Yesteryear in the Islandian Pro Alliance
Sunday, October 18, 2054

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Yesteryear in the Islandian Pro Alliance
Sunday, October 18, 2054

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Working now on the new rookie additions to the Islandian Pro Alliance.
Last year's rookie class was a weak one... I let the AI pick the players... not gonna do that again this year... I will created rookies that have the ability to play and make an impact on teams.

But I hope I don't overdo it.

Wish me luck.

I have completed 10 of the 64 teams so far.

16 of 64 teams done... three rookies added to each reserve roster... some are able to make the active roster.

Should be starting the 2065 IPA season in a week or so.

That's a big undertaking. Good luck!

It's doesn't take that much time... should be ready to play in a week or so.

Last season's IPA rookie class was pretty sparse... hope this year will be better.

Really appreciate your interest in the IPA.

Thanks for your posts on the NIRL and SIRL, too,

24 of the 64 team rosters have been updated with new rookies.

Got lazy today... only did 11 more teams.

35 of the 64 team rosters have been updated.

Won't be long before there will be baseball games galore all across the Islands coming to you at a ballpark near you.

40 of 64 teams' rosters updated.

48 of the 64 teams have been done... 16 to go until season 2065 in the Islandian Pro Alliance.

It won't be long until we get some Islandian Pro Alliance baseball.

55 of the 64 teams have had their rosters updated.

DONE... All 64 team rosters have been updated.

Opening day coming soon for the 2065 season of the Islandian Pro Alliance..

Will start working on the preseason preview.

Just finished the preseason preview for the Ruthlandian North Division.
Will post tomorrow.

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Thursday, April 2, 2065

IPA SEASON 65 DEBUTS FRIDAY, WESTERNERS AND RACERS IN PRO CUP FINALS
Get ready for some baseball -- Islandian Pro Alliance style!
The 65th season of the IPA begins Wednesday afternoon all across the Islands... 64 teams will do it all over again, vying for the coveted IPA Pro Cup that was won last year by the unheralded Claxton Diamonds over the vaunted Rolling Hills Racers.

After assessing the returning players' talents, skills and potential and the new roster additions, the baseball scribes and broadcasters have made their preseason picks... the sports gurus have spoken -- the Waleska Westerners will reign supreme in the Ruthlandian Union, and once again, the Rolling Hills Racers will rule the roost in the Tycobbian Union... those talented teams are forecast to meet next October in the Pro Cup Classic for the overall Islandian championship.

GATORS FAVORED IN RU NORTH
The LaGrange Gators apparently are back in serious contention in the Ruthlandian North Division... two years ago they went all the way to the Pro Cup Finals, but last year they wound up fourth in a tight 4-team race, won by the Valmara Vipers... this season in the preseason poll the baseball experts are giving the nod to the Gators in another hotly-contested race with the defending champ Valmara and the Far Mountain Redhawks.... LaGrange has the pitching, while Far Mountain and Valmara have the bats... most baseball folks think good pitching beats good batting... in recent years, that has been the story for success in the Islandian Pro Alliance.

2065 Ruthlandian North Preseason Poll

1st Place: LaGrange Gators
Wound up tied for fourth last season, trailing by just 4 games... LaGrange has three fine starters in Lucien Petit (16-11, 2.92), Chucky Beckman (13-8, 2.58) and Dave Loxley (11-7, 2.79)... they are more than solid... all they need is a few runs to win games... Trey Ladner (14-10, 2.14 ERA, 18 saves, 77 games) is also an excellent closer... LaGrange needs improved offense to be a dynamite team... sorely lacking in longball power... no real threats in the batting order... the best bats are 1B Chogie Alfieri (.286 BA, 13 HR, 70 RBI, 55 R) and 3B Cleve Juban (.276 BA, 17 HR, 50 RBI, 67 R) and they are just modest hitters.

2nd Place: Valmara Vipers (5 GB)
The Vipers won the division title last year with its offense... Valmara has several strong bats in star 1B Timmy Benford (.303 BA, 35 HR, 105 RBI, 97 R, 2 SB), RF Semyon Tomczak (.289 BA, 20 HR, 75 RBI, 79 R, 14 SB) and LF Harv Shepard (.331 BA, 19 HR, 74 RBI, 92 R, 12 SB)... the pitching is adequate, but they have no clear-cut ace... Jared Drobish (14-9, 3.13 ERA), Teddy Howell (10-8, 2.33), Tony Joe Carnes (13-8, 3.51) and Jiro Valastro (10-9, 3.66) are the starting rotation... Kris Fourcade (14-10, 3.16 ERA, 26 saves, 93 games) is a solid workhorse closer.

3rd Place: Far Mountain Redhawks (6 GB)
The Redhawks tied for fourth place last year, 4 games off the pace... they can hit the ball, but come up short on the hill... they feature good bats throughout the lineup, led by 1B Jarrick Beauchamp (.320 BA, 8 HR, 71 RBIs, 100 R, 6 SB), star 2B Luke Hazlett (.304 BA, 20 HR, 101 RBI, 94 R, 6 SB), 3B Mac McKendry (.300 BA, 20 HR, 88 RBI, 69 R) and star CF Ox Gless (.287 BA, 21 HR, 95 RBI, 91 R, 3 SB)... Jon Hedlund (10-7, 3.66) and Axel Helden (14-11, 3.65) are fairly good starters with a good closer in Larry Stafford (14-12, 3.20 ERA, 22 saves, 83 games)... no real stoppers on the mound staff.

4th Place: Ancona Red Elephants (13 GB)
None of the other clubs are expected to contend... all of them are just run-of-the-mill ballclubs... Ancona is a .500 team with not a lot of pitching or hitting... last year they finished in seventh place... Yanni Bubas (15-8, 3.20 ERA) is the only quality starter... the bullpen is anchored by strong-armed, but inconsistent Kontos Christakis (16-14, 3.45 ERA, 21 saves, 92 games)... the Red Elephants have only two solid hitters in the lineup... they are CF Marcellus Dillaway (.277 BA, 28 HR, 87 RBI, 94 R, 7 SB) and C Robin Hargroder (.287 BA, 20 HR, 70 RBI, 71 R).

5th Place (tie): Glasco Foxhounds (17 GB)
Glasco came real close to winning the RU North last season, falling short by just one game... it was a 5-team fight to the finish, won by Valmara... the Foxhounds are similar to LaGrange... fine pitching, but lack scoring power... Glasco features a solid foursome in their rotation with Jonathan Burnett (18-7, 2.78), Bret Massey (11-8, 2.65), Casey McPherson (11-6, 2.87) and Jayden Furman (10-7, 3.43)... plus an impressive bullpen specialist Coy Gosselin (10-8, 2.60 ERA, 22 saves, 74 games)... Glasco has some quality hitters, but no studs... the best they have are LF Callum Slattery (.297 BA, 19 HR, 66 RBI, 86 R, 4 SB), RF Andy Rooney (.294 BA, 16 HR, 62 RBI, 64 R, 1 SB), 2B Aidan Gifford (.293 BA, 12 HR, 64 RBI,61 R, 5 SB) and CF Lynwood Scroggs (.266 BA, 15 HR, 61 RBI, 92 R, 23 SB).

