Yesterday in the IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 2, 2002

IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Three

Cowboys Smash All-Stars 10-1, IPA Champions
The Cowboys are the champions of pro baseball in Islandia... High Mesa smashed the Elnora All-Stars 10-1 in game three at Queen Ranch Stadium to sweep all three games of the IPA Pro Cup Series... The Cowboys clouted 19 hits to easily rout the All-Stars... A 6-run surge in the fourth inning sparked the victory... Leading the way was C Jay Fessler (.361) with a 5-for-5 day... He scored twice and batted in three... 3B Howie Partridge (.300) had two hits and three RBIs... and LF Adam Zitek (.232) homered and drove in two runs... Everyone in the High Mesa line-up got at least one hit, including winning pitcher Kael Claxton... Claxton (2-0 3.63) tossed a fine game, stopping Elnora on just five hits, finishing up with five strikeouts and five walks... Manager Zoggy White of Elnora told reporters, "The Cowboys have outstanding hitters throughout the line-up... there ain't no easy outs."... The winning manager, Frisky Franks, gave credit to the whole ballclub, "Every man on our roster contributed at one time or another throughout the whole season... they made my job easy."

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 4, 2002

High Mesa SS Kellgren Voted Pro Cup MVP
The MVP trophy for the IPA Pro Cup Series has gone to High Mesa's standout shortstop Rolf Kellgren... Kellgren hit .466 with 8 doubles, 1 triple and 4 homers as he led the Cowboys to the IPA title, beating the Elnora All-Stars in a three-game sweep... Kellgren also scored 14 runs and batted in 13... Ranking second and third in the BNN balloting were two teammates... Right fielder Kenny Edelstein was second... He compiled a .426 batting average with two homers, 9 RBIs and 15 runs scored... coming in third was left fielder Adam Zitek, who had 5 doubles, 3 roundtrippers, 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored, while batting .232.

Elnora's Taylor Gibbs finished fourth in the vote... Gibbs was 3-1 in the postseason with a fine 2.61 ERA... All-Star left fielder Quincy Peterson ranked fifth... Peterson hit .439 with a pair of homers, 9 RBIs and scored 9 times...Also receiving votes were Elnora's Charlie Murphy, who was unbeaten in the playoffs, winning three and losing none with a 3.38 ERA... He also pitched well against the new champions, going seven innings and giving up only two runs in the opening game of the series, won in extra innings 5-4 by High Mesa.

2002 Islandian Pro Alliance Award Winners
Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award, Golden Arm Award, Rookie of the Year Award
Attachment 853362

Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award, Golden Arm Award, Rookie of the Year Award
Attachment 853363

Yesterday in the IPA


The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Valmara's Kazmarek First IPA .400 Hitter
Outfielder Jet Kazmarek of the Valmara Vipers had an historic season this year. He hit everything in sight and then some, chalking up an astounding .428 batting average. No one came within 74 points of him. "To be the first to do it in the IPA is a great honor," said Kazmarek. "It's been an unbelievable season... beyond my wildest dreams."

Kazmarek's 248 hits included 49 doubles, 29 triples and 15 home runs. He also scored 135 runs and batted in 111. He also stole 80 bases to complete a once-in-a-lifetime year. In his initial season in 2001, Kazmarek batted .314 and led the league in stolen bases with 70 and triples with 26.

I just ran across this in researching the 2003 IPA season.
Thought I would share it with all of you.
It brought back some good memories of my real life.

Never really thought about it. I love the whole league.

I guess my favorite player would Danny Church, a light-hitting shortstop for the Belair Beach Sunbirds. My real name is Daniel Eugene Church, but have always gone by Danny except here on the forum. I gave him ratings based on my baseball talent and experience. After three years, Church is hitting a career .273 (.245, .296, .277). He is a sure-handed infielder and ranks high in assists with a .977 FA and good range. Batting-wise Church averages 27 doubles, 7 triples and 8 homers with 70 walks and 55 Ks over the three seasons with 71 runs scored and 57 RBIs. He's a good baserunner, but not fast. Church steals about 7 bases a season. He's just a good, solid shortstop and will never make the All-Star team. We just see how Danny Church develops. He is in his early 20s. I hope he has many years left in the IPA.

