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Goody gives his approval. That's enough for me. Let me know if you need anything.

https://discord.com/channels/9090561...63723350392882

Thank Goody for me... appreciate both of you giving me approval... it will be just a few of the teams.

Will let you know if I need any help rounding up the team names.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 23, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Rovers Rap Rattlers 7-5 In 12 Innings
After being held to 2 runs in the first two games of the Ruthlandian Elite 8, the Sligo finally snapped out of its slumber with a hard-earned 7-5 scary ten-inning victory over Sugar Valley in game 3... it was a must-win game for the Rovers, another loss would have been a death sentence... Sligo cut the Rattlers series lead to two games to one in the best-of-seven series... LF Biff Blauer doubled in the winning runs... Sligo was shut out 1-0 the first five innings by Harry Diefendorf, then they erupted for 5 runs in the next three innings to take a 5-1 lead into the last of the eighth... however Sugar Valley pounced back with 4 runs to tie it up and send the game into extra innings... Sligo had 12 hits and were sparked by 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.500) with 4 hits and 2 RBIs, including a home run... Blauer (.143) and RF Clell Renshaw (.167) also drove in a pair of runs each and CF Chris Michel (.385) had 2 hits and scored twice... the third Rover pitcher Vance Coleman (1-0) notched the win with two scoreless innings... the Rattlers outhit the Rovers... they got 13 and were led by RF Randall Hawson (.538) with 4 hits and 2 RBIs... Hawson got his 2nd homer of the series, a 2-run shot in the eighth... Fernando Vargas (0-1) didn't get anybody out in the 12th and suffered the loss.

Maragos Blanks 'Cats, Ancona Takes Lead
In game three of the RU Elite 8 Series at Syntergy Park in Grand City, Nikon Maragos (1-0) used his magic on the mound to spin a 3-0 shutout, stopping Grand City on just 5 hits to gain a 2-1 lead in the RU Elite 8... Brent Sturgis (0-1) lost it, allowing 3 runs on 4 hits, while going the route... C Adonis Drakos (.250) singled in the first run of the game in the fifth frame to give the Red Elephants an early lead... they got two more in the top of the ninth when 3B Todd Nasso (.250) tripled in a run and scored on PH Terry Thorsen's (.286) sac fly.

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Zaps Ozarka 6-4, Up 2-1 In Series
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers continue to be a postseason thorn-in-the-side to the mighty Ozarka Naturals... the Bucs beat them 6-4 with the aid of 3 homers and a gutsy hill performance by winning pitcher Marty Elenbaas to go up in the TU Elite 8 two games to one... Bay St. Clair cracked 11 hits and got solo homers from LF Florent Schoonmaker (.364), RF Don Smithers (.250) and 1B Jerry Todd (.400)... Elenbaas (1-0) worked 8 innings and threw over 150 pitches for the win... Elenbaas gave up 4 runs on 6 hits in his 8 innings, while Eddie Roberts (0-1) took the loss for the Nats... Roberts was gone after 6 innings after being raked for 5 runs and 9 hits... Benson O'Brian closed out the victory with a 1-2-3 ninth for the save... in a seesaw affair the Ozarka took a 2-0 lead in the first frame... the Buccaneers shaved it to one run in their opening at-bat, then went up 3-1 in the last of the fourth... the Nats tied it at 3-all in the fifth, only to have Ozarka snatch back the lead 4-3 in the bottom of the inning and added to it with another score in the sixth, making it 5-3... the Nats pick up a run in the seventh, but the Bucs got an insurance run to finish off the scoring in the bottom of the inning... leading the way to the win were Bucs LF Schoonmaker with 3 hits and 2 RBIs, Todd with 2 hits and 2 RBIs and CF Bill Howell (.538) with 2 hits and 2 runs scored... Tony Genassi (.500) paced Ozarka with 2 doubles, 3B Andre Dumas (.077) batted across 2 runs and RF Ken Mayberry (.545) scored twice.

Rascals Sock It To Suns 10-3 in Game 3

The lightly-regarded White River Rascals went berserk and roared by the Ancona Red Elephants 10-3 to cop game three of the TU Elite 8 and a 2-1 series lead... White River socked 18 hits with SS Kenny Young (.250), 1B Marty Blake (.417), RF Hal Littleton (.273) and LF Amos Dunston (.364) collecting 3 hits apiece... C Tom Hewlett (.125) batted in 3 runs for the Rascals, Dunston had 2 runs batted in and Young scored 3 times... manager Mick Cronyn also got a solid outing out of Del Brewer (1-0), who held the Suns to just one earned run and 6 hits in a complete game... in a ragged start losing pitcher Ernie Matthews (0-1) was raked over the coals for 6 runs and 10 hits in just 3+ innings.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Friday, September 24, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Abromowitz Blitzes Rattlers, Sligo Evens Series
It's all even at two games apiece in the RU Elite 8 between Sligo and Sugar Valley... the Rovers rode Luka Abromowitz's 3-hit pitching to a 2-0 victory over the Rattlers at Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley... Abromowitz fanned 6 batters and issued 3 walks... it was a scoreless duel until Sligo broke the ice with single runs in the final two frames... 3B Manny Alou (.235) homered in the eighth and CF Chris Michel's (.353) sacrfice fly accounted for the other one in the ninth... Benny McConnell (1-1 0.50) went the distance in defeat, allowing only 2 runs on 10 hits with 6 Ks and a walk.

Stearns Stops Ancona, Cybercats Tie Series
Grand City's 38-year-old lefty Jimbo Stearns won the most important game of his career with a 4-2 triumph over Ancona at home at Syntergy Park to tie up the RU Elite 8 Series at two games each... a 16-year veteran, Stearns fired a 3-hitter, struck out 6 and walked 2 and beat Ancona's ace Clete Dukas... the Cybercats got to Dukas (1-1 3.57) for 12 hits, but stranded 12 baserunners... Dukas walked 5 and fanned 5 in the loss... Cybercat CF Lee Barrett (.375) led the way with 3 hits and 2 RBIs... Barrett homered in the second frame, where Grand City went up 4-1... it was Barrett's third homer in the series... the Red Elephants only runs came on solo homers by 3B Todd Nasso (.267) in the second and 1B Alekos Kotas (.333) in the seventh.

Tycobbian Union

Rascals Shock Suns, Up 3-1 In Series
The Arroyo Grande Suns are rated one of the favorites to win the Pro Cup this season, while the White River Rascals are supposed to just roll and and play dead for them - but it ain't happening... Arroyo Grande is seeded number two in the Pro Cup playoffs and White River is the eighth seed... in game five at White River Stadium, the Rascals polished the Suns off 4-2 to take a huge three games to one lead in the best-of-seven TU Elite 8 Series... one more win and the unheralded Rascals will advance to the TU Final 4 and Arroyo Grande will go home for the winter in a big surprise... Ron Hendrix, the first game winner, did it again, hurling another fine game... Hendrix (2-0 2.12) worked 8 innings, permitted only 2 runs and 7 hits with 4 walks and 7 strikeouts... Arnie Montel saved it for Hendrix with a runless ninth... it was Montel's second save in the postseason... Trailing 2-1 in the last of the eighth, White River smacked Sixto Zamora for 3 runs to win it... PH Clive Farnham tied the score with a single and RF Hal Littleton won it with a two-run triple... C Gary Troxell (.333) had given the Suns a 2-0 lead in the opening frame with a homer... but Zamora couldn't stave off the Rascals... Zamora (0-1 2.65) surrendered 4 runs on 9 hits, struck out 4 and walked 2 in a complete-game outing.