5th Place (tie): Kilkenny Cats (17 GB)
The Cats were a dismal eight-place club last season, winding up 23 games behind champ Valmara... pitching is just fair with starters Durrell MacLeod (10-7, 2.69 ERA) and Yoshiro Makihara (11-11, 3.22 ERA... and Ringo Lanier (10-12, 3.63 ERA, 12 saves, 69 games) is just a so-so closer...hitting-wise Kilkenny doesn't hit for average, but does have some punch with the likes of 1B Cullen Walsh (.253 BA, 22 HR, 55 RBI, 60 R), 2B Nicky Vallas (.255 BA, 16 HR, 62 RBI, 63 R, 5 SB) and CF Jerry Dewhurst (.247 BA, 12 HR, 51 RBI, 65 R, 11 SB)... plus a couple of pretty good contact hitters in CF Vance Snead (.319 BA, 0 HR, 37 RBI, 57 R, 8 SB) and LF Luke Cranshaw (.314 BA, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 51 R/ 8 SB)... Cranshaw also does double duty as a pitcher with a 4-5 record, 3.73 ERA and 2 saves in 18 relief appearances.

7th Place: Ranford Bulls (22 GB)
The Bulls can hit the ball, but have zilch on the mound, but they almost won the pennant last year, ending up a very close third, just 2 games off the lead... top guns are star LF Jed Blodgett (.262 BA, 34 HR, 98 RBI, 99 R, 17 SB), star C Glen Chambliss (.307 BA, 20 HR, 70 RBI, 63 R) and a budding star that can do it all, CF Timmy McCarthy (.284 BA, 22 HR, 83 RBI, 99 R, 26 SB)... two other players can go deep: 1B Garry Galbreath (.268 BA, 21 HR, 78 RBI, 74 R/3 SB) and 2B Natty Hobbs (.258 BA, 24 HR, 62 RBI, 79 R), grandson of IPA icon Roy Hobbs... there are several pitchers with some potential... Zeppo Perrelli (9-5, 2.40 ERA, 7 saves, 49 games) will be a fulltime starter this year... Chet Pennington (7-5, 3.17) will get his chance to shine this season... Eric Connor (11-8, 3.56 ERA) and Alex Wilcox (11-9, 3.66) did fairly well last year... the bullpen really needs some help... closer Marv Douglas (10-17, 4.78 ERA, 22 saves, 91 games) was hit-and-miss last year... sometimes good, sometimes really bad... a few quality pitchers could put the Bulls back into the pennant chase... they are a better than seventh-place team.

8th Place: Taranto Tars (30 GB)
The Tars wound up sixth last season, 14 games out of the top spot... they could score runs, but they had the worst pitching in the RU North... could be more of the same this year... the forecast is for the cellar... the bats are still around with CF Dan Timmons (.294 BA, 6 HR, 58 RBI, 103 R, 44 SB), who had a breakout season... LF Curtis Cress (.290 BA, 1 HR, 46 RBI, 95 R, 15 SB) and SS Andy Zahn (.289 BA, 4 HR, 66 RBI, 71 R/14 SB)... part-timer 1B Buddy Lark (.338 BA, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 48 R) needs to be in the lineup more... 2B Vladimir Szymanski (.270 BA, 20 HR, 67 RBI, 59 R) and 3B Franco Fontana (.262 BA, 20 HR, 77 RBI, 53 R/1 SB) also provide the team with some firepower... the starting rotation needs some work... the best of the lot is Nico Croce (12-9, 3.43) and Tavish Fitzroy (11-10, 3.57)... last year's best starter Ralph Montgomery (10-6, 3.36 ERA) is headed for the bullpen and closer role this year.

2064 Ruthlandian North Final Standings
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WALESKA MAY MOVE UP IN CLASS
Almost a decade has come and gone since the Waleska Westerners last won the Ruthlandian South Division... according to the IPA peerless prognosticators the Westerners may move up in class this year and wrestle the division flag away from the Claxton Diamonds, the reigning Pro Cup champion... that may be a tough task... the Diamonds may not be ready to give up the crown... Claxton has won the RU South for the last two seasons and looks like they are ready to make it three in a row... the Diamonds are rated the third-best club in the division this year... the baseball pollsters rank the Grand City Cybercats as the number two team... the forecast is for these three teams to battle for the pennant in a fairly even race... the other five clubs are just also-rans and not likely to contend for the title.

2065 Ruthlandian South Preseason Poll

1st Place: Waleska Westerners
The Cowboys were way behind last year, coming in fourth in the standings and trailing by 16 games... Waleska has come in fourth the last four seasons and apparently ready to make the move to the postseason playoffs for the first time since 2056... strong pitching is the key to the Westerners' season... Waleska abounds in solid pitchers... some say it is better than Claxton... Rick Howzer (17-6, 1.88 ERA) is the ace of the mound corps... he came in second for the Golden Arm last year and led the league in ERA... the rest of the rotation consists of Jake Stearnes (11-11, 3.28 ERA, 24 saves, 92 games), Kieran Roy (10-9, 3.35 ERA) and Matt Marion (6-6, 2.72 ERA)... Stearnes was the closer last year and will get his chance this year in the starting rotation... he will be replaced by the capable Theron Pritchett (11-9, 3.19 ERA, 3 saves, 41 games)... and, like the Diamonds, they could use some more offense... RF Bitsy Boccabella (.287 BA, 25 HR, 78 RBI, 88 R, 2 SB) is a rock-solid bat, but he can't carry the whole load... the rest of the lineup is mediocre at best... it may happen, but it is hard to see Waleska topping Claxton this year... several rookie bats will have to blossom for that to happen... CF Lucky Gatlin might be one of them... he hit well in spring training

2nd Place: Grand City Cybercats (5 GB)
The number-two pick this year has been just a .500 team the previous three seasons... the Cats are not a robust offensive team, but they are the best in the RU South, led by 2B Lyndon Hazzard (.296 BA, 14 HR, 80 RBI, 86 R, 18 SB), RF Zippy Balencia (.280 BA/13 HR, 58 RBI, 92 R, 26 SB), CF Paul Gaddison (.261 BA, 24 HR, 86 RBI, 72 R, 15 SB), LF Boots Luckham (.238 BA, 21 HR, 82 RBI, 73 R, 8 SB) and 3B Terrye Ayres (.308 BA, 13 HR, 44 RBI, 45 R)... next to Claxton, Grand City is ranked number two on the hill... overall, they don't look that good based on the returning hurlers like Glen Smitherman (15-13, 3.42 ERA), Brodie Ezzell (6-11, 3.28 ERA), Gil Lloyd (7-7, 2.38 ERA) and closer Joey Louis (13-10, 2.47 ERA, 14 saves, 76 games), but perhaps, it's the newcomers that will make up the slack... Leonard Hamilton could have a breakout year according to the experts.

3rd Place: Claxton Diamonds (6 GB)
One would logically think the Diamonds would just pick up where they left off last year and snag their third RU South pennant in a row...they still have devastatingly good pitching, anchored by Mark Meisner (14-8, 2.08 ERA), Russell Krohn (19-6, 2.86 ERA), Don Downing (16-7, 2.70) and Matt Goodrum (11-10, 3.22 ERA)... and standout closer Alvie London (18-7, 2.32 ERA, 24 saves, 91 games) in the bullpen... and the Claxton bats are more than adequate with the likes of 3B Fred Hahn (.307 BA, 14 HR, 68 RBI, 63 R, 3 SB), SS Karl Dornhauer (.295 BA, 12 HR, 58 RBI, 64 R, 12 SB), CF Paddy Garson (.301 BA, 6 HR, 52 RBI, 77 R, 27 SB) and LF Scoops Dunn (.253 BA, 12 HR, 78 RBI, 57 R, 8 SB)... they don't have a lot of fancy stats, but they do get the job done... four rookie batsmen could make a different, too... methinks, the Diamonds will make a run at the pennant again.

