THE ISLANDIAN TIMES

Around the Town in the IPA

OZARKA NATURALS

Owner: J. R. Ewing
GM: Joe Mac Carney
Manager: Frank Kiffen

Ozarka, a Silver Mountains resort town of 73,000, is located in south central Tycobbia and near the Caledonia River, which flows southward through Hillsboro, then westward and comes to an end at Turon on the southwest coast. Nestled among scenic forests and outdoor hot springs, Ozarka is host to tourists who come for snow skiing during the winter and boating, swimming, fishing, camping, hiking and hunting the rest of the year. Big time developers have made this a mecca for the rich and famous with luxury hotels and nightclubs that attend to every possible need: hot spring spas and bathhouses, superstar entertainers, magnificent golf courses, gourmet food, art galleries and gift shops. Ozarka is a retirement center, too.

It is also home to the Ozarka Naturals. J. R. Ewing’s father, Jock Ewing, got tired of the incessant sibling quarrels over the operation of the family-owned Waleska Westerners in the Ruthlandian Amateur Association, so he bought the battling brothers and club vice-presidents, J. R. and Bobby, their own teams in the IPA. Bobby owns the South Fork Stallions and J. R. has Ozarka, where he is a prime real estate developer. Bobby named his brand new stadium after his dad. Not to be outdone, J. R. named his brand new stadium after his mom, Miss Ellie. So the sibling rivalry continues on and off the field. Ellie Ewing Stadium is one of the few parks in baseball that still has a live organ player at each game, which adds a nice nostalgic touch, especially during the seventh inning stretch. Marston, Kenwood and Hillsboro are the other teams that feature a live organist. And at the concessions stands is a succulent gourmet buffet fit for the rich and famous. You will also find all of the traditional baseball fare at a Naturals game.

J. R. Ewing spares no expense when it comes to impressing people and paying his ballplayers. He likes to get his way. He even got the all-time winningest manager in company league history to come out of retirement and take over his team. Joe Mac Carney is now the GM of the Naturals. And he is very well paid, too.

The Nats' manager is Frank Kiffen, who was a fine catcher for Ozarka from 2015 to 2021. Kiffen hit .310 during his IPA career.

Ellie Ewing Stadium (2001)

Capacity: 11,750

Dimensions:
LF Line 350
LF 370
LCF 390
CF 375
RCF 390
RF 370
RF Line 350

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 2, 2040

2040 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game Five

RUTHLANDIAN UNION

PIERSON KEEPS SLIGO ALIVE, BLANKS BULLS 7-0
Right on the edge of elimination, the Sligo Rovers got an excellent outing from Tom Pierson, who blanked Ranford 7-0 on eight hits in game five of the Ruthlandian League Championship Series to narrow the Bulls' lead to just one game... underdog Ranford is still ahead three games to two in the best-of-seven series.

Sligo put the Bulls away early with five runs in the opening frame and then added the final two in the seventh... Pierson (3-1/2.18) struck out eight and walked just one in a route-going job... Lanny Smithers (3-1/4.35) tasted defeat for the first time in the playoffs... the Rovers ripped him for seven runs in five-plus frames.

Hits were even at sight apiece... 1B Denny Simmons (.377) topped Sligo with two hits and an RBI... CF Darrell Hewitt (.188) drove in two runs... and LF Rudy Putnam (.218) and 2B Neil Mitchell (.188) both scored a pair of runs in the win.

TYCOBBIAN UNION

SUNSETS SET FOR PRO CUP FINALS
For the first time in the team's 40-year history, the Summerland Sunsets are headed for the IPA Pro Cup Finals... they disposed of Ozarka in five games, nipping them 3-2 in the finale... Dutch De Boer (1-0/2.41) came away with the victory... in seven innings the Nats got to him for only two runs on nine hits... three relievers finished the game for him with the save going to Peter Ashley, his first of the postseason... Billy Hill (1-1/2.93) hurled a creditable game in defeat, giving up only one earned run in six and a third innings.

