THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 11, 2052

COLLIER COPS PRO CUP MVP
Carroll Collier has played 11 seasons for the Middlefield Roosters in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the 33-year-old right-hander has won 20 games 6 times in his standout career, but this year may have been his best... Collier led his Roosters to the peak of perfection in the Islands... he led them to the IPA Pro Cup title, emblematic of the best team in Islandia... for his postseason efforts Collier was voted the 2052 Pro Cup Most Valuable Player, edging out teammates Trip Agarn and Natty Colclough in a close vote for the honor... Collier registered a brilliant 6-0 record with sensational 1.46 ERA, posting wins in the 7th game of the Ruthlandian LCS over tough and tenatious Taranto... and finishing off powerful East Point in the 6th game of the Pro Cup Finals... in the regular season Collier chalked up a 16-8 mark with a 3.57 ERA, but he came alive in the postseason and stepped it up to a super level... in his career Collier is 193-138 with an impressive 2.99 ERA.

Winding up second in the Pro Cup MVP balloting was Middlefield's fine 24-year-old slugger, Trip Agarn... the Rooster left fielder paced them at the plate with 8 home runs, 18 RBIs and 21 runs scored and a .299 BA in 19 games... coming in third in the voting was Middlefield's 29-year-old second baseman Natty Colclough, who batted .350 with 7 roundtrippers, 15 ribbies and 21 runs scored... during the regular campaign Agarn batted .299 with 37 HRs and 117 RBIs and Colclough hit .254 with 21 HRs and 90 RBIs.

*** Carroll Collier * Trip Agarn * Natty Colclough ***

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 12, 2052

TOP GLOVES NAMED BY IPA
It's been said that the best offense is a good defense... that's why contending teams are always looking to improve on the defensive side of the game... it's make a difference... keeping runs from scoring is just a good as driving them in... The Islandian Pro Alliance has chosen the top fielders of the 2052 season...most of the top defenders this year are first-timers on the Golden Glove squad... four of them are rookies... Frank Penn, fine catcher for the Far Mountain Redhawks, was selected for the 5th time in his career.

RUTHLANDIAN UNION GOLDEN GLOVE AWARDS

Pitcher: Griff Hollman (Marston Nine) (1.000 FA/17 PO/51 A/3 DP)
(13-14/4.39 ERA)

Catcher: Frank Penn (Far Mountain Redhawks) (.994 FA/52 A/10 DP/24.1% RTO/3 PB) (5th Gold Glove)
(135 G/.262 BA/5 HR/56 RBI/54 R)

First Baseman: Phil Wilson (Taranto Tars) (.991 FA/96 A/130 DP)
(154 G/.292 BA/21 HR/88 RBI/99 R)

Second Baseman: Damien D'Amboise (Marston Nine) (.977 FA/409 A/88 DP) (2nd Gold Glove)
(144 G/.332 BA/7 HR/61 RBI/110 R/42 SB)

Third Baseman: Mark Hawkins (Belair Beach Sunbirds) (.939 FA/323 A/18 DP)
(143 G/.249 BA/22 HR/88 RBI/70 R)

Shortstop: Stan Radzikowski (Middlefield Roosters) (.971 FA/438 A/106 DP) (Rookie)
(144 G/.267 BA/23 HR/82 RBI/84 R/9 SB)

Left Fielder: Callum Slattery (Ancona Red Elephants) (.987 FA/287 PO/6 A) (Rookie)
(142 G/.325 BA/8 HR/64 RBI/85 R/15 SB)

Center Fielder: Freddie Woodruff (Fort Benton Defenders) (.984 FA/496 PO/10 A) (2nd Gold Glove)
(148 G/.291 BA/7 HR/65 RBI/98 R/24 SB)

Right Fielder: Lenny Buisson (Belle Plaine Musketeers) (.975 FA/222 PO/11 A)
(148 G/.333 BA/36 HR/119 RBI/98 R/12 SB)

TYCOBBIAN UNION GOLDEN GLOVE AWARDS

Pitcher: Flash Stringfellow (Denton City Redbirds) (1.000 FA/14 PO/38 A/3 DP)
(19-17/4.05 ERA)

Catcher: Tuffy Palmieri (Ozarka Naturals) (.994 FA/61 A/4 DP/41.2% RTO/1 PB)
(133 G/.282 BA/2 HR/52 RBI/67 R)

First Baseman: Colton Bonds (South Fork Stallions) (.992 FA/93 A/112 DP)
(149 G/.245 BA/9 HR/60 RBI/80 R/19 SB)

Second Baseman: James Murchison (Colchester Elites) (.979 FA/448 A/147 DP)
(148 G/.306 BA/8 HR/60 RBI/93 R/9 SB)

Third Baseman: Dennis Munsen (Fairfax Frogs) (.943 FA/185 A/13 DP)
(137 G/.263 BA/5 HR/47 RBI/56 R)

Shortstop: Ernie Larmon (Colchester Elites) (.963 FA/472 A/143 DP)
(145 G/.305 BA/9 HR/52 RBI/97 R/8 SB)

Left Fielder: Downtown Wyatt (Fairfax Frogs) (.987 FA/301 PO/2 A) (Rookie)
(120 G/.301 BA/7 HR/81 RBI/65 R/8 SB)

Center Fielder: Harv Bannerman (Tuckanarra Blue Jays) (.992 FA/359 PO/10 A) (2nd Gold Glove)
(143 G/.278 BA/34 HR/102 RBI/102 R/41 SB)

Right Fielder: Paddy Fenroy (Fairfax Frogs) (.971 FA/321 PO/16 A) (Rookie)
(142 G/.291 BA/3 HR/60 RBI/102 RU/26 SB)

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 13, 2052

IPA GOLDEN SWINGERS ANNOUNCED
The best swingers in the Islands have been chosen... the Islandian Pro Alliance have honored Lenny Buission of Belle Plaine and Norishige Ito of Arroyo Grande as the best batsmen in the land... Buisson nabbed the 2052 Ruthlandian Golden Bat Award and Ito took the 2052 Tycobbian Golden Bat trophy.

Buisson is a 7-year veteran and 5-time All-Star... this is the Belle Plaine outfielder's second Golden Bat... he also won it in 2048... Buisson batted .333 in 146 games, rapped 36 homers, drove in 119 runs and scored 98 times... he also stole 12 bases and won his first Golden Glove this year... however, the Musketeers could only finished 5th in the division standings... Buisson has compiled a .337 BA overall with 251 homers... he was acclaimed the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player in 2048.

6-time All-Star Joe Cochrane was Buisson's biggest challenger for the best hitter honor... the Cold Creek third sacker hit .338 in 148 games with 17 roundtrippers, 89 RBIs and 101 runs scored... in spite of Cochrane impressive year, the Catamounts finished 7th in the RU East... third in the voting was Middlefield outfielder Johnny Wyatt, who won the Golden Bat in 2050... Wyatt cracked 35 home runs, hit .299 with 101 RBIs and 96 runs in 131 games... Wyatt's Roosters had a marvelous year, winning the RU West Division flag and also capturing the IPA Pro Cup trophy for the second time in the club's history.

