The Islandian Times
Friday, September 25, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Late Rally Saves Colfax, Still Trails Marston
Riding on the brink of a four-game sweep, the Colfax Blasters rallied for 4 runs in the seventh and remained alive in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... The Nine were behind 4-1 and headed toward elimination, when 2B Ilya Ivanchuk (.118) saved the day with a clutch 2-run triple to win the game 5-4... Marston still has a hefty three games to one lead in the series... starter Rodger Wright (1-1 5.40) got credit for the win in spite of giving up 4 runs in 7 innings... three relievers saved it for him with two scoreless innings... Bryan Vidmar logged the save... Colfax had the lead in hits 7-6... RF Richie Mazzone (.500) and 1B Pat Farris (.533) topped Marston with 2 RBIs each... Farris had a two-run homer in the first frame... Hunk Sweitzer (1-1 4.50) labored and lost it in a complete-game effort.

Claxton Outlasts Taranto 9-7 In 10 Innings, Tars Lead 3-1
Allen Lemay was the man of the hour in Claxton when he stepped to the plate trailing 7-6 in the bottom of the tenth and delivered a dynamic 3-run homer to keep the Diamonds in the best-of-seven RU Elite 8 Series with the very tough Taranto Tars, who still lead it three games to one and only need one more win to advance in the Pro Cup playoffs... Claxton collected 11 hits and were paced by 1B Mike Luzzatti (.467) and 3B Erik Carducci (.417) with 3 hits apiece... both of them had home runs... Carducci drove in 4 runs and Lemay 3 to lead the Diamonds... 3B Wayne Pounders (.294) and 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.231) had solo homers for the Tars... Reliever Tony Havercamp (1-0) was the winner, while Chris Hall (1-1) lost it... Haverkamp got a reprieve when Lemay got the walk-off homer... he had given up the lead 7-6 in the top of the tenth when Skrmetta went deep.

Tycobbian Union

Burg Stalls Haymakers 4-2, 'Canes Fight Back
The Mahaska Haymakers had won the first three games of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series and were poised to sweep the series, but Cape Coral's ace right-hander Cody Burg spoiled the party with an impressive 4-2 victory, holding the Haymakers to just 3 hits in 8 innings... Burg (1-0 0.49) totaled 8 Ks and walked only one... Burg is 9-2 in the postseason in his career... closer Bobby Maas posted the save with an inning of relief... Burg and Mahaska starter Joey Wallace were locked up in a 1-0 game with the Hurricanes in the lead... RF Glenn Armstrong's (.133) second-inning homer was the only difference... both pitchers ran into trouble in the eighth... Cape Coral cashed in for 3 runs to go up 4-0 on CF Derek Ryckman's (.105) solo shot and an RBI single by PH James Flanagan and RBI triple by SS George Longmire (.316)... then the Haymakers made some noise in the bottom of the inning with a pair of scores... Losing pitcher Wallace (0-1 2.65) worked 8 frames and was tagged for 12 hits and 4 runs.

DiPirro's HR Evens Bucs-Nats Series
Home run power decided game four of the TU Elite 8 Series between Bay St. Clair and Ozarka... the Buccaneers blasted three out of the park and had 10 hits, while the Naturals got just one, but had 11 base hits... LF Frank DiPirro (.400) led off the last of the tenth with a game-winning homer off losing pitcher Eddie Roberts (1-1) to even the series at two games each... SS Jimmy Sawyer (.267) and 1B Gerry Fields also chipped in homers for the victors... rookie 3B Andre Dumas (.375) cracked one in defeat... Duke DeVree (1-0) registered the win with two scoreless innings.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 26, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Moves On, Beats Colfax in 5 games
The Marston Nine will be moving on in the 2013 IPA Pro Cup... Marston got great pitching from Roberto Conception in game 5 of the RU Elite 8 Series... He outpitched Colfax's ace Ilya Szabo 2-1 and the Nine took the series in five games... They will meet the Taranto-Claxton winner in the RU Final 4 for the league championship... Conception (2-0 1.59) held Colfax to 5 hits and 1 run over 8 innings, struck out 6 and issued 3 walks... Closer Bob Daniel sat the Blasters down in order in the ninth for his second save... Szabo (0-2 4.85) hurled a fine game, too... he went the distance, fanned 9, walked 2 and only gave up 2 runs on 6 hits... Colfax CF Ryan Raines (.214) opened the scoring with a solo homer in the fourth and that stood up until Marston tied it in the eighth on RF Richie Mazzone's (.444) single... The Nine won it in the ninth when CF Russ Woodward (.200) singled, stole second, advanced to third on a ground-out and came home on PH Ernie Fox's (.500) base hit.

Diamonds van Riebeeck Shines, Tames Tars 5-0
The Claxton Diamonds got big game performances from Ernie van Riebeeck and Mike Luzzatti in game five of the RU Elite 8 Series... van Riebeek (1-1 2.12) tossed a 4-hit shutout and tamed Taranto 5-0 to cut the Tars series' lead to three games to two... The Diamond defense sparkled and turned 4 doubles plays... Luzzatti went deep twice and batted in 4 runs to lead the Claxton offense... Luzzatti (.474) now has 5 homers in the playoffs... loser Jimmy Mosley (0-1 5.40) yielded 5 runs and 7 hits and went the route.

Tycobbian Union

Mahaska KO's Hurricanes In 5 Games
Mahaska got another impressive mound job from Yuri Dozhenko, who stopped Cape Coral on 5 hits in a 5-1 victory that gave the Haymakers the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series four games to one... Dozhenko (2-0 1.06) pitched a complete game, walked only 1 and whiffed 3... C Bucky O'Brian (.375) and RF Ross Burke (.273) supplied the offense with 2 hits each and 2 runs batted in... Mahaska's Final 4 opponent will be either Ozarka or Bay St. Clair.

Ozarka Bombs BSC Bucs, Takes Series Lead
The Ozarka Naturals blistered Bay St. Clair for 4 homers and 13 hits en route to an 8-2 shellacking in game five of the best-of-seven TU Elite 8 Series... the win gave the Nats a 3-2 edge in games... 3B Andre Dumas (.333) hammered his third roundtripper of the playoffs, 2B Todd Chadwick (.263) and 1B Benny Rousseau (.238) each got number two and LF Vic Weinstein (.211) unloaded his first of the postseason... All total Ozarka has hit 10 to just 4 for the Buccaneers... starter Wayne Gates (1-1 1.69) was also sharp on the hill as he held the Bucs to just 4 hits and 2 runs in 7 innings... Eddie Roberts closed it out with 2 scoreless frames... Bay St. Clair got only 6 hits... Lloyd Weber (1-1 3.00) was the loser... He surrendered 5 runs in 6 innings.

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 27, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Taranto Prevails Over Claxton In RU Elite 8, Final 4 Next
Tommaso Lazzorda's Taranto Tars terrorized the Ruthlandian Union this year with their bats and it continued into the postseason... The Tars piled up 11 hits in game six of the Elite 8 Series and powered by Claxton 7-6 to eliminate them four games to two... CF Miles Rogers (.476) smacked two out of the Palazzo di Sport today and 1B Pietro Skrmetta hit another... the Diamonds tried valiantly with 4 home runs of their own, but came up short... Claxton had 9 hits with K. C. Moerdijk (.261), SS Bobby Bayas (.300), C Allen Lemay (.182) and 2B Tommy Bleek (.150) going deep... Taranto led 6-4 after 5 innings, the Diamonds tied it a 6-6 with 2 in the sixth and the Tars won it in the seventh on Bryan Miles' (.217) pinch-hit double... Anthony Zinacola (1-0 0.00), the first of four Taranto relievers notched the win with one and two-thirds scoreless innings... Ted Capetto saved it... Tony Haverkamp (1-1 3.18), the second of three Claxton pitchers, was the loser... Haverkamp worked two and two-thirds innings and allowed the final run of the game... The Tars will now tangle with the Marston Nine for the RU overall title in the IPA Final 4 Series... the victor will represent the league in the Pro Cup Finals against the Tycobbian Union Champion.

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Beat Nats 8-4, Force 7th Game
It was do or die for Bay St. Clair in game six of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series and the Bucs lived to play another day... They derailed the favored Ozarka Naturals 8-4 to deadlock the series at three games each... the seventh and deciding game is tomorrow in Ozarka... Bay St. Clair cracked 14 hits and were sparked by LF Frank DiPirro (.409) with 3 RBIs... 1B Gerry Fields (.250) and pitcher Bobby Joe Belvin (.400) also added two more RBIs each... Trent also turned in a gritty outing... Trent (1-1 5.79) gave up runs in the first three frames, but then held Ozarka to just one over the last six innings... starter Dennis Purcell (1-1 4.60) suffered the defeat... He allowed 5 runs and 10 hits in 7 innings... the Nats 3B Andre Dumas (.320) and 1B Benny Rousseau (.280) homered in the loss... it was Dumas' fourth in the series and Rousseau's third.

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 28, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Upset Favored Nats In TU Elite 8
The Ozarka Nats won more games than any team in the IPA this season, they topped the IPA in batting and were ranked second in pitching, they were picked to win the Pro Cup, yet the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers overcame all of that to upset them in the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series... Though they were outhit 7 to 2, the Bucs survived with a 3-2 win in game seven to take the series.

They did it with a masterful mound performance by Chris Van Arden (1-1 3.28), who stymied Ozarka on 2 runs and 7 hits in his 8 innings... Don Yaden took the hill in the ninth and worked a perfect 1-2-3 inning to seal the victory and take the series... rookie Benny Osterman (0-1 2.88) pitched all the way for the Nats, only gave up 2 hits, but walked 6 and lost the game.