Ozarka outhit Summerland 11 to 8... however, the Sunsets broke open a 1-1 game with two runs in the sixth with the tying run coming in on a misplayed flyball by RF T. J. Dunn... the eventual winning run came in on C Paco Diaz's (.400) ground-out to second base... Diaz drove in two of the three Summerland runs... SS Duffy Morrison (.267) gave the Nats a 1-0 lead in the second with an RBI single... and 2B Mac Coleman (.145) doubled across the final run in the last of the seventh.

Manager Frank Kiffin of the Naturals told the reporters after the game, "We knew going in that Summerland had great pitching and they certainly proved it in the last three games."

Will Hackett, the long-time Sunsets skipper, reiterated that, saying, "What a year... this will be our first shot at a Pro Cup... 40 years is too long to wait for one... I just hope the staff can keep doing it for one more series... I hope they have four more wins in them."

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 3, 2040

2040 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 6

RUTHLANDIAN UNION

ROVERS BEAT BULLS 3-0, FORCE 7TH GAME
It wasn't a thing of beauty, but Randall Steele will take it... Sligo's hard-throwing right-hander tamed Ranford 3-0 in game six of the the Ruthlandian LCS and forced a seventh and deciding game tomorrow afternoon for the right to take on the Tycobbian champ Summerland in the 2040 Pro Cup Finals.

Steele had to throw a lot of pitches... he walked six batters in seven and a third innings, but Steele (2-0/0.52) held the Bulls scoreless on five hits and he struck out six batters... that was good enough to tie the series at three games each... losing pitcher Winston Moses (1-1/1.97) did fine, just not good enough... Moses went the route and gave up only two earned runs on eight hits.

Sligo got all the runs they needed in the first frame when C Don Tucker (.250) singled in LF Rudy Putnam (.211)... Putnam's sac fly and 1B Denny Simmons' (.386) RBI base hit increased the lead to 3-0 in the second... Putnam, Simmons and SS Neil Mitchell (.216) paced the Rovers at the plate with two hits apiece... 1B Pete Bankston (.327) got three of the six hits the Bulls got.

Both clubs will have their number-one pitchers on the hill in game seven at Sligo... Scotty Price (22-9/2.78) will go for Sligo and Ralph Hawk (20-14/2.62) for Ranford... Price is 2-3 with a 3.41 ERA in five starts in the playoffs, while Hawk is 1-1 with a 3.25 ERA in four starts... they have been pitted against each other twice in the series... Price won game one 5-3, while Hawk got sweet revenge with a 10-1 thrashing in game four.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 4, 2040

2040 IPA LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game Seven

RUTHLANDIAN UNION

RANFORD REIGNS IN RU, TOPS SLIGO 6-4
Unheralded and under-rated Ranford has surprised the Islands' baseball world by reigning supreme in the Ruthlandian League... picked as the worst team in the Pro Cup poll, the Bulls failed to live up to their billing and upset Crystal Lake and Sligo to take the RU crown... Ranford will now take on another heavily favored-team in the IPA Pro Cup Finals, the Summerland Sunsets, champion of the Tycobbian Union.

Ranford defeated the Sligo Rovers 6-4 on the road in game seven of the Ruthlandian LCS... the Bulls snapped a 2-2 tie with three runs in the eighth, highlighted by RBI singles by pinchhitter Emory Rice (.313), 2B Martin Satcher (.296) and Pete Bankston (.350)... they increased it to 6-2 in the top of the ninth on Maury Quave's (.294) sacrific fly, then withstood Sligo's belated two-run rally in the bottom of the inning.

For seven innings it was an old-fashioned duel between the two clubs' aces... Ranford's Ralph Hawk limited the Rovers to two runs and five hits, struck out five and walked one... Sligo's Scotty Price pretty much matched him, holding the Bulls to two runs on seven hits with eight Ks and three walks... then the bullpens took over... neither was very effective... Ranford's was just not as bad as Sligo's... the Bulls battered losing pitcher Richie Joyner (0-1) for three runs and five hits in the eighth and got to Bill Walker for another run on two hits in the ninth... Frank Yosarian did his job with a scoreless eighth, but Earl Cook staggered through the ninth, surrendering two runs and three hits before he finally put out the fire and nailed down the league championship... starter Ralph Hawk (2-1/3.12) got credit for the victory and rightly so.