Nats Power Past Bucs 6-3 in Game 4
3 homers, 15 hits and fine pitching gave Ozarka a 6-3 triumph over Bay St. Clair in game four of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... both clubs now have won 2 games each... on the road at Shoreline Park, the powerful Naturals got a strong complete-game performance from 37-year-old Yuka Nawajuk (1-0 2.00), who yielded only 3 runs on 9 hits, struck out 7 and allowed only 2 bases on balls... Bobby Joe Belvin (1-1 3.38) didn't have his good stuff today... Belvin was tagged for 5 runs and 11 hits... he fanned 6 and walked one in his 7 innings... 3B Andre Dumas (.222) clubbed 2 out of the park, scored twice, had 3 hits and 3 runs batted in to lead the winners... it was his 3rd roundtripper and 8th RBI in the series...CF Ryoma Nakayama (.417) also homered, had 2 hits and scored twice... Ozarka jumped off to a 3-1 lead after 3 innings and built it up to 6-1 in the top of the eighth... the top Buccaneer bat was C Teddy Fraser (.308) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, including a solo homer.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 25, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Rovers Tame Rattlers 7-5, Up By Game
The Sligo Rovers were outhit, but not outscored... they tamed the Sugar Valley Rattlers 7-5 in game five of the RU Elite 8 to take a 3-2 edge in games... the Rattlers lashed out 12 hits to 9 for Sligo, but the Rovers got them when it counted... they leaped out to a 5-0 lead in the second inning and then fought off the Rattlers for the victory... light-hitting 2B Akihiro Kato (.167) had the game of a lifetime with 6 RBIs... Kato clubbed a grand slam in the second frame, had a sac fly in the sixth and an RBI single in the eighth... Sligo built up a 6-1 margin after 6 innings and managed to hold off Sugar Valley, but the Rattlers made it close with 3 in the seventh and one in the ninth... 2B Glenn Christian (.304) paced Sugar Valley with a double and a home rum, while 1B Ralph Cole rapped 3 hits and batted in a run... Les Patterson (1-1 3.38) was the winning pitcher with help from closer Lenny Ciaccio... Patterson allowed 9 hits and 4 runs, but only 2 were earned... Patterson struck out 7 and gave up 2 bases on balls... Ciaccio got a shaky save and was peppered for 3 hits and a run in the ninth... Rattler starter Nick Moore (1-1 3.12) exited early and took the loss... Moore was ripped for 5 runs in the second.

Cybercats Trim Ancona 3-2, Lead Series
Grand City won the battle of the home runs at Syntergy Park to trim favored Ancona 3-2 in game five, giving the Cybercats a one-game lead over the Red Elephants in the Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series... all the scoring came early with CF Lee Barrett (.368) and 3B Jug Slavin (.316) going deep in the opening frame to put Grand City up 2-0... 2B Jim Mellencamp (.190) made it 3-0 in the second with an RBI single... Ancona got all of its runs in the third on LF Kenny Willard's (.222) roundtripper... Barrett now has 4 home runs in the series, while it was Slavin's second... Clint Brewer (2-0 4.15) registered the victory as he allowed only 2 runs and 6 hits in 6 strong innings with 3 walks and 6 Ks... Bud Garner went all the way in the loss, permitting 9 hits and 3 runs... Ralph Teague closed it out with a scoreless ninth for his second save of the playoffs... the Cyberbats has 9 hits to 7 for the Red Elephants.

Tycobbian Union

Rascals Upset Suns, Advance To TU Final 4
8th-seeded White River apparently didn't pay much attention to the Arroyo Grande Suns press clippings... the underdog Rascals got tremendous pitching and eliminated the 4th-seeded Suns in five games, holding them to 3 runs or less in each game... Joe Hudson and two relievers did away with Arroyo Grande today at White River Stadium... Hudson sparkled with 7 good innings, where he stopped the Suns on 2 runs and 8 hits with 3 strikeouts and no walks... Scott Little retired all 3 batters in the eighth and Arnie Montel got his third save of the series with a perfect ninth... Earl O'Reilly (1-1 2.08) suffered the defeat, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits in 6 innings... the Rascals got all three runs on homers by CF Jake Doerr (.250) in the first, 1B Marty Blake (.350) in the third and 2B Vinny Uhrich (.294) in the fourth... C Gary Troxell (.316) blasted one for the Suns in the 4th... Arroyo Grande got it final score in the seventh, when LF Eduardo Villanueva (.300) hit into a double play and scored 2B Phil Alston (.188) from third... both clubs managed 8 hits each... upstart White River will now advance to Tycobbian Union championship in the Final 4, playing the Ozarka-Bay St. Clair winner.

Nats Rout Bucs 7-1 On Rousseau 2 HRs
Going into game 5 at Shoreline Park in Bay St. Clair, the Ozarka Naturals and the hometown Buccaneers were deadlocked with two wins each... this time around Ozarka used its firepower to prevail 7-1 in a romp and go ahead three games to two in the TU Elite 8... the Nats gifted 1B Benny Rousseau (.300) slammed two 3-run homers to spark the win and pitcher Benny Osterman (1-1 3.86) tossed a fine game, too... Osterman stopped the Bucs on 6 hits and 1 run with 4 strikeouts and 3 walks... the Naturals racked up 11 hits off three pitchers with the defeat going to starter Don Yaden (0-1 12.19).

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 26, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Stuns Rattlers, Wins Series
In a stunning comeback, Sligo rallied to defeat Sugar Valley 7-6 in game six of the RU Elite 8 Series and knocked the Rattlers out of the Pro Cup playoffs... back-to-back eighth-inning homers by CF Chris Michel (.333) and RF Clell Renshaw (.280) put the Rovers over the top and into the Ruthlandian Union Final 4 against the victor between the Grand City Cybercats and the Ancona Red Elephants.

Sugar Valley started off like a ball of fire in game six, running up a 6-0 lead after 6 innings behind Harry Diefendorf, who had a no-hitter up to that point, but the Rattlers soon flamed out and the Rovers put 5 big ones on the scoreboard in the last of the seventh, highlighted by C Sherman Albert's 3-run blast and 3B Matty Alou 2-run shot... two more solo clouts in the decisive eighth eliminated Sugar Valley from the playoffs... 3 Rover relievers shut down the Rattlers on no runs and 1 hit over the last 4 and two-thirds innings with the win going to Lenny Ciaccio (1-0 2.25) and the save to Joey Kasat... the Rattlers had the advantage in hits 9 to 8 and were led by 2B Glenn Christian (.346) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs... 1B Ralph Cole (.364) chipped in a home run for the losers... Diefendorf (0-1 7.24) caught the loss, yielding 7 runs in 7 innings, but striking out 8 and walking one.

Ancona Powers By Cybercats 6-2, Series Tied
Ancona walloped four out of the park in the first two innings to power past Grand City and tie up the RU Elite 8 Series at three games apiece... in game six the Red Elephants dumped the Cybercats 6-2... CF Ken Rutledge (.273) smashed a 3-run homer, 1B Alekos Kotas (.435) drilled 2 solo shots and 3B Todd Nasso (.227) belted another one-run blast... Kotas has slammed 5 roundtrippers in the series... Grand City only hit one homer... that was by SS Jimmy Swain (.667)... in all Ancona collected 11 hits today... Nikon Maragos (2-0 1.00) came up with a big effort, stopping the Cybercats on six hits with 3 Ks and a walk... Maragos also won game three with a shutout.... Brent Sturgis (0-2 6.55) was the losing pitcher, surrendering 6 hits and all 4 runs in two innings... game seven is set for tomorrow afternoon at Jay Loman Park in Ancona.

