THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 16, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Finals
(best-of-seven)

ST. JOHN STILL IN IT, NIPS NORTH HILLS 5-4
There no place like home this season in the IPA playoffs... the St. John Crusaders have battled their way back in the Pro Cup Finals with another crucial win at Cathedral Stadium... they nipped North Hills 5-4 to cut their lead to three games to two... Marty Blankenship tripled in the winning runs in the last of the eighth to overcome the Hawks' one-run lead... the Crusaders are trying to become just the fourth team in IPA postseason history to come back from a 3-0 deficit.

This was a nip-and-tuck affair... St. John took the lead in the first 1-0 on two-out error by shortstop Skippy Shearer... the Hawks evened it up 1-all in the top of the second when C Mikhail Romanovsky (.350) grounded into a double play and scored RF Adam Thurgood (.206) from third... in the fourth frame the Crusaders once again took the lead when CF Art Kelley (.323) came in on 3B Marty Blankenship's (.281) sacrifice fly... North Hills regained the lead with runs in the fifth and sixth... RF Gerry Rice (.391) singled in CF Kris Anastas (.250) to tie the score... and C Mikhail Romanovsky (.350) batted in 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.389) for a 3-2 edge... St. John deadlocked at 3-3 when Blankenship's force out at second brought in RF Nicky Farrugia (.333)... the Hawks seesawed past the Crusaders 4-3 in the top of the eighth when SS Skippy Shearer (.333) tripled in pinchrunner Nicky Bowen (.333)... that set the stage for Blankenship's decisive 2-run three-bagger in the last half of the inning... but the Hawks didn't give up... the Crusaders' LF Gilbert Hall (.296) ended the game by throwing out 2B Kiril Ivonoski (.389) trying to score the tying run from first on RF Adam Thurgood's (.206) double.

St. John starter Vito Sanfratello (3-2/3.63) went 8 innings for the win, yielding 4 runs on 9 hits... closer Rayburn Burks pitched a shaky ninth for his second postseason save, giving up 2 hits, but no runs... Hall's great throw saved him and possibly the entire season... David Michael (2-2/2.08) went the route in defeat and wasn't very effective, surrendering 5 runs on 11 hits.

Marty Blankenship led the Crusaders at the plate with 2 hits and 4 RBIs... other offensive contributors were Art Kelley with 3 hits and 2 runs... and Nicky Farrugia with 2 hits and 2 runs... the Hawks collected 11 hits with Skippy Shearer, Adam Thurgood and Gerry Rice getting 2 hits each.

North Hills is ready to return home to the friendlier confines of the Hawk's Nest where they are unbeaten in 7 games in the playoffs... St. John will have to win games six and seven in enemy territory to cop the Pro Cup this season... the Crusaders are only 2-5 away from home this year.

Starters for game six will be Lou Gianakos (21-13/3.07) for St. John and Frankie Lambert (18-8/2.85) for North Hills... Lambert topped Gianakos 3-2 in game three... Lambert is 3-0 in the playoffs, but has a lofty 4.85 ERA, while Gianakos is 2-2 with 3.69 ERA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 17, 2036

2036 IPA Pro Cup Finals
(best-of-seven)

HAWKS WIN 2ND PRO CUP CROWN
For the second time in three seasons the North Hills Hawks are the best baseball team in Islandia... the Hawks outscored St. John 10-7 in game six at the Hawk's Nest to haul in the IPA Pro Cup... North Hills rattled the fences for 16 hits to win the series four games to two... the Hawks were unbeaten throughout the playoffs on their home field, taking all 8 games.

North Hills ran up a 5-0 lead in the first six frames, but withstood the Crusaders' comeback when they rallied for 4 runs in the seventh... the Hawks then went to town again with a run in the seventh and 4 more in the eighth making it 10-4 on the scoreboard... St. John went out fighting with 3 in the ninth, but fell short and were eliminated.

C Mikhail Romanovsky (.349) tripled in 3 runs to top the Hawks' bats... with help from LF Adam Thurgood (.222) with a 2-run homer... and SS Norris Henry (.362), who batted in 2 runs with a double and a sac fly... leading the Crusaders' 15-hit attack were 1B Johnny Zaun (.353) and SS Byron Johannsen (.241) each with 2 runs batted in.

2B Kiril Ivonoski (.407) had 3 hits and 2 runs for North Hills... LF Adam Thurgood (.222) scored 3 times and drove in 2 runs... and 1B Ric Hamilton (.348), RF Gerry Rice (.400), CF Kris Anastas (.263) and SS Norris Henry (.363) all had 2 hits apiece.

2B Norm Murdoch (.339) went 4-4 for the Crusaders and five players socked 2 hits each: 1B Johnny Zaun (.353), RF Nicky Farrugia (.348), CF Art Kelley (.329), SS Byron Johannsen (.241), and C Sawyer Deane (.270).

Thank goodness that Frankie Lambert (4-0/4.88) got great run support... without it he would have been in dire straits... Lambert hurled a complete game and was tagged for 7 runs and 15 hits... the loss went to Crusader starter Lou Gianakos (2-3/4.30), who gave up 5 runs and 9 hits in 6 innings... Gianakos departed behind 5-0.

Winning skipper Todd Simons didn't single out any of his players and told the press, "I know it trite and a cliche, but this really was a team effort... when we needed somebody to rise to the occasion, somebody did... we got hitting when we needed it and pitching when we needed." North Hills was the third ranked team in the playoffs, while St. John was the fourth pick.

Clayton Luck, manager of St. John, congratulated Simons and the Hawks on a great season... "The Hawks really stand out at the plate and on the mound... Todd's club can beat you in many ways... you have to be on top of your game to whip them... they were brilliant on the mound in the first three games and out-of-sight with the bats in game six."

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 18, 2036

HAWKS HURLER OWENS PRO CUP MVP
Jeff Owens, the ace of the newly-crowned IPA champion North Hills Hawks, narrowly was voted the top player in the Pro Cup playoffs. Owens was 4-1 in his six postseason starts with an excellent 1.99 ERA. His biggest competition came from three of his teammates, Kiril Ivonoski, Ric Hamilton and Gerry Rice.

Owens was the high vote-getter with 28 in The Islandian Times Pro Cup Most Valuable Player poll. Second baseman Kiril Ivonoski was second with 26 votes, first baseman Ric Hamilton came in third with 25 and right fielder Gerry Rice was fourth with 20. Two St. John Crusaders were fifth and sixth in the balloting. Pitcher Jeremy Kirk received 17 votes and right fielder Nick Faruggia got 12.

Ivonoski batted .407 with one homer, 10 RBIs and scored 12 runs in 14 postseason games. Hamilton hit .348 with 2 roundtrippers, 12 RBIs and 7 runs in his 17 games. Rice posted a .400 BA along with a 11 RBIs and 5 runs in 14 contests. Kirk was superb in the playoffs with a 4-2 record and a 1.98 ERA in 7 starts. In 17 games Farrugia led the Crusaders at the plate with 4 homers, 9 RBIs, 13 runs and a .348 BA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 19, 2036

IPA GOLD GLOVERS GLISTEN
The best defenders in the Islandian Pro Alliance were announced today by the respective leagues. The Ruthlandian Alliance and the Tycobbian Alliance honored the top glovemen with Golden Gloves. Kyle Hunt of Eastshore won his seventh Golden Glove. Others multiple RU winners were Scotty Lagrange of Eastshore and Pettis Pentleton of Ancona, who picked up their third trophy, and Jesse Clayton of Ancona, who was named for the second time in his career. Topping the Tycobbian Golden Glovers was Tetsu Tanaka of East Point, picked for the third time. Two-time recipients were Craig Peck of Bay St. Clair, Gerry Hathaway of Luxora and Doug Rogan of San Alejo. No rookies made the squads.

Ruthlandian Golden Glove Team
SP Jimmy Willard (Glasco Athletics) 17-14/3.42 ERA/.989 FA
C Kyle Hunt (Eastshore Elegants) .270/12/73/61/.995 FA/8 PB/32.4% RTO
1B Jesse Clayton (Ancona Red Elephants) .281/10/75/83/.991 FA
2B Donnie Nilsson (Taranto Tars) .290/7/46/69/.982 FA
3B Marty Blankenship (St. John Crusaders) .252/22/90/71/.971 FA
SS Fred Bird (LaGrange Sports) .242/4/52/100/.962 FA
LF Chet Penn (Colfax Blasters) .327/28/101/99/.994 FA
CF Scotty Lagrange (Eastshore Elegants) .299/32/97/93/.994 FA
RF Pettis Pentleton (Ancona Red Elephants) .289/16/69/62/.982 FA

Tycobbian Golden Glove Team
SP Joaquin Lima (Bayview Vikings) 15-16/4.99 ERA/.985 FA
C Craig Peck (Bay St. Clair Buccaneers) .247/4/36/50/.994 FA/1 PB/34.0% RTO
1B Gerry Hathaway (Luxora Zorros) .276/21/62/72/.996 FA
2B Tetsu Tanaka (East Point Panthers) .242/22/72/81/.986 FA
3B Terry Johnstone (Southport Sun Sox) .242/15/69/82/.949 FA
SS Sammy Thornton (Denton City Redbirds) .312/3/59/91/.968 FA
LF Corbett Brooks (High Mesa Cowboys) .236/39/89/90/.997 FA
CF Dusty Rogan (San Alejo Montaneros) .289/25/80/87/.994 FA
RF Keenan O'Dwyer (South Fork Stallions) .238/18/59/63/.989 FA

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 20, 2036

ST. JOHN'S KELLEY COLLECTS RU ROOKIE AWARD
2036 - Art Kelley's first year in the IPA - will be long remembered. His St. John Crusaders won the division crown, league crown and were runner-up for the Pro Cup. Not only that, the Crusaders' 22-year-old center fielder par excellence was acclaimed the Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year. Kelley compiled a .309 batting average in 117 games with 33 homers, 92 RBIs and 89 runs.

Two freshmen pitchers, Earl Marley of the Stoner Stars and Shane Tollivar of the Grand City Cybercats, finished second and third in The Islandian Times poll. Closer Marley had an excellent season with a 12-8 mark, 2.80 ERA and 19 saves in 60 relief appearances for the fifth-place Stars. Tollivar paced the seventh-place Cybercats with a 15-11 record and a 2.78 ERA.

RED SOX'S KELSO BEST FROSH IN TYCOBBIA
Red Bluff's talented outfielder David Kelso's career got a big boost this season. The 21-year-old freshman performer hit .300 for the third-place Red Sox, poled 39 home runs, drove in 102 and scored 89 runs, while playing in 131 games. These fine numbers did not go unrecognized - Kelso received the Tycobbian Rookie of the Year Award as the league's best newcomer.

100-mile an hour fireballer Sal Mays of the Blue Lake Blue Sox was the rookie runner-up to Kelso. Mays chalked up 20 victories and 11 losses in his first season with 203 strikeouts and a 3.62 ERA for the Blue Sox, who came in second to the Pro Cup-winning North Hills Hawks. Number three in the voting was 19-year-old La Claire backstop Weldon Waller. He ripped IPA pitching for a .339 batting average with 13 roundtrippers, 54 runs batted in and 62 runs scored in 119 games. The Lynx came in third to Chicopee in the TU West.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 21, 2036

GAMBLE WINS 2ND STRAIGHT RU GOLDEN BAT
Sugar Valley's superb center fielder Bobby Gamble has done it again. Just like last year he has hauled in the Ruthlandian Golden Bat Award. Just 23 years of age Gamble batted .324 in 143 games, walloped 39 home runs, drove in 119 runs and scored 127 times to spark the Rattlers to a second-place finish to Cold Creek in the RU East. The Catamounts defeated the Rattlers in a one-game playoff for the division flag. In Gamble's four years in the league he has hit .311 with 129 homers and 417 RBIs. He is a 4-time All-Star and was the Ruthlandian MVP in 2035.

St. John's terrific outfielder Nicky Farrugia was a very close second in the MVP balloting. He led the Crusaders to the RU South pennant with a .323 BA, 31 doubles, 3 triples, 34 HRs, 121 RBIs and 113 runs. Taranto's fine catcher Angelo Rossi came in third in The Islandian Times Golden Bat poll. Rossi, only 22, was second in the Ruthlandian Union in home runs with 46 and was fourth in RBIs with 120. He played in 130 games and posted a .307 batting average and tallied 97 runs.

CHICOPEE'S KOTA COPS BEST BAT HONORS IN TU
For the third consecutive season Charley Kota has with his bat and his glove led the Chicopee Braves to the Tycobbian West Division title. For his efforts this year Kota was honored with the TU Golden Bat Award, the first time he has won it. This year Kota had a monster season with an IPA-leading 152 RBIs and was second in the TU with 48 homers. The gifted, 29-year-old Gold Glove center fielder sported a .314 BA, played in 148 games and scored 114 runs. Lifetime Kota is a .310 hitter with 152 homers and 514 RBIs in his 5 seasons. He is a 3-time All-Star and Golden Glover and was the TU Rookie of the Year in 2032.