The Tycobbian Golden Bat winner Norishige Ito had an extraordinary season... the Arroyo Grande outfielder topped the TU with 58 homers, 133 RBIs and a .346 BA... Ito also got the Triple Crown award... plus was named the Tycobbian Most Valuable Player... the 6-year veteran has a career .310 BA and 185 home runs... this was his first Golden Bat and first MVP Award... sad to say, the best the Suns could do was 7th place in the TU South.

Ito's main competition came from San Alejo's center fielder Paulo Teixeira... in his 14th season, the 33-year-old star hit .297 with 40 homers, 121 RBIs and 99 runs...Teixeira is a 7-time All-Star... his Monteneros came in second in the TU South this year... in the number three spot in the Golden Bat poll was Oxford's wonderful rookie center fielder, Dwayne Wagner... he sparked the Red Caps to the TU North Division pennant for the first time in almost 50 years with 125 RBIs, 28 HRs and 101 runs, while batting a solid .287 in 147 games.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 14, 2052

CASTLE AND MCKINNEY IPA GOLDEN FLINGERS
This year the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union went their separate ways on picking the top twirlers in their leagues... the 2052 Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award was bestowed on a rookie phenom, Phil Castle, while the 2052 Tycobbian Golden Arm trophy was given to 11-year veteran Will McKinney.

The 23-year-old Castle chalked up a fantastic first season with a remarkable 23-3 record and paced the Taranto Tars to their first pennant in three decades... Castle also posted a terrific 1.83 ERA, tops in the entire IPA.

Two standout veterans were second and third in the RU Golden Arm voting... 34-year-old Ralph Hawk of Ranford was the runner-up, registering a fine 23-7 mark with a standout 1.97 ERA... his Bulls wound up third in the tough RU North Division this year... Hawk has won 3 Golden Arms in his career ('48, '49, '51)... James Long was a prime reason the Middlefield Roosters won more games than anyone in the IPA, running up 106 victories... the Roosters won the RU West in a rout and also capped off the great season by capturing the team's second Pro Cup in its history... in his 14th season Long was 26-9 with an impressive 2.57 ERA... he was the pitcher of the year in 2050... Middlefield won its first Pro Cup in 50 years... 2005 was the last time they were the IPA champ.

The Tycobbian trophy winner, Will McKinney, has had a terrific career in the IPA... this was his 4th Golden Arm Award ('48, '50, '51)... he has won 20 games 10 times in his 11 seasons... 7-time All-Star... his overall record is 258-116 with a brilliant 2.46 ERA... this year McKinney was 23-10 with a 2.11 ERA... 'nuff said.

Coming in second in the top pitcher poll was Turon's 36-year-old star Nate Scottsdale, a 16-year vet with a 287-240 career record... for the first time in 13 seasons his Typhoons won the TU South pennant... Scottsdale piled up a 26-8 record with a strong 2.67 ERA... number three in the Tycobbian Golden Arm balloting was a teammate of McKinney, Matt Bell... in his 14th season with the Monties, Bell was 23-14 with a 2.37 ERA... overall he is 304-163 with a superb 2.50 career ERA... on three occasions Bell has won the Golden Arm ('45, '47, '49).

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 15, 2052

CASTLE AND WAGNER BEST IPA ROOKS
2052 was a very, very good year for rookies in the Islandian Pro Alliance... there was an abundance of talented freshmen around the league... the best of them was Phil Castle, a super talented twirler for the Taranto Tars, and hard-hitting Oxford outfielder, Dwayne Wagner... Castle was selected the 2052 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year and Wagner was named the 2052 Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year.

It was a tremendous year for Castle... not only did he receive the rookie trophy, he was also voted the Golden Arm Award for being the pitcher of the year... in his first year in the IPA Castle, a 23-year-old southpaw, posted a sensational 23-3 mark and led the IPA with a 1.83 ERA... he was a near-unanimous victor in the best rookie poll... due to his efforts Taranto won its first pennant in nearly 50 years.

Runner-up in the best rookie race was Elnora's switch-hitting outfielder, Robb Norwood, who won the batting title with a lofty .367 average... in 115 games, he hit 37 doubles, 4 triples, 12 homers, drove in 71 runs and scored 97... Norwood was an important part of the All-Stars 3rd place finish in the RU East Division... Far Mountain center fielder Ox Gless put up some fine stats, too... in 143 games Gless batted .301, had 30 doubles, 5 triples, 23 roundtrippers, 97 RBIs and scored 99 runs... despite his hitting heroics, the Redhawks wound up 6th in the RU North standings.

The race for the best rookie was tighter in the Tycobbian Union... taking the TU Rookie of the Year honor was Oxford's Dwayne Wagner... he edged out Arlon's shortstop Art Catlin and Turon's third baseman Joel Guidry... Wagner was one of the main ingredients in the Red Caps' first pennant since 2007... the young center fielder played in 147 games, hit .287 with 28 homers, 125 ribbies and scored 101 runs... Catlin participated in 141 contests, compiled a .302 BA with 27 HRs, 110 RBIs and scored 94 runs... however, his Champions fell a game short of winning the Tycobbian West Division... Guidry was instrumental in Turon taking its first flag in over a decade... he batted .295 in 142 games with 26 homers, 91 RBIs and tallied 101 runs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 16, 2052

TRIPLE CROWNER AND ROOK NAB IPA MVP
Two outstanding players had career years in the Islandian Pro Alliance and they both captured the Most Valuable Player Awards for their respective leagues... Triple Crown winner Norishige Ito of the Arroyo Grande Suns hauled in the Tycobbian Union MVP trophy and rookie sensation Phil Castle of the Taranto Tars added the Ruthlandian Union MVP trophy to his accolades.

Arroyo Grande right fielder Norishige Ito had a glorious year... won the Triple Crown, the Tycobbian batting crown, the Tycobbian Golden Bat and now topped it off with the Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player honor... the 25-year-old hit .346 with 58 homers and 133 RBIs, all tops in his league... he also led the entire IPA in those categories as well as runs scored with 144.

Winding up second in the Tycobbian MVP race was Oxford's fine freshman outfielder and Rookie of the Year, Dwayne Wagner... he sparked the Red Caps to their first division title in over 45 years with a .287 batting mark, 28 homers, 125 RBIs and 101 runs... Turon terrific twirler Nate Scottsdale was third in the MVP voting... he had a super season with a 26-8 record and a 2.67 ERA... his Typhoons won their first division flag in over 10 seasons.

