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

Eugene Church · 02-22-2012, 01:55 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2030

2030 Ruthlandian East Final Recap

Wynnamac Wins Battle With Sugar Valley
No one other than Wynnamac and Sugar Valley ever seriously contended in the Ruthlandian East race this season. The Sundowners pulled away in the last week of the regular season to knock off the defending division titleholder Sugar Valley by 4 games. Wynnamac was 5-2 in the showdown week, while the Rattlers were just 2-5. Third place Belle Plaine lingered deep in the second division until August, then closed out the season sizzling with a 31-12 record to end up tied with Beechwood. The Musketeers and Bobcats finished 8 games off the pace.

Matt Donnelly's Wynnamac Sundowners (86-68) just played steady and consistent ball throughout the season and finally prevailed to win the RU East for the fifth time in history... offense was the team's forte with a .274 team BA (7th) and good power with 159 homers (3rd)... top batters were 3B Dorak Arando (.305/24/79/82), CF Allen Dundee (.289/31/103/89), 1B Giles Butler (.310/23/74/71), C Lee Leslie (.271/25/77/68) and LF Lil Hoss Burkhalter (.299/21/58/59)... Burkhalter missed over 60 games because of injuries... Killara Bardo (21-13/2.85) was the ace of the mound staff... Jason Meeks (12-13/3.29) was effective, too... bullpen was suspect... could be a sore point in the Pro Cup playoffs... the Sundowners will be returning to the postseason for the first time in five years... Wynnamac last won the Pro Cup in 2008.

Firepower and strong pitching kept the Sugar Valley Rattlers (82-72) in the hunt most of the year... They led the RU with 176 home runs (1st) and with a 3.15 team ERA (1st), but the Rattlers ranked poorly in runs (28th) and batting average with a .235 mark (32nd)... 3B Johnny Doyle (.263/34/80/67), CF Tyler White (.225/28/74/86) and C Silvio Salas (.247/20/59/63) provided what little offense they had... manager Gibby Bobkins has a strong starting foursome, who deserved better run support: Wes Weaver (17-12/2.54), Aron Libertini (19-13/3.36), Chris Calsworth (14-14/3.45) and Jeremy Blanchard (17-19/2.84)... veteran Dallas Casey (6-5/1.89/21 saves) stood out in the bullpen.

Dave Torregrossa's Belle Plaine Musketeers (78-76) finally found the right combination late in the summer and closed with a rush to come in tied for third with Beechwood... the Muskies trailed by 8 games... they were last at the All-Star break, 12 games back... the offensive-minded Muskies were paced by C Derek Roman (.325/22/82/88), 1B Pierre Giguere (.280/33/98/84), RF Leon Bourque (.279/20/80/85) and SS Tyler Verret (.257/18/74/69)... Belle Plaine tied for 8th in scoring, hit 138 roundtrippers (11th) and batted .275 (6th)... but were not so good on the hill with a 3.98 team ERA (25th)... Lamont Cramer (19-16/4.21) won the most games, while Leonard James (16-10/3.75) was the most effective... Torregrossa and his Musketeers are looking forward to 2031.

Bret George just had an average team this season in Beechwood (78-76)... his Bobcats were tied for third and finished 8 games out of the running in the RU East... Beechwood was the power in the division from 2020 to 2027 with three pennants, but no more... the Bobcats still have some talent in veteran pitchers Ken Arby (14-17/3.04) and Maury Patterson (17-19/2.14)... but really suffer in the batter's box... LF Herb Douglas leads the team with a .296 average... 2B Norm Smith and CF Pat Pizarro are the club leaders with just 11 home run apiece... and 1B Ron Griffin is the top RBI guy with only 71.

