The Islandian Times

Monday, June 23, 2008

2008 IPA Tycobbian Union North Division Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times

Monday, June 23, 2008

Dogfight in TU East, 3 Teams Within 4 Games of Ozarka

Best Team BA: Ozarka Naturals .272
Most Runs: East Point Panthers 389
Most HR: East Point Panthers 89
Best Team ERA: Tuckanarra Blue Jays 3.18
Best Team Defense: Ozarka Naturals .982 FA

Worst Team BA: Hillsboro Blazers .246
Fewest Runs: Hillsboro Blazers 294
Fewest HR: Hillsboro Blazers 46
Worst Team ERA: East Point Panthers 4.68
Worst Team Defense: Midway Wolves .968 FA

Ozarka Naturals
This season: 1st Place (43-30)
Last season: 2nd Place (93-61)
Joe Mac Carney, Manager

It's a battle royal in the Tycobbian East this year with four clubs in the hunt for the pennant. At mid-season Ozarka is up by 1 game on East Point, 2 games on Tuckanarra and 4 ahead of Red Bluff... Joe Mac Carney has everything going for him: strong pitching with a fine 3.48 ERA (4th), good hitting with a .272 BA (5th), good scoring with 361 runs (7th) and excellent defense with a .982 FA... only one shortcoming is power... the Nats have only 53 homers (25th)... Carney has two good starters: All-Star Karl Kleinert (12-4 1.83) is having an extraordinary season... and he is getting help from Jackie Cunningham (8-5 3.03) to give Ozarka a fine one-two punch in its rotation... Carney has a solid line-up with 3B Nathan Ferrell (.286/13 HR/50 RBI/42 R), All-Star 2B Todd Chadwick (.320/8 HR/49 RBI/54 R/22 SB), All-Star SS Gil Lantz (.302/5 HR/27 RBI/38 R) and C Todd Pepper (.308/4 HR/26 RBI/44 R).

East Point Panthers
This season: 2nd Place (42-31)
Last season: 4th Place (80-74)
Griff Clarke, Manager

The East Point Panthers have made good progress in the last two years after a long history of poor success in the IPA... Griff Clarke is making use of a solid core of hitters with good power and a trio of capable starters to challenge in the TU East... the Panthers are only one game out of first place at the All-Star break and look to be in the chase the entire season in spite of a soaring 4.68 ERA (32nd)... top pitchers are Tommy Fuller (8-4 3.15) and Frenchie Domengeaux (7-3 3.35) and 8-year vet Smokey Joe Carter (10-8 4.20)... East Point leads the Tycobbian Union in home runs with 89 (1st) and is number two in scoring with 389 runs (2nd)... leading the Panther bats are 2B Jesse Goodwin (.276/18 HR/47 RBI/49 R), LF Karl Dietz (.271/13 HR/39 RBI), CF Joey Olson (.282/10 HR/34 RBI/41 R) and 3B George Barnes (.335/13 HR/32 RBI/34 R)... East Point is average defensively with a .973 FA.

Tuckanarra Blue Jays
This season: 3rd Place (41-32)
Last season: 1st Place (94-60)
Carlton "Lefty" Stevens, Manager

The name of the game in Tuckanarra is pitching, pitching and pitching... Lefty Stevens has perhaps the best starting foursome in the IPA and a bullpen that is even better... Overall the Blue Jays have compiled a terrific 3.18 ERA (1st), which leads the IPA... Pitching is the reason Tuckanarra has made the playoffs five times... hitting is another story though as the Blue Jays are batting only .252 (28th) with little firepower and only 48 homers (28th)... but with pitchers like Roy Spence (11-5 2.93), Flash Guidry (8-5 2.81), Delaney Elliott (8-6 2.95) and Titus Bristow (8-8 4.03), it doesn't seem to matter... they play good defensively with a .976 FA... Stevens' bats are few in number, his best are CF Earl O'Brien (.313/4 HR/28 RBI/35 R) and 1B Erik Vayda (.309/5 HR/38 RBI)... with such fine pitching the Blue Jays are in the race to stay... they won the pennant last year despite the lack of hitting... Tuckanarra trails by only two games at the halfway point in the season.

Red Bluff Red Sox
This season: 4th Place (39-34)
Last season: 3rd Place (86-68)
Mack Connery, Manager

Red Bluff has made the playoffs three times in its history and won the IPA Pro Cup in 2004... Mack Connery has a good club with a good blend of hitting (.270 BA - 9th), power (74 HR - 8th), pitching (3.80 ERA - 18th) and excellent defense (.980 FA)... the Red Sox are fourth at the mid-season hiatus and are well within striking distance of first place Ozarka, just four games off the pace... Look for Connery's crew to be in contention at the end of the season... He has two All-Star pitchers in Frank Beaudoin (10-4 2.33) and John Dougherty (12-5 3.13) and a gifted closer in Cloyd Harris (2-1 0.83)... Harris has 13 saves thus far and a ridiculously low 0.83 ERA... at the plate Red Bluff depends on RF Kris Grabowski (.291/6 HR/31 RBI), 1B Tommy Klegg (.258/13 HR/39 RBI), LF Bryan Wessels (.287/9 HR/30 RBI) and SS Jose Aguilar (.281/8 HR/30 RBI/34 R).

High Mesa Cowboys
This season: 5th (33-40)
Last season: 7th (67-87)
Frisky Franks, Manager

High Mesa had great success in its first two IPA seasons winning the Pro Cup in its first year in the league in 2002... the Cowboys did well in year two and finished second, but haven't come close to the postseason since... This season High Mesa is 10 games out and in fifth place and will not be in playoff contention, but they do have improved pitching (3.78 ERA – 16th)... Kent Wells (9-7 3.22), Johnny Falcon (6-9 3.83) and John Rainer (6-9 3.68) give Franks the best starters he has ever had, the problem is the Cowboys of today don't hit the long ball like the old Cowboys... High Mesa is hitting .271 (16th) with 76 homers (6th) and 355 runs (11th)... top bats are 1B Nat Thurlow (.274/16 HR/43 RBI/34 R) and 2B Ed Albrecht (.327/7 HR/28 RBI/34 R).

South Fork Stallions
This season: 6th Place (32-41)
Last season: 5th Place (76-78)
Deroche "Lips" Leon

The South Fork Stallions had great success in its first two seasons in the IPA with two division crowns in 2001 and 2002, but none since... Lips Leon's squad had not come close to making the playoffs in the intervening years... This year is no different, the Stallions are fifth in the standings, 11 games behind the leader... they are not very good hitting (.262 BA), pitching (4.04 ERA) or playing defense (.969 FA)... Bobby Karu (7-7 3.39) is a quality pitcher, but after him Leon has very little... his top bats are CF Gary Horn (.304/15 HR/37 RBI/40 R), LF Chris Krychevsky (.319/7 HR/36 RBI/35 R) and LF Adam Zitek (.308/12 HR/29 RBI).

Midway Wolves
This season: 7th Place (30-43)
Last season: 6th Place (68-86)
Cochise Chandler, Manager

The Midway Wolves have never made the playoffs and have finished over .500 only twice in its history... this season has not gone very well... at the All-Star game, they are in seventh place and 13 games out in the pennant race... the Wolves have a 4.37 ERA (30th) and have trouble scoring runs... they are hitting .265 (18th), but have scored only 305 runs (28th)...Midway has hit 61 homers (19th)... they are poor on defense as well with a .968 FA... Manager Cochise Chandler signed two veteran pitchers as free agents, but Ted Chambers (6-7 4.50) and Phil Reed (7-9 4.32) have not fared very well in their new surroundings... however, they are the best of the lot on the mound staff... Midway has two quality hitters in SS J. T. Edmonds (.322/10 HR/36 RBI/43 R) and 1B Don Piper (.277/8 HR/35 RBI), although Piper's numbers are down this season.

Hillsboro Blazers
This season: 8th Place (29-44)
Last season: 8th Place (64-90)
Arky Spanderson, Manager

The long-suffering fans in Hillsboro are still suffering... their Blazers have never made the playoffs in their seven years in the IPA... they have never been over .500 and have never finished higher than 6th... Hillsboro is one of the most unsuccessful clubs in the IPA and has wound up last six times... the forecast for 2008 is more of the same... Manager Arky Spanderson's team is near the bottom in all the statistical categories: .246 BA (31st), 294 runs (31st), 46 home runs (30th), 4.22 ERA (25th)... the Blazers have some decent starters in Ed Dupard (4-12 3.76), Gerry Fisher (6-9 3.90) and Lou Zanelli (5-8 3.47), but they get very little in run support... when your best hitter has a .271 batting average, you know you are in trouble... 2B George Longmire (.271/7 HR/34 RBI/45 R/15 SB) is Spanderson's best batter.

