The Islandian Times

Sunday, April 7, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

BELLE PLAINE MUSKETEERS

Owner/GM/Manager: Boo Ladreau (pronounced "Lah-droh")

Belle Plaine, "beautiful plain" in French, is a rural town of 93,000 situated in north central Ruthlandia on the Central Plains in a region known as the "Breadbasket of Ruthlandia". The plains stretch all across the country from east to west and includes the towns of Rocky Rapids, Wynnamac, Elnora and Marston. It is a region known for wheat, oats and corn products, large graineries and grain processing plants and dairy, poultry and meat processing industries. The LeBat factory is located in Belle Plaine as well. It manufactures most of the bats used throughout the Islands.

Belle Plaine was first inhabited by Frenchmen seeking religious freedom. Both English and French are officially spoken here, with French spoken the most. The town is famous for its Mardi Gras or "Fat Tuesday", a time of parades, carnival and costume balls just prior to Lent. It is a time for the kids to enjoy a multitude of great rides, games, cotton candy, candied and caramel apples and sweets on the carnival midway and enjoy the wonderful parades. Visitors come from all over to attend the fun and festivities at the two-week long event.

It is also the home of the Belle Plaine Musketeers of the Ruthlandian Union's East Division. The team is named for the elite guard of King Louis XIII. They were excellent shots with the musket, but because a musket had to be reloaded, were also excellent swordsmen. It is a tradition at Musketeer Field for the Belle Plaine Can-Can Girls, all lovely young ladies, scantily clad in their cute little outfits, to draw their swords and to use them to rally and to spur on their beloved Musketeers by raising them skyward and shouting in unison, "charge...charge...charge" (with a decided French accent). Every time the Musketeers score a run, the Cancan Girls strut their stuff with their famous can-can dance on top of the dugouts.

Fans can win $10,000 at Musketeer Field, compliments of the LeBat Company. If a player hits the sign ("Hit It Here"), located in center field 420 feet from home plate, it will ring a bell and the lucky ticket holder will win the prize.

Musketeer Field is a big ballpark to hit in, especially for righthanded hitters, who have to deal with huge distances of 363' feet down the line, 380' to straightaway left and 415' in the left center alley. Lefthanded batters love it though... a very short 318' down the right field line, only 340' to straightaway right and just 375' in the power alley.

At the concession stands fine French cuisine can be savored: hot beignets (hot doughnuts with powdered sugar...pronounced "ben-yays"), cafe au lait (strong, flavorful coffee with chicory and steamed milk) and melt-in-your-mouth, sweet and tasty eclairs. Plus the traditional ballpark foods: hot dogs, cokes, peanuts and crackerjacks.

Belle Plaine's owner is Boo Ladreau, the proprietor of the finest restaurant in town. A fine shortstop and manager in the company leagues in his early years. When it looked like Belle Plaine might not get a franchise in the PBA, he stepped up and bought a spot in the league. "Tee Boo" ("Little Boo" in French) , is only 5'4" in height, but he really stands tall and is a bigtime favorite in Belle Plaine because of his community spirit. Tee Boo is also the GM and Manager of the Musketeers.

Musketeer Field (1999)

Capacity: 11,650

Dimensions:
LF Line 363
LF 380
LCF 415
CF 400
RCF 375
RF 340
RF Line 318

I have made an executive decision. I am going to stop being the commissioner and controlling everything in the game. I am going to turn everything over to the AI and let it run the league. I will just report on it.

I am going to have to resort to simming a half season at a time and writing two summaries a season. I will cover all playoff games in detail. I have put too much work in this league just to stop playing it. I hope to play 20 seasons at least, so I can see how the players and the teams do over time.

I should have listened to edog, when he told me to expand slowly, a few teams at a time.

64 teams is just too much to administer. It takes me two days to play a day's schedule. Add to that taking care of the line-ups, pitching rotations and roster transactions is just overwheming. You can't really enjoy a league when this happens. I violated my own philosophy, which is to keep your leagues to 12-16 teams.

Do you guys still want to follow the league, if I don't cover each game?

Comments appreciated.

Eugene, that was a huge step forward adding all of those teams. I can see how after a week or two playing the games out and doing all the write ups might make you go crazy. I guess if you need to, just go with either bi-weekly or monthly reports instead of everyday. That could save some time, I guess. It would be pretty cool though if you could still report on the history of the teams you added for the second season. Don't worry, I'll still be following the league and I'm sure I won't be alone on this.

Erik

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 6, 2002

Three Holdover Teams Atop of RU North
The oldline teams in the Ruthlandian Union North Division have dominated the expansion teams thus far in season two of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Glasco, Far Mountain and Valmara hold the top three positions in the division standings at the All-Star break. The Glasco Athletics are in first place with a 4-game lead over the second place Far Mountain Redhawks and a 5-game edge over the third place Valmara Vipers. The fourth place LaGrange Sports are the best newcomer to the division and trail by 9 games. Rounding out the second division are Ranford, 11 games out, Taranto, 12 games behind, Kilkenny 13 games out and Ancona trails by 18 games.

Glasco (47-24), managed by McDuffie Hughes, has excellent pitching (3.31 ERA), decent hitting (.262) and excellent fielding (.980). Jerry Smith (9-3 3.26), Ray Cook (6-2 3.99), Charles Darby (8-8 2.88) and Jesse Balfour (5-6 4.08) have provided an excellent starting rotation with closer Jake Nyberg (7-2 2.44) heading up a strong bullpen. Danny Stewart (7-0 1.80) has been brilliant in middle relief.

First baseman Maury Smith (.315/4 HR/30 RBI/28 R) and left fielder Ox Beauvais (.307/6 HR/31 RBI/32 R) are Glasco's top hitters. They recently traded for outfielder Bobby Pascarelli (.265/9 HR/37 RBI/31 R), who should add some punch to the offense.

Runner-up Far Mountain (43-28) is piloted by Alex Groveland and he has crafted himself a fine mound corps in his four starters, Mike McCabe (9-3 2.83), Robby Kelly (6-2 3.55), Doc Randolph (4-1 3.23) and Sonny Elliott (7-6 3.10). Groveland could have the best foursome in the league. In the relievers Dave Johnston has stood out with a 5-1 record and a 2.82 ERA. The Redhawks have 3.38 ERA (4th) and a team fielding average of .978 (5th). They are tied for second in batting with a .268 mark.

Third baseman Mike Murphy (.352), center fielder Sid Cameron (.332), catcher Dave Davis (.318) and first baseman Royce Benson(.308) give Groveland some good sticks for average. For power he goes to right fielder Karl Dietz (.247) with 10 homers and outfielders Lee Maddox (.286) and Doogie Stanzel (.286) with 8 roundtrippers each.

The third place Valmara Vipers (42-29) of J. Jackson Samuel are the top club as far as pitching and hitting with an outstanding 3.10 ERA and a .271 batting average. Fielding-wise they are fifth with a solid .978 fielding percentage.

On the hill Danny Blauser tops the list with a 7-4 mark with a 2.18 ERA, followed by Vanya Vasylenko (6-3 3.07) and Jace Allardyce (6-0 2.87). In the batter's box, the Vipers are led by outfielder Jet Kazmarek, who leads the league with a sensational .401 mark. Kazmarek has 4 homers, 49 RBIs and has scored 50 times. He also has stolen 34 bases. Shortstop Fred Vinson is batting .318 with 3 homers, 47 RBIs and 46 runs scored. Outfielder Jan Szymanski (.232) has 10 roundtrippers and 44 runs batted in, along with outfielder Val Krol (.282) with 8 home runs and 37 RBIs.

Foxy Jimison is at the helm of the LaGrange Sports (38-33). His club is hitting .263 as a team, has a 3.43 ERA and is fielding .976 so far this season. The Sports are in the middle of the pack in most categories.

Jimison's top arms are starters Tony Amick (8-4 2.87) and Barney Prohaska (9-6 3.13). In the bullpen his closer Sean Stone (1-2 1.10) has stood out with nine saves and a microscopic 1.10 ERA. Jack Ratelle (7-5 3.16) has done well as a spot starter and long relief man. Heading LaGrange's hitters are outfielders Pat Lacroix (.289) with 9 homers and 41 RBIs and Maurice Jauvert (.278) with 10 homers and 22 RBIs. Shortstop Kyle Villere (.281) has three roundtrippers and 34 RBIs.

The fifth place club is the Ranford Bulls (36-35), managed by Page Satcher, who has molded a pretty fair staff with Chris Bernhoffer (9-7 3.18) and Jackie Hunter (8-6 3.61) his standouts. Satcher's top hitter average-wise is outfielder Junie Darton with a .341 mark. First baseman Jordy John (.307) is his biggest run producer with 12 home runs and 40 batted in. Outfielder Teddy Halvorsen (.267) has belted 10 out of the park and driven in 29 runs.

The Bulls are tied for second with a .268 team batting average, third with a 3.36 ERA and last with a .975 fielding percentage.

The Taranto Tars (35-36) are sixth so far under the leadership of jovial Tommaso Lazzorda. The Tars have a hefty 3.88 ERA (6th), are last with a .255 batting average, but way ahead in homers with 75. Taranto is also the number one fielding club in the division with a fine .981 mark.

Taranto best twirlers are starters Carlo Bianchi (8-7 3.44) and Anthony Nardone (5-3 2.74). A recent add to the rotation, Arnie Wickersham (4-2 3.13) has done well since being promoted. Pacing Lazzorda's batters are power hitters Teddy Giacone (.261), his center fielder, and Dominic Zuccaro (.328), his right fielder. Giacone has 16 homers and 41 RBIs and Zuccaro has 14 and 32 RBIs.

Next-to-last in the RU North are the Kilkenny Cats (34-37), guided by Kieran McKenna. The Cats are in seventh place in the standings and just about as low in most categories, too. Kilkenny (7th) has a mediocre 4.23 ERA and .258 batting average (6th), but stands out with the glove with a .979 fielding average.

