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The Islandian Times
Friday, October 2, 2009 2009 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Ruthlandian Union Final Four Series Hines Blanks Blasters 5-0, Redhawks Up By 2 Games Far Mountain skipper Alex Groveland got a superlative outing from Boomerang Hines to take a two-game lead over Colfax in the best-of-seven RU Final 4 Series... Hines (2-1 1.04) stymied the Blasters on four hits with three Ks and two bases on balls... Hines outpitched 23-game winner Jasper LaForge (1-1 3.42), who left after seven innings after giving up five runs on seven hits, only three of them earned... LaForge also issued six walks... the Redhawks best bats were SS Don Nichols (.382) with two hits in five tries with an RBI and C Otis Ott (.355), who unloaded a home run... CF Ryan Raines (.256) paced Colfax with two hits. Tycobbian Union Final Four Series DC Tops Turon 8-7, Gooch's Triple Wins It At home at Douglas Denton Field, the Denton City Redbirds rallied to win 8-7 over Turon in game number two of the TU Final 4 Series... it was the Redbirds second successive victory... RF Lavon Gooch tripled in the winning run in the last of the eighth... DC outhit the Typhoons 12 to 9 and outhomered them 3-2... 3B Jay Petit (.250), Gooch (.355) and C Byron Goldston (.500) swatted roundtrippers... Goldston drove in three runs and LF Danny Nash (.429) batted in a pair... Turon was led by CF Mac McCurnan (.303) with four RBIs, while RF Andy Porter (.320) scored two runs and batted in one... Both McCurnan and Porter went deep... Johnny Andrews (1-0 0.00) nabbed the victory with one and two-thirds scoreless innings... Andrews retired five batters in a row... Glenn Mann (0-1) blew the save and lost the game as he gave up three runs in the eighth. |
The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 3, 2009 2009 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series Szabo Sharp, Colfax Edges FM Redhawks 3-2 Colfax's main man came through again in a crisis situation... Ilya Szabo disposed of the red-hot Far Mountain Redhawks 3-2 to salvage game three in the RU Final 4 Series... the win cut the Redhawks lead to two games to one... Szabo (2-2 3.60) went the distance, was touched for nine hits, but held them at bay until they got to him for two runs in the bottom of the ninth... Szabo walked only one batter and whiffed five in a strong performance... loser Leroy Hill (1-2 3.65) also had a good outing for the Redhawks... he yielded three runs on six hits with seven Ks and three bases on balls... only two runs were earned... Colfax chalked up its first run in the top of the fourth when LF Paul Coniglio (.318) doubled, advanced to third on a ground-out and scored on SS Don Nichols' error... the Blasters added on two more in the eighth on a bases-loaded base hit by 3B Mike Janocko (.209)... Far Mountain mounted a serious rally in the last of the ninth... C Otis Ott (.353) made it 3-1 with a sacrifice fly... and RF Nick Montag (.357) cut it to one run with an RBI single... but Szabo stiffened and ended the game when he got 3B Keith Wasik (.219) on an infield pop-up... Colfax only got six hits and were led by Coniglio with two hits and two runs scored... CF Shotgun Boggs (.306) went 3-3 for the Redhawks... SS Don Nichols (.395) also collected a pair of hits. Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series Lemaire Stops DC Redbirds 5-1, Typhoons Trail 2-1 In an almost-must win, Turon's 24-game winner Jacques Lemaire rose to the occasion and stopped Denton City at Typhoon Stadium 5-1, cutting the Redbirds lead in the best-of-seven series to two games to one... Lemaire (2-0 3.52) was marvelous, holding DC to six hits, while striking out eight and walking just two in a complete-game outing... Turon was led at bat by 1B Johnny Carducci (.267), who went 2-for-4 with two RBIs and two runs scored... Carducci slugged a two-run homer in the third inning and gave the Typhoons a 4-0 advantage... CF Mac McCurnan (.324) also had two hits and scored a run... Tom Duroncelay (1-1 2.57) suffered the loss as Turon got to him for four runs and seven hits in seven innings... He exited with the score 4-1... the Typhoons picked up 8 hits in the contest. |
