THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2057

2-TEAM RACE IN RU NORTH, VIPERS VICTORS
The Ruthlandian North Division winner was the Valmara Vipers (96-58)... they were on top or near the top the entire season, finally beating out the Glasco Athletics (89-65) by 7 games... the Vipers didn't have a bad month in the year, while the A's slumped in July and August with a 27-30 mark... Glasco still had a shot at the division flag in September, just four games behind, but they faltered and slipped even further behind Valmara... Ancona and LaGrange started off well, but quickly slipped back into the second division by midseason... by the All-Star Game it was just a two-team race between Valmara and Glasco.

It's the offense that makes the Valmara Vipers go... .279 BA (3rd), 175 HR (3rd) and 823 runs (2nd)... aging pitching staff is just a little better-than-average with a 3.75 team ERA... fielding is just a little below league average (.975 FA)... the Vipers easily topped the Ruthlandian Union with 96 victories... they should do well in the Pro Cup playoffs with the high-scoring arsenal, but they will probably fizzle out against a club with strong pitching and good hitting.

The Vipers are a youthful bunch of swingers, led by 1B Timmy Benford (.312/24 HR/87 RBI/90 R), rookie SS Alek Stolarski (.302/11 HR/70 RBI/108 R/8 SB), 3B Vladimir Szymanski (.308/10 HR/70 RBI/74 R) and rookie 2B Borys Balicki (.312/8 HR/71 RBI/63 R/3 SB)... old pro C Karol Koska (.241/26 HR/78 RBI/64 R), CF Doc Pollins (.254/19 HR/65 RBI/72 R/1 SB) and LF Royce Chandler (.359/16 HR/64 RBI/43 R/2 SB) supply most of the power.

On the hill manager Arno Vainmaa still has some solid starters, but they are getting up in age: 34-year-old Darus Grajek (20-16/3.71) and 38-year-old Primo Sirak (19-12/3.07), mixed in with some youth like Lukasz Chojnacki (18-11/3.76) and Tony Joe Carnes (13-8/3.08)... the bullpen is fairly good with All-Star Kris Fourcade (5-2/3.23 ERA/27 saves/42 G) and veteran Carver Dillon (2-0/1.80 ERA/2 saves/25 G).

Glasco skipper Charles Darby had a well-balanced club with a .275 BA (5th), good scoring with 732 runs (9th), but not much power with only 114 HRs (26th)... the A's had quality pitching with a 3.50 ERA (5th)... plus excellent fielding with a .981 FA.

All-Star hurler Monte France (18-17/3.12) is the ace, but he did not have a good second half, going only 6-12... rookie Jayden Furman (19-12/3.38) and Herb Goodman (20-12/3.74) and Jonathan Burnett (14-13/3.48) looked good and showed good long-term potential... as far as starters, the future is good for Glasco, but the bullpen is weak with 3.79 ERA (24th)... the Athletics have a solid core of hitters, paced by LF Callum Slattery (.325/20 HR/82 RBI/96 R/5 SB), SS Rick Farns (.302/22 HR/98 RBI/70 R/2 SB), 3B Allen Spears (.299/9 HR/82 RBI/74 R/8 SB), RF Tuff Danford (.316/4 HR/44 RBI/89 R/1 SB) and All-Star C Gordy Glisson (.303/9 HR/75 RBI/60 R)

The Far Mountain Redhawks (81-73) came in a distant third, 15 GB... they won the RU North two years ago with great pitching (85-69), ran a fine race a year ago (88-69), but lost out by 3 games, but faltered this year, mainly on the mound... manager Robby Kelly has a quality offense with a .260 BA (16th), 722 runs (12th) and 150 HRs (10th-tied), but the pitching has declined, winding up with a 3.98 ERA (20th) this year... defensively the Redhawks are below average (.974 FA)... in the pennant-winning season, 2055, the team ERA was a sparkling 3.12, one of the best in the IPA.

This year Frankie Frasier (19-14/3.74) was the top winner and only consistent starter... former starter, Benny Van (4-8/3.79 ERA/2 saves/59 G), really had a down year and was relegated to the bullpen... newcomer and rookie Jeffrey Chandler (6-4/2.04) really looked good coming up in August... Bob Speed (4-5/2.95) is another rookie, who shows promise... the bullpen is well-stocked with Brian Townsend (4-4/1.43 ERA/26 saves/47 G) and Sid Michaels (5-0/2.54 ERA/1 save/53 G)... Far Mountain's bullpen is the RU's best with a 2.62 ERA (1st).

1B Ox Gless (.285/24 HR/90 RBI/93 R/9 SB) is still the main man in the Redhawks' batting order... other contributors are LF Howard Highsmith (.302/12 HR/59 RBI/71 R/6 SB), RF Frankie Neill (.223/27 HR/83 RBI/69 R/13 SB), CF Lew Aston (.263/21 HR/74 RBI/72 R/7 SB), 2B Luke Hazlett (.292/8 HR/69 RBI/65 R/4 SB), LF Oskar Neumann (.255/20 HR/83 RBI/85 R/10 SB) and SS Carl Allardyce (.286/7 HR/50 RBI/57 R/2 SB).

Rounding out the first division were the Taranto Tars (78-76) and Kilkenny Cats (78-76), tied for the fourth spot in the RU North standings... Taranto manager Augie Marshall depended on the longball and good pitching for success... the Tars topped the Ruthlandian Union with 211 homers (1st)... scored pretty well with 708 runs (14th), but they only batted .252 (29th)... on the mound they put up a good 3.60 ERA (7th)... in the field the Tars were only fair (.974 FA)... this was the worst season for Marshall in the last 10 years... he had won the RU North 4 times in the last 6 seasons... pitchers are getting a little long in the tooth,

Phil Castle (21-9/3.00) was the biggest winner on the Taranto staff, followed by 35-year-old ace Valerio Rossi (17-15/2.76)... last year's 22-game winner, Freddy De Angelis (8-11/4.19) dipped drastically this year at age 35... Marshall has high hopes for 22-year-old Alvio Sartori (7-3/3.30), who joined the club in July and looked very good... not much at all in the bullpen for the Tars.

Taranto only has three quality bats... RF Lenny Buisson (.304/49 HR/105 RBI/90 R/3 SB) is an elite slugger... he led the RU with 49 homers and was fourth with 105 RBIs... Buisson finished second-best in home runs in the IPA... a very close second to Midway superstar Norishige Ito, who socked 50 out of the park this year... the Tars have two other capable hitters in All-Star 3B Mark Trupiano (.300/27 HR/73 RBI/77 R/5 SB) and rookie 1B Buddy Lark (.316/28 HR/68 RBI/75 R/1 SB)... Taranto's problem is not enough good contact hitters... no one is on base when they hit the homers.

The Kilkenny Cats (78-76) may be on the rise... they hired Hall of Fame pitcher Dave Whitaker (347-282/2.80 ERA) to replace Kevin McLaglen as manager this year and it paid off... the Cats tied for fourth place after winding up in the cellar the previous three seasons... Whitaker had been in the front office since he retired in 2041... one of his main changes was the infusion of new players... five rookie position players got a lot of action this year.

The Cats are not impressive on paper... they only hit .255 (24th) with 121 HRs, but they scored 748 runs (6th)... Kilkenny also ranks high in on-base percentage (4th)... the bullpen is lousy with a 4.41 ERA (30th), but the starters posted a solid 3.60 ERA (6th)... plus the defense is not real good (.973 FA).

Anchoring the mound corps was Bretton MacKay (19-12/2.96) with some good help from Jamie Ayers (17-10/3.43) and Billy Joe Wooster (18-14/3.74)... SS Rex Parkhill (.294/3 HR/71 RBI/97 R/21 SB) is one of the better all-around player in the IPA... solid hitter, excellent defender... but he doesn't get a lot of help... 1B Ryan Reagan (.226/21 HR/79 RBI/64 R) is the only longball hitter... other modest bats are all rookies: CF Jimmy Gunn (.302/15 HR/52 RBI/72 R/8 SB), 3B Buster Levan (.260/13 HR/64 RBI/71 R/1 SB), RF Cliff Savio (.279/4 HR/46 RBI/68 R/19 SB), C Niles Bedford (.274/7 HR/71 RBI/54 R/1 SB) and LF Tory Bettis (.272/10 HR/37 RBI/53 R/11 SB).