4th Place: San Dimas Rancheros (16 GB)
San Dimas is the best of the rest... none of which will challenge the main contenders for the RU South flag... the Rancheros were seventh last year, 27 games off the pace... and they came in last the previous two seasons... the last pennant came in '41... and is not likely this year... the San Dimas pitching is pretty good with Hernando Almora (12-10, 2.95 ERA), Tim Tunney (8-11, 3.22 ERA) and Adrian Garza (8-10, 3.97 ERA)... rookie starter Brandy Stewart and Ivan Maldonado did well in the spring... and closer Dan Stapleton (12-11, 2.98 ERA, 12 saves, 69 games) heads up a solid bullpen... however, the Rancheros can't hit a lick... the best of the lot are mediocre at best: CF Quin Dustin (.241 BA, 27 HR, 65 RBI, 79 R) and SS Rufus Sikes (.260 BA, 5 HR, 50 RBI, 63 R, 6 SB)... but help could be on the way from rookies RF Dude Miley, 2B Luke Axelrod and 2B Ramon Santos... they hit well in spring training, especially Miley (.407 BA, 3 HR, 10 RBI).

5th Place: St. John Crusaders (18 GB)
The Crusaders had a very good 8-year run from '57 to '63, winning four RU South pennants... but they faltered last season and slipped to sixth place and 26 games back in the pennant race... blame it mostly on the bats... the pitching declined some, too... leading the offense are rock-solid and reliable veteran CF Freddie Woodruff (.303 BA, 7 HR, 71 RBI, 81 R, 4 SB), 1B Francis Bagnell (.279 BA, 14 HR, 84 RBI, 69 R) and RF Matt Silverman (.286 BA, 6 HR, 42 RBI, 82 R, 11 SB)... St. John has one fine starter in Donald Cannon (11-5, 2.57 ERA), but little else... however, three rookies stood out in spring training and will get a shot at making the starting rotation... keep an eye on Randy Trowbridge, Donny Tyndall and Kyell Sondergaard... the bullpen is just mediocre, headed up by Smoke Early (11-10, 4.32 ERA, 6 saves, 47 games).

6th Place: Valka Blackhawks (20 GB)
The Blackhawks have been a good club the last six seasons in the RU South, a serious contender in two of them... last year they wound up in second place, but 14 games back of Claxton... they have done it mainly with their pitching, led by Doyle Gambrell (14-9, 2.85), Carlos Santa Ana (8-10, 2.32) and Clark Harrington (18-7, 3.56 ERA)... coupled with a fine closer in Stosh Matusczak (10-12, 2.34 ERA, 26 saves, 87 games)... the bats are lackluster, paced by CF Jonas Kahn (.268 BA, 12 HR, 62 RBI, 73 R/2 SB), C Freddy Civik (.278 BA, 16 HR, 54 RBI, 59 R, 1 SB) and 2B Juri Tarvas (.276 BA, 3 HR, 51 RBI, 42 R, 3 SB)... rookie 3B Egon Poska looks like a good addition to the batting order... he won the spot in the spring.

7th Place: Crystal Lake Skippers (22 GB)
The Skippers had two fine years in '58 and '59... they even won the 2058 Pro Cup... but they slipped back into the pack in the following seasons... did well last year record-wise at 82-72, third place, but 15 games out of first... Crystal Lake is a well-rounded club with good pitching and good batting... heading up the starting rotation are ace Bucky Dodge (19-8, 2.76 ERA), Julio Cordova (12-4, 3.24 ERA) and Caleb Christy (12-14, 3.09 ERA)... the bullpen is in good hands with Yuri Kirchoff (7-5, 2.12 ERA, 11 saves, 59 games)... the top producers in the batting order are 1B E. J. Bowen (.298 BA, 28 HR, 82 RBI, 73 R), star CF Mel Brouwer (.310 BA, 20 HR, 82 RBI, 74 R, 11 SB), LF Speedy McCormick (.319 BA, 11 HR, 54 RBI, 70 R, 11 SB) and 2B Derron Fallow (.310 BA, 10 HR, 67 RBI, 62 R, 5 SB)... sorry, but the Skippers don't look like a seventh-place club... then again, age might be catching up with them... it's been known to happen.

8th Place: Belair Beach Sunbirds (28 GB)
The Sunbirds have not been shining lately... you have to go back two decades or so... back to the '47 and '48 seasons... that's 16 years of losing seasons... it is highly doubtful they will end the drought this year... Belair Beach doesn't have much to boast about... they have a few solid ballplayers in LF Curtis Cochran (.323 BA, 7 HR, 61 RBI, 86 R, 28 SB), CF Tyler O'Reilly (.267 BA, 11 HR, 67 RBI, 62 R, 19 SB), RF Alfie Elbourne (.274 BA, 18 HR, 86 RBI, 78 R, 20 SB)... that's a good outfield... 3B Rusty Van Slyke (.240 BA, 23 HR, 67 RBI, 70 R, 1 SB) can go deep, but suffers from lack of contact... but the Sunbirds have no pitching... Ronny Belzer (9-8, 2.62 ERA) and Chris Malbrough (11-10, 4.04 ERA) are the two best... otherwise zilch on the mound... gonna be another long-suffering season for the Sunbirds.

2064 Ruthlandian South Final Standings
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SUNDOWN IN THE RU EAST? WILL MACS STILL DOMINATE?
Will Wynnamac continue to win in the Ruthlandian East?... 4 times in the last 7 seasons the Sundowners have hoisted the division flag... and also 8 times in the previous 13 campaigns... that is a standout record and to be envied... the Macs also bagged the 2055 IPA Pro Cup, the second time in their history they have done so... yes, the Wynnamac Sundowners have dominated the Ruthlandian East... their worst record in the last 15 seasons was 82-72 in 2050... that was manager Jerry Meeks first season at the helm... it is a great record: 8 pennants, 4 second places and just 1 third-place and 1 fourth-place finish.

However, this year the baseball soothsayers say the Macs may drop to third place behind Cold Creek Raccoons and the Sugar Valley Rattlers... but the Sundowners will have a presence in the pennant race... the outlook is for Wynnamac to wind up a very close third... fourth in the preseason poll are the Elnora Clippers, who are forecast to be a challenger as well.

2065 Ruthlandian East Preseason Poll

1st Place: Cold Creek Raccoons
The Raccoons have not been a principal in the RU East race for almost 25 years... they had a good run '36 to '41 with 5 flags in 6 seasons... but little since... however, they are on the rise with 3 straight 4th-place finishes... good pitching is their secret... that's why the preseason forecasters are shouting their praise... they give good marks to starters Markus Leopold (11-11, 3.39), Jamey Dupont (9-7, 3.05) and Jake Fischer (7-4, 2.36)... plus the bullpen is well-staffed with closer Rodger Brockhoff (10-10, 2.76 ERA, 14 saves, 65 games)... the only thing that could hold back the Raccoons is their offense... it's not very potent... but it does have a star in 23-year-old Gold Glove 2B Vince Norberg (.275 BA, 27 HR, 97 RBI, 86 R, 19 SB)... but he's the only threat in the lineup and needs a lot of help... RF Benny Patrick (.299 BA, 11 HR, 53 RBI, 62 R, 15 SB) and C Rick Turgeon (.305 BA, 6 HR, 61 RBI, 45 R) do help out a little bit... they have four new rookie bats, but none of them flourished in spring training... both the Claxton Diamonds in the RU South and the LaGrange Gators have done well with the same formula in recent years: rock-solid hurlers and lackluster hitters... Cold Creek is going to try to recreate that same kind of magic.