The Islandian Times

Monday, June 23, 2008

2008 IPA Tycobbian Union West Division Mid-Season Standings

The Islandian Times

Monday, June 23, 2008

Arlon Leads Tight TU West, RH Reds Trail by 2, DC Redbirds by 4

Best Team BA: Arlon Champions .273
Most Runs: Arlon Champions 388
Most HR: Bayview Vikings 83
Best Team ERA: Bay St. Clair Buccaneers 3.51
Best Team Defense: Denton City Redbirds, La Claire Lynx and Rolling Hills Reds .977 FA

Worst Team BA: Kenwood Wildcats .251
Fewest Runs: Bay St. Clair 307
Fewest HR: Kenwood Wildcats 45
Worst Team ERA: Bayview Vikings 4.24
Worst Team Defense: Chicopee Braves .968 FA

It is a super-tight race in the Tycobbian West this season with only 9 games separating first place from last place. Quality-wise, this just might be the best division in the IPA. 6 of the teams are playing over .500 ball and the other two teams are well within reach of it... At the midpoint in the season Arlon is in front of Rolling Hills by 2 games, 4 up on Denton City and 5 over Chicopee... fifth place Bay St. Clair and LaClaire are just 6 games off the pace... seventh in the standings is Kenwood, 8 games behind... and in last place is last year's champs, the Bayview Vikings, who are 9 games out.

Arlon Champions
This season: 1st Place (44-29)
Last season: 7th Place (74-80)
Gary Louis, Manager

Arlon is back on track after a sorrowful season last year... the pitching is better with a 3.89 ERA (21st) and the hitting is better with a .273 BA (3rd) with 66 home runs (14th) and 388 runs (3rd)... the Champs have made the postseason only one time, when they took the TU West crown in 2006... Skipper Gary Louis has three quality pitchers in Armando Cruz (10-4 3.18), Kurt DeHaan (10-5 3.82) and Kimo Orlando (5-4 2.78)... Not only can Arlon stop the opposing batters, but it can put runs on the scoreboard with LF Rocco Belasario (.284/8 HR/44 RBI/52 R/22 SB), 1B Stan Vankosky (.247/4 HR/42 RBI/32 R), RF Chucky Gilton (.316/4 HR/34 RBI), CF Steve Barnett (.292/7 HR/27 RBI/33 R), OF Lee Taryn (.285/7 HR/29 RBI) and C Juanito Luque (.271/3 HR/35 RBI/30 R).

Rolling Hills Reds
This season: 2nd Place (42-31)
Last season: 3rd Place (85-69)
Matty Christianson, Manager

Rolling Hills made the Pro Cup playoffs its first two years in the IPA, but have been in a long drought ever since... they are now on the upswing... Matty Christianson depends on his four starters to carry the Reds... All-Star Chet Kramer (11-2 2.47), Kojiro Matsumoto (8-6 2.84), Toshiharu Ito (11-6 3.38) and Keir McNamara (9-8 3.59) are a pretty fearsome foursome... the team has registered a 3.54 ERA (8th)... the Reds could use some firepower as they are hitting only .259 (24th) with 56 HR (22nd – tied)... defensively they are solid with a .977 FA... Christianson's best bats are SS Ray Bassett (.315/9 HR/44 RBI/32 R) and RF Roy Stainbrook (.289/8 HR/39 RBI/39 R).

Denton City Redbirds
This season: 3rd Place (40-33)
Last season: 2nd Place (93-61)
Ford Whiteman, Manager

Manager Ford Whiteman has been at the helm of the Denton City Redbirds for eight years now and except for the first year (seventh place) has been among the top three teams in the TU West... the Redbirds have made the playoffs on three occasions... Whiteman has strong pitching (3.52 ERA – 7th), pretty good hitting (.269 BA – 11th), decent power (70 HR – 10th) and very good defense (.977 FA)... three quality starters and two fine relievers form the core of the Reds rotation... top starters are Kenyon MacKenzie (7-5 3.07), Mila Mohoski (7-7 3.12) and Roger Ramsey (9-5 3.75)... top relievers are Tom Duroncelay (5-1 1.49) and Johnny Andrews (2-2 2.72)... at the plate Rolling Hills is paced by All-Star RF Lavon Gooch (.304/15 HR/49 RBI/46 R), 1B Mick Abbott (.282/10 HR/40 RBI) and CF Rod MacCormack (.275/8 HR/33 RBI/40 R).

Chicopee Braves
This season: 4th Place (39-34)
Last season: 6th (76-78)
Harry Fleetfoot, Manager

This is Chicopee's best season so far with a winning record and only 4 games out of first place... This is the Braves' best shot at a playoff spot... they have never made the postseason in their history in the IPA... Chicopee has never wound up over the .500 mark... Harry Fleetwood has well-balanced club as far as hitting and pitching with a .267 BA - 14th), 75 homers (7th) and 357 runs (9th)... on the mound his team has compiled a 3.69 ERA (11th) and is led by Wayne Blackwell (9-6 2.91) and Desmond Quartermain (9-7 2.70, two outstanding starters... two quality free agents Wayne Baxley (5-10 4.39) and Tommy Ruffin (5-5 4.59) have struggled thus far.... if they turn it around Chicopee could be a very serious pennant contender... Fleetwood's top bats are 2B Ben McClendon (.366/5 HR/39 RBI), 3B Randy Knowles (.279/10 HR/35 RBI/35 R), 1B Robby Maynard (.286/9 HR/28 RBI/36 R) and All-Star C Ivan Burkholder (.278/3 HR/28 RBI)... the Braves do have one serious negative with a poor .968 FA.

Bay St. Clair
This season: 5th Place Tie (38-35)
Last season: 8th Place (69-85)
Guy Rondre, Manager

Bay St. Clair has one TU West flag to its credit, coming in 2002... the Buccaneers have made the playoffs three times, but not in the last few years... Manager Guy Rondre has a chance this season to do something about that as the Bucs are tied with La Claire in fifth place, but are only 6 games out of first place... good fielding (.976 FA) and quality pitching are Bay St. Clair's strong points... the Buccaneers have put up a very good 3.51 ERA (6th) and are led by All-Star Duke DeVree (10-5 2.58) and an outstanding bullpen... Rondre's relief corps has a superb 2.29 ERA (2nd)... the Bucs have some power with 71 roundtrippers (9th), but have trouble scoring (307 runs – 27th)... at the plate the top batters are 1B Gerry Fields (.281/12 HR/41 RBI) and LF Todd Bryant (.268/12 HR/38 RBI/44 R).

La Claire Lynx
This season: 5th Place Tie (38-35)
Last season: 5th Place (79-75)
Rip Calkin, Manager

Rip Calkin and the La Claire Lynx have never played in the postseason... they have only one third place finish in 2004... the rest of the years it was a second-division finish for them... a strong group of starters with a 3.79 ERA (17th) and good defense (.977 FA) is keeping the Lynx in the race at the All-Star break led by Andy Murray (10-7 3.30), Nosyt Sani (7-7 2.92) and Jim Melanakos (4-5 2.73)... add in Doug Lyons (5-8 4.16) and you have a good rotation... If Lyons can rebound from a poor first half and pitch like he has the past few years, then La Claire could challenge for the TU West crown... Calkin big downfall is his hitting... the Lynx are only batting .256 (25th) with 59 homers (20th) and have scored only 326 times (20th – tied)... noticeable improvement in offense would do wonders... La Claire top lumber belongs to All-Star 3B Roberto Vargas (.343/15 HR/55 RBI), who is headed for a career year... LF Zeppy Deshotel (.288/11 HR/46 RBI/47 R) is a two-time All-Star and standout.

Kenwood Wildcats
This season: 7th Place (36-37)
Last season: 4th Place (79-75)
Aaron Hankins, Manager

The Kenwood Wildcats have made the IPA playoffs only one time... that was in their first year of the league in 2002... a second-division finish is usually the Wildcats' fate... this year is no exception as the club is in the seventh spot in the standings and are 8 games off the pace... Weak hitting (.251 BA), poor power (45 homers), fair pitching (3.88 ERA) and average defense (.972) is not a good formula for success... However manager Aaron Hankins does get a big smile on his face when he talks about his two fine pitchers: All-Star Dan Phillips (10-6 2.54), who was acquired from Oxford as a free agent after leading the Red Caps to a Pro Cup title last year... and Todd Combs (9-4 2.99)... but Hankins doesn't have much to smile about when it comes to hitters... his best bats are 1B Scott McKinley (.260/12 HR/42 RBI/42 R) and RF Dayton Walker (.289/4 HR/34 RBI/33 R).

