The Islandian Times

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

IPA Awards Gold Gloves
There were four repeat winners in the Golden Glove poll. SS Trevor Tomlinson of Denton City was selected for the fourth time, SS Danny Church of Marston gained his third Golden Glove and Fairfax RF Dane Wesner and Far Mountain 2B Duane Parsons were named for the second time. All other selections were first time honorees.

RU Golden Glove Award Winners Announced
On the defensive side of the game pitchers always get the glory, but the best pitchers know their success hinges on the gloves behind them. The defensive dream team in the Ruthlandian Union for 2009 has been announced, and the Golden Glove Award trophies will be presented to these outstanding fielders:

Pitcher: Todd Wolfe (Volusia Vigilantes) .972 FA
Catcher: Tino Leonetti (Colfax Blasters) .999 FA/50% RTO
First Baseman: Ricky Page (Elnora All-Stars) .995 FA
Second Baseman: Duane Parsons (Far Mountain Redhawks) .983 FA
Third Baseman: Warren McDaniel (Belle Plaine Musketeers) .967 FA
Shortstop: Danny Church (Marston Nine) .984 FA
Left Fielder: Paul Coniglio (Colfax Blasters) .982 FA
Center Fielder: Lacey Tompkins (Ancona Red Elephants) .994 FA
Right Fielder: Dale Strickland (Beechwood Bobcats) .985 FA

TU Best Gloves of 2009 Chosen
Great glovemen can range far and wide to make a backhand stop or an over-the-shoulder catch -- and the best usually make it look easy. Today the winners of the Tycobbian Union Golden Glove Award for 2009 were announced. These awards for defensive excellence go to:

Pitcher: Emerson Carnell (Oxford Red Caps) .987 FA
Catcher: Mike Felker (Arlon Champions) .994 FA/32% RTO
First Baseman: Erik Vayda (Tuckanarra Blue Jays) .997 FA
Second Baseman: Nick Suvak (Bayview Vikings) .994 FA
Third Baseman: Rocky Fuqua (Tuckanarra Blue Jays) .968 FA
Shortstop: Trevor Tomlinson (Denton City Redbirds) .982 FA
Left Fielder: Big Stick Takala (Southport Sun Sox) .983 FA
Center Fielder: Domingo DeLeon (Ginza Ninjas) .994 FA
Right Fielder: Dane Wesner (Fairfax Frogs) .980 FA

Thanks for the response!

tough division + bad pitching = no pennants. I'll still root for LaGrange. 'Sports' is a good, classic name.

The Islandian Times

Thursday, October 22, 2009

IPA Presents MVP Trophies

Yates Claims RU MVP
Emmitt Yates of the Grand City Cybercats claimed his second prestigious award this season. Yates was named the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player. Earlier in the week the talented right-hander was voted the best pitcher in the IPA and captured the Golden Arm Award. Yates notched a 21-11 record with a IPA-leading 2.35 ERA and he did it for a sixth-place team. He also topped the RU with 229 strikeouts, tossed three shutouts and worked 13 complete games.

Close on Yates' heels in the BNN balloting was Claxton's marvelous Mike Luzzatti, who had another stellar year. The Diamond first baseman was the MVP in 2008 and almost won it for the second consecutive year. Luzzatti posted a .343 batting average with 44 home runs, 109 RBIs and scored 116 times. Luzzatti walked 99 times and had a .450 on-base percentage. He sparked Claxton to the RU South title.

Winding up number three in the voting was Ancona's gifted first baseman Johnny Lee Harder. He batted .313, hit 32 out of the park, totaled 117 RBIs and 107 runs with a .401 OBP. Harder was an important part of the Red Elephants 93-62 record and runner-up finish in the RU North.

Bayview Star Riddle Racks Up TU MVP
Bayview's star center fielder Tommy Riddle added a second major honor, the Tycobbian Most Valuable Player Award to his Golden Bat to culminate a fantastic season. Riddle was one of the leaders of the Vikings grand turnaround in 2009. Bayview wound up in the TU West cellar in 2008. Riddle rapped out a .316 mark, powered 41 roundtrippers and had 119 RBIs and 112 runs.

In the number two spot in the BNN poll was Turon's excellent left-handed pitcher Jacques Lemaire, who piled up 24 victories and suffered only 6 defeats this year, pacing the Typhoons to a very successful season. Turon finished 12 games in front of the Colchester Elites in the TU South pennant chase. Lemaire was the TU Golden Arm winner. He compiled a strong 2.35 ERA and led the IPA.

Fairfax's tremendous all-around Gold Glove right fielder Dane Wesner came in at number three in the vote. Wesner was just barely nudged out in the TU batting championship, losing by microscopic numbers. Jet Kazmarek of Arroyo Grande just nipped him .348921 to .348797 to take the bat title. Wesner knocked 39 homers and batted in 126 runs, while leading the IPA with 203 base hits.

The Islandian Times

Friday, October 23, 2009

Colfax's Rogers And Turon's Richburn Top IPA Skippers
It was really a tough job to choose the Managers of the Year in the Islandian Pro Alliance this year. Excellent managers were in great abundance. In close votes in both the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union the honor went to Clem Rogers of the Colfax Blasters and Ashton "Whitey" Richburn of the Turon Typhoons. Both skippers have won back-to-back division titles.

The RU winner Rogers guided the Blasters to the best record in the IPA with 94-60. His biggest challengers for the award were Alex Groveland of Far Mountain, who was second in the voting and Ancona's Manny Mickens (93-62), who third in the poll and led his Red Elephants from 8th place to 2nd place in one year.. Groveland's Redhawks climbed from 7th to the top with a 94-61 mark and beat Ancona in a one-game playoff for the division crown.

There was much competition in Tycobbia, too. Turon's Richburn always has his Typhoons on top or near the top of its division. Turon was 91-63 on the season and won going away by 12 games over the runner-up club. Richburn just skimmed by Denton City's Ford Whiteman, who seems to keep the Redbirds in the running year after year. Denton City has a string of 8 straight first-divisions finishes. This year Whiteman was 92-62.

Bayview's Walter Johanssen and Hartsdale's Zim Donner did not finish far back in the balloting in third and fourth place respectively. The Vikings rose from 8th to 2nd place, but were beaten out by Denton City by 3 games. The Hellcats Donner wound up first this year after going through a bad 7th place finish in 2008. Hartsdale compiled a 92-62 record this season.

Manager of the Year honors have only recently been awarded by the IPA. The Islandian Times picked them in 2004, the first time it had been done. Foxy Jimison of LaGrange and Huggy Miller of Cape Coral took the trophies that year. The IPA decided to award them yearly beginning in 2006. The Ruthlandian winners were Claxton's Stacy Engel (2006), Ancona's Manny Mickens (2007) and Forest City's Robbie Jackson (2008).

