2057 Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series: Game 4 at Winchester Park

2057 Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series: Game 4 at Red Bluff Park

Around the Town in the IPA

Red Bluff Red Sox

Owner: Mack Connery Philanthropic Foundation
General Manager: Mack Connery IV
Manager: Ike Sweetwater

Red Bluff, population 72,000, is located in the isolated and hard-to-get-to Silver Mountains in east central Tycobbia. With iron ore mining and steel production as the main industries, it is the headquarters of Ettillig, makers of the most popular razors and razor blades in the Islands and the famous "Look sharp, be sharp” slogan. The town is literally cut out of rock and gets its name from the red-colored bluffs of iron ore rocks visible high beyond the outfield fences of Red Bluff Park, the home of the Red Bluff Red Sox. Red Bluff Steel and Mining Company is the biggest employer in the town.

The ballpark is an anachronism, a throwback to days of yore, but the Red Bluff fans have repeatedly voted down building a new modern stadium to replace their beloved ball field. Since flat land is at a premium in Red Bluff, it looks like Red Bluff Park will be safe for quite a few more years. Mack Connery was the original owner of the team. In the early 2000s Connery was instrumental in creating the Islandian Pro Alliance in concert with Jock Ewing, owner at Waleska, John Banson, the League Commissioner, Jorge Trujillo of Belair Beach, Brent Steiner of Bayview, Rock ’n’ roll star and Cape Coral owner, Conway Birdie and jazz entertainer Louis “Sugar Lips” Charles of Bay St. Clair.

Connery, the long-time and very frugal president, general manager and manager of the Red Sox, probably went to heaven with the first dollar he ever made. He was a gentleman in every sense of the word. Connery even wore a suit and tie in the dugout. Mack Connery IV is the present guiding hand of the Red Sox. He succeeded all of his namesakes. His great-grandfather reigned until 2020, winding up his career at age 90, his grandfather retired in 2040 and his father called it a day in 2050. The original Mack Connery did it all. He was owner, GM and skipper. After his retirement, his offspring just ran the front office and didn't handle the club on the field. Connery was a baseball man on the field and off the field.

Red Bluff Park is a hitter's heaven for righthanded batters. It's only 310 feet down the line and just 360 to center. If you like lots of homers and scoring, you get it here. With the frugal Connery family all you get on the field is the basics, no high-priced stars. And all you get at the concession stands are just the basics: no fancy gourmet food or drink, just beer, soft drinks, lemonade, hamburgers, hot dogs, peanuts and crackerjacks. There are no silly promotions, either. But the Red Bluffians wouldn’t have it any other way. No yuppies, preppies, techies or boomers here. They are just hardworking, blue-collared miners that just love baseball. They love their old Red Bluff Park and all of the Mack Connery family.

Red Bluff is currently managed by a former star player, center fielder Ike Sweetwater. He starred for the Red Sox from 2032 to 2050, a five-time All-Star and Golden Glove defender. Lifetime Sweetwater batted .285 and walloped 521 homers. He took command of Red Bluff's diamond operations in 2051.

Red Bluff Park (1913)

Capacity: 7,350

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 310' (7' fence)
Left Field - 335' (7' fence)
Left Center Field - 365' (7' fence)
Center Field - 360' (7' fence)
Right Center Field - 380' (7' fence)
Right Field - 365' (7' fence)
Right Field Line 345' (7' fence)

Around the Town in the IPA

OXFORD RED CAPS

Owner: Tyco-Tech
GM: Babe Friedriksen
Manager: Dennis Hartwig

Oxford is a town of 89,000 found in the east central plains of Tycobbia, 10 miles east of the Blue Lake and 10 miles west of the Silver Mountains. It is a rural area, settled by English emigres in the 1850s and was originally called Mills Creek. In its early days farming and sheepherding were the mainstays of the economy. One of the emigres was a young commoner, Charles Emerson Winchester, who had been turned down for admission to the famed Oxford University in England. It was his dream to be an educator and eventually become a university scholar and administrator. His heart was broken by Oxford's rejection, so he enrolled in a lesser school and graduated summa cum laude. He then emigrated to Tycobbia, where there was no class system and started a small rural college in Mills Creek. Winchester said, "My voice shall be heard from this wilderness"... and it was. It was the first college in Tycobbia and within a few years became so successful that the name of the town was changed to Oxford. Winchester said his dream to teach at Oxford had finally come true. Oxford College rivals St. John University in Ruthlandia as the outstanding higher learning institution in the Islands.

