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The Islandian Times
Monday, September 21, 2008
Red-Hot Run Gives Luxora Its 2nd TU North Pennant
1st – Luxora Zorros (85-69)
At the All-Star Game Luxora was in fourth place in the Tycobbian Union North and 5 games behind White River... but then the Zorros took off and outraced everybody down the stretch to win their second division crown... they topped runner-up Fairfax by 6 games... Alejandro Rodrigo's Zorros are a good mix of pitching and hitting led by a very good starting rotation of Antonio Anaya (21-7 3.54), Elio Laurente (17-14 3.41) and Jay Cavazos (10-10 3.34), along with closer Ricardo Topez (8-5 2.14), who collected 32 saves, and long reliever Eddie Hoffman (7-4 2.81), who appeared in 60 games... at bat Luxora was sparked by CF Bob Haviland (.291/36 HR/109 RBI/93 R), RF Joel Reed (.303/22 HR/104 RBI/84 R), 3B Pablo Santa Cruz (.292/11 HR/72 RBI/110 R/35 SB) and 2B Bobby Bayas (.292/11 HR/67 RBI/88 R/18 SB).
2nd – Fairfax Frogs (79-75)
The Fairfax Frogs made a race of it until they faded in the final two months of the year... Skipper Harry Buckley has a well-balanced club with better-than-average run production and pitching, along with excellent fielding (.978 FA)... RF Dane Wesner (.364/31 HR/99 RBI/98 R) and 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.291/12 HR/77 RBI/94 R) were the top hitters, while Kaz Hayagawa (17-8 3.46), Roman Reynosa (15-11 4.03), Wally Tidwell (15-16 3.26) and Scotty Marshall (12-17 3.36) led the pitching corps.
3rd – Oxford Red Caps (77-77)
Campy Roy's Oxford Red Caps were looking for their third division flag in a row and were the defending IPA Pro Cup titleholders, but they were slow out of the gate and got too far behind before turning the season around... they ended up in third place, 8 games off the pace... Oxford lost half of it starting rotation due to free agency and never recovered, although Del Anderson (24-12 3.02) established himself as a pitcher of note... Nicky Nicholson (17-17 4.22) and Emerson Carnell (12-10 4.04) had so-so seasons... The Red Caps have one of the top all-around players in the IPA in CF Wayne McDonald (.326/28 HR/102 RBI/102 R/22 SB)... the third-year man is also outstanding in the field... The Red Caps are very good defensively with a .977 FA... LF Mac Spencer (.267/22 HR/76 RBI/79 R), 1B Floyd Snow (.274/24 HR/64 RBI/70 R) , 3B Timmy Binford (.271/11 HR/70 RBI/76 R) and C Whitey Cosgrove (.280/11 HR/63 RBI/80 R) are also good contributors with the bat.
4th – White River Rascals (76-78)
It was a great run while it lasted for John Randison and his White River Rascals... the division doormat surprised everybody by leading at mid-season... the Rascals took a severe nosedive in July (8-21), but still managed to crack the first division for the first time in its history, winding up fourth, 9 games back... Randison has good power and a couple of good starters... his top bats were 3B Riley Cloy (.291/33 HR/106 RBI/98 R/19 SB), LF Bernie Valente (.312/34 HR/91 RBI/119 R/25 SB), 1B Charley Schofield (.282/17 HR/77 RBI) and CF Ronnie Lee (.282/7 HR/42 RBI/95 R/44 R)... White Rivers top arms were 6-year veteran Mick Cronyn (17-16 3.34) and Paul Waskins (16-12 3.60).
5th – Mahaska Haymakers (75-79)
Manager Rusty Tanussa has almost no hitting at all in Mahaska with a lowly .249 team batting average (32nd), but makes up for it with a pretty fair mound staff that compiled an impressive 3.53 ERA (4th)... The Haymakers were expecting big things this year after last year's fine second-place finish, but it never happened... they slumbered all season in mediocrity and came out in fifth place, 10 games out... 36-year-old Johnny Spears (18-14 2.64) seems to be getting better with age... he wins even without adequate run support... relievers Dain Abner (9-3 3.13) and Don Shaw (2-1 3.13) have both been effective in long relief... free agent Bomber Belinsky (11-14 3.31) led Oxford to the Pro Cup title last year pitched well, but suffered from a lack of runs in Mahaska... the 7-year vet suffered his first losing season... 2B Domingo Rios (.281/25 HR/85 RBI/83 R) is the Haymakers best hitter... 1B Erv Nordvik (.256/16 HR/81 RBI) doesn't hit for average, but does drive in runs.
6th – Blue Lake Blue Sox (73-81)
Blue Lake continued its also-ran status in the TU North with a sixth-place standing and trailed pennant-winning Luxora by 12 games... Manager Cobb Tyson's best years were second place in 2001 and third place in 2005, the only two seasons when the club enjoyed winning records... the Blue Sox have good pitching with a 3.64 team ERA (7th), but is a weak-hitting ball club (.256 – 28th)... Tyson has one solid pitcher in Happy McManus (16-13 3.60)... Pat Grange (14-20 3.95) and Benny DeBartolo (8-7 3.85) can be tough at times... Blue Lake's best batters are LF Tad Kirklin (.264/30 HR/90 RBI/83 R/20 SB), CF Rick Hilliard (.285/21 HR/66 RBI/80 R/26 SB) and C Paul Bailey (.304/15 HR/70 RBI).
7th – Hartsdale Hellcats (66-88)
Zim Donner piloted the Hartsdale Hellcats through five consecutive winning seasons 2003-2007, but it came to a close this year... Hitting was just not enough as the Hellcats slipped far down the ladder to seventh place, 19 games back... Hartsdale has the hitters and is paced by 3B Kendry Moulton (.302/28 HR/103 RBI/80 R), LF Rob Welch (.265/36 HR/92 RBI), 1B Tom Brabant (.316/23 HR/86 RBI), 2B Jud Turchin (.315/20 HR/76 RBI/89 R/17 SB), RF Mac Faulkner (.297/16 HR/66 RBI/86 R) and CF Woody Crow (.271/9 HR/54 RBI/91 R/26 SB)... As a team the Hellcats are hitting at a .274 clip (2nd) and have gone deep 167 times (6th)... Donner doesn't have much to brag about when it comes to his hurlers except for Mitch Yessin (14-7 4.13) and Rip Arnold (7-6 2.85)... Overall Hartsdale has compiled a poor 4.23 ERA (26th).
8th – North Hills Hawks (64-90)
Over the past seven years the North Hills Hawks fans have not had much to cheer about... the Hawks have never made the playoffs and have never been over .500 in the regular season... 2008 is no exception as North Hills came in last again and was 21 games back... Manager Hub Carlson has little talent... his best performers are pitcher Lou Dozier (11-10 3.56), 3B Cameron Kamara (.304/16 HR/88 RBI/81 R/15 SB) and LF Brodie Blackburn (.294/7 HR/49 RBI/85 R/36 SB).
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