The Tycobbian Managers of the Year were Arlon's Gary Louis in 2006 and 2008, and Rolling Hills Matty Christianson in 2007.

The Islandian Times

IPA Opening Day 2010 Is Here!
How sweet it is! The Islandian Pro Alliance starts play today. It is a new season and a new beginning for all the boys of baseball. Opening Day is here! It is a day of great excitement for everyone in the world of baseball -- players, fans, sportswriters, broadcasters, managers, coaches, scouts, groundkeepers, batboys, ballpark vendors, agents and the owners. Everybody is eagerly awaiting the first pitch of the game and the first home run. Old records will be broken and new marks set. The IPA begins it 10th season today with a slate of 32 games all across the Islands.

The Islandian Times

Friday, June 19, 2010

2010 Islandian Pro Alliance Midseason Standings

Ruthlandian Union

Ruthlandian Union All-Stars
SP Ilya Szabo (CFX) 12-2 2.00
SP Todd Wolfe (VOL) 13-4 1.96
SP Dek Jumonville (BEE) 11-6 2.00
SP Terry Kuznetsov (BEE) 10-1 2.12
SP Felipe Branco (GLS) 11-4 2.21
SP Frankie Jardine (FTB) 10-4 2.35
SP Jay Washington (SV) 11-6 2.41
CL Vinko Markovic (VLK) 4-1 2.70 17 SV
CL Jeff Jernigan (CL) 2-1 0.44 14 SV
CL Dallas Somerville (CFX) 2-2 0.42 13 SV
CL Jack Hatcher (GLS) 1-2 2.28 16 SV

C Billy Gorham (BEE) .273/5/22/28 .994 FA/45% RTO
C Hal Stevenson (SV) .256/9/38/32 .989 FA/62% RTO
C Hank Bethel (RR) .340/12/48/40 .989 FA/24% RTO
1B Pat Farris (MAR) .386/7/30/39 .985 FA
1B Rory Dickenson (BP) .332/8/36/54 .997 FA
1B Johnny Lee Harder (ANC) .309/9/45/32 .994 FA
2B Duane Parsons (FM) .298/19/64/42 .975 FA
2B Hollis Waldrup (SLI) .276/10/42/45/ .975 FA
3B Vic Lemay (FC) .341/12/41/34 .930 FA
3B Grant Betzer (WLK) .321/6/37/44 .931 FA
SS Bobby Farias (VOL) .351/6/38/29 .955 FA
SS Karol Zodoka (STO) .303/12/44/41 .988 FA
SS Don Nichols (FM) .320/12/46/47 .958 FA
SS Pete Duvalier (FTB) .341/6/41/51 .984 FA
LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (WYN) .319/21/57/48 .987 FA
LF Helmut Graczyk (CLX) .336/14/53/50 .981 FA
LF Scott Camden (RR) .318/19/59/49 .994 FA
CF Lacey Tompkins (ANC) .336/10/56/39 .980 FA
CF Ryan Raines (CFX) .285/12/53/57 .983 FA
CF Karl Perret (LAG) .332/7/28/62 .993 FA
RF Lou Gdowski (VLM) .333/10/44/46 .945 FA
RF Lloyd Voss (ELN) .362/6/29/42 .962 FA
RF Dale Strickland (BEE) .290/16/48/42 .983 FA

The Islandian Times

Friday, June 19, 2010

2010 Islandian Pro Alliance Midseason Standings

Tycobbian Union

Tycobbian Union All-Stars
SP Emerson Carnell (OXF) 10-5 2.42
SP Mick Cronyn (WR) 11-6 2.45
SP Ed Dupard (HIL) 11-5 2.71
SP Jimmy Boxx (AG) 10-6 2.42
SP Duke DeVree (BSC) 11-5 2.71
SP Joe Hampton (FFX) 10-5 2.71
SP Justin Eckhardt (BL) 12-4 2.73
SP Kimo Orlando (DC) 12-5 2.93
CL Lance Logan (WR) 2-2 1.73 16 SV
CL Johnny Rabelais (ARL) 6-3 2.10 13 SV
CL Reggie Ralston (TUC) 3-2 2.89 15 SV

C Maka Bardinda (LC) .276/4/37/27 .994 FA/53% RTO
C Skinny Kisecawchuk (SUM) .229/4/23/15 .992 FA/50% RTO
C Roland Garsett (EP) .312/2/26/31 .968 FA/30% RTO
1B Mick Abbott (DC) .326/16/48/45 .992 FA
1B Sherm Miles (AG) .331/17/66/47 .990 FA
1B Tom Brabant (HAR) .330/19/55/36 .988 FA
2B Jimmy Sawyer (BSC) .308/17/51/50 .994 FA
2B Jud Turchin (HAR) .332/15/51/46 .979 FA
3B Tommy Klegg (RB) .302/23/62/49 .974 FA
3B Cameron Kamara (OXF) .322/12/54/45 .968 FA
SS Bob Steitz (LC) .294/3/23/37 .985 FA
SS Bobby Ritter (RH) .308/1/22/29 .980 FA
SS Trevor Tomlinson (DC) .289/7/22/56 .986 FA
LF Chris Barrett (HIL) .342/16/40/25 .975 FA
LF Dane Wesner (FFX) .355/22/55/48 .990 FA
LF Big Stick Takala (SPT) .315/12/58/36 .972 FA
LF Mac Spencer (OXF) .330/12/42/37 .973 FA
CF Rick Hilliard (BL) .359/13/40/43 .986 FA
CF GaryHorn (SF) .310/12/50/42 1.000 FA
CF T. Riddle (BAY) .299/21/57/48 1.000 FA
RF Jet Kazmarek (AG) .332/4/35/47 .969 FA
RF Lavon Gooch (DC) .287/16/51/50 .982 FA
RF Joey Jarrett (WR) .329/8/39/37 .967 FA

ajsas01:

Just a short summary of the LaGrange Sports season so far:

Not much has changed from last year... Foxy Jimison still has good hitters, but severely lacks pitching... the 4th place Sports are 38-32 and 6 games off the pace of the first place Far Mountain Redhawks (44-26)... the Glasco Athletics (42-28) and Valmara Vipers (40-30) are ahead of them... Actually LaGrange is doing well considering its 4.56 ERA (29th)... last season the team was 80-74 in third place, 13.5 games back... Far Mountain won the division by a game over the Ancona Red Elephants... Jimison has pretty much the same team... left-handed pitcher Mike Arnold is a 35-year-old free agent from the Arlon Champions... Arnold is 8-3 with a 4.81 ERA in 15 starts this year... Arnold is a 5-year vet and has a career 31-31 mark with a 4.37 ERA... another free agent Henny Cossaboom has flopped with a 2-5 record and a terrible 7.03 ERA, working mainly in relief with just four starts... the 26-year-old Cossaboom pitched off-and-on for 7 seasons with La Claire and compiled a mediocre 42-50 record with a 4.21 ERA.

