Go Frogs!!! :eatpop:

At the end of last season as you know, the Fairfax Frogs were the best team in the IPA... they had the best record in the IPA after the All-Star Game.

Big things were predicted for this year, but the Frogs sort of croaked in April with slow start, only 9-14, but they got it going in May with a 16-12 mark... I think they just had a bad month... still one of the top teams in the Tycobbian North... they just didn't hit well or pitch well in the first month of the season.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

'CANES RAISIN' CANE IN TU SOUTH
Yeah, boy... the Cape Coral Hurricanes (32-19) are hitting up a storm and raising cane in the Tycobbian South... the 'Canes surged to the top of the standings with a 19-9 run in May... they overtook Ginza with a blistering high-octane attack, the likes rarely seen in the Islandian Pro Alliance... for the season Cape Coral is batting .309 so far and tops the IPA in scoring... Ginza (31-20) and Arroyo Grande (24-27) had the lead going into May, but the Suns have gone on the blink with a dismal 10-18 and fallen to 5th place... the Ninjas are right on the Hurricanes' heels, just one game behind... Ginza charted a fine 17-12 mark last month... perennial power Turon (29-22) is only 3 games off the pace in the 3rd spot after going 16-12 in May... lightly-regarded Summerland (27-24) moved up to the 4th spot in the race with a 15-13 record... the Sunsets are 5 games behind... so the stage is set for a heck of a good pennant chase... it's refreshing to have some fresh blood in the hunt... only Turon, Southport and San Alejo have won division flags in the past decade... the Typhoons have captured it 5 times, the Sun Sox 3 times and the Montaneros twice... preseason favorite Southport showed some sign of revival with a 15-13 record in the second month of the season... they were a shocking 7-16 in April... but the Sun Sox are still dead last and 10 games out... in the also-ran category are Arroyo Grande (24-27), Colchester (24-27) and San Alejo (23-28)... the Elites and Monties had respectable months at 14-14.

Tycobbian South Outlook: it's going to tough for anyone to overtake redhot Cape Coral... the Hurricanes bats are blazing with a ridiculously high .309 BA (1st), 304 runs (1st) and 50 homers (13th-tied)... and their pitching staff is decent with a 3.98 ERA (19th)... the rest of the clubs can only hope they cool off at the plate and give them a chance to compete... super pitching is keeping the Ginza Ninjas in the race so far... it is surprising they are as close as they are and have such a standout record... offensively the Ninjas are pretty bad with only 200 runs (27th)... but 3 starters are all under 3.00... and Abram Worth (5-3/1.56 ERA/9 saves/25 G) has been lights out as the closer... Turon is getting by with solid pitching from a veteran staff... the team ERA is 3.48 (6th)... and they have just enough offense to get by... the team BA is .263 (11th) with 220 runs (16th), but with little power... just 31 homers (29th)... the Summerland Sunsets depend on pitching almost totally... the team ERA is very good at 3.26 (3rd)... the bats are second rate with a .249 BA (24th), 207 runs (22nd) and 35 roundtrippers (27th)... in long run, this looks like the Year of the Hurricanes... Cape Coral may blow everybody out of the water.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

HM, TUCKS, ZARKS IN 3-WAY TIE IN TU EAST
How about that!... mighty Midway and robust Red Bluff just might have some competition in the Tycobbian East Division... High Mesa (28-23), Tuckanarra (28-23) and Ozarka (28-23) soared in May and leapfrogged the habitual powers... the Mustangs, Blue Jays and Naturals are on top of the heap with a 2-game edge over the Wolves (26-25) and 3 up on the Red Sox (25-26)... it's beginning to look like a 5-team race this year.

Red Bluff (15-7) was on top in April, followed closely by Midway (14-9)... but both clubs slumbered with a poor May... the Wolves were 12-16, while the Red Sox slipped to 10-18... the Tucks had the best record last month at 17-11, followed by High Mesa's 16-12... the Zarks also had a winning month at 15-13... none of the other three clubs in the TU East look like contenders.

