The IPA is blessed with some fine logos, jerseys and caps provided by the best graphics gurus on the OOTP Forum.

They have certainly been good to me.

Yes I definitely agree with you, there's so many great logos in your league and I'm thankful for all the people in the OOTP forum who make logos too. I think my favorite logo in the IPA is the Zorros one.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life's Filled with Glee in '23
Yeah buddy, EC is really enjoying Bill Veeck's book "Veeck As In Wreck"... I'm about halfway through it... yep, Veeck overdid some promotions, but he was very knowledgeable about baseball, too... he could promote a team like nobody else and he could put together quality teams, too... Bill Veeck did a whole lot more than just use a midget named Eddie Gaedel in an major league game.

Baseball history is not fair to Bill Veeck.

I love Bill Veeck's honesty about himself... he tells it like it is, even if it puts him in a bad light... I love his generous nature toward his ballplayers and managers in salary negotiations... I love his generosity to the communities where he owned teams... I love his sense of humor and work ethic... Bill Veeck would make the "Hardest Working Man in Show Business", James Brown, the R & B great, look lazy... Bill worked 5 am to 12 midnight on game day, checking the entire ballpark to make sure his fans got their money's worth of entertainment... and he did it on one leg... he lost a leg from a World War II wound... he served 3 years in the war... for the rest of his life Bill suffered chronic pain caused by his prosthetic leg... he had to endure many operations trying to get rid of the pain... he never let his leg slow him down.

Here's what Chicago Tribune sportswriter Bob Verdi wrote in the book's foreword:
"Bill Veeck had the business of pleasure in perspective. I remember him answering his own phone in an office where the door was never closed because he always removed all doors in his offices whenever he took over a team. He had an open door policy for everyone, ballplayers, sportswriters and fans. And I remember him hobbling around the ballpark, oblivious to all those aches, and I often wondered: who is really handicapped, him or us?"

Bill Veeck, not only was a promotional genius, he was also a very astute baseball owner who could put together good baseball teams.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes from the Diamond Minds"

Excerpts from "Veeck As In Wreck" by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn:

"I have done a few other things in baseball, you know, other than the Eddie Gaedel promotion. I've won pennants and finished dead last; I've set attendance records and have been close to bankruptcy. At the age of fifteen, I was taking care of Ladies' Day passes at Wrigley Field.

I owned my first ballclub when I was twenty-eight, I have operated five clubs -- three in the major leagues and two in the minors -- and in three of those towns I won pennants and broke attendance records. Two of the three teams to beat the Yankees since I came to the American League in 1946 were my teams, the 1948 Cleveland Indians and the 1959 Chicago White Sox. The only other team, the 1954 Cleveland Indians, was made up for the most part of my old players."

(Note: Bill Veeck's father William Veeck, Sr. invented Ladies Day when he ran the Chicago Cubs in the early years of baseball)

That's fantastic, honestly Bill Veeck is so inspirational.

Bad news for the IPA... something is out of whack... the game is not showing that the playoffs have begun... there is no playoff tree... and the game didn't properly schedule the playoff teams... it gave one team in each series the homefield advantage.

I posted a thread on the OOTP24 Discussions Forum several days ago and got no responses... I sent Lukas Berger a private message... he is on the OOTP Development Team and has helped me in the past to fix things.

I will wait 3 days and see if I get any help to fix it.
Then I will manually schedule the playoffs and see if the game will fix itself when I play games.

Attachment 972238

Wednesday, October 4, 2079

HAYMAKERS AND RED SOX FINALIZE IPA POSTSEASON PARTICIPANTS
Mahaska and Red Bluff nabbed the last two postseason spots in spirited last-week action in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the Haymakers had to go an extra game to beat
the Rascals... the Red Sox won on the final day of the regular season... poor Ozarka lost on the last day and fell one game short of the division flag.

IPA PENNANT WINNERS
And away we go!
Valmara was victorious in the Ruthlandian North... Crystal Lake captured the RU South... Elnora was the elite team in the RU East and Fort Benton was the best in the RU
West... reviewing the Tycobbian Union, White River won the TU North... IPA Pro Cup champion Turon tore up the TU South... Red Bluff won a 5-team barnburner in the TU
East... and Rolling Hills rolled over everybody in the tight TU West chase.

Ruthlandian Union Recap

VIPERS VICTOR IN RU NORTH
The Valmara Vipers are making their 31st appearance in the IPA postseason... the Vipers will be seeking their 5th Pro Cup... Valmara took command of the Ruthlandian North
at midseason and held off Kilkenny in September... the Cats were Pro Cup Finalists last year... the LaGrange Gators finished 6 games back in second place... Kilkenny came
in third, 7 GB... and the Ranford Bulls wound up in fourth place, 9 GB.

SKIPPERS SAILING HIGH IN RU SOUTH
Crystal Lake was never really challenged in the Ruthlandian South... most of the season they enjoyed a comfortable lead... the Skippers took charge of the race at midyear,
but they had to fend off a determined effort by the runner-up Belair Beach Sunbirds in August and September... none of the other teams offered much resisistance... Waleska
was 15 games behind in the third spot... and Grand City ended in fourth place, 17 GB.

CLIPPERS HOLD OFF LATE-CLOSING RACCOONS IN RU EAST
Most of the time the Elnora Clippers had a big lead in the RU East, several times over 10 games... they ultimately won the flag by 3 games... second place Cold Creek came
on strong in the second half of the season and made it close for the Clippers... the Marston Nine lagged way back most of the year, but got hot in August to put some mild
pressure on Elnora, but they faded in September and lost out by 8 games... preseason favorite Wynnamac struggled most of the season, got within 6 games in September,
but then swooned and slipped back in the race, winding up fourth and 11 games off the pace.

CANNONS OVERTAKE FIREBIRDS IN TU WEST IN SECOND-HALF SURGE
The Fort Benton Cannons stayed in range of the leaders most of the season, then bolted in August and won going away in September... they whipped runner-up Forest City
by 7 games and last year's champion and preseason choice Sligo by 8 games... the Rovers languished near the bottom of the standings until they started playing well in
August... but that was too late... Colfax came in fourth, trailing by 9 games... the Black Sox never really contended... Forest City had the lead in July, but could not hold on
to it... the Cannons took over first place by September and prevailed.

Tycobbian Union Recap

HAYMAKERS JUST BARELY SKIM PAST RASCALS IN SUDDEN DEATH FOR TU NORTH TITLE
'Twas a 6-team fight in the Tycobbian North for most of the season between champion Mahaska, runner-up White River (1 GB), third place Luxora (6 and a half games behind),
fourth place Blue Lake (7 and a half games behind), fifth place Oxford (8 and a half games behind) and sixth place Hartsdale (10 and a half games behind)... Luxora was
favored to win the flag in the preseason poll... Hartsdale had won it the last two years... the Luxora Zorros topped the RU North most of the first half, holding the top spot
until mid-June, then they stumbled badly and fell out of the race... the Mahaska Haymakers and White River Rascals jostled all season, battling down the last game of the year...
the Haymakerls won the sudden-death game and won the division crown.

TURON WINS 103 GAMES AND EASILY TRIUMPHS IN TU SOUTH
There was no race in the Tycobbian South... nope, none at all... defending Pro Cup champ and defending division champ Turon was on top every month in the season...
it was close until June, then the Typhoons blew everybody away and romped to the title by a colossal 15 games over second place Cape Coral, 21 better than third place
Summerland and 23 games ahead of fourth place Arroyo Grande... Turon won 103 games... the Typhoons have a decent shot at repeat Pro Cup trophies... they very well
could win their 7th Pro Cup... the Rolling Hills Racers lead the IPA with 8 Pro Cups.

RED BLUFF WIN SEASON-LONG 5-TEAM DUEL IN TU EAST... RED SOX WIN ON LAST DAY OF THE SEASON
What a race in the Tycobbian East... April, May and June saw only 4 games difference between first place and last place... it settled down to a 5-team tussle in July between
Ozarka, Red Bluff, Tuckanarra, defending division winner and preseason pick South Fork and Midway... the other three clubs dropped out of contention... and what a stretch
drive it was... with two games remaining on the schedule Ozarka and Red Bluff were tied for the top spot with South Fork and High Mesa just one game behind... the Red Sox
won two 1-run games from the High Mesa Buckaroos, while the Naturals split two with last place East Point... the Stallions lost both games to tough Midway... Red Bluff earned
its first pennant since 2072.

ROLLING HILLS OUTRACES 4 TEAMS TO TAKE TU WEST CROWN
In the Tycobbian West the defending champion was the Kenwood Wildcats and the preseason choice was the Bayview Vikings... by September it settled down into a 5-team
scrum between Rolling Hills, Bayview, Kenwood, Chicopee and Denton City... the Racers finished the season with a rock-solid September and outraced all the challengers,
beating second place Kenwood by 3 games, third place Bayview by 5, fourth place Denton City by 6 games and fifth place Chicopee by 9 games... Rolling Hills never got to
the top spot until August 29... the Racers went 18-9 in the September stretch drive and won the pennant... Kenwood battled hard until the end, going 17-10... Bayview only
managed 13-14, Denton City went 16-11 and Chicopee finished 14-14... with 8 IPA Pro Cup titles, the Racers would really like to make it 9 in 2079.

2079 Ruthlandian Union Final Standings
Attachment 972239
Attachment 972240
Attachment 972241
Attachment 972242

2079 Tycobbian Union Final Standings
Attachment 972227
Attachment 972228
Attachment 972229
Attachment 972230
Attachment 972231

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

When it comes to baseball promotions in general, EC is not a fan... I'm a traditionalist... my wife (a big fan of going to games) and I actually watch every pitch and keep a very detailed scorebook... she keeps the first half of the game, I do the second half... we actually watch the game, unlike most of the fans today, who go for the entertainment and food... and yep, occasionally we have to use that terrible symbol (WW)... that's our scoring code for "Wasn't Watching"... some promotions are fine, but the Savannah Bananas is too much for this old curmudgeon... and yeah, I know they need to sell tickets and make money and that is hard to do these days with so much entertainment competition.

What was the 50th American League Birthday Party Celebration like in St. Louis when midget Eddie Gaedel was used in a real MLB game?... I think I would have enjoyed the in-between games festivities... but would not have like the use of a midget... I love Bill Veeck, but he goes too far on occasion and admits to this shortcoming.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes from the Diamond Minds"

Let's join the festive festivities and frivolities at Sportsman Park in St. Louis in 1951.

Excerpts from "Veeck As In Wreck" by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn:

"We went all out in our between-games at the American League's 50th Birthday Party. We had a parade of old-fashioned care circling the field. We had two men and two women, dressed in Gay Ninety costumes, pedaling around the park on a bicycle-built for four. Troubadours roamed through the stands to entertain the customers. Our own band, featuring Satchel Paige on the drums, performed at home plate. Satch, who is good enough to be a professional, stopped the show cold.

In our version of a three-ring circus, we had something going on at every base -- a hand-balancing act at first base, a trampoline act on second and a team of jugglers at third. Max Patkin, our rubber-boned clown, pulled a woman out of the grandstand and did a wild jitterbug dance with here on the pitcher's mound.