Bay St. Clair scored first in the opening inning... 2B Bud Walker (.346) tripled and then scored on CF Todd Bryant's (.167) sac fly... the Naturals got to Van Arden for two runs in the bottom of the fourth and took a 2-1 lead... one run came in on a wild throw at third by C Vince Herbert, the other came in on 2B Todd Chadwick's (.308) double... in the Buccaneer sixth RF Alejandro Feliciano (.182) walked with two away and Todd Bryant tied it at 2-all with a two-bagger... the game and the series were decided in the top of the seventh when two walks put runners on second and third with two outs and SS Jimmy Sawyer (.304) scored on a passed ball by rookie C Frank Kiffin... Bay St. Clair will now play the Mahaska Haymakers in the TU Final 4 for the right to play the Ruthlandian champion in the IPA Pro Cup Finals.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

IPA Final 4s Begin Today
Holy Cow!
What's going on the 2015 IPA Pro Cup playoffs?
Three of the top four rated teams didn't make it out of the first round Elite 8. Most surprising of all, was the team picked to win it all, fell to the wayside. The powerful Ozarka Naturals took it on the chin and lost to the upstart Bay St. Clair Buccaneers, the team deemed least likely to win the Pro Cup this season. Taranto was the only highly-ranked club to make it to the Final 4. The Tars were chosen the second-best team in the Islands by the baseball journalists and broadcasters in The Islandian Times poll. They whipped Claxton, which was selected seventh. Sixth-ranked Mahaska knocked off Cape Coral, the number three team in voting. And the Marston Nine defeated the Colfax Blasters. Marston went into the playoffs rated fifth, while Colfax was number four.

Oddsmakers have made Taranto the favorite over Marston in the Ruthlandian Final 4, while the Bay St. Clair-Mahaska match-up is a toss-up for the Tycobbian league title. The Tars are forecast to beat the Nine and meet the Buccaneers in the IPA Pro Cup Finals for the Island championship. Taranto has an awesome batting order and decent pitching. Bay St. Clair hits well, too, but its pitching is suspect. Both Marston and Mahaska have the capability to contend with Taranto and Bay St. Clair. Mahaska pitching is outstanding, while Marston is a well-rounded ball club with good bats and good pitching.

The IPA Final 4 gets underway today with Taranto hosting Marston at the Palazzo di Sport and Bay St. Clair entertaining Mahaska at Shoreline Park. The Tars dominated Marston in the regular season with five wins in six games. The Mahaska Haymakers were 4-2 in the season series with Buccaneers.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 29, 2015

2015 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Thumps Taranto 9-5 In Opener
At the Palazzo di Sport in Taranto, the Marston Nine showed it has some muscle, too... They thumped the favored hometown Tars 9-5 with a 14-hit barrage to take game one of the Ruthlandian Union Final 4... Marston pounced on losing pitcher Vito Incardona (1-1 5.40) for 7 runs in the first three innings for a 7-5 lead and four relievers made it stand up... The Nine bullpen shut out Taranto after the fourth frame with the victory going to Adam Ford (1-0)... Marston's fine CF Russ Woodward (.250) went 2-for-4 with 3 RBIs, including a 2-run homer... SS Danny Church (.318) and 1B Pat Farris (.500) had 3 hits apiece... LF Arnie Kennedy (.241) and RF Augie Marshall (.370) whacked homers for the Tars... Kennedy drove in 4 runs.

Tycobbian Union

Haymakers Trim Bucs 8-7 In 10 Innings
It was a seesaw battle royal at Shoreline Park in Bay St. Clair where visiting Mahaska got the best of the Buccaneers 8-7 in 10 innings to go up one-game-to-none in the best-of-seven Tycobbian Final 4... 3B Enrico Pilar (.200) plated the winning run with a sacrifice fly that scored RF Ross Burke (.370) with the winning score... both clubs racked up 13 hits each... Burke went 4-5 and scored twice and SS Monty Davis (.320) was 3-4 and drove in a pair of runs... Davis had a home run... C Bucky O'Brian (.357) also sent one into the stands and drove in two runs... O'Brian now has 3 homers in the postseason... the Bucs were led by LF Bruno DiPirro (.355), RF Todd Bryant (.222), 1B Gerry Fields (.269) and SS Jimmy Sawyer (.333), all with two hits each... Ray Simpson (1-0 1.50) was the winner in relief of starter Joey Wallace... however Simpson gave up a run in his two innings of work... Duke DeVree (1-1 7.88) suffered through two innings and allowed 3 runs for the loss... Both Wallace and Bay St. Clair starter Lloyd Weber battled to a 5-5 draw in 8 innings... neither was very effective.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 30, 2015

2015 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Tars Even Final 4, Mosley Stops Marston 5-3
In game 2 of the Ruthlandian Final 4, skipper Tommaso Lazzorda got a solid effort from Jimmy Mosley, who survived 3 homers and stopped Marston 5-3 to even the series at a game apiece... Mosley (1-1) struck out 9, walked two and permitted 7 hits for the win... C Denny Radke (.484) led the hitters with 3-3 and 2 RBIs...his solo blast gave Taranto a 3-2 lead in the fifth... The Tars kicked it up to 5-2 in the on a Radke triple and a sacrifice fly by SS Aron Aiello (.241)... Mosley gave up home runs in the first to RF Richie Mazzone (.370) and LF James Yardley (.308) and in the eighth to CF Russ Woodward (.286)... Woodward has hit 3 homers in the playoffs, Yardley 2... loser Hunk Sweitzer (1-2 4.91) gave up 5 runs in 6 innings... Both teams collected 7 hits each.

Bucs Bury Haymakers 8-1 Behind Belvin
It's all tied up in the Tycobbian Final 4, too... in game two Bobby Joe Belvin (2-1 3.91) hurled Bay St. Clair to an 8-1 triumph over the Mahaska Haymakers, checking them on 5 hits with 5 Ks and 3 walks... the Bucs laced Yuri Dozhenko (2-1 2.22) for 8 runs - only 4 earned - in 7-plus innings... Bay St. Clair piled up 10 hits and were led by RF Alejandro Feliciano (.259) with 3 hits, 3 RBIs and 2 runs scored... and by 2B Bud Walker (.361) with 3 hits, 3 runs and an RBI... Both Feliciano and Walker had 2 doubles.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

Taranto Tars

Owner: Gianni Di Bello, CEO Papa Giovanni's Pizza
GM/Manager: Tommaso Lazzorda

Originally Taranto was just a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Valdar Island settled by Italian immigrants in the 1870s after the unification of Italy caused economic collapse in several areas of the country. Taranto was named after its namesake in Italy. Visitors are enthralled by the quaint and picturesque town. It has the feel and essence of the old country and should not be missed by tourists.

Taranto is also the origin of the common name of the Tarantula spider family, In ancient times, residents of the town of Taranto, upon being bitten by a spider, would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a jig. This was done in order to sweat most of the poison out of their pores and thus survive the spider bite. The dance they did became locally known as the Tarantella, which eventually became the name we use today to describe the large, sometimes hairy type of spider, the Tarantula.

The town got a big boost in the 1880s when the Ruthlandian government decided to construct a naval base here. The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Ruthlandian naval fleet. Taranto has since grown to a present-day population of 63,000. As a result of the naval expansion, baseball leagues sprang up in Taranto. First it was just for the sailors and marines, but soon spread to the town. Baseball has thrived in Taranto since the late 1880s.

The Navy is still the prime industy in Taranto. However, the town is also known for being the headquarters of Papa Giovanni's Pizza, the number one pizza in the Islands. Giovanni Di Bella began making pizzas in 1905 after emigrating from Italy. His pizzas with a special garlic butter sauce soon became a favorite of the townspeople. Papa Giovanni's Pizza's popularity soon spread throughout Vandar Island and then to the mainland of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia. You will now find a Papa Giovanni's Pizza shop in all of the main towns of Islandia.

Papa Giovanni was a good baseball player in his own right, but where he excelled was in sponsorship of the local amateur team. Papa Giovanni also managed the club and got most of his players from the navy leagues, hence the name Papa Giovanni's Tars. He used the team to publicize his expanding pizza business. The more popular his team got, the more pizza he sold.

A "tar" is a sailor. The name comes from the black, petroleum substance used to keep ropes and rigging dry aboard ship. It was also used to seal and make the ships water-tight. It would get on the sailors uniform, so people began to refer to them as Tars.

Papa Giovanni housed his team in the Palazzo di Sport, which was built in 1922 and is still in use today. The Palazzo is known for being a hitter's ballpark with its short fences. It's only 320 down the lines, 360 in the power alleys and just 385 to center. The Di Bello family has continued to big supporters of baseball in Taranto. When they heard that the IPA was going to expand the league, Grandson Gianni Di Bello got the backing of the Admiralty to insure a franchise would be granted to Taranto and to Papa Giovanni's Pizza.

The general manager and field manager of the Taranto Tars is Tommaso Lazzorda. He gained his fame as a crafty southpaw for the Papa Giovanni's Tars. Lazzorda gained even more success and notoriety as the team's skipper. When the Tars switched over to professional baseball, Lazzorda came, too. Lazzorda loves to eat and loves his baseball. The congenial Lazzorda is good with a quote, too. "When we win, I'm so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I'm so depressed, I eat a lot. When we're rained out, I'm so disappointed I eat a lot."

And the people of Taranto love him, too. There's no better ambassador of baseball than Tommaso Lazzorda. He often tells reporters, "I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer."