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Nip Nats 3-2 In 11, Force Game 7
It don't get any better than this... two talented teams going toe-to-toe for 11 magnificent innings in a Pro Cup playoff game... but sadly only one of them could win... Bay St. Clair prevailed 3-2 over Ozarka in game six and evened the best-of-seven series at three games each. Starters Marty Elenbaas for the Buccaneers and Howard Hutch for the Nats both worked 10 innings... Hutch fanned 12 and gave up 6 hits, while the winner Elenbaas (2-0 2.00) allowed just 5 hits, struck out 3 and walked 3... Benton O'Brian came on in relief in the 12th and sealed the victory for Elenbaas by retiring 3 straight batters... Bay St. Clair got the winning run off of losing pitcher Josh Carpenter (0-1 4.50), who took a hard-luck loss on an unearned run... PH Thomas Knowles walked to lead off the 12th and was replaced with a pinchrunner Ben North, who moved up on a sacrifice... a ground-out put North on third, where he easily came home on a passed ball by catcher T. C. Baranski.

The clubs will battle again in game 7 tomorrow afternoon at Ellie Ewing Stadium in Ozarka... the winner will move on to the TU Final 4 against White River, who surprisingly upset the favored Arroyo Grande Suns in 5 games.

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 27, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

GC Cybercats Crush Ancona 12-3, In RU Final
The Grand City Cybercats played a marvelous game and crushed the favored Ancona Red Elephants 12-3 with a 14-hit barrage and a solid outing by Jimbo Stearns on the mound to take the RU Elite 8 Series in seven games... in the crucial finale, Stearns humbled Ancona on 8 hits and 3 runs, only one of them earned... Stearns had plenty of run support, led by CF Lee Barrett (.393) with 4-for-5, 2 RBIs and 2 runs scored and 3B Jug Slavin (.276) with a pair of hits, 4 runs batted in and 2 runs... Grand City quickly put the Red Elephants away with a 5-run fourth... that made it 8-2... the Cybercats cinched it with 4 more scores in the seventh... Ancona ace Clete Dukas took it on the chin and was ripped for 8 runs in 3+ innings, 4 of them unearned... Grand City now takes on mighty Sligo Rovers in the Ruthlandian Final 4 beginning on Wednesday... the Rovers won 100 games in the regular season and are the favorite to win the league crown and possibly even the IPA Pro Cup... Sligo is seeded second in the Pro Cup playoffs, while the Cybercats were rated seventh in the rankings.

Tycobbian Union

Roberts Hurls Nats Into TU Final 4
Not much of a contest in the Tycobbian Elite 8, either... 32-year-old Eddie Roberts made sure of that with a brilliant 7-0 shutout... Roberts shackled Bay St. Clair on 3 hits, fanned 7 and walked none in a splendid performance... Roberts is usually at his best in the postseason and has posted an impressive 18-6 record lifetime in Pro Cup action... 1B Benny Rousseau (.276) and 2B Teddy Tate (.286) topped the offense with homers... both Rousseau and Tate had 2 hits, 2 RBIs and scored twice... it was Rousseau's 3rd homer in the series... LF Jose Ordonez (.238) also batted in 2 runs for the winners... Bobby Joe Belvin (1-2 3.91) was the loser... he tossed 7 innings and was touched for 4 runs and 8 hits with 5 strikeouts and a walk... Top-seeded Ozarka will contend with heavy underdog White River in the Tycobbian Final 4... the Rascals were ranked the least likely to win the Pro Cup... they were seeded 8th in the ratings... The Final 4 will start Wednesday.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life's Is Filled with Glee in '23

EC is perusing Joe Posnanski's wonderful book "The Baseball Top 100".
Here is an interesting story taken from it.

"Quips and Quotes from The Diamond Minds"

Larry Yount was a pitcher for the Houston Astros in 1971 ... in September he came on in relief in the 9th inning... Yount was a rookie making his big league debut at the Astrodome against Hank Aaron and the Atlanta Braves... Yount was pumped up... his future had arrived... sadly, during his three warmup throws, Yount felt bad pain in his elbow and could not continue... he left the game before making one pitch to a batter... Larry Yount never pitched in the Major Leagues... he tried to make it back, but never did.

Larry Yount's official big-league career line:
1 game
0.0 innings
0 hits
0 walks
0 strikeouts
0 batters faced

Larry Yount is the only pitcher in baseball history to be in the record books without throwing a pitch or getting a single big-league out.

And just so you know, Larry Yount was the older brother of future Hall-of-Famer Robin Yount.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life's Is Filled with Glee in '23

Put a little bit of sunshine and positivity in your life... take 10 minutes of your time... it put a smile on my face and some sparkle in my step today... and it brought back the good old fond and beloved memories of my baseball years.

This is about a team in the World Baseball Classic.
They play the game like it should be played... for the sheer joy and fun of it.

https://www.mlb.com/news/featured/cz...underdog-stars

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Thursday, October 7, 2077

SF STALLIONS SWEEP LC LYNX, ADVANCES TO TU TITLE SERIES
The South Fork Stallions rode to a 4-game sweep of the La Claire Lynx with terrific pitching and good offense... the Stallions are the first team to advance to the Islandian Pro Alliance Title Series... the Pro Cup favorite, the Turon
Typhoons failed to sweep their series and join South Fork... they dropped game four to the Hartsdale Hellcats... Fort Benton took command of the RU First Round Series three games to one over the favored Kilkenny Cats... and
Elnora evened up its series with the Valka Blackhawks at two wins apiece.

In the Tycobbian Union South Fork spanked La Claire 7-1 and Hartsdale rallied past Turon 5-4 in a stunner... in Ruthlandian Union action Fort Benton blitzed Kilkenny 7-0 and Elnora trounced Valka 13-3.

2077 IPA First Round Stars of the Day
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Tycobbian Union First Round Series - Game 4
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South Fork First Round Stats

Superb pitching led the South Fork Stallions past the La Claire Lynx in Tycobbian Union First Round action... starters Flanders, Hynes and Redford and closer Ron Halloran totally dominated the Lynx, posting a 1.70 ERA... La Claire hit only .167 with 2 homers... Lynx pitching was poor with a 5.14 ERA... South Fork outscored them 23-8 in the four games, sparked by Packenham, Bond and Hollander... the Stallions hit 6 out of the park... they batted .255.

'nuff said... South Fork swept the series despite their two top hitters All-Star Carroll Ezzell and Carroll Cox not hitting very well.

La Claire First Round Stats

Actually, two of the Lynx starters Anxo Di Lima and Pauley Conlin pitched well enough to win, but got no run support... Perry Como and closer Warren Bayless had poor series... that hurt a lot.
All-Star Larson, Bunderson and All-Star McWhirter didn't hit very well, either... the Stallions staff had their number.

Game-by-Game Scores

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Friday, October 8, 2077

TURON TRIUMPH OVER HARTSDALE... ADVANCES TO TU TITLE SERIES... RU SERIES RAGE ON WITH GAMES 6
The Turon Typhoons took another step towards their 6th Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy... the Typhoons discarded the Hartsdale Hellcats in 5 games to advance to the Tycobbian Union Title Series against the South Fork Stallions... Turon eliminated the Hellcats with a 3-1 victory in game 5.

The battle is still raging in the Ruthlandian Union first-round action... Kilkenny stayed alive with a 6-3 win over the Fort Benton Defenders, narrowing their lead to three games to two... Elnora toppled the Valka Blackhawks in the fifth game of that best-of-seven series with a 7-5 decision... the Clippers are now up three games to two... the two playoff series will wrap it up in Kilkenny and Valka... the remaining games are slated in those towns.