Of course, that should have been enough, but not for Bill Veeck... the highlight of the infamous day would be Eddie Gaedel at the plate... unlike the mighty Casey, little Eddie didn't strike out, he walked on four pitches... Bob Cain was the pitcher... I knew him when I was a clubhouse and ballboy for the Mobile Bears in 1957... Cain's MLB days were over, but he was still playing in the minors for the Bears... he was a real nice guy... he gave me his old glove when he got a new one from Wilson... EC used it for several years... yep, it was a good one.

Lukas Berger is going to try to help me save the IPA.

He going to look at the saved game and see if he can solve the problem.

As you know, EC is computer-challenged.

Can any of you tell me in detail what I need to send to him and how to do it.

He mentioned "saved games" backup.

I know how to access the OOTP folders, but don't really know much past that.

You'll find it here: C:\Users\{whatever your username is goes here}\Documents\Out of the Park Developments\OOTP Baseball 24\saved_games

HERE IS A VISUAL

You should find your IPA the same place i have my dynasty "8 Acthon"

Right click on the file and you should be able to copy it. If you have the ability to zip it that would make it easier to send.

i hope that helps. Good luck, EC! :hello!!:

Thanks, Dark Horse.
This is a big step in the right direction.

I can find my league in the OOTP saved-game folders... I know how to do that... I found the .dat files and copies them... I will right click on them and see if I can zip them to Lukas.

Thanks a bunch for the help.

I just saw your post from about a week ago. I hope that your IPA can be saved.

Lukas Berger of the OOTP Development Team is going to try to fix it.

2079 Islandian Pro Alliance Home Pages (Final Statistics)

Ruthlandian Union
Attachment 973799

Tycobbian Union
Attachment 973800
Attachment 973801

Did you recover the IPA!?!?!

I shipped some saved games.dat files to Lukas Berger of the OOTP Development Team and he said he will look at it... if he can't take care of it, then he would ask Matt Arnold and Markus Heinsohn for help.

I couldn't ask for better help.

I'm really fortunate.

I am not going to play any 2079 playoff games until I hear back for Lukas Berger at OOTP Development... hope he can fix my playoff troubles.

In the meantime, I will post Yesterday from the IPA where i cover the previous Pro Gup Series from days gone by.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 23, 2026

Bobcats Picked Best In Pro Cup, Tucks 2nd
The remarkable second-half success of the Beechwood Bobcats is expected to carry over into the playoffs. Beechwood of the Ruthlandian Union is the pick of the pros to breeze through the 2026 IPA Pro Cup playoffs and snatch the first Island championship in the club's history. The Bobcats are favored to whip the Tuckanarra Blue Jays of the Tycobbian Union in the Pro Cup Finals. But it won't be easy, Beechwood will have to get by three other fine ball clubs, the St. John Crusaders, Valmara Vipers and Middlefield Roosters. Middlefield went all the way to the Pro Cup Finals last season only to fall to the South Fork Stallions. It should be quite a dogfight in the Ruthlandian Union with four evenly-matched teams. Tuckanarra's biggest task will be to whip Rolling Hills in the TU Elite 8. Mahaska and Ginza are not rated very highly by the pollsters and not expected to seriously challenge the winner of Tuckanarra and Rolling Hills.

There are only two former champions in the field this year. Tuckanarra captured back-to-back Pro Cups in 2023 and 2024, while Middlefield garnered its only crown in 2005. Valmara made its way to the Finals twice, but lost in 2003 and 2023. The Ginza Ninjas played in the very first Pro Cup Final and lost in 2001. Tuckanarra was also a finalist in 2013, but came away empty-handed.

This season Beechwood and St. John won the most games in the RU with 98-56 records with Valmara and Middlefield close behind with 96-58 marks. The Tuckanarra Blue Jays had the best record in the TU with a 94-60 record, topping Rolling Hills by 4 games. The Reds were 90-64. Ginza came in third with 88-66 and Mahaska followed with an 87-67 mark.

Best Team Record:
1. Beechwood (98-56)
1. St. John (98-56)
3. Valmara (96-58)
3. Middlefiedl (96-58)

Best Team BA:
1. Mahaska .263
2. Tuckanarra .259
3. St. John .258
4. Valmara .256
4. Ginza .256

Most Team HR:
1. Middlefield 155
2. Mahaska 130
3. Ginza 120
4. Beechwood 118

Most Team Runs:
1. Middlefield 732
2. Mahaska 725
3. Tuckanarra 712
4. Ginza 701

Best Team ERA:
1. Beechwood 2.57
2. St. John 2.79
3. Rolling Hills 2.94
4. Valmara 2.95

Best Team Bullpen ERA
1. Tuckanarra 2.20 (1st in TU)
2. St. John 2.28 (2nd in RU)
3. Mahaska 2.53 (4th on TU)
4. Valmara 2.63 (10th in RU)

Best Team Fielding:
1. Beechwood .980
2. Tuckanarra .978
3. Ginza .975
4. Valmara .974
4. Rolling Hills .974

The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll:
1. Beechwood Bobcats (RU) - great starters and defense, decent power, fair talent in bullpen
2. Tuckanarra Blue Jays (TU) - 2 fine starters with splendid bullpen, excellent defense, fair power
3. Rolling Hills Reds (TU) - 3 strong starters, questionable relievers
4. St. John Crusaders (RU) - 2 splendid starters, superb relief corps
5. Middlefield Roosters (RU) - good power with 4 solid starters, questionable bullpen
6. Valmara Vipers (RU) - 3 capable starters, quality relievers with very fine closer
7. Mahaska Haymakers (TU) - good bats with power and average, tough pen, lacks starters
8. Ginza Ninjas (TU) - only one standout starter, pretty fair power, great closer, but short on middle relief

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life Is Nothing But Glee in '23

Yep, things are going well indeed for EC... good health at age 83... great wife, a wonderful gift from Jesus... get to act like a teenager at high school sock hops when I play music for my friends at four nursing homes 8 times a month... though they are in wheelchairs we dance and party for a hour and a half... they dance with their hands and feet... we have a great time... and EC is back on the radio every Sunday for one hour, playing Southern Gospel and Christian Country songs... I have to prerecord the shows... can't do them live... the station is automated... life is a tire swing (Jimmy Buffett song)... do you buckaroos and little darlin's, too, remember the good old golden days of our youth, sock hops and summertime swimming and skinny dipping?... those wonderful days of innocent bliss when all we had to do was head to the creek and do belly floppers in the water swinging from a tire swing hung from a tree branch.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTdA8YXbdWc

Now that I have entertained you in song, here's something about my latest hero, Bill Veeck (rhymes with "wreck")... yep, semi-literary deprived EC has become semi-erudite reading books and has become a voracious reader... look it up in your Funk and Wagnalls dictionary like I had to do.

Bill Veeck bought the Cleveland Indians in 1946 and turned the franchise around.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes from the Diamond Minds"

Excerpts from "Veeck As In Wreck" by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn:

"When we took over the Indians with the season half over, the club had drawn only 289,000 people. At the end of the season in a city that had never reached a million attendance in its history, the figure was 1,052,289.

In July of that year, he signed Larry Doby, the first black player to play in the American League. Doby's first game was on July 5 and before the game, Doby was introduced to his teammates by player-manager Lou Boudreau. "One by one, Lou introduced me to each player. 'This is Joe Gordon,' and Gordon put his hand out. 'This is Bob Lemon,' and Lemon put his hand out. 'This is Jim Hegan,' and Hegan put his hand out. All the guys put their hand out, all but three. As soon as he could, Bill Veeck got rid of those three", Doby said. The following year Veeck signed Satchel Paige to a contract, making him the oldest rookie in major league history.

In July of that year, he signed Larry Doby, the first black player to play in the American League. Doby's first game was on July 5 and before the game, Doby was introduced to his teammates by player-manager Lou Boudreau. "One by one, Lou introduced me to each player. 'This is Joe Gordon,' and Gordon put his hand out. 'This is Bob Lemon,' and Lemon put his hand out. 'This is Jim Hegan,' and Hegan put his hand out. All the guys put their hand out, all but three. As soon as he could, Bill Veeck got rid of those three", Doby said. The following year Veeck signed Satchel Paige to a contract, making him the oldest rookie in major league history."

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 1, 2026

RU And TU Final 4 Start Saturday
The Pro Cup second-round playoffs are just around the corner, coming up this Saturday with the four survivors of the first round action. The top two seeds are still going strong and could be headed for a Pro Cup showdown if all goes as the experts predict. In the Ruthlandian Final 4 number-one seeded Beechwood will open up at home, hosting the Valmara Vipers. The Tycobbian Final 4 has second-seeded Rolling Hills at home against the eighth-seeded Mahaska Haymakers. The Bobcats have the tougher task, playing sixth-seed Valmara, who disposed of fourth-seeded Middlefield in the RU Elite 8. In the TU first round, the Reds had to whipped third seed Tuckanarra, while Mahaska defeated number seven Ginza.

Beechwood manager Bret George has Maury Patterson (26-8 1.70), Bill Curtis (15-3 2.68) and Ken DeGraw (14-14 2.68) as his starting rotation. Leading the Bobcat offense will be Vic Valenti (.303/26/97/86), Skipper Smith (.321/13/84/79) and Jojo Davis (.321/8/63/77). Jet Kazmarek of Valmara will counter with Clem Carmouche (18-12 3.00), Teddy Lem (19-11 2.96) and Pavel Volkov (23-9 3.14). The Vipers best bats are Teddy Szymanski (.304/16/95/89), Sonny Oliver (.286/17/86/72) and Tyler Ferguson (.282/4/52/78). The Bobcats have the edge in pitching, hitting, power and defense. Still Valmara will test them with some good pitchers. It could go six of seven games.

Getting the call from Rolling Hills skipper Matty Christianson will be Sal Jordan (24-12 2.66), Errol Gaudet (17-14 2.53) and Kenny Leonard (16-4 2.20). The Reds top hitters are Pat Webb (.293/29/104/88) and Billy Christianson (.315/13/78/91). Mahaska's Rusty Tanussa will use Sammy Kafelnikov (18-14 3.49), James Allington (20-13 3.62) and Troy King (19-13 4.07) as his starters. The underrated Haymakers have a solid bunch of hitters in Travis Tuttle (.319/33/102/92), Bucky O'Brian (.279/19/71/70), Todd Tarkovsky (.280/18/65/72) and Pasha Yablonski (.277/6/48/106). Rolling Hills has a big advantage on the hill. It's doubtful that Mahaska can score enough runs to overcome shortcomings of its mound staff. The Reds should win in five or six.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 8, 2026

Haymakers-Vipers Kick Off Pro Cup Series Saturday
It's an unlikely matchup - no one expected the Mahaska Haymakers and the Valmara Vipers to be playing in the IPA Pro Cup Finals - but here they are. Mahaska bewildered the experts by upsetting both Ginza and Rolling Hills, while Valmara defeated two higher seeds, strong St. John and powerhouse Beechwood. Both the Crusaders and Bobcats led the entire IPA with 98 victories. Low seeds are not supposed to get this far in the postseason. Valmara was the sixth pick in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll and Mahaska was the eighth choice. The opening game will be this Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara. It will be Teddy Lem (19-11 2.96) starting for the favored Vipers and Sammy Kafelnikov (18-14 3.49) for the underdog Haymakers.