The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 4, 2009 2009 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series Kelly Too Tough For Colfax, FM Takes 3-1 Lead Far Mountain workhorse righthander Robby Kelly spun his magic again... pitching at home at Sky High Mountain, Kelly stopped Colfax 6-1 to take a big three games to one lead in the best-of-seven RU Final 4 Series... it was his third postseason victory this year... one more Redhawk victory and its on to the Pro Cup Finals. Kelly (3-0 2.94) waltzed through the Blaster line-up with ease, holding them to one run and six hits, while fanning four and walking two... SS Don Nichols, CF Shotgun Boggs, 1B Fran Grzanka and RF Hank Burleigh furnished the offense... Nichols (.415) cracked a double and a single and drove in three runs, Boggs (.325) singled twice and scored three runs, Grzanka (.357) doubled and singled, scored twice and batted in a run and Burleigh had a home run... Colfax starter Sonny Blackwell (1-2 3.60) was the loser... he was battered for six runs in six-plus innings. Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series Typhoons Batter Redbirds 10-2, Series Even at 2-2 Manager Whitey Richburn got excellent pitching and hitting as his Turon Typhoons battered Denton City 10-2 in game four of the Tycobbian Union Final 4... Turon unloaded 16 hits, while southpaw James Stuart (1-1 3.27) tossed a complete-game victory... Stuart held the Redbirds to just five hits, struck out six and walked three... at the plate the Typhoons were sparked by RF Marty Poe (.429), who homered and doubled with three hits in all, three runs scored and one RBI... CF Mac McCurnan (.357), 1B Johnny Carducci (.314) and SS Roy Flanagan (.207) all batted in two runs each... Denton City had two solo roundtrippers with CF Johnny Northern (.400) homering in the first and RF Lavon Gooch (.342) going deep in the third... that gave the Redbirds a short-lived 2-1 margin... Turon tore up DC's ace Mila Mohoski (1-2 3.00) for six runs in just four innings... Mohoski departed trailing 6-2. |
The Islandian Times
Monday, October 5, 2009 2009 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series Hines Eliminates Colfax 6-1, FM Pro Cup Bound For the first time in the club's history, Alex Groveland and his Far Mountain Redhawks are headed for the IPA Pro Cup Finals, courtesy of Boomerang Hines, who shackled heavy-hitting Colfax on six hits in the 6-1 victory... the Redhawks eliminated the team favored by many to win the Pro Cup this season and they did it in just five games... It was Hines' (3-1 1.03) third playoff win this year... he fanned five and walked none in a fine performance... Hines and Jasper LaForge were locked in a tense 2-1 struggle going into the bottom of the sixth when RF Hank Burleigh (.278) clouted a decisive grand slam homer that dealt a death blow to the Blasters... C Otis Ott (.350) also walloped a two-run blast putting Far Mountain in front in the second inning 2-1... LaForge (1-2 4.66), a 23-game winner during the regular season, caught the loss as he allowed six runs in five-plus innings... Far Mountain will get a few days' rest as they await the Tycobbian Union winner... Going into today's contest, Turon and Denton City are deadlocked at two games apiece in the best-of-seven series... if the TU Final 4 goes seven games, the Redhawks could be off as much as three days. Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series DC Powers By Turon 8-4 in 13 Innings, Lead Series DC power shocked the Turon crowd at Typhoon Stadium with a pair of two-run homers in the 13th inning to take 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven TU Final 4 Series... SS Trevor Tomlinson (.267) and RF Lavon Gooch (.333) both went deep to give the Redbirds a hard-earned 8-4 triumph over the Typhoons... Roger Ramsey (2-0 1.38) continued his bullpen brilliance with five shutout innings for the win and a 3-2 lead in the series... Denton City bolted to a 4-0 lead in the top of the fourth, but Turon came back and knotted it up 4-4 after six innings... Tomlinson topped the Redbird bats with three RBIs, Gooch had two RBIs and 1B Mick Abbott drove in two more... LF Danny Nash (.455) led the victors with four hits in seven tries and 2B Moses Redwine (.326) went 3-for-6... In all, DC had 16 hits to 11 for the Typhoons... Turon 2B Alan Hansen (.250) had two hits and two RBIs, while RF Andy Porter (.333) and C Fats Dalton (.289) had three hits apiece... Ronnie Zetterberg (0-1) came on in the 13th and was tagged with the defeat. |
The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 6, 2009 2009 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series Turon Forces 7th Game, Lemaire Beats DC 7-2 A masterful pitching job by Turon's Jacques Lemaire forced a decisive seventh game in the Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series... Lemaire fired a five-hitter to beat Denton City 7-2 and evened it up at three games each... Lemaire (3-0 3.09) struck out nine and walked three in the victory... at the plate the Typhoons were paced by 1B Johnny Carducci (.279) and 3B John Cottrell (.375) with two RBIs each... Turon slapped 11 hits... Taking the loss was starter Tom Duroncelay (1-2 5.06), who was ripped for six runs in two innings... Duroncelay also issued 6 walks in a dismal performance... Game seven will be played tomorrow afternoon at Douglas Denton Field in Denton City. |
The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 7, 2009 2009 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series Turon Wins TU Title, Thumps DC 7-4 in 7th Game Manager Whitey Richburn will get a chance to make history... his Turon Typhoons will get a chance for their third IPA Pro Cup championship... they were victorious in 2003 and 2006... the Typhoons thumped the Denton City Redbirds 7-4 to take the TU Final 4 in seven games... the Typhoons lit up Redbird pitching for 15 hits in the decisive game and got a creditable start from James Stuart, who went all the way... Turon busted open a tight 4-3 thriller with three runs in the seventh inning to go in front 7-3 and Stuart made it stand up... Stuart (2-1 3.19) scattered 10 hits... Turon's top bats were 3B John Cottrell (.400) with 3-5 and 1B Johnny Carducci (.313) with 3-5... Cottrell had a two-run double to give the Typhoons a 2-0 lead in the opening inning... DC retaliated with two in the bottom of the inning on an RBI single by CF Johnny Northern (.421) and 1B Mick Abbott's (.170) ground-out... back-to-back doubles by 2B Alan Hansen (.250) and LF Marty Poe (.355) made it 3-2 Turon in the third... the Redbirds tied the score at 3-3 in the fifth on RF Lavon Gooch's double only to have Turon go back ahead in the sixth on Hansen's base hit... in the game-breaking seventh Cottrell, C Fats Dalton (.277) and Stuart (.455) each knocked in a run with singles... Northern led the Redbirds with three hits and two RBIs... Mila Mohoski (1-3 3.55) dropped his third game in the postseason... in four previous playoffs Mohoski was 11-3 and almost unbeatable. After a layoff of one day, Turon will challenge the Far Mountain Redhawks for the overall Island crown... Far Mountain was 94-61 during the regular season... they had to beat Ancona in a one-game playoff for the RU North pennant... Turon easily won the TU South with a 91-63 mark, 12 games better that the runner-up team... the Redhawks will have the home team advantage in the best-of-seven set... it will be Far Mountain first appearance in the Pro Cup Finals. |
