YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Friday, September 23, 2022

2022 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Up By 1, Slips By Sundowners 4-2
Game three of the RU Elite 8 Series was played at Granger Field in Wynnamac, however it didn't make any difference to Sligo as the Rovers rallied from an early 2-0 deficit to take the game 4-2 and move up two games to one in the series... Sligo got an excellent start from Luka Abromowitz (1-0), who limited the Sundowners to 4 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings... closer Sam Tate came in the ninth and finished it off, holding Wynnamac runless... Both teams got 6 hits each... the Sundowners scored single runs in the first two innings... Sligo got one of them back in the fourth on Johnny Lee Harder's sacrifice fly (.300), then wrapped up the game with 3 more in the sixth, highlighted by RBI doubles by Harder and 3B Manny Alou (.250)... loser Dean Barber (0-1) in a good effort went the distance in defeat, fanning 3 and walking 3... Wynnamac CF Ian Holmes (.583) doubled in the first and scored on a wild pitch... 2B Floyd Kidman (.100) doubled in the second score in the second frame... that was it as far as scoring for the Sundowners.

Ancona Comes Alive, Routs Crystal Lake 10-2
The Ancona Red Elephants came alive on the road with 5 home-run blasts in game three of the RU Elite 8 Series and walloped Crystal Lake 10-2 at Lakefront Stadium... the win cut the Crushers lead to two games to one and was Ancona's critical first win the series... CF Ken Rutledge (.308) led the charge with 2 homers, 4 hits and 3 RBIs... 3B Todd Nasso (.091), 1B Alekos Kotas (.182) and RF Louie DiMucci (.100) also went deep... Hubie Croft (1-0) effectively shut down the Crushers, holding them to 2 runs on 8 hits for the win... Dennis Taylor (0-1) was the losing pitcher... he was slammed for 5 runs and 10 hits in 6 innings.

Tycobbian Union

Suns Finally Win, Zonk Zorros 7-4
The Arroyo Grande big guns unloaded today at De la Vega Stadium in Luxora and the Suns finally won a must game from the Luxora Zorros, cutting their lead to two games to one in the TU Elite Series... LF Eduardo Villanueva tied the game at 1-1 with a solo shot in the third inning and C Gary Troxell (.273) unloaded a 3-run salvo in the 4-run sixth inning to put the Suns ahead to stay... rookie Cesar De Leon hurled a decent game, going all the way and checking the Z's on 8 hits and 4 runs... De Leon had 9 Ks and walked 4 in a credible outing... He stranded 12 Luxora baserunners... the Suns committed 4 errors behind him... Each team collected 8 hits apiece... 1B Jim Gurney (.267) sparked the Zorros at the plate with 2 hits and scored 3 times... Valerio Lopes (0-1) lost it, yielding 5 runs and 5 hits in 5+ innings.

Dorignac Halts Reds 5-2, Wolves Lead By A Game
Playing its first game at home on the happy hunting grounds at Joe Wolf Stadium, Midway erupted for 5 runs right off the bat in the opening frame and held off the Rolling Hills Reds 5-2 in game 3 of the Tycobbian Elite 8... it was the Wolves second win in the series and gave them a surprising two games to one lead over the favored Reds... 22-year-old Bobby Dorignac, a 19-game winner in his rookie year, tossed an impressive game, stopping Rolling Hills on 4 hits and one earned run... Dorignac (1-0) whiffed 8 and issued 3 walks in a route-going job... 2B Frank Reinhard's (.182) 2-run single and CF Johnny Lee's (.455) 3-run roundtripper accounted for all of the Midway scoring... the Wolves got 9 hits off four Reds pitchers, pinning the loss on rookie starter Alan Clay (0-1), who was roughed up for 5 runs in two innings.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 24, 2022

2022 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Wynnamac Wins 6-0, Evens Series With Sligo
Wynnamac's Lon Marshall evened the Elite 8 Series with the favored Sligo Rovers with a superb 1-hit shutout in game four of the best-of-seven series... at his home field, Marshall blanked Sligo 6-0, beating the Rovers for the second time in the series... the teams are now knotted up at 2 games apiece... Marshall beat the Rovers 3-1 on 6 hits in the opening game... in this one Marshall (2-0 0.50) fanned 7 and walked 3, while going the distance... the Sundowners were led by 2B Liam Cadbury (.313) with 2 hits, 2 runs scored and 3 RBIs, including a home run in the seventh... Wynnamac collected 8 hits off two Sligo pitchers... loser Les Patterson (0-2 4.96) worked 6 and a third innings and gave up all the hits and all of the runs... Rover 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.333) spoiled the no-hitter with a fifth-inning single.

Crushers Rip Red Elephants 8-2, Up 3-1 In Series
The Crystal Lake Crushers took a giant step towards winning the RU Elite 8 Series with Ancona by smashing them 8-2 in game four to take a three games to one edge... one more win will send the Crushers to the next round, the RU Final 4... Crusher ace Duncan Welch sparkled again on the hill as he shut down hard-hitting Ancona for the second time in the series, stopping them on 6 hits in a complete-game performance... Welch (2-0 1.00) had 6 strikeouts and walked just one... Crystal Lake cracked 12 hits, paced by 1B Phil Gravelli (.267) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, 3B Tommy Gompers (.412) with 3 hits, 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs... Gompers had 2 triples... and SS Alton Sonnenberg (.583) with 3 hits, 1 run batted in and 1 scored... Ancona ace Clete Dukas (0-2 3.38) took it on the chin... the Crushers belted him for 11 hits and 8 runs in 5+ innings... 3 of the runs were not earned as the Red Elephants committed 3 errors.

Tycobbian Union

Suns Even Series, Slam Z's 6-3 In 10
It was quite a tussle at De la Vega Stadium in Luxora... for 9 innings it was a tense 1-1 duel between the teams' number-one hurlers - Sixto Zamora for Arroyo Grande and Tiago Torres for Luxora... but when they left, all heck broke loose against the teams' bullpens... the Suns exploded for 5 runs in the top of the tenth and held on for a 6-3 triumph after the Zorros mounted a mild comeback in the bottom half of the inning with 2 runs... Arroyo Grande pinchhitter Andre Lajoie snapped the 1-1 tie with a double, CF Johnny Whittier (.059) blasted a 3-run homer and 1B Rusty Vizcarra (.333) finished off the Suns scoring with an RBI single... Arroyo Grande got 10 hits, while Luxora totaled 9... Zamora (1-1 4.14) got credit for the victory as he went 9 innings, allowed 7 hits and a run, while fanning 6 and walking 2... Suns bullpen specialist Jason Patrick struggled in his only inning and gave up 2 runs in the tenth... closer Jay Brewer (0-1) was rocked for 4 runs in the tenth for the loss... Luxora starter Tiago Torres was terrific, striking out 10 in 9 innings, limiting the Suns to just 4 hits and one run, while permitting 3 walks.

Midway Takes 3rd Straight, Reds Trail 3-1
The underdog Midway Wolves got another fine pitching performance and continued to hit with authority to mow down the number-two seeded team Rollings Hills 6-2 in game four of the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 Series... it was the Wolves third win in a row, giving them a chance to finish off the favored Reds by winning just one more game in the best-of-seven series... Rolling Hills will have to run out the series to keep its season alive... Dakota Dyami (1-1 4.85) tossed a complete game and held the Reds to 5 hits and 2 runs, striking out 4 and walking 3... Dyami got a lot of offensive support as the Wolves piled up 11 hits, led by 2B Frank Reinhard (.333) with 2 doubles, a single, 2 runs scored and an RBI... RF Kyle Rigney (.400) rapped a pair of hits and scored twice... C Sammy Murphy (.231) drove in 2 runs for the winners... game-one winner Errol Gaudet (1-1 4.20) caught the loss as he surrendered 4 runs and 9 hits in his 7 innings.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 25, 2022

2022 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Sundowners Down Rovers 5-1 In Game 5
A big upset is in the making... the Wynnamac Sundowners downed the Sligo Rovers 5-1 in game 5 of the RU Elite 8 Series and they are on the verge of sending the reigning Pro Cup champ home for the season... Wynnamac leads the best-of-seven series three games to two and needs just one more win to advance in the playoffs... RF Bob Carr (.222) snapped a 1-1 tie in the bottom of the eighth with a dramatic grand-slam homer... and Jerry Meeks pitched a whale of a game, scattering 8 hits and permitting only one run, while going the route... Meeks (1-1 2.40) allowed 2 walks and struck out 4 for the win... Ralph Odakota (1-1 4.50) also went the distance... he gave up 5 runs on 7 hits with 8 Ks and 4 bases on balls... Carr had 2 homers in the game and batted in all 5 runs for the Sundowners.