The Vipers have much more postseason experience. They have made the Pro Cup playoffs 7 times, but have never won a Pro Cup. Twice Valmara has been the Pro Cup runner-up, in 2003 the Vipers were swept by champ Turon (TU South) and in 2023 they fell to champ Tuckanarra (TU East) in six games. On two occasions the Vipers lost to Pro Cup runner-up Sugar Valley. Red Bluff defeated the Rattlers in 2004 and Tuckanarra knocked them off in 2024.

Mahaska has appeared only two times in the Pro Cup playoffs and didn't get far. The Oxford Red Caps (TU East) eliminated them in the TU First Round in 2002 and Pro Cup runner-up Bay St. Clair whipped them in the 2015 TU Final 4. The Buccaneers were beaten by Taranto in the Pro Cup Finals.

Manager Jet Kazmarek will rely on his pitching corps to bring home the Pro Cup. Valmara was outstanding in the regular season with a super 2.96 team ERA (6th). So far in the postseason they are up a little with a 3.26 ERA. Starters Pavel Volkov (23-9 3.14), Teddy Lem (19-11 2.96) and Clem Carmouche (18-12 3.00) give him a solid rotation. The Viper closer Ivan Guzek (7-2 0.72) also had an extraordinary season. In the playoffs Guzek has 3 saves, 5 appearances and an excellent 1.29 ERA. Lem (3-0 1.80) and Volkov (2-0 1.88) have been extra sharp in the postseason. Carmouche (2-1 2.66) has done well, too.

Offensively Kazmarek depends on CF Teddy Szymanski (.304/16/95/89), LF Sonny Oliver (.286/17/86/72) and RF Chris Michel (.242/11/58/110/33 SB). Playoff leaders are Oliver with a .353 BA, 3 homers and 10 RBIs, 1B James McCall with a .273 BA, 2 home runs and 9 RBIs and Szymanski with a .270 BA, 1 homer and 5 RBIs. Part of the problem in the postseason is Valmara had to face two of the best pitching staffs in the IPA in the first two rounds. Mahaska can't compare to St. John and Beechwood. In the playoffs the Vipers have a poor .226 BA. In the regular campaign it was a respectable .256 (8th).

During the regular season the Haymakers posted a 3.57 ERA and were ranked 11th in the Tycobbian Union, but Rusty Tanussa's mound staff has really stepped it up in the playoffs with a fantastic 2.02 ERA. James Allington was 20-13 with a 3.62 in the season, but is 4-0 with a great 1.39 ERA in the playoffs. Sammy Kafelnikov compiled an 18-14 mark with a 3.49 ERA, however in the playoffs, he is 3-1 with a fine 2.79 ERA. Mahaska lost its number three starter Troy King due to an injury in the TU Final 4. King was 1-2 with a 2.36 ERA in the postseason, but 19-13 with a 4.07 ERA during the year. Number four starter Aino Vainmaa (17-13 3.94) will step in for King in the Pro Cup Finals. Vainmaa has been called on only one time in the playoffs this year. Vainmaa worked 3 innings and gave up 1 run for a 3.00 ERA. Haymaker closer Viktor Stravinsky, who was 7-6 with 28 saves and a fine 1.69 ERA, has been perfect in 6 relief appearances in the playoffs. He has chalked up 5 saves and given up no runs.

Mahaska hit much better in the regular season, led by RF Travis Tuttle (.319/33/102/92), 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.280/18/65/72), C Bucky O'Brian (.279/19/71/70) and CF Pasha Yablonsk (.277/6/48/106/65 SB). In the postseason O'Brian is batting .480, but the rest are not hitting their weight. To whip the Vipers Tanussa needs his offense to get re-energized. They hit .263 (5th) during the year, but only .218 in the playoffs. The Haymakers have more power in their lineup. They poked 130 homers in the season, but have only 2 in the postseason. Valmara went deep only 74 times (30th), but have 6 roundtrippers in the playoffs.

Pro Cup Outlook:
Valmara is the superior team... the Vipers should win in 5 or 6 games... Valmara will get some runs against Mahaska and has the pitching to stop the Haymakers.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 10, 2026

2026 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 1

6 Viper Pitchers Too Tough In Pro Cup Opener
It was strange and weird ballgame in the the opening game of the 2026 Pro Cup Finals at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara - the Vipers had to use 6 pitchers to win a 3-1 victory over Mahaska... 19-game winner Teddy Lem departed after the first inning with an arm injury... manager Jet Kazmarek had to go to his bullpen very early and got a superb job from 4 relievers, who blanked the Haymakers on 2 hits for next seven innings as the Vipers built us a 3-0 lead after 8 innings... Frank Favazzo (1-0 0.00) got credit for the victory with help from Johnny Vasylenko, Chris Phillips and Wallace Hansen... closer Ivan Guzek was tagged for a run in the ninth, but still got his 4th save... the losing team only used one pitcher... Sammy Kafelnikov (3-2 2.92) hurled a strong game in defeat, went the distance, permitting 3 runs and 10 hits with 5 Ks... Mahaska managed only 5 hits.

RF Chris Michel (.275) led Valmara with 3 hits and 2 runs batted in... the Vipers put a pair of runs on the scoreboard in the third frame on Michel's RBI single and SS Tyler Ferguson's (.225) sac fly... Michel's single plated another run in the sixth, making it 3-0... Mahaska got its only score in the ninth on a lead-off triple by 2B Ted Tarkovsky (.186) and a single by C Bucky O'Brian (.448)... After that Guzek settled down and got the final three outs.

After the game Valmara officials told the press that Teddy Lem would miss the rest of the playoffs. He was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a dead arm syndrome. Recovery should take a few weeks. Manager Jet Kazmarek said number four starter Johnny Vasylenko would replace Lem in the rotation... in 15 starts Vasylenko was 8-7 in the regular season with a 3.19 ERA... He has been in the bullpen in the postseason. Mahaska has also lost a starter with a ruptured tendon suffered in the 3-1 loss to Rolling Hills in the TU Final 4... Troy King was 19-13 with a 4.07 ERA... King was the number three man in the rotation and was 1-2 in the postseason with a 2.36 ERA in 3 starts... The number four starter Arno Vainmaa (17-13 3.94) is his replacement.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 10, 2026

2026 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 2

Vipers Nip Haymakers 7-6, Ahead 2-0 in Finals
Game two of the IPA Pro Cup Finals was a seesaw affair and finally won 7-6 by Valmara on a game-winning single by Teddy Szymanski in the last of the ninth... Szymanski (.283) cracked 3 hits and drove in 3 runs... he also had a solo homer and an RBI triple to pace the Vipers 11-hit attack... Valmara moved ahead of Mahaska two games to none in the best-of-seven Pro Cup Finals... the Haymakers had 14 hits, but stranded 11 baserunners... LF Mickey Hennessey (.224) collected 4 singles and batted in a pair of runs... and 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.188) hit a 2-run homer in defeat.

Valmara closer Ivan Guzek (1-0 3.00) blew a 6-5 lead in the ninth, but ended up with the win... Viktor Stravinsky (0-1 1.42) came on in the ninth and lost it... it was the first run he gave up in the postseason this year... Pavel Volkov started for the Vipers and James Allington got the call for the Haymakers... neither were effective with Volkov allowing 5 runs in 6 innings and Allington 6 in 6-plus frames.

That would be interesting if the Vipers swept the series, but both games have been close...

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 10, 2026

2026 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 3

Valmara May Sweep, Trounces Mahaska 8-4 in Game 3
Valmara continue to bombard shell-shocked Mahaska in game three of the Pro Cup Finals... the Vipers bashed out 12 hits in an 8-4 trouncing and are nearing a sweep in the series... Valmara has gotten double-digit hits in each game so far and captured the first three games... Everybody in the starting line-up had at least one hit, sparked by 2B Ron Freiberg (.275) with 2 hits and 3 runs batted in and C Doug Doolittle (.224) with 2 RBIs... the Vipers ran up an 8-1 lead after 7 innings... a 5-run seventh dealt the Haymakers a knockout blow.

Clem Carmouche (3-1 3.13) hung tough for the victory, giving up 4 runs and 9 hits in 8 innings... Warren Hansen finished up with a scoreless ninth for him... Aino Vainmaa (0-1 6.75) was blasted for 8 runs in 6-plus innings and took the loss... CF Pasha Yablonski (.288) delivered 3 hits for the Haymakers... SS Lyndon Washington (.149) and C Tony Brinkerhoff (.308) batted in 2 runs apiece... Brinkerhoff had 2-run homer.

The sweep is close to happening, my guess is that the Vipers will win the series unless if something extraordinary occurs.

Coming back from a 3-0 deficit in the Pro Cup Series has only happened one time prior to 2026... in 2009 Turon rallied against the Far Mountain Redhawks in the Pro Cup Finals.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 13, 2026

2026 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 4

Valmara Wins First Pro Cup, Sweeps Mahaska
The Valmara Vipers finally succeeded -- they captured the IPA Pro Cup for the first time in the club history -- It was the third try as the Vipers had fallen in the Finals in 2003 and 2023... and they did it in style by sweeping all four games with the Mahaska Haymakers... But game four wasn't a cakewalk... Valmara had to rally in the late innings to tie the score at 2-2 in the seventh, took a 3-2 lead in the top of the ninth, blew a lead in the bottom of the ninth, allowing Mahaska to tie it at 3-3, then blew the Haymakers away in the 10th with a 3-run explosion to cop a 6-3 decision and win the prestigious IPA Pro Cup... back-up 1B Roy Haley (.444) doubled in the game-winner and 3B Bobby Greb (.286) added 2 insurance runs with a double... Ivan Guzek (2-0 3.27) won it in relief of Johnny Vasylenko and Viktor Stravinsky (0-2 5.14) lost it in relief of Sammy Kafelnikov... Vasylenko and Kafelnikov gave it all they had and were effective... Vasylenko limited the Haymakers to just 2 runs and 3 hits in 8 innings... it was all even at 2-2 when he left the game... Kafelnikov tossed 9 innings and gave up 3 runs on 7 hits... for the fourth straight game Valmara got double-digit hits with 10 hits to Mahaska's 6... Greb was the big gun for the Vipers with 3-for-4 and 4 RBIs, including 2 doubles and a homer... CF Pasha Yablonski (.297) paced the Haymakers with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in.

Viper manager Jet Kazmarek told the press, "There's nothing like winning a Pro Cup. You don't get many chances to do it. This was my third time around and we finally got it." Kazmarek played in the 2003 Pro Cup and managed the Vipers in the 2023 Pro Cup and lost both of them. "It's been a great season. The guys played well all year long and even better in the playoffs."

Losing skipper Rudy Tanussa assessed it this way, "My Haymakers made a lot of hay in the postseason. We did quite well for an eighth seed. I'm not disappointed with our season at all. Second-best is not as bad as people make it out to be. Bottom line: they hit and we didn't... they pitched and we didn't... end of story."

