Yep, EC loves the Laseron Baseball Association.
I thought about getting permission from you and Goody (Portlander, I think originally) to recreate the LBA for my last dynasty.

Yep, Rolling Hills had a poor 3 years by their standards, but now they are back... dropped back to 4th, 4th, 3rd and bingo... champ again!

Hard to believe they won the Pro Cup this year... they just didn't have the pitching to do it... but they did it.

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2075 Ruthlandian Union Final Standings
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2076 Ruthlandian Union Preseason Prediction
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2075 Tycobbian Union Final Standings
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2076 Tycobbian Union Preseason Prediction
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Attachment 910566
Wednesday, April 1, 2076

IPA SEASON 76 IS HERE... BASEBALL IS BACK IN THE ISLANDS
For the baseball fan, winter is the longest time of the year... it seems like it was it was eons ago that the Rolling Hills Racers raced past the fiesty Sligo Rovers in the 2075 IPA Pro Cup Series... the days and nights just drag by... as time goes ever-so-slowly by, the beaufiful baseball diamonds seemed to lose their green lushness and fade to a dismal brown, but now the green fields are bursting forth all across Islandia... and yep, the boys of spring are back again, too... all bright-eyed and bushy-tailed with visions of pennants dancing in their heads... or just maybe the simple hope of making the roster... even on a last place team with no chance of winning the pennant whatsoever... it's season 76 for the Islandian Pro Alliance... very soon baseball in all of it radiant glory will be blossoming all across the Islands.

Opening day in the Islandian Pro Alliance is just two days away... this Wednesday afternoon the IPA will be back in business swinging and slinging the old horsehide once again for the 76th season.

To get you primed and ready to roll, The Islandian Times has done its due diligence and surveyed all of the baseball prognosticators, prophets, forecasters, fortunetellers and even some bards and poets to find out who is going to be this season's Pro Cup champion... nope, you can't have too much imput on predicting what will transpire in the wonderful world of baseball.

If the preseason pollsters are right, only three of last year's postseason teams will repeat as division champions... Sligo, Rolling Hills and Turon are forecast to repeat as division winners... that means five divisions will have a new champion... it could be defending Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills and Sligo face-to-face again in the '76 Pro Cup Finals... the baseball analysts are leaning toward the Racers winning back-to-back IPA titles, if they can get past the Turon Typhoons in the Tycobbian Union .

There will be 10 new skippers in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the Ruthlandian Union newcomers are Primo Sirak of Valmara, Lonny Rinehart of Volusia, Mickey Walsh of Sligo, Nicky Farrugia of St. John, Benny Van of Far Mountain, Vince Kinston of Grand City, Eliot Marcum of Belle Plaine, Lou Carlson of Marston and Lenny Toscano of Cold Creek... the lone rookie manager in the Tycobbian Union is Rusty Bradford of Kenwood.

Legendary managers Les Patterson of Sligo and Russ Woodward of Marston retired at the end of the 2075 season... Patterson went out on an all-time high and almost won the IPA Pro Cup... the Rovers lost to Pro Cup winner Rolling Hills in 5 games... he led them to 7 pennants in his 24 seasons... Patterson rarely had a losing season as skipper... Woodward captured 6 pennants in his 30 years at the helm... he went out on a high as well, sparking the Nine to the RU East pennant.

Ruthlandian Union Preseason Review
The baseball experts chose the Far Mountain Redhawks in the Ruthlandian North Division... they think the Redhawks will skim by the Kilkenny Cats in a tense down-to-the-wire race... the Cats snapped a decade long losing streak in '74... they are an up-and-coming club... Kilkenny has made the IPA playoffs only one time... way back in 2042... Far Mountain has the better offense and almost as good as pitching... the rest of the league will be battling at a distance for third place... last year's champ Radford is picked 7th this year... the Bulls had a super season last year with a 97-57 mark and will not go quietly... Far Mountain had a good team in the late '60s and last made the playoffs in 2067... the Redhawks had a terrible year in 2070 (69-85), but they have slowly rebuilt and now are once again a contender in the RU North.

In the Ruthlandian South race the Waleska Westerners and Crystal Lake Skippers will be banging heads for the pennant with the Westerners winning a very close battle... the Westeners have a new manager, now led by former pitcher and pitching coach Lou Carlson (178-155/3.45 ERA)... Carlson played from 2048 to 2062... he replaces Roy Hobbs, who led them to 2 Pro Cups in 2037 and 2039.... the Westerners won 7 pennants in his tenure... Waleska hasn't challenged for the RU South flag since 2056... the Westerners have a high-powered offense that will probably make the difference... Waleska was third last year and 12 games out of first (80-74)... they are on the rise... not too far behind will be last year's RU South winner, the Valka Blackhawks, and the Belair Beach Sunbirds... don't count out the Blackhawks... they are still a very solid ballclub with three pennants in the last four seasons... and remember just two years ago the Skippers were the IPA Pro Cup champion and last year they fell to Valka by just 3 games.

