Totally understand EC. Life happens and that’s more important than a baseball game. Best wishes and we’ll be waiting for the IPA’s return.

I just returned from vacation and see this. I hope the best for you and yours.

Nothing major in my life.... just some family business had to be taken care of.

I'm back... took care of the business and also got to attend 5 minor league baseball games at the same time... can't believe I went to see a team with a such a goofy name... the Rocket City Trash Pandas (located in Madison, Alabama).. also saw the Louisville Bats, Salem Red Sox, Asheville Tourists and the Pensacola Blue Wahoos.

Had great weather... nice, cool and comfortable, very little humidity... saw some really good games... all 5 stadiums were really nice... even McCormick Field in Asheville, built in 1915... I think it was carved out of rock in a hillside... it is one of the oldest professional ballparks.

Rocket City beat the Biloxi Shuckers 6-1... Louisville topped the Indianapolis Indians 9-5 on a walk-off grand slam in the 10th... the Lynchburg Hillcats edged the Salem Red Sox 5-4 in 10 innings... the Asheville Tourists whipped the Winston-Salem Dash 6-3... and Pensacola defeated the Biloxi Shuckers 5-2.

Really great to be back!... there is no place like home!

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Wednesday, October 9, 2069

ROVERS ADVANCE TO RU TITLE SERIES... RACERS FORCE STALLIONS TO 7TH GAME IN TU SERIES
The Sligo Rovers advanced to the Ruthlandian Union Title Series by defeating the Marston Nine four games to two... the Rovers snatched a 4-2 victory in game six and eliminated the Nine from the IPA playoffs... the Tycobbian Union will have a seventh game to decide the participants in its Title Series... Rolling Hills forced a seventh game with an 11-2 rout of the South Fork Stallions in the sixth game of the best-of-seven set... the deciding game will be played at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills.

2069 Ruthlandian Union First-Round Series: Game 6
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Stars of the Game

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2069 Tycobbian Union First-Round Series: Game 6
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Stars of the Game

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Glad you're back and that all is well! :eatpop:

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Thursday, October 10, 2069

RACERS EVADE BIG UPSET, RALLY PAST SOUTH FORK IN 7TH-GAME AND ADVANCE TO TU FINALS AGAINST SOUTHPORT
Down 3 games to 2 in the best-of-seven series, heavy-favored Rolling Hills had to win 2 "must wins" to whip spunky underdog South Fork in the Tycobbian Union First Round... the Racers came back in the late innings and just barely escaped defeat, rallying past the determined Stallions 5-3 in the seventh-and-deciding game of the series... Rolling Hills captured the hard-earned series victory four games to three... the Racers will now take on the Southport Sun Sox in the Tycobbian Union Title Series... it will be the Claxton Diamonds and the Sligo Rovers in the Ruthlandian Union Finals.

2069 Tycobbian Union First-Round Series: Game 7
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Stars of the Game
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Glad you had a good trip, sounded exciting with all of the baseball games!

Yep, my wife and I really enjoy minor league baseball games... there is no bad seat anywhere in the stadiums, but she still got tickets behind home plate for all the games.

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Thursday, October 10, 2069

IPA TITLE ROUNDS BEGIN THIS SUNDAY AFTERNOON... RACERS HOST SUN SOX IN TU FINALS... DIAMONDS WELCOME ROVERS IN RU FINALS
Three days off and then back to the IPA playoff wars... postseason round two begins this Sunday afternoon... it will be top-ranked Rolling Hills hosting second-ranked Southport in the Tycobbian Union Title Series and third-rated Claxton welcoming eighth pick Sligo in the Ruthlandian Union Title Series... these two series will set the stage for the IPA Pro Cup Series... the two winners of these best-of-seven series will meet for the prestigious Pro Cup Trophy, presented annually to the best professional baseball team in the Islands.

Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills has won 6 Pro Cups in its history... Southport has captured it 4 times... and Claxton and Sligo have each won the revered honor one time... the Racers were victorious in 2029, 2031, 2048, 2060, 2062 and 2067... the Sun Sox won it in 2044, 2047, 2065 and 2066... while the Diamonds reigned supreme in 2064 and the Rovers were IPA champions in 2021.

Rolling Hills and Southport have tangled four times in the last eight seasons in the TU Finals... the Racers won in '68 and '62, the Sun Sox triumphed in '65 and '66... Claxton has reached this far three times since '64... they lost to Pro Cup titlist Forest City last season in the RU Finals and to Colfax in '65... in '64 the Diamonds won the Pro Cup, defeating Rolling Hills... Sligo's last appearance in the RU Finals was in '66 when they lost to Valmara.