Under new manager Tommy Richardson, the Ancona Red Elephants (74-80) bolted out of the gate in April with a fantastic 18-9 mark, good enough for first place in the RU North, but the sudden success did not last long, they didn't have another winning month the rest of the season and came in sixth in the standings, 22 GB... Ancona finished seventh the previous three years with Alek Kotas at the helm... Richardson was 4-time All-Star infielder with the Red Elephants for 14 seasons with a lifetime .319 batting average, 238 homers and 1016 RBIs.

Ancona has only made the playoffs on five occasions with no Pro Cups... the last postseason appearance was 35 years ago in 2022... the current edition is just a mediocre club with good hitting, good offense, poor starting pitching, excellent bullpen and poor fielding (.971 FA)... the Red Elephants batted .268 (10th) this season with 741 runs (10th) and 142 roundtrippers (14th)... the starters compiled a poor 4.41 ERA (24th), but the bullpen was quite impressive with a 2.72 ERA (2nd).

The top Ancona hitter is All-Star 1B Skeets Barker (.300/20 HR/67 RBI/97 R/1 SB), along with RF Franco Briganti (.325/18 HR/77 RBI/66 R), 3B Jerry Coppock (.284/16 HR/84 RBI/68 R/10 SB), CF Horace Nickens (.277/18 HR/66 RBI/83 R/3 SB) and LF Tony Nardi (.306/13 HR/60 RBI/64 R)... All-Star hurler Yanni Bubas (21-12/2.93) is the ace of the Ancona staff... Burnell Simms (16-19/3.73) also had quite a few quality starts, too... the solid bullpen was manned by Chet Sheldon (7-3/1.76 ERA/13 saves/39 G) and Kontos Christakis (2-2/1.88 ERA/10 saves/48 G).

Manager Kyle Hunt has had good success with the Ranford Bulls until the last two years... the Bulls wound up fifth in '56 with a 71-83 record and came in seventh this year with identical numbers 71-83... Hunt's pitchers have been on the decline, posting a mediocre 4.17 ERA this year... Hunt has a so-so offense with a .258 BA (19th), 685 runs (17th), 141 HRs (15th)... however, defensively Ranford is outstanding with a .981 FA... the Bulls last played in the playoffs in 2041... the year before they won their only Pro Cup.

The Bulls' starting rotation is led by three fair arms... Darrell Askew (17-17/4.10), Dave Brewster (11-10/3.97) and Primo Uzzo (13-18/4.16)... Martin Futch (2-4/1.55 ERA/21 saves/46 G) heads up a good bullpen with some good help from Skip Deal (4-8/2.44 ERA/1 save/44 G)... at the plate the club leaders are rookie All-Star 2B Erik Neilson (.262/25 HR/100 RBI/87 R/8 SB), LF Jedd Blodgett (.264/18 HR/67 RBI/79 R/16 SB), 1B Virgil Belisle (.283/11 HR/59 RBI/68 R) and solid SS Gonzie Spencer (.298/7 HR/43 RBI/65 R/2 SB).

It's been years since the LaGrange Sports have had any real success in the RU North... the last time they made the postseason playoffs was way back in 2037... and the Sports have never won a Pro Cup trophy... manager Mike York's club came in a very close fourth in '55, just 4 games out of first place with an 81-73 mark, but it's been downhill the last two years... 73-81 in '56 and only 69-85 this season... La Grange came in dead last this year, 27 games behind division-winning Valmara... but the Sports were exciting for a while... they posted a 17-10 record in April, good for the fourth spot at the time... at the All-Star break the Sports were still fourth and above .500 with a 38-35 mark (10 GB)... then LaGrange went into a tailspin with a 31-50 record and plunged to the basement.

LaGrange has a decent offense with a .268 BA (11th), 675 runs (18th) and 122 HRs (23rd-tied)... but the mound staff is horrible with a 4.42 ERA (32nd), the worst in the Ruthlandian Union... and second-worst in the IPA after Kenwood in the Tycobbian Union... the Wildcats chalked up a dismal 4.52 this year... the Sports are one of the worst fielding teams, too, with a poor .971 FA.

LaGrange has some fairly good bats with the likes of RF Sonny Ricard (.284/27 HR/86 RBI/72 R/15 SB), 1B Billy Broadway (.311/20 HR/86 RBI/69 R/1 SB), rookie 3B Rick Wade (.308/15 HR/77 RBI/64 R), 2B Earl Walker (.303/5 HR/52 RBI/83 R/1 SB) and rookie CF Tony Rojas (.309/10 HR/62 RBI/82 R/8 SB)... it's on the hill that the Sports need a lot of help... skipper York only has two reliable starters... his best, by far, were Amos Wadsworth (16-14/3.65) and Rodger Gagnier (15-11/3.66)

************************** May ************************************************ July *********************************

******************* September ************************************ Final Standings ********************

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 1, 2057

CLOSE RACE IN RU SOUTH, WON BY CRUSADERS
The preseason prediction missed by a bunch in the Ruthlandian South Division this year... the Crystal Lake Skippers were supposed to cruise to the title with the St. John Crusaders and the Valka Blackhawks far back in the race... but it didn't transpire that way... it was a four-club cluster most of the season with the St. John (87-67) pretty much on top start to finish... with Crystal Lake, the Waleska Westerners and Claxton Diamonds staying on the Crusaders' coattails most of the year... the Skippers (86-68) made a run at St. John down-the-stretch, but fell one game short... the Westerners (80-74) and Diamonds (75-79) faded in the late summer... the poor Valka Blackhawks (62-92) were never a factor and came in last in the RU South.

1ST PLACE: ST. JOHN CRUSADERS (87-67)
Last Year: 81-73 (5 GB) (2nd Place)
2 Years Ago: 71-83 (14 GB) (7th Place)
Last Postseason: 2050 (No Pro Cups) (9 Pennants)

Team Stats: .273 BA (8th), 740 runs (7th), 123 HR (22nd), 3.49 ERA (3rd), .977 FA (Good)

Top Pitchers: Teddy de Grom (18-12/4.06), rookie Tom Smithson (16-13/3.37), Teddy Howell (14-12/3.35), rookie Deke Eubanks (12-14/3.83)... lost ace Whitlow Cornwell (12-5/3.69) in June for the season... good bullpen with Mark Faber (2-2/2.62 ERA/23 saves/45 G)... 2.80 ERA (4th).

Top Batters: manager Nicky Farrugia has three reliable batters in All-Star 3B Ozwaldo Romero (.288/19 HR/80 RBI/63 R), CF Freddie Woodruff (.293/9 HR/59 RBI/79 R/8 SB), C Tuffy Palmieri (.283/13 HR/61 RBI/76 R)... plus some capable platoon players like OF Lou Endicott (.348/11 HR/50 RBI/50 R/7 SB), OF Cris Hershey (.332/6 HR/30 RBI/42 R/1 SB), OF Ellis Aycock (.304/6 HR/37 RBI/51 R/9 SB), OF Ron Silas (.287/9 HR/40 RBI/41 R/3 SB), 3B Mark Warner (.293/1 HR/39 RBI/41 R)... All-Star 2B Jimmy Upchurch (.296/10 HR/63 RBI/65 R/8 SB) was lost to injury in August... Upchurch could return during the playoffs.

2nd Place: Crystal Lake Skippers (86-78) (1 GB)
Last Year: (78-76) (8 GB) (5th Place)
2 Years Ago: (80-74) (5 GB) (4th Place)
Last Postseason: 2044 (2 Pro Cups: 2020, 2022) (10 Pennants)

Team Stats: .274 BA (7th), 770 runs (4th), 159 HR (7th), 3.86 ERA (16th), .978 FA (Good)

Top Pitchers: Merle Pitts (19-13/2.90), Robin Norborne (19-15/3.74), Tony Calamari (9-5/2.90)... Calamari joined the club in July and stood out... he flopped in '53 and '54... in the bullpen Yuri Kirchoff (3-3/2.64 ERA/21 saves/42 G) did very well in his rookie year.

Top Batters: HOF hurler Duncan Welch (350-255/2.78 ERA) is the skipper for Crystal Lake and this year he came very close to winning the RU South division flag, falling just one game short... Welch won three Golden Arms ('19, '20,'23) and two MVPs ('20, '23) and led the Skippers to 2 Pro Cup titles (2020, 2022)... he has a potent attack with LF Zippy Coburn (.314/23 HR/100 RBI/98 R/5 SB), SS Gib Conlan (.275/24 HR/101 RBI/90 R/1 SB), rookie CF Mel Brouwer (.308/23 HR/92 RBI/94 R/5 SB), 3B Jasper Shackleford (.292/22 HR/75 RBI/81 R) and 1B Randy Dunn (.272/14 HR/74 RBI/64 R/1 SB).