Wow nice, that must of been great for you to watch since it's so rare.

Yes, that is one of the many special moments I have enjoyed over the years following and recapping the Islandian Pro Alliance.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 15, 2026

Valmara's Lem Pro Cup MVP Pick
Valmara's great young right-hander Teddy Lem stood head-and-shoulders above everybody in the Pro Cup playoffs. No one else truly stood out in the Pro Cup Most Valuable Player poll this year conducted by The Islandian Times. The 22-year-old Lem went 3-0 in 4 starts and chalked up a very impressive 1.76 ERA. Lem was almost a unanimous choice. Valmara's fine left fielder Sonny Oliver was a distant second in the poll. Mahaska pitchers James Allington and Sammy Kafelnikov were third and fourth in the voting with Viper second sacker Ron Freiberg coming in fifth.

Oliver sparked Valmara with a .319 batting average with 15 hits in 14 playoff games, 3 homers, 10 RBIs and 7 runs scored, along with 8 walks. Allington was 4-0 in 5 starts with a fine 2.54 ERA. Kafelnikov posted a 3-2 record with a 2.93 ERA in 6 starting assignments. Freiberg had a good postseason with a .302 mark, 6 doubles, 7 runs batted in, 9 runs and 11 walks.

Lukas Berger is working on my IPA files to see if he can get the game in sync with the season so I can complete the 2079 season playoffs.

I finally got the .dat file to him... boy, EC has trouble with computers and zipped files and uploading on cloud storage.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life Is Nothing But Glee in '23
Still enjoying Bill Veeck's book "Veeck As In Wreck"... Veeck was vilified by some major sportswriters for his use of midget Eddie Gaedel in a MLB game... they used terms like "cheap and tawdry", "travesty" and "mockery" to describe the promotion... that was one side of the story, Bill had his side, too... you be the judge.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes from the Diamond Minds"

Excerpts from "Veeck As In Wreck" by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn:

"Dan Daniel, a well-known high priest from New York, wondered what 'Ban Johnson and John J. McGraw are saying about it up there in Baseball's Valhalla', a good example of Dan's lean and graceful style. Non-baseball fans should understand that baseball men do not die and go to heaven or hell when they die; they go to Valhalla where they sit around a hot stove and talk over the good days with Odin, Thor and the rest of that crowd.

To Joe Williams, Daniel's colleague on the New York World-Telegraph, I was "that fellow Veeck out in St. Louis".

"It didn't matter that this made a mockery of the sport or that it exploited a freak of biology in a shameful, disgraceful way, " Williams wrote... What he (Veeck) calls showmanship can more often be accurately identified as vulgarity."

I have never objected to being called vulgar. The word, as I never tire of pointing out to my tireless critics, comes from the Latin vulgaris, which means -- students? -- "the common people". (If you don't believe it, Joe, you can look it up. I am so darn vulgar that I will probably never get into Valhalla, which is shameful because I would love to know what John McGraw would have thought about the promotion. He spent many an evening at my father's house in Chicago telling stories over the dinner table. From what I can remember of McGraw, he would roar with delight about the promotion.

What that fellow Williams in New York didn't seem to realize -- or did he? was that it was he who was gratuitously and publicly calling Eddie Gaedel a freak. Eddie was a professional midget. He made his living by displaying himself, the only way we permit a midget to earn a living by displaying himself, the only way we permit a midget to earn a living in our enlightened society. In more barbaric times, they were able to achieve a certain stature as court jesters. My use of him -- vulgaris as I am -- was the biggest thing that ever happened to him. In the week that followed, I got him bookings that earned him something between $5,000 and $10,000. I kept getting him bookings here and there for the rest of his life.

The next day after the game, Will Harridge, American League President, issued and executive order barring Gaedel from baseball.

Naturally, I was bewildered and alarmed and shocked. "I'm puzzled, baffled and greived by Mr. Harridge's ruling, " I announced. "Why, we're paying a lot of guys on the Browns' roster good money to get on base and even though they don't do it, nobody sympathizes with us. But when this little guy goes up to the plate and draws a walk on his only time at bat, they it "conduct detrimental to baseball".

If baseball wanted to discriminate against the little people, I said, why didn't we have the courage to be honest about it, write a minimum height into the rules and submit ourselves to the wrath of all right-thinking Americans. "I think", I said, "that further clarification is called for. Should the height of a player be 3 feet 6 inches, 4 feet 6 inches, 6 feet 6 inches, or 9 feet 6 inches?" Now that midgets had been so arbitrarily barred, I asked, were we to assume that giants were also barred? I made dark references to the stature of Phil Rizzuto, who is not much over 5 feet tall, and I implied very strongly that I was going to demand an official ruling on whether he was a short ballplayer or a tall midget."

Yep, EC is enjoying Bill Veeck's book.
Yep, Bill Veech looks for loopholes in the league rules... yep, he could be a pest... yep, Bill would sometimes go too far... but he knew baseball as good as anyone... he won pennants and a World Series... and he entertained the fans with good food and good times... people came to see his teams play.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 23, 2027

Pro Cup Quest Begins Tomorrow
They have endured and survived a 154-game regular season and in the case of Southport had to extend to 155 games to make the IPA Pro Cup playoffs. Now the Elite 8 are raring to go in quest of the ultimate in Islandian baseball - the cherished Pro Cup, which is given annually to the best team in the Islands. The winning team will have to make it through three tension-filled rounds to be declared the winner.

The 2027 IPA Elite 8 Series begins tomorrow afternoon at 4 locations. There are only two clubs returning from last year, the defending Pro Cup champ Valmara Vipers from the Ruthlandian Union and the Rolling Hills Reds from Tycobbian. Valmara will open up at home at War Memorial Stadium against the Crystal Lake Crushers in one of the Ruthlandian Union's best-of-seven series. It'll be powerful Beechwood hosting the Sligo Rovers at City Park Stadium in the other series. In Tycobbia, Rolling Hills will entertain the Midway Wolves and Southport will travel to White River Stadium to tangle with the Rascals. Among the eight teams only Crystal Lake, Valmara and Sligo have Pro Cup crowns. The Crushers garnered two of them, in 2020 and 2022, while Sligo got theirs in 2021.

Only three teams have ever won repeat titles in Pro Cup competition. Far Mountain has done it twice, winning in back-to-back-to-back years from 2011 to 2013. The Eastshore Elegants accomplished it in 2016 and 2017 and Tuckanarra did it in 2023 and 2024. This year the Valmara Vipers will try to become the fourth team to do it. The Vipers will be one of the favorites to win it all, but it will get intense competition from the Beechwood Bobcats in the RU Elite 8. Rolling Hills has been tabbed the Tycobbian favorite. Beechwood topped the RU with a 98-56 record, edging out Valmara, who went 97-57. Rolling Hills rolled over everybody in the TU to the tune of 104-50, the best record since Colfax won 107 games in 2010.

Who will win the Pro Cup this season? Most pronosticators are picking Rolling Hills because of its great pitching (2.70 ERA). Only Beechwood can compare to the Reds mound staff with its 2.96 team ERA. On the surface it appears to be the year of the Reds and the Bobcats, who are forecast to meet in the Pro Cup Finals. Both clubs wield pretty good bats and can play good defense. Valmara doesn't look great on paper, but won a lot of games. Don't count them out. The rest of the teams don't seem to be in the league of the top three picks, although it seems some unheralded club often steps it up in the postseason and surprises the pundits. Valmara was given no chance to win last year, but they did. Ditto Mahaska, who was the runner-up to the Vipers last season. Rolling Hills and Beechwood were upset in the Final 4s last year.

Tale of the Teams:
Best BA:
1. Rolling Hills .270 (2nd in TU)
2. Crystal Lake .266 (3rd in RU)
3. Valmara .253 (14th in RU)
3. Beechwood .253 (15th in RU)

Most Home Runs:
1. Midway 149 (tied for 4th in TU)
2. White River 129 (tied for 14th in TU)
3. Beechwood 124 (12th in RU)
4. Southport 118 (tied for 18th in TU)

Most Runs:
1. Midway 725 (tied for 3rd in TU)
2. Rolling Hills 711 (tied for 4th in RU)
2. Crystal Lake 711 (tied for 4th in RU)
4. Valmara 704 (tied for 6th in RU)
4. Beechwood 704 (tied for 6th in RU)

Best Overall ERA:
1. Rolling Hills 2.70 (1st in TU)
2. Beechwood 2.96 (1st in RU)
3. Sligo 3.03 (2nd in RU)
4. White River 3.11 (6th in TU)

Best Starter ERA:
1. Rolling Hills 2.87 (1st in TU)
2. Beechwood 2.98 (1st in RU)
3. Sligo 3.07 (2nd in RU)
4. White River 3.24 (8th in TU)

Best Bullpen ERA:
1. Rolling Hills 1.70 (1st in TU)
2. Southport 2.35 (3rd in TU)
3. White River 2.54 (5th in TU)
4. Valmara 2.73 (4th in RU)

Worst BA:
1. Southport .242 (tied for 18th in TU)
2. Sligo .245 (25th in RU)
3. White River .247 (16th in TU)
4. Midway .252 (14th in TU)

Fewest Home Runs:
1. Rolling Hills 89 (tied for 28th in RU)
2. Crystal Lake 93 (25th in RU)
3. Valmara 116 (18th in RU)
4. Southport 118 (tied for 18th in TU)

Fewest Runs:
1. Southport 598 (23rd in TU)
2. Sligo 638 (26th in RU)
3. White River 654 (15th in TU)
4. Valmara 704 (tied for 6th in RU)
4. Beechwood 704 (tied for 6th in RU)

Worst Overall ERA:
1. Crystal Lake 3.89 (27th in RU)
2. Midway 3.69 (24th in TU)
3. Valmara 3.37 (7th in RU)
4. Southport 3.17 (7th in TU)

Worst Starter ERA:
1. Crystal Lake 3.78 (21st in RU)
2. Midway 3.59 (18th in TU)
3. Valmara 3.53 (8th in RU)
4. Southport 3.41 (13th in TU)

Worst Bullpen ERA:
1. Crystal Lake 4.32 (30th in RU)
2. Midway 4.13 (31st in TU)
3. Beechwood 2.86 (6th in RU)
4. Sligo 2.80 (5th in RU)

The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll:
1. Rolling Hills Reds
2. Beechwood Bobcats
3. Valmara Vipers
4. Crystal Lake Crushers
5. White River Rascals
6. Sligo Rovers
7. Southport Sun Sox
8. Midway Wolves

Anyone who got bent out of shape about Gaedel, probably takes sports too seriously and needs to readjust their priorities in life.

Agree with you... having a sense of humor makes it much easier to get through life.

Laughter is a good medicine.

Overall, Bill Veeck was good for baseball, but on occasions, even he admitted that he went too far.