Kota bested 5-time Golden Bat winner and 9-time All-Star Lorne Evans, who wound up a very close second in this year's vote. Evans had another outstanding season, aiding the Tuckanarra Blue Jays to their third TU East title in a row. The 31-year-old left fielder topped the IPA with 134 runs and 133 walks, while hitting .312 with 40 roundtrippers and 100 RBIs in 148 games. The Colchester Elites won their first pennant in almost 30 years mainly due to the wonderful play of right fielder Blake Barrister, the number-three man in the Golden Bat polling. 21-year-old Barrister led the TU with 49 homers and finished third in RBIs with 129. Barrister was in 132 games, batted .311 and scored 111 runs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 22, 2036

CATS WHITAKER RU TOP TWIRLER
The ride has been fabulous for 33-year-old Dave Whitaker, famed pitcher for the Kilkenny Cats. In 14 IPA seasons he has cranked out 264 wins for a fairly lackluster team, captured one Ruthlandian MVP Award and claimed several Golden Arm honors. This season Whitaker added a third Ruthlandian Golden Arm trophy to his collection. He was named the best hurler in the league in a poll by The Islandian Times. Whitaker almost paced Kilkenny to its first pennant and first Pro Cup playoffs, but they were beaten out by two games by the LaGrange Sports in the RU North Division. The able righthander chalked up a 23-11 record with a superlative 2.01 ERA. This is the seventh time in his career to win 20 games. Whitaker struck out 231 in 331 innings, posted 5 shutouts and completed 25 games.

Cold Creek's J. J. Gillespie ran number two in the poll. He led his Catamounts to the RU East title with a 20-12 mark with a fantastic 1.97 ERA, which was the best in the IPA. Gillespie has won the Golden Arm three times in his career.

Josh Wilkerson of the Sugar Valley Rattlers was number three in the balloting with a very impressive 23-7 record and a 2.83 ERA. The Rattlers lost the pennant in a one-game playoff to Cold Creek. Wilkerson really blossomed at age 34 after spending four obscure years in the Southport bullpen in the Tycobbian Union. Wilkerson was a solid reliever in 2035 for Sugar Valley and won a starting spot this year.

TU PICKS TUCKS' BRISTOW AS GOLDEN ARM
The biggest winner in IPA circles this season was named the Tycobbian Union Golden Arm of the year. Young Junior Bristow topped the circuit with 25 victories and just 9 losses and led the Tuckanarra Blue Jays to a third successive TU East Division crown. Bristow is the son of IPA Hall-of-Famer Titus Bristow, who ranks fifth in league history with 342 wins. The 25-year-old is following right in his father's footsteps. He has won 20 or more games in each of this first three seasons. This year Bristow totaled 216 Ks in 313 innings with a 2.96 ERA, 4 shutouts and 21 complete games. Bristow was the recipient of the Tycobbian MVP trophy last season.

The Golden Arm runner-up this year was La Claire ace Pat Kovacs, who had another exceptional campaign with a 20-9 mark and a 2.49 ERA. Kovacs was a prime ingredient in the Lynx's third-place finish in the TU West.

Winding up in third place in the voting was Jeff Owens of the IPA champion North Hills Hawks. After drifting through 7 years in anonymity in the Hawks' relief corps, Owens finally got a chance to start in 2033 and had modest success with a 12-11 record. The last 3 seasons he has piled up nothing but 20-win seasons and helped his club to two Pro Cups and 3 division flags. This year at age 30 Owens racked up a 23-12 record with a 2.99 ERA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 23, 2036

RU MVP TO STJ'S FARRUGIA
Many times in the past the league's MVP trophy went to the Golden Bat or Golden Arm recipients, but not this year. The Ruthlandian Most Valuable Player honor went to Nicky Farrugia, whose big bat helped the St. John Crusaders waltz to the RU South Division title. Farrugia came in second in the Golden Bat category to Sugar Valley's Bobby Gamble. The 27-year-old right fielder batted .323 in 148 games with 204 hits, 3 triples, 34 homers, 121 RBIs and 113 runs. Farrugia is only in his third season in the IPA and he sports a .313 career BA.

This season the RU Golden Bat winner Bobby Gamble of Sugar Valley came in second to Farrugia in the MVP category. Gamble won the trophy last year. The fabulous Rattler outfielder batted .324 in 143 contests and had 39 home runs, 119 runs batted in and topped the RU with 127 runs. In the third spot was Cold Creek's standout hurler J. J. Gillespie. He registered a 20-12 record with a microscopic and IPA-leading 1.97 ERA and paced the Catamounts to the RU East Division crown for the first time in 25 years.

TUCKS' BRISTOW WINS TU MVP AGAIN
Over in the Tycobbian Union it was the Golden Arm winner Junior Bristow that was selected as the league's Most Valuable Player for the second straight season. Bristow piled up a 25-9 mark with a 2.96 ERA and was one of the key factors in Tuckanarra taking in its third TU East pennant in succession. He is the son of IPA HOF hurler Titus Bristow, who also snagged the league's MVP award in 2006. Bristow has been a 20-game winner in all of his three seasons in the league.

This is only the fourth time in IPA history a player has won back-to-back MVP trophies. Bristow is the first pitcher to do it. Famed outfielder Jet Kazmarek of Valmara (2002-2003) is the only Ruthlandian star to do it. Slugging outfielders Dane Wesner of Fairfax (2010-2011) and Lorne Evans (2027-2028) of Southport accomplished it in the Tycobbian Union. The all-time leader is High Mesa's legendary first sacker Jack Elliott, who took the honor three years in a row in a string that spanned 2021, 2022 and 2023.

In a close vote Bristow edged Golden Bat winner Charley Kota of the Chicopee Braves and third-place finisher Jeff Owens of the Pro Cup champion North Hills Hawks. Kota had a prolific year at the plate with an IPA-best 152 RBIs for the TU West title-winning Braves. He batted .314 with 48 homers and 114 runs, while playing in 148 games. Owens was very instrumental in the Hawks capturing their third consecutive TU North Division flag. He rolled up a strong 23-12 mark with a 2.99 ERA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 24, 2036

CC 'CATS LEMIEUX COPS RU BEST SKIPPER AWARD
The race for skipper of the year came down to three contenders in the Ruthlandian Union. Cold Creek manager Scoop Lemieux sparked his club to its first pennant in 25 years as the Catamounts rose up from third place to first place. For his efforts Lemieux was lauded as the RU Manager of the Year for the first time in his career, narrowly beating Clayton Luck of the St. John Crusaders. Bret George of the Beechwood Bobcats was distant third in The Islandian Times poll.

Under Lemieux Cold Creek improved from 91-63 and a third-place place finish in 2035 to the RU East Division title in 2036 with a 93-62 record. The Catamounts had to subdue powerful Sugar Valley and Elnora this season in one of the strongest overall divisions in the IPA. Seven of the eight teams broke even for the season and last place Wynnamac wound up only 2 games under the .500 mark.

With Luck at the helm, St. John rose up from second place to the RU South crown, going from 85-69 to 93-61. Beechwood went from sixth place (76-78) to third place (85-65), winding up a close third to Cold Creek and Sugar Valley, only three and a half games off the pace.

HAWKS' SIMONS SELECTED BEST TU MANAGER
Todd Simons couldn't have asked for a better year. For the third time in a row his North Hills Hawks prevailed again in the RU North Division. They also collected their second Pro Cup in the last three seasons. Those attainments were great in and of themselves, but Simons also was selected the Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year. It was Simons' first time to be so honored. But it wasn't easy - seven skippers got pretty even support in The Islandian Times poll.

North Hills went from 88-67 last year to 96-58 this year and easily ran away with the pennant by 10 games. The runner-up to Simons was Colchester's Patsy Bates, who paced his Elites to an improvement from 82-72 (3rd) to the TU South title with a 96-58 mark. Tuckanarra's great manager Carlton "Lefty" Stevens was third in the voting. Stevens won his third consecutive flag, this time by an colossal 16 games, and led the entire IPA with 99 victories.

Four others got good support: Trevor Tomlinson of Denton City was number four in the poll, followed in order by Summerland's Will Hackett (5th), Chicopee's Ivan Burkholder (6th) and Blue Lake's Benny DeBartolo (7th).

Tomlinson saw his Redbirds climb up from sixth (71-83/19 GB) to a very close second to powerful Chicopee, just 3 games behind. Denton City was 91-63 this season. With Hackett in charge Summerland went from 77-77 (23 GB) and fourth place to a second-place finish (90-64) and only 6 games behind the Colchester Elites. Burkholder won his third straight pennant in Chicopee and improved from 90-64 to 94-60. Blue Lake was vastly improved this year as Benny DeBartolo's team went from last place with a 68-86 mark in 2035 to 86-68 and a second-place finish behind North Hills in the TU North this season.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 25, 2036

IPA ICON WELCH AND STARR TRIPLETS RETIRE
Among the retirees at the end of the season were IPA icon Duncan Welch and the illustrious Starr triplets. Welch is a surefire Hall-of-Famer with a remarkable 350-255 record compiled in his 20 years in the league, mainly with the Crystal Lake Crushers of the Ruthlandian Union. Welch finally called it quits this year after an 11-20 mark for sixth place Claxton at age 41. Welch led the Crushers six division flags and to two victories in the Pro Cup Finals in three appearances and was named Pro Cup MVP in 2020 and 2023. He also was acclaimed the Ruthlandian MVP in 2020 and 2023 and won three Golden Arms in 2019, 2020 and 2023. Welch also made the All-Star teams on four occasions. He was especially effective in the postseason as he racked up a sensational 17-5 record with a 2.50 ERA in 26 starts. Welch will unquestionably be a first-ballot inductee into the IPA Hall of Fame in Marston.

The IPA has never seen the likes of the Starr triplets, who starred for years in Tuckanarra, sparking the Blue Jays to seven pennants and two Pro Cup titles. Quinn, Glynn, and Lynn Starr all announced their retirements on the same day at a press conference in Tuckanarra. They played from 2022 to 2036, a total of 15 years, and all called it a career at age 38. Quinn and Glynn were fine pitchers, while Lynn was a standout third baseman. Quinn was 219-164 with a 2.97 ERA, Glynn was 172-130 with a 3.24 ERA and Lynn battted .296 lifetime with 317 homers and 1184 RBIs. He captured one TU Golden Bat Award in 2029, was also voted the TU MVP that same year and made the All-Stars 4 times. Quinn and Glynn really sparkled in the playoffs. Quinn notched a 16-5 mark with a 3.08 ERA in 23 starts, while Glynn was 10-2 with a superb 2.63 ERA in his 13 starts. Glynn Starr won the 2023 Pro Cup MVP trophy with a 4-0 mark and a brilliant 1.75 ERA in 5 starts and Quinn snared it in 2024 with a 5-0 record and a 2.85 ERA as the Blue Jays won back-to-back IPA titles.

Other players of note who retired this season were long-time hurlers Dallas Casey and Jeremy Vincent. Casey (2021-2036) played primarily for Sugar Valley in the Ruthlandian Union and registered a 106-97 record, mainly as a reliever. Casey chalked up 206 saves and compiled a 2.82 ERA. Vincent was 175-175 with a 3.30 ERA in his 16 years, most of them with St. John in the RU South Division. Both Casey and Vincent were 38 when they retired.

That wraps up the 36th season in the Islandian Pro Alliance.

I will get busy and prepare for the 2037 season in the next few days.

Thanks to all of you who keep track of my Dynasty.

It is much appreciated.

Rosters for 2037 have been updated.

I will post the preseason predictions on Sunday afternoon.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, April 5, 2037

COLD CREEK, SUGAR VALLEY & FORT BENTON PICKED BEST IN RU
Spring has sprung and so has all of the baseball handicappers... The Islandian Times released its annual IPA preseason poll today and it picked Cold Creek, Sugar Valley and Fort Benton to be the favorite clubs in the quest for the Ruthlandian Union championship and the right to challenge the Tycobbian Union for the IPA Pro Cup trophy.

Two talented teams from the RU East, the Cold Creek Catamounts and the Sugar Valley Rattlers, are expected to go tooth-and-nail again this year, along with the Fort Benton Defenders in the RU West to determine the Ruthlandian Pro Cup participant. Last year's RU champ and Pro Cup runner-up was the St. John Crusaders of the RU South.