3rd Place: Waleska Westerners (80-74) (7 GB)
Last Year: (86-68) (1st Place)
Two Years Ago: (82-72) (3 GB) (2nd Place)
Last Postseason: 2056 (3 Pro Cups: 2028, 2037, 2039) (11 Pennants)

Team Stats: .260 BA (17th), 668 run (20th), 122 HR (23rd-tied), 3.57 ERA (6th), .977 FA (Good)

Top Pitchers: Johnny Merriman (22-9/3.48), Bret Shockley (19-15/3.16), Lou Carlson (8-9/3.36 ERA/11 saves/37 G), Rory Beecroft (14-11/3.75 ERA/12 saves/43 G), Cal Tilton (5-16/3.21)... Carlson and Beecroft were both closers and starters at different times in the season... HOF player and manager Roy Hobbs has a good staff... if he can stabilize the bullpen, his club will be even better.

Top Batters: Hobbs also needs to improve his offense... he could use a couple of hitters like he was... .345 BA, 587 HR, 2087 RBI... he was a 15-time All-Star... won 7 Golden Bats... and led the Westerners to the 2028 Pro Cup championship... one of the IPA all-time greats... his lineup only has modest hitters... nothing special... the best of the lot are CF Boomer Barnes (.281/21 HR/84 RBI/92 R/2 SB), 1B Johnny Dillinger (.273/15 HR/74 RBI/76 R), 1B Bitsy Boccbella (.264/22 HR/65 RBI/70 R/2 SB).

4th Place: Claxton Diamonds (75-79) (12 GB)
Last Year: (68-86) (18 GB) (8th Place)
Two Years Ago: (69-85) (16 GB) (8th Place)
Last Postseason: 2049 (No Pro Cups) 14 Pennants

Team Stats: .254 BA (27th), 733 runs (8th), 174 HR (4th), 4.23 ERA (28th), .983 FA (Excellent)

Top Pitchers: new manager Abe Shiffman got the Diamonds out of the cellar this year... they had been there for the past two seasons... he has a couple of good starters in Leon Reynolds (20-9/3.70) and Matt Goodrum (20-13/3.82) and an excellent closer in rookie Mark Meisner (2-3/1.34 ERA/25 saves/46 G)... not a lot else to brag about.

Top Batters: at age 42 former skipper Jojo DeLucca (.296/26 HR/107 RBI/73 R/2 SB) is a marvel at second base... still makes the All-Star team (15th time) and knocks the heck out of the ball and is still a Gold Glover... and he may come back next year for his 24th season... career .304 hitter with 629 HRs and 2394 RBIs... DeLucca needs only 15 runs to set a new IPA record... the great Phil Gravelli is tops with 2092... DeLucca is just 99 RBIs shy of the all-time record of 2493 also held by Gravelli... DeLucca has a lot of help in the lineup from LF Bobby Bright (.277/33 HR/87 RBI/97 R/1 SB), 3B Fred Hahn (.300/23 HR/90 RBI/94 R) and RF Jimmy John Ramsey (.285/22 HR/70 RBI/51 R/1 SB).

5th Place: Grand City Cybercats (74-80)
Last Year: 81-73 (5 GB) (3rd Place)
Two Years Ago: 85-69 (1st Place)
Last Postseason: 2055 (No Pro Cups) (4 Pennants)

Team Stats: .262 BA (13th), 699 runs (16th), 133 HR (19th), 3.79 ERA (13th), .977 FA (Good)

Top Pitchers: Steve Shirley (16-11/2.78) is the best by far... others are fairly reliable: Jozef Chojnaki (14-17/3.75), Fred Barrow (17-18/4.09)... not much of a bullpen... manager Thomas Hall needs help on the mound and at the plate... two relievers George Martz (5-9/3.54 ERA/12 saves/42 G) and Arnie McConnell (10-4/3.80 ERA/10 saves/31 G) both did fairly well as starters in the second half of the season... they both show promise for next year.

Top Batters: 1B Vince Kinston (.329/22 HR/74 RBI/75 R), 2B Zane Faulkner (.298/4 HR/64 RBI/81 R), LF Dave Durocher (.260/20 HR/80 RBI/72 R/6 SB)

6th Place: San Dimas Rancheros (71-83) (16 GB)
Last Year: 73-81 (13 GB) (7th Place)
Two Years Ago: 73-81 (12 GB) (6th Place)
Last Postseason: 2041 (No Pro Cups) (4 Pennants)

Team Stats: .261 BA (15th), 648 runs (25th), 150 HR (10th-tied), 4.02 ERA (22nd), .981 FA (Very Good)
Manager Leonard Purkey took over this year and inherited a mediocre ballclub... Purkey needs improvement in a lot of areas... remained a second-division club.

Top Pitchers: the Rancheros have two solid starters in Hernando Almora (19-17/3.40) and Emile Wade (19-11/3.51)... both were good contributors... Tomas Olmeda (11-13/4.03) also give Purkey some quality starts... except for veteran closer Kenny Robinson (5-9/3.02 ERA/22 saves/46 G), the bullpen is terrible.

Top Batters: All-Star RF Gilberto Gallardo (.324/27 HR/100 RBI/80 R) had a standout year, but can't carry the whole load... rookie Julian Ortiz (.290/17 HR/72 RBI/68 R/1 SB) helped out, but much more is needed.

7th Place: Belair Beach Sunbirds (67-87) (20 GB)
Last Year: 76-78 (10 GB) (6th Place)
Two Years Ago: 74-80 (11 GB) (5th Place)
Last Postseason: 2047 (No Pro Cups) (8 Pennants)

Team Stats: .265 BA(12th), 624 runs (29th), 95 HR (30th), 3.98 ERA (19th), .978 FA (Good)
The Sunbirds didn't show much improvement under new skipper Jason Butler... still has sub-par pitching and no offense or power... destined for more of the same unless he can gets some new blood... the rookie class this year didn't produce much.

Top Pitchers: Chris Malbrough (18-14/3.00), Jeffrey Verblen (13-15/3.50) and Glen Long (10-17/3.54) are a pretty good trio, but the rest of the staff are not very good at all.

Top Batters: All-Star CF Curtis Cochran (.348/9 HR/69 RBI/86 R/26 SB) is a fine talent, but he is the only threat in the batting order... as for the rest, C Johnny Samarin (.269/11 HR/44 RBI/71 R/1 SB) is a solid catcher and rookie SS Kyle Kipling (.250/9 HR/59 RBI/70 R/20 SB) was a reliable infielder and fair bat... little else beyond them.

8th Place: Valka Blackhawks (62-92) (25 GB)
Last Year: 80-74 (6 GB) (4th Place)
Two Years Ago: 81-73 (4 GB) (3rd Place)
Last Postseason: 2054 (No Pro Cups) (5 Pennants)

Team Stats: .256 BA (23rd), 621 (30th-tied), 109 HR (29th), 3.88 ERA (17th), .972 FA (Poor)
The forecast was good for Valka and manager Arno Vainmaa this year... the Blackhawks were expected to fly high in the RU South... they were picked the second-best club after preseason favorite Crystal Lake, but they flopped badly and ended up last in the division.

Top Pitchers: Norbert Borden (15-12/3.94) was the biggest winner, but Clark Harrington (9-23/3.47) was the most effective starter... Eerik Jogi (9-16/3.77) was a fairly reliable starter, too... last year's rookie standout and 20-game winner, Aavo Keskkula (8-16/4.31), must have caught the sophomore slump this year.

Top Batters: rookie 1B Taavi Soosaar (.296/26 HR/81 RBI/68 R) had a fine debut season... C Freddie Civik (.286/15 HR/67 RBI/67 R) and RF Mel Shadwell (.269/12 HR/56 RBI/74 R/2 SB) were the best of the rest, along with 2B Olev Tarvas (.315/4 HR/40 RBI/66 R/6 SB).

******************** May 1st Standings ********************************** July 1st Standings**********************

********************** August 1st Standings ************************* September 1st Standings *********************

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 18, 2057

ELNORA NABS RU EAST
The Elnora All-Stars (86-68) put an end to its three-decade long famine and feasted on its first Ruthlandian East Division crown since 2035... but it wasn't easy... they had to fend off Wynnamac Sundowners (82-72) and the defending champion Eastshore Cotton Kings (80-74) to end the drought... the All-Stars prevailed by 4 games over the Macs and whipped the Cotton Kings by 6 games... the Marston Nine (77-77) came in 9 games off the pace in fourth place... it was a season-long struggle for Elnora... the biggest lead they had was 6 games in July... most of the time, the All-Stars rarely had much more than a 1 or 2-game edge... manager Stan Kivas finally brought home a pennant with a standout offense and adequate pitching... the only slump was in July when they dipped to 11-17... but they righted the ship and staved off Wynnamac and Eastshore in the last few weeks... the stubborn Sundowners won 4 straight titles, 2052 to 2055, and copped the Pro Cup in '55... and they ran strong races in '56 and '57... the All-Stars could pose a problem in the playoffs with their lethal firepower and fairly good pitching.

