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YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Saturday, October 14, 2017 Bix Hansen Named Pro Cup MVP Bix Hansen wasn't even on the Eastshore roster until late August. He spent the entire year on the reserve roster, but he was ready when Elegant ace pitcher Danny Siegfried went down to injury for the rest of the season. Hansen stepped in as the number four starter in the rotation and finished out the year with a 2-1 mark in the last few weeks of the season. However, Hansen really stepped it up to another level in the Pro Cup playoffs. The 24-year-old right-hander went 4-0 with a 2.25 ERA and completed all four starts, leading Eastshore to its second IPA Pro Cup crown. Without Hansen, it was doubtful the Elegants could have won for the second year in a row. Today The Islandian Times named Hansen the most outstanding player in the Pro Cup playoffs and honored him with the Most Valuable Player Award. Turon's fine hurler Shane Farmer was a close second in the balloting. Farmer, a 34-year-old rookie, had a brilliant run in the playoffs with a 4-0 record and a 1.91 ERA. Eastshore RF Stan Cuccinello was ranked third in the award voting. He batted .349 with 15 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Teammate 2B Gerry Garner came in fourth in the poll. Garner hit .353 with 11 RBIs and 14 runs scored in the postseason. Elegant CF Larry Lowe and Typhoon 2B Andy Hansen tied for fifth in the MVP poll. Lowe batted .361 with 17 runs, 9 SBs and 7 RBIs, while Hansen hit .375, scored 20 runs and walked 16 times |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Thursday, October 18, 2017 IPA Awards Manager Of The Year Awards Stoner Stars Skipper Stern Best Manager In RU Longtime journeyman catcher Ben Stern is Ruthlandian Manager of the Year for 2017 chosen in a poll by The Islandian Times. This year Stern took over as skipper in Stoner and guided the Stars to the team's best season in 10 years. The Stars rose up from last place (69-85) to fourth place (87-67), an 18-game turnaround in the strong RU West, where 6 teams finished above the .500 mark. Ryan Noland was second in the poll as he led the Rocky Rapids Snappers to its best record ever and won the RU West. The Snappers were 97-57, the second-best record in the RU. Only Eastshore had a better mark at 98-56. Killer Brewster of the Eastshore Elegants wound up third in the balloting this season after winning the award the last two years. Eastshore won its second RU East flag in a row and led the league in victories. Blue Jays Manager Stevens Rated Best In TU Perennial pennant winner Tuckanarra suffered long and hard in 2016 and plunged to seventh place in the TU East with a 71-83 mark, but Carlton "Lefty" Stevens rebounded this year and improved to 95-59 and wound up a very close second to the pennant-winning Ozarka Naturals, who were 97-57. For his efforts Stevens has been selected as the Tycobbian Manager of the Year for the second time in his career. He also won it in 2013. Rookie mananger Cristo Viamonte of the Luxora Zorros wound up second in the vote. He brought the Z's from sixth to first in his first season at the helm. Luxora was 82-72 in the TU North after finishing 69-85 the previous season. In Colchester, Uncle Robbie Wilbertson got a much-improved performance from his Elites this year as they climbed from 6th in the TU South to end up second to Turon. Colchester improved from 72-82 to 82-72, a 10-game about face. |
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Friday, October 5, 2074 EASTSHORE ONLY CLUB TO WIN FIRST TWO GAMES... ALL OTHERS TIED AT ONE APIECE One of the Pro Cup favorites, the Eastshore Cotton Kings are the only club to take the first two games in the best-of-seven IPA Elite 8 Series... the other 6 playoff challengers have split their first 2 games... Eastshore slipped past the Taranto Tars in another tight tussle 3-1 to take a 2-0 lead... all of the series will change venues for the next 3 games... the Cotton Kings will travel to Taranto. In the other RU Elite 8 Series, Crystal Lake evened up with the Stoner Silver Sox, nudging past them 2-1 in another nailbiter... the Tycobbian Union had 2 high-scoring bashes... Pro Cup favorite Oxford crushed Summerland 10-0 and Tuckanarra battered the Chicopee Braves 13-2... both of those series are tied at one win each... the teams will now switch sites... Oxford is on the road in Summerland and the Tucks will be in Chicopee for games three, four and five. 2074 IPA Postseason Stars of the Day Attachment 874886 2074 Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series - Game 2 (Best-of-Seven Series) Attachment 874887 Attachment 874888 Attachment 874889 |
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YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Monday, September 17, 2018 Eastshore Favored In Pro Cup It won't be easy, but according to The Islandian Times annual Pro Cup poll, the Eastshore Elegants are favored to win their third consecutive IPA Pro Cup. The Elegants got the nod over several talented and hungry ballclubs. Last year's runner-up Turon was the number two choice. The Typhoons fell victim to Eastshore last season, when the Elegants came back from a 3-2 deficit. Both Eastshore and Turon could fall prey to powerful Rocky Rapids and Ozarka. The odds-makers ranked all four teams pretty much even. Anyone of them could win it all. None of the other clubs are expected to contend for the crown. Bay St. Clair was rated fifth-most likely to win the Pro Cup, followed by Luxora, Ancona and Claxton. Best Team Record: Turon (102-52) Best Team Batting Average: Ozarka (.293) Most Home Runs: Ozarka (177) Most Runs: Ozarka (834) Best Team ERA: Eastshore (2.98) Best Starters ERA: Rocky Rapids (3.10) Best Bullpen ERA: Eastshore (2.10) Best Team Defense: Bay St. Clair (.977) 1. Eastshore Elegants (97-67) .265 BA 161 HR 740 Runs 3.13 ERA (Starters) 2.10 ERA (Bullpen) .969 FA 2. Turon Typhoons (102-52) .276 BA 164 HR 809 Runs 3.20 ERA (Starters) 3.87 ERA (Bullpen) .969 FA 3. Ozarka Naturals (101-53) .293 BA 177 HR 834 Runs 3.36 ERA (Starters) 2.73 ERA (Bullpen) .974 FA 4. Rocky Rapids (96-60) .277 BA 149 HR 775 Runs 3.10 ERA (Starters) 3.23 ERA (Bullpen) .968 FA 5. Bay St. Clair (88-66) .259 BA 123 HR 754 Runs 3.56 ERA (Starters) 2.90 ERA (Bullpen) .977 FA 6. Luxora Zorros (91-63) .254 BA 102 HR 689 Runs 3.15 ERA (Starters) 3.51 ERA (Bullpen) .975 FA 7. Ancona Red Elephants (87-67) .265 BA 149 HR 772 Runs 3.86 ERA (Starters) 3.25 ERA (Bullpen) .973 FA 8. Claxton Diamonds (85-69) .270 BA 166 HR 821 Runs 4.37 ERA (Starters) 3.23 ERA (Bullpen) .974 FA |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Sunday, September 23, 2018 2018 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series Pro Cup Champs Fall, Snappers Dethrone Elegants After two glorious seasons where they were the supreme team in the Islands, the Eastshore Elegants finally met their match in the IPA playoffs... the Rocky Rapids Snappers roared past them 8-4 in game 6 of the RU Elite 8 Series and eliminated the Elegants from the postseason... the Snappers took the series four games to two... Don Chaney got the historic win that sends Rocky Rapids to the RU Final 4 for the first time in its history... Chaney (2-0 3.24) had to throw a lot of pitches and was tagged for 12 hits, but the 29-year-old 6'6" right-hander stood the test and held Eastshore to only 4 runs in 8 and two-thirds innings... closer Milt Baker got the last out for Chaney after the Elegants cut the lead to 4 in the ninth... it was Baker's third save in the series... it was a great day for the Snappers offense... They socked 11 hits and piled up an 8-1 lead after 5 frames and gave Chaney a lot of breathing room... SS Ted David (.222) had a two-run homer and 3 RBIs for the winners... 3B Paul Shelton (.346) and RF Larry Hollis (.333) added 2 hits and 2 more RBIs each... CF Roger Murdoch (.217) led Eastshore with 4 hits and 3 runs, including a home run... RF Larry Lowe (.250) cracked 2 hits and drove in 3 runs for the losers... losing pitcher Melvin Key (0-2 6.40) was treated harshly to the tune of 8 runs and 11 hits in only 4+ frames... Now Rocky Rapids will take on the winner of the Ancona-Claxton series in the RU Final 4. Ancona Forces 7th Game With Claxton The Ancona Red Elephants outlasted Claxton 7-6 in game 6 at Jay Loman Field to force a seventh game in the RU Elite 8 Series... the Red Elephants ran up a 7-0 lead after 5 innings, then had to hold on for dear life as the Diamonds mounted a determined comeback... a pair of two-run homers by RF Louie DiMucci (.417) and SS Benny Morgan (.333) powered Ancona to an early lead... but Claxton came back strong in the last three innings, but fell a run short... 