In the RU North the Kilkenny Cats are forecast to beat the LaGrange Sports and Valmara Vipers in a pretty close race... the Sports defeated the Cats last season by two games for the division title, while the Vipers were dead last... LaGrange has won the last three years and will not go down without a fight.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. KILKENNY CATS - 2nd (2)
2. LaGrange Sports - 1st (-)
3. Valmara Vipers - 8th (25)
4. Far Mountain Redhawks - 4th (9)
5. Taranto Tars - 6th (15)
6. Glasco Athletics - 3rd (8)
7. Ancona Red Elephants - 5th (11)
8. Ranford Bulls - 7th (17)

In the RU South last year's Pro Cup finalist St. John didn't get the nod this year... the Waleska Westerners are favored in a tight duel with the Crusaders and the Claxton Diamonds, who are much improved over last year and will be in the mix, too... it's hard to figure St. John not being the best team, considering they added a 20-game winner Yancy Garrett to its rotation... the Crusaders got him in a trade with Summerland of the Tycobbian South... San Dimas and the surprising Valka Blackhawks also could be contenders in a closely bunched division... the Blackhawks came in last in 2036.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. WALESKA WESTERNERS - 2nd (11)
2. St. John Crusaders - 1st (-)
3. Claxton Diamonds - 6th (24)
4. San Dimas Rancheros - 3rd (12)
5. Valka Blackhawks - 8th (29)
6. Crystal Lake Crushers - 5th (14)
7. Grand City Cybercats - 7th (27)
8. Belair Beach Sunbirds - 4th (13)

It sure looks like a donnybrook in the Ruthlandian East this season with a 5-team affair, headed up by powerful Cold Creek with its great pitching and potent Sugar Valley with its firepower... Wynnamac, Elnora and Beachwood could be in the hunt, too... this was the top division in the IPA last season as seven teams finished .500 and above... last place Wynnamac was almost at the break-even mark with a 76-78 record.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. COLD CREEK CATAMOUNTS - 1st (-)
2. Sugar Valley Rattlers - 2nd (1)
3. Wynnamac Sundowners - 8th (16.5)
4. Elnora All-Stars - 6th tied (15.5)
5. Beechwood Bobcats - 3rd (3.5)
6. Eastshore Elegants - 4th (7.5)
7. Belle Plaine Musketeers - 6th tied (15.5)
8. Marston Nine - 5th (9.5)

If it can get by the Sligo Rovers, the Fort Benton Defenders should have clear sailing in the Ruthlandian West Division, where a majority of the clubs were under the .500 mark last year and will likely be again this year... defending division champ Colfax was picked a distant third this season... the Defenders look like they will challenge Cold Creek and Sugar Valley for supremacy in the Ruthlandian Union... they have contended well in the last four seasons before bowing out in close races... the experts thinks this is the year for them to roar and win the team's first pennant in its history... Fort Benton has never made the postseason.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. FORT BENTON DEFENDERS - 2nd (2)
2. Sligo Rovers - 3rd (8)
3. Colfax Blasters - 1st (-)
4. Forest City Lumberjacks - 4th (10)
5. Middlefield Roosters - 7th (21)
6. Rocky Rapids Snappers - 6th (16)
7. Stoner Stars - 5th (14)
8. Volusia Vigilantes 8th (23)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, April 5, 2037

NORTH HILLS, OZARKA & TUCKS TOP TEAMS IN TU
Recent Pro Cup champions North Hills and Tuckanarra rank high in The Islandian Times Preseason Poll, along with the rejuvenated Ozarka Naturals... those clubs are given the best chance to haul in the Tycobbian Union crown and a spot in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... North Hills is the current Pro Cup holder and will be trying to repeat and pick up its third title in four years... Tuckanarra won the IPA championship in 2035... Tycobbia has the overall lead in the Pro Cup Series with 19 titles, while Ruthlandian has chalked up 17... Tycobbia has dominated the series with eight championships in the last nine seasons... only the Elnora All-Stars in 2033 have managed to make a dent in the series.

It could be a wide-open affair in the Tycobbian Union with quite a few teams having an outside chance of winning... East Point, La Claire, Chicopee, Fairfax, San Alejo, Ginza, Summerland, Turon and Colchester will certainly have a say before the winner is crowned.

The cream de la creme in the Tycobbian Union is the North Hills Hawks... they have a sterling pitching corps and a pretty good offense to boot... the Hawks should make it four flags in a row in the Tycobbian North Division and should be favored for another Pro Cup... the Blue Lake Blue Sox and the Fairfax Frogs should offer some competition, but they fall short on the mound in comparison to the Hawks.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. NORTH HILLS HAWKS - 1st (-)
2. Blue Lake Blue Sox - 2nd (10)
3. Fairfax Frogs - 3rd (16)
4. Mahaska Haymakers - 8th (36)
5. White River Rascals - 6th (25)
6. Luxora Zorros - 7th (30)
7. Oxford Red Caps - 4th (22)
8. Hartsdale Hellcats - 5th (25)

Last year the Colchester Elites won the TU South for the first time in three decades... the Elites powered their way to victory with the home-run ball... this season the handicappers think as many as five teams will vie for the division flag... they are calling it a close battle between San Alejo, Ginza, Summerland, Turon and Colchester... the Montaneros got the call because of its good mound staff... however no one puts San Alejo up on the same level as North Hills, Tuckanarra and Ozarka.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. SAN ALEJO MONTANEROS - 5th tied (22)
2. Ginza Ninjas - 5th tied (22)
3. Summerland Sunsets - 2nd (6)
4. Turon Typhoons - 3rd (12)
5. Colchester Elites - 1st (-)
6. Cape Coral Hurricanes - 4th (18)
7. Arroyo Grande Suns - 7th (29)
8. Southport Sun Sox - 8th (31)

Perennial powerhouse Tuckanarra has captured the TU East Division four times in the last five years and with its high-powered offense could very well win it for the fourth straight season... according to the preseason pronosticators the Blue Jays may be aging a bit... perhaps the younger Ozarka Nats with better pitching may supplant the Tucks this year... the East Point Panthers have a solid offense and two veteran starters in Dixie Brooks and Frank Blair and could move up to challenge this year... nontheless, whoever reigns in the TU East will do well in the playoffs.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. Ozarka Naturals - 2nd (16)
2. Tuckanarra Blue Jays - 1st (-)
3. East Point Panthers - 4th (21)
4. Red Bluff Red Sox - 3rd (18)
5. Midway Wolves - 6th (27)
6. South Fork Stallions - 8th (35)
7. Hillsboro Blazers - 5th (24)
8. High Mesa Cowboys - 7th (33)

In the Tycobbian West the La Claire Lynx with its balanced offense and pitching beat out offensive-minded Chicopee and Denton City in the preseason predictions... throw in Rolling Hills and you've got a pretty fair four-team race... Chicopee has taken the division crown the last three years, but may be getting little long in the tooth.

Rank This Year/Team/Rank Last Year (Games Behind)
1. LA CLAIRE LYNX - 3rd (14)
2. Chicopee Braves - 1st (-)
3. Denton City Redbirds - 2nd (3)
4. Rolling Hills Reds - 4th (17)
5. Kenwood Wildcats - 5th (20)
6. Arlon Champions - 6th (25)
7. Bayview Vikings - 8th (30)
8. Bay St. Clair Buccaneers - 7th (29)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, May 1, 2037

VIPERS 1ST IN RU NORTH, ELEPHANTS & SUNBIRDS CLOSE
Since last year the Ruthlandian North has been turned upside down at least in the first month of the 2037 season... last season's also-rans have raced to the top this year with Valmara vaulting up to first place, Ancona in the runner-up spot and Taranto third... the Vipers finished last in 2036, Ancona was fifth and Taranto sixth... contenders Kilkenny and LaGrange are fourth and fifth so far... LaGrange has been the division champ for the last three seasons, but Kilkenny got the favorite role in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... Valmara was picked third and forecast to be much improved and competitive this season.

Valmara (16-8) second-year manager Vanya Vasylenko has a high-powered offense that is hitting .295 (2nd) and third in scoring, but he lacks pitching except in the bullpen, which is ranked first in the league with a 2.15 ERA... his starters have struggled badly with a 5.57 ERA (32nd)... late bloomer 30-year-old 2B Miroslav Ciszek is leading the league with a .432 BA.

The runner-up Ancona Red Elephants (14-10) have solid bats with a .285 BA (3rd) and is average on the hill with a 3.91 ERA (14th)... Andre Athas (5-1/3.07) and Steven Russell (4-2/2.81) are the top pitchers, while the leading batsmen are SS Alex Zitek (.333), 3B Tommy Richardson (.356), RF Pettis Pentleton (.338) and rookie C Gregg Straka (.313).

The third place Taranto Tars (13-11) hit with power... 32 HRs (2nd)... and possess good hitting with a .275 BA (11th)... but the pitchers have a tough time in the small-dimensioned Palazzo di Sport... the staff ERA is 4.64 (27th)... renowned slugger Angelo Rossi is off to a torrid start with 10 homers (2nd) and a .407 BA (3rd)... four others in the lineup are above the .300 mark: 3B Jimbo Judson (.320), SS Daryl Rhodes (.333), CF Alonzo Venacio (.303) and RF Wes Marlowe (.310)... heading up the hurlers are Carmine Scalise (2-2/3.42) and Rio Lobo (3-1/4.71)... Don Jahnke (1-0/0.84/3 saves) is looking good in relief.

The Kilkenny Cats (13-11) are tied for third with the Tars... is favored to take the division crown... the Cats have impressive pitching with a 3.24 ERA (5th), but lack hitting... they are batting only .232 (32nd), but have some power with 28 HRs (7th)... last year's Golden Arm Dave Whitaker (4-2/2.90) and Fred Doyle (3-1/2.06) are the aces and carrying the club this year... the hitters are going to have to get it going to take the title this year.

The fifth place LaGrange Sports (12-12) don't get a lot of respect from the pollsters and scribes, but they have won the RU North the last three seasons and picked second behind Kilkenny this season... skipper Quincy Peterson has a good team with average hitting (.269 BA/18th) and better-than-average pitching (3.65 ERA-11th)... veteran foursome Mike York (4-1/2.41), Earl Perkins (2-0/3.18), Walt Thurber (2-2/3.32) and Chazz Bassett (1-4/3.46) will keep the Sports near the top... LaGrange's top bats are 3B Claude DesJardins (.359), SS Fred Bird (.353) and C Chris Heffner (.345).

The other three clubs started poorly in April... the Ranford Bulls (9-15) and Far Mountain Redhawks (9-15) are deadlocked in sixth... while Glasco (8-16) is in the basement... the Bulls have two good starters in vet Rube Satcher (3-2/2.58) and Ronnie Schroeder (4-2/3.29)... 2B Alex Vanno (.306) is one of the few good bats... the Redhawks are led by starters Chad Cummings (3-2/3.02) and Frankie Moreland (2-2/3.24)... and by C Ron Marlowe (.347), SS Dan Vance (.316) and LF Harman Silver (.296) at the plate... the Glasco A's top players are CF Travis Houston (.303), 3B Taylor Hampshire (.301) and LF Galen Watson (.333)... along with Sam Jensen (3-0/1.38), who has been sensational in the early going.

CRYSTAL LAKE, BELAIR BEACH ATOP RU SOUTH
In the RU South Division the Crystal Lake Crushers and the Belair Beach Sunbirds got off to good starts and are in first place after the first month's play... last year's winner St. John had a sluggish start and is in seventh place... favored Waleska and well-regarded Claxton are hanging close in a third-place tie, just one game off the leaders.

Crystal Lake (14-10) didn't rate well with the polsters, they were selected seventh in the preseason ranking, but they got off to a good start... the Crushers are a well-rounded ball club with a .280 BA (7th) and impressive pitching (3.46 ERA-7th)... talented veteran Arnie Cason (5-0/1.89) has been brilliant so far on the hill... and has had help from Darragh Whelan (3-1/2.90)... and vets RF Pat Dillon (.368), C Stan Stanek (.354) and 1B Big Sam Takota (.301) have been the offensive sparkplugs.

Belair Beach (14-10) can hit with power (31 HR-4th tied) and has quality pitching with a 3.93 ERA (15th)... batting standouts are 1B Jason Butler (.342 BA/9 HR), CF Bobby Meusel (.340), 2B Jackie Jackson (.330) and rookie LF Joe Don Baker (.328)... Joel Gregg (2-2/2.93) and Smoky Rogers (2-3/3.86) are the best starters... fourth place was predicted for the Sunbirds this year.

Preseason favorite Waleska (13-11) has labored on the mound and at the plate in the opening month of the season and are tied for third with San Dimas... the Westerners have hit only .257 (27th) with only 16 homers (29th)... and the staff has posted a 4.40 ERA (22nd)... yet they are only one game out at this point... manager Roy Hobbs expects his club to perk up ang get a lot better... C Rodney Hanson (.357) has been the only good bat... veteran stars 36-year-old LF Loco Dillinger (.188) and RF Niles Gregory (.190) have been pathetic so far... in his 15th season Dillinger, a certain Hall-of-Famer, is a .316 lifetime hitter with 476 homers and 1540 RBIs... Hobbs still has three fine starters in veteran Terry Richards (2-1/3.92), and youngsters Craig Nash (1-1/2.98) and Tony Haskell (3-2/3.20).

The Claxton Diamonds (13-11) came in sixth last season and were rated the third-best in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll this year... manager Dixie Baker has a very good mound corps with a 3.20 ERA (4th), paced by 32-year-old Vance White (5-1/2.50), who has stood out after being moved into the starting rotation for the first time in his 3-year career... 21-year-old rookie Stan Yudesh (2-0/2.70) has looked great in his 3 starts... and journeyman Dave Wojcik (2-3/3.26) also has looked solid as a starter... in the batter's box star 1B Jojo DeLucca (.310), LF Foxy Fuchs (.326) and 3B Jonas Weiss (.354) have excelled... Fuchs hammered 8 out of the park in April.

The fifth-place San Dimas Rancheros (12-12) are rated the number-three team in the RU South behind Waleska and St. John and has broken even thus far in the first month of play... it's the bats that have stood out for the Rancheros, who have hit at a .282 pace (4th) and rank sixth in scoring... but the pitchers have not enjoyed much success with a 4.35 ERA (20th)... the best batters have been RF Denny Hendrix (.385-6th), C Hermie Goetz (.315) and 3B Leonard Purkey (.313), all of them less than 24 years of age... the only decent pitcher Carroll Cain (2-2/4.27), who was magnificent with a 24-9 mark last year, has faltered this year... for San Dimas to contend this year, the vets have to play up to their potential.

