OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

Eugene Church · 09-29-2011, 07:50 PM

The Islandian Times
Thursday, October 8, 2026

Haymakers-Vipers Kick Off Pro Cup Sat
It's an unlikely matchup - no one expected the Mahaska Haymakers and the Valmara Vipers to be playing in the IPA Pro Cup Finals - but here they are. Mahaska bewildered the experts by upsetting both Ginza and Rolling Hills, while Valmara defeated two higher seeds, strong St. John and powerhouse Beechwood. Both the Crusaders and Bobcats led the entire IPA with 98 victories. Low seeds are not supposed to get this far in the postseason. Valmara was the sixth pick in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll and Mahaska was the eighth choice. The opening game will be this Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara. It will be Teddy Lem (19-11 2.96) starting for the favored Vipers and Sammy Kafelnikov (18-14 3.49) for the underdog Haymakers.

The Vipers have much more postseason experience. They have made the Pro Cup playoffs 7 times, but have never won a Pro Cup. Twice Valmara has been the Pro Cup runner-up, in 2003 the Vipers were swept by champ Turon (TU South) and in 2023 they fell to champ Tuckanarra (TU East) in six games. On two occasions the Vipers lost to Pro Cup runner-up Sugar Valley. Red Bluff defeated the Rattlers in 2004 and Tuckanarra knocked them off in 2024.

Mahaska has appeared only two times in the Pro Cup playoffs and didn't get far. The Oxford Red Caps (TU East) eliminated them in the TU First Round in 2002 and Pro Cup runner-up Bay St. Clair whipped them in the 2015 TU Final 4. The Buccaneers were beaten by Taranto in the Pro Cup Finals.

Manager Jet Kazmarek will rely on his pitching corps to bring home the Pro Cup. Valmara was outstanding in the regular season with a super 2.96 team ERA (6th). So far in the postseason they are up a little with a 3.26 ERA. Starters Pavel Volkov (23-9 3.14), Teddy Lem (19-11 2.96) and Clem Carmouche (18-12 3.00) give him a solid rotation. The Viper closer Ivan Guzek (7-2 0.72) also had an extraordinary season. In the playoffs Guzek has 3 saves, 5 appearances and an excellent 1.29 ERA. Lem (3-0 1.80) and Volkov (2-0 1.88) have been extra sharp in the postseason. Carmouche (2-1 2.66) has done well, too.

Offensively Kazmarek depends on CF Teddy Szymanski (.304/16/95/89), LF Sonny Oliver (.286/17/86/72) and RF Chris Michel (.242/11/58/110/33 SB). Playoff leaders are Oliver with a .353 BA, 3 homers and 10 RBIs, 1B James McCall with a .273 BA, 2 home runs and 9 RBIs and Szymanski with a .270 BA, 1 homer and 5 RBIs. Part of the problem in the postseason is Valmara had to face two of the best pitching staffs in the IPA in the first two rounds. Mahaska can't compare to St. John and Beechwood. In the playoffs the Vipers have a poor .226 BA. In the regular campaign it was a respectable .256 (8th).

During the regular season the Haymakers posted a 3.57 ERA and were ranked 11th in the Tycobbian Union, but Rusty Tanussa's mound staff has really stepped it up in the playoffs with a fantastic 2.02 ERA. James Allington was 20-13 with a 3.62 in the season, but is 4-0 with a great 1.39 ERA in the playoffs. Sammy Kafelnikov compiled an 18-14 mark with a 3.49 ERA, however in the playoffs, he is 3-1 with a fine 2.79 ERA. Mahaska lost its number three starter Troy King due to an injury in the TU Final 4. King was 1-2 with a 2.36 ERA in the postseason, but 19-13 with a 4.07 ERA during the year. Number four starter Aino Vainmaa (17-13 3.94) will step in for King in the Pro Cup Finals. Vainmaa has been called on only one time in the playoffs this year. Vainmaa worked 3 innings and gave up 1 run for a 3.00 ERA. Haymaker closer Viktor Stravinsky, who was 7-6 with 28 saves and a fine 1.69 ERA, has been perfect in 6 relief appearances in the playoffs. He has chalked up 5 saves and given up no runs.

Mahaska hit much better in the regular season, led by RF Travis Tuttle (.319/33/102/92), 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.280/18/65/72), C Bucky O'Brian (.279/19/71/70) and CF Pasha Yablonsk (.277/6/48/106/65 SB). In the postseason O'Brian is batting .480, but the rest are not hitting their weight. To whip the Vipers Tanussa needs his offense to get re-energized. They hit .263 (5th) during the year, but only .218 in the playoffs. The Haymakers have more power in their lineup. They poked 130 homers in the season, but have only 2 in the postseason. Valmara went deep only 74 times (30th), but have 6 roundtrippers in the playoffs.

Pro Cup Outlook:
Valmara is the superior team... the Vipers should win in 5 or 6 games... Valmara will get some runs against Mahaska and has the pitching to stop the Haymakers.