Ancona Still Kickin', Edges Crystal Lake 3-2
Behind three games to one in the RU Elite 8 Series, the Ancona Red Elephants didn't roll over and play dead against favored Crystal Lake, they came back and won a thrilling 3-2 victory and now trail by just a game... a loss would have ended their season... LF Kenny Willard (.300) was the hero when he drilled a walk-off double in the last of the ninth... another hero was Spiros Zodiates, who came up with a clutch performance... Zodiates was rocked for a 2-run homer in the opening frame by 2B Greg Murphy (.294), but the 23-year-old right-hander quickly settled down and blanked the Crushers the rest of the game... Zodiates (1-1 6.94) allowed 7 hits and 2 runs in a superlative outing... Ralph McCullough was sharp, too... he worked 8 innings, was touched for 8 hits, but only 2 runs... McCullough issued 4 walks and fanned 7 in the game... Roger Bishop (0-1) went to the hill in the tenth and was tagged with the defeat.

Ancona fought back with single runs in the fourth and sixth to tie the game at 2 apiece... 1B Alekos Kotas (.222) tripled and scored on C Davy Trexler's (.200) sac fly and Kotas (.222) doubled and scored on Louie DiMucci's RBI single.

Tycobbian Union

Suns Take Series Lead, Bomb Z's 10-4
In the pivotal fifth game of the TU Elite 8 Series, Arroyo Grande leaped out to a 5-0 lead after 3 innings, Luxora rallied to cut it to 5-3 at the end of 5, then the Suns pulled away to triumph 10-4 and move up three games to two in the series... the teams will now head to Arroyo Grande for games six and seven, if necessary... the Suns pounded five Luxora hurlers for 15 hits, powered by three home runs by LF Eduardo Villanueva (.348), C Gary Troxell (.263) and SS Andy Pearson (.300)... Troxell and Villanueva had 3 RBIs apiece... Ernie Matthews (1-0 4.20) notched the victory, allowing only one earned run and 9 hits with 5 strikeouts and a couple of walks... Z's starter and loser Mike Boyce (0-1) didn't get out of the first inning, when the Suns jumped him for 4 runs.

Midway Wins RH Series, Final 4 Bound
In an unbelievable 17-inning game, seventh seed Midway did the unthinkable and upset second seed Rolling Hills in the TU Elite 8 Series, winning it in five games... the Wolves won it with a remarkable 1-0 victory in 17 tense innings, finally ending it on 1B Cal Hunter (.300) homer off losing pitcher Johnny Selleca, the fourth Reds pitcher... Midway used 5 pitchers with the win going to Benny Cobb (1-0), who came on in the top of the 17th... the Wolves had the edge in hits 10 to 7 over the Reds... both starters were sensational... Rolling Hills' Sal Jordan worked 9 scoreless innings and gave up 6 hits with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts, while Midway's Motega Wolf fired 9 shutout innings with 5 Ks and 2 walks... the upstart Wolves will now advance to the TU Final 4 against the winner of the Arroyo Grande-Luxora series... the Suns lead the Zorros three games to two in that series.

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 26, 2022

2022 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Forces 7th Game
With their backs to the wall, the defending Pro Cup crownbearer Sligo Rovers roared back from an early 3-1 deficit to slide past Wynnamac 7-5 in game six of the Ruthlandian Elite 8, tying the series at three-all and forcing a seventh game tomorrow afternoon... the Rovers won the game despite being outhit 14 to 10 by the Sundowners... Luka Abromowitz (2-0 2.81) got the win, but gave up a lot of hits, 12 in 8 innings... Abromowitz surrendered 4 runs, walked 2 and fanned 5... Sam Tate (0-0 3.00) notched his third save in the series, but struggled, giving up a run on 2 hits in the ninth... Sligo's big bats were LF Biff Blauer (.273), 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.444) and 3B Matty Alou (.182), all with 2 RBIs each... Wynnamac was led by CF Ian Holmes (.542), 1B Pete Simmons (.304) and RF Bob Carr (.333), each with 3 hits and an RBI... Dean Barber (0-2 4.50) was the losing pitcher... Sligo got to him for 6 runs and 7 hits in 5 innings... the Sundowners raced to a 3-1 lead after two innings, but the Rovers came back to tie it up in the third and go-ahead in the fourth with 3 more scores, making it 6-3... Sligo increased it to 7-3 in the seventh... Wynnanmac came up with single runs in the eighth and the ninth.

Crushers Move On, Take Ancona In 6
Not noted for hitting, Crystal Lake certainly wielded some good bats to knock off Ancona in six games in the RU Elite 8 Series, especially in game six... the Crushers pounded out 14 hits to beat the Red Elephants 8-3... 2B Greg Murphy (.333), CF Andy McGee (.273) and 1B Phil Gravelli (.250) all went deep for Crystal Lake... a 4-run fifth decided the game pushing the Crushers up 6-3... winning pitcher Dennis Taylor was tagged for 11 hits, but was tough in the clutch and permitted only 3 runs... Taylor (1-1 4.20) had 7 strikeouts and one base on balls... the Red Elephants were led by SS Yanni Kouris (.261), LF Kenny Willard (.348) and 1B Alekos Kotas (.273), who socked 2 hits apiece... Hubie Croft (1-1 4.73) suffered the loss, yielding 6 runs in 4+ frames... Crystal Lake got fine mound work except for game three when Ancona routed them 10-2... the Crushers will meet the Sligo-Wynnamac winner in the Ruthlandian Final 4 Series.

Tycobbian Union

Suns Eliminate Zorros 5-4
Arroyo Grande rookie phenom Rusty Vizcarra (.348) came through when it counted... he crushed two out of the park and drove in 4 runs in the 5-4 victory over the Luxora in game six of the TU Elite 8, eliminating the Zorros from the Pro Cup playoffs... the Suns won the series four games to two... it wasn't easy though... the Suns ran up a 5-0 lead after 5 innings, then had to fight off a determined rally by the Z's, who came up one run short with 2 in the seventh and 2 in the ninth... rookie Cesar De Leon (2-0 2.65) hurled a fine game, stopping Luxora on 5 hits and 2 runs in his 8 innings... De Leon departed with a 5-2 lead, which was almost blown by closer Jason Patrick in the ninth... 1B Jim Gurney (.214) and 2B Julio Canseco (.364) topped the Zorros at the plate with 2 RBIs apiece... Arroyo Grande had the hit advantage 9 to 8... rookie Valerio Lopes (0-2 9.00) was the loser... he was shelled for 5 runs and 7 hits in 4 and two-thirds innings... the Suns will now advance to the TU Final 4 against the Midway Wolves, who upset the powerful Rolling Hills Reds in the first round.

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 27, 2022

2022 IPA Elite 8 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Sligo Shuts Out Wynnamac In Game 7
The defending Pro Cup holder Sligo Rovers played like champs today at home at Silver Mountain Park and blanked Wynnamac 6-0 in the game seven finale of the RU Elite 8... ace Les Patterson (1-2 3.20) came through for the Rovers and fired a 3-hit shutout to take the hard-fought series four games to three... the Rovers will advance to the RU Final 4 against the powerful Crystal Lake Crushers... game seven was close until the seventh when Sligo turned a 2-0 game into a 6-0 lead with a 4-run uprising against loser Lon Marshall (2-1 2.08), who had dominated them in two previous starts... Marshall pitched the entire game, allowing 11 hits and 6 runs with 10 Ks and 5 walks... Patterson struck out 8 and walked none in a superlative outing... at the plate RF Clell Renshaw (.385) had 2 hits and scored twice for the winners... LF Biff Blauer (.280) had a hit, walked twice and scored twice... 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.425) delivered 2 hits and an RBI... Wynnamac had its chance with a three games to two lead, but the Sundowners just couldn't put the Rovers away... the RU Final 4 will get underway on Thursday in Crystal Lake... the Crushers were 97-57 this season, while Sligo was 95-59. The team with the best season record gets the home field advantage in the postseason.

