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Tuesday, September 20, 2061

IPA CHAMP RACERS TOTALLY DOMINATED TU WEST
The Tycobbian West pennant race was over after the first month of the season... the reigning Pro Cup champion, Rolling Hills Racers, romped to a 21-5 record in April and nobody ever got closer than six games thereafter... the Racers' bulge just grew and grew and grew... by September they were 14 games in the lead... by year's end, Rolling Hills (99-55) won the division crown by a whopping 10 games over second place Denton City (89-65)... Kenwood (83-71) wound up third in the standings and 16 games back in the race... the Bayview Vikings (82-72) ended up in the fourth spot and 17 games off the pace... in the preseason poll, Denton City and Kenwood were given a slight chance to dethrone the IPA champ, while the Viks only had a very remote possibility at the division flag
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1ST PLACE: ROLLING HILLS RACERS (99-55)
Outlook: The Racers are raring to rack up their second Pro Cup in a row... they will be seeking a record-setting fifth Pro Cup trophy... Rolling Hills was the IPA titlewinner in 2029, 2031, 2048 and 2060... this will be the Racers' thirteenth postseason appearance... and they should be the favorite to win it all this year, too.

Rolling Hills has a terrific attack... they batted .300 for the year (1st), scored 894 runs (1st) and socked 153 homers (11th-tied)... and though ranked 15th in the league, their pitching is good enough to get the job done... plus the Racers play excellent defense... however, Rolling Hills has a tough row to hoe... they must get by other potent powers Oxford, Midway, Wynnamac and Valmara to win back-to-back Pro Cups... get ready for a battle royal in the IPA playoffs.
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2nd Place: Denton City Redbirds (89-65) (10 GB)
Outlook: The Redbirds had a fine season... they just happened to play in a strong division with the IPA champion Rolling Hills... they hit very well for average (3rd), score well (8th) and have better-than-average home-run power (15th)... have five solid starters in their rotation... the staff posted the 4th-best ERA in the Tycobbian Union... DC's only flaw is poor defense (.972 FA).

History-wise, the Redbirds have done well in the last decade with four pennants in nine seasons... they also lost twice by a single game... the last division title came in '59... overall, Denton City has appeared in the playoffs 13 times, but they have never snagged a Pro Cup trophy... however, the Redbirds made the Pro Cup Finals twice, losing to Middlefield in '05 and Wynnamac in '08.
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3rd Place: Kenwood Wildcats (83-71) (16 GB)
Outlook: This season the Wildcats handled the bats well with a .276 BA (4th), they can really put runs on the scoreboard (2nd), have good HR power (10th) and a strong defense (.979 FA), but the mound corps is their Achilles' heel (4.27 ERA)… the Wildcats are ranked 23rd in the Tycobbian Union... the bullpen is especially poor with a skyhigh 4.68 ERA (30th).

It's been awhile since the Wildcats made the postseason playoffs... the last pennant came in 2052... in the last decade they have usually made the first division, but have not been strong pennant contenders... 10 times in the team's history they have appeared in the playoffs with one Pro Cup in their trophy case (2014)... the glory years were 2041 to 2047 with six TU West crowns in seven seasons.
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4th Place: Bayview Vikings (82-72) (17 GB)
Outlook: The Viks had a fine season... they used home-run power to compete... they hit 203 out of the park and ranked third in the Tycobbian Union... 5th in runs scored with 787... but Bayview suffered with a poor defense (.972 FA) and a lofty 4.36 ERA (25th)... the starters were fair (4.25 ERA), but the relief corps was awful (4.77 ERA).

Historically, Bayview has only finished in the TU West first division three times in the last 20 years... the last pennant came long ago in 2016... the Vikings have made the playoffs only six times in their existence... and five of those times were in the first seven years of the Islandian Pro Alliance... the fans are totally starved for a title and a Pro Cup.
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5th Place: La Claire Lynx (75-79) (24 GB)
Outlook: The Lynx posted a losing record for the eighth consecutive year... '53 was the last time they broke the .500 mark... no TU West titles since 2038... never won a Pro Cup... never ever even came close... La Claire has only participated in the IPA playoffs four times.

Checking out this year's Lynx... they do fine offensively with a .275 BA (6th), 761 runs (6th) and 141 roundtrippers (18th), but they have mediocre pitching... 4.16 ERA (21st)... and a pitiful defense (.971 FA)... La Claire was rated the fifth-best club in the Tycobbian West and that where they wound up.
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6th Place: Chicopee Braves (71-83) (28 GB)
Outlook: After a second-place finish in '58, it's been all downhill for the Braves since... two 8th places and 6th this year... the offense is less-than-average (20th)... not much sock or punch in the batting order... only 92 home runs (29th)... pitching is not so good with a 4.41 ERA (26th)... however, the defense is average (.975 FA).