The Bulls' bats came alive in game seven with 14 hits, led by 1B Pete Bankston (.350) with three hits... 2B Martin Satcher (.296), 3B Glenn Ward (.171) and LF Maury Quave (.294) all collected a pair of hits... the Rovers had nine hits and were paced by 1B Denny Simmons (.410), who had three hits... and 2B Neil Mitchell (.214) and CF Darrell Hewitt (.200) each drove in two runs.

Excited Ranford manager Chris Bernhoffer praised his team, "They just did whatever was needed to win... especially our hitters... after being shut out two games in a row, they really did the job in game seven."

Sligo's Eddie Keys told the press, "The Bulls hit the ball much better than I thought they would... that was the prime reason they won the series."

Around the Town in the IPA

SLIGO ROVERS

Owner: Myron Dalrymple, CEO of the Silver Mountain Ski Resort
GM/Manager: Eddie Keys

Sligo is located in the slopes of the Silver Mountains in northern Ruthlandia. Because of its remote location, the area was largely uninhabited until 1872 when silver was discovered in the hills surrounding the town. The name of the town comes from Theodore Sligo, one of the men who originally discovered the silver. Sligo laid out the roads and a tent city popped up shortly after the discovery. By the turn of the century, the mines had produced more millionaires per capita than anywhere else in the nation. Many fine examples of Victorian architecture that were built during the era are well-preserved today.

When the mines stopped producing in the late 1940s, the town lost almost half of its population and fell upon hard times. It survived mainly on its timber industry until the 1970s when environmental concerns caused the town to form a commission that would seek alternative industries that could sustain the economy. The commission findings led to a rebirth of the once-beautiful city. Through various tax breaks, the town was able to attract several builders to construct ski resorts just outside of town. The town also refurbished many of the historic buildings that had fallen into disrepair and decided to place its economic emphasis on tourism.

With a population of only 38,000, Sligo is the smallest town to own a team in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Sligo Rovers go back to the early days of baseball to the days of amateur and industrial-league baseball. At various times the team struggled to make ends meet despite having very loyal fans. The 1973 commission made it clear in its report that the town should figure out a way to provide long-term stability to the local nine as it would be a devastating blow to civic pride if the Rovers were to fold or to leave town. As a result, the ballpark was part of the downtown refurbishment and the team signed a long-term lease that makes it difficult for the Rovers to leave. In the 80s, the team was sold to Myron Dalrymple, owner of the highly successful Silver Mountain Ski Resort. Dalrymple is respected among long-time Sligo residents for settling in town and helping to revive its economy.

The Rovers play at Silver Mountain Park, one of the oldest parks in the Islands, which seats 5,678 spectators and was built in 1912. The ballpark’s mid-seventies facelift did a good job of preserving its historic nature and the town funded yet another update in 1998 when four sky suites were added along with expanding the clubhouses. SM Park sports its original brick façade at its entrance and is tucked away in the historic Main Street shopping district. There is no parking here, but the sight of fans walking to the ballpark on a balmy summer afternoon fits in well with the town’s quaint ambiance. The team plays to that ambiance by having a barber shop quartet stationed outside the main ticket booth to greet approaching fans.

Speaking of music, you won’t find loud rock and roll music blaring from a state of the art sound system here. Like Hillsboro, Kenwood, Ozarka and Marston, the team employs an organist who serenades fans with classic tunes and is quite adept at finding songs that have something to do with the batter’s skill or idiosynchracies. Food here is among the most affordable in all of the IPA, and while you will find classic ballpark fare like peanuts, hot dogs, and crackerjacks, the most popular item on the menu may well be the roasted corn on the cob that is slathered with mayonnaise.