The sixth-place Valka Blackhawks (11-13) appear to be a better team this year after being near the bottom of the division for the past eight years... they've improved at the plate and on the hill with a .274 BA (12th) and a 4.07 ERA (18th)... but they are still predicted to come in no better than sixth in the division standings... journeyman Dave Gronkowski (4-1/3.15) is off to the best start in his 11-year career... but he hasn't had much help from the rest of the staff except for reliever Julien Rouse (0-0/0.66), who has made 9 appearances... skipper Kurt Jankauskas has a potent batting order with star 1B Bobby Scott (.368), gifted RF Kenny Mitzusaka (.313), LF Gilberto Duarte (.338), 3B Bill Bradford (.316) and 2B Egon Ojamaa (.322)... Scott leads the club with 7 homers and 24 RBIs.

Things did not go well in April for the St. John Crusaders (10-14), who are the defending division champion and Pro Cup finalist... still they were chosen to be a strong contender to Waleska in the preseason prognostications, especially with the pickup of 20-game winner Yancy Garrett in a trade from Summerland of the Tycobbian Union... both hitting and pitching has suffered this season... but it wasn't too bad with a respectable .267 BA (21st) and a 3.79 ERA (12th)... manager Clayton Luck said his club would soon be back in contention as soon as his veteran mound staff turned it around after a mediocre first month... 19-game winner Jeremy Kirk (4-2/3.07) was the only one of the starters to have a good month... 21-game winner Lou Gianakos (1-3/4.20), Vito Sanfratello (1-3/4.29) and newcomer Garrett (2-4/4.57) found it tough going... 3B Marty Blankenship led the Crusaders' hit parade with a .354 BA, 9 roundtrippers, 25 runs and 25 RBIs... last year's RU Rookie of the Year CF Art Kelley (.361) had a very strong start... the St. John bats are looking good... it's the pitching that has to pick it up.

The cellar-dwelling Grand City Cybercats (9-15) haven't prospered since 2033, when they came in a close third... since then the club has been a second-rate second-division team... the C'Cats were forecast for much of the same this season by the baseball experts, who ranked them seventh... second-year skipper Jug Slavin has a prolific attack with a .280 BA (5th) and strong scoring (4th), but his pitching is horrendous with a 5.61 ERA (32nd), the worst in the IPA... SS Terry Grantham (.402) and 2B Mitch Coleman (.403) are both over the .400 mark... LF Junior Baldini also helped out with a .305 BA... the top RBI guy was vet CF Thomas Hall (.276) with 20... Grantham had 6 home runs and 17 RBIs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, May 1, 2037

SUNDOWNERS SHINE IN RU EAST
In a red-hot April the Wynnamac Sundowners shot out of the gate with a 17-7 record and took first place in the hotly-contested Ruthlandian East, edging out Elnora by a game, Sugar Valley by two, Eastshore and Beechwood by three games and four games up on preseason favorite and defending division champ Cold Creek.

Wynnamac (17-7) came in eighth last year, but was the number-three choice in the race this year behind defending champ Cold Creek and last year's runnerup Sugar Valley... the Sundowners are vastly improved over last season with a .295 BA and easily the highest-scoring club in the IPA... those stats are the best in the IPA... they also have pretty fair pitching with a 3.63 ERA (10th)... five regulars are batting above the .300 mark, paced by 3B Duane Hudson (.370), 2B Ed Lane (.341), LF Darrell Donnelly (.330), CF Terry Weigand (.333) and SS Lou Borcellino (.314)... RF Davy L'Amour (.259) is the team leader with 6 homers and 25 RBIs... mound leaders are vets Killara Bardo (6-0/3.73) and Geoff Hobart (5-1/2.54).

Last year was not a good season for the Elnora All-Stars (16-8)... the All-Stars wound up sixth in the standings, but did break even record-wise... manager Leon Carter has them rolling in the right direction this year... they are in second place with a .280 BA (6th), rank tenth in scoring and have an impressive 3.31 ERA (6th)... the All-Stars only weakness is a shortage of longballs... they have gone deep only 17 times (27th-tied)... youngster Tony Ryman (5-0/1.33/4 saves) started in the bullpen this spring, but recently joined the starting rotation... vets Dan Pitts (5-1/2.38) and Stan Kivas (2-2/3.16) have done well, but ace Jeremy Sellers (0-4/3.95) has struggled... leading the offense are LF Clint Thomas (.319), C Jan Kobak (.314) and 3B Danny Bierhoff (.354)... Thomas is third in the IPA and RU with 27 RBIs... 21-year-old RF Enos Conrad is hitting at a phenomenal .438 clip in a platoon role.

The third place Sugar Valley Rattlers (15-9) seem to live and die by the home run... they rank first in the IPA with 39 so far this season... the Rattlers are batting a solid .265 (24th) and are second in scoring... pitching-wise they are holding their own with a 4.01 team ERA (16th), which is pretty fair considering the bandbox they play in... last year's Golden Bat winner RF Bobby Gamble (.364) is again tearing up the league with a .362 BA, is the IPA RBI king with 33 and is second in homers in the RU with 10... other solid contributors are SS Jesse Burns (.354) and 2B Roger Hobbs (.280)... Hobbs has 6 homers and 20 RBIs... LF Tyler White (.236) is not much for average, but he is a great run producer with 9 roundtrippers and 29 RBIs... Juan Navarro (4-1/1.91) has been lights out this year... however, it's been a slow start for veteran aces Jeremy Blanchard (4-2/4.40) and Josh Wilkerson (3-1/5.53)... look for both of them to get better as the season progresses... the Rattlers were rated the second-best club in the RU East, outvoted by last year's titlist Cold Creek in the preseason poll... Sugar Valley lost in a heart-breaking single-game playoff last year.

The Eastshore Elegants (14-10) are tied for fourth with the Beechwood Bobcats... the Elegants were a strong fourth in 2036 with an 85-69 record... they are playing better this year with a .269 BA (17th) and a 3.58 ERA (9th)... however, Eastshore has a weak bullpen (5.54 ERA-29th) and are only average in firepower (20 HR-21st tied)... the Elegants were picked sixth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... skipper Killer Brewster has quality starters in veterans Don Klingenberg (4-1/3.18), Ramon Contrerars (2-0/3.97) and Koy Clampett (1-3/4.66)... but Teddy Noble (3-3/2.49) has been the best of the lot at this point in the season... offensively 2B Johnny Petrak has been fantastic this year with a .427 BA, second-best in the IPA to Valmara's Miraslav Ciszek (.442)... 1B Paul Reed (.386) and old reliable CF Scotty Lagrange (.278) have chipped in, too... Petrak and Lagrange top the club with 19 RBIs each... Lagrange leads with 5 homers.

Fourth place Beechwood (14-10) was chosen sixth in the preseason poll... last year the Bobcats came in a surprisingly close third behind Cold Creek and Sugar Valley... they have done well in the early going... manager Bret George has the top team in the RU with a 3.00 ERA... his starters are especially good... the problem is the relief corps (4.68-24th)... at the plate the Bobcats do very well with a .278 BA (9th), rank ninth in scoring runs and tied for fourth in homers with 31... the starting four have been awesome... Ken Arby (3-2/1.99), Jimmy Herman (4-2/1.40), Clyde Fairchild (3-1/1.86) and Nick Tarkovsky (2-0/2.30)... 220-game winner Maury Patterson (2-3/5.48) has had a rough start this year, but he's only 34 and won 20 games last year... expect him to regain form... CF Howie Baldwin (.333), LF Carlos Manuel (.327) and 3B Thomas Laske (.357) are the best bats in the lineup.

When Cold Creek (13-11) is in sixth place, you know it's a tough division... the Catamounts are the defending RU East champion and still have one of the best mound staffs in the IPA... and they were voted the team most likely to win the pennant... so don't count them out... the pitching is still there with a 3.11 ERA (3rd)... any team would like to have the likes of Rob Hutchins (5-1/1.72), J. J. Gillespie (1-2/2.66) and Joey Baker (3-1/3.03) as their 1,2,3... plus Jules Capet (0-0/3.00) give them a solid number four... Cold Creek needs help in the bullpen (4.11 ERA/21st) and really, really needs help at the plate... the Catamounts are batting only .252 (28th) with just 16 HRs (29th-tied) and are tied for 27th in scoring runs... CF Ken Brennan (.322), 3B Pat Ellis (.311) and RF Wayne Kenney (.277) carry the brunt of the offense... the pitchers won the pennant for them last year, maybe they can do it again.

The last time the Marston Nine (11-13) won the division flag was in 2028... since then they have been nothing but a second-division club, but they did go 81-73 (5th) in 2034 and 83-71 (5th) last year... this year the preseason pollsters picked them to finish last in the RU East... the culprit is its pitching... a 4.42 team ERA (25th) will not get you far in the IPA... especially if you only have an average offense with a .265 BA (23rd), 21 HRs (18th-tied) and rank 22nd in scoring runs... Alex Ehrlich (3-3/3.86) and Kris Delaney (1-2/3.55) are the only decent starters... the most reliable bats are CF Marco Ameche (.304), SS Stan Mila (.292), 1B Lonnie Trekell (.313) and 3B Philip DeWey (.280).

The Belle Plaine Musketeers (9-15) have been mired near the bottom the last three seasons and it looks like more of the same in 2037... the Muskies haven't made the playoffs since 2009... the best thing they do is put runs (11th-tied) on the scoreboard with a .274 BA (14th) and 27 HRs (8th-tied)... their top guns are RF Boo Boudreaux (.326), who leads the IPA with 11 homers... and LF Noel Martin (.350), SS Bobby Greer (.301) and CF Lonny Wright (.317) are all rock-solid hitters... what little pitching the Musketeers have comes from Phillippe Marchand (4-2/3.56), Emilio Gallo (3-2/4.06) and Raul Carrasco (1-3/3.91).

FAVORED FORT BENTON FIRST IN RU WEST
So far, the Fort Benton Defenders are living up its ranking in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... the baseball scribes placed them at the top of the RU West list... the Defenders have a 2-game edge over runnerup Sligo, who were selected the number-two team in the rankings... the Stoner Stars and the Forest City Lumberjacks are in a third-place tie, trailing by 3 games each.

The Fort Benton Defenders (14-10) have been in the running for the pennant the last four years, but always fell short... sadly the Defenders have never made the playoffs... this could be the year... they have solid hitting with a .279 BA (8th), score fairly well (11th-tied) and are fair power-wise with 19 homers (23rd-tied)... however, it's on the hill that they shine with a fine 3.10 ERA (2nd)... manager Robbie Brooks has four capable starters, anchored by 220-game winner Augie Marquis (4-1/2.73)... Tommy Baylor (4-1/2.20), Edd Farmer (1-0/0.75) and Jordy Raeburn (2-3/3.29) have done well, too... Fort Benton has plenty of bats, too, paced by 1B Oscar Pendleton (.359), LF Rod Myerson (.339), C Hunter Glenholmes (.354), 3B Mitch Hamilton (.310) and SS D. D. Badeaux (.297).

The Sligo Rovers (12-12) broke even for the month and are supposed to be one of the few teams capable of beating the Defenders... the RU West is probably the weakest division in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only three teams were above the .500 mark last year: champion Colfax (86-68), Fort Benton (84-70) and the Rovers (78-76)... it may be tough for Sligo to contend with its woeful hitting (.246 BA-31st), poor scoring (26th) and average pitching (3.86 ERA/13th)... Tom Pierson (2-2/2.63) and Randall Steele (3-2/3.50) are the best moundsmen... star hurler Jeff Cooper (1-4/5.82) was acquired from Far Mountain in a trade, but has fared poorly this season... the 35-year-old Cooper is 249-216 with a fine 2.99 ERA in his 16 years in the league... should Cooper come around, it will greatly enhance Sligo's flag hopes... LF Vasco Aguilar (.333), SS Neil Mitchell (.322) and CF Peder Svensson (.278) have been the only reliable run producers.

The Stoner Stars (11-13) are tied for third with Forest City... they possess better-than-average pitching with its 3.54 ERA (8th), but are feeble at the plate, ranking 30th in scoring and 32nd in homers with only 14 this season... youngsters Jimmy Ellerbee (3-1/1.88) and Mel Glosterman (2-0/2.16) have looked very effective in April... and vet Larry Urban (1-3/3.18) can still do the job... the Stars just need vast improvement at the plate... only CF Don Cain (.364) and C Barney Swindell (.356) are good sticks... Stoner may be playing over their heads... the Stars were picked seventh in the preseason poll... that looks pretty close to reality.

The Forest City Lumberjacks (11-13) were voted the fourth-best club in the division in the preseason... that's where they ended up last season... it's been a very long postseason drought in Forest City... the 'Jacks last won a pennant in 2013... and it's not very likely they will end the drought this year... Forest City is a mediocre club, ranking near the bottom in scoring (27th-tied) and on the mound with a 4.42 ERA (24th)... Jeff Watford (4-2/3.43) is the only quality arm... and LF Ronnie Pollet (.330), C Bob Brisdon (.312), 1B Pistol Pete Picard (.333) and RF Junior Chandler (.293) are the only quality bats... it may be hard for the Lumberjacks to finish in the first division.

The Volusia Vigilantes (10-14) and the Middlefield Roosters are tied for fifth place... however, the experts place the V's no better than eighth, where they were last year... the Vigilantes don't hit well or pitch well... they are batting .258 (26th), have no power with just 17 HRs (27th-tied) and posted a 4.40 ERA (21st)... RF Carl Clark (.361) and CF Felipe Henriques (.294) are the club leaders at the plate, while Zack Dowdle (3-2/4.28) and Hector Vargas (1-3/2.96) top the twirlers.

