2051 ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE FINAL LEADERBOARDS

Tycobbian Union

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

VIPERS EDGE A'S AND BULLS IN TORRID SEASON
Could it be? ... Win a hundred games and not win the Ruthlandian North?... yeah, and it didn't happen to just one team... it happened to two of them... the Glasco Athletics (101-53) and the Ranford Bulls (100-54), who finished a close second and third to the defending Pro Cup champion Valmara Vipers, who chalked up a terrific 104 victories to beat back the A's by three games and the Bulls by four... this was the first time in league history three teams in one IPA division all went over the century mark in wins... in the Ruthlandian '49 season Valmara, Sugar Valley and Middlefield did it, but they were in separate divisions.

Valmara ranked near the top in batting and pitching... for the seventh time in the previous nine seasons the Vipers captured the Ruthlandian North, but it was really tough this year... they had to win their last 10 games to overtake the Ranford Bulls... it was a three-way battle most of the season... Valmara and Glasco were rarely more than three games apart... Ranford poured it on in July and August and by September had gained a one-game edge over the Vipers and two games up on the A's... but the Bulls faltered down the stretch and wound up third.

The Vipers topped the IPA with a terrific 2.69 team ERA... led by All-Star Primo Sirak (26-6/2.52), All-Star Darek Polaski (22-14/2.31), Darus Grajek (20-14/2.31), Mark Polaski (16-5/3.10/2 saves) and Kasio Bajek (11-5/2.86/9 saves)... the offense was strong, too, with the likes of newly-acquired 1B Wayman Stetson (.294/36/137/77), who led the Ruthlandian Union with 137 RBIs, second in the IPA to Hillsboro's Ernie Moxley with 147... Denton City foolishly traded Stetson, who was strangely riding the bench for the Redbirds... CF Don Ritchie (.333/6/71/112) had the best BA... followed by RF Boyd Holmes (.319/15/77/76), 2B Jorge Aparicio (.308/8/51/63), LF Tomek Abramczyk (.307/14/66/88) and SS Ken Jensen (.289/10/62/95)... Jensen was the Pro Cup MVP last season.

The Vipers are in a great position to win an unprecented fifth Pro Cup and the third one in a row...especially with Stetson in the lineup... only the Far Mountain Redhawks have managed to win a Pro Cup three straight years... they did it in 2011, 2012 and 2013... Valmara is currently tied with Turon and North Hills for the most Pro Cup crowns... each of them have won four times.

The Glasco Athletics gave it their all, but just came up short this season... they improved from fifth place with an 82-72 record to a 101-53 mark (3 GB)... the A's had the second-best pitching in the IPA, topped only by Valmara... unimpressive journeyman Dylan McCord suddenly blossomed at 35 with a 21-11 record and 3.34 ERA... other top winners were All-Star Benny McDaniel (19-10/2.56) and Pat Meyers (19-15/2.75)... All-Star closer Ken McLin (11-5/1.73/19 saves) led a superb bullpen... Glasco had good power at the plate and were paced by 3B Sean Mayes (.269/45/117/89), SS Ross McFalls (.277/22/91/81), 1B Del Holloway (.290/9/52/90) and 1B John Carlton (.328/21/55/67).

The Ranford Bulls had a great year... first time ever to reach the 100-victory mark... for the second successive season the Bulls came up short... they were a strong second last year with a 97-57 record (3 GB)... no playoffs since '41... one Pro Cup in their history... in 2040... the Bulls had the best attack in the Ruthladian Union with a .286 BA and 827 runs... only East Point in the Tycobbian Union was better with an IPA-leading 902 runs... the Bulls and Valmara had the highest team batting averages in the IPA... Ranford's mound staff was solid, too.

Heading up the Ranford hitters were three All-Star performers: 1B Virgil Belisle (.353/27/81/86), CF Joey Hawkins (.328/25/80/91) and SS Gonzie Spencer (.292/8/59/65)... other productive bats were LF Zach Isom (.328/21/90/95), 2B Don Connell (.276/20/100/87) and RF Rory O'Herlihy (.284/20/87/78)... long-time superstar, twice Golden Arm winner and All-Star Ralph Hawk (24-7/1.94) had another fine season to lead the hurlers... but he got lots of support from Duffy Davidson (23-7/3.31), Neil Martin (20-14/3.96) and Rik De Meester (19-16/4.04)... Martin Futch (11-5/1.77/22 saves) solidified the pen and led the IPA with 22 saves.

The best of the rest of the Ruthlandian North Division were fourth place LaGrange and fifth place Taranto... they were both good teams, but were overswamped by the three powers... The Sports were sixth in '50 with a 79-75 mark (21 GB) and the Tars were fourth with an 83-71 record (17 GB).

LaGrange's team leaders were All-Star hurler Justin Menard (21-12/3.39), 36-year-old veteran and former Golden Arm winner Arnie Ayers (16-14/3.08) and Johnny Stoneham (15-13/3.82)... the Sports had the IPA's top batsman in All-Star CF Andre Chirac (.363/11/86/98)... and help from 5-time All-Star SS John Rodgers (.288/25/97/77).

Taranto is still in the throes of a long-term drought... the Tars haven't graced the Pro Cup playoffs since 2019, but they do possess a Pro Cup (2015)... Taranto has some strong bats... especially All-Star LF Kuma Toyota (.307/54/124/105), who was runner-up in the IPA with 54 roundtrippers... only Hillsboro's Ernie Moxley had more with 57... the Tars were number three in the IPA in homers with 196... beaten only by Hillsboro (218) and Red Bluff (203)... other run providers were All-Star C Ryan Nelms (.264/37/90/81), RF Leo Marchetti (.288/24/85/71), All-Star 3B Phil Wilson (.301/14/76/71) and 2B Eddie Burnett {.290/15/70/74)... Taranto also had some pretty good pitchers with three 20-game winners: Valerio Rossi (21-11/2/47), Armani Pizziconi (21-15/3.18) and Pablo Rivas (20-11/3.79).

The Kilkenny Cats have been to the playoffs only one time in the club's history... that was nine years ago in 2042... they were a little better than .500 this year at 78-76 in sixth place (26 GB)... an average scoring team with pretty good power and average on the hill... the mound leaders are Dewayne Hague (17-7/2.76), vet Dave Stratford (19-17/3.53) and Glen Caswell (16-20/3.35)... best bullpener is Andy Mayfield (5-5/1.98/12 saves)... top guns were 1B Ryan Reagan (.287/34/109/106), RF Les Utley (.250/40/108/81) and LF Michael Murray (.246/25/60/107).

Far Mountain came in seventh for the third year in a row... last pennant came in 2047... the last of three Pro Cup titles came in 2013... Curt Steinhauer (15-15/3.58), rookie Tyler O'Sullivan (13-9/3.12) and Ryan Kolb (12-12/3.50) were the best starting pitchers... Jack McKinney (8-12/2.45/13 saves) was fairly good in the bullpen and made 84 relief appearances... the offense wasn't much to brag about with All-Star C Frank Penn (.299/7/56/81), All-Star SS Mylon Towner (.274/10/69/88) and LF Terry Crawford (.261/23/93/87).

Hapless Ancona was last in the division for the 10th time in the last 11 seasons... no pennants since 2022... and never, ever a Pro Cup... the Red Elephants are just a bad team... the best of the lot, Hali Mikos (14-20/4.09) and Roger Kostas (13-22/4/58), were mediocre to bad as starters... the only reliable bats were 1B Anton Cormier (.327/20/75/59) and CF Zenon Petros (.290/12/60/83).

2051 Ruthlandian North Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

WALESKA DETHRONES CRUSADERS IN RU SOUTH
The last trip to the playoffs for the Waleska Westerners was 2039... that was the year they copped their third IPA title... now the Westerners are headed back again after a 12-year absence... Waleska went wire-to-wire to dethrone last year's Ruthlandian South winner St. John... the Westerners started with a bang with a 20-6 record in April, while the Crusaders started slowly and quickly fell nine games back... they did manage to chop it down to 4-5 games the rest of the way... and even could have won it in August and September, but they could only go 20-25 in those months... none of the other six clubs put up much of a challenge... it was purely a two-team affair this year... the baseball experts don't expect Waleska to do much in the postseason... the Westerners have good pitching, but only average at the plate with little power... opening up with juggernaut Valmara doesn't help, either.