The class of the Ruthlandian East Division is forecast to be the perennial power Wynnamac Sundowners... the Macs have been no worse than 3rd place in the last 25 seasons... only three times during that time have the Sundowners failed to finish in first or second place... those three years were not bad, either... the Macs came in third... their biggest challenger will be the Sugar Valley Rattlers... however, Wynnamac should prevail with its better offense and pitching... this year's defending division champ Marston is slated to slump to a distant 5th in the standings, just behind the Elnora Clippers and the Eastshore Cotton Kings... longtime Marston skipper Russ Woodward turned over the reins to his bench coach Damien D'Arboise this season... he was a star infielder for the Nine from 2048 to 2066, batting .295 with 158 homers and won the Golden Glove 3 times and made 4 All-Stars teams... it's been 25 years since Sugar Valley made the postseason playoffs, but they have been a winning ballclub the last 5 seasons... the Rattlers are on the rise and ready to strike... Sugar Valley has been to the postseason 18 times with one Pro Cup trophy, captured long ago in 2045.

Last year's Pro Cup runner-up Sligo Rovers have a new manager, but they are still the favorites to repeat in the Ruthlandian West race... in Sligo's history they have won only one Pro Cup... that was in 2021... 16 times the Rovers have made the postseason... the team is expected to pick up where they left off last year with rookie skipper Mickey Walsh... he is a HOF pitcher with a terrific 311-207 mark and a standout 2.64 ERA... Walsh starred for the Rovers from '47 to '64 and made the HOF in 2068... he is takeing the place of longtime skipper Les Patterson... but this year the race is going to be a whole lot tougher... the Stoner Silver Sox have won the division crown in two of the last four seasons... they are predicted to seriously contend again for the pennant... the Silver Sox have not had much success in their history with only 5 playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... the Fort Benton Defenders might make a run at the Rovers, too... they have been on the rise the last two seasons... the Defenders ran a strong race in 2074, losing out by just 4 games... Fort Benton hasn't been to the postseason since 2057... the RU West looks to be just a three-team tussle... none of the other five clubs are expected to be contenders.

Tycobbian Union Preseason Preview
The Tycobbian North Division will be one of the better races in the IPA... six teams have a shot at the crown this year according to the venable pundits and pickers... the Mahaska Haymakers are ranked #1 with last year's pennant-winning Hartsdale Hellcats a close second, along with the Oxford Red Caps, Luxora Zorros, North Hills Hawks and White River Rascals... the Haymakers have the power and good pitching... so do the Red Caps... a step behind the other two are the other four clubs... the Hellcats, Z's, Hawks and Rascals don't have the power, but they do possess good pitching... Hartsdale has won the TU North flag in two of the last four seasons... White River four in the nine seasons... Oxford two in the last eight years... North Hills hasn't has a good team for a decade and hasn't made the playoffs since 2045... and Mahaska has a 25-year drought in progress... 2052 was the last year they seriously had a shot at the pennant... the last time they made the postseason was in 2028.

Year-after-year in the Tycobbian South the Turon Typhoons are near the top of the standings... 26 times they have made the postseason playoffs... Valmara is the all-time leader with 30 postseason appearances... 5 times the Typhoons have snared the revered Pro Cup... the most recent one was in 2072... 5 times in the last 6 seasons Turon has won the division title... the club has the winningest record in the IPA with a .554 winning percentage since 2002... the outlook is more of the same this year... the baseball wise men and sages are making the Typhoons an overwhelming favorite to win the pennant again this year... and even go all the way to the ultimate - the team's 6th Pro Cup Trophy... Summerland, San Alejo and Southport will be left far behind in their wake... Turon is forecast to win by double digits and win more than 100 games... last season the Typhoons were 100-54 and topped the TU South by 15 games over runner-up Southport... Turon has the best BA and the best pitching staff, hits with power and runs the bases like the dickens... 'nuff said... Turon will triumph in the TU South again this year... yep, the Typhoons will win it again.

Summerland, San Alejo and Southport are all fairly equal in strength and should battle it out for second through fourth place... the Sunsets won the TU South pennant in 2074, went all the way to the Pro Cup Finals where they were beaten out by Crystal Lake in a sensational 7-game series... the Summerland Sunsets have never won a Pro Cup and only made the playoffs 6 times in its IPA history... last season they came in 4th place, 22 games behind Turon... the San Alejo Montaneros have appeared 10 times in the postseason with one Pro Cup trophy in 2032... their last TU South pennant came in 2067... the Monties tied for third last season, trailing by 16 games... the Southport Sun Sox have a solid IPA history with 4 Pro Cups... the last two coming in back-to-back seasons in 2065 and 2066... 17 times they have made the playoffs... the Sun Sox have not had a losing season in 34 years (2041)... it's been 6 seasons since they won the TU South... Southport has been in contention most of those years... last season the Sun Sox were runner-up, trailing Turon by 15 games in the race.