1ST PLACE: ELNORA ALL-STARS (86-68)
Last Year: (79-75) (13 GB) (4th Place)
Two Years Ago: (80-74) (16 GB) (4th Place)
Last Postseason: 2035 (1 Pro Cup - 2033) (10 Pennants)

Team Stats: .284 BA (1st), 825 runs (1st), 165 HR (6th), 4.01 ERA (21st), .975 FA (Fair)

Top Pitchers: rookie Bud Hathaway (24-10/3.74), Matt Makowiak (18-13/3.74) and Jerry Bertrand (18-11/3.94)... starters are very young... Hathaway is the oldest at 23... bullpen is just fair with Stan Everett (1-5/2.97 ERA/21 saves/39 G) and Stevie Tucker (7-4/3.38 ERA/8 saves/48 G).

Top Batters: led by two All-Stars, 1B Gus Abreu (.320/16 HR/69 RBI/100 R) and SS Dickie DeBusshere (.314/31 HR/105 RBI/97 R/5 SB)... other capable hitters are CF Keith Colburn (.296/10 HR/48 RBI/80 R/15 SB), C Kuro Ishihara (.284/9 HR/70 RBI/65 R), 2B Mickey Wilbur (.267/23 HR/86 RBI/95 R)... several platooners wield good bats, too... paced by 1B Denny Rhymes (.350/1 HR/38 RBI/32 R), RF Robb Norwood (.318/16 HR/67 RBI/45 R) and RF Radley Lunsford (.272/15 HR/34 RBI/55 R/17 SB).

2nd Place: Wynnamac Sundowners (82-72) (4 GB)
Last Year: (90-64) (2 GB) (2nd Place)
Two Years Ago: (96-58) (1st Place)
Last Postseason: 2055 (2 Pro Cups - 2008, 2055) (11 Pennants)

Team Stats: .274 BA (6th), 749 runs (5th), 158 HR (8th), 3.85 ERA (15th), .979 FA (Good to Very Good)

Top Pitchers: Meeks' mound corps let him down this year... in the last two years the team ERA has dropped from a strong 3.24 to 3.61 and down to an average 3.85 this year... at 37, ace Sammy Hayes (16-17/3.67) had a really bad year for him... the rest of the veteran staff, Duncan Heathershaw (15-11/3.90) and Luc Ogburn (13-11/3.78) fared alright... one very bright spot in the rotation was George Medworth (11-3/2.62), who was strangely left out of the starting mix until July... even terrific closer Tike Collazo (5-5/2.34 ERA/22 saves/48 G) saw his super stats rise this season... in his first two seasons Collazo chalked up 63 saves and posted a 1.48 ERA in '55 and 0.21 ERA in '56.

Top Batters: quality hitters abound in the Macs lineup, sparked by RF Manny Sendejas (.252/37 HR/116 RBI/101 R/6 SB), 1B Enos Benham (.330/27 HR/80 RBI/107 R and CF Snooky Bartels (.340/21 HR/83 RBI/66 R)... 2B Phil McLemore (.300/15 HR/69 RBI/78 R/7 SB) and SS Whiz Ivie (.286/3 HR/40 RBI/78 R/15 SB) had solid years, too.

3rd Place: Eastshore Cotton Kings (80-74) (6 GB)
Last Year: (92-62) (1st Place)
Two Years Ago: (70-84) (26 GB)
Last Postseason: 2056 (2 Pro Cups, 2016, 2017) (8 Pennants)

Team Stats: .254 BA (26th), 662 runs (22nd), 129 HR (21st), 3.35 ERA (2nd), .971 FA (poor)

Top Pitchers: manager Scotty Lagrange's staff slipped a lot... three of them won 20 or more games in '56, the pennant-winning season... blame a lot on unproductive bats... and a little on the hurlers... Sam Carmon (14-14/2.71) could have easily won 20 games... Bebe Kinney (19-12/3.16), too... maybe even Dain Moore (13-13/3.54), but that might be a stretch... thank goodness, fourth-year man Homer Lawler (20-4/2.71) really blossomed this year... the bullpen was just average with Ted Weiss (2-5/2.85 ERA/20 saves/36 G), the best by far.

Top Batters: Lagrange has no real sticks, but some decent ones in LF Rook Copley (.245/23 HR/83 RBI/86 R/6 SB), CF Elton Woody (.266/16 HR/70 RBI/89 R/13 SB), RF Ian Kelehan (.278/22 HR/67 RBI/78 R/6 SB), rookie SS Sidney Krause (.293/2 HR/59 RBI/64 R/1 SB), C Ezra Cummings (.283/14 HR/63 RBI/58 R) and 3B Logan Moncriffe (.267/14 HR/60 RBI/40 R/5 SB).

4th Place: Marston Nine (77-77) (9 GB)
Last Year: (82-72) (10 GB) (3rd Place)
Two Years Ago: (85-69) (11 GB) (2nd Place)
Last Postseason: 2047 (No Pro Cups) (7 Pennants)

Team Stats: .279 BA (4th), 730 runs (11th), 153 HR (9th), 4.22 ERA (27th), .976 FA (average)... club tumbled because of pitching plunge... team ERA shot up from a good 3.61 to a poor 4.22.

Top Pitchers: Lance McElveen (17-12/3.63), Mark Henley (16-10/3.96), Billy Rogen (15-16/3.57)... Toby Claypool took a tumble from 17-12 to 13-17 and saw his 3.40 ERA skyrocket to 4.71... in a addition the bullpen was terrible with a 5.26 ERA (32nd)... even star closer Robert Tingle (5-7/4.26 ERA/17 saves/47 G) struggled badly this year.

5th Place: Sugar Valley Rattlers (74-80) (12 GB)
Last Year: (78-76) (14 GB) (5th Place)
Two Years Ago: (67-87) (29 GB) (7th Place)
Last Postseason: 2051 (1 Pro Cup - 2045) (18 Pennants)

Team Stats: .250 BA (31st), 628 runs (28th), 187 HR (2nd), 4.10 ERA (25th), .978 FA (fairly good)... new skipper Carl Ramsey did OK his first year, but was hoping for a higher finish... the Rattlers need improved contact hitting and better pitching to get back into the RU East first division and contend for the pennant.

Top Pitchers: Elvis Bonham (21-15/3.40) was the only solid starter... long-time star 37-year-old Antonio Cedeno (14-15/4.19) is thinking of retiring after a poor season... the bullpen was just mediocre... rookie Claudio Quezada (2-4/3.41 ERA/19 saves/30 G) was inconsistent and suffered at times.

Top Batters: other than the home runs (helped out by short fences), the offense is nil... not one single hitter is worthy of mention... that's how bad Sugar Valley has gotten since the glory days 2043 to 2051 when current skipper Carl Ramsey (.270 BA/505 HR/1544 RBI) and his predesessor HOF-er Bobby Gamble (.315 BA/530 HR/1735 RBI) roamed the outfield and terrorized the IPA pitchers.

6th Place: Belle Plaine Musketeers (73-81) (13 GB)
Last Year: (72-82) (20 GB) (7th Place)
Two Years Ago: (85-69) (11 GB) (3rd Place)
Last Postseason: 2009 (No Pro Cups) (1 Pennant)

Team Stats: .258 BA (21st), 659 runs (24th), 145 HR (12th), 4.07 ERA (23rd), .978 FA (fairly good)... manager Slick Hammill kept his job with a good finish in '55... but he will have to step up next season and produce a contender or at least get into the first division with a winning record... currently the Muskies are just lackluster second-division club.

Top Pitchers: Joe-Joe Bouvier (18-15/3.99), Ike Alister (16-16/3.95), Jerome Kincade (16-14/4.00)... Hammill has three pretty good starters... and a good bullpen, led by Julian Bayles (2-3/1.43 ERA/17 saves/46 G) and Adrien Renaud (5-6/2.20 ERA/14 saves/46 G).