Despite its nod to the traditional, the team has added one of those big fuzzy mascots in recent years. “Rover”, a giant red dog, roams the stands entertaining children and adults alike. When fans catch a foul ball, the public address announcer will announce to “give that fan a contract,” and Rover will indeed present the fan with a “contract” and a "doggy bag" filled with club gifts. Another Silver Mountain park tradition traces its roots back to the team’s current manager Eddie Keys. During his playing days in the industrial leagues, fans would jingle their keys whenever he came to bat. The tradition continues to this day whenever a rally is in order.

Silver Mountain Park (1912)

Capacity: 5,678

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 328
Left Field - 350
Left Center - 382
Center Field - 387
Right Center - 382
Right Field - 366
Right Field Line - 342

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 6, 2040

SUMMERLAND BIG FAVORITE IN PRO CUP FINALS
The poor Ranford Bulls are the "Rodney Dangerfields of IPA baseball" - they get no respect. The sports media across the Islands are going for the Summerland Sunsets in a big way in the IPA Pro Cup Finals.

The baseball critics are siding heavily with the Sunsets, who have the best pitching in the entire IPA. It's David versus Goliath all over again. During the regular season Summerland paced the IPA with a brilliant 2.83 ERA and they continued to fare well in the postseason, defeating powerful and hard-hitting North Hills in first-round action. The Hawks were favored to win the Pro Cup this year.

The ragamuffin Ranford Bulls don't excel in anything except upsetting higher-rated team in the playoffs. The Bulls don't hit well (.261 BA-19th), are only average on the mound (3.95 ERA-20th) and a little above average defensively (.975 FA). The Sunsets are pathetic at the plate with a .243 BA (29th), but are excellent with the gloves (.978 FA).

It will all come down to hitting. Can the Bulls find enough offense to beat the Sunsets? This will be the number-one factor. The mediocre mound staff of the Bulls will have an easier time with the Sunsets' bats than vice versa. Ranford pitchers more than held their own against good-hitting Crystal Lake (.295 BA-1st) and Sligo (.262 BA-18th), who both averaged more than five runs a game.

PRO CUP FORECAST: SUMMERLAND IN FIVE OR SIX GAMES... PITCHING IS JUST TOO GOOD.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES

Around the Town in the IPA

SUMMERLAND SUNSETS

Owner: Augie Altonno, La Cosa Nostra Enterprises
GM/Manager: Will Hackett

Summerland is a serene paradise south of the Tycobbian mainland populated by about 93,000 residents and located on the northeastern edge of Arvonian Island in the Southern Sea. It was originally settled by the Dutch in the 1840's and called Sommerland and still has a sizeable Dutch minority, but with a British majority. Both ethnic groups have really taken to the sport of baseball. Like every town in the Islands, baseball is king.

Modern day Summerland is a year-round playground with perfect weather amid a lush tropical landscape. People love to slip away to the sunshine of Summerland with its sparkling stretches of white powdery sand and crystal clear turquoise seawaters. Summerland’s high-rise hotels and seaside villas offer world-class amenities, impeccable service and accommodations topped off with tempting epicurean pleasures and a bountiful array of activities designed to pamper and delight. It is the home of the Summerland Sunsets of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play at Sunset Park, one of the plushiest ball palaces in the league. The club plays in the Tycobbian South Division.

Sunset Park is built right on the water with the front facade looking out on the Bay of Caledonia. Each evening tourists gather on the shore to watch the majestic tropical sun slowly sink into the sky-blue azure waters. The Summerland skyline, with its luxury hotels and retirement condos, is visible from the park.

The Sunsets are owned by Augie Altonno, a baseball fanatic with questionable business affiliations. Augie Altonno spares no expense when it comes to the Sunsets. At each game he has a big band orchestra (his favorite kind of music) to entertain the fans. After the game an automated dance floor is set up so the fans can swing, sway and dance the night away. Augie loves to dance and can often be seen with a lovely young thing acting like Tony Manero with “Saturday Night Fever” on the dance floor. Most of the time Augie goes home to Mama Rosa and leaves the “Fever” on the dance floor.