The Tycobbian East Division is shaping up as a tight 4-team race between the favored Ozarka Naturals, last year's champion, the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats, plus the South Fork Stallions and Midway Wolves... the Nats got the nod from the experts because they hit the ball better and score more runs... all of the challengers have pretty good pitching... Ozarka was a winning machine in the early days of the IPA, making the playoffs 13 times in the first 21 seasons, but not lately... only 2 more appearances since... in 2030 and 2040... the Naturals have never won a Pro Cup, but they made the Finals 5 times... last year Ozarka tied for 4th place, 16 games back of the Tucks... Tuckanarra has been a successful franchise with 3 Pro Cups and 23 postseason appearances... the last Pro Cup came in 2035... the Tiger Cats captured the TU East crown 3 of the last 5 years, winning the last two titles... the South Fork Stallions have had modest success in their history with 10 playoff appearances, but they have won 3 Pro Cups, the last one in 2073... year-in and year-out in recent seasons the Stallions have done well... they wound up second last year, 6 games behind champion Tuckanarra... the Midway Wolves came in third last year, 9 games off the pace... historically they have made the playoffs 9 times with 2 Pro Cups to their credit in back-to-back years (2053 and 2054)... Midway has not done well the last decade with only two winning seasons... last season the Wolves wound up in the third spot in the TU East, 9 games behind the Tucks.

The current IPA Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills is still the top team in the Tycobbian West, but not by a lot, according to the peerless prognosticators... the Racers won the pennant comfortably by 9 games last year, ending up 100-54... look for Rolling Hills' top rivals, the Kenwood Wildcats and La Claire Lynx, to make a serious bid to knock them off this season... all three contenders can really hit for average and score runs, but their pitching is just so-so... any one of the three can end up being crowned the best in the TU West... Rolling Hills has a glorious IPA history with 8 Pro Cup titles, the most by any team... the closest team to them is Turon with 5, followed by Southport, Valmara, Crystal Lake and North Hills with 4 IPA crowns apiece... the Racers have played in the postseason on 24 occasions and rank third behind Valmara's 30 appearances and Turon's 24... Kenwood flopped badly last season with a terrible 69-85 mark... last season the Wildcats' pitching was a horrendous 4.54 ERA... they made wholesale changes in the mound corps... much to their dismay it was a dismal failure... 11 times Kenwood has gone to the postseason, but they only have one Pro Cup trophy... that came long ago in 2014... the Wildcats won the TU West Division flag in 2073, then lost it in a close race in 2074 to the Chicopee Braves... and they were pathetic in 2075... in the last decade the La Claire Lynx competed well with just one losing season in 2066... they won the pennant in 2072 and came in third last year, but 10 GB champion Rolling Hills... La Claire has a lackluster history in the IPA, appearing only 5 times in the playoffs... the Lynx have never won a Pro Cup... they did reach the TU Title Series in 2038, but were defeated by the North Hills Hawks in a stirring 7-game series... North Hills won the Pro Cup that year handily by sweeping the Far Mountain Redhawks 4-0... the Chicopee Braves (91-63) and the Denham City Redbirds (85-69), who had good seasons last year despite winding up 10 or more games behind powerhouse Rolling Hills, are predicted to fall in the standings this season to 5th and 6th place... the Braves had been on a roll the last 5 years and won the pennant in 2074... Chicopee has a poor IPA history with just 4 postseason playoff appearances and no Pro Cups, while the Redbirds have made it 13 times and have never won a Pro Cup... however, Denton City got to the 2009 Pro Cup Finals and was defeated by the Turon Typhoons in a 7-game series.

*

Attachment 911094
Monday, July 6, 2076

5 TIGHT RACES IN IPA AT MIDSEASON... 3 DIVISIONS NOT SO CLOSE SO FAR
In the Islandian Pro Alliance a 6-game lead at midseason is a good spot to be in... three teams are enjoying pretty comfortable leads... the San Alejo Montaneros (55-28), Stoner Silver Sox (51-32) and Tuckanarra Tiger Cats are the hottest teams going this season so far... the other 5 division leaders are having a tougher go of it with a bunch of teams hanging close to them... let's take a quick gander at the 8 divisions in the IPA and see what's happening at the midpoint of the 2076 season.

2076 Ruthlandian Union Midseason Review
SURPRISING VALMARA TOPS RU NORTH IN 4-TEAM BATTLE
The Valmara Vipers were forecast to have a losing season and picked to finish seventh in the Ruthlandian North Division... nope, the crystal ballers were wrrrrrong... Valmara is paying no attention to the baseball polls... it looks like the Vipers are a little better than seventh place... they have slithered much higher in the standings... Valmara (47-35) is in first place with a 3 and a half-game edge over runner-up Glasco (44-39) halfway through the season... and they have two other clubs breathing down their back... tied for third place are last year's division champion Ranford Bulls (43-40) and Far Mountain Redhawks (43-40)... solid hitting and modest pitching is doing it so far for Valmara... the big question: can the Vipers continue to play like this... or will they give into the pressure of the higher-rated reputations of their rivals?... thus far, the longballin' Vipers are having a ball, sparked by Arkadi Viri (.287 BA/19 HR), Stefan Skarzynski (.317 BA/8 HR), Tomek Zak (.273 BA/17 HR), Ozzie Santiago (.381 BA/5 HR) and Janko Janowski (.247 BA/12 HR)... on the hill veterans Jaromir Kaminski (15-2/3.27 ERA) and Milosz Mazur (10-4/3.08 ERA) are enjoying fine seasons.