The MLB owners, commisioners, league presidents and powers that be really didn't treat Bill Veeck fairly... they didn't allow him to move the St. Louis Browns to Milwaukee, Baltimore or Los Angeles out of spite... the Browns were stepchilds in St. Louis... the fans loved the successful Cardinals, but the team under Fred Saigh was easy to compete against... the Cards were bad at this time and did little to keep up old Sportsmen's Park and promote the team... they didn't much to make the team any better... the Cardinals were in financial trouble... in addition Anheuser Busch was going to buy the Cardinals... Veeck believed he could eventually beat and outdraw the poorly-managed and poorly-operated Cardinals because they had really bad owners, but he couldn't outspend the Budweiser folks... Veeck knew he could not compete with their endless supply of money... that's why he wanted to move his team... the owners punished him and wouldn't let him move, although they allowed Lou Perini to move the Boston Braves to Milwaukee... and later the Dodgers and Giants to the West Coast.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life Is Nothing But Glee in '23
Glory Hallelujah, EC is really blessed... I would like to go on record as thanking profusely the Being that is in charge of the universe and all of creation... personally, I am convinced it's the God of the Bible... you are welcome to your own views... each of us has been created with free will... we can choose for ourselves.

Yep, EC's life is good... after 21 years of retirement, I'm back on the radio... been on for about 5 or 6 weeks, playing Southern Gospel and Christian Country music... I'm lovin' every minute of it... it's only once a week for one hour, but I'm enjoying the heck out of it... send me a private message if you would like to tune it in on Sundays at 1 o'clock central daylight time and I will send you an internet link to the station that airs it.

Why such joy and jubilation?
Most of all, I am in good health for 83 years old... no major problems -- yet -- but sooner or later they will come -- very few people avoid the trials and tribulation of health problems... one of my prayers each day is that I avoid these problems... EC wants to go to bed one night and wake up in Heaven tomorrow... yep, that would be nice... that's the way my Mama passed away... she just slowly went to sleep and died peacefully 30 hours later... it was a great way to go.

EC still goes to 4 nursing homes and plays music for the residents... I have a great PA sound system and over 8500 songs... I think folks in nursing homes are some of the most neglected people in our society... they are starved for contact with people... I don't do much... just play music for them for 2 hours twice a month... and they love it... and I do, too... they think EC is really something special... and yet it's them that are special... all of them are not in good health... how they can smile sitting in wheelchairs is something to behold... it might be hard for me to smile should I be in their condition... for two hours I take them back to their teen years and play all the great old golden oldies of their lives... I get them to clap and sing... to tap their toes to the music... and we even dance... they are almost all in a wheel chair... I take their hands and we dance with our hands... some of them will dance with their feet, too... just a very few can get up and dance on their feet... we become teenagers again dancing at the high school sock hops that THEY used to go to after football or basketball games... sadly, as you all know, EC never had the courage to go to my high school sock hops or proms... yep, I missed out way back when... but I am making up for lost time now swinging and swaying and rockin' and bopping' at the nursing homes... no, I never learned to dance, I just move to the music and fake it... they think I can dance, but I really can't... we did the Watusi and the Twist yesterday... also danced to the Boot Scootin' Boogie.

Of course, I dearly love OOTP baseball... it is another of the great joys of my life... my leagues are going well, despite my recent playoff problem with the Islandian Pro Alliance... the game doesn't seem to be in the playoff mode... the OOTP Development Team is looking at it for me to see if they can fix it... they are great folks to do this.

Yep, EC's life is full of glee in '23... now if I can just go to sleep one night and wake up in Heaven.

In closing, it is my prayer that you will be blessed with a lots of blue skies and green lights in your own life... that you will love on somebody today and help them in some small way... and in some big ways, too... just ask for help from the Great Creator.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 27, 2027

2027 IPA Elite 8 Series

RH Reds Sweep Midway, Gaudet Wins Game 4
Who's gonna stop the Rolling Hills Reds?... they just rolled over the third-best scoring team in the Tycobbian Union in a four-game sweep, holding Midway to just 3 runs in four games in the Elite 8 Series... Errol Gaudet (2-0 1.59) stopped the Wolves 5-1, allowing just 5 hits in a complete game... Bobby Dorignac (0-2 4.61) slowed down the Reds for a while... after 5 frames Midway held a 1-0 lead, but a CF Scotty Yiska (.250) triple and RF Bobby McConnell's (.412) sac fly tied it up in the sixth... Rolling Hills exploded for 4 runs in the seventh. highlighted by 2B Jeff Booker's (.500) and Tony Ptacek's (.308) RBI singles and a 2-run double by Gaudet (.400)... Rolling Hills will get a few days off awaiting the winner between White River and Southport.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 28, 2027

2027 IPA Elite 8 Series

Crushers KO Vipers In 5, Win Finale 6-5 In 15th
There will be no repeat in the IPA Pro Cup this year... last year's champ Valmara bit the dust in five games in the Ruthlandian Elite 8... Crystal Lake rallied from a 5-2 deficit late in the ball game and won in 15 innings 6-5 when losing pitcher Wallace Hansen (0-1) walked 1B Josh George (.250) with one out and the bases loaded... it was one of three walks he issued in the inning... Viper starter Clem Carmouche faltered in the last two innings of regulation... Carmouche yielded a sac fly to Tommy Trent and run-scoring single to Michael Melchiore in the last of the eighth and a game-tying single to Dominic Gdowski in the bottom of the ninth... the Crushers got strong relief work from Ross Birchford, Keith Hunter and winner Herb Gladsbury (1-0)... they stopped Valmara cold over the last 7 innings, holding them scoreless... both teams collected 14 hits each... Crystal Lake was led by 3B Gdowski (.333) with 3 hits and 3 RBIs and SS Carl Bentley (.375) with 3 hits, too... Valmara SS Stan Bajek (.304) slammed 4 hits, including a home run and 2 doubles, and batted in 2 runs... LF Sonny Oliver (.222) also went deep and had 2 hits.,, fourth-seeded Crystal Lake will take on the winner of second seed Beechwood and sixth seed Sligo in the RU Final 4... the Bobcats are up in the series three games to two.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 29, 2027

2027 IPA Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Arby Beats Sligo 4-1, Beechwood Final 4 Bound
It was must win game - game seven of the RU Elite 8 between Beechwood and Sligo... the two starters had won 50 games between them... it was the Bobcats great pitcher Ken Arby who prevailed over the Rovers fine Les Patterson 4-1 to claimed the hard-fought series four games to three... Arby (2-1 1.04) fired a 3-hitter, allowed no earned runs, fanned 9 and walked 4 in a route-going affair... it was a classic pitcher's duel for the first 6 frames with Beechwood holding a narrow 2-1 edge on CF Vic Valenti's (.240) two-run shot in the third... the Bobcats got some breathing room with a pair in the seventh on an RBI double by Teddy Tate (.238) and an RBI single by Jojo Davis (.320)... Patterson (1-2 1.88) pitched well in the loss, yielding only 3 earned runs on 7 hits... Valenti and Davis paced the Bobcats at the plate with a pair of hits apiece... Second-seeded Beechwood will now battle red-hot Crystal Lake in the RU Final 4, who knocked off defending IPA champ Valmara in five games in the other RU Elite 8. The Crushers are the number 4 seed in the Pro Cup playoffs.

Tycobbian Union

Sun Sox Shine, Laclair Whips WR 4-2 In 7th Game
The stage was set - seventh game of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series at White River Stadium - both clubs had their best pitchers well-rested and ready to go... the winner would continue in the Pro Cup playoffs... the loser would go home for the winter... Southport's Al Laclair and White River's Ron Hendrix were equal to the task and battled to a 2-2 draw after 7 frames, but it came to an end in the Sun Sox top of the eighth... with runners on second and third and one away, the winning score came in on a wild pitch and CF Rick Cabrini followed with an RBI single to add a little cushion to the score... Laclair (1-1 3.51) went the distance, permitting just 2 runs on 8 hits with 4 walks and 4 Ks... losing pitcher Hendrix (1-1 3.91) pitched well till the ill-fated eighth, giving up 4 runs on 8 hits... Cabrini (.452) had two hits for Southport and 1B Kyle Ross (.217) had a homer and 2 RBIs... Rascal RF Kenneth Kent (.385) led them with 2 hits, including his 4th homer of the series... in the TU Final 4 Series the Sun Sox will engage powerful Rolling Hills, who easily rolled over the Midway Wolves in a 4-game sweep. The Reds are the top seed in the Pro Cup playoffs this year with underdog Southport rated the seventh-best team.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 30, 2027

Pro Cup Final 4s Begin Play Saturday
Two favored teams will try to hold off two wannabes in the IPA Pro Cup Final 4s. Beechwood is the favorite in the Ruthlandian matchup with the Crystal Lake Crushers, who are fresh off an upset victory over last year's Pro Cup winner Valmara. The Bobcats had better beware - Crystal Lake is a fine all-around team with good pitching and good offense. Beechwood is the second seed in the Pro Cup playoffs, while the Crushers are rated the fourth-best club. The Bobcats were the top winner in the RU this season with 98 victories. Crystal Lake managed only 83 wins.

The Rolling Hills Reds, winner of 104 games this season, are the odds-on favorite to capture the Pro Cup this year and they certainly looked the part with a 4-game sweep of the Midway Wolves. The Southport Sun Sox are ranked seventh in the Pro Cup poll and it will be quite a surprise if they upset Rolling Hills. The Sun Sox chalked up only 81 victories during the season.

I think i’m declaring myself as a Oxford Red Caps fan. Although to be fair there pretty mediocre right now. We’ll see if they’ll be better in the future!

Thursday afternoon, I'll post the Oxford team history for you.

Thanks for following the IPA.

Sorry, folks, still waiting to see if OOTP Development can fix my messed up playoffs in my IPA.

I will wait another week or so to see if they can fix it... appreciate them looking at it... if they can't fix it, then I will just play out the playoffs and see if the game will properly finish up and keep my league history straight.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, october 2, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

CL Crushes Beechwood 8-2 In Game 1
The Crystal Lake Crushers don't think there are 3 teams in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs better than them... the fourth seed made a huge statement in game one of the Ruthlandian Final 4 with a rousing 8-2 shellacking of favored Beechwood, the second rated team... the Crushers blasted one of the best pitchers in the IPA for 7 runs and 11 hits in 5 innings... 28-game winner Ken Arby (2-2 2.51) went down hard today in one his worst outing of the year... Crystal Lake piled up 14 hits in all, breaking up a tight 2-1 contest with 5 runs in the sixth frame... Leading the way were 1B Josh George (.321), 2B Pete Hicks (.269) and LF Glenn Winters (.368), all with 3 hits apiece... George and RF Teddy Dietrich (.278) had 2 RBIs each... T. D. Burnham didn't pitch a pretty game, but he won... Burnham (3-0 2.00) walked 9, but only gave up 4 hits and 2 runs.

Tycobbian Union

Gaudet Tops Laclair 2-1 In Opener, Reds Edge Sox
In game one of the Tycobbian Final 4 Series at Midtown Base Ball Grounds, the Rolling Hills Reds continued to get great pitching and won for the fifth straight time in the postseason... they have yet to taste defeat this year in the Pro Cup playoffs... Errol Gaudet (3-0 1.38) had to be good today to beat the Southport Sun Sox with Al Laclair (1-2 3.21) on the hill... Gaudet edged Laclair 2-1, yielding only 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and no walks... Laclair allowed 11 hits, but only 2 runs... homers accounted for all the runs in the game... Southport CF Rick Cabrini (.486) led off the game by going deep, but that was it for the Sun Sox... LF Pat Webb (.381) pounded a 2-run clout in the third frame that proved to be the game-winner... Webb led the Reds with 3-for-4 and Cabrini went 3-for-4 for the Sun Sox.

