... the Westerners are also the class of the division at the plate with the All-Star bats of LF Loco Dillinger (.313/18/52/38) and RF Niles Gregory (.326/10/42/40)... rookie CF Jon Lassiter (.335/3/30/48) had come on like gangbusters in his first season... 2B Dorak Aranda (.266/9/34/31) and 2B Monty McMurtry (.319/3/29/46) have done their part, too... 33-year-old free agent C Tony Brinkerhoff (.252/7/34/36) has also chipped in extra punch in the batting order.

The St. John Crusaders have adequate pitching, but are lacking in offense... heading up the hurlers are Jeremy Kirk (8-5/2.72), Mac Shaw (9-2/3.39), 30-year-old free agent from Ginza (TU) Ryuji Kaneko (4-4/3.65) and spot starter Raydon Burks (5-5/2.84/8 saves)... however, the big difference in this year and last is Nelson Hawthorne, who has floundered badly with a 4-7 record and a horrendous 6.06 ERA... Hawthorne was 17-14 in 2034... RF Nicky Farrugia (.290/11/53/39) and 3B Marty Blankenship (.282/12/42/28) are best Crusader bats... and rookie CF Gilbert Hall (.291/2/26/33) has shown well so far.

The third place San Dimas Rancheros have been dismal at bat in the first half of the season, down considerably from last year... second-year man 3B Leonard Purkey (.338/5/32/25) easily tops the club in average... CF Klaus Stordahl (.277/11/38/41) is the most reliable run producer... Gregg Hughes (11-5/4.35) is the biggest winner, but has a high ERA... he has benefitted from good run support in his starts, while Zack Dowdle (7-9/3.18) has suffered from lack of runs.

Fourth place Claxton is just a run-of-mill team... starter Tommy Brothers (8-5/3.33) is the only one having a good year... only middle reliever Hector Vargas (3-0/2.01) has looked good in the bullpen... rookie phenom LF Foxy Fuchs (.353/12/29/33) has really blistered the ball since moving into the lineup... 32-year-old free agent and star C Kyle Hunt (.281/3/31/24) has been a big plus for the Diamonds and made the All-Star squad for his eighth time... CF Ken Brennan (.290/3/25/41) and SS Stevie Wynn (.295/2/30/34) have also contributed offensively... stalwarts RF Ivan Krause (.238/8/29/29) and 1B Alekos Kotas (.260/8/19/24) have struggled at the plate this year... Claxton needs them to get hot in the second half.

The Grand City Cybercats are tied for fifth with the Belair Beach Sunbirds... both are five games under .500 at the All-Star break and have been big disappointments... in the opening half of the season neither looked like the contenders they were forecast to be... The Cybercats got 33-year-old free agent Ron Oates (7-4/2.10/4 saves) from San Alejo (TU) and he has prospered in the RU... recently he was elevated to the number three starter after doing well in the bullpen... 28-year-old free agent from High Mesa (TU) Doug Hansack (8-8/3.71) is holding his own in the new league... Mason Dodd (6-5/3.09) has done well in his sophomore season so far... the relief corps is a major problem, especially after Oates was promoted to starter... the Claxton bats are decent and led by RF Thomas Hall (.318/30/28), rookie 1B Benny Hull (.294/10/21/24) and 34-year-old free agent from Kenwood (TU) SS Jan Kessinger (.306/1/22/18).

Belair Beach has declined this year mainly because of the sub-par seasons of starters Todd Clyman (4-8/3.43) and Joel Gregg (5-9/4.14)... last year they were mainstays... Clyman was 17-12 and Gregg was 19-17... the Sunbirds would certainly be in the thick of things in the RU South if Clyman and Gregg had not fallen off win-wise... on the hand the other two starters Stefan Zeeman (10-8/2.62) and Kerstan Mak (9-5/2.92) have been impressive... offensively rookie 3B Jason Butler (.299/13/52/36) has been a real jewel... vets LF Bobby Meusel (.283/9/29/40) and SS Johnny Wofford (.294/9/24/30) have also chipped in some offense.

The big question in the IPA is what happened to the Crystal Lake Crushers?... last year they were within one win of the Pro Cup trophy... this year they are cellar-dwellers along with the hapless Valka Blackhawks... not much has gone right for Crystal Lake this year... first, ace Denny Mills (22-13) went to Denton City (TU) in free agency, which was a huge loss... then the offense went south to make this a miserable season for the Crushers... big guns 1B Big Sam Takota (.273/5/37/38), SS Mackie Cummings (.246/10/50/38) and RF Pat Dillon (.274/2/23/32) were all .300 hitters last year... this year they are a combined 196 points below last year's averages... 2034 mound stalwarts Arnie Cason (7-8/4.26) and Douglas Merrill (4-10/4.82) are also having dismal seasons... Cason posted a 21-7 mark last year and Merrill was 16-16.

Valka has been on a terrible run now for the last seven seasons with three sixth-place finishes, two times in last, one time in seventh place, and now possible another eighth-place finish... for the third successive year the mound corps has been atrocious... no team can win with a 4.67 ERA... veteran Teddy Lem (7-7/4.70) is the best of the lot... leading the way at the plate is All-Star 1B Bobby Scott (.341/11/38/30), now in just his second season... RF Kenny Mitzusaka (291/7/48/28) has also stood out, along with C Marti Kallasmaa (.308/6/26/32)... stars 2B Mikk Kukk (.252/6/24/50) and SS Olari Ojastu (.288/8/23/24) both have struggled this year in the first half.

Splitter24 02-11-2013 02:29 PM
Eugene, this epic has grown even more epic! I seem to recall you had a player in your universe name Kelly Holmes, Jr. based on the old time player in the story I had made up for the Cold Creek Catamounts in your original Islandian league. Is he playing/retired in this one? If so, how did he do? :)

Eugene Church 02-11-2013 10:50 PM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Splitter24 (Post 3444448)
Eugene, this epic has grown even more epic! I seem to recall you had a player in your universe name Kelly Holmes, Jr. based on the old time player in the story I had made up for the Cold Creek Catamounts in your original Islandian league. Is he playing/retired in this one? If so, how did he do? :)
Your Cold Creek town creation was one of my favorites. T. Kelly Holmes was an old-time star in the amateur days of Cold Creek baseball, who later became the first manager of the IPA Catamounts. His son, Kelly, Jr., never played pro ball, but T. Kelly Holmes III did. He played center field for his granddad and had a wonderful career. In fact, Trip Holmes was one of my favorite players. I would pull for him to do well every season and was sad when he retired. He later replaced his grandfather as manager of the Catamounts, but only had modest success. "Trip" was short for Triple. He played for 17 seasons. Trip was a 4-time All-Star and 2-time Golden Glover.