Bayview Vikings
This season: 8th Place (35-38)
Last season: 1st Place (94-60)
Walter Johanssen, Manager

Skipper Walter Johanssen has had nothing but success in Bayview with three division flags in seven years and five playoff appearances, but the bottom has fallen out this year... Bayview owner Brent Steiner must be fit to be tied with his beloved Vikings in the TU West basement... one of the IPA finest and wealthiest franchises got outbid in free agency battles and lost three prime players from last year's pennant-winning team: All-Star catcher Hank Bethel (.300/32 HR/80 RBI/93 R) went to Rocky Rapids in the Ruthlandian Union, All-Star first sacker Chancey Quibedeaux (.329/23/94 RBI/100 R) went to Fairfax of the Tycobbian Union and quality hurler Connie Gavagan (20-11) signed with Beechwood of the Ruthlandian Union... Johanssen saw his team batting average drop from .283 to .270 this season... his team ERA soar from a strong 3.45 to a poor 4.24... and the team's power number have had a huge drop with the loss of Bethel and Quibedeaux... last year the Vikings hit 220 homers... this year they will be down to about 165... but as Johanssen keeps saying, the season is not over and they are 9 games out, but they could conceivably get back in the race... Bayview still has some talented ballplayers... the Vikings are hitting .270 (10th), have 83 homers (3rd) and have scored 355 runs (11th)... with a line-up that still has LF Kelton Carpenter (.351/9 HR/41 RBI), CF Tommy Riddle (.332/10 HR/36 RBI) and RF Ted Karno (.298/13 HR/27 RBI/40 R), Bayview can still make a lot of waves in the TU West... especially if SS Dan Conroy (.271/11 HR/41 RBI/35 R) and 3B Karl Benson (.260/10 HR/30 RBI) can perk up and put up the power numbers of the past few seasons... Johanssen has two fine starters in All-Star Norm Roy (10-7 2.89) and Tony Vardaman (5-7 2.82)... if Georgie Fambreau (5-5 5.17) and Charley Tubbs (5-7 2.82) can return to form Bayview could rally in the second half of the season... defensively the Viks are still good (.976 FA).

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

TU Trounces RU Stars 14-6
It's getting embarrassing - for the seventh time in eight years the Tycobbian All-Stars have toppled the Ruthlandian All-Stars. This year the TU Stars demolished the RU Stars 14-6 with a 19-hit barrage at Winchester Park in Oxford. 2B Todd Chadwick (Ozarka) led the way with four hits and four runs scored to cop the MVP award. LF Bernie Valente (White River) and 1B Harlan Roscoe (Colchester) drove in three runs apiece and CF Wayne McDonald (Oxford) and C Benny Walker (Colchester) had two RBIs each.

Tycobbia held a 6-4 lead after two frames and then sealed the verdict with six more in the sixth. Chet Kramer (Rolling Hills) got credit for the victory with a scoreless third inning, while starter Jasper LaForge (Colfax) took the loss. LaForge was shelled for six runs in his two innings, although only two were earned. SS Scooter Perez (Kilkenny) topped the Ruthlandian Stars 12-hit attack with three hits and LF Lou Gdowski (Valmara) had two RBIs. There were no homers in the game.

Ruthlandia's only win came in 2002. They edged Tycobbia 5-4.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008 IPA Ruthlandian Union North Division Final Standings

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

LaGrange Easy Winner in RU North

1st - LaGrange Sports (88-66)

Foxy Jimison's LaGrange Sports took the lead in April and never relinquished it as they captured their first-ever Ruthlandian North division title by 7 games over second place Glasco. The Sports hit their way to the pennant with an IPA record-setting .292 batting average. Jimison had five .300 hitters, led by LF Quincy Peterson (.321/37 HR/114 RBI/118 R), CF Karl Perret (.326/16 HR/77 RBI/114 R), C Otto Kronvath (.301/33 HR/114 RBI/93R), 2B Dale Scoville (.324/19 HR/74 RBI/88 R) and 3B Brad Walker (.304/11 HR/81 RBI)... SS Bill Nilsen (.287/27 HR/96 RBI/101 R) missed the .300 mark, but chipped in a lot of offense, too... LaGrange has a bench full of hitters that could play for most clubs in the IPA... and Jimison had just enough pitching to get by with Jay-Jay DeJahnette (17-8 3.62) and Dave Webb (18-16 4.06)... How it will play out in the Pro Cup playoffs is another story?

2nd - Glasco Athletics (81-73)

The runner-up Glasco Athletics got there with some good pitching (3.74 ERA – 7th) from starters Bobby Joe Belvin (16-10 3.35), Felipe Branco (15-13 3.14) and Danny Stewart (14-14 3.53)... McDuffie Hughes' top bats belong to 2B George Ferguson (.286/29 HR/101 RBI/82 R) and LF Aidan Lattimer (.320/18 HR/74 RBI/96 R).

3rd - Ranford Bulls (77-77)

Ranford was third and trailed by 11 games... The Bulls edged out the fourth place Kilkenny Cats by a game... Manager Page Satcher's crew hit well (.276 – 6th), but did poorly on the hill (4.11 ERA – 19th)... Ranford's top pitcher was Stanley Ross (16-17 3.64)... the Bulls best bats were LF Jose Castillo (.316/24 HR/88 RBI/74 R) and C Walt Horvath (.328/20 HR/65 RBI/91 R).

4th tied - Kilkenny Cats (76-78)

Kilkenny improved by leaps and bounds this season and climbed up out of the cellar into the fourth spot...6th place was the best-previous finish... most of the time the Cats are last... Kieran McKenna's charges hit pretty well (.272 BA – 15th) and pitched fairly well (3.86 ERA – 10th)... 8-year vet Gregg Neal still has his stuff at age 36 with a 22-11 mark and a 3.50 ERA... at the plate another long-time performer CF Lacey Tompkins had a solid year with a .300 batting average, 18 homers, 84 RBIs and 89 runs scored... 2B Scooter Perez, who came into the IPA in the inaugural season, chalked up a fine year with a .299 mark, 40 doubles, 17 triples and 6 home runs... the 32-year-old also stole 40 bases, scored 109 times and batted in 60.

4th tied - Taranto Tars (76-78)

Tommaso Lazzorda's Taranto Tars had a magnificent year hitting .283 (2nd) with 223 homers (1st), but they wound up in fifth place, 12 games off the pace, perhaps proving the point that you need some semblance of pitching... The Tars were torn up this season to the tune of a 4.73 ERA (31st)... Chris Hall was Lazzorda's best with a 14-12 record and a 3.91 ERA, although Sal Pascioni was 20-13, but with a sky-high 4.67 ERA... Taranto had four batting over .300, led by 2B Ed Miles, who had a fantastic season with a .323 BA, 39 homers, 115 RBIs and 131 runs... Miles topped the IPA in runs scored... RF Tommy Lee Hendley was great, too... he rapped 37 roundtrippers, drove in 119 runs and scored 103 times, while hitting for a .302 BA... 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.311/18 HR/85 RBI/115 R), SS Jake Travanti (.308/22 HR/80 RBI), C Norm Polochak (.283/28 HR/99 RBI) and LF Wayne Pounders (.280/22 HR/83 RBI) were no slouches, either.

6th -Valmara Vipers (71-83)

The Valmara Vipers, long a power in the RU North, dipped again this year to sixth, 17 games off the pace... 2008 is the first time the Vipers fell below a .500 record... Skipper J. Jackson Samuel just has a mediocre ball club, hitting just .261 (26th) with a 4.08 ERA (18th)... Vanya Vasylenko (20-10 3.72) was his best arm, while LF Lou Gdowski (.313/23 HR/97 RBI/101 R) was his best bat... C Erich Adamczyk (.298/18 HR/82 RBI/76 R) and 3B Joe Courtney (.282/17 HR/76 RBI/80 R) also provided some needed offense.