Kilkenny has one of the best all-around performer in the league in center fielder Kirk Pitzer, who is hitting a lofty .357 with 8 roundtrippers. He has scored 52 runs, driven in 35 and stolen 23 bases. Third baseman Red Barbosa (.332) has 7 homers and 27 RBIs and first baseman Rowdy O'Leary (.267) with 11 home runs and 38 RBIs. McKenna has only two pitchers of note: starter Dino Carravaggio (7-6 3.05) and closer Timmy Beattie (1-2 2.61) with 6 saves since taking over there.

The Ancona Red Elephants (29-42) are dead last in the division and also last in just about everything, hitting (.257), pitching (4.41 ERA) and fielding (.971). Manager Manny Mickens doesn't have much brag about this year.

But he does have some good words for two of his starters, Marty Sellick (7-6 3.62) and Rick Bourikas (6-5 3.87). Ancona does have a trio of troublesome hitters, first baseman Issie Manos (.322), third sacker Dmitri Vrotsos (.264) and catcher Dale Kerr (.258). Manos has 9 homers and 40 RBIs, Vrotsos 9 homers and 41 RBIs and Kerr has 13 and 42 RBIs.

Division Forecast: It's going to be a three-team battle for the division crown with Glasco the probable winner because of its strong pitching corps, both starters and bullpen. The A's can hold their own in the hitting department with Valmara and Far Mountain. It's pitching where Glasco has the edge. The Vipers and the Redhawks have solid starters, but fall short in the bullpen. They can't match Glasco's relievers.

The top four clubs in each division will make the playoffs. Glasco, Far Mountain and Valmara are the class of the North Division. It will be a dogfight for first place. Anyone of the the three teams could win the pennant. Battling for the fourth spot will be LaGrange and Ranford. The remaining three clubs, Taranto, Kilkenny and Ancona will have to wait until next year.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

BLUE LAKE BLUE SOX

Owners: Chance Franklin, Tink Joseph, Ev Johnson
GM/Manager: Cobb Tyson

Blue Lake is a lovely, modern university town on the western edge of its namesake, Blue Lake. Located in the central part of Tycobbia, Blue Lake has about 82,000 residents. Tycobbia State University is the biggest employer in the city. People graduate, but never seem to leave. Blue Lake is a very liberal town in politics and lifestyle. Residents are outdoor and sailing enthusiasts and concerned environmentalists. Only bicycles and pedestrians are permitted downtown.

Blue Lake also has a thriving bicycle and sailboat industry. Saddida and Ekin athletic shoe companies are headquartered here. Computer and hi-tech companies are centered here as well. Fine arts flower in abundance as the symphony, theatre, ballet, art galleries and museums can be enjoyed by the intellectual elite.

It is also the home of the Blue Lake Blue Sox of the Islandian Pro Alliance and they play in the Tycobbian Union's North Division. The club is owned and operated by a three former university athletes. The University loves its sports and support even their former greats. The University owns the baseball stadium and shares Harbor Stadium with the Blue Sox.

Harbor Stadium has a gorgeous view of the downtown skyline across Blue Lake Harbor. There is a festive college atmosphere at Blue Sox games with lots of college cheers led by the Blue Sox cheerleaders, the “Sox-it-to-‘em Girls". One of the fans’ favorite cheers is when they chant, “Sox it to ‘em ... Sox it to ‘em” to spur the Sox to victory. During the seventh inning stretch everyone stands and sings the university’s alma mater, followed by “Take me out to the ballgame”. At the concessions booths you will find the traditional soft drinks, peanuts, crackerjacks, hamburgers and hot dogs, but also gourmet expresso, cappuccino and latte coffees, and fine esoteric foods like quiche and tofu. Attending a Blue Sox game is truly a unique sporting experience.

Three former TSU baseball players, the famous double play combination during their boola boola days at the university, Chance Franklin, Tink Johnson and Ev Johnson, own and operate the team together. The field manager and GM is one of the all-time greats in company league baseball, Cobb Tyson. He was a tremendous hitter and very fine outfielder, known for his fiery and intense competitive play.

Harbor Stadium (1965)

Capacity: 11,743

Dimensions:
LF Line 320
LF 350
LCF 408
CF 398
RCF 400
RF 365
RF Line 330

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CAPE CORAL HURRICANES

Owner: Conway Birdie

GM/Manager: Huggy Miller

Cape Coral is a town of 112,000 on the northshore of Arvonian Island, jutting out into Belair Bay. Arvonian Island is bordered on three sides by the Southern Sea.

It is a resort area famous for great weather year-round in idyllic tropical surroundings. Serene sky blue waters with magnificent sunsets, white, glistening beaches, luxury hotels, night clubs, legendary entertainers and retirement communities. It is a place to be pampered.

It is also known for an occasional tropical storm or hurricane spawned out of the warm tropical currents of the Southern Sea. Hence, the Cape Coral baseball team in the IPA's Tycobbian Union is nicknamed the Hurricanes. They play at Seaside Stadium, which has an eyecatching view of Belair Bay. Some of the myriad of magnificent hotels and casinos can also be seen rising up in grandeur over the island landscape.

Seaside Stadium is known for its exotic beverages and gourmet fare fit for a king. Every fan treasures the house speciality, "The Hurricane", a fantastic blend of tropical flavors and liqueurs, served up in a beautiful souvenir glass.

The buffet foods make every game very special for the fans and resort visitors. Hot dogs and cokes are available, too, along with the best grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich outside of Memphis, Tennessee.

Seaside Stadium is a huge ballpark. It takes quite a wallop to put one into the stands. The foul lines are 365' and 350' respectively.

Music is provided by the Beachcomber Boys, a rock 'n' roll combo. Their version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" really reverberates, rocks and rolls. One of the Beachcomber Boys, Conway Birdie (old rock 'n' roll star and connoisseur of grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches) is the proud owner of the Hurricanes. Birdie was instrumental (pun intended) in the creation of the Islandian Pro Alliance along with Jock Ewing of Waleska, John Banson (former amateur and industrial league czar) and Jorge Trujillo of Belair Beach. The old rock 'n' roller was a pretty fair ballplayer in his day, too.

Huggy Miller is the GM and Manager of Cape Coral. He was a journeyman second baseman in the industrial leagues, but a truly gifted manager and baseball tactician.

Seaside Stadium (1987)

Capacity: 13,100

Dimensions:
LF Line 365
LF 375
LCF 400
CF 390
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 350

Eugene, ultimately you have to do whatever provides you with the most enjoyment out of your game.

I have a feeling that no matter how you choose to run your league, people (including myself) will be stopping in to read your posts on the dynasty board.

As much as I love the game notes, I really love the "Around the town in the IPA" reports. That's great reading!!

Erik

Thanks for the comments and thanks for being loyal followers.

I think as time goes by and I get to know all of the teams, I will be able to tolerate having to sim. I learned a lot about the teams in the first summary. I am getting ready to pick the all-stars, so that process should tell me who the stars are in the league.

But it really tears me up to see the new depth charts, line-ups and pitching rotiations done by the AI. It has taken excellent closers and put them in as starters and leaving the teams with mediocre closers. It also platoons players way too much. It has taken stars from last year and split their playing time.

But I will just have to accept it. :)

A very special thanks to ukhotstove for an excellent history of Chicopee.
I did about 5% of the story. The song was added by me.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CHICOPEE BRAVES

Owner : Benjamin "Trip" Jenkins III of Jenkins Lumber Company

GM : Lou Littlefeather

Manager : Harry Fleetfoot

Chicopee was founded in 1852 by a small band of Chicopee Indians who had left America because of the constant persecution by the American government and rich land owners. To understand the story of Chicopee, we have to go back to 1828 in North Carolina, USA. The Chicopee had spent generations living in Carolina, but because of the influx of the white man, their lands were shrinking all the time. Before this, the Chicopee shared Carolina with the Creek Nation, but by 1849 the Creek Nation had left Carolina and it wasn’t long before the Chicopee Nation would follow.

The Chicopee Nation at the time were split with many wanting to fight the “Indian Removal Act“ but also many, who didn’t want to fight. By 1851 the United States began to relocate the Chicopee from North Carolina to Oklahoma. But a small group of about 20 Chicopee led by Chief Black Fox decided they want to live on free land. So one night, they slipped away from the soldiers and headed on up to Alaska. However, before they got to Alaska they met up with famous mountain man and fur trapper Jim Beckworth in Colorado. Beckworth had been a friend of many Native Americans and took pity on the plight of the few Chicopee he had met.

So he told Chief Black Fox about Tycobbia and that it was a country that welcomed any man, woman or child, no matter what their skin color or background. He then travelled to San Francisco with the band of Chicopee, where he managed to persuade a ship's captain to take them to the new world of Tycobbia. He gave up all the furs and money he had to pay the captain and said farewell to the Chief and his people, who would always be in debt to Beckworth.

On reaching Tycobbia in 1852, the Chicopee settled along the coast near Bay St. Clair, a remote spot that had good hunting and fishing to help them survive their new environment. In 1860 land rights were granted to them by the Tycobbia government as a thank you to them for being law-abiding citizens and good neighbors. It was when these land rights were granted that Chief Black Fox and the Chicopee council decided on naming the land where they lived Chicopee. Thus the town of Chicopee was born in 1860. The Chicopee had found what they had always wanted...a land they could call their own and which would be theirs for generations to come.

As the years went by more and more people came to live in Chicopee. A rich, multicultural society began to grow up. Besides the Chicopee, there were also Negro slaves who had also fled America. Irish, Scotch and English emigres also arrived. The land was rich for farming, lumber, fishing and hunting. The first enterprises were the Jenkins Lumber Company and a Chicopee company, Happy Hunting Grounds, that arranged hunting and fishing for rich gentlemen from all over Tycobbia and Ruthlandia.