The fans continued the tradition of yelling "T.... K... Ho" when Trip would come to bat, just like they did for his grandfather in the amateur leagues. They would also use it to start a Catamount rally, too.

Eugene Church 02-11-2013 11:07 PM
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Trip's son, T. K. Holmes IV also played for Cold Creek, but did not do as well as his father.

He went by the name of Teke, a nickname formed from the sounds of the letters T and K.

Note that Teke did have a decent season with Crystal Lake in 2034 and played in the playoffs. Crystal Lake was runner-up to North Hills for the IPA title. They lost in a seven-game series. Teke batted .292 in 18 playoff game that year.

He is still hanging on in the IPA as a benchwarmer for the Belair Beach Sunbirds at age 28.

Eugene Church 02-11-2013 11:13 PM
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

Elnora Mid-Way Leader In RU East
Playing at a torrid pace, the Elnora All-Stars have built up a four-game bulge over Sugar Valley at the All-Star break in the Ruthlandian East pennant chase... in third place and trailing by 7 games are the Cold Creek Catamounts... rounding out the first division in the fourth spot are the defending champion Eastshore, 11 games out... six of the eight clubs boast a winning record... in fact the other two teams are very close to the .500 mark... Wynnamac is 13 games back of Elnora in fifth place... Marston is 14 behind in sixth, Beechwood is 15 off the pace in seventh and Belle Plaine is last, 16 games behind the leader.

First place Elnora is playing almost .700 baseball at mid-season... top performers on the hill are Stan Kivas (12-3/3.21), All-Star Paul Martina (7-2/1.56/9 saves), Dan Pitts (11-5/3.46), Jeremy Sellers (8-5/3.01) and Jesus Robles (10-6/3.87)... at the plate it's All-Star SS James Couch (.322/7/52/47), CF Clive Kenyon (.364/8/33/38), C Jan Kobak (.339/3/333/27), LF Clint Thomas (.304/4/31/31) and 2B Akihiro Samurakami (.279/5/32/38) leading a solid core of hitters... Elnora picked up Kenyon and Kobak in trades with White River and Turon, both of the Tycobbian Union... so far the All-Stars have rolled up the most victories in the IPA.

The Sugar Valley Rattlers stocked up well in the off-season and really made themselves into a contender... the Rattlers are the highest-scoring team in the IPA... 5 players made the All-Star squad... CF Bobby Gamble (.335/16/55/63) is having an MVP season... LF Tyler White (.248/21/67/52) never hits for average, but he is a run-driving-in machine... youthful and budding star 1B Roger Hobbs (.288/7/48/49) was a free agent pickup from Waleska... all three made the All-Star team, along with pitchers Jeremy Blanchard (10-2/3/29) and Jergen Fyelstad (11-5/3.52)... Juan Navarro (10-6/3.93) has done well, too... Fyelstad was signed as a free agent... last year he played for Bayview (TU)... 34-year-old free agent from High Mesa (TU) C Frankie Testaverde (.275/13/54/32) has been quite productive and a solid defender.

As usual it's the offense that holds back the third-place Cold Creek Catamounts... but they do have the pitching with J. J. Gillespie (10-6/2.24), Pete Heller (7-2/2.46) and Jules Capet (8-4/2.95)... Gillespie has been the RU Golden Arm winner the past two seasons... Capet, age 33, came over from Ancona as free agent... CF Guy St. Laurent (.274/13/49/44) is the top bat with help from 3B Maska Chandler (.283/7/33/36) and 2B Morten Jonassen (.323/3/23/32).

Last year's division winner Eastshore stumbled out of the gate with a poor April and now they find themselves 11 games back of leading Elnora... it may be tough to catch the All-Stars... the Elegants are still a first-rate ball club with stars like CF Scotty Lagrange (.330/18/41/53) and RF Neil Richard (.326/10/53/28) in the batting order... last year Lagrange won the MVP and Golden Bat awards... other standouts are All-Star 2B Johnny Petrak (.304/7/28/46), LF Kelly Chamberlain (.279/14/31/51) and 30-year-old rookie 1B Paul Reed (.315/9/38/28)... Eastshore is strong on the mound, too, with Randy Boone (9-6/2.04), Koy Clampett (11-6/3.00) and Ramon Contreras (9-7/3.88).

The fifth-place Wynnamac Sundowners also had a poor April like Eastshore... only Killara Bardo (10-5/2.99) has done the job on the mound... vets Jeremy Vincent (5-8/4.05) and Jason Meeks (3-1/6.40) have struggled... the Sundowners have very little in the batter's box as well... star RF Allen Dundee is hitting only .222, but has 13 homers and 42 RBIs... 2B Ed Lane (.289/4/32/40), 1B Mick Saunders (.284/9/37/39) and 3B Lou Borcellino (.304/4/27/30) have been decent bats.

The Marston Nine are in the sixth spot in the RU East, but are still a game over .500... the division is probably the best in the IPA... 25-game winner Pat Brown has had a rocky season with a 5-11 mark and a poor 4.71 ERA... All-Star closer Jimbo McGinnity (4-0/1.41/11 saves), Kris Delaney (6-4/3.10) and Terry Bailey (7-4/3.42) have been the best moundsmen... 1B Marco Ameche (.291/12/34/34) has been the most reliable hitter with some help from 2B Lonnie Trekell (.273/12/42/28) and RF Warren Cleveland (.256/12/30/36)... Marston only has modest pitching and batting.

Record-wise the Beechwood Bobcats are just one game short of breaking even... the seventh-place Bobcats could definitely use some offense, but do have dependable pitching with veterans Joey Powers (6-5/2.53), Maury Patterson (8-8/3.29), Ken Arby (7-9/3.52)... scoring runs, however, is another a problem... CF Howie Baldwin (.222/17/43/45) and RF Eddie Wilson (.271/14/33/30) are the primary bats with help from 1B Kelly Hardison (.286/5/38/30) and 2B Leonard Mason (.244/9/33/44).

The last-place Belle Plaine Musketeers suffer from a severe lack of pitching, but they can score runs, sparked by All-Stars CF Noel Martin (.345/12/41/45) and 2B Carl Bentley (.302/8/50/37)... SS Don Rodgers (.280/13/38/47) also has some punch in his bat... and 3B Kit Ritter (.290/5/23/40) has been a pretty fair stick, too... the only hurler of any note is Leon Lacombe, who has posted an impressive 11-7 record with a 3.41 ERA.