7th - Far Mountain Redhawks (66-88)

The Far Mountain Redhawks, guided by Alex Groveland, came in seventh, 22 games out... the Redhawks possess only fair hitting (.266 BA – 22nd), but have decent pitching with a 3.83 team ERA (9th)... 8-year vet Robby Kelly (15-14 3.14) is still solid at age 31... Keystone partners 2B Duane Parsons (.289/14 HR/106 RBI/80 R) and SS Don Nichols (.319/14 HR/75 RBI/100 R) stand out both offensively and defensively.

8th - Ancona Red Elephants (64-90)

The Ancona Red Elephants, skippered by Manny Mickens, discovered the woes of free agency... Ancona came out of nowhere to win the RU North crown last year, rising from the cellar to the penthouse... but back down again this season... Team ERA says it all... from a great 3.47 last year to an outlandish 4.63 this year... 20-game winner Vern Vidmar dropped to a 5-13 record, mainly due to injuries... Dave Webb, who won 17 games in 2007, signed with LaGrange and won 18 games... and Sean Stone went from 18-12 to 13-16... Mickens best pitcher this season was Gary Culver (13-11 4.46)... The Red Elephants do possess some good hitters in LF Lou DiMucci (.310/21 HR/90 RBI), CF Tavi Vakros (.302/17 HR/57 RBI/108 R/27 SB), C Nickie Pappas (.263/24 HR/86 RBI) and 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.282/24 HR/84 RBI/84 R).

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008 IPA Ruthlandian Union South Division Final Standings

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

San Dimas Ends Strong, RU South Victor

1st - San Dimas Rancheros (82-72)

The San Dimas Rancheros came on strong in the second half (44-33) of the RU South and overtook everybody to capture the crown by four games over Crystal Lake and Waleska... The Rancheros were fourth at mid-season and three games off the pace. Manager Paco Banderos' team was paced by Ray Watson (19-12 3.94) with a second-half surge... Roberto Silvas (14-5 3.62) was a consistent winner as well... Carl Schmitz (14-16 4.00) had a disappointing season... at the plate San Dimas was sparked by 1B Ron Armstrong (.294/27 HR/101 RBI/100R) and C Wesley Pate (.330/12 HR/66 RBI).

2nd tied - Crystal Lake Crushers (78-76)

Free agents kept Crystal Lake in the hunt for most of the season as the Crushers wound up second and four games off the pace... 1B Phil Gravelli (.319/30 HR/107 RBI/84 R), RF Earl Giles (.297/27 HR/95 RBI/74 R), 2B Cristian Avajos (.289/23 HR/86 RBI) and C Todd Simons (.289/14 HR/68 RBI) headed up the strong attack... on the hill it was starters Phil Varnado (16-15 3.82) and Pablo Orantes (17-19 3.96) along with an outstanding closer in Jeff Jernigan (4-6 1.63), who piled up 35 saves and was second in the IPA.

2nd tied – Waleska Westerners (78-76)

Pitching was Waleska's best attribute as the Westerners finished in a tie for the second spot, four games back... a 21-27 record in August and September cost Waleska the pennant... top hurlers were Wilson Whitmore (20-14 2.76), Von Pearce (17-15 3.78) and Buddy Kennedy (12-9 3.94)... lack of home-run power hurt the Westerners... top batters were LF Johnny Stratton (.314/19 HR/96 RBI/97 R), 3B Grant Betzer (.297/13 HR/93 RBI?83 R), CF Harold Setser (.284/15 HR/90 RBI/75 R), 2B DePaul Labat (.293/10 HR/52 RBI/109 R/55 SB) and C Vito Belasario (.314/3 HR/61RBI).

4th – St. John Crusaders (77-77)

Last year division winner St. John also suffered a second-half slump and ended up in fourth place and five games behind champion San Dimas... the Crusaders slipped to 19-29 over the last two months... poor hitting was the main culprit... RF Clayton Luck (.315/11 HR/72 RBI/95 R/34 SB) and 3B Sully Hull (.262/14 HR/77 RI/67 R) were the best St. John had at the plate... on the mound Teddy Garson (15-14 2.92) excelled... Glynn Morgan (12-8 3.82) also had a good season.

5th – Claxton Diamonds (75-79)

The Claxton Diamonds could put runs on the scoreboard, but so could the opposition... consequently Stacy Engel's crew frequently was outscored and tumbled to fifth place this season, 7 games off the pace... Claxton was 34-43 in the second half of the year... 1B Mike Luzzatti has a great season with a .329 batting average, led the IPA with 51 homers and was second with 124 RBIs and 130 runs scored... He and RF Dixie Baker formed the best 1-2 punch in the IPA... Baker (.273 BA) stood out with 41 roundtrippers and 119 runs batted in... also lending a hand were 3B Artie Sherman (.295/23 HR/93 RBI/96 R) and LF Helmut Gracyzk (.291/20 HR/83 RBI/105 R)... the Diamonds exploded for 197 homers this year, second to Taranto's 223... Carlo Funicello (15-6 4.28) and Charlie Murphy (13-14 3.54) were Claxton's best arms.

6th – Belair Beach Sunbirds (72-82)

For the second time in its history Belair Beach finished under the .500 mark and 10 games out of the division lead... the prime reason Belair Beach had its second-worst season ever was its pitching... the Sunbirds still hit the ball very well despite losing several stars to free agency... Manager Marty Pedroza still has an explosive line-up with 1B Bo Taylor (.291/24 HR/97 RBI/10 SB), CF Billy Martz (.319/20 HR/89 RBI/103 R/14 SB), C Little Jake Bungarooba (.318/15 HR/85 RBI/90 R/18 SB), 3B Zippy Parks (.303/10 HR/67 RBI/83 R/35 SB) and SS Ronnie Nossek (.292/19 HR/56 RBI/104 R/16 SB)... Pedroza pitching rotation could use quite a bit improvement... Jeff Nieman (19-13 3.99) was his only dependable hurler.

7th – Valka Blackhawks (66-88)

Valka skipper Jaan Kurus had another down year and trailed first place San Dimas by 16 games, finishing seventh in the RU South standings... lousy pitching was the problem (4.67 ERA)... Connie Krueger (18-13 3.36) was the only capable starter, all the others were dismal... the Blackhawks top hitters were RF Jimmy Tremayne (.330/12 HR/75 RBI/102 R), 3B Buddy Petrisko (.300/89 RBI/78 R) and LF Tony Blundell (.280/18 HR/85 RBI/74 R).

8th – Grand City Cybercats (64-90)

Manager Torry Joseph's pitching went to the dogs this season as the Grand City Cybercats spiraled downward from second place last year to last place in 2008, 18 games back... ace Paul Felkner went from 22-12 and a 3.40 ERA last year to 15-18 4.08 this year, but did pitch much better in the second half... Rookie of the Year last year Emmitt Yates found it tougher going in his sophomore season with a 17-18 mark with a 3.50 ERA... in 2007 Yates had a remarkable 19-6 record with a sensational 2.09 ERA... Never much of a hitting team in its history, the Cybercats top batters were RF Russ Baumer (.324/14 HR/82 RBI) and 1B Marlin Kiefer (.288/5 HR/66 RBI/78 R).

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008 IPA Ruthlandian Union East Division Final Standings

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

RU East Decided In Last Week, Wynnamac Holds Off Cold Creek and Elnora

1st – Wynnamac Sundowners (84-70)

Wynnamac won the RU East on the last day of the season, edging out the Cold Creek Catamounts by a single game... Elnora was also running neck-and-neck with them until the All-Stars dropped out of contention with a 2-8 mark over the last 10 days of the season... the Sundowners cinched the pennant with a 4-1 triumph over tough LaGrange behind Skeets Hobart... Cold Creek also won in vain 8-3 over the Waleska Westerners... Matt Donnelly has a well-rounded attack in Wynnamac with strong pitching from Lefty Paddison (17-12 3.22), Skeets Hobart (19-13 3.84) and Jay Clay (14-7 3.84) and solid hitting from LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.310/20 HR/95 RBI/1-6 R), 1B Nate Cockroft (.333/22 HR/105 RBI/77 R), CF Dalton Leeds (.299/19 HR/92 RBI/94 R) and RF Mark Buchanan (.292/26 HR/71 RBI/123 R)... This was the Sundowners first division title... Wynnamac had never even been in the first division in its seven-year history... they finished sixth last year.