2nd Place: Sugar Valley Rattlers (1 GB)
Fine pitching has done wonder for the Rattlers... it blossomed last year and Sugar Valley almost won its first RU East flag in 13 seasons... they were beaten out by two games and came in second to champion Wynnamac... the Rattlers have a wealth of quality arms in returning starters Claudio Quezada (16-9, 2.92 ERA) and Monte Dale (11-5, 2.64 ERA)... they also expect good things from last year's closer Doug Graybill (5-13, 3.27 ERA, 14 saves, 55 games), who will be in the starting rotation this season... and youngster Marty Hershheim (3-1, 2.37 ERA) has a very good future according to the scouts... this year's bullpen is in very good hands with closer Buddy Blanchard (14-5, 2.57 ERA), Sid Copper (.9-4, 3.20 ERA) and Dicky Thornberry (10-11, 3.79 ERA, 17 saves, 75 games)... Sugar Valley has a few quality batters... 3B Bobby Mingo (.286 BA, 31 HR, 78 RBI, 81 R, 8 SB) has been a reliable bat over his 13-year career... Mingo seems to be getting better with age... CF Ned Woodward (.260 BA, 12 HR, 60 RBI, 85 R, 24 SB) is also a fairly good hitter... expect some improvement, too, from UIF Davy Driskill (.310 BA, 9 HR, 48 RBI, 51 R, 2 SB), 2B Jason Braziel (.284 BA, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 37 R/1 SB) and 1B Mark Northrup (.266 BA, 12 HR, 40 RBI, 54 R, 7 SB)... all of them will have more playing time this year... slick-fielding SS Dino Lazzeri (.198 BA, 24 HR, 77 RBI, 73 R, 10 SB) doesn't make a lot of contact, but he packs a wallop and can add runs in the scoreboard with his bat, too... on paper the Rattlers just might be better than Cold Creek... and perhaps as good as Wynnamac.

3rd Place: Wynnamac Sundowners (2 GB)
Don't let the pollsters sour you on the Macs... they still have it... they can still pitch and they can still score runs... look at these pitchers: Billy Skidmore (12-7, 2.79 ERA), Dick Vanner (13-8, 3.18 ERA), Pepe Vital (15-4, 2.96 ERA), Luc Ogburn (11-12, 3.06 ERA)... not a bad rotation at all... then add in rookie late bloomer, 32-year-old Dick Milliken, who really did well in spring training... the scouts and scribes expect him to be a big deal this year... and the bullpen is full of solid twirlers like closer Lucius Towers (15-15, 3.65 ERA, 18 saves, 81 games), Don Loewenthal (6-4, 2.45 ERA, 9 saves, 43 games), Tike Collazo (6-4, 3.51 ERA, 1 save, 24 games) and Kuparr Bunji (0-0, 2.58 ERA, 1 save, 22 games... the Sundowners have one of the best staffs in the IPA... and guess what, the Macs have bats, too, led by superstar RF Snooky Bartels (.315 BA, 20 HR, 74 RBI, 83 R), aging superstar 1B Manny Sendejas (.261 BA, 25 HR, 71 RBI, 96 R, 6 SB), 2B Nathan Tuttleton (.287 BA, 16 HR, 79 RBI, 69 R, 2 SB) and SS Shelly Nelson (.279 BA, 3 HR, 56 RBI, 54 R, 4 SB)... 3B Chuck Waterman (.316 BA, 5 HR, 41 RBI, 41 R, 8 SB) should give a boost to the offense this year... this season he will be a full-timer... no longer platooned... last season Waterman put up his numbers in 75 games.

4th Place: Elnora Clippers (7 GB)
There were big expectations for the Clippers in recent years with two RU East pennants in '62 and '63... its high-powered attack was expected to take the club to the highest heights in the IPA, but they lost two straight years in the first round of the playoffs... lack of pitching hurt them... sadly, last year the bats deserted them, too, and they fell to third place, but not too far behind (8 GB)... Elnora looks to be about the same caliber club... fairly good offense with a mediocre mound corps... the best of the starters are Norm Griffith (12-10, 3.72 ERA), Ted Mulbert (11-7, 3.39 ERA), Matthew Minden (6-6, 3.54 ERA) and Barney Mayberry (9-14, 4.11 ERA)... 13-year vet closer Stevie Tucker (16-8, 2.90 ERA, 29 saves, 96 games) can still do the bullpen job quite well at age 35... Jonny Strecker (7-3, 2.50 ERA, 7 saves, 48 games) is quite a reliever, too... the Clipper attack is led by 4-time All-Star LF Donald Ray Mooney (.284 BA, 19 HR, 77 RBI, 77 R, 7 SB), SS Teddy Knox (.285 BA, 16 HR, 68 RBI, 78 R, 17 SB), 3B Lee Carnahan (.279 BA, 17 HR, 72 RBI, 53 R, 1 SB), 1B Sherrill Fielding (.259 BA, 24 HR, 79 RBI, 60 R, 2 SB), CF Robin Staroff (.264 BA, 10 HR, 56 RBI, 64 R, 25 SB), RF Boo Dowdle (.287 BA, 0 HR, 42 RBI, 55 R, 7 SB) and C Kuro Ishikawa (.256 BA, 12 HR, 57 RBI, 60 R)... they can still dent the scoreboard... Elnora is still good enough to challenge for the pennant... if last year's batting slump goes away and the Clippers hit like they used to, they could very easily win it again.

5th Place: Marston Nine (10 GB)
Marston last went to the playoffs in '59... in recent years they have been fairly successful... Marston finished among the top four clubs in the RU East the last 5 seasons, however last year, the Nine went to sleep at the plate and dipped to sixth place, 17 games out of first place, tied with Belle Plaine... the bats are still down due to the lack of longballs, but the pitching might be on the rise... Marston has the makings of a quality mound staff with starters Galen Busby (13-2, 2.98 ERA), Tonico Ribiero (9-11, 3.56 ERA) and George Gaither (8-10, 4.12 ERA)... the key to the season will be newcomers to the rotation, D. D. Klem and Stan Pirosko... both of them had good spring trainings... the bullpen has some new faces as well with Dean Walton (4-2, 2.52 ERA, 2 saves, 16 games) and Lance McElveen (1-3, 2.77 ERA, no saves, 14 games)... they both had excellent springs... batting-wise, the Nine can make contact... leading the way this year are RF John Bobo (.321 BA, 8 HR, 47 RBI, 63 R, 11 SB), 3B Harv Beauchamp (.316 BA, 2 HR, 53 RBI, 68 R, 3 SB), 36-year-old star 2B Damien D'Amboise (.281 BA, 8 HR, 60 RBI, 85 R, 18 SB), SS Gino Mastroianni (.265 BA, 2 HR, 54 RBI, 81 R, 8 SB) and CF Tom Tuckett (.268 BA, 4 HR, 51 RBI, 54 R, 10 SB)... LF George Chizek (.309 BA, 11 HR, 46 RBI, 44 R) will be a fine addition to the batting order... he only played 63 games last year... Chizek will be in left field full-time this season... Marston still looks like it can be a solid contender this year in the Ruthlandian East pennant hunt.