RU East Forecast: Elnora should take the title in a two-way contest with Sugar Valley... Eastshore will make a second-half run, but will fall short and wind up third... Cold Creek will be fourth, the Cats just don't hit very well... the other four clubs are pretty even, but not on par with the first-division group.

Eugene Church 02-12-2013 10:19 PM
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

5-Team Logjam In RU West, V's Lead At Halfway Mark
The Ruthlandian West was wide-open at the beginning of the 2035 season and it's still anybody's race halfway through the year... last year's division winner Volusia has a very slight one-game lead over Colfax... Sligo and Forest City are tied for third, just 2 games off the pace... at the top of the second division is fifth place Fort Benton, trailing by only 3 games... in sixth and 6 games back are the Rocky Rapids Snappers... Middlefield is seventh and 12 behind... and the Stoner Stars are 15 out in last place.

Contrary to predictions - scribes picked them last in the preseason poll - the Volusia Vigilantes are still a team to contend with in the RU West... the V's have an explosive attack, led by All-Star 3B Antonio Diaz (.320/17/43/58), All-Star rookie LF Felipe Henriques (.336/5/41/43), rookie sensation 1B Jojo DeLucca (.294/13/52/47), CF Ernesto Andujar (.300/9/42/39) and C Tubby Tarkanian (.266/10/39/32)... however, Volusia is horrific on the hill... only Fabio Medeiros (8-3/3.95) has done well so far.

The Colfax Blasters are also doing better than expected... they were ranked seventh in The Islandian Times preseason poll, but find themselves in the runner-up spot at mid-season... the Blasters were seventh in 2034... Ron Paige (11-7/3.64) and Randell Perkins (8-5/3.63) are the most dependable starters... Colfax has a solid bullpen with Jack Scanlon (1-2/1.11/9 saves) and Bobby Porter (4-5/2/64/4 saves) leading the way... the most productive bats belong to 3B Caleb McAvoy (.324/17/48/52) and RF Dom DeJohnette (.370/7/23/24).

Forest City was forecast to be in the race this year... the Lumberjacks were the second choice to Fort Benton in the preseason rankings... Walter Gibbons (10-5/4.13) and Jeff Watford (9-8/3.77) are the staff leaders with Frank Dennis (3-2/2.72/4 saves) heading a strong bullpen... the limited offensive sparks are coming from C Bob Brisdon (.312/16/50/37) and LF Chuck Kramer (.267/12/36/35).

The Sligo Rovers are coming off a lousy year... they finished in the RU West basement in 2034... in a good turnaround the Rovers are tied for third this season... improved pitching gets the credit... All-Star Tom Pierson (10-7/2.70) and Loris Plooster (8-5/2.70) are the top winners... All-Star Vasco Aguilar (.313/15/53/37) and 2B Neil Mitchell (.274/6/26/44) have put up the best numbers so far.

The Fort Benton Defenders are the preseason favorite in the RU South, but the going has been tough in the first half, but they have shown signs in June that they may indeed challenge for the flag by year's end... 23-game winner Augie Marquis (11-5/2.10) is again the team's ace, helped out by Chris Calsworth (8-8/3.79)... what the Defenders need is a solid number three starter and improved run scoring to contend... the most reliable bats are LF Darrell Daly (.309/6/36/26), rookie RF Rod Myerson (.316/6/33/30) and rookie SS Mitch Hamilton (.298/1/26/39).

The Rocky Rapids Snappers are just ordinary on the mound and at the plate... Paulie Pieroni (7-8/3.28) and Johnny Griffin (5-7/3.65) lead the staff and John Young (1-1/0.98/4 saves) is a solid reliever... the best run producers are All-Star SS Kelvin Cassidy (.358/6/41/31), 2B Dwight Dickey (.313/1/21/33) and CF Billy Gray (.305/6/25/29)... Dickey is a free agent from San Alejo and Gray came from Southport.

After last year's second-place finish, the Middlefield Roosters were poised to be in the thick of the pennant battle this year... however, it been the exact opposite, the Roosters have faltered badly... their pitching has been absolutely lousy with a 5.87 ERA... Middlefield still possesses a good offense, paced by All-Star C Brad Alexander (.280/22/53/37), All-Star SS Kenny Johnston (.320/4/36/51), 1B Cliff Patterson (.321/18/31/31) and RF Yank Quinlan (.338/12/33/28).

The Stoner Stars have been a huge disappointment, too... they were selected third in the preseason poll, but now find themselves deep in the cellar at mid-year... only youthful Jorge Metaxis (4-4/2.53/3 saves) has done well on the mound... not much at the plate, either... the best of the lot are CF Don Cain (.306/3/21/35), 1B Fletch Fowler (.319/6/20/18) and 3B T. C. Steele (.292/6/30/21).

Ruthlandian West Forecast:
None of the team in the division are very strong... Volusia won it last year with its impressive hitting and will probably do it again... the preseason choice Fort Benton with its fairly good pitching could give the Vigilantes a run for their money, but no one else looks like they are good enough to challenge... Forest City, Colfax, Rocky Rapids and Sligo will be in the running for third place... Middlefield and Stoner can write off the year right now.

Eugene Church 02-14-2013 12:38 AM
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

Favored Frogs Up By 5 In TU North
So far the scribes in The Islandian Times preseason poll are looking good in the Tycobbian North... their top pick, the Fairfax Frogs, are up by 5 games at the season's mid-point over North Hills, which won the IPA Pro Cup last year... Mahaska, which finished in last place last season and was last in the preseason poll, is surprising tied for second place ... the Hartsdale Hellcats have fourth place to themselves and trail by 7 games... topping out the second division are the Luxora Zorros in fifth, 10 games off the pace... White River is in the sixth spot in the standings and 11 games back of the Frogs... Oxford is 14 games behind and in seventh, while Blue Lake is pulling up the rear in the basement, 15 games out.

Fairfax is a well-rounded club with solid bats and better-than-average pitching... the Frogs have won pennants in two of the last three years... last year they were in fourth place... Fairfax has three All-Stars: pitcher Jay Barajas (12-4/2.22), CF Michael Hudson (.287/9/43/55) and 1B Max Lebowitz (.304/8/35/45/42)... other top bats are 2B John Velasco (.272/14/48/44), LF Eric Kusek (.307/3/35/45), C Brian Davis (.307/4/33/26) and 3B Jim McDermott (.260/8/43/35)... Steven McLeod (7-7/3.33) and Harold Dorman (.7-5/3.97) are the number two and three starters... Dudley Dickens (3-0/0.73/2 saves) heads up the bullpen.