My favorite town in the Islands would be Belair Beach as it is very similar to Mobile, Alabama where I grew up. I love living in the US South for its great food, climate and easy life style. It is city life, but with a small town feeling.

But really and truly, after thinking about it, my favorite player in the IPA is Charles Darby, a pitcher for the Glasco Athletics. In real life he was my very talented cousin. He is the one who gave me a love for sports and baseball that has made my life so special. He was 18 years old and I was 10 and he used to take me to his semi-pro baseball games every Sunday in Florence, Alabama. He played for the Monumental Park Red Sox. Charles was a talented and gifted pitcher. I would keep track of his strikeouts in the game and would let him know at the end of the game. He threw hard and one game had 18 Ks in a pretty fast league. I think he could have made it in pro baseball. He was a workhorse and quite good. He could swing a good bat, too. But the Korean War intervened in his life as he served four years in the Navy aboard the carrier, the Bon Homme Richard. At the end of the war, he left his sports career behind to make a living. We had some great summers together during his baseball days. We seldom saw each other in later years, usually at family gatherings. He died at 72 a few years ago.

Charles was a big brother that I never had. He really could do anything. He could sing great harmony and could have been a fine singer, pop, country and gospel. Sadly he never really used his talents to the fullest. He had so much potential he could have succeeded in any endeavor.

In gratitude for what he meant to my life, I put him in my Islandian Pro Alliance. I always wished he has been a pro baseball player. I think he would have done well. He had the potential to play Double A or Triple A baseball in the 1950s. OOTPB made it possible for him to live again. I can once again count his strikeouts.

Charles Darby is 53-48 in three years with the Glasco A's with a 3.45 ERA, 7 shutouts and 45 complete games. He was 18-16, 18-14 and 17-18. Glasco finished 5th, 1st and 4th in those seasons.

One of the best players I ever played ball with was Rick Fargnoli, who I played with in the USAF in 1960 in Turkey. He was a great shortstop. I had to played third base because of him. :( Rick could hit like Derek Jeter, but was much better in the field than the Yankee. Once time a guy hit a line drive in the hole and to my left at third base. I leaped and almost caught it. Well, Rick also leaped out --- and fully-extended horizontally, he caught it, right behind me. There is no way he should have caught the ball. The only person on the field to have a chance to catch that ball was the third baseman.

I made the base all-star team at third base and Rick was the shortstop. Five of our players on the Charlie Trick intramural team made the base team. We went to the tournament and finished fourth out of 20 teams. Three of our team made the All-Turkey team and went to Germany and won the Air Force European championship. Rick was the best shortstop in the Air Force. No, I didn't make the All-Turkey team and go to Germany. I just couldn't swing the bat well enough.

So Rick Fargnoli is in my IPA. He plays for the Ranford Bulls. Rick is fielding .977, just like me, but he has far greater range with 500 assists a year to my 453 per season. Fargnoli is averaging .292 with 35 doubles, 14 triples and 19 home runs in his two seasons. He has scored 84 runs a season and driven in 88.

The Good Lord willing, I intend to put other people in my life into the IPA, along with the great mythical players like Roy Hobbs, Crash Davis, Jack Elliott and others from movies and books. You will eventually see them all in my baseball world. I plan on putting all of Duane Decker's Mound City Blue Sox in the league. I used to read Decker's books in study hall at Murphy High School in Mobile, Alabama. The Blue Sox will live again, too.

Yesterday in the IPA

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 5, 2003

IPA Pro Cup Series Starts Today in Turon

The Islandian Pro Cup Playoffs began with 32 teams and has now been pared down to just two - the powerful Valmara Vipers of the Ruthlandian Union and the surprising Turon Typhoons of the Tycobbian Union. The Vipers, piloted by J. Jackson Samuel, were one of the favorites when the process began, while Turon was just expected to be an also-ran. Valmara won the RU North with a splendid 95-59 record. Only San Alejo won more games with a 96-58 mark in the Tycobbian Union South Division. The Typhoons under manager Ashton "Whitey" Richburn finished in a tie for second place with an 84-70 record. They were 12 games behind the champion Montaneros.