LAST YEAR'S WINNER VALKA IN A TIGHT RU SOUTH RACE WITH 3 OTHERS
The perennial power Valka Blackhawks with no finish lower than second place and 3 RU pennants in the previous 8 seasons is right up where they usually are -- in first place -- but not by much... preseason favorite Waleska (46-37) is just 2 games off the pace... the third place Crystal Lake Skippers (45-38) are just 3 games out... and fourth place Grand City (42-40) is only 4 games behind... Crystal Lake won the IPA Pro Cup just two seasons ago and most of that team is still intact, dangerous and well-regarded... this is going to be a darn good race... the Blackhawks won it last year by 3 games over the Skippers... Valka is a potent team... they are hitting nearly .300 as a team and have 4 solid starters and a good bullpen... top performers in the batting order are Olev Kotil (.314 BA/9 HR/54 RBI), Jimmy Czarnecki (.332 BA/5 HR/40 RBI), James Ray Hanna (.316 BA/10 HR/37 RBI) and Markko Petrov (.284 BA/9 HR/50 RBI)... top pitchers are starters Jalen Whitmire (9-6/3.30 ERA) and Ron Honore (7-6/3.53 ERA)... and Dorsey Burnette (7-2/1.30 ERA) is strong in relief.

COLD CREEK UNLIKELY LEADER IN RU EAST
The pollsters didn't see the Cold Creek Raccoons coming, either... they were a losing team last year at 73-81 and 24 games behind and picked no better than 6th this season... SHAZAM!... Cold Creek has turned into a bonifide contender... they don't look like a flash in the pan... the Raccoons top the league in scoring and rank high in batting average, homers and ERA... Dude Gurley (.351 BA/16 HR/82 RBI), Kurt Bernheisel (.300 BA/15 HR/69 RBI), Patrick Boatman (.327 BA/12 HR/42 RBI) and Company are for real... so are their fine starters: J.Z. Small (10-4/2.71 ERA), Orin Wessex (10-2/2.97 ERA) and Leon Blocker (10-6/2.63 ERA)... preseason-favored Wynnamac (48-34) is right on the heels of the Raccoons, just 3 and a half-game back... third place Sugar Valley (44-38), fourth place Elnora (44-39) and last year's division winner Marston (44-39) are all within striking distance... no telling what might happen in the second half of the season.

STONER 6-GAME UP IN RU WEST OVER COLFAX... SLIGO 3RD
The Sligo Rovers ran away with the Ruthlandian West last year and even almost won the IPA Pro Cup trophy, coming second to Rolling Hills... 'twas not going to be that way this year according to the peerless pundits... it would a very close race between Sligo, Stoner and Fort Benton with the Silver Sox slightly favored over the Rovers and the Defenders... at midyear this season Stoner (51-32) has had its way with a 6-game margin over the Colfax Black Sox (45-38)... Colfax has come out of nowhere this season... the Black Sox were a losing team a year ago and forecast to wind up near the bottom this season... Sligo (43-39) is pretty much the same feisty team as last year, but they are nor scoring runs like they used to... Stoner is putting a lot of runs on the scoreboard and tops the Rovers by 7 and a half games at midseason... the Silver Sox lineup features five .300 batters, paced by Tony Bellina (.338 BA/0 HR/50 RBI), Brayden Earwood (.321 BA/0 HR/27 RBI), Nat Churchill (.318 BA/5 HR/32 RBI), Dave Farragut (.304 BA/14 HR/53 RBI) and Coy Magruder (.302 BA/1 HR/30 RBI)... plus Curtis Russell (.291 BA/13 HR/41 RBI) is having a fine season, too... veteran Bobby West (9-4/3.31 ERA) and Leon Landers (8-7/3.56 ERA) head up the starting rotation... leading the Stoner bullpen is Coby Sessions (7-4/3.29 ERA/11 saves/36 games)... Darryl Edmonds (10-4/3.64 ERA) has done well as a starter and reliever.

2076 Ruthlandian Union Midseason Standings

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Wow, EC, your writing is just amazing. If I could, I would hire you to write for my league!

EC, you may want to bold "COLD CREEK UNLIKELY LEADER IN RU EAST," I think, just so you know. Also, are the Freemans still around in your IPA for any team or teams here? Just curious, that's all, of course. CD out.

Thanks, CD... "bold" is better on the headlines.

Yes, I will post their midseason stats in your thread soon.

Arthyr Freeman is doing well at age 30, playing shortstop and batting second for the Hillsboro Blazers... he is batting .303 with 13 doubles, 3 triples, 6 homers, 46 runs, 40 RBIs and 20 stolen bases in 76 games... the Blazers are in second place, 6 and a half-game out of first place.

Gordon Freeman is now with his third team at age 29... still trying to establish himself... primarily a pitcher, he does play outfield a little... not doing well at either... this year he is with Claxton... 1-3 record on the mound with a 4.75 ERA in 6 starts... he is their #3 starter... also plays occasionally in the outfield... Gordon has started 7 games in the outfield... overall in 14 games he is hitting only .222 with 4 doubles, 1 homer, 5 RBIs and 6 runs scored... he is a very good outfielder... the Diamonds are last in the standings with a 35-47 record... behind by 12 and a half games.