Last year the North Hills Hawks went all the way and captured the first Pro Cup in the team's history and they are still intact this season and hoping to defend their IPA crown... downgraded to sixth in the preseason poll, the Hawks have ignored it, though they had a bad April, going 12-15 and falling 7 games behind Fairfax... for the last two months they have played a tad better, 28-18, than the first-place Frogs, 26-20... North Hills has more depth on the mound than Fairfax with David Michael (8-6/3.01), Nelson Hooper (8-5/2/43), Jeff Owens (10-6/3.41) and Kyle Oliver (3-2/3.19)... but the Hawks may not be quite as good as the Frogs in the batter's box... All-Star LF Adam Thurgood (.352/19/55/46) is even better than he was last year when he hit .325 with 35 homers and 114 RBIs... freshmen RF Gerry Rice (.340/2/15/30) has been a pleasant surprise, along with second-year 1B Ric Hamilton (.280/7/38/25)... 3B Dean O'Donnell (.256/9/35/35), C Mikhail Romanovsky (.260/6/29/43), CF Ronnie Guillaume (.294/10/30/29) and 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.303/4/17/17) have added run support, too.

The Mahaska Haymakers were ranked eighth and last in the preseason poll, yet they got off to a great start the first month (18-9), but have come back to earth and dipped since... hitting is the Haymakers' sore point... they have very little in the way of power... rookie SS Rocco Bertara (.309/1/24/23) leads the club in average... there isn't much after him... but Mahaska has a quality mound corps with Valente Viero (10-6/3.42), Mark Pennington (10-7/3.41) and Greg Douglas (8-8/3.32)... which may help them make the first division this season... the Haymakers will not be a serious challenge to Fairfax and North Hills.

Pitching is the forte of the fourth-place Hartsdale Hellcats with the likes of Lou Chylak (9-6/2.45), Eric Isenhart (9-7/2.63), Freddie Whitaker (3-2/2.80) and Wayne Dawson (6-8/2.93)... give them some runs on the scoreboard and they could rival Fairfax and North Hills... but the poor offense will hold them back from title contention... it's hard to win when the team BA is only .245 (23rd)... top producers are CF Joe McGarrett (.270/12/41/36) and SS Johnny Gentry (.259/10/31/34).

Fifth-place Luxora doesn't hit very well, but has two quality starters in All-Star Kent Halloran (8-1/1.03) and Benny DeVito (7-6/3.77)... RF Manuelo Betencourt (.301/8/36/28), rookie 3B Tiago Chaves (.261/9/35/33), 1B Gerry Hathaway (.268/14/34/35) and SS Woody Jackson (.247/11/36/32) are the most reliable run producers.

The White River Rascals battled North Hills tooth-and-nail last year before losing out by a scant 2 games... this year the baseball prognosticators pegged them third behind Fairfax and Oxford, but it hasn't worked out that way, primarily because the Rascals are hitting near the Mendoza line at a very feeble .219 this season... they just might be the worst hitting team in the annals of the IPA... Luxora hold the TU record with a .228 in 2023... the worst in history belongs to the Kilkenny Cats of the Ruthlandian Union, who batted only .221 for the season in 2027... CF Hal Littleton (.307/5/15/31) is tops in average, while 1B Davey Sloan (.227/12/47/25) is tops in homers and RBIs... the Rascals lost two quality batters, All-Star 3B Koora Nawajuk (.311/7/36/29) to Kenwood and budding CF Clive Kenyon (.364/8/33/38) in a trade with Elnora for pitcher Lucien Vashon... it's a shame the fine starting rotation gets so very little run support... Lucien Vashon (10-4/2.59), Kenny Nikas (7-10/2.77), Paul Sartini (4-8/2.95) and Davey Johnston (4-4/2.90) are as good as any starting foursome in the IPA, yet they are in sixth place and 11 games behind leading Fairfax.

Mainly because of its potent power and offense, the seventh-place Oxford Red Caps were expected to be a first-division club this season, ranking as high as second place in the preseason poll... thus far, it hasn't happened as the offense has flopped when the team BA fell 20 points from .271 to .251... the Red Caps still go deep and are leading the Tycobbian Union with 97 dingers, topped only by Middlefield in the RU West with 116... only All-Star 1B Kerry Sterling (.290/16/44/41) and SS Boyd Olsen (.288/11/39/31) are having good years at the plate, but nothing like last year when they totaled 35 and 38 homers respectively and drove in 200 runs... CF Dalton Ward has the club home-run lead with 17, but is batting only .222 for average... pitching is improved quite a bit this season with Mario Lopez (10-6/2.96) and Kent McKinley (8-8/3.95) the staff leaders.

The drought continues in Blue Lake for the fourth year in a row... the Blue Sox were seventh in 2032 and 2034 and last in 2033... they are resting deep in the cellar this season at the All-Star hiatus, 15 games behind first-place Fairfax... the only star performers are All-Star pitcher Frankie Quinn (9-3/2.23) and All-Star SS Joe Korman (.280/6/39/54)... leading the offense are LF Jack Ryan (.328/2/33/44), 3B Matt Thompson (.298/6/38/32) and C Ben Banyon (.288/7/44/32).

Tycobbian North Forecast: in a close race, Pro Cup champ North Hills will overtake Fairfax in the second half and take a shot at another Pro Cup title... the Hawks' pitching will be the difference... Hartsdale will beat out Mahaska for third place with White River right on their tails in fifth, if the Rascals get some offense... Oxford's offense might perk up and move past Luxora for sixth place... Blue Lake will be in the basement again.

Eugene Church 02-15-2013 10:42 PM
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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

San Alejo Blowout In TU South
The San Alejo Montaneros are blowing through the Tycobbian South like a hurricane, demolishing all opposition at the halfway mark of the season... the Monties lead the IPA with 51 victories, good enough to be 11 games in front of the runner-up Turon Typhoons and Colchester Elites... Arroyo Grande is in the fourth spot in the standings to round out the first division... topping the TU South second division are the Summerland Sunsets in fifth place, 14 games back... Cape Coral is 18 games out and in sixth... followed by seventh-place Southport, 21 games behind, and Ginza in last place, trailing by 23... San Alejo is the defending champion and appears to be headed for its third pennant in the last four seasons.