First year phenom and 2052 Ruthlandian Most Valuable Player, Phil Castle, paced the Taranto Tars to their first pennant in over 30 years... the 23-year-old portsider racked up a 23-3 record and led the Ruthlandian Union with a very impressive 1.83 ERA... in addition Castle also was voted the top Ruthlandian rookie... he beat out two Middlefield players for the MVP award... James Long finished second in the voting and his teammate Johnny Wyatt came in third... Long tied with Nate Scottsdale for the most victories in the IPA this season, leading the RU with a 26-9 record, while posting a standout 2.57 ERA.. Middlefield not only won the pennant, but also captured the IPA Pro Cup... Wyatt was also a vital cog for the Roosters, batting .299 with 35 roundtrippers, 101 RBIs and 96 runs... Wyatt previously won the Ruthlandian MVP trophy twice... in '49 and '50.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 17, 2052

TINKER, KINGSFORD TOP SKIPS IN IPA
It's all about blame and glory... when a manager wins, he gets the glory... and when it the other way around, he gets the blame... but like a sage old skipper once said, "Hoss, this is the way the game is played... if you got the hosses, you win."... using that philosophy, Middlefield's manager Ricky Tinker and Turon's C. C. Kingsford must have been the best skippers in the Islandian Pro Alliance this year... they certainly had the hosses and rode them to a lot of victories this season... that's according to a poll conducted by the sportswriters and broadcasters all across the Islands.

The 2052 Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year trophy went to Ricky Tinker of the Middlefield Roosters... he guided the Roosters to their first Pro Cup title in almost 50 years... Middlefield chalked up the best record in the IPA this season with 106 victories, easily winning the Ruthlandian West Division flag by 19 games... the Roosters won their 4th pennant in a row and 5th in 6 years... they greatly improved their record from 82-72 last year to a magnificent 106-48 this season... this was Tinker's second time to be acclaimed best manager... he also won it in 2049 with 104 wins.

Tinker had some high-powered competition from Taranto manager Augie Marshall, who piloted his Tars (82-72) up from 5th place in '51 to the RU North title this season with a splendid 99-55 mark... he had to overcome powerful Valmara, who had won the division 7 of the previous 9 years... the Vipers also captured 3 Pro Cups, too... Tinker and Marshall were the only skippers to show up in the poll... it was a fairly close vote, but Tinker got the best of Marshall.

There was quite a race for the 2052 Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year Award... it was a stirring three-way battle with Turon skipper C. C. Kingsford edging out two of his peers, Babe Hankins of the Kenwood Wildcats and Dennis Hartwig of the Oxford Red Caps.

The Turon Typhoons came in second in '51 in the Tycobbian South with a fine 91-64 record, losing the pennant in a single-game playoff... this year Kingsford kicked it up a notch and sparked them to a 96-58 mark and the division flag.

Hankins was at the helm of a greatly-revived Kenwood club... in one season they went from the outhouse to the penthouse in the Tycobbian West, going from a dismal 7th place (65-89) skyward to 91-63 and the top spot... his Wildcats nipped the defending Pro Cup champ Arlon by a single game to win the division flag... Hartwig also engineered a massive recovery in Oxford... the Red Caps went from 5th place (75-79) in '51 to a TU North division title in '52 with an 86-69 record.

Beginning roster work for the 2053 season.

It may take a week or two.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, February 9, 2053

3 NEW IPA HALL-OF-FAMERS
The Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame announced three new additions to the elite group... Jeremy Blanchard, Jerry Culpepper and William Snyder will be inducted into the IPA honor guard in March... this will bring the total number to 78 players.

Heading up this year's class is infielder Jerry Culpepper, the all-time home-run hitter in IPA history with 878 roundtrippers... 5 times in his fantastic career Culpepper hit 60 or more homers in a season... 60 in '37, 63 in '39, 66 in '40, 61 in '41 and 60 in '47... he collected 3064 hits in his 19 seasons, all with the Bayview Vikings, batting .304 overall... Culpepper was number two in RBIs behind the all-time IPA leader, Phil Gravelli... Culpepper drove in 2170 runs, while Gravelli had 2493... he was a 15-time All-Star, 5-time Tycobbian Golden Bat... in '40 and '41 Culpepper was honored as the Tycobbian MVP... he played his last season in 2051 at age 37.

Jeremy Blanchard was an ace right-hander that toiled for 20 years with the Sugar Valley Rattlers, registering an impressive 325-262 record with a solid 3.28 ERA... he starred for the Rattlers from 2027 to 2046 leading them to five division titles and one IPA Cup... Sugar Valley was the overall IPA champion in 2045, when they whipped the Southport Sun Sox in 6 games... 6 times in his illustrious career Blanchard won 20 or more games... he was a 3-time All-Star... he retired at age 40, ranking 13th in total victories and 15th in strikeouts with 3719.

The third inductee this year was a splendid hitter and fine gloveman... William Snyder batted a terrific .322 in his 18-year-career, almost all of it with the Cape Coral Hurricanes... the talented outfielder played from 2033 to 2051 posting 2966 hits with 426 homers and 1565 ribbies... unfortunately the 'Canes won only one pennant in Snyder's tenure with them... that was in 2030... Cape Coral never came close to winning the Islandian crown... 7 times he made the TU All-Stars, 3 times was named to the Golden Glove squad and Snyder was acclaimed the Golden Bat Award winner in 2035... he ended his career at age 36.

Finished updating the rosters with new rookies.

Islandian Pro Alliance Season 2053 will soon begin.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, March 1, 2053

THE ISLANDS ARE ALIVE AGAIN
It happens every spring... hope is coming soon and springs eternal... the white blight of wintertime is slowly fading into its annual oblivion and transforming to a beautiful green all across the Islands... lush baseball diamonds are beginning to flourish with a dark and deep green grass with beautiful green cathedrals and mansions spouting up across the nations of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia... the baseball season will soon be here anew... this is the way it's happened since the 1880s and 1890s... the Islands really do come to life each spring... once again, it's baseball season... the 53rd IPA season is just one month away.

64 clubs will go into action around the Islandian Pro Alliance... in the Ruthlandian Union Taranto, Waleska, Wynnamac and Middlefield will be defending their respective division titles... same thing in the Tycobbian Union for Oxford, Turon, East Point and Kenwood... and the Middlefield Roosters have the toughest task of all, trying to repeat as the coveted IPA Pro Cup trophy winner again this season... the Roosters are the current IPA champion... Middlefield will once again have to beat back 63 other passionate teams to reign supreme again... the poets, pundits and gurus will all have their say in the preseason, but as alway, it's the players on the field that make the difference... looking good on the diamond is always superior to looking good on the page or in the newspaper.

Sorry, having problems with my internet provider... it is intermittent for the last 3-4 days... can't always post... hoping they will fix it tomorrow.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, July 1, 2053

IPA REPEATS LAST YEAR
The good teams from 2052 are still riding high this year in 2053... not a lot has changed... the reigning Pro Cup champion Middlefield is apparently headed for another banner season... just like last year, the Roosters have won more games than any other team in the IPA... they are on top of the Ruthlandian West at midseason... other division leaders are the same ones that won last year: Taranto in the RU North, Waleska in the RU South and Wynnamac in the RU East... however, the Tycobbian Union is somewhat in flux... there are three new division leaders... Blue Lake is a mild surprise in the TU North... Midway has moved ahead of last year's TU East winner East Point... and Denton City has a slight lead in the TU West ... Turon is the only team that won the division flag last year that has maintained its lofty perch... the Typhoons have a solid lead in the TU South.