The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 8, 2009 FM Redhawks Critics' Choice To Win Pro Cup The BNN baseball gurus are predicting the Far Mountain Redhawks of the Ruthlandian Union to reign supreme in this year's IPA Pro Cup Series with the Turon Typhoons of the Tycobbian Union. Manager Alex Groveland's club has the edge in pitching, hitting and fielding over Whitey Richburn's squad. This is the Redhawks first appearance in the Pro Cup finals, while the Typhoons have been here twice before and won each time. Turon was victorious in 2003 and 2006, despite being the underdogs both times. Thus far, Tycobbia has won five of the eight Pro Cups. During the regular season Far Mountain hit .278 (2nd) with 179 homers (5th) and scored 798 runs (4th). In comparison Turon batted .274 (4th) with 157 roundtrippers (6th) and chalked up 799 runs (2nd). On the mound the Redhawks were impressive with a 3.42 team ERA (2nd), 63 complete games and surrendered 132 home runs (16th-tied). The Typhoon staff put up a good 3.66 ERA (7th), 39 complete games and allowed 126 homers (11th-tied). In the postseason so far, Turon sports a .284 mark with 8 home runs and Far Mountain is hitting .273 with 7 homers. On the hill the Redhawks have a decided advantage with a superb 2.64 ERA to the Typhoons 3.43 ERA. Both ball clubs are good defensively. In the regular season Far Mountain had a .976 FA (5th- tied) and Turon logged a .974 fielding percentage (11th - tied). |
The Islandian Times
Friday, October 9, 2009 2009 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals - Game 1 Kelly King In Opener, FM Blanks Turon 5-0 Robby Kelly was certainly King of the Hill in the opening game of the Pro Cup Series at his home park Sky High Stadium in Far Mountain... Kelly (4-0 2.32) was absolutely terrific... The 32-year-old right-hander totally shut down Turon 5-0 on two singles, struck out six and walked only two batters...Kelly was so dominant that he no-hit the Typhoons until the sixth frame... It was a scoreless struggle until the last of the fifth when RF Hank Burleigh (.275) got new life on an error by first baseman Johnny Carducci, who dropped a pop-up... Burleigh was sacrificed to second and then driven in by 3B Keith Wasik (.220)... Burleigh scored again to make it 2-0 after seven innings... Burleigh doubled and LF Nick Montag (.292) drove him in with a single... Back-to-back homers sealed the verdict in the eighth inning when 2B Duane Parsons (.295) slugged a two-run homer and C Otis Ott (.341) belted a solo shot off shell-shocked reliever Radley Long... Anthony Nardone (2-1 2.06) worked seven fine innings in defeat, yielding just two runs - one earned - and seven hits... the winners got 10 hits overall. |
The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 10, 2009 2009 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals - Game 2 Redhawks Nip Typhoons 5-4 on Parsons' Homer Far Mountain depended on the long ball and gutsy pitching by Boomerang Hines to nip Turon 5-4 in game two of the IPA Pro Cup... SS Don Nichols (.392) knotted it up 4-4 with a two-run blast in the fifth inning and 2B Duane Parsons (.319) smacked the game-winner in the last of the eighth... Boomerang Hines labored early but got better as the game progressed... Hines (4-1 1.64) was knocked around hard in the first five frames when the Typhoons got all of their runs... Hines settled down and blanked them over the final four innings... Hines went the distance and allowed seven hits... Reliever Freddi Spiegel (1-1 2.13) garnered the loss by giving up the homer to Parsons... Nichols with 3 RBIs and Parsons with a pair paced the Redhawk 9-hit attack... LF Jimmy Tremayne (.273) and C Fats Dalton (.278) led Turon with two hits and two runs batted in apiece... Tremayne tripled and singled and Dalton homered and doubled. |
The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 11, 2009 2009 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals - Game 3 FM Edges Turon 5-4, Leads Pro Cup 3-0 On the road in Turon at Typhoon Stadium the Far Mountain Redhawks cracked open a 1-1 tie with three runs in the sixth inning on the way to a third straight victory in the IPA Pro Cup... Far Mountan won game three 5-4 and now needs only one more victory to win the best-of-seven series... the Redhawks took a 1-0 lead in the opening inning on SS Don Nichols (.389) 15th postseason RBI... the Typhoons evened it at 1-all on 1B Johnny Carducci's (.298) RBI single... in the sixth Redhawk RF Hank Burleigh (.250) broke the tie with an RBI ground-out and LF Nick Montag (.281) made it 4-1 with a two-run single... Turon shaved it to 4-2 when LF Marty Poe (.289) forced in a run with a bases-loaded walk... for the third day in a row 2B Duane Parsons (.340) homered and increased the margin to 5-2... 