Top Batters: he also has some reliable run producers in star 1B Chuck Gregory (.302/23 HR/78 RBI/84 R), All-Star C Eliott Somers (.309/23 HR/90 RBI/72 R), 3B Levi Teed (.291/3 HR/41 RBI/84 R/23 SB) and RF Cody Losby (.254/28 HR/86 RBI/69 R/1 SB).

7th Place: Cold Creek Catamounts (68-86) (18 GB)
Last Year: (73-81) (19 GB) (6th Place)
Two Years Ago: (71-83) (25 GB) (5th Place)
Last Postseason: 2041 (No Pro Cups) (8 Pennants)

Team Stats: .255 BA (25th), 635 runs (27th), 131 HR (20th), 4.29 ERA (29th), .980 FA (good)
At 37, 2B Joe Cochrane also took the helm of the C'Cats and was not pleased with the undistinguished outcome of his rookie year... even at his age, Cochrane is the best player on the team... it looks like a rebuilding process for Cochrane... right now he has a humdrum and second-rate ballclub.

Top Pitchers: rookie Lenny Toscano (16-17/4.06) is his most effective starter... the others are rookie Jake Fischer (12-17/4.34) and Rusty Rotherham (15-17/4.52)... All-Star closer Rodger Brockhoff (3-3/1.70 ERA/27 saves/42 G) is the top dog in a good bullpen.

Top Batters: Player-Manager 2B-SS Joe Cochrane (.303/14 HR/63 RBI/73 R/1 SB) still handles the bat well and play solid defense... Cold Creek has few players with good potential: 1B Bobby Dundee (.282/18 HR/76 RBI/84 R), 3B Sandy Ketteridge (.257/17 HR/73 RBI/80 R/7 SB) and rookie RF Ziggy Baggs (.302/14 HR/39 RBI/63 R/10 SB).

8th Place: Beechwood Blues (54-100) (32 GB)
Last Year: (63-91) (29 GB) (8th Place)
Two Years Ago: (54-100) (42 GB) (8th Place)
Last Postseason: 2027 (No Pro Cups) (3 Pennants)

Team Stats: .241 BA (32nd), 547 runs (32nd), 136 HR (18th), 4.34 ERA (31st)
New manager Ken Arby started off the season with one of the worst clubs in the IPA and ended the year in a little worse condition... Arby made a little progress in the pitching department, lowering the team ERA down to a poor 4.34 this year instead of a horrible 4.68 ERA in '56, but the team offense went from bad to worse.

Top Pitchers: Corvell Eddins (9-21/3.84) and Craig Gillespie 9-21/3.51) were the only two decent starters on the club... there were also a couple pretty good relievers in the bullpen with Owen Greenacre (5-3/2.02 ERA/11 saves/38 G) and rookie Luis Villavaso (6-5/2.59 ERA/2 saves/51 G).

Top Batters: not much talent at all at the plate... 1B Thad Backman (.256/24 HR/67 RBI/67 R), 2B Eldon Gilbert (.287/10 HR/54 RBI/46 R/1 SB) and CF Tiger Tansey (.244/24 HR/62 RBI/60 R/2 SB) were the most productive.

******************** May 1st Standings *************************** July 1st Standings ***************************

************************** August 1st Standings ************ September 1st Standings *****************

***** 2057 Ruthlandian East Final Standings ******

nice work with the pennant races. bring on the playoffs! :eatpop:

I enjoy the playoffs, too... it's the best part of the season.

It will be about 10 days to finish the season recaps... have 5 more to do... they take about 8 hours each.

Each recap takes about two days.

I'm excited about the playoffs... no telling who will win... Valmara won the most games in the Ruthlandian Union... but I think the St. John Crusaders may be a better team than I think... they might give the Vipers a tussle or two... Elnora hits the heck out of the ball and the pitching is decent... they take on the Fort Benton Defenders, who whipped last year's Pro Cup winner, the Middlefield Roosters... should be quite a shootout... I think any one of the teams can win the RU and advance to the Pro Cup Finals against the Tycobbian champion.

Now who will prevail in the TU?

Turon won the 93 games, second to Denton City's 95... the Typhoons will have to get past the high-scoring Oxford Red Caps in round one... Red Bluff had to beat Midway to make the playoffs... they will be opposed by the Denton City Redbirds... all of the series just might go the full seven games... it is hard for me to pick a winner in this division.

Both the RU and the TU are hard to call at this point... all 8 clubs could win the Pro Cup this year... at least at a glance.

I'll learn more about the teams when I recap the season in each division.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2057

DEFENDERS DETHRONE ROOSTERS IN RU WEST
The 21-year-old drought is finally over in Fort Benton... in a dream season beyond belief the Defenders won the Ruthlandian West for the first time since 2037... to do it they had to dethrone the current IPA champion Middlefield Roosters... to gain a precious spot in the IPA postseason the Defenders had to put an end to the Roosters' 8-year title run... Fort Benton (87-67) had to fend off as many as six challengers at various times during the campaign... they outlasted the runner-up Sligo Rovers (84-70) by 3 games... third place Middlefield (83-71) by 4... with fourth place Volusia (78-76) and Forest City (78-76) and sixth place Stoner (76-78) always lurking fairly close by... heading into September the Defenders were tied with the Roosters for the top spot with the Rovers only 3 games off the pace... Fort Benton went 9-6 down-the-stretch, while the Roosters tumbled to 5-10 and missed out on their 9th consecutive RU West crown and the shot at back-to-back Pro Cup trophies... the Rovers closed well with a 9-6 mark, but failed to catch Fort Benton.

1ST PLACE: FORT BENTON DEFENDERS (87-67)
Last Year: (77-77) (18 GB) (Fourth Place)
Two Years Ago: (74-80) (31 GB) (5th Place)
Last Postseason: 2037 (No Pro Cups) (2 Pennants)
Manager Augie Marquis entered the season with optimism despite being picked sixth by the media in the preseason poll... it turned out to be a dream season for him... unfortunately the Defenders lost their ace All-Star hurler Zeke Yoder (20-10/2.74) in August for the rest of the year... Fort Benton will head into the Pro Cup playoffs with a much weaker rotation... but Marquis still has two other All-Stars in rookie Kip Drumm and Charlie Bondy, along with a solid core of hitters... with Yoder the Defenders would have been in the hunt for the Ruthlandian title and perhaps, even a shot at the much-desired Pro Cup trophy... not likely now.

Team Stats: .281 BA (2nd), 709 runs (13th), 90 HR (31st), 3.75 ERA (11th), .977 FA (average)

Top Pitchers: injured All-Star Zeke Yoder (20-10/2.74), Noel Blissard (19-12/4.01), Gil Hicks (17-16/3.88)... Yoder's replacement in the starting rotation, Ruben Betros (3-1/3.16) did well in his four starts in August, but he has just been a mediocre performer with a 48-71 record and 4.36 ERA in his four seasons in the IPA with three teams... the bullpen is just fair-to-middling with closer Randy Rinehart (5-4/3.09 ERA/24 saves/45 G).

Top Batters: All-Star RF Charlie Bondy (.319/12 HR/81 RBI/80 R), All-Star CF Kip Drumm (.315/7 HR/65 RBI/92 R/15 SB), 1B Mel Lightfoot (.334/17 HR/81 RBI/56 R), LF Teddy Keyes (.298/1 HR/48 RBI/83 R/22 SB) and 3B Eamon Hooper (.284/12 HR/78 RBI/65 R/6 SB).

2nd Place: Sligo Rovers (84-70) (3 GB)
Last Year: (89-75) (6 GB) (2nd Place)
Two Years Ago: (84-70) (21 GB) (2nd Place)
Last Postseason: 2040 (1 Pro Cup - 2021) (9 Pennants)
Manager Fletch Fowler has a solid ballclub in Sligo... for the fifth straight year they wound up second... they just always play second fiddle to the Middlefield Roosters... he has the best mound corps in the Ruthlandian Union, very good defense, but only a modest offense.

Team Stats: .258 BA (20th), 660 runs (23rd), 111 HR (28th), 3.22 ERA (1st), .980 (excellent)

Top Pitchers: Mickey Walsh (16-14/3.32), Jacky Harshman (17-18/3.09), Judah Carmack (14-7/3.37 ERA/5 saves/38 G)... Tiger Snodgrass (16-4/2.65 ERA/13 saves/40 G) and Mitch Taylor (11-11/3.38 ERA/8 saves) have been used both as starters and in the closing role... Carmack has worked the pen, too... top to bottom, a good staff.