Baseball came to Chicopee and its townspeople in the early 1900s. At first it wasn't organized, but it was a popular sport among the people and was played everyday during the spring and summer and even by some hardier souls during winter. The most popular team was the Towners, who even travelled to places like Colchester, Tuckanarra and Denton City to play games against teams from those towns. They ever went to distant Valdar Island and promoted the game there. These other towns referred to the team as the Chicopee Indians, since so many of the players were Indians. It was due to this that the team voted on changing their name to the Chicopee Braves as they felt it would be more suitable than Indians. So in 1924 the Chicopee Braves were born.

The Chicopee Braves have played baseball since the early 1900s. When baseball first caught on in Chicopee there were about 6-7 teams, but two teams always stood out, the Chicopee Towners and the Chicopee Atlantics. Both teams were equally good, but the Towners had the more progressive leadership. The Towners owner was Benjamin Jenkins, owner of Jenkins Lumber Company. He took his team to other towns on barnstorming trips. It was also because of his forward thinking that the Towners first started to use the name Chicopee Braves.

It was in 1922 that the Braves and Atlantics decided to merge their talent into a Chicopee all-star team, but keeping the name Chicopee Braves as that was the one most people in Tycobbia recognized. In 1924 the town started to build a baseball park for the Braves, which was finished in 1925. The stadium has been used over the years for amateur and industrial league teams.

Brewster Street Ballpark is still used today for the IPA Chicopee Braves. Because of its age and history, baseball fans from all over Tycobbia and Ruthlandia come to visit the vintage stadium located at 4th & Brewster. It is heresy to speak of a new stadium in Chicopee. The citizens still hold onto its small town identity, not just in the town, but also at the ballpark, where there’s no fancy food on sale...just the usual hamburgers, hot dogs, popcorn, soda pop and good old fashioned peanuts and crackerjacks. No beer or alcoholic beverages are allowed at the ballpark or even in the county. Chicopee is a dry county and it is strictly enforced.

A trip to Brewster is exciting. Chicopee fans are constantly doing tomahawk chops, war chants and war dances to rally their beloved Braves. They have been known to do rain dances when the Braves are losing early in the game, hoping for a rainout. It is all in good fun and nobody in Chicopee takes offense. It really is special at the seventh inning stretch when the whole stadium sings the Chicopee national anthem.

They took the whole Chicopee Nation
And put us on a reservation
Took away our ways of life
The tomahawk and the bow and knife

They tried to take our native tongue
And taught their English to our young
And all the beads we made by hand
Are nowadays made in Japan

Chicopee people, Chicopee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

They took the whole Indian Nation
And locked us on this reservation
And though I wear a shirt and tie
Im still a red man deep inside

Chicopee people, Chicopee tribe
So proud to live, so proud to die

But maybe someday when they learn
Chicopee Nation has returned
Has returned
Has returned
Has returned
Has returned
(lyrics by Paul Revere and the Raiders...adapted a little bit by EC)

The Braves are still owned by the Jenkins Family. Benjamin Jenkins ran the club until his death in 1964. His son, Junior Jenkins was in charge until 1984. Since then, Benjamin "Trip" Jenkins III has been the owner. The Jenkins family were really excited about the new Islandian Pro Alliance and managed to get a franchise. The story goes that the Chicopee tribe threatened to go on the warpath, if the town was left out it. We think they were just kidding...but then again...they really do take their baseball seriously in Chicopee.

Chicopee's General Manager is Lou Littlefeather, a longtime baseball player and executive in company league baseball. The Braves are managed by Harry Fleetfoot, a very successful player, noted for stealing bases in the industrial leagues, and also a fine manager. Both are full-blooded Chicopee.

Brewster Street Ballpark (1925)

Capacity: 8,250

Dimensions:
LF Line 334
LF 360
LCF 387
CF 400
RCF 410
RF 360
RF Line 331

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CLAXTON DIAMONDS

Owner: DeBeers Mining Company

GM/Manager: Stacy Engel

Claxton is a company town, a mining town of 107,000 in the southwestern foothills of the Silver Mountains, famous for its very high quality diamond industry. DeBeers, the world's largest diamond company, has a branch in Ruthlandia, where the ultimate diamonds are mined, cut, polished and processed, then distributed to the four corners of the world.

Claxton Diamonds are very much in demand worldwide because of their very fine quality. Gold and silver mining is also a vital part of the town's and Ruthlandia's economy. Claxton is a hardworking, blue collar town, who really love their baseball team, the Claxton Diamonds.

The club is owned by DeBeers and play their games at gorgeous Avalon Stadium, built by DeBeers as a showcase stadium in 1990, complete with a scenic view of the Silver Mountains. The Avalon Casino is located in center field and is one of the most popular in the Islands. World famous entertainers appear regularly there.

DeBeers sponsors a "Lucky Diamond" sign on the right side of the left field scoreboard. DeBeers starts off each season with diamonds worth $1000 in the pot and increases it by $1000 each game, until someone wins it. Whenever a Claxton batter hits that sign, the player wins whatever is in the Diamond Jackpot and a lucky fan is also a jackpot winner, too. The lucky fan is chosen by the lucky scorecard number. During the fourth inning stretch it is a Diamonds' tradition for the ladies at the game to sing "Diamonds are a Girl's Best Friend". A diamond is given away at each game to some lucky lady. In the seventh inning everybody joins in for the traditional "Take Me Out to the Ballgame". At the concession stands you can feast on hot dogs, hamburgers, cokes, beer, peanuts and crackerjacks.

The Claxton Diamonds are run by longtime baseball man known throughout the Islands as "The Old Perfessor". Stacy Engel is both GM and Manager. Engel holds the record for the most industrial league titles with the DeBeers company team. The Diamonds are in the Ruthlandian Union and play in the South Division.

Avalon Stadium (1990)

Capacity: 10,500

Dimensions:

LF LINE 325
LF 350
LC 390
CF 399
RC 365
RF 355
RF LINE 320

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

COLCHESTER ELITES

Owner: Heyward Rubber Company

GM/Manager: Robbie Wilbertson

Colchester is located on the southern coast of Tycobbia near Belair Bay, midway between Turon on the west and Ginza to the east. It has 78,000 inhabitants of a diverse ethnic makeup. Colchester, like its English counterpart, is a garrison town. The Tycobbian government created a fort in the early 1820's in this area to protect the in-coming settlers and to give law and order to the frontier settlements. It has been a military town since that time. Over time it developed into a special army base for elite troops. The Colchester Elite Garrison is the best of the best in the Tycobbian military.

In addition to the military, the major enterprise is Heyward Rubber Company, established in 1847. Nathaniel Heyward was connected to Charles Goodyear. It is said that Heyward discovered the process of vulcanized rubber and was the true inventor, Goodyear just provided the funds for the research. Heyward Rubber is still in business today and manufactures tires for cars, trucks and farm, military and construction equipment. The South Coast Railroad has its home office in Colchester. It was built in the 1840s and was originally set up to move troops and equipment quickly around the country. Later it became a vital transportation link between Turon and Ginza, two important seaports.

Locally, the game of Base Ball (as it was originally called) was started in the 1880s at the Colchester Garrison. The soldiers latched on to the new game and by the 1890s developed very competitive leagues. By the 1900s the townspeople began leagues and were on par with the military after a couple of decades. In the 1920s, the Garrison and the town leagues consolidated into one league. Amateur leagues came first, then company and industial leagues. Heyward Rubber Company and the South Coast Railroad got involved in the 1930s and a very fast league was established. Colchester baseball would rival any in the Islands.

The next step in the baseball evolution came this year with the establishment of the Islandian Pro Alliance. With such a storied history in Tycobbian baseball, it should have been no problem for Colchester to get a franchise in the Islands first ever pro league. But it didn't happen right away. But with league expansion Heyward Rubber Company was awarded a franchise. Thus the Colchester Elites came into being, named for the honored and revered Colchester Elite Garrison. Heyward Rubber commissioned a state-of-the-art stadium and named it Heyward Field, after the company's founder. It was finished in early 2002, just in time opening day.

Heyward Field is designed to look like an old time ballpark, yet with modern amenities. It is a classic stadium with character, built downtown, with an asymmetical outfield configuration. In right field is an old South Coast Railroad warehouse with a brick facade, that is now used for team offices. Heyward Field is a great place to watch a ballgame. There isn't one bad seat in the house. Colchester fans take their baseball seriously and will not tolerate the hype and fanfare you see at some ballparks. They just want to watch their team win, win and win. Just give them a hot dog, coke, peanuts and crackerjacks as far as food is concerned. Most of all, give them a good baseball game. That is why they come to the ballpark.

The Colchester Elites organization is run by GM and Manager Robbie Wilbertson, a fine catcher in his day and a topnotch manager, who has a reputation of getting the most out of his players. The Colchester fans and his players call him "Uncle Robbie".

Heyward Field (2001)

Capacity: 9,600

Dimensions:

LF Line 333
LF 353
LCF 373
CF 399
RCF 386
RF 340
RF Line 318

A very special thanks to Splitter24 for the great history of Cold Creek.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

COLD CREEK CATAMOUNTS

Owner: Cold Creek Catamounts Baseball Club, LLC
(John Cockraham, President)

GM/Manager: T. Kelly Holmes

The Town of Cold Creek is a quaint little hamlet located in north-central Ruthlandia. The town straddles a beautiful tributary of the Green River. Cold Creek, named after the body of water which flows through its heart, boasts a population of 58,000. The majority of the population resides in the town proper. The rest are mainly inhabitants of the sizeable parcels of farmland outside of the town which make up the Cold Creek Township.

History of Cold Creek

The area around Cold Creek has been home to some families dating back to the 1700's. Among the early inhabitants of the area were opportunistic farmers and devout religious groups seeking a safe haven from those intolerant of their beliefs. All in all, these were hearty folk seeking a home that they could call their own.

