YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 11, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Tettelbach Tames Roosters, SF Evens Pro Cup
South Fork's Jim Tettelbach cooled off the red-hot Middlefield Roosters 6-2 and snapped their 4-game winning streak... Tettelbach (3-0 0.69) stopped them on 6 hits, struck out 7 and issued two walks and won his third successive playoff game... Tettelbach's 17-inning scoreless string came to an end in the first inning, but it didn't matter... the Stallions promptly tied it up in the bottom of the first, then broke the game wide open with 4 runs in the fourth... South Fork outhit Middlefield 12 to 6... RF Robby Michael led the way with 3-for-4 and 3B Mark Barker (.320) and C Dennis Johanson (.262) collected 2 hits each... SS Kurt Pankewicz (.277) drove in 2 runs for the winners... rookie Tyrus Cobb (2-2 6.12) took it on the chin and was pelted for 6 runs and 10 hits in 3-plus innings.

Middlefield was happy to get a split at J. R. Ewing Stadium. The series will now switch to Middlefield Park after the first two were played in South Fork. Middlefield plays much better at home where the Roosters are 51-26. On the road they are only 34-43. The Stallions play well at home and away.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 12, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Roosters Up 2-1 In Pro Cup, Nose Out SF 7-6
Happy to be back at home at Middlefield Park, the pesky Middlefield Roosters nosed out favored South Fork 6-5 to go ahead two games to one in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... although they were peppered for 14 hits and only got 7 themselves, they managed to salvage a win... 11 bases on balls made the difference... the Roosters shot in front 3-0 after 3 innings, lost the lead 4-3 in the fourth, regained it for good in the fifth with 4 runs, then held off the Stallions in the late innings... strong relief pitching saved the day... Ken Crawford, Waylon Hillman and Alec Bacardi combined to hold the Stallions at bay the last few innings... starter Frank Dean faltered in the seventh... Dean (2-1 4.01) got credit for the win despite being tagged for 6 runs and 13 hits in 6-plus innings... Dean fanned 6 and walked just one... Gary Price's (0-4 4.94) playoff woes continued to plague him... the Roosters routed him in the fifth and dealt him his fourth straight defeat... Price allowed 7 runs in 4-plus innings... 7 walks killed him.

Sparking the Roosters were RF Chuck Larkin (.185), who got his 3rd home run in the postseason and batted in 2 runs... CF Tom Daniels (.328) added an RBI triple and scored twice... SS Wes Gore (.222) and C Rod Buckley (.263) each batted in a run... and Dean (.200) also chipped in an RBI double... top bats for South Fork belonged to CF Shelby Glasscock (.259), LF Patric Giles (.302) and 1B Teddy Nixon (.500), all with 3 hits apiece.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Monday, October 13, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Stallions Outslugs Roosters 9-7, Ties Pro Cup
Down 7-5 in the final at-bat at Middlefield Park, South Fork stung Middlefield for 4 runs and captured the fourth game of the Pro Cup Series to tie it at two games each... in the top of the ninth, 1B Teddy Nixon (.500) doubled in two runs to win the game... it was a slugfest with both clubs registering 12 hits... winning pitcher Richie Raeburn was superb in relief of South Fork starter Bill Massey... Raeburn (1-0 0.84) came on in the fourth frame, trailing 7-1 and shut down the Roosters on one hit and not a single run for 4 and a third innings... closer Tom Galloway took over in the bottom of the ninth and stumbled in with his 5th postseason save... Galloway loaded the bases on a single and two walks, then got out of the mess with a double play to end the game.

South Fork CF Shelby Glasscock (.290) was 3-for-4 with 4 runs batted in... one of them was Glasscock's 3rd roundtripper in the playoffs... he now leads the Stallions with 12 RBIs... LF Patric Giles (.316) also knocked in a pair of runs for South Fork... Middlefield cracked 3 out of the park with LF Floyd McClellan (.345) getting 2 of them, good for 4 RBIs and 2B Arnie Stone (.217) went deep, too... McClellan had 3 hits in defeat and scored 4 times... Rooster closer Waylon Hillman (0-1 6.75) blew his second save of the playoffs as he was battered for all 4 runs in the ninth.

48 team rosters have been updated with two rookies.