Today Oxford College is a thriving private institution and much desired by the Islands high school graduates. The Oxonian graduates are in much demand in Tycobbia and Ruthlandia. The university is the town's dominant industry and supplies the local high tech companies with outstanding recruits. One of those high tech companies is Tycob-Tech, which is the owner of the Oxford Red Caps in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The team is named in honor of the university and adopted Oxford's red and white colors for their own. The school even shares historic Winchester Park (circa 1909) with the Red Caps.

Oxford's entry into baseball began in the late 1890's, when the college began an intramural baseball league. That soon expanded to include the townspeople. By 1905, Oxford baseball expanded to playing other town teams in Tycobbia. In 1920 the Amateur Baseball Alliance changed it rules, so that players could be employed by companies and play baseball. In theory, they were not paid to play baseball, just given time off from work to practice and play games. It continued that way until 2001, when Ban Johnson, the ABA commissioner, said it was time for a professional baseball league, where players could be paid just to play baseball and do it legally. The company and industrial league sponsors had long been circumventing and violating the spirit of the amateur rules. Johnson said it was time to bring it out in the open. That is how the IPA came to be.

Winchester Park is situated on the beautiful Oxford campus. Smokestacks and school buildings are visible beyond the outfield fences. The Oxonian fans have a rousing good time at the Red Cap games. It is a college crowd, filled with undergrads and alumni. Cheerleaders and a dance team inspire the fans with all of the old Oxford cheers, adapted for the Red Caps. You still hear "two bits, four bits, six bits, a dollar" and the Oxford fight song reverberating throughout the ballpark. In the seventh inning there is the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". Then in the eighth, everyone sings the Oxford Alma Mater. If the game goes into extra innings and reaches the fourteenth frame, the fans will sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" in the Fourteenth Inning Stretch. This is unique in all of baseball. No one else does this. Food concessions at Winchester Park are just the typical hot dogs, hamburgers, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks.

The Oxford Red Caps have an experienced management team, consisting of Babe Friedriksen as general manager and Dennis Hartwig as manager. She was the women's softball coach and athletic administrator at Oxford. Hartwig was an outstanding hitter and outfielder, who played college ball at the Oxford, then signed with the Red Caps upon graduation. He starred for 16 years, batting .303 with 338 home runs and 1349 RBIs. Hartwig was a Golden Glover, Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year in 2023, Batter of the Year in 2025 and a 5-time All-Star.

Winchester Stadium (1909)

Capacity: 10,250

Dimensions:

LF Line 335
LF 355
LCF 382
CF 420
RCF 368
RF 335
RF Line 300

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 26, 2057

2057 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series: Game 5 at Cathedral Stadium

2056 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series: Game 5 at State Fair Park

2057 Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series: Game 5 at Winchester Park

2057 Tycobbian Division Championship Series: Game 5 at Red Bluff Park

Around the Town in the IPA

DENTON CITY REDBIRDS

Owner : The Denton Family Foundation
GM/Manager: Pete Gibbs

Denton City is a town of 64,000 located in South Tycobbia midway between Chicopee on the west coast and South Fork in the east near the slopes of the Silver Mountains.

Denton City was founded by Douglas Denton, for whom the town is named. Douglas Denton was born in 1832 in Montrose, Scotland. As a young man Denton had heard of a new country called Tycobbia and the stories he had heard made him eager to seek adventure, fame and fortune there.

He arrived in 1851 by ship across the Kelynck Ocean, landing in the Bay of St. Clair. From there he headed south towards what he had been told was mostly virgin territory. He had travelled about 4 days when he reached his land of paradise. Denton described in his journal this way: “It was like I had found heaven upon earth, the grass was as green as it was back home in Montrose and the air I had never smelled anything like it - it was so pure and sweet."

Denton built a small log cabin for shelter and began life in his new country as a trapper. He did quite well and prospered over the next few years. Saving the money he got from selling furs in Bay St. Clair, Denton began to buy up land grants around his log cabin. So began the small origins of Denton City.

Denton expanded his business into real estate, renting and selling to trappers and their families. At this point he decided to start the Montrose Trading Company, named after his birthplace in Scotland. The area soon became known as Scotsman’s Fields.

Shortly before his 38th birthday, Denton sold the rights to mining to the McMillan Company. Because of the mining boom, the town grew rapidly with an influx of mining families from all over Tycobbia, Scotland, Ireland and England. Douglas Denton had finally made it. He was now a wealthy man.