The people formed small villages and farming communities in the area that would become Cold Creek. Villages such as Dana, Enfield, Prescott and Greenwich dotted the landscape for over a century. Mostly owing to its harsh winters and its other generally unpredictable climate conditions, the Cold Creek area remained generally sparsely populated throughout the first half of the 1800's.

That is until 1860, when the first influx of American immigrants came to the shores of Ruthlandia. These people wished to find a haven for peace and tolerance. The Cold Creek area afforded them the home they sought and the villagers welcomed them with open arms.

But change itself is a catalyst for more change. With the growth of residents came dilemmas that the tiny villages were unable to solve on their own. The growing population spurred the need for a hospital, schools and law enforcement. Not all of the immigrants were of the agrarian bent; jobs were soon in very short supply.

So it was that in 1862 village selectmen and representatives of the outlying farm collectives gathered together to draw up plans to unite the little villages into one town. The voting was quick. The majority ruled. The town of Cold Creek had been established.

It was soon after the vote that Cold Creek experienced a renaissance. And no one embodied the period more than Stephen Deckster. Deckster emigrated from America to Ruthlandia in 1862. After a brief apprenticeship to an American shoemaker, Deckster set sail for Ruthlandia looking for the success that his apprenticeship could no longer offer. After hearing about the growth-related problems of the newly-incorporated Cold Creek, Deckster sensed an opportunity that he could only dream of. In Cold Creek, Deckster utilized his innate skills as a salesman combined with his knowledge of shoe making. He succesfully raised enough seed capital to establish Deckster Shoe Company. And the many unemployed residents of Cold Creek offered him a sizeable pool from which to draw a work force.

It was only a short time before the whole of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia were clamoring for their own fine shoes from the Deckster Shoe Company in charming Cold Creek. The town as a whole was experiencing success on a grand scale. And Stephen Deckster was soon the wealthiest man in Cold Creek.

Deckster was a man who enjoyed the fruits of his success. Yet he was always accutely aware of the debt of thanks that he owed to the people of Cold Creek. He made sure that the schools and libraries always had book shelves stuffed to the ceilings. The hospital was staffed by doctors whose educations were funded from Mr. Deckster's pockets.

Deckster's son Michael continued the family tradition, inheriting the family business shortly after his father's death in 1919. Time moved slowly for Cold Creek during Michael's half-century tenure as president of Deckster Shoes. But change was about to hit Cold Creek again. And this time, the problems would be more difficult.

Michael died suddenly in the summer of 1969. It was assumed that the company's Vice President, Clint Billings, would assume control of Deckster Shoes. But a lawsuit challenging that progression was successfully won by Michael's son, Patrick. Patrick Deckster knew as much about the shoe business as he did about work in general: extremely little. Patrick immediately jettisoned any high-ranking Deckster executive who might pose a threat to his stewardship. After a series of questionable business decisions (including the use of a cheap plastic-like leather substitute in place of the high quality hide that Deckster was famous for), the fortunes of the company began to fade. In 1982, Deckster announced that it was closing its doors for good.

For the next ten years, the fortunes of the Town of Cold Creek mirrored the demise of Deckster Shoes from the previous decade. Unemployment was high. Buildings were falling into disrepair. Some residents voiced their concern by leaving Cold Creek alltogether. The heart of the town had stopped beating. Cold Creek was dying.

But in the mid-90's, things started to change. Not like a phoenix rising up from the ash. But more akin to a tree, whose dormant limbs weather the brutal winter only to sprout leaves once more come spring. The demise of the goliath that was Deckster Shoes took with it many of the long time family-operated businesses that called Cold Creek home.

A new renaissance was beginning to take hold in Cold Creek. New small businesses appeared, the majority of which were started by Cold Creek families. The rustic downtown area crossed over to the good side of the line that separates those which time had forgot from those which time had left behind. Cold Creek had become the wonderfully nostalgic town that we know and love today. And partly because of that, a new industry began to take hold.

Cold Creek Today

No longer the tiny Shoe Capital of Ruthlandia, Cold Creek has become one of the darlings of the tourist industry. Ruthlandians and Tycobbians alike journey to little Cold Creek, especially during the fall. The cool autumn air that comes down from the Appian Mountains brings with it a pallette of colors which turn the foliage of the Cold Creek area into a firestorm of reds, yellows and oranges.

The annual Maple Festival also brings together its own flock of curiosity seekers. Cold Creek's week-long Maple Festival draws approximately 10,000 out-of-towners each fall, inevitably overflowing the many Bed and Breakfasts in the downtown area. It boasts the finest combination of culinary goods and arts and crafts this side of the Silver Mountain Range. From it's huge fall harvest farmer's market to the many booths where Ruthlandia's finest artisans can display their wares, the Maple Festival offers everything that can be enjoyed about the season. And lest you forget why it's called the Maple Festival, there are reminders everywhere. Maple syrup, maple candy, maple flavored meat jerkies, maple butter... if it can be flavored with (or coated in) maple, you'll find it here.

Oh, and don't forget to make it to the village green during the middle of the festivities where you can have a chance to meet the winner of the Ms. Maple contest and members of the Cold Creek Catamounts, the local professional baseball team. Cold Creekers take their festival more seriously than anything. Well, except for their beloved Catamounts.

Baseball History in Cold Creek

With the influx of American immigrants came the game of baseball. The sport became an obsession in Cold Creek. Not a summer day went by when the old Cold Creek Grounds wasn't filled with local boys (and men!) tossing around the horsehide. And when Michael Deckster (a true sportsman's sportsman) assumed control of Deckster Shoes, baseball became even more interesting in Cold Creek. For when the ABA passed its resolution in 1924, allowing companies to offer employment to men of skill on the ball field, the obsession reached a whole new level. The Deckster club soon became the best local squad in North-Central Ruthlandia (much to the chagrin of townsfolk of Stoner, their neighbors and rivals to the north).

The baseball frenzy led to the Deckster family building a wonderful ballyard in 1938, christened Deckster Park. And with the new ball park came the most fabled player in Cold Creek history.

T. Kelly Holmes was the Cold Creek poster boy. He was a friendly, gregarious fellow who was a hero to every little boy on the sandlots of Cold Creek. Not possessing the home run power of other ABA legends, Holmes never the less was one of the more feared batsmen on the circuit. He had a penchant for coming up with game-winning hits. And the sound of his line drives banging off of the big tin wall in right field was a constant source of dread to many opposing pitchers. And after Kelly would scurry around the basepaths for his inevitable doubles and triples, Cold Creek yanigans would burst into their familiar chant: "T! K!... Ho!", a clever melding of their hero's initials and the abrupt end of a boxing match.

Despite the wonderfully entertaining squads fielded by the Deckster Shoe Company, the club was only able to net one championship trophy. That was in 1945, Kelly Holmes' greatest season. The Deckster Club remained competitive throughout the 60's. But when the company went down, it took the Deckster Club with it.

Without the funding of Deckster Shoes and the general bleakness of the local economy, baseball disappeared from the Cold Creek Landscape. Deckster Park became a ghost town. Weeds replaced the pasture where Kelly Holmes once roamed. The wooden bleachers that once stretched from left field to center began to decay due to neglect before collapsing alltogether. But when the fortunes of the town began to reverse course, the familiar Cold Creek story of change bringing changes reappeared yet again.

While all of the success stories of Cold Creek in the mid-90's bringing some sunshine to a blighted community, there was still something missing. And that something was baseball. Without the benefit of a major corporation to field a legitimate ball club, the people of Cold Creek lamented the lack of opportunity of ever bringing a team back to the town. But all because of the innocence of a little boy, Cold Creek had a future with baseball once more.

Jimmy Gustafson recalled sitting on his grandfather's lap while being regaled with stories of T. Kelly Holmes dashing around the field (Like a catamount! he used to say) and the Deckster Club winning out over those no-good Stoner Stars. When he asked why no one played baseball in Cold Creek anymore, he was told that when Deckster Shoes closed down, no one could afford to have all of those ballplayers on their payroll. After absorbing the explanation provided by his grandfather, young Jimmy approached his father (owner of Gustafson's Drugstore on the corner of 3rd and Main) one day about having a ballclub in Cold Creek again. If he could hire one ball player, then Cold Creek Bank could hire one. And the Happy Toast Tavern could, too. "But who's going to pay all of the money to build a new ballfield?" was the obvious reply, to which Jimmy responded "We already have one." But Deckster Park needed money to be useable again. A lot of it. Who had that kind of money? The answer, as Jimmy would later remember saying to his father, was "All of us."

And so began the rebirth of baseball in Cold Creek. The first money was the $8.63 that little Jimmy had in his piggy bank. Then, reviving the spirit of Stephen Deckster, Jimmy Gustafson went door-to-door all around Cold Creek, raising funds for the renovation of the decaying ballpark. With the attention to detail on par with a successful accountant, Jimmy kept track of everyone who gave , even little 4-year-old Chrissie Mirenda who reached into her pocket and donated 5 cents and a slightly melted Cadbury Flake bar. When Jimmy's grandfather passed away, he bequeathed his meager life savings to the Bring Back Baseball to Cold Creek Fund. T. Kelly Holmes, still a spry septigenarian, donated some of his precious Deckster club items to the cause. Memorabilia filled with many sweet memories, so future generations could have sweet memories of their own.

The town rallied. Local contractors offered their services for free. Volunteers would show up at the old ballfield after a long day of work, just so they could work a little more. New strapping, young employees began showing up on local business payrolls. The renovations came to a close. The circle was complete. Baseball was back in Cold Creek.

Baseball returned to Cold Creek on April 5th, 1990. The rejuvenated ballpark, renamed Holmes Field in honor of the local hero, played host to the Stoner Stars that day. The new local nine, the Cold Creek Catamounts, emerged victorious on a walk-off line drive off the old refurbished tin wall in right field. Sometime after the game, groundskeepers swore they heard the faint whispers of something that sounded like "T... K... Ho..." echoing throughout the field.