Palazzo de Sport

Capacity: 7,175

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 320
Left Field 335
Left Center 360
Center Field 385
Right Center 360
Right Field 335
Right Field Line 320

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 30, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

Bay St. Clair Buccaneers

Owner: Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles
GM/Manager: Guy Rondre (pronounced "Gee Ron-dray")

Bay St. Clair is a major port, tourist destination and petroleum and railroad center, located in southwestern Tycobbia on its namesake, Bay St. Clair, a great natural harbor. It is a town of 117,000 resting on the Appian River, which empties into the Kelnyck Ocean. The town was established in the 1850s by a group of American abolitionists from the North and the South, who saw the coming Civil War. They wanted to set up a country free from slavery and religious intolerance.

Offshore oil rigs in the Southern Sea provide a great boost to the local economy and a thriving petroleum business. Noxxe Oil Corporation is one of the nation's biggest and its home office is in Bay St. Clair.

Breathtakingly beautiful white beaches and luxurious hotels dot the coastline. Bay St. Clair has a multicultural heritage with French and Creole backgrounds. It is known for great music, exquisite cuisine and good times. Bon Temps ("Good Times" in French) is a lenten carnival, famous for parades, costumed balls and frivolity. Jazz funerals are a noted part of the town's culture.

Another important annual event and tourist lure is the Bay St. Clair Jazz and Music Heritage Foundation's "Razzmatazz". This is ten days of jazz, blues, gospel and rock greats.

Bay St. Clair is also home of the Buccaneers baseball team of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Bucs are in the Tycobbian Union's West Division. They are owned by jazz immortal, Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles. This Creole singer and trumpeteer loves his baseball just about as much as his music. He was one of the league creators along with Jock Ewing, Rob Jackson and John Banson.

The club plays at Shoreline Stadium, which looks out on the beautiful white beaches and blue-watered bay. A brass band, often led by "Sugar Lips", entertains the fans at all Buccaneers' games. At the seventh inning stretch, the band plays "When the Bucs Go Marching In". And when the opposing teams have to go to the bullpen for a relief pitcher, the band welcomes him with a funeral dirge, a sad and mournful song. When the game is decided in favor of the Bucs, they begin playing a lively Dixieland victory tune and parade around the stadium.

Concessions are great with wonderful Creole soul food, gumbo (seafood soup), red beans and rice, jambalaya (seafood casserole), hot beignets (pronounced "ben-yays"), hot out-of-the-grease doughnuts, covered in powdered sugar, cafe au lait (chicory coffee with hot milk), pecan pralines (candy), snowballs, topped with sweet condensed milk, and the traditional hamburgers and hot dogs.

Bay St. Clair's GM and Manager is hometown boy, Guy Rondre, a fine southpaw in his industrial league days. He was known for a great fastball and was nickname "Lightning".

Shoreline Stadium (1940)

Capacity: 11,900

Dimensions:
LF Line 332
LF 360
LCF 388
CF 400
RCF 381
RF 350
RF Line 325

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 1, 2015

2015 IPA Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

DeBartolo Skuttles Marston 6-1, Tars Up In Final 4
The Pro Cup favorite, the Taranto Tars, took the lead in the best-of-seven RU Final 4 with a 6-1 verdict over Marston at Legends Field in game three... crafty southpaw Chazzie DeBartolo (2-0 3.63) fashioned a 4-hitter with 7 strikeouts and 2 walks in his 8 innings... Only RF Richie Mazzone's sixth-inning clout spoiled his performance... closer Anthony Zinacola retired the side in order in the ninth to complete the win... 2B Ed Miles (.212) and LF Arnie Kennedy (.250) drove in 2 runs each to lead the victors... Dennis Townsend (1-1 2.66) caught the loss... the Tars had 5 hits and 3 runs off of him in 8 innings, just one of the runs was earned.

Tycobbian Union

BSC Bucs Pound Mahaska 8-4 In Game 3
The Bay St. Clair bats had their way with Mahaska pitching... the Buccaneers pounded out 16 hits in the 8-4 victory to go ahead in the Tycobbian Final 4 by a game... the Bucs have won two of the three games played so far... SS Jimmy Sawyer (.314) had the big blow in the game, a 3-run shot that put the Bucs up 5-2 in the top of the fifth... in addition to lousy pitching, the Haymakers made 4 errors... winning pitcher Chris Van Arden (2-1 3.82) needed help from two relievers to nail down the win... Van Arden worked the first six frames, yielded 4 runs and 5 hits, while fanning 5 and walking none... It was 6-4 when he exited... Duke DeVree and Hal Meissner blanked Mahaska over the final 3 innings... Johnny Picou (1-1 4.02) started and lost it, allowing 7 runs and 13 hits in his 6+ innings... Homers by LF Dalton Leeds (.300) and SS Monte Davis (.290) kept the Haymakers close for awhile.

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 1, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

MARSTON NINE

Owner: Abe Doubleday of Doubleday Sporting Goods
GM/Mgr: Johnny Walters

Marston has a population of 95,000 and is situated on the Central Plains in East Central Ruthlandia approximately 75 miles from the Valerian Ocean. Its main industry is sporting goods equipment, sportswear and fashions. The Doubleday Family dominates the industry in Ruthlandia and its company headquarters is here. The family also resides in Marston. Grain processing plants are in abundance in the "Breadbasket of Ruthlandia".

Marston is famous as the site of the first organized baseball game in the Islands in the late 1890's. The first amateur club and the first industrial league team were formed here, both known as the Marston Nine. They played at Legends Field (circa 1903), which is the second oldest ballpark in Ruthlandia (Waleska is the oldest - 1902) and is built on the actual site of the first organized game. In fact, home plate is in the exact same spot as the original home plate for the first game. Every ninth seat in the stadium is painted red in honor of those two early Marston Nines. The other seats are painted black. Marston's colors are red and black.

The Marston Nine plays in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union's East Division and are owned and operated by the Doubleday family, headed by the board president, Abe Doubleday. They are distant relatives of the creator of American baseball, Abner Doubleday.

A special feature of Legends Field is the Ruthlandian Baseball Hall of Fame. It is located in the stadium and houses memorabilia from the country's amateur and industrial league past. The Marstonians sing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” at the traditional seventh-inning stretch, but they also have the ninth-inning stretch, when they give the home team a standing ovation, win or lose. If they win, the fans are treated to an exciting fireworks display, all accompanied by live organ music.

Live organ music is played throughout the game, a tradition still practiced in only a few other towns - Ozarka, Kenwood and Hillsboro. Marston fans are among the most knowledgeable and intense in the Islands. They watch every pitch and are mesmerized by the action on the field.It is a tradition at Legends Field to throw back any ball hit in the stands by the opposing teams. No self-respecting Niner fan would want to get a souvenir baseball that way. Every Sunday is Niner Day at Legends Field and every ninth fan through the turnstiles is given a free pass (or “Annie Oakley”) to a game in the next homestand.

At the concessions stand nothing special is served. All you get is baseball basics: peanuts, crackerjacks, popcorn, soda pop, cotton candy, ice cream, hot dogs and hamburgers. It is a family town and a family-oriented ballpark...no alcoholic beverages are served.

The great and legendary righthanded pitcher of company leagues, Johnny Walters is the manager of the Marston Nine.

LEGENDS FIELD (1903)

CAPACITY: 12,500

LF Line 320
LF 345
LCF 385
CF 375
RCF 405
RF 380
RF Line 345

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 1, 2015

Around the Town in the IPA

MAHASKA HAYMAKERS

Owner/GM: Rickey Branch
Assistant GM: Rick Branch, Jr.
Manager: Rusty Tanussa

Mahaska, a township of 67,000 nestled on the banks of the White River in the west central plains of Tycobbia, is part of the nation’s breadbasket and heartland with vast fields of wheat, corn, oats and other grains. Grain elevators, storage silos and processing plants are its main industry, along with cereal factories and beef, chicken and pork meat processing plants. The Mahaska townspeople have a strong work ethic and live a nice middle-class existence. Church and family are of prime importance in their lives. Shady streets and quiet subdivisions best describe life in Mahaska.

Mahaska was settled in the 1850s by immigrants from Iowa in the United States. They were hearty farm people well-versed in all aspects of agriculture. The transplanted Iowans named their town after the Iowa county where most of them lived. Mahaska was named after a famous Iowa indian chief. Around 1900 the town got an influx of emigres from the Ukraine, who fit in real well with their expert knowledge of growing wheat and grains. The Ukraine is the breadbasket of Russia.The new additions to Mahaska quickly were assimilated into the town culture and even picked up the game of baseball, which was rapidly becoming the National Pastime in Tycobbia.

Mahaska is also home of the Haymakers baseball team who play at the new Heartland Stadium, where the best barbecue in Tycobbia is served along with delicious, melt-in-your-mouth hamburgers. Traditional ballpark food and soft drinks are available in abundance, too. Musical entertainment during games is provided by the Mahaska Sym-Phony, a group of musically-inclined fans. They entertain during games and highstep around the field in celebration after every Haymaker victory...it's the only symphony in Mahaska.

The team is family-owned and family-operated; no high-powered corporation or millionaire runs it. Rickey Branch is one of the most knowledgeable baseball administrators in Tycobbia and is the sole owner of the team. He is also one of the league founders. His son, Rick Branch, Junior, is the assistant GM and is a fine baseball man in his own right; the team will be passed down to him when his dad retires. The Branches are well-respected members of the Mahaska community and active in civic activities. Team manager Rusty Tanussa was a journeyman outfielder in the company leagues, but was a top-notch and very successful industrial league manager.