Waleska's top moundsmen are Trey Earnest (18-10/2.97), All-Star Lou Carlson (22-13/3.31) and Niles Neilsen (16-15/3.55)... Kenny Foster (13-14/3.01) is another good arm, but he suffered from run support... Vince Gibson (6-7/2.26/12 saves) took care of the bullpen... not a lot of talent in the Westerners' lineup... 1B Rob Rice (.299/17/56/63), RF Denver Shadwell (.285/14/73/47) and LF Gene Stevenson (.295/11/61/65) were the best of the lot.

The St. John Crusaders won the RU South last year with a 90-64 mark, but slipped to 82-72 and second this year (5 GB)... the Crusaders have never won the Pro Cup... this year they didn't score as well as last season... the Crusaders feature a good scoring offense, but are only average in power and pitching staff... top twirlers were Liam Spears (20-13/2.86), Jimmy Chambers (17-13/3.35) and Teddy de Grom (18-18/3.60)... Frank Long, who led the IPA with 26 wins last season, slumped to 15-16 and 3.98 ERA this year... RF Cris Hershey (.331/14/86/80) was the club leader with a .331 BA... 2B Herbie Gruen (.293/13/96/80) was the RBI leader with 96... and SS Bubba Ralston (.248/12/53/106) scored the most runs with106.

San Dimas and Claxton tied for third place, but finished below the .500 mark... the Rancheros were a distant second in '50 with a 79-74 record (11 GB), but slipped to 74-80 this year (13 GB)... no Pro Cups in the club's history... last playoff appearance was in 2041... Johnny Singleton (13-11/4.25) was the only starter with a winning record... the top reliever was Kenny Robinson (10-9/2.35/12 saves)... leading the Cowboys' attack was All-Star Denny Hendrix (.299/35/105/83) and CF Enrique Orantez (.314/19/73/105)... also lending a hand was LF Johnny Locke, who batted .311 with 8 HRs, 62 RBIs and 56 runs.

The Claxton Diamonds suffered a second straight losing season... they won the division flag three years ago, but don't have a Pro Cup trophy... the Diamonds could really put runs on the scoreboard, but came up way short on the slab... heading up the hitters were All-Star RF Jimmy John Ramsey (.310/32/111/97), All-Star Jojo DeLucca (.299/22/110/77), LF Konrad Neumann (.320/13/72/92) and CF Whit Miley (.328/12/69/105)... none of the starters won more than they lost... and the ERAs were all above 4.00... only closer Ramon Santos (10-4/2.00/14 saves) had a good season.

The Valka Blackhawks and Grand City Cybercats tied for fifth place and trailed by 17 games... Valka improved slightly... at least they got out of the Ruthlandian South cellar...they were 68-86 (22 GB) in '50... 2017 was the last playoff appearance for the Blackhawks... they have never won the Pro Cup... pitching was good... offense mediocre... Adrian Stenhouse (15-13/3.21) was the only starter to have a winning mark... in the reliever corps Royce Netterville (8-8/2.63/7 saves) was the top man... not a lot of hitters in the batting order... CF Kenny Mitzusaka (.276/20/79/44) and 1B Jess Evans (.276/22/68/50) had the most success at the plate.

The last time the Grand City Cybercats made the playoffs was in 2030... they are still seeking that elusive and hard-to-get first Pro Cup... the Cybercats are borderline average... no starters better than .500... Joel Eaton (17-18/3.35) and Jimmy Engels (15-18/3.55) came the closest... two relievers stood tall in the bullpen... Donald Denison (5-3/1.68/4 saves) and Kent Douglas (7-5/2.22/11 saves)... superstar and All-Star 1B Benny Hull put up strong stats with a .321 BA, 38 RBIs, 127 RBIs and 92 runs scored... no one worth mentioning after him... Hull tied for fourth place in the IPA with 127 RBIs, topped only by leader Ernie Moxley (Hillsboro) with 147, Wayman Stetson (Valmara) with 137 and Graig Sutton (Colchester) with 133.

The Belair Beach Sunbirds captured their last division title five years ago... still haven't hauled in a Pro Cup trophy... the pitching improved greatly this year, but the Sunbirds still finished seventh for the third season in a row... Jeffrey Verblen (16-15/2.78) was the ace and the only reliable starter... Tom Cook was inconsistent in the bullpen, winding up 4-9 with 14 saves and a fine 2.20 ERA... the only decent threats in the lineup were RF Norm Ellis (.318/25/87/63) and 2B Alvaro Abreu (.311/9/72/72).

It's been seven seasons since the Crystal Lake Crushers made the postseason... twice they have won Pro Cups... in 2020 and 2022... they fell from fourth place in the standings with a 74-80 record in '50 (10 GB) to 65-89 and the cellar this year (22 GB)... Haden Mackowiak (14-17/3.68) was the staff leader and Josh Crosby (7-3/2.54/16 saves) paced the bullpen... pretty poor at the plate with the likes of 2B Oscar Jeffers (.272/19/72/61) and 1B Glenn Russell (.252/18/81/53)... sadly they were the best.

2051 Ruthlandian South Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

In the past, I believe I mentioned to you how much I have enjoyed reading your dynasty. It may have been the first dynasty I jumped into when I started lurking on this forum. Once I finally joined the forum, I decided I would make some dynasties with a few of my favorites in mind.

You've been asking about dynasties lately, showing me you are interested in changing up your format. One thing about THIS dynasty I realize is this: I have browsed this dynasty MANY times, but I have never picked a team. With 50 years of history, I believe I'll pick a team. I'm going to base it on the first few years of the dynasty, though, and try to approach this dynasty, not as an observer, but as a person who took a trip to the Islands and fell in love with a team.

Keep up the great work!

Thank you for following the IPA.

Would you like for me to place you on a team as a player, so you would have another reason to follow the IPA?

If you want to be a player, give me the name of the team you want to play for... give me your weight, height details... player's name.... player's position... nationality, if you like... which hand you bat with... and which hand you throw with... I'll generate you as a free agent and assign you to your favorite team.

No problem, if you don't want to play in the league... I will not take offense.

This same offer goes to any other IPA followers who would like to play in the IPA.

I will give yearly updates on the players' season so you can follow your team and progress as a player.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

RATTLERS RACK UP 4TH TITLE IN A ROW
The Sugar Valley Rattlers continued to reign supreme in the Rutlandian East Division with their fourth straight pennant... nine times in 11 seasons this has been the case for the dominant Rattlers... for 18 consecutive seasons Sugar Valley has finished no worse than third place in the standings... for the second time in three years they have piled up 103 victories, winning handily by nine games over runner-up Marston... the closest the Nine got to Sugar Valley was six games at the end of April.

Super pitching, good home-run power and a pretty good offense did the job for the Sugar Valley Rattlers... the magnificent mound corps consisted of Joe Snow (22-9/2.44), Antonio Cedeno (22-9/2.54), Christopher Dunsberry (17-13/2.34), Davey Brennan (15-7/2.91/2 saves) and Cullen Winslow (13-7/3.05/5 saves)... although his ERA is a little bit high, Domenico Renterias (11-3/3.76/14 saves) closed out quite a few victories... the Rattlers don't hit for high average, but they have some pretty fair hitters in LF Carl Ramsey (.253/85/103), 3B Smokey Nix (.271/2/74/82), 1B Roger Hobbs (.295/14/80/64) and rookie RF Tyler Alban (.289/15/60/52)... strange as it may be, Sugar Valley doesn't play well in the playoffs... but on paper they always look like a possible champion.