16 more to go and spring training will get underway in the 2079 Islandian Pro Alliance.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 14, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

SF Nears Pro Cup Title, Tettelbach Wins 6-3
South Fork's 20-year-old rookie right-hander Jim Tettelbach continued to blitz the opposition in the playoffs... unbeaten Tettelbach posted his fourth win with a 6-3 victory over Middlefield, putting the Stallions in command in the IPA Pro Cup Finals... South Ford leads the series three games to two and only needs one more triumph to win its first-ever Pro Cup.

Tettelbach worked 8 innings, gave up 3 runs, one unearned, and 7 hits... he fanned 7 and walked only one... Tom Galloway got his 6th save in the postseason with a scoreless ninth, but the Roosters loaded the bases with three singles before Galloway put them away... the game was close for 6 innings with South Fork up 3-2... the Stallions put 3 on the scoreboard in the seventh to nail down the verdict... Danny Denver ((2-2 3.40) took the loss, permitting 6 runs and 12 hits in 6-plus frames.

South Fork had a 13-10 hit advantage, led by LF Patric Giles (.311) with 2 RBIs... CF Shelby Glasscock (.303) added 2 hits and drove in a run... and RF Robby Michael (.266) had 2 hits and scored twice... CF Tom Daniels (.371) paced the losers with 3-for-4 and an RBI.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 15, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

Roosters Tie Pro Cup, Force 7th Game
The Middlefield Roosters bats boomed just at the right time to stave off elimination in the Pro Cup Finals... the underdog Roosters ravaged South Fork for 15 hits and an easy 8-2 victory to tie up the series at three games apiece... game seven will be tomorrow in South Fork for all the marbles... winning pitcher Frank Dean (3-1 3.59) tossed a steady game, holding the Stallions to 6 hits and 2 runs with 4 walks and 4 Ks... RF Chuck Larkin (.210) and SS Wes Gore (.246) sparked Middlefield with 2-run homers each... Larkin, playing with bruised ribs, had 2 hits and 3 RBIs... Larkin has 5 homers in the playoffs... manager Duroche "Lips" Leon took a gamble by starting Ozz Gatsby (2-1 10.80) in place of Gary Price, but it didn't pan out... Gatsby was hit hard for 6 runs and 11 hits in 4 innings... Price has labored in the postseason with an 0-4 record.

Slated to pitch in tomorrow's finale are rookie Bill Massey for South Fork and 5-year vet Danny Denver for Middlefield... the 20-year-old Massey was 21-10 with a 2.99 ERA in the regular season and the 23-year-old Denver was 23-7 with a 3.31 ERA... in the playoffs Massey is 4-1 with a 4.71 ERA, while Denver is 2-2 and a 3.40 ERA. Denver will be working on just 2 days' rest.

Hallelujah!

Last night EC finished updating the 64 teams with 2 rookies each.

I need to go back and make sure I purged all of the oldtimers from the first 8 teams... the AI lets them play several years longer than it should... so I have to prune the rosters and make room for the younger players.

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Thursday, April 6, 2079

GET READY FOR SOME IPA BASEBALL!
79TH YEAR BEGINS TOMORROW!
The cold and dark winter has come and gone... spring is here in all its radiant sunshine and green abundance... baseball is back... and the Islandian Pro Alliance is back in business for the 2079 season... defending Pro Cup champion Turon is ready, willing and able to do it all over again... the Typhoons are again predicted to take the Tycobbian Union South Division... the forecast challengers are the Luxora Zorros in the TU North, South Fork Stallions in the TU East and Bayview Vikings in the TU West... the best in the Ruthlandian Union are the Crystal Lake Skippers of the RU South... they will have to fend off the Valmara Vipers in the RU North, Wynnamac Sundowners in the RU East and the Sligo Rovers in the RU West... come October according to The Islandian Times Pro Cup Preseason Poll, it will be Turon taking on Crystal Lake for the much-desired IPA Pro Cup trophy.

5-TEAM QUEST IN RU NORTH, VIPERS WILL REIGN
Reviewing all the divisional races, Valmara will have a tough time in the Ruthlandian North... Taranto, LaGrange, last year's division winner and Pro Cup finalist Kilkenny and the Ranford Bulls are expected to fight it out in a very close race... the Cats still have the pitching, but they need more offense to beat out the Vipers.