Two years later in 1862 Denton met and married his wife Sarah and soon expanded the family with two sons, Greer and Murdock. By now Scotsman's Fields had McMillan Mining and Steel, but also a railway line to link the town with Bay St. Clair to ship out the steel and iron ore.

In 1872 on Denton’s 50th birthday Scotsman's Fields was officially named Denton City in his honor. Denton died in 1890 at the age of 68. He had dedicated his life and his fortune to Denton City. He had built a hospital, library, concert hall and the first ballpark in town.

Just like any other small town in Tycobbia at the time, it had started to follow the new sport of Base Ball. The first team of Denton were called the Denton Miners due to the fact that the team were fielded by the miners. Many teams would come and go, teams like the Denton 9, the Denton Mutuals, Ball Club of Denton and lastly the Denton City Redbirds. One person who was always there to watch was Douglas Denton who loved the game of Base Ball. Eventually he sponsored and managed a team in the town league. He named the team the Ball Club of Denton.

The Denton City Redbirds name came about because of Sarah Denton. She would spend hours sitting in the fields with her paints and canvas, painting the beautiful scenery around Denton. She also had a passion for painting birds. One of her beautiful paintings of a cardinal was on her husband's office wall. One day a meeting was being held in his office to decide on a nickname for the Ball Club of Denton. Many names had been discussed, when all of a sudden Huck McKinney, who was captain of the club, looked up at Mrs. Denton’s painting and said “that redbird would sure look pretty on a baseball jersey”.

It wasn’t long before Douglas Denton had a wooden stadium built for the town league. The first stadium was constructed in 1880 and just called the Base Ball Field. But it soon burned down and was had to be rebuilt. This time it had covered bleachers, was built of steel and seated 500 people. Denton named the new stadium McBride Park in honor of Jack McBride, who lost his life in trying to put the fire out at the old ballpark.

It wasn’t long before baseball spread across Tycobbia and the civic pride in each town raised the competition level. In Denton City they began to combine the local teams into a town team. So the Denton Miners joined up with the Denton 9 to become the Denton Red Stockings and The Mutuals and the Ball Club of Denton became the Denton City Redbirds. Eventually all the teams combined as the Denton City Redbirds.

McBride Stadium was expanded several times over the years and finally was replaced in 1971 by a new state-of-the-art facility, funded by McMillan Steel. This time it was named Douglas Denton Stadium in honor of the town's founder and biggest baseball fan.

A day at Douglas Denton Stadium is just good old-fashioned baseball with peanuts, crackerjacks, cokes and hot dogs. And good old-fashioned baseball. The Redbirds GM and manager is Pete Gibbs, a Golden Glove catcher and 4-time All-Star in his 19 seasons in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Gibbs played for seven teams in the league, the first 11 with Denton City. In his career he batted .271 with 247 homers and 1093 RBIs in 1979 games. Gibbs took over the ballclub in 2051.

Douglas Denton Field (1971)
Capacity: 9,250
Dimensions:

LF Line 335
LF 355
LCF 375
CF 395
RCF 375
RF 355
RF Line 335

Around the Town in the IPA

TURON TYPHOONS

Owner: Anastas International Shipping
GM: Clyde Kingsford
Manager: C. C. Kingsford

Turon is a seaport town of 118,000 in the Caledonia River basin on the southwestern coast of Tycobbia and its second largest population-wise. The Caledonia River terminates here after winding 500 miles from east to west from Red Bluff in the central Silver Mountains southward through Hillsboro and then flowing westward near the towns of South Fork, Denton City and Arlon. The river finally comes to an end in Turon and empties into the Kelnyck Ocean and Southern Sea.

It is a cosmopolitan town with a diversified economy and a mecca for tourists. Turon is a busy trade and distribution center with many shipping interests. Agriculture flourishes here with extensive farmlands in the Caledonia River basin. It is also a diversity of cultures and was settled in the 1840s and 1850s by French, Scottish, Irish and German settlers, who came to get away from religious intolerance and persecution. Southerners from the United States came in good numbers after the Civil War defeat. Turon became their New South, but minus the slave culture.

Turon is resplendent with beauty. Streets and boulevards lined with grand live oak trees and antebellum mansions. In the countryside are majestic plantations. Near the coast you'll find sugar-white sandy beaches. You'll find plenty of Old World in Turon, but also plenty of the Modern World, too.