2nd – Cold Creek Catamounts (83-71)

Cold Creek was the RU East champion last year, but they fell one game short this season... T. Kelly Holmes has quite a ball club with a good starting rotation in Payton Saunders (18-12 2.77), Kyle Petersen (15-11 4.29), Frankie Novikov (12-3 4.12) and Tommy Weeks (15-18 3.83)... and the bats are plenty capable, too... Leading the way are RF Emile Stosha (.303/21 HR/106 RBI/102 R/42 SB), CF Trip Holmes (.323/22 HR/85 RBI/110 R/21 SB), 3B Jade Hammack (.249/27 HR/108 RBI79 R/13 SB) and 1B Alan Guilford (.288/12 HR/57 RB I/91 R/30 SB).

3rd – Elnora All-Stars (79-75)

Until they went to pieces in the last two weeks the Elnora All-Stars were in the thick of the pennant chase, mainly via their hitting, sparked by 2B Dmitri Vrotsos (.302/34 HR/117 RBI/97 R), CF Rich Mulloy (.282/15 HR/92 RBI/96 R/15 SB) and RF Lloyd Voss (.337/14 HR/75 RBI/84 R)... on the hill Matty Christianson (16-14 4.18) and Taylor Gibbs (13-20 3.73) both had sub-par seasons.

4th – Belle Plaine Musketeers (77-77)

Belle Plaine broke even this year and came in fourth in the race, trailing by 7 games... pitching was also manager Boo Ladrieux's curse... he had one standout in closer Denny Reynaud (9-6 2.83), who chalked up 31 saves... the Musketeers best pitchers were Brad Anderson (20-15 4.66) and Jorge Bonilla (15-17 3.71)... Ladrieux had a loaded line-up featuring the leading hitter in the IPA RF Juan Mendez (.398/2 HR/52 RBI/92 R), who flirted with the .402 mark until he went 1-for-7 in the last two games of the season... other fine hitters included 1B Rory Dickenson (.296/14 HR/106 RBI/91 R), 3B Warren McDaniel (.291/31 HR/110 RBI/78 R), LF Chuck Hill (.295/18 HR/95 RBI/73 R), 2B Floyd Vinson (.307/1 HR/67 RBI/89 R) and CF Cris Willis (.305/6 HR/39 RBI/82 R).

5th – Marston Nine (76-78)

Marston, managed by Johnny Walters, made a brief run at the leaders with a great July, but fizzled in August and September to wind up in fifth place and 8 games off the lead... The Nine's top hurler was Zippy Hodge (13-10 2.84), who was strong all year... Mark Falzone (13-12 3.99) also had some good moments, but was inconsistent... Marston was strong at the plate with 3B Jimmy Holman, who just might be the best hitter in the IPA after hitting .334 with 33 homers, 132 RBIs and scoring 112 runs... Holman also plays a solid third base... other productive bats were 1B Pat Farris (.316/8 HR/66 RBI/93 R), CF Lou Fisher (.264/12 HR/54 RBI/111 R/29 SB) and LF Ronnie Horn (.296/16 HR/75 RBI/85 R/15 SB).

6th – Beechwood Bobcats (74-80)

Top to bottom in the RU East it was pretty close... sixth place Beechwood was only 10 games off the pace... Bret George's top pitchers were Bubba Lear (20-10 3.54) and Terry Kuznetsov (9-5 3.19), but he didn't get much help from Dek Jumonville (15-21 3.73) and Connie Gavagan (10-16 4.95) as he would have liked... the Bobcats had a quality batting order with CF Clifton Czabo (.306/20 HR/80 RBI/103 R/20 SB), 3B Guy Cassidy (.292/13 HR/71 RI/107 R/59 SB), SS Jared McCarthy (.313/16 Hr/87 RBI/72 R) and RF Dale Strickland (.288/27 HR/82 RBI/74 R).

7th – Sugar Valley Rattlers (72-82)

Manager Gibby Bobkins' pitching fell on hard times and his Sugar Valley Rattlers dropped to seventh place and were 12 games out... Bobkins had never finished lower than third until this season and the Rattlers were three-time division champions... However two pitchers did shine at times... Jay Washington went 16-16 with a 3.56 ERA, while Ted Farentino compiled an 18-14 mark, but with a 4.27 ERA... Sugar Valley's top hitters were C Hal Stevenson (.317/35 HR/113 RBI/82 R), CF Austen Conover (.312/9 HR/63 RBI/116 R/73 SB) and RF Dennis Kernell (.321/15 HR/63 RBI/62 R)... Conover was the best base stealer in the IPA.

8th – Eastshore Elegants (70-84)

Killer Brewster's Eastshore Elegants were in the basement at season's end, but they only trailed the division champ by 14 games... Fred Duhon (16-11 4.34) led the mound staff, while RF Stan Cuccinello (.283/30 HR/97 RBI/85 R), LF Darrel Alston (.295/28 HR/77 RBI/78 R) and 2B Tucker Hill (.314/5 HR/63 RBI/88 R) were Eastshore's top batters.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008 IPA Ruthlandian Union West Division Final Standings

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Colfax Captures RU West by 9 Games, Wins 100

1st – Colfax Blasters (100-54)

Colfax has been getting better and better the last few years in the RU West under Clem Rogers... 2008 was a magical year when it all came together... The Blasters led the IPA with 100 victories by blending excellent pitching with more than adequate hitting to capture its first pennant... Rogers has an outstanding starting foursome in Jasper LaForge (23-8 2.84), Ilya Szabo (23-7 2.64), Vito Incardona (16-7 3.45) and Jimmy Joe Cartner (12-10 3.03)... toss in a steady closer like Dallas Somerville (5-6 3.66) with 35 saves and you can compete with anybody... Colfax has some good bats, too... LF Paul Coniglio (.273/28 HR/109 RBI/98 R/18 SB), CF Ryan Raines (.281/26 HR/93 RBI/89 R/21 SB), 3B Mike Janocko (.303/25 HR/85 RBI/ and C Tino Leonetti (.327/9 HR/65 RBI).

2nd – Forest City Lumberjacks (91-63)

Forest City had the misfortune to play in the same division with Colfax... otherwise the Lumberjacks won enough games to win any other division and make the Pro Cup playoffs... Top to bottom, the RU West could be the best in the IPA... six teams played better than .500 baseball... Rob Jackson has a fine ball club and could be the second best in the Ruthlandian Union, but they will stay home this season... 91 victories were not enough... Forest City also has a fine starting rotation that features Brian Charles (14-3 2.72), Knucks Nomellini (21-11 3.33) and Al Thibaut (19-12 3.00)... the Lumberjacks can really jack the ball, too... they were third in homers overall (186), trailing only Taranto (223) and Claxton (197)... Leading the way was CF Nickie Troxell (.333/46 HR/122 RBI/100 R), who had a career year... other sluggers included LF Joe Judlin (.323/23 HR/98 RBI/106 R), 1B Andy Doiron (.306/22 HR/85 RBI/88 R) and RF Sam Maples (.286/23 HR/65 RBI/92 R).

3rd – Volusia Vigilantes (88-66)

The Volusia Vigilantes probably wish they were in some other division, too... Alfonso Feliz's V's are good enough to win any of the other three divisions, they just can't compete with Colfax and Forest City... Volusia won 88 games, yet wound up 12 games behind... Feliz has always had good pitching... Hernando Espaderos (20-9 2.94), Todd Wolfe (16-17), Asa Klem (13-9 3.23) and Kirk Beckmann (16-16 3.68) are a fine starting quartet, who would do even better with more run support... closer Hank Massey (6-5 2.29) has also been very effective in the bullpen with 30 saves... Volusia can't compete with the Blasters and Lumberjacks with 111 home runs and a .261 batting average... Feliz's top bats are not in the same league as Colfax and Forest City... The Vigilantes best batters are RF Briscoe Crowder (.297/17 HR/71 RBI/70 R), Reynaldo Quezada (.268/18 HR/72 RBI/72 R) and CF Domingo DeLeon (.279/14 HR/51 RBI/82 R/46 SB).

4th – Rocky Rapids Snappers(86-68)

Ryan Noland in Rocky Rapids has a sound team with good pitching and hitting, but still finished 14 games out of the lead... the Snappers were led by Charley Boyer, who had a magnificent year and paced the IPA with 26 wins, a 2.10 ERA and 5 shutouts... Ernie Watkins (17-10 3.99) also did his part, too... batting-wise LF Scott Camden (.300/32 HR/121 RBI/115 R/14 SB) is one of the top hitters in the IPA... Camden had a career year... C Hank Bethel (.303/24 HR/90 RBI/98 R) is excellent year-in and year-out... SS Cooter Bermudez (.289/5 HR/58 RBI/92 R/13 SB) is valuable with his bat and his glove... and CF Carl Johnson (.265/16 HR/85 RBI) adds some punch and a good glove.