SKIPPERS TO ROMP IN THE RU SOUTH RACE
The Crystal Lake Skippers have the best attack and the best mound corps in the Ruthlandian South... the Skippers are forecast to sail away with the division title in pretty easy fashion, possibly by 10 or more games... Belair Beach is rated the best of the rest, followed at a distance by Waleska, Grand City and San Dimas... Crystal Lake is the cream of the crop by a lot in the RU South.

MACS WILL PREVAIL IN RU EAST
The Wynnamac Sundowners are a solid choice in the Ruthlandian East this year... the Macs are the best-hitting team and pretty close to the best-pitching team... only the Eastshore Cotton Kings can match them... the Sundowners should take the title by 7 or so games... last year's division champ Elnora looks like a distant third-place finisher this year... the other 5 clubs will be quite a ways back in the race.

SLIGO TO REPEAT IN RU WEST IN 3-TEAM TEST
The Sligo Rovers will be contested in the Ruthlandian West by a couple of teams, the Rocky Rapids Snappers and the Forest City Firebirds, but the Rovers will triumph with more breathing room than they had last season... Sligo just barely beat out Fort Benton by one game... the Rovers mound staff will be the class of the division again and lead them to another RU West crown.

ZORROS MAY DOMINATE IN TU NORTH
There may be a new kid in town in the Tycobbian North this year - the Luxora Zorros... Hartsdale has captured the crown three times in the last four seasons, but they are nowhere in sight in the preseason predictions... the sports scribes have really become enamored with the Z's, picking them to dominate the TU North by double digits this year... runner-up White River will not be close to Luxora... Mahaska, Fairfax and North Hills are picked third, fourth and fifth respectively, but far behind the Rascals... Hartsdale will end up seventh according to the poll... it's hard to believe the Hellcats will fall that far in the standings this year... nope, I don't think that will happen.

PERENNIAL POWERHOUSE TURON HEAVILY-FAVORED IN TU SOUTH
Yep, the current IPA Pro Cup titleholder, the Turon Typhoons, are as good as ever... they have won the Tycobbian South the last 2 seasons and 7 times in the last 9 years... Turon has also won 6 Pro Cups in its history... 28 times the Typhoons have made the postseason playoffs... there's a good chance it will happen again... Turon hits well, pitches well... they are the prime power in the TU South... Summerland and Southport may be in the running for a while, but when it's all said and done, Turon will triumph by a good margin, just like they have for the last decade.

SF STALLIONS TRY FOR 3-PEAT IN TU EAST
The Islands' baseball prognosticators have made the South Fork Stallions the favorite in the Tycobbian East in the preseason poll... the Hosses have taken the flag the last two years and a third one is not beyond the realm of possibilities... South Fork is getting a little older... some of their key players are reaching the age of decline, but they may have enough for another run... the Stallions can still hold their own at the plate and on the hill... they should take the TU East again this year, whipping the second-place High Mesa Cowboys by a few games... however, it will be tougher for South Fork because age is creeping up on several of their stars... not far behind High Mesa are several quality ballclubs... Ozarka, Tuckanarra and Hillsboro are not going to roll over and play dead... all three of them will be in the hunt for the TU East flag.

BAYVIEW WINS OUT IN 6-TEAM SKIRMISH IN TU WEST
The Bayview Vikings have not graced the IPA playoffs in 6 decades... that is a very, very long playoff drought... for the last decade the Vikings have been getting a little closer each year... it's time to make their move... it won't be easy to overtake the Kenwood Wildcats, a perpetual contender for the last decade... the Wildcats won the Tycobbian West hands down last year and will be in no mood to be dethroned... Kenwood is a close second pick this year, followed by third place La Claire, fourth place Rolling Hills, fifth place Denton City and sixth place Chicopee... the TU West fans will be treated to a delightful and intriguing 6-team skirmish.

IPA PROPHETS PICK TURON OVER CRYSTAL LAKE IN 2079 PRO CUP SERIES
When all the pitches have been thrown, all the swings have been swung and all the outs have been made, the IPA prophets forecast that the Turon Typhoons of the Tycobbian Union will upend the Crystal Lake Skippers of the Ruthlandian Union in a torrid and tantalizing 7-game series for the IPA Pro Cup trophy.

