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Thursday, October 12, 2984

FT BENTON-BELAIR BEACH FOR RU TITLE
HARTSDALE-ROLLING HILLS VIE FOR TU TITLE
The Fort Benton Cannons bested the feisty Belle Plaine Musketeers in the Ruthlandian Union Title Series four games to three, taking a comeback thriller in the game-seven finale. The Cannons will tangle with Pro Cup #1 pick, the Belair Beach Sunbirds. In the Tycobbian Union first round Hartsdale polished off Turon in six games to advance to the league title series against the Rolling Hills Racers. The Racers and the Sunbirds had already qualified for the league title series by sweeping Ozarka and LaGrange in round one.

CANNONS SHOOT DOWN MUSKETEERS IN RU FIRST ROUND

Unheralded Belle Plaine took pivotal game five by the score 7-4, smacking 16 hits, paced by Jean-Paul Lacombe's 3 runs scored and 3 hits, Callum Hayford's 4 hits, plus Gib McAvoy and Dominque Roche roundtrippers. Belle Plaine took a big 3-2 lead into the final 2 games.

Then the Belle Plaine fairytale ended. There would be no Cinderella and Three Musketeers ending to the historic season, their first postseason since 2009. Fort Benton rose to the occasion and captured two white-knuckle affairs in a row at home, winning 5-4 in 11 innings and 5-4 in 10 innings.

Stosh Dusek doubled in the game winner in the sixth game. The heroes in the finale were Dwight Hogan and Don Harrelson. Hogan led off the 10th with a single, stole second and rode home on Harrelson's base hit.
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HARTSDALE ADVANCES TO TU TITLE SERIES WITH 2 WINS AT HOME

With the series tied at 2 games apiece, Hartsdale took charge with two one-run squeakers. The Hellcats trailed 4-0 at the end of 4 frames in game five. Homers by Calvin Mannon and Jorah Hladki tied it up by the 7th. Benny Crystal was walked in the 8th with the bases loaded for the winning score. Hartsdale trimmed Turon 5-4. Same scenario in game six. Again the Typhoons had a 2-1 lead after 7 innings, but the Hellcats came back with single runs in the 8th and 9th for a 3-2 victory to cop the series four games to two. Turon gifted them with the tying run when Eli Kulacz scored in the 8th on an error. Leading off the bottom of the 9th Max Carline sent one soaring out of the park and sending Hartsdale to the Tycobbian Union Title Series against the Rolling Hills Racers.

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Thursday, October 12, 2084

#1 SUNBIRDS TO FLY BY #6 CANNONS FOR RU CROWN
#3 RACERS WILL ROLL OVER #4 HELLCATS FOR TU TITLE
There will be no dark horses winning the Pro Cup like the last two years. All of the four remaining challengers come with genuine credentials. Any one of the four has what it takes to take the renowned IPA relic. It will be the Fort Benton Cannons (95-59) taking on the Pro Cup favorite Belair Beach Sunbirds (99-55) for the Ruthlandian Union crown and the Rolling Hills Racers (93-61) contending with the Hartsdale Hellcats (98-56) for the Tycobbian Union title. It is notable that all four teams won their divisions by solid numbers and all of them won 93 or more games. There are no weak sisters left in the playoffs this season. The weakest clubs LaGrange (86-68), Belle Plaine (87-67) and Turon (86-68) were disposed of in round-one action.

The IPA postseason playoffs prognosticators are prophesizing that it will probably be Belair Beach and Rolling Hills prevailing precariously over the Fort Benton Cannons and Hartsdale Hellcats primarily because they possess superior pitching. All of the final four participants can hit with abandon, but only the Sunbirds and Racers can get batters out with regularity. The Cannons and Hellcats have to outhit and outscore the opposing teams, rarely do they outpitch them. Belair Beach and Rolling Hills can put runs on the scoreboard, too. They can be tough to score on, too. That's why they are the critics' choices in the IPA playoffs.

Rolling Hills is a thoroughbred when its comes to Pro Cups. The Racers have racked up 10 of them in their fabled history. The other threesome have won only 3 between them. Hartsdale has captured 2 Pro Cup Trophies, Belair Beach just one and poor Fort Benton is still hoping and wishing and waiting. This would be the Cannons first Pro Cup.

Almost top-to-bottom in their batting order Belair Beach has a rock-solid socker. They batted .285 as a team with 890 runs and 178 homers. Fort Benton hit well during the season, but not like the Sunbirds. The Cannons don't have the pitching to compete with them either. But the RU Title Series just might be a 7-game affair. Fort Benton is playing well. Should it get some good pitching, they can hang with Belair Beach. The Sunbirds play well at home and on the road, while the Cannons play much better at home. Belair Beach has the homefield advantage. They both hit right-handers and left-handers. No advantage there for either team.

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Fort Benton Home Page
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Rolling Hills has been a powerhouse in its history and it is still a strong team. Some say this is the best Racer team in history because of its good pitching. In past years Rolling Hills depended on its offense to win Pro Cups. Not so this year. The Racers have a good hitters up-and-down in its lineup. So do the Hellcats. Hartsdale can also hit more homers than Rolling Hills. It's batting order has 5 hitters with 20 or more homers. The Racers pitching will have to slow down the longball power of the Hellcats and keep the power hitters in check. This is going to be a slam-bam shootout of a series and will go the limit of 7 games. Give Rolling Hills the slightest of edges. Hartsdale is a strong team, too. And the Hellcats have the homefield advantage. The Racers are just a fair team on the road. They play much better at home. That might be the difference in the two teams. Still, good pitching can shut down good hitting. The Racers have a pretty good advantage on the hill.