15-game winner Dave Blair (2-0 3.94) held the Diamonds to 4 hits in his 8 innings, but his 8 walks kept him in constant trouble... Blair allowed four runs before being relieved by John Sharpe, who almost blew the game as he was touched for two runs in the ninth before he finally got the save... Ernie van Riebeeck (0-2 5.68) was the losing pitcher... the Red Elephants ripped him for 7 runs and 10 hits in just 5 innings... SS Donnie Pilsner (.160) slammed a 3-run homer for Claxton... for the first time in the series Claxton LF George McKay (.409) failed to hit a home run... McKay had gone deep in five consecutive games. Tycobbian Union Bucs Do It Again, Knock Nats Out Of Playoffs For the second season in a row, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers have disposed of the favored Ozarka Naturals in the TU Elite 8 Series four games to two... it was hard for the Bucs to put the Nats away in game 6 at Ellie Ewing Stadium in Ozarka... Bay St. Clair ran up a 5-1 lead after 5 innings and seemed to be well on its way to victory, but the Naturals would have none of that... they rallied to tie it up at 5-5 with 2 in the seventh and 2 in the ninth... the Buccaneers then blew them away with 3 runs in the tenth for a hard-earned 8-5 victory... three straight pinch-hit singles plated the runs... Thomas Knowles, Gil Pierson and Christian Bradley were the game heroes... Knowles put the Bucs ahead with an RBI single and Bradley's hit brought in the last two scores... 1B Gerry Fields (.333) sparked Bay St. Clair with a 2-run blast and 2 runs scored, while Ozarka's 3B Andre Dumas (.391) clubbed two homers and batted in 3 runs and C Frank Kiffin (.364) had 3 hits and 2 RBIs, including a roundtripper... winner Hal Meissner (1-0 4.76) worked 9 innings, permitted 5 runs and 8 hits with 5 Ks and 5 walks... Steve Richt picked up his second series save with a scoreless tenth frame... vet Eddie Roberts (0-1) was the loser... in the tenth, he was pounded for 3 runs and 4 hits in one-third of an inning. Turon Evens Series With Luxora Playing at home at Typhoon Stadium, Turon blistered Luxora for 11 hits in a 7-3 victory to even the best-of-seven TU Elite 8 Series at three games apiece... game 7 will also be on Turon's home field... Ted Farentino (2-0 2.12) was masterful again as he zeroed the Zorros without a run and 5 hits through the first 8 innings... they finally broke through with 3 runs on 4 hits in the ninth, but it was too late by then... the Typhoons were led at the plate by CF Mac McCurnan (.174) with a triple and homer and 3 RBIs and 2B Matt Madison (.273) with 3 hits, 2 runs and an RBI... RF Dominick DiCaprio (.348) also belted a home run for Turon... SS Joaquin Malagon (.350) paced the Z's with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... RF Jon Stafford (.375) also collected 3 hits... starter Orlando Mercado (0-2 4.91) exited after 4 innings... Turon tapped him for 4 runs and 4 hits... Mercado was the losing hurler. |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Monday, September 24, 2018 2018 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series Ruthlandian Union Dukas Pitches Ancona Into RU Final 4 This was game seven of the RU Elite 8 Series - the biggest game of Clete Dukas' 3-year IPA career - and he came through with flying colors for the Ancona Red Elephants with a sparkling 3-1 triumph over the Claxton Diamonds at Jay Loman Park in Ancona... the Red Elephants had to win the last two games of the series to advance to the RU Final 4 against the powerful Rocky Rapids Snappers, the conquerors of the two-time Pro Cup titlist Eastshore Elegants... Dukas (2-1 2.42) worked the entire game and only gave up one run on 8 hits, fanned 6 and walked 3... loser Kaz Hayagawa (1-2 4.76) pitched well in defeat... he also went the route, allowed 6 hits and 3 runs... 1B Johnny Lee Harder and 3B Alex Brazzi provided all the runs Ancona needed... Harder (.348) and Brazzi (.217) hit solo homers in the second to give the Red Elephants the lead... Claxton narrowed it to 2-1 on a third-inning triple by 1B Mike Luzzatti (.174) and Ancona finished the scoring with an insurance run in the sixth when RF Louie DiMucci (.407) got an RBI on a fielder's-choice groundout... DiMucci drove in 8 runs in the series. Tycobbian Union Turon Trims Luxora 5-3 In Game 7 Nicky Engstrom lost games one and four to Tiago Torres, but he came through for Turon in the game-seven finale with a 5-3 decision over the Zorro ace... the crucial victory puts the Typhoons in the Tycobbian Final 4 against the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers... Engstrom (1-2 3.22) worked into the eighth to pick up the win... he allowed 3 runs on 7 hits and fanned 4... closer Merle Studebaker relieved him and retired all 5 batters he faced to get his second series save... Torres (2-1 3.18) worked into the seventh, but permitted 9 hits and 5 runs in a lackluster performance... Turon took a 1-0 lead in the opening frame... the Z's went up 2-1 in the second... the Typhoons regained it 3-2 in the fourth... Luxora tied it at 3-3 in the sixth... then SS Mickey O'Malley (.174) drilled a 2-run single in the bottom of the seventh to put Turon ahead to stay 5-3... the Typhoons collected 10 hits and were paced by 1B Clyde Kingsford (.231) with 3-4 and an RBI and RF Dominick DiCaprio (.370) with 2-4 and a run... LF Dickie Nordhagen (.333) sparked the Zorros with 2-4 and 2 RBIs and C Jim Thorpe Chandler (.414) went 2-4 and scored twice... Luxora got 7 hits... the Final 4 begins Wednesday in Turon at Typhoon Stadium. |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Tuesday, September 25, 2018 Snappers And Turon Favored In IPA Final 4s The "haves" and the "have-nots" are meeting in the IPA Final 4s. Powerhouses Rocky Rapids and Turon have the pitching and underdogs Ancona and Bay St. Clair come up short on the hill. That how the baseball analysts are forecasting this round of the playoffs. In the Ruthlandian Union the Rocky Rapids Snappers, fresh off a big series win over the reigning Pro Cup champ Eastshore, will host the Ancona Red Elephants in the first two games beginning Wednesday at Snapper Stadium. Over in Tycobbia it will be Turon welcoming Bay St. Clair to Typhoon Stadium on Wednesday in game one. The Buccaneers are fresh off an upset of Ozarka. The Final 4 Series are a best-of-seven with Rocky Rapids and Turon having the home-field advantage. The Snappers have three fine starters in Junior Noland (23-10), Don Chaney (18-15) and Joe Anderson (21-13), while the Red Elephants have only one strong starter in Clete Dukas (20-12). The Snappers also get the nod in the bullpen with Milt Baker (35 saves). Ancona may have a slight edge at the plate with LF Kenny Willard (.331 BA/28 HR), RF Louie DiMucci (.298 BA/30 HR)and 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.288 BA/18 HR). Rocky Rapids best bats belong to 3B Paul Shelton (.277 BA/37 HR), C Hank Bethel (.323 BA/15 HR), LF Rob Barton (.322 BA/13 HR) and CF Carl Johnson (.291 BA/24 HR). The Red Elephants have a decided advantage defensively with a .973 fielding percentage to the Snappers poor .968 FA. Turon has three outstanding starters. Shane Farmer (29-3), Nicky Engstrom (18-11) and Ted Farentino (18-13) form one of the best rotations in the IPA. Bay St. Clair has only one standout starter in Benny Coates (17-13). The Typhoons Merle Studebaker (34 saves) and the Buccaneers Steve Richt (30 saves) are both capable closers. At the plate Turon has a wealth of offense and firepower with 1B Clyde Kingsford (.338 BA/44 HR), CF Mac McCurnan (.304 BA/32 HR), RF Dominick DiCaprio (.297 BA/29 HR) and OF Andy Porter (.308 BA/20 HR). The Bucs are pale in comparision with SS Jimmy Sawyer (.274 BA/25 HR), CF Bill Howell (.314 BA/2 HR) and 2B Bud Walker (.298 BA/6 HR) the top hitters. If defense makes a difference, Bay St. Clair is far superior to the Typhoons, totally outclassing them .977 to .969 in fielding percentage. Rocky Rapids will have the easier time in the RU Final 4. They should take the Red Elephants in six games. Turon will have quite a task on its hands with Bay St. Clair. If the Bucs can get good outings from Dean Dailey (7-1) and Hal Meissner (20-10), they can make it a very competitive series. The Typhoons will have to be at their best to whip Bay St. Clair, who knocked off one of the best teams in the IPA in the first round, the Ozarka Naturals. The postseason seems to bring out the best in Bucs. It was the second straight year they upended favored Ozarka. The forecast is for a seven-game series with Turon advancing to the IPA Pro Cup Finals. |