Middlefield (10-14) hasn't had a winning season since 2029 and hasn't won a pennant since 2026... they were picked for fifth place this season... because of the short fences at Middlefield Park, the Roosters do go deep... but so does the opposition... they have hit 30 homers (6th) this year, but yielded 41 (32nd)... not a good trade-off... the team is 11th in scoring, but bats only .248 (30th)... the team ERA is a lofty 4.74 (30th)... CF Tony Parsons (.300), 2B Earl Elliott (.305) and C Brad Alexander (.301) top the Roosters' batting order... Alexander is among the league leaders with 8 homers and 25 RBIs... relievers Ron Sinclair (3-0/3.60) and Ray Owens (0-0/0.86/3 saves) are the only dependable pitchers... Larry Wheelhouse (2-4/4.96) and Victor Suarez (1-2/4.79) are the best of the starters.

In seventh place are the Rocky Rapids Snappers (9-15)... in preseason predictions they were fated to be sixth... it's been 17 years since they participated in the postseason... times have not been good for the Snappers... they don't do anything well... team BA is .267 (20th), rank 29th in scoring, with 19 HRs (23rd-tied) and a 4.69 team ERA (29th)... Randy McKenzie (2-2/2.40) is the pitching leader... with very little after him... CF Leonardo Cisneros (.321) is the club leader at the plate... with very little after him.

Last year's RU West winner was the Colfax Blasters (8-16)... surprisingly they have really fallen on bad times and are in the division basement... but the Blasters have enough mound talent to regroup and get back in the race... they were rated the third-best club after Fort Benton and Sligo in the preseason poll... statistically they sport a .273 BA (15th), tied for 24th in scoring runs with just 16 HRs (29th-tied) and a 4.19 ERA (19th)... Randell Perkins (3-3/3.59) and Norm Harbison (2-2/1.85) are the staff leaders, while SS Gerry Sives (.347), 1B Kristian McEly (.313), 3B Caleb McAvoy (.310), C Mitch Fullerton (.324) and LF Chet Penn (.284) are offensive leaders.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, May 1, 2037

HAWKS HANKERIN' FOR ANOTHER PRO CUP
In recent years it would suffice to say that the defending IPA champion North Hills Hawks have been a dominant force in the IPA with two Pro Cups in the last three seasons... the Hawks are again resting on top of the Tycobbian North Division after one month's play... they have a two-game bulge over the Mahaska Haymakers, Hartsdale Hellcats and Fairfax Frogs... from top to bottom the TU North is tightly crammed with only 4 games separating last place White River and Luxora from leading North Hills.

Great pitching and solid bats are the driving forces for first place North Hills (15-9), a strong favorite to win the division for a fourth consecutive season... only Fairfax and Blue Lake are given an outside shot at the title... the rest of the teams will just have to wait until next year... the Hawks have compiled a sensational 2.87 ERA, second best in the IPA behind Turon of the TU South, which has put up a superb 2.83 ERA in April... the Hawks are hitting very well with a .282 BA (6th), but they are only 15th in scoring runs and 14th in homers with 28... leading the way on the mound are Frankie Lambert (4-0/1.84), last year's Pro Cup MVP Jeff Owens (4-1/3.26), David Michael (3-2/2.79) and Nelson Hooper (1-0/3.31)... top batters are RF Gerry Rice (.342), 1B Ric Hamilton (.309) and 2B Kiril Ivonski (.323)... best run producers are LF Adam Thurgood (.258) with 6 HRs and 20 RBIs... and C Mikhael Romanovsky (.291) with 7 HRs and 19 RBIs... North Hills looks like it has what it takes to win back-to-back Pro Cups.

Last year the Fairfax Frogs (13-11) finished a very distant second to North Hills, 16 games behind in the pennant race... this year they look to be better with a blistering .290 BA (2nd), topped only by Wynnamac (.296) and Valmara (.295), two Ruthlandian clubs... plus improved pitching with a 3.36 ERA (9th)... the Frogs were picked second in the preseason poll, but still are not ranked in the class of North Hills... leading the Frog attack are vets CF Eric Kusek (.369), CF Max Lebowitz (.380), LF Sonny Oliver (.333), RF Roger Krieger (.354) and C Joe King (.333)... top hurlers are Lucien Vashon (3-2/2.22) and Steven McLeod (3-3/3.11).

Mahaska (13-11), tied with Fairfax and Hartsdale this year for the runner-up spot, was ranked fourth in the preseason poll, a great improvement over last year's eighth place... the Haymakers had a fine April statistically with a .286 BA (4th), ranked 12th in scoring and a vastly better 3.07 ERA (4th)... Rob Randolph (2-2/2.40) and Valente Viero (3-3/3.31) have been the best starters, while bullpen standouts have been Kirk Stanley (2-0/1.50/1 save) and Warren Heath (2-1/1.25)... leading bats are 2B Mikk Kukk (.365), SS Rocco Bertara (.300), RF Anton Hymel (.328) and 1B Johnny Watts (.353).

The Hartsdale Hellcats (13-11) came in sixth the last two years and were forecast for the cellar this year in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... the Hellcats are just an average ball club with a .256 BA (18th), 25 HRs (17th-tied) and a 3.86 team ERA (17th)... however, they don't score many runs (25th-tied) and have a very weak bullpen (4.82-25th)... Hartsdale has gotten by in the early season with two good starters and one elite reliever... vets Wayne Dawson (3-2/2.85) and Freddie Whitaker (2-3/3.13) have been effective... in the bullpen veteran Hank Cooke (4-0/1.35/3 saves) has been so terrific, he has been moved into a starting role... at the plate the most productive have been 1B Hayden Richardson (.373), 2B Glen Duffy (.306) and RF Jeffrey Karkinos (.345)... Karkinos is tops in homers with 6 and RBIs with 15.

The Oxford Red Caps (12-12) are just a mediocre ball club with a .250 BA (24th) and a 4.31 ERA (23rd) that hasn't played in the postseason since their Pro Cup victory in 2007... not much is expected this year... the sportswriters pegged them to come in seventh... they are currently tied with Blue Lake in fifth place in the standings.... pitcher Cody Quackenbush (3-1/2.92) has had a good first month, but he is the only one... Oxford's top performers on offense have been C Jayson French (.387), 3B Boyd Olsen (.333) and vet 1B Kerry Sterling (.306)... long-time star RF Dennis Hartwig (.280) leads the club with 6 homers and has batted in 11 runs.

For the first time since they won the 2030 Pro Cup, the Blue Lake Blue Sox (12-12) had a good year last year with a second-place finish to North Hills, but 10 games off the pace... the Blue Sox were hoping to really be a serious contender this year... the preseason poll listed them as the third best team in the TU North behind North Hills and Fairfax... pitching is up this year with a 3.30 ERA (8th) and batting is better with a .280 mark (7th)... but scoring is only average (16th) and power is short with 17 HRs (28th-tied)... starters Frankie Quinn (4-1/2.98), Pat Brown (2-1/1.95), Lee Price (2-2/3.48) and Sal Mays (2-3/3.58) have done their jobs... 26-year-old Brown came over in a trade with Marston of the Ruthlandian Union... he was a 25-game winner in 2034, but hasn't done well since... the Blue Sox are hoping he can regain the magic... the top sticks are LF Jack Ryan (.395), CF Raddy Pajak (.315), SS Joe Korman (.290), 3B Matt Thompson (.333) and 1B Elton Graff (.323)... Korman and Thompson are the only ones left from the Pro Cup year... they were only 20 and 21 that year... Blue Lake has a good, solid club and should rival Fairfax for second place.

White River (11-13) is tied for seventh place this season with Luxora and forecast to be fifth in the preseason poll... since coming in a close second to North Hills in 2034, the Rascals have trended downward, winding up fifth those two seasons... they have good pitching with a 3.48 ERA (11th), but can't hit a lick (.224 BA/31st) except for CF Buford Cross (.325), 2B Quincy Shanahan (.303) and RF Zachary Kriger (.293)... veteran C Stevie Dee Daniels is the only power guy with 7 homers and 16 RBIs, but he is hitting only .232... heading up a fine starting rotation are vets Kenny Nikas (2-3/2.54) and Paul Sardini (2-2/3.71), both 34 years old... Sardini is 207-174 with a terrific lifetime 2.88 ERA, while Nikas is 137-106 with a superlative 2.60 career ERA... rounding out the rotation are youngsters Mickey Cronyn (1-2/3.86) and J. C. Hudson (2-2/3.33)... Cronyn is the son of Rascal manager Mick Cronyn, who toiled long and hard for 15 seasons in White River from 2003 to 2017... he posted a 196-201 record with a 3.73 ERA... the Rascals were a pathetic team during most of those years... they never made the playoffs.

The Luxora Zorros (11-13) are a lackluster club with just a few talented players... they were sixth in the preseason poll... the Z's are batting .254 (19th) and have posted a fairly good 3.68 ERA (15th)... they have two standout pitchers in Kent Halloran and Benny DeVito, both 31 years old... Halloran (2-3/2.45) won the TU Golden Arm two years ago and has notched an impressive 110-72 mark with a dynamite 2.29 career ERA, second best in IPA history to J. J. Gillespie of the Cold Creek Catamounts... Gillespie is still active with a 2.23 lifetime ERA... DeVito (4-2/2.01) is in his 12th season with Luxora and has registered a 169-154 record with a 3.24 career ERA... DeVito won the TU Golden Arm Award in 2031 with a 22-14 record, the last time the Zorros made the playoffs... Luxora has a few good bats in 3B Todd Dubbins (.326), SS Kelvin Cassidy (.279) and 1B Gerry Hathaway (.323).

BATTLE ROYAL IN TU SOUTH
The Tycobbian South is poised for a pennant race that could involve five or six of the teams in the division... after the first month of action, all of the teams just might be contenders... Favored San Alejo has a game lead over Summerland and is two better than Ginza, Colchester and Arroyo Grande... Southport is only three games behind in sixth place... and Turon and Cape Coral are both in last place, but just 4 games out of first.

San Alejo (14-10) reached the pinnacle of success in 2032 with its first Pro Cup... they have also won two pennants since, in 2034 and 2035... however in 2033 and 2035 they suffered off-years with second-division finishes... the Montaneros were fifth last season, but they are forecast to get back in contention this year... the Monties have been made the favorite in the TU South according to THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... so far, so good... San Alejo is leading the division, but it has suspect pitching with a 4.22 ERA (22nd)... perhaps three quality starters can pull it off... Tommy Smith (4-1/2.70), Johnny Brown (4-1/3.66) and Lupe Olmedo (2-3/3.38) are all capable starters, but they will need help from the bullpen, which has been ineffective thus far... the bats have been blazing this season in the early going... San Alejo is hitting .276 (9th), but is rated number two in scoring and tied for fourth with 35 homers... the lineup is chocked full of good hitters like C Filipe Zamora (.355), RF Charlie Wilberforce (.360), CF Dusty Rogan (.326) and 3B Bubby Blackwell (.328)... SS Sancho Cruz (.264) is the club leader with 8 homers and the league leader with 26 RBIs... Zamora is number two in RBIs with 25... teams can win pennants with plenty of firepower and a few good pitchers... history has shown it... Chicopee has done quite well with this formula in recent years.

The second place Summerland Sunsets (13-11) are the exact opposite of San Alejo... they do it with pitching... picked for third in the preseason poll, the Sunsets have chalked up a strong 3.07 ERA (5th), but they are batting only .250 (25th), are ranked just 22nd in scoring runs and absolutely last in home runs with 15... Johnny Young (2-2/1.68) and Freddi Rossi (2-3/3.12) are quality starters... and rookie reliever Jayson Hallstrom (1-1/0.64/2 saves) had done extremely well in 8 appearances... most of the offensive production has been provided by LF Eamon O'Toole (.284), CF Antonio Vasquez (.305), C John Bedell (.306) and 1B Chuck Moyer (.284).

Three clubs are deadlocked in third place: the Ginza Ninjas (12-12), Colchester Elites and Arroyo Grande Suns... the Ninjas are touted to be the second best squad next to San Alejo... since winning the division crown in 2031, Ginza has been a pathetic team... they were seventh in 2034, eighth in 2035 and sixth last season... long-time skipper Huroko Uchiyama retired and his 29-year-old son, Sadaharu, has taken his place as a playing manager... excellent hitting can do wonders for a team... the Ninjas are hitting .289 (3rd), tied for fourth in scoring and are tied with East Point and Red Bluff for first in the TU with 37 roundtrippers each... Sugar Valley of the Ruthlandian East has the most in the IPA with 39... top hitters are LF Uchiyama (.337), C Whip Harrell (.384) and 1B Steve Daniels (.342)... several others have added to the numbers... SS David Sulligent (.290), CF Sogo Takagi (.284), RF Scott Sparks (.279) and RF Ichiro Kazumi (.391)... Sparks is the club leader with 20 RBIs... he is tied for second in the Tycobbian Union with 9 dingers... veteran ace Hollis Pace (4-2/3.860), now in his 11th season, is the team's best pitcher... talent is sparse after him... the division title will probably go either to Ginza or St. Alejo, whichever one can come up with a few good pitchers.