In the Ruthlandian North race the Taranto Tars (52-25) started off slowly in April (11-12), but have taken off and soared to the top spot in the last two months with a remarkable 41-13 mark and built up an 8-game bulge over the runner-up Ranford Bulls (44-33)... this despite the loss of three starting pitchers, including rookie phenom Phil Castle (23-3/1.83), Valerio Rossi (20-11/2.52) and Enzo Ferrara (17-15/3.58)... Castle (5-3/2.99) and Ferrera (3-2/3.30) are lost for the entire season, while Rossi (9-5/2.96) could return in August... Mario Martinelli (7-0/2.73), Jaron Montague (8-1/2.85) and Freddy De Angelis (7-4/2.82) have filled in admirably... manager Augie Marshall has the pitching and the bats this year again... his prime bats are CF Renzo Caruso (.260 BA/21 HR/45 RBI), LF Kuma Toyota (.315 BA/15 HR/32 RBI/30 R) and All-Star 3B Gaetano Palombo (.322 BA/14 HR/45 RBI/48 R)... the Tars have made the postseason only 5 times, but did cop the 2015 IPA title, whipping the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers in 5 games, led by current manager Augie Marshall... Marshall was installed in the IPA Hall-of-Fame in 2049... he was a standout slugger with 504 homers in his career.

Manager Kyle Hunt had his Ranford Bulls (44-33) rippin' and snortin' the first two months of the season (34-17)... the Bulls were in first place, but tumbled badly in June (10-16)... Hunt doesn't appear to have the pitching, nor the hitting to stay with the Tars... he only has one strong starter... that's his 35-year-old veteran superstar and All-Star Ralph Hawk (11-4/2.32)... and one excellent closer in Martin Futch (7-5/2.36 ERA/11 saves/37 G)... Ranford has a decent offense with 3B Don Connell (.245 BA/13 HR/46 RBI/43 R), 1B Virgil Belisle (.297/10/35/41), LF Zach Isom (.314/8/39/45), RF Rory O'Herlihy (.311/7/33/35) and CF Joey Hawkins (.305/6/32/38)... the Bulls have been to the Pro Cup playoffs on 7 occasions and came home with one IPA crown... that was in 2040 when they subdued the Summerland Sunsets in 7 games, sparked by the then 22-year-old Ralph Hawk.

The rest of the division don't appear to be any threat... trailing in the distance are third place Kilkenny (41-36) and fourth place Valmara (39-38), 11 and 13 games off the pace of Taranto.

For the third straight season the Waleska Westerners (48-29) are atop of the Ruthlandian South Division... it's a two-club tussle with the Grand City Cybercats (44-33) hanging close, just 4 games back... manager and Hall-of-Fame outfielder Roy Hobbs has a fairly good staff with Vince Gibson (13-4/2.64), Kenny Foster (11-5/3.01), Trey Earnest (7-7/3.85) and John McElveen (7-6/3.44)... but seriously lacks productive power (31st) and run-scoring ability (27th)... SS Jingo Jernigan (.292 BA/4 HR/32 RBI/43 R/16 SB) and LF Zip McHan (.327/4/26/29) are the only productive hitters... Waleska has won the Pro Cup 3 times ('28, '37, '39), along with 9 pennants... Hobbs helped the Westerners win in an upset over Tuckanarra in the '28 Pro Cup Series... they beat the Blue Jays in a 7-game set... Hobbs was voted the Pro Cup MVP that year.

Grand City (44-33) is skippered by Thomas Hall... it's been over two decades since the Cybercats' last division crown... they have never won a Pro Cup and have made the playoffs only 3 times in the club history... they are excited about the team this year... the mound staff is borderline old, but capable... Joel Eaton (11-6/2.76), Jimmy Engels (9-4/3.46) and Rusty Stephens (8-7/3.18) are solid, but need better hitting support, especially in home runs (30th)... Kent Douglas (6-4/1.52/9 saves/32 G) is a fine closer... the only two threats at the plate are All-Star CF Rocky Valverdi (.354 BA/10 HR/29 RBI/48 R/15 SB) and RF Harland Blankenship (.292/1/41/38)... the Cats stuggled in April (11-12), but have played steady and winning baseball since at 33-21... just might stay in the race until the end.

Everybody else in the RU South seem to be in the same mediocre boat, playing for third place at best... at midyear the St. John Crusaders (37-40) were in the third spot, but trailing by 11 games... and the Claxton Diamonds (35-42) were fourth and 13 games behind in the pennant chase.

There's a pretty good race in the Ruthlandian East with last year's champ still on top of the standings... Wynnamac (43-34) has a 3-game edge on second place Elnora (40-37), 5 games better than third place Marston (38-39) and 7 games up on fourth place Cold Creek (36-41) and Belle Plaine (36-41).

Wynnamac manager Jerry Meeks is getting by on his pitching corps... his reliable staff probably makes them the pennant favorite... Meeks has some good ones in Simon Northcutt (11-5/3.31), Garan Parula (7-4/2.84/5 saves/20 G), James Duncan (9-6/2.59) and Sammy Hayes (8-10/3.09)... but he has a shaky bullpen (4.93 ERA) and just an average offense (21st in scoring runs)... the Sundowners' best bats belong to 1B Enos Benham (.343 BA/9 HR/36 RBI/37 R), All-Star C Jethro Bibbs (.308/3/28/40), LF Marv Washburn (.306/6/21/32/8 SB) and CF Dickie Key (.293/7/40/36/6 SB)... 8 times Wynnamac has appeared in the postseason playoffs and they have one Pro Cup trophy to show off... but that was way back in 2008 when the Sundowners defeated the Denton City Redbirds in 6 games, paced by sluggers Big Hoss Burkhalter and Nate Cockcroft and hurlers Skeets Hobart and Lefty Paddison.

The Elnora All-Stars (40-37) possess a hard-hitting attack, but skipper Stan Kivas is severely lacking any kind of pitching (4.49 ERA-27th)... his club is batting .279 (1st) and is ranked 3rd in scoring and 7th in home runs... heading up the torrid batting order are two All-Star performers: RF Donald Ray Mooney (.353 BA/12 HR/56 RBI/42 R) and 1B Gus Abreu (.312/11/49/61)... aided by LF Robb Norwood (.301/9/35/32) and CF Pedro Abreu (.305/7/33/43/6 SB)... the best of the lot on the pitching staff are Wade Mendenhall (8-7/3.93) and Billy Ehrenreich (9-9/4.49)... they are not likely to lead a club to a division title in the IPA... Kivas really need a lot of help on the hill to get back to the playoffs... Elnora hasn't participated since 2035... they have appeared 9 times in the postseason playoffs and captured their one and only Pro Cup in '33, topping the East Point Panthers in 7 games... Kivas was even a 23-year-old rookie hurler on that team, saving three games in relief... he went on to post a 237-203 record in 16 years with the club... other stars were pitchers Jeremy Sellers and Freddy Pfeffer, along with CF Travis Glass, MVP RF Pettis Pentleton and 2B Akihiro Samurakami.