Tycobbian Union First Round Series - Game 5

IPA Postseason Stars of the Game
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"Quips and Quotes from The Diamond Minds"

Do you think South Fork manager Jay Murphy had anything to do with his great pitching staff?... Murphy played 15 years with the Stallions from 2038 to 2053, had a career 250-185 record on the mound with a fine 3.25 ERA... he won two TU Golden Arms (2042, 2044) and was voted the Tycobbian Union MVP in 2044 when he was 27-8 with a 2.59 ERA... Murphy was even better in 2042 with a 25-7 mark and a league-leading 1.90 ERA, sparking South Fork to its second Pro Cup crown... Murphy has skippered the Stallions since 2058... he has won 5 pennants and one Pro Cup in his tenure... South Fork was the IPA Pro Cup champion in 2073.

Murphy told reporters, "We certainly had a great series... La Claire is not as bad as they looked at the plate... our mojo was really working on them."

La Claire manager Alain Cheval disagreed, "It wasn't mojo or magic... it was just marvelous pitching."

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 28, 2021

RU And TU Final 4 Start Tomorrow
The IPA Pro Cup playoffs are now down to four teams with Sligo and Grand City tangling for the Ruthlandian crown and Ozarka and White River meeting to decide the Tycobbian title. Both Final 4 Series get underway tomorrow afternoon in Sligo and Ozarka. The winners will meet for the Islands championship. The Sligo Rovers and the Ozarka Naturals are heavily favored to take its respective league. Ozarka was seeded first when the Pro Cup playoffs began with Sligo ranked number two. Neither Grand City, nor White River were expected to get past the Elite 8 round. The Cybercats were the seventh seed and the Rascals were rated the eighth seed. Last year's IPA Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake did not make the playoffs this year as they wound up third in the division. Grand City won the pennant in that division this season.

The Ozarka Naturals (106-48) had the best record in the IPA this season, while Sligo (100-54) had the second-best mark. Grand City (90-64) and White River (81-73) won the fewest number of games among the division winners. The Nats and Rovers appear to be big favorites in the Final 4 Series, but that is not the way it always plays out. Crystal Lake was only ranked sixth last season in the playoffs, but they surprised everyone and took the Pro Cup trophy anyway, topping Ozarka in the finals.

Best Team Record: Ozarka (106-78)
Best Team BA: Ozarka (.285)
Most HR: White River (163)
Most Runs: Ozarka (815)
Best Team ERA: Sligo (2.90)
Best Starters ERA: Sligo (2.86)
Best Bullpen ERA: Sligo (3.33)
Best Team Defense: Grand City and Ozarka (.976 FA)

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 29, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Cybercats Rock Rovers 10-6 In Opener
The heavily-favored Sligo Rovers erupted for 4 runs in the fourth inning at Silver Mountain Park and looked well on the way to a victory in game one of the Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series, but it didn't end that way, Grand City exploded for 9 runs in the top of the fifth and went on to whip the Rovers 10-6... the Cybercats piled up 14 hits and were paced by pitcher Jimbo Stearns (.273) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, RF Nick Baldini (.367) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs and 1B Steve Reese (.118) with 2 RBIs... SS Jimmy Swain (.522) also had 2 hits and scored twice, 3B Jug Slavin (.313) collected 2 hits, scored 2 runs and drove in one and LF Gene Bridges (.310) smacked 3 hits and scored a run... Stearns (3-1 3.00) chalked up the victory, but he was hit hard... Stearns worked 7 frames, allowed 7 hits and 6 runs... relievers Paul McBride and Ralph Teague finished up for him and blanked Sligo over the last two innings... This was Teague's 3rd save in the playoffs... Les Patterson (1-2 3.05) suffered the loss and was knocked out in the fourth after yielding 8 runs, but only one was earned... the Rovers showed some offense with 4 homers, 2 by C Sherman Albert (.250) and one each by 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.345) and SS Vic Carlin (.407)... Carlin led the Rovers with 3 hits.

Tycobbian Union

Rascals Rip Nats 7-3 In Game 1
It was the day of the underdogs in the Pro Cup playoffs... playing out-of-town White River got the best of mighty Ozarka 7-3 at Ellie Ewing Stadium and got one leg up in the best-of-seven Tycobbian Union Final 4... the Rascals ripped 10 hits and a pair of roundtrippers and were sparked by 1B Marty Blake (.360) with a homer, a double and 3 RBIs and by SS Kenny Young (.250) with a homer, a single, 2 runs and an RBI... 3B Ken Mathers (.333) also chipped in with 2 runs batted in... Ron Hendrix (3-0 2.42) continued on a great postseason roll with his 3rd win... Hendrix held powerful Ozarka to 3 runs on 9 hits, fanned 4 and walked 3... Nats super ace Benny Osterman (1-2 5.11) was pounded hard for 7 runs and 10 hits before calling it a day in the ninth... Osterman managed to keep it close until the Rascals expanded the lead from 5-3 to 7-3 in the top of the ninth... Nats SS James Couch (.375) laced 3 hits in defeat and RF Ken Mayberry (.375) and CF Ryoma Nakayama (.346) added 2 hits apiece.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 30, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

GC Grabs Game 2, Edges Sligo 7-6 in 11
Same song, verse two... for the second day in a row, Sligo jumped off to a 4-0 lead after 3 innings, but then Grand City busted loose with a 5-run fourth en route to a 7-6 eleven-inning triumph over the Rovers... the extra-inning win gave the surprising Cybercats a 2-0 lead in the RU Final 4... CF Lee Barrett (.333) was again the hero for Grand City when he boomed a double to drive in the winning run... Barrett has 12 RBIs in postseason play... earlier in the game Barrett hit his 5th playoff homer in the fourth inning... RF Nick Baldini (.371) and C Woodrow Mason (.324) also had solo homers... Sligo 3B Manny Alou (.273) led his team with a home run and 3 RBIs... it was Alou's 3rd playoff blast... LF Biff Blauer (.200) also hit one out, had 3 hits, drove in 2 and scored 2... Ralph Teague (1-0 0.00) got credit for the win, although he failed to protect a 6-5 lead in the ninth... Teague worked 2 inning and gave up one unearned run... Paul McBride got his first playoff save this year with a scoreless eleventh... Rover closer Lenny Ciaccio (1-1 3.00) caught the loss... he came on in the 10th inning.

Tycobbian Union

WR Topples Ozarka Again 8-6
Not much is going according to form in this year's Final 4s... White River was not expected to pose much of a threat to Pro Cup favorite Ozarka in the TU Final 4, however the aroused Rascals have bolted to a 2-0 lead in the first two games of the series... White River's pitcher Joe Hudson (.333) had a day he will never forget... Hudson had 3 hits and 5 RBIs, including a bases-clearing game-winning double in the sixth that snapped a 5-5 tie... Hudson also picked up the win, going a rocky 8 and two-thirds innings, allowing 6 runs on 12 hits... Arnie Montel claimed his 4th save of the postseason when he came in to get the final out of the game after Hudson struggled in the ninth... 1B Marty Blake (.367) of the Rascals had 2 hits and drove in 2 runs with a double... top bats for the Nats were 3B Andre Dumas (.225), who got his 4th homer in the postseason and drove in runs 11 and 12... RF Ken Mayberry (.405) rapped 3 hits, scored twice and drove in a run... 1B Benny Rousseau (.270) batted in a pair of runs with 2 hits... Ozarka had the edge in hits with 12... White River cracked 11... reliever Wayne Gates (1-1 3.38) suffered the loss... he was victimized by the sixth-inning uprising... Gates permitted 3 runs and 4 hits in 4 innings with 4 Ks.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 1, 2021