The Colchester Elites (12-12) won the TU South last season for the first time in almost 30 years... but it didn't impress the pollsters, who placed them fifth in the preseason predictions... they did it last year with firepower, lots of longballs... the sluggers are off to a slow start in 2037, ranking 21st in the league with 22... yet the Elites are still near the top... batting (.257/16th) and pitching (3.88/18th) are just average... but vet Roy Watson (4-0/2.10) and young Eduardo Rivera (3-2/2.31) have been outstanding... the most productive hitters thus far have been Chet Porter (.328), 3B Jasper Matthews (.306), SS Joey Rogers (.283) and 1B Alejandro Vasquez (.296)... 21-year-old star RF Blake Barrister, who hit .311 with 49 homers and 129 RBIs last season, has yet to get it going... Barrister is batting a lowly .192 in the first month of the year.

The last time the Arroyo Grande Suns (12-12) enjoyed any success was 2024 when they captured their last TU South flag... the Suns came in seventh the last two years and according to the preseason picks would be seventh again... so far the offense is carrying the day with a .267 BA (12th) and 31 HRs (12th-tied), putting them third in the league in scoring... the pitching is just tolerable with a 3.93 ERA (20th)... the Suns' top bats are 2B Johnny Hensley (.313), LF Rene Jesclard (.308) and RF Gregorio Oliviera (.345)... the top hurlers are Mateus Castro (4-1/3.99), Matt Stevens (2-2/3.96) and Freddy Farentino (2-3/3.20).

Sixth in the standings are the Southport Sun Sox (11-13)... they have been shut out of the playoffs for almost 10 years... after winding up sixth and eighth the last two years, they were chosen to end up in the cellar this season in the preseason poll... the Sun Sox don't hit very well with a .257 BA (17th), they don't go deep much with 22 HRs (21st-tied) and the pitching is atrocious with a 4.77 ERA (29th), but they do surprislingly score runs and are tied for sixth in the rankings ... average-wise the top batters are RF Pat Kinney (.313), CF Barney Lewis (.282) and C Jason Lee (.277)... and Gordon Forbes (4-1/3.40) and Ruben Ekker (2-3/3.77) are the most productive pitchers.

The Turon Typhoons (10-14) and the Cape Coral Hurricanes are in last place in the TU South... Turon has a fabled history in IPA lore, but not for the last two decades... the Typhoons hold the IPA record with four Pro Cup trophies, the last one coming in 2018... but the team has been on the rise the last four seasons... last year they came in third, 12 games behind winning Colchester... the outlook this year was fourth place as per the baseball experts... in the first month of the season Turon tops the IPA with a very impressive 2.83 ERA... even more impressive is that the bullpen did not give up an earned run... lousy hitting is the Typhoons' problem... they batted only .253 (20th), ranked 30th in scoring and hit only 20 homers (26th-tied)... mound leaders were Nate Scottsdale (4-2/2.08) and Wes Brynnton (3-3/2.45)... batting leaders were 2B Little Mac McCurnan (.367), SS C. C. Kingsford (.313) and RF Guido Gervasio (.312).

Cape Coral (10-14) hasn't seen the postseason since 2030... and they are not likely to see it this year either... they were sixth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason polling... the 'Canes hit the ball very well with a .285 BA (5th), score runs pretty well, tied for 12th in the league, but don't have much power with only 22 homers (21st-tied)... leading the offense are CF Maxi Tselika (.317), 3B Rikky Van Dalen (.309), 1B Stan Ferguson (.294), SS Joel Collins (.293), LF Paul Law (.288) and RF William Snyder (.280)... on the hill they are horrific with a 4.88 ERA (31st)... Tommy Van Noord (3-2/4.20) is the only decent pitcher on the team.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, May 1, 2037

3-WAY TIE IN TU EAST
One month into the 2037 season there is a three-way tie for the top spot in the Tycobbian East Division featuring two bonifide contenders -the Tuckanarra Blue Jays and the East Point Panthers - and a possible flash-in-the-pan - the High Mesa Cowboys... only time will tell... Ozarka was made the favorite by THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason survey with perennial powerhouse Tuckanarra rated number two and East Point number three... to find High Mesa you had to go to the bottom of the list... the Cowboys were picked to end up in last place... the Red Bluff Red Sox are fourth in the standings, trailing by 4 games, while Ozarka has gotten off to a sluggish start and is in fifth place, 5 games out of first.

Tuckanarra (15-9) has won the TU East Division the last three seasons and is riled up and rarin' to do it again... the Blue Jays' goal is always the IPA Pro Cup, which they have won three times, most recently in 2035... the Tucks are a juggernaut with a Tycobbian-leading .290 BA (1st), 143 runs (1st) and 35 HRs (1st-tied)... strong on the hill, too, with a very good 3.17 ERA (6th)... Blue Jay stalwarts RF Lorne Evans (.284), 2B Josh George (.268), SS Eddie Darby (.272) and C Jon Paul (.316) have gotten some help from 31-year-old rookie IF Cliff Winter (.340) and 1B Andy Preston (.421)... Paul is the club leader with 10 homers... Evans has 6... RBI leaders are Winter with 20, Paul 19 and Evans 15... Tuckanarra still has a strong starting rotation with Bobby Reid (5-0/2.28), Jeff Buttram (3-1/2.18) and Junior Bristow (3-2/3.25), who was the TU MVP and Golden Arm winner last year... number four starter and 17-game winner Rudy Rosario (1-1/5.28) has struggled so far this season... the Blue Jays may be better than last year when they were considered the best team in the IPA.

The East Point Panthers (15-9) have had a winning record for the last decade and sport two pennants during that stretch in 2031 and 2033... the team leaders are their starting foursome of Dixie Brooks (2-2/2.62), Frank Blair (2-2/3.05), Burton Cook (4-2/2.94) and Johnny Moore (3-1/2.93)... to challenge in the race the Panthers are going to have to get better in the bullpen (6.97 ERA-32nd)... offensively they don't hit much for average with a .251 BA (22nd), but they do have some pop with 37 HRs (1st-tied)... offensive leaders are SS Dean O'Donnell (.309), LF Ricky Arnold (.304) and 3B Jack Melgaar (.328)... 1B Karl Jankauskas tops the team with 21 RBIs and 8 HRs, but is batting a lowly .209... long-time star 2B Tetsu Tanaka (.226) has gotten off to a slow start... the great pitching and good firepower should keep them in the hunt.

Is High Mesa (15-9) for real?... for the last ten seasons they have been mired in the second division... it's been 35 years since the Cowboys made the playoffs... the only success the team has ever had was the Pro Cup year in 2002 and the playoffs in 2003... the experts don't have much faith in them, slotting them in the basement in the preseason poll this year... however, a closer look reveals some pretty good ballplayers in pitchers Dean Harris (4-0/2.25), Virgil Hasper (3-2/3.05) and Max Jung (3-3/3.10)... those are really good ERAs considering they have to pitch in one of the smallest venues in the IPA... standouts at the plate are veteran 1B Michael Page (.311), 2B Tony O'Neil (.392), RF Brad Holland (.306) and LF Clay Johnston (.322)... McNeill is the third-leading batter in the TU... 34-year-old Page leads the Cowpokes with 8 HRs and 19 RBIs... 34-year-old CF Corbett Brooks (.250) is not much for average, but he produces with 5 HRs ad 16 RBIs... Page and Brooks each have over 400 career homers... I don't expect High Mesa to have the staying power for the title, but they might be able to get out of the second division, sneak into the first division and have a winning season.

The fourth place Red Bluff Red Sox (11-13) last participated in the playoffs in 2008, but do have a Pro Cup to their credit, won in 2004... last year they wound up third and were looking forward to better things this year... however, the pollsters were not that impressed and placed them no better than fourth in the pennant race... the numbers don't add up for the Red Sox with a paltry .241 BA (28th), ranked 18th in scoring and 24th in pitching... the Red Sox have only two pluses - they can go deep - they are tied for first in the TU with 37 HRs... and they have two capable starters in Ayden Carmack (4-0/2.83) and Banzuki Hasegawa (3-2/3.04)... about the best Red Bluff can do in the standings is make the first division... maybe fourth place if they keep hitting the ball out of the park and their two aces keep winning... the second division is the most likely verdict.

The Ozarka Naturals (10-14) are a disappointing fifth this season after being a very distant second the last three years to Tuckanarra... the Nats won their last TU East flag in 2030... and despite making the postseason 14 times and playing for the Pro Cup on five occasions, they have never won the IPA... but the Naturals' mound corps and solid bats impressed enough sportswriters this preseason to get the nod over Tuckanarra in the pennant chase... but it was not a good April for Ozarka... the hitters let them down with a .233 BA (30th) and they ranked 31st in scoring... however the pitchers held up with a standout 3.00 ERA (3rd) sparked by Glen Jenkins (3-3/2.30), Zenon Metaxis (3-1/3.48) and Leon Bernard (2-4/1.91)... 2B Gunnar Norheim (.321) was the only reliable bat in April... the Nats' bats should perk up and get them back in the race by season's end.

The South Fork Stallions (9-15) are in sixth in the TU East standings... last year they came in dead last... the Stallions were chosen sixth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll... it's been a long time since they made the playoffs... South Fork had a great year in 2025 and took home its only Pro Cup in the club's history... last year the Stallions had terrible pitching with a 4.71 ERA... it's even worse this year with a miserable 5.59 ERA (32nd)... only the Grand City Cybercats of the Ruthlandian South have posted lousier numbers with a 5.61 ERA... rookie starter Cecil Alexander (3-3/4.78) is the best of the the bad... the offense is fairly decent with a .260 BA (15th), 24th in scoring and tied for ninth with 32 home runs... 3B Elton Jacoby has a great April with a .382 mark, 4 HRs and 18 RBIs... LF Joel Fowler chipped in with a .306 BA, 5 homers and 11 RBIs... and SS Jess Wilkerson added a .286 BA with 4 roundtrippers and 13 RBIs... RF Keenan O'Dwyer batted .275 and has a team high 6 HRs and 15 RBIs.

The Midway Wolves (7-17) and the Hillsboro Blazers are pulling up the rear in the division cellar... the Wolves were forecast to finish fifth this season in the preseason poll... the Blazers were picked seventh.... in recent seasons Midway managed a winning record except for last year when they wound up sixth and 10 games under .500... the Wolves are near the bottom in all stats with a very poor .238 BA (29th), 29th in scoring and 28th in HRs with 17... pitching-wise the staff is ranked 27th with a 4.48 ERA... the only good news has been the latest in a long line of Chandlers, Yuma Chandler, the youngest son of Midway manager Cochise Chandler, who burst on the IPA scene with a torrid April... the 25-year-old rookie CF batted .460 with 5 HRs and 11 RBIs in his first month in the league... the Wolves still have one of the finest hurlers in IPA history still holding his own at age 36... in his 17th year Bobby Dorignac is 3-3 with a solid 3.09 ERA... in his career he is 302-204 with a superlative 2.82 ERA... John Anderson (3-3/3.06) is the only other quality arm on the staff.

Hapless Hillsboro (7-17) has had only 10 winning seasons in its history and has never participated in the postseason playoffs... only twice in 2020 and 2033 have the Blazers been in a pennant race... they were seventh in this year's preseason pickings... the Hillsboro hitting is absolutely horrific with a microscopic .217 BA (32nd), rated 32nd in scoring and tied for 28th in HRs... pitching is mediocre with a 4.18 ERA (21st)... Freddy Berry is the only pitcher doing well with a 3-0 record and a fine 2.41 ERA... only 1B Phillip Stafford is having a good year with 7 HRs, 16 RBIs and a .342 BA.

BSC BUCS BREAK ON TOP IN TU WEST
Sentenced to the Tycobbian West cellar in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll, the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers have not played according to script... they have bolted ahead of the more-heralded contenders, topping flag favorite La Claire and fifth pick Kenwood by one game, two in front of number three selection Denton City and three up on sixth-rated Arlon... the other shocker is the defending division champ Chicopee... the Braves had a horrible start and are tied for last place with the Rolling Hills Reds, 7 games off the pace.

First place Bay St. Clair (16-8) came in seventh last season, 24 games under .500... that was a downturn after six good seasons in a row, including a division title in 2030... now the Bucs have bounced back with a pretty good offense and some good punch in their bats and the best record in the IPA... they have hit 33 out of the park (7th-tied) with a .263 BA (13th) and are tied for sixth in scoring... the most productive performers are RF Milt Powers (.292) with 5 HRs ad 18 RBIs and 1B Ryan Dukes (.292) with 6 HRs and 16 RBIs... Jay Callahan (3-0/2.82) and John Karlsen (5-0/3.86) have led the pitching corps... it was a zippity doo dah month where everything apparently went the Buccaneers' way... will Bay St. Clair keep up this pace?... most experts think not... in the end it will come down to Chicopee, La Claire and Denton City... BSC will probably wind up in the second division.