Both managers are glad to see a best-of-five series. They agreed the longer series will favor the better team. Viper manager J. Jackson Samuel said, "The best team doesn't always win in a short best-of-three playoff. I'm hoping next year the IPA will adopt a new playoff policy and make it best-of-five in the early rounds and best-of-seven in the Pro Cup Series. There's a lot of sentiment to move in that direction."

Turon had the tougher task as it had to dispose of Bayview and San Alejo, two division winners, and a very strong Oxford club to claim its slot in the Pro Cup Series. In its postseason quest Valmara had to whip the strong Elnora All-Stars, a division winner, along with Far Mountain and Middlefield.

In the finals, it will be Turon with good pitching and solid defense going up against the power and hitting of Valmara. The Typhoons have had outstanding mound work in the playoffs. Its pitching corps has stopped three of the best hitting teams in the IPA. Will it be enough to get by the potent Valmara Vipers?

How do the two clubs shape up in comparison?
Batting Average: Valmara (.267) Turon (.264)
Runs: Valmara (781) Turon (680)
Home Runs: Valmara (158) Turon (116)
ERA: Valmara (3.43) Turon (3.43)
Home Runs Allowed: Valmara (105) Turon (107)
Field Percentage: Turon (.973) Valmara (.971)
Double Plays: Valmara (161) Turon (146)
Home Record: Valmara (52-25) Turon (47-30)
Away Record: Valmara (43-34) Turon (37-40)
RHP: Valmara (73-43) Turon (49-51)
LHP: Turon (35-19) Valmara (22-16)

On paper, you have have to give the Vipers a decided edge. The Typhoons will be the underdogs as they have been through out the playoffs. That hasn't stopped them yet. Maybe good pitching and good defense does beat good hitting.

Checking out the line-ups:
C: Turon... Trace Crittenden gets the edge over Yoshi Motsuzaki with better power (25 HR to 16) and better defense (.987 to .976 and 31.9% RTO to 28.8%)... Motsuzaki (.282 BA to .261 BA)... Crittenden made the All-Star team in 2002... Motsuzaki was an All-Star in 2001. In the playoffs Motsuzuki is batting .340, scored 11 times and stolen five bases.

1B: Turon... Boots Dubois is a better hitter and better gloveman than Masaichi Okawa... Dubois (.317, 15 HR, 86 RBI, 94 R, 21 SB, .997 FA) to Okawa (.248, 20 HR, 88 RBI, .989 FA)... Dubois was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner in 2002... However, Okawa is hitting .381 in the playoffs with 18 RBIs... Dubois was the Typhoon only .300 batter during the regular campaign.

2B: Valmara... Floyd Vinson (.299 BA, 7 HR, 99 RBI, .971 FA)... Ronnie Mikkelsen (.276 BA, 16 HR, 82 RBI, .976 FA)... Vinson leads the Vipers with a .390 BA in the playoffs.

3B: Even... Valmara's Zoran Belakov (.239 BA, 17 HR, .923 FA)... Turon's Ernie Fletcher (.262 BA, 13 HR, .937 FA)... Fletcher tops the Typhoons with 9 RBIs in the postseason... Belakov has 6.

SS: Valmara... slight edge to Steve Androwski (.271 BA, 20 HR, .961)... over John-Paul Trevenot (.286 BA, 7 HR, .966 FA)... Androwski is batting .326 with 12 RBIs in the postseason.

LF: Valmara... decided edge with Jet Kazmarek (.358 BA, 14 HR, 91 RBI, 117 R, 102 SB, .964 FA, 9 Assists)... over Joe Wheeler (.281 BA, 14 HR, 66 RBI, .947 FA, 9 Assists)... Kazmarek hit a record .428 in 2002... RU MVP and Golden Bat in 2002... set SB mark with 102 this year and 10 thus far in the playoffs... Kazmarek has scored 12 runs.