The Turon Typhoons of the IPA's South Division play in a very modern baseball palace, Typhoon Stadium. It is built with concrete and steel to withstand the occasional typhoon that emanates from the cold and icy waters of the Kelnyck Ocean. The old ballpark was completely destroyed twice in 1938 and 1967. The new stadium was completed in 1999 and houses the Tycobbian Baseball Hall of Fame, a must-see for all Islandian baseball fans. It covers the entire spectrum and includes memorabilia from the amateur, college and industrial leagues.

The Typhoons really are active promoters with something going on each inning during the ballgames. All kinds of promotions, games and stunts to enliven and entertain the fans. Wild music tracks fill the stadium to rally the Typhoons and their fans. Concessions are stocked with all of the traditional ballpark delights.

Turon is owned by wealthy shipping tycoon, Onnie Anastas. One of the most successful GMs and managers in the early days of the Islandian Pro Alliance was Ashton “Whitey” Richburn, one of the finest defensive center fielders and lead-off men in Tycobbian amateur baseball history... he ran the club for the first few decades, which were the "glory years" of Turon baseball, when they won four Gold Cups (2003, 2005, 2008, 2018)... the current management are a father-son team, the great Hall-of-Famer Clyde Kingsford and C. C. Kingsford... the elder Kingsford hit .319 for 14 seasons and hit 486 out of the park with the Typhoons and was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2029 and is now the general manager... his son is the skipper... C. C. starred for Turon for 19 seasons, batting .306 with 432 homers... the younger Kingsford was an 8-time All-Star and played from 2034 to 2051.

Typhoon Stadium (1999)
Capacity: 8,010
Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 335
Left Field - 355
Left Center - 380
Center Field - 410
Right Center - 380
Right Field - 355
Right Field Line - 345

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 27, 2056

2057 Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series: Game 6 at Douglas Denton Field

2057 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series: Game 6 at Old Fortress Park

2057 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series: Game 6 at War Memorial Stadium

Around the Town in the IPA

VALMARA VIPERS

Owner: Viper Offshore Services, headed by the estate of Capt. Stanislaw Lem, Ruthlandia Navy (ret)
GM: Vanya Vasylenko
Manager: Don Ritchie

Valmara is located in the northeastern part of Valdar Island, a port town of 81,000 people on Valmara Bay, an excellent deep water harbor. A clash of a warm Valerian Ocean current and a cold Kelnyck Ocean provides for heavy early morning fogs and sometimes nasty rainy weather.

The town began as a small fishing village in the 1880s and pretty much remained that way until the late 1930s. Valmara has never been considered a pleasant place to live with rocky soil, thick ocean fogs and moss growing everywhere. If not for its wonderful port, no one in their right mind would live there. The harbor and the port have brought commerce and jobs.The prime industries of Valmara revolve around the sea, be it catching and processing fish, servicing deep-ocean oil rigs or supporting the ten-ship navy of Ruthlandia.

With the threat of world war on the horizon in 1938, the Ruthlandian government established Valdarian Military Academy, a college for cadets and midshipmen studying for future service in the Ruthlandian Navy and Army.

During the Second World War, Ruthlandia was swept up in the maelstrom in the nation's first and only war. The nation sent a regiment of troops and a fighter squadron to England to aid the Allies. The Ruthlandian navy served proudly with the 2nd Polish Corps in the Italian campaign, especially at Monte Cassino. After the war, many Poles opted not to return to their Soviet-occupied nation and several hundred emigrated to Ruthlandia. Many of the ex-soldiers did not go far past Valmara when they got off the boat.

Over the next four decades, many Poles emigrated (or escaped) from behind the Iron Curtain to Ruthlandia. After two generations of migration and birth, more than half of the town is of Polish descent.

The Valmara Vipers are owned by the family of Capt. Stanislaw Lem, RN (ret.) of Viper Offshore Services. He was not related to the noted author of the same name, which often causes non-native reporters much trouble. The owner liked to be called "The Captain" in public. Lem made a small fortune after his navy career operating ships and helicopters that serve offshore oil rigs. Thanks to the vast supply of petroleum offshore, his company's profits have gone through the roof. The Captain had no problem coming up with money to buy a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance in 2001, the first pro baseball league in the Islands history. Valmara plays in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the North Division.