2021 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs - Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Wins Must Game 8-7 Over GC
The heavily-favored Sligo Rovers needed a win on the road in the worst way and got it 8-7 over the Grand City Cybercats at Syntergy Park... it was a "must" win... another loss and the Rovers would have fallen behind 3-0 in the Ruthlandian Union Final 4... the pitchers haven't shown up in the series so far, but the bats are boomin'... Sligo ripped 10 hits with 7 of them being for extra bases to run up an 8-5 lead after 7 innings, led by LF Biff Blauer (.231) with 2 hits and 4 RBIs, including a 2-run homer... RF Clell Renshaw (.289) also hit a 2-run clout and scored 3 times... the Cybercats socked 13 hits and were paced by C Woodrow Mason (.342) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run shot... 19-year-old rookie LF Gene Bridges (.308) collected 3 hits for the losers... Grand City almost sent the game into extra innings... they had the tying and winning runs on base in the bottom of the ninth, but closer Lenny Ciaccio struck out the last batter to end the game... reliever Joey Kasat (1-0 0.00) got the win with a scoreless 2-inning stint in the fifth and sixth... Cybercat starter Brent Sturgis (0-3 8.59) was battered again and took the loss... Sligo slammed him for 6 runs in 3+ innings... Sturgis left trailing 6-2.

Tycobbian Union

Roberts Gets Nats Back In Series, Beats WR 4-2
Game three was also a very crucial game in the Tycobbian Final 4... favored Ozarka snapped a 2-game losing streak and finally won one, beating White River 4-2 behind a fine performance by Eddie Roberts (2-1 2.63) at White River Stadium... the 32-year-old right-hander stiffed the Rascals on 2 runs and went the distance, permitting 9 hits, walking 3 and fanning 2... LF Matt Harvey (.214) unloaded a 2-run salvo in the fourth inning and put the Naturals up 3-2 and that was good enough for Roberts... Del Brewer (1-1 2.50) worked a nice game, surrendering 9 hits and 4 runs... Brewer pitched a complete game, too... LF Amos Dunston (.226) and SS Kenny Young (.265) accounted for both Rascal runs with solo homers.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 2, 2021

2021 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Evens Series, Odakota Stops Cybercats 4-1
After allowing 24 runs in the first three games of the RU Final 4, Sligo finally got a good outing... Ralph Odakota tamed Grand City 4-1 and evened the series at two games each... Odakota (1-1 4.84) went the distance, allowed 7 hits, struck out 6 and walked 3... Randy Andrews also went the route in defeat... Andrews (0-1 2.25) did a creditable job... he gave up 4 runs on 8 hits, 3 of them earned... the Rovers took the lead in the third frame on a 2-run single by 3B Manny Alou (.293)... they made it 4-0 in the top of the seventh, scoring on a passed ball and a sac fly by PH Augie Gehringer... Grand City got its only run in the bottom of the seventh when SS Jimmy Swain (.484) homered.

Tycobbian Union

Ozarka Zaps WR 6-3, Ties Series At 2-2
The Ozarka Naturals cooled off the red-hot White River Rascals for the second day in a row and tied the TU Final 4 at two games apiece... They got a quality start from Yuka Nawajuk (2-0 2.65), who crafted a 6-3 triumph, checking the Rascals on 7 hits and 3 runs over his 8 innings... Nawajuk, a 37-year-old righty, fanned 5 and walked 3... closer Josh Carpenter (3.00) notched the save, his first of this postseason... the Nats bats put it on Rascal starter Ron Hendrix (3-1 3.48) and sent him down to his first playoff loss this year... they tagged him hard for 6 runs and 8 hits in 5 innings... Hendrix left behind 6-2 when he went to the showers... Ozarka slapped 11 hits and were paced by four players with two hits apiece: RF Ken Mayberry (.391), 3B Andre Dumas (.265), LF Jose Ordonez (.250) and C Frank Kiffin (.345)... CF Ryoma Nakayama (.324) led them with 2 RBIs... the Naturals busted up a 2-1 game in the fourth with 4 runs... 1B Marty Blake (.368), RF Hal Littleton (.310) and C Tom Hewlett each drove in a run for the Rascals... Blake had the game's only homer, his 3rd of the postseason.

come on cats, i believe in the comeback!

No matter who wins, a team that seldom makes the playoffs will advance and get a shot at winning their first Pro Cup.

Like a lot of people, I pull for the underdogs... Fort Benton is playing Kilkenny much tougher than I thought.... the Cats are the #2 pick, while the Defenders rated the least likely to win the Pro Cup... they were #8 in the Pro Cup Poll.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life Is Filled With Glee In '23

Yep, uh huh, and yes indeed, EC has a great life in '23... I spent 2 hours today at a Nursing Home playing songs that the residents know and love... I play all the rock, pop and country songs from their teen years and college years and hopefully from their later years, too... I have a fine stereo sound system... over 7,000 songs in pristine condition... we spend the time singing, clapping and dancing... yes, they dance at nursing homes even though they are in wheelchairs and are not very mobile... we dance with our hands... some of the them move their feet, too... yep, some of them ladies shake their booties, too... I take their hands and we move and groove to the music... it puts a big smile on their faces and keeps me in shape... going to nursing homes is a very precious gift from God... if you can sing, dance, play an instrument, give it a try... it really is a special feeling to make these wonderful folks a little happier for a little while... and I get to go to another one tomorrow... I play music 6 times a month.

I'm also reading and enjoying Joe Posnanski's excellent baseball book "The Baseball 100" and learning about the baseball all-time greats... their greatness and their flaws... Posnanski tells it like it is... sometimes the "greats" are not so "great"... EC is finding out that many dads raised their little boys to be baseball players... Mutt Mantle was not the only dad to have his son raised to be a major leaguer... Bill Feller did it... he even built a "Field of Dreams" in his cornfield in Van Meter, Iowa for the "Heater from Van Meter" Bob Feller... Larry Jones wanted his son Chipper to be the next Mickey Mantle.

"Quips and Quotes from The Diamond Minds"
(taken from Joe Posnanski's "The Baseball 100")

"My favorite Chipper Jones stat is this one: He is the only switch hitter in baseball history with a .300 BA from both sides of the plate. Chipper hit .303 as a lefty and .304 as a righty.
Mickey Mantle hit .330 from his natural right side, but .281 as a lefty.
Frankie Frisch hit .326 from the left side, but .292 as a righty.
(The following groups only hit over .300 from one side, but not both sides of the plate)
Bernie Williams, Victor Martinez, Jose Vidro and Dave Hollins were .300 hitters from the right side of the plate
Roberto Alomar, Pete Rose and Lance Berkman were .300 hitters from the left side."

How do you determine the polls? Do you do your own analysis, or do you take it from the IPA's power poll, or a combination? I know that OOTP creates rankings of all the teams in every league.

Yep, it's all me... I look at the team stats... batting average, scoring, HR power, ERAs of starters and bullpen and fielding average.

I think the power rankings are just for that week... I don't see the benefit of the power rankings.... they vary week-to-week to much... LaClaire #3 this week... last week 20th... nope, that doesn't help me make my predictions.

I look for balance on a team... good BA, good scoring, good starters, good relievers... home-run power is important, too... because you can score a lot of runs this way... good pitching and good home-run power are a key for me... I take fielding average into consideration when it is excellent or poor.

Not sure how good my predictions are... I need to look back in recent years and see.

jg2977, here is a look at the Pro Cup predictions in recent years.

