[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, June 24, 2003

IPA Halfway Through 3rd Season of Play

Year number three has been the best ever in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Crowds are still filling up the stadiums, scoring is up and the competition is strong with all eight divisions having close races at the midseason All-Star break.

Tight Tussle in RU North, 3-Way Battle Between Far Mountain, Valmara and Ranford

In the Ruthlandian Union North, Far Mountain (48-25) and Valmara (48-25) are in a tough toe-to-toe tussle and are tied for the top spot. The Ranford Bulls (45-28) are not far behind and trail by only three games. Upstart Kilkenny (42-31) is in the fourth spot. Last year the Cats finished seventh. Taranto (40-33) is holding onto fifth place, while last year's pennant winner Glasco (38-35) has slumped to sixth. Rounding out the North Division are seventh place LaGrange (34-39) and cellar-dweller Ancona (23-50). This could well be the best division talent-wise in the Ruthlandian Union and perhaps in the entire IPA.

Skipper Alex Groveland has his Far Mountain Redhawks playing even better than last year's second place finish in the regular season. Groveland has one of the top pitching corps in the IPA with starters Robby Kelly (9-6 2.40), Sonny Elliott (10-5 3.20), Doc Rutledge (11-4 3.50) and Mike McCabe (5-2 3.69). In the bullpen Bud Ford (3-3 1.91) has excelled with 12 saves. The Redhawks team ERA is third-best in the league with 3.28.

Offensively Far Mountain is underpowered with only 58 homers (18th), but they do have a good .274 batting average (10th). Groveland depends on RF Karl Dietz (.271/17 HR/53 RBI/40 R), 1B Royce Benson (.326/7 HR/31 RBI/49 R/17 SB) and CF Sam Cameron (.314/5 HR/27 RBI/49 R/17 SB) for his offense.

Valmara is very similar in style to Far Mountain with a little more power. The Vipers have a fine mound staff with starters Danny Blauser (12-3 2.48), Andre Trepanier (8-6 3.14) and Ted Farentino (7-4 3.86). Blauser was the team's only All-Star. In the bullpen former starter Zarek Zalewski (4-0 4.21) has 13 saves so far this season. Valmara is fourth with an impressive 3.29 ERA.

Skipper J. Samuel Jackson has more punch than Far Mountain with the likes of LF Jet Kazmarek (.338/5 HR/45 RBI/50 R/47 SB), RF Val Krol (.323/8 HR/40 RBI/36 R) and 2B Fred Vinson (.309/2 HR/48 RBI/32 R). Rookies SS Steve Androwski (.287/10 HR/34 RBI/46 R/9 SB) and 3B Zoran Belakov (.269/9 HR/29 RBI/35 R) have also stood out. As a team the Vipers are batting .269 (18th), but have hit 70 homers (7th).

The Ranford Bulls, piloted by Page Satcher, are right on the co-leaders coattails, just three games back in third place. Satcher has a veteran team with no rookie in the starting rotation or regular line-up. The Bulls won 90 games and ended up fourth last year and are on target to win more this season. As a team Ranford is hitting .271 (15th) with 57 home runs (19th) with a 3.65 ERA (11th). Along with Valmara and LaGrange, they are rated good on defense with a .976 fielding average (7th-tied).

All-Stars SP Chris Bernhoffer and 2B Johnny Fenroy lead the club. Bernhoffer (12-4 2.52), Bud Enright (7-4 2.78) and Jim Maxwell (8-5 4.24) are Sacher's best starters. As far as hitters CF Warren Gravois (.310/8 HR/46 RBI/42 R/9 SB), 1B Jordy John (.279/10 HR/46 R/50 R), SS Rick Fargnoli (.284/9 HR/46 RBI/46 R), 3B Colin Fairclough (.335/3 HR/36 RBI/33 R/20 SB) and C Walt Horvath (.304/ 5 HR/36 RBI/42 R) have been the most productive for Ranford. Fenroy is outstanding with the glove (.989 FA) and is hitting .291 with 4 homers and 32 RBIs.

Manager Kieran McKenna of the Kilkenny Cats has turned it around this year. The Cats suffered a next-to-last finish in 2002, 24 games out of first place. This season they trail by only six games. McKenna has fashioned a good mound staff, headed by Dino Carravaggio (10-4 3.07). The other three pitchers, Colin Gilder (7-3 3.92), Mack Harrell (6-6 3.84) and Yasuyuki Nakagawa (8-8 3.86), have shined at times and have been fairly consistent in starting roles. Kilkenny has a 3.90 ERA, ranking 14th in the Ruthlandian Union.