Chicopee has never had much success in the IPA... winning percentage is only .475... only three playoff appearances and they all came in three straight seasons, 2034, 2035 and 2036... still no Pro Cup trophies... never came close in 60 seasons.
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7th Place: Arlon Champions (67-87) (32 GB)
Outlook: The Champs have done pretty well with four TU West division flags in the last 11 years... they even copped a Pro Cup in '51... but the last two seasons have been dismal... two seventh-place finishes... Arlon no longer has solid pitching backed up by good hitting... the .262 BA (18th) was alright, but the scoring was way down (27th) and the firepower (22nd) was less-than-average... so was the defense (.974 FA)... plus the starting rotation was bad with a 4.57 ERA (25th)... the Champions need some major rebuilding.

Overall in its IPA history, Arlon has captured nine TU West flags with one Pro Cup (2051)... that is only modest success... in its 61-year history the Champs have compiled a losing record with a .497 winning percentage.
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8th Place: Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (63-91) (36 GB)
Outlook: Not so good for the Bucs with four successive losing seasons, ranking near the bottom of the Tycobbian West Division... lackluster offense (23rd) and very poor starting pitching with a 4.72 ERA (30th)... and a defense that is below average (.973 FA)... 11 seasons have come and gone since the last pennant in 2050... they also won it in 2049.

The Buccaneers have been in the postseason 11 times in their history... they have a winning record of just over .500 in the club's 61 years in the Islandian Pro Alliance... but have never won a Pro Cup... but Bay St. Clair did make the Pro Cup Finals in 2015 and lost to the Taranto Tars four games to one.
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Now get ready for some Pro Cup playoffs coming soon to an IPA ballpark near you.

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Friday, September 23, 2061

8 CLUBS VIE FOR COVETED IPA PRO CUP
It will be a wide-open affair this year in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... 7 clubs will be vying to dethrone the reigning king of the Islandian Pro Alliance, the Rolling Hills Racers... six of the eight division winners will have a chance at going all the way... of course, the Racers will be rockin' and rollin' again and will be tough to beat... two of their challengers are back for another shot at the Racers... they whipped the Wynnamac Sundowners for the Pro Cup trophy last year and the Macs are back again looking for revenge... the Oxford Red Caps should also offer quite a bit of competition, too... they were beaten last year in the opening round in seven games by the Ginza Ninjas, who pushed Rolling Hills to the full seven games in the Tycobbian title series... also add into the mix, several potent teams like the Valmara Vipers and Midway Wolves... these five clubs are the most serious contenders.

Rolling Hills will be trying to win its recording-setting fifth Pro Cup crown... ditto the Valmara Vipers and Turon Typhoons... Wynnamac and Midway are seeking a third IPA title... Volusia and Oxford are going for number two... only St. John has never won a Pro Cup... the baseball experts are predicting a repeat of last year's title series... it looks like it will be Rolling Hills and Wynnamac again.

Pro Cup Preview:

1. Rolling Hills Racers (99-55)
Pro Cup Forecast: The Racers are raring to rack up their second Pro Cup in a row... they will be seeking a record-setting fifth Pro Cup trophy... Rolling Hills was the IPA titlewinner in 2029, 2031, 2048 and 2060... this will be the Racers' thirteenth postseason appearance... and they should be the favorite to win it all this year, too... Rolling Hills has a terrific attack... they batted .300 for the year (1st), scored 894 runs (1st) and socked 153 homers (11th-tied)... and though ranked 15th in the league, their pitching is good enough to get the job done... plus the Racers play excellent defense... however, Rolling Hills has a tough row to hoe... they must get by other potent powers Oxford, Midway, Wynnamac and Valmara to win back-to-back Pro Cups... that is a tall order for anybody... get ready for a battle royal in the IPA playoffs.

2. Wynnamac Sundowners (98-56)
Pro Cup Forecast: The Macs battled hard last year in the Pro Cup Finals and lost in five games, but they just didn't have the offense to counter the Rolling Hills attack... plus the Racers got some fine pitching last year... the Sundowners need help offensively... Snooky Bartels (.366 BA, 35 HR, 114 RBI) and Manny Sendejas (.291 BA, 34 HR, 112 RBI) can't carry the whole load... but Wynnamac is better on the mound this year and may shut down the big guns of the Racers... plus the Macs are a little better offensively this year... they also play very good defense... should they meet in the Pro Cup Finals again, the Sundowners will be a little tougher... the Finals last year were closer than the 4-1 series indicated... in reality, it was not that lopsided.

3. Oxford Red Caps (96-58)
Pro Cup Forecast: The Red Caps are comparable to powerful Rolling Hills... they hit the ball well with power... can put plenty of runs on the scoreboard... and this year Oxford has standout starters, but like Wynnamac, they depends too much on two superstars for offense... last year both Buddy Blackford (.307 BA, 47 HR, 128 RBI) and Showboat Lynn (.283 BA, 46 HR, 116 HR) had poor postseasons and the Red Caps lost in seven games to Ginza... the dynamic duo need to be firing on all cylinders for Oxford to bring home the Pro Cup trophy this season.