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 28, 2022

IPA Final 4s Start Tomorrow
Seeds 1, 3, 4 and 7 have made the IPA Final 4 round in the Pro Cup playoffs. Play is slated to get underway tomorrow afternoon. In the Ruthlandian Final 4 defending Pro Cup titlist and number-one seeded Sligo Rovers will tangle with the Crystal Lake Crushers, a third seed. The Crushers won the Pro Cup in 2020. In the Tycobbian Final 4 it will be the fourth-seeded Arroyo Grande Suns meeting the seventh-seed Midway Wolves, who surprised number-two seed Rolling Hills in the opening round of action.

Sligo and Crystal Lake have outstanding pitching. The Rovers are favored to take the series because of superior offense. The opening two games will be played at Lakefront Stadium in Crystal Lake. In the other match-up it will be Arroyo Grande's firepower against Midway's mound corps. The experts are giving a slight nod to the Suns' scoring ability. However, the Wolves can go deep, too. Both clubs' regulars hit 10 or more homers this season. The Suns have the home field advantage and will host games one and two at Capet Stadium.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 28, 2022

2022 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Welch Humbles Sligo 3-1, Crushers Win Opener
Playing on its home grounds, Crystal Lake copped the Ruthlandian Final 4 opener from Sligo 3-1... 6'7" stringbean southpaw Duncan Welch (3-0 1.04) did his job almost to perfection, holding the Rovers to 6 hits, while fanning 10 and issuing 2 walks in a sharp performance... all the scoring took place in the first three frames... the Crushers were led by RF Augie Marshall (.360), LF Jed Franks (.280) and 2B Greg Murphy (.364), who drove in the runs... Crystal Lake got 2 in the first and one in the third... Sligo got its lone run in the third on an RBI single by SP Ralph Odakota... Odakota (1-2 4.13) went the distance in defeat, surrendering 3 runs and 9 hits with 6 walks and 4 Ks... Sligo lost its fine 2B Garlin Delk early in the game when he was injured making a diving play on a pop fly... doctors said Delk will miss 2-3 weeks and not be available for the remainder of the postseason... During the regular season Delk batted .303 with 15 homers and 101 RBIs... in the playoffs he has slumped badly with a .143 BA and only 1 RBI... Sligo needed his bat badly to repeat as Pro Cup champion. He will be sorely missed.

Tycobbian Union

Suns Squeak By Wolves 4-3 In 11 Innings
On the road in Arroyo Grande at Capet Stadium, Midway blew the first game of the Tycobbian Finals 4-3 in 11 innings... the Wolves starting pitcher Motega Wolf gave them a 3-1 lead going into the ninth, but his relief couldn't nail down the verdict... rookie 1B Rusty Vizcarra (.321) slammed a two-run homer in the bottom of the ninth to tie it and send it to overtime... Vizcarra now has 12 RBIs and 3 home runs in the playoffs... in the eleventh RF Buddy Bechtel's (.292) two-out single drove in PR Glen Lindsay with the winning score... Jason Patrick (1-0 9.00) got the win with a scoreless frame... left-hander Sixto Zamora started and worked 10 innings, permitted 3 runs on 5 hits, but walked 7 and struck out 8... Wolf was really sharp, giving up only one run on 3 hits, striking out 5 and walking 2... Big John Littlefeather (0-1 1.93) took the mound in the last of the eleventh and took the loss... Arroyo Grande got 8 hits to 6 for the Wolves... Bechtel had 3 hits and 2 RBIs to pace the winners.

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 28, 2022

2022 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Crystal Lake Edges Sligo 3-2 In Game 2
Slight underdog Crystal Lake has outpitched and outhit favored Sligo in the first two games of the RU Final 4, winning two close games... winning pitcher Ralph McCullough (2-0 1.80) got the best of Rover ace Les Patterson (1-3 3.24) 3-2... McCullough went 8 strong innings, allowed 2 runs and 6 hits with no walks and 6 strikeouts... closer Roger Bishop (3.38) finished Sligo off with a perfect ninth... Patterson hurled a complete game, yielding 3 runs on 6 hits, fanning 9 and walking one... CF Andy McGee (.267) won it with a solo homer in the last of the eighth, snapping a 2-2 tie... 2B Greg Murphy (.346) also homered in the first inning for the Crushers... CF Chris Michel (.212) and RF Clell Renshaw (.394) drove in the Sligo runs in the third and eighth.

Midway Evens Series, Dorignac Sinks Suns 5-2
A last-minute change in starters paid off for Midway manager Cochise Chandler... he gave the ball to 22-year-old Bobby Dorignac instead of the scheduled starter Dakota Dyami... Dorignac has looked better in the playoffs... Dorignac downed Arroyo Grande 5-2 to gain a split in the first two games of the TU Final 4 Series... Dorignac (2-0 1.59) bent, but didn't break... he gave up 9 hits, but only 2 runs... Dom Vilaggio blanked the Suns in the ninth for his second save in the postseason this year... Ernie Matthews was the losing pitching in a lackluster start... Matthews (1-1 4.91) was rocked for 5 runs and 6 hits in 7 innings... C Sammy Murphy (.250) collected the winning hit with and RBI single in the 4-run sixth that put the Wolves up 5-1... SS Masko Chandler (.111) then delivered the crusher, a 3-run shot that put Midway out of reach... Arroyo Grande outhit the Wolves 9 to 6, but just didn't get timely hits.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 1, 2022

2022 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Rovers Awake, Clobber Crushers 13-4 In Game 3
Trailing 3-2 after 4 innings, the Sligo Rovers roared back with a vengeance and clobbered Crystal Lake 13-4 to finally win a game in the RU Final 4, cutting the Crushers lead to 2-1... leading the Sligo hit parade were 3B Matty Alou (.229) with two hits and 4 RBIs, RF Clell Renshaw (.405) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, LF Biff Blauer (.257) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs and SS Vic Carlin (.188) with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... the Rovers racked up 12 hits off four pitchers with Alou and Carlin going deep... Luka Abromowitz (3-0 2.16) continued his postseason success with his third win... he was touched for 4 runs and 9 hits, but only one was earned... it was sloppy game with each team committing four errors... losing pitcher Dean Taylor (1-2 4.87) was battered for 7 runs in 5+ innings.

Midway Mauls Suns 17-1, Goes Up 2-1 In Series
It was a runaway in the Tycobbian Final 4, too... Midway mauled Arroyo Grande before the happy home fans at Joe Wolf Stadium 17-1, bashing 16 hits and 3 roundtrippers... SS Maska Chandler (.125) cracked a grand slam and drove in 4 runs to lead the pack... brother LF Chitto Chandler (.194) had 3 hits and 4 RBIs, including a 2-run homer... 2B Frank Reinhard (.258) had 2 hits and 3 RBIs... CF Johnny Lee (.333) collected 3 hits, homered and drove in a pair of runs... Dakota Dyami (2-1 3.27) had a strong outing, limiting the Suns to just 4 hits with 7 Ks and 3 walks... Cesar De Leon (2-1 4.74) was knocked out after 2 innings... he left trailing 5-0.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 1, 2022

2022 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Crushers Clip Rovers 6-4 In Game 4
5 errors gifted Crystal Lake with 6 runs in its 6-4 victory over Sligo in game four, pushing the Crushers lead to 3-1 in the RU Final 4 series, bringing the defending Pro Cup champ to the brink of elimination... Duncan Welch (4-0 1.29) struggled, but went the route, permitting only 2 earned runs and 5 hits with 4 walks and 5 strikeouts... 2B Greg Murphy (.400) sparked the Crushers with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... his second-inning two-bagger gave Crystal Lake a 4-2 lead... 3B Tommy Gompers (.333) also had 2 hits and scored twice... RF Augie Marshal (.324) and LF Jed Franks (.265) batted in the other runs... Ralph Odakota (1-3 3.41) was the victim of the shoddy defense... Odakota worked 5 innings, gave up 5 hits and 6 unearned runs... he departed behind 6-2 and Welch made the lead hold up... C Sherman Albert (.256) doubled in 2 runs in the first inning giving the Rovers a short-lived 2-1 edge... RF Clell Renshaw (.400) homered in the seventh and narrowed the score to 6-4... there were only 11 hits in the game, 6 for the Crushers and 5 for the Rovers.