CF: Valmara... big edge with Jan Szymanski (.262 BA, 28 HR, 80 RBI, 93 R, .979, 5 Assists)... over the Turon tandem Lance Ambrose (.287 BA, 6 HR, .977 FA 2 Assists) and Denny Wilcox (.272 BA, 3 HR, .983 FA, 2 Assists)... Ambrose leads the Typhoons with a .321 average in the playoffs.

RF: Valmara... Val Krol (.288 BA, 17 HR, 79 RBI, .983 FA, 14 Assists)... George Farley (.238 BA, 18 HR, 66 RBI, .972, 15 Assists).

Starters: Turon... Jeb Pickett (17-7 2.64) and James Longstreet (5-4 2.95) get the slight nod over All-Star Danny Blauser (23-11 2.93) and Andre Trepanier (16-13 3.16)... Turon's Scotty Boswell (15-16 3.47) and Valmara's Zarek Zalewski (9-3 3.94) are pretty even in the third starter role. All are righthanders except for Blauser. The Typhoon hitters prefer southpaws, while the Vipers do really well against righthanders.

In the postseason Longstreet (3-0 1.03) and Boswell (3-0 2.86) have excelled, while Pickett (0-2 3.80) has struggled. Blauser (3-0 3.26) and Zalewski (3-0 3.65) have done very well with Trapanier (0-3 3.27) doing well, but not winning.

Bullpen: Even... Typhoon closer Mac Yokum (4-7 2.67) and Viper closer Yanni Wlodarczyk (9-3 2.90) had excellent regular seasons... In the postseason Yokum (0-0 0.00) has been brilliant with 3 saves and has not allowed a run in 9 innings, while Wlodarczyk (2-0 0.79) has been outstanding with 3 saves and two victories.

The experts are going by the book and have overwhelmingly chosen Valmara to capture the Islandian Pro Cup this season to join the previous winners, the Volusia Vigilantes of the Tycobbian Union in 2001 and last year's winner, the High Mesa Cowboys.

Turon skipper Whitey Richburn told BNN, "All I can tell you is me and my little puny boys will be there... play our butts off... and hopefully make all of the experts wrong. You know they have been wrong before. They have yet to pick us in a series this season, but we are still alive and kicking and just three wins away from the Island title. I like my ballclub and I like my chances. We will have to beat a fine team to take the championship, but we already have beaten three fine teams... and we think we can beat another one this time around."

Valmara manager J. Jackson Samuel gave his succinct assessment of the series, "If we continue to hit, we will win." The Viper line-up has five hitting over .300 with Vinson leading with a .390 mark. Okawa has a .381 average, Motsuzuki .340, Androwski .326 and Jet Kazmarek at .304. Right behind them are Szymanski and Krol, both batting .295.

Back then did you have wild card teams? I see that Turon finished in second place and beat two division winners to get to the Pro Cup Finals.

Yes, I had wild card teams for a few of the first years, but not for long... but I finally decided it was not fair for a team to win the regular season title and lose a short series to a lesser team in the playoffs.

Yesterday in the IPA

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 7, 2003

Islandian Pro Cup Playoffs - Game Three at Valmara

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 5, 2003
Turon Squeaks by Valmara 4-3 in Pro Cup Opener
Underdog Turon rallied in the late innings to squeak by the highly-favored Valmara Vipers 4-3 in the opening game of the Islandian Pro Cup Series played at Typhoon Stadium. 1B Boots Dubois (.267) doubled in CF Lance Ambrose (.344) with the winning run in the bottom of the seventh, sending relief ace Yanni Wlodarczyk (2-1 2.19) down to defeat. Turon closer Mac Yokum (0-0 0.00) shut out the Vipers on two hits over the final two frames for his fourth save in the postseason.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 6, 2003
Turon's Pickett Tosses 2-Hitter, Lead Vipers 2-0
Jeb Pickett was magnificent on the mound as he tossed a two-hit shutout to put the surprising Turon Typhoons ahead two-games-to-none in the best-of-five Islandian Pro Cup title series. Manager Whitey Richburn is just one victory away from the trophy after Pickett blanked potent Valmara 6-0 in the second game. Pickett (1-2 2.76) had a perfect game for five and two-thirds innings, finally giving up a walk to pinchhitter Ralph Pace to break the spell. Pickett had a no-hitter until CF Jan Szymanski (.280) singled to lead off the eighth.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 7, 2003