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Sunday, October 22, 2084

TOP DOGS, SUNBIRDS AND RACERS MEET FOR TOP PRIZE - PRO CUP
Belair Beach and Rolling Hills were among the top choices to capture the 2084 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup this year. They have emerged as the two best teams in the playoffs and they will soon do battle for the Pro Cup Trophy, presented annually to the top baseball team in Islandia. Belair Beach, the #1 pick, nabbed the Ruthlandian Union Title Series from 6th-ranked Fort Benton four games to two and #3 Rolling Hills was pushed to the 7-game limit for the Tycobbian Union crown, skimming past the Hartsdale Hellcats four games to three. The IPA Pro Cup Series starts Tuesday afternoon in Belair Beach at Bayside Park. The Sunbirds are seeking their second Pro Cup, while the Racers will try to add #11 to their cherished stash.

Thanks to some sensational pitching by Gardiner Palmquist and a solo homer by Forest Whitehead, the favored Belair Beach Sunbirds escaped with a 1-0 victory in game one in Belair Beach. Palmquist outpitched Fort Benton's Noah Faircloth, who went 22-2 in the regular season with a sparkling 2.71 ERA. Palmquist was 18-5 with a fine 2.85 ERA.

The Cannons came right back the second game and gained a split on John Harding's 3-run triple in the 11th inning, giving them a 5-1 win. Strong pitching by Fort Benton starter Gordy Francis and reliever Vance Voland paced the Cannons. Sunbird starter Seth Calimaris also stood out with 6 shutout innings. It was the Sunbirds bullpen that faltered in the fatal 11th frame, lambasted for 4 runs.

Belair Beach took charge on the road at Old Fortress Park in Fort Benton. In the second game the Sunbirds, sparked by Bruno Lutz and Yianni Kostakos, blistered the Cannons 8-4. Lutz slammed a 3-run homer and Kostakos cracked 3 hits. Delmer Keel was banged around for 4 runs in the first 2 frames, then he settled down and blanked Fort Benton the rest of the way.

Belair Beach went up three games to one in game four. Larry Gabrielson and Georgie Adams combined for a 4-2 win. Winner Gabrielson went 6 innings and allowed 2 runs. Adams shut out the Cannons over the last 3 frames. Dutch Van Donk hit one out of the park for the Sunbirds. Pinch hitter Percy Donahue put Belair Beach ahead to stay with an RBI single in the 7th inning.

On the verge of elimination in the fifth game, Fort Benton played a great game, blasting Belair Beach and its ace Gardiner Palmquist 11-0, ripping 16 hits, paced by Olev Kotli with 4 hits, 3 RBIs by Trace Lansing and 2 each by Jerry Hurt and pitch hitter Quentin Hewes. The Sunbirds never had a chance.

Forgetting all about the terrible carnage of the day before, in game six Belair Beach outlasted Fort Benton in a 14-inning fight-to-the-last victory to win the series and advance to the Pro Cup Series against the Tycobbian Union champion. Trailing 5-2 after 6 innings, the Sunbirds mounted a tremendous rally to take the lead 7-5 going into the 9th. Then the Cannons rallied to tie it up on Trace Lansing's 2-run shot, forcing extra innings. Both clubs got excellent relief pitching. Jim Brockington held Fort Benton scoreless in the 10th, 11th and 12th. Winning pitcher Eric Kyeldsen finished the Cannons off with 2 runless innings. The losing pitcher Vance Voland shut out the Sunbirds for his first 3 frames. It all came to a dramatic end when Yianni Kostakos led off the last of the 14th inning with a solo swat. Dutch Van Donk sparked Belair Beach with 4 hits, including his 3rd roundtripper of the postseason. Dwight Hogan kept the Cannons in the game with 2 hits, one of them a 2-run clout.

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Sunday, October 22, 2084

ROLLING HILLS ROLLICKING, ROAR BACK AND BEAT HARTSDALE IN 7 GAMES FOR TYCOBBIAN TITLE AND TRIP TO PRO CUP SERIES
What a great series between two outstanding ballclubs. They fought long and hard, going the full 7 games. It was finally nabbed by the Rolling Hills Racers, who had to rally from a 3-2 deficit in the best-of-seven series..

The Hartsdale Hellcats started the Tycobbian Union Title Series off in style, downing the visiting Rolling Hills Racers at Pioneer Park by the score of 5-3 to stake an early 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. A pair of pinch hitters were the key factors. Hartsdale's Tumbleweed Threadgill broke up a scoreless tie between starters Dominic Bard and Warren Wolfe with a 2-run base hit. Eli Kulacz made it 3-0 with another single. Rolling Hills roared right back and tied it up 3-all in the 8th, setting the stage for Gallimore's game-winning 2-run two-bagger in the bottom half of the inning.

Game two was played to the hilt by both clubs. Rolling Hills starter Dain Holman and Hartsdale starter Harmon Ford locked up in a 1-1 battle for the first 5 frames. Benny Crystal's double gave the Hellcats a 2-1 edge in the 8th, but the Racers won it dramatically on Coby Clancy's 2-run fourmaster bash in the top of the 9th. Strong bullpen work from winning pitcher Linc Dickens and Steve Farnham helped Rolling Hills tie the series at one game each.

The next four games were chaotic and one-sided. It was baseball bedlam. The series switched to Rolling Hills and the Mid Town Base Ball Grounds for games three, four and five. Skeets Kazlauskas tossed a fine game and the Racers bats were blistering in a 9-1 shellacking. Rolling Hills is up now two games to one. Harv Phelan with 3 ribbies and Jaron Shufford and Emmett Spangler with 2 apiece spearheaded the 12-hit attack.

It was Hartsdale's turn to wreak havoc at the plate and even the series at two victories each. 16 hits and homers by Calvin Mannon, Eli Kulacz and Max Carline routed the Racers 11-5 in game four.