And Augie spares no expense when it comes to the concessions at Sunset Park, either. You have wide choice of menu, Italian, Dutch, or standard baseball fare. Delicious spaghetti, lasagna, pizzas and muffalettas are on the menu, along with Dutch specialities like broodje (hot dog), bratwurst, patat met (chips with mayo) and Frikandel (meatloaf croquette). Dutch beer like Heineken's and Grotsch are served along with local and American beer, cokes and fine Italian wine. Augie’s favorite dessert is available, too - Angelo Brocato’s Spamoni ice cream imported from the French Quarter in New Orleans. A visit to Augie’s baseball palace is “to die for” (figuratively speaking, of course).

The GM and manager of the Summerland Sunsets is Will Hackett, noted as a tremendous power hitter and RBI man in his amateur league days.

Sunset Park (2001)

Capacity: 7,550

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 353
Left Field - 372
Left Center - 375
Center Field - 415
Right Center - 375
Right Field - 372
Right Field Line - 353

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 7, 2040

2040 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - Game One

SUNSETS SLIP BY BULLS 1-0 IN GAME ONE
In a magnificent performance at Sunset Stadium in Summerland, Johnny Young fired a brilliant 1-0 shutout to sneak by Ralph Hawk and the Ranford Bulls in the opening game of the 2040 Pro Cup Finals... southpaw Young permitted only four hits, fanned four and walked nobody... Hawk (2-2/2.72), also a lefty, was almost his equal, yielding only five hits, striking out seven and walking one batter in defeat... Young (4-0/0.77) is unbeaten in the playoffs in four starts.

The two twirlers battled toe-to-toe for eight scoreless frames... Summerland finally eked out the only run of the game in the last of the ninth... CF Antonio Vasquez (.260) singled to lead off the inning and went to third on a single by RF Eamon O'Toole (.392), then scored the winning run when second baseman Gerry Ladner threw home late on a fielder choice... 3B Norm Van Kieken (.286) got the game-winning RBI.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 8, 2040

2040 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - Game Two

SUNSETS BEAT BULLS AGAIN, DE BOER WINS 7-2
It was a close game for four innings, then Summerland pulled away with five runs over the next four frames for a 7-2 victory over Ranford to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven IPA Pro Cup Finals... another southpaw Dutch De Boer put the quietus on the Bulls for the second day in a row... De Boer (2-0/2.10) worked seven solid innings, striking out nine, walking two and permitting only two runs on seven hits... Lloyd Anderson got the save, his first of the playoffs... He retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth... Lanny Smithers (3-2/4.38) was the loser... he was banged around for five runs on nine hits in six innings.

The Sunsets got 11 hits and were sparked by 3B Norm Van Kieken (.280), who drove in three runs with a 2-run double and a sac fly... CF Antonio Vasquez (.296) added three hits and scored twice... and 1B Stan Terry (.232) chipped in with two hits, three runs and an RBI... the Bulls were held to seven hits... RF Dale Weston (.316) and LF Sparky Sparks (.313) got two hits apiece.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 9, 2040

2040 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - Game Three

BULLS BREAK INTO WIN COLUMN
Ranford needed a miracle and Winston Moses delivered one... he beat Summerland 3-2 to snap a two-game losing streak in the Pro Cup Finals... now the Bulls trail by a two-to-one margin and have at least a fighting chance to pull a huge upset... Moses (2-1/1.76) went the distance... though he only allowed one earned run, the Sunsets got to him for nine hits... Jayson Hallstrom, 24-game winner, caught the loss... Hallstrom (2-1/3.69) held the Bulls to three runs, but gave up 10 hits.

Ranford ran up a 3-0 lead with single runs in the first, third and fourth frames on RBIs by RF Dale Weston (.328), CF Jamie Holcomb (.277) and LF Maury Quave (.304)... Weston now has the most RBIs in the postseason this year with 15... Summerland cut it to 3-1 in the fifth when LF Russell Edwards (.158) got a bunt single, stole second, was sacrificed to third, and scored on an error by shortstop Matthew Coates (.190)... the last Sunset run came on a solo homer by 2B Todd Cummins (.172), his second in the postseason.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 10, 2040

2040 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - Game Four

BULLS WINS AGAIN, HAWK BLANKS SUNSETS 3-0
Guess what?... underdog Ranford is back in business and all even with heavily-favored Summerland in the Pro Cup Finals... Ralph Hawk and Frank Yosarian combined for a 3-0 five-hitter in game four to knot it up at two games apiece... it was the Bulls second straight win at home in Ranford County Stadium over the Sunsets... Summerland could be in trouble, if the offense doesn't get out of its funk... they have scored only two runs in the last two games and won the first game by only 1-0.