Wolves Skim By Suns 6-5 In 12 Innings
In game four of the Tycobbian Final 4 Midway's Sammy Murphy stepped up to lead off the bottom of the 12th and slammed it into the stands for a 6-5 victory over favored Arroyo Grande... the Wolves only need one more win to advance to the Pro Cup Finals for the first time in the club's 21-year history... Midway blew a 5-3 lead in the ninth, but came back in extra innings to triumph... the Wolves got 17 hits, but had a tough time putting away Arroyo Grande... they left 13 baserunners on base... Motega Wolf shut out the Suns 2-0 for the first five frames, but was stung by 1B Rusty Vizcarra's 3-run homer in the sixth... single runs in the sixth, seventh and eighth gave the Wolves a 5-3 lead, but the Suns tied it with 2 unearned runs in the top of the ninth... in all Midway committed 4 errors... Big John Littlefeather (1-0 1.35) worked 2 scoreless innings for the win, with the defeat going to Steve Sampson (0-2 5.73)... Murphy (.364) topped the Wolves with 4 hits... RF Kyle Rigney (.381) had 3 hits and scored 2 runs... 2B Frank Reinhard (.314) smacked 3 hits and batted in a pair of runs... and CF Johnny Lee (.333) homered and drove in 2 runs... Arroyo Grande managed only 8 hits with Vizcarra (.325) getting 3 of them... the rookie has hit 4 out of the park in the postseason, after topping the IPA with 58 in the regular season.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 3, 2022

2022 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Sligo Survives, Beats CL 5-3 In Game 5
The Sligo Rovers lived to play another day... they survived elimination with a clutch pitching performance from Les Patterson, who stopped Crystal Lake 5-3 in game five of the RU Final 4 Series... the Crushers still have a 3-2 edge in the series and need just one more victory to wrap it up... Patterson (2-3 2.76) went the route and only allowed one earned run and 5 singles with 2 walks and 7 strikeouts... Sligo built up a 5-1 lead after 4 innings and held on... CF Chris Michel (.277) led them at the plate with 3 hits and 3 runs scored... Rover 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.297) drove in 2 of the runs and 3B Matty Alou (.214) and SS Vic Carlin (.154) had one apiece... Ralph McCullough (2-1 2.32) lost for the first time in the postseason, permitting 5 hits and 5 runs, 3 earned, in 6 innings... he walked 7 and fanned 4 in a poor effort... for Sligo to defend its Pro Cup title, it will have to win the final two games at home at Silver Mountain Park.

Midway Wins TU In 5 Games, Pro Cup Finalist
In a surprise, seventh-seeded Midway upset fourth seed Arroyo Grande in the TU Final to advance to the IPA Pro Cup for the first time in its history... The Wolves captured the series in five games... 22-year-old Bobby Dorignac clinched the league crown by blanking the Suns 2-0 on 6 hits... It was his third straight strong outing in the postseason... Dorignac (3-0 1.04) whiffed 8 and walked just 2 in going the distance... Ernie Matthews (1-2 3.90) was sharp, too, yielding only one earned run and 5 hits, also in a complete game... two errors led to the Wolves first run in the third inning... RF Kyle Rigney (.386) got the last run in on a sacrifice fly in the seventh.

Midway will now get ready for an IPA showdown with Crystal Lake or Sligo for the Island baseball championship... the Pro Cup is slated to start Friday afternoon. Games one and two will be played at the Ruthlandian Union's home field... Crystal Lake was 97-57 during the year, Sligo wound up 95-59 and Midway was 92-62... Both the Crushers and the Rovers will have home field advantage over the Wolves.

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 3, 2022

2022 IPA Final 4 Series
(best-of-seven)

Crushers Dethrone Rovers in 6 Games
After a year's absence, the Crystal Lake Crushers are headed back to the IPA Pro Cup... the Crushers upended the defending IPA champ, the Sligo Rovers, finishing them off 6-3 in the deciding game in the Ruthlandian Final 4... Crystal Lake copped the series four games to two... in his first playoff start this year left-hander Vic Bauer got an unexpected start and got the job done... Bauer (1-0 2.53) held the Rovers to 3 runs and 8 hits, giving up only one earned score... Bauer had 5 Ks and 3 walks... Luka Abromowitz (3-1 3.64) dropped his first postseason game this year... he gave up 6 runs and 10 hits in 4+ frames... it just wasn't his day... C Ross Kent (.233) paced the Crusher 13-hit attack with 2 hits and 3 RBIs... 1B Phil Gravelli (.289) had a perfect 4-4 day and batted in 2 runs... 2B Greg Murphy (.390) had 2 hits and scored twice for the winners... manager Baby George chose southpaw Bauer over right-hander Dennis Taylor, who has performed poorly in the playoffs with a 1-2 mark and a high 4.87 ERA... during the regular season Sligo had trouble against lefties... Sligo started off like champs with a 3-0 lead after three innings... but it didn't last long as the Crushers tore into Abromowitz for 2 in the fourth and 4 more in the fifth to wrap up the RU title.

Crystal Lake won the IPA Pro Cup two years ago in 2020. This year's opponent is the Midway Wolves, who have played sterling baseball in whipping the number one seed Rolling Hills and the number four seed Arroyo Grande. Third seed Crystal Lake should take nothing for granted. It should be a fine series.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 5, 2022

CL Crushers Team To Beat In Pro Cup
According to The Islandian Times poll of sportswriters and broadcasters around the Islands, this year's IPA Pro Cup Finals is a very even match-up. Crystal Lake of the Ruthlandian Union has the better starting pitching, but Midway of the Tycobbian Union is no slouch either. The Crushers have two left-handed starters and a southpaw closer. Midway has been known to have difficulty against lefties. Many analysts feel the Wolves can match the Crushers overall on the hill because of stronger relievers. Offensively the edge goes to Midway. The Wolves have more quality hitters and more power than Crystal Lake. In the final balloting a slight majority of the press still favored the Crushers and their superb starters.

Two years ago Duncan Welch (23-12 2.18) and Ralph McCullough (20-9 2.56) led Crystal Lake to an upset Pro Cup title and now they are back again, but this time as the favorite. Welch picked up where he left off in 2020. He's 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA in the postseason this year, while McCullough is 2-1 with a 2.32 ERA. Midway will counter with two fine starters of its own. Motega Wolf (21-9 2.44) and Bobby Dorignac (19-14 2.74) both had ERAs far below 3.00 this season and especially low in the playoffs this year. Wolf is 1-0 with a 1.08 ERA in 4 starts, while Dorignac is even better with a 3-0 mark and 1.04 ERA. The series may come down to the number three starters, Dakota Dyami (25-9 3.45) for Midway and Vic Bauer (9-2 2.36) for Crystal Lake. Dyami is 2-1 and 3.27 in the playoffs, while Bauer is 1-0 with a 2.53 ERA.

Manager Baby George relies on Phil Gravelli (.289 BA/1 HR/9 RBI), Greg Murphy (.390 BA/3 HR/10 RBI), Tommy Gompers (.313 BA/0 HR/6 RBI) and Augie Marshall (.286 BA/1 HR/5 RBI) for his scoring. For skipper Cochise Chandler his team depends on Kyle Rigney (.386 BA/0 HR/2 RBI), Sammy Murphy (.351 BA/1 HR/4 RBI), CF Johnny Lee (.316 BA/3 HR/8 RBI) and 3B Rob Gigler (.314 BA/0 HR/2 RBI) for his offense. During the regular campaign the Wolves outhomered the Crushers 179 to 113. In the Pro Cup playoffs Midway has 8 roundtrippers and Crystal Lake has gone deep 7 times.