09-29-2011, 07:50 PM	#2748
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,972	*The Islandian Times* Thursday, October 8, 2026 Haymakers-Vipers Kick Off Pro Cup Sat It's an unlikely matchup - no one expected the Mahaska Haymakers and the Valmara Vipers to be playing in the IPA Pro Cup Finals - but here they are. Mahaska bewildered the experts by upsetting both Ginza and Rolling Hills, while Valmara defeated two higher seeds, strong St. John and powerhouse Beechwood. Both the Crusaders and Bobcats led the entire IPA with 98 victories. Low seeds are not supposed to get this far in the postseason. Valmara was the sixth pick in The Islandian Times Pro Cup poll and Mahaska was the eighth choice. The opening game will be this Saturday afternoon at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara. It will be Teddy Lem (19-11 2.96) starting for the favored Vipers and Sammy Kafelnikov (18-14 3.49) for the underdog Haymakers. The Vipers have much more postseason experience. They have made the Pro Cup playoffs 7 times, but have never won a Pro Cup. Twice Valmara has been the Pro Cup runner-up, in 2003 the Vipers were swept by champ Turon (TU South) and in 2023 they fell to champ Tuckanarra (TU East) in six games. On two occasions the Vipers lost to Pro Cup runner-up Sugar Valley. Red Bluff defeated the Rattlers in 2004 and Tuckanarra knocked them off in 2024. Mahaska has appeared only two times in the Pro Cup playoffs and didn't get far. The Oxford Red Caps (TU East) eliminated them in the TU First Round in 2002 and Pro Cup runner-up Bay St. Clair whipped them in the 2015 TU Final 4. The Buccaneers were beaten by Taranto in the Pro Cup Finals. Manager Jet Kazmarek will rely on his pitching corps to bring home the Pro Cup. Valmara was outstanding in the regular season with a super 2.96 team ERA (6th). So far in the postseason they are up a little with a 3.26 ERA. Starters Pavel Volkov (23-9 3.14), Teddy Lem (19-11 2.96) and Clem Carmouche (18-12 3.00) give him a solid rotation. The Viper closer Ivan Guzek (7-2 0.72) also had an extraordinary season. In the playoffs Guzek has 3 saves, 5 appearances and an excellent 1.29 ERA. Lem (3-0 1.80) and Volkov (2-0 1.88) have been extra sharp in the postseason. Carmouche (2-1 2.66) has done well, too. Offensively Kazmarek depends on CF Teddy Szymanski (.304/16/95/89), LF Sonny Oliver (.286/17/86/72) and RF Chris Michel (.242/11/58/110/33 SB). Playoff leaders are Oliver with a .353 BA, 3 homers and 10 RBIs, 1B James McCall with a .273 BA, 2 home runs and 9 RBIs and Szymanski with a .270 BA, 1 homer and 5 RBIs. Part of the problem in the postseason is Valmara had to face two of the best pitching staffs in the IPA in the first two rounds. Mahaska can't compare to St. John and Beechwood. In the playoffs the Vipers have a poor .226 BA. In the regular campaign it was a respectable .256 (8th). During the regular season the Haymakers posted a 3.57 ERA and were ranked 11th in the Tycobbian Union, but Rusty Tanussa's mound staff has really stepped it up in the playoffs with a fantastic 2.02 ERA. James Allington was 20-13 with a 3.62 in the season, but is 4-0 with a great 1.39 ERA in the playoffs. Sammy Kafelnikov compiled an 18-14 mark with a 3.49 ERA, however in the playoffs, he is 3-1 with a fine 2.79 ERA. Mahaska lost its number three starter Troy King due to an injury in the TU Final 4. King was 1-2 with a 2.36 ERA in the postseason, but 19-13 with a 4.07 ERA during the year. Number four starter Aino Vainmaa (17-13 3.94) will step in for King in the Pro Cup Finals. Vainmaa has been called on only one time in the playoffs this year. Vainmaa worked 3 innings and gave up 1 run for a 3.00 ERA. Haymaker closer Viktor Stravinsky, who was 7-6 with 28 saves and a fine 1.69 ERA, has been perfect in 6 relief appearances in the playoffs. He has chalked up 5 saves and given up no runs. Mahaska hit much better in the regular season, led by RF Travis Tuttle (.319/33/102/92), 2B Todd Tarkovsky (.280/18/65/72), C Bucky O'Brian (.279/19/71/70) and CF Pasha Yablonsk (.277/6/48/106/65 SB). In the postseason O'Brian is batting .480, but the rest are not hitting their weight. To whip the Vipers Tanussa needs his offense to get re-energized. They hit .263 (5th) during the year, but only .218 in the playoffs. The Haymakers have more power in their lineup. They poked 130 homers in the season, but have only 2 in the postseason. Valmara went deep only 74 times (30th), but have 6 roundtrippers in the playoffs. Pro Cup Outlook: Valmara is the superior team... the Vipers should win in 5 or 6 games... Valmara will get some runs against Mahaska and has the pitching to stop the Haymakers. Last edited by Eugene Church; 10-04-2023 at 02:21 PM.