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Saturday, October 6, 2074 EASTSHORE NEAR SWEEP, CRYSTAL LAKE, CHICOPEE, SUMMERLAND WIN PIVOTAL GAME 3 The Eastshore Cotton Kings are riding high in the IPA Elite 8 Series with a 3-0 bulge over the Stoner Silver Sox... in the three other series Crystal Lake, Chicopee and Summerland snared important victories in the pivotal third games. Eastshore bumped off the Taranto Tars 5-1 and they are now in the enviable position of sweeping the best-of-seven series... all the Cottom Kings have to do to advance to the Ruthlandian Union Finals is win one out of the next 4 games. The three other clubs don't have it quite as easy... Crystal Lake won a close one from Stoner 3-1 in the RU Elite 8... over in the Tycobbian Elite 8, Summerland surprised the Oxford Red Caps 7-0 and Chicopee dumped the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats 8-3... the Skippers, Sunsets and Braves lead those series 2 games to one. 2074 IPA Postseason Stars of the Day Attachment 876477 Attachment 876478 Attachment 876479 Attachment 876480 |
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YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Thursday, October 4, 2018 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 1 At Typhoon Stadium In Turon Turon Takes Pro Cup Opener 4-3 Playing at home, Turon took an early 3-0 lead and then had to fight off a determined bunch of Ancona Red Elephants as they came back in the seventh to tie it up at 3-all... but lost it 4-3 when RF Dominick DiCaprio (.382) tripled to lead off the bottom of the eighth against a tired Clete Dukas and scored the game-winner on LF Andy Porter's (.500) base hit... Dukas (3-3 2.42) went all the way in defeat, yielding 4 runs on 8 hits... Nicky Engstrom worked the first 6 frames for Turon and gave up 2 runs on 6 hits... Engstrom was KO'd in the Ancona 3-run outburst in the seventh, highlighted by 1B Johnny Lee Harder's (.348) 2-run clout... Juan-Carlos Torriente (1-1 8.10) got credit for the win, but was tagged for the tying run... closer Merle Studebaker copped his 4th playoff save with a perfect 1-2-3 ninth... CF Mac McCurnan (.222) sparked the Typhoons with 3 hits, including a pair of RBI doubles in the first and second innings... 1B Clyde Kingsford (.208) drove in the other Turon run in the third. |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Friday, October 5, 2018 2018 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 2 At Typhoon Stadium In Turon Blair Beats Turon 5-2, Ancona Evens Series 15-game winner Dave Blair outpitched Shane Farmer, a 29-game winner, to gain a split of the first two games in the best-of-seven IPA Pro Cup Series... Blair (4-1 2.61) led the Ancona Red Elephants to a 5-2 decision over the Turon Typhoons at Typhoon Stadium, holding them to 2 unearned runs on 8 hits in 6 innings... Blair also walked 4 batters... Turon had all kinds of opportunities to get back in the game as they stranded 16 baserunners... Farmer (2-3 4.61) had another sub-par outing as he was battered for 5 runs and 9 hits and was sent to the showers in the seventh inning... the Red Elephants collected 10 hits in all and were led by 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.353) with 2 hits, 3 runs scored and an RBI... SS Benny Morgan (.282) drove in two runs to top Ancona... relievers Lynwood Marshall (2.29) and John Sharpe (2.79) blanked the Typhoons over the last 3 frames with Sharpe getting his 4th save in the postseason... the game was scoreless for the first 3 innings... Turon took a 2-1 lead after 4 innings, but Ancona rallied and built up a 5-2 margin after 7... the series will now switch to Ancona for games 3, 4 and 5. |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Saturday, October 6, 2018 2018 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 3 At Jay Loman Park In Ancona Typhoons Win Game 3 With Late Flurry 5-4 On the road in Ancona, Turon had to mount a late-inning rally to edge the feisty Ancona Red Elephants 5-4 in game three of the IPA Pro Cup Finals... the triumph gave Turon a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven series... trailing 3-1 after 6 innings, the Typhoons got to Nikon Maragos for a pair of runs in each of the seventh and eighth frames to go ahead 5-3, then had to stave off a last-ditch effort by the Red Elephants in the bottom of the ninth... RF Dominick DiCaprio (.365) tripled in the tie-breaking run in the top of the eighth and LF Andy Porter (.500) singled in the eventual game-winner with a single... Ted Farentino (4-0 2.63) hurled another solid game, scattering 8 hits over 8 innings and departed with a 5-3 lead... closer Merle Studebaker almost blew the game and backed into his 5th playoff save... Maragos (0-2 5.01) faltered late and was the loser... he only gave up 5 hits and struck out 6 in his 9 innings... Porter led Turon with 2 hits, 2 runs and 2 RBIs... Porter hit his 4th postseason homer in the second inning... 3B Alex Brazzi (.178) went deep for the Red Elephants in defeat... it was his 3rd in the postseason. |
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Sunday, October 7, 2074 COTTON KINGS SWEEP TARS, HEAD TO RU TITLE SERIES... SKIPS AND BRAVES TAKE COMMAND... AND RED CAPS ARE TIED WITH SUNSETS It's all over... Eastshore swept all 4 games in their first round Ruthlandian Union Series with the Taranto Tars... the Cotton Kings now await the victor between Crystal Lake and Stoner in the other RU series... the Skippers are ahead 3-1 in that affair... Pro Cup favored Oxford managed to even its TU Elite 8 Series with spunky Summerland, while Chicopee took charge of its series with Tuckanarra, going in front 3-1. Eastshore breezed past Taranto in game four 8-4... Crystal Lake staved off Stoner 8-6... Oxford spun a 3-0 shutout over Summerland... and Chicopee blanked the Tucks 4-0. 2074 IPA Stars of the Day Attachment 877244 Attachment 877245 Attachment 877246 |
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I like your Summerland Sunsets logo for its simplicity and clean look, and I don't believe I have that one. Would you be able to post it in my IPA graphics thread?
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I finally figured out how to create a team picture. I've started using them for the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian champions, as well the as the Pro Cup winner. It really adds to the immersion IMO. You can check it out in the last post of my IPA thread. |
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YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Sunday, October 7, 2018 2018 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 4 At Jay Loman Park In Ancona Ancona Ties Pro Cup, Trips Turon 6-5 The Ancona Red Elephants may be the underdog in the IPA Pro Cup, but they certainly are not just rolling over and playing dead... Ancona snatched a ninth-inning victory away from the heavily-favored Turon Typhoons 6-5 on Kenny Willard's (.244) two-run double and knotted up the series at two games apiece... the Red Elephants collected 11 hits and were sparked by RF Louie DiMucci (.292) with 3 RBIs and 2B Paul Alston (.246) with 3 hits and 4 runs scored... Clete Dukas (4-3 2.66) gutted out a complete-game win... Dukas allowed 5 runs and 9 hits... he blanked Turon 3-0 for the first 6 frames, then was tagged for 5 runs in the next two innings and entered the ninth behind 5-4... Typhoon starter Nicky Engstrom worked 7 innings, gave up 7 hits and 4 runs and left trailing 4-2... Juan-Carlos Torriente (1-2 9.00) was the loser... he was hit hard for 3 hits and 2 runs in the decisive ninth... Turon 1B Clyde Kingsford (.200) drove in 2 runs to pace the Typhoons. |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Monday, October 8, 2018 2018 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 5 At Jay Loman Park In Ancona Penn's 3-Run HR Gives Typhoons Pro Cup Lead Reggie Penn saved the day for Turon with a dramatic 3-run smash in the seventh inning to defeat Ancona 4-2 in game 5 of the IPA Pro Cup Series... with the win the Typhoons nudged ahead three games to two... up until Penn's clout, Dave Blair had it pretty much his way... Blair shut them out for the first 6 innings, but caved in in the four-run seventh... LF Penn (.257) topped Turon at the plate with 3 hits... winner Shane Farmer (3-3 4.14) gave Turon a strong start, holding Ancona to 2 runs on 5 hits with 4 Ks and 4 walks... the loss went to Blair (4-2 3.00), who permitted 7 hits and 4 runs in 7 innings... SS Benny Morgan (.271) drove in both of the Red Elephants scores... the clubs will close out the series in Turon at Typhoon Stadium... the Typhoons need one win in the two games to claim their record fourth Pro Cup... Ancona needs to sweep the final two contests for its first Pro Cup crown. |
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There's a lot of new blood in the IPA playoffs this year... I think I need to post the town history for all of the 8 teams.