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 3, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Bobcats Tie Series, Rally Past CL 5-3
Beechwood needed a win in game two of the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series and got it... the Bobcats rallied for 4 runs in the fourth to overtake Crystal Lake 5-2 en route to a 5-3 victory... LF Miron Burczyk (.286) slugged a 2-run homer to highlight the rally... C Marty Bailey (.143) also went deep for the winners... Beechwood starter Maury Patterson (3-0 3.38) was good enough for the win, striking out 9 in 7 innings and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits... relievers Ken DeGraw and Dennis Moody saved it for him with 2 scoreless frames... Duncan Welch (1-1 2.86) took the loss, hampered by poor defense... Welch allowed 5 runs, but only 2 of them were earned... Welch surrendered 4 hits in 6 innings... Crystal Lake was led at the plate by CF Herm Taylor (.367) with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in... 3B Carl Bentley (.375) had 2 doubles and an RBI.

Sun Sox Knot Series, Galus Stumps Reds In Game 2
The red-hot Rolling Hills Reds were cooled off today in game two of the Tycobbian Final 4 Series 4-1 by Ronnie Galus, who stumped them on 6 hits... the Reds had a 5-game postseason string busted by the right-hander... Galus was in command with 6 Ks and no walks... He outpitched Sal Jordan (0-1 0.53), who went the distance and deserved a better fate... only one of the 4 runs was earned... Jordan gave up 7 hits, walked 5 and fanned 6... in the top of the second, a walk to LF Alton Queeg (.000) and a triple by Jason Hinton (.208) put Southport on the scoreboard first... they added 3 more in the third on a sacrifice fly by 1B Kyle Ross (.233) and RBI singles by SS Scoop Adams (.121) and C Luis Alvarado (.135)... RF Bobby McConnell (.440) paced Rolling Hills with 2 hits and drove in its only score in the last of the third.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 4, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

CL Clips Bobcats 5-1, Grabs Final 4 Lead
The Crystal Lake Crushers are playing the devil's advocate this season in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... after upsetting last year's champs Valmara in round one, they are at it again... the Crushers parlayed strong pitching and timely hitting into a 5-1 victory over favored Beechwood in game three of the Ruthlandian Final 4... that gave them a two games to one lead in the best-of-seven series... winning pitcher Arnie Cason (1-0 1.42) blanked the Bobcats on 6 hits in the first 6 frames, while fanning 5 and walking 2... Cason left with a 5-0 lead... Herm Gladsbury and Keith Hunter saved it for Cason, striking out 5 over the final 3 frames... Hunter gave up a solo homer in the ninth to 1B Tommy Tate (.222)... 2B Pete Hicks (.294) paced the Crushers with 3 hits, including a solo home run... 1B Josh George (.306) had 2 hits, scored twice and drove in a run... and RF Teddy Dietrich (.231) drove in a pair of runs... Beechwood starter Roy Pitts (0-2 4.26) suffered the loss, allowing 5 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings.

Tycobbian Union

Sun Sox Stun RH Reds 5-1, Take Series Lead
Maybe the Southport Sun Sox are hard of hearing... maybe they haven't heard how good the Rolling Hills Reds are... in game three of the Tycobbian Final 4 the Sun Sox stunned the Reds 5-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the series... Southport got great relief work from Mel Underwood and Jesse Martin after starter Dan Pascioni went out in the third inning with an arm injury... Pascioni permitted a run and 2 hits in 2 and two-thirds innings... Underwood stopped the Reds cold on 1 hit in his 5 and two-thirds innings... Underwood (1-0) notched the win, struck out 6 and walked just one... Martin blanked the Reds in the ninth... loser Kenny Leonard (1-1 0.66) was touched for 5 runs and 6 hits in 6 innings, but 4 errors cost him 4 unearned runs... Southport snapped a 1-1 tie with a pair of runs in the fourth on 2B Sam Cousins' (.250) triple and 3B Jason Hinton's (.214) single... the Sun Sox increased it to 5-1 in the fifth on SS Scoop Adams' (.139) sac fly and Cousins' RBI single... Cousins and CF Rick Cabrini (.465) topped the Southport bats with 2 hits each.

The Islandian Times
Tueday, october 5, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Burnham Brilliant, CL Nips Bobcats Arby 1-0
Ken Arby, who will probably win the RU Golden Arm Award this year, and T. D. Burnham, a 21-game winner, locked up in a spectacular pitching duel in game four of the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series... Burnham was brilliant and beat Arby again... this time it was 1-0 and gave the upstart Crystal Lake Crushers a gigantic three games to one edge in the series over Beechwood... Burnham (4-0 1.54) tossed 8 shutout innings, limiting the Bobcats to 4 hits, striking out 8 and walking 6... Keith Hunter notched his second postseason save by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth... Arby (2-3 2.54) was great, too... he held the Crushers to 5 hits and blanked them for 7 innings... Crystal Lake got the game's only score when SS Jimmy Conroy (.267) singled in the bottom of the eighth and was driven in by LF Glenn Winters' (.310) game-winning triple.

Tycobbian Union

Reds Rip Sun Sox 7-1 in Game 4, Series Even
Rolling Hills ripped Southport on the road 7-1 to even the Tycobbian Final 4 at two games apiece... the Reds smashed 15 hits to back up Errol Gaudet's sharp pitching... Gaudet (4-0 1.29) went the route, fanned 2, walked one and permitted 7 hits and just one run... Rolling Hills jumped on losing pitcher Al Laclair (1-3 4.17) from the git-go, pouncing on him for 4 runs in the first inning and 5 runs and 10 hits in his 3 innings... 2B Jeff Booker (.379) led the Reds with a 3-run triple among his 2 hits, LF Pat Webb (.344) had 2 hits, including a homer, and scored twice... 1B Billy Christianson (.240) also had 2 hits and scored twice.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 6, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

CL Whips Bobcats 8-6, Wins RU Final 4
The favorites are falling fast in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... for the second consecutive round Crystal Lake has handily disposed of higher-seeded opponents... the Crushers spanked second seed Beechwood 8-6 in game five and won the RU Final 4 Series four games to one to qualify for a shot at the grandest title of them all - the Pro Cup champion... the game started well for the Bobcats as they jumped off to a 2-0 lead in the first on CF Vic Valenti's 4th postseason clout, but it didn't last long... Crystal Lake torched starting pitcher Maury Patterson for 6 runs in the opening inning and raised it to 8-2 after 3 frames, then held off the Bobcats, who scored 3 runs in the last two innings... the Crushers belted 14 hits and were sparked by SS Jimmy Conroy (.294) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs and C Tommy Trent (.158) and 2B Pete Hicks (.256), who batted in two runs each... Beechwood rapped 11 hits and were led by Valenti (.233), 2B Stan Tipton (.191) and 3B Skipper Smith (.255) with 2 hits apiece.

Crystal Lake's starter Duncan Welch hit Miron Burczyk after Valenti's homer... Burczyk charged the mound, mild fisticuffs ensued and both were toss from the game... Roger Bishop came on in relief and held Beechwood to 2 runs and 5 hits over the next 7 innings, but he didn't get the victory... Ross Birchford (1-0 0.00) got the last out in the first after the fight and got credit for the win... Patterson (3-1 5.47) lost it, going just two-thirds of an inning and was tagged for 6 runs and 5 hits... Crystal Lake is bound now for the Pro Cup Finals... the Crushers will play the Tycobbian Final 4 winner... underdog Southport and the Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills are tied after four games.

Tycobbian Union

Sun Sox Sneak By Reds 4-3 in Game 5, Up By One
It just might be the Year of the Underdog in IPA Pro Cup circles... the seventh-seed Southport Sun Sox staved off Pro Cup number one seed Rolling Hills numerous times in game five and sneaked away with a 4-3 triumph... the Reds had the advantage in hits 11 to 7, but couldn't produce in the clutch, leaving 12 runners on base and also hit into 4 double plays... now Southport is in command three games to two in the TU Final 4... one more victory and the Sun Sox will be in the Pro Cup Finals against another underdog - the Crystal Lake Crushers.

Ronnie Galus (3-0 1.44) wasn't great, but he was stingy with runs, allowing only 2 in 8 innings, though Galus was tagged for 9 hits... Galus fanned 6 and walked 3... closer Joel Shepard took over for him in the ninth with a 4-2 lead and gave up 1 run on 2 hits before getting the final 2 outs... the Sun Sox tallied single runs in the first, second and fifth off starter Sal Jordan... the Reds were held scoreless by Galus until the eighth when they narrowed it to 3-2... Southport upped the margin to 4-2 in the bottom of the inning... Jordan (0-2 1.08) pitched well in defeat, gave only 7 hits and 2 earned runs, while going the distance... LF Alton Queeg (.214) led Southport with 3 hits... SS Scoop Adams (.205) chipped a pair of hits for the winners... Reds RF Bobby McConnell (.410) garnered 3 hits to pace them with 2B Jeff Booker chipping in 2 hits.

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 7, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Tycobbian Union

Southport Wins TU, Bumps Reds Off In 6 Games
Another IPA giant has fallen... the Pro Cup favored Rolling Hills Reds were upset by the seventh-seeded club, the Southport Sun Sox in the Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series... the Sun Sox won the series in six games, finishing off the Reds 3-0 on the road... little-used starter Bob Bundy (1-0 0.00) replaced the injured Dan Pascioni in game six and pitched superbly, shutting out the Reds on 6 hits in 8 innings, striking out 6 and walking one... closer Joel Shepard relieved Bondy in the ninth and finished off the Reds in spite of 2 hits... Bondy made only 11 starts during the year, finishing up just 3-5 with a sky-high 5.26 ERA... Pascioni suffered the injury in game three last Monday, but will likely be ready for the Pro Cup.

Kenny Leonard (1-2 1.59) tossed a good game, surrendering 3 runs and 6 hits in a complete-game outing... the Sun Sox got to him for a gift run in the first on four bases on balls... a walk to LF Alton Queeg (.176) forced in a run... the game stayed 1-0 until Southport added 2 more in the top of the ninth on 3B Jason Hinton's (.243) RBI double and a sacrifice fly by CF Rick Cabrini (.375).

This year's Pro Cup Finals will be a battle between two unheralded teams: the Tycobbian champ Southport was ranked seventh in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll and the Ruthlandian champ Crystal Lake was the number four seed... the best-of-seven series will begin this Sunday at Crystal Lake... the Crushers have the home field advantage... they were 83-71 during the regular season, while the Sun Sox were 81-74... this year's finalists have the second-worst records in Pro Cup history... only Volusia (78-72) and Ginza (81-69) in the 2001 Pro Cup have had poorer records.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life Is Nothing But Glee in '23
Yep, EC is really a fan of Bill Veeck... he is unique in baseball history... great promotions and a very good creator of competitive baseball teams... I just finished the book, which I thoroughly enjoyed... Bill did not sugar coat his life... he admitted his flops and failures in promotions and team management... I liked his honesty and his humor... also greatly admired his work ethic... his life was spent at the ballpark from early morn to late at night... Bill admitted his total commitment to baseball ruined his first marraige... he arrived at 6 am to check the ballfield and get the concessions going... then did his management work at the office taking care of ballclub business... welcomed the fans at the entrance gate and bid them good night at the exit gate after the game... 6 am to 12 midnight is a long day, especially for a one-legged guy.