The Valmara Vipers trace their history from the frigate Viper, which had a team in the Naval League in the 1940's. When the amateur league players became semi-pros in the 1950s and worked and played baseball for companies, the Vipers were sponsored by Marine Midland Bank. The Captain played baseball for his service team in the 1960s and was active in the industrial leagues as a sponsor in the 1970s, 80s and 90s. Since Captain Lem had been the captain of the frigate Viper in the late 1960s, when it came to naming his IPA franchise, it was a no-brainer. The Valmara Vipers were born.

The Vipers play their games at historic old War Memorial Stadium. Amateur and industrial league teams have used it for years. It is dedicated to the memory of the 121 men from Ruthlandia killed in action in the Italian campaign during the Second World War. It is a old stadium built for football and soccer, but improvised and used for baseball since 1946. The Captain commissioned noted architectural company HOK to renew the old park into a suitable baseball park. He spared no expense in updating the old stadium with modern technology and conveniences. Yet it still retains the charm of an old stadium.

Game-Day Experience:

Like many successful immigrants, the people of Valmara have fiercely adopted the values of their new nation. Ruthlandia's flag is navy blue and green. In Valmara, it's just taken to a ridiculous extreme. The team’s colors are navy blue and green. So are the water towers, the dockyard cranes, the street signs and the new city hall.

Captain Lem wanted to build a new ballpark, but the city fathers persuaded him to just refurbish the old stadium in the old part of town to be an anchor for a new mixed residential-commercial district. Civic pride got the best of the Captain and he agreed to use War Memorial Stadium. The civic renewal project was quite successful. Because there is little parking nearby, fans have to walk nearly a quarter mile to the park. On the way, they are treated to a dozen restaurants, bars, and pubs. The integration into the neighborhood is considered to be charming. The revitalization project has brought a good deal of commerce and energy into the east side of town. The worst of the neighborhood was torn down. The city fathers have expanded the renovations and given the old town a new look.

Food:
Fans love to scarf down bigos (cabbage and meat stew) and rye bread at cafes adjacent to the ballpark. Inside the park, everyone loves perogis (potato and cheese dumplings). The Captain persuaded Mama Kolski's Restaurant (home of the best perogis in town) to open a stand at his newly-renovated ballpark and it was a big hit.

Beer sales are strictly regulated by city ordinance to two beers per person. This is due to the locals’ love of pale lagers that are 9% alcohol. Also in recent years, draft Coors is a trendy choice.

Ambiance:
Music at the ballpark is best described as LOUD. The Captain installed a very modern, very powerful sound system at the refurbished stadium.

In 2001, a sound system operator substituted the Village People's "In the Navy" for the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" during the seventh inning stretch and started a new tradition. It was a college night at an industrial league game, with plenty of middies from Valdarian Military Academy on hand and many crewmembers from the frigates Viper and Foxx. It was a smash hit, no doubt fueled by a hot autumn evening, cold pale lager and the nine-run Viper lead. Since then, "In the Navy" has been played during the seventh inning stretch of every game save one -- the first game at the revamped War Memorial Stadium. The Captain hated the tune and thought with the public reopening that the club could stop playing that vile song. During the Vipers first exhibition game, the fans nearly rioted and the stadium's debut was marred with a near five-minute interruption of boos before play resumed. Wisely, The Captain made a quick command decision and allowed "In the Navy" to be played during the 8th inning break...and during every game since. Of course, the Captain saw to it that "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" was restored to its revered seventh-inning spot.

You can hear the song "In the Navy" at this link:

https://www.bing.com/search?q=in+the...&setlang=en-US

In the navy
Yes, you can sail the seven seas
In the navy
Yes, you can put your mind at ease
In the navy
Come on now, people, make a stand
In the navy, in the navy
Can't you see we need a hand
In the navy
Come on, protect the motherland
In the navy
Come on and join your fellow man
In the navy
Come on people, and make a stand
In the navy, in the navy, in the navy (in the navy)
(written by Henri Belolo, Jacques Morali, Victor Willis)

Mascot

The Captain (he considers himself a traditionalist) did not believe in having a mascot until he put his own money into the old ball park. At that point, he had to figure out how to attract every dollar possible from every fan possible. So Vippy and Vippa Viper came into being. They parade around the ballpark entertaining the fans and leading cheers, dances and songs. Viper fans are noted for hissing at the umpires and the opposing teams. The Captain sells a lot Vippy and Vippa apparel and memorabilia...even rents them out to for birthday parties at the stadium.