The third place Marston Nine (38-39) under manager Russ Woodward have little hitting this year and are rated 28th in scoring runs, but better-than-average on the mound with a 3.41 team ERA (10th)... the Nine last captured the RU East flag in '47... 7 times they have made the playoffs, but have never won a Pro Cup... and have sadly never come close... not likely to win the division this year either... All-Star C Boomer Merritt (.278 BA/15 HR/52 RBI/42 R) and SS John Rodgers (.269/13/40/32) are the only decent hitters... Snooky Knaup (9-9/2.67) is the only reliable starter with Robert Tringle (4-4/0.88/6 saves/29 G) the best in the bullpen.

Can't see the Elnora All-Stars contending for the division crown this season... ditto for the fourth place Cold Creek Catamounts (36-41) and Belle Plaine Musketeers (36-41)... all of them can put plenty of runs on the scoreboard, but can't hold down the opposition on the hill.

Hall of Fame hurler J. J. Gillespie (294-170/2.46 ERA) is at the helm of the Cold Creek Catamounts... and it was in his playing tenure that the club won 5 division titles in 6 years... they have been to the postseason playoffs 8 times, but never won the Pro Cup, but they came oh so close in '41 when they lost in 7 games to the great North Hills dynasty... Gillespie won 22 games that year at age 35... he also won 19, 20 and 21 in the following three years... Cold Creek's top players are All-Star 3B Joe Cochrane (.319 BA/10 HR/46 RBI/50 R), RF Mel Parnell (.266/19/61/46) and LF Jimmy Lange (.281/12/40/53)... the pitching is so bad, there's nobody worth mentioning.

Former Belle Plaine star shortstop Slick Hammill is in charge of the Musketeers... only one single, solitary time have the Muskies graced the playoffs... that was in ancient times... back in 2009... zilch since, unfortunately... probably will be a few more years or so... could be decades, too... anyway, Hammill has one of the best players in the IPA in All-Star outfielder Lenny Buisson (.335 BA/25 HR/64 RBI/50 R/6 SB)... he pretty much carries the club, but does get some help from a few others like SS Kendell Hanks (.308/8/34/43) and LF Nappy Kiggins (.282/7/36/32)... Belle Plaine is hitting a hot .279 (2nd), 8th in scoring and 5th in roundtrippers with 87 so far... but the pitching is lousy with a 4.46 ERA (26th)... no contender anytime soon.

Last year's Ruthlandian Manager of the Year and IPA Pro Cup champion Ricky Tinker had a splendid season with his Middlefield Roosters (106-48) and they are half way to claiming their fifth Ruthlandian West Division banner... they are still in first place with a sparkling 53-24 mark, 5 games up on runner-up Volusia (48-29) and 6 games better than third place Sligo (47-30)... the Roosters have made the postseason 16 times in the team's history... they first captured the Pro Cup in 2005, getting past the Denton City Redbirds in 5 games, led by some sensational hitters, who walloped 34 homers in the playoffs... in the regular campaign Charlie Gamble led them with 51 homers and 120 RBIs, Ty DeWitt had 39 with 113 ribbies, Bailey Norcross added 32 with 111 RBIs... Cecil Clark went deep 28 times and Allie Ludlow socked 26 out of the park... all total they hammered 221 for the year... last year the current edition of the team won their 2nd Pro Cup trophy and they have a fairly good shot at repeating again this year... Tinker has a powerhouse club with 4 All-Stars, sparked by All-Star LF Rufus Blackburn (.283 BA/33 HR/73 RBI/67 R), All-Star SS Stan Radzikowski (.337/20/56/55), CF Johnny Wyatt (.337/20/60/47) and RF Trip Agarn (.317/14/44/46)... Middlefield has a marvelous mound corps, too, with All-Star James Long (14-4/2.38), All-Star Hollis Dale (11-4/2.46), Carroll Collier (10-6/2.46) and Larry Wheelhouse (9-2/3.74)... the Rooster bullpen could be better... so far, they have been mediocre.

The runner-up Volusia Vigilantes (48-29) are managed by player-manager and catcher Tubby Tarkanian... the V's have made the playoffs 9 times in their past, but not a lot lately... '43 was the last pennant... their only Pro Cup trophy came in the inaugural IPA season in 2001 when Volusia topped the Ginza Ninjas in a 4-game sweep, paced by Scooter Perez, Alejandro Salazar, Jesus Arroyo and Alex Luna at the plate and Raul Sandoval and Tony Bertanzos on the hill... this year Volusia has impressive mound work with an outstanding 2.98 ERA (2nd) and super-duper relief (1st-1.23 ERA)... but the V's have trouble scoring (26th)... Tarkanian's staff is young and talented, Casimiro Ramires (12-5/2.68) is the oldest at 30... All-Star Mateus Branco (12-3/1.98) is 25... Rique Batista (10-7/2.65) is 23... Freddy Lapaz (6-5/3.47) is 24... in the bullpen is standout closer Dan Hunt (0-2/1.27/15 saves/22 G), just 26 years old... the future is bright for Volusia... the V's offense is pathetic, ranking last with 31 homers... CF J. D. Landy (.276 BA/6 HR/42 RBI/46 R/16 SB) is the best they have... SS Xandos Passos (.284/2/32/28) and 2B Pablo Mendoza (.330/1/25/21) help out a little bit, but not much... it will tough for Volusia to compete with juggernaut Middlefield, but they have the pitching to contend for second place.

Third place Sligo (47-39) is skippered by ex-Rover star twirler and Hall-of-Famer Les Patterson (306-230), who toiled mainly from 2017 to 2030 and compiled a great career 2.79 ERA... during his era he led them to 4 division crowns and one Pro Cup title in 2021... the Rovers routed the White River White Sox in 5 games... Patterson was 23-8 in the season with a brilliant 2.03 ERA... in the postseason he was 4-2 with 2.09 ERA in 6 starts... Sligo has made 9 appearances in the postseason playoffs... the last pennant came in 2040... the current club has impressive pitching (7th-3.17 ERA) and average hitting (16th/.268 BA) with little power (25th/46 HR)... All-Star Mickey Walsh (13-4/2.34) and 21-year-old rookie Bruce Belden (11-3/2.51) have been standouts on the hill... 20-year-old closer Tiger Snodgrass (4-6/2.51/10 saves/25 G) has been very good, too... #3 and #4 starters Ayden Evans (8-8/4.34) and Mitch Taylor (6-6/4.16) have had some quality starts, too... Patterson's only reliable bats have been 3B Paddy Durham (.297 BA/10 HR/53 RBI/44 R/6 SB), CF Merle Bliss (.307/6/38/48/15 SB) and 2B Tommy Alberts (.292/3/34/34/7 SB).