Hawk (3-2/2.34) hurled the first seven frames, gave up only four hits, struck out six and walked three... Yosarian finished up for him with two runless innings on one hit... it was Yosarian first save in the postseason... he has appeared in nine games so far with a 2-0 record and an 1.04 ERA in 17 innings.

Ranford got to Johnny Young (4-1/1.05) for all three runs in the opening frame... LF Dale Weston (.369) doubled in the first two and Glenn Ward (.163) drove in the third one with a single... the Bulls socked 11 hits with Weston getting four of them and CF Jimmy Holcomb (.304) three... Young went all the way in defeat, fanned nine and walked none... it was his first loss of the playoffs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 11, 2040

2040 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - Game Five

BULLS TAKE PRO CUP LEAD, TOP SUNSETS 3-2
History could be in the making... the team least likely to win a Pro Cup just might do it... the Ranford Bulls won their third straight game at home to take the lead in the Pro Cup Finals three games to two... unheralded Ranford nipped highly-favored Summerland 3-2... one more win and the cherished Pro Cup belongs to the Bulls for the first time in the club's history.

Winning pitcher Lanny Smithers (4-2/3.89) was outstanding, stopping the Sunsets on three hits and one run over seven innings... Smithers walked only one batter and whiffed five... over the last two innings the Bulls used four other pitchers to put the Sunsets away with Arthur Roybal getting the save despite giving up a ninth-inning homer to Stan Terry... Dutch De Boer (2-1/2.20) kept Summerland in the game... in his seven innings he limited the Bulls to two runs, while giving up 10 hits... De Boer trailed 2-1 when he was taken out.

In the second frame Ranford chalked up two runs on singles by Matthew Coates (.203) and Sparky Sparks (.304), who were doubled in by Pete Bankston (.313)... Sunset SS Mark Brenneke (.222) closed it to 2-1 with a solo homer in the sixth... Ranford 3B Glenn Ward (.208) upped it to 3-1 with a 400-foot blast in the bottom of the eighth off reliever Lloyd Anderson... Terry (.221) cut it to 3-2 with a ninth-inning roundtripper.

Ranford collected 11 hits to just four for the hapless Sunsets... Ward went 3-for-4 and Dale Weston (.377) 2-for-4 to pace the Bulls... Summerland has been held to just four runs in the last three games.

Game six will be played in Summerland tomorrow afternoon at Sunset Stadium... Ranford's Winston Moses (10-4/4.56) will try to finish off Summerland... he will be opposed by Jayson Hallstrom (24-7/2.08)... Moses has been superb in the postseason with a 2-1 record and a very impressive 1.76 ERA... Hallstrom, on the other hand, has struggled a bit in the playoffs with a 2-1 mark and a 3.69 ERA... Moses got the best of him 3-2 in game three.

2040 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 6

HALLSTROM HURLS SHUTOUT, SUNSETS FORCE 7TH GAME
Summerland's Jayson Hallstrom picked a great time to pitch a brilliant game... he blanked the Ranford Bulls 4-0 on a marvelous 4-hitter to even up the Pro Cup Series at three games apiece and forced a winner-take-all game seven finale at Sunset Stadium... Hallstrom fired strikes past nine Ranford batters and did not walk anyone in an almost flawless performance... he is now 3-1 in the postseason with a 3.00 ERA.

Eamon O'Toole (.382) and Mark Brenneke (.239) provided the offense with home runs in the second and eight frames, both off losing pitcher Winston Moses (2-2), who also went the distance... O'Toole sparked the Sunsets with three hits... Summerland got eight hits off Moses.