Home-run happy Hartsdale rapped 3 more out of the park in game five for a 10-4 win, putting the Hellcats ahead three games to two and in a good position to win the series and advance to the Pro Cup Series. Jorah Hladki hammered 2 homers and Calvin Mannon cracked one to pace Hartsdale. Warren Wolfe pitched well enough to win it. D. D. Prescott blanked the Racers in the 8th and 9th frames. It was a bad day for loser Dominic Bard, who was shelled for 5 runs in 5 innings.

Hartsdale was riding high and hosting the last two games at home. Nope, the Racers would not leave vengeance to the Lord, they totally demolished the Hellcats in the sixth game 14-1, the third straight high-scoring rout. Now it's all tied up 3 games apiece and anybody's series. Rolling Hills socked 17 hits and 3 roundtrippers. Noah Peavy, Clifford Stratton and Cody Clancy all went deep. Stratton had 5 RBIs. Emmett Spangler, Jarod Shufford and Peavy all drove in a pair of scores. Dain Holman was in great form, stopping the Hellcats on 7 hits.

No, the bats didn't cool off, but this was no rout. Game seven started off as another rout, but it ended up as a good old-fashioned seesaw affair between two teams that were in dire need of victory. By the 7th Rolling Hills rolled up a 7-0 lead and then they saw Hartsdale chip away at it. And the Hellcats came mighty close. But in the end, it was the Racers that held on and won game seven 8-6 and another trip to the Pro Cup Series. It was a whale of a wacky series. It was a shame only one of the teams could advance. Rolling Hills Skeets Kazlauskas was one of the heroes in the game. He hurled a strong game, going 7 innings, giving up just one run and 3 hits with 6 Ks and one walk. His bullpen almost blew it for him. He is 3-0 in 3 postseason starts with a splendid 1.80 ERA. Other standouts for the Racers were Liam Gerraghty and Noah Peavy with 3 RBIs each. Gerraghty homered. Hartdale got 2 hits apiece from Eli Kulacz, Calvin Mannon and Jorah Hladki with Hladki getting the only roundtripper.

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Monday, October 23, 2084

CRUTCH TIME IS HERE! BELAIR BEACH HOST ROLLING HILLS IN IPA PRO CUP OPENER
Most of the good teams in the IPA postseason playoffs played well and won as they were supposed to do and none of the lesser lights played over their heads and upset the powers-that-be. Playing according to the script of the Pro Cup Poll it will be #1-ranked Belair Beach welcoming #3 Rolling Hills for the 2084 Islandian Pro Cup Trophy. This will be old hat for the Racers, who will be going for their 11th IPA crown. The Sunbirds are seeking their second one. The best-of-seven Pro Cup Series begins this Monday afternoon in Belair Beach at Bayside Park.

Everybody and their mothers-in-law are picking the Belair Beach Sunbirds to triumph in the IPA Pro Cup Series and rightly so. They won more games (99) than anybody this season. They led the Ruthlandian Union and the entire IPA in scoring runs (890). They hit lots of homers (178), ranking third. They have very good pitching, good starters and good bullpen. They have four players, yes, count 'em, four players that drove in over 100 runs. I don't know if that has ever happened in IPA history. This is unprecedented. What's not to like? The Belair Beach Sunbirds are a really fine team, yeah buddy.

EC'S OUT ON A LIMB AGAIN, SHOOTING OFF HIS MOUTH, PICKS RACERS TO WIN
However, upon very close scrutiny with lots and lots of diligent research, EC is going to differ with the baseball sages, scribblers and know-it-alls. Rolling Hills beat the #2 team team, the Ozarka Naturals, who won 98 games. The Racers swept the Nats in four games. They also whipped the #4 team, the heavy-hitting Hartsdale Hellcats in a torrid and tense seven-game series. The Hellcats led the Tycobbian Union in runs and the entire IPA with 230 homers. They had 3 players that drove in over 100 runs apiece. And they won 98 games, too. You have to say Rolling Hills' run in this year's postseason has been impressive, more so than Belair Beach, who eliminated #7 LaGrange in four straight games and #6 Fort Benton in a tough six-game affair.

What sets the Racers apart is their fine starters. Dominic Bard, Dain Holman and Skeets Kazlauskas will be the difference makers. I'm not too sure Gardiner Palmquist, Seth Calamaris, Delmer Keel and Larry Gabrielson can match the Racers' starters. Rolling Hills can score runs, has pretty good home-run power and solid defense. Everybody in their lineup can handle the bat well. Keep in mind, Belair Beach is not a quality defensive team, plus the bullpen is not very good. That may be their Achilles' heel. EC is picking the Racers in a red-hot seven-game series. Yep. You just might start finding a space in Rolling Hills' museum for their 11th Pro Cup.

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Tuesday, October 31, 2084

BB SUNBIRDS ALL AGLOW WITH 2ND PRO CUP
The Belair Beach Sunbirds are basking in the glorious sunshine of their second Pro Cup trophy. The Sunbirds took care of the Rolling Hills Racers in six games, winning the
Pro Cup Series four games to two. Led by some fine pitching by starters Delmer Keel and Gardiner Palmquist, the Sunbirds proved to be the best team in the Islands this year.

A proud skipper, Brock Josephson, was overjoyed with his championship-winning club. "There's nothing like winning the Pro Cup... and can you believe it, this is the second time
we did it together?" The Sunbirds and Josephson also won it back in 2071. Manager Josephson and veteran second baseman Evan Murdock were part of the first Pro Cup
in Belair Beach history. Murdock was just 21 years old and in his second season with the Sunbirds. Josephson was in his 6th season at the helm of the team.

Losing Rolling Hills manager Hugo Sutton, who already has won two Pro Cups in his 8 years in charge, told the press, "I know it is a woulda, shoulda, coulda, but we had a
good shot at winning the Pro Cup. We could have easily won games five and six and be Pro Cup champion. The honest truth is we didn't do it and the Sunbirds did. You have
to give them credit. Hats off to them, they came through when the game was on the line."