5th – Stoner Stars (83-71)

The RU West must be a tough division... last year's champion and Pro Cup finalist, the Stoner Stars could do no better than fifth place, 17 games off the pace... yet they were 83-71... in 2007 they were 86-68 and won the flag... this was not the same club as last year... manager Willie Dickens lost three fine starters and three position regulars to free agency... but he regrouped and had a good season led by some quality pitchers... Mark Mumford (14-5 2.83), Dave Pierre (17-8 3.17) and Norm Canfield (17-15 3.27) carried the club very well... lack of hitting and run support played a part in the Stars slipping into the second division... 2B Karol Zodoka was injured and played only half a season, yet put up some very strong numbers: .327 BA, 14 HR, 69 RBI and 53 runs scored in 80 games... the best of the rest were anemic compared to Zodoka... C Benny Stern (.274/20 HR/82 RBI), SS Johnny Nowitzki (.317/0 Hr/57 RBI/86 R/12 SB) and CF Karl Perret (.281/4 HR/50 RBI/86 R).

6th – Sligo Rovers (79-75)

Even sixth-place Sligo had a winning record, but trailed leading Colfax by 21 games... skipper Eddie Keys got impressive pitching from Alec Dimaggio (17-17 3.10), Stony Blackwell (.14-14 3.10) and Colin McGrath (11-13 3.26)... but not much in the way of offense... his best bats were RF Fred Collins (.291/30 HR/96 RBI/93 R/24 R), CF James Yardley (.279/24 HR/81 RBI) and SS Hollis Waldrup (.268/12 HR/62 RBI/96 R/51 SB).

7th – Middlefield Roosters (68-86)

The Middlefield Roosters still hit the ball with authority, but can't get anybody out... that has been manager Smitty Michaels dilemma the last two frustrating years... his club wound up way back in seventh place, 32 games behind... the Roosters hit 185 homers (4th) and batted .273 (11th), but registered a 5.31 ERA (32nd)... the hit parade was led by C Mike Kanjorsky (.347/26 HR/83 RBI/90 R), LF Moose Scoggins (.279/31 RBI/95 RBI/84 R), SS Jim Rose (.305/15 HR/57 RBI/82 R), 2B Sammy Ragsdale (.256/24 HR/72 RBI/92 R) and 1B J. D. Earnshaw (.254/20 HR/85 RBI)... Michaels best hurlers were Denny Yarrow (14-16 5.03) and Jamie Hicks (11-18 4.62).

8th – Fort Benton Defenders (63-91)

For the fifth time in seven years it's been the cellar for the hapless and hopeless Fort Benton Defenders... they are pathetic with the bats, hitting only .242 (32nd) with only 95 homers (31st) and 588 runs (32nd), but much better in the pitching department with a 4.05 ERA (17th)... manager Robbie Brooks' mound corps is surprisingly good with starters Tucker Dawes (16-11 3.36), Tom Waltenbury (14-12 3.27) and Robby Meredith (8-18 3.61)... at the plate 2B Artie Vicknair (.279/17 HR/67 RBI/56 R) and RF Norbert Tarver (.277/11 HR/58 RBI/60 R) are Fort Benton's best.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008 IPA Tycobbian Union North Division Final Standings

The Islandian Times

Monday, September 21, 2008

Red-Hot Run Gives Luxora Its 2nd TU North Pennant

1st – Luxora Zorros (85-69)

At the All-Star Game Luxora was in fourth place in the Tycobbian Union North and 5 games behind White River... but then the Zorros took off and outraced everybody down the stretch to win their second division crown... they topped runner-up Fairfax by 6 games... Alejandro Rodrigo's Zorros are a good mix of pitching and hitting led by a very good starting rotation of Antonio Anaya (21-7 3.54), Elio Laurente (17-14 3.41) and Jay Cavazos (10-10 3.34), along with closer Ricardo Topez (8-5 2.14), who collected 32 saves, and long reliever Eddie Hoffman (7-4 2.81), who appeared in 60 games... at bat Luxora was sparked by CF Bob Haviland (.291/36 HR/109 RBI/93 R), RF Joel Reed (.303/22 HR/104 RBI/84 R), 3B Pablo Santa Cruz (.292/11 HR/72 RBI/110 R/35 SB) and 2B Bobby Bayas (.292/11 HR/67 RBI/88 R/18 SB).

2nd – Fairfax Frogs (79-75)

The Fairfax Frogs made a race of it until they faded in the final two months of the year... Skipper Harry Buckley has a well-balanced club with better-than-average run production and pitching, along with excellent fielding (.978 FA)... RF Dane Wesner (.364/31 HR/99 RBI/98 R) and 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.291/12 HR/77 RBI/94 R) were the top hitters, while Kaz Hayagawa (17-8 3.46), Roman Reynosa (15-11 4.03), Wally Tidwell (15-16 3.26) and Scotty Marshall (12-17 3.36) led the pitching corps.

3rd – Oxford Red Caps (77-77)

Campy Roy's Oxford Red Caps were looking for their third division flag in a row and were the defending IPA Pro Cup titleholders, but they were slow out of the gate and got too far behind before turning the season around... they ended up in third place, 8 games off the pace... Oxford lost half of it starting rotation due to free agency and never recovered, although Del Anderson (24-12 3.02) established himself as a pitcher of note... Nicky Nicholson (17-17 4.22) and Emerson Carnell (12-10 4.04) had so-so seasons... The Red Caps have one of the top all-around players in the IPA in CF Wayne McDonald (.326/28 HR/102 RBI/102 R/22 SB)... the third-year man is also outstanding in the field... The Red Caps are very good defensively with a .977 FA... LF Mac Spencer (.267/22 HR/76 RBI/79 R), 1B Floyd Snow (.274/24 HR/64 RBI/70 R) , 3B Timmy Binford (.271/11 HR/70 RBI/76 R) and C Whitey Cosgrove (.280/11 HR/63 RBI/80 R) are also good contributors with the bat.

4th – White River Rascals (76-78)

It was a great run while it lasted for John Randison and his White River Rascals... the division doormat surprised everybody by leading at mid-season... the Rascals took a severe nosedive in July (8-21), but still managed to crack the first division for the first time in its history, winding up fourth, 9 games back... Randison has good power and a couple of good starters... his top bats were 3B Riley Cloy (.291/33 HR/106 RBI/98 R/19 SB), LF Bernie Valente (.312/34 HR/91 RBI/119 R/25 SB), 1B Charley Schofield (.282/17 HR/77 RBI) and CF Ronnie Lee (.282/7 HR/42 RBI/95 R/44 R)... White Rivers top arms were 6-year veteran Mick Cronyn (17-16 3.34) and Paul Waskins (16-12 3.60).

5th – Mahaska Haymakers (75-79)

Manager Rusty Tanussa has almost no hitting at all in Mahaska with a lowly .249 team batting average (32nd), but makes up for it with a pretty fair mound staff that compiled an impressive 3.53 ERA (4th)... The Haymakers were expecting big things this year after last year's fine second-place finish, but it never happened... they slumbered all season in mediocrity and came out in fifth place, 10 games out... 36-year-old Johnny Spears (18-14 2.64) seems to be getting better with age... he wins even without adequate run support... relievers Dain Abner (9-3 3.13) and Don Shaw (2-1 3.13) have both been effective in long relief... free agent Bomber Belinsky (11-14 3.31) led Oxford to the Pro Cup title last year pitched well, but suffered from a lack of runs in Mahaska... the 7-year vet suffered his first losing season... 2B Domingo Rios (.281/25 HR/85 RBI/83 R) is the Haymakers best hitter... 1B Erv Nordvik (.256/16 HR/81 RBI) doesn't hit for average, but does drive in runs.

6th – Blue Lake Blue Sox (73-81)

Blue Lake continued its also-ran status in the TU North with a sixth-place standing and trailed pennant-winning Luxora by 12 games... Manager Cobb Tyson's best years were second place in 2001 and third place in 2005, the only two seasons when the club enjoyed winning records... the Blue Sox have good pitching with a 3.64 team ERA (7th), but is a weak-hitting ball club (.256 – 28th)... Tyson has one solid pitcher in Happy McManus (16-13 3.60)... Pat Grange (14-20 3.95) and Benny DeBartolo (8-7 3.85) can be tough at times... Blue Lake's best batters are LF Tad Kirklin (.264/30 HR/90 RBI/83 R/20 SB), CF Rick Hilliard (.285/21 HR/66 RBI/80 R/26 SB) and C Paul Bailey (.304/15 HR/70 RBI).