Heartland Stadium (2000)

Capacity: 7,935

Dimensions:
LF Line 340
LF 365
LCF 390
CF 425
RCF 390
RF 365
RF Line 340

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 2, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Tars Nip Nine 4-3, Need One Win
Taranto nipped Marston 4-3 for its third win in four games and only needs one more victory to wrap up the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series... The Tars rallied late to pull out the win... they got the game-winning run in the top of the ninth when PH Miles Rogers (.440) slammed a two-out double and was driven with by PH Rickey Gilliam's (.333) RBI single... Taranto had trouble with Roberto Conception and trailed 2-0 until a 3-run seventh gave them the first lead... the damage was done by C Dennis Radke's (.450) two-run double and CF Bryan Miles' (.143) one-run clout... Marston tied it up in the last of the eighth on LF James Yardley's (.300) solo homer... winner Vito Incardona (2-1 4.44) only allowed 3 runs in 8 innings, struck out 7 and walked 2... and closer Anthony Zinacola did his job with a perfect ninth for his second save in the postseason... Conception (2-1 2.42) went the route in defeat, gave up 4 runs on 6 hits, walked 5 and whiffed 3... one more Tar triumph will send Marston home for the season and give Taranto a shot at its first Pro Cup crown.

Bucs Beat Haymakers 6-4, Lead 3-1 in Series
In game four of the Tycobbian Final 4, Bay St. Clair inched closer to its first Pro Cup Final with a 6-4 win over Mahaska on the road in Heartland Stadium... the Buccaneers now lead the series three games to one and need just one more win in the best-of-seven series for a crack at its first Pro Cup trophy... Bucs LF Bruno DiPirro (.341) snapped a 3-3 score in the top of the seventh with an RBI single and 1B Gerry Fields (.308) made it 6-3 with a two-run double... manager Guy Rondre got a gutsy performance from Lloyd Weber (2-1 3.94), who fanned 6, walked one, permitted 8 hits and 4 runs, yet survived... Weber was 19-12 during the regular season and he outpitched Joey Wallace, who was 23-9... Wallace (0-2 4.60) was battered for 6 runs and 10 hits in 6+ frames... Bay St. Clair had the edge in hits 11-8 with Fields and 2B Bud Walker (.370) getting 3 hits each.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 3, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Marston Gets New Life, Derails Tars 7-6
Taranto only needed a win to advance to the Pro Cup Finals, but they didn't get it... the Marston Nine derailed the Tars express 7-6 at Legends Field to stay alive in the RU Final 4 Series... however Taranto still leads three games to two... Marston unloaded 4 home runs and ran up a 7-1 lead in the first seven innings and then had to hold on as the Tars banged them around for 5 runs late in the game... CF Russ Woodward socked two homers and batted in 4 runs for the winners... Woodward (.316) has 15 RBIs in the playoffs... LF James Yardley (.303) and 3B Jimmy Holman (.270) got the other two... Taranto outhit Marston 10-8 and were led by RF Augie Marshall (.366) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... Marston starter Hunk Sweitzer (2-2 4.20) had a fine outing, holding the Tars to 3 runs in 8 innings... after John Updike was rocked for 3 runs in the top of the ninth, closer Bob Daniel came in and put Taranto away... it was Daniel's third postseason save this year... Jimmy Mosley (1-2 5.10) sustained the loss as he permitted 5 runs in 6 innings.

Tycobbian Union

Bucs Bats Boom, BSC Makes Pro Cup Finals
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers blasted their way to the 2015 Pro Cup Finals with 9-2 romp over shell-shocked Mahaska... the Bucs won their fourth consecutive game and took the TU Final 4 in five games... now for the first time in its history Bay St. Clair will play in the Finals against the winner of Taranto-Marston in the Ruthlandian series... CF Todd Bryant (.295) sparked the win with 3 hits and 3 RBIs, including a 2-run smash in the opening frame... 2B Bud Walker (.380) added 2 hits and 2 RBIs and RF Alejandro Feliciano (.289) chipped in with 2 hits and 2 runs scored... Bobby Joe Belvin (3-1 3.09) worked 8 sharp innings, yielding only 2 runs on 6 hits, while chalking up 9 Ks... losing pitcher Yuri Dozhenko (2-2 2.53) was hit hard for 10 hits and 8 runs, but was charged with only 3 earned runs... The Buccaneers were one of the best hitting clubs in the IPA this season and it continued in the playoffs, despite the fact that Mahaska had one of the best pitching staffs... the Bucs averaged almost 8 runs a game in the series.

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 4, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Final 4 Series

Ruthlandian Union

Taranto Eliminates Marston 8-5 In RU Final 4
The Taranto Tars tore into Marston for 8 runs in the first three innings and came away with an 8-5 victory to eliminate the Nine in six games in the Ruthlandian Final 4... Taranto qualified for its first IPA Pro Cup Final and will go up against the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers of the Tycobbian Union beginning Tuesday in Taranto at the Palazzo di Sport... It's a best-of-seven series... The Buccaneers have never played for the Pro Cup either.

RF Augie Marshall (.364) and pitcher Chazzie DeBartolo (.375) led the Tars attack with 3 RBIs each... Marshall smashed a 3-run shot in the 5-run second and DeBartolo got his with a sac fly in the second and a 2-run single in the third... DeBartolo (3-0 4.45) got the win, but allowed 5 runs on 9 hits... Randy Pitri finished up for DeBartolo and blanked Marston over the final 3 frames on 2 hits for the save... The Nine rapped 11 hits and 3 home runs, but got too deep in the hole early in the game and couldn't make up the difference... 3B Jimmy Holman (.300), RF Richie Mazzone (.341) and LF James Yardley (.324) all went deep for Marston... It was Yardley's 5th in the postseason and Mazzone's 4th... Dennis Townsend (1-2 3.22) suffered the loss as he was tagged for 6 runs in just 2 innings, 4 of them unearned... the Tars only had 6 hits.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 5, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals

High-Scoring Finals, Tars And Bucs Battle
Get warm and stay ready in the bullpen, Taranto and Bay St. Clair both have a wealth of hitters and put runs on the scoreboard. This year could be the highest-scoring Pro Cup in history. Neither the Tars, nor the Buccaneers have an abundance of pitching. The 2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals start tomorrow afternoon at Taranto's Palazzo di Sport, one of the smallest venues in the IPA. The Tars have the homefield advantage in the best-of-seven series. Both ball clubs are making their debuts in the IPA finals.

Tommaso Lazzorda's Tars had a monstrous year with 219 home runs, topping the IPA in most offensive categories. Guy Rondre's Bucs are quite capable, too, but not as potent as Taranto. The clubs are about even on the hill except for Jimmy Mosley (16-4 2.98) and Vito Incardona (13-7 3.26). They give the Tars the edge as far as starters go. Chris Van Arden (11-6 3.13) and Lloyd Weber (19-12 4.02) are the Bucs best hurlers. Both clubs have problems in the relief corps. Defensively they both are good with the gloves and about equal with .976 fielding averages.

Taranto is a strong favorite to hit their way to the IPA crown, but don't dismiss Bay St. Clair too quickly. They surprised powerful Ozarka in the Tycobbian Final 4. The Naturals were picked to win it all in the IPA this season by the baseball experts. Not only did Ozarka hit very well, they had excellent pitching, too. It didn't matter to the Buccaneers, they didn't pay any attention to the experts, who voted Bay St. Clair least likely to win the Pro Cup this year in The Islandian Times poll. Guy Rondre's Bucs finished last in a field of 8 teams. Taranto was rated number two in the poll.

Everybody in Lazzorda's line-up is a threat. Taranto had 8 players with 10 or more homers, led by RF Augie Marshall (.323 BA/47 HR), LF Arnie Kennedy (.309 BA/34 HR) and CF Miles Rogers (.365 BA/20 HR). However, Bay St. Clair has a couple of sluggers in 1B Gerry Fields (.332 BA/46 HR) and SS Jimmy Sawyer (.307 BA/30 HR), along with some excellent contact hitters in LF Bruno DiPirro (.307 BA), 2B Bud Walker (.314 BA), RF Alejandro Feliciano (.296 BA) and C Vince Herbert (.289 BA).

It should be a highly-entertaining series. I'm going to pick Bay St. Clair in an upset in seven games.