LaGrange's best pitcher this year is Phil Bijeaux (10-3 3.81)... Denny Kristensen, who won 20 games last year is just 5-4, but has a good 3.30 ERA... Kristensen has made only 7 starts and has spent most of the year as the closer and has 11 saves, but he's back in the current starting rotation... Ray Beckham is 4-4 with a 4.45 ERA... Arnold is the fourth member of the rotation.

Newcomers are 30-year-old 1B Bill Nance and 30-year-old OF Joel Reed, both signed as free agents... Nance has been a great addition with a .298 batting average, 18 homers, 48 RBIs and 49 runs scored... Nance's only previous IPA experience was in 2005 with Taranto, where he hit .238, but had 10 homers in 98 games... Nance has been playing industrial league ball since that time and has put up outstanding numbers there... Reed is a journeyman outfielder, who has played for three IPA teams, 7 years with Luxora... Reed is a lifetime .285 hitter and good defender with some power... his best year was 2008 when he hit .303 with 22 homers and 104 RBIs... it's been a slow start in 2010... Reed is hitting .264 with one homer and 17 RBIs in 48 games with LaGrange.

However, the Sports still hit the ball with a .275 team batting average (2nd), 71 homers (12th) and have scored 375 runs (3rd)... top hitters are All-Star CF Karl Perret (.332/7/28/62), C Otto Kronvath (.285/13/49/41), LF Quincy Peterson (.305/12/42/50), 2B Doug Scoville (.315/5/33/32) and SS Bill Nilsen (.259/12/44/33)... Defensively the team is a little better-than-average with a .975 FA (8th-tied).

Outlook: fourth place... Far Mountain is the class of the league... the Redhawks outhit, outhomer and outscore everybody in the league and manager Alex Groveland has solid pitching, too... Glasco can't match the Redhawks at bat (.263 BA), but has excellent pitching (3.11 ERA)... Valmara hits like Glasco (.266) and pitches like Far Mountain with a 3.60 ERA... LaGrange's poor pitching is a season killer.

Thank you for the in depth review. I'll still be following just in case the Sports pull off a miracle run!

What a team for Far Mountain though. If the Sports can't win it all, I figure it might as well be a team from the Ruthlandian North, and the Redhawks look solid top-to-bottom.

Far Mountain (44-26) came oh so close last year, falling to Turon in seven games for the Pro Cup... they just couldn't win that fourth game after taking a 3-0 lead... Alex Groveland is determined to win it this year... but first he is going to have to get by Glasco (42-28), which has marvelous pitching... Valmara (40-30) is hanging in with them both so far at midseason.

Colfax (48-22) looks to be the best team in the Ruthlandian Union this year, just like last year, but the Blasters were beaten by Far Mountain four out of five in the playoffs. It looks like they are destined to meet again this year. The RU North is a very tough division. Colfax has an easier time of it in the RU West. At the All-Star break they are up by 7 games.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

2010 IPA Mid-Season Report

Ruthlandian Union North Division

Far Mountain Leads RU North, Followed By Glasco and Valmara
Far Mountain, the defending Ruthlandian North champions, is right back on top again and lead runner-up Glasco by 2 games, third-place Valmara by 4 and fourth-place LaGrange by 6 games. Manager Alex Groveland has his charges on top of their game as his Redhawks have a 46-26 record at the All-Star break. The Athletics and Vipers are this year's surprise teams. They were seventh and eighth last season.

Best Team Batting Average: .278 - Far Mountain
Most Homers: 89 - Far Mountain
Most Runs: 377 - Far Mountain
Best Team ERA: 3.11 - Glasco
Best Team Defense: .978 - Taranto

Worst Team Batting Average: .252 - Kilkenny
Fewest Homers: 40 - Kilkenny
Fewest Runs: 267 - Kilkenny
Worst Team ERA: 4.56 - LaGrange
Worst Team Defense: .967 – Ranford

Most Improved Team: Glasco (7th place to 2nd place)
Most Disappointing Team: Ancona (2nd place to 5th place)

Most Promising Rookies:
All-Star SS Pete Duvalier (FTB) .341/6/41/51
All-Star CL Jack Hatcher (GLS) 1-2 2.28 16 SV
MR Dave McDonald (FM) 9-5 4.05
CF Xavier Sosa (FM) .333/9/32/36

Far Mountain (46-26) is the class of the RU North and along with Colfax (48-22) of the RU West, the class of the Ruthlandian Union... Alex Groveland's crew can hit, field and pitch with the best of them, led by a strong group of veteran starters Leroy Hill (11-5 3.51), Boomerang Hines (10-4 3.46) and Robby Kelly (7-5 2.85), veteran performers like All-Star 2B Duane Parsons (.298/19/64) and All-Star SS Don Nichols (.320/12/49), along with a fine rookie CF Xavier Sosa (.333/9/32/36), not to mention a solid starter at every position... chip in a good rookie reliever in Dave McDonald (9-5 4.05), too... it really is surprising that Glasco and Valmara have managed to stay close to the Redhawks this year.

Great pitching has been the key to the Glasco A's (42-28) huge turnaround this season... manager McDuffie Hughes has All-Star Felipe Branco (11-4 2.21) and Buddy DeMarco doing the job in starting roles and rookie All-Star closer Jack Hatcher putting out the fires... Hatcher has 16 saves thus far with a 1-2 mark and an impressive 2.28 ERA... the Athletics are first in the RU with a splendid 3.11 team ERA... Hughes get just enough offense (.263 BA) out of SS George Ferguson (.291/9/40/31), CF Ike Plunkett (.317/6/30/31), RF Aidan Latimer (.288/6/33/33) and C Les Ferguson (.274/14/3-/34) to get by...The Fergusons are brothers, one of the few siblings that play in the IPA... Glasco trails Far Mountain by just two games halfway through the season.

All-Star Vanya Vasylenko (13-2 2.86) has almost single-handedly pull the Valmara Vipers (40-30) up from the cellar to a strong third place (40-30) in 2010, just four games off the pace of the red-hot Redhawks... with some offensive support from All-Star RF Lou Gdowski (.333/10/44/46) and C Erich Adamczyk (.291/11/43/40)... it may be tough for skipper J. Jackson Samuel to maintain this pace without others stepping it up offensively and on the hill.

In LaGrange (38-32), look out if Foxy Jimison can heal his pitching woes... the Sports depend almost totally in their bats to contend in the TU North... with an astronomical 4.56 ERA it is a wonder LaGrange is in fourth place, yet only 6 games back... Jimison has some standout swingers (.276 BA) in All-Star CF Karl Perret (.332/7/28/62), C Otto Kronvath (.285/13/49/41), LF Quincy Peterson (.305/12/42/50) and SS Bill Nilsen (.259/12/44/33)... the Sports have added a new bat to the line-up with 1B Bill Nance (.298/18/48/49), who has blossomed this year after being out the IPA for five years... Nance was a part-timer in Taranto in 2005, where he hit only .235... Jimison needs to get some help for his only quality pitchers Phil Bijeaux (10-3 3.81) and Denny Kristensen (5-4 3.30), who has 11 saves as a closer and starter this year.