San Alejo has magnificent pitching with a 2.66 team ERA (1st), the best in the IPA... All-Star Johnny Brown (14-3/2.06) tops the rotation, but has plenty of help from All-Star Clete Lawson (11-7/2.84), Tommy Smith (9-5/2.61) and Ollie Olivares (5-1/2.05/4 saves)... All-Star closer Frank Jankowski (2-1/1.16/7 saves) is the bullpen leader... the Montaneros don't hit for much average, but they can hit with power and score well... 30-year-old All-Star RF Gilberto Duarte (.332/21/62/46) has really burst on the scene and carried the club with some help from CF Dusty Rogan (.282/11/43/33), C Steve Daniels (.247/18/36/39) and 32-year-old rookie SS Sancho Cruz (.253/11/33/33)... the Montaneros are primed for another run at the Pro Cup... they won it in 2032 and forced IPA champ North Hills to seven games last season in the first round.

Turon has some impressive pitching, too, but not quite on par with San Alejo... Victor Suarez (9-6/3.36), Jonathon Pitri (7-2/3.61), Wes Brynnton (8-7/2.53) and Armin Boehm (5-9/3.38) are an above-average starting rotation... the Typhoons are strong in the bullpen, too, led by Ralph Fulton (4-2/2.13/9 saves)... at the plate Turon is solid with C Clyde Willis (.292/9/39/35), SS Fred Bird (.283/2/31/43), 1B Steve Burns (.324/4/29/23) and rookie 2B Little Mac McCurnan (.286/8/21/260, the son of former Typhoon great CF and Hall-of-Famer Mac McCurnan.

Tied for second with Turon, Colchester is better-than-average on the mound and at the plate... Roy Watson (7-3/2.51) and Dave Lacoste (9-6/3.16) are the best starters... and Kim Kono (2-0/1.02/1 save) and Kevin Nixon (3-1/2.94) are the top relievers... Colchester's top guns are All-Star SS Joey Rogers (.333/1/22/50), star LF Jim Lewellen (.238/19/67/35), 33-year-old free agent from Volusia (RU) Sonny Oliver (.320/12/30/30), 3B Billy Christianson (.277/9/33/38), RF Blake Barrister (.254/14/36/44), 2B Jackie Jackson (.264/2/32/34) and 1B Jamie Scott (.302/1/24/26).

Fourth-place Arroyo Grande is an average club, but not on the same level as the three teams above them in the standings... best performers are starters Monty Stratford (11-5/3.92) and Blue Lake (TU) free agent 29-year-old Derek Joubert (6-5/3.08), along with bullpen ace John Nelson (4-1/1.27/9 saves)... the Suns have decent power in the lineup with 2B Frank Marcello (.277/13/34/32), 21-year-old rookie LF Rene Jesclard (.260/13/30/34) and 1B Wesley Cox (.280/9/28/34).

Fifth-place Summerland has quality pitching, but little in the way of offense... Don French (8-6/2.91) Terry Johnson (6-5/3.55) are the most effective starters, while Ronald Shaddock (6-4/2.92/10 saves) is the class of the bullpen, along with John Young (3-2/2.08/1 save)... the Sunsets are last in scoring in the Tycobbian Union... CF Antonio Vasquez (.260/3/26/33) and 3B Cy Akins (.255/5/24/29) sadly are the top batters... Summerland just doesn't have much talent in the batter's box.

The Cape Coral Hurricanes won the Pro Cup in 2030, but it's been disasterous since with nothing but second-division finishes, the last three years in the cellar... this year the 'Canes are in sixth place, a slight improvement... the pitching is much better relatively speaking, going from a horrific 5.07 to 4.19... Tommy Van Noord (10-6/2.81) has been excellent, but hasn't had much help... offensively the Hurricanes do their job well, sparked by gifted 21-year-old All-Star RF William Snyder (.316/19/56/46), 33-year-old rookie CF Paul Law (.263/14/32/52), 3B Joel Collins (.279/3/30/37) and SS Jeff Lang (.286/5/32/26).

Seventh-place Southport doesn't have much to boast about... they Sun Sox don't shine very much anywhere... they are average on the hill and near the bottom with the bats... Chip Bickford (6-6/4.02) has been the most dependable starter... rookie reliever Ruben Ekker (3-0/0.61), who has done very well in the bullpen in 16 appearances, will now get his chance as the number four starter... it's a tough season for veterans Don Pascioni (4-11/4.11), Wiley Wheeler (6-10/4/13) and Ronnie Galus (3-8/3.27)... Pascioni was a 20-game winner last year for the third-place Sun Sox... there's very little to speak of in the batting order... the best of the very poor lot are RF Cody Dougherty (.269/10/20/27), 2B Jesse Clayton (.258/7/31/27) and LF Lenny Roberson (.305/7/20/31).

The Ginza Ninjas were bad last year and they are almost as bad this year... the Ninjas are eighth and last in the TU South, ranking just as bad in hitting and pitching... only veteran Hollis Pace (5-9/2.99) has been effective on the mound, but get very little run support... only rookie 3B Jiro Yamamura (.292/5/25/44) and 10-year veteran LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.284/4/33/23) have decent batting averages... Ginza is one of the worst teams in the IPA and the future is not very bright.

Tycobbian South Forecast: should we go out on the proverbial limb and pick San Alejo to cop the flag? I think so... for second place we give Turon a slight edge over Colchester... the Typhoons starting foursome might be better than the Elites rotation... Arroyo Grande looks to be the best of the rest and should hold on to the fourth spot in the standings... Cape Coral gets the call for fifth place... the 'Canes have more scoring power than Summerland (6th), Southport (7th) and Ginza (8th).

Eugene Church 02-15-2013 10:45 PM
1 Attachment(s)
Quote:
Originally Posted by Splitter24 (Post 3444448)
Eugene, this epic has grown even more epic! I seem to recall you had a player in your universe name Kelly Holmes, Jr. based on the old time player in the story I had made up for the Cold Creek Catamounts in your original Islandian league. Is he playing/retired in this one? If so, how did he do? :)
Here is Cold Creek's history.

Eugene Church 02-16-2013 06:11 PM
2 Attachment(s)
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

Tucks 1st In TU East, Nats 2nd At Summer Break
Powerhouse Tuckanarra is on top of the Tycobbian East and shooting for its third flag in four years... at the All-Star break the Blue Jays lead the Ozarka Naturals by 3 games, third place Midway by 7 and fourth place South Fork, Red Bluff and High Mesa by 9 games... seventh place belongs to the preseason pick, the East Point Panthers, who have slumbered most of the season and trail by 10 games... in last place are the Hillsboro Blazers, who started off like wildfire in April, but have slumped to the cellar in the last six weeks.