The La Claire Lynx (15-9) are tied with Kenwood for the runner-up spot... coming off a third-place finish in 2036, they were assigned the favorite's role in the preseason poll... the Lynx have played good ball the last 10 years and have won two pennants, but never have taken the IPA Pro Cup trophy... they are a well-balanced bunch with impressive pitching and a pretty fair offense... the team ERA is 3.29 (7th), the team BA is .262 (14th) with 24 HRs (19th) and they are tied for 12th place in scoring runs... 200-game winner Pat Kovacs (3-1/1.97) is off to another fine year and is getting strong help from number two starter Tony Rossi (5-0/2.62) and bullpen ace Terry Baird (2-2/2.51/5 saves)... Konrad Keller (2-3/3.83) has been a dependable in the number three slot... the leading bats are CF Jason Baker (.330), 1B Kris Wilson (.290) and RF Billy Holland (.280).

The Kenwood Wildcats (15-9) haven't been to the postseason since 2024, but do possess a Pro Cup crown captured in 2014... the last two years have been downers with seventh and fifth place finishes... the critics said it would be pretty much the same this year, predicting another fifth place finish... but the Wildcats have looked better than that in the early going with a good attack... they are batting .278 (8th), ranked 8th in scoring runs and have decent power with 31 HRs (12th-tied)... Kenwood is just average on the hill with a respectable 3.89 ERA (19th)... the offensive leaders are SS Ricky Boyer (.388), CF Clark Chamberlain (.338), C Antonio Dominguez (.315), LF Harry Tashina (.313) and C Corky DiNozzo (.296)... DiNozzo had 7 HRs in April and Tashina clouted 5... staff leaders are Glen Murray (3-0/2.96), Doug Kirkpatrick (3-1/4.08), and Freddy Gooch (3-2/3.91)... the Wildcats have the talent to make a run this year.

Last year second place Denton City (14-10) gave the TU West champ Chicopee fits before succumbing by two games... it was a heartbreaking loss since Denton City hasn't graced the postseason since 2013... the Redbirds are forecast to be a serious challenger again this year... however the experts put them third behind La Claire and Chicopee in the preseason ratings... the Redbirds are well-rounded with solid pitching and solid bats... the pitchers have posted an impressive 3.38 ERA (10th) and the hitters have put up some very good stats with a .271 BA (10th), 33 HRs (7th-tied) and are tied for fourth in scoring runs with 129... DC has a fine veteran starting foursome consisting of Troy McIntosh (4-0/1.78), Stephen Edwards (1-0/1.76), Denny Mills (2-1/3.00) and Francisco Salcido (4-2/3.92)... topping the batting order are C Felton Welch (.383), RF Pete Doyle (.330), CF Russ Foster (.328), SS Sammy Thornton (.301), 2B Rod Hunt (.292) and LF Sam Carson (.288)... Doyle has 7 HRs to lead the club, plus 16 RBIs... Welch has 4 HRs and the most RBIs with 19... the Redbirds will be reckoned with before the curtain is drawn on the season... it should be quite a battle with La Claire, Kenwood and probably Chicopee, too... the Braves have had a bad April (9-15) and are in a last place tie with Rolling Hills.

The Arlon Champions (13-11) are in the fifth spot currently and have been stuck in the second division for the last eight years, haven't made the playoffs in 15 years and have never won a Pro Cup... last year they were sixth, but they are playing winning baseball this year, at least in the first month of the season... the preseason pronosticators have relegated them to another second-division finish, putting them in the sixth spot in the standings... the Champs' pitching has improved this season with a 3.65 ERA (14th)... the offense is about the same as last year with a .250 BA (23rd), 21 HRs (25th) and is rated 23rd in run scoring... Lanny Gray (2-2/2.39), Frankie Gauthier (2-2/3.24), Pat Stuyvesant (3-2/3.99) and Emil Nowak (3-2/4.02) have been a fairly good starting rotation thus far... but the bullpen (6.00 ERA-29th) has been awful... offensively only RF Mark Cameron (.294) and SS Roland Duvernet (.294) have been dependable hitters.

The Bayview Vikings (10-14) were in the TU West basement last season and this year look no better... 14 times in the last 16 years the Viks have been languishing in the second division with the only winning seasons in 2034 and 2035... Bayview hasn't been in the playoffs since 2016 and hasn't collected a Pro Cup... the Vikings have some power, but little else... they are batting .245 (27th) with 32 HRs (9th-tied), but are only average in scoring (17th)... mound-wise Bayview is not very good with a 4.40 ERA (25th)... RF Roy Ricks (.400) and 2B Jerry Culpepper (.267) are the dominant hitters... Ricks is leading the Tycobbian Union in batting average and sixth overall in the IPA... Ricks has 4 HRs and 11 RBIs... Culpepper is the team leader with 9 HRs, 17 RBIs and 18 runs... he is second in the TU in homers and tied for fifth in both leagues... Vance Codsworth (2-1/2.29) is the staff leader so far with some help from veterans Joaquin Lima (2-1/4.05) and Christy Kane (2-4/3.86).

The stunner of the year so far is the Chicopee Braves (9-15), who have taken the TU West Division title for the last three years... picked for second place to La Claire in the preseason, the Braves have been dismal and fallen into last place, tied with Rolling Hills... normally one of the best batting teams in the IPA, Chicopee is hitting only .246 (26th) this year, is only an average-scoring club (19th-tied) and has only 26 HRs (24th)... and to top it off, the pitching is really, really bad with a 4.88 ERA (30th)... the bullpen is even worse with an embarrassing 6.64 ERA (31st)... no wonder the Braves are in the basement... it's not likely to remain so... only star CF Charley Kota is having a good year... in fact, he is having a great year with a .389 BA, 6 HRs, 17 RBIs and 18 runs... only Ryan Ledbetter (3-1/2.34) and Judd Hampton (3-1/3.68) have prospered on the mound... 20-game winner and ace Heyoka Chaska is 0-5 with a 4.50 ERA in his 6 starts this year... the Braves better get busy and turn it around in May... they don't want to be too far behind at the All-Star break, if they want to contend this year and win their fourth successive TU West flag.

The Rolling Hills Reds (9-15) didn't expect such a bad start this year... the Reds have been fourth the last two seasons and the prediction was for another fourth-place finish in the preseason voting... the Reds have been a formidable ballclub the last 20 years... they have captured 8 pennants during that time and been IPA champions in 2029 and 2031... the Reds are missing 236-game winner Jakob Wagner from the starting rotation... he will be out until July recovering from elbow surgery... team ace Wagner was 15-9 last season with a 3.03 ERA when he was injured in early August... he was expected back this Spring, but suffered a setback... Mike Daniels (4-1/1.93) and Matthew Christianson (2-2/2.57) have done well this season, but haven't gotten much help... the main run producers have been veterans C Brian Davis (.354), 2B Buffy Kowalczyk (.322) and SS Dino Manale (.283)... as a team Rolling Hills has average pitching with a 3.81 ERA (16th) and a poor offense with a .251 BA (21st), only 20 HRs (26th-tied) and ranked 28th in scoring... without a healthy Wagner, the Reds are destined for the depths of the division this year.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, June 1, 2037

VALMARA, KILKENNY TIED IN RU NORTH
No big surprises in the Ruthlandian North Division... it's running true-to-form with all of the contenders contending... Valmara and Kilkenny are tied for first place with a slight lead over third place Taranto and fourth place LaGrange and Ancona... after two months' of play only 6 games separate the leaders from the sixth place clubs, Glasco and Far Mountain.

The Valmara Vipers (30-22) only broke even in May with a 14-14 record, but still retained the top spot, though tied with Kilkenny... the Vipers don't have any pitching, but the bats have done the job so far... they are batting .273 (10th), but are second in scoring... on the hill they are bad with a 4.60 ERA (29th)... RF Benny Hooper (.335), 3B Andy Ruffino (.318), 2B Miroslav Ciszek (.331), Pat Sautier (.355) and 1B George Jenkins (.291) are the big guns... none of the starters are very effective... Freddy Pfeffer (4-4/4.81) is the best of the lot... the Vipers do have two solid relievers in Clark Van Vreeland (6-4/2.02/9 saves) and Kasio Kitowsky (2-0/1.38/3 saves)... to stay in the race manager Vanya Vasylenko is going to have to find some pitching somewhere.

The preseason favorite Kilkenny Cats (30-22) gained ground in May with a 17-11 mark... the Cats are doing it with excellent pitching (3.05 ERA-2nd) and home runs (55-11th)... they are batting a lowly .244 (32nd)... the top hurlers are Fred Doyle (8-2/2.41), Ted Flanagan (7-6/2.89), Dave Whitaker (7-5/3.23) and James Crockett (5-4/3.70)... right now Kilkenny's mound staff give them the edge over Valmara... 3B Leevi Viri (.280) and RF Quanah Paytah (.295) are the only consistent hitters in the lineup.

The Taranto Tars (27-25) are in third place and trail by 3 games... the Tars were rated the fifth-best squad in the preseason poll... they were 14-14 in May... the Tars don't have the pitching either and depend on the bats... they are second with 70 HRs, but are hitting only .250 (30th)... leading hitters are C Angelo Rossi (.337) with 13 HRs and 30 RBIs... RF Wes Marlowe (.341) with 16 HRs and 36 RBIs... and SS Daryl Rhodes (.320) with 5 homers and 16 RBIs... 3B Jimbo Judson is only batting .267, but has produced 11 HRs, 28 RBIs and scored 34 runs... Carmine Scalise (6-4/2.82) is the only standout pitcher... to overtake Valmara and Kilkenny, Taranto will need improved pitching... currently the staff has posted a mediocre 4.17 ERA (22nd)

Good old defending champ LaGrange (26-26), which has won four of the last five pennants, just keeps on chugging along, staying close in fourth place, 4 games out and tied with Ancona... the Sports finished the month at 14-14... the pollsters picked them second this spring... they are batting at a .268 clip (14th) and compiled a decent 3.90 ERA (16th)... the weak spot is its relief corps... the starters Mike York (7-3/2.99), Walt Thurber (4-6/3.36) and Roland Oates (3-1/3.18) have been fairly effective... the other starter Chazz Bassett (4-8/4.70) has had a bumpy season so far... Bassett has been a 20-game winner the last two seasons and is critical for LaGrange's success... SS Fred Bird (.341), C Chris Heffner (.341) and 3B Claude DesJardins (.360) are the most reliable hitters... CF Russell Watkins (.261) has 26 RBIs and leads with 9 HRs... 1B Chris Charbonnier (.251) tops in RBIs with 32 and has 6 HRs... consistent pitching and adequate hitting has served the Sports very well the past few seasons... they should be in contention down the stretch.

The Ancona Red Elephants (26-26) have enjoyed modest improvement this year, but dipped to 12-16 in May... they were fifth last year and forecast seventh this year... the Red Elephants are batting .275 (6th), but are only average in scoring runs and power... pitching is also so-so with a 3.89 ERA (15th)... Pablo Pilar (8-3/3.42), Steven Russell (6-6/3.71) and Andre Athas (5-5/3.95) are reliable pitchers... offensively carrying the load are 3B Tommy Richardson (.342), CF Carl Trent (.309), 1B Jesse Clayton (.314) and RF Pettis Pentleton (.308)... SS Alex Zitek (.265) is the club leader with 8 HRs and 31 runs, while Pentleton has hit 7 HRs and is tops in RBIs with 31.

The Glasco Athletics (24-28) and Far Mountain are deadlocked in sixth place in the RU North, 6 games out of first... the A's were picked sixth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll, in spite of a third place finish last season... they were a lousy 8-16 the first month of the season, but strong in May with a 16-8 record, tops in the division... Glasco has good offense with a .276 BA (4th), but could be better on the hill with a 4.18 ERA (23rd)... the Athletics could be a factor the pennant race and could challenge for a first-division berth, sparked by Sam Jensen (6-3/2.89) and Gino Genovese (3-2/2.55) on the mound and CF Travis Houston (.311), 3B Taylor Hampshire (.323) and C Ted Jarzinski (.290) at the plate... Houston led the club with 9 HRs and 35 runs... he, Hampshire and Jarzinski tops the team in RBIs with 29 each.

The sixth place Far Mountain Redhawks (24-28) were fourth last year and ranked to end up fourth again this year... they were only 9-15 in April, but turned it around this month with a 15-13 mark... the Redhawks have pretty fair pitching and OK hitting... Paul Young (4-3/2.42), Chad Cummings (4-6/3.02) and Frankie Moreland (4-5/3.38) lead the mound staff, while C Ron Marlowe tops the hitters with 12 HRs, 35 RBIs and a .348 BA... SS Dan Vance is also having a good year with a .331 BA and leads the club with 30 runs.

The Ranford Bulls (16-36) were the worst team in the RU North preseason poll and they have lived up to it... they started 9-15 and got worse, falling to 7-21 in May... looks like a very long season for skipper Chris Bernhoffer... he has only one reliable hurler, Rube Satcher (5-6/2.77) and he's a good one... SS Dayton McCall leads the club with a .316 BA... LF Jojo Davis is second with a .306 average... but the run producers are RF Dale Weston (.275) with 14 homers and 33 RBIs and 2B Alex Vanno (.280) with 8 homers and 33 RBIs.

WALESKA MOVES UP TO FIRST IN RU SOUTH
The Waleska Westerners had a good month with a 17-11 record to move past Crystal Lake and Belair Beach into the top spot in the Ruthlandian South Division... it's still a wide-open race with no dominant teams... the Crushers are in the runner-up spot two games behind... they were 14-14 in the last month... the Sunbirds fell to 13-15 in May and are now 3 games back... the Claxton Diamonds are in fourth, just four games off the pace... they were also 13-15 in the last month of play.