1B Johnny Carducci (.298) made it close with a two-run clout in the last of the eighth, but Redhawk relievers Milos Annensky and David McDonald got the last six Typhoons in order... FM starter Leroy Hill (2-2 3.98) claimed the win... Hill worked seven innings and allowed four runs... Turon starter James Stuart (2-2 3.65) lost it... Stuart permitted four runs and six hits in his six innings... the Typhoons had the edge in hits 8-7... 1B Fran Grzanka (.379), Parsons and Montag sparked Far Mountain with two hits each... Carducci was Turon top bat with two RBIs and two runs scored. |
The Islandian Times
Monday, October 12, 2009 2009 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals - Game 4 Turon Wins Game 4, Still Trails Redhawks 3-1 The Far Mountain brooms were out in force today at Typhoon Stadium in game four of the IPA Pro Cup Series... the Redhawks were trying to sweep the series -- Turon needed a win in the worst way -- and the Typhoons got it as a gift... Far Mountain erred on the first two batters and gave Turon three quick unearned runs in the opening inning... that was enough to stay in contention for the Pro Cup... but the Redhawks still are in command with a three games to one lead in the best-of-seven series... Turon went on and built up a 5-0 lead after five innings and Anthony Nardone (3-1 2.05) was equal to the task and hurled them to a 5-2 triumph... Nardone stopped the Redhawks on seven hits with 3 Ks and one base on balls... Far Mountain starter Robby Kelly (4-1 2.40) lost for the first time in the postseason... Kelly worked six innings, allowed seven hits and only two earned runs... the Redhawks committed four errors in the game... offensively the Typhoons were sparked by 1B Johnny Carducci (.295), who scored twice and drilled a two-run homer... 2B Alan Hansen (.238) and 3B John Cottrell (.362) drove in one run apiece for the winners. |
The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 13, 2009 2009 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals - Game 5 Lemaire Outstanding, Turon Nips FM 1-0 in Thriller One thing for sure the Turon Typhoons are not going away quietly in the Pro Cup Series... Turon has bounced back from a 3-0 deficit to win two in a row... in game five Jacques Lemaire was superb with a 1-0 victory over the Far Mountain Redhawks at Typhoon Stadium... 24-game winner Lemaire (4-0 2.87) won his fourth consecutive playoff game with a 6-hit shutout... Lemaire struck out seven and walked none in a splendid performance... FM's Leroy Hill (2-3 3.26) was almost as good... Hill, a 20-game winner, allowed only three hits, fanned six, walked three and did not allow an earned run in his seven innings... Hill worked on two-day's rest when the expected starter Boomerang Hines came down with a 24-hour virus... RF Andy Porter scored the game's only run in the second inning... for the second straight day shoddy fielding cost the Redhawks dearly... Porter (.273) reached second on an error by Gold Glove 2B Duane Parsons (.983 FA), moved to third on a ground-out and rode home on a sac fly by 3B John Cottrell (.367)... baseball can be a funny game... Parsons was the hero in game 2 with a game-winning homer, today he was the goat... fame can be fleeting in baseball... the Redhawks got runners in scoring position in the first, sixth and eighth, but Lemaire kept them off the scoreboard each time... in the top of the ninth with one out, Lemaire had a serious threat when FM put runners on first and second on two singles by SS Don Nichols (.355) and 2B Gabie Barksdale (.750)... but Lemaire rose to the occasion and fanned the dangerous Otis Ott (.281) and retired Nick Montag (.275) on a ground ball to end the game... Far Mountain collected 6 hits in the game to just 4 for Turon. |
