[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 20, 2017

2017 Tycobbian North Mid-Season Recap

TU South 6-Team Race, Colchester Leader
There won't be a two-team battle this season between perennial powers Turon and Cape Coral. It could be as many a six clubs in the fray in the Tycobbian South. At the All-Star hiatus Colchester and Arroyo Grande have surged to the forefront above Turon and Cape Coral. Colchester is on top by 4 games over runners-up Arroyo Grande and Cape Coral, with Turon and Summerland in the fourth spot, standing close by and only 5 games off the pace. The Ginza Ninjas are sixth and 6 games back with Southport ranking seventh, 11 out, followed by last-place San Alejo, 18 games out.

After several down seasons, the first-place Colchester Elites (43-30) have been energized by several rookies this year... Uncle Robbie Wilbertson has lifted them up from also-ran status to serious pennant contender... Colchester hits very well with a .275 BA (3rd) and does a fine job on the mound with a 3.77 ERA (15th)... rookie starters Jon McGinn (11-4) and Don Green (11-5) give the Elites two excellent starters... All-Star closer Don Richard (4-1) has chalked up 19 saves and posted an excellent 1.06 ERA... Wilbertson has 5 fine hitters, including four .300 batters... sparked by All-Star SS Patsy Bates (.332/3 HR), rookie 3B Rod Newton (.331/2 HR), 2B Johnny Robinson (.302/0 HR) and RF Robby Purdom (.301/9 HR)... all-time great 1B Harlan Roscoe (.297/14) still wields a big stick in the batting order after 16 years in the IPA... 37-year-old Roscoe has 469 homers, 1614 RBIs and a lifetime .314 batting average. Colchester looks like they are in it for the long haul and will challenge for the TU South flag... they are too well-rounded to fade out in the second half of the year.

Journeyman infielder Cyclone Cobb has taken over as skipper this season and has the Arroyo Grande Suns (39-34) playing quite well... they are tied with Cape Coral for second and are only 4 games behind in the race... Two rookie hurlers have really helped the Suns rise in the standings... Jacques Valmont (9-1 2.90) has been a very pleasant surprise, along with closer Jason Patrick (2-2), who has registered 12 saves with a superb 1.59 ERA... another rookie Earl O'Reilly (3-3 2.68) has just been added to the starting rotation... if he comes through, the Suns could give be a very serious contender in the TU South... leading the Arroyo Grande attack are All-Star SS Andy Pearson (.310/11 HR), RF Buddy Brechtel (.289/11 HR) and rookie C Gary Troxell (.265/16 HR).

The Cape Coral Hurricanes (39-34) are not as strong as they have been in recent years... Huggy Miller's hill corps is not as sound as the last two seasons... He has seen the team ERA jump up to 4.04 (22nd)... Ray Salisbury is only 8-8 with a 5.31 ERA, after winning 20 games in each of his first two seasons... veteran Cody Burg (8-8 3.39) has not been as sharp as usual... 35-year-old Burg is the all-time wins leader in the IPA with 298 victories... luckily the 'Canes Zane Robinson (11-4 2.54) is having a career year... Cape Coral doesn't hit with power (28th), but does hit for average with a .265 BA (13th), paced by four .300 hitters, including All-Star 2B Lonnie Moon (.309/11), CF Derek Ryckman (.316/8 HR), rookie 1B Dick Walker (.310/6 HR) and C Bernie Finka (.303/7 HR)... veteran 3B Flipper Bird (.284/5 HR) is also having a good year... the Hurricanes still are one of the better defensive teams in the TU South with a .976 FA.

The Summerland Sunsets (38-35) and Turon Typhoons are deadlocked for fourth place, 5 games out in the standings... manager Will Hackett depends heavily on his pitching staff... the Sunsets have a fine starting foursome in vets Denny Coulon (8-7 2.78), Pat Dreux (7-7 3.49), Mark Falzone (7-7 3.25) and young Ryan McGhee (5-5 2.86), coupled with a strong reliever Leon Mullin (6-2), who has notched 10 saves and a splendid 1.24 ERA... Hackett has two strong bats in rookie All-Star Vann Kelter (.310/17 HR) and vet CF Jim Garrison (.323/15 HR)... one or two more quality hitters are needed for Summerland to make a serious pennant bid... as a team the Sunsets are batting .257 (21st), rank 24th in scoring with 70 homers (12th).

The Turon Typhoons (38-35) are one of the most successful franchises in the IPA with 8 pennants and 3 Pro Cups, tied with the Far Mountain Redhawks of the Ruthlandian Union... since 2006 Whitey Richburn's club has finished no lower than second... therefore this season has been a disappointment so far with a tie for fourth... Turon's trouble is a ballooning team ERA, which has risen from 3.13 last year to 3.88 (17th) this season... Ted Farentino, who was so good last season with a 21-13 record and a 2.59 ERA has slumped drastically to 5-10 and 5.63... long-time ace Nicky Engstrom (8-6) is in danger of missing 20 victories for the first time in his 8 great seasons, despite a brilliant 1.70 ERA, tops in both the TU and RU... rookie Shane Farmer (13-5 3.60) has been a great additon to the staff... closer Merle Studebaker (1-2) is having a crackerjack year with 13 saves and a terrific 1.67 ERA... if Richburn can find another dependable starter, the Typhoons will be near the top... they hit well and can put runs on the scoreboard... Turon has a .271 BA (6th), are 6th in runs and 9th in homers with 75... top bats are CF Mac McCurnan (.302/19 HR), 1B Clyde Kingsford (.271/18 HR), who is having a sub-par season for him, RF Jack Brown (.304/8 HR) and LF Andy Porter (.304/8 HR)... Look out, if Kingsford goes on a second-half rampage... forecasters are predicting the Typhoons could be dangerous in the pennant hunt.

The sixth-place Ginza Ninjas (37-36) are still within striking distance, trailing by just 6 games at mid-season... Huroko Uchiyama's Ninjas hit well with a .270 mark (8th), 71 roundtrippers (1th), rated 14th in run scoring and 23rd with a poor 4.11 ERA... All-Star hurler Joji Azuma (11-6 2.28) tops the staff... bullpen leader is Kakuzo Harimoto (4-3 3.6)) with 14 saves... All-Star C Crash Davis (.329/13 HR), RF Jack Vorland (.293/9 HR) and LF Jeff Elliott (.320/3 HR) are Ginza's top guns... the Ninjas handle the gloves well with a .976 FA.

The Southport Sun Sox (32-41) are seventh and 11 games behind and not likely to get any better this season... the Sun Sox are a little better than average with a .268 BA (9th), 16th in runs and 15th in homers with 67... pitching-wise they have compiled a 3.69 team ERA (13th)... Charley Oscar best players are few in number... All-Star Bob Montgomery (9-6 2.03) has been outstanding... as well as CF Walt Muller, who has had a fine sophomore season with a .341 BA and 13 homers.

It's beginning to look like the hopeless San Alejo Montaneros (25-48) are headed for another last-place finish, the fourth successive season it's happened... new manager Marcellino Zuniga hasn't managed much of a change in the club... the Monties have no hitting and not much pitching... they bat only .236 (32nd), have trouble scoring (32nd) and possess a bad 4.22 team ERA (24th)... the only bright light on the club is pitcher Jock Giacomo (9-6 3.21).