Both Ranford and Summerland will be seeking their first-ever Pro Cup trophy in game seven... the clubs will tangle again at Sunset Stadium with the Bulls' ace Ralph Hawk (3-2) on the hill, opposed by Johnny Young (4-1) for the Sunsets... Hawk was 20-14 in the regular season with a 2.62 ERA, while Young was 22-12 with a 3.12 ERA.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 13, 2040

2040 IPA PRO CUP FINALS - Game Seven

UNBELIEVABLE BULLS WIN PRO CUP
The Ranford Bulls made one of the most unbelievable runs in the history of the Islandian Pro Alliance and came away with their first Pro Cup trophy by upsetting heavily-favored Summerland in seven games... Ralph Hawk hurled a terrific game to beat the Sunsets 4-1 in the game-seven finale.

The Bulls were given no chance to win the Pro Cup... they were ranked eighth in the Pro Cup poll prior to the playoffs... but in surprising fashion they ran through Crystal Lake, Sligo and Summerland to win the IPA crown.

Hawk (4-2/2.02) had a super game seven as he limited Summerland to just three hits and no earned runs in eight innings... Hawk fanned seven and walked two batters... he got help from Frank Yosarian in the ninth to seal the verdict and the Pro Cup championship... Yosarian retired the Sunsets in order for his second save of the postseason... Losing pitcher Johnny Young (4-2/1.56) also went all the way... he gave up four runs on ten hits, fanned six and walked three.

Ranford drew first blood in the top of third when LF Sparky Sparks (.357) doubled and then came around to score on 1B Pete Bankston's (.322) two-bagger... Summerland tied it up 1-1 in the last of the fifth on Johnny Young's (.125) RBI single that scored Doug Maynard (.256)... the Bulls got the go-ahead run in the sixth on 2B Martin Satcher's double and Bankston's triple... they added to their cushion with two more scores in the eighth... LF Dale Weston (.360) and CF Jimmy Holcomb (.287) knocked in the last two runs.

Ecstatic over the first Pro Cup in the club's history, skipper Chris Bernhoffer praised his underrated ballplayers, "To the press, we might be a bunch of no-names...We might not have any superstars... but you know we got the Pro Cup... put that in your papers and puff on it... after we lost the first two games, everybody was forecasting a sweep... but my guys didn't buy into that... they just found a way to win in each game and got us back in the series when we did some sweeping of our own with three straight wins in Ranford... then we won game seven on the road... our starters Hawk, Smithers and Winston were marvelous in the playoffs... in the bullpen Yosarian was simply great... and the hitters Weston, Bankston, Holcomb and Satcher kept coming up with clutch hits off the best pitchers in the IPA."

Sunsets manager Will Hackett was proud his team made a seven-game series of it. "You got to give it to Ranford... they outhit us and outpitched us and really deserved to win... the Bulls are a feisty bunch that never quit...they rose to the occasion and won the Pro Cup... we tried hard and had a good chance to win our first Pro Cup, but sadly it didn't happen."

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 14, 2040

RANFORD'S HAWK PROCLAIMED PRO CUP MVP
In a tight race Ralph Hawk, ace of the IPA champion Ranford Bulls, was selected the 2040 Pro Cup Most Valuable Player. Hawk bested two of his teammates, right fielder Dale Weston and reliever Frank Yosarian for the honor.

Hawk, a 22-year-old southpaw, pitched like a seasoned veteran in this year's postseason. He compiled 4-2 record in eight starts with a very fine 2.02 ERA. Hawk won games four and seven in back-to-back series against Summerland in the Pro Cup Finals and against Sligo for the Ruthlandian League crown. During the regular season Hawk put up a 20-14 mark with a 2.62 ERA.

Outfielder Dale Weston was the key RBI guy for the Bulls. He led them with a .360 batting average in the playoffs. Weston drove in 18 runs to lead everyone in the postseason. He had six doubles, three homers and scored eight runs.

Finishing third in the balloting was reliever Frank Yosarian, who made 11 relief appearances, registered a 2-0 record and two saves. Yosarian was the number-four starter in the regular season with an 11-19 record and a 4.82 ERA, but in the playoffs he thrived in the bullpen.