It looks like this will be a hotly-contested affair and could go 7 games. Both teams have played outstanding baseball in the postseason. Crystal Lake whipped powerhouses Ancona and Sligo in six games each, while Midway dominated powerful Rolling Hills and Arroyo Grande, taking four out of five from each of those teams. Midway certainly has not played like a sixth-seeded team. Crystal Lake was rated the third-best team in the playoffs

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 6, 2022

2022 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 1
(best-of-seven)

Welch Whips Wolf 2-1, Crushers Wins Pro Cup Opener
The opening game of the 2022 Pro Cup Series at Lakefront Stadium was all it was expected to be... both clubs had aces on the mound and they did their stuff... when it was over Duncan Welch hurled Crystal Lake past Motega Wolf and the Midway Wolves 2-1 in a classic duel... Welch (5-0 1.03) spread 8 hits and shut out the Wolves 2-0 for 8 innings, before his defense almost blew the game with two errors in the ninth... Welch fanned 7 and walked 3, almost going the distance, but needed help for the last out with the winning runs on second and third... closer Roger Bishop got his 3rd save of the playoffs when he retired Chitto Chandler (.196) on an easy grounder for the final out... Wolf (1-1 1.31) went all the way, permitted 9 hits and 2 runs with 5 Ks and 2 walks... Crusher 1B Phil Gravelli (.271) got the first run across in the first frame on a sacrifice fly that scored 2B Greg Murphy (.400)... Crystal Lake also scored in the fourth on a double by LF Jed Franks (.295) and a single by SS Alton Sonnenberg (.250)... that proved to be the eventual game-winner... Midway got its only score in the ninth on a ground-out by 3B Rob Gigler (.300).

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 7, 2022

2022 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 2
(best-of-seven)

Midway Evens Pro Cup, Trims CL 5-2
Pitching prevailed again in game two of the IPA Pro Cup Finals, but this time it was Midway that had it... the Wolves Bobby Dorignac stopped Crystal Lake 5-2 to even up the series at one game each... Dorignac (4-0 0.79) continued his remarkable playoff run with his fourth straight victory... the awesome 22-year-old right-hander limited the Crushers to just 4 hits and no earned runs in his 8 innings... Dorignac struck out 3 and walked 3... Dom Vilaggio (.208) closed it out for him with a 1-2-3 ninth for his 3rd postseason save... Ralph McCullough (2-2 2.48) lost it in a complete game, giving up 3 earned runs and 6 hits with 4 strikeouts and a couple of walks.

The Wolves leaped out to a 3-0 lead in the first inning... LF Chitto Chandler, who failed to get a clutch hit the day before, got one today... Chandler (.214) doubled in 2 runs in the opening frame... Chandler went to third on a balk and came in on a 2B Frank Reinhard (.267) ground-out... the Crushers chopped away at the lead with a run in the fourth on an error and another unearned score in the sixth... the Wolves padded the 3-2 lead with 2 insurance runs in the top of the ninth... Midway got the first one on an error and the second one on an RBI single by Chandler... Chandler paced the Wolves with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... RF Kyle Rigney (.352) chipped in with 2 runs scored... SS Maska Chandler (.191) went 2-4 and scored a run for the winners... neither club played well defensively... they each made 3 miscues.

Got busy today and converted my IPA and South Island Leagues to OOTP24... hope it is the wise thing to do... I have been told that it is stable by several knowledgeable OOTP gamers.

All seemed to go well.

It sure is going to be quite a job to update all 64 teams with the new graphics I have for the new season... I have lots of new primary and secondary logos, compliments of hurricanekevin on the Mods Forum.

My normal procedure is to transfer my leagues only after the final patch for each version of the game... I am going to try to use OOTP24 right now.

Hope it is a good, solid and reliable version.

If it proves to be a problem, I will use OOTP23... it is a very solid version of the game.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 6, 2022

2022 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 3
(best-of-seven)

Crushers Rally Late, Crush Wolves 9-3 In Game 3
Playing the first-ever Pro Cup game in Midway's Joe Wolf Stadium, Crystal Lake snapped a 3-3 tie with a 5-run explosion in the top of the eighth and came away with a 9-3 triumph and a two-games-to-one lead in the series... two runs came in on an error by 2B Frank Reinhard to make it 5-3... C Eddie Robertson (.250) made it 6-3 with a sac fly... winning pitcher Vic Bauer (.143) cracked a 2-run single putting Crystal Lake comfortably in front 8-3... LF Michael Melchiore (.125) added another run in the ninth with a sacrifice fly... the Crushers collected 13 hits, while Midway had 6... Crystal Lake had another atrocious day in the field with 4 errors, but survived them.

Winner Bauer (2-0 1.83) permitted only one earned run, struck out 4 and walked 3, while going the distance... losing pitcher Dakota Dyami (2-2 3.34) was battered for 8 runs and 11 hits in 7+ innings... CF Andy McGee (.246) sparked the Crushers with 3-5 and 2 runs scored... 1B Phil Gravelli (.281) scored twice, drove in one and had 2 hits... Melchiore (.125) homered, scored 2 times and batted in 2 runs... and Robertson had 2 RBIs... for Midway Reinhard got a solo homer in the fourth inning and RF Kyle Rigney (.373) went 3-5 in defeat... this was the Wolves first home loss in the playoffs this year... they had won six straight.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 6, 2022

2022 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 4
(best-of-seven)

Sonnenberg Homers Twice In Crushers 5-2 Win
Light-hitting Crystal Lake SS Alton Sonnenberg went deep twice on Motega Wolf and led the Crushers to a 5-2 victory, moving them way ahead in the Pro Cup Series three-games-to-one... one more Crusher win and it's over... Sonnenberg slammed a solo shot in the top of the third and a two-run clout in the fifth, putting the Crushers ahead 3-0... rookie Sonnenberg (.286) had a perfect 3-for-3 day at the plate... he now has 10 RBIs in the Pro Cup playoffs... 3B Tommy Gompers (.302) also belted a 2-run homer in the fifth for a 5-0 lead.

Super ace Duncan Welch (6-0 1.03) was outstanding again, scattering 8 hits, striking out 9 , walking 2 and chalking up his 6th win in the playoffs this season and his 12th overall... Welch has lost only one game in the postseason in his career... how does he do it? - with a 98-mph fastball, great control, command and stuff... Wolf (1-2 2.14) fell to Welch again, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits in 5 innings.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 10, 2022

2022 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 5
(best-of-seven)

Midway Hangs Tough, Takes Game Five 2-1
Playing at home at Joe Wolf Stadium, the Midway Wolves still have some fight left in them... trailing three-games-to-one in the Pro Cup Series, Midway got another standout outing from Bobby Dorignac, who halted Crystal Lake 2-1 in game 5... Dorignac (5-0 0.64) has been sensational in the playoffs... he held the Crushers to 6 hits and no earned runs, struck out 5 and walked one in his 8 innings... closer Dom Vilaggio (1.86) came in and did his job to perfection, setting Crystal Lake down in order in the ninth for his 4th playoff save... Ralph McCullough (2-3 2.44) was almost as good as Dorignac... he worked a complete game, yielded just 2 runs on 6 hits with 7 Ks and 3 walks.

Midway scored first on 1B Cal Hunter's (.294) solo homer in the second frame... the Wolves got run number two when two singles and a walk loaded up the bases... SS Maska Chandler (.190) got the game-winner in when he grounded into a double play... the Crushers cut it to 2-1 in the sixth on a two-base error and an RBI single by 1B Phil Gravelli (.277)... Hunter and RF Kyle Rigney (.358) pace the Wolves with 2 hits apiece... Hunter scored both Midway runs.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 10, 2022

2022 IPA Pro Cup Series - Game 6
(best-of-seven)

CL Crushers Are Pro Cup Champs Again
For the second time in three years the Crystal Lake Crushers reign supreme in the Islandian Pro Alliance - Baby George's boys are once again the Pro Cup champion... Crystal Lake pulled a big upset in the 2020 finals by knocking off the heavily-favored Ozarka Naturals.