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Starter Gardiner Palmquist went the distance for the victory. He also cracked 3 hits, scored twice and batted in a run. IPA RBI leader Bruno Lutz
and Dutch van Donk drove in 2 runs apiece. Lutz topped the IPA with 144 ribbies this year and 149 last season. Yiannis Kostakos clubbed a
2-run homer and Bruno Lutz singled in a run to top the Sunbirds at the plate.

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In the second game Yianni Kostakos and Bruno Lutz again provided the offense for the Sunbirds. Kostakos knocked a 2-run shot out of the
park in the 4th frame and Lutz plated another one in the 6th. Ivan Malek lost it for the Racers, yielding 3 runs and 5 hits in his 5 innings.

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In the third game Skeets Kazlauskas stood out on the hill, holding Belair Beach to just 2 scores with 8 strikeouts and 4 walks. He fired a complete
game to get the Racers back into the series. They are down two games to one.

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In game four Belair Beach had a decided edge in hits 12 to 4, but the Sunbirds stranded 12 baserunners. Poor Jim Brockington only gave up
1 run and 2 hits in 6 and two-thirds innings. He exited with a 2-1 lead, but Georgie Adams lost it when Rolling Hills banged him around for 2
runs in the bottom of the 8th.

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In game five Rolling Hills had a chance to go up three games to two, but its bullpen caved in and blew it in the 9th. The Racers took a 4-3 lead
into the last inning, but they failed to put Belair Beach away. Evan Murdock went 3 for 5 with 2 doubles and 2 RBIs to pace the Sunbirds.


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Once again the Racers couldn't hold a late-inning lead. In game six they were up 4-2 at the end of the 7th, but its bullpen failed them again.
RBI machine Bruno Lutz made it 4-3 with a roundtripper in the 8th. He was back again in the bottom of the 9th with another RBI single to tie
the score. The Pro Cup-winning run came in on a passed ball. Starter Delmer Keel gritted out 7 innings, gave up 4 runs, but he kept his club
close. Georgie Adams blanked the Racers the last 2 frames to chalk up the win and the second Pro Cup in Belair Beach history.

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Wednesday, November 1, 2084

BB'S PALMQUIST NAMED IPA PRO CUP MVP IN CLOSE POLL WITH 5 OTHERS
To the victors go the spoils. Belair Beach won the 2084 Pro Cup and rightly so one of its players was honored as the Islandian Pro Alliance postseason Most Valuable Player. It could have been any one of the four Sunbirds. Belair Beach ace hurler Gardiner Palmquist corralled the most votes in a very tight race with three of his teammates and 2 Rolling Hills Racers. Palmquist prevailed with 3-1 record in 5 playoff starts and a 2.72 ERA. Teams only managed a .198 BA in his 36 innings. During the regular season the 22-year-old portsider posted an 18-7 mark with an impressive 2.85 ERA in 30 starts. In his two seasons with the Sunbirds Palmquist is 33-16 with a 3.01 ERA.

Palmquist just barely beat out right fielder Dutch Van Donk for the MVP trophy. Also a youngster, just 21 years old, he batted .288 in 16 postseason games with 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Van Donk was a steady contributor in the playoffs with 3 roundtrippers and 14 walks. In his 3 seasons in the IPA Van Donk sports a .293 BA with 51 roundtrippers, 297 runs scored and 227 RBIs.

Third in the MVP balloting was Belair Beach righty Delmer Keel, who was 2-0 in the playoffs in 4 starting assignments. The Sunbirds were victorious in all 4 games. Keel is just 21. He has stood out in his 2 seasons with Belair Beach with 28 wins and 19 defeats with a 3.32 ERA. this season he went 12-10 and a 3.61 ERA in 236 innings and 30 strarting assignments.

The fourth spot also belonged to another Sunbird, an old-timer in left field, Bruno Lutz. The 11-year veteran led his club with 14 ribbies and 4 homers in the playoffs, while batting only .222. At age 30 Lutz led the IPA with 144 RBIs. He also topped the IPA last year with 149 RBIs. Lutz is a .282 hitter with 296 roundtrippers and 1139 runs batted in. Yeah, buddy, he is an RBI machine.

Rolling Hills had their stars, too. If they had won the Pro Cup, they would have probably finished one-two in the MVP poll. Skeets Kazlauskas came in 5th in the voting with a perfect 4-0 record in 4 starts. He chalked up a 1.85 ERA in 34 innings. Teams only hit .198 against him. In his 11th year at age 34, Kazlauskas was 17-7 this year with a 3.69 ERA. Overall in his career he is 168-93 with a 3.32 ERA.

Shortstop Emmett Spangler also excelled for the Racers, batting .388 in the playoffs with 26 hits in 67 at bats. He homered twice, has 6 doubles, scored 16 times and drove in 13 runs. Spangler is also up in age at 35. In his 10-year career he is hitting .293. He is a 7-time All-Star. Spangler finished sixth in the Pro Cup MVP poll.

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Wednesday, November 8, 2084

IPA AWARDS DAY HONORS THE TOP STARS OF 2084
Headed up by LaGrange superstar Troy Swinnerton, who snared his 3rd RU Golden Bat, the Islandian Pro Alliance also honored the best batters, hurlers and rookies for their
superlative play this season. Here are the best of the best for the 2084 Islandian Pro Alliance season.