Veeck's daily ritual: He watched the first six innings meandering through the stands... Veeck never watched games from his private suite, not even in the World Series... he was always with the fans... his office was also always open to anyone -- fans, sportswriters, players -- anyone who wanted to talk baseball, praise him or berate him... Bill Veeck never had a door to his office... the first thing he did when he took over a team was to take his office door down.

Bill Veeck made hundreds of speeches each year to civic and community groups promoting his ballclubs.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes from the Diamond Minds"

Excerpts from "Veeck As In Wreck" by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn:

"In Milwaukee, Cleveland and Chicago, I always wandered around the ballpark talking to the fans, because I have always felt that the only way to know what the people want is to ask them. Besides I enjoy talking baseball with people. I especially enjoy talking to people while I'm watching a ball game.

I stood at the main gate to greet the fans as they entered and I stood at the main exit gate to talk to them as they left. I did this win, lose or draw.

During the game, I oved around from section to section, sitting with group of fans for the first half of an inning and another group the second half. Fans always have good suggestions; some of my best ideas through the years have come from them."

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, october 2, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

CL Crushes Beechwood 8-2 In Game 1
The Crystal Lake Crushers don't think there are 3 teams in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs better than them... the fourth seed made a huge statement in game one of the Ruthlandian Final 4 with a rousing 8-2 shellacking of favored Beechwood, the second-rated team... the Crushers blasted one of the best pitchers in the IPA for 7 runs and 11 hits in 5 innings... 28-game winner Ken Arby (2-2 2.51) went down hard today in one his worst outing of the year... Crystal Lake piled up 14 hits in all, breaking up a tight 2-1 contest with 5 runs in the sixth frame... Leading the way were 1B Josh George (.321), 2B Pete Hicks (.269) and LF Glenn Winters (.368), all with 3 hits apiece... George and RF Teddy Dietrich (.278) had 2 RBIs each... T. D. Burnham didn't pitch a pretty game, but he won... Burnham (3-0 2.00) walked 9, but only gave up 4 hits and 2 runs.

Tycobbian Union

Gaudet Tops Laclair 2-1 In Opener, Reds Edge Sox
In game one of the Tycobbian Final 4 Series at Midtown Base Ball Grounds, the Rolling Hills Reds continued to get great pitching and won for the fifth straight time in the postseason... they have yet to taste defeat this year in the Pro Cup playoffs... Errol Gaudet (3-0 1.38) had to be good today to beat the Southport Sun Sox with Al Laclair (1-2 3.21) on the hill... Gaudet edged Laclair 2-1, yielding only 6 hits with 5 strikeouts and no walks... Laclair allowed 11 hits, but only 2 runs... homers accounted for all the runs in the game... Southport CF Rick Cabrini (.486) led off the game by going deep, but that was it for the Sun Sox... LF Pat Webb (.381) pounded a 2-run clout in the third frame that proved to be the game-winner... Webb led the Reds with 3-for-4 and Cabrini went 3-for-4 for the Sun Sox.

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 3, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Bobcats Tie Series, Rally Past CL 5-3
Beechwood needed a win in game two of the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series and got it... the Bobcats rallied for 4 runs in the fourth to overtake Crystal Lake 5-2 en route to a 5-3 victory... LF Miron Burczyk (.286) slugged a 2-run homer to highlight the rally... C Marty Bailey (.143) also went deep for the winners... Beechwood starter Maury Patterson (3-0 3.38) was good enough for the win, striking out 9 in 7 innings and giving up 3 runs on 6 hits... relievers Ken DeGraw and Dennis Moody saved it for him with 2 scoreless frames... Duncan Welch (1-1 2.86) took the loss, hampered by poor defense... Welch allowed 5 runs, but only 2 of them were earned... Welch surrendered 4 hits in 6 innings... Crystal Lake was led at the plate by CF Herm Taylor (.367) with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in... 3B Carl Bentley (.375) had 2 doubles and an RBI.

Sun Sox Knot Series, Galus Stumps Reds In Game 2
The red-hot Rolling Hills Reds were cooled off today in game two of the Tycobbian Final 4 Series 4-1 by Ronnie Galus, who stumped them on 6 hits... the Reds had a 5-game postseason string busted by the right-hander... Galus was in command with 6 Ks and no walks... He outpitched Sal Jordan (0-1 0.53), who went the distance and deserved a better fate... only one of the 4 runs was earned... Jordan gave up 7 hits, walked 5 and fanned 6... in the top of the second, a walk to LF Alton Queeg (.000) and a triple by Jason Hinton (.208) put Southport on the scoreboard first... they added 3 more in the third on a sacrifice fly by 1B Kyle Ross (.233) and RBI singles by SS Scoop Adams (.121) and C Luis Alvarado (.135)... RF Bobby McConnell (.440) paced Rolling Hills with 2 hits and drove in its only score in the last of the third.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 4, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

CL Clips Bobcats 5-1, Grabs Final 4 Lead
The Crystal Lake Crushers are playing the devil's advocate this season in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... after upsetting last year's champs Valmara in round one, they are at it again... the Crushers parlayed strong pitching and timely hitting into a 5-1 victory over favored Beechwood in game three of the Ruthlandian Final 4... that gave them a two games to one lead in the best-of-seven series... winning pitcher Arnie Cason (1-0 1.42) blanked the Bobcats on 6 hits in the first 6 frames, while fanning 5 and walking 2... Cason left with a 5-0 lead... Herm Gladsbury and Keith Hunter saved it for Cason, striking out 5 over the final 3 frames... Hunter gave up a solo homer in the ninth to 1B Tommy Tate (.222)... 2B Pete Hicks (.294) paced the Crushers with 3 hits, including a solo home run... 1B Josh George (.306) had 2 hits, scored twice and drove in a run... and RF Teddy Dietrich (.231) drove in a pair of runs... Beechwood starter Roy Pitts (0-2 4.26) suffered the loss, allowing 5 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings.

Tycobbian Union

Sun Sox Stun RH Reds 5-1, Take Series Lead
Maybe the Southport Sun Sox are hard of hearing... maybe they haven't heard how good the Rolling Hills Reds are... in game three of the Tycobbian Final 4 the Sun Sox stunned the Reds 5-1 to take a 2-1 lead in the series... Southport got great relief work from Mel Underwood and Jesse Martin after starter Dan Pascioni went out in the third inning with an arm injury... Pascioni permitted a run and 2 hits in 2 and two-thirds innings... Underwood stopped the Reds cold on 1 hit in his 5 and two-thirds innings... Underwood (1-0) notched the win, struck out 6 and walked just one... Martin blanked the Reds in the ninth... loser Kenny Leonard (1-1 0.66) was touched for 5 runs and 6 hits in 6 innings, but 4 errors cost him 4 unearned runs... Southport snapped a 1-1 tie with a pair of runs in the fourth on 2B Sam Cousins' (.250) triple and 3B Jason Hinton's (.214) single... the Sun Sox increased it to 5-1 in the fifth on SS Scoop Adams' (.139) sac fly and Cousins' RBI single... Cousins and CF Rick Cabrini (.465) topped the Southport bats with 2 hits each.

The Islandian Times
Tueday, october 5, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Burnham Brilliant, CL Nips Bobcats Arby 1-0
Ken Arby, who will probably win the RU Golden Arm Award this year, and T. D. Burnham, a 21-game winner, locked up in a spectacular pitching duel in game four of the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series... Burnham was brilliant and beat Arby again... this time it was 1-0 and gave the upstart Crystal Lake Crushers a gigantic three games to one edge in the series over Beechwood... Burnham (4-0 1.54) tossed 8 shutout innings, limiting the Bobcats to 4 hits, striking out 8 and walking 6... Keith Hunter notched his second postseason save by pitching a 1-2-3 ninth... Arby (2-3 2.54) was great, too... he held the Crushers to 5 hits and blanked them for 7 innings... Crystal Lake got the game's only score when SS Jimmy Conroy (.267) singled in the bottom of the eighth and was driven in by LF Glenn Winters' (.310) game-winning triple.

Tycobbian Union

Reds Rip Sun Sox 7-1 in Game 4, Series Even
Rolling Hills ripped Southport on the road 7-1 to even the Tycobbian Final 4 at two games apiece... the Reds smashed 15 hits to back up Errol Gaudet's sharp pitching... Gaudet (4-0 1.29) went the route, fanned 2, walked one and permitted 7 hits and just one run... Rolling Hills jumped on losing pitcher Al Laclair (1-3 4.17) from the git-go, pouncing on him for 4 runs in the first inning and 5 runs and 10 hits in his 3 innings... 2B Jeff Booker (.379) led the Reds with a 3-run triple among his 2 hits, LF Pat Webb (.344) had 2 hits, including a homer, and scored twice... 1B Billy Christianson (.240) also had 2 hits and scored twice.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 6, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

CL Whips Bobcats 8-6, Wins RU Final 4
The favorites are falling fast in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... for the second consecutive round Crystal Lake has handily disposed of higher-seeded opponents... the Crushers spanked second seed Beechwood 8-6 in game five and won the RU Final 4 Series four games to one to qualify for a shot at the grandest title of them all - the Pro Cup champion... the game started well for the Bobcats as they jumped off to a 2-0 lead in the first on CF Vic Valenti's 4th postseason clout, but it didn't last long... Crystal Lake torched starting pitcher Maury Patterson for 6 runs in the opening inning and raised it to 8-2 after 3 frames, then held off the Bobcats, who scored 3 runs in the last two innings... the Crushers belted 14 hits and were sparked by SS Jimmy Conroy (.294) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs and C Tommy Trent (.158) and 2B Pete Hicks (.256), who batted in two runs each... Beechwood rapped 11 hits and were led by Valenti (.233), 2B Stan Tipton (.191) and 3B Skipper Smith (.255) with 2 hits apiece.

Crystal Lake's starter Duncan Welch hit Miron Burczyk after Valenti's homer... Burczyk charged the mound, mild fisticuffs ensued and both were toss from the game... Roger Bishop came on in relief and held Beechwood to 2 runs and 5 hits over the next 7 innings, but he didn't get the victory... Ross Birchford (1-0 0.00) got the last out in the first after the fight and got credit for the win... Patterson (3-1 5.47) lost it, going just two-thirds of an inning and was tagged for 6 runs and 5 hits... Crystal Lake is bound now for the Pro Cup Finals... the Crushers will play the Tycobbian Final 4 winner... underdog Southport and the Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills are tied after four games.