7th – Hartsdale Hellcats (66-88)

Zim Donner piloted the Hartsdale Hellcats through five consecutive winning seasons 2003-2007, but it came to a close this year... Hitting was just not enough as the Hellcats slipped far down the ladder to seventh place, 19 games back... Hartsdale has the hitters and is paced by 3B Kendry Moulton (.302/28 HR/103 RBI/80 R), LF Rob Welch (.265/36 HR/92 RBI), 1B Tom Brabant (.316/23 HR/86 RBI), 2B Jud Turchin (.315/20 HR/76 RBI/89 R/17 SB), RF Mac Faulkner (.297/16 HR/66 RBI/86 R) and CF Woody Crow (.271/9 HR/54 RBI/91 R/26 SB)... As a team the Hellcats are hitting at a .274 clip (2nd) and have gone deep 167 times (6th)... Donner doesn't have much to brag about when it comes to his hurlers except for Mitch Yessin (14-7 4.13) and Rip Arnold (7-6 2.85)... Overall Hartsdale has compiled a poor 4.23 ERA (26th).

8th – North Hills Hawks (64-90)

Over the past seven years the North Hills Hawks fans have not had much to cheer about... the Hawks have never made the playoffs and have never been over .500 in the regular season... 2008 is no exception as North Hills came in last again and was 21 games back... Manager Hub Carlson has little talent... his best performers are pitcher Lou Dozier (11-10 3.56), 3B Cameron Kamara (.304/16 HR/88 RBI/81 R/15 SB) and LF Brodie Blackburn (.294/7 HR/49 RBI/85 R/36 SB).

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008 IPA Tycobbian Union South Division Final Standings

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Turon TU South Champs, Holds Off Colchester by 3 Games

1st – Turon Typhoons (92-62)

The Tycobbian South appeared to be all wrapped up at the All-Star break as the Turon Typhoons blew past everybody and built up a huge 9-game bulge... However the Colchester Elites decided to make a race of it and they did... By season's end the Elites chopped it down to three games, but no closer... It was the Typhoons second title in the last three years... they will now have a chance to win their third Pro Cup... Turon has an outstanding pitching staff (3.25 ERA – 2nd) and they stayed the course, although it was closer than manager Whitey Richburn would have liked it to be... the Typhoons were a steady ball club throughout the year... they had one of the better foursomes in the IPA with Anthony Nardone (21-11 2.54), Scotty Boswell (17-10 3.54), Jacques Lemaire (16-14 3.42) and James Stuart (10-6 3.07)... Richburn also had an effective closer with Jeb Pickett (5-8 3.25), who had 15 saves after moving to the bullpen... middle relief was solid, too... at the plate he depended on CF Mac McCurnan (.295/22 HR/91 RBI/108 R/22 SB), RF Andy Porter (.328/18 HR/87 RBI/79 R/26 SB) and 2B Alan Hansen (.284/1 HR/34 RBI/108 R)... LF Raphael Semmes (.245/21 HR/86 RBI/74 R/18 SB) and 1B Johnny Carducci (.259/20 HR/75 RBI) also gave him some long-ball power.

2nd - Colchester Elites (89-65)

Uncle Robbie Wilbertson has a strong squad in Colchester that combined good hitting, good power and good pitching... The Elites hit .273 (4th), rapped 165 roundtrippers (8th) and registered a 3.79 ERA (13th)... top hitters were 1B Harlan Roscoe (.369/34 HR/112 RBI/97 R), LF Tom Barella (.292/19 HR/66 RBI/85 R/35 SB), C Brad Walker (.270/23 HR/78 RBI) and CF Douglas Tilford (.269/18 HR/69 RBI/92 R/30 SB)... Roscoe copped the TU batting crown with a .369 BA... Colchester has two fine starters in Jimmy Simmons (19-12 2.21) and Fred Payne (21-13 3.43)... Wilbertson's other two starters Keith Cline (18-9 4.12) and Fred Kimball (13-10 4.33) also stood out at times.

3rd – Ginza Ninjas (76-78)

Third in the standings were the Ginja Ninjas... Huroko Uchiyama skippered them and finished way back in the race, 16 games off the pace... the Ninjas are just average in most areas of the game, but stand out defensively with a .978 FA... Uchiyama possesses a couple of talented pitchers in closer Ernie Teague, who saved 33 games and posted a 5-7 record with a fine 2.70 ERA... starter Carl Trebek had a decent year with a 16-14 mark and a 3.86 ERA... hitting-wise only 2B Toshiro Nomura was adequate with a .309 batting average, 15 homers, 57 RBIs and 87 runs scored.

4th – Summerland Sunsets (72-82)

Fourth place in the TU South belonged to the Summerland Sunsets with Will Hackett at the helm... the Sunsets trailed by 20 games... Hackett had pitiful hitting with a .251 mark (31st), 100 homers (29th) and poor scoring with only 641 runs (31st)... on the hill Summerland was better, but only only fair compared to the other clubs with a 3.84 ERA (16th)... top pitchers were Pat Dreux (13-8 2.65), Denny Coulon (14-16 3.29) and Toshiya Tamura (15-15 3.84)... top bats were SS Don Hanks (.298/13 HR/54 RBI/67 R) and LF Ed Holt (.281/15 HR/72 RBI/62 R).

5th tied – Cape Coral Hurricanes (68-86)

For the second straight season once-powerful Cape Coral is a second-division team as the Hurricanes are tied for the fifth spot with Southport in the TU South and a distant 24 games back in the standings... Marty Pedroza's crew doesn't hit very well and sports a .262 BA (24th), but does hit for power with 148 homers (9th)... pitching-wise the team ERA stands at 4.01 (19th)... the Hurricanes leading hitters are RF Maurice Vidrine (.312/24 HR/90 RBI), LF Kippy Doyle (.318/19 HR/83 RBI), 3B Flipper Bird (.286/18 HR/61 HR/117 R/22 SB) and CF Bobby Josker (.284/13 HR/60 RI/86 R)... Pedroza does have the best pitcher in the IPA... Cody Burg (18-13 2.99) had his worst season, but still does an outstanding job... Burg led the IPA in strikeouts for the sixth consecutive year with 244... Steve Aaron (14-12 3.80) also pitched well for Cape Coral.

5th tied – Southport Sun Sox (68-86)

Manager Charley Oscar doesn't have much in Southport except for RF Monty Draycott (.330/34 HR/87 RBI/104 R/15 SB) and 2B Charlie Gamble (.311/24 HR/71 RBI/86 R)... both of them swing good bats... Draycott enjoyed a rebirth this year with a .330 BA and 34 homers... LF Big Stick Takala (.284/21 HR/88 RBI) lived up to his nickname and was a valuable run producer for the Sun Sox... as a team Southport hit .269 (12th) with 141 homers (12th), but staggered when it came to the mound with a 4.10 ERA (21st)... Oscar's best arms were Tom Wiley (13-11 3.26) and Leonard Urban (14-12 3.97).

7th – San Alejo Montaneros (67-87)

For the fifth year in a row the San Alejo Montaneros have played sub-.500 baseball under Lando Peceda for a seventh place finish, 25 games back of Turon... San Alejo can hit and score with a .272 batting average (7th) and 145 home runs (11th), but has difficulty in the pitching department with a 4.15 ERA (23rd)... the potent line-up is paced by 1B Miles Shufford (.291/25 RBI/101 RBI/82 R), 3B Eddy Lamar (.291/15 HR/86 RBI), LF Dennis Riley (.285/20 HR/65 RBI/91 R) and part-time RF Ed Pfeffer (.350/10 HR/59 R), who only faces right-handed pitching... Peceda's best moundsmen are Daniel Fitzmorris (12-15 3.81) and Alberto Herrera (12-16 3.55).