Top Batters: SS Clancy Beaufort (.284/26 HR/88 RBI/86 R/5 SB), LF Josh Brolin (.263/17 HR/69 RBI/75 R/8 SB), CF Merle Bliss (.265/11 HR/71 RBI/63 R/12 SB) and 2B Dallas Patton (.305/3 HR/54 RBI/89 R/13 SB) are all solid ballplayers... 1B Cliff Hawthorne (.233/18 HR/71 RBI/79 R/11 SB) has some pop and potential, but doesn't hit much for average.

3rd Place: Middlefield Roosters (83-71) (4 GB)
Last Year: (95-59) (1st Place)
Two Years Ago: (105-49) (1st Place)
Last Postseason: 2056 (3 Pro Cups - 2005, 2052, 2056) (20 Pennants)
Rooster skipper Rinky Tinker has let age catch up with him... management told him at the end of the season to youth-er-nize the Roosters by next year... 6 past-their-prime veterans have seen the writing on the wall and retired... lots of newcomers are headed for Middlefield for next season... but the pitching staff is still old... James Long is 37, Yazzy Yastrzemski 36, Norm Coventry 36, Scott Cole 36, but they are all still solid pitchers... Long is the IPA all-time wins leader with a 405-227 mark and a superb 2.64 lifetime ERA... should he retire when he won 24 games this year?

Team Stats: .253 BA (28th), 781 runs (3rd), 168 HR (5th), 3.95 ERA (18th), .979 FA (good)

Top Pitchers: starters All-Star James Long (24-10/2.62), Scott Cole (16-15/4.10) and Cal West (9-7/3.98) need some help in the rotation... 21-year-old Rick Goldman (12-14/4.66) slumped badly in his second season, after a fantastic rookie year with a 20-3 mark... the bullpen is in good hands with Norm Coventry (2-2/1.86 ERA/23 saves/36 G) and Yazzy Yastrzewski (4-5/2.28 ERA/5 saves/34 G).

Top Batters: LF Trip Agarn (.300/26 HR/101 RBI/71 R/6 SB), the Ruthlandian MVP for the '55 and '56 seasons, is only 29 and as good as ever... but it was a subpar year for most of the Roosters at the plate... the best of the rest was SS Stan Radzikowski (.249/24 HR/83 RBI/94 R/6 SB), CF Johnny Wyatt (.257/21 HR/67 RBI/55 R/2 SB), 3B Donnie Hix (.264/14 HR/64 RBI/99 R/1 SB) and C Harry Woodfox (.240/20 HR/68 RBI/83 R/3 SB)... notice no one hit for much of an average.

4th Place (tied): Volusia Vigilantes (78-76) (9 GB)
Last Year: (69-85) (26 GB) (6th Place)
Two Years Ago: (62-92) (43 GB) (8th Place)
Last Postseason: 2043 (1 Pro Cup - 2001) (9 Pennants)
Long-time catcher Tubby Tarkanian (.262 BA/166 HR/800 RBI) is at the helm of the V's... in his third season he has them moving in the right direction after a tough first two seasons near the bottom of the division.

Team Stats: .259 BA (18th), 621 runs (30th-tied), 83 HR (32nd), 3.63 ERA (8th), .978 FA (average)

Top Pitchers: Lonny Rinehart (19-18/2.99), Reynaldo Medrano (19-9/3.44), Cloyd Queen (18-13/3.86) and Philip Duron (12-18/4.05)... a pretty good starting foursome... and closer Dan Hunt (3-3/0.88 ERA/24 saves/34 G) is one of the IPA's best... pitching is one of Volusia's biggest pluses... they would really be something if they had any kind of offense.

Top Batters: not much to boast about at all... best of the lot would be LF Johnnie Dalrymple (.318/1 HR/34 RBI/67 R/9 SB), C Carlos Silva (.297/8 HR/43 RBI/55 r) and RF Bandy Barnwell (.299/2 HR/44 RBI/53 R)... young 1B Lando Vila (.320/10 HR/37 RBI/29 R/2 SB) hit very well when he took over first base in early August... 10 homers in 44 games is pretty darn good... looking to see what he can do in a full season next year.

4th Place (tied): Forest City Firebirds (78-76) (9 GB)
Last Year: (65-89) (30 GB) (8th Place)
Two Years Ago: (76-78) (29 GB) (4th Place)
Last Postseason: 2048 (No Pro Cups) (5 Pennants)
Manager Rich Barstow (260-295/3.79 ERA) knows what it's like to labor on a lackluster second-division club... he spent 18 years on the mound with the Firebirds (2027-2044)... Barstow took over the team in '47 and won the pennant in '48... he's had his ups and downs since, but has kept his job... right now the Firebirds are headed in the right direction with pretty fair hitting, scoring and pitching, however, the defense is not so good.

Team Stats: .269 BA (9th), 700 runs (15th), 140 HR (16th), 3.83 ERA (14th), .974 FA (poor)

Top Pitchers: Cale Ballantine (18-10/3.75) and Dale Madison (15-15/3.67) are reliable starters, but could use some help... the bullpen is one of the better in the IPA with a 2.91 ERA (6th), sparked by Tim Varnado (5-4/2.08 ERA/30 saves/47 G), second in saves in the IPA, topped only by Denton City closer Burnell Kelley with 37.

Top Batters: CF Randy Snow (.321/25 HR/98 RBI/72 R/9 SB), SS Ziggy Regan (.293/8 HR/50 RBI/102 R/10 SB), RF Kenny Bostick (.315/5 HR/52 RBI/71 R/15 SB)... LF Buddy Bessent (.259/29 HR/65 RBI/57 R/1 SB) topped the team in dingers... another solid bat and another solid pitcher could put Forest City in pennant contention... RF Dedrick Crone (.288/16 HR/46 RBI/31 R/1 SB) just might be that bat... he hit 16 out of the park after joining the team in July.

6th Place (tied): Stoner Stars (76-78) (11 GB)
Last Year: (81-73) (14 GB) (3rd Place)
Two Years Ago: (83-71) (22 GB) (3rd Place)
Last Postseason: 2029 (No Pro Cups) (3 Pennants)
The Stars are skippered by Fletch Fowler (.293/219 HR/1030 RBI), who had a solid 15-year-career at first base 2023-2037... his club only has average hitting, good pitching, not much power, average scoring and average defense... Fowler had them in the first division for a couple of years... and almost made it this year, too... missing out by just a few games.

Team Stats: .257 BA/671 runs (19th), 113 HR (27th), 3.73 ERA (9th), .977 FA (average)

Top Pitchers: good group of starters, led by Jake Warrick (13-7/2.90), Ivan Kieczko (15-12/3.81), Alberto Temozos (15-12/3.58) and Al Raver 915-18/3.20)... nobody worth mentioning in the lackluster bullpen.

Top Batters: only three decent hitters, paced by RF Tyler Stoddard (.286/25 HR/76 RBI/67 R), C Jean St. Julien (.286/23 HR/69 RBI/72 R) and SS Mac Lord (.265/3 HR/68 RBI/77 R/6 SB)... rumor is Lord will retire at age 36 after 13 seasons, half of them with the Stars... an average defender, he batted .288 in his career with 96 roundtrippers and 775 RBI.

6th Place (tied): Rocky Rapids Snappers (76-78) (11 GB)
Last Year: (71-83) (24 GB) (5th Place)
Two Years Ago: (72-82) (33 GB) (6th Place)
Last Postseason: 2046 (1 Pro Cup - 2019) (6 Pennants)
Former pitcher Junior Noland (169-144/3.46) manages the Snappers... he starred on the Pro Cup champion of 2019... he was 20-11 that year and a perfect 3-0 in the playoffs with a splendid 0.67 ERA... his family owns the ballclub... this year Noland almost made the RU West first division with a good performance down-the-stretch... missed by 2 games... Rocky Rapids has good starters, a good closer, but comes up short in scoring runs... only average with the gloves.

Team Stats: .251 BA (30th), 637 runs (26th), 139 HR (17th), 3.50 ERA (4th), .976 FA (average)

Top Pitchers: Noland has a quality starting four in Clay Callaghan (17-14/2.45), Lance Obermueller (16-11/3.88), Kip Golden (16-13/3.59) and Sammy Sterling (13-14/3.52)... with good closer Yoshi Kojima (3-4/2.58 ERA/19 saves/42 G).