Tycobbian Union

Sun Sox Sneak By Reds 4-3 in Game 5, Up By One
It just might be the Year of the Underdog in IPA Pro Cup circles... the seventh-seed Southport Sun Sox staved off Pro Cup number-one seed Rolling Hills numerous times in game five and sneaked away with a 4-3 triumph... the Reds had the advantage in hits 11 to 7, but couldn't produce in the clutch, leaving 12 runners on base and also hit into 4 double plays... now Southport is in command three games to two in the TU Final 4... one more victory and the Sun Sox will be in the Pro Cup Finals against another underdog - the Crystal Lake Crushers.

Ronnie Galus (3-0 1.44) wasn't great, but he was stingy with runs, allowing only 2 in 8 innings, though Galus was tagged for 9 hits... Galus fanned 6 and walked 3... closer Joel Shepard took over for him in the ninth with a 4-2 lead and gave up 1 run on 2 hits before getting the final 2 outs... the Sun Sox tallied single runs in the first, second and fifth off starter Sal Jordan... the Reds were held scoreless by Galus until the eighth when they narrowed it to 3-2... Southport upped the margin to 4-2 in the bottom of the inning... Jordan (0-2 1.08) pitched well in defeat, gave up only 7 hits and 2 earned runs, while going the distance... LF Alton Queeg (.214) led Southport with 3 hits... SS Scoop Adams (.205) chipped a pair of hits for the winners... Reds RF Bobby McConnell (.410) garnered 3 hits to pace them with 2B Jeff Booker chipping in 2 hits.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 7, 2027

2027 IPA Final 4 Series

Tycobbian Union

Southport Wins TU, Bumps Reds Off In 6 Games
Another IPA giant has fallen... the Pro Cup favored Rolling Hills Reds were upset by the seventh-seeded club, the Southport Sun Sox in the Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series... the Sun Sox won the series in six games, finishing off the Reds 3-0 on the road... little-used starter Bob Bundy (1-0 0.00) replaced the injured Dan Pascioni in game six and pitched superbly, shutting out the Reds on 6 hits in 8 innings, striking out 6 and walking one... closer Joel Shepard relieved Bondy in the ninth and finished off the Reds in spite of 2 hits... Bondy made only 11 starts during the year, finishing up just 3-5 with a sky-high 5.26 ERA... Pascioni suffered the injury in game three last Monday, but will likely be ready for the Pro Cup.

Kenny Leonard (1-2 1.59) tossed a good game, surrendering 3 runs and 6 hits in a complete-game outing... the Sun Sox got to him for a gift run in the first on four bases on balls... a walk to LF Alton Queeg (.176) forced in a run... the game stayed 1-0 until Southport added 2 more in the top of the ninth on 3B Jason Hinton's (.243) RBI double and a sacrifice fly by CF Rick Cabrini (.375).

This year's Pro Cup Finals will be a battle between two unheralded teams: the Tycobbian champ Southport was ranked seventh in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll and the Ruthlandian champ Crystal Lake was the number four seed... the best-of-seven series will begin this Sunday at Crystal Lake... the Crushers have the home field advantage... they were 83-71 during the regular season, while the Sun Sox were 81-74... this year's finalists have the second-worst records in Pro Cup history... only Volusia (78-72) and Ginza (81-69) in the 2001 Pro Cup have had poorer records.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 10, 2027

2027 IPA Pro Cup Final Series

CL Crushers Pro Cup Choice
No one predicted a Crystal Lake-Southport Pro Cup this year, but lo and behold - they made it. 10 teams had better seasonal records than Crystal Lake and 20 were better than Southport. But here they are and overjoyed to be here. This will be the Crushers third appearance in the last seven seasons, but it was not much expected this year. Crystal Lake was rated the fourth-best team by the baseball experts in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll. The Crushers captured the Pro Cup trophy twice, in 2020 and 2022. Island baseball analysts are making Crystal Lake the favorite to bring home Pro Cup number three this year, citing its fine hitting and unexpected great pitching. The consensus is that Southport is just too weak at the plate to be much of a challenge. The two clubs will tangle in a best-of-seven series for the Islandian championship, starting this Sunday afternoon. T. D. Burnham, Duncan Welch and Arnie Cason will Crystal Lake's starters. Southport has indicated it will be Al Laclair, Ronnie Galus and Bob Bondy in it starting rotation. The Crushers will host games one and two, plus games six and seven, if necessary. The Sun Sox will be the home team in games three, four, and five, if needed.

Manager Herman "Baby" George's ball club rolled over two higher seeds, last year's Pro Cup winner Valmara (third seed) and Beechwood (second seed), finishing them off in 5 games each. George told reporters, "We don't apologize to anybody. We beat two very good teams to get here and it wasn't lucky. We beat their butts pretty good. You win 8 out of 10 against the best and that says something. And we'll have to play just as well to whip Southport. We certainly are not going to take them for granted."

This will be the first time ever the Southport Sun Sox have reach the Finals. It's been a long, long time since the Sun Sox even made the playoffs. Southport has appeared in the postseason only one time, way back in 2002 and they were quickly eliminated in the first round. To get to the Pro Cup Finals this year the Sun Sox defeated the fifth-seeded White River Rascals in seven games in the first round, then pulled a huge upset over the the top-seeded Rolling Hills Reds in six games. Manager Charley Oscar said, "The team is excited... the town is excited... this has been an unbelievable season... when you beat a team as talented and as good as Rolling Hills, you deserve to be here. We brought our bats and gloves and intend to give it our all and see what happens. When you reach this far in the Pro Cup playoffs, there ain't no weak teams. We feel good about our chances."

At a glance it will Southport's fine pitching (3.17 ERA) trying to hold off Crystal Lake's hitting (.266 BA). Neither team hits for much power, but the Crushers are better offensively, ranking 4th in scoring runs during the regular season. The Sun Sox were 23rd in scoring. CF Herm Taylor (.343/2/58/101), 1B Josh George (.284/25/97/95) and 3B Carl Bentley (.269/10/91/74) top the Crushers, while RF Lorne Evans (.296/42/105/101) and CF Rick Cabrini (.320/9/57/89) are the big sticks for the Sun Sox... Evans led the IPA with 42 homers this year.

Crystal Lake has been prolific at the plate in the playoffs with a terrific .285 team BA, paced by SS Jimmy Conroy with 8 RBIs and a .294 mark, CF Herm Taylor with a .357 BA and 7 runs scored, 1B Josh George with 6 RBIs, 7 runs and a .286 BA, LF Glenn Winters with a .333 BA, 5 RBIs and 5 runs and 3B Carl Bentley with a .326 BA, 3 RBI and 7 runs. The Sun Sox have been pathetic with a .214 BA. Only CF Rick Cabrini has been effective with a .375 batting average, 6 runs batted in and 5 runs scored. 2B Sam Cousins has 7 RBIs and scored 7 runs, while batting just .200. Southport has the edge in homers, 4 to1 in the playoffs.

On the mound Southport stands out with starter Al Laclair and a great bullpen. Laclair racked up a 22-11 mark with a splendid 2.24 ERA... Not too impressive are the other starters. Ronnie Galus is number two in the rotation with a 7-11 regular season record and a 3.34 ERA. Don Pascioni was 15-16 with a 3.30 ERA and Bob Bondy was 3-5 with a 5.36 ERA. The Sun Sox relievers chalked up a fancy 2.31 ERA and ranked third in the TU. Closer Joel Shepard compiled a 10-5 record with 27 saves and a super 1.44 ERA.

In contrast Crystal Lake was 27th in its league with a lofty 3.89 ERA. T. D. Burnham was the team's ace with a 21-8 mark and a 3.00. Duncan Welch was number two with a 19-15 record and a 3.49 ERA. Arnie Cason will be the number three man. He was 13-7 this year with a 3.30 ERA. The Crushers bullpen was not very good, winding up with a 4.10 team ERA (28th).

However in the postseason for Southport, Galus has really been great with a 3-0 record and a strong 1.44 ERA and Bondy pitched a shutout in his only start. Laclair has struggled at 1-3 with a 4.17 ERA. The bullpen has stood out. Overall in the playoff the team has a 3.03 ERA. Crystal Lake has been outstanding in the playoffs, far better than in the regular campaign. The Crushers have marked up a fantastic 2.09 team ERA, sparked by T. D. Burnham with a 4-0 record and a 1.54 ERA, Arnie Cason is 1-0 with a 1.42 ERA and Duncan Welch is 1-1 and 3.57 ERA. Closer Keith Hunter has saved 3 games and posted an impressive 1.08 ERA.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 10, 2027

2027 IPA Pro Cup Final Series

Southport Shocks Crystal Lake 13-2 In Game One
No one would have thought it... the weak-hitting Southport Sun Sox shocked everybody in the Islands with a 13-2 demolition of favored Crystal Lake in game one of the 2027 IPA Pro Cup Finals... the Sun Sox beat the Crushers at their own game by pounding them for 16 hits... Southport also got a strong performance from Al Laclair, too... Laclair has struggled in the postseason after winning 22 games in the regular season... but this time around, Laclair (2-3 3.74) was at the top of his game... he hurled a complete game, held Crystal Lake to 2 runs and 7 hits, while fanning 5 and walking 3.

1B Kyle Ross (.245) led the Sun Sox at the plate with 3 hits, 3 runs and 5 RBIs in the rout, cracking a 2-run homer and a double... CF Rick Cabrini (.417) added 4 hits and scored 4 times... plus LF Alton Queeg (.227), SS Scoop Adams (.226) and C Luis Alvarado (.161) drove in 2 runs each... Alvarado also homered for Southport... Crusher starter T. D. Burnham (4-1 2.58), previously unbeaten in 4 games, never had a chance... the Sun Sox shelled him for 8 runs and 7 hits in just 3-plus innings

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 11, 2027

2027 IPA Pro Cup Final Series

Whoops! Sun Sox Win Again In Game 2
A few days ago, many folks across Islandia were feeling sorry for Southport, giving them very little chance in the Pro Cup Finals against Crystal Lake... now that sympathy has turned to bewilderment, mixed with hope... the underdog Southport Sun Sox have shook the Islands by winning the first two games in the best-of-seven set... though outhit 13 to 9, the Sun Sox pulled off a 6-5 victory, rebounding from an early 3-0 deficit after 2 innings of play... Southport rallied for 4 runs in the top of the third... the Crushers tied it in the bottom of the inning at 4-4... then the Sun Sox went up to stay in the fifth with 2 runs on CF Barry Ruth's (.200) RBI groundout and 3B Alex Hodge's (.182) single.

Southport starter Ronnie Galus (4-0 1.64) went 7 innings for the win, although he allowed 11 hits and 5 runs, but only 2 of them earned... it took 4 pitchers to get the last 6 outs with the save going to Eddie Baron, who worked a perfect ninth... Crusher starter Duncan Welch (1-2 4.40) was a rare loser in the postseason... Welch staggered through 6 frames, yielding 6 runs on 8 hits for the loss... Welch is a career 16-4 in 24 playoff starts, 2 of the defeats were this year.

1B Sam Cousins (.200) and 2B Keith Ingram (.200) led the Sun Sox at the plate with 2 runs batted in apiece... C Tommy Trent (.222) led the Crushers with 4-4 and 2 runs scored and 2B Pete Hicks (.245) went 2-5 and drove in 3 runs.