The Crushers finished off a tough Midway team 6-5 in game six at Lakefront Stadium in Crystal Lake to captured the series four-games-to-two... in a seesaw battle, Midway took a 1-0 lead in the top of the second on CF Johnny Lee's (.246) double... the Crushers bounced right back with 3 runs in the bottom half of the inning, scoring one run on a wild pitch and two more on RBI doubles by C Eddie Robertson (.286) and CF Andy McGee (.257)... the Wolves evened it up 3-3 in the third on LF Chitto Chandler's (.211) two-run smash, then went on top 5-3 in the fourth frame... Midway got the go-ahead runs on two errors and a sacrifice fly by C Sammy Murphy (.321)... Crystal Lake committed 3 errors in the game, but still won.

Vic Bauer (3-0 2.60) got credit for the win, but had a rough start... Bauer was slapped around for 5 runs in the first four innings, then settled down and held the Wolves scoreless for the next four innings... closer Roger Bishop (1.80) got his 4th playoff save with a perfect ninth... Dakota Dyami (2-3 4.46) caught the loss, going 4+ innings and giving up 6 runs and 10 hits... the Crushers had the advantage in hits 10 to 4... Bauer struck out 6, walked 3, permitted 5 runs and only 4 hits in 8 innings... McGee sparked Crystal Lake with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... RF Augie Marshall (.302) and LF Michael Melchiore (.273) collected 2 hits and scored 2 runs each.

Crystal Lake was the third choice in the pre-Post Cup poll by The Islandian Times... defending IPA champ Sligo was rated the favorite with Rolling Hills second and Arroyo Grande was the number-four seed... Midway was given very little chance and was seeded seventh... the Wolves came up one starter short of taking the title.

Winning manager Baby George told the press, "The key to our success was our great pitching. Duncan Welch is superb. He has to rank with the best of all-time. I thought he was great in the 2020 playoffs... this year Duncan was unbelievable... Ralph McCullough and Vic Bauer did their jobs, too... We couldn't have won without them."

In the postseason Welch was 6-1 with a 2.33 ERA in 2020 and 6-0 and 1.03 this year. McCullough was 2-3 with a 2.44 ERA and Bauer finished 3-0 and 2.64.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 15, 2022

Crushers Welch Pro Cup MVP
Almost hands down, Crystal Lake's brilliant 28-year-old southpaw Duncan Welch has been chosen the Pro Cup Most Valuable Player. Only one other player received support in The Islandian Times poll. Finishing a distance second was Midway standout Bobby Dorignac. Welch sparked the Crushers to the Pro Cup crown with a perfect 6-0 record in 6 starts with 4 complete games and a superb 1.03 ERA. The 22-year-old Dorignac was even better, but his Wolves didn't win the title, losing in six games. Dorignac was 5-0 with a microscopic 0.64 ERA. Welch was 23-12 in his sixth season and posted a 2.18 ERA, while second-year man Dorignac compiled a 19-14 mark and a 2.74 ERA.

This is the second time the lanky 6' 7" Welch has copped the Pro Cup MVP award. He also led Crystal Lake to the Island championship two years ago when they pulled a big upset by beating favored Ozarka. Welch was 6-1 in that series, notching a 2.36 ERA. He is 12-1 in the postseason with an outstanding 1.71 ERA. Lifetime Welch is 117-72 with a great 2.25 ERA.

Currently working on installing the new logos, jerseys and caps for the IPA.
Thanks to hurricanekevin for his patience in dealing with me... and most of all, for his wonderful skill at creating logos.

2 of the 8 Divisions in the Islandian Pro Alliance have been updated with the new logos, jerseys and caps.

6 more to go and we'll begin spring training for the 2078 season.

All of the secondary logos show up well at the 50-pixel size on the ones that have been done... secondary logos have been deficient... 7 years ago when the great graphics guys did logos, home and away jerseys and caps for the IPA... we didn't have secondary logo in the game at the time.

I hope to make sure that the secondary logos look good in the game.

So far, so good.

None of the moderators on the Dynasty Forum responded to my recent problem where the view totals decreased drastically... something changed... it seems that it may be back to normal, but my views have varied greatly the last few weeks.
From 109 views one day... my old record was 831 views... that has been broken 4 times in the last two weeks... 2116 one day (week ago last Saturday)... 1250 last Saturday... 1213 Sunday... and 871 today.
Not sure what to do... 2116 looks awfully high... so does the 1200s.

Nonetheless, a lot of you are still following the IPA after all these years.
I sincerely thank you and appreciate it.
Total views since the beginning of the IPA are nearing the 730,000 mark.

EC may make 1,000,000 if the Good Lord gives me 4 or 5 more years.
Let's hope He does.

Yep, EC's life is really good... I'm healthy... have a wonderful wife... over 8400 great songs in my music library... and a great game to spend all my time on - OOTP.
Plus all my friends here on the OOTP Forums... you guys make my life special... thank you.

MY LIFE IN 2023
Yep, EC's Life Is Filled With Glee in '23

Nope, you wiseguys, that's 2023, not 1923... believe it or not EC is a lot younger than that... I am so glad I am young at heart... always played ball with younger guys... at age 55 EC played in an 18 and over basketball league... my wife taught Sunday School for 50 years and I was always in a class with people 20 years younger than me for the most part... my church league basketball team and softball teams were mainly in their 20s and 30s... I was in my 40s and 50s... I never was in a Sunday School class with people my age... yep, I think that kept me young in spirit... even on the OOTP Forums I deal with folks a lot younger than me... back in 2003 when I was just starting to play OOTP3, dbacks, a 15-year-old teenager taught me what a cursor was and how to post a screenshot... now nice folks like knuckler, txranger, low, hurricanekevin, rocknfire7 and other fine graphics guys help me with my wonderful logos, jerseys and caps... viewers like jg2977, Dark Horse, CD and StLee keep my view counts going pretty steadily... thanks for helping an old traditional curmudgeon and old codger enjoy the great game of baseball.

dbacks, where are you now?... EC still needs you and your computer expertise... would you like to rebrand all 64 teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance?

EC has been blessed by Jesus... and also by baseball... in the last few years I have started reading books for the first time in my life and loving it... EC had to retire from sports because of bulging discs in my spine caused by too many rear-end hits by bad drivers... 6 times it has happened to me since 1977... I was stopped at a stop light when it happened... in 1995 my doctor told me to stop playing sports or I might just end up in a wheelchair... yep, so EC retired... I love sports, but my health is far, far more important.

“Hello again, everybody. It’s a bee-yoo-tiful day for baseball.” – Sportscaster, Harry Caray

Now I just have to watch games or read books about baseball... just finished a book "Baseball - The Early Years"... actually I only read half of it... it was way too much about the history of baseball business from the 1860s to the early 1900s... there were two more volumes to read... nope, EC did not finish even the first book... it was really well-reseached and scholarly by a doctorate thesis... but it was tedious to read... I need to be entertained and informed... Harold Seymour did not entertain, but he thoroughly informed me... it would be a great book for a baseball historian doing research... but it was not for EC... sorry, Harold.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes from the Diamond Minds"
EC just started a new book by George Will, a political writer and a great baseball fan and writer... "Men at Work"... in it Will interviews The Manager, Tony Larussa... The Pitcher, Orel Hershiser... The Batter, Tony Gwynn... and The Fielder, Cal Ripken... yep, baseball is not just a simple game... it is far more than "I just move the ball around and throw strikes"... far more than "I see the ball and hit it."... most fans don't really watch the games... they just bring the kids, chase foul balls and pig out on expensive drinks, popcorn, peanuts, crackerjack and ice cream... they don't really concentrate on what happening on the field... they don't really understand what's going on in the minds of the players, the manager, the pitcher, the catcher and the batter... baseball is really complex... in the 20 seconds a pitcher has to deliver the ball to the batter, there is a whole lot of thinking going on... what's the count?... how many runners are on base?... what are they going to do?... what does the hitter like to hit?... where does he hit it?... who is batting next?... what does the pitcher throw?... and when does he throw it?... EC gets tired of thinking about all of the variables... yep, baseball is not just a simple game.