EC did not do too well... but I did nail it in 2076.


2073
1. White River
2. Turon
3. Eastshore
4 Valka

#6 South Fork beat #4 Valka in the Pro Cup Finals

2074
1. Oxford
2. Chicopee
3. Eastshore
4. Crystal Lake

#4 Crystal Lake beat #7 Summerland in Pro Cup Finals

2075
1. Turon
2. Sligo
3. Ranford
4. Rolling Hills

#4 Rolling Hills topped #2 Sligo in the Pro Cup Finals

2076
1. Wynnamac
2. San Alejo
3. Tuckanarra
4. Rolling Hills

#1 Wynnamac defeated #2 San Alejo in the Pro Cup Finals

2077 IPA Pro Cup Poll

1. Turon... whipped Hartsdale 4-1 in first round
2. Kilkenny... trails Fort Benton 3-2
3. Valka... behind Elnora 3-2
4. La Claire... swept 4-0 by South Fork in first round
5. South Fork... beat La Claire 4-0 in sweep in first round
6. Elnora... leads Valka 3-2
7. Hartsdale... lost to Turon 4-1 in first round
8. Fort Benton... ahead of Kilkenny 3-2

It just goes to show how baseball playoffs can be quite random. I don't even bother to look at the team's records anymore when the playoffs start. It's all about getting hot at the right time and getting the lucky bounces to go your way.

In my IPA South Fork had by far the best record the past two seasons, so naturally I ranked them #1, but they lost in the first round. They have the best player, but I don't think that always translates to playoff success. He struggled this past year in the postseason, so the Stallions didn't really have a chance. If he had hit, his team may have won.

Actually, the one year that I used your San Francisco 49ers' style uniforms, in my 1910 season, South Fork won the Pro Cup. They also had the two best players in the league that season. So when one struggled the other picked up the slack. The past two years I switched their uniforms to the specialized ones that Low made for me, and they suffered upsets each year. As far as South Fork is concerned, EC's graphics have some magic! Maybe for next season I need to switch them back to yours and see what happens.

Yes, you did nail 2076!

Uh Oh, I forgot to mention that I give a huge bonus to the team with the best uniforms and logos. ;)

Remember in my IPA there is no interleague play during the regular season... so a great record may mean you just play in a weak division... I have a special schedule for my IPA... it is not game generated.

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Sunday, October 10, 2077

RU FIRST ROUND FEATURES 7TH GAMES IN BOTH SERIES
Both series will go the distance in the Ruthlandian Union First Round play... Kilkenny and Valka survived "must wins" in game six and forced 7th games against Fort Benton and Elnora... the Cats and the Blackhawks are favored
and have the homefield advantage... Kilkenny is attempting to come back from a 3-1 disadvantage, a feat rarely accomplished in the IPA postseason playoffs.

Kilkenny copped a 3-2 thriller from Fort Benton yesterday afternoon at home, while Valka whitewashed Elnora 5-0 to force a 7th game.

The finalists for the Tycobbian Union Title Series have already been decided... in first-round action Turon trimmed Hartsdale in 5 games and South Fork swept all 4 games from La Claire.

Ruthlandian Union First Round Series - Game 6

IPA First Round Stars of the Day
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MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life Is Filled With Glee In '23

Thought you might want to know that Stan "The Man" Musial is my all-time favorite baseball player... I fell in love with him, the St. Louis Cardinals and their broadcaster Harry Carey lying in bed at night listening to KMOX radio in St. Louis back in my teenage years... that's why Stan is my avatar here on the forum...Stan "The Man" was also known as the "Duke of Donora"... his hometown was Donora, Pennsylvania.

"Quips and Quotes from The Diamond Minds"
(taken from Joe Posnanski's "The Baseball 100")

Here's a little bit of useless baseball trivia that most of us on the OOTP Forum loves... I doubt that any one of you knows this, so EC will enlighten you with something mystical.

Stan "The Man" Musial and Ken Griffey, Junior are two of the greatest and most beloved left-handed batters in baseball history... they both were born on November 21 in Donora, Pennsylvania... yep, baseball has its mystical moments.

Since EC was a DJ for 32 years, here is a song that says it all about my life in the 1950s listening to Harry Caray bring Stan "The Man" and my Cardinals "alive" on the radio

Here's one from the 1980s for all you buckaroos and little darlin's, too... here's Lionel Cartwright and "I Watched It All On the Radio".

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yV5OFBPSQVU

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Monday, October 11, 2077

KILKENNY AND ELNORA ADVANCE TO RU TITLE SERIES, FORT BENTON AND VALKA FALL IN FIRST ROUND
It just about the toughest road to travel to get to the Ruthlandian Union Title Series, but the Kilkenny Cats did it... they came back from a 3-1 deficit and broke the hearts of the Fort Benton Defenders in the Ruthlandian Union
First Round... Elnora did have such a tough row to hoe as they topped the Valka Blackhawks in the RU Series... Kilkenny edged Fort Benton in game seven 3-2 to take that series four games to three... Elnora eliminated the
Valka Blackhawks 8-3 and claimed that series four games to three... that set the stage for the Ruthlandian Union Title Series... Kilkenny and Elnora will continue their quests for the IPA Pro Cup Trophy... the winner will advance
to the IPA Pro Cup Series against the champion of the Tycobbian Union... it will be Pro Cup favorite Turon taking on the South Fork Stallions in that series.

The Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs are down to the final four teams... going into the playoffs Turon was rated the number one team with Kilkenny coming in second in The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll... South Fork
was rated the fifth-best team and Elnora was number six.

2077 IPA First Round Series - Game 7

Ruthlandian Union
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That Elnora-Valka game seven is an instant classic! :eatpop:

Yep, I was stunned that Elnora blew a 4-0 lead in the last of the 9th... and then stunned again when the Clippers put 4 runs on the scoreboard to win it 8-4 in the 10th.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 3, 2021

2021 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Squeezes By GC 4-3, Takes Lead
The Sligo Rovers, one of the favorites to win the Pro Cup this season, are finally playing the role as they took a third game in a row from the upstart Grand City Cybercats to take the led in the RU Final 4 three games to two... the Rovers squeezed out a 4-3 decision on the strong pitching of Les Patterson (2-2 3.07), who stopped the Cybercats on 6 hits and 3 runs... Lenny Ciaccio (2.70) came on in the last of the ninth and got the final out of the game after Grand City had cut the lead from 4-1 with a pair of runs... it was his 3rd playoff save... in defeat Jimbo Stearns (3-2 3.21) gave up 4 runs and 8 hits and went the distance.

Sligo scored first in the opening inning on CF Chris Michel's (.292) triple and RF Clell Renshaw's (.295) single... C Woodrow Mason (.348) yanked his 3rd homer to tie it up in the second... the Rovers regained the lead in the sixth, when Renshaw doubled, moved to third on a ground-out and scored on LF Biff Blauer's (.234) sacrifice fly... it stayed 2-1 until the ninth, when the Rovers got some crucial breathing room on C Sherman Albert's (.308) 2-run smash, his 4th roundtripper in the postseason... Patterson weakened in the bottom of the ninth and was slammed for a pair of runs on a triple by LF Gene Bridges (.319) and a single by SS Chuck Hackberry (.500)... Albert led the winners with 3 hits, while Mason drilled 2 for Grand City.