Top Batters: the only quality bats are 1B Deke Lundy (.297/29 HR/106 RBI/69 R), LF Corey McGee (.260/17 HR/75 RBI/93 R/10 SB) and RF Joe Clarkson (.289/19 HR/65 RBI/56 R/1 SB)

8th Place: Colfax Blasters (70-84) (17 GB)
Last Year: (69-85) (26 GB) (7th Place)
Two Years Ago: (70-84) (35 GB) (7th Place)
Last Postseason: 2042 (1 Pro Cup - 2010) (13 Pennants)
Ex-Colfax hurler Jorden Krogstad took the reins this year and turned in a losing record for the 8th successive season... Krogstad was 148-162 with a 4.00 ERA in 13 years with the Blasters... he retired in '54... Colfax has fair hitting and scoring and poor pitching... but is not far out the RU West first division... a couple of good ballplayers could get them there.

Team Stats: .262 BA (14th), 666 runs (21st), 144 HR (13th), 4.33 ERA (30th), .975 FA (fair)

Top Pitchers: Alan Schmitt (14-7/3.32) and Terry Dubrovnik (13-15/3.82) are the only effective starters and the bullpen is not too hot either.

Top Batters: topping the offense is the big bat of 1B Nicky Yorke (.328/29 HR/100 RBI/82 R) with help from CF Stan Kovalenko (.278/11 HR/47 RBI/101 R/11 SB), LF Emile Schwarz (.274/20 HR/75 RBI/63 R/4 SB) and All-Star SS Gordy Bidenwald (.275/17 HR/76 RBI/63 R/7 SB)

******************* May 1st Standings ******************************* July 1st Standings *******************

*************** August 1st Standings ********************************** September 1st Standings *********************

******** 2057 Ruthlandian West Final Standings *********

I find the 2002 reference on all the logos funny. I know it’s the team’s founding year, but it seems kind of silly considering how many teams have it as their founding year.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2057

RED CAPS SOAR IN TU NORTH IN 2ND HALF
The Tycobbian North Division was a humdrum affair for most of the year with barely any team playing winning baseball, but it was a very good pennant race... the eventual pennant-winning Oxford Red Caps didn't even reach the .500 mark until August... despite being the preseason favorite, the Red Caps played poorly the first half (33-40) and even trailed by 6 games at midseason, tied for the sixth spot in the standings... but then Oxford (88-66) kicked it into overdrive and went on a 49-23 spree and won the TU North by 7 games over runner-up North Hills (81-73)... third place went to the Luxora Zorros (80-74), 8 games out... and winding up in fourth were the White River Rascals (78-76), 10 games off the pace... the Rascals had won the division crown the previous three seasons... actually the TU North was quite a race... North Hills led at the end of April... Luxora took over at the All-Star Game... but the Z's faded in August and gave way to on-rushing Oxford... even also-rans Hartsdale and Blue Lake had their day in the sun during the year... the fifth-place Hellcats (74-80) and last place Blue Sox (72-82) were tied for second place at midseason.

The Oxford Red Caps were redhot at the plate with a .270 BA and 257 homers and put a lot of runs on the scoreboard, topping the IPA with 839 runs... manager Dennis Hartwig had just enough pitching to get by... only two other clubs in IPA history had more roundtrippers than the Red Caps... Red Bluff set the all-time mark with 283 in 2045 and Arroyo Grande smashed 260 out of the park years ago in 2005... Oxford had 10 players with 10 or more homers... the Tycobbian Union had four fine ballclubs in the playoffs... each one of them could capture the Pro Cup this year.

1ST PLACE: OXFORD RED CAPS (88-66)
Last Year: (78-76) (4 GB) (2nd Place)
Two Years Ago: (82-72) (1 GB) (2nd Place)
Last Postseason: 2052 and 2053 (1 Pro Cup - 2007) (8 Pennants)
Manager Dennis Hartwig has a powerhouse attack and will have to be reckoned with in the playoffs... this is the Red Caps' third pennant in five years... they are poised and ready for bigger and better things in the IPA.

Team Stats: .270 BA (7th), 839 runs (1st), 257 HR (1st), 4.23 ERA (27th), .978 FA (good)

Top Pitchers: All-Star ace Maury Statler (26-10/2.94) led the IPA with 26 victories, tied with Tuckanarra's Ian Timms (26-5/2.24).... a big part of the Red Caps' success was rookie starter Meldon Eddington (17-11/4.14)... another rookie sparkled in the bullpen... Pat McFarlane (2-4/2.29 ERA/26 saves/44 G) was outstanding.

Top Batters: Oxford has a scary lineup with bunch of bangers like rookie 1B Buddy Blackford (.285/41 HR/113 RBI/82 R), 3B Roland Latimer (.253/36 HR/90 RBI/75 R/2 SB), OF Frankie Beckwith (.303/34 HR/76 RBI/71 R/2 SB), LF Wade McGrew (.322/31 HR/73 RBI/74 R/3 SB), RF Ozzy Ackerman (.289/25 HR/71 RBI/66 R/9 SB), OF Dwayne Wagner (.255/21 HR/73 RBI/83 R/6 SB), SS Roger Bajon (.260/16 HR/62 RBI/80 R/6 SB), 3B Ethan Cuthbert (.300/14 HR/41 RBI/42 R/1 SB), C Giles Gilliam (.300/12 HR/46 RBI/67 R) and OF Raylan Theodore (.308/10 HR/33 RBI/35 R/3 SB)... slick-fielding rookie SS Scott Schneider (.269/7 HR/58 RBI/60 R/9 SB) also helped out with his bat, too.

2nd Place: North Hills Hawks (81-73) (7 GB)
Last Year: (78-76) (4 GB) (3rd Place)
Two Years Ago: (75-79) (7.5 GB) (4th Place)
Last Postseason: 2045 (4 Pro Cups - 2034, 2036, 2038, 2041) (13 Pennants)
The Hawks have Hall-of-Famer Dave Michael as skipper... He was the Pro Cup MVP twice (2034, 2038)... Michael posted a 315-234 record in his 19 seasons with the Hawks... he was marvelous in the postseason with a 20-13 mark and 2.32 ERA in 37 starts... Michael has led the Hawks to first-division finishes for five years in a row... they are back on track to being a contender in the TU North.

Team Stats: .271 BA (6th), 695 runs (13th), 87 HR (32nd), 3.85 ERA (17th), .972 FA (poor)

Top Pitchers: North Hills has a good starting rotation with Johnny Kristoff (20-15/3.56), Juan Cintron (15-15/3.68), Thad Vachon (11-8/3.99) and Zip Harben (11-16/3.73)... add into the mix rookie Eddy Salem (4-0/2.50), who stood out after joining the club in August... the Hawks' bullpen is in good hands with Bobby Antonio (7-3/1.54 ERA/19 saves/44 G).

Top Batters: the Hawks suffer from a total lack of power... none of the regulars go deep very often... 3B Sam Dunstone (.307/2 HR/54 RBI/74 R/8 SB) and 1B Victor Bates (.316/7 HR/54 RBI/64 R/1 SB) are good contact hitters... the most productive bats are SS Pat Johnston (.268/1 HR/70 RBI/76 R/3 SB), 2B Don Shirley (.259/10 HR/60 RBI/61 R/3 SB) and part-timer LF Eddy Carlyle (.343/15 HR/45 RBI/32 R)... better run-scoring could do wonders for the Hawks.

3rd Place: Luxora Zorros (80-74) (8 GB)
Last Year: (69-85) (13 GB) (7th Place)
Two Years Ago: (81-73) (1.5 G) (3rd Place)
Last Postseason: 2031 (No Pro Cups) (11 Pennants)
Kent Halloran took charge of the Zorros back in 2052 and has them on the rise... this year the Z's had the league lead most of the time until August, but got blown away by the rampaging Oxford Red Caps in the last six weeks of the season.

Team's Stats: .262 BA (12th), 733 runs (7th-tied), 173 HR (8th), 4.04 ERA (23rd), .980 FA (very good)

Top Pitchers: Luxora has decent starters in Paolo De Freitas (17-17/3.53), Mack McKitrick (18-11/3.66), Jimmy Hollis (16-15/3.92) and Juliano Machado (14-13/4.21)... the bullpen is just mediocre... rookie Bartolo Baptista (7-7/3.69 ERA/25 saves/46 G) is the most reliable reliever.

Top Batters: top performers on the team were LF Marvin Harrelson (.283/28 HR/86 RBI/76 R/6 SB), 1B Wade Tibbs (.279/22 HR/84 RBI/76 R), rookie 2B Ryo Nijo (.278/19 HR/59 RBI/72 R/4 SB)... backup rookie RF Omar Solis (.311/15 HR/55 RBI/59 R/1 SB) also put up some very good numbers.