(Special Thanks to No Pepper for the beautiful Claxton jersey)

Fourth team, actually, in Gordon Clyde's case, it seems. Also, it seems his card is currently missing a team-related abbreviation for 2076, somehow. You typically created/create your players with more realistic values than others might, so their statistics may not be as good in your league or leagues as they might be for other people in theirs. I try to use realistic ratings as well, of course, when I create/propose a player, for sure. CD out.

Yes, I like realistic stats, too.... I let the AI create the Freemans... however, I have upgraded the ratings several times so that they get a chance in the IPA... I did this for you... I am not going to make them superstars.... if the AI had made them superstars, I would have accepted that.

It says "2976 Ruthlandian Union Midseason Standings". Should edit it to 2076

Oh, I'm a such bad typist.

Thanks, Jeff.

"Amazing" is a real stretch, Jeff... but thanks for the nice words.

"Fairly good" might be more realistic.

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Tuesday, July 7, 2076

2076 Tycobbian Union Midseason Review

WHITE RIVER LEADS TU NORTH AT MIDYEAR
Nobody saw this coming... according the scribes this was going to be a down year for White River... the club was on the downgrade... but, lo and behold, the White River Rascals (48-34) have bolted out of the gate this season and are in first place in the Tycobbian North Division at the halfway point in the schedule... not much of a decline was it, y 'all?... but the Rascals are not leading by much... the preseason favorite Mahaska Haymakers (48-35) are clinging close to them, just a half-game back... the Rascals were forecast to wind up in the second division this year and not be a serious contender for the pennant... however, strong pitching can really make a difference... a 3.25 team ERA and good home-run power can pile up a lot of wins in the IPA... White River and Mahaska are like "two peas in a pod"... both have fine pitching... White River hurlers Shorty Meaux (9-5/3.41 ERA), Henry Youngman (7-9/2.89 ERA), Ernie McNamee (5-1/3.11 ERA) and Edward Carlin (6-3/2.25 ERA) form a formidable starting rotation and Olaf Erikson (.303 BA/12 HR/48 RBI), Babe Coleman (.291 BA/15 HR/36 RBI) and Denny Schlesinger (.253 BA/12 HR/35 RBI) are providing the runs... the Rascals are a good ball club... just 3 years ago they went to the TU title series and lost to Pro Cup champion South Fork... plus they have won the TU North flag 4 times in the last 9 seasons.

Mahaska is no slouch when it comes to mound staff... the Haymakers have registered a super 2.94 team ERA so far this year, tops in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats are close with a 2.96 ERA... what a staff with starters Leo Durosa (8-4/3.20 ERA), Jay Jay Hatchett (7-7/3.25 ERA), Claude Renoir (9-3/1.16 ERA) and Mike Jones (10-4/3.14 ERA)... plus a fine bullpen, too... but Mahaska is hampered by the lack of power... only Dingo Douglas (.275 BA/17 HR/52 RBI) is a home-run threat... which team has the staying power in the second half of the the season?... the edge goes to the experienced Rascals with the better record in recent years... the Haymakers are coming off so-so seasons: 5th last year and 7th in '74.

There are two other clubs that could get into the chase... Hartsdale has good pitching (3.14 ERA)... the Hellcats were last year's TU North champion and favored to win this year... the Hellcats (42-40) are third this season, trailing by 6 games at the All-Star break... they have no offense... Oxford (41-42) has a losing record and is 7 and a half games behind White River and not likely to catch them... just average bats and average pitching.

MONTANEROS ON TOP OF THE MOUNT AT ALL-STAR BREAK IN TU SOUTH
It's a two-team race in the Tycobbian South this year... at the midseason point the San Alejo Montaneros (55-28) are playing the best ball in the IPA and they enjoy a 6-game lead over preseason favorite, perpetual pennant contender and the defending division champion, Turon Typhoons (49-34)... Turon was supposed to run away with the division again this year, but it hasn't happened... the Monties are a real good all-around club... top-scoring team in the Tycobbian Union with home-run punch and fine pitching (3.05 ERA)... that's a combination that is very hard to beat... as good as they are it's been tough for Turon to keep up with the Montaneros.

Leading the way at the plate for San Alejo are Matty Cardoso (.306 BA/16 HR/60 RBI), Jerry Jeff Usher (.280 BA/9 HR/51 RBI), Enrique Clarizo (.286 BA/10 HR/48 RBI) and Rudolfo Vera (.329 BA/0 HR/42 RBI)... the pitching corps is solid, too, led by Sebatian Solis (9-1/2.22 ERA), Rollie Taft (13-3/2.34 ERA) and Ronald Milsap (9-2/3.79 ERA)... and Philip English (5-5/2.23 ERA/9 saves/32 games) and Lando Vargas (9-5/2.73 ERA/10 saves/31 games) head up a fine bullpen.

Turon's numbers are not as good as San Alejo's... but they can score runs and hit with good power... their pitching is not as good as the Monties... the Typhoons' top guns are Eliott Carleton (.344 BA/5 HR/31 RBI), Joe Don Goldsmith (.339 BA/6 HR/45 RBI) and Robert Hazle (.279 BA/12 HR/60 RBI)... in the hill it's Clete Engstrom (11-4/2.65 ERA) and Billy Pearl (5-3/3.16 ERA)... yep, it's looking like Turon is going to have trouble catching the Montaneros this season... San Alejo is the real McCoy... none of the other 6 teams look like challengers this year.