I'll begin with the Taranto Tars who have a colorful history... they have made the postseason 10 times and won their only Pro Cup trophy in 2015... Taranto reached the Pro Cup Finals in 2053 but were beaten by the Midway Wolves. AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA Taranto Tars Owner: Gianni Di Bella, CEO Papa Giovanni's Pizza GM: Augie Marshall Manager: Lenny Buisson Originally Taranto was just a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Valdar Island settled by Italian immigrants in the 1870s after the unification of Italy caused economic collapse in several areas of the country. Taranto was named after its namesake in Italy. Visitors are enthralled by the quaint and picturesque town. It has the feel and essence of the old country and should not be missed by tourists. Taranto is also the origin of the common name of the Tarantula spider family, In ancient times, residents of the town of Taranto, upon being bitten by a spider, would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a jig. This was done in order to sweat most of the poison out of their pores and thus survive the spider bite. The dance they did became locally known as the Tarantella, which eventually became the name we use today to describe the large, sometimes hairy type of spider, the Tarantula. The town got a big boost in the 1880s when the Ruthlandian government decided to construct a naval base here. The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Ruthlandian naval fleet. Taranto has since grown to a present-day population of 63,000. As a result of the naval expansion, baseball leagues sprang up in Taranto. First it was just for the sailors and marines, but soon spread to the town. Baseball has thrived in Taranto since the late 1880s. The Navy is still the prime industy in Taranto. However, the town is also known for being the headquarters of Papa Giovanni's Pizza, the number one pizza in the Islands. Giovanni Di Bella began making pizzas in 1905 after emigrating from Italy. His pizzas with a special garlic butter sauce soon became a favorite of the townspeople. Papa Giovanni's Pizza's popularity soon spread throughout Vandar Island and then to the mainland of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia. You will now find a Papa Giovanni's Pizza shop in all of the main towns of Islandia. Papa Giovanni was a good baseball player in his own right, but where he excelled was in sponsorship of the local amateur team. Papa Giovanni also managed the club and got most of his players from the navy leagues, hence the name Papa Giovanni's Tars. He used the team to publicize his expanding pizza business. The more popular his team got, the more pizza he sold. A "tar" is a sailor. The name comes from the black, petroleum substance used to keep ropes and rigging dry aboard ship. It was also used to seal and make the ships water-tight. It would get on the sailors uniform, so people began to refer to them as Tars. Papa Giovanni housed his team in the Palazzo di Sport, which was built in 1922 and is still in use today. The Palazzo is known for being a hitter's ballpark with its short fences. It's only 320 down the lines, 360 in the power alleys and just 385 to center. The Di Bello family has continued to big supporters of baseball in Taranto. When they heard that the IPA was going to expand the league, Grandson Gianni Di Bello got the backing of the Admiralty to insure a franchise would be granted to Taranto and to Papa Giovanni's Pizza. The first general manager and field manager of the Taranto Tars was Tommaso Lazzorda. He gained his fame as a crafty southpaw for the Papa Giovanni's Tars. Lazzorda gained even more success and notoriety as the team's skipper. When the Tars switched over to professional baseball, Lazzorda came, too. Lazzorda loves to eat and loves his baseball. The congenial Lazzorda is good with a quote, too. "When we win, I'm so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I'm so depressed, I eat a lot. When we're rained out, I'm so disappointed I eat a lot." And the people of Taranto love him, too. There's no better ambassador of baseball than Tommaso Lazzorda. He often tells reporters, "I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer." The current general manager is Augie Marshall, one of the greatest Tar stars in history. Marshall starred for almost 10 seasons. A heavy-hitting outfielder he swatted 504 homers and drove in 1719 runs, batting .287 for his career. Marshall was voted the 2013 Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year, a 9-time All-Star and inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2049. Augie Marshall played right field for six teams in his 19 years in the IPA, but played primarily for the Taranto Tars, where he enjoyed his most success from 2013 to 2022. Marshall led the Ruthlandian Union in homers and RBIs in 2014 and 2015. He helped two clubs win Pro Cups. Taranto won in 2015 and Crystal Lake took it in 2022. Marshall played until 2033 when he retired at age 39. The current skipper is Lenny Buisson. He starred for 19 years in the IPA from 2046 to 2064, playing his first 8 seasons with Belle Plaine, then his last 11 with Taranto. Buisson retired in 2064 and entered the IPA Hall of Fame in 2066. He batted .301 with 2833 hits, 734 homers and 1875 RBIs. Buisson is the Taranto all-time home-run leader with 434. He is ranked 5th in the IPA. Buisson was a Golden Glove outfielder, 4-time RU MVP, 5-time RU Golden Bat, 6-time All-Star and the RU Rookie of the Year in 2047. Since taking charge of the club in 2066, the Tars have been a regular contender in the Ruthlandian North Division with pennants in 2069 and 2074. Palazzo de Sport Capacity: 7,175 Dimensions: Left Field Line 320 Left Field 335 Left Center 360 Center Field 385 Right Center 360 Right Field 335 Right Field Line 320 Palazzo de Sport Capacity: 7,175 Dimensions: Left Field Line 320 Left Field 335 Left Center 360 Center Field 385 Right Center 360 Right Field 335 Right Field Line 320 |
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Monday, October 8, 2074 CRYSTAL LAKE KO'S STONER, HEADS TO RU TITLE SERIES; CHICOPEE AND SUMMERLAND CAN WRAP UP SERIES IN GAME 6 The Ruthlandian Union title series is arranged... it will be Crystal Lake hosting the Eastshore Cotton Kings... the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 is still going on... the Chicopee Braves and Summerland Sunsets are in front 3 games to 2, going into game 6. The Crystal Lake Skippers sent the Stoner Silver Sox home for the winter... the Skips did them in with a 3-2 victory in game 5 to take the series 4 games to one... in the Tycobbian first-round action, both series are still up for grabs... Tuckanarra cut Chicopee's lead to 3 games to one with a 4-1 win... in the other matchup Summerland rallied and beat Oxford 5-4 to move ahead 3 games to 2 in the best-of-seven series. 2074 IPA Postseason Stars of the Day Attachment 877928 Attachment 877929 Attachment 877930 Attachment 877931 |
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STONER STARS Owner: Nonnac Textiles GM: Beanie Billingham Manager: Willie Dickens Stoner, population 55,000, can be found in north central Ruthlandia, halfway between Rocky Rapids to the northwest and Cold Creek to the southeast. The majestic Green River runs by it on the way to Forest City, the nation's capital, then flowing southward through the Lowlands towns of Middlefield and Sugar Valley, finally emptying into Belair Bay near Belair Beach. The climate is cold and harsh during the winter, but quite moderate and nice the rest of the year. The rocky soil of Stoner makes it difficult for agricultural endeavors. The primary industry is manufacturing. The Green River Dam provides cheap and abundant electric power to drive the local plants and factories. The town of Stoner got it name from Yancey Stoner and his family in the 1850s, who settled the area. He had emigrated here from Lancashire, England, where he worked for ten years at one of the textile factories there. There he gained the first-hand knowledge needed to build and operate a textile factory. He settled in Stoner because of the abundance of water power. He started on a small scale, beginning with a cottage industry that used women at home to make the textiles and slowly expanded over the years, eventually selling out to Nonnac Textiles. Nonnac Textiles was established in 1872 and is headquartered in Stoner. The entire town revolves around the mills. It is a tight-knit community. Mill life is a simple life, yet satisfying. Nommac made sure its workers lacked for nothing. The Stoner mill families shared schools, medical facilities, churches and recreation centers, all created by their benevolent employers. Unions never got a foothold in Stoner, the company made them unnecessary. Nonnac was a leader in clean air, long before it became popular. They made certain the air was safe to breath in their town. Because of their progressive policies, Nommac can still compete with overseas manufacturing and still prospers today. The factory whistles are still blowing strongly and proudly in Stoner. Nonnac Textiles brought "base ball" (its original name) to Stoner in the 1880s. The mill built a ball diamond for its plant workers and their families to enjoy. In 1891, the game had gotten so popular that Nonnac organized its own league. In the early 1900s the company's best players would travel to other nearby towns and plays those towns' best teams. A great rivalry sprang up between Rocky Rapids, Cold Creek, Sligo, Volusia and LaGrange. In 1909 Nonnac Textiles constructed Nonnac Stadium and it was the home of the Stoner Stars company teams in the Industrial League era and the home of the original IPA Stoner Stars (2001-2059). Now the stogy old ballpark has been the home of the current edition of the Stoner Silver Sox since 1960. The club is owned by Nonnac Textiles. You can see the Nonnac factory off in the distance over the outfield wall at the stadium. The Stoner Stars fans really take the game of baseball seriously. It is a no-nonsense atmosphere at Nonnac Stadium. No theatrics or promotions, just good old-fashioned baseball the way it is meant to be played...and watched. All eyes are on the ballfield at Nonnac Stadium. Be aware that there are no guest singers for the Ruthlandian national anthem prior to the first pitch of the game. You are expected to sing it yourself, loudly, proudly and clearly or you could get a raised eyebrow or two, if you don't. The Stonerites are very patriotic. You are also expected to sing baseball's national anthem "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" at the traditional Seventh-Inning Stretch. As far as stadium food, you also just get the standard fare: hamburgers, hot dogs, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks. Historically, Stoner has not had much success in the Islandian Pro Alliance. This is the 5th time the club has made the IPA postseason playoffs. They have not made many trips, but they do well when they do, they make some noise. On 3 occasions Stoner made the Pro Cup Finals. Oxford beat the Stars in 2007, the Rolling Hills Reds defeated them in 2029 and Turon triumphed over the Silver Sox in 2072. The current Stoner GM is Beanie Billings, a budding genius for his scientific approach to baseball. He uses computer analysis to create his player roster and to evaluate talent. For a manager, however, he has an old school manager, Billy Chapel, who was a rock-solid pitcher in his playing days, but the Stars were just mediocre at best during his tenure. Chapel was 260-212 in his 17 seasons with a 3.40 ERA. In 2025 he was voted the Ruthlandian MVP with a league-leading 23-12 mark and a 2.46 ERA. 4 times Chapel won 20 games. 3 times he topped the RU in strikeouts and fanned over 3000 in his career. Chapel retired as a player in 2029. Billings got him to come out of retirement in 2062 and take over as skipper. The Silver Sox have won 2 RU West crowns under Chapel. Nonnac Stadium (1909) Capacity: 6,625 Dimensions: Left Field Line - 334 Left Field - 360 Left Center - 387 Center Field - 410 Right Center - 390 Right Field - 360 Right Field Line - 340 |