Taranto Tars (93-61)
.271 BA (1st)
885 runs (1st)
219 HR (1st)
4.06 ERA (26th)
.976 FA (3rd tied)

Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (86-68)
.273 BA (5th)
761 runs (8th)
174 HR (6th)
4.16 ERA (24th)
.976 FA (5th)

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 6, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 1 At Taranto

Tars Trounce Bucs 10-4 In Pro Cup Opener
Living up to their press, the Taranto Tars trounced Bay St. Clair 10-4 at the tiny Palazzo di Sport in the first game of the 2015 IPA Pro Cup championship series... The Tars bashed 4 home runs and 16 hits en route to an easy win over the Buccaneers... Bay St. Clair stayed close until the sixth and trailed only 5-4, but Taranto put them away with a 4-run explosion in the bottom half of the frame... 1B Augie Marshall (.375), 2B Ed Miles (.261), LF Arnie Kennedy (.275) and 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.196) went deep for the winners... Skrmetta drove in 3 runs for the Tars... Kennedy, Miles and 3B Wayne Pounders (.314) batted in 2 each... the Bucs got 8 hits off Vito Cardona (3-1 4.08), who allowed 8 hits, struck out 7 and walked 3 in a good performance at the Palazzo di Sport... CF Todd Bryant (.298) homered for the Buccaneers... Chris Van Arden (2-2 5.00) was battered for 12 hits in 5+ innings... He was slammed for 7 runs.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 7, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 2 At Taranto

Taranto Shells Bucs Again, Wins 10-0
The shell-shocked Bay St. Clair Bucs will be happy to get out Taranto and the Palazzo di Sport... for the second day in a row the Tars bombed the Buccaneers 10-0 to go up by two games in the best-of-seven affair... Not only did Taranto rack up 17 hits, but Jimmy Mosley (2-2 3.92) hurled a splendid shutout, stopping Bay St. Clair on 7 hits... Mosley issued 2 walks and fanned 7 batters... LF Arnie Kennedy (.291) homered for the second day in a row and batted in 4 runs... Kennedy now has 4 home runs in the playoffs and has driven in 16 runs... CF Bryan Miles (.227) also parked one in the stands for the Tars... RF Augie Marshall (.404) collected 3 hits and drove in 2 for the winners... Lloyd Weber (2-2 5.66) took the brunt of the beating, routed for 8 runs in just 3 innings... manager Guy Rondre is hoping a change of venue will give his Bucs a better chance... the series switches to Shoreline Park for game three tomorrow afternoon... also games four and five, if the Pro Cup Series goes that far.

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 8, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 3 At Bay St. Clair

Tars Top BSC 6-3, Possible Pro Cup Sweep
The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers got back home to the friendly confines of Shoreline Park, but that didn't change anything in the IPA Pro Cup Series... the powerful Taranto Tars racked up their third win in a row and are now within one game of sweeping the Bucs... Chazzie DiBartolo (4-0 4.10) whipped them 6-3 despite giving up 10 hits... Taranto ran up a 6-0 lead before Bay St. Clair could get on the scoreboard in the seventh.. the Tars managed only 7 hits, but it was enough... they took advantage of 6 walks by the Bucs pitchers.. 3B Wayne Pounders (.333) led the way with two hits and a two-run homer... the Bucs outhit the Tars, but to no avail... C Vince Herbert (.264) and CF Orlando Macias (.333) got late-inning homers for the Buccaneers.

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 9, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 4 At Bay St. Clair

Bucs Finally Win, Edge Tars in 11th
Guy Rondre finally got some good pitching and it paid off with a 4-3 triumph in game four of the IPA Pro Cup... Chris Van Arden and Sean Lawrence combined for the 11-inning victory over the Taranto Tars to keep Bay St. Clair alive the best-of-seven series... the red-hot Tars still have a huge three games to one bulge... Van Arden went 9 effective innings and held the powerful Tars to 3 runs on 9 hits and Lawrence (1-0 0.00) logged two scoreless innings for the win... The Bucs got the game-winner when RF Orlando Macias (.385) singled in pinchrunner Bird Dog Burgdorf... Randy Petri (0-1 3.68) was the losing pitcher... He relieved in the 11th... starter Vito Incardona and closer Anthony Zinacola both pitched effectively for Taranto... each team notched 10 hits... the Bucs put two on the board in the first and added another in the fifth to go up 3-0... the Tars rallied with one in the seventh and 2 in the eighth to send the game into overtime... there was only one roundtripper in spacious Shoreline Park... Taranto 2B Ed Miles (.263) hammered one out.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 10, 2015

2015 IPA Pro Cup Finals - Game 5 At Bay St. Clair

Tars Slam Bucs 13-5, Win First Pro Cup
Taranto proved they can hit the ball out of the park any place and anywhere... the Tars boomed 4 out of Shoreline Park and slammed the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers 13-5 to win the 2015 IPA Pro Cup in just five games... it was Tommaso Lazzorda and the Tars first ever IPA championship.

Taranto showed they meant business by blasting the Bucs for 8 runs in the first frame... RF Augie Marshall (.375) and LF Arnie Kennedy (.304) sparked the rampage with 4 RBIs each... Marshall hit 2 homers and Kennedy and 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.279) belted one apiece... Marshall and Kennedy rapped 5 each in the postseason, while Skrmetta had 4... Bay St. Clair's CF Todd Bryant (.328) and LF Bruno DiPirro (.344) went deep, but the Bucs couldn't get any closer than 9-4 in the third... Taranto sent them reeling with 3 more runs in the top of the fourth for an 8-run lead.

Jimmy Mosley (3-2 4.13) came up with another important win... Mosley surrendered 5 runs and 8 hits, but was good enough to win... Surprise starter Don Yaden (0-1) sustained the loss and had to endure the terrible first inning... Guy Rondre gave Yaden the start in hopes that he could slow down the Tars the plate and get the Buccaneers back into the series... Yader was an effective reliever during the season with a 6-1 record in 51 games.

Lazzorda lauded his entire team, saying, "Everybody on the club contributed... the hitters get the press and the glory, but my pitchers did a fine job, too... actually we won because of our pitching... it's not easy to pitch in a place like the Palazzo di Sport and stay sane." He added, "When you have as many good bats as I do, it makes my job a breeze... If there has ever been a better hitting team in the IPA, I have never seen them."

Bay St. Clair's Guy Rondre was greatly disappointed in losing the Pro Cup. He told the press, "I really thought we could beat anybody after we knocked off Ozarka."

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 11, 2015

Marshall and Kennedy Pro Cup MVPs
The 2015 IPA Pro Cup Series was a hitter's delight. Consequently the Most Valuable Player Award went to a pair of prolific hitters: Augie Marshall and Arnie Kennedy of the champion Taranto Tars shared the award. The two sluggers demolished Bay St. Clair pitching and sparked the Tars to the IPA crown in five games.

Marshall, the 21-year-old right fielder, hit .375 in the playoffs with 5 home runs, 18 RBIs and 18 runs scored, while 27-year-old left fielder Arnie Kennedy rapped 5 out of the park, drove in 20 runs, scored 16 times and posted a .304 batting average. Each one of them delivered crucial hits at various times in the postseason. Chazzie DiBartolo played a big part in the Tars title run with a fine 4-0 record and was the only other votegetter in the poll.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 12, 2015

2015 Ruthlandian Union Finals Batting Statistics

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 14, 2015

RU Announces 2015 Top Gloves
In baseball circles, a player who has good range, a good arm, and good hands is a great catch. Clubs strive to be strong in the field, especially "up the middle." Solid defenders can make a difference in the outcome of tight games and tight pennant races. Only two multiple winners this season. Hal Stevenson of Sugar Valley copped his 4th Gold Glove and Norm Owens grabbed his second trophy. The Golden Glove Awards for 2015 in the Ruthlandian Union go to these standout defenders:

Pitcher: Kolya Romanov (Valmara Vipers) 15-18 3.59 ERA .989 FA
Catcher: Hal Stevenson (Sugar Valley Rattlers) .321 BA .994 FA/3 PB/32.7% RTO
First Baseman: Mike Luzzatti (Claxton Diamonds) .308 BA .994 FA
Second Baseman: James Whitehurst (Kilkenny Cats) .236 BA .987 FA
Third Baseman: Jug Slavin (Grand City Cybercats) .341 BA .987 FA
Shortstop: Gil Lantz (Eastshore Elegants) .264 BA .971 FA
Left Fielder: Tony Piel (Glasco Athletics) .310 BA .990 FA
Center Fielder: Ryan Smith (Fort Benton Defenders) .319 BA .996 FA
Right Fielder: Norm Owens (San Dimas Rancheros) .302 BA .997 FA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 15, 2015

TU Names Golden Glove Award Choices for 2015
Golden Glove Awards are the symbol for defensive excellence, a recognition of the best of the best in defense. Rocco Belasario was named for this 4th time to the Golden Glove squad, Jim Schubert for the 3rd time and Erik Vayda, Bob Steitz and Derek Ryckman have been selected two times. The Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Award trophies for 2015 have been awarded to these outstanding fielders:

Pitcher: Al Myers (Ginza Ninjas) 16-20 3.93 ERA .978 FA
Catcher: Jim Schubert (Red Bluff Red Sox) .266 BA .993 FA/6 PB/ 31.0% RTO
First Baseman: Erik Vayda (Tuckanarra Blue Jays) .315 BA .996 FA
Second Baseman: Bud Walker (Bay St. Clair Buccaneers) .314 BA .990 FA
Third Baseman: Kendry Moulton (Hartsdale Hellcats) .322 BA .968 FA
Shortstop: Bob Steitz (La Claire Lynx) .272 BA .976 FA
Left Fielder: Rocco Belasario (Arlon Champions) .304 BA .979 FA
Center Fielder: Derek Ryckman (Cape Coral Hurricanes) .251 BA .998 FA
Right Fielder: Danny Redd (Tuckanarra Blue Jays) .324 BA .986 FA

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 16, 2015

Ruthlandian Union Picks #1 Rookie
Bryan Frazier's age didn't show very often in his first year. He performed more like a veteran on the hill for the Far Mountain Redhawks and today he walked away with the 2015 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award. The 21-year-old starter registered a 21-11 record this season in 37 starts. Over 297 innings he gave up 235 hits, struck out 187 and issued 115 walks as he held the opposition to a .222 batting average and fashioned a 3.12 ERA. The Redhawks wound up second to Taranto in the RU North race.