The Islandian Times
Wednesday, October 14, 2009 2009 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals - Game 6 Can You Believe It? Turon Ties Pro Cup At 3-3 What a comeback!... underdog Turon lost the first three games of the Pro Cup Series to favored Far Mountain... now the Typhoons are right back in it with three consecutive wins of their own... the IPA Pro Cup will be decided in a seventh game at Sky High Stadium in Far Mountain tomorrow afternoon... manager Whitey Richburn got another superlative mound performance... this time it was James Stuart (3-2 3.13) with a sparkling 5-1 victory over Far Mountain... Stuart only surrendered three hits... again faulty fielding cost the Redhawks... they committed three errors in the game and gave the Typhoons three unearned runs... Boomerang Hines (4-2 1.80) suffered the loss... in six innings Hines permitted six hits and four runs in all, but only two of them were earned... RF Marty Poe paced the Turon attack with 3-for-5... Poe hammered two doubles and scored three times... Doubles by Poe and CF Mac McCurnan (.250) gave the Typhoons a 2-0 lead in the top of the second... Hines (.133) accounted for Far Mountain's only score with a solo homer in the bottom of the second... back-to-back errors in the fifth frame by SS Don Nichols (.974 FA) and RF Greg Reynolds (1.000 FA) allowed Turon to take a 4-1 lead... the Typhoons got another unearned run in the ninth when Poe doubled, moved to third on an error by 1B Fran Grzanka (.993 FA) and scored on a wild pitch. This will be the first time in Pro Cup history it has gone to a full seven games. In the Pro Cup finale it will be Turon's Anthony Nardone going up against Far Mountain's Robby Kelly... Nardone was 20-12 during the regular season with a 3.03 ERA... In the playoffs this year Nardone is 3-1 with a standout 2.05 ERA... this season Kelly was 17-13 with a 3.34 ERA... his postseason has been great with a 4-1 mark and a 2.40 ERA. This will the third time they have clashed in the series... Kelly beat Nardone 5-0 in game one, while Nardone got revenge in game four with a 5-2 victory. |
The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 15, 2009 2009 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Finals - Game 7 Comeback Kids Win, Turon Tops FM 5-4 In Game 7 The Comeback Kids did it!... They have won the 2009 IPA Pro Cup!... The Turon Typhoons came back and took four games in a row from the Far Mountain Redhawks... This is the third Pro Cup for Whitey Richburn and his never-say-die crew... They also won in 2003 and 2006... The Typhoons took the crown with a heart-pounding 5-4 win over a very tough team... In a stout-hearted performance 36-year-old Anthony Nardone (4-1 2.20) went the route, scattered eight hits, walked only one and put a stop to a ninth-inning rally. Turon scored first with a run in the opening frame against Robby Kelly... CF Mac McCurnan's (.256) sacrifice fly scored 2B Alan Hansen (.243) from third... C Fats Dalton's (.271) double and SS Spook Estes' (.214) single increased the lead to 2-0 in the second... Redhawk CF Shotgun Boggs (.296) cut it to 2-1 with a solo homer in the third... Estes' base hit drove in another run in the top of the fourth, giving the Typhoons a 3-1 edge... in the top of the fifth 3B John Cottrell's (.358) roundtripper and LF Jimmy Tremayne's (.235) sac fly increased Turon's lead to 5-1... RF Hank Burleigh got Far Mountain back within three with an RBI single in the last of the fifth... the score remained 5-2 until the bottom of the ninth when the Redhawks came close to tying the score with two last-ditch runs... 3B Gabie Barksdale (.500) doubled in one run and then scored on an error, cutting it to 5-4 with the tying run on second... Nardone reached down and got Burleigh on a grounder to short to bring the title home to Turon. The Typhoons outhit Far Mountain 10-6, led by Estes with three hits and two RBIs... Cottrell and RF Andy Porter (.283) also chipped in with a pair of hits each... Barksdale and Burleigh topped the Redhawks with two hits apiece... Kelly (4-2 2.85) departed after five innings with the loss... He was tagged for five runs and six hits in a poor outing... Kelly also walked five batters. Holding the Pro Cup above his head, Turon Manager Whitey Richburn described his feelings to reporters after the game, "This is the goal. This is the pinnacle of success. This is why we play the game." The Typhoons have now won three IPA championships, two more than any other teams. During the season the new champs compiled a 91-63 record in the Tycobbian Union South and finished in first place in the standings. |