Baseball Today in Cold Creek

The Cold Creek Catamounts today are members of the Islandian Pro Alliance. They are the only team in Ruthlandia that is owned by the citizens of the town in which they play as opposed to a single individual or civic group.

Each year, a town meeting is held to elect members of the board of the Cold Creek Baseball Club, LLC, the governing body representing the citizens' interest in the ball club. For the 4th consecutive year, local lawyer John Cockerham has been voted president of the board.

When it came time to select a manager for the Catamounts, the job went to none other than "T. K. Ho" himself - T. Kelly Holmes - who had managed the amateur Cold Creek Catamounts to much success in the company leagues. Holmes, still an astute baseball man was also appointed general manager.

One final note: Little Jimmy Gustafson has now grown up and is a relief pitcher for the Catamounts. Sounds like a Hollywood script, doesn't it?

Holmes Field

Capacity 7,777

Dimensions:

LF line 350
LF 360
LCF 380
CF 408
RCF 373
RF 345
RF line 320

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Ruthlandian Union South Division Standings

Cybercats Pitchers Dominate RU South Race
The Grand City Cybercats are head-and-shoulders above the crowd in the tight Ruthlandian Union South race with a 6-game lead over the Waleska Westerners, Belair Beach Sunbirds and the Crystal Lake Crushers. And hanging close by are the Valka Blackhawks and the Claxton Diamonds, both 7 games behind. The St. John Crusaders are seventh in the division, trailing by 8 games and pulling up the rear are the San Dimas Rancheros, who are 9 games off the pace.

Grand City Cybercats (42-29) manager Torry Joseph has fine pitching from top to bottom in his rotation. The 'Cats are number one in the division with a sparkling 3.07 team ERA, led by Rob Martyn (8-2 3.35) and Lefty Paddison (6-2 2.56). You name it and Joseph has it - starters, long and short relief and closer, too. Fred Loggia (4-2 2.28) and Rich Walters (3-2 2.15) are his third and fourth starters. In the bullpen, closer Dick Blessing (4-2 1.90) has 4 saves since taking over that role in the last month.

As a team Grand City is batting only .248 (4th), but this is a pitching division. Nobody is hitting well except for Valka with a .263 average. The Cybercats top batters are shortstop Wynn Joslin (.295), who has 6 homers, scored 44 times and batted across 34 runs, third baseman Robby Maynard (.262) with 10 homers and 38 RBIs and right fielder Johnny Keitel (.246) with 13 home runs and 38 runs batted in. As far as fielding, Grand City is tied for fourth with a .978 mark.

In a three-way tie for second place are McGraw Johnson's Waleska Westerners (36-35). Their strong point is pitching, too. His starting rotation consists of Smokey Joe Carter (9-3 3.20), Gary Hill (7-7 3.03), Buddy Kennedy (4-2 3.02) and Jack Wagner (6-8 3.20). Johnson's closer is Andrei Marsiske (3-5 2.97) and he has saved 6 games thus far.

Waleska's best offensive weapons are third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.270) with 5 homers, 36 RBIs and 52 runs scored, along with Big Hoss Burkhalter (.241) with 9 home runs and 35 RBIs.

In Belair Beach (36-35), skipper Marty Pedroza's crew has been woefully weak at the plate, but pretty formidable on the mound. The Sunbirds are third with a 3.26 ERA, but fifth in batting with a .246 average. Belair Beach is even worse with only 35 homers this season, ranking sixth. Pedroza's club is tied for fourth in defense with a .978 fielding percentage.

On the hill the starters are a big plus for Pedroza. The Sunbirds have a good starting four with Ray Watson (9-3 2.50), Slim Mosley (6-3 2.97), Tiny Lundgren (8-6 3.98) and Carl Thompson (5-10 3.56). That is their strength. Pedroza could use a better closer. Lou Zanelli is only 2-6 with a 3.59 ERA and 7 saves.

Belair Beach has only a few productive hitters with shortstop Danny Church (.302/4 HR/30 RBI/38 R), third baseman Dom Corbelli (.311/0 HR/20 RBI) and left fielder Nicky Swift (.230/9 HR/47 RBI). Swift led the league last year with 44 home runs, 107 RBIs and a .321 average, but has dropped significantly this season. Improved pitching in the IPA this season has put the damper on quite a few of last year's stars.

To challenge the Grand City Cybercats, Belair Beach will need to really pick up the pace with its hitting and power numbers.

The famed slugger Herman "Baby" George, the all-time home run hitter in the industrial leagues, is the manager of the Crystal Lake Crushers (36-35). He is also the club's GM and he has molded together a pretty fair ball team, currently tied for the runner-up spot in the South Division.

The Crushers don't hit for average, but they hit for distance. They are second in the division with 56 home runs, while putting up a mediocre .241 batting average (6th). Crystal Lake depends on left fielder Ben Butler (.279/14 HR/37 RBI), first baseman Jordy John (.264/14 HR/43 RBI) and center fielder Derren Prince (.278/9 HR/33 RBI) for its offense.

When it comes to pitching, the Crushers struggle with a 3.84 ERA, last in the division. But George has a couple of good starters in Mack Harrell (9-6 3.76) and Bill Ehrhardt (7-7 3.27) and a good closer in Pablo Orantes (1-0 0.83), who has just taken over that slot. Reliever Tim Allison (2-1 1.95) has stood out with 11 saves. Another quality pitcher has been Mike Zuccardo (1-0 2.43). Overall Crystal Lake needs more depth in pitching and better hitting to contend with Grand City.

The Valka Blackhawks (35-36) are deadlocked for fifth place with the Claxton Diamonds and trail first place Grand City by 7 games. The Blackhawks have Jaan Kurus at the helm. His team leads the South Division with a .263 batting average, is fourth in homers with 47, fourth with a 3.51 ERA and third with a .980 fielding percentage.

Kurus gets good production from his batters, led by shortstop Villem Kask (.321/1 HR/37 R/17 DB), right fielder Jimmy Tremayne (.310/8 HR/48 RBI), center fielder Ron Landauer (.290/4 HR/29 RBI/41 R/17 SB), catcher Kristjan Kasik (.272/9 HR/36 RBI) and second baseman Bryan McGinnis (.311/3 HR/17 RBI).

To move up in the standing, Valka is going to have to get improvement from its pitching corps. Kurus can count on only two solid starters and they are very impressive. Roberto Peralta is 8-3 with an outstanding 2.44 ERA, while Andrei Kokk is 7-5 with a strong 2.98 ERA. His number three man is Arvo Krimm, who is 7-3 with a 4.01 ERA. Two relievers have performed well in middle relief with Juri Valk recording a 2-1 mark and a fine 2.79 ERA and Bobby Karu registering a 1-0 record with a superb 2.13 ERA in since joining the team a month ago. Closer Daryl Vannoy (0-2 4.80) has 10 saves, but has not consistently done his job.

"The Old Perfesser", Stacy Engel, is struggling again this year at Claxton (35-36), but is only 7 games off the pace. The Diamonds are hitting a paltry .240, last in the division. They are seventh with a 3.72 ERA and tied for sixth with a .977 fielding average. Engel's one plus on the team is its power. Claxton has hit 50 out of the park and are ranked third in that category.

Right fielder Jackie Allemand (.306/11 HR/26 RBI/28 R), center fielder David Shelton (.322/4 HR/23 RBI/32 R) and left fielder Dixie Baker (.247/11 HR/38 RBI/28 R) have supplied the offense for the Diamonds. But production is way off from last year. Baker was one of the top hitters in the IPA last season with a .290 average, 38 roundtrippers and 123 runs batted in. That seems to indicate the pitching is vastly improved over last year with the influx of 40 expansion teams.

Claxton has some quality hurlers in its rotation. Terry Kuznetsov (7-1 2.84) has been terrific. Sal Tallis (3-5 2.27) has pitched better than his record shows. Closer Geno Franchi (2-2 2.55) had been strong with 9 saves and Johnny Szwak (3-1 3.25) has pitched well when called upon in relief.

The Claxton Diamonds had been playing much better ball in June with a 9-4 record. If it continues, they don't have far to go to get into the first division and qualify for the playoffs in season two of the Islandian Pro Alliance. A little more hitting could do it for them. The second half of the year is looking up for "The Old Perfesser" and his boys.

The St. John Crusaders (34-37) are a bad team on paper - last in just about everything - still only 8 games out of first place - but only two games out of second place. Things could be a lot worse for a team with a .240 batting average (7th-tied), only 34 homers (7th), 3.65 ERA (6th) and a poor .976 fielding average (8th).

Skipper Dickie Billings has tried a lot of line-ups to try and shake the Crusaders out of their hitting doldrums. Same thing in his pitching rotation. Half of his staff have joined the team in the last month. In June, St. John is 8-5 and playing well.

But when you look at the stats, only pitcher Zach Simon and recent signee, Eddie Thorsen are really doing the job on the hill. With a sixth-place team, Simon has been astounding with a 12-5 mark and an excellent 2.80 ERA. His 12 wins are the most in the Ruthlandian Union and second in the IPA. Only San Alejo's Ernie Arredondo has more victories with 13, while playing with a team that has the best overall record in the IPA at 52-19. Thorsen was signed a month ago and has chalked up 1-1 mark as the Crusader closer. Thorsen has 9 saves and a brilliant 1.32 ERA.

Billings has no .300 hitters. Second baseman Frankie Faber (.281/2 HR/20 RBI/26 R) is number one average-wise. Right fielder Jack Dillon (.270/11 HR/31 RBI/25 R) is his most productive, along with first baseman Richie Renaudin (.253/5 HR/35 RBI/30 R) and third baseman George Longmire (.246/4 HR/47 RBI/37 R).