4th Place: White River Rascals (78-76) (10 GB)
Last Year: (82-72) (1st Place)
Two Years Ago: (83-72) (1st Place)
Last Postseason: 2056 (No Pro Cups) (11 Pennants)
Until this season manager Marty Blake had won the past three pennants and seven of the last nine, a decline in his aging pitching staff hurt.

Team Stats: .257 BA (17th), 676 runs (18th), 168 HR (10th), 3.50 ERA (5th), .983 FA (excellent)

Top Pitchers: at 36 Nicky Palmer (13-17/3.41) slipped a bit... but 35-year-old vet Glen Horton (15-9/2.99 ERA/2 saves/33 G) and Ringo Lanier (17-9/2.82 ERA/2 saves/42 G) had impressive years... fourth-year hurler and 22-year-old Noel Woods (8-9/4.62 ERA/2 saves/40 G) finished the season in the bullpen... big things were expected of him this year... the relievers fizzled this year... at 32 Butch Slattery (4-9/3.76 ERA/12 saves/36 G) did not have a good season as a starter or as a reliever.

Top Batters: star CF Pudge Tate (.277/31 HR/86 RBI/79 R/8 SB) was one of the prime bats, along with rookie sensation and All-Star RF Jake Bohannon (.277/28 HR/95 RBI/65 R/8 SB) and vet 1B Fred Kraft (.262/26 HR/73 RBI/86 R/4 SB)... SS Freddie Bannon (.278/10 SB/54 RBI/81 R) did well in the field and was pretty decent at the plate... Blake needs an influx of youth, especially on the mound.

5th Place: Hartsdale Hellcats (74-80) (14 GB)
Last Year: (74-80) (8 GB) (5th Place)
Two Years Ago: (74-80) (8.5 GB) (5th Place)
Last Postseason: 2047 (1 Pro Cup - 2046) (9 Pennants)
Manager Wayne Dawson and his Hellcats are stuck in a rut... three successive seasons in fifth place with identical 74-80 records... Dawson has a pretty fair ballclub with solid hitting, scoring, pitching, but just average defense... their stats look better than their record.

Team Stats: .272 BA (4th), 728 runs (10th), 166 HR (11th), 3.70 ERA (12th), .975 FA (fair)

Top Pitchers: Hartsdale has three reliable starters in Christopher Wolfe (14-18/3.46), Chet Salsbury (15-17/3.47), Bradley Barr (17-17/3.91)... and Wallace Roscoe (16-16/4.59) occasionally comes up with a quality start, too... the Hellcat bullpen is one of the better in the IPA with Roy Krieger (3-4/2.02 ERA/16 saves/38 G).

Top Batters: CF Leon Croyle (.311/18 HR/68 RBI/86 R/14 SB), All-Star C Kenton Carmichael (.240/25 HR/80 RBI/78 R), 2B Smokey Nix (.283/17 HR/78 RBI/79 R/3 SB), RF Nathan Ivy (.286/19 HR/76 RBI/58 R/10 SB) and rookie SS Walt Ivy (.293/18 HR/61 RBI/98 R/18 SB)... the Ivys are brothers... the future looks good in Hartsdale.

6th Place: Mahaska Haymakers (73-81) (15 GB)
Last Year: (75-79) (7 GB) (4th Place)
Two Years Ago: (66-88) (16.5 GB) (7th Place)
Last Postseason: 2027 (No Pro Cups) (4 Pennants)
Travis Tuttle was in charge of the Haymakers this year, but he will be replaced by Rocco Bertara for the coming season... Tuttle suffered through the fifth straight losing season... Mahaska is just a second-class club.

Team Stats: .261 BA (13th), 683 runs (17th), 113 HR (27th), 4.17 ERA (26th), .979 FA (good)

Top Pitchers: Mahaska's most effective starter was Marty Mobley (14-21/3.35), followed by Kerstan Koening (11-11/3.86) and Pip Cordice (15-14/4.08)... Cubby Darville (2-6/3.14 ERA/29 saves/49 G) had a fair year in the bullpen.

Top Batters: rookie 1B Timothy Honor (.267/25 HR/76 RBI/87 R/7 SB) did well his first season... but the top performer was 2B Elvis Gifford (.295/12 HR/82 RBI/86 R/11 SB), a solid hitter and strong defender... RF Dub Forrester (.280/14 HR/70 RBI/85 R/6 SB) also had a fair bat.

7th Place (tied): Fairfax Frogs (72-82) (16 GB)
Last Year: (73-81) (9 GB) (6th Place)
Two Years Ago: (65-89) (17.5 GB) (8th Place)
Last Postseason: 2033 (No Pro Cups) (8 Pennants)
Former star Frog hurler Ken Hill (311-271/3.03 ERA) took over the reins this season... he toiled 20 years with a fair-to-middling team, 2010-2029... the Frogs didn't improve a whole lot... still just a borderline bad ballclub.

Team Stats: .259 BA (16th), 665 runs (20th), 109 HR (28th), 4.27 ERA (30th), .977 FA (average)

Top Pitchers: Norb Eberly (16-12/3.60) and Ken Wallington (16-19/3.79) are quality starters... rookie Clyde Sowers (10-9/3.82) did well at times, too... standout rookie closer Val Jackson (1-2/1.23 ERA/23 saves/34 G) showed some really good potential... overall the Fairfax staff is poor.

Top Batters: RF Patty Fenroy (.314/7 HR/63 RBI/96 R/10 SB) is a good, all-round ballplayer... he does everything well except hit the longball... is a fine defender... tied for the IPA lead in triples with 17... CF Wayne Clausen (.292/11 HR/61 RBI/93 R/16 SB), C Mike Mitchell (.296/9 HR/67 RBI/52 R) and 1B Javis Tyler (.306/19 HR/70 RBI/48 R/2 SB) helped out as well.

7th Place (tied): Blue Lake Blue Sox (72-82) (16 GB)
Last Year: (59-95) (23 GB) (8th Place)
Two Years Ago: (71-83) (11.5 GB) (6th Place)
Last Postseason: 2030 (1 Pro Cup - 2030) (3 Pennants)
Former star catcher Juan Luis Barcelona was the rookie skipper this season for the Blue Sox... they improved record-wise quite a bit, but still wound up in the TU North basement with Fairfax... Barcelona hit .288 for 13 years and hit 156 out of the park... he was a 5-time All-Star... Barcelona inherited a just plain bad ball team... it will take some time to turn it around in Blue Lake.

Team Stats: .241 BA (29th), 638 runs (26th), 108 HR (29th), 4.16 ERA (25th), .975 FA (fair)

Top Pitchers: Weldon Nettleton (14-18/3.15) is a solid, young starter... All-Star Dirk Sinclair (18-15/3.99) is up in age at 37, but had a very good season until midseason with an 11-4 mark, but slumped in the second half ... Dookie Denham (18-13/4.16) also had a pretty good year... absolutely nothing after them... Barcelona has a lousy pitching corps.

Top Batters: the Blue Sox have only two quality players in their lineup... rookie phenom CF Steve Schueler (.333/5 HR/52 RBI/93 R/16 SB) is a bonafide star from the git-go... he had the sixth-best batting average in the IPA this year... and tied for the lead with 17 triples... 3B Billy Blue (.303/14 HR/56 RBI/78 R/1 SB) is a solid infielder and a fairly good contact hitter... absolutely nothing after these two in the batting order.

********************* May 1st Standings ******************************** July 1st Standings **************************

***************** August 1st Standings ************************** September 1st Standings ********************

******** 2057 Tycobbian North Final Standings ******

Maybe so.... it's not easy to get logos, jerseys and caps done this days... several years ago it was, but the great graphics guys apparently got burned out and left the Forums... or just stopped doing graphics.

txranger is one of the best and still around... but he really gets a lot of requests... I occasionally ask him to create one for me... he recently made the Tycobbian All-Stars and Ruthlandian All-Stars logos for my IPA All-Star Game... they really are well done.

The jersey, cap and logo software creators like justafan also had a hand in it... people could now create their own graphics and didn't need to get someone to do it for them.

The use of "2001" was used in many cases by me in creating the logos... I was very limited in my skills and could only do a basic logo... it was basically used to just balance the logo lettering and to fill in empty space on the logo.

I will see if the Graphics Forum will create me some new logos to replace the 2001 logos... I think there are may be 7 or 8 of them in the league... so I might be able to get them redone.

***************** May 1st Standings ******************************* July 1st Standings ***************

***************** August 1st Standings ************************** September 1st Standings ***************