On paper few teams in the IPA are as good as Tuckanarra... the Blue Jays appear to have no weakness and they excel at everything... only Elnora of the RU East matches Tuckanarra's statistical rankings... top starters are All-Star Bobby Reid (11-4/2.34), Junior Bristow (10-6/2.52) and 31-year-old free agent from Colfax (RU) Rudy Rosario (8-6/3.45)... the bullpen is impressive, too, with James Warner (1-2/1.88/10 saves) and Philip Marston (4-1/2.67/2 saves)... superstar and All-Star LF Lorne Evans (.305/21/64/56) is having another standout season... also lending a helpful hand at the plate are All-Star RF Spade Weldon (.322/10/39/43), 1B Josh George (.243/18/54/46), CF Pancho Villa (.284/11/49/26) and SS Eddie Darby (.291/6/32/38)... the Tucks are aiming for a rematch with Chicopee in the Pro Cup playoffs... the Blue Jays were favored to win the IPA crown last year, but stumbled in the first round against the big bats of the Braves.

The Ozarka Naturals have a good-scoring offense, but are only average on the hill... but they have hung tough with Tuckanarra so far... heading up the attack are a rock solid group of hitters: RF Bob Banachak (.332/8/26/41), SS Nick Nova (.329/6/29/48), CF Lonnie Gillespie (.308/4/31/53), 3B Duffy Morrison (.284/5/49/27), 1B Kent Harmon (.295/9/42/35) and LF Reggie Davidson (.289/10/25/35)... the top hurlers are Stan Carey (10-4/3.31) and Glen Jenkins (10-6/3.09)... a team can do well in the IPA with two strong starters and good hitting.

The third-place Midway Wolves are only average at the plate and mediocre on the mound... the most reliable hitters are 1B Shaman Sakima (.321/7/40/34), CF Yancey Tanner (.325/0/17/38) and 3B Rusty Graves (.294/5/21/20)... the Wolves lack longball power... vets Bobby Dorignac (8-7/3.24) and All-Star reliever Freddi Hahn (5-2/3.34/11 saves) are the only quality pitchers.

South Fork, Red Bluff and High Mesa are all tied for fourth in the TU East standing and all are struggling under the .500 mark at mid-year... the Stallions have decent pitching, but fall short at the plate... Yancy Garrett (9-4/2.26) and Alex Gillespie (9-7/2.91) have been strong on the mound with good help in the bullpen from Nicky Palermo (5-4/3.25/6 saves)... youngsters CF Scotty O'Sullivan (.266/11/35/34) and SS Elton Jacoby (.273/9/36/39) aren't any great shakes, but they are the most dependable run producers in the lineup.

The Red Bluff Red Sox have been stuck in the TU East second division for the last three years and have a chance to move up this year, but not much... the Red Sox are short on pitching and hitting for average, but they can go deep... All-Star CF Ike Sweetwater (.328/13/39/50) is getting better with each season... 2B Cody Hanks (.280/11/36/38) and 1B Garris Aiken (.249/10/38/33) also put some punch in the batting order... the starters are pretty fair with Ayden Carmack (7-4/3.45), Lloyd Clagsdale (8-7/3.50) and Tony Defazio (7-8/3.33)... last year's 20-game winner Jimmy McMillian has slipped to 6-10 and a 4.34 ERA this year.

The High Mesa Cowboys are trying to break an 8-year stretch in the second division this year... and just might make it with their good pitching paced by starters Virgil Hasper (10-5/3.19), Darrell Geoffrey (9-7/2.18) and Ronald Schmitt (5-3/3.51)... however, the Cowpokes are miserable on offense except for an occasional home-run blast... RF Clay Johnston (.268/23/51/39) and C John Paul (.235/15/34/35) are the power guys... Johnston is the TU leader with 23 home runs, second in the IPA to Taranto's Angelo Rossi, who has 24 in the Ruthlandian Union.

For the past 8 years the East Point Panthers have been pennant contenders, winding up with two division titles in 2031 and 2033 and never finishing worst than third place... the season started off great as the Panthers were picked to win the division in The Islandian Times preseason poll, but they have not lived up to expectations... they are in seventh place and 10 games off the pace... but all is not lost... the Panthers have been red-hot in June and may be turning the season around, but probably too late to catch Tuckanarra and Ozarka... third place is not out of the question... starting pitching has been fairly good, but the bullpen has been horrendous... two starters Johnny Moore (10-6/2.54) and Dixie Brooks (9-7/2.69) have stood out and Frank Blair (8-7/3.49) gives East Point a solid number-three man... after them the quality falls off considerably... spicing up the offense is All-Star 2B Tetsu Tanaka (.278/19/62/49)... also chipping in are RF Ed Milsted (.304/10/31/33) and rookie LF Ricky Arnold (.272/4/28/39).

The last-place Hillsboro Blazers sizzled in April with an 18-9 mark, good for second place behind Ozarka, but have gone stone cold since, going a pathetic 12-34... Eddie Brasher (7-8/3.03) and Russell McIntosh (9-5/4.11) lead the mound staff, while rookie LF Jurrien Bellini (.261/15/39/43) and CF Benny Kegel (.306/11/36/32) top the hitters.

Tycobbian East Forecast: Tuckanarra is a super club and it should pull away in the second half and take the TU East in easy fashion... Ozarka will hold on to second, but could be pushed by East Point's second-half resurgence... the Panthers will come out third... followed by Midway and Red Bluff, who will battle for the fourth and fifth positions... High Mesa with its good pitching might sneak into sixth place ahead of South Fork, while it's the basement for poor Hillsboro for the second year in a row and third time 2031.

Eugene Church 02-18-2013 12:38 AM
2 Attachment(s)
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

Favored Braves Way Ahead In TU West
As forecast in The Islandian Times preseason poll, the Chicopee Braves are the head of the class in the Tycobbian West... at the All-Star break the hard-hitting Braves have already run up a 7-game bulge over second place Bayview... Chicopee breezed to the title last year and is well on its way to doing it again... the Braves and the Vikings are the only two clubs with winning records... La Claire is well back in third place, 10 games off the pace... Bay St. Clair is 11 games behind and in the fourth spot in the standings... the best of the second-division are the Arlon Champions, 12 games out... the Rolling Hills Reds trail by 14 games in sixth place, followed by Denton City and Kenwood in seventh and eighth respectively... the Redbirds are 15 games behind leading Chicopee and the Wildcats are 16 out of first place.