Tycobbian Union

Ozarka Rallies, Whips Rascals 5-3 In 10
Mighty Ozarka rallied from a 3-0 seventh-inning deficit to whip a determined bunch of White River Rascals 5-3 in 10 innings in game five of the TU Final 4 Series... it was the Nats third consecutive triumph and they are now a game up... 2B Teddy Tate (.263) put the Nats in front 4-3 with a tenth-inning homer off loser Joe Hudson... CF Ryoma Nakayama (.333) added an insurance run with an RBI single... Hudson went all the way, surrendering 5 runs and 7 hits in 10 innings... Benny Osterman (2-2 4.54) carded the win by going 9 innings and permitting 3 runs and 5 hits... closer Josh Carpenter (2.25) pitched a perfect ninth for his second save.

White River bolted to a 3-0 lead in the second, highlighted by 3B Ken Mathers' (.320) 2-run clout... Hudson made it stand up until the seventh when he allowed Ozarka's first run on an RBI double by SS James Couch (.370)... Nakayama tied it 3-3 with a 2-run shot in the eighth, forcing extra innings... Nakayama led the Naturals with 3 RBIs.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 4, 2021

2021 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

GC 'Cats Force 7th Game, Top Rovers 6-1
The Grand City Cybercats are going to make the Sligo Rovers earn the Ruthlandian title by forcing a seventh-game finale... Grand City's standout southpaw Clint Brewer fashioned a fine 6-1 victory in game six to deadlock the series at three games apiece... Brewer (3-0 2.70) fired a 4-hitter, holding Sligo to a single run, striking out 5 and issuing a couple of walks... Sam Tate (0-1 5.85) took the loss, working 8 innings and permitting 4 runs and 7 hits... Brewer (.375) even drove in 3 runs with a pair of hits to lead the Cybercat bats... RF Nick Baldini (.314) also chipped in with 2 RBIs... Grand City had a 10-4 advantage in hits... the Cybercats built up a 4-0 lead after 6 and a half innings and never were challenged.

Tycobbian Union

Rascals Alive, Beat Nats 7-5 In Game 6
The White River Rascals are not going down with a fight in the Tycobbian Final 4 with powerful Ozarka... the underdog Rascals could have quit when they were losing 4-1 after 6 innings in game six, but they didn't... they boomed out for 2 runs in the seventh and 4 more in the eighth to win going away 7-5... 2B Vinny Ulrich (.243) had the big blow with a 3-run double to make it 6-4 in favor of the Rascals... reliever Scott Little (1-0 0.00) notched the win with help from closer Arnie Montel, who saved his 5th game in the playoffs... Little blanked the Nats in the 7th and Montel allowed and unearned run in his 2 innings... LF Amos Dunston (.214) and RF Hal Littleton (.297) rapped solo homers for White River... CF Tony Genassi (.333) and LF Matt Harvey (.211) led Ozarka with solo shots... Howard Hutch (0-1 7.23) hurled a whale of game until the late innings... Hutch was crushed for 7 runs in 7+ innings... he fanned 11 and walked 4.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 5, 2021

2021 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Swings Past GC In Game 7, Pro Cup Bound
Second-seeded Sligo is going to the IPA Pro Cup for the first time in its history... the Rovers smoked seventh seed Grand City for 13 hits and a 9-6 victory in game seven of the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series... 3B Matty Alou (.300) led the way with a 3-run homer in the first frame... pitcher Luka Abromowitz (.250) did some damage, too, with 3 RBIs... Sligo leaped out to an 8-2 lead after 3 innings... Grand City made it close with a 3-run rally in the ninth and even had the tying runs on base, but Rover closer Lenny Ciaccio (2.45) retired the last two batters to seal the win... Abromowitz (2-0 4.64) got credit for the victory, but was not effective... he was tagged for 6 runs and 9 hits in 8 and one-third innings... it was Ciaccio's 4th postseason save... 2B Jim Mellencamp (.211) sparked Grand City with 3 hits and 3 runs scored... Sligo will play the Tycobbian champion in the Pro Cup, either Ozarka or White River... Should it be Ozarka, this will be the first time in IPA history that two 100-game winners will meet for the Island championship... the Nats were 106-48 this season, while the Rovers were 100-54.

Tycobbian Union

Rascals Upset Nats, Go To Pro Cup
The eighth-seeded White River Rascals came out of nowhere and shocked the top-seeded Ozarka Naturals 9-1 in game seven of the TU Final 4 Series and will now go for another upset in the Pro Cup Finals against the Sligo Rovers... Ron Hendrix (4-1 2.92) hurled a standout game, stopping the Nats on just 5 hits and one run, while his teammates unloaded 4 homers to eliminated heavily-favored Ozarka four games to three... 19-year-old rookie CF Jake Doerr (.213) blasted a 3-run homer and 1B Marty Blake (.320), LF Amos Dunston (.217) and PH P. J. Blake (.143) all had solo salvos... Eddie Roberts (2-2 2.67) was the losing pitcher... the Rascals got to him for six runs in 3 innings, but only one was earned... White River will now try to work its magic on the Sligo Rovers in the IPA Pro Cup championship, beginning Thursday in Sligo.

I've seen so many crazy endings in Game 7s in OOTP baseball that I've lost count. Makes for some incredibly exciting baseball and lots of drama! Look at my 1909 season to see what the Far Mountain Redhawks did.

Yep, that was quite a comeback for the FM Redhawks... down 3-1... they were behind in game 7 heading into the 9th, trailing 5-4... two homers produced 3 runs and a victory for them 7-5... great comeback.

Thanks for checking - I'll have to go back and look myself, I just remember that it was amazing. I was so in shock and awe of what happened that I wrote my own recap, and I usually don't do that. From what I remember they had amazing comebacks in both the RU Title Series and Pro Cup.

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Thursday, October 14, 2077

KILKENNY, ELNORA, TURON, SOUTH FORK - LAST TEAMS STANDING IN IPA PRO CUP PLAYOFFS
Four IPA powers have gotten one round closer to a much-desired IPA Pro Cup Trophy... playing for the Ruthlandian Union crown will be the Kilkenny Cats with no Pro Cups hosting the Elnora Clippers at Smithwick Stadium this Saturday afternoon... the Clippers won its only Pro Cup in 1933... it will be Pro Cup favorite Turon putting out the welcome mat for the South Fork Stallions in the Tycobbian Union Finals... the Typhoons have enjoyed much success over the years with 5 Pro Cups, second most in the IPA... only Rolling Hills has more with 8 IPA crown jewels... the Stallions have done well with 3 IPA titles... Turon won most recently in 2072, while South Fork captured it in 2073.

The Islands baseball Pro Cup experts are giving the advantage to their top choice to take the Pro Cup this year, the Turon Typhoons... in The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll Kilkenny was ranked 2nd, followed by South Fork in the 5th spot and Elnora came in 6th... number 3 Valka and number 4 La Claire were eliminated in the first round.

Turon tamed number 7 pick Hartsdale 4 games to 1... South Fork easily topped 3rd-ranked La Claire in a 4-game sweep ... Kilkenny just barely beat number 8 Fort Benton 4 games to 3 in a miracle comeback from a 3-1 deficit... and Elnora put away the 4th choice Valka Blackhawks in a tense 7-game affair.