“Think?! How are you supposed to think and hit at the same time?” -- Yogi Berra

“There are three types of baseball players: those who make it happen, those who watch it happen, and those who wonder what happened.” – Tommy Lasorda

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

2023 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series

Elite 8 Clubs Vie For Pro Cup, Beginning Tomorrow
Where are the traditional Pro Cup participants? Many playoff regulars didn't make it this year. The only returning club from last year is the defending Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake Crushers. There's plenty of new blood this time around. 7 of the 8 teams didn't play in the postseason last year. In fact many teams haven't been in the postseason for many seasons. It really is a wide open affair this year with a lot of new teams. Perennial powers like Ozarka, Eastshore, Turon, Ancona and Luxora failed to make the playoffs. Postseason play is something new for several teams. The Ginza Ninjas haven't been to the playoffs since 2003, 20 years ago. Elnora hasn't appeared for 17 years, since 2006, Middlefield for 17 years, since 2006 and Tuckanarra for 10 years, since 2013. Three others have seen action in recent years. Valmara last participated in 2017. Bay St. Clair and White River both played in 2021. Crystal Lake is the only former champion in the field. The Crushers took the Island title in 2020 and 2022.

The IPA Elite 8 Series open at four sites around Islandia tomorrow afternoon. In first round Ruthlandian action Crystal Lake will be at home against Valmara and Middlefield will travel to Elnora. Over in the Tyrobbian Elite 8, it will be Tuckanarra playing in Bay St. Clair and Ginza going to White River. Each Elite 8 Series will be best-of-seven.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 19, 2023

2023 IPA Pro Cup Series

Best Team Record: Elnora (RU) 98-56 (1st)
Best Team BA: White River (TU) .274 (1st)
Most HR: Middlefield (RU) 194 (1st)
Most Runs: Middlefield (RU) 849 (1st)
Most SB: Tuckanarra (TU) 129 (4th)
Best Team ERA: Crystal Lake (RU) 2.92 (1st)
Best Starter ERA: Crystal Lake (RU) 2.80 (1st)
Best Bullpen ERA: Middlefield (RU) 2.64 (2nd)
Best Defense: White River (TU) .979 FA (1st)

Worst Team Record: Valmara (RU) 90-64 (5th)
Worst Team BA: Elnora (RU) .248 (21st)
Fewest HR: Crystal Lake (RU) 92 (28th)
Fewest Runs: Crystal Lake (RU) 625 (29th)
Fewest SB: Elnora (RU) 29 (32nd)
Worst Team ERA: Middlefield (RU) 3.59 (15th)
Worst Starter ERA: Bay St. Clair (TU) 3.66 (15th)
Worst Bullpen ERA: White River (TU) 3.86 (26th)
Worst Defense: Middlefield (RU) and Tuckanarra (TU) .972 FA (15th-tied)

3 of the 8 IPA Divisions have been updated with new logos.
All of the team colors have been reworked, too... it makes a difference how you mix your team colors as to how they show up on the screens... it's worth the time to do it.

5 more league divisions to go and season 2078 will begin.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 20, 2023

2023 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series - Game 1

Elnora Rocks Roosters 8-3 In Game 1
At Elnora's State Fair Park, the hometown All-Stars jolted Middlefield with 5 runs in the fifth and snapped a 3-3 tie en route to an 8-3 win in game one of the RU Elite 8 Series... after giving up a 3-run homer in the opening frame to CF Tom Daniels, 20-year-old rookie left-hander Lucien Vachon (1-0) blanked the Roosters the rest of the game, going all the way, striking out 10, walking 5 and allowing 7 hits... Middlefield rookie Glenn Tackett (0-1) was slammed for all 8 runs in 4+ innings and took the loss... Elnora had 14 hits and were led by 2B Michael Griffin with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, C Leon Carter with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in and LF Joel Simmons, who smacked 4 hits and scored 3 times.

Welch Whacks Vipers 7-2, Crushers Win Opener
24-game winner Duncan Welch of the defending Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake Crushers whipped Valmara 7-2 in the first game of the RU Elite 8 Series... Welch scattered 8 hits, fanned 5 and walked 2, while going the route... the Crushers got him off to a 4-0 lead in the first frame and were never threatened... Clem Carmouche (0-1) was the losing pitcher... he permitted 5 runs and 8 hits in 6 innings... LF Herm Taylor went 3-for-3, drove in 2 runs and scored 2 to top the winners... 1B Phil Gravelli cracked 2 hits, scored twice and batted in a run.

Ninjas Nip Rascals 3-1 In First Game
Opening up on the road didn't bother the Ginza Ninjas... three pitchers combined to hurl a 3-hitter to beat the White River Rascals 3-1 in the first game of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series at rainy White River Stadium... winning pitcher Yutaka Yoshida (1-0) worked the first 6 innings, stopping the Rascals on 1 run and 2 hits... White River broke the scoreless tie with a run in the last of the fifth, but Ginza came right back with 2 runs in the top of the sixth and an insurance score in the ninth... reliever Ken Kichita pitched two perfect innings and closer Frank Beard tossed a scoreless ninth to preserve the win... Ron Hendrix (0-1) lost it, but pitched well, yielding just 2 runs in his 7 frames... Hendrix ha 6 strikeouts and issued 1 walk... SS Ralph Hart singled in the winning run in the sixth.

Tucks Trim Bucs 4-3 In Elite 8 Opener
On a gorgeous sunny day at Shoreline Park in Bay St. Clair, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays trimmed the Buccaneers 4-3 in the opening game of the Tycobbian Elite 8... RBI singles in the sixth by CF Thomas Parker and pitcher Quinn Starr put the Blue Jays up 3-1... they added another run in the top of the seventh and held off the Bucs, who mounted a serious threat in the bottom of the eighth... Starr chalked up the victory with help from closer Archie Desmond... Starr (1-0) pitched 8 innings, gave up 7 hits and 3 runs with 5 Ks and 2 walks... Desmond worked a flawless ninth for the save... 24-game winner Gary Moss (0-1) struggled in the loss... Moss was tagged for 4 runs and 6 hits in his 8 innings... rookie Moss walked 6 and struck out 4... the winner of this series will be the favorite to haul in the Pro Cup this year... Tuckanarra was voted the most likely to succeed in The Islandian Times annual Pro Cup poll... Bay St. Clair was the third choice.

MY LIFE IN 2023
EC'S Full of Glee in '23

Yep, my life is full of glee... it's 6 am Sunday morning and what am I doing?... listening to a Christian radio program done by a good old friend from my good old radio days... his name is Jim Hogg... he calls his country gospel show "Hogg Heaven"... it's an hour-long show filled with great country artists singing great songs about Jesus... it lifts your spirit with songs like "Highway 40 Blues" by Ricky Skaggs and "Love Lifted Me" by Alabama's Randy Owen and speaks to your heart with "The Old Rugged Cross" by George Jones... Jim is one of the most talented people I know... his show is filled with love of God and love of family... he features his 90-year-old Mama Mae Mae praying on the show every week... Mama Mae Mae is lovely lady that loves the Lord... to my surprise Jim featured a song by her this morning... yep, he played one of her records from years long gone by... she sang the heck out of an oldtime cowboy song... I now know where Jim gets his abundant musical talents... Mama Mae Mae nailed it with a voice as good as anything that ever sung a song in Nashville... Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton and Loretta Lynn would have been proud of her... her singing was that good... I kid you not... she puts "all"... yep, I mean "all" of the modern-day "country wannabes" to shame.

Jim was a salesman in the good old days of radio at WYNK where I was on the air... he is now running a thriving ad agency... Jim has so much talent... he writes songs... is a talented lead singer, guitar player, harmony singer and he really sparkles as a personality... Jim is warm, friendly, talented and funny... he can mimics anybody... Jim used to do me better than I do me... he could have replaced me on the air and no one would have know the difference... he was a member of the River City Good Time Band in the good old days... they were the hottest band in town for over a decade or more... Jim did it all for them and was a marvelous promoter, too.