TUCKS MIDSEASON LEADER IN TU EAST
For the 4th time in the last 6 seasons, the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats (50-33) are on top of their game and on top of the Tycobbian East standings by a solid 6 and a half games... the preseason outlook was for a 4-team fight between this year's preseason favorite Ozarka, current champ Tuckanarra, South Fork and Midway... but that has not transpired so far... Ozarka and Midway have not done as well as expected... the Tucks are doing it with quality starters and an excellent bullpen, coupled with a pretty good offense... Spike Carlton (12-6/3.21 ERA) is the ace with some good help from Curt Kollman (5-2/3.05 ERA), Andre Hurst (6-3/3.03 ERA), William Pike (6-5/3.71 ERA) and Calvin Hurley (7-5/2.92 ERA)... plus Jon Farnsworth (6-5/1.69 ERA/8 saves/33 games) has been excellent in the closer spot... the Tiger Cats are second in the IPA with an outstanding 2.96 ERA... heading up the batting order are Conn Donaldson (.289 BA/11 HR/52 RBI), Dennis Ojeda (.337 BA/7 HR/39 RBI), Kit Coffman (.292 BA/11 HR/37 RBI) and Warren Blake (.285 BA/6 HR/30 RBI).

Regular contender Hillsboro (43-39) was not expected to challenge this year, but the Blazers are still in the running in the second spot... so is Red Bluff (43-40), 7 games out... South Fork (42-41) and Ozarka (42-41) are tied for fourth place and 8 games behind at midyear... Hillsboro can hit the ball and put runs on the scoreboard, but they can't match the Tucks on the hill... top bats are Aron Bloomendale (.296 BA/13 HR/59 RBI), Kenny Hartfield (.278 BA/8 HR/48 RBI), Arthyr Freeman (.303 BA/6 HR/40 RBI) and Dave Thomas (.306 BA/5 HR/35 RBI)... top pitchers are Ethan Zahn (8-6/3.27 ERA), Bart Harben (5-2/3.58 ERA) and Hap Hartigan (8-6/4.12 ERA).

The only thing Red Bluff does well is hit the ball out of the park... pitching is just average... scoring is just average... defense is bad (.967 FA)... Mel Tillis (.294 BA/16 HR/50 RBI) is a rock-solid bat... he gets some help from Sherrill Wilde (.230 BA/13 HR/49 RBI) and Whitlow Fagan (.225 BA/15 HR/42 RBI)... Ward Emory (10-4/2.93 ERA) is the ace... Ox Reynolds (9-7/3.55 ERA) is a quality #2 starter... and closer Sonny Barnett (8-4/2.94 ERA/12 saves/42 games) is very impressive in the bullpen... the Red Sox just don't have the talent to catch the Tucks.

For the last decade the South Fork Stallions have always been in the hunt for the pennant... the Hosses have won the TU East twice (2069 and 20'73)... South Fork even came away with the Pro Cup in '73... they still have quite a few guys from that team still playing productively... Carroll Ezzell (.302 BA/3 HR/35 RBI), Mal Galbreath (.283 BA/6 HR/34 RBI) and Patrick Packenham (.280 BA/3 HR/32 RBI)... this year center fielder Carroll Coxe (.267 BA/6 HR/42 RBI) has been a good trade pickup from Summerland... Billy Lake (8-8/3.86 ERA), Scotty Robeson (3-1/1.99 ERA) and Mitch Hynes (5-2/1.59 ERA) are fairly good pitchers... Lake was also a part of the 2073 Pro Cup championship team... nobody is going to catch Tuckanarra this year... the Tiger Cats have really good pitching and just enough offense to beat you.

PRO CUP CHAMP ROLLING HILLS STRUGGLING IN TU WEST
The defending Pro Cup titlist, the Rolling Hills Racers, are the class of the Tycobbian West... the baseball experts picked them to nudge out the Kenwood Wildcats and the La Clair Lynx this season... nope, taint so... lightly-regarded Denton City is in first place at the All-Star break despite the fact the Redbirds were supposed to be a bottom-rung team in 6th place this season... however, it is a ding-dong dilly of a dogfight in the TU West... 6 teams are in the hunt... Denton City (49-34) is just one game up on runner-up La Claire (48-35)... just 3 better than third-place Kenwood (46-37), 5 games ahead of last-year's division- winning Rolling Hills (44-39), 5 and a half in front of Bayview (43-39) and 7 and a half games ahead of 6th-place Chicopee (41-41).

Boy, what a pennant race!... the Redbirds are hitting like the big boys in the division and have enough pitching to hang with them, too... nobody in the TU West has much pitching, but they all can put runs on the scoreboard... can Denton City sustain this pace rest of the season?... probably... they are better than a 6th-place team... last season they were 85-69, finishing in 4th place... the Redbirds are a veteran team with some top-notch talent like Virgil Welsh (.326 BA/20 HR/72 RBI), Russell Gilbert (.352 BA/10 HR/59 RBI), Donald Wilhelm (.340 BA/3 HR/38 RBI), Jeff Thigpen (.289 BA/7 HR/50 RBI) and Pip Brewton (.313 BA/3 HR/29 RBI)... Denton City also has some quality and capable starters, led by Caleb Christy (14-2/3.01 ERA), Spooky Steel (6-1/3.73 ERA) and Lyle Hollander (7-3/3.69 ERA)... the Redbirds play pretty good defense, too... however, the bullpen is not so good... that's their big problem.