Fourth place Forest City (42-35), along with two clubs tied for the fifth spot, Rocky Rapids (41-36) and Colfax (41-36), could challenge for second place in the second half... they all three could get back into that race with Volusia (48-29) and Sligo (47-30)... they have pretty fair ball clubs, too.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, July 1, 2053

MIDWAY, DENTON CITY, BLUE LAKE, TURON TOP TU RACES
The Midway Wolves have a slight lead over powerhouse East Point in the Tycobbian East this season... the Turon Typhoons are running away with the Tycobbian South again this year... and two clubs in mild surprises are on top of their respective divisions... in the TU North the Blue Lake Blue Sox have a scant one-game lead over last year's flag winner, Oxford... and the Denton City Redbirds are ruling the nest in the Tycobbian West so far... a narrow one-game margin over second place La Claire.

There has been a mild surprise in the Tycobbian North Division this year... the Blue Lake Blue Sox (46-31) came in fifth last season, 10 games under the .500 mark... but this year manager Frankie Quinn's club is giving last season's division winner Oxford (45-32) fits... the Blue Sox have a one-game margin over the Red Caps at midseason... Blue Lake is doing it with a fine pitching staff, both starters and relievers... leading the rotation is Weldon Nettleton (9-6/2.61), Al Easley (9-6/3.05), Miikael Arens (7-3/3.53), Dookie Denham (7-7/3.93) and Dirk Sinclair (7-4/3.44)... solid in the bullpen, too, with Marty Manush (2-4/3.20/12 saves/28 G) and Jaybird Christan (4-1/2.12/3 saves/16 G)... altogether they have posted a 3.19 team ERA (3rd)... at the plate the Blue Sox are poor, batting only .257 (23rd), ranking only 27th in runs scored and 18th in homers with 65... the only two decent batters are 1B Jude Rupp (.330 BA/8 HR/35 RBI/50 R) and C Juan Luis Barcelona (.279/8/28/38)... with such a wimpy attack, it will be hard for Quinn's troops to outdo Oxford... Blue Lake has been to the postseason just 3 times in its history... their last appearance was 23 years ago... but they did haul in their only Pro Cup trophy in 2030 when they pulled a big upset over the Valmara Vipers in 7 games.

The second place Oxford Red Caps (45-32) are doing it with good power and fairly good pitching... All-Star hurler Rudy Mellancamp (15-1/1.93) has been miraculous thus far this year, but is out with an injury for the next few weeks... his return will be crucial to the Red Caps in the pennant race... skipper Dennis Hartwig is frantically trying to piece together a starting rotation... hopefully the blazing bats will keep them near the top... defending division champ Oxford is hitting only .263 (14th), but leads the league with 441 runs (1st) and is 3rd in homers with 99... 3 All-Stars lead the way: RF Wade McGrew (.312 BA/20 HR/66 RBI/42 R), 2B Ethan Cuthbert (.321/14/45/40/9 SB) and CF Dwayne Wagner (.294/12/48/48)... add in LF Ozzy Ackerman's numbers (.242/21/61/69/17 SB) and you've got a pretty good attack... the Red Caps have appeared only 6 times in the postseason playoffs and they have collected one Pro Cup trophy... that came in 2007 when they triumphed over the Stoner Stars in 5 games.

The White River Rascals (41-35) under the guidance of Hall-of-Famer Marty Blake are a better-than-average club and should stay in the pennant chance till the end... they are 5 GB behind at midyear... the Rascals have a .262 BA (17th) with 71 homers (12th) and they are tied for 12th with 374 runs... and about average on the hill with a 3.87 ERA (11th)... Blake's most productive bats are LF Pudge Tate (.266 BA/14 HR/57 RBI/50 R), 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.279/12/42/41/6 SB), 35-year-old long-time star 1B Billy Joe Hickman (.266/10/34/22) and Kunta Burton (.306/1/29/37)... topping the twirlers are Keil Trickett (11-3/3.26), Nicky Palmer (7-8/3.70), Butch Slattery (9-7/4.37) and Glen Horton (8-7/3.99)... White River had a string of pennants from '47 to '51, but slipped to 3rd place in '52 and this season... the Rascals are still looking for their first Pro Cup despite making the Pro Cup Finals 3 times... lost to Sligo in '21... and to Valmara in '49 and '50.

The rest of the Tycobbian North will have to wait until next year... none of them will be contenders this year.... the 4th place North Hills Hawks (38-39) are just fair-to-middling in most respects... the 5th place Fairfax Frogs (34-43) have average hitting and terrible pitching... the 6th place Hartsdale Hellcats (32-45) are pussycats this season, just a crummy ball club, not good at anything... the 7th place Luxora Zorros (31-46) have pretty good pitching, but zilch for bats... and the last place Mahaska Haymakers (29-48) have a lousy offense and even worse pitching.

In the Tycobbian South the Turon Typhoons (51-26) are picking up where they left off last year and continuing to blow and go at an even better pace... manager C. C. Kingsford's club won the Tycobbian South last year by 15 games and they are rolling along again with a 7-game edge at midseason this year over second place Summerland (44-33)... Turon is getting it done with a high-powered scoring machine and average pitching... the Typhoons are batting a lofty .280 (4th) with 411 runs (3rd)... but they come up short on power with only 51 roundtrippers (27th)... the team ERA is 3.92, ranking 13th in the league... Kingsford's line-up is chocked full of solid hitters including five .300 batters: All-Star CF Maxie Mullinax (.321 BA/2 HR/34 RBI/55 R/21 SB), SS Fernando Labrera (.323/2/26/48/19 SB), RF Andy Wilkerson (.325/2 HR/26 RBI/35 R/10 SB) and 2B Gaylen Clive (.314/2 HR/31 RBI/47 R/6 SB)... however, two of the most productive bats are C Doyle Ashcroft (.284/10/62/29) and 3B Joel Guidry (.262/7/41/41)... on the hill the standouts are starters Nate Scottsdale (12-5/2.87) and Glenn Avery (12-6/3.98), along with Russell Mallory (2-2/1.62/5 saves/11 G) in the bullpen... Turon lost a pretty good starter Yancey Hedges (3-1/3.97) early in the season... he might return in August... last year as a rookie Hedges notched a fine 13-8 mark with an impressive 2.83 ERA... so far, so good for the Typhoons... 16 times the team has made the Pro Cup playoffs, but most of them came in the first 20 seasons... Turon is tied for the most Pro Cups with 4, but they all came in the early years... they won in '03, '06, '09 and '18 and lost in '10 and '17 in a fantastic success run... Kingsford would like nothing better than to add a 5th IPA crown to their resume this season.

The second place Summerland Sunsets (44-33) have only made the postseason 4 times in the club's history and have never captured the ultimate goal, the IPA Pro Cup... the closest they came was in 2040 when they were edged out by the Ranford Bulls in 7 games... they had great pitching and lousy hitting that year, just about like this year... a young 23-year-old right-hander Jayson Hallstrom was the ace of the mound staff... at age 36 he's still the ace of the team with a 13-3 record and a fantastic 1.39 ERA... can history repeat?... nope, not likely... this year's staff is not as strong as the '40 rotation (2.83 ERA), but they have a very good 3.12 ERA (2nd)... Tommy Underhill (9-3/3.21) is a solid #2 starter, but the talent drops off thereafter... manager Antonio Vasques has a good bullpen with Rory Poe (4-2/0.80/8 saves/24 G) and Rudy Hilgendorf (3-2/2.48/2 saves/19 G)... a good second half by #3 starter Corey Vinson (7-11/3.57) could get Summerland back in the pennant battle... scoring is the team's biggest shortcoming... they are batting a lowly .249 (31st) with only 29 homers (29th) and just 289 runs (32nd)... the most productive batters are 3B Zane Howe (.275 BA/9 HR/46 RBi/34 R), C Zip Enright (.254/7/33/27), LF Kinky Elkerson (.277/6/30/32) and CF Kleef Woestmann (.267/7/27/21)... contact hitter RF Tony Vargas tops the team with a .348 BA, but has only 2 dingers and 19 RBIs.