History

Baseball on Valdar Island had a late beginning. Due to the Island topography, climate and lack of mineral deposits it was not as desirable as the Ruthlandian mainland, so it was bypassed by the immigrants until about 1910, when the towns of Valmara, Ancona, Kilkenny, Taranto and Ranford sprang up. From 1910 to 1920, touring amateur baseball teams from the mainland would play games from time to time and the game was introduced slowly. But it did catch on. In a desire to assimilate with the rest of the country, where baseball was like a religion, the Valdarians took to the game with passion and fervor. Amateur baseball clubs and company-based teams began to spout in abudance in the 1920s. By the mid-1940's Valdar Island baseball was as good as the Mainland.

The team was first managed by J. Jackson Samuel, a run-of-the-mill industrial league player that became a legendary manager. Samuel broke Jay Loman's record for the most Silver Whale Cups, given to the best amateur team on Valdar Island. Loman was the manager of the Ancona Red Elephants in the 1920s and won nine straight Valdar Island League titles. Samuel won 12 during his amateur career. He led the club to its first Pro Cup title in 2023.

Samuel retired and turned the reins over to one of the all-time great Vipers, Jet Kazmarek, who was a .350 career hitter in his 16 IPA seasons. Kazmarek was an 8-time All-Star and won the batting title 9 times. He is also the only .400 hitter in the annals of the league and has the highest career batting average. Kazmarek batted an awesome .428 in 2002. He was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2027. Kazmarek skippered the Vipers to their first Pro Cup crown in 2026.

Kazmarek retained his GM title, but in 2036 turned the managerial duties over to Vanya Vasylenko, a former Valmara pitching star. Vasylenko starred for 20 seasons for the Vipers and compiled a 304-261 record with a 3.45 career ERA. Valmara captured three Pro Cup trophies during Vasylenko's tenure. The Vipers were IPA champions in 2043, 2049 and 2050. Valmara has accrued four Pro Cups and is tied with two other clubs for the most IPA crowns: Turon and North Hills.

At the helm of the current edition of Valmara Vipers is former outfielder, Don Ritchie, who played from 2041 to 2056, taking over in 2057. He has three Pro Cup rings and batted .289 lifetime with 97 homers, 1301 runs and 957 RBIs... Ritchie succeeded the very successful Uncle Vanya Vasylenko, who is now the General Manager.

War Memorial Stadium (1946)

Capacity: 9,595

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 330
Left Field - 350
Left Center - 380
Center Field - 405
Right Center - 370
Right Field - 330
Right Field Line - 309

Around the Town in the IPA

ELNORA ALL-STARS

Owner: Costanza Investments, Inc.
General Manager and Manager: Stan Kivas

Elnora, population 101,000, is a port city at the edge of the Great Plains on the east coast of Ruthlandia near the Valerian Ocean. It is one of the earliest settlements in the Islands. Elnora is the site of grain processing plants, vast wheat fields and shipping docks.

It was the home of the first amateur teams formed by companies and commercial enterprises in the 1920s. Players were given jobs by the companies and then given ample time off to practice their skills and to play games to publicize the companies' wares, services and products to the baseball fans of Ruthlandia.

The Elnora All-Stars were first owned by a wealthy eccentric by the name of George Costanza. He made a fortune in reality television with a show "about nothing". In 2000, Costanza jumped at the chance to get a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance and immediately began signing up all of the amateur all-stars and named his team the All-Stars. But IPA commissioner, John Banson, refused to approve the contracts. Costanza had to go through the league draft to get his players like all of the other teams. Costanza appealed it all the way to the Islandian Supreme Court, but the league prevailed.

Elnora plays in the Ruthlandian Union and is in the East Division. The Elnora All-Stars play at State Fair Park, which is the site of the Ruthlandian State Fair each year. It is the largest midway and carnival in the Islands. State Fair Park is known for serving great soups, made by the famous Elaine Benes Soup Company. Costanza imported a renowned and sometimes difficult chef from Argentina to manage his concessions. In addition to traditional baseball foods, wonderful soups like mulligatawny, lima bean, turkey chili, crab bisque, cold cucumber, corn and crab chowder are served up at the ballpark. A word of warning, don't ask for bread. The Chef demands that all customers in his restaurant follow his meticulous (and seemingly arbitrary) soup-ordering instructions to the letter, lest they be refused service by his insistent avowal, "No soup for you!"