If a couple of pitchers and a couple of hitters step it up, St. John could make the playoffs. With the division so tightly bunched, it wouldn't take much to do it.

Just looking at the stats, you would think the San Dimas Rancheros (33-38) were one of the top clubs in the Ruthlandian Union South Division, but not so. Manager Paco Banderas' team is the cellar, 9 games off the pace of first place Grand City. This, despite hitting .258 (2nd), having 57 homers (1st) and a .981 fielding average (1st). Apparently the Rancheros downfall is its .355 ERA (5th).

San Dimas has a solid attack, sparked by first baseman Sancho Duran (.296/13 HR/39 RBI/37 R), third sacker Domingo Rios (.287/12 HR/37 RBI/35 R), left fielder Fernando Baldera (.286/8 HR/31 RBI/24 R) and second baseman Cyclone Cobb (.306/1 HR/17 RBI/37 R/53 SB).

On the mound Balderas has outstanding starters in Josh Houston (7-7 2.96), Cliff Pope (7-2 2.54), Wayne Mallard (7-6 2.79) and Beau Juneau (4-3 2.85). In the bullpen Zippy Hodge (2-2 3.29) had done well with 9 saves this season. However, the rest of the staff have struggled with ERAs 4.50 to 6.50.

Several competent relievers could do wonders for San Dimas and put them back in the race for the playoffs.

Forecast: Grand City's pitching is too strong for this division. The Cybercats seemed headed for the South Division title. It will be a battle royal for the three other playoff slots with most of the other clubs vying for them. Because of their good pitching, Belair Beach and Waleska should finish in the top four. Crystal Lake, Claxton, Valka and maybe St. John will be in the running for the last playoff position. It should be quite a finish in the second half of the season in the Ruthlandian Union South.

COLFAX BLASTERS

Owner: Enim Dlog (Precious Metals Corporation)

GM/Manager: Clem Rogers

Colfax is found in west central Ruthlandia, population 89,000. It is a "City of Gold" situated on the scenic Silver River, which flows out of the Silver Mountains northwest of Volusia, past Colfax and then westward to the nation's capital, Forest City. It then merges with the Green River, which winds its way through the southern half of the country and ends at Belair Beach.

The town was settled during the Gold Rush of the 1850's and is still quite profitable. It is also an important coal mining center.

It is also the home of the Colfax Blasters of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the West Division. The team is nicknamed for the dynamite blasters, so important in mining the gold, silver, copper and coal...and also the longball hitters, therefore giving Blasters a double meaning.

Due to its great financial wealth and success, Colfaxians have a town of stunning beauty and charm. Built by the coal barons and the gold mine owners, it is filled with grand buildings and mansions, intermingled with the smokestacks that loom over the landscape. To lessen the environmental impact, quiet canals and man-made waterways flow through the town. Visitors can glide by boat along the tranquil Silver River or walk the fabled cobblestoned streets and discover a town that time has almost forgotten. You can hear its famous landmark, "The Belfry", a carillon or bells that toll every hour and has continuously for over 150 years. Colfax also boasts an opera house, concert hall, theater and a ballet company.

Colfax's Mountain View Stadium is known for its gorgeous view of the town, the Silver Mountain backdrop beyond the outfield fence and for its "Pot of Gold". It is an actual pot, five feet in diameter, located in the center field section of the ballpark, 410 feet away. Whenever a Blaster player hits a ball that ends up in the "Pot of Gold", the player and a fan each receive $5,000. The fan is chosen in a "lucky scorecard number" drawing.

At the ballpark you have hardworking and hard living miners and the white collar and managerial set...the beer set and the champagne set. Both are attended to at Mountain View Stadium. You can get anything from hot dogs to caviar at the concession stands.

The Blasters' owner is Enim Dlog, whose ancestors are from somewhere in the Baltics. It was his great-great-granddaddy, who first discovered gold in the 1850's. In fact, the new ballpark was built on the same site as the first gold mine.

The GM and Manager of the Colfax Blasters is Clem Rogers, one of the top righthanded pitchers of all-time in the industrial leagues. He is number two on the all-time strikeout list, just a few hundred behind the the strikeout king, Ryan Noland.

Mountain View Stadium (1971)

Capacity: 10,850

Dimensions:
LF Line 315
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 405
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 345

A very special thanks to Raideroo for this excellent town history.
He wrote about 90% of it. My apology to him for editing his very creative work.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Around the Town in the IPA

CRYSTAL LAKE CRUSHERS

Owner: John William Flood III, Casino Enterprises
GM/Manager: Herman "Baby" George

Crystal Lake is the largest lake in Ruthlandia, situated in the southeastern corner of the country. The town, Crystal Lake, is located on a spit of land at the southwestern corner of the lake from which it got its name. Crystal Lake is south of Valka and just 25 miles across the lake. Belair Beach, San Dimas and Grand City are also close by. Crystal Lake is a polyglot town of 77,000 people who march to the beat of a different drummer.

Crystal Lake is best known for its liberal politics. Think of San Francisco in the United States for a comparable culture. Environmentalists, Jesus Freaks, Rock 'n' Roll enthusiasts in a fairly free society. Locals claim they are not liberal, they are libertarians. Critics counter that residents aren't libertarians, they are libertines. European tourists compare the town to Amsterdam, but not quite as notoriously liberal.

The lowlands around the town are more properly classified as bogs. Glacial activity 10,000 years ago scooped out what would become Crystal Lake and dumped quite a moraine when retreating, forming the land that was settled in the late 1800's. The area never really did grown because of the swampy terrain.

That all changed. Crystal Lake was a planned town and came into being in the early 1920s when John William Flood began developing it. It was intended to be a summer resort getaway for the wealthy to escape the dog days of summer before the invention of air conditioning. It is laid out on a grid with north-south streets given names based on trees in alphabetical order (Aspen, Birch, Cedar...) and east-west streets given numbers (First, Second, Third...) and called avenues. Crystal Lake has always been a footloose and fun-loving town. 80 years ago, during the brief Ruthlandian prohibition experiment, they ran speakeasys and night clubs. 50 years ago, they built casinos. Present day Crystal Lake is a little Las Vegas.

Getting around Crystal Lake is pretty easy to do. The town was built around an electric traction trolley system that takes people everywhere. The town never adapted to the automobile, which is practically prohibited by ordanance today. It is a biker and walking society, that espouses pollution-free air, exercise and health.

The baseball team has been in business in some form for 70 years. The team name comes from a 1921 letter from the team owner to his manager on his vision for building the club.

John William Flood wrote to the first ballfield manager Andy Capson: "I don't like watching a bunch of dandies or young boys prancing around the basepaths like thieving fools. Bunting is for the birds. I want to see men crush the ball."

Hence, the Crushers were born.

John William Ford III owns the team now. He makes his money in the casino business and is rather diffident about day-to-day baseball operations. Since he's in his late 60's, he has been concerned about his legacy. He's been examining the Green Bay Packers business model closely and is seriously considering willing the club to the people of Crystal Lake.

The Floods have always been shady characters. John Williams Flood II was considered a scamp, regularly testing the will of the ABA commissioner in the days of the company leagues. John Williams Flood III is too busy developing real estate to break the rules like his ancestors did. The team has a somewhat unsavory reputation that is no longer deserved because of what happened more than three generations ago.

The famed slugger, Herman "Baby" George, the most prolific home run hitter in the annals of Islandian amateur leagues, is the manager of the Crystal Lake Crushers. When it comes to hitting a baseball, Baby George is "Mr. Baseball" in the Islands. There has never been anyone quite like him. George is a bon vivant and literally in a class by himself. George began as a pitcher and was a very good one, but his hitting prowess soon converted him into a fulltime position player. He holds the all-time career homer mark in the industrial league. He turned out to be a pretty darn good manager, too. And the fans love him in Crystal Lake for his savoie-faire attitude.

The Crystal Lake Crusher amateur and industrial teams played in John William Flood Stadium in the 1920s. A new ballpark, Lakefront Stadium, was built in 1985 by the town council. Lakefront Stadium is located right at the water's edge on Crystal Lake. Occasionally a player will hit one over the right center field fence into the beautiful blue waters. Fans get a magnificent view of the lake. On game days, the best way to get to the ball park is by taking The Traction to the stadium or by sailing up to the marina.

The food is typical baseball fare that tries to cater to both tourists and to the whole earth day crowd. The hot dog is a foot long kosher dog served on a dark brown wheat roll. The beers are local microbrews and all claim to be genetically-modified organism free. Manager Baby George is known to gulp down several hot dogs and imbibe a few cool refreshments while in the process of manipulating strategies and line-ups during the game.

Lakefront Stadium

Capacity: 10,500

Dimensions:

Left Field Line - 340'
Left Field - 370'
Left Center - 405'
Center Field - 400'
Right Center - 381'
Right Field - 370
Right Field Line - 340'

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Tight Race in RU East, Marston and Sugar Valley Co-Leaders
At the All-Star break, two of the better teams from last year are the co-leaders in the Ruthlandian Union East standings. The Marston Nine and the Sugar Valley Rattlers are 1 game up on an expansion club, the Cold Creek Catamounts, who are in their first season in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Holdovers from last season, the Elnora All-Stars are in the fourth spot and are only 2 games off the pace. The top five positions are tight with the Eastshore Elegants only 4 games back of the leaders. The Beechwood Bobcats are tied for sixth with the Wynnamac Sundowners, 8 games behind. Rounding out the division in the basement are the Belle Plaine Musketeers, 18 games out.

Both Marston and Sugar Valley possess good hitting and good pitching. Elnora also hits well and has a good pitching staff. Cold Creek and Eastshore are using the longball power for success and suffer from pitching. And as you always hear from the experts, good pitching beats good hitting. But the power teams are hanging close at mid-season.