The Marston Nine (76-78) have slumped to the fifth spot in the standings the last two years, winding up 10 games behind the division leader Wynnamac this season... manager Danny Church won the pennant in 2028... pitching is the problem... his only dependable starter is Doug Hansack (16-12/3.22)... longtime IPA great CF Russ Woodward (.289/24/79/79) is still a quality player at age 36, but is showing signs of decline at the plate... Woodward is a 7-time All-Star and 6-time Gold Glover with a lifetime .315 BA and over 500 homers... SS Lonnie Trekell (.281/27/83/70) led the Nine in homers and runs batted in... youngsters C Ron Marlowe (.300/18/66/62) and LF Ken Armstrong (.307/16/62/73) also played well this year.

The Eastshore Elegants (75-79) wound up sixth this season with Killer Brewster at the helm... he had the Elegants in the running up until mid-season, but they slumped badly in the second half and finished 11 games out... this is the third season in succession Eastshore has come in sixth... Brewster had capable starters with Randy Boone (12-12/2.53), Don Klingenberg (17-16/3.11) and 16-year standout Melvin Key (16-18/3.10), but the bullpen suffered... Key is 36 years old and boasts a 259-221 career record with a fine 3.13 ERA... Key has two Pro Cup rings... Eastshore's top guns were 3B Cayman Ketterman (.285/18/103/62), CF Scotty Lagrange (.272/29/89/91), SS Larry Romney (.305/13/79/78) and LF George Shepherd (.309/12/63/70)... it's been a prolonged playoff drought for the Elegants... 2019 was the last postseason appearance... it is rumored that Brewster may retire this season... the golden years of 2016-2021, when Eastshore won 2 Pro Cups and 4 pennants are long gone.

Success in the IPA has been minimal for the Cold Creek Catamounts (73-81)... they have been a habitual also-ran in the RU East for the last two decades, last winning a pennant in 2012... Cold Creek has made the playoffs only three times in its history... this year the Catamounts were in seventh place and trailed by 13 games under manager Scoop Lemieux... Cold Creek had two strong starters with Eddie Brasher (19-14/2.94) and Tommy Smith (17-17/2.76), but little else... leading the offense were 1B Steve Daniels (.289/23/83/82), LF Carl Glick (.266/19/68/92) and CF Teke Holmes (.283/11/38/79).

Skipper Leon Carter had the Elnora All-Stars (70-84) on the rise with first-division finishes in 2028 and 2029, but they relapsed this season and plunged into the basement, 16 games out of first place... it's been 8 years since the All-Stars won a pennant and made the postseason... Elnora can hit the ball with the likes of CF Travis Glass (.272/33/96/89), 1B Mel Long (.281/26/85/61), RF Pettis Pentleton (.314/24/77/91), 2B Matt Boyd (.330/13/79/77) and 3B Jeff Matthews (.276/15/70/80) in the lineup... in his starting rotation Carter has two dependable pitchers in Freddy Pfeffer (19-15/3.19) and Lucien Vashon (15-16/3.39), but the bullpen is horrendous with a 4.74 ERA (31st).