The fifth place Ancona Red Elephants (34-36) fall in the same category as LaGrange – strong hitting (.274 BA), but little on the mound (4.26 ERA)... Gary Culver (9-4 3.37) is manager Manny Mickens' only reliable starter... Ancona's best bats belong to two All-Stars CF Lacey Tompkins (.336/10/56/39) and 1B Johnny Lee Harder (.309/45/32)... this year has been a big disappointment to Mickens... he thought the Red Elephants were poised for another run at the pennant... they fell just one game short last year... the quick fall out of contention has been caused by the lack of quality pitching... Ancona is giving up almost a run a game more this season.

The Kilkenny Cats (33-37) don't appear to be headed anywhere this year... the Cats are 11 games out in sixth place in the RU North... skipper Kieran McKenna's top performers are 10-year vet Scooter Perez (.296/1/18/47), still a solid second sacker, SS Stu Ashford (.308/6/32/24) and pitcher Mack Harrell (7-5 3.05)... Kilkenny has the worst hitting in the division (.252 BA) and its pitching staff is only fair (3.78 ERA).

Pitching is taking a heavy toll on Tommazzo Lazzorda's seventh-place Taranto Tars (32-38)... it's tough to compete with a 4.50 ERA even if your offense is pretty good with a .268 batting average... all of Lazzorda's starting rotation are hovering near the 5.00 ERA mark... offensively LF Wayne Pounders (.298/14/39/33) and 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.304/7/32/32) are having to carry the club... SS Ed Miles, one of the supreme hitters in the IPA the past couple of seasons, is having an off-year with only a .264 average, just 5 homers and 32 RBIs... it is not looking good for the Tars in 2010.

The Ranford Bulls (27-43) are all by themselves in the RU North cellar, 17 games out of first... skipper Page Satcher no longer has a contending team and sorely lacks talent... Satcher only has one quality pitcher and he is a good one – 33-year-old southpaw Chris Bernhoffer, who despite a strong 2.85 ERA stands at only 5-12 on the year... Lifetime Bernhoffer has won 146 games in his 9 years in the IPA...it gets even worse for Satcher when he has to do the line-up card... his best batter is just a decent hitter... 3B Ken Aubert leads the club with 14 homers and 44 runs batted in with a .267 batting average.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

2010 IPA Mid-Season Recap

Ruthlandian Union South Division

Waleska and Claxton Tied At All-Star Break
So far it's been a hotly-contested affair in the Ruthlandian Union South Division at mid-season. The Waleska Westerners with McGraw Johnson at the helm are all even with Stacy Engel's Claxton Diamonds. Belair Beach is in third place, 5 games behind and San Dimas and Valka are tied for fourth and trail by 7 games. Will Waleska's strong pitching eventually knock off Claxton's powerful line-up as the second half of the season unfolds?

Best Team BA: .274 Grand City
Most HR: 79 Crystal Lake
Most Runs: 358 Claxton
Best Team ERA: 3.45 Waleska
Best Team Defense: .980 FA Belair Beach

Worst Team BA: .241 St. John
Fewest HR: 36 Grand City
Fewest Runs: San Dimas
Worst Team ERA: 5.17 Grand City
Worst Team Defense: .966 St. John

Most Promising Rookies:
All-Star CL Vinko Markovic (VLK) 4-1 2.70 17 SV
LF Kurt Jankauskas (VLK) .290/9/31/34

Most Improved Team: San Dimas (8th to 4th)
Most Disappointing Team: St. John (4th to 7th)

It looks like a two-or-three team race in the RU South this season between Waleska, Claxton and Belair Beach... with Valka and San Dimas having only a remote chance at the playoffs because of pitching and hitting woes. The Waleska Westerners (40-30) and the Claxton Diamonds (40-30) are all knotted up at the top of the standings at the halfway mark in the season with a 5-game edge over third place Belair Beach (35-35).

The Waleska Westerners (40-30) have three fine starters in Lenny Milazzo (8-4 2.72), Von Pearce (6-3 3.23) and Wilson Whitmore (7-6 2.73) and some capable hitters in LF Johnny Stratton (.321/8/39/32), All-Star 3B Grant Betzer (.319/6/38/44), CF Harold Betser (.303/11/34/36) and RF Kippy Doyle (.271/12/45/36)... Johnson's solid rotation and bullpen have put up a strong 3.45 team ERA and his bats have been sufficient with a .257 mark... defensively the Westerners are only average (.972 FA).

The Claxton Diamonds (40-30) are stronger with the sticks with All-Star LF Helmut Graczyk (.340/14/53/50), CF Dixie Baker (.269/14/45/46), 3B Artie Sherman (.268/11/35/44) and 1B Mike Luzzatti (.284/8/32/41), last year's Golden Bat winner, who has had a slow first half... Overall the Diamonds have a .270 to .257 edge in batting average, while trailing in ERA by a wide margin 4.22 to a 3.45 team ERA... manager Stacy Engel has a solid group of defenders with a .976 FA.

The Belair Beach Sunbirds (35-35) are skippered by Marty Pedroza and they could make it a three-team pennant chase... Pedroza has the pitching (3.72 ERA), but lacks the hitting (.260 BA)... 35-year-old vet Jeff Nieman (8-5 2.46) and Sandy Kozicz (2-2 1.95) gives the Sunbirds a strong duo for the second half of the year... the only decent bat is C Little Jake Bungarooba (.287/6/26/38)... Belair Beach has excellent defense with a .980 fielding average.

The San Dimas Rancheros (33-37) are the most-improved club in the RU South and tied for fourth with Valka, both 7 games behind... Paco Banderos has two fine starters with Charlie Tully (8-7 3.38) and Carl Schmitz (7-10 3.08), but only one adequate hitter in CF Merle McClain (.309/4/31/23)... if Banderos can get seasoned veterans Jerry Harrison (4-7 3.74), Connie Krueger (6-9 3.92), Jerry Harrison (4-7 3.74) and Jerry Smith (4-9 3.98) to kick it up a notch and also get better run support, it could really enliven the pennant race... San Dimas is batting only .247 and carries a 4.04 ERA, while fielding at a .971 rate.

The Valka Blackhawks (33-37) are sparked by pitchers Erke Tonisson (9-6 3.38) and rookie All-Star closer Vinko Markovic (5-1 2.84), who has chalked up 14 saves... at the plate Valka's best bats are the impressive rookie LF Kurt Jankauskas (.291/10/34/35), C Tom Hewlett (.319/4/24/33) and CF Arno Allik (.294/7/18/36)... as a team the Blackhawks are sub-par with a .250 batting average and a 4.15 ERA.