In third place in the TU South are the Southport Sun Sox (41-36), managed by Hall-of-Famer outfielder Lorne Evans (.305 BA/701 HR), 12-time All-Star, 5-time Golden Bat and 2-time Golden Glove winner... in his rookie year as skipper, Evans guided the Sun Sox to their 3rd IPA Pro Cup trophy, beating the Middlefield Roosters in a stirring 7-game series in 2047... that was 6 years ago... Southport is currently 3rd in the TU South race with a 41-36 mark, 10 games off the pace... the Sun Sox feature good pitching with a 3.64 ERA (7th) and a fair offense with 342 runs (23rd)... not much power eight with just 57 home runs... top staffers include starters Hal Combs (7-9/3.23) and Champ Shafer (11-8/3.86), along with closer Troy Hill (6-3/2.20/8 saves/20 G)... the team's top gun now in his 2nd season is 21-year-old RF Manuelo Garcia (.348 BA/11 HR/44 RBI/43 R/10 SB)... helping him out are 1B Zee Graham (.286/11/48/42) and LF Chris Jones (.293/1/23/36)... not too many other threats in the batting order... Evans needs more offense to contend for the division crown.

The rest of the clubs in the Tycobbian South will battle it out for third or fourth place... they are all fairly evenly matched... the San Alejo Montaneros (38-39) and Cape Coral Hurricanes (38-39) are tied for the 4th spot in the standings... the Monties are just an average club... the 'Canes need better pitching... the 6th place Colchester Elites (37-40) are similar to San Alejo... the 7th place Arroyo Grande Suns (35-42) top the Tycobbian Union with 108 homers, but has little else in the batting order, plus terrible pitching... the Ginza Ninjas (32-45) are at the bottom of the barrel in the Tycobbian South... a strange team with a real fine offensive attack, but an absolutely horrendous pitching corps... the Ninjas are hitting at a torrid .283 clip (2nd) and scoring at the rate of 395 runs (6th), but have an atrocious 5.15 team ERA (32nd), the second worst in the entire IPA this season... only the LaGrange Sports of the Ruthlandian North are worse with a horrible 5.21 ERA.

This season in the Tycobbian East Division the Midway Wolves (51-26) have turned the tables on last year's pennant-winning East Point Panthers (47-30)... the Middies have a 4-game lead midway through the season over the high-octane Panther ball club... that's how good Midway is this year... last year they wound up 5 games behind East Point... this season they are the top team with a standout 2.79 ERA (1st) and the Wolves also hit the heck out of the ball, batting .282 (3rd), rank 10th in scoring with 385 runs and 13th in homers with 69... on the mound All-Star Charlie Chase (15-4/2.29), All-Star Will Deberry (14-3/2.57) and Beau McCloud (10-6/3.17) are pitching lights-outs baseball... add in newcomer to the rotation Yank Atchley (4-3/2.31) and manager Bobby Dorignac has quite a staff... his bullpen is solid, too... at the plate doing the heavy-duty work are All-Star SS Kax Clark (.361 BA/8 HR/47 RBI/55 R/7 SB), LF Lew Dillinger (.351/3/21/38/10 SB) and RF Daryl Vale (.339/6/28/25) with help from 1B Tom Goodnight (.301/7/38/41) and CF Ernesto Diaz (.278/9/30/47/16 SB)... plus 3B Jamey Southwick (.244/13/44/28) has been a pretty good power and RBI guy... Midway is for real... East Point beware.

East Point (47-30) can put runs on the boards, but they only have average pitching... skipper Frank Blair's club is carrying a modest .263 BA (15th), but has scored 418 runs (2nd) and hit 91 out of the park (5th)... his main bats are 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.297 BA/15 HR/47 RBI/40 R/11 SB), C Kenny Bailey (.289/14/47/40) and All-Star 3B Justin McRae (.308/7/36/52/8 SB)... slugging RF Doug Dennhardt (.240/18/42/27) can also get you a run in a hurry, too... on the hill the Panthers have posted a so-so 3.95 ERA (15th)... Blair has a quality rotation with Ralph Wallace (11-6/3.29), Benny Allen (8-8/3.77) and Chip Dowler (9-4/4.04)... he needs a reliable #4 man in the mix... Pudgy Putman (5-1/2.12/7 saves/23 G) is a fine closer and heads up a good bullpen... East Point will have a tough fight to overtake Midway in the second half... the Wolves are getting better as the season moves along... not so, the Panthers.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays (42-35) are in the third spot in the TU North standings, 9 games off the pace of Midway (51-26)... Tucks skipper Junior Bristow has a fine staff with starters All-Star Dickie Pittman (11-6/2.63), rookie Terence Gargan (9-5/3.05), Ozzie Leslie (5-10/3.56) and Daku Dundee (7-2/3.81)... his bullpen is pretty sharp, too, with the likes of Paul Landale (2-2/2.64/12 saves/28 G)... the Blue Jays' main weakness is the offense... they are ranked 28th in scoring with just 330 runs... batting .263 (16th) with only 64 roundtrippers (19th-tied)... Tuckanarra could compete with Midway and East Point if it could score more runs with better regularity... the Tucks' top guns are CF Harv Bannerman (.296 BA/14 HR/29 RBI/50 RBI/21 SB), All-Star 1B Rodger Parsons (.359/8/33/34), RF Jay Jay Batchelor (.288/9/36/34) and 3B Newt Crutchfield (.300/6/41/29)... not too much in the batting order otherwise... no division title for Tuckanarra this year... the last one came in '48... the Blue Jays have graced the postseason playoffs 18 times in a storied history, winning 3 Pro Cups: 2023 over Valmara in 6 games... 2024 over Sugar Valley in a 4-game sweep ... and 2034 over Elnora in another sweep... in addition the Tucks made the Finals in '13, losing to powerhouse Far Mountain in 4 games and to Waleska in 7 games in '28.

The remaining 5 clubs in the Tycobbian North are probably all playing for 4th place... it's not likely any of them can catch the top three teams... the South Fork Stallions (38-39) may have the best prospects for the last spot in the first division because of a fairly good pitching staff... the Red Bluff Red Sox (35-42), High Mesa Mustangs (35-42) and Hillsboro Blazers (33-44) can hit homers, but can't get a lot of people out... and the Ozarka Naturals (33-44) are just mediocre on the mound and at the plate.