2079 Islandian Pro Alliance Preseason Prediction

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If High Mesa had a little more speed and a higher level of base running acumen, they'd give South Fork a real run... heck, they might without it. Looking forward to another season of the Islandian Pro Alliance, EC!

COME ON YOU BUCKAROOS!

The Buckaroos just might upend the Stallions... High Mesa's hill corps is a mite better than South Fork.

Thanks, pauwoo.

Appreciate you checking the IPA out.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 16, 2025

2025 IPA Pro Cup Series

What a Relief, South Fork Wins First Pro Cup
Great relief work in the seventh game of the Pro Cup Finals paved the way for South Fork's first-ever Pro Cup victory... three Stallion relievers stopped Middlefield cold, blanking them over the final 6 innings on one hit, striking out 9 and walking only one... that gave South Fork a chance to rally from a massive 6-run deficit after 3 innings... they slowly pecked away and shaved it to 6-4 after 7 innings and then delivered the coup de grace - a 5-run explosion in the eighth, putting them ahead to stay 9-6... the big blow of the game was when PH Lou Boone crashed a 3-run triple to put South Fork ahead 7-6.

Winning skipper Lips Leon exclaimed excitedly at the press conference, "Wow, that was a wild and crazy game and a wild and crazy series... to come back from a 6-0 score in game seven is fantastic... thank heavens we hit the ball today... We won the series, but got outscored... how about that!"... Both clubs averaged almost 6 runs a game with Middlefield having the edge 42-41.

Just like they were the entire season, the Stallion bullpen was fabulous... Kyle Preston worked four hitless innings and fanned 4... winning pitcher Ricky Raeburn (2-0 1.98) struck out all 3 batters in his only inning and closer Tom Galloway got his 7th save with a scoreless ninth... Galloway allowed one hit and whiffed 2 batters... Working on 2 days' rest Danny Denver ran out of gas in the late innings and lost it... Denver (2-3 4.12) was tagged for 7 runs and 8 hits in 7 innings... the Stallions outhit the Roosters 12 to 9... RF Robby Michael (.296) had 3 hits, including a home run... he drove in 2 runs... 3B Ray Hershberger (.324) also batted in a pair of runs with 2 hits.... 1B Keith Yashin (.329) had a 3-run double to pace the Roosters.

Losing manager Bailey Norcross was disappointed, but not down. "The Roosters had a great season... we won our division for the third year in a row and we went all the way to the finals of the Pro Cup... we whipped two fine teams in Wynnamac and Crystal Lake and we came pretty darn close to whipping another fine team... we had our chances... we were up two games to one... we just didn't do it... South Fork did... congratulations to Lips and his boys."

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times
Friday, October 17, 2025

SF's Tettelbach 2025 Pro Cup MVP
A 20-year-old rookie right-hander named Jim Tettelbach was honored as the IPA Pro Cup Most Valuable Player today by The Islandian Times. Tettelbach was the prime reason why the South Fork Stallions won the IPA Pro Cup for the first time in history. He was superb in the playoffs with a 4-0 record and a sparkling 1.06 ERA. Tettelbach whipped Middlefield twice in the Finals, 6-2 in game two and 6-3 in game five. He also defeated Ginza 2-0 in the TU Final 4 and Rolling Hills 1-0 in the Elite 8. During the regular season Tettelbach recorded a 17-12 mark with a 3.63 ERA.

Stallion teammate Patric Giles was a distant second in the voting. Giles, a veteran left fielder, had a fine postseason with a .313 batting average, 2 homers, 13 RBIs and 16 runs scored. Number three in the balloting was South Fork closer Tommy Galloway, who didn't allow a run in 8 relief appearances and stood out with 7 saves. Also receiving some support were two Middlefield Roosters, left fielder Floyd McClellan and first sacker Keith Yashin. McClellan batted .348 with 5 homers, 11 RBIs and 17 runs scored, while Yashin hit 5 roundtrippers, drove in 15 runs and scored 15 times with a .329 average.