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EASTSHORE COTTON KINGS (aka Elegants 2002-2059) Owner: Tara Plantation, Inc. President and CEO: Bonnie Blue Butler GM: Scottty Lagrange Manager: Malcolm Tansbury Eastshore is a town of 85,000 on the southeast coast of Ruthlandia, situated on the Valerian Ocean, just 50 miles east of Crystal Lake. It was settled by emigres from the American South in the 1870s, who were disillusioned by the post Civil War problems. Agriculture has always been the backbone of the Eastshore economy because of the perfect climate for growning cotton. Cotton is king in Eastshore. The port of Eastshore is one of the Islands' busiest and is also a vital part of the area's economy. Southern charm and hospitality are a way of life here in Eastshore. One would think they were in Savannah or Charleston in the United States, instead of a world away. Moonlight, magnolias and mint juleps are still in vogue at the many plantation homes that inundate the farmlands in the area. The "New South" is alive and well in Eastshore. But modern day Eastshore is more friendly than formal. Whoever you are, wherever you're from, you'll be welcomed with true Southern hospitality. Hip and historic, robust and refined, Eastshore is where you'll find amazing architecture, spooky cemeteries and rich history, along with global sophistication, funky night life and fabulous food. It's where history resonates into the present day and where memories are still being made. Like all of the towns in Islandia, Eastshore loves its baseball and has since it first began in the late 1890s. The community has supported town ball, amateur leagues and industrial leagues down through the years and now have a professional team. The proud owners of the IPA Eastshore Elegants in the early years of the IPA were Clark and Vivian Butler. Their granddaughter Bonnie Blue O'Hara is the current CEO. The Cotton Kings are owned by Tara Plantation, one of the largest cotton plantations in Ruthlandia... the team rebranded in the 2060 as the Cotton Kings. Originally they were known as the Elegants. Running the Elegants is renowned hard-hitting slugger and IPA Hall-of-Famer Scotty Lagrange, who starred for many years with the club. Lagrange was inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2049. He was a 5-time All-Star, 6-time Gold Glover and the 2034 Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player. Lagrange batted .295 in his 18-year career with 451 homers and 1414 RBIs. He is the general manager. The manager is Malcolm Tansbury, a former workhorse pitcher for Eastshore... he was 193-215 in 17 seasons with a standout 3.26 ERA... Tansbury was the RU Rookie of the Year in 2043... both Lagrange and Tansbury played for mediocre teams... Eastshore only made the postseason one time in each of their careers, 2034 and 2056. Eastshore plays its games at Kraft Stadium, built by Kraft Foods in 1996. Since the 1920s Kraft has sponsored teams in company and amateur leagues. A trip to Kraft Stadium is special. It is built for comfort with great sight lines and roomy seats... the spectators are close to the action. Not a bad seat in the house. Be sure to partake of some great southern delicacies at the concession stands, including mint juleps, frozen daiquiris, snowballs, apple turnovers and sweet potato pies. They even have real homemade ice cream made like your mama used to make. And the cotton candy is to die for. If you are a country music connoisseur, you will be entertained throughout the game by the Grand Ole Opry, a country band with some great fiddle and guitar players, playing songs like "Thank God, I'm a Country Boy", "Take Me Home Country Roads" and of course the classic, "Cotton Fields". Kraft Stadium (1995) Capacity: 11,575 Dimensions: Left Field Line 330 Left Field 350 Left Center 375 Center Field 400 Right Center 375 Right Field 350 Right Field Line 330 |
OK, take your pick: the folk version of "Cotton Fields" by the Highwaymen or a rock version by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Hope you peapickin' horsehiders get some enjoys from one of these versions of the great old song "Cotton Fields". Highwaymen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7suWiC5I3uk CCR: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=poZx9jKlBoY |
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Tuesday, October 9, 2074 SPEEDY AND SPUNKY SUMMERLAND RACES PAST PRO CUP FAVORITE OXFORD IN 6 GAMES... TUCKS AND CHICOPEE FACE 7TH-GAME SHOWDOWN In a bewildering series underdog Summerland unexpectedly scampered past Pro Cup-favored Oxford in the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series, eliminating the powerful Red Caps 4 games to 2... a 7th-game showdown is needed to decide the Chicopee-Tuckanarra series. In Monday's action spunky Summerland won a marvelous 12-inning masterpiece 6-4 and sent the Oxford Red Caps home without the 2074 IPA Pro Cup Trophy... the Sunsets now await the winner of the Chicopee-Tuckanarra clash... the Braves and the Tiger Cats will settle that issue in a 7th-game finale in Tuckanarra. The Ruthlandian Union Title Series has already been decided... the Eastshore Cotton Kings swept the Taranto Tars in 4 straight games and the Crystal Lake Skippers took care of the Stoner Silver Sox in 5 games in the RU Elite 8 Series. Eastshore was the #3 pick after Pro Cup favorite Oxford and the #2 choice Chicopee to win the 2074 IPA Pro Cup this year... Crystal Lake is also highly-rated at #4... 4 of the top 5 teams are still in the running... only Oxford has fallen so far. 2074 IPA Postseason Stars of the Day Attachment 878524 Attachment 878525 Attachment 878526 Attachment 878527 |
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The Islandian Times Monday, October 8, 2018 2018 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 6 At Typhoon Stadium In Turon Turon Pro Cup Winner, Trounces Ancona 10-2 Valiant Little David was exhausted and finally succumbed to powerful Goliath... The talented Turon Typhoons of the Tycobbian Union put it all together in game 6 and trounced Ancona of the Ruthlandian Union 10-2 at Typhoon Stadium to romp to a four-games-to-two victory in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... it was Turon's 4th title in its history, tops in the league... Ted Farentino (5-0 2.57) had a flawless day on the mound and Typhoon hitters mauled the Red Elephants for 2 homers and 3 doubles in the runaway... Turon racked up 11 hits in all, led by home runs by C Cory Moore (.314) and CF Mac McCurnan (.229)... 2B Matt Madison (.257), LF Andy Porter (.452) and Moore all batted in 2 runs each... LF Kenny Willard (.256) sent 2 out of the park in defeat... Willard had 5 homers in the postseason... Farentino tossed 8 fine innings, fanned 9, walked 1 and surrendered only 2 runs on 7 hits for his 5th playoff victory... Nikon Maragos (0-3 5.75) suffered the loss, allowing 7 runs in 3+ innings... Turon manager Whitey Richburn finally got his 4th Pro Cup after being edged out in seven games in 2010 and 2017... the Pro Cup Series now stands 10 to 8 in favor of the Ruthlandian Union. Turon also captured the IPA Pro Cup Trophy in 2003, 2006 and 2009. |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Tuesday, October 9, 2018 Farentino Pro Cup MVP 37-year-old Ted Farentino had a year he will never forget. Farentino, a 6' 5" journeyman right-hander, sparked the Turon Typhoons to the fourth Pro Cup title in the team's history with a 5-0 mark in the postseason and has been acclaimed the Pro Cup Most Valuable Player in a poll by The Islandian Times. Farentino posted two wins in the Finals and finished the postseason with a 2.57 ERA in 6 starts. Farentino was Turon's number three starter during the regular season. He was 18-13 with a 3.72 ERA. However, the 18-year veteran turned it up a notch in the playoffs and took the MVP trophy. In his career Farentino is 245-223 with 4 teams. Lifetime he sports a 3.72 ERA. Second in the balloting was Typhoon left fielder Andy Porter, who batted a scorching .452 in the playoffs with 4 homers, 11 RBIs and 8 runs scored. The number three vote-getter was Turon right fielder Dominick DiCaprio with a .355 batting average, 2 home runs, 9 RBIs and 15 runs scored. Fourth in the poll was Typhoon closer Merle Studebaker, who chalked up 5 saves with a 0.61 ERA and a 1-0 record in 10 postseason appearances. The only Ancona players to receive votes were starter Dave Blair and first sacker Johnny Lee Harder. Blair was 4-2 with a 3.00 ERA and ranked fifth in the poll, while Harder finished sixth and hit .328 with 3 roundtrippers, 10 RBIs and 13 runs. |
YESTERDAY IN THE IPA
The Islandian Times Monday, October 15, 2018 Ancona's Mickens Honored As RU Best Manager For the second time in his managerial career Manny Mickens of the Ancona Red Elephants has been named the Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year by leading Ancona (87-67) to the RU North title. Mickens also took the honor in 2007. Marston's Johnny Walters ran second in The Islandian Times poll. He got the Nine (96-58) within an eyelash of winning the RU East as they wound up a very close second to powerful Eastshore (97-57). The Elegants skipper Killer Brewster was third in the balloting. He guided them to the most wins in the RU. Ryan Noland of Rocky Rapids (94-60) was fourth as he led the Snappers to their second straight RU West pennant. TU Best Manager Award Goes To Typhoons Richburn The Turon Typhoons won more games than any club in the IPA. That achievement got skipper Whitey Richburn his second Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year trophy. Turon was 102-52 and took the TU South flag for the third successive year and fifth time in six seasons. Richburn was also honored in 2009. Only two other managers received votes in The Islandian Times annual poll. Ozarka's Joe Mac Carney was second as his Naturals (101-52) had the second-best record in the IPA and copped the TU East pennant. The Luxora Zorros (91-63) won the TU North for the second year in a row under Cristo Viamonte, who finished third in the voting. |