The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 17, 2009 Turon's Lemaire Named Pro Cup MVP The Turon Typhoons had many heroes this year on the way to their third IPA Pro Cup crown. Picking a Pro Cup Most Valuable Player was not an easy task. There was no clear-cut winner. Jacques Lemaire, a left-hander pitcher, prevailed in a close vote over third baseman John Cottrell. Lemaire stood out on the mound and chalked up a 4-0 record with a 2.87 ERA, while Cottrell batted .358 with one homer, 11 RBIs and 11 runs scored. The 31-year-old Lemaire received 37 votes in the BNN poll to 33 for Cottrell. Others receiving votes in the balloting were pitcher Anthony Nardone with 15, center fielder Mac McCurnan 12, first baseman Johnny Carducci 10 and right fielder Andy Porter 8. Nardone carded a 4-1 mark with a 2.20 ERA. McCurnan drove in 15 runs, scored 9, homered once and batted .256. Carducci belted 4 roundtrippers, had 13 RBIs and scored 12 runs, while Porter hit .283 with 3 home runs, 8 RBIs and 13 runs scored. Previous Pro Cup MVPs were Volusia 2B Francisco Abreu (2001), High Mesa SS Rolf Kellgren (2002), Turon SP James Longstreet (2003), Red Bluff SP Mila Mohoski (2004), Middlefield RF Bailey Norcross (2005), Turon SP Freddi Spiegel (2006), Oxford SP Bomber Belinsky (2007) and Wynnamac SP Skeets Hobart (2008). |
The Islandian Times
Sunday, October 18, 2009 IPA Gives Out Golden Bat Awards To Miles And Riddle Miles Selected 2009 RU Golden Bat Award Ed Miles, the hard-hitting second baseman of the Taranto Tars, is this year's recipient of the Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat Award, symbolic of the best hitter in the league. The 27-year-old Miles hit for a .340 average while collecting 182 hits, 31 doubles, 10 triples, 33 home runs, 124 RBIs and scoring 117 times. Miles led the RU in runs scored. His biggest competition came from last season's Gold Bat winner Mike Luzzatti of the Claxton Diamonds, who almost won it again. Luzzatti is 27, plays first base and had another very productive season with 44 homers, 109 RBIs, 116 runs, while hitting for a .343 batting average. Luzzatti led the Diamonds to the RU South title. Coming in third in the BNN balloting was Ancona's fine first sacker Johnny Lee Harder. He compiled a .313 batting average with 32 roundtrippers, batted in 117 runs and scored 107 times. Harder was an important cog in the Red Elephants second-place finish in the RU North race. TU's Best Batsman Selected, It's Riddle The Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award has been picked for 2009 and the winner is Bayview center fielder Tommy Riddle. He finished his outstanding season with a .316 batting average, 194 hits, 41 home runs, 119 RBIs and 112 runs scored. The 28-year-old Riddle was one of the prime movers in the Vikings rise from last place to second place this year in the TU West. The runner-up in the voting was Fairfax's splendid right fielder Dane Wesner, who paced the TU with 203 hits, while batting .349. Wesner lost the batting title by the narrowest of margins to Jet Kazmarek of the Arroyo Grande Suns - basically just one base hit separated them. The 24-year-old Wesner walloped 39 home runs, drove in 126 runs and scored 95. LaClaire's standout left fielder Zeppy Deshotel was third in the poll. Deshotel is 26 and batted .318 this season with 32 homers, 110 RBIs and 110 runs. |
The Islandian Times