The Marston Nine (39-32) are piloted by Johnny Walters, perhaps the finest righthanded hurler in the history of the Islands... His veteran club is solid in all aspects of the game... .263 BA (3rd)... 44 HR (5th)... 3.28 ERA (1st)... .978 FA (3rd-T)... Starters: Excellent... Nick Pace (8-6 2.68)... Casey Ledbetter (10-5 3.15)... Vinnie Gardner (4-2 2.07)... Booger Burchfield (3-4 3.01)... all vets from last year... Bullpen: Mediocre... Closer: Mediocre - Walt Sellers (4-4 4.22) 9 saves... Hitting: Solid - 2B Ken Green (.325/3 HR/30 RBI)... CF Kerby Jost (.294/8 HR/30 RBI/25 R)... IF Don Nichols (.266/7 HR/29 RBI/32 R)... Disappointments: SS-3B Roland Thomas .359 hitter last year, down to .270 this year... and Sellers in the closer spot... Bright spots: Starters... and 3B Roddy Teague (.348/3 HR/13 RBI).

The hard-nosed and tough Gibson Bobkins is the Sugar Valley (39-32) manager. The former pitching great has a well-rounded team... .270 BA (1st)... 55 HR (4th)... 3.32 ERA (2nd)... but lacking good defense with a .975 FA (6th)... Good starters... Lacks 4th starter... excellent with Ron Benson (8-7 2.89)... Jay Washington (5-4 1.95)... Gregg Neal (6-5 2.40)... Bullpen: Respectable... Closer: Poor - Harvey Hines (6-4 4.98) only 3 saves... Hitting: Very Good - LF Bruno DiPirro (.369/2 HR/35 RBI/38 R/16 SB)... SS Flipper Bird (.319/10 HR/40 RBI/45 R/18 SB)... CF Freddie Vaux (.319/2 HR/21 RBI/44 R/26 SB)... and 2B Jorge Vargas (.253/9 HR/41 RBI)... Disappointments: Closer Hines and Vargas... Vargas hit .323 last season and hit 32 homers... Bright spots: DiPirro is the #2 hitter in the RU... other hitters Bird and Vaux.

Both Marston and Sugar Valley will make the playoffs, while the Nine are favored to take the RU East crown in the regular season... Marston's starting pitching gives them the edge.

In third place in the RU East and only one game out are the heavy-hitting Cold Creek Catamounts (38-33) under T. Kelly Holmes, the renowned "T. K. Ho" in amateur league circles. The Catamounts are batting .257 (4th)... have hit 65 homers (2nd)... with a 4.06 team ERA (5th)... and are the #1 defensive team with a .981 FA (1st-Tied)... one outstanding starter in Dave Molinari (6-3 2.89)... two good ones in Pat Saunders (5-1 3.55) and Mitch Saffo (7-5 3.61)... and a fine closer in Lew MacAlester (6-2 2.44), who leads the IPA in saves with 13... solid middle relief in Jimmy Gustafson (1-3 3.03) and Bobby Windsor (1-0 2.02)... powerful hitters with 1B Johnny Carducci (.310/13 HR/54 RBI/39 R)... RF Karl Yashin (.300/8 HR/36 RBI/32 R)... LF Joel Reed (.284/6 HR/33 RBI/44 R) and CF Trip Holmes (.282/15 HR/39 RBI/51 R)... Holmes is the grandson of skipper T. Kelly Holmes... methinks, no nepotism here.

Manager Zoggy White has the Elnora All-Stars (37-34) running on all cylinders and a very close fourth in the race, just two games behind the co-leaders... his crew is batting .266 (2nd)... 41 home runs (6th)... with a 3.36 ERA (3rd)... and .979 FA (2nd)... hitting is strong point with 2B Gil Foster (.354/10 HR/35 RBI/46 R)... CF Rusty Gilbert (.313/8 HR/36 RBI/42 R/15 SB)... and LF Quincy Peterson (.287/8 HR/45 RBI/48 R/16 SB)... White's ace is Carl Costas (10-4 3.02)... others in rotation are Charlie Murphy (5-1 3.14), Hunk Sweitzer (3-4 2.89) and Taylor Gibbs (4-4 3.42)... best middle relievers are Stevie Howard (3-0 1.56) and Harry Dye (4-5 3.56)... pretty fair closer in Tyrone Gray (4-5 3.28)... Disappointments are 13-game winner from last year Pat Savoie (1-5 4.36) and RF Paul Giles (.206/2 HR/24 RBI)... Giles hit .285 with 32 HRs and 92 RBIs in 2001.

If Giles can rebound in the second half of the season and Elnora can get another dominant pitcher to go with Costas, the All-Stars could be right up there with Marston, Sugar Valley and Cold Creek.

The fifth place Eastshore Elegants (35-36) trail by only 4 games... They are managed by Killer Brewster, who starred for many years in the industrial leagues as a slugging third baseman... Brewster's club is following in his footsteps... The Elegants top the division with 71 roundtrippers (1st), but are hitting a puny .238 (8th)... pitching is not too strong with a 3.89 ERA (4th)... fielding only adequate at .976 (5th)... It's hard to win when your best pitcher Justin Lloyd is only 5-5 with a 3.89 ERA... but things really perk up when you have in the line-up LF Darrel Alston (.314/10 HR/43 RBI/51 R)... 1B Vito Iacoboni (.283/8 HR/48 R)... 2B Miles Sheehan (.261/13 HR/35 RBI... and RF Ron Dizon (.254/16 HR/57 RBI/48 R)... Dizon leads the RU in RBIs and is second in HRs.

Fifth is about the best Eastshore will finish... Brewster just doesn't have the pitching like the top four teams do, but the Elegants pitching is much better than the teams behind them. It is not likely they will catch Eastshore.

The Wynnamac Sundowners (31-40) are currently tied with the Beechwood Bobcats for the sixth spot in the standings and are 8 games out of first place... Wynnamac seems to have a better ballclub than the Bobcats with slightly better pitching and much better fielding... Matt Donnelly, a very good hitter and first baseman in his amateur days, is in charge of the Sundowners... Wynnamac has a .253 average (6th)... 38 roundtrippers (7th)... 4.18 ERA (7th)... and tied for third in fielding percentage with .978... Donnelly has three fine offensive players, but little after them... 2B Fred Younger (.358/5 HR/41 RBI/58 R) is all-star caliber... RF Tee Boy Joubert (.299/9 HR/43 RBI)... and SS Marvin Hollis (.305/0 HR/17 RBI/40 R) help supply most of the Sundowners offense... Wynnamac's best pitcher Uko Illka (7-8 2.54) was just picked up in a trade a month ago from Valka... Liam Bristow (7-7 3.78) and Angus Conroy (4-5 3.81) are creditable pitchers and good at times... as far as the relief corps, Donnelly is in deep trouble when he has to go to the bullpen... they are all way over 5.00 ERAs except for the latest closer project Gerry Van Buren (0-1 1.80) with 4 saves... Van Buren just joined the team a month ago.

Beechwood's manager is Bret George, one the greatest third baseman ever in the Islands... The Bobcats (31-40) have compiled a .255 (5th) mark with the bats... have hit with good power with 56 homers (3rd)... are last in the division with a 4.24 ERA... and last in defense with a very poor .970 FA... No much chance of them moving up in the standings with stats like that... George has three decent starters in Will Cadbury (6-8 3.56)... Joe Hahn (7-7 3.85)... and Frankie Lacaze (4-7 3.47)... Beechwood only has one other capable pitcher... that is Shane Ross (3-1 3.44), who is a spot starter, but mainly a long reliever... offensively three players carry the Bobcats... LF L. J. Aldridge (.304/16 HR/54 RBI/46 R)... CF Lonnie Snider (.296/6 HR/21 RBI/45 R/20 SB)... and RF Clifton Czabo (.279/6 HR/35 RBI/45 R/12 SB).

Sixth is the best Beechwood will do this season... but seventh is more likely... Bret George is lucky Belle Plaine is in the East Division... otherwise it could be worse.

Belle Plaine (21-50) manager Boo Ladreau has one of the three worst teams in the IPA, rivaled only by Fort Benton (27-44) in the RU West and Arroyo Grande (21-50) in the TU South... his club is 18 games behind in the standings... Even 7th place is out of reach this year... The hapless Musketeers are hitting .246 (7th) with only 29 homers (8th)... 4.15 team ERA (6th)... and a .974 fielding percentage (7th)... Ladreau has only three quality players... LF Juan Mendes (.338/1 HR/26 RBI/23 R)... and two starters: Karl Antoine (3-7 2.78) and Lou Dozier (7-6 3.19)... it is going to be a very long season for the Belle Plaine fans.

It is going to be an exciting pennant chase in the second half of the season in the Ruthlandian Union East between Marston, Sugar Valley, Cold Creek and Elnora. The Marston Nine are a slight favorite over the other three because of their pitching. Eastshore has an outside shot at the playoffs. No chance for the other three ball clubs.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, June 15, 2002

Ruthlandian Union West Division Standings

Forest City 2 Games Up on Middlefield In RU West
At the halfway point, the Forest City Lumberjacks are 2 games in front of the Middlefield Roosters in the RU West Division. In the third spot in the standings are the Rocky Rapids Snappers, 6 games behind the two leaders. Rounding out the top four clubs are the defending IPA champions, the Volusia Vigilantes. The V's trail by 7 games.

In the second division are the Sligo Rovers, who are tied with the Stoner Stars for fifth place. They are 10 games off the pace. The Colfax Blasters are seventh in the division, while the Fort Benton Defenders are resting in the cellar.