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Tuesday, July 4, 2079

TURON, CRYSTAL LAKE, ELNORA FLYING HIGH AT MIDSEASON
The reigning Pro Cup champion Turon Typhoons and the Crystal Lake Skippers were the darlings of the preseason pollsters, forecast to romp to easy division titles and
eventually meet in the Pro Cup Series. So far, halfway through the IPA schedule Turon and Crystal Lake are living up to expectations with hefty leads in their division races.
However, the Wynnamac Sundowners in RU East and the Luxora Zorros in the TU North have disappointed the baseball gurus thus far with their slow starts. So has the Sligo
Rovers in the RU West.

Surprise performers include Elnora Clippers in the RU East, Fort Benton Cannons in the RU West and Mahaska Haymakers, Blue Lake Blue Caps, Oxford Red Caps all in the
TU North. All of these clubs were given poor odds as pennant contenders, but they are serious challengers at the All-Star break.

It's time to take a quick peek at the Islandian Pro Alliance races and give a midseason report on them.

VIPERS TRYING TO KEEP CATS FROM 3-PEATING IN RU NORTH
The Ruthlandian North is running pretty close to prediction. Currently the preseason favorite Valmara has a slight edge on its forecast challengers, Taranto, LaGrange and Kilkenny. The Vipers (48-29) are up by 4 and a half games over second place and last year's division winner Kilkenny (43-33), 7 ahead of third place LaGrange (41-36) and 8 games in front of fourth place Taranto (40-37). It's still a race in the RU North. Valmara has a good blend of hitting and pitching to get the job done. The Vipers also play very good defense. They seem to have it all. The Kilkenny Cats have fine pitching, but fall short when it comes to scoring runs. LaGrange has the home-run power, but not enough pitching to be a serious pennant challenger. Taranto has some very fine pitching and solid longball power, but the Tars just don't put enough runs on the scoreboard. It should get down to a race between Valmara and Kilkenny. The Tars might sneak into the fracas with its impressive pitching.

CRYSTAL LAKE SAILING HIGH IN RU SOUTH
The media baseball prophets are dead on in their preseason observations at least in the Ruthlandian South. The Crystal Lake Skippers (51-27) are already running away from everybody with an 8 and a half-game lead at the halfway point in the season. Belair Beach (42-35) is way back in second place, Waleska (41-36) trails by 9 and a half-games in the third spot and Grand City is below .500 (38-39) and 12 and a half-games back in the race. Crystal Lake ranks high in just about every category. The Skippers can hit, can score, have power, speed and strong pitching. Nobody is close to them in the RU South. Crystal Lake is better than the crystal ballers think they are.

ELNORA'S MAKING MOCKERY OF RU EAST
Preseason favorite, last season's division winner and persistent power Wynnamac is having its worse season in memory. You have to go back to 2049 when the Macs had their last losing season. The Sundowners wound up 7th and 65-89 that season. Yep, it might happen this year unless they right the ship soon. Elnora (51-25), picked for a distant third and double digits behind, has the best record in the IPA, along with Crystal Lake (51-27) in the RU South and Pro Cup champion Turon (50-27) in the TU South. A postseason matchup with both Crystal Lake and Turon would be a fan's delight. All three ballclubs are something else. The Skippers can do it all except for defense. They come up short in that category. Everybody is following far behind in their wake. Eastshore (40-37) is already 11 and one-half games behind the Clippers, Marston (39-38) is 12 and one-half games out and fourth place Wynnamac (37-39) is 14 games off the pace. 'Nuff said. You might say that Elnora is probably going to win the league flag and win big.

FIREBIRDS ARE BEST IN THE RU WEST, CANNONS CLINGING CLOSE, WHILE SLIGO SLUMBERS
Preseason favored Sligo (37-40) has been very disappointing this year. The Rovers are the defending champion in the RU West. However at midyear, they are struggling badly in 5th place, 8 and a half-game out. The strong Sligo mound corps has not performed well. That is the culprit. A second-half turnaround is needed for the Rovers to get back into the chase. So far in the RU West it has been a 3-team race between Forest City (45-31), Fort Benton (43-34) and Volusia (40-37). The Firebirds are 2 and a half games up on the Cannons, 5 and a half better than the Vigilantes and 8 games ahead of the fourth place Colfax Black Sox (37-39). The race is developing into a 2-team affair between Forest City and Fort Benton, although Sligo might get back into it with a solid second half. The Cannons are batting .300 as a team. They could hit their way to the RU West title.