The Marston Nine have enjoyed only two really good years in the last 25 years... they won the pennant in '47 with 96 victories and chalked up 94 wins this season... the Nine have never won the Pro Cup in their history... they hit well and score well, but are not much in the longball power department...the team's pitching is solid... rookie Seth Garber (24-10/2.79) had a remarkable season... so did Griff Hollman (13-1/2.28), who moved into the starting rotation in late June... Jean-Noel Waldron (16-10/3.16) was an effective starter, too... closer Kiki Vuk (10-3/2.02/18 saves) was superb... Robert Tringle (7-6/4.39/19 saves) was inconsistent, but did ring up 19 saves... the most productive bats belong to 2B Damien D'Amboise, 3B Elijah Dowden (.322/10/77/54), CF Dwayne Dotson (.292/19/77/79), Charley Gilmore (.326/8/55/57) and 1B Gary Armitage (.258/20 ... other modest contributors were SS Gilberto Arredondo (.264/11/67/76) and CF Billy Howell (286/18/74/65).

Third place went to the Wynnamac Sundowners... last year they came in fourth... they were 82-72 in '50 (17 GB) and 85-69 in '51 (18 GB)... the Sundowners have a solid core of hurlers led by James Duncan (21-10/3.11) and Sammy Hayes (18-13/2.65)... #3 and #4 Shirai Nakamura (12-20/3.08) and Garan Parula (12-13/3.30) are better than their records show... and Johnny Mitchell (6-4/3.32/7) is fairly good in the bullpen... the Sundowners are a little above average offensively with CF Dickie Key (.292/34/103/102), who blossomed this season... LF Mel Newland (.305/26/82/55) and 2B Dale Fisher (.260/10/58/85) also pitched in with some needed offense... Wynnamac missed out on the postseason for the seventh successive season... their only Pro Cup trophy was hoisted back in 2008.

Hot-hitting and high-scoring Belle Plaine wound up fourth in the standings, but they only broke even for the year at 77-77... at the plate the Muskies were sparked by superstar and All-Star Lenny Buisson (.312/39/101/104), All-Star 1B Chuck Gregory, C Nuke Borg (.325/17/84/67) and LF Larry Mills (.302/17/69/61)... the Musketeers have suffered a decline in the last two years on the hill and in the standings... the team ERA was a terrible 4.40 this year... the Muskies have rarely gone to the playoffs, winning their only division flag in 2009... their best staffers are Joe-Joe Bouvier (19-11/3.39) and rookie Al McKeown (19-15/3.86).

The Eastshore Elegants wound up in fifth place, but were much-improved over the last-place finish last year... they rose from 55-99 (44 GB) to 70-84 this season (33 GB)... the Elegants have won two Pro Cups, taking them long ago in '17 and '18... no postseaon appearances since '34... the club's offensive leaders are 1B Leemon O'Donovan (.309/27/122/105), RF Pete Furness (.303/17/77/66), LF Bevan Shuler (.317/17/67/70) and RF Troy McFarland (.271/12/75/68)... Vince Darnell (16-17/3.92) was the most reliable starter... and Trent Niven (10-2.34/16 saves) stood out in the relief corps.

Cold Creek lapsed this year and fell from third the last two years to sixth this year... they were 81-73 the last two years and slumped to 69-85 (34 GB) this season, tied with the Elnora All-Stars... there have been no playoff appearances since 2041 and the Catamounts still haven't won a Pro Cup... they hit and score well, but lack pitching... the main bats are All-Star 2B Milt Swallow (.269/38/116/86), All-Star 3B Joe Cochrane (.306/25/89/113) and All-Star LF Mike Josephson (.292/7/36/78), C Jerry Duncan (.309/7/81/49), CF Albie Forbush (.291/11/58/74) and SS Nicky Thacker (.302/7/40/62)... not much to mention on the mound... the only decent ones were Spooky Robison (13-16/3.76) and Sammy Wright (13-18/3.95).

For the fifth consecutive year Elnora is near the bottom of the division with no postseason play since 2035... the All-Stars won the Pro Cup just one time in the team's history, back in 2033... on the hill Slim Harding (17-16/3.01) stood out... in the bullpen Leland Schofield (5-1/2.21/11 saves) performed well... at the plate it was 3B Denny Rhymes (.302/5/52/50), RF Casimiro Gessi (.300/4/57/50) and C Billy Turner (.291/14/47/62)... Elnora is just not a very good ballclub.

The Beechwood Bobcats ended in the RU East basement for the second straight year... the Bobcats have never won a Pro Cup and haven't played in the playoffs since 2026... not a lot of talent on the club... Lenny Medford (14-11/3.25) had a good year... and Sandy Wilbur (15-20/3.10) topped the team in wins... RF Rod McClellan (.283/21/78/78) paced the team in homers, RBIs and runs scored... 1B Daryl Brady (.292/18/55/56) had the best BA.

2051 Ruthlandian East Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

3RD STRAIGHT CROWN FOR MIDDLEFIELD
For the third season in a row the Middlefield Roosters fairly much waltzed through the weak Ruthlandian West Division, winning it by seven games over second place Stoner and nine better than the Volusia Vigilantes in third place... this was the Roosters fifth division title in the last seven years... Middlefield was the only club in the division to register a winning record... runner-up Stoner and third place Volusia finished well back in the race... the Roosters were never really challenged.

Three years ago Middlefield ran off 104 victories with a potent attack and strong pitching... they slipped to 91-63 in '50... and to 82-72 this season... the Roosters will be going for their second Pro Cup in the playoffs... they won it in 2005... from the looks of things Middlefield will be heavily outgunned in the playoffs and not likely to go past the opening round.

The Middlefield mound corps is still better-than-average with Carroll Collier (21-12/2.82) and James Long (21-13/2.22) heading up the rotation... young Ken Willis (5-5/2.21/10 saves) took over the closing role and did well.. leading the way offensively were CF Johnny Wyatt (.260/45/123/95), 2B Ike Gary (.272/20/82/43), 3B Cramer Landis (.303/9/50/84), C Johnny McDonald (.321/7/62/70), 1B Cliff Patterson (.291/19/50/53), CF Russell Martin (.251/21/70/86) and RF Timothy Hayworth (.267/11/40/89)... the Roosters don't hit for much average, but can go deep with 175 homers (3rd in the RU).

The Stoner Stars got within three games of first place in July, but then slumped badly in August and fell out of the race for good... the Stars haven't won the division since 2029 and have never captured a Pro Cup, but did come close twice, making the Finals in 2007 and 2029... pretty much just an average club... Stoner has a couple of solid starters in Jayson Mannon (16-16/2.98) and Ira Monaghan (18-14/3.18)... the club bat leaders were RF Emmett Tread (.326/20/84/89), who topped the team in homers, RBIs and BA, CF Grayson Lancaster (.296/15/78/56) and SS Mac Lord (.276/12/70/92).

Volusia was in the race only in April... they fell to the wayside in May, trailing by 10-11 games most of the season... the Vigilantes haven't been to the postseason since '43... and have collected only one Pro Cup trophy in the club's history... that was the first Pro Cup in 2001... Val Farnsworth (19-16/3.72) and Mateus Branco (17-17/3.45) are the most reliable starters... with the most effective one being Casimiro Ramires (15-17/3.28)... Dan Hunt (6-9/3.18/13 saves) was the top reliever... at the plate the V's were pathetic... CF Darryl Daniels (.272/6/66/70) put up the best numbers... RF Lanny Womack (.237/18/67/55) and 3B Freddy Wellman (.281/10/54/75) were the best of the rest... however, Volusia did escape the cellar, improving from 63-91 (28 GB) to 73-81 (9 GB).

2051 was not a good year for the Colfax Blasters, who muddled their way to a mediocre fourth spot in the standings... it's been 10 years since they made the playoffs... and four decades since the Pro Cup title in 2010... the starters were only average: Jorgen Krogstad (15-18/3.57), Red McCallum (13-15/3.58) and Rollie Abbott (16-17/3.67)... Colfax had three .300 hitters, but with only average power... RF Stu Richardson (.333/17/75/69), SS Dan Zalewski (.316/12/65/83) and 1B Donald Ray Beeton (.312/16/51/67)... LF Robb Maddux was the main man with 24 homers, 86 RBIs and 104 runs, while batting .282... C Darrell Dillon (.268/19/79/68) is a good one, too.