Dennis Townsend was the runner-up to Frazier. Townsend led Marston to the RU East flag with 20-13 mark and a 3.40 ERA. Third in the balloting was Forest City's George Arnick. The 21-year-old catcher hit .306 with 18 homers and 76 runs batted in.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 17, 2015

Dumas Best Rookie in 2015
The brightest new star in the Tycobbian Union has been named. The 2015 Rookie of the Year Award has been handed out to Ozarka's third baseman Andre Dumas, who outshined all of his first-year peers in the balloting and on the diamond. He hit .344 for the Ozarka Naturals, racking up 201 hits, 44 home runs, 124 RBIs and 104 runs scored to capture the trophy. The 27-year-old Dumas led the Nats to the TU East pennant.

Dumas had to beat out two of his teammates pitcher Wayne Gates and first baseman Benny Rousseau. Gates finished second in the poll with a 23-9 record and a 3.05 ERA, while Rousseau came in third. Rousseau batted .325 with 34 homers, 102 RBIs and 77 runs.

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 18, 2015

Valenti Tops Best Hitter List
Beechwood's Vic Valenti put up some impressive numbers during the 2015 campaign to seal his bid for Golden Bat Award. The 23-year-old center fielder hit Ruthlandian Union pitchers with first class efficiency as he piled up a .383 batting average and won the batting crown. He also chalked up 215 hits, 31 doubles, 4 triples, 45 home runs and 120 RBIs to round out the year in fine style.

Waleska's center fielder Roy Hobbs was a close second in the poll with a .365 average, 42 roundtrippers, 125 RBIs and 124 runs scored. Taranto's Augie Marshall wound up third, batting .325 with 47 home runs, 131 RBIs and 109 runs. The 21-year-old right fielder led the RU in homers and RBIs and paced Taranto to the RU North championship.

Tycobbian Union Names Top Hitter
Jack Elliott continued his rampage against Tycobbian Union pitchers and collected the Golden Bat Award for 2015. It's the third year in a row he has taken the trophy. The High Mesa first baseman battered the opposition for 214 hits, 37 doubles, 11 triples, 56 home runs and 135 RBIs, while scoring 139 runs. He hit .363 and posted a .446 on-base percentage. Elliott has won the award every year he has played in the IPA. He topped the IPA in homers and runs scored. For the first time in his career, Elliott won the batting crown in the Tycobbian Union, too. He almost won the Triple Crown, but was beaten out by Clyde Kingsford in the RBI race.

Turon's Clyde Kingsford finished second in the vote. The Typhoon first sacker had another very strong season with 45 home runs, 140 RBIs and a .321 batting average. Kingsford led IPA in RBIs. Another first baseman Marty Blake of White River ended up third in the balloting. He batted .327 with 45 homers, 128 RBIs and 110 runs scored.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 19, 2015

RU Names Szabo Golden Arm Award Winner
After 13 years in the IPA, Ilya Szabo has no intention of going anywhere anytime soon. The 36-year-old Blasters starter hoisted up the Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award earlier today for the fourth time in his illustrious career. Szabo crafted a league-leading ERA of 1.99 as he won 23 games, dropped 12, fanned 218 and gave up 71 walks in 321 innings of work. Szabo posted 20 complete games with 4 shutouts and sparked Colfax to the RU West division title.

Rocky Rapids Don Chaney led the entire IPA with 26 victories and wound up number two in the Golden Arm poll. Chaney had a sparkling 2.36 ERA and 20 complete games to help the Snappers to a third-place spot in the tough RU West. He notched 4 shutouts and suffered 12 defeats. Szabo's pitching mate, Rodger Wright, was third in the balloting with a 23-9 mark and a 2.39 ERA.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 20, 2015

Tycobbian Union Pitcher of the Year Named
The Turon Typhoons have a superstar and a budding Hall-of-Famer. It's Nicky Engstrom, this year's Tycobbian Union Golden Arm Award selection. This gifted hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance. He has now won the best pitcher award three times. The 26-year-old Engstrom compiled a 24-12 record in 39 starts, tallied 266 strikeouts in 289 innings and recorded a 1.96 ERA. Other clubs managed only a .208 batting average against him. It's the sixth straight season Engstrom has gone over the 20-victory mark. He has never failed to win 20 games in his career. Engstrom had the best ERA in the IPA and also won the most games in the TU. The Typhoons came in second in the TU South, missing the playoffs by just one game.

Mahaska's young 21-year-old southpaw Joey Wallace had a marvelous year with a 23-9 record and a 2.05 ERA to wind up second in the poll. Wallace led the Haymakers to the TU north pennant this year. Summerland's solid veteran Denny Coulon was in third place in the voting with a 23-13 mark and a 2.58 ERA. Not bad at all for a fifth-place team. Coulon is 36 and has played 15 seasons in the IPA.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Bobcats Valenti Captures RU MVP
He's only 23 years old with just three years in the IPA, but Vic Valenti has gotten better every season. The Beechwood center fielder put up some fabulous numbers in 2015 to capture the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player honors. Valenti topped the league with a .383 batting average, rapped 45 homers, drove in 120 and scored 119 runs.

Rocky Rapids pitcher Donnie Chaney was the runner-up for the award. Chaney led the IPA with 26 victories. He lost 12 games and compiled a very impressive 2.36 ERA. Taranto slugger Augie Marshall came in third in the vote. Marshall paced the RU with 47 home runs and 131 RBIs, while registering a .323 batting average. He also scored 109 times.

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 22, 2015

Turon's Kingsford Proclaimed TU's MVP
The Turon Typhoons sensational first baseman Clyde Kingsford again stood out in the Tycobbian Union and came away with the 2015 Most Valuable Player Award. The remarkable Kingsford was one of the keys to Turon's second-place finish in the TU South. He led the entire IPA with 140 runs batted in, hit .321, smacked 45 home runs and scored 104 runs.

Mahaska's splendid southpaw Joey Wallace was second in the balloting. Wallace led the Haymakers to the TU north pennant with a 23-9 record and 2.05 ERA. Third in the poll was High Mesa's tremendous Jack Elliott, who was the IPA home run leader with 56. Elliott also had the TU's best batting average at .363 and just barely missed the Triple Crown by 5 RBIs, ranking third in the league.

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 28, 2015

Tars Lazzorda Nabs RU Top Skipper Award
It has been quite a few years since anyone but Far Mountain claimed the RU North. This year Tommaso Lazzorda guided his Taranto Tars to a magnificent season and toppled the Redhawks in a sterling duel by 3 games. Taranto was 93-61, while Far Mountain was 90-64. This is the first time Lazzorda has won the honor. Stacy Engel was the runner-up in the poll as his Claxton Diamonds shot up from seventh place to the top spot in the RU South with an 88-66 record. Marston's Johnny Walters was in the third spot. His Nine took another RU East crown with a 92-62 mark. Far Mountain's Alex Groveland wound up fourth in the voting. He did a great job considering he lost his number one pitcher to retirement and almost overcame the loss.

Carney Wins TU Best Manager Award
Joe Mac Carney mastermind the Ozarka Naturals rise from fifth to first this season in the Tycobbian Union and has been selected the Manager of the Year. Under Carney the Nats were 99-55, which was the best record in the IPA this year. He is a first-time winner of the award. Coming in second in the voting was Huggy Miller of the Cape Coral Hurricanes. He engineered a division title in the TU South with a 90-64 record. The 'Canes had finished fifth the previous season. Bay St. Clair's Guy Rondre was rated third in the poll. His Buccaneers climbed up from fifth to first in the TU East with an 86-68 mark.

2016 Season coming up soon.

The Islandian Times
Sunday, June 19, 2016

IPA All-Star Game Wednesday In Taranto, Stars Announced
The 16th Annual IPA All-Star Game is set for Taranto this Wednesday afternoon pitting the best of the Ruthlandian Union and the best of the Tycobbian Union. It will be played at the little "boom box", the Palazzo di Sport, where home runs fly out with much regularity. The two leagues announced their stars today. Tycobbian holds a wide lead in the series 11-4 and has won the last three years. Ozarka, Ginza and North Hills each had three players picked for the Tycobbian stars, while Taranto, Volusia, Rocky Rapids, Sugar Valley and Far Mountain in Ruthlandian had two players apiece.

2016 Ruthlandian All-Stars

SP I. Szabo (CFX) 7 times (10-6)
SP G. Hersh (VOL) 3 times (10-4)
SP V. Vasylenko (VLM) first time (13-6)
SP B. Ray (BEE) first time (10-3)
SP D. Chaney (RR) 3 times (10-5)
SP J. Meeks (WYN) first time (10-4)
MR T. Zenon (FC) first time (10-0)
CL D. Osborn (FTB) first time (5-4 14 saves)
CL W. Murrell (SV) first time (3-2 16 saves)
C H. Bethel (RR) 10 times (.322 BA)
C L. Carter (ELN) 4 times (.390 BA)
C H. Stevenson (SV) 8 times (.313 BA)
1B P. Gravelli (CL) 9 times (.374 BA)
1B M. Luzzatti (CLX) 8 times (.331 BA)
1B R. Armstrong (SD) 5 times (.319 BA)
2B G. Garner (ETS) first time (.337 BA)
2B J. Whitehurst (KIL) first time (.323 BA)
3B M. McAllister (FM) first time (.271 BA)
3B J. Slavin (GC ) 2 times (.324 BA)
SS L. Sullivan (GLS) 2 times (.293 BA)
SS V. Wilson (VOL) 2 times (.351 BA)
LF A. Kennedy (TAR) 3 times (.337 BA)
LF K. Willard (ANC) first time (.325 BA)
LF J. Judlin (FC) 2 times (.280 BA)
CF R. Woodward (MAR) first time (.319 BA)
CF R. Hobbs (WLK) 3 times (.357 BA)
CF J. DeLucca (VOL) 3 times (.354 BA)
RF R. Rich (GC ) first time (.380 BA)
RF A. Marshall (TAR) 4 times (.325 BA)