6th Place: Belle Plaine Musketeers (14 GB)
The Muskies just might be the worst franchise in IPA history... their one and only pennant was eons and eons ago... it was way, way back in 2008... it's been a lifetime of being at or near the bottom rung of the RU East Division year after year... a losing record for the last 9 years... how bad are the Musketeers?... well, they set an Islandian Pro Alliance all-time record for losses in 2061 with 109... last year, by Belle Plaine standards, was not too bad... the Musketeers were 72-82 and tied for sixth place with Marston... the prediction is pretty much the same this year... there are very few bright spots on the team, but one of them is outstanding... his name is Eliot Marcum (.328 BA, 32 HR, 100 RBI, 108 R)... the left fielder has been one of the best in the IPA the last three seasons, winning the Ruthlandian Golden Bat the last two years... Marcum gets a little help from 1B Julien Brodnax (.293 BA, 10 HR, 43 RBI, 68 R, 16 SB)... the best of the rest are mediocre at best... Belle Plaine has two so-so starters in Antoine Simon (14-11, 3.88 ERA) and Dusty Pendleton (14-14, 3.82 ERA)... and a crackerjack closer Adrien Renaud (5-7, 2.14 ERA, 25 saves, 67 games)... look for Lew Chapman (9-5, 3.99 ERA) and Timothy Brazle (0-2, 5.94 ERA) to help out this year... they both did well in the spring games... looks like a sixth-place finish for the hapless Belle Plaine Musketeers... they should upgrade by trading Markum and Renaud... they might get six players of fairly good talent in return... both could really enhance any of the playoff contenders that need offense or pitching.

7th Place: Eastshore Cotton Kings (15 GB)
After a pretty good season in '61 (82-72), good for the third spot in the RU East standings, the Cotton Pickers have swooned... 8th place twice and sixth place once... the last really good year was in '56, when they won the pennant... pitching is the culprit in Eastshore... and it doesn't look like it has improved any since last year when it was one of the lesser staffs in the IPA... last year's top starters were Irving Cordell (6-13, 4.13 ERA) and Curtis Kilshaw (9-11, 4.37 ERA... hopes are that newcomers Pete Barrows, Karl Kuebler and Kendall Burk will help... they did fairly well in spring training... one thing the Cotton Kings can do is hit the ball and score a few runs... star 3B Norbert Ruston (.314 BA, 4 HR, 63 RBI, 113 R, 18 SB) can play with anybody... so can 1B Dayle Killian (.280 BA, 15 HR, 100 RBI, 77 R) and RF Percy Basford (.327 BA, 5 HR, 66 RBI, 73 R, 16 SB)... but there's not much after this talented trio in the batting order... the outlook for Eastshore is near the bottom of the RU East standings again.

8th Place: Beechwood Jackrabbits (20 GB)
The Jacks have not appeared in the postseason playoffs for about three decades now... 2027 was the most recent year... it has been a 19-year dry spell with no winning seasons since 2045... three times in the last decade Beechwood lost over 100 games... but the Jackrabbitts made a little bit of progress last season, coming in fifth with a 76-78 mark and 13 games out of first place in the RU East... they almost had a winning season... Beechwood did it with improved pitching... they finished 12th in the Ruthlandian Union with a 3.65 ERA... last year's solid starters featured Junior Blauser (16-8, 3.09 ERA), Doyle Eaddy (13-10, 3.50 ERA), Corvell Eddins (11-15, 3.16 ERA) and Lucky Stetson (10-12, 3.69 ERA)... and in the bullpen was a strong closer... Luis Villavaso (11-10, 2.53 ERA, 26 saves, 92 games) had a really fine year... Bryan Byrnes (6-4, 1.51 ERA, 10 saves, 33 games) stood out, too... what the Jackrabbits are desparate for are some good bats... they have some decent bats with good power in 3B Marcos Cienfuegos (.249 BA, 26 HR, 70 RBI, 65 R, 1 SB), 1B Kellen Dunne (.280 BA, 27 HR, 60 RBI, 66 R, 1 SB), CF Tim Baham (.249 BA, 17 HR, 57 RBi, 77 R, 14 SB) and LF Antonio Lopez (.264 BA, 15 HR, 48 RBI, 69 R, 18 SB)... Beechwood hits homers, but they don't hit for a high average... it may be tough for the Jackrabbits to finish as high as fifth like they did last year... it will probably be near the bottom.

2064 Ruthlandian East Final Standings
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WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE ROVERS IN THE RU WEST?
The preseason pollsters and pundits seemed to have forgotten what the Sligo Rovers did last year in the Ruthlandian West Division... the Rovers were far and away the best in the West... nobody was close... Sligo won the division flag by 14 games... they appear to be pretty much the same ballclub this year, but the Island baseball analysts have made the Rovers the fifth-best team in the RU West this year... the Stoner Silver Sox, Volusia Vigilantes, Fort Benton Defenders and the Rocky Rapids Snappers have all been ranked higher than the defending division champion Sligo... that is quite a surprising outlook for the the 2065 season... the Rovers are forecast to wind up far behind in fifth place... bare in mind that the RU West is not one of the stronger divisions in the Islandian Pro Alliance, but it is well-balanced as far as team strengths.

2065 Ruthlandian West Preseason Poll

1st Place: Stoner Silver Sox
Stoner is one of the least successful franchises in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only three times in the team history have the Silver Sox made the playoffs... '02, '07 and '29 when they were known as the Stoner Stars... never captured a Pro Cup trophy, but they did make the Pro Cup Finals twice, but lost handily, 4 games to one 2007 and were swept in 2029... for the last decade Stoner has been a mediocre ballclub... they finished 7th last season, 21 GB... so, what's new with the Silver Sox in 2065?... not much... still the same players... well, I guess many of them will have a breakout season... Jim Roland (10-7, 3.41 ERA), Ira Monaghan (8-9, 3.34 ERA), Ivan Kleczko (7-8, 3.37 ERA) and Rick Reichhart (6-3, 2.66) are the most reliable starters... the bullpen is mediocre with Paulie Patino (13-17, 3.91 ERA, 16 saves, 85 games) and Jake Warrick (5-5, 3.56 ERA, 10 saves, 46 games)... 2B Al Dodge (.317 BA/16 HR/85 RBI, 87 R, 29 SB) is the only top-notch batter on the roster... he tied for the most hits in the Ruthlandian Union last season with 206... star catcher Jean St. Julien (.249 BA, 23 HR, 70 RBI, 63 R) is also still a very capable ballplayer and is a 4-time All-Star... but that's about it for the offense... 1B Hector Francisco (.278 BA, 5 HR, 53 RBI, 71 R, 4 SB) is also a solid contributor... it's hard to see Stoner improving enough to win the pennant... but what do I know about IPA baseball teams?

2nd Place: Volusia Vigilantes (2 GB)
The V's have been one of the better teams in the RU West in the last decade, winning three pennants ('58, '61, '62)... but they have slipped the last two seasons... third place in '63 (7 GB) and fifth place in '64 (17 GB)... but this year the pollsters say Volusia is back... the Vigilantes are still stocked with capable players that took them to two straight Pro Cup Finals ('61 and '62)... pitchers like Lonny Rinehart (10-8, 3.28 ERA) and Reynaldo Medrano (12-11, 3.55)... and so-so closer Ron Beeman (11-9, 3.95 ERA, 11 saves, 65 games)... and a bunch of scrappy players like LF Ellie Hudgens (.312 BA, 11 HR, 71 RBI, 71 R, 11 SB), 5-time All-Star catcher Carlos Silva (.306 BA, 7 HR, 55 RBI, 35 R), RF Carlos Vaz (.282 BA, 4 HR, 51 RBI, 55 R, 5 SB), CF A. J. Emery (.294 BA, 9 HR, 40 RBI, 73 R, 15 SB), 1B Clement Belliveau (.269 BA, 13 HR, 58 RBi, 56 R, 17 SB), 2B Mauricio Tejada (.268 BA, 3 HR, 59 RBI, 59 R, 1 SB) and SS Scoots Perez (.253 BA, 12 HR, 70 RBI, 75 R, 12 SB)... Volusia is a spunky bunch that always plays better on the field than they look on paper... they really were a special team in the Pro Cup Finals in 2061 and 2062.