The Sligo Rovers and Fort Benton Defenders tied for fifth place (13 GB)... the Rovers were atrocious offensively and but had decent pitching with Mickey Walsh (17-15/2.23), who would have won 25 games with better run support, Craig Hurley (14-18/3.25) and Freddy Avery (13-17/3.57)... Mitch Taylor (10-6/3.13/11 saves) was adequate in the bullpen... the only bats to speak of were 1B Boof Bagwell (.291/24/86/47) and 3B Denny Simmons (.296/13/70/73)

For the last 10 years the Fort Benton Defenders have been stuck deep in the second division... no playoffs since 2037... the only time the Defenders have been in the postseason... never won a Pro Cup.. 17-year veteran Jordy Raeburn (17-14/2.98) led the staff and was the only quality pitcher... the bullpen was in good hands with Darius Kimberly (11-7/2.26/20 saves)... shouldering most of the offensive load were RF Tom Turner (.327/17/58/88), All-Star CF Freddie Woodruff (.302/11/70/105), All-Star SS Lucien Lindsey (.327/8/77/74) and C Varnell Larrimore (.271/9/95/69).

Seventh place in the RU West belonged to the Forest City Lumberjacks... they took the title in 2048, but have quickly spiraled downward since... after two second place finishes with 91 and 84 wins, they plunged to just 68-86 this year... the 'Jacks are still working on their first Pro Cup trophy... they have never gone deep in the playoffs... the starters are pretty good with Rusty Howard (16-14/2.85), Omar Cordero (18-13/2.60) and Kelly Gilliam (11-14/2.95)... Tim Varnado (8-11/3.00/19 saves) was a little inconsistent, but did chalk up 19 saves... but the offense is woefully weak... RF Heck Callis (.285/10/50/73) was the only fairly good hitter.

Rocky Rapids has been a fixture in the first division for 13 straight years, but not this year... the Snappers nose-dived to last place, falling from third last year with a 77-77 mark (14 GB) to a lowly 60-94 record (22 GB)... the only Pro Cup trophy came years ago in 2019... the most recent postseason appearance was in '46 and '44... they still have 35-year-old superstar Jamie Taylor (18-15/2.39) as their ace... Buster Noland (10-9/2.66) is still around at age 37, but may be in decline... the bullpen is just plain bad... the Snappers don't score a lot of runs... two players carry the offense... long-time standouts SS Marty Featherstone (..288/33/81/78) and 1B Masaharu Kawasaki (.300/26/83/77) pretty much do it all.

2051 Ruthlandian West Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

I'm still reading through, but I already picked the team that is going to be my favorite going forward. I picked them because the stars aligned perfectly with the time in my life when I was happiest (Note: I started reading the dynasty again from Page 1, though I fast forwarded quite a bit. I am somewhere around Page 92 now). I was looking for a team that had won their division during that time, and I was looking for characters to root for. So, for me, the Far Mountain Redhawks have won my heart.

As far as a player is concerned, I would like to suggest a grandson of one of the Far Mountain players of yesteryear to get his shot in the IPA. So, if you make a player, I'd like to see Leroy Hill III working his way from nobody to somebody in the league.

Maybe Far Mountain does a favor for his grandfather, who would now be known as Leroy Hill, Sr. Maybe he asked that they just give his southpaw grandson a look-see. Maybe LH3 is a bit lanky and undersized inside his 6'4" frame. But maybe he has a deceptive fastball and a cutter that will annoy the hell out of every lefty in the league. Maybe he's a bit on the quiet side and doesn't assert himself much. But put a glove on him and let him toe that rubber, and he'll give his heart and soul towards striking out every last batter he faces. Maybe he gets a little bent out of shape when someone knocks a dinger on him. Maybe he cocks back just a little bit farther when he sees that player the next time and maybe his balls are a little too close to their chin, nowhere near home plate. Maybe he didn't get a good chance before because teams thought he might be a head case because he would never tell them much of anything. But they could see the hatred he has for each batter. And maybe they were just a little scared he might knock the head off a player, so scouts gave him low scores. Maybe Far Mountain is going to keep his grandfather around as a mentor to keep his head on straight and that's the one chance he needs to make it big.

What do you think? :D

Sounds good to me.

Leroy Hill is 74 years old now and is the pitching coach of the Redhawks.
He played 14 years in the IPA from 2002 to 2015... 5 years with Fort Benton (60-73/3.50)... 6 years with Far Mountain (102-89/3.16)... and 3 years with Elnora (41-35/3.75)... career record 203-197 with a 3.39 ERA... in the postseason he was 4-5 with a 3.44 ERA, all with Far Mountain.

Leroy Hill III will join the staff of the Far Mountain Redhawks next year... he stands 6-4... weight 165... southpaw... pretty good fastball... good stuff... wicked cutter.

Leroy Hill's career stats:

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

WR RASCALS RAISE 4TH FLAG IN A ROW
The White River Rascals are one heck of team... for the fourth year in a row they will be hoisting another Tycobbian North pennant high above White River Stadium... and they did it as usual in easy fashion with a 10-game bulge over the runner-up Mahaska Haymakers, 15 better than the third place Luxora Zorros and 17 games ahead of fourth place Hartsdale... the Z's and Haymakers made a race of it until All-Star time, then dropped out the running..

White River features an impressive mound corps, good home-run power and average hitting... and they may be good for years to come... still a very young team... top pitchers are Nicky Palmer (23-11/2.39), Keil Trickett (20-7/3.29), rookie Artie Wynyard (16-7/2.60/3 saves) and Butch Slattery (17-17/4.07)... the Rascals won handily this year despite Slattery's down season... last year he was 26-8 and the Tycobbian MVP... ace reliever Todd Cole also went down in May with an injury... rookie Ronald Doss (6-2/1.97/7 saves) replaced him as closer and did a fine job... the top guns at the plate are LF Billy Joe Hickman (.269/31/95/76)... 1B Ruben Reaves (.307/23/63/85), CF Ryne Hyland (.295/17/79/86) and 2B Ryan Byrd (.255/23/72/72)... White River has lost in the Pro Cup Finals the last two years to the powerful Valmara Vipers... the Rascals could get a third shot at the IPA crown this year.

Second place Mahaska is a fair ballclub, but not in the class of the Rascals... in '49 and '50 they were fifth (68-86)... much better pitching moved them up in the standings to 87-67... sadly the Haymakers haven't been to the postseason playoffs since '28 and they are still without a Pro Cup trophy... Mahaska has two solid starters in Pip Cordice (20-15/3.19) and Bobby Kelman (17-12/3.30)... and John Polk (12-7/3.79/17 saves) runs hot-and-cold as the closer... the offense isn't much... except for All-Star 3B Goose Fulton (.305/30/111/94)... 1B Roger Lewis (.248/27/83/70) and CF Tom Norborne (.289/16/56/70) help out some... star SS Rocco Bertara (.255/8/55/64) is still solid with the glove.

The Luxora Zorros gave White River a run for its money in '49, winning 95 games, but lost out in a close race by three games... they dipped to 71-83 in '50, but came back this year with an 82-72 mark... after a decade of mediocrity Wendell Hasbro (20-9/3.49) blossomed this season at age 32... no other starter stands out... in the bullpen Kippy Stearns (11-5/3.10/11 saves) is fairly good... the Z's don't have a lot of offense, either... 1B Tuff McLendon (.343/19/75/59) and 37-year-old journeyman 3B Tiago Chaves (.321/15/59/62) were the best threats at the plate with some help from CF Xavier Da Nova (.246/25/73/77) and UIF Bobby Portonova (.264/21/76/75).