Tycobbian Union Title Series Outlook:
Turon has fine pitching, average defense,a good offense and decent home-run power... two 20-game winners All-Star Wyatt Quinton (23-9/2.21 ERA) and Clete Engstrom (20-8/2.78 ERA) lead the way... All-Star Billy Pearl (15-7/2.95 ERA) is also a very fine starter... the team posted a very good 3.27 ERA this season, third-best in the Tycobbian Union behind Midway (3.16 ERA) and Hartsdale (3.25 ERA)... the Typhoons bullpen may be suspect... Corky Apple (.315 BA/3 HR/38 RBI), Artie Falcon (.301 BA/12 HR/88 RBI), Robert Hazle (.275 BA/23 HR/100 RBI), Robert Newell (283 BA/12 HR/60 RBI) and Joe Don Goldsmith (.284 BA/8 HR/81 RBI) give them a solid core of hitters... it's a shame that injured All-Star CF Eliott Carleton will miss the entire playoffs... he only played 88 games, hit .341 with 64 runs and 57 SB... it should be a hotly-contested series... South Fork has a lot going for it: fine pitching (3.41 ERA), strong bullpen, very good defense (.978 FA) and fair power (115 HR)... Mick Flanders (21-8/2.76 ERA) is their ace... Mitch Hynes (14-9/2.99 ERA) and Russ Redford (7-7/2.93 ERA) are fine starters, too... Ron Halloran (15-10/3.30 ERA/71 games/14 saves) and Billy Lake (6-4/3.10 ERA/40 games/10 saves) are excellent relievers... offensively the Stallions have All-Star Carroll Ezzell (.336 BA/9 HR/70 RBI), Carroll Coxe (.291 BA/27 HR/121 RBI) and Raimar Ravn (.247 BA/19 HR/73 RBI) heading up their batting order... this will be a 7-game series... give Turon the slight edge... its run-scoring ability is better than South Fork... the Typhoons have a few more good hitters... Turon (97-57) had the best record in the IPA this season... South Fork was 88-60.

Ruthlandian Union Title Series Outlook:
The Kilkenny Cats can outdo Elnora in home-run power, starting pitching and in the bullpen... the Cats also play excellent defense (.980 FA)... Kilkenny doesn't hit for much average (.256 BA), but they hit 134 out of the ballpark, the best of the Final 4 teams... the Cats strong point is its pitching, which was first in the IPA (3.01 ERA)... All-Star Mervin Breckenridge (17-10/2.82 ERA), All-Star Jethro Firestone (20-10/2.37 ERA) and Dante Steelman (16-11/3.37 ERA) are a formidable trio... plus Jeff Kennon is a strong closer (16-8/2.58 ERA/55 games/8 saves)... Linus Wright (12-3/3.08 ERA/55 games/13 saves) also gives them good bullpen depth... the Kilkenny attack is led by Errol Paxton (.271 BA/27 HR/91 RBI), Claude Millican (.262 BA/20 HR/78 RBI) and Maxie Langhurst (.283 BA/16 HR/53 RBI)... Elnora probably has the best attack (.270 BA) among the league semi-finalists, sparked by All-Star Ronald Bayless (.374 BA/15 HR/88 RBI), Andre Langdon (.314 BA/17 HR/105 RBI) Eamon Carwell (.292 BA/5 HR/68 RBI) and Troy Young (.283 BA/10 HR/66 RBI)... the Clippers have capable starters in Javis Packham (17-9/3.34 ERA), Hamilton Burger (16-7/3.58 ERA) and Hawk Templeton (16-13/3.77 ERA)... the bullpen is a little above average with Jerry Burwyn (16-10/3.90 ERA) and Johnny McQuillen (9-4/2.81 ERA/44 games/13 saves), but not much depth... this series will also be 6 or 7 games... the teams are evenly matched... good pitching usually beat good batting... so give the edge to the Kilkenny Cats... Kilkenny was 93-61 in the regular season... the Cats were the only other team besides Turon to win 90 games this year... Elnora was 86-68.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 6, 2021

Pro Cup Starts Tomorrow, Sligo Favored Over White River
Will it be a one-sided series in the Pro Cup this year? It will be one of the top seeds against one of the lowest seeds in this year's Pro Cup Finals. The second-seeded Sligo Rovers (100-54) will represent the Ruthlandian Union and eighth-seeded White River Rascals (81-73) are the Tycobbian Union representative. The lowest seed to ever win the Island championship was the seventh-seeded Kenwood Wildcats in 2014. Last year it was a sixth seed that took the crown, the Crystal Lake Crushers. Sligo is a big favorite this year and is forecast to take the Pro Cup in six games. Sligo had the easier task of the two. The Rovers disposed of fifth seed Sugar Valley and seven seed Grand City, while the Rascals whipped Arroyo Grande and Ozarka, who were ranked number three and number one by the baseball experts prior to the playoffs. Many analysts are rethinking their positions. If White River could beat the Suns and the Naturals, they surely have a chance against anyone in the IPA. Underdogs have been doing quite well in the IPA in recent years.

Sligo skipper Eddie Keys has superb pitching and strong bats and will be tough to beat. Keys' rotation features four 20-game winners including the IPA ERA leader Les Patterson (23-8 2.03), plus Sam Tate (21-9 2.77), Ralph Odakota (20-10 2.98) and Luka Abromowitz (21-7 3.35). In the Rover bullpen, Keys has lefty Lenny Ciaccio (9-7), who posted 26 saves and a fine 2.97 ERA. Sligo is not strong in middle relief, but so far it has not been a problem as the starters all go deep into the game. Sligo starters had a sensational 2.93 ERA and ranked first in the league. White River's starting rotation combined for a lofty 4.22 ERA, 23rd in the league. The Rascals Ron Hendrix (16-15 3.09), Del Brewer (15-14 4.77) and 42-year-old Joe Hudson (17-17 4.49) don't appear to be in the same league as the Rover counterparts. In the bullpen manager Mick Cronyn has a strong closer in Arnie Montel (3-6) with 28 saves and an impressive 2.25 ERA.

Sligo and White River are pretty even at the plate. The Rovers batted .265 (6th) with 148 homers (8th) and 798 runs (2nd), while the Rascals put up a .264 mark with 163 roundtrippers (6th) and scored 782 runs (7th-tied). Sligo has homered 18 times in 13 games in the playoffs, White River has gone deep 16 times in 12 games.

Keys' best bats are 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.298/26 HR/103 RBI/100 R), 3B Manny Alou (.279/23 HR/97 RBI/80 R), LF Biff Blauer (.301/19 HR/94 RBI/94 R), RF Clell Renshaw (.301/13 HR/74 RBI/96 R), CF Chris Michel (.289/14 HR/67 RBI/98 R) and SS Vic Carlin (.243/20 HR/103 RBI/71 R).

Cronyn has some excellent hitters, too, but not quite as many. 1B Marty Blake (.329/40 HR/115 RBI/112 R) heads up the Rascals batting order with help from C Tom Hewlett (.295/18/93 RBI/69 R), RF Hal Littleton (.342/12 HR/68 RBI/74 R) and SS Kenny Young (.278/10 HR/70 RBI/80 R).

Both clubs are only average with the gloves with .970 fielding percentages. Sligo was rated tied for 20th in the Ruthlandian Union and White River was tied for 24th in the Tycobbian Union.

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Sunday, October 17, 2077

IPA TITLE SERIES IN THE ISLANDS WITH FINAL 4 TEAMS... CLIPPERS AND TYPHOONS TRIUMPH IN OPENERS
Four teams that survived first-round action in the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs are off and running in their bids to be the very best baseball team in Islandia -- the Pro Cup champion. Round two is the Ruthlandian Union and
the Tycobbian Union Title Series... the winners will win a spot in the IPA Pro Cup Finals.

The opening games went to the Elnora Clippers in the Ruthlandian Union and the Pro Cup favorite Turon in the Tycobbian Union... the Clippers blanked the Kilkenny Cats 2-0 and the Typhoons trounced the South Fork
Stallions 12-1.

2077 IPA Title Series Stars of the Day
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2077 Ruthlandian Union Title Series - Game 1
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2077 Tycobbian Union Title Series - Game 1
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