Tycobbian East Outlook: the co-leading High Mesa Mustangs can score runs... they are hitting only .249 (23rd), but they go deep pretty well with 69 homers (4th) and have put 224 runs (6th) on the scoreboard... couple that with a good mound staff and you have a solid pennant contender... the Mustangs have registered a 3.71 team ERA (8th)... Tuckanarra is tied for the top spot, but may not be able to sustain it... the Tucks have average pitching with a 3.97 ERA, but don't have much of an offense.... the third co-leader Ozarka doesn't seem to have staying power, either... the Nats only have so-so pitching with a 4.08 ERA, a fairly good offense with a .266 BA (8th), 229 runs (11th-tied), but only 29 roundtrippers (30th)... Midway's misery in May was caused by a poor performance on the hill... the team ERA is elevated at 4.22 (23rd)... however, the Wolves can still stick the old horsehide... they are batting .267 (7th), have scored 240 runs (7th) and smacked 83 out of the park (1st-tied)... 4th place Midway is still a dangerous team... so is 5th place Red Bluff... the Red Sox have posted a fine 3.05 ERA (2nd), but have suffered at the plate with a .248 BA (25th), scored only 205 runs (25th) and have hit just 52 homers (10th)... they are not the Red Sox of old with firepower galore... it's a new day in Red Bluff where pitching is the way to success... the Tycobbian East pennant will get down to just three teams... High Mesa is not a flash in the pan... should be around into September... they can play with Midway... the Wolves are still the favorite... with the Red Sox coming in third... Tuckanarra and Ozarka will battle for the fourth spot in the standings... well-regarded South Fork suffered a huge blow when 25-game winner Emmett Coogan (2-4/5.40) was lost for the entire season with an arm injury.

Nice to see some underdogs doing well this season. As for my Ginza Ninjas, nice to see them high up in their division but I don’t think it’s gonna last. With poor hitting like that you’re basically winning through pitching alone.

Yes, it nice to have some of the also-ran franchises make a little noise in the IPA... it makes it a little more interesting.

A few teams have made the Pro Cup Playoffs with just really good pitching... Southport and San Alejo are good examples... also White River had fine pitching 3 years in a row, but didn't have enough offense to win the Pro Cups... that was in '55, '56 and '57... they lost in the Finals in '57.

The Ninjas are in a good division to win it with just pitching.

Ginza's golden years were 2019 to 2031, spearheaded by HOF catcher Crash Davis, who starred from 2013 to 2033... in his career Davis batted .304 with 405 homers, 1556 RBIs and 1656 runs... 15-time All-Star and 4-time Golden Glover... Crash Davis is one of the top players to ever play in the IPA... the Ninjas won 5 TU South pennants during his tenure.

Most of the time, you need a good blend of batting and pitching to win the Pro Cup... but lately Red Bluff did it without pitching... Midway might do the same this year... Cape Coral is another hot-hitting team with mediocre pitching... we'll see if the Hurricanes can pull it off.

Good pitching and good home-run power can do it, too... Teams don't have to hit for a high average... but they have to be able to score runs.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

REDS AHEAD IN TU WEST
Who's the best in the west in 2059?... it's still up in the air after two months of action... Kenwood (26-25) led in April, but has been overtaken by the scorching hot Rolling Hills Reds (29-22), who rode a sparkling 18-10 mark in May to the top of the Tycobbian West Division... second place belongs to the Denton City Redbirds (27-24), 2 games back... Kenwood is tied with rising Chicopee (26-25) for the third spot in the standings... the Wildcats were 14-14 last month, while the Braves went 16-12... last year's champ and this year's preseason favorite Arlon (25-26) is in 5th place after going 15-13 in May... two clubs are still within striking distance of the first place... Bay St. Clair (24-27) is 5 games out in 6th place... the Buccaneers posted a 13-15 mark during the month... the La Claire Lynx (23-28) are in the 7th spot, 6 games off the pace... the Lynx were all even for the month at 14-14... the only club that appears out of the pennant race is the Bayview Vikings (20-31), who suffered a terrible 9-19 month in May... the Viks are 9 games behind leading Rolling Hills.

Tycobbian West Outlook: the top contenders appear to be Rolling Hills, Denton City, Kenwood, Arlon and Chicopee... the first place Reds are surviving with a .286 team BA (4th), strong scoring with 256 runs (5th) and 43 home runs (17th-tied)... they need help on the hill with a second-rate 4.24 team ERA (24th)... the runner-up Redbirds depend on pitching and longballs... they are batting .258 (15th), but have scored 236 runs (8th)... 53 HR (7th-tied) make a difference... the team ERA is pretty good at 3.74 (9th) with a fine bullpen, ranked 2nd in the RU at 1.72... the third place Wildcats stink on the mound with a jumbo high 5.02 ERA (31st), but counter that with a strong attack... .278 BA (6th), 264 runs (3rd) and 43 roundtrippers (17th-tied)... Kenwood is tied for third with the Chicopee Braves... the Tribe has fairly good pitching with a 3.83 ERA (13th)... the Braves' offense is not clicking yet, but they are getting better... they are hitting .256 (16th) with 212 runs (19th) and 27 homers (31st)... Chicopee hit .272 last year and came in second in the pennant race to Arlon, 8 GB... the Champions are in 5th place right now... Arlon is scorching the ball at a .279 pace (5th) with 257 runs (4th) and 53 HR (7th-tied)... and the pitching is better than average with a 3.74 ERA, but they lost ace closer Mack Blair (0-1/1.17 ERA/5 saves/10 G) in May for 3-4 months... big loss and big blow to pennant hopes... without Blair the Champs will have trouble contending... sixth place Bay St. Clair and seventh place La Claire are just second-division teams going nowhere this season... and last place Bayview will just have to settle for last place... they hit homers, but don't do anything else very well.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 1, 2059

TOP IPA STARS IN MAY
The Islandian Pro Alliance has now completed two month of play... the standout performers in May in the Ruthlandian Union were Snooky Bartels of Wynnamac, Tris Windham of Marston and Rodrigo Valdez of San Dimas... over in the Tycobbian Union the best players were Buddy Blackford of Oxford, Judson Bacall of Turon and Lloyd Bearden of Rolling Hills.