Turon Typhoons Sweep Pro Cup From Valmara
Nobody believed in the Turon Typhoons, but they believed in themselves and swept the powerful Valmara Vipers in three games to take the Islandian Pro Cup, emblematic of the best in professional baseball. Manager Ashton "Whitey" Richburn got another good pitching performance from big 6'7" James Longstreet (4-0 1.05) as he stopped Valmara 5-3. The 30-year-old righthander held the Vipers to just one run over seven innings while the Typhoons ran up a 5-1 lead. Longstreet weakened in the eighth and needed relief from Richburn's superb closer Mac Yokum, who nailed down the game and the championship. It was Yokum's (0-0 0.00) fifth save in the playoffs. In seven appearances he worked 11 innings and did not allow a single run. LF Lance Ambrose (.341) and 2B Ronnie Mikkelsen (.218) paced the Turon 11-hit attack with two hits and two RBIs apiece. Valmara got on the board first in the second inning when they loaded the bases with two walks and a single and scored on a double-play ball. Ambrose tied it up 1-1 with a single in the third frame. In the fourth Mikkelsen doubled in two runs and 3B Ernie Fletcher (.283) drove in a third one with a single to increase the Typhoons lead to 4-1. In the seventh Ambrose batted in Turon's final run with a single. With the bases loaded on Longstreet's wildness in the eighth, the Vipers got two runs on a error and a wild pitch when Yokum came on and got Turon out of the inning. In the ninth he retired Valmara in order.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 8, 2003
Turon Hurler Longstreet Named Playoffs MVP
This year's best player in the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs was a surprise. James Longstreet got a late start this season. He didn't even join the Turon Typhoons until the first of July and spent his first month in the IPA mostly in the bullpen with an occasional spot start. It was August before he was a part of the regular rotation. Longstreet finished the year with a nondescript 5-4 record, but with an impressive 2.95 ERA. Then he blossomed in the playoffs and now has been voted the Most Valuable Player in the IPA Pro Cup Playoffs, edging out his teammate Mac Yokum. Longstreet was the top votegetter in the BNN poll with 60 votes. Closer Yokum was a close second with 51. Turon center fielder Lance Ambrose was a distant third with 4 votes.

Longstreet was superb in the playoffs with a 4-0 record in five starts, compiling a microscopic 1.05 ERA against the best teams in the IPA. He pitched nine shutout innings in the game where he did not get the decision, which was won 2-1 in 12 innings. Longstreet won the decisive third game in the Pro Cup finals.

As good as Longstreet was, Mac Yokum was his equal. Yokum made seven postseason appearances with five saves. Yokum did not give up a run in 11 innings, while holding teams to a .150 batting average. Both were vital parts of Turon's title run.

Ambrose led the Typhoons at the plate in the postseason with several timely and key hits. He paced them with a .341 batting average, drove in 7 runs and scored 9 times.

2003 Islandian Pro Alliance Award Winners
Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award, Golden Arm Award, Rookie of the Year Award
Attachment 854163

Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award, Golden Arm Award, Rookie of the Year Award
Attachment 854164

150 free agents have been created for the 2074 season... I will add 3 players to each team in hope of getting some good quality rookies.

Need to create about 50 more.

Then I will clean out and retire and delete unproductive players on the active and reserve rosters.

After that I will randomly assign 3 rookies to each team... I will fill the 3 weakest positions.on each team.

This may take me a week or two.

Then "Get Ready For Some Baseball IPA-Style" !