The Crystal Lake Crushers (28-42) are tied for sixth-place in the RU South standings along with the St. John Crusaders... Crystal Lake is under the direction of the legendary home run slugger, Baby George... his best talent are pitchers Tony D'Albini (9-6 2.85) and Pablo Orantes (5-0 2.17) and position players 1B Phil Gravelli (.307/12/37/42) and CF Mel Ballard (.311/11/31/36)... but the Crushers have little beyond them... Crystal Lake hits only .247 with little power and sports a poor 4.53 team ERA.

The St. John Crusaders (28-42) are managed by Dickie Billings and have continued their downward decline since 2007's flag-winning season... lousy hitting (.241 BA) is the culprit... the Crusaders hit .271 last year... pitching is fair overall with a 3.75 ERA, led by Denny Copeland (6-2 2.65)... better run support would help veterans Teddy Garson (4-8 3.51) and Ken Wheeler (6-7 3.79) as well as closer Fuzzy Olnick (3-4 2.87)... RF Clayton Luck heads up the hitters with a .289 average, 12 homers, 37 RBIs and 39 runs scored.

Last place goes to perennial also-ran, the Grand City Cybercats (23-47), who are 17 games off the pace...Torry Joseph is the head man... his club hits for average (.274), but with anemic power (38 homers)... his mound staff is terrible with a 5.17 ERA, by far the worst in the IPA, despite having last year's Golden Arm winner and RU MVP Emmitt Yates... even Yates' (5-6 3.27) numbers are down for this season... last year Yates was 21-11 with a 2.35 ERA... rookie closer Paul McBride (2-1 3.38) has shown well so far in limited appearances... Grand City has some modestly good hitters in SS Shannon Sorrell (.293/2/40/34), vet CF Val Krol (.296/32/31) and 3B Lindy Collins (.297/5/27/39).

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

2010 IPA Mid-Season Recap

Ruthlandian Union East Division

7-Team Dogfight in RU East
There's quite a battle going on in the Ruthlandian East this season. At the All-Star break 7 teams are within 5 games of one another with the Beechwood Bobcats and Sugar Valley Rattlers on top and 3 games ahead of Cold Creek and Wynnamac, who are all tied for third place. Belle Plaine is fifth, 4 game out. Tied for sixth place are Eastshore and Marston, who both trail by 5. The Elnora All-Stars are in the cellar and a distant 11 games off the pace.

Most Improved Team: Beechwood (5th to 1st) and Sugar Valley (6th to 1st)
Most Disappointing Team: Elnora (4th to 8th)

Manager Bret George has his Beechwood Bobcats (39-31) tied for first place mainly because of two tremendous starting pitchers: All-Stars Terry Kuznetsov (11-1 2.05) and Dek Jumonville (11-6 2.00)... the Bobcats have posted an excellent 3.25 team ERA... offensively George's boys lead the division in runs scored, too, while hitting for a modest .261 batting average with decent power... Beechwood's best bats are All-Star RF Dale Strickland (.289/16/48/42), LF Jakie Creekmore (.305/9/42/49) and CF Clifton Czabo (.282/5/35/46).

Running neck-and-neck are Gibby Bobkins' Sugar Valley Rattlers (39-31)... the Rattlers top arms are All-Star Jay Washington (11-6 2.41) and Connie Ehrlichmann (10-3 3.53)... top bats are All-Star C Hal Stevenson (.256/10/39/34), a fine glove man and good runs producer, CF Austen Conover (.302/2/38/48) and rookie 2B Vic Chatelain (.291/2/34/27)... Sugar Valley is one of best defensive clubs in the Islands with an outstanding .983 FA.

T. Kelly Holmes runs the Cold Creek Catamounts (36-34) baseball organization... the club has been a consistent first division team and Holmes is trying to extend the string to seven years... this season the Catamounts are tied for third with Wynnamac and trail Beechwood and Sugar Valley by 3 games... Cold Creek possesses a good pitching corps with a solid 3.43 team ERA... heading the mound staff are three quality starters: Payton Saunders (10-6 2.95), Terence Gilbert (8-7 3.34), Russell Thurber (5-8 3.20) and Frankie Novikov (4-1 1.99), who has just been promoted to a starter slot after excelling in middle relief... Holmes top hitters are CF Trip Holmes (.298/9/46/33), RF Emile Stosha (.263/10/32/39) and LF Nickie Troxell (.250/11/37/26)... the Catamounts are batting only .253 and need more offense to compete with Beechwood and Sugar Valley.

The Wynnamac Sundowners (36-34) are having a semi-down year thus far as manager Matt Donnelly and his club are coming off two good seasons where they finished first and second... it's tough to contend with a 4.35 team ERA... only Angus Conroy (10-6 3.40) is having a decent year on the mound... Skeets Hobart, a 16-game winner last season, has fallen out of the rotation with a 4-3 mark and a lousy 6.02 ERA... but Wynnamac can still put some runs on the scoreboard with All-Star Big Hoss Burkhalter (.318/21/57/48), 1B Nate Cockcroft (.323/12/31/33), RF Mark Buchanan (.306/7/29/33), 2B Warren Lee (.285/5/28/40) and CF Dalton Leeds (.289/3/27/37) in the line-up.

Last year's RU East champs, the Belle Plaine Musketeers (35-35) are hovering close by in the fifth spot in the standings, 4 games behind... Boo Ladrieux's Muskies are not hitting as well this year as last with the team average dropping from a lofty .276 to .261 this season... All-Star 1B Rory Dickenson (.328/8/36/54) is leading the attack with help from LF Harry Klyman (.290/12/59/33) and RF Juan Mendez (.280/3/29/43)... on the hill Ladrieux has three quality hurlers in Jorge Bonilla (11-5 3.18), Matt Van Rensberg (9-3 3.87) and closer Denny Reynaud (2-1 3.06) with 14 saves... the Musketeers have compiled a 4.31 ERA so far.

There is also a tie for sixth in the RU East with Eastshore and Marston 5 games back in the pennant chase... Killer Brewster's Eastshore Elegants (34-36) pack some punch in their batting order... the Elegants have hit 78 homers (7th), but are hitting only .257 as a team... and they have put up a 3.77 ERA (10th)... at the plate Brewster's crew is sparked by RF Stan Cuccinello (.305/12/37/27), C Fran MacIntyre (.345/10/35/29), LF Darrel Alston (.288/15/33/28) and CF Cris Willis (.313/4/33/28)... Eastshore's staff is dependable with Donnie Rinaldi (9-7 3.54), Eddie Lance (6-6 3.32) and Thomas Williams (6-11 3.34).