At the plate the Cats sport a .269 batting average (16th) with 62 roundtrippers (11th-tied). The load has been carried mainly by 3B Rowdy O'Leary (.328/10 HR/54 RBI/45 R), All-Star CF Kirk Pitzer (.342/12 HR/45 RBI/50 R/28 SB/.989 FA) and RF Rick Audubon (.305/10 HR/23 RBI/19 R). McKenna has just promoted Audubon to fulltime rightfielder. He has been platooning.

Skipper Tommaso Lazzorda fields a high-scoring, heavy-hitting ballclub in Taranto. The Tars have belted their way to the fifth spot in the standings. Lazzorda's club is carrying a .281 team batting average (5th) and tops the IPA with 107 roundtrippers (1st). Despite playing in one of the smallest park in the league, Taranto has a relatively-good 3.91 ERA (16th) and has allowed only 48 home runs.

The Tars have a potent batting order, powered by All-Star RF Dominic Zuccaro (.331/24 HR/66 RBI/55 R), LF Tony Blaser (.335/20 HR/50 RBI/58 R) and the IPA home run leader, CF Teddy Giacone (.254/26 HR/65 RBI/49 R). On the mound Lazzorda depends on All-Star Anthony Nardone (11-4 2.32), who has been superb, even in the tiny Palazzo di Sport. Middle reliever Sal Pascioni (5-0 1.56) has also stood out above the crowd and will move into the starting rotation the rest of the season.

The RU North defending champ, the Glasco Athletics, are now only the sixth-best team and are 10 games behind in the pennant chase. Age may be catching up with the A's as they have several regulars over 35. Manager McDuffie Hughes' pitching staff is not what it was in the IPA's first two seasons. The Athletics have a 3.94 ERA (18th) with Ray Cook (8-7 2.79) and Charles Darby (9-9 3.49) McHughes' best performers. McHughes has revamped his mound corps with former ace Jesse Balfour (4-1 3.59) back in the rotation after being exiled to the bullpen for the last year and Takehide Takahashi (7-6 5.73) going back into the closer slot where he was once the best in the IPA while with Fairfax in 2001.

Glasco's batting order matches up with their opponents pretty well with a .278 average, but lacks firepower with only 54 homers (22nd). Veterans LF Ox Beauvais (.317/7 HR/43 RBI/45 R) and 1B Maury Smith (.316/4 HR/41 RBI/38 R) still carry most of the load with help this year from RF Bobby Pascarelli (.278/14 HR/45 RBI/30 R).

Little wonder that the LaGrange Sports find themselves in seventh place, 14 games off the pace. The Sports are batting a lowly .250 (31st) and have compiled a pitiful 4.32 ERA (28th). Foxy Jimison is still at the helm of the ballclub, but seems to have very little talent. Jimison has a couple of decent starters in Al Thibaut (11-4 4.04) and Tony Amick (7-9 4.15). LaGrange has a solid closer in Sean Stone (4-2 2.56), who has chalked up 14 saves. Jimison has even less talent in the batter's box. His biggest threat is 1B Artie Vicknair (.256/12 HR/36 RBI/39 R). In the second half of the season Jimison is going to play all of his benchwarmers and see what they can do. His first stringers have been woefully weak at the plate.

Last year the Ancona Red Elephants ended the season in last place with a 68-86 mark, but this year they will not come close to matching it. They will be lucky to win 50 games. Managed by Mick Mickens, the Red Elephants are ranked at the bottom in batting average and ERA. Ancona is hitting a composite .254 (28th) and its pitchers have a dismal 4.80 ERA (31st). However, the Red Elephants have hit 63 homers (10th) and have some fairly good bats in RF Jimmy Brewer (.322/10 HR/30 RBI/39 R), 3B Dmitros Vardros (.314/13 HR/51 RBI/40 R), C Dale Kerr (.284/12 HR/30 RBI/29 R) and 2B Nick Tarkovsky (.288/5 HR/26 RBI/48 R).

Ancona manager Mick Mickens made wholesale changes in his pitching staff at midseason. He brought in six new hurlers in an attempt to change the direction of the ballclub. George Angelakos (6-9 3.33) is his prime pitcher, but there is little after him unless the new rookie arms come through for Mickens. The Red Elephants will probably have to wait until next year to get back in the race.

Ruthlandian North Division Outlook:
And who will make the playoffs? Anyone of six teams has a chance. Most likely Far Mountain will take the top spot with Valmara fighting them tooth-and-nail down to the last day and probably into the playoffs, too. Ranford, Kilkenny and Taranto will battle it out for the last two playoff spots with Glasco having an outside shot at fourth place. The Ruthlandian Union North teams should do well in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs. It seems to be filled to the brim with talented teams.