3rd Place: Fort Benton Defenders (4 GB)
Not much success in the IPA... only two playoff appearances ('37, '57)... may have the worst overall record in IPA history... they have lost 500 more games than they won... the Defenders won the RU West 8 years ago, but then went into decline until last season when they came in a very distant second to champ Sligo, losing out by 14 games... Fort Benton has the best bats in the division, but has always lacked pitching... that could change this season... they have a solid group of starters in Brett Boone (14-6, 3.12 ERA), Gil Hicks (10-7, 3.35 ERA), Jayzy McAuliffe (9-4, 2.92 ERA), Louis Norman (10-14, 3.27 ERA) and Joe Ramey (9-13, 3.79)... not a bad rotation... but the bullpen is lackluster with Billy Ellis (6-10, 4.02 ERA, 14 saves, 65 games)... but the good bats are still there, headed up by 3B Jordy Olsen (.335 BA, 10 HR, 86 RBI, 82 R), 1B Marlon Hazard (.318 BA, 14 HR, 84 RBI, 97 R, 2 SB), RF Nat Bryson (.311 BA, 5 HR, 61 RBI, 110 R, 4 SB), 2B Sam Arnett (.301 BA, 6 HR, 62 RBI, 101 R, 14 SB), LF Troy Huxtable (.297 BA, 6 HR, 76 RBI, 51 R, 8 SB) and CF Raylan Theodore (.284 BA, 12 HR, 90 RBI, 50 R, 6 SB)... good starting pitching, an improved bullpen... and a solid offense could win the RU West flag this year.

4th Place: Rocky Rapids Snappers (10 GB)
Last year was supposed to be the Year of the Snappers, but it did not come to be... they wound up in third place and trailed RU West winner Sligo by 16 games... it's been a while since the Snappers made the postseason playoffs... '44 and '46 were the last times... Rocky Rapids got its one and only Pro Cup in 2019... they have had a winning team in 5 of the last 6 seasons... so the time is right... heading up an average starting rotation is Ricardo Cepeda (12-7, 2.29 ERA)... if the remaining starters can produce, the Snappers could win it... but Big Jim Wakely (8-11, 3.70 ERA), Lance Obermueller (9-8, 4.05 ERA) will have to step it up a level or two... the bullpen is solid with closer Carl Roscoe (15-9, 2.89 ERA, 17 saves, 74 games)... Rocky Rapids has two rock-solid batters in LF Jamey Murton (.287 BA, 34 HR, 102 RBI, 71 R) and CF Corey McGee (.315 BA/10 HR, 89 RBI, 73 R, 9 SB)... 2B Jose Montanez (.296 BA, 6 HR, 38 RBI, 93 R, 17 SB) is a good one, too... three rookies could greatly improve the attack... C Nat Culpepper, 1B Ian McKenna and 2B Al Robbins impressed in the spring.

5th Place: Sligo Rovers (12 GB)
Could be that the Rovers are getting long in the tooth... maybe that's why the baseball gurus are picking them so low in the standings... for the last 12 seasons Sligo has won the RU West 3 times and came in second 9 times... they won it easily last year by 14 games... we'll just have to wait and see how Sam Carmon (16-4, 2.69 ERA), Jacky Harshman (13-8, 2.66 ERA), Aydan Evans (16-7, 3.04 ERA) and Farrell Wedgeworth (8-5, 2.42 ERA) fare this year... Tiger Snodgrass (16-8, 2.73 ERA, 15 saves, 70 games) is also back in the closing role... the Rovers have four newcomers on the staff, but only one of them had a good spring... that was 21-year-old portsider Paul Murvin... the Sligo bats were not very productive last year and they may not be any better... pitching has been the key to their success over the last decade or so... 3B Dallas Patton (.325 BA, 1 HR, 59 RBI, 80 R, 17 SB) topped the RU with 206 hits last year, but has little punch in his bat... 1B Cliff Hawthorne (.226 BA, 25 HR, 86 RBI, 72 R, 17 SB) has some punch, but doesn't often make contact... LF Emmett Wales (.272 BA, 19 HR, 69 RBI, 81 R/21 SB) and CF Merle Bliss (.271 BA, 15 HR, 60 RBI, 73 R, 9 SB) are productive bats on occasion... if the oldtimers can keep on keeping on, the Rovers will do fine... if they don't, they won't... maybe the pollsters know what they are voting for.

6th Place: Middlefield Roosters (13 GB)
From 2041 to 2056 the Roosters won 11 RU West pennants and two Pro Cup trophies ('52, '56)... they were a powerhouse with a fine mound staff and strong bats... but not so of late... just a fair team since... last season Middlefield came in sixth, 18 games out of first place... lackluster pitching, but pretty good bats... it looks like more of the same this year... unless four rookie hurlers come through for them... two of them, Ray Hutchins and Gerry Swanson, did fairly well in the spring... Buddy Wilkinson (14-9, 3.51 ERA) is the best of the starters... the rest are of unknown quality... B. B. McBride (9-6, 3.15 ERA), Mickey O'Donnell (6-4, 3.36 ERA) and Andy Phillips (8-9, 3.92 ERA) are in the bullpen, but will probably get some starts, too... the Roosters need a closer... Joey Blinn (8-14, 4.33 ERA, 25 saves, 83 games) did not do a good job last year... SS Hank De Beers (.280 BA, 15 HR, 80 RBI, 80 R, 12 SB) is the only consistant bat in the lineup... CF Lew Aston (.226 BA, 35 HR, 87 RBI, 82 R/14 SB) packs a wallop, but need to make more contact... still he is quite productive... 1B Buddy Cranmore (.320 BA, 1 HR, 38 RBI, 52 R, 10 SB) is a real stick, but with no power.

7th Place: Colfax Black Sox (16 GB)
The Black Sox came out of nowhere and won the RU West pennant in '63 and even went to the IPA Pro Cup Finals where they were defeated by the surprising Hartsdale Hellcats in six games... but they dipped down to a .500 club in fourth place last year, winding up 17 games back of the champ Sligo Rovers... the Black Sox still have the bats, but come up short on the hill... for the last two decades Colfax has been a second-rate club... prior to that, they were a force, making the postseason playoffs 13 times and won the 2010 Pro Cup, setting an all-time win record that year as the Colfax Blasters with 107 victories, tied in 2054 by the Midway Wolves of the Tycobbian Union... the Black Sox can still put runs on the scoreboard with the likes of star 1B Bralen Josephson (.320 BA, 15 HR, 70 RBI, 92 R, 3 SB), blossoming star LF Steven Keener (.329 BA, 12 HR, 65 RBI, 85 R, 18 SB), budding star 2B Monty McDermott (.287 BA, 25 HR, 98 RBI, 80 R, 3 SB) and superstar RF Lanny Waldrep (.275 BA, 26 HR, 92 RBI, 97 R, 4 SB)... with threats like that in the batting order, you really wonder how they came in so far behind... apparently there will be no help this year from the rookie class... none of them did well in the spring... pitching looks to be about the same... just fair-to-middling... Karl Kruger (10-10, 3.29) is the most effective starter... followed by Terry Dubrovnik (9-11, 4.11 ERA) and Blaine Barkins (7-14, 4.06 ERA)... the bullpen is fairly good, led by Tommy Birchfield (7-7, 3.25 ERA, 6 saves, 43 games)... last year's closer Terry Starr (12-11, 4.09 ERA, 21 saves, 88 games) will get a shot at starting this year... the Colfax Black Sox certainly don't appear to be a bottom-rung team... their bats are too darn good.