Jim is still performing on the radio, festivals, churches, veteran homes and nursing homes... and is better than ever... I think he sings better than he ever did... Jim has aged well and still going strong for the Lord.

As all of the OOTP Community knows... I am hard to please... I'm a tough critic... all I will say is there is no better way to spend the 6 o'clock hour on a Sunday Morning enjoying a radio treasure "Hogg Heaven".

You can enjoy it like EC did right here:

https://onlineradiobox.com/us/wtge/?cs=us.wtge&played=1

I updated all the new logos for another IPA division... 4 of the 8 divisions have been done.

Wow... the logos, jerseys and caps are really something.

Thanks to all of the graphics gurus that helped me out in updating many of the IPA teams.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 21, 2023

2023 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series - Game 2

Dean Dazzles Elnora 6-0, Roosters Evens Series
In a peerless performance, Middlefield's Frank Dean shut out the Elnora All-Stars 6-0 and evened up the RU Elite 8 Series at a game apiece... the 33-year-old Dean (1-0) restricted Elnora to just 5 hits, walked 2 and struck out 4 and got his first-ever postseason triumph... rookie Will Hamilton (0-1) was tagged with the loss, giving up 7 hits and 5 runs in 5 innings... 3B Stu Butterworth paced the Roosters 9-hit attack with 3 hits and 3 runs batted in... Middlefield jumped off to a 3-0 lead in the opening inning and were never challenged by the All-Stars.

Ray Outduels Taylor 2-1, Vipers Tie Crushers
Underdog Valmara tied up the RU Elite 8 Series with Crystal Lake with a strong outing from Billy Ray, who outdueled Derek Taylor 2-1 in game two... Ray (1-0) held the Crushers to 5 hits and a run in 8 innings... closer Chris Phillips finished off Crystal Lake by blanking them in the last of the ninth... Taylor (0-1) went the distance, only permitting 2 runs and 5 hits... Viper 3B Bobby Greb opened up the scoring in the top of the second with a solo homer... in the last of the fourth the Crushers tied it 1-1 on a lead-off double by LF Herm Taylor, who moved to third on a ground-out and came in when Ray committed a balk... Valmara got the winning run in the fifth on rookie CF Teddy Szymanski's sacrifice fly.

Series Tied, Rascals Rout Ninjas 13-2
The White River Rascals broke loose with 14 hits and routed the Ginza Ninjas 13-2 and tied up the TU Elite 8 Series at a game each... LF Kenneth Kent (.375) had a career day with 8 RBIs, including a grand slam homer, 2-run triple and a 2-run single... on the mound rookie Paul Sardini (1-0) struck out 11 in 6 innings and blanked the Ninjas on 4 hits... two relievers finished the game for him... Sardini was up 4-0 when he departed... Ginza's runs came on late-inning solo homers by 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.500) and CF Augie Vitanza (.250), which was too little, too late... 20-game winning rookie Yuko Takata (0-1) left after 6 innings and surrendered 4 runs and 5 hits.

Nawajuk's HR Sinks Bucs 2-1, Tucks Lead By 2 Games
Rookie Koora Nawajuk sank the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers with a 2-run homer in the sixth inning to boost the Tuckanarra Blue Jays to a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven TU Elite 8 Series... that gave Glynn Starr a 2-1 victory over Eddie Lasky in a very well-pitched ballgame... Starr hurled 8 innings and restricted the Bucs to just one run and 2 hits... Archie Desmond garnered his second playoff save by holding the Buccaneers without a run in the ninth... the Tucks outhit them 8 to 3.

Note: WHOOPS! ... Sorry, folks... I apparently did not post game recaps for game 3.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 23, 2023

2023 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series - Game 4

Elnora-Middlefield Even, All-Stars Win Game 4
In game four of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series, the Elnora All-Stars evened it up at two games each with an 8-5 comeback victory over the Middlefield Roosters... back-to-back homers in the seventh inning by 3B Jeff Matthews (.375) and 2B Michael Griffin (.286) put the All-Stars up 5-4... then Elnora finished off the Roosters with 3 more in the eighth, highlighted by Matthews' 2-run triple... winning pitcher Lucien Vachon (2-0 4.00) went the distance, but had a rocky start as he was tagged for 4 runs in the first 5 frames, but Vachon settled down and held Middlefield to just one run in the last 4 innings... overall the Roosters got to him for 5 runs and 8 hits... like game one, losing pitcher Glenn Tackett (0-2) was routed again, being ripped for all 8 runs in 7+ innings... Matthews paced Elnora with 3-4, scored 3 times and batted in 3... C Leon Carter (.333) drove in a pair of runs... the Roosters were led by 3B Stu Butterworth (.545) with 3 hits and 2 RBIs and 1B Allan Stewart (.333) with 2 runs batted in.

Valmara In Driver's Seat, Leads CL 3-1
For the third straight game, Valmara got standout pitching and now is close to knocking off the vaunted Crystal Lake Crushers in the RU Elite 8 Series... the Vipers eked out a 3-2 ten-inning win at home to take a huge three games to one lead in the series, putting the defending Pro Cup champ on the ropes and in danger of elimination... Clem Carmouche worked into the tenth and stopped the Crushers on 7 hits and 2 runs, while fanning 7 and walking 3... Ivan Guzek (1-0) got credit for the win when he induced a double-play ball in the top of the tenth when Crystal Lake had runners on first and second with one away and the score tied... the Vipers won it in the last of the tenth on a walk-off hit by 2B Ron Freiberg (.357), who doubled in CF Gerry Kazmarek (.176)... Kazmarek manufactured the game-winner by singling with one out, stealing second and continuing to third on a throwing error... for the second day in a row reliever T. D. Burnham (0-2 4.50) suffered the loss... Crusher starter Duncan Welch pitched 8 innings, permitted only 2 runs on 9 hits with 5 Ks and a walk... Valmara had the edge in hits 11-8.

Ninjas Win In 10, Tie Rascals 2-2
It's still a wide-open series in the Tycobbian Elite 8... Ginza squeaked by White River 3-2 in 10 innings, winning on a passed ball... that knotted it up at two games each... Ninja starter Yutaka Yoshida blanked the hard-hitting Rascals the first seven frames and held a 2-0 lead, but couldn't hold it... Yoshida hurled 8 sharp innings, limiting them to just 3 hits, struck out 5 and walked one... White River rallied with single runs in the eighth and ninth to send it into overtime... in spite of blowing the save in the ninth Frank Beard (1-0 3.00) chalked up the win... Beard struck out 4 in his 2 innings, allowed a run and 4 hits... Rascal starter Ron Hendrix went 7 nice innings and gave up 2 runs and 6 hits... the third White River pitcher lost it... Lou McKenzie (0-1) was the victim of the unearned winning score... Ginza collected 8 hits, while the Rascals only got 5.

Tuckanarra Sweeps BSC
The Tuckanarra Blue Jays polished off the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers in a four-game sweep to advance to the Tycobbian Union Final 4... Tuckanarra rebounded from a 4-run first-inning deficit to take game four 7-6, going ahead in a 3-run sixth... though outhit 14 to 11, the Blue Jays still managed to come out the winner... CF Thomas Parker (.417) sparked them with 2 hits, an RBI and 3 runs scored... 2B Joey Hilton (.308) pitched in with 2 hits, 2 runs and a run batted in... and C Josh Muller (.200) added a pair of base hits and one RBI... the pitching had dominated in the first three games, but not in this one... Quinn Starr (2-0 3.86) was credited with the victory, but it was quite shaky for him as he was ripped for 5 runs and 9 hits in 6 innings... fortunately his club gave him a 7-6 lead before he exited and saved him... the Blue Jay relievers didn't do a whole lot better as they gave up 5 hits in 3 innings, but just one score... losing pitcher Greg Moss (0-2 6.92) had another bad outing and was rocked for 7 runs in 5 innings... in the TU Finals Tuckanarra will play the winner of the Ginza-White River series, which currently stands all even at two games apiece.