2079 IPA Ruthlandian Union Midseason Team Statistics

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Tuesday, July 4, 2079

HAYMAKERS ON TOP OF TU NORTH AT MIDSEASON MARK... 7 OF THE TEAMS ARE STILL IN THE RACE
In the preseason poll the baseball prophets were saying that it was a one-team affair in the Tycobbian North. They picked the Luxora Zorros to dominant and rampage through the division by over 10 games. Thus far, it hasn't happened. Only the Fairfax Frogs are out of the hunt in the TU North at the end of the first half of the season. 7 teams are within striking distance, no more than 6 and a half games off the lead. A good second half and a team can win it.

On the 4th of July the Mahaska Haymakers (43-35) are in the precarious driver's seat, one and games in front of the runner-up Blue Lake Blue Caps (41-36), 2 and a half games better than third place White River (40-37) and Oxford (40-37). Preseason choice Luxora (39-38) is just barely above .500 and tied for 5th with last year winner Hartsdale (39-38). They are both 3 and a half games behind. North Hills (36-41) is running 7th and trails by just 6 and a half games. It's euphoria for the TU North fans with almost everybody in the division still in the pennant race. Only Heaven knows who will win it. The three teams with a blended attack - good pitching and good hitting - will have the best chance. That would be Mahaska, Blue Lake and White River. Oxford can hit, but has mediocre pitching. Hartsdale can pitch, but has trouble scoring runs. Luxora is fine at the plate, but comes up short on the mound. North Hills is just average at the plate and just plain bad on the hill. Nope, don't think the Hawks will win it this year.

TURON IN COMMAND IN TU SOUTH
The Turon Typhoons are quite a club with 6 division flags in the last 8 seasons, plus 2 Pro Cup trophies. They captured the Pro Cup last year and will get another chance again this year. Turon is the preseason choice to easily win the Tycobbian South again this year. And it is looking more and more like they will do it. At midyear the Typhoons (50-27) top the standings with a comfortable 7 and a half-game edge over second place Arroyo Grande (43-35), 8 and a half up on third place Cape Coral (42-36)and 10 games ahead of Summerland (40-37) in the fourth spot.

Turon can hold its own offensively, but really stands out on the hill with excellent pitching. No one in the TU South is close to the Typhoons pitching corps. Actually, there are only a few teams in the IPA that can match them on the mound. Bayview in the Tycobbian Union and Taranto, Kilkenny and Elnora in the Ruthlandian Union.

It doesn't appear to be anyone in the TU South that can catch Turon. Arroyo Grande and Cape Coral simply don't have the pitching to do it. Summerland has no chance because of its frail offense. The Typhoons should blow away all challengers in the TU South once again this year. Turon fans are walking around with visions of back-to-back Pro Cup trophies swirling abundantly in their heads.

5-TEAM RACE IN TU EAST... NATS, STALLIONS RUNNING ONE-TWO AT MIDSEASON... BLAZERS, TUCKS, SOX CLING CLOSE
No one ever has a easy time winning the Tycobbian East. Most of the time, there will be several teams in the mix for the division crown. That's how it is looking this year with 5 clubs still in the pennant race at the league's halfway mark. The South Fork Stallions have won the flag 4 times in the last decade with 2 Pro Cups. The Stallions were this season's #1 pick in the preseason poll, followed by High Mesa, Ozarka, Tuckanarra and Hillsboro. The Buckaroos (31-46) have flopped badly and fallen totally out of the race. However, Ozarka (45-32) has done well and possesses a 2 and a half-game edge over runner-up South Fork (42-34) at the All-Star break. Three other teams are hanging close by. Hillsboro (40-38) is third, 5 and a half games out, Tuckanarra (39-38) is fourth, 6 GB, and Red Bluff (39-39) is in the fifth spot in the standings, 6 and a half-game back.

Most of the clubs in the TU East are weak defensively except for South Fork and Hillsboro. Offensively the 5 challengers are about even, but the edge goes to the Naturals, Stallions and Blazers on the mound. The Red Sox fall far behind in pitching, but they can hold their own at the plate. Look for the race to come down to Ozarka and South Fork. The Naturals and the Stallions are fairly even in most respects except in the bullpen, where Ozarka has a wide margin. That might be the key factor in the second half of the season. South Fork usually is a strong second-half team. Beware of the Stallions. The have a tendency to rise to the occasion down the stretch. Hillsboro, Tuckanarra and Red Bluff will have to settle for the third sport. That may be the best they can do.