There was a close battle for the Ruthlandian Batting title with Stan Mila of Marston topping the leaderboard with a .346 mark. He won out over Crystal Lake's Pat Dillon and Jesse Walker, who both hit .344. Fourth in the race was Kelly Hardison of Forest City at .341 and in fifth place was Enos Conrad of Elnora with a .339 BA.

2040 Ruthlandian Union Final Batting Leaders

Eastshore's Don Klingenberg and Volusia's Raul Navarro had seasons they would like to forget. They each lost 25 games and came close to the all-time IPA mark of 27, held by four hurlers: Andre Haglund of St. John in 2020, Doug Watts of Waleska in 2021, Cesar Valdes of San Alejo in 2023 and Phil Bijeaux of Glasco in 2026.

2040 Ruthlandian Union Final Pitching Leaders

Slugger Jerry Culpepper of Bayview set a new home-run standard in the IPA with 66 in a single season, snapping by one Jack Elliott's mark set in 2021. Culpepper also came close to winning the Triple Crown as he topped the Tycobbian Union in RBIs with 146. The only thing he missed out on was winning the batting crown. Culpepper came in fifth with a .334 BA.

The Tycobbian batting race was hotly-contested with Ginza's Ichiro Kazumi the champion with a .343 average. He beat out William Snyder of Cape Coral by two percentage points, Ric Hamilton of North Hills by three points and Eddie Douglas of Southport by five points.

2040 Tycobbian Union Final Batting Leaders

Pitcher Jeff Owens of the North Hills Hawks chalked up 28 victories this season and came within one of the all-time IPA win record, which is held by Shane Farmer. He posted 29 wins in 2018 for the Turon Typhoons.

Summerland's Jayson Hallstrom racked up 8 shutouts this year and came with one of the league record. The IPA mark for shutouts in a season is 9 held by five players: Titus Bristow of Tuckanarra in 2007, Dennis Taylor of Crystal Lake in 2023, Duncan Welch of Crystal Lake in 2023, Bobby Dorignac of Midway in 2024 and Sal Jordan of Rolling Hills in 2025.

2040 Tycobbian Union Final Pitching Leaders

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 15, 2040

IPA ANNOUNCES GOLDEN BAT WINNERS
The Ruthlandian Union gave its Golden Bat trophy to a youngster Nioka Inkamara of the Wynnamac Sundowners and the Tycobbian Union presented it to veteran Jerry Culpepper of the Bayview Vikings. Inkamara was a first-time recipient and Culpepper captured his fourth trophy.

Ruthlandian Union:
1. Nioka Inkamara... Wynnamac RF... hit .316 with 27 doubles, 5 triples and 48 homers in 144 games... led the Ruthlandian Union with 145 RBIs... was second in the IPA to Culpepper's 146 RBIs... also won a Golden Glove... Sundowners came in fifth in the RU East.

2. Bobby Gamble... Sugar Valley RF Bobby Gamble... batted .314 with 32 homers, 105 RBIs and 119 runs... topped the RU with 51 stolen bases... Rattlers finished third in the RU East... Gamble has previously won four Golden Bats.

3. Eddie Wilson... Beechwood RF... collected 40 roundtrippers, 109 RBIs and scored 103 runs... Wilson batted. 323 for average... Bobcats improved to second place this year in the RU East.

Tycobbian Union:
1. Jerry Culpepper... Bayview 2B... broke Jack Elliott's home-run record with 66 this year... won the Golden Bat for the fourth time in his career... had a fantastic season with a .334 BA in 148 games... almost won the Triple Crown... led the IPA with 66 HRs, 146 RBIs and 134 runs... sparked the Vikings to a close second place in the TU West.

2. Sogo Takagi... Ginza CF... hit .298 with 50 homers, 117 RBIs and 119 runs in 147 games... the Ninjas wound up third in the TU South.

3. William Snyder... Cape Coral RF... posted a .341 BA, second best in the Tycobbian Union... had 37 homers, 104 RBIs and scored 101 runs in 132 games... the Hurricanes came in sixth in the TU South Division.