Most of the baseball pundits are trending toward Rolling Hills, followed closely by Southport and Claxton... this year's Pro Cup winner will most likely come from those three clubs... Sligo is the outlier and given little chance to be the overall IPA champion in 2069.

2069 Islandian Pro Alliance League Championship Series Outlook
The Rolling Hills Racers are a formidable ballclub... most of the baseball soothsayers are favoring them this year... their high-octane attack gives them an advantage over the other three clubs... but the Racers can be beaten by teams with good pitching and a good offense... Southport certainly fits that scenario... the Racers have also been known to succumb to team with just good pitching... they lost in the Pro Cup Finals last year to the weak-hitting Forest City Firebirds... the Sun Sox have strong pitching and they can score runs, too... they also play better defense... the Pro Cup champion this year will probably come from the Tycobbian Union... flip a coin to pick the Tycobbian champion... both the Racers and the Sun Sox are evenly matched... Southport has a history of giving Rolling Hills trouble in the postseason... however, the Racers' mound corps may be better this year than in the past... give the series to Rolling Hills in 7 games.

Neither Ruthlandian Union teams are highly regarded, especially the Sligo Rovers... they only won 82 games this season... they had the easiest task in the first round, the seventh-ranked Marston Nine... Sligo whipped them four games to two... but the Rovers just don't have the offense to handle the Claxton Diamonds... Claxton is a tough customer and should take the series in 6 games... strong pitching coupled with a solid attack should send the Diamonds to the Pro Cup Finals... Claxton took care of a good Taranto team in round one, taking four of the five games... the Tars were rated the fourth-best club in the IPA playoffs... look for the Diamonds to do well in the Pro Cup Series, too... they can hold their own with Rolling Hills and Southport.

Rolling Hills Home Page
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Southport Home Page
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Claxton Home Page
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Sligo Home Page
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If the Racers can complete this run... :eatpop:

Gonna be tough... first they have to beat Southport... and then most likely Claxton... both have beaten the Racers in the past... but maybe this year Rolling Hills has better pitching... that may make the difference.

I don't know how important defense is in the game, but the other three teams play better defense than Rolling Hills.

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Saturday, October 12, 2069

RU, TU TITLES UPS FOR GRABS... CLAXTON AND ROLLING HILLS FAVORED
The round of four is upon us in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the best-of-seven Ruthlandian Union and Tycobbian Union Title Series... all Islandians are focused on the final four teams that have so far fended off elimination in the postseason playoffs... tomorrow afternoon the unsung and unheralded Sligo Rovers will get another chance to upset a higher-rated team... the 8th-ranked Rovers take on the 3rd-rated Claxton Diamonds at Avalon Stadium in Claxton in the first game of the series... over in the TU Title Series, two juggernauts will do battle... Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills will be at home at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds, playing host to their arch-nemesis, the 2nd-ranked Southport Sun Sox.

Starters for the opening games will be right-hander Antoine Simon (14-7/2.50 ERA) for manager Les Patterson and his Sligo Rovers... Claxton skipper Abe Schiffman will send left-hander Mark Meisner (19-9/2.45 ERA) to the hill... Lorne Evans, Southport manager, will have Roman Littrell (19-8/3.26 ERA) on the mound, opposed by Coen Bock (10-2/2.72 ERA), chosen by Rolling Hills' skipper Billy Christianson.

STAR-STUDDED SKIPPERS
All of the managers starred in the IPA... Patterson (306-230/2.79 ERA) and Schiffman (238-177/3.70 ERA) stood out on the mound... Patterson is a Hall of Famer, while Schiffman is the all-time wins leader for the Rovers... Christianson and Evans are also in the IPA Hall of Fame... Christianson (.302 BA/258 HR/1446 RBI) was a standout third baseman, while Evans (.305 BA/701 HR/1836 RBI) was a slugging outfielder... all of them have excelled on the field and now they are very successful at the helm of their old teams as managers.

Schiffman is the youngest at 53... Patterson is the oldest at 78... Christianson and Evans are both 64 years of age.

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Monday, October 14, 2069

CLAXTON AND SOUTHPORT SNATCH OPENING GAME WINS IN IPA TITLE SERIES
It was the Claxton Diamonds and the Southport Sun Sox that drew first blood in the Islandian Pro Alliance Title Series... Claxton drubbed the Sligo Rovers 8-1 in the first game of the Ruthlandian Union championship series... Southport was the victor over Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills in a tense 2-0 pitcher's duel in the Tycobbian series.

2069 Ruthlandian Union Title Series: Game 1 (best-of-seven series)
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2069 Tycobbian Union Title Series: Game 1 (best-of-seven series)
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