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Wednesday, October 10, 2074 BRAVES LATE-GAME HEROICS TAME TUCKS IN 11 INNINGS IN 7TH GAME The Chicopee Braves came on strong late in the 7th game of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series and finally finished off the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats 5-4 in 11 innings... Chicopee's quest for its very first IPA Pro Cup Trophy continues... the Braves will now tussle with the aspiring Summerland Sunsets, who also have never won a Pro Cup... the Sunsets knocked off the Pro Cup favorite, the Oxford Red Caps in a 6-game series. 2074 IPA Postseason Stars of the Games Attachment 878756 Attachment 878757 Attachment 878758 Attachment 878759 |
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OXFORD RED CAPS Owner: Tyco-Tech GM: Babe Friedriksen Manager: Dennis Hartwig Oxford is a town of 89,000 found in the east central plains of Tycobbia, 10 miles east of Blue Lake and 10 miles west of the Silver Mountains. It is a rural area, settled by English emigres in the 1850s and was originally called Mills Creek. In its early days farming and sheepherding were the mainstays of the economy. One of the emigres was a young commoner, Charles Emerson Winchester, who had been turned down for admission to the famed Oxford University in England. It was his dream to be an educator and eventually become a university scholar and administrator. His heart was broken by Oxford's rejection, so he enrolled in a lesser school and graduated summa cum laude. He then emigrated to Tycobbia, where there was no class system and started a small rural college in Mills Creek. Winchester said, "My voice shall be heard from this wilderness"... and it was. It was the first college in Tycobbia and within a few years became so successful that the name of the town was changed to Oxford. Winchester said his dream to teach at Oxford had finally come true. Oxford College rivals St. John University in Ruthlandia as the outstanding higher learning institution in the Islands. Today Oxford College is a thriving private institution and much desired by the Islands high school graduates. The Oxonian graduates are in much demand in Tycobbia and Ruthlandia. The university is the town's dominant industry and supplies the local high tech companies with outstanding recruits. One of those high tech companies is Tyco-Tech, which is the owner of the Oxford Red Caps in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The team is named in honor of the university and adopted Oxford's red and black colors for their own. The school even shares historic Winchester Park (circa 1909) with the the Oxford Red Caps of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Oxford's entry into baseball began in the late 1890's, when the college began an intramural baseball league. That soon expanded to include the townspeople. By 1905, Oxford baseball expanded to playing other town teams in Tycobbia. In 1920 the Amateur Baseball Alliance changed it rules, so that players could be employed by companies and play baseball. In theory, they were not paid to play baseball, just given time off from work to practice and play games. It continued that way until 2001, when Ban Johnson, the ABA commissioner, said it was time for a professional baseball league, where players could be paid just to play baseball and do it legally. The company and industrial league sponsors had long been circumventing and violating the spirit of the amateur rules. Johnson said it was time to bring it out in the open. That is how the IPA came to be. Winchester Park is situated on the beautiful Oxford campus. Smokestacks and school buildings are visible beyond the outfield fences. The Oxfordian fans have a rousing good time at the Red Cap games. It is a college crowd, filled with undergrads and alumni. Cheerleaders and a dance team inspire the fans with all of the old Oxford cheers, adapted for the Red Caps. You still hear "two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar" and the Oxford fight song reverberating throughout the ballpark. In the seventh inning there is the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Then in the eighth, everyone sings the Oxford Alma Mater. If the game goes into extra innings and reaches the fourteenth frame, the fans will again sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the Fourteenth-Inning Stretch. This is unique in all of baseball. No one else does this. Food concessions at Winchester Park are just the typical hot dogs, hamburgers, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks. The Oxford Red Caps have an experienced management team, consisting of Babe Friedriksen as general manager and Dennis Hartwig as manager. She was the women's softball, basketball and golf coach and athletic director at Oxford College. Hartwig was an outstanding hitter and outfielder, who played college ball at Oxford, then signed with the Red Caps upon graduation. He starred for 16 years from 2023 to 2039, batting .303 with 338 home runs and 1349 RBIs. Hartwig was a Golden Glover, Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year in 2023, Batter of the Year in 2025 and a 5-time All-Star. Though he had a standout career, the Red Caps were just a mediocre club during his career. Oxford never made the postseason playoffs. However, Hartwig has been quite successful as the Red Caps skipper, winning 10 pennants in his 25 years with the club... he also captured the Pro Cup in 2061, the second time in the team history. Oxford won it the first time in 2007. Winchester Stadium (1909) Capacity: 10,250 Dimensions: LF Line 335 LF 355 LCF 382 CF 420 RCF 368 RF 335 RF Line 300 |
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TUCKANARRA Tiger Cats (aka Bluejays 2002-2059) Owner: Quinn, Glynn and Lynn Starr GM/Manager: Quinn Starr Tuckanarra is a rural town in southern Tycobbia with a population of 49,000. It is about 100 miles east of Bay St.Clair, 100 miles west of South Fork and 100 north of Denton City. Tuckanarra came into existence in the 1860s, when a group of Australians were shipwrecked on the coast near Bay St. Clair. Not having the means to continue their journey from Tuckanarra, Australia to England, they decided to move inland to set up homesteads. Included in their numbers were a few aboriginal families. These were farmers, cattle ranchers and sheep herders. Wheat, wool, beef and lamb were their main products. They named the town after their old hometown, Tuckanarra. The main industries in modern day Tuckanarra are woolen textiles factories and meat processing plants. In the early 1900s, the game of baseball arrived in the form of exhibition games by the Chicopee town teams, who began to barnstorm the Islands. Initially just traveling to nearby towns like Denton City, Colchester and Tuckanarra, then expanding to Tycobbia, Ruthlandia and even to distant Valdar Island. The Aussies took a liking to the American game and began to form teams, which led to leagues. It took them almost 20 years to compete on the level of the other adjacent towns. By 1920 company leagues were flourishing in Tuckanarra. It stayed amateur and semipro for the next 80 years, when in 2001, the first pro baseball league in the Islands was established, the Islandian Pro Alliance. It was an attempt to get rid of all the corruption in the Amateur Baseball Alliance. Too many teams were just violating the rules by paying the players to just play baseball, but not requiring them to do any bonafide work for the company sponsors. Since it is one of the smallest towns in the Islands, it seemed like Tuckanarra was going to miss out on the IPA. But local baseball aficionado, playboy and philanthropist, Jayden Thorpe, stepped up to the plate and put up the money for the franchise, the Tuckanarra Bluejays. He chose the name Bluejays simply because it is a tough and feisty bird, just like him. He thought it would make a good mascot, too. Thorpe made his fortune riding high tech stocks in the 1980s and 90s. He hired as GM and manager, Carlton "Lefty" Stevens, a great left-handed pitcher in the industrial leagues. Stevens led the Golden Age of Bluejays baseball. From 2002 to 2038 he guided Tuckanarra to 17 playoff appearances, 3 Pro Cups in 2023, 2024 and 2035 and was named Manager of the Year 3 times, in 2013, 2017 and 2028. The Tucks went into a two decade-long postseason drought until Quinn Starr took charge of the club in 2062 and made them competitive again. The Tiger Cats have flourished under Starr, winning 4 pennants so far. Tuckanarra is still seeking its 4th Pro Cup Trophy. Stevens was blessed with the 6-foot-6 Starr triplets from 2022 to 2036. Quinn and Glynn were pitchers and Lynn a first baseman. They were the core of his teams. In his career Quinn Starr was 219-164 with a 2.97 ERA, Glynn Starr was 172-130 with a 3.24 ERA and Lynn Starr batted .296 lifetime with 317 homers and 1184 RBIs. The talented trio also performed even better in the IPA playoffs. The Starr Triplets are now the proud owners of the Tiger Cats, which they purchased in 2060. Quinn is the skipper, Glynn, the pitching coach and Lynn is the batting coach. Tuckanarra is truly a family affair. The Bluejays play at Central Park Stadium, which is located right in the middle of a beautiful park on the edge of the downtown area, which houses the Central Park Zoo. The zoo specializes in animals native to Australia and features a ferris wheel, carousel and a carnival midway. It is a favorite place for Tuckanarran families to while away weekend hours perusing koala bears, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, platypuses, tasmanian devils and kookaburras. Central Park Stadium was constructed in 1948 and is still a great place to watch a ballgame. Even the aboriginal Australians have taken to the sport of baseball and have acquited themselves very ably over the years. Food-wise, you won't just gorge out on vegemite (salty food paste) sandwiches and swig Australian beers like VB (Victoria Bitter) and Foster's at the ballpark, you can also get Aussie gourmet treats like barbecue, Tim Tam (chocolate biscuits) and a chocolate Pavlova (a fruit meringue dessert named for the Russian ballerina) with sorbet. Hot dogs, hamburgers and cokes are available, too. Central Park Stadium (1948) Capacity: 7,750 Dimensions: Left Field Line - 340 Left Field - 370 Left Center - 400 Center Field - 385 Right Center - 400 Right Field - 370 Right Field Line - 340 |
Cool, Tuckanarra is a real Australian town. I didn't know that until now!