LAGRANGE SLUGGER AT IT AGAIN, SWINNERTON NABS HIS 3RD RU GOLDEN BAT
Tory Swinnerton has been around Islandian Pro Alliance for 12 years now and has done it all. Accolades year-after-year. For his standout run through the 2084 season, he's
taking home the Golden Bat Award in the Ruthlandian Union. This is the third time he had done this. Swinnerton also nabbed it in 2078 and 2081. The 30-year-old LaGrange
first baseman put up a batting average of .345 with 20 doubles, 3 triples, 51 home runs and 134 RBIs. He led the Ruthlandian Union with 51 homers and 134 RBIs. This is the
10th time in 11 seasons Swinnerton topped the RU in homers. It's the third time for RBIs. He sparked his Gators to the RU North crown. Overall in his career he is a .303 hitter
with 500 homers and 1258 ribbies. Swinnerton won the 2074 Rookie of the Year, made the All-Star team 7 times, honored with 3 MVPs and twice has been a Gold Glover. Yeah,
buddy, he has done it all.

Harland Schiffman (150 G/.320 BA/33 HR/101 RBI/128 R/10 SB), right fielder of the Taranto Tars, finished second in RU Golden Bat voting, while Lucky Hayden
(.339 BA/34 HR/111 RBI/103 R/9 SB), center fielder of the Belair Beach Sunbirds, finished third.

FORT BENTON FLINGER FAIRCLOUGH PROCLAIMED BEST RUTHLANDIAN HURLER
The 2084 Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm went to Noah Fairclough, who posted an impressive ERA of 2.71 as he won 22 games, dropped only 2, fanned 161 and gave up 54
walks in 246 innings of work. At 35 and in his 11th season, the old-timer paced his Fort Benton Cannons to a fine season. They were the best in the RU West and they made
the IPA Final 4 before bowing out to the Pro Cup champion Belair Beach in an exciting 7-game series in the RU Title Series. Fairclough has blossomed late in his career, coming over to the Cannons
in 2079 from the San Alejo Montaneros. Lifetime he is 118-87 with a 3.55 ERA. This was the first time Fairclough was honored as the best pitcher in the Ruthlandian Union.

Gardiner Palmquist (18-7/2.85 ERA/ 30 starts) of the Belair Beach Sunbirds finished second in RU Golden Arm voting, while Noel Arboneaux (13-10/2.69 ERA/32 starts) of
the Volusia Vigilantes finished third.

CLAXTON CF HOUSTON HAULS IN RU ROOKIE TROPHY
For several weeks the rumor mill had it that the 2084 Rookie of the Year Award winner was a foregone conclusion and the trophy would go to Claxton center fielder, Jim Houston.
It is no longer a rumor -- the Ruthlandian Union made it official today. Houston was one of the few bright spots for the beleaguered Diamonds. They came in dead last in the RU
South. Houston won the award by hitting .287 and collecting 155 hits, 25 home runs, 93 RBIs and 112 walks. He scored 106 runs and posted a .407 on-base percentage. Houston
stood out among the sparse group of newcomers this year.

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BAYVIEW'S KALLSTROM COLOSSAL AGAIN, CLAIMS TU GOLDEN BAT
"It's amazing what Kim Kallstrom has done in his first two seasons. He is just 20 years old and already dominating the IPA." Those were the words of his Bayview skipper Vance Codsworth. "Last year he batted .329 with 46 roundtrippers and 124 RBIs and won the TU Rookie of the Year. Can you believe he did even better this year?" Kallstrom may only be 20, but it will be hard to top the left fielder's 2084 campaign, as he has been named the winner of the Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award. This is the first year he has been the winner of the prestigious prize. His winning campaign featured a .349 batting average and a .424 on-base percentage this year. In 148 games he piled up 203 hits, 29 doubles, no triples, 50 home runs, 127 RBIs and 132 runs scored. For the second year in a row the Bayview Vikings almost beat out the Rolling Hills Racers for the Tycobbian West Division flag. The Viks wound up in the runner-up spot again.

Two other talented youngsters, Davy Mannington (.359 BA/33 HR/125 RBI/128 R), first baseman of the South Fork Stallions, was a very close second in Golden Bat poll, while Calvin Mannon (.329 BA/44 HR/117 RBI/129 R), right fielder of the Hartsdale Hellcats, finished a very close third. Mannington nabbed the TU Golden Bat last season.

TOP TYCOBBIAN TWIRLER TITLE GIVEN TO HARTSDALE'S WOLFE IN TIGHT VOTE
The Golden Arm Award for 2084 has been announced and in a very close ballot, the Tycobbian Union winner is Wayne Wolfe of the Hartsdale Hellcats. With a record of 18-5, Wolfe was certainly a worthy winner. He made 31 starts and rang up 234 innings, 170 strikeouts and a 2.69 ERA. At age 29, Wolfe sparked his Hellcats to their third straight TU North pennant. In his career the right hander is 116-100 with a 3.29 ERA. Wolfe started off as a rookie with Middlefield in 2075. He has been with the Hellcats for the last 9 seasons. This is his first TU Golden Arm.

Wolfe's margin was razor thin over his two prime contenders. Dominic Bard (18-8/2.69 ERA/30 starts) of the Rolling Hills Racers finished second in voting, while Bobby Perry (17-5/2.79 ERA/31 starts) of the Mahaska Haymakers finished third.

GINZA NEWCOMER HOSHINO TOP TU ROOKIE
Ginza fans have a good reason to cheer today as first baseman Muzuki Hoshino brought home the Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year Award for 2084. Just 24 years old he put together a .306 batting average on the strength of 146 hits and swatted 30 home runs. He also racked up 89 RBIs and scored 85 runs, signaling that this might be the beginning of a solid baseball career. Hoshino was a prime cog in the Ninjas' success this season. Ginza wound up a close third in the TU South pennant race, losing out by just 6 games. Only Turon and Cape Coral finished ahead of them.

Bum Loxton (.285 BA/24 HR/84 RBI/75 R), center fielder of the Red Bluff Red Sox, wound second in the best rookie poll, while Ryo Matayoshi (.323 BA/14 HR/67 RBI/77 R), second sacker of the White River Rascals, came in third.