Chicopee won 98 games last year and are even better this year, at least by the numbers... the Braves have improved at the plate from .275 to .286 and from 3.64 to 3.44 in ERA... they have the highest team BA in the IPA and only the RU's Sugar Valley and Elnora outscore them in the IPA... leading the explosive bats are three All-Stars LF Alfredo Cobos (.345/16/61/54), CF Charley Kota (.338/16/51/62) and 1B Kurt Gustavsen (.343/13/54/38)... then add in 3B Stefan Tanner (.292/5/39/27), SS Felix Roubique (.291/4/30/33) and RF Nelson Hunter (.287/6/21/39) and you've got a high-scoring attack that averages over 5 runs a game... not only do the Braves hit the ball very well, they do a good job on the hill, too, with starters Heyoka Chaska (11-3/3.52), 31-year-old free agent from Grand City (RU) Vito Sanfratello (10-6/3.35) and Ryan Ledbetter (6-6/3.41)... ace Kajika Fleetfoot (7-5/4.22), a 21-game winner last year has struggled so far... standout relievers are Byron Wilson (8-3/2.57/8 saves) and Matt Reeves (3-2/2.45/3 saves)... the Braves are ready and waiting to redeem themselves in the Pro Cup playoffs... last year they were beaten by IPA champ North Hills in seven games in the Tycobbian Final Four.

The runner-up Bayview Vikings can put runs on the scoreboard like Chicopee... and they possess fairly good pitching... offensively the Viks are paced by All-Star SS Wade Rosewall (.322/12/39/45) in his sophomore season, All-Star 3B Jerry Culpepper (.289/17/48/40), RF Roy Ricks (.286/11/38/45), 27-year-old free agent from Sugar Valley 1B Giles Butler (.279/13/26/34) and CF Cleve Belton (.242/14/40/29)... Bayview's mound staff is led by starters All-Star Joaquin Lima (13-4/3.71) and Christy Kane (10-8/2.95)... the Vikings are hampered by a weak bullpen.

After being rated the sixth-best club in the TU West in the preseason poll, the La Claire Lynx's fine pitching has spurred them to third place... All-Star Mac Jackson (12-6/1.96) tops the staff... Pat Kovacs (5-9/2.44) has also pitched very well, but hasn't gotten much run support... the best run producers have been All-Star 3B Jarrod O'Neal (.300/13/44/39), 1B Kris Wilson (.298/11/33/24), CF Billy Holland (.290/2/18/30) and C Biggie Mondale (.287/7/33/25)... La Claire won flags in 2028 and 2031 when they possessed better hitting... improved bats would have the Lynx flirting with the top clubs in the division.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are on a 6-year streak of the first division and they might be able to stretch it to seven years... the Bucs are currently in fourth place and could finish as high as third... they have above-average pitching and less-than-average bats... 26-year-old rookie Jay Callahan (5-4/2.65) looks like the real thing... but 20-game winners Jim McBride (8-8/3.66) and John Karlsen (7-9/3.59) have stumbled so far this season and need to perk up in the second half... McBride won the TU Golden Arm last year when he was 25-10 with 2.34 ERA... Bay St. Clair just doesn't have much at the plate... 3B Bailey Holmsworth (.275/10/41/29) and LF Cotton Cornwall (.246/11/32/32) are the best they have.

According to the baseball experts, the Arlon Champions were supposed to challenge for a first-division spot this season for the first time in 5 years, but it didn't come to be so far... instead the Champs find themselves in fifth place, ranked near the bottom in pitching and hitting... the top pitchers are starters Emil Nowak (8-7/3.06) and Alex Beckner (7-7/3.63)... the top batters are All-Star C Paco Diaz (.325/4/29/46) and LF Charley Hastings (.286/2/40/38), along with RF Tandy Connery, who has 12 homers and 47 RBIs, but is batting a lowly .247 for average.

Once-proud Rolling Hills is in the throes of a third-successive bad year... the Reds are in sixth place with mediocre hitting and pitching... but they do have some quality arms in Kevin Meeks (8-6/2.70), Jakob Wagner (9-7/3.90) and Matthew Christianson (4-8/2.83)... the only dependable bats are C Stan Ellis (.302/7/45/30), LF Scotty Yiska (.310/9/27/34) and 1B Angelo Nardone (.299/8/32/28).

The downtrodden Denton City Redbirds were supposed to rise and shine this year after four consecutive sixth-place finishes... some scribes picked them as high as third place... but it's not the case... the Redbirds are still in a second-division rut resting in seventh place... the starting rotation is adequate with Francisco Salcido (8-8/3.12), Denny Mills (6-11/3.35), Stephen Edwards (5-7/3.92) and Kevin Blevins (5-6/4.13), but the bullpen is almost non-existent... the offense is sufficient, but down 20 points from last year's .278 BA... most of the batting order is having a sub-par season... LF Kenny Kuebler (.308/9/38/44), SS Sammy Thornton (.302/1/24/34), 2B Dickie Samuels (.294/4/35/34), 1B Barry McKnight (.279/10/36/31) and Sam Carson (.277/9/31/30) are the main contributors.

The Kenwood Wildcats set a new IPA standard with a remarkable .297 BA last year, breaking the old mark of .295 by the Ozarka Naturals in 2017... this year they have dipped to only .263, suffering the free agency losses of 2B Jan Kissinger (.310) to Grand City (RU) and CF Vince Barbieri (.319) to Ginza (TU), plus the trade of 3B Cal Copeland (.381) to Belle Plaine (RU)... as a consequence the Wildcats have tumbled to last place... Kenwood still has some talented bats in All-Star 3B Koora Nawajuk (.311/7/37/29), 19-year-old All-Star C Corky DiNozzo (.310/17/54/35), who is having a great rookie season, and 1B Randy Towns (.310/0/22/37)... pitching has also suffered as well, rising from 3.68 to 4.00... Claude Watson (9-4/3.34) has been the best of the litter.

Tycobbian West Forecast: juggernaut Chicopee is pretty much a shoo-in for the pennant... Bayview will be a distant second... the Viks' bats will keep them ahead of third place La Claire and fourth place Bay St. Clair... the Bucs can't match the Lynx on the scoreboard... Rolling Hills' starting rotation could bring them in fifth... Denton City will be sixth... Arlon seventh and Kenwood last.