4. Midway Wolves (95-59)
Pro Cup Forecast: For the last decade Midway had been one of the primary powers in the Tycobbian Union and the Islandian Pro Alliance, winning six pennants and two Pro Cups (2053, 2054)... and even coming close to a third one in 2055... in their history nine times the Wolves have won the TU East... the Middies have it all, ranking at the top in scoring runs (3rd), hitting homers (4th) and play defense very well with a .980 FA... and they have a very good pitching staff, especially the starting rotation (6th)... the Wolves will be one of the Pro Cup favorites... they are a solid, all-around club... like Wynnamac and Oxford, Midway depends too much on two superstars, Norishigi Ito (.365 BA, 49 HR, 128 RBI) and Daryl Vale (.314 BA, 45 HR, 131 RBI)... the Middies need a boost from a few others in the lineup to be a serious Pro Cup contender... however, they will get a good chance to prove just how good they are in the first round of the IPA playoffs... they will go up against the current Pro Cup champion, the Rolling Hills Racers... that series has all the makings of a barnburner.

5. Valmara Vipers (95-59)
Pro Cup Forecast: The Vipers have a very potent attack and paced the RU in scoring (878 runs) and longballs (198 HR)... pitching is their Achilles' heel... Rolling Hills won the Pro Cup crown last year using the same formula, so perhaps, the Vipers can make a run for the IPA title, too... this will be the 24th postseason appearance for Valmara... they have won four Pro Cups and will get a good shot at number five this year... should they get good, solid pitching, they could do it... but they are many questions marks on the mound staff... this is not likely to happen.

6. St. John Crusaders (89-65)
Pro Cup Forecast: The Crusaders may be a better team than they appear to be... St. John doesn't have an impressive record, but they can score runs, hit with good power, possess a good starting rotation and can play defense very well... sounds like a formula for success in the postseason... the Crusaders have a fair chance of knocking off Valmara in the first round, but that might be the best they can do... St. John is not likely to win its first IPA Pro Cup trophy this year.

7. Volusia Vigilantes (97-57)
Pro Cup Forecast: Volusia won a lot of ballgames this season, but the lack of longball power and average pitching are the main reasons the Vigilantes are not rated to do well in the IPA playoffs... the V's can make good contact and hit for a high average, but they don't produce a lot of runs, like most of the other postseason participants... plus the caliber of playoff talent is at a higher level than the regular season... the hitters are better and the pitchers are, too... don't look for Volusia to whip Wynnamac in round one.

8. Turon Typhoons (87-67)
Pro Cup Forecast: It is not likely Turon will capture its fifth IPA Pro Cup title this year... the Typhoons are just a lackluster team that played in a weak division... they are only fair in scoring runs... don't have any power... but they do have solid starters... it is not likely that Turon will be able to whip powerhouse Oxford in first-round action.

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Sunday, September 25, 2061

RACERS DEFEND IPA TITLE, WIN OPENER
Four games opened up play in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs... defending champion Rolling Hills raced to an 8-3 victory over Midway in the Tycobbian Division Championship Series... and Oxford won its opener with Turon 4-0... in the Ruthlandian Union it was Volusia upsetting powerhouse Wynnamac 7-3 and St. John upending Valmara 4-2 in extra innings.

All IPA playoff series are best-of-seven.
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Monday, September 26, 2061

RACERS ROLLING AGAIN, WHIP WOLVES AGAIN
IPA defending champion Rolling Hills, Oxford and St. John are all off to a 2-0 lead in the opening round of the IPA Division Championship Series... in the Tycobbian Union, the Racers trounced the Midway Wolves again, whipping them 10-4 yesterday afternoon... and Oxford routed Turon 9-1... and in the Ruthlandian Union, St. John bashed Valmara 9-0... and Wynnamac and Volusia have split the first two games... the Macs were victorious 9-3 on Sunday.
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Tuesday, September 27, 2061
RACERS, CRUSADERS IN SWEEP MODE
The reigning powerhouse in the Islandian Pro Alliance, the defending champion Rolling Hills Racers are well on their way to sweeping a big rival, the Midway Wolves in the Tycobbian Union... and the unheralded St. John Crusaders are doing the same thing to the favored Valmara Vipers in the Ruthlandian Union... the other two series are more competitive... underdog Volusia has a 2-1 edge over highly-rated Wynnamac in the Ruthlandian Union... and formidable Oxford is up on Turon 2-1 in the Tycobbian Union playoffs.

In yesterday's action in the Tycobbian Union Rolling Hills took 12 innings to subdue the Midway Wolves 6-3... and Turon upended Oxford 4-1.... in the Ruthlandian Union Volusia squeezed past Wynnamac 2-1... and St. John toppled Valmara 8-6.

Ruthlandian Union
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