Monday, October 19, 2009 IPA Top Pitchers Named RU Golden Arm Award Goes to Yates The Grand City Cybercats have a rising superstar or maybe even a budding Hall-of-Famer in the making. It's Emmitt Yates, this year's Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm Award selection. This blossoming hurler wowed fans, peers and sportswriters with a fabulous performance. In spite of playing for a sixth-place club, Yates compiled a 21-11 record in 39 starts, tallied 229 strikeouts in 310 innings and recorded a 2.35 ERA. Yates had the best ERA in the IPA this season. He also was the strikeout king. Other clubs managed only a .221 batting average against him. The 26-year-old right-hander is no stranger to awards, Yates won the RU Rookie of the Year in 2007. Colfax's 30-year-old right-hander Ilya Szabo came in second in the balloting. Szabo chalked up a 22-15 mark in leading the Blasters to the best record of any team in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Colfax was 94-60 this season. Szabo was also number two to Yates with a 2.39 ERA. Volusia's fine 29-year-old righty Todd Wolfe was 19-12 with a 2.53 ERA, which was the third-best in the Ruthlandian Union. Wolfe wound up third in the polling. Lemaire Wins Tycobbian Union Pitching Crown In 2009, the premier pitcher in the Tycobbian Union was Jacques Lemaire. The Turon starter is this year's recipient of the Golden Arm Award. The 31-year-old portsider went 24-6 in 37 starts with 190 strikeouts in 271 innings and an impressive 3.42 ERA, helping the Typhoons easily run away with the TU South flag by 12 games. Lemaire outdistanced Mahaska's Johnny Spears and his Turon teammate Anthony Nardone for the Golden Arm Award. Spears went 22-11 with a 3.31 ERA, while Nardone was 20-12 and a 3.03 ERA. |
Any shot for the LaGrange Sports next year? Seems like they were a VERY distant 3rd...
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The Islandian Times
Tuesday, October 20, 2009 Top Rookies Announced By IPA Ruthlandian Union Selects #1 Rookie Alejandro Rio's age didn't show very often in his first year. He performed more like a veteran on the hill for the Volusia Vigilantes and today he walked away with the 2009 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award. The 24-year-old starter registered a 16-6 record this season in 26 starts. Over 175 innings he gave up 175 hits, struck out 64 and issued 67 walks as he held the opposition to a .266 batting average and fashioned a 3.81 ERA. There is a real scarcity of rookies making the grade in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Very few first-year players managed to contribute much this year. The only other newcomer to get any votes was Far Mountain's right fielder Marc Taormina, who registered a solid .291 batting average, hit 16 homers, batted across 57 runs and scored 67 times in 122 games. Starting Pitcher Voted Best TU Rookie Joji Azuma was voted the #1 new player in the Tycobbian Union this season. Azuma made 34 starts for the Ginza Ninjas and came away with a 11-18 record, 3.38 ERA and 123 strikeouts in 256 innings -- a year good enough to win the league's 2009 Rookie of the Year Award. Southpaw Gerald Small of the Ozarka Naturals was the only other votegetter in the BNN poll. Small made 18 starts in his rookie year and logged a 7-8 mark with a good 3.35 ERA. He fanned 98 batters in 140 innings. |
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Last year LaGrange hit a record-setting .292 (1st) as a team. This year it dipped drastically to .275 (6th), which is still quite potent. C Otto Kronvath (.270/29/106), LF Quincy Peterson (.301/24/98), SS Bill Nilsen (.274/25/85) can still put some runs on the scoreboard. CF Karl Perret (.315/12/69/106) and 2B Doug Scoville (.288/19/54/85) are solid bats, too. It may be age catching up with the Sports. All it would take is just one or two solid pitchers to shore up the team. A good starter and a good closer could get them right back at the top of the division with Far Mountain and Ancona. I'll let you know if they pick up any good free agents in the off-season or preseason. |
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