The Tycobbian Union All-Stars will feature these players:

SP H. Turi (BAY) first time (13-1)
SP R. Salisbury (CC) first time (13-4)
SP B. Osterman (OZK) 2 times (12-3)
SP T. Ruffin (CHI) 2 times (8-5)
SP B. Coates (BSC) first time (13-3)
SP L. Dozier (NH) first time (13-3)
SP S. Swensen (SF)first time (13-2)
SP C. Trebek (GIN) first time (11-6)
CL K. Harimoto (GIN) first time (3-1 17 saves)
C P. Gibbs (DC) 2 times (.325 BA)
C J. Kucks (BL) first time (.325 BA)
C C. Davis (GIN) 4 times (.351 BA)
C T. Simons (NH) 4 times (.347 BA)
1B J. Elliott (HM) 4 times (.370 BA)
1B C. Kingsford (TUR) 4 times (.341 BA)
1B M. Blake (WR) first time (.342 BA)
1B H. Roscoe (CCH) 4 times (.360 BA)
2B T. Chadwick (OZK) 6 times (.291 BA)
2B L. Moon (CC) first time (.309 BA)
3B A. Dumas (OZK) first time (.365 BA)
3B K. Benson (BAY) 4 times (.344 BA)
3B F. Devlin (LC) 2 times (.336 BA)
SS A. Pearson (AG) 3 times (.361 BA)
SS J. Turchin (HAR) 6 times (.348 BA)
LF D. Krueger (BAY) 3 times (.312 BA)
LF Z. Deshotel (LC) 7 times (.329 BA)
CF R. Michael (SF) 2 times (.392 BA)
CF J. Olson (EP) first time (.296 BA)
RF B. Bechtel (AG) 2 times (.298 BA)
RF B. Blackburn (NH) first time (.352 BA)
RF D. Nordhagen (LUX) first time (.305 BA)

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 22, 2016

2016 IPA All-Star Game At The Palazzo di Sport in Taranto

TU Stars Bombard RU Stars 9-5 In 16th All-Star Game
Not much of a contest as the Tycobbian All-Stars blasted the Ruthlandian All-Stars 9-5 at Taranto's Palazzo di Sport... Tycobbian ran up an 8-0 lead before the Ruthlandian bats came alive too late in the eighth... It was the TU Stars fourth triumph in a row and gave them a huge 12-4 advantage in the series... LF Davey Krueger (Bayview) copped the MVP award by scoring twice and driving in 3 runs... Tycobbia had a slight edge in total hits 11-10... 2B Todd Chadwick (Ozarka) had a two-run homer for the winners and 2B Lonnie Moon (Cape Coral) also went deep with a solo shot... RF Ricky Rich (Grand City) led Ruthlandia with 3-for-3 and 2 RBIs... Benny Osterman (Ozarka) got the win with 2 scoreless frames in the 4th and 5th, while starter Tommy Zenon (Forest City) suffered the defeat... Tycobbia got to him for 2 runs in the opening inning.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

2016 Ruthlandian North Final Standings and Team Batting Stats

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

2016 Ruthlandian North Final Recap

FM Redhawks Back On Top, Edge Tars
2015 was an "off-year" for Far Mountain - they finished second to the Pro Cup champion Taranto Tars - but this season the Redhawks regrouped, recharged and captured their seventh RU North pennant in eight years, topping Taranto by 3 games. Kilkenny was third, 7 games back. No other team was close.

Far Mountain Redhawks (89-65) were paced by All-Star SS Don Nichols (.324/27/104/121) and CF Jonas Boehm (.322/22/98/93)... however manager Alex Groveland's strong point was his pitching staff, led by 39-year-old Robby Kelly (18-8 3.82) and 24-year-old Woody Crawford (20-14 3.12)... the Redhawks play good defense with a healthy .976 FA... offensively they are only average with a .260 average (17th), but Far Mountain was 9th in scoring... look for the Redhawks to be a serious contender for the Pro Cup trophy in this year's playoffs.

Tommaso Lazzorda was disappointed that the Taranto Tars (86-68) will not get a chance to defend its IPA title... the Tars still hit the dickens out of the ball with 216 homers (1st), still have good starters and still play good defense, but they just couldn't beat Far Mountain... Taranto led the RU with a .277 BA, had decent pitching considering they play in a very small stadium and are good defensively with a .977 FA... Vito Incardona (21-11 2.83) had a brilliant season... former closer Angelo Zinacola (19-6 3.70) made a good transition to starting... and Chazzie DeBartolo (16-11 4.18) had a good season, too... at bat it was All-Stars LF Arnie Kennedy (.324/37/107/114) and RF Augie Marshall (.313/39/122/95) that led the way with help from 2B Ed Miles (.288/23/99/116).

The Kilkenny Cats (82-72) are a good ball club, but can't match the bats of Far Mountain and Taranto... skipper Kieran McKenna has two strong starters in Sidney McFarland (20-15 2.36) and Kyle Ferguson (19-13 3.15)... but only one good hitter in 1B Monty Edwards (.294/13/103/71).

The LaGrange Sports (76-78) wound up in fourth place and trailed by 13 games... Foxy Jimison has two quality starters: vets Pablo Orantes (18-14 3.10) and Denny Kristensen (17-14 3.30)... and two quality bats in future HOF'er LF Quincy Peterson (.272/22/94/98) and RF Joel Reed (.299/24/114/79)... both are getting up in age and tapering off in offensive numbers... at 39 and 37, both have over 1000 RBIs and 1000 runs lifetime... the Sports are a bad fielding team with a .967 FA.

Page Satcher's Ranford Bulls (75-79) improved a bit over last year and came in fifth in the RU North, 14 games off the pace... Ranford's top hurlers were Val Hudson (20-14 3.40) and Charlie Aston (17-15 3.67)... the Bulls were wretched at the plate with a .247 (25th) batting average... bad defense, too, with a .968 FA.

The Ancona Red Elephants (73-81) were the darlings of the league at mid-season... Manny Mickens actually had them in first place, but they swooned in the second half and fell 16 games behind and into the sixth spot in the standings... standouts were rookie Clete Dukas (17-15 3.54) and veteran reliever John Sharpe (5-6 2.90) on the mound... Sharpe posted 23 saves... and All-Star LF Kenny Willard (.332/43/117/111), who had a career season... and LF Louie DiMucci (.302/25/81/87), who started strong, but fell off in the second half.

It was not a good year for manager J. Jackson Samuel in Valmara (69-85)... the Vipers finished seventh, 20 games out... they were terrible at the plate with .241 mark (32nd)... however All-Star Vanya Vasylenko (20-13 2.94) had a remarkable season on the hill... and rookie closer Frank Favazzo (3-1 1.99) stood out and showed potential with 16 saves after taking over the spot at mid-year.

The Glasco Athletics (64-90) slumped badly and wound up 25 games behind and in the cellar... McDuffie Hughes is accustomed to being a first-division team... it's the first time the A's have finished last in the RU North... his best performers were starter Nick DeVille (17-15 3.64), reliever Jack Hatcher (2-2 2.81) with 22 saves and All-Star SS Lee Sullivan (.281/22/88/80).

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

2016 Ruthlandian South Final Standings and Team Batting Stats

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

2016 Ruthlandian South Final Recap

BB Sunbirds Runaway With RU South
The Belair Beach Sunbirds made shambles of the Ruthlandian South this season and ran away with it. Marty Pedroza's Sunbirds nabbed their third pennant in five years and fifth in history. Finishing far out of the running were second place Waleska, 17 games behind, third place San Dimas, 19 games back and fourth place Valka 19 games out. The rest of the RU feast on the South division. Only division winner Belair Beach had a winning record.

The Belair Beach Sunbirds (87-67) do everything fairly well... hit .265 (11th), score sufficiently (18th), have a quality 3.68 team ERA (12th) and field well with a .976 FA... Groot Tenbrook (4-3 2.52) handles the closing role well with 34 saves (3rd)... Denny Whitaker (18-16 3.71) paced the starters with help from rookie left-hander Rik Flippen (12-7 3.55)... offensive leaders were 1B Derek Krohn (.258/25/103/62) and C Little Jake Bungarooba (.323/10/63/88)... Belair Beach will have a tough time in the Pro Cup playoffs against powerhouses Far Mountain and Eastshore.

The runner-up Waleska Westerners (70-84) have two outstanding players and little else... at age 23 All-Star CF Roy Hobbs (.348/45/120/124) is already as good as anybody in the IPA and 34-year-old RF Kippy Doyle (.315/27/108/70) is a possible Hall-of-Famer with 13 years in the IPA and a career .301 batting average... Doyle is a 4-time All-Star... with Hobbs and Doyle carrying the load, the Westerners hit .269 (3rd), but don't score well, ranking 21st in the RU... pitching-wise manager McGraw Johnson's mound staff is just average with a 3.90 ERA (19th).

The third place San Dimas Rancheros (68-86) are pathetic in pitching with a 4.66 ERA (32nd)... that's skipper Paco Banderos' main dilemma... his best players are All-Star 1B Ron Armstrong (.287/23/77/86) and RF Norm Owens (.289/24/95/90)... the 38-year-old Armstrong is a 5-time All-Star with over 1400 RBIs and 364 homers in his 16 seasons in the IPA... he should be considered for the Hall-of-Fame upon retirement.