Lately I have had teams filled with players who bat around .150 with 3 home runs, and they wind up with a record of 30-132. I wonder if it's due to having 80 teams in the league. I've been starting to do the same thing, although most of the time I just manually edit their ratings because it's quicker than creating brand new players and retiring the old ones.

I have 64 teams with no minor leagues... I have never had this type of problems... the pennant winners are usually 85-69 to 95-59... occasionally a team will win 100 to 105 games... bad teams usually win at least 55 games and lose 99 games.

I try to keep league average at .260 BA... I have adjusted the league modifiers to get the results I want... so far my league stats have stayed within the range I prefer... I used to run a test league to set my team stats before I would actually play the league... I did a lot of test leagues when I first began the IPA 15 years ago in 2007... it has stayed pretty constant over the years in most statistical categories... stolen bases have fluctuated, so I would have to adjust them to get them where I wanted them to be... team fielding average have varied, too.

The rookie class dropped in quality at times, so I began creating my own rookies as free agents and did away with the annual draft.

But I noticed MLB has the same problem... there are not a lot of impactful rookies each year... so OOTP may be on target and accurate.

Thanks for explaining what you do. I admit that I have done some experimenting with my IPA, and have gotten some pretty drastic results (Had some teams with over 140 wins, for example.) But overall it's more fun when there is absolute parity and the playoff results are unpredictable, and it's nice to get surprise division winners too, so I will play around with the settings until I get something along the lines of what I just described.

Since my league has a 162-game season, I'd like most division winners to have anywhere between 90 and 100 wins, just like in real life. Occasionally if some divisions have a sub-90 winner or an above 100, that's fine, but the median should probably be about 95 I guess.

I think talent level may be your problem... there is just too much difference between the good teams and the bad teams talent-wise.

It takes a lot of time to do create equally among teams... you have to spend time doing research and then take a lot of time administering the changes... you may not want to do this it because it gets very time-consuming and tedious.

Should you ever start another dynasty league, you should look at each roster at the beginning and see how many poor players are on each team... correct it in the beginning of the league and check it each season.. that might solve the talent-level problem.

I wish I could just start a league and just watch it unfold... but I have always had to make adjustments to insure league parity... and that takes a lot of time.

I also use to spend quite a bit of time doing test leagues to set the league statistics I wanted as far as BA, ERA. extra-base hits, strikeouts, walks stolen bases... but once I got my stats where I wanted them, they stayed pretty much in line... maybe I had to adjust and fine tune certain stats about every 10 seasons to get them where I wanted them.

Jeff, look at your rosters and see what the talent level is... your talent level seems to be very poor on some teams... compare a bad team to a good team and see what percentage are poor on each team... maybe you could retire the poor players like I do and replace them with a better quality player... go to the free agents list and pick the best talent available... maybe trade the best player on a bad team for some of the good up-and-coming young players on the good teams... give the poor team 2 for one or 3 for one... this way both teams may be improved... trade a star player from the bad team for 3 good players on a good team... or at least get 2 good ones for a star.

If a pennant contender has an abundance of young hitters, then trade them to bad team for the bad team's top pitcher... just give the advantage to the bad team.

If a pennant contender has an abundance of young pitchers, trade some of them for the best hitter on a bad team.. but always get a 2 or 3 to 1 swap for the bad team... you want them to benefit more than the good team.

I have seen superstar players never make the playoffs... so I would trade them to a good team for 3 or 4 solid players that would start for the poor team...several times I have taken a star player from a bad team and traded him to a contender for 3 young up-and-coming players that are not critical for the contending team... the contender needs a star player to fill an important need more than they need the young players.

I did this for Rolling Hills in the mid-2060s... they had an abundance of hitters and needed pitching... so I got them some solid pitchers and gave the poor team a bunch of solid hitters... it was a win-win for both teams.

I need to do this for my IPA... there are too many teams that have rarely, if ever, made the playoffs.

East Point, Belle Plaine and a few other come to my mind.

For my IPA, Belle Plaine has made the playoffs only once or twice in 76 seasons. Beechwood made it once at the very beginning. I've tried improving their financials and increasing owner rating and market size. Sometimes it helps, other times it does nothing.