The Marston Nine (34-36) are guided by Johnny Walters... it's been 3-4 years since his club has made the first division and six seasons since the Nine made the postseason playoffs... Marston hits the ball pretty well with a .269 batting average (7th)... Walters' pitching rotation is only average with a 4.06 ERA... his starting hurlers are Zippy Hodge (9-6 3.49), Ben Sparkman (8-3 3.73) and hard-luck Ernie Arredondo (5-11 3.46)... in the bullpen John Updike (3-1 2.92) has stood out with 16 saves... at bat 1B Pat Farris (.386/7/30/39), 3B Jimmy Holman (.278/15/45/38) and rookie LF Carlton McClure (.260/12/48/39) are Marston's main sticks.

Last place belongs solely to the Elnora All-Stars (29-41), who are 10 games off the lead... under manager Zoggy White Elnora made the playoffs four of the first six years in the IPA, but not lately... the All-Stars have chalked up a fair 3.95 ERA and are hitting at a .260 pace... Elnora has trouble scoring... White's top pitchers are Kenny Karr (5-3 2.72) and Matty Wilkerson (8-6 3.92) in the starting roles... White has two outstanding relievers in Taylor Gibbs (2-1 1.49) and rookie closer Tom Allen (6-1 1.01), who has 8 saves since being moved into that slot... RF Lloyd Voss (.355/6/29/42), who won the RU batting title last season with a .368 average, could do it again...

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

2010 IPA Mid-Season Recap

Ruthlandian Union West Division

Colfax Dominant In RU West, Leads By 7
The powerful Colfax Blasters are at it again. Clem Rogers' Blasters are on top of the Ruthlandian West where they have been entrenched for the past two seasons. Colfax won the division in 2008 and 2009 and seems intent on a three-peat with a strong 7-game bulge over the Volusia Vigilantes and Fort Benton Defenders. Rocky Rapids is in fourth place and is 11 games back.

Fort Benton is easily the most-improved ball club in the RU West, rising up from the cellar to a second-place tie... Down-trodden for years Robbie Brooks' team has really surprised with an influx of rookies...the Forest City Lumberjacks are the most disappointing as they have spiraled down from third to sixth this year.

The Colfax Blasters (48-22) have picked up where they left off last season. They racked 94 wins last year and 100 two years ago and are on schedule to take 95 or more this year... the Blasters do just about everything well and have three All-Stars on the squad... leading the way are All-Star pitcher Ilya Szabo (12-2 2.00) and Jimmy Joe Cartner (13-3 3.58), All-Star closer Dallas Somerville (2-2 0.42) with 13 saves, All-Star CF Ryan Raines (.285/12/53/57), LF Paul Coniglio (.286/14/51/45) and 3B Mike Janocko (.348/13/50/29)... Colfax is good defensively, too, with a .976 FA.

The always-strong Volusia Vigilantes (41-29) have never finished out of the first division in 10 IPA seasons and it's no different this year for them... the only problem is they have not made the playoffs in four years... the V's are tied for the runner-up spot in the standings with upstart Fort Benton and are 7 games off the pace... manager Alfonso Feliz stresses good pitching and year-after-year he has it... his pitching staff has registered an outstanding 3.20 ERA, led by All-Star Todd Wolfe (13-4 1.96), Gary Hersh (9-5 2.76) and Ben Manderson (6-6 3.57)... Volusia does well with a .276 BA... Feliz's top bats are SS Bobby Farias (.346/6/38/30), 1B Johnny Scallini (.285/8/36/51), RF Briscoe Crowder (.310/5/31/32) and newcomer free agent Rolf Kellgren (.304/2/24/31), who plays all over the infield... the V's were busy in the off-season and signed 6 pitchers and 4 position players... Feliz has the good problem of an over-abundance of talented players, but he is having trouble playing everybody.

Skipper Robbie Brooks says 6 rookies have made all the difference in the world for the Fort Benton Defenders (41-29)... rookie All-Star SS Pete Duvalier (.345/6/41/52) has been super at bat and in the field... utility IF Rob Burke (.277/10/35/30), RF Forest Cummings (.289/7/27/37) and CF Ryan Smith (.253/8/28/47) have also played well offensively and defensively... other rookie backups are SS Mark Pace (.259) and CF Louis Hudson (.298)... 10-year journeyman LF Nicky Swift (.245/11/46) still can go deep and drive in runs at age 33... But even more important are pitchers All-Star Frankie Jardine (11-4 2.33) and Tal Vaitkus (7-1 1.87), who have been superlative this season... Tucker Dawes (8-9 3.53) gives Brooks another adequate starter.

The Rocky Rapids Snappers (37-33) are still a good ball club, despite losing one of the best pitchers in the IPA... 39-year-old Charlie Boyer decided to call it a career in spite of winning 20 games in each of his last two seasons... Boyer suffered a severe arm injury late last year and decided to retire... With him, the Snappers could challenge Colfax, without him, they are just a good, solid team...Ryan Noland's club is fourth this year after coming within two games of the pennant in 2009... Rocky Rapids is a good-hitting team this year, but not the same on the mound as the team ERA rose from 3.69 to 4.22... Noland's top bats are All-Star LF Scott Camden (.324/19/60/50), All-Star C Hank Bethel (.340/12/48/40), SS Cooter Bermudez (.336/3/22/51) and 2B Hoppy Hill (.307/1/20/37)... on the hill Pat Brown (8-5 2,.77) and rookie Donnie Chaney (9-5 4.05) are carrying the load... rookie Closer Earl Pitts (3-2 2.91) has taken charge of the bullpen and saved 14 games... the Snappers play good defense with a .976 FA.

In fifth place at the All-Star break are the Sligo Rovers (34-36)... the Rovers stand 14 games out... on paper Eddie Keys' crew should be higher in the standings... Sligo hits with power and has fair pitching... LF Fred Collins (.306/15/49/45), 2B Hollis Waldrup (.273/10/42/46) and 3B Robby Franklin (.288/11/31/38) are the major run producers with help from rookies SS Vic Carlin (.266/9/42/40), CF Clell Renshaw (.311/11/35/45) and RF Mike Nordmann (.272/10/35/27)... the pitching leaders are Colin McGrath (7-5 3.34) and rookie Vinnie Ratelli (6-7 2.62)... The Rover defense is poor with a .965 FA, worst in the IPA.

The Forest City Lumberjacks (32-38) were poised to make a move upward and make a serious charge at Colfax this season under manager Robbie Jackson... the 'Jacks finished third and second the last two years... but so far they have staggered and fallen down to sixth place and trail by 16 games... they dropped off in pitching and batting... Jackson has a quality rotation with Brian Charles (7-7 2.88), Ernie Hill (7-7 3.93) and Knucks Nomellini (10-7 4.00)... but 9-year vet Al Thibaut (4-12 3.75) is having to endure his worst season and may not make double-digit wins for the first time in his career... at the plate Forest City is paced by All-Star 3B Vic Lemay (.335/12/41/34), LF Joe Judlin (.286/13/37/38) and 2B Diego De Luna (.281/7/28/41)... the Lumberjacks are poor in the field with a .966 FA.