DC REDBIRDS SURPRISE AT MIDYEAR... THEY WILL HAVE TO STAVE OFF BAYVIEW IN 2-TEAM TUSSLE IN TU WEST
Denton City is making waves in the Tycobbian West. The Redbirds were not highly-regarded in the preseason poll by the baseball gurus, selected far down the list in 5th place, just barely over a .500 team. Yet, here it is midsummer and Denton City (48-29) is thriving, 4 and a half games in front of the preseason favorite Bayview Vikings (44-34). They are 8 and a half games up on fourth place Rolling Hills (40-38), Kenwood (40-38) and La Claire (40-38). None of the three remaining also-rans are capable of moving up and getting into the race.

Denton City can do it all. Fine hitting and scoring, solid pitching, both starters and relievers, and good defense. Nope, the Redbirds don't look like a flash in a pan. Bayview is a fine team, too, but lacks good defense, which could be a difference maker. It is looking more and more like a Denton City-Bayview battle for the TU West title. Like always, Rolling Hills can put runs on the scoreboard, but the Racers are lacking on the hill and with the gloves. Last year's division champion Kenwood has impressive pitching, but the Wildcats just can't score runs like the other contenders. They are woefully weak in home-run power. Only 23 roundtrippers this season so far. La Claire is in the same boat. The Lynx can pitch fairly well, but only have 37 dingers.

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MY LIFE IN 2023
EC's Life's Filled with Glee in '23

EC just finished "Man on Spikes" by Eliot Asinof... it is very well written and gives you a real sense of what it was like to be a minor league baseball player in the 1940s and 1950s... "Man on Spikes" is a realistic novel about a baseball player who struggles for 16 years of personal crises and professional ordeals before finally appearing in a major league game... your heart will ache for Mike Rutner and his life as a career minor leaguer... the character is based on a real player Mickey Rutner.

Reading it was bittersweet for the idealistic EC... the good old golden days of baseball of my youth were really not so good... players had to work in the off-season to support their families... baseball did not pay them a decent salary at that time.

Thought you might like to know that Mickey Rutner played for the Birmingham Barons in 1947... EC knows that because I replayed the 1947, 1948 and 1949 seasons of my beloved Southern Association.using OOTP.. I used actual players in those years and tried to do an accurate reply... A great guy, Spritzer, shared with me all the Southern Association stats and rosters from 1947 to 1959... he had the entire collection of the Spaulding Baseball Guides, which contained all of the stats of minor league baseball... they were published yearly from the early years of organized baseball... sadly Spritzer passed away 2 or 3 years ago... he was a great member of the OOTP family.

EC just started "Veeck As In Wreck" by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn, an accomplished baseball writer... it's the baseball story of the eccentric major league and minor league owner, Bill Veeck, who was a super promoter, who made going to a baseball fun with wacky promotions... sadly and historically, Bill Veeck is remembered as the guy who used a midget for one at bat in a MLB game in 1953 for the St. Louis Browns, which Veeck owned.

Read the book and I think you would agree Bill Veeck was a baseball genius and deserved a much better reputation... yep, he went too far on occasion and was a pain for the MLB owners... but Veeck created some good ballclubs... the minor league Milwaukee Brewers in the American Association and the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago White Sox in the American League... Bill wasn't just a wacky promoter, he was a pretty astute baseball man, too.

"Wit, Quips and Quotes from the Diamond Minds"

Excerpt from "Veeck As In Wreck" by Bill Veeck and Ed Linn:
"It's not the high price of stardom that bothers me... it's the high price of mediocrity"... Bill Veeck speaking about the cost of major league players in the early 1950s.

In my opinion It is truly outrageous today where we have many mediocre MLB players that are millionaires... players are grossly overpaid today. .

Picked the All-Stars for the Ruthlandian-Tycobbian annual tussle, which has been dominated by the Tycobbian Union overall 50-28... however, the Ruthlandian Union has won 6 of the last 10.

Will play the 79th IPA All-Star Game tomorrow and recap it.