I visited Australia in 2004 with the Danbury CT Brass Band. Went to Sydney, Darwin and Cairns, then came back to the Sydney area at the end of the trip and stayed in a city called Gosford. Spent about a week in each place. A couple of highlights of the trip were seeing the Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House and visiting the Great Barrier Reef, and performing various concerts for the citizens of Australia. |
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Just be sure you play the great songs that they KNOW and LOVE... don't just play songs that you like. |
Several newly-updated items for Taranto's Tars are now present in my main graphics thread you started for me quite a good while ago here on the forums. Hopefully they'll look at least a little bit better for you than my first take on them earlier, of course, EC. Please let me know what you think of them, if and when you can and like, as always. Thank you for your time, then, too. CD out.
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SUMMERLAND SUNSETS Owner: Angelo Altonno, La Cosa Nostra Enterprises GM: Antonio Vasquez Manager: Jayson Hallstrom Summerland is a serene paradise south of the Tycobbian mainland populated by about 93,000 residents and located on the northeastern edge of Arvonian Island in the Southern Sea. It was originally settled by the Dutch in the 1840's and called Sommerland and still has a sizeable Dutch minority, but with a British majority. Both ethnic groups have really taken to the sport of baseball. Like every town in the Islands, baseball is king. Modern day Summerland is a year-round playground with perfect weather amid a lush tropical landscape. People love to slip away to the sunshine of Summerland with its sparkling stretches of white powdery sand and crystal clear turquoise seawaters. Summerland’s high-rise hotels and seaside villas offer world-class amenities, impeccable service and accommodations topped off with tempting epicurean pleasures and a bountiful array of activities designed to pamper and delight. It is the home of the Summerland Sunsets of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play at Sunset Park, one of the plushiest ball palaces in the league. The club plays in the Tycobbian South Division. Sunset Park is built right on the water with the front facade looking out on the Bay of Caledonia. Each evening tourists gather on the shore to watch the majestic tropical sun slowly sink into the sky-blue azure waters. The Summerland skyline, with its luxury hotels and retirement condos, is visible from the park. The Sunsets are still owned and operated by the Augie Altonno family, baseball fanatics with some questionable business affiliations. The Altonno family spares no expense when it comes to the Sunsets. At each game there is a Big Band orchestra to entertain the fans. After the game an automated dance floor is set up so the fans can swing, sway and dance the night away. The first owner and club president, Augie Antonno, was quite a character... Augie loved to dance and could often be seen dancing with a lovely young thing acting like Tony Manero with “Saturday Night Fever” on the dance floor. Most of the time Augie went home to Mama Rosa and left the “Fever” on the dance floor... yep, most of the time he headed home to Mama Rosa. The Altonnos spare no expense when it comes to the concessions at Sunset Park, either. You have wide choice of menu, Italian, Dutch, or standard baseball fare. Delicious spaghetti, lasagna, pizzas and muffalettas are on the menu, along with Dutch specialities like broodje (hot dog), bratwurst, patat met (chips with mayo) and Frikandel (meatloaf croquette). Famous Italian beers like Peroni and Birra Moretti are served along with Dutch beers like Heineken's and Grotsch and of course American beer, cokes and fine Italian wine. The Antonnos' favorite dessert is available, too - Angelo Brocato’s Spamoni ice cream imported from the French Quarter in New Orleans. A visit to the Antonno family's baseball palace is “to die for” (figuratively speaking, of course). Summerland was guided by beloved Will Hackett for the first 48 IPA seasons. He was a legendary company league icon as a player, one of the best hitters ever in amateur circles, but Hackett had little success as manager, making the postseason playoffs only 4 times (2005, 2033, 2040, 2046). He only had 23 winning seasons. Fortunately for Hackett, he was a member of the Antonno family. He married Augie's only daughter, the lovely Mona Lisa. That was pretty good job security. However, Hackett did have one great season and almost won the Pro Cup in 2040. That year the Ranford Bulls upset the heavily-favored Sunsets in a sensational 7-game series. The current GM of the Summerland Sunsets is Antonio Vasquez, a rock-solid and steady Golden Glove outfielder for the club from 2030 to 2048. He batted .281 lifetime with 103 homers, 1411 runs, 1116 RBIs and 372 stolen bases. Vasquez succeeded his father-in-law Hackett and piloted the team from 2049 to 2067. Overall he was more successful than Hackett, finishing over the .500 mark in 14 of his 19 seasons at the helm, but Vasquez only made the playoffs one time (2063) and lost in the first round. Vasquez was a fine skipper and didn't need any job security, but just to be sure he married Will Hackett and Mona Lisa's lovely daughter, Venus. Yep, it never hurts to be a part of the family. Vasquez stepped down as manager in '67 and became the GM. Vasquez selected long-time pitching superstar and his former teammate Jayson Hallstrom to take over the managerial reins in 2068. The Sunsets have been one of the better teams in the TU South ever since. Hallstrom was inducted into the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame in 2061. In his career Hallstrom was 368-274 with a great 2.65 ERA in his 21 seasons from 2037 to 2057. There's no telling how many games he would have won had he played for a contending team. Sunset Park (2001) Capacity: 7,550 Dimensions: Left Field Line - 353 Left Field - 372 Left Center - 375 Center Field - 415 Right Center - 375 Right Field - 372 Right Field Line - 353 |
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Attachment 879622
Thursday, October 11, 2074 IPA FINAL 4 SLATE: EASTSHORE @ CRYSTAL LAKE IN RUTHLANDIAN UNION SUMMERLAND @ CHICOPEE IN TYCOBBIAN UNION The Islandian Pro Alliance will kick off another round of the postseason playoffs this weekend... the 64 IPA teams have been chiseled down to the Final 4... Eastshore and Crystal Lake survived the cut in the Ruthlandian Union and Summerland and Chicopee tee it up in the Tycobbian Union... IPA Final 4 play begins this Saturday afternoon... the victors will advance to the Pro Cup Series for a chance to win the pot of gold -- the IPA Pro Cup... both series will be the best-of-seven. Coming into postseason play the Oxford Red Caps were favored to win the Pro Cup this season, but the Red Caps kicked the bucket at the hands of the surprising Summerland Sunsets in first-round action, the #7 team... the remaining clubs are #2 Chicopee, #3 Eastshore and #4 Crystal Lake... in the Ruthlandian Union it's an evenly-matched series likely to go the full 7 games... most scribes are leaning toward the Cotton Kings over the Skippers... better starters will make the difference... Lucien Dillingham (13-7/2.90 ERA), Vinnie Harrington (15-7/3.14 ERA) and Ayasha Kanjorsky (14-8/3.27 ERA) are 3 solid starters for Eastshore... they were outstanding in the Taranto series... Lew McGrane (14-4/2.52 ERA) and two rookies, Noel Arboneaux (10-5/2.14 ERA) and Lloyd Mason (17-7/3.72 ERA), will do the hill honors for Crystal Lake... they did well against the Stoner Silver Sox in round one... give a slight edge to the more experienced Cotton Kings' staff... Eastshore also has a better relief corps. In the Tycobbian Union, despite the upset of Oxford, most baseball prophets are picking the Chicopee Braves to finish off the upstart Summerland Sunsets in 6 games... superior pitching will put the Braves into the Pro Cup Finals for a chance to win their first Pro Cup in the team's lousy history... the Sunsets have only made 3 postseason appearances... Ray Weatherly (14-6/2.92 ERA), rookie Clancy Mahaffey (12-7/2.47 ERA) and Cris Samuels (12-10/3.52 ERA) were the key to beating Tuckanarra... the Sunsets are in the same boat... Summerland has never won the IPA Pro Cup, however the Sunsets have had a more successful history in the IPA... the baseball sentimentalists would like nothing better than for one of these teams to take the Holy Grail of Islandia this year... pundits love the underdogs... but the heart can only go so far in picking the winners... they fear Summerland starters Luc Cochrane (17-3/2.45 ERA), rookie Mort Cassidy (9-6/4.18 ERA) and Jason Irons (9-10/4.18 ERA) may not be able to handle the Braves' bats. Crystal Lake is the best of the lot in Pro Cups with 3 (2020, 2022, 2058)... Eastshore had accumulated a pair of Pro Cups (2016, 2017)... Summerland and Chicopee have never won the Pro Cup... the Skippers also lead with 13 postseason appearances, the Cotton Kings have made it on 10 occasions... this is the 6th time the Sunsets have made the playoffs and only the 4th time for the Braves. To win the Pro Cup, you have to have the pitching -- good pitching beats good hitting -- the team that gets the best pitching will win the IPA Pro Cup Trophy this year... being lucky sometimes helps, too. Eastshore Home Page Attachment 879623 Crystal Lake Home Page Attachment 879624 Summerland Home Page Attachment 879625 Chicopee Home Page Attachment 879626 |