Eugene Church 02-22-2013 10:30 PM
2 Attachment(s)
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

2035 Ruthlandian Union Mid-Season Leaderboards

Eugene Church 02-22-2013 10:32 PM
2 Attachment(s)
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

2035 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Leaderboards

Eugene Church 02-23-2013 03:48 PM
THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 19, 2035

North Hills Hosts IPA All-Stars
The 35th edition of the Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game is set for tomorrow afternoon at the Hawk's Nest in North Hills, the home of the IPA Pro Cup champion. The elite players from the Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union will go tete-a-tete on the baseball diamond in quest of baseball supremacy in the Islands. Baby George of Crystal Lake will be at the helm for the RU Stars, while it will be Todd Simons of North Hills heading up the TU Stars. The series stands at 23-11 in favor of the Tycobbian Union.

9-time All-Star Loco Dillinger will be the captain for the RU All-Stars. Scotty Lagrange of Eastshore will make his fourth appearance in the mid-summer classic. Appearing for the third time in their careers are Carl Bentley of Belle Plaine, Bobby Gamble of Sugar Valley, Terry Richards of Waleska and Noel Martin of Belle Plaine. There are two rookies on this year's squad: Emilio Gallo of Taranto and Felipe Hernriques of Volusia.

The honorary captain of the Tycobbian Stars is Lorne Evans, who was honored for the eighth time in his illustrious career. Tetsu Tanaka of East Point has made the All-Stars on five occasions. Red Bluff's Allie Blackwell will be participating for the fourth time. Seven players will be appearing for the third time: Jay Barajas of Fairfax, Paco Diaz of Arlon, Kerry Sterling of Oxford, Koora Nawajuk of Kenwood, Jarrod O'Neil of La Claire, Joe Korman of Blue Lake and Ike Sweetwater of Red Bluff. The TU All-Stars have two freshmen on the team: Corky DiNozzo of Kenwood and Gilberto Duarte of San Alejo.

Ruthlandian Union All-Stars:
SP Dave Whitaker (Kilkenny) (12-3/2.21)
SP Rube Satcher (Ranford) (11-5/2.22)
SP Emilio Gallo (Taranto) (12-3/3.26)
SP Jergen Fyelstad (Sugar Valley) (11-5/3.53)
SP Augie Marquis (Fort Benton) (10-5/2.08)
SP Tom Pierson (Sligo) (10=6/2.53)
SP Jeremy Blanchard (Sugar Valley) (10-2/3.29)
SP Terry Richards (Waleska) (11-3/2.58)
CL Paul Martina (Elnora) (7-2/1.56/9 saves)
CL Jimbo McGinnity (Middlefield) (4-0/1.50/11 saves)
C Brad Alexander (Middlefield) (.321/21/51/36)
C Angelo Rossi (Taranto) (.287/24/49/50)
C Kyle Hunt (Claxton) (..284/3/29/24)
1B Roger Hobbs (Sugar Valley ) (.289/7/48/49)
1B Bobby Scott (Valka) (.337/11/38/28)
2B Howie Robertson (Crystal Lake) (.332/3/37/48)
2B Carl Bentley (Belle Plaine) (.300/8/49/37)
2B Johnny Petrak (Eastshore) (.299/7/28/44)
3B Antonio Diaz (Volusia) (.328/17/43/57)
3B Claude DesJardins (LaGrange) (.275/16/51/48)
3B Jason Butler (Belair Beach) (.297/13/51/36)
SS James Couch (Elnora) (.327/7/52/45)
SS Kenny Johnston (Middlefield) (.325/4/36/51)
SS Kelvin Cassidy (Rocky Rapids) (.356/6/40/30)
LF Tyler White (Sugar Valley) (.250/20/66/38)
LF Loco Dillinger (Waleska) (.308/17/51/36)
LF Vasco Aguilar (Sligo) (.313/15/51/35)
CF Bobby Gamble (Sugar Valley) (.332/16/55/63)
CF Scotty Lagrange (Eastshore) (.325/18/39/42)
CF Noel Martin (Belle Plaine) (.347/12/41/45)
RF Felipe Henriques (Volusia) (.340/5/41/43)
RF Niles Gregory (Waleska) (.329/9/39/39)

Tycobbian Union All-Stars:
SP Johnny Brown (San Alejo) (14-3/2.06)
SP Mac Jackson (La Claire) 12-6/1.96)
SP Jay Barajas (Fairfax) (11-4/2.30)
SP Clete Lawson (San Alejo) (11-6/2.33)
SP Frankie Quinn (Blue Lake) (9-3/2.11)
SP Kent Halloran (Luxora) (7-1/1.10)
SP Bobby Reid (Tuckanarra) (10-4/2.43)
SP Jose Lima (Bayview) (13-4/3.71)
CL Freddi Hahn (Midway) (5-1/3.45/11 saves)
CL Frank Jankowski (San Alejo) (2-1/1.18/7 saves)
C Corky DiNozzo (Kenwood) (.311/17/53/35)
C Paco Diaz (Arlon) (.319/4/27/46)
C Allie Blackwell (Red Bluff) (.324/5/29/29)
1B Kurt Gustavsen (Chicopee) (.342/13/53/37)
1B Kerry Sterling (Oxford) (.291/16/42/40)
1B Max Lebowitz (Fairfax) (.299/8/35/41)
2B Tetsu Tanaka (East Point) (.280/18/59/47)
2B Jerry Culpepper (Bayview) (.289/17/48/39)
3B Jarrod O'Neil (La Claire) (.309/13/44/39)
3B Koora Nawajuk (Kenwood) (.313/7/35/29)
SS Joe Korman (Blue Lake) (.287/6/39/53)
SS Wade Rosewall (Bayview) (.326/12/39/45)
SS Joey Rogers (Colchester) (.336/1/21/48)
LF Alfredo Cobos (Chicopee) (.348/15/59/52)
LF Lorne Evans (Tuckanarra) (.305/20/63/55)
LF Adam Thurgood (North Hills) (.352/19/54/44)
CF Charley Kota ( Chicopee) (.341/15/48/61)
CF Ike Sweetwater (Red Bluff) (.328/12/38/49)
CF Mickey Hudson (Fairfax) (.290/9/43/55)
RF Gilberto Duarte (San Alejo) (.328/20/59/45)
RF William Snyder (Cape Coral) (.317/19/56/46)
RF Spade Weldon (Tuckanarra) (.324/10/38/43)


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