Manager Smitty Michaels made the playoffs his first six seasons in the IPA and won the Pro Cup in 2005... but for the last four years his Middlefield Roosters (28-42) have been stuck in the second division of the RU West... it's hard to win in any league with a 4.70 team ERA... Michaels has nobody beyond starters Johnny Bond (9-8 3.38) and Tino Elardo (5-3 3.97)... Offensively the Roosters can still rip the ball with SS Jim Rose (.321/11/40/57), CF Lee Taryn (.278/16/47/38) and LF Moose Scoggins... Middlefield plays mediocre defense with a .968 FA.

The last place Stoner Stars (27-43) have had only one good year in its 9-year IPA history when they won the RU West crown in 2007... it's been downhill ever since... this year Willie Dickens' team has hit bottom and find themselves 21 games out of first place... the Stars are a hapless team, hitting only .249 with a pathetic 4.75 team ERA... Stoner does have one bright star in All-Star SS Karol Zodoka (.303/12/44/41)... at age 35 Zodoka can still play with the best of them... He still holds the IPA record for 54 home runs in 2001... rookie 1B Terry Jackson (.279/11/41/3) has impressed in his freshman year... LF Tony Scalise (.268/12/33/35) has chipped in some offense, too... there's not much to cheer about on the mound... Norman Canfield (7-6 3.86) and Kelly Schaeffer (4-2 2.39)are the only two hurlers under the 4.00 ERA mark... most of the pitchers are over 5.00 in ERA.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

2010 IPA Mid-Season Recap

Tycobbian Union North Division

Wide-Open Race In TU North, White River On Top By 3
The Cinderella White River Rascals came out of oblivion and leaped from the cellar to the top of the heap in the Tycobbian North this season. In a wide-open battle, the fast-rising Rascals have a 3-game lead over the Mahaska Haymakers at the halfway point, 4-game edge over the Oxford Red Caps and 5 games better than Blue Lake and Hartsdale, who are tied for fourth.

1st Place - White River Rascals (47-23)
Manager - John Randison
Team BA - .269 (5th)
HR - 84 (5th)
Runs - 382 (3rd)
Team ERA - 3.60 (11th)
Team FA - .971 (20th-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Mick Cronyn (11-5 2.37) *All-Star
Danny Blauser (10-6 3.80)
Mark Morse (9-6 3.96)
Lance Logan (3-2 1.61) with 16 saves (rookie closer) *All-Star

Top Hitters:
RF Joey Jarrett (.322/8/39/37) *All-Star
LF Bernie Valente (.305/11/43/37)
SS Riley Cloy (.249/16/44/46)

2nd Place - Mahaska Haymakers (44-26)
Manager - Rusty Tanussa
Team BA - .269 (6th)
HR - 67 (14th-tied)
Runs - 377 (4th)
Team ERA - 3.62 (13th)
Team FA - .973 (15th-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Johnny Picou (8-5 2.17)
Johnny Spears (7-4 3.15)
Don Shaw (10-4 3.91)
Dain Abner (8-9 4.13)

Top Hitters:
3B Domingo Rios (.326/16/47/55)
C Sollie Rees (.277/9/43/41)
2B Walt Long (.312/6/37/51)
1B Timmy Binford (.310/5/35/27)
RF Reynaldo Quezada (.271/7/42/34)

3rd Place - Oxford Red Caps (43-27)
Manager - Campy Roy
Team BA - .267 (9th)
HR - 72 (11th-tied)
Runs - 361 (6th)
Team ERA - 3.47 (8th)
Team FA - .978 (2nd-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Emerson Carnell (10-5 2.42) *All-Star
Nicky Nicholson (9-7 3.49)
Del Anderson (8-5 3.97)
Ronnie D'Abo (5-2 2.84) with 10 saves (rookie closer)

Top Hitters:
3B Cameron Kamara (.321/12/54/46) *All-Star
LF Mac Spencer (.317/12/42/38) *All-Star
1B Eddy Dowler (.306/10/32/45)
CF Wayne McDonald (.292/8/42/50)
2B Carl Graeme (.263/8/49/34)

4th Place (tied) - Blue Lake Blue Sox (42-28)
Manager - Cobb Tyson
Team BA - .255 (22nd)
HR - 75 (7th)
Runs - 348 (9th)
Team ERA - 3.50 (9th)
Team FA - .975 (6th-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Justin Eckhardt (12-4 2.73) *All-Star
Pete Henry (9-9 2.32)

Top Hitters:
CF Rick Hilliard (.361/14/41/45) *All-Star
2B Loren Babcock (.305/15/51/53)
RF Tad Kirklin (.265/13/40/41)
3B Rob Pollard (.294/4/23/46)
LF Vic Gelder (.277/11/41/32)

4th Place (tied) - Hartsdale Hellcats (42-28)
Manager - Zim Donner
Team BA - .280 (1st)
HR - 91 (2nd)
Runs - 375 (5th)
Team ERA - 3.32 (5th)
Team FA - .973 (15th-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Nico Carnera (8-3 2.57)
Matt DeRosa (12-5 3.35)

Top Hitters:
1B Tom Brabant (.329/20/56/39) *All-Star
2B Jud Turchin (.325/16/54/48) *All-Star
RF Mac Faulkner (.300/7/45/44)
CF Woody Crow (.289/7/25/48)
3B Kendry Moulton (.285/14/45/42)
LF Rob Welch (.294/8/30/25)

6th Place - Fairfax Frogs (37-33)
Manager - Harry Buckley
Team BA - .270 (3rd)
HR - 70 (13th)
Runs - 355 (7th)
Team ERA - 3.40 (7th)
Team FA - .974 FA (14th-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Joe Hampton (10-5 3.17) *All-Star
Scotty Marshall (7-5 3.63)
Wally Tidwell (10-8 3.98)
Gino Carmazzo (5-5 2.89)
Jimmy Dalton (2-0 1.22) (closer)

Top Hitters:
RF Dane Wesner (.355/22/69/49) *All-Star
1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.303/5/28/45)
CF Eric Brockmann (.296/2/23/35) (rookie)
SS Wes Hickox (.272/7/41/45)

7th Place - Luxora Zorros (28-42)
Manager - Alejandro Rodrigo
Team BA - .246 (28th)
HR - 50 (27th)
Runs - 292 (29th)
Team ERA - 3.72 (16th)
Team FA - .973 (15th-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Elio Laurente (7-9 2.85)
Ricardo Topez (2-2 2.89) with 8 saves (closer)