In the Tycobbian West Division the Denton City Redbirds (46-31) have done a complete about face this year... ditto the second place La Claire Lynx (45-32), the third place Chicopee Braves (39-38) and the fourth place Bayview Vikings (38-39)... in another complete reversal, the good teams last year have fizzled, flopped and fallen into the second division... last year's winner Kenwood (37-40) has slipped to fifth place... Arlon (35-42), Bay St. Clair (35-42) and Rolling Hills (31-46) are all deep in the doldrums this season, after being in the top four teams last year.

The top team, the Denton City Redbirds' (46-31) mound corps regained their magic after collapsing last year and finishing sixth (67-87) in the standings... at midseason this year manager Pete Gibbs' pitchers have chalked up a fine 3.21 ERA (4th), lowering it from a poor 4.38 ERA last year... the Redbirds still can rip the ball and rank 4th in scoring runs... everything is coming up rosy for the Redbirds... Flash Stringfellow (13-5/2.18), Harry Elliott (8-5/2.72/5 saves/27 G), Johnny Wingate (9-4/2.86) and Jayson Manning (8-9/3.40) are a formidable foursome... topping the Redbird batters are RF Tristan Redgrave (.373 BA/11 HR/38 RBI/45 R/8 SB), SS Vincent McCloud (.307/8/40/56/5 SB) and 3B Ronny Lambert (.300/5/35/47) with quite a bit of help from longballers CF Harper Catlow (.206/15/41/48/9 SB) and 1B Val Anniston (.274/11/35/43)... Denton City looks to be the best team in the division this year... it will take quite a club to beat them out in the chase for the TU West pennant... the Redbirds were a power in the early days of the IPA, making the postseason 8 times in the first 13 seasons and making the Pro Cup Finals in 2005, falling to the Middlefield Roosters... in 2008 Denton City lost to the Wynnamac Sundowners in 6 games... since then, they have only the 2040 pennant to show for the last four decades... the Redbirds might be a force in the playoffs this year.

La Claire had an awful season in 2052, finishing in the TU West cellar with a terrible 58-96 record... this year the surprising Lynx (45-32) have been running neck-and-neck with Denton City (46-31), trailing by just one game at the All-Star break... manager Flash Devlin's doing it with a .291 team BA (1st)... still they rank only 11th in scoring with 380 runs... the Lynx have hit only 60 homers (24th)... pitching is a problem for Devlin with a 4.23 ERA (26th), not exactly the quality of pitching for a bonafide contender... yet La Claire is right up there at the top of the standings... not likely to stay that way in the second half... could battle for the runner-up spot... it's been years since the Lynx have appeared in postseason play... the last pennants came in '37 and '38... only made the playoffs 4 times total... never close to winning a Pro Cup trophy... add another year to the long drought.

In a rebound year the third place Chicopee Braves (39-38) are 7 games back of Denton City (46-31)... last season the Braves wound up 5th with a 72-82 mark... this year they can also hit the ball, but lack good pitching... manager Augie Meaux's club is batting .269 (11th), is 7th in scoring with 390 runs, but only has 61 roundtrippers (23rd)... not so good on the hill with a 4.12 ERA (21st)... the Braves' most productive batters are 2B Tex Whatley (.256 BA/18 HR/60 RBI/45 R) and SS Derrell Stelly (.250/11/32/31), but they don't hit for average... Chicopee's best contact hitters are LF Adam Maxson (.326/5/26/29), CF Rico Visaggi (.324/2/31/32/4 SB) and RF Travis Ledger (.304/2/23/24)... top pitchers are starter Sharlon Barbour (9-8/3.21) and closer Chipper Gilton (4-2/1.67/10 saves/27 G)... third may be the best the Braves can do... the Braves also have a sparse history of success in the IPA with just 3 playoff appearances... 3 years in a row... '34, '35 and '36... still seeking their first Pro Cup... not gonna happen in '53.

Last year Bayview stumbled in seventh in the standings at a dismal 65-89... in a fine turnaround, the Bayview Vikings (38-39) are currently fourth in the Tycobbian West and 8 games behind first place Denton City (46-31)... IPA all-time home-run leader Jerry Culpepper is in charge of the club now... and they can go deep... 80 homers (9th)... and they can score really well with 406 runs (5th), but the pitching is non-existent with a pitiful 4.73 ERA (31st)... forget about winning the pennant, but first division might be possible... it's been 37 years since Bayview won a pennant... all 6 of the postseason appearances came in the club's first 16 seasons... never managed a Pro Cup title in its history... this season the Vikings could wind up as high as second due to its potent attack.

Kenwood manager Babe Hankins had a fine year last year, winning the TU West flag... not so this season... both his offense and pitching deserted him in the first half of the year... his Kenwood Wildcats (37-40) have dropped to fifth place and are 9 games off the pace... they are playing better the last two months, so there's still hope for a decent season... Kenwood has both a lackluster offense (18th) and mound staff (23rd)... top performers at the plate are 37-year-old superstar C Corky DiNozzo (.338 BA/9 HR/31 RBI/30 R), SS Kiko Vidal (.295/7/49/38/5 SB), LF William Gloucester (.340/7/32/29/5 SB) and 3B Bailey Brumley (.287/3/33/3/3 SB)... the club leader in homers is CF Chris McNeal with 10, but he is batting a lowly .217... not much in the gas tank after these guys... starters Rusty Bradford (9-8/3.88), Tony Myerson (5-10/3.17) and Elian Verjano (4-2/5.26) have all declined this season... last year Bradford was 20-13 with an impressive 2.92 ERA, Myerson 19-11 with a 3.12 ERA and Verjano was 15-11 with a 3.53 ERA... what a difference a year makes... the Wildcats have chalked up 7 pennants since 2040... they have made the playoffs 10 times and have captured one Pro Cup championship... that was back in 2014, when Kenwood got the best of the Belair Beach Sunbirds in a 7-game series... the talent is still there... if Hankins can get his pitching staff straight, the Wildcats could end up a high as second place... it could happen.

Only last place Rolling Hills (31-46) is out of the running for the first division... 6th place Bay St. Clair (35-42) has a pretty fair attack (8th), but lacks pitching (22nd)... Arlon (35-42) no longer has the standout mound staff they possessed when they captured its only Pro Cup trophy in 2051, but it might be able to get up into the first division this year... the Champions surprised everybody in the Islands, when they were the upset Pro Cup winner... they were picked last in the Pro Cup predictions that year and still won the title... Arlon defeated Waleska in 5 games.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, July 1, 2053

2053 RUTHLANDIAN UNION MIDSEASON BATTING AND PITCHING LEADERBOARD

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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, July 1, 2053

2053 TYCOBBIAN UNION MIDSEASON BATTING AND PITCHING LEADERBOARD

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2053 Midseason Ruthlandian Union Team Batting Statistics
Tuesday, July 1, 2053

2053 Midseason Ruthlandian Union Team Pitching Statistics
Tuesday, July 1, 2053

2053 Midseason Tycobbian Union Team Batting Statistics
Tuesday, July 1, 2053