Second place La Claire can hit with anybody, but only has mediocre pitching... Floyd Kilmer (5-3/3.88 ERA), Anxo Di Lima (9-7/3.46 ERA) and Larry Ellison (6-6/4.11 ERA) will have to step it up a notch or two to stay in the chase... Charles Larsen (.358 BA/7 HR/50 RBI), last year Tycobbian MVP and Golden Bat, and his hard-hitting cohorts Dolph Gordon (.298 BA/3 HR/50 RBI), Liam McWhirter (.326 BA/5 HR/40 RBI) and Cole Newell (.293 BA/10 HR/41 RBI) will make certain that the runs will go up on the scoreboard for the Lynx.

The third place Kenwood Wildcats (46-37) have recovered from last year's terrible slump (69-85)... they are back and with a vengeance... like always, they hit very well, batting over .306 as team this year... that is a record-tying pace... Rolling Hills and Cape Coral set the mark at .306... the Racers in 2066, the Hurricanes in 2072... this year Kenwood has decent pitching with a 3.66 team ERA... they are holding their own in the TU West with Jim Singer (10-5/2.98 ERA) and Gordy Francis (8-4/3.57 ERA)... closer Mickey Whiting (10-5/3.33 ERA) is handling the relief chores pretty well, too.

So what's wrong with Rolling Hills?... they have dropped below the .300 mark at the plate... down to .291 this season... plus the pitching is bad (4.33 ERA)... 'nuff said... the Racers are in 4th place, but they still are capable of winning the pennant when you have an attack featuring Liam Gerraghty (.305 BA/13 HR/53 RBI), Emmett Spangler (.322 BA/4 HR/40 RBI), Kit Clemmons (.296 BA/11 HR/44 RBI), Jaron Shufford (.305 BA/5 HR/26 RBI), Cotton Mathers (.299 BA/1 HR/27 RBI) and Art Horn (.298 BA/23 RBI)... missing from the batting order is the best of all of them, Hugo Sutton... the eternal All-Star outfielder and .313 career batter with over 300 homers hurt his shoulder in early April, but should come back in August... Sutton has been a huge loss... he is the heart of the team... pitching has been pathetic... only Benton Garrett (9-4/2.24 ERA) had been effective... no one else has been close to good... but the Racers are still alive and kicking and could get a big lift when Sutton comes back into the lineup.

Fifth place Bayview depends on the bats of Zak Smalley (.337 BA/18 HR/59 RBI), Kris Timberlake (.271 BA/12 HR/51 RBI) and Von Dewberry (.288 BA/10 HR/48 RBI) for offense... top hurlers are Benny Throckmorton (8-5/3.21 ERA), Billy Wilkerson (5-7/2.82 ERA) and Tommy Hedlund (6-7/3.24 ERA)... closer George Tennyson (7-4/3.03 ERA/13 save/43 games) has done quite well in the bullpen.

For the last 4 seasons the Chicopee Braves have been a competitive ballclub... they even won the pennant in 2074 and went to the TU title series... they have several fine position players in Al Sturdivant (.294 BA/15 HR/58 RBI), Oliver MacKay (.331 BA/2 HR/27 RBI) and Tuck Taylor (.311 BA/7 HR/30 RBI), but its pitchers that make the Braves go... Clancy Mahaffey (12-4/2.80 ERA) and George Gently (10-3/3.41 ERA) are standouts... the Tycobbian West pennant race will go down to the final week of the season... it is much too close to call... don't think Bayview and Chicopee will be in the race come September... they just don't have the players... but the other four clubs will slug it out until the very end... it's an exciting brand of baseball in the Tycobbian West Division.

2076 Tycobbian Union Midseason Standings
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Wednesday, July 15, 2076

TYCOBBIAN STARS SNAP 3-GAME LOSING STREAK IN 76TH IPA ALL-STAR CLASH
Overall the Tycobbian Union All-Stars have dominated the Ruthlandian Union All-Stars in the annual midsummer classic, but not lately... the RU Stars have turned the tables and captured the last three games... but not this year... the Tycobbian Stars came away with a hard-earned 2-1 victory in the 76th edition of the IPA All-Star Game.

2076 IPA All-Star Game Stars of the Game
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Life has been super busy lately... will soon post the Final Standings for the IPA 2076 season, recap it and post all of the team stats and leaderboards.