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Saturday, November 11, 2084

IPA SUPER SKIPPERS OF 2084
What does it take to be a pennant-winning and award-winning manager of a professional baseball team In the Islandian Pro Alliance? To a man they will tell you, talented ballplayers and luck
go a long way to winning awards and being a successful skipper. Players win games and players lose games. It is the job of the manager to get the most out of the players he has. It is far easier
to manage a team with talented players. Talent wins a lot more games than managerial decisions. Casey Stengel once said, "Managing is getting paid for home runs somebody else hit." The Old
Professor said it well when he described his first season with the pathetic New York Mets, "I managed well, they played bad."

'Nuff said, a skipper need good ballplayers to win awards and pennants.

BELAIR BEACH'S JOSEPHSON NAMED BEST RUTHLANDIAN MANAGER THIRD TIME; OZARKA'S JENKINS 1ST-TIME WINNER IN TYCOBBIAN UNION

All of the skippers in the running for the IPA Manager of the Year Awards had a surplus of talented players. The 2084 Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year was Brock Josephson of the Belair
Beach Sunbirds, while Ozarka's Glen Jenkins was given the honor of the 2084 Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year. You also should give them some credit for making most of the managerial
moves during the season, too. They made most of the right moves at the right times. This was the third time Josephson has been given the honor. He was also the recipient in 2071 and 2082.

It's not easy for successful managers to win the best-manager honor. The winner is many times the pilot of a bad team that jumps from 7th or 8th place one year to first place the next year. In
Josephson's case he improved his Sunbirds from first place and 95-59 to the Ruthlandian South pennant, improving to 99-55. His club won the division flag by just 2 games last year. This year
Belair Beach won in resounding fashion, by 18 games.

Josephson just barely edged out Fort Benton manager Max Gregory, who sparked his team to the Ruthlandian West crown with an impressive 95-59 mark. The previous season his Cannons were
a mediocre 76-78, coming in fifth and 13 games out of first place. Fort Benton won by a comfortable 8-game margin this year.

Eliot Marcum of Belle Plaine also got a lot of support in third place for the Ruthlandian Union best-skipper trophy. His Musketeers were marvelously better this year with an 87-67 record, good
for first place in the RU East. Belle Plaine was a dismal 64-90 in 2083, winding up in 7th place and 23 GB.

Both Gregory and Marcum were very worthy challengers, but the press and media made the right call by giving the award to Josephson again in a very tight vote.

It was a very good year for Glen Jenkins and his Ozarka Naturals. The Nats finished second in 2083 with an 88-66 record, coming in 4 games behind in the TU East pennant race. Ozarka blossomed to
98-56 this season and nabbed the division flag by a solid 8-game margin.

Hillsboro's Buddy Assendorp turned his team upside down this season, going from a very poor 62-92 and 30 games back in 7th place to 84-70 and 3rd place, 14 games off the pace of Ozarka. Jenkins
beat out Assendorp by a razor-thin margin.

Coming in a distant third in the Tycobbian Union best-manager poll was Rolling Hills manager Hugo Sutton. He won the TU West last season by just one game with an 89-65 mark. His Racers improved
to 93-61 this year and captured the division crown by 5 games.
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Attachment 1019783
Sunday, November 12, 2084

IPA AWARDS GOLDEN GLOVES TO TOP RU AND TU BEST DEFENDERS
A good gloveman in the Islandian Pro Alliance is worth his proverbial weight in gold. They can make any pitcher better with their defensive skills and talents. Good defense can make an average staff
into a pennant winner. The IPA Golden Gloves were presented to the top defenders in the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union. St. John left fielder Daron Blankenship and Valmara center fielder
Markko Petrov were named to the RU Golden Glove team for the 4th time in their careers, while San Alejo first baseman Matty Cardoso and Southport third sacker Gordy Hebron made the TU Golden
Glove Team for the 2nd time. Only one rookie was honored. That was 20-year-old left fielder for the White River Rascals, Stig Frederiksson, who was named to the TU Golden Glove squad.

2084 Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Team:
Attachment 1019784

2084 Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Team:
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Attachment 1019792
Monday, November 13, 2084

IPA PREMIER AWARDS PRESENTED TO LAGRANGE'S SWINNERTON AND HARTSDALE'S MANNON
The 2084 IPA Most Valuable Player Awards went to LaGrange's hard-hitting swinger galore Tory Swinnerton and to Hartsdale's talented Calvin Mannon. When all the votes were cast and counted
by the Islandian baseball observers and commentators, Swinnerton, a 33-year-old first baseman, and Mannon, a 24-year-old right fielder, outpolled several other superstars.

Tory Swinnerton was the class of the 2084 class in the Ruthlandian Union. He had a superlative season, leading the league with a .345 BA and 51 homers. Swinnerton also drove in 134 runs and
scored 106 times and played a big part in the Gators' pennant-winning season. His club won its third RU North title in the last four years. This was Swinnerton's third Ruthlandian Union MVP trophy.
He was also honored in 2078 and 2081. 10 of the last 11 seasons Swinnerton has topped the RU in homers. He has driven in 100 runs in all of his years with the Gators. This year's MVP also snared
his 3rd Golden Bat in his superb career.

Second in the MVP poll was 30-year-old Belair Beach center fielder Lucky Hayden, who stood out with a .339 BA, 37 doubles, 2 triples and 34 roundtrippers. He also batted in 111 runs, scored
103 runs and stole 9 bases, while propelling his Sunbirds to the RU South crown.

Fort Benton hurler Noah Fairclough wound up in the third spot for the Ruthlandian MVP honor. At age 36 Fairclough had a magnificent year, piling up 22 victories and only 2 losses with a 2.71 ERA
in 32 starts and 246 innings. His Cannons also won their division, the Ruthlandian West. Fairclough also nabbed his first RU Golden Arm Award.