The Hartsdale Hellcats have a string of eight years in the first division...they were the last team to win the division prior to the rise of White River, winning in '45 and '46... the Hellcats won their only Pro Cup in 2045... they are just a little above average... Perry Givens (14-14/3.28) is the long-time ace... Ron Norton (13-17/3.76) is the only other starter under the 4.00 ERA mark... however, in the bullpen young 24-year-old Roy Krieger (15-7/1.76/11 saves) had a magnificent season in his third season as closer... offensive the Hellcats are pussy cats... the best of the lot are RF Emilian Burgess (.297/23/70/67), LF Darrell Nesbitt (.292/12/54/72) and C Kelton Carmichael (.279/19/64/82).

The Oxford Red Caps have finished under .500 for the last six seasons... they were fifth this year 75-79 (22 GB)... with a good offense and decent pitching... the last postseason appearance for the Red Caps was in their only Pro Cup title year of 2007... they knocked off the Stoner Stars in five games... Lou Ellison (23-12/2.74) had a career year to lead the mound staff... backed up by another fine pitcher Rudy Mellancamp (16-21/2.98) and Tekkan Nishikawa (15-12/3.84)... nothing much in the bullpen... Oxford has some solid bats in 3B Les Haynes (.284/22/102/83), LF Kevin Carter (.298/28/90/89) and All-Star RF Mel Shadwell (299/20/75/94).

The remaining three clubs in the TU North had poor seasons... Blue Lake was sixth (36 GB)... it's been 22 years since the Blue Sox made the playoffs... that was in 2030 when they won their only Pro Cup, finishing off the Valmara Vipers in six games... Dookie Denham (13-15/2.84) was the only effective starter and closer Razzy Richmond (9-8/3.29/14 saves) did a fairly good job in the bullpen... the only batter of note was veteran star and 5-time All-Star C Juan Luis Barcelona (.289/10/38/69), who is much better known for his defensive prowess.

The seventh place Fairfax Frogs could put runs on the scoreboard, but so could the opposition... and in far more abundance... long-time superstar C Scott Courtney led the club in all categories with a .315 BA, 24 HR, 78 RBI and 85 runs... he got some modest help from 1B Rex Reichardt (.299/21/76/44), CF Trent Russell (.279/13/68/64) and RF Brad Johnston (.282/8/72/56).

Once totally dominant in the IPA, the once-mighty North Hills Hawks have slipped into anonymity in the past six seasons... they won their last pennant in '45 and the last of their four Pro Cups in '41... bluntly, they can't hit or pitch... Akio Ichikawa (12-16/5.31) was the club leader in victories... the one talent on the hill was closer Carver Dillon (7-5/182/12 saves)... the one talent at the plate was RF Chuck Coltharpe (.297/34/95/99) and he is a very good one... the Hawks recently traded Coltharpe to St. John of the Ruthlandian South and Dillon to Valmara of the Ruthlandian North... in exchange they got six players with potential... it was win-win for all concerned... Coltharpe and Dillon deserve to be with contenders and the young talent will get off the bench and get a shot at playing.

2051 Tycobbian North Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

Thank you for this dynasty—it has inspired me to create one of my own once OOTP 16 comes out.

It will be the proposed 96-team dynasty mentioned in this post.

The post-season awards will be named:

Rookie of the Year—Jackie Robinson Award
Best Batter (Silver Slugger)—Roberto Clemente Award
Best Pitcher—Sandy Koufax Award
Most Valuable Player—Frank Robinson Award
Gold Glove—Brooks Robinson Award
Rolaids Relief Man—Hoyt Wilhelm Award
Manager of the Year—Walter Alston Award

I was born in the 1960s so all of the names—leagues, divisions, awards—have a tie-in with the 1960s, including the Jackie Robinson Award; he was inducted into the HOF in 1962.

Great!

I'll be watching for it.

Have fun!

And thank you for following the IPA.:)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

SAN ALEJO WINS TU SOUTH IN PLAYOFF
Baseball doesn't get much better than a stretch-run battle between multiple contenders... but a division title decided by a single-game playoff is even better... San Alejo, Turon and Ginza went at it the whole season in the Tycobbian South before it came down to just one game between the Montaneros and the Typhoons... San Alejo won it 9-3 and now will head to the Pro Cup playoffs... the champion Monties finished one game ahead of Turon and three and half in front of the Ginza Ninjas... the Colchester Elites were 10 and a half out in fourth place.

San Alejo has been a contender for the last 15 years, winning the TU South in '49... prior to that, it was '37... the Montaneros only Pro Cup trophy came in '32, when they edged the Colfax Blasters in seven games... they possess very good offense (5th in scoring) and solid pitching... at the plate the standouts are superstar CF and All-Star Paulo Teixeira (.315/37/104/116), star and All-Star 1B Royce Grantham (.292/25/98/112), RF Erik Landau (.283/9/55/98) and SS Sal McAllister (.287/7/86/62... just two years ago Grantham was named the Tycobbian MVP and won the Golden Bat Award... however, the two most important players are superstar starters and All-Star Will McKinney (29-3/1.68) and Matt Bell (24-14/2.94)... McKinney had one of the greatest seasons ever the annals of the IPA... his 29th win came in the championship game, a 9-3 victory for him... San Alejo will be a force in the postseason, but they need to get a third starter, which was missing in the regular season... the bullpen is not very good, either.

Turon took the division lead in July and stayed there until September, but they couldn't put the Montaneros away and lost in a single-game playoff... for six straight seasons they have finished second or third in the race... the last pennants came in '38 and '39... and the last of a record four Pro Cups was won in '18... the Typhoons can pepper the ball and ranked high (3rd) in runs scored and in power with 180 HRs (2nd)... the top hitters are RF Guido Gervasio (.279/31/127/93), 1B Buford Cloninger (.309/36/93/77), 3B Al Salisbury (.300/23/86/106), CF Eddy Spafford (.279/7/58/118) and SS C. C. Kingsford (.304/17/60/65)... but on the hill Turon is just average with Nate Scottsdale (21-13/3.26), Izzy Beasley (19-9/3.24/1 save) and Jarred Franklin (12-5/3.66/4 saves).

The third place Ginza Ninjas were rejuvenated this year and hung in the pennant race all year long, usually no more than 5 games off the pace... the offense was one of the best in the IPA with a .283 team BA... but they were only fair to mediocre on the mound with a 3.97 team ERA... Ginza has little to show for the last two decades... the last division crown was in '31... the Ninjas have never, ever won the Pro Cup... all eight regulars had double-digit home runs and were led by superstar and All-Star LF Sogo Takagi (.333/34/107/119), 3B Horace Dyson (.331/12/58/112), 2B Kuzuki Tamura (.334/16/84/107), RF Takuya Toyota (.293/16/95/66), SS Frank Sims (.297/16/83/65) and 1B Kyle Estes (.274/12/91/54)... Takagi was the IPA co-leader with East Point's Pokie Ash with 119 runs... the best of the subpar mound corps are Tokuji Takahara (20-12/3.52), T. C. Gallimore (18-13/4.30) and Kenju Oyama (14-14/4.03)... Ginza needs to trade a few hitters for some starting pitching... this would make them a serious challenger in the TU South.

Colchester posted a winning record for the first time in a decade going from 76-78 to 81-72... no pennants since '36... and no Pro Cups in its lackluster history... Denzel Durand (24-10/2.44) is their ace and he gets some good help from number two starter Lynwood Ginger (19-13/3.56)... the bullpen is anchored by closer Haden Fraser (9-5/1.89/15 saves)... and the lineup has some real threats in the middle of it... All-Star RF Graig Sutton (.322/40/133/98), All-Star CF Kelton McFalls (.315/39/123/103) and LF Eldon McLennan (.323/18/73/118)... Sutton finished third in the IPA with 133 RBIs... only Ernie Moxley (Hillsboro) with 147 and Waylan Stetson (Valmara) with 137 topped him in the IPA... McFalls was the Tycobbian Rookie of the Year last year and was fourth in the IPA with 123 RBIs... McLennan was third in the IPA with 118 runs, beaten by Pokie Ash (East Point) and Sogo Takagi (Ginza) with 119 each... the Elites may be on the rise in the Tycobbian South.

