[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, April 4, 2005

Opening Day In The IPA - Season 5 Begins
The long-awaited and much-anticipated Opening Day of the Islandian Pro Alliance is finally here! For both fans and teams, hope always springs eternal. The proverbial "next year" is finally here! For better or worse, we'll find out what all the off-season management moves, manipulations and changes in personnel will bring. So, break out the peanuts and crackerjacks, sit back, sip on a tall cool one and get ready for some baseball.

BNN Preseason Poll 2005

The BNN baseball experts have been busy previewing all of the ball clubs and are now ready to do some serious prognostications on the upcoming season. Here are their forecasts for the Ruthlandian Union.

Ruthlandian Union North Division
It's going to be a rat race in the RU North this season between LaGrange, Valmara and Ranford. LaGrange, piloted by Foxy Jimison, is the slight favorite and is really improved with the addition of Bill Nilsen's big bat and 32 homers in the middle of the line-up. Nilsen was picked up in a trade with Forest City. The Lumberjacks got three starters out of the deal. The Vipers manager, J. Jackson Samuel, has filled a huge hole at shortstop with Toby Bidwell, obtained in a trade with Midway for center fielder Jan Szymanski. Time will tell how much Valmara will miss their mainstay of four years, who was a very valuable run producer. Page Satcher's Ranford Bulls are pretty much the same team and look to be a contender again, but not quite as strong as last year. Standing pat in the IPA is usually not a good thing for success. This is a tough division - even the bad teams are good.

Prediction: Team (Last Year)
1. LaGrange Sports (3rd)
2. Valmara Vipers (1st)
3. Ranford Bulls (3rd)
4. Far Mountain Redhawks (6th)
5. Glasco Athletics (4th)
6. Taranto Tars (5th)
7. Ancona Red Elephants (8th)
8. Kilkenny Cats (7th)

Ruthlandian Union South
The Belair Beach Sunbirds and the Claxton Diamonds will fight it out again in the RU South race with the Sunbirds the odds-on favorite because of their outstanding pitching, perhaps the best in the IPA. However, the Diamonds are strong in the pitching department, too. Claxton has added more power in rookie shortstop Carl Deaver and rookie outfielder Jackie Allemand. If they produce, manager Stacy Engel's bunch could knock off Marty Pedroza's team. Valka and San Dimas have an outside chance at the playoffs. Both clubs have fine pitching and capable hitting, but have more unknowns due to rookie roster additions. The remaining four teams will finish far back in the race and have little chance at a playoff spot.

Prediction: Team (Last Year)
1. Belair Beach Sunbirds (1st)
2. Claxton Diamonds (2nd)
3. Valka Blackhawks (3rd)
4. San Dimas Rancheros (4th)
5. Grand City Cybercats(6th)
6. St. John Crusaders (5th)
7. Waleska Westerners (7th)
8. Crystal Lake Crushers (8th)

Ruthlandian Union East Division
The top teams in the RU East will again be the Elnora All-Stars of Zoggy White and the Sugar Valley Rattlers of Gibby Bobkins. Both clubs are talented and will be among the elite teams in the IPA. White's All-Stars are well-balanced with excellent pitching and good hitting, while Bobkins' Rattlers have excellent hitting and good pitching. The edge goes to the best pitching. Marston is a distant third in the race and can't match up in either department with Elnora and Sugar Valley, but is a level above the rest of the division. Bret George has improved his Beechwood Bobcats through trades over the off-season and they could give Marston a run for third place if the new roster additions play up to potential. The rest of the division will have to wait until next year.

Prediction: Team (Last Year)
1. Elnora All-Stars (1st)
2. Sugar Valley Rattlers (2nd)
3. Marston Nine (3rd)
4. Beechwood Bobcats (6th)
5. Belle Plaine Musketeers (4th)
6. Cold Creek Catamounts (7th)
7. Wynnamac Sundowners (5th)
8. Eastshore Elegants (8th)

Ruthlandian Union West Division
Skipper Smitty Michaels is the top dog in the Ruthlandian Union West. His Middlefield Roosters won it last season and have loaded up to do it again. Michaels added power with rookie third baseman Charlie Gamble and catcher Mike Kanjorsky. He got Kanjorsky in a trade with Mahaska. They could be the answer to Middlefield's problems at those positions. The Roosters depend on fine pitching and excellent power to ward off the Volusia Vigilantes. V's manager Alfonso Feliz has very good pitching, but he is short on the longball. Middlefield may have a greater edge this season.

The Roosters and the Vigilantes just might have a battle on their hands with the Sligo Rovers, who surprised with a third-place finish last season and could surprise again. The Rovers led the RU in batting average and have a top-notch mound corps. Manager Eddie Keys has them primed to make a serious run for the division crown and a playoff spot. They are better this year and were only 8 games off the pace in 2004.

The Stoner Stars under the leadership of manager Willie Dickens have a good shot at fourth place. Four fine rookie position players will debut this season. This influx of new talent gives the Stars the edge over Forest City, who suffers from atrocious pitching. Manager Robbie Jackson traded his best player, shortstop Bill Nilsen, for three players in an attempt to turn things around. It doesn't look like it is enough to move them up in the standings. However, the 'Jacks can still hit very well. The remaining clubs will contest for the sixth spot and no higher.

Prediction: Team (Last Year)
1. Middlefield Roosters (1st)
2. Volusia Vigilanted (2nd)
3. Sligo Rovers (3rd)
4. Stoner Stars (5th)
5. Forest City Lumberjacks (4th)
6. Rocky Rapids Snappers (6th)
7. Colfax Blasters (7th)
8. Fort Benton Defenders (8th)