Rated the best of the best this year in the Tycobbian Union was Calvin Mannon, Hartsdale's fabulous right fielder. He won the 2084 TU Most Valuable Player Award, but did not get the TU Golden Bat.
Hartsdale winning the TU North pennant just might have put him over the top in the MVP poll. His Hellcats had a marvelous year and easily copped the division crown. Just 24 years old, Mannon sizzled
at the plate with a .329 BA, 29 doubles, 5 triples, 117 ribbies, 129 runs and 16 stolen bases. He has paced the Hellcats to three consecutive TU North titles. This is Mannon's second MVP trophy. He also
won it and the Golden Bat in 2082. Mannon also was named the top rookie in 2081.

Bayview's brilliant first baseman, Kim Kallstrom, has seemingly done it all in his first two seasons in the IPA. He was the TU Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year last year. At age 20 he posted massive
numbers. Kallstrom was even better this year with a .349 BA, leading the league with 50 homers, 132 runs and 127 RBIs. Yeah, buddy, he almost won everything again this year. It looks like the scribes
might have given too much credence to Hartsdale's pennant-winning ways. Sadly, the Bayview Vikings lost another close race to powerful Rolling Hills in the TU West and wound up in the runner-up spot
again this year. This apparently spoiled Kallstrom's hope for a repeat MVP this year.

South Fork's sensational first sacker, Davy Mannington wound up third in the MVP poll. He might have been better than both Mannon and Kallstrom, but his South Fork Stallions finished second to Ozarka
in the TU East. Just look at his numbers: .359 BA, 33 HRs, 125 RBIs, 128 runs and 217 hits. He won the TU Golden Bat in 2083. Mannington is just 22 years old.

Fans can't wait until next year. All of these Tycobbian superstars are in their early 20s with their prime years all ahead of them. The Tycobbian Union is sitting pretty with lots of talented youngsters.
Attachment 1019793

That wraps up the 2084 season of the Islandian Pro Alliance.

I'll get to work on the new 2085 season and the new rosters.
I have to check out all of the new players on the rosters and straighten out the goofy names the AI gives way too often.

Yep, I am a control freak. All has to be as perfect as I can get it.
I can't take names like Hiromitsu Jones, Jean-Claude Smith, Benito Pawloski, Joe Unknown, Archibald Esperanza, etc.

Yep, this type of tedious work tires me out.

Attachment 1020222
Wednesday, January 3, 2085

BEECHWOOD'S VILLAVASO ONLY 4TH CLOSER NAMED TO IPA HALL OF FAME

The ballots are counted and the results are in. One player was enshrined this year: Beechwood's hurler Luis Villavaso will now see his plaque mounted beside the other greats from the game in the IPA Hall of Fame in Marston. He will join Val Jackson of Fairfax, Burnell Kelley of Denton City and Archie Desmond of Tuckanarra as the only closers in the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame. It was announced today by Islandian Pro Alliance officials that renowned bullpen ace Luis Villavaso has been inducted into the league's Hall of Fame. It took him 9 years but he finally got what he richly deserved.

In his famed career Villavaso registered 391 saves in 1278 game appearances, ending up with a 124-114 won-loss record and a 2.64 ERA with a poor ballclub. He chalked up 1687 strikeouts in 2148 innings, while limiting other teams to a .234 batting average. Villavaso ended up 6th in all-time saves. Val Jackson of Fairfax has the most with 468 saves. Villavaso never really had a bad season in his 17-year career. Villavaso was still a very effective closer when he retired at age 39. He spent 15 years with the perennial also-ran Beechwood Blues, who only posted two winning seasons during his tenure with them. Villavaso's career lasted from 2057 to 2073.

Villavaso described his feelings during his induction speech, commenting, "When you're playing, awards don't seem like much. Then, you get older and all of it becomes more precious. It is nice to be remembered."

His longtime manager also spoke at the ceremony, stating, "As a pitcher he had it all... poise, confidence, control, great movement... and Luis wasn't afraid to pitch inside. He lit up the room when he came in. He was a joy to be around. Luis loved playing baseball."

The full voting results are included here. Players require 75% of ballots cast to be elected to the Hall, may stay on the ballot for up to 10 years if they receive at least 5% of the votes. Players must be retired for 3 years before they are eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame.

CL Luis Villavaso 78.4 (9th year) Inducted HOF
CF Maxie Mullinax 67.5 (9th year)
SS Yazzy Ricks 56.4 (4th year)
3B Cooter Eldridge 54.4 (8th year)
SP William Pike 51.8 (2nd year)
SS Junior Evans 36.4 (3rd year)
2B Luke Hazlett 21.0 (9th year)
SP Billy Lake 20.3 (1st year)
1B Bralen Josephson 20.3 (8th year)
C Ozzy Crenshaw 19.0 (9th year)
SP Andre Zajac 16.7 (1st year)
SP Russell Krohn 16.7 (3rd year)
RP Brownie Ashmore 13.8 (6th year)
RP Jason Irons 13.4 (1st year)
C Kuro Ishihara 12.1 (9th year)
SP Darryl Edmonds 9.8 (1st year)
RP Dorsey Burnette 9.5 (2nd year)
SP Anxo Di Lima 9.5 (1st year)
RF Alfie Elbourne 9.2 (9th year)
SP Dontrelle Gilbreath 8.5 (9th year)
RP Lloyd Fairhead 8.5 (2nd year)
SP Sassy Worsley 8.5 (4th year)
SP Gianni Caruso 7.9 (1st year)
SP Rollie Taft 7.2 (4th year)
SS Walt Ivy 6.9 (9th year)
SP Bruno Baptista 6.2 (1st year)
SP Benny Merckx 6.2 (2nd year)
1B Jackie Hansford 5.6 (3rd year)
RP Allie Gabrielson 5.6 (1st year)
RP Mickey Whiting 4.9 (1st year) Dropped
SP George Gently 4.9 (1st year) Dropped
CF Jalen Jackman 4.6 (2nd year) Dropped
SP Finn Roogeveen 3.9 (1st year) Dropped
SP Raymond Weatherly 3.9 (1st year) Dropped
SP Billy Pearl 3.3 (1st year) Dropped
SP Bryan Bushnell 3.3 (1st year) Dropped
SP Galen Busby 3.0 (3rd year) Dropped
SP Billy Wilkerson 2.6 (1st year) Dropped
SP Alton Liddell 2.3 (1st year) Dropped
SP Scotty Robeson 1.6 (1st year) Dropped
SP Sonny Barnett 1.0 (1st year) Dropped
SP Odie Warfield 0.7 (1st year) Dropped
RF Kit Clemmons 0.7 (1st year) Dropped
SP Steven Parmelee 0.7 (1st year) Dropped
SS Dante De Jesus 0.3 (1st year) Dropped
No other players received a vote, and have been dropped from the ballot.