02-22-2012, 01:55 PM	#2978
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,899	*THE ISLANDIAN TIMES* Tuesday, September 17, 2030 2030 Ruthlandian East Final Recap Wynnamac Wins Battle With Sugar Valley No one other than Wynnamac and Sugar Valley ever seriously contended in the Ruthlandian East race this season. The Sundowners pulled away in the last week of the regular season to knock off the defending division titleholder Sugar Valley by 4 games. Wynnamac was 5-2 in the showdown week, while the Rattlers were just 2-5. Third place Belle Plaine lingered deep in the second division until August, then closed out the season sizzling with a 31-12 record to end up tied with Beechwood. The Musketeers and Bobcats finished 8 games off the pace. Matt Donnelly's Wynnamac Sundowners (86-68) just played steady and consistent ball throughout the season and finally prevailed to win the RU East for the fifth time in history... offense was the team's forte with a .274 team BA (7th) and good power with 159 homers (3rd)... top batters were 3B Dorak Arando (.305/24/79/82), CF Allen Dundee (.289/31/103/89), 1B Giles Butler (.310/23/74/71), C Lee Leslie (.271/25/77/68) and LF Lil Hoss Burkhalter (.299/21/58/59)... Burkhalter missed over 60 games because of injuries... Killara Bardo (21-13/2.85) was the ace of the mound staff... Jason Meeks (12-13/3.29) was effective, too... bullpen was suspect... could be a sore point in the Pro Cup playoffs... the Sundowners will be returning to the postseason for the first time in five years... Wynnamac last won the Pro Cup in 2008. Firepower and strong pitching kept the Sugar Valley Rattlers (82-72) in the hunt most of the year... They led the RU with 176 home runs (1st) and with a 3.15 team ERA (1st), but the Rattlers ranked poorly in runs (28th) and batting average with a .235 mark (32nd)... 3B Johnny Doyle (.263/34/80/67), CF Tyler White (.225/28/74/86) and C Silvio Salas (.247/20/59/63) provided what little offense they had... manager Gibby Bobkins has a strong starting foursome, who deserved better run support: Wes Weaver (17-12/2.54), Aron Libertini (19-13/3.36), Chris Calsworth (14-14/3.45) and Jeremy Blanchard (17-19/2.84)... veteran Dallas Casey (6-5/1.89/21 saves) stood out in the bullpen. Dave Torregrossa's Belle Plaine Musketeers (78-76) finally found the right combination late in the summer and closed with a rush to come in tied for third with Beechwood... the Muskies trailed by 8 games... they were last at the All-Star break, 12 games back... the offensive-minded Muskies were paced by C Derek Roman (.325/22/82/88), 1B Pierre Giguere (.280/33/98/84), RF Leon Bourque (.279/20/80/85) and SS Tyler Verret (.257/18/74/69)... Belle Plaine tied for 8th in scoring, hit 138 roundtrippers (11th) and batted .275 (6th)... but were not so good on the hill with a 3.98 team ERA (25th)... Lamont Cramer (19-16/4.21) won the most games, while Leonard James (16-10/3.75) was the most effective... Torregrossa and his Musketeers are looking forward to 2031. Bret George just had an average team this season in Beechwood (78-76)... his Bobcats were tied for third and finished 8 games out of the running in the RU East... Beechwood was the power in the division from 2020 to 2027 with three pennants, but no more... the Bobcats still have some talent in veteran pitchers Ken Arby (14-17/3.04) and Maury Patterson (17-19/2.14)... but really suffer in the batter's box... LF Herb Douglas leads the team with a .296 average... 2B Norm Smith and CF Pat Pizarro are the club leaders with just 11 home run apiece... and 1B Ron Griffin is the top RBI guy with only 71. The Marston Nine (76-78) have slumped to the fifth spot in the standings the last two years, winding up 10 games behind the division leader Wynnamac this season... manager Danny Church won the pennant in 2028... pitching is the problem... his only dependable starter is Doug Hansack (16-12/3.22)... longtime IPA great CF Russ Woodward (.289/24/79/79) is still a quality player at age 36, but is showing signs of decline at the plate... Woodward is a 7-time All-Star and 6-time Gold Glover with a lifetime .315 BA and over 500 homers... SS Lonnie Trekell (.281/27/83/70) led the Nine in homers and runs batted in... youngsters C Ron Marlowe (.300/18/66/62) and LF Ken Armstrong (.307/16/62/73) also played well this year. The Eastshore Elegants (75-79) wound up sixth this season with Killer Brewster at the helm... he had the Elegants in the running up until mid-season, but they slumped badly in the second half and finished 11 games out... this is the third season in succession Eastshore has come in sixth... Brewster had capable starters with Randy Boone (12-12/2.53), Don Klingenberg (17-16/3.11) and 16-year standout Melvin Key (16-18/3.10), but the bullpen suffered... Key is 36 years old and boasts a 259-221 career record with a fine 3.13 ERA... Key has two Pro Cup rings... Eastshore's top guns were 3B Cayman Ketterman (.285/