First place Waleska (30-22) is doing quite well, but doesn't have the offense it used to have in the hey days of Roy Hobbs and Loco Dillinger... Hobbs, the current manager, retired five years ago after a fabulous career... teammate Dillinger decided recently to call it a career after 15 seasons at age 37... he batted .316 lifetime with 479 HRs and 1551 RBIs... Dillinger was the RU Rookie of the Year, 9-time All-Star, won 5 Golden Bat Awards and twice was the league's MVP... Dillinger led the Westerners to three pennants and one Pro Cup championship... Dillinger was hitting .280 this year, but didn't have the legs to play anymore... he said he didn't want to overstay his welcome... Waleska only has average pitching and the offense is not very good... it's a wonder they are in first place... Terry Richards is Hobbs' ace with a 6-3 record and a 3.80 ERA... Craig Nash (4-5/3.15) is number two in the rotation and Tony Haskell (6-5/4.12) is number three... Dudley Dickens (5-4/4.16) is the number four... they are the key to Waleska's season... 2B Joey Harris (.300), C Rodney Hanson (.324) and SS Bobby Denton (.284) top the club in average... RF Niles Gregory is the power guy with 10 homers and 28 RBIs, but he is batting a terrible .213... the Westerners really need his bat to stay in the driver's seat.

Crystal Lake (28-24) and Belair Beach led the division in the first month... the Crushers fell to 14-14 in month two... manager Herman "Baby" George has a fairly well-rounded ball club with a decent offense and pitching... leading the attack are C Stan Stanek with a .357 BA, 12 HRs and 34 RBIs and 1B Big Sam Takota with a .283 BA, 9 HRs and 35 RBIs... two old vets Arnie Cason (9-1/2.22) and Derek Joubert (6-5/4.03) lead the mound staff... if Douglas Merrill (2-1/3.29) and Darragh Whelan (4-6/3.69) can solidify the rotation, Crystal Lake will have a good shot at the division crown.

In May, the Belair Beach Sunbirds (27-25) tailed off to 13-15 and dropped to third place, 3 games back of Waleska... the Sunbirds have good power with 66 HRs (4th-tied), average scoring (13th) and less-than-average pitching with a 4.16 ERA (21st)... Wally Hudson (6-0/3.76), Joel Gregg (5-5/3.86), Todd Clyman (3-5/3.26) and Calvin Carmichael (7-4/4.04) make up the starting four... the main bats are CF Bobby Meusel (.329), 2B Jackie Jackson (.307), RF Larry Cole (.295), LF Joe Don Baker (.299) and 1B Jason Butler (.295)... Butler tops the team with 12 HRs, Meusel has 10, Baker 8, Cole 8 and Jackson 7... the Sunbirds look like a solid contender.

Fourth place Claxton (26-26) trails Waleska by 4 games... the Diamonds slumped to 13-15 in the second month... they have pretty good pitching (3.75 ERA-11th) with Vance White (10-2/2.77), Art Reese (.5-5/2.51) and rookie Stan Yudash (3-0/3.67)... White is third in the IPA in wins after Dan Pitts of Elnora and Neil Scottsdale of Turon in the Tycobbian Union... they both have chalked up 11 victories each... Claxton is paced at the plate by LF Foxy Fuchs (.333) with 13 HRs and 43 RBIs... 1B Jojo DeLucca (.272) has 12 HRs and 30 RBIs... 2B Gary Colton (.259) has chipped in 31 RBIs and 3B Jonas Weiss (.310) has 25... C Jaan Hoogendoorn is batting .301 with 5 HRs and 33 runs... the Diamonds will also be in the hunt for the RU South Division title.

The St. John Crusaders (24-28) are a good-looking, but losing team... they were picked to finish second this year, but really look like a champion... they were good enough to get to the Pro Cup Finals last year, where they fell to the IPA champ North Hills in six games... this year they are tied for fifth place with San Dimas, 6 games off the pace... the Crusaders had a poor April, but broke even in May with a 14-14 mark... the pitching is rock-solid with a 3.05 ERA (3rd) and the offense is good, ranked seventh in scoring and seventh in homers with 60... manager Clayton Luck has a very impressive starting four in Jeremy Kirk (8-5/2.96), Lou Gianakos (3-4/2.98), Yancey Garrett (6-6/3.57) and Vito Sanfratello (4-6/3.12)... plus he has a bunch of fine batters in last year's RU MVP Nicky Farrugia (.291), 3B Marty Blankenship (.286), last year's RU Rookie of the Year CF Art Kelley (.308), LF Bobby Joe Daniel (.331) and 1B Johnny Zaun (.353)... Blankenship is second to East Point's Dean O'Donnell in home runs... O'Donnell has 19 and Blankenship has 18... Faruggia has 11 HRs and 44 RBIs, Blankenship has 43 RBIs and 43 runs and Kelley has 10 HRs with 37 RBIs... there is absolutely no reason for the Crusaders not to cruise to the RU South crown this year.

The San Dimas Rancheros (24-28) can hold their own in the batter's box, but fall short on the mound... they broke even in April, but dropped to 12-16 in May... Carroll Cain (6-5/3.90) and Seth Dawson (3-1/3.05) are the top pitchers, while RF Denny Hendrix (.349), C Hermie Goetz (.302), CF Klaus Stordahl (.302) and 3B Lenny Purkey top the hitters... Hendrix has 10 HRs and 34 RBIs... the Rancheros were chosen the fourth-best club in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll, but look like a second-division team.

The Grand City Cybercats (23-29) were forecast to come in seventh this year, so far they are right on target, 7 games out of first... rookie Kenny Morrow (4-3/4.28) is the only starter with a winning record... and the only hitters of note are SS Teddy Grantham with 12 HRs, 37 RBIs and a .347 BA... and 2B Mitch Coleman with 11 roundtrippers, 25 RBIs and a .359 BA.

The last place Valka Blackhawks (20-32) have very little pitching and not much hitting either... they were a dismal 9-19 in May... they are now 10 games behind first place Waleska... none of the starters have winning records and have ERA's near the 5.00 level... only reliever Julien Rouse (0-2/1.64) has had much success with 8 saves in 17 appearances... but Valka does have two talented ballplayers in 1B Bobby Scott and RF Kenny Mitsuzaka... Scott has 15 HRs, 43 RBIs, 36 runs and a great .403 BA, which is second in the IPA to Eastshore's Johnny Petrak, who is hitting .410... Mitsuzaka is batting .314 with 4 HRs and 20 RBIs... 2B Egon Ojamaa has also looked good with 10 HRs, 38 RBIs and a .276 BA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, June 1, 2037

SV RATTLERS SURGE TO TOP IN RU EAST
There is quite a race going on in the Ruthlandian East, home of some of the best teams in the IPA... Sugar Valley surged to the top in May with a super 21-7 record... that gave the Rattlers a 2-game edge over the resurgence Elnora All-Stars... Cold Creek had a hot month, too, and is third place, 4 games out... Beechwood is fourth, 5 games behind... Eastshore is fifth, 6 games off the pace... and the April leader Wynnamac plunged to sixth with a 12-16 mark, falling 7 games back of Sugar Valley.

Sugar Valley (36-16) has the best record in the IPA and has a sizzling attack that tops everybody in homers (89) and scoring runs (339)... Bobby Gamble leads the way with a .353 BA, 14 HRs and an IPA high of 54 RBIs... Roger Hobbs has posted a .324 BA with 14 HRs and 50 RBIs... Tyler White (.266) got hot in May and has chipped in with 17 HRs and 47 RBIs... it's hard for pitchers to stand out when they play in such a small venue, but they have done very well with a 3.64 ERA (10th)... top arms are Juan Navarro (6-3/3.11), Jeremy Blanchard (7-4/3.50) and Mel Underwood (5-2/3.50)... Josh Wilkerson (9-2/4.45) has the most wins, but he has benefited from strong run support... manager Gibby Bobkins has a club to that will be in the race for the RU East flag and just might be a serious Pro Cup challenger, but they will have to beat off some serious clubs to do it... the Rattlers play in the strongest division in the IPA.

Elnora (34-18) has a solid club with good hitting and a fairly good mound corps... the All-Stars have put together two strong months this season, going 18-10 in May... Dan Pitts (11-2/2.03) has been brilliant and leads the IPA in victories, tied with Nate Scottsdale of Turon in the Tycobbian South... Pitts was acclaimed the May Pitcher of the Month with a 6-1 record and a 1.73 ERA... Stan Kivas (6-4/2.49) has been very effective, too... Jeremy Sellers (5-5/3.59) stepped it last month after a poor 0-4 April... manager Leon Carter's only problem is a terrible bullpen (6.00 ERA-31st)... Elnora also doesn't have the HR power it needs... top hitters are mainly contact hitters like Danny Bierhoff (.324), Jan Kobak (.303), Clint Thomas (.295), Akihiro Samurakami (.283), Larry Dwyer (.305) and young phenom Enos Conrad (.438), who was recently moved into a starting role... Thomas leads with 8 HRs... Kobak and Bierhoff have 7 each... in the long run the All-Stars may not have the offense to whip Sugar Valley or the pitching to get by Cold Creek in the standings... Beechwood, Eastshore and Wynnamac may outgun them, too... Elnora could be as high as third place and as low as sixth.

The defending division winner Cold Creek Catamounts (32-20) showed their stuff in May with a 19-9 mark, but it wasn't good enough to take over the top spot... they did, however, move up from sixth to third... Cold Creek trails by four games... as usual the C'Cats have outstanding pitching and sickly hitting... the starters are probably the best in the IPA, headed up by J. J. Gillespie (6-3/2.15), Rob Hutchins (9-3/3.14), Joey Baker (6-4/3.30) and Jules Capet (4-0/2.09)... Pat Ellis (.291) and Wayne Kenney (.298) are the only ones with any punch at all... Kenney leads with 9 HRs, while Ellis has 6... great pitching will always keep you in the pennant race... and the Catamounts have it.

The Beechwood Bobcats (31-21) had another good month with a 17-11 mark and are in fourth place in the RU East, five games out of first, but they may be one of the most balanced clubs on paper as any in the IPA... the Bobcats hit for average, they hit home runs, they score runs and they are very good on the hill... yet the Bobcats are 5 games off the pace... it's just a very tough division... veteran Ken Arby (8-3/2.02) is having a heck of a year... 22-year-old Jimmy Herman (5-4/2.18/2 saves) has very effective in the bullpen and now as a starter... after a terrible April, Maury Patterson has gone 4-1 in May with a 2.21 ERA... Patterson is now 6-4 with a 4.06 ERA on the season... it's vital that he has a strong season for Beechwood to remain in contention... the Bobcat bats have been paced by Cody Hanks (.342), Howie Baldwin (.308) and Eddie Wilson (.287)... Baldwin is the club leader with 13 HRs, 40 RBIs and 45 runs.

The Eastshore Elegants (30-22) had their second straight good month with a 16-12 record... still they are in fifth place, six games behind leading Sugar Valley... pitching is the Elegants' strong point... they do have pretty fair offense as well, but are short on power... Teddy Noble (9-4/2.82), Don Klingenberg (7-4/3.21) and Ramon Contreras (5-4/3.13) have been effective, but Koy Clampett (3-5/4.89) continued to struggle in the number four spot in the rotation... Eastshore needs him to regain his effectiveness to contend for the pennant... club leaders at the plate are Johnny Petrak, who has had a fantastic season thus far with an IPA-leading .410 BA... Valmara's Jet Kazmarek, who batted a remarkable .428 in 2002, is the only .400 hitter in IPA history... other run producers are Paul Reed (.317), Scotty Lagrange (.265) and Larry Romney (.271).

The Wynnamac Sundowners (29-23) started the season in a blaze of glory with a 17-7 record, good enough for the top spot, but things went sour in May as they slipped to 12-16 and down to sixth place, seven games back in the race... the pitching has held up, but the offense has come down-to-earth after batting a blistering .296 in April... the Sundowner staff is quite good with Killara Bardo (8-4/3.34) and Geoff Hobart (8-4/3.35) as the prime starters... reliever Arnie Frederick (4-3/2.67) has looked good since being promoted to a starting role... the top bats are Ed Lane (.318) and Duane Hudson (.318)... Davy L'Amour (.249) tops the team with 9 HRs and 37 RBIs... how high Wynnamac finishes will depend on the batters... the outlook is kind of dim... sixth may be the best the Sundowners can hope for.

The Marston Nine (25-27) are just an average ball club in the Ruthlandian Union... certainly not in the class of most of the RU East Division... they will just have to be content to stay out of the cellar... Alex Ehrlich (8-4/3.10) is the only effective starter... and Lonnie Trekell (.312) and Marco Ameche (.306) are the class of the hitters... Trekell has 10 HRs and 30 RBIs, while Ameche has chalked 10 HRs and 31 RBIs.

After two months of action, the Belle Plaine Musketeers (22-30) are in the RU East basement, already 14 games to the rear... Philippe Marchand (6-5/3.72) and Emilio Gallo (6-6/3.79) are the best hurlers... and at the plate the big guns are Noel Martin and Boo Boudreaux... Martin is the number four hitter in the Ruthlandian Union with a .367 BA and leads the IPA in runs scored with 48... he has driven in 32 runs... Boudreaux is third in the RU with 16 roundtrippers and has 38 RBIs, 33 runs scored and is batting .290 for the season...however, there is no much in the tank after these two talented performers.