Fourth in the standings were the Valka Blackhawks (67-87), guided by Jaan Kurus... like most of the teams in the TU South, the Blackhawks did not hit well (.246) and were only average on the hill with a 3.88 ERA (17th) and in the field with a .972 FA... Valka has quality starters that go deep in the game, headed by work horse Eddie Lasky (19-17 3.35), Arno Vainmaa (15-16 3.59) and Ivo Jaanson (13-17 3.77)... CF Alyosha Vyshnyakov is the top batter with 32 home runs and 92 runs batted in, but hit only .240 and struck out 142 times.

Last year's division winner Claxton (66-88) dipped to fifth this season, 21 games off the pace... Stacy Engel's Diamonds do well at plate with a .264 BA and 174 homers (3rd)... they score well, ranking 5th... but don't have much pitching with a lofty 4.51 team ERA (30th)... not too good defensively, either, with a poor .968 FA... Claxton's top performer is future HOF-er and All-Star Mike Luzzatti (.335/38/112/108)... the 11-year great has made the All-Star team 8 times... 23-year-old RF K. C. Moerdijk (.278/31/78/128) provided power and 44 stolen bases (4th-tied)... on the mound 40-year-old Alex Vanzetti (12-6 3.79) was Engel's most reliable arm.

Not much to say about the remaining clubs in the RU South... all they had were a few standouts... the Crystal Lake wound up far back in the race, tied for sixth with Grand City, both 25 games behind champion Belair Beach... pulling up the rear were the hapless St. John Crusaders, 27 games out.

Crystal Lake (62-92) is managed by Herman "Baby" George... his top players are 38-year-old pitcher Rocky Trahan (17-13 3.62) and position players All-Star 1B Phil Gravelli (.357/43/142/98) and young RF Chip Fiske (.324/4/39/94)... Gravelli made the All-Star club for his 9th time and is a shoo-in for the IPA Hall-of-Fame... the 32-year-old Gravelli led the IPA with 142 RBIs and had one of his better seasons... he is the IPA lifetime leader with 544 homers and 1763 RBIs and carries a .320 career batting average.

The Grand City Cybercats (62-92) did not fare well in 2016, but Torry Joseph does have two fine performers in All-Star RF Ricky Rich (.340/21/92/93) and All-Star 3B Jud Slavin (.304/12/77/85)... Rich is only 24, while Slavin is just 22... the Cybercats are poor at everything in the game except on defense, where they are top-notch with an excellent .978 FA.

The St. John Crusaders (60-94) with Willie Dickens at the helm have very little talent... 3B Vinny Sardisco (.301/19/70/79) is his best batter and 13-year vet Teddy Garson (11-21 3.94) is the best pitcher.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

2016 Ruthlandian East Final Standings and Team Batting Stats

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

2016 Ruthlandian East Final Recap

Elegants Surprise In RU East
It's been 14 long years since the Eastshore fans had anything to cheer about. That's when the team last made the playoffs. Their Elegants surprised them and the entire league by sweeping to the top of the Ruthlandian East this season to win their first ever division pennant. Eastshore whipped the Beachwood Bobcats by 5 games, Sugar Valley by 11 games and last year's champ, the Marston Nine by 13 games.

Outstanding pitching, strong offense and an big influx of talented rookies are the primary reasons Eastshore (96-58) won more games than anyone in the RU this year and rose up from a fourth-place finish in 2015... Manager Killer Brewster's mound corps chalked up an excellent 3.22 team ERA (3rd), sparked by the terrific 35-year-old rookie Danny Siegfried (26-8 2.25), who tied for the IPA lead in total victories with another rookie, Bayview's Harald Turi... the Elegants had four fine starters with three 20-game winners... Eddie Lance (20-9 3.38) and Al Froelich (20-15 3.63) were the other two... Melvin Key (16-14 3.64) gave Brewster a quality fourth starter... first-year man Jack Wilson was a strong closer, too, with a microscopic 1.09 ERA in 53 appearances, 32 saves and a 5-5 record... and it didn't stop there - Eastshore can score... they ranked second in scoring, fifth in homers with 155 and seventh with a .267 team batting average... top hitters were three rookies, All-Star 2B Gerry Garner (.300/26/97/79), CF Larry Lowe (.283/13/60/102) and 3B George Alford (.266/23/94/75)... Eastshore's only weakness is its lousy .967 FA... Nonetheless, the Elegants are primed for a good run at the IPA Pro Cup title and will give Far Mountain, Belair Beach and Colfax some stiff competition for the Ruthlandian crown.

The Beechwood Bobcats (91-63) had a fine season under skipper Bret George, but didn't possess the talent Eastshore had... they ran a good second to Eastshore with good hitting, pitching and fielding... the Bobcats batted .259 (19th), scored well (8th) and had good power (7th in HRs) and played solid defense with a .975 FA... All-Star rookie Billy Ray posted a sensational 21-8 mark with a 2.37 ERA... 16-year vet Terry Kuznetsov (14-14 3.19) was George's number two starter... his number 3 and 4 starters were Troy Neitzel (18-12 4.06) and Knucks Nomellini (16-12 4.44) struggled at times and had high ERAs... Bobcat bats saved their butts quite a few times... Beechwood's best bats were star CF Vic Valenti (.304/34/102/103), last year's RU MVP... 1B Ray Slater (.290/14/72/98) and veteran 38-year-old SS Rolf Kellgren (.270/9/49/101).

Gibby Bobkins' Sugar Valley Rattlers (85-69) have been terrible the last four seasons, languishing near the bottom in seventh and eight place... this year they had some bite in their rattle and climbed up to the third spot in the RU East standings... Bobkins has three quality starters in Ed Clavell (18-16 3.02), Connie Ehrlichmann (15-8 3.48) and Nick Moore (16-14 3.51)... and an All-Star closer Woody Murrell (7-4 1.57), who had a standout year with 35 saves, tied with Dan Stevens of Wynnamac for the IPA lead... top hitters were future Hall-of-Famer C Hal Stevenson (.296/27/91/98), who made the All-Star squad for the 8th time and may wind up with over 500 career homers... and steady RF Kent Swain (.290/22/102/82).

The Marston Nine (83-71) won the RU East the previous two years, but slumped to the fourth place this season... still a good club, but just not as good as the Eastshore and Beechwood... veteran pitchers Dennis Townsend (12-16 4.04) and Hunk Sweitzer (8-16 5.66) just didn't produce as in the past... closer Bobby Daniel was good but inconsistent... Daniel posted a 2.48 ERA and 27 saves, but lost 10 games with only 3 wins... manager Johnny Walters did have two 20-game winners in vet Roberto Conception (20-9 3.02) and 20-year-old rookie Ronnie Flynn (22-11 3.19)... at the plate All-Star CF Russ Woodward (.333/45/120/101) and 3B Jimmy Holman (.282/24/89/76) led the way... Marston is still very good on defense with a .976 FA.

The Wynnamac Sundowners (76-78) ended up 20 games off the pace and in fifth place under the direction of Matt Donnelly... the club has adequate offense, but needs improved pitching and better defense to contend... the Sundowner defense is near the bottom with a very poor .966 FA... top hurlers are All-Star Jerry Meeks (20-12 2.91) and 39-year-old Skeets Hobart (14-8 3.42)... top hitters are legendary star LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.319/32/107/101), still a threat at age 38... Burkhalter has over 1600 RBIs in his 16 IPA seasons... and 40-year-old CF Clive Farnham (.297/21/87/86).

Since its last pennant in 2012, T. Kelly Holmes' Cold Creek Catamounts (75-79) have slipped into mediocrity... this season they tied for sixth with Elnora, trailing by 21 games... Cold Creek needs better pitching and hitting to challenge in the RU East... however, Holmes does have some talented, but aging players in pitchers Marc Matherne (21-14 3.69) and Payton Saunders (16-13 3.67) and position players CF Trip Holmes (.305/28/96/93), RF Emile Stosha (.319/18/77/92) and 1B Terry Sauer (.292/17/97/75)... Trip Holmes and Stosha had been fine hitters for many years... Holmes is a tremendous glove man and an all-around bonafide star, who might sneak into the IPA Hall-of-Fame... in his 15 seasons Holmes has batted .286 with 350 roundtrippers, scored 1489 runs and batted in 1304 runs.

Zoggy White's Elnora All-Stars (75-79) tumbled down to a sixth-place tie this season... lack of pitching and home run power are the main shortcomings... it's hard to compete with a 4.11 ERA (25th) and 111 home runs (26th)... White's team does handle the gloves well with a .976 FA... but Elnora has one of the best players in the IPA in All-Star C Leon Carter, who racked up a .354 BA with 28 homers, 110 RBIs and scored 100 runs... Carter has made the All-Star team all four years he has played in the IPA... 34-year-old RF Lloyd Voss is a strong contact hitter with two league batting crowns... Voss hit .315 this year with 10 home runs, 67 RBIs and 97 runs... Career-wise Voss is batting at a lofty .338 clip in his 11 IPA seasons.

The Belle Plaine Musketeers (62-92) had another dismal year under manager Boo Ladrieux, winding up in the RU East basement and a very distant 34 games behind pennant winner Eastshore... the Muskies have average pitching, but crummy hitting... Belle Plaine batted only .245 (27th) with only 97 home runs (31st)... nowhere near what you need to be a contender in the IPA... Ladrieux's only bright spots are his 23-year-old rookie closer Fabian Moreau (2-6 2.49), who saved 26 games and 24-year-old SS Scott Hammill (.311/19/71/73), who had made the RU All-Star team twice in his four years in the league.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 20, 2016

2016 Ruthlandian West Final Standings and Team Batting Stats