Costanza did go out and get a great manager for the All-Stars. He hired one of the most successful industrial league manager in Ruthlandian baseball history, Zoggy White. He was only a semi-mediocre outfielder, but really made his mark as a manager. In reference to his success as a player versus his success as a manager, White once said, "Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it." His style of play, which was nicknamed "Whiteyball," concentrates on pitching, speed, and defense to win games rather than home runs. White's baseball philosophy also includes a preference for patient hitters with high on-base percentages. White retired in 2026 after 27 seasons at the helm and took over as general manager. His success in the amateur leagues didn't transfer to the IPA as White only managed 3 pennants and 5 playoff appearances in his tenure.

Leon Carter took the reins from White in 2027. Carter was a 7-time All-Star catcher for Elnora from 2013 to 2026. He finished his career with a lifetime .287 BA , 284 homers and over 1000 RBIs... Carter initially had success as the Elnora skipper... he won four pennants in his first decade, including the Pro Cup in 2033. His next decade was pretty good with six first-division finishes, however the All-Stars went into a decline and Carter was finally replaced by Stan Kivas in 2052.

Kivas was a pretty good starter from 2033 to 2048, posting a 237-203 mark with a 3.45 ERA. As a 23-year-old rookie reliever in 2033, Kivas played a part in Elnora's only IPA Pro Cup victory, posting a fine 1.42 ERA in 9 relief appearances with three saves. As the new manager and GM Kivas made a dazzling debut. He cleaned house his first year with 17 rookies on the roster and wound up in third place in the RU East standings. The All-Stars have done well ever since, consistently in the Ruthlandian East first division.

State Fair Park (1971)
Capacity: 12,500

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 335
Left Field - 370
Left Center - 399
Center Field - 415
Right Center - 399
Right Field - 370
Right Field Line - 335

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 28, 2057

2057 Ruthlandian Union Division Championship Series: Game 7 at War Memorial Stadium

Well, the Denton loss is surprising. But Turon is still rolling. And St. John is putting up a fight.

Yeah, Denton and Valmara were two fine clubs... now they are gone.
I've always been a closet fan of the Redbirds and the Vipers... I kind of wanted Valmara to get a crack a 5th Pro Cup... I like the Denton Redbirds because of Stan the Man of the St. Louis Redbirds... He is my favorite all-time player.

Red Bluff can really hit the ball... so can Elnora.

Looks like it will be Turon and St. John pitching against the big bats of the Red Sox and the All-Star.

I'm leaning toward Turon and Elnora... with Turon winning the Pro Cup this year... the Typhoons are seeking their 5th Pro Cup trophy... I think they will get it.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, September 28, 2057

FAB FOUR TANGLE IN IPA PLAYOFFS MONDAY
Four teams have survived the first round of action in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... the top two choices Denton City and Valmara are gone from the postseason, leaving number three Turon as the favorite to win it all this year... however, the number five pick, Red Bluff, number six, Elnora, and number-seven ranked, St. John, still have a big say in the outcome... the Typhoons are in quest of their record-setting fifth Pro Cup trophy... Elnora and Red Bluff have garnered one apiece, while St. John is empty-handed so far.

In the Tycobbian Union League Championship Series, talented Turon will open up at home Monday afternoon at Typhoon Stadium against the redhot Red Bluff Red Sox and the unheralded Elnora All-Stars and the lightly-regarded St. John Crusaders will do battle at Cathedral Stadium in St. John... in the opening round Turon disposed of a pretty darn good team, number four Oxford, in quick fashion four games to one... Red Bluff upset number-one rated Denton City in six games... St. John pitching surprised number two Valmara in a tense seven-game series... and Elnora outhit the eighth-rated Fort Benton Defenders in six games.

In both the Tycobbian and Ruthlandian Unions, it will be very good pitching going up against strong hitting... Turon is blessed with a fine staff, while Red Bluff carries the big sticks... if the Typhoons hitters can handle the Red Sox staff, then Turon should take them in six games... the St. John Crusaders got excellent mound work in the decisive last two games of the Valmara series... and they managed to scrounge enough runs to top the Vipers... Elnora will be a test... they really can hit the baseball... and to make matters even better, the All-Stars just got slugger Donald Ray Mooney back from the DL... he didn't play in the first round, out with a bad back... this is tough series to call... it should go the full seven games... Elnora just might get some decent pitching to go with its hard-hitting attack... give the slight edge to the All-Stars.

Let the games begins... and may the best teams win.