The Southport Sun Sox were the preseason pick to win the division flag this year, but it didn't come to be... they wound up fifth, just barely over the .500 mark at 78-76... seven times in the last 10 years the Sox won the pennant and in '44 and '47 captured their only Pro Cup trophies... age could be catching up with Southport... superstar starter Billy Hoover (15-16/3.40) is still the ace at age 35. but he had a down year... veteran star Johnny Swanson struggled badly this year and was demoted to the bullpen... second-year man Daron O'Rourke (17-8/3.00) was the most effective starter... Brandon Delmore (18-13/4.01) was the biggest winner... but he is inconsistent, yet gave them some quality starts... the bullpen is still in good hands with Troy Hill (10-6/1.65/10 saves) and Hal Combs (4-2/1.91/7 saves)... LF Tony Patrano (.280/33/104/75), RF Chris Jones (.336/6/64/99), 3B Ricky Whitaker (.282/6/49/84) and 1B Eddy Douglas (.311/20/63/69) were the best bats.

For the fourth year in a row the Cape Coral Hurricanes were a second-division club... the 'Canes were sixth in the standings... the best of a poor staff were Stacy Boyle (17-17/4.25) and veteran Benton McCall (14-16/4.48)... at the plate they have two fine players in All-Star 2B Kent Mantle (.315/32/113/77) and LF Marki Heinsohn (.311/24/100/99)... Cape Coral hasn't been to the playoffs since 2041 and they have never won a Pro Cup.

For the fourth time in the last five seasons the Summerland Sunsets have wound up in the second division, finishing seventh this year... '46 was the last pennant... Summerland has yet to capture a Pro Cup trophy... the Sunsets have a terrible offense and average pitching... only superstar Jayson Hallstrom (12-21/3.01) and Tony Charles (16-14/3.20) are quality pitchers... Hallstrom is 281-199 in his 15-year career with a superb 2.66 ERA... nothing noteworthy in the batting order... RF Rick Mayes (.288) is the club leader with modest stats... 22 HR, 78 RBI, 67 runs... CF Tony Vargas has the best batting average at .301, but has only 1 HR, 38 RBIs and 64 runs.

Arroyo Grande is at the bottom of the TU South for the second year in a row... eons ago the Suns made the playoffs (2024)... never won a Pro Cup... they do have a little bit of power, helped immensely by the short fences at the Casa de Beisbol... the Suns ranked seventh with 165 homers... the top guns are 1B Vince Kinston (.287/37/111/81), All-Star RF Norishige Ito (.327/28/95/103), All-Star SS Russell Taylor (.293/21/91/92) and LF Barry Brigham (.296/16/77/71)... Dwayne McMahon (16-13/4.84) won the most games, but Enrique Lopez (14-16/3.81) is the ace and the only good pitcher on the team.

2051 Tycobbian South Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

FINALLY... THE BLAZERS WIN THE TU EAST
The Hillsboro Blazers finally ended 50 years of frustration... they finally won the Tycobbian East pennant, beating out defending champ East Point and High Mesa in a tight three-team affair... the Cowboys had the top spot until July, when they swapped with East Point... but the Panthers couldn't stand the prosperity and yielded the lead to the fast-closing Blazers in August... the two clubs went toe-to-toe the rest of the way with Hillsboro finally raising the division banner for the first time in the club's history... the Blazers edged the Panthers by two games... the Cowboys by seven and fourth place Red Bluff by 10... the Tycobbian East was a hotly-contested division with seven of the eight team posting .500 or better records.

Picked to finish no better than sixth, Hillsboro surprised the oddsmakers... the Blazers were last in '50 ... great pitching and home-run hitting along with super fielding (.980 FA) were the secrets... they were second in the Tycobbian Union in pitching ERA (3.02) and first in the IPA in homers (217)... top starters were Steve Cooper (21-10/2.44), Jamie Lee Bradley (17-12/2.76), Scott Cole (12-1/2.31/2 saves) and Clay Spencer (19-9/3.65)... heading up the bullpen was Hank Greenbury (15-8/2.09/9 saves)... leading the attack was All-Star 1B Ernie Moxley (.298/58/147/103), who had a terrific year, topping the IPA with 58 homers and 147 RBIs... C Harry McGuire (.286/37/85/88) and LF Jurrien Bellini (.248/34/92/95) also supplied some good power numbers... with the strong starters and good run-scoring ability, the Blazers could capture some postseason attention.

It was the second successive successful season for the East Point Panthers... they went from 91-63 to 98-56, but lost the pennant... they were hoping for their first Pro Cup trophy, but Hillsboro sneaked up on them and got the best of them... the Panthers had the best offense in the IPA and fairly good pitching... the lineup was chocked full of strong bats with All-Star SS Justin McRae (.325/12/84/92), 3B Major Woods ((.328/20/84/94), CF Pokie Ash (.314/13/88/119), All-Star 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.293/45/114/98), C Kenny Bailey (.284/36/94/96) and RF Doug Dennhardt (.274/25/99/73)... the pitching was better-than-average with Ralph Wallace (20-11/3.47), Lee Price (20-11/3.87) and Milt Easterling (19-15/3.90)... and All-Star closer Pudgy Putnam (12-6/1.80/16 saves) had standout season.

The High Mesa Cowboys won the pennant four years ago and have remained a competitive club, coming in a fairly-close third (7 GB)... they got a Pro Cup long ago in 2002... the Cowpokes had the division lead into July, but faded in the stretch run... homers and pitching is what they depend on... Tuffy Hammel (27-9/2.32) and Lucius Quarles (22-10/2.35) are as good a duo as anyone in the IPA... but two starters can't do it all... High Mesa had two top-notch hitters in 38-year-old All-Star 3B Andreas Stokke (.287/42/112/77), who seems to get better with age... and 38-year-old 1B Kris Wilson (.298/29/96/91).

The Red Bluff Red Sox won four TU East flags 2044-2047 and feature solid hitting and pitching... they were in striking distance all season long usually 5-10 games out, but never made a run at the leaders... the Red Sox's only Pro Cup trophy came in 2004... Sonny Wheat (26-6/2.51) had a magnificent season, a career year... his best year prior was 16-15 in '48... veterans George Reynolds (16-15/3.29) and Mickey Rosen (18-12/3.27) give the Red Sox two more quality pitchers... the bullpen is taken care of by Carson Jamara (10-7/2.99/7 saves)... at the plate the best sticks are RF Toni Kolkov (.324/31/95/96), 3B Dazzy Bevis (.262/26/98/85) , SS Monty Lyons (.280/22/70/110) and CF Dane Summer (.263/26/98/85).

The Midway Wolves finished second last year to East Point with an 87-67 mark (4 GB), but slipped to fifth this season with 83-71 (15 GB)... both the hitting and pitching declined... the Wolves haven't made the postseason since '27 and have never won IPA Pro Cup crown... 21-year-old Beau McCloud (19-15/2.87) followed up on a fine rookie year... vet Charlie Chase (20-15/3.77) won 20 for the second straight year... and vet Craig Armstrong (20-13/4.40) got strong run support... Rocket Rhodes (8-7/1.92/7 saves) did his job well in the closing role... Jeffrey Leonard (4-5/2.30/7 saves) did, too... All-Star 3B Kax Clark (.316/9/97/97) was the bright spot in the batting order... lending some help were LF Justin Morrison (.291/21/73/91), catcher A. J. McLouth (.248/25/87/61) and1B Mel Morrison (.254/16/82/47).