8th place: Forest City Firebirds (21 GB)
The Firebirds have been the worst team in the RU West for a decade now with only one winning season (78-76) in '57... the last time Forest City made the playoffs, they were the Lumberjacks... that was the '48 season... they were really lousy last season, finishing up in the basement, 33 games behind... unproductive pitching and unproductive bats will do it every time... not a lot of talent on the Firebirds... and almost all of them will still be back... a wholesale fire sale might be good for Forest City... Buster Gless (10-9, 3.32 ERA) was the only effective starter... most of the staff are just run-of-the-mill journeyman hurlers... same thing for the bats... the best of the lot is 1B Edward Pierson (.275 BA, 31 HR, 91 RBI, 66 R)... he has some help from CF Kenny Bostick (.278 BA, 9 HR, 61 RBI, 79 R, 22 SB) and 2B Larry Polk (.268 BA, 15 HR, 81 RBI, 51 R, 18 SB)... looks like another long, long, last-place season in Forest City.

2064 Ruthlandian West Final Standings
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POLLSTERS PICK OXFORD AGAIN IN TU NORTH
For the last decade and more the Tycobbian North Division has been the personal playground of the Oxford Red Caps... the Oxonians have prevailed with 6 pennants in the last 8 years and 8 division crowns in the last 13 seasons... stay out of the sandbox, the Red Caps are going to win it again... it's play time again in the TU North... as per the pollsters, for the 6th time in the last 7 seasons, Oxford will be victorious in the TU North... as usual, they will be harassed by their main nemesis, the Mahaska Haymakers, the number-two choice to win the pennant... North Hills is rated the third-most likely to take the TU North flag... while Hartsdale is the fourth pick.

2065 Tycobbian North Preseason Poll

1st Place: Oxford Red Caps
The Red Caps have been to the postseason playoffs 13 times in their history and hauled in two Pro Cups (2007, 2061)... last season Blue Lake, North Hills and Mahaska were their biggest obstacles, but Oxford outdid them by 6 games, 7 games and 8 games... the Red Caps are a good, all-around club with solid hitting and solid pitching... the Oxonian attack is led by two superstars, 1B Buddy Blackford (.272 BA, 45 HR, 122 RBI, 108 R) and RF Showboat Lynn (.286 BA, 32 HR, 107 RBI, 92 R/7 SB)... rookie 3B Brian Bunyan did well in spring training and won a spot on the roster... Blackford and Lynn could use a little help... Oxford could use increased run production from 2B Scott Schneider (.256 BA, 11 HR, 63 RBI, 72 R, 9 SB), 3B Andrew Pearson (.275 BA, 6 HR, 45 RBI, 55 R, 1 SB) and CF Phil Cahoon (.222 BA, 15 HR, 53 RBI, 58 R, 11 SB)... top starters are Rico Alessi (14-6, 3.04 ERA), Pat McFarlane (14-4, 3.12 ERA), Meldon Eddington (12-5, 2.63 ERA), Maury Statler (11-10, 3.97 ERA) and Nigel Channing (10-13, 3.30 ERA)... the bullpen is stocked fairly well with Sandy Stevenson (5-10, 3.00 ERA, 11 saves, 51 games) and Chucker Pitts (15-12, 3.83 ERA, 11 saves, 55 games)... newcomer David Dade looked good in the spring and will start the season in the starting rotation... as long as Blackford, Lynn, Alessi and McFarlane are doing well, the Oxford Red Caps will be in the thick of the pennant chase and team to contend with.

2nd Place: Mahaska Haymakers (7 GB)
For the last five seasons the Haymakers have been in the hunt for the TU North flag... last year they wound up in fourth place, 8 games out of first... they may be as good as the Red Caps except they don't have IPA legends like Blackford and Lynn... Mahaska has only made the playoffs 4 times... the last pennants came in 2026 and 2028... they are still seeking their first Pro Cup trophy... Mahaska made the Pro Cup Finals in '26, but lost a 4-game sweep to Valmara... the Haymakers have a good starting rotation with Cubby Darville (16-8, 2.56 ERA), Marty Mobley (11-8, 3.07 ERA), Sookie Langdon (8-5, 2.80 ERA), Luke Grantham (11-10, 3.47 ERA) and Ace Monroe (3-2, 3.12 ERA)... however, the relief corps really needs some new blood... closer Charlie Blaylock (9-15, 4.35 ERA, 20 saves, 80 games) and Allen Penn (7-8, 5.17 ERA, 1 save, 30 games) are not the answer... offense-wise, the Haymakers can hit... top-to-bottom in the batting order they are pretty good with the likes of 3B Lenny Neagle (.308 BA, 17 HR, 91 RBI, 69 R, 10 SB), 2B Elvis Gilford (.317 BA, 17 HR, 75 RBI, 96 R, 11 SB), CF Brendan Coomer (.280 BA, 2 HR, 56 RBI, 80 R, 8 SB), 1B Timothy Honor (.279 BA, 16 HR, 69 RBI, 76 R, 10 SB), LF Patrick Boatman (.280 BA, 10 HR, 62 RBI, 73 R, 7 SB), RF Lyle Drago (.259 BA, 12 HR, 68 RBI, 67 R, 9 SB) and C Stefano Mastrisciano (.272 BA, 14 HR, 59 RBi, 59 R, 1 SB)... actually, Mahaska is better than Oxford with the bats, even with the IPA icons, Buddy Blackford and Showboat Lynn... they are more consistently good throughout the lineup... bullpen help is the critical key to their catching up with the Red Caps.

3rd Place: North Hills Hawks (8 GB)
The Hawks hung close on the heels of Oxford for most of last year, winding up in the third spot in the TU North standings and 7 games back... they possess solid pitching, but lack offense... Hal Christy (12-10, 2.08 ERA) and Eddy Salem (12-10, 3.11 ERA) are fine starters... other quality arms are Cy Swindell (13-10, 3.10 ERA, 4 saves, 39 games), Bert Uhrichs (8-11, 3.31 ERA) and Aurelio Barriento (8-5, 3.50 ERA)... Lew Luxton (12-13, 3.37 ERA, 19 saves, 80 games) is an effective closer... the key to the season may be new hurlers, Ken Claypoole, Phil Danson and Jimmy Conway... but none particularly stood out in spring training... lack of run support hinders the Hawks... there are no big threats in the North Hills batting order... CF Gil Arthur (.299 BA, 13 HR, 61 RBI, 72 R, 25 SB) is a reliable bat and splendid defender and he gets a little help from RF Denny Darby (.283 BA, 7 HR, 59 RBI, 75 R, 25 SB) and 1B Victor Bates (.287 BA, 3 HR, 42 RBI, 46 R)... but the team is really short on longball power with no help in sight... looking back at the Hawks' heritage, they are one of the most fabled team in IPA history... they really were a dynasty from 2034 to 2045 with 11 TU North flags in 12 years, including 4 Pro Cups ('34, '36, '38, '41)... they also came close to winning a fifth in 2043... but the well has been pretty dry since... North Hills is not likely to win the pennant this season... offense is too weak... and there are too many question marks on the hill... not likely to overtake Oxford and Mahaska.