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(NOTE FROM EC: Please let me know by Private Message if any Native Americans are offended by some of the things posted here and I will remove the offending words)
AROUND THE TOWN IN THE IPA CHICOPEE BRAVES Owner : Jenkins Lumber Company CEO: Benny Jenkins GM : Kurt Gustavsen Manager: Ryan Ledbetter Chicopee was founded in 1852 by a small band of Chicopee Indians who had left America because of the constant persecution by the American government and rich land owners. To understand the story of Chicopee, we have to go back to 1828 in North Carolina, USA. The Chicopee had spent generations living in Carolina, but because of the influx of the white man, their lands were shrinking all the time. Before this, the Chicopee shared Carolina with the Creek Nation, but by 1849 the Creek Nation had left Carolina and it wasn’t long before the Chicopee Nation would follow. The Chicopee Nation at the time were split with many wanting to fight the “Indian Removal Act“ but also many, who didn’t want to fight. By 1851 the United States began to relocate the Chicopee from North Carolina to Oklahoma. But a small group of about 20 Chicopee led by Chief Black Fox decided they want to live on free land. So one night, they slipped away from the soldiers and headed on up to Alaska. However, before they got to Alaska they met up with famous mountain man and fur trapper Jim Beckworth in Colorado. Beckworth had been a friend of many Native Americans and took pity on the plight of the few Chicopee he had met. So he told Chief Black Fox about Tycobbia and that it was a country that welcomed any man, woman or child, no matter what their skin color or background. He then travelled to San Francisco with the band of Chicopee, where he managed to persuade a ship's captain to take them to the new world of Tycobbia. He gave up all the furs and money he had to pay the captain and said farewell to the Chief and his people, who would always be in debt to Beckworth. On reaching Tycobbia in 1852, the Chicopee settled along the coast near Bay St. Clair, a remote spot that had good hunting and fishing to help them survive their new environment. In 1860 land rights were granted to them by the Tycobbia government as a thank you to them for being law-abiding citizens and good neighbors. It was when these land rights were granted that Chief Black Fox and the Chicopee council decided on naming the land where they lived Chicopee. Thus the town of Chicopee was born in 1860. The Chicopee had found what they had always wanted...a land they could call their own and which would be theirs for generations to come. As the years went by more and more people came to live in Chicopee. A rich, multicultural society began to grow up. Besides the Chicopee, there were also Negro slaves who had also fled America. Irish, Scotch and English emigres also arrived. The land was rich for farming, lumber, fishing and hunting. The first enterprises were the Jenkins Lumber Company and a Chicopee company, Happy Hunting Grounds, that arranged hunting and fishing for rich gentlemen from all over Tycobbia and Ruthlandia. Baseball came to Chicopee and its townspeople in the early 1900s. At first it wasn't organized, but it was a popular sport among the people and was played everyday during the spring and summer and even by some hardier souls during winter. The most popular team was the Towners, who even travelled to places like Colchester, Tuckanarra and Denton City to play games against teams from those towns. They even went to distant Valdar Island and promoted the game there. These other towns referred to the team as the Chicopee Indians, since so many of the players were Indians. It was due to this that the team voted on changing their name to the Chicopee Braves as they felt it would be more suitable than Indians. So in 1922 the Chicopee Braves were born. The Chicopee Braves have played baseball since the early 1900s. When baseball first caught on in Chicopee there were about 6-7 teams, but two teams always stood out, the Chicopee Towners and the Chicopee Atlantics. Both teams were equally good, but the Towners had the more progressive leadership. The Towners owner was Benjamin Jenkins, owner of Jenkins Lumber Company. He took his team to other towns on barnstorming trips. It was also because of his forward thinking that the Towners first started to use the name Chicopee Braves. It was in 1922 that the Braves and Atlantics decided to merge their talent into a Chicopee all-star team, but keeping the name Chicopee Braves as that was the one most people in Tycobbia recognized. In 1924 the town started to build a baseball park for the Braves, which was finished in 1925. The stadium has been used over the years for amateur and industrial league teams. Brewster Street Ballpark is still used today for the IPA Chicopee Braves. Because of its age and history, baseball fans from all over Tycobbia and Ruthlandia come to visit the vintage stadium located at 4th & Brewster. It is heresy to speak of a new stadium in Chicopee. The citizens still hold onto its small town identity, not just in the town, but also at the ballpark, where there’s no fancy food on sale...just the usual hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, soda pop and good old fashioned peanuts and crackerjacks. No beer or alcoholic beverages are allowed at the ballpark or even in the county. Chicopee is a dry county and it is strictly enforced. A trip to Brewster is exciting. Chicopee fans are constantly doing tomahawk chops, war chants and war dances to rally their beloved Braves. They have been known to do rain dances when the Braves are losing early in the game, hoping for a rainout. It is all in good fun and nobody in Chicopee takes offense. It really is special in the top of the 9th inning when the whole stadium sings the Chicopee national anthem. They took the whole Chicopee Nation And put us on a reservation Took away our ways of life The tomahawk and the bow and knife They tried to take our native tongue And taught their English to our young And all the beads we made by hand Are nowadays made in Japan Chicopee people, Chicopee tribe So proud to live, so proud to die They took the whole Indian Nation And locked us on this reservation And though I wear a shirt and tie I'm still a red man deep inside Chicopee people, Chicopee tribe So proud to live, so proud to die But maybe someday when they learn Chicopee Nation has returned Has returned Has returned Has returned Has returned (lyrics by Paul Revere and the Raiders...adapted a little bit by EC) The Braves are still owned by the Jenkins Family. The Jenkins family were really excited about the new Islandian Pro Alliance and managed to get a franchise. The story goes that the Chicopee tribe threatened to go on the warpath, if the town was left out it. We think they were just kidding...but then again...they really do take their baseball seriously in Chicopee. Overall in their IPA history, Chicopee has struggled. The Braves have been a .500 team only 25 times in its 74 seasons and they have never won a Pro Cup. Only 3 times have they made the IPA postseason. The first Chicopee General Manager was Lou Littlefeather, a longtime baseball player and executive in company league baseball. The first Braves skipper was Harry Fleetfoot, a very successful player, noted for stealing bases in the industrial leagues, and also a fine manager. Both were full-blooded Chicopee... the Braves enjoyed little success until Ivan Burkholder took over as skipper in 2034. Burkholder starred for Chicopee at catcher for 22 seasons (2202-2023), batting .271 with 312 homers and 1185 RBIs. Twice he was an All-Star. It was under Burkholder tutelage that the Braves blossomed. They won the TU West pennant 3 years in a row from 2034 to 2036 and make a lot of noise in the Pro Cup playoffs. Tbis was the Golden Age of Chicopee baseball. Each season the Braves were beaten out by the eventual Pro Cup champion in tight series. They lost to North Hills in 2034 and 2036 and to Tuckanarra in 2035... Burkholder was acclaimed the Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year in 2034. Two of his prime players during that era are now running the Braves. GM Kurt Gustavsen and manager Ryan Ledbetter. Gustavsen was an All-Star infielder for 18 years with a .306 lifetime BA, 347 homers and 1275 RBIs. He batted .331 in 29 postseason games. Ledbetter only spent 4 seasons with Chicopee out of his 13-year career, but they were good ones. Ledbetter was a capable and quality pitcher, posting a 148-126 record and a 3.83 ERA overall. Ledbetter was even better in the postseason with a 5-3 mark and 3.18 ERA in 9 starts... he was 59-50 with a 3.81 ERA in his time with the Braves. Ledbetter retired in 2039 as a player. Chicopee called on him to become skipper in 2066. Slowly, but surely the team has risen up to contending status in the TU West. Brewster Street Ballpark (1925) Capacity: 8,250 Dimensions: LF Line 334 LF 360 LCF 387 CF 400 RCF 410 RF 360 RF Line 331 Brewster Street Ballpark (1925) Capacity: 8,250 Dimensions: LF Line 334 LF 360 LCF 387 CF 400 RCF 410 RF 360 RF Line 331 Brewster Street Ballpark (1925) Capacity: 8,250 Dimensions: LF Line 334 LF 360 LCF 387 CF 400 RCF 410 RF 360 RF Line 331 |
For you young 'uns that have never heard the song Indian Reservation from 1972 by Paul Revere and the Raiders... here 'tis for y'all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDYQ7273-bA |
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