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Attachment 1020224

Attachment 1020416
Thursday, April 5, 2085

ISLANDIAN LIFE BEGINS ON OPENING DAY
The cold and drab lonely days of winter have come and gone. Spring has sprung and life is anew in Islandia. Yeah, buddy, life truly begins on opening day of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The boys of summer are back for another merry-go-round of baseball. This is the 85th edition of the IPA. The baseball diamonds come alive and sparkle tomorrow afternoon at 32 green mansions all across the Islands.

The pundits' Pro Cup picks are the annual arsenal of the Tycobbian Union, the rockin' and rollin' Rolling Hills Racers and the defending IPA champion Belair Beach Sunbirds, the best team in the Ruthlandian Union again. They are forecast to meet again in October for the overall league crown, the highly prized Pro Cup Trophy. Many roundball observers think the hard-hitting Hartsdale Hellcats may have a say in the matter, too.

Let's take a whirlwind tour of the teams and see what the scribes, scribblers and sages say will happen this year around the IPA.

RUTHLANDIAN UNION PREVIEW

TARS TRIM VIPERS AND JUMBOS IN CLOSE ONE
Uh oh, LaGrange, the victor two of the last three seasons in the Ruthlandian North, will drop completely out of the picture. Taranto, which has been a serious challenger for the last four years will finally put it all together and take the pennant. But it will not be a cake walk. The Tars will triumph in a tight race with the Valmara Vipers and Ancona Jumbos.

SUNBIRDS SLIM BY CYBERCATS, WESTERNERS AND SKIPPERS IN RU SOUTH
The reigning king of the hill in the Ruthlandian South is IPA Pro Cup title winner Belair Beach. The Sunbirds have been the dominate team the last three years with two division flags and a runner-up finish. They are favored, but not by much. Belair Beach will have a fight on its hands from Grand City, Waleska and Crystal Lake.

COTTON KINGS CLIP MUSKIES AND MACS FOR RU EAST TITLE
It will be a close three-way race in the Ruthlandian East this year between favored Eastshore, last year's champ Belle Plaine and regular contender Wynnamac.

SNAPPERS SNARE RU WEST FOR FIRST TIME IN 4 DECADES
Ditto in the Ruthlandian West. A frantic three-team fracas between preseason favorite Rocky Rapids, Colfax and last year's best, the Fort Benton Cannons. It's been years since the Snappers have been in the chase. Rocky Rapids has not won the RU West since 2046.

TYCOBBIAN UNION PREVIEW

HELLCATS HAMMER TU NORTH AGAIN
For the fourth season in a row, there will be no pennant chase in the Tycobbian North Division. The powerful Hartsdale Hellcats will win again in a rout. The Hellcats have the best hitting, scoring and pitching in the IPA. 'Nuff said. Mahaska and Blue Lake will wind up far behind Hartsdale in second and third place. The Hellcats had an easy time last year, winning handily by 8 games over the Haymakers. Don't be surprised if the Hellcats come close to a new record for wins, which is 111 set by powerhouse Rolling Hills in 2066. Colfax holds the mark in the Ruthlandian Union with 107 in 2010.

PARITY RAMPANT IN TU SOUTH, TYPHOONS ARE SLIM FAVORITE
The Tycobbian South just might just be the tightest race in the IPA this year. Just about all 8 teams have a chance to win it. A good trade or two and two solid rookies could do the trick. Turon, an annual challenger, is the choice of the experts. The Typhoons will skim past Southport, Colchester, Ginza and Cape Coral for the division flag. The Elites won the TU South in '83. The Hurricanes have been in the hunt the previous 5 years. The 'Canes won it in '81 and '82.

STALLIONS SUPREME IN TU EAST
The baseball prognosticators are picking the South Fork Stallions to pick up where they left off last season. They were the best team in the Tycobbian East at season's end, but they still came up 8 games behind division champion Ozarka. South Fork did not play well in the first half of the year. The Stallions sizzled in the second half last season. No one is expected to contest the title. High Mesa, Midway and reigning champ Ozarka will end up far behind in the race by double digits.

RACERS RAMPAGE AGAIN IN TU WEST
Yep, the Rolling Hills Racers are at it again, rampaging through the Tycobbian West Division. Unlike the last two seasons, it will not be close this year. The Racers should race past it prime competition Bay St. Clair, Bayview and Denton City fairly easily. Rolling Hills will be the TU West champ for the 6th time in the last 11 seasons. During that same frame of time the Racers also have won 3 Pro Cups, too. The last time Rolling Hills had a losing season was way back in 2054

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