4th Place: Hartsdale Hellcats (11 GB)
Everybody is wondering what happened to the Hellcats?... in '63 they were King of the Hill in IPA circles and in startling fashion won the Pro Cup to many people's surprise and delight... but the bats died last year and Hartsdale dipped to below .500 (74-80) and came in fifth, trailing Oxford by 14 games... everybody had an off-year and the Hellcats tumbled in the standings... they are pretty much the same team... but it looks like more of the same in '65... the Hartsdale lineup is filled with lots of lackluster batters... the best of the lot is SS Walt Ivy (.274 BA, 15 HR, 70 RBI, 76 R, 29 SB), CF Leon Croyle (.278 BA, 18 HR, 60 RBI, 98 R, 17 SB) and 3B Cooter Eldridge (.270 BA, 13 HR, 59 RBI, 67 R, 20 SB)... only ace starter Phil Baylor (15-10, 2.67 ERA) had a 2063-type season... the rest of the mound corps had down seasons... the bats have to come back alive and the pitchers, too, for the Hellcats to be a contender... except for the glory season of '63, Hartsdale has not been very good for the last 20 years... most of their 10 postseason appearances came prior to 2047... the Hellcats have won the Pro Cup twice, 2046 and 2063.

5th Place: White River Rascals (14 GB)
For the last 8 years the Rascals have been a bad ballclub in the bottom rung of the TU North, finishing in 8th and last place the last three seasons, featuring the worst pitching and the worst offense in the division... better mound work might move White River up in the standings this year... it doesn't look like the bats are any better... Chad Widmer (10-13, 3.08) is the most effective starter... Juliano Machado (9-15, 3.32 ERA) and Noel Woods (9-14, 4.02 ERA) are fairly decent... the Rascals are solid in the bullpen with former starter Robby Ralston (14-6, 3.21 ERA, 3 saves, 44 games) taking over the closing role... the offense is not very good with the top run producers being LF Bing Cooley (.277 BA, 9 HR, 54 RBI, 67 RBI, 8 SB), CF Mack Hamblen (.267 BA, 11 HR, 60 RBI, 69 R, 9 SB) and 1B Clarence Desaix (.260 BA, 19 HR, 60 RBI, 63 R)... White River could finish anywhere from 5th to 8th... no higher.

6th Place: Fairfax Frogs (16 GB)
The last two decades have not been good for the Frogs... they have had just second-rate seasons for the most part... Fairfax did have a good three-year stretch from '58 to '60, but have since gone into decline, winding up near the bottom of the TU North each season... the Frogs came in 7th last year, 17 GB... Fairfax has only made the postseason playoffs 8 times in the team history... the last pennants came in '32 and '33... the Frogs have never come close to winning the IPA Pro Cup... currently, they have good contact hitters, but no superstuds or stars in the lineup... and the mound staff is poor, the worst in the division... only Ron Custer (15-8, 3.22 ERA) is a solid starter... Fairfax has a very good closer in Val Jackson (11-15, 2.99 ERA, 23 saves, 96 games), too... but nothing else on the hill... however, the Frogs have some good sticks like RF Rory Sutcliffe (.305 BA, 21 HR, 86 RBI, 72 R, 5 SB), LF Ron Travis (.324 BA, 19 HR, 62 RBI, 67 R, 13 SB) and CF Wyatt Clausen (.288 BA, 11 HR, 64 RBI, 76 R, 8 SB)... the outlook is not good again this season... bottom half of the TU North is the best Fairfax can do this year according to the pollsters.

7th Place: Blue Lake Schooners (20 GB)
The Schooners have played well the last 6 seasons with 5 third-place finishes and one second-place finish... Blue Lake has given pennant-winners Hartsdale and Oxford a tough time the last two years... last year the Schooners came in second, just 6 games behind the Red Caps... Blue Lake has a poor history in the IPA with just three playoff appearances... the last one was long ago in 2030... but that was a great season... the then-Blue Sox won the their only Pro Cup... last year the Schooners did it with good hitting and average pitching... budding superstar LF Amos Hunnicutt (.262 BA, 38 HR, 126 RBI, 92 R, 14 SB) is a solid threat in the lineup... CF Steve Shueler (.307 BA, 4 HR, 60 RBI, 106 R, 34 SB) is a good all-round bat and Gold Glover... 2B Billy Southward (.288 BA, 10 HR, 52 RBI, 92 R, 12 SB) is also a productive hitter... so is star C Daryl Monaghan (.257 BA, 16 HR, 81 RBI, 63 R, 15 SB)... Blue Lake has a fine starter in Marty Graves (10-4, 2.81 ERA)... they need improvement from Bobby Layne (14-9, 3.50 ERA), Dwight Combs (12-7, 3.45 ERA) and Frisco Francis (10-12, 4.00 ERA) to stay near the top of the TU North... also great improvement is needed in the bullpen... they are not very good... last year's closer Eddie Lucas (10-14, 4.27 ERA, 11 saves, 64 games) was just mediocre at best... the Blue Lake Schooners don't look like a 7th-place club... they could wind up as high as the 4th spot in the TU North standings.

8th Place: Luxora Zorros (26 GB)
It's been 6 years since the Z's had a good team... they snagged the TU North flag in '58, but have been second-rate since... the current crop of Zorros can tag the ball, but the pitching is not very good... the pollsters have not been impressed with this year's roster... the forecast is for 8th place in the TU North... last year Luxora was 6th and trailed by 16 games... 12 times the Zorros have made the playoffs, most of them coming in the first 20 years of the IPA... Luxora has never won a Pro Cup trophy and has never come close... never made it as far as the Pro Cup Finals... not likely to do it in 2065, either... their poor postseason record should remain intact... the Z's hit and score well with a solid core of hitters like LF Donald Wren (.331 BA, 21 HR, 80 RBI, 81 R, 5 SB), RF Marvin Harrelson (.307 BA, 14 HR, 69 RBI, 92 R, 11 SB), star C Francisco Queiro (.289 BA, 23 HR, 77 RBI, 62 R), SS Felipe Alvares (.275 BA, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 72 R, 10 SB), CF Matty Mandell (.265 BA, 7 HR, 64 RBI, 53 R, 14 SB) and 1B Wayne Tibbs (.312 BA, 14 HR, 65 RBI, 49 R)... Luxora has three fair starters in Roman Montalvo (12-9, 3.11 ERA), Enrique Escalantes (11-10, 3.55 ERA) and Pablo Morales (12-12, 3.73 ERA) and a good closer Bartolo Baptista (12-13, 3.07 ERA, 20 saves, 86 games), but the overall staff is inadequate... Luxora will battle White River and Fairfax for sixth place... that may be the best any of those also-rans can do this season.

2064 Tycobbian North Final Standings
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My teams are the Ninjas and the Cats but I hope the Haymakers can beat Oxford for the pennant this year, the team has some solid bats and deserve to make it to the playoffs.

I wish some of the downtrodden teams that rarely win the pennant would get better and win a Pro Cup every now and then... there are too many teams in the IPA that are perennial losers... one would think over 64 years it would balance out a little better... only 32 of the 64 teams have won a Pro Cup.