8th – Arroyo Grande Suns (64-90)

The Arroyo Grande Suns continued their dismal showing in the IPA and didn't make the postseason for the seventh successive season as they wound up in the TU South basement once again... The Suns ended up 28 games behind... but manager Jean-Luc Marchand's charges can hit the ball... they chalked up a .270 BA (9th) and possess several fine hitters like LF Jet Kazmarek (.335/9 HR/76 RBI/91 R/48 SB) and 1B Sherm Miles (.273/25 HR/117 RBI/90 R)... other solid batters include CF Robinson Bowes (.295/17 HR/71 RBI), SS Randy Warren (.320/5 HR/42 RBI/80 R) and C Don Holden (.287/18 HR/68 RBI/80 R)... suffice to say it's tough to have good pitching stats in cozy, little Capet Park with its very short fences (4.36 ERA- 30th)... but Miguel Aguilera (12-18 3.63) copes pretty well... as does Jordy Crockett (11-14 4.14)

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

2008 IPA Tycobbian Union East Division Final Standings

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 21, 2008

East Point Survives 4-Team Battle, Wins TU East Flag

1st – East Point Panthers (85-69)

It was a donnybrook all year long in the Tycobbian East... four clubs fought a fierce battle and there was a chance of a four-way tie going into the last day of the season... the East Point Panthers came out victorious and took the title by one game over Ozarka and Tuckanarra with Red Bluff only two games back... Manager Griff Clarke depended on firepower to bring home the pennant to East Point for the first time in its history... his Panthers hit 170 homers (5th) and scored 779 runs (2nd)... Clarke also had two veteran workhorses Smokey Joe Carter (19-14 3.69) and Tommy Fuller (20-11 3.11) to solidly anchor his pitching rotation, but the rest of the staff is highly suspect with a 4.37 team ERA (31st)... Clarke plays a lot of different players with a different line-up each day... East Point's key hitters are 2B Jesse Goodwin (.263/35 HR/100 RBI/95 R) and 3B George Barnes (.302/23 HR/63 RBI/74 R)... other valuable contributors are 1B Hank Archer (.284/11 HR/63 RBI/73 R) and RF Cisco Perales (.294/11 HR/51 RBI/47 R)... it will be interesting to see how Clarke's endless platooning and manipulations will work in the Pro Cup playoffs... however if Carter and Fuller can kept winning and the Panthers can continue to thrive off the long-ball, it could be an exciting postseason.

2nd tied – Ozarka Naturals (84-70)

Poor Joe Mac Carney... his Ozarka Naturals are the bridesmaid for the second straight year, finishing second by one measly game both times... a crucial injury to his ace Karl Kleinert (16-6 2.13) cost him dearly over the last two months of the season... Kleinert's loss made Ozarka an average team down the stretch... they were only 24-24 during August and September... The Nats compiled a solid 3.68 team ERA (8th)... combined with excellent defense (.981 FA) and adequate hitting (.265 BA - 20th), they stayed in the race the entire season and only dropped out when they lost two of the last three games... Carney's batting order included 3B Nathan Ferrell (.306/30 HR/105 RBI/93 R), 2B Todd Chadwick (.290/23 HR/89 RBI/114 R/35 SB), LF Vic Weinstein (.284/9 HR/81 RBI/76 R/15 SB), SS Gil Lantz (.285/711 HR/55 RBI/75 R) and C Todd Pepper (.287/7 HR/52 RBI/76 R/16 SB).

2nd tied – Tuckanarra Blue Jays (84-70)

The defending TU East titlists, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays, tried valiantly, but also came up a game short and came in second this season...they won three of their final four games and almost forced a playoff... skipper Carlton "Lefty" Stevens depends solely on his pitching for success... the Blue Jay staff has the best ERA in the league with an outstanding 3.21 ERA (1st), headed by four superb starters: Delaney Elliott (16-9 2.70), Flash Guidry (17-13 2.99), Titus Bristow (18-15 3.14) and Roy Spence (20-14 3.29)... it is doubtful there is a better group of starters anywhere in the IPA... toss in closer Coorain Janama (4-6 2.19), who set an IPA record with 38 saves and you have a team that could easily win it all... the only thing holding Tuckanarra back is its lack of hitting... the Blue Jays batted only .257 (27th) with just 95 home runs (32nd) and scored the fewest runs (617 – 32nd) in the Tycobbian Union... it's tough to compete with no offense... Carney's best bats are 1B Erik Vayda (.306/12 HR/75 RBI), CF Earl O'Brien (.282/7 HR/66 RBI/79 R/33 SB) and 2B Duncan Renwick (.275/12 HR/53 RBI/71 R/23 SB).

4th – Red Bluff Red Sox (83-71)

Fourth place Red Bluff went into a tailspin in the last week of the season and suffered four defeats in six games to tumble down to fourth place, only two games behind... Mack Connery pretty much used the same formula as East Point: good hitting and two solid starters... the Red Sox rotation included two seven-year veterans in Frank Beaudoin (19-12 2.79) and John Dougherty (21-11 3.34) and some solid hitters like 3B Tommy Klegg (.270/39 HR/113 RBI/90 R), SS Jose Aguilar (.279/18 HR/77 RBI/85 R/20 SB), LF Bryan Wessels (.319/18 HR/71 RBI) and RF Kris Grabowski (.316/16 HR/70 RBI)... as a team Red Bluff hit at a .275 pace (1st) with 166 homers (7th)... the Red Sox defense was top-notch with a .980 FA... the team ERA was only mediocre at best with a 4.12 ERA (22nd).

5th – High Mesa Cowboys (75-79)

Frisky Franks piloted the High Mesa Cowboys to the fifth spot in the TU East. They trailed the leader by 10 games... the Cowpokes were long on hitting and short on pitching... they batted .274 (3rd) and topped the league with 798 runs and 190 roundtrippers, while compiling a poor 4.20 team ERA (25th)... Leading High Mesa at bat were 1B Nat Thurlow (.263/34 HR/91 RBI), LF Sookie Givens (.296/31 HR/86 RBI/78 R), SS Wild Deer Etchimin (.268/23 HR/70 RBI/77 R), 2B Ed Albrecht (.298/19 HR/64 RBI/78 R) and LF Matt Merrill (.309/22 HR/62 RBI)... Franks only had one go-to guy on the hill... that was Kent Wells (19-16 3.26).

6th – Midway Wolves (73-81)

It was another sad season for the Midway Wolves, who missed the playoffs for the seventh consecutive year and were 12 games off the pace, completing the year in sixth place... Offense is manager Cochise Chandler's despair... the Wolves hit well with a .270 average (8th), but hit only 131 home runs (17th) and scored only 704 runs (22nd) with a 4.16 team ERA (24th)... Fortunately Midway has two wily pitching vets who have been around the IPA for quite a few years... Ted Chambers (18-12 3.55) and Phil Reed (18-18 3.81) both enjoyed good years... at the plate it was SS J. T. Edmonds (.313/22 HR/82 RBI/82 R) and 1B Don Piper (.274/17 HR/71 RBI/70 R) who generated most of the team's offense.

7th – Hillsboro Blazers (70-84)

Hillsboro is in the same boat as Midway and has never made the IPA postseason... the Blazers hit only .253 (28th) and have no power numbers with a sorry 4.26 ERA (28th) – 'nuff said - teams with those numbers are doomed to the depths of the division... Hillsboro with Arky Spanderson at the helm ended the season seventh and 15 games behind East Point... Lou Zanelli (16-16 3.35) and Ed Dupard (13-21 3.63) pitched well and deserved better records... Spanderson really suffered from a lack of offense... his best bats were LF Ricky Alfonso (.276/12 HR/76 RBI/79 R/31 SB), 3B George Longmire (.270/14 HR/69 RBI/98 R/36 SB) and RF Winky Rush (.324/10 HR/44 RBI/44 R), who had a fine season, but plays only against righties and was in only 72 games.

8th – South Fork Stallions (64-90)

2008 was another bad year for the South Fork Stallions and Lips Leon... after winning the pennants in 2001 and 2002, it's been all downhill ever since with no playoff appearances... this season the Stallions fell as far as you can go – last place – and 21 games away from first... Leon only has average hitting (.268 BA – 16th) and awful pitching with a 4.41 ERA (32nd)... top batsmen are CF Gary Horn (.292/35 HR/87 RBI/96 R), SS Rolf Kellgren (.275/9 HR/50 RBI/102 R/30 SB), RF Robby Michael (.326/18 HR/80 RBI) and LF Chris Krychevsky (.326/14 HR/74 RBI)... six-year vet Bobby Karu (10-20 3.69) can still do the job at age 36, but suffered from lack of run support... the rest of the rotation has ERAs ranging from 4.21 to 5.38.

deleted... the standings needs to be with the Division Recap on the next page.