Wynnamac left fielder Snooky Bartels was honored with the RU Batter of the Month Award... the fifth-year player had an astounding month with a .423 batting average, 5 home runs, 17 ribbies and 18 runs scored... the young star helped the Macs post a sensational 20-8 mark for the month... they are currently in second place in the RU East... Bartels is having a terrific season and is on top of the IPA batting list with a stellar .432 BA.

Right-hander Tris Windham of the Marston Nine collected the RU Pitcher of the Month honor with a sterling 6-0 record and a 1.42 ERA, striking out 34 in 51 innings... in 10 starts this season the 31-year-old Windham is a superb 9-1 with a fine 2.58 ERA... in May Marston took over the top spot in the RU East with a torrid 22-6 mark.

The outstanding RU Rookie of the Month was a repeat performer... San Dimas second baseman Rodrigo Valdez also won the award in April... in May he hit .341 with 7 roundtrippers, 19 RBI and 13 runs scored... for the year in 40 games Valdez is batting .327 with 13 homers and 36 RBIs... in spite of his fine play, the Rancheros are still running last in the RU South.

Oxford superstar first sacker Buddy Blackford put up a remarkable month in May with a .380 BA, 13 HR, 21 RBI and 33 runs and easily captured the Tycobbian Union Batter of the Month trophy... the Red Caps are on top of the TU North... they went 18-10 last month... for the season Blackford is sporting a.346 BA with 15 homers and 37 RBIs... he was the TU Batter of the Year and TU Most Valuable Player last year when he slugged 56 homers and drove in 132 runs.

The top twirler in the Tycobbian Union last month was 38-year-old Judson Bacall of the Turon Typhoons... what a month he had chalking up a 6 wins and no losses with a 1.45 ERA in 7 starts... for the year Bacall is 7-0 with a great 2.03 ERA... the Turon right-hander led his club to 16-12 record in May... the Typhoons are currently in third place in the TU South, just 3 games out of first.

It was an excellent month for Rolling Hills third baseman Lloyd Bearden... the newcomer was voted the TU Rookie of the Month with a .347 BA, 1 home run, 9 RBIs and 14 runs scored... the Reds racked a good month with an 18-10 record in May and took over the top spot in the Tycobbian West... in 42 games Bearden is batting at a solid .346 clip.

*

IPA LEADERBOARDS
June 1, 2059


*********** RUTHLANDIAN UNION ************************************************** ************************************************** **************** TYCOBBIAN UNION ***********

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 24, 2059

TU STARS TANGLE WITH RU STARS
Wednesday afternoon at Lakefront Stadium in Crystal Lake, the best of the Tycobbian Union will tangle with the best of the Ruthlandian Union in the 59th Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game... over the years it's been a one-sided affair with the TU Stars taking 40 of the 58 clashes... and in recent years, it's been even more dominant with Tycobbia capturing the last 9 games in a row... the RU Stars are starving for a victory... the last time they went home happy was 2049.

The Tycobbian Union will be led by 5-time All-Star shortstop Vincent McCloud (Denton City), 4-time honorees, pitcher Beau McCloud (Arroyo Grande) and third baseman Jaybird Ethridge (Cape Coral), and 3-time selections, third sacker Kagetoki Miyazaki (High Mesa) and right fielder Bob Purkey (South Fork)... the Ruthlandian Union will headed up by pitcher Mickey Walsh (Sligo) with 5 All-Star appearances and second baseman Damien D'Amboise (Marston), a 3-time choice... the All-Star rosters are dominated by the Marston Nine with 5 players picked to perform for the Ruthlandian All-Stars... Luxora tops Tycobbia with 3 All-Stars... the youngest All-Stars this year are 21: outfielders Lanny Waldrep (Colfax), Randy Previn (Cape Coral) and Paddy Terry (Colchester)... no rookies made the squads... the elder statesmen are all 32: pitcher Mickey Walsh (Sligo), shortstop Gonzie Spencer (Ranford), catcher Mike Mitchell (Fairfax), first baseman Errol Waldrep (Colchester) and third baseman Jaybird Etheridge (Cape Coral).