Top Hitters:
2B Pablo Santa Cruz (.316/5/29/38)
SS Joachin Malagon (.284/1/26/28)

8th Place - North Hills Hawks (24-46)
Manager - Hub Carlson
Team Batting - .234 (32nd)
HR - 37 (31st)
Runs - 241 (32nd)
Team ERA - 3.65 (14th)
Team FA - .970 (22nd-tied)

Top Pitchers:
Ben Dewberry (8-11 3.33)
Ronnie Kerensky (7-10 3.35)
Lou Dozier (5-10 3.38)
Ken Wright (0-2 2.89) with 12 saves (rookie closer)

Top Hitters:
1B Masaichi Okawa (.256/11/39/29)

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Tycobbian South Team Batting

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Tycobbian South Team Pitching

The Islandian Times

Sunday, June 20, 2010

Ruthlandian South Recap

Dead Heat In TU South, Turon and Ginza Leaders

It's a draw so far at the All-Star hiatus in the Tycobbian South with the Turon Typhoons in a dead heat with the up-and-coming Ginza Ninjas. They have a 4-game lead over third place Southport and 6 games on fourth place Summerland... Turon (39-34), the perennial power in the TU South with 3 division crowns and 2 Pro Cups in the last four, might have a fight on its hands this season with Ginza because the Typhoons are pitifully poor in hitting... Manager Whitey Richburn's crew is only batting .246, down from .274 last year... thank goodness, Turon's pitching is holding up overall... in fact, it is a little better than last season with a 3.35 team ERA, best in the TU South... top pitchers are: Freddi Speigel (10-3 2.92) and rookie sensation Nicky Engstrom (8-1 2.05)... vets Anthony Nardone (6-11 3.39) and James Stuart (6-8 3.72) are doing OK, but Jacques Lemaire (6-6 5.23) is having an atrocious year... Lemaire was 24-6 with a 3.42 ERA in 2009 and won the Golden Arm Award... Richburn has gotten great work out of his rookie left-handed closer Merle Studebaker (0-1 3.26), who has saved 11 games... defensively the Typhoons are only average with a .974 FA.... Turon is really suffering in the batter's box thus far... only CF Mac McCurnan (.299/14/43/50), 2B Alan Hansen (.315/0/9/51) and 1B Johnny Carducci (.240/14/49/32) are putting any runs on the scoreboard.

In Ginza (39-34), manager Huroko Uchiyama stresses pitching and defense and it seems to be working this year... the team ERA is 3.51 and defensively the Ninjas have a strong .980 FA... Uchiyama could use better hitting... Ginza is batting only .256... George Gentry (8-3 2.75) and Carl Trebeck (7-9 2.76) give them two veteran starters... second-year man Joji Azuma (9-8 3.78) gives Uchiyama a third quality starter... CF Jack Vorland (.286/8/42/29), LF Domingo DeLeon (.315/6/24/36) and 1B Coonie Coulon (.343/2/18/22) provide most of the runs... it's looks like a two-team race in the TU South between Turon and Ginza... no one else looks to be a contender.

Overall the TU South does not compete well with the other Tycobbian divisions... only Turon and Ginza are above the .500 mark... the other three divisions have 4-6 teams playing .500 ball... the Southport Sun Sox (35-38) are in third place and within striking distance of the leaders, just 4 games back... skipper Charley Oscar has the best-hitting squad in the division with a .269 average, but that is misleading, the Sun Sox simply have a hard time scoring... they leave too many runners on base... All-Star LF Big Stick Takala (.308/12/59/38) is the main man in the batter's box with lots of help from 1B Charlie Gamble (.313/11/44/42)... pitching-wise Oscar's best arms are Keith Callahan (8-8 2.78) and Kael Claxton (5-9 3.05), both suffer from too little run support... Nero Scolari (6-3 4.13) has also had some good outings.

The fourth place Summerland Sunsets (33-40) are 6 games off the pace... Will Hackett has no hitters... the Sunsets are batting a pathetic .239, only North Hills is worst with a .234 BA... Hackett does have three quality starters in veterans Pat Dreux (8-9 3.26), Eddie Hoffman (7-8 3.58) and Denny Coulon (5-9 4.09)... rookie Frank Gerber (1-3 2.88) looks like a good closer with 13 saves... Summerland has only one decent hitter... 2B Randy Rudelmeier (.296/4/38/23).

The fifth-place Arroyo Grande Suns (32-41) trail Turon and Ginza by 7 games... the Suns have only four quality players... All-star pitcher Jimmy Boxx (11-6 2.35), who has been brilliant with a bad team... All-Star Sherm Miles (.332/18/67/49), an excellent hitter, who may be headed for a career year... the all-time leading hitter in the IPA, Jet Kazmarek (.336/4/37/49), who is still piling up the base hits and still stealing bases at age 35... and Miguel Aguilera (8-8 3.74) is a capable starter... manager Jean-Luc Marchand doesn't have much after them.

Weak hitting is the sixth place San Alejo Montaneros' (31-42) problem... the team is hitting only .238 with 45 homers and 250 runs, just about last in all of those categories... manager Lando Peceda is lucky he is only 8 games off the pace... two fine pitchers are carrying the team... 36-year vet Alberto Herrera (7-7 2.29), who had labored 9 years in a Montaneros uniform... and second-year man Chad Gilmore (8-7 2.79)... they consistently give Peceda good outings... at the plate only 1B Miles Shufford (.277/11/43/34) gets the job done.

One of the better TU South franchises has fallen way down to seventh place this season... Colchester's (29-44) Uncle Robbie Wilbertson is not accustomed to being so low in the standings... The Elites are 10 games off the pace... Colchester has finished in the second division only once in its 9-year history and that was 2003... super bad pitching is the reason... they are next to last with a 4.56 team ERA... only Jimmy Simmons (6-2 3.22) is doing work on the mound... Timmy Brooks (7-7 4.28) has been inconsistent... 2-time 20-game winner Frank Payne (2-10 4.69) is having a terrible season and he is only 30 years old... Wilbertson's best bats are two good ones... 1B Harlan Roscoe (.285/19/45/42) and CF Doug Tilford (.293/8/29/45)... about the only thing the Elites do well is play defense... they have a .978 FA.

Way down in the TU South basement 15 games behind are Marty Pedroza's Cape Coral Hurricanes (24-49)... not a whole lot of talent on the 'Canes this year... Cody Burg (7-10 2.85) is still one of the top twirlers in the IPA at age 30... Pedroza has some decent hitters in 3B Bobby Josker (.299/7/4/32), LF Rich Osolinsky (.310/10/35/40) and 2B Lonnie Moon (.294/7/31/36)... Cape Coral's wonderful SS Flipper Bird (.232/10/30/44), one of the all-time best players in the IPA, is staggering through another bad year... Bird only hit .230 last season... at 30 he is too young to call it a career.