I'll try this out. In my own IPA I see that some of the good teams signed 3 to 4 All-Stars in the latest offseason, while the bad teams got nobody worth mentioning. As commissioner I'll force some trades to spread around the talent. I do know how to do this now - CD wanted both Freemans to play on the same team at the end of their careers, so I forced Hillsboro to trade Arthyr to Glasco so that he could play with Gordon. It took me a couple of tries to get it right, but I did it!

Yesterday in the IPA
2004 IPA Pro Cup Series between the Sugar Valley Rattlers and the Red Bluff Red Sox

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 6, 2004

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series: Game One at Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley

Red Sox Prevail In Pro Cup Opener 4-2 Over SV
At Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, Leonard Urban of Red Bluff stopped the Rattlers 4-2 in the opening game of the 2004 IPA Pro Cup Series. Somebody finally scored an earned run off Urban for the first time in the playoffs, but it didn't matter. He was ahead at the time 4-0. Urban (4-0 0.48) pitched into the eighth before tiring, but Urban still picked up his fourth postseason win. He allowed only four hits and two runs, but was all over the place with his control and walked six. However, Sugar Valley couldn't take advantage of it. Both teams ended up with five hits apiece.

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 7, 2004

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series: Game Two at Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley

Red Bluff Routs Rattlers 9-2 In Game 2
For the second day in a row the Red Bluff Red Sox wasted no time and scored early en route to a 9-2 rout of Sugar Valley in game two of the IPA Pro Cup Series. The Red Sox rocked Rattler pitching for 13 hits, sparked by 1B Bucky Frizzell (.262) with four hits and four RBIs, LF Tony Blundell (.375) with two hits and three RBIs and 2B Vern Gable (.358) with two hits and two runs scored. Red Bluff went ahead 3-0 after two innings and 4-1 after six, then busted the game wide open with a five-run outburst in the eighth, highlighted by Frizzell's three-run homer. Blundell now has 18 RBIs in the playoffs. Mila Mohoski worked a strong game, going all the way and holding Sugar Valley to five hits. Gregg Neal (2-2 2.81) took it on the chin and was shellacked for four runs and nine hits in five-plus innings. Neal also walked four in a very poor outing.


The Islandian Times
Friday, October 8, 2004

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series: Game Three at Red Bluff Park in Red Bluff

Red Sox Win 3rd In A Row, Smash Sugar Valley 10-4
The Red Bluff Red Sox are making it look easy in the IPA Pro Cup Series. They smashed Sugar Valley 10-4 at Red Bluff Park for their third triumph in a row to take an almost insurmountable 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven championship series. Trailing 4-3 going into the bottom of the eighth, the Red Sox exploded for 7 unearned runs to put the Rattlers away. Vern Gable's grand slammer was the game clincher. Gable (.368) paced the 11-hit attack with two home runs and six RBIs with LF Tony Blundell (.377) and RF Kris Grabowski (.281) also chipping two hits and driving in a run apiece.

Closer John Dougherty (1-2 1.46) got the win with two scoreless innings in relief of starter Frank Beaudoin (3-0 3.50), who left after seven innings after giving up four runs on nine hits with five Ks and three walks. Dale Bixler (1-0 2.61) blew the save and was the grand slam victim, but all five runs against him were not earned.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 9, 2004

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series: Game Four at Red Bluff Park in Red Bluff

Rattlers Stave Off Elimination, Top Red Sox 6-2
A gritty performance by Jay Washington enabled Sugar Valley to stave off elimination in the IPA Pro Cup Series. Washington scattered eight hits over eight innngs and pitched the Rattlers to a 6-2 decision over Red Bluff for their first win in the series. The Red Sox still have a huge advantage with three wins in four games and need only one more win in the best-of-seven to win the Islandian title. Washington (3-3 3.45) struck out seven and walked four, giving up only one earned run. Closer Hec Skurgan (1-0 2.13) worked a scoreless ninth to preserve the victory. The game was in doubt until the ninth inning when LF Bruno DiPirro (.308) slammed an RBI double, RF Frank Horak (.371) slapped an RBI single and rookie 2B Casey Leeburn (.281) walked to force in a run. That gave Sugar Valley a four-run cushion.