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Wednesday, September 30, 2076

IT'S OVER! 56 IPA TEAMS HAVE GONE HOME FOR THE WINTER
Long-awaited Spring has come and is long gone... the long, hot days of Summer have come and gone... arriving now upon the Islands is the crisp, cool air of Autumn... that means it's Pro Cup Time... only 8 of the 64 IPA teams are still in the running and have dreams of winning the cherished Pro Cup Trophy... Glasco, Valka, Wynnamac, Stoner will represent the Ruthlandian Union and Mahaska, San Alejo, Tuckanarra and last year's Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills will go to bat for the Tycobbian Union... the hallowed and revered IPA postseason playoffs are upon us... this will be the first time the Mahaska Haymakers have been blessed with a playoff spot since 2028 -- yep, that is a long, long time -- pert near 50 years... the Glasco Foxhounds were the Glasco A's the last time they made the playoffs in 2045 - that's 31 years ago... San Alejo is trekking to the postseason for the first time in 9 years... the other 5 clubs have been pretty regular postseason participants.

Ruthlandian Union Final Regular Season Report

LONG-SUFFERING GLASCO FINALLY WINS OUT IN RU NORTH IN SEASON-LONG BATTLE
It has been a very long time since Glasco (86-68) won the Ruthlandian North pennant... 2045 was the year and they were known as the Athletics way back then... only 3 times has Glasco graced the IPA playoffs... all of them long ago... this will only be the 4th time... now they are the Foxhounds and they will be diligently hunting for the 2076 Pro Cup... it was not easy, the Foxhounds had to repel the Kilkenny Cats (84-70), who fought them down to the last few days of the season before they gave up the fight... last year's champ Ranford Bulls (81-73) challenged them most of the season, only to slump in September and drop out of the race... the Far Mountain (79-75) Redhawks and Valmara Vipers (76-78) made some noise in the season, too... the Vipers led for half the year, but fizzled badly in the second half... 2 bad months, May and August, spoiled the Redhawks season... Far Mountain and Kilkenny were the preseason favorites in the RU South... Glasco was given little chance in the polls... they were picked to wind up a distant 4th, 16 GB.

BLACKHAWKS WIN A BRAWL, Y 'ALL
My gosh, what a donnybrook and baseball brawl it was in the Ruthlandian South Division... start-to-finish Valka (87-68), Crystal Lake(86-69) and Waleska (85-69) were in a season-long skirmish, finally won in sudden-death playoff game by the Blackhawks... Valka had to beat Crystal Lake 6-3 on the road on the final day of the season to force the playoff game... the next day the Blackhawks defeated the Skippers again 7-6 to take the division title... In the Ruthlandian South preseason picks, Waleska, Crystal Lake and Belair Beach were ranked higher than Valka, despite the fact that the Blackhawks won it last year... for the 4th time in the last 5 years Valka has made the postseason playoffs... overall this is their 9th appearance... the Blackhawks have never won the Pro Cup, but they did reach the Pro Cup Finals 3 years ago in 2073 and lost to the Pro Cup champion South Fork Stallions... could this be the Year of the Blackhawks?

SUNDOWNERS PUT DOWN EVERYBODY IN THE RU EAST IN SECOND-HALF SURGE
In the Ruthlandian East race Wynnamac (96-58), Cold Creek (86-68), Elnora (86-68) and Sugar Valley (79-75) mixed it up until August... then the Macs surged with a torrid 36-15 mark the final 2 months and the rest slumped, giving the Sundowners the division flag by 10 games... Cold Creek had a fine season playing like champions until August... however, the Raccoons played their worst from then on out, going only 24-27... Sugar Valley also did very well in the first 2 months and led the RU East in June with a 32-19 mark, but the Rattlers got stomped on the rest of the year and wound up 17 games behind in the race... the Elnora Clippers started well and held the top spot in May with a 17-9 start, drooped in midseason to 38-41, but did finish strong at 31-19 the final months of the season... in the preseason polls Wynnamac was favored to win this year... Sugar Valley was rate #2, Elnora #3, Eastshore #4 and Cold Creek #7... last year's winner Marston was the the #5 choice by the pollsters... the Macs really are a successful franchise... since 2050 Wynnamac has has winning seasons... no worse than 4th place with 14 pennants... this will the 21st time the Sundowners have made the postseason... the Macs have won the IPA Pro Cup 3 times... 2008, 2055 and 2070... the Macs may be back.

STONER SILVER SOX SOAR PAST COLFAX AND SLIGO IN RU WEST
The baseball buffs forecast a 3-team affair in the Ruthlandian West Division between last year's winner, the Sligo Rovers, Stoner Silver Sox and Fort Benton Defenders... as it turned out it was only a close race until midseason between Stoner (89-65), Colfax (83-71) and Sligo (79-75) with the Silver Sox gaining the upper hand by August by 6 games over the Black Sox... Colfax ran a good race all year, but never really got close in the second half... the Defenders were long gone by June... by August the Rovers had fallen totally out the race, spiraling all the way to 7th place, 13 GB... Sligo went all the way to the Pro Cup Finals last year and lost to the Pro Cup champ Rolling Hills... so the Silver Sox were never under much pressure in the last half of the season... this will only be the 6th trip to the IPA playoffs for Stoner, but it will be the 3rd time in the past 5 seasons... the Silver Sox have never won a Pro Cup, but they have reached the Pro Cup Finals and lost on 3 occasions... Oxford beat them in 2007... Rolling Hills in 2029... and Turon in 2073.

2076 IPA Final Standings
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2076 Islandian Pro Alliance Division Champions

(Special Thanks to Cuss for the splendid Wynnamac logo)