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays are usually in the thick of the pennant hunt... they won the pennant in '49... forecast to be a strong contender in the preseason, they were never in it at all... the Bluebirds have good pitching, but absolutely nothing at the plate... the Tucks have four quality starters in Dickie Pittman (20-13/2.67), Alfie Rutledge (14-13/3.00), Ozzie Leslie (15-15/3.64) and Daku Dundee (14-15/3.85)... the pen is well taken care of by Paul Landale (10-7/2.73/19 saves)... the bats are pathetic... 1B Rodger Parsons (.284/8/46/52) and RF Jimmy Markovich (.289/6/37/86) are the club leaders in BA... CF Harv Bannerman (.231/18/57/70) led in homers and RBIs.

The Ozarka Naturals wound up seventh, but in a strong division... they broke even for the year with a 77-77 record... for the sixth year in a row the Nats have been in the bottom two of the division... no division titles since '40... and never a Pro Cup, but they got five tries at it in the Finals, but failed in '11, '12, '16, '19 and '21... Carl Hemus (17-18/2.13) had a great year except in wins... with more run support he might have won 30 games... Marlin Mathewson (19-17/3.97) was the club leader in wins... and Jim Greene was a decent closer (5-2/3.37/16 saves)... All-Star C Tuffy Palmieri (.338/7/50/70) was the top bat... but it was veteran 1B Artie Clayton (.233/34/102/81) that was the most productive despite batting a lowly .233 for average.

This was the worst season in the South Fork Stallions' history... they posted a paltry 56 wins and finished last in the TU East (42 GB)... the Stallions won three flags in a row from '41 to '43 and chalked up their second Pro Cup crown in '42... the first one came in '25... Jay Murphy (14-15/3.32) was the only effective starter... all the rest were 4.50 or higher... same thing for the bullpen... as far as the offense... very little there... LF Jack Boswell (.263/29/84/96) was the only good threat, leading the club in HRs, RBIs and runs scored... C Rudy Maroney (.3-6/20/74/73) and RF Don Jagneau (.284/11/64/71) helped out, but the numbers were modest.

2051 Tycobbian East Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 19, 2051

ARLON WINS TU WEST FLAG
A run-of-the-mill second-division club, the Arlon Champions, surged to the top of the Tycobbian West Division with super pitching and gathered in its first flag in almost a decade... the Champs were in the driver's seat pretty much the entire year, finally winning by a comfortable six-game margin over runners-up Bay St. Clair and Denton City... and fourth place Rolling Hills, which was eight games off the pace... they pulled away from the pack in June... only preseason favorite Bay St. Clair ever got close, narrowing the lead to just two games at the end of July... but the Buccaneers then faded back with an awful August... Arlon will be trying to win its first-ever Pro Cup... however good as the mound staff is, the oddsmakers think the poor offense and poor defense will doom the Champions in the playoffs.

The last time Arlon was the best in the West was in '43... they were fourth and sub .500 last season with a 70-84 mark (29 GB), but an influx of young pitchers this year shot the Champs to the top of the standings... rookie phenom All-Star Erik Branham (22-12/2.09) was brilliant... All-Star and team ace Lanny Gray (21-14) had a fine season... along with another top-flight rookie J. C. Hilburn (18-12/3.06)... the bullpen was in excellent hands with veteran closer Mack Blair (7-6/1.55/16 saves)... the Arlon offense is woeful... only .253 team BA with 103 homers and ranked 28th scoring runs in the TU... 1B Ivan Cisneros is the club leader with 20 HRs, 87 RBIs and 99 runs, but hit only .271... LF Davey Allen tops the team with only a .288 BA with just 47 RBIs and 65 runs... not numbers you can boast about... in addition Arlon is one of the worst defensive clubs in the IPA with a pathetic .965 FA.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers thought they would haul in a third consecutive TU West pennant, but the bats didn't produce as in the title years... the Bucs are still in search of their first Pro Cup trophy... the pitching was there for the pennant run, but not the offense... Scotty Hedwall (18-11/3.26) and Jerry MacIntyre (18-12/3.58) were quality starters and the bullpen was even better... just about the best in the IPA (1.99 ERA) with Ian Abercrombie (9-8/1.76/8 saves), Cadillac Bogart (8-7/1.61/10 saves) and Steve Swanwick (4-3/1.65/1 save)... the Bucs had two real threats in the batting order: 1B Clive Caviness (.333/27/91/66) and CF Stan Kovalenko (.299/20/84/112)... RF Butch Thornhill (.270/24/69/65) also chipped in some power numbers.

This season Denton City tied for second with Bay St. Clair... the last pennant year was '40... still no Pro Cup trophies for the Redbirds... they rebounded from sixth place and 69-85 (30 GB) in '50 to 82-72 (6 GB) this season... improved in both departments, hitting and pitching... All-Star Johnny Wingate (23-11/2.21), Flash Stringfellow (19-14/3.17) and Ked Abrams (15-8/3.52/1 save) were reliable starters... reliever Harry Elliott (7-8/4.33/21 saves) was inconsistent, but was number two in the IPA with 21 saves... Ranford's Martin Futch was first with 22... DC hit well for average (.271 - 6th), but didn't hit with power... 125 HRs (25th)... just average in scoring runs (17th)... the top producers were SS Vincent McCloud (.295/17/88/83), 1B Val Anniston (.314/25/89/79), 3B Rich Prince (.335/13/73/58), LF Paul McMahon (.309/10/55/72) and RF Matt Wakely (.290/12/57/62).

This was Rolling Hills' worst finish since '44... fourth place (8 GB)... in '48 the Reds won the pennant and the Pro Cup, whipping Claxton in five games... overall they have collected three Pro Cup trophies, also winning in 2029 and 2031... on the hill 37-year-old starters Johnny Howard (19-13/3.33) and Matthew Christianson (15-15/2.92) are a pretty good twosome... in 17 seasons Christianson is 291-217 with an impressive 2.97 ERA... and Benny Young (4-5/2.98/11 saves) does a pretty good job in the pen... at the plate the Reds are solid with All-Star 2B Miguel Romeros (.327/32/109/94), SS Dustin Thibodeau (.296/17/68/95), RF Jimbo Foxx (.293/18/72/49), 1B Darwin Tard (.291/17/63/69), 3B Taddy McKeown (.301/8/65/56) and LF Iggy Watford (.265/13/49/66).

The Chicopee Braves came in last in 2050 with a poor 65-89 record (34 GB)... this year they improved to fifth with a 73-81 mark (15 GB)... the Braves have never won the IPA crown and haven't been to the playoffs since the back-to-back-to--back pennants from '34 to '36... the offense is average, while the mound quite mediocre... the best bats for the Braves are LF Sam Patrick (.306/31/115/80), LF Johnny Helwig (.337/14/78/94) and RF Pat Kinney (.334/4/56/74)... on the mound the only decent starters were Manny Spaulding (13-11/3.60), Tony Dazzi (15-19/3.91) and Sharlon Barbour (15-19/3.63)... and the bullpen was just plain bad.

The La Claire Lynx slipped from third place in '50 with a 75-79 record (24 GB) to sixth this season with a 65-89 mark (23 GB)... 2038 was the last divisional crown and there are no Pro Cups in their trophy cases... they are not much in the hitting or pitching departments... Bruce Kinson (14-12/3.75) was the only starter better than .500... and Derrick Kajlich (7-4/2.92/7 saves) was the best in the bullpen... LF Rikky Van Dalen (.292/21/86/85) and 3B Sam Essex (.255/24/87/59) were the best bets at bat.

After years of success the Kenwood Wildcats have suffered declines in the standing for three seasons, going from fourth to fifth to seventh... six times in seven years they were the division champ (2041 to 2047)... the Wildcats have only won one Pro Cup... that was way back in 2014... both the offense and mound had down years... veteran Rusty Bradford (15-20/3.39) was the only effective starter... and the only dependable bats were 2B Jace McFalls (.353/6/80/79), superstar All-Star C Corky DiNozzo (.303/26/84/75), star 1B Country Crowder (.312/5/50/76) and SS Bailey Brumley (.287/5/45/88)... McFalls was the top hitter in the Tycobbian Union with a .353 BA... he was third in the IPA in BA... in 13 seasons Crowder has batted .334, the seventh highest career BA in IPA history... the legendary Jet Kazmarek of Valmara is the leader with a .350 all-time mark.