The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 10, 2004

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series: Game Five at Red Bluff Park in Red Bluff

Red Bluff Crowned 2004 Pro Cup Champs
This year's IPA Pro Cup champions are the Red Bluff Red Sox of the Tycobbian Union. They proved it by dominating Sugar Valley of the Ruthlandian Union four games to one in the Pro Cup Series. The Red Sox finished off the Rattlers 5-1 in game five at Red Bluff Park, giving the TU its third title in four years. Red Bluff was dominant in all aspects of the game. They outpitched, outhit and just outplayed Sugar Valley.

Mila Mohoski (4-1 1.80) wrapped up the crown with a five-hitter to win his fourth postseason game. Mohoski pitched a complete game, fanned six and issued three bases on balls. He allowed a run in the first inning on a single by CF Freddie Vaux (.257) and a double by 1B Ron Armstrong (.266), but then held the Rattlers runless the rest of the way.

Red Bluff wasted no time and took the lead 2-1 in the bottom half of the inning on a single by 2B Vern Gable (.364), an RBI double by CF Stan Helmke (.302) and an RBI ground-out by LF Tony Blundell (.377). In the fourth frame 1B Bucky Frizzell (.268) tripled and scored on a ground-out by SS Jerry Decker (.200) increasing it to 3-1 and Blundell's two-run single made it 5-1 in the fifth. The Red Sox collected 8 hits in all and were led by Blundell with three RBIs. Helmke had three hits, including two doubles and Gable got a pair of hits and scored twice. Starter Gregg Neal (2-3 3.50) took the brunt of the attack and took the loss, giving up five runs and seven hits in four-plus innings.

The winning manager Mack Connery told reporters in the postgame press conference, "The key to victory was our marvelous pitchers. They held in check all of the fine hitters we had to face throughout the playoffs."

Gibson Bobkins, skipper of Sugar Valley, agreed, "Red Bluff has three excellent starters in Mohoski, Urban and Beaudoin. They showed good pitching can beat good hitting. We couldn't match up with their pitching corps."

Red Bluff now join the Volusia Vigilantes (2001), High Mesa Cowboys (2002) and Turon Typhoons (2003) as Pro Cup winners.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 11, 2004

Red Bluff's Mohoski Acclaimed Playoff MVP
The Islandian Baseball Writers Association has chosen Red Bluff hurler Mila Mohoski the IPA Postseason Most Valuable Player. Mohoski led the Red Sox to the Pro Cup championship with a 4-1 record and a 1.80 ERA. The 25-year-old southpaw won two games in the Final 4 Series and two games in the IPA Finals.

Mohoski was the top votegetter with 45 votes. Red Bluff's left fielder Tony Blundell was second in the balloting with 35 votes. Blundell batted .377 during the playoffs with 5 homers, 22 RBIs and 14 runs scored. Sugar Valley's fine shortstop Flipper Bird came in third with 12 votes. Bird hit .301 with 4 home runs, 18 RBIs and scored 13 times during the postseason and sparked the Rattlers to a second-place finish.

Three Red Bluff players rounded out the balloting. Second baseman Vern Gable was fourth with 10 votes, pitcher Leonard Urban fifth with 8 votes and center fielder Stan Helmke sixth with 5 votes. Gable compiled a .364 batting average with 3 roundtrippers, 12 RBIs and 18 runs, Urban was 4-1 with a 1.02 ERA and Helmke batted .302 with 2 homers, 10 RBIs and 13 runs scored.

2004 Islandian Pro Alliance Awards

Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award, Golden Arm Award, Rookie of the Year Award
Attachment 854498

Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award, Golden Arm Award, Rookie of the Year Award
Attachment 854499

Still working on the roster updates for the 2074 IPA season.

Getting to assign 3 rookies to each team based on the team's needs.

Most of the time it is one starting pitcher and 2 position players.

This seems to give a decent level of rookies each year.