One of the most potent offenses in the Ruthlandian Union belongs to Robbie Jackson's Forest City Lumberjacks (42-29)... The 'Jacks are batting a lofty .278 (1st) with 56 home runs (2nd)... on the hill not quite so potent with a poor 3.94 ERA (6th)... on defense Forest City is tied with three other clubs with an impressive .981 FA... Manager Jackson can put five .300 hitters on his line-up card... His prime run producers are 1B J. T. Edmonds (.325/8 HR/44RBI/43 R/11 SB)... RF Chuck Hill (.315/10 HR/48 RBI/52 R)...CF Ryan Morse (.320/4 HR/17 RBI/47 R/16 SB)... C Joey Jarvis (.333/2 HR/30 RBI) and 2B Jesse Wolf (.284/9 HR/36 RBI/40 R)... SS Pops Keller (.336/2 HR/19 RBI/28 R) is having a fine year, too... Rookie SS Bill Nilsen has put up 10 homers and 42 RBIs, but is hitting only .236... On the mound Forest City depends on starters Timmy Brooks (7-3 3.87)... Glenn Moore (7-3 3.26)... Frank Loeffler (3-3 3.67) and Ernie Hill (4-1 4.17)... Vince Edelman (4-5 3.89) is the team's closer.

The Middlefield Roosters (40-31) can hit with the best of them, too. Guided by Smitty Michaels, one of the greatest homer-hitting and best defensive third baseman ever in Islandia, the Roosters carry a .267 team batting average (2nd) with 64 roundtrippers (1st)... Michaels has a better mound corps than the Lumberjacks... his team ERA is 3.72... defensively Middlefield has a .980 fielding average, ranked fifth, but only one percentage point behind the leaders... The Roosters rotation has used 17 pitchers this year and they are still experimenting... the current rotation consists of Jackie Lee Bevis (5-1 2.08)... Otis Canfield (5-1 4.00)... Herschel Mosby (4-3 4.25)... and Joshua Jackson (4-5 4.18)... Michaels has a new closer Dave Webb (1-3 0.71) with 6 saves... At the plate the bats have boomed with 2B Alfredo Soriano (.342/6 HR/29 RBI/42R/15 SB)... LF Cecil Clark (.303/10 HR/29 RBI/34 R/9)... RF Bailey Norcross (.294/8 HR/38 RBI/47 R)... 1B Ricky Tinker (.289/7 HR/30 RBI/28 R)... CF Ty DeWitt (.237/16 HR/50 RBI/41 R) hasn't hit for average, but has really been productive.

The Rocky Rapids Snappers (36-35) are managed by Ryan Noland, the all-time leading strikeout artist in the amateur leagues... Noland has got the Snappers in third place in the RU West... They are still in contention for the division crown... A good winning streak could put them right up with Forest City and Middlefield... Noland has a solid set of starters, who have put up a 3.45 ERA (4th)... Ben Mashburn (8-1 2.25) had been brilliant... Clay Milwaine (4-3 2.77) is tough to score on... Henry Ruskin (4-4 3.21) and Will Schneider (3-4 3.51) are dependable #3 and and #4... Middle relief is adequate... Former starter Kirk Beckmann (10-6 4.31) is now the closer... He opened the season with a 6-0 mark with an ERA around 2.00, then went into a tailspin and ended up as the closer. He is doing a good job as the bullpen ace... Rocky Rapids sports a .262 average (4th) with 54 homers (3rd-tied)... RF Doug Holt (.297/11 HR/36 RBI/32 R) is the big gun with help from 2B Timmy Peters (.296/8 HR/40 RBI/40 R)... recent additions to the line-up have done well... especially 3B Archie Jackman (.341/2 HR/18 RBI/21 R/6 SB)... LF Kyle Cutright (.283/3 HR/23 RBI/19 R) is doing well, too... Noland has a fine defensive squad and is tied for first with three other clubs with a .981 fielding percentage... To compete with the first place Lumberjacks and the second place Roosters, Rocky Rapids needs some improvement in hitting... that is Noland's shortcoming.

The defending IPA champions, the Volusia Vigilantes (35-36), have struggled this year, mainly with its offense and are 7 games off the pace. Last year's studs at bat and on the hill are not doing the job this season... However, manager Alfonso Feliz has an outstanding pitching corps with a 3.04 team ERA... spearheaded by several rookies... Mike Amato (8-1 2.40) has been sensational and taken over as Feliz's ace... rookie Carl Schmitz (3-4 2.89), Ricky Moreno (4-4 3.59) and Brian King (2-5 3.62) are the others in the current rotation... last year's ace Raul Sandoval, who was 18-15 with a 3.15 ERA has slumped badly to 3-7 and a 3.51 ERA... Sandoval has been relegated to middle relief... rookie closer Hernando Espaderos (2-3 1.00) has been quite strong with 7 saves since joining the team in early May... Kit Kivett (4-2 2.14), Hank Massey (2-1 2.01) and Tommy Betanzos (4-6 3.08) have been outstanding in the middle and late innings...The Vigilantes are hitting only .247 (6th) with only 35 homers (7th)... vets SS Scooter Perez (.305/3 HR/33 RBI/41 R/21 SB) and 2B Francisco Abreu (.305/7 HR/32 RBI/36 R) have done well, but not compared to last year... Perez led the Ruthlandian Union with a .374 mark, while Abreu hit 26 home runs... Rookie CF Ryan Raines (.301/7 HR/34 RBI/25 R/12 SB) has been a surprising plus... The V's are sorely missing output from last year's vital cogs 1B Alejandro Salazar (.209/4 HR/22 RBI) and RF Jesus Arroyo (.199/1 HR/20 RBI)... Salazar had 19 homers and hit .285 last season, while Arroyo batted .290 with 12 roundtrippers... Volusia suffers on defense, too... The Vigilantes are 7th with a .977 mark... Good second half rebounds by Salazar, Arroyo, Perez and Abreu would quickly put the V's back near the top... Despite the problems, Volusia seems to be assured of a playoff spot... the second division clubs have not been any threat so far.

The Sligo Rovers (32-39) are led by manager Eddie Keys, who starred for many years in the Sligo industrial league... The Rovers are 10 games out of first place and tied for fifth in the RU West standings with the Stoner Stars... They have a .263 batting average (3rd) with 45 homers (5th) and a not-so-good 4.13 team ERA (7th)... fielding-wise Keys' club is tied for the number one position with an excellent .981 mark... Keys can count only two of his pitchers... starter Colin McGrath (6-4 2.67) has been a tough customer and Sligo's new closer Razzy Raziano (3-1 1.69) was signed in May and has done an excellent job with 7 saves... Otherwise, the mound staff has struggled... The Rovers have two standout hitters in 3B Rusty Ellis (.356/2 HR/18 RBI/37 R/15 SB) and 1B Shane Redford (.330/3 HR/29 RBI/30 R)... other contributors are CF Waylon Moses (.299/3 HR/23 RBI/27 R/8 SB), LF Danny O'Shea (.266/7 HR/31 RBI/18 R) and RF Jason Melton (.261/8 HR/22 RBI/18 R)... The outlook for the rest of the season looks sixth or seventh place for Sligo... Colfax seems to have a slight chance to overtake them because of better pitching and more power in their line-up.

The Stoner Stars (32-39) are tied for fifth place and wallowing 10 games back in the RU West with not a lot of hope to climb any higher... The Stars are led by Willie Dickens at the helm as field manager... Dickens was a journeyman outfielder in amateur ball that found great success as a manager... Stoner has a good 3.34 ERA (2nd), but that has not translated into a lot of victories due to a lack of hitting and run scoring... The Stars are batting only .251 (5th) with only 27 homers (8th)... Stoner is ranked 64th in home runs... Defensively the Stars are doing a good job with a .979 percentage... They are rated sixth, but that is misleading as the West Division is gutted with good defensive teams... 6 of the 8 teams have fielding averages in the .979-.981 range... Dickens has a good starting rotation with Dwight Ruckman (8-5 3.14), Georgie West (6-5 2.22) and Mike Atkinson (5-6 2.97)... Dickens need another quality starter to move up in the standings... Orlando Sierra (4-3 2.23) started the season as the closer, was moved to the starting rotation and only did modestly well... Dickens returned him to the closer spot recently... 3B Allen Black (.295/7 HR/39 RBI/48 R/10 SB) tops the Stars with a little help from 1B Garland Andre (.262/4 HR/31 RBI/25 R)... With such pitiful power numbers, seventh place may be the best the Stoner Stars can accomplish in their first IPA season.

Last year the Colfax Blasters (30-41) were a second division team under manager Clem Rogers... ditto this year... His pitching has been good with a 3.39 ERA (3rd)... Colfax is blessed with a set of steady starters in Flash Guidry (8-8 3.10), Vic Jankovich (5-2 3.18), Robbie Smith (8-7 3.72) and Jasper LaForge (5-10 3.25)... Closer has been a problem with Harry Manning (0-2 4.50)... The Blasters need help in middle relief as well... Rogers only has one top hitter, last year's Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat winner, Dennis Cole (.297/18 HR/50 RBI/44 R)... Cole has picked up where he left off last year, but he can't do it all himself... 2B Tucker Hill (.245) has really been a disappointment and is hitting almost a 100 points lower than last season's .338 BA... Outfielders Pat Lott (.226), Cy Bartz (.250) and Tatsuya Sasaki (.190) all are having poor seasons... Improved second half performances by those under-performers might get Colfax as high as fifth, but the first division and a playoff spot don't seem to be in the cards.

The Fort Benton Defenders (27-44) are last in just about every category in the RU West... .221 BA (8th)... 39 homers (6th)... 4.54 ERA (8th) and .972 FA (8th)... Consequently, it is no surprise that manager Robbie Brooks' ball team is in last place, too... The Defenders are 15 games behind in the standings... RF Russ Murphy (.281/12 HR/46 RBI/43 R/19 SB) is just about Fort Benson's only quality ballplayer... and Adam Sommers (6-7 3.63) is Brooks' best pitcher, which tells you how dire the situation is... No hope this year for the Defenders... They are as high in the standings as they are going to get.

Eugene, both the Chicopee and Cold Creek posts were great! Like I said, the histories of the teams in this league is the best part of reading this thread in my opinion. I just wish Blue Lake was doing a bit better this season.

Erik