The cellar-dwelling Bayview Vikings had a horrendous season with just 45 wins, a new IPA record... 59 in 2048 was the worse the Viks had ever done before... previously the fewest all-time victories in a season were 47 by North Hills in 2019 and Oxford in 2040... Bayview hasn't made the postseason since 2016 and they haven't won a single Pro Cup yet... for the last seven years the Vikings have been stuck in the second division of the TU West... the pitching is atrocious with a sky-high 5.44 team ERA, which also set an all-time high... the old mark was 5.43 by the Middlefield Roosters in 2045... Pedro Montalvo (11-21/4.64) was the most productive pitcher on the team... the rest of the starters had ERAs above 5.00... two of them above 6.00... at the plate the Viks had a bad season as well... player-manager and all-time great IPA home run king Jerry Culpepper benched himself this year and retired as a player at season's end... Culpepper hit .302 lifetime with 878 home runs and 2170 RBIs... he is number two in RBIs... only the great Phil Gravelli had more with 2493... Gravelli starred for Belair Beach and Crystal Lake for 25 seasons in the early days of the IPA... this year's club leader was LF Cooter Cannon with 30 HRs, 79 RBIs and 94 runs, but he batted a poor .248... CF Rusty Hunter (.302/2/49/66) doesn't have any power, but does make contact often... superstar OF Nioka Inkamara (.320/26/71/49) can still hit with the best of them, but is a defensive liability... his running skills have greatly diminished... he is considering retirement at age 34 and is rumored to be headed back to Wynnamac as the new skipper in the Ruthlandian Union where he starred for 12 seasons... Culpepper has quite a job to turn around the Vikings... they really are a terrible team.

2051 Tycobbian West Division Final Standings and Team Statistics

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 21, 2051

BASEBALL BEDLAM BEGINS IN THE ISLANDS
Baseball is important in the Islands during the regular season, but it becomes fanatical in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... the eight best teams in Islandia are pitted against each other in the quest for the Holy Grail of Baseball - the IPA Pro Cup... the IPA Division Championship Series begin tomorrow afternoon: defending Pro Cup champion Valmara is back trying to do a three-peat... the Vipers are the favorite to win again... they will host the Waleska Westerners at War Memorial Stadium... in the other Ruthlandian Series it will be Sugar Valley at home against the Middlefield Roosters... in the Tycobbian Division Championship Series last year's Pro Cup finalist White River will entertain the tough San Alejo Montaneros at White River Stadium... and the Arlon Champions will travel to Hillsboro to play the surprising Blazers... all series in the postseason are best-of-seven.

Valmara had another remarkable season... they had to fend off two teams that won 101 and 100 games... to win the Ruthlandian North the Vipers had to win 104 games... this was the first time in IPA history that three teams in one division won 100 or more games.

The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll

1. VALMARA (104-50): The Vipers topped the IPA with a terrific 2.69 team ERA... led by All-Star Primo Sirak (26-6/2.52), All-Star Darek Polaski (22-14/2.31), Darus Grajek (20-14/2.31), Mark Polaski (16-5/3.10/2 saves) and Kasio Bajek (11-5/2.86/9 saves)... the offense was strong, too, with the likes of newly-acquired 1B Wayman Stetson (.294/36/137/77), who led the Ruthlandian Union with 137 RBIs, second in the IPA to Hillsboro's Ernie Moxley with 147... Denton City foolishly traded Stetson, who was strangely riding the bench for the Redbirds... CF Don Ritchie (.333/6/71/112) had the best BA... followed by RF Boyd Holmes (.319/15/77/76), 2B Jorge Aparicio (.308/8/51/63), LF Tomek Abramczyk (.307/14/66/88) and SS Ken Jensen (.289/10/62/95)... Jensen was the Pro Cup MVP last season.

The Vipers are in a great position to win an unprecented fifth Pro Cup and the third one in a row...especially with Stetson in the lineup... only the Far Mountain Redhawks have managed to win a Pro Cup three straight years... they did it in 2011, 2012 and 2013... Valmara is currently tied with Turon and North Hills for the most Pro Cup crowns... each of them have won four times.

2. WHITE RIVER (97-57): the Rascals features an impressive mound corps, good home-run power and average hitting... and they may be good for years to come... still a very young team... top pitchers are Nicky Palmer (23-11/2.39), Keil Trickett (20-7/3.29), rookie Artie Wynyard (16-7/2.60/3 saves) and Butch Slattery (17-17/4.07)... the Rascals won handily this year despite Slattery's down season... last year he was 26-8 and the Tycobbian MVP... ace reliever Todd Cole also went down in May with an injury... rookie Ronald Doss (6-2/1.97/7 saves) replaced him as closer and did a fine job... the top guns at the plate are LF Billy Joe Hickman (.269/31/95/76)... 1B Ruben Reaves (.307/23/63/85), CF Ryne Hyland (.295/17/79/86) and 2B Ryan Byrd (.255/23/72/72)... White River has lost in the Pro Cup Finals the last two years to the powerful Valmara Vipers... the were beaten in six games in '49 and swept in '50... the Rascals could get a third shot at the IPA crown this year.

3. SUGAR VALLEY (103-51): super pitching, good home-run power and a pretty good offense did the job for the Sugar Valley Rattlers... the magnificent mound corps consisted of Joe Snow (22-9/2.44), Antonio Cedeno (22-9/2.54), Christopher Dunsberry (17-13/2.34), Davey Brennan (15-7/2.91/2 saves) and Cullen Winslow (13-7/3.05/5 saves)... although his ERA is a little bit high, Domenico Renterias (11-3/3.76/14 saves) closed out quite a few victories... the Rattlers don't hit for high average, but they have some pretty fair hitters in LF Carl Ramsey (.253/85/103), 3B Smokey Nix (.271/2/74/82), 1B Roger Hobbs (.295/14/80/64) and rookie RF Tyler Alban (.289/15/60/52)... strange as it may be, Sugar Valley doesn't play well in the playoffs... but on paper they always look like a possible champion.

4. HILLSBORO (98-56): picked to finish no better than sixth, Hillsboro surprised the oddsmakers... the Blazers were last in '50 ... great pitching and home-run hitting along with super fielding (.980 FA) were the secrets... they were second in the Tycobbian Union in pitching ERA (3.02) and first in the IPA in homers (217)... top starters were Steve Cooper (21-10/2.44), Jamie Lee Bradley (17-12/2.76), Scott Cole (12-1/2.31/2 saves) and Clay Spencer (19-9/3.65)... heading up the bullpen was Hank Greenbury (15-8/2.09/9 saves)... leading the attack was All-Star 1B Ernie Moxley (.298/58/147/103), who had a terrific year, topping the IPA with 58 homers and 147 RBIs... C Harry McGuire (.286/37/85/88) and LF Jurrien Bellini (.248/34/92/95) also supplied some good power numbers... with the strong starters and good run-scoring ability, the Blazers could capture some postseason attention.

5. SAN ALEJO (92-63): the Monties have been a contender for the last 15 years, winning the TU South in '49... prior to that, it was '37... the Montaneros only Pro Cup trophy came in '32, when they edged the Colfax Blasters in seven games... they possess very good offense (5th in scoring) and solid pitching... at the plate the standouts are superstar CF and All-Star Paulo Teixeira (.315/37/104/116), star and All-Star 1B Royce Grantham (.292/25/98/112), RF Erik Landau (.283/9/55/98) and SS Sal McAllister (.287/7/86/62... just two years ago Grantham was named the Tycobbian MVP and won the Golden Bat Award... however, the two most important players are superstar starters and All-Star Will McKinney (29-3/1.68) and Matt Bell (24-14/2.94)... McKinney had one of the greatest seasons ever the annals of the IPA... his 29th win came in the championship game, a 9-3 victory for him... San Alejo will be a force in the postseason, but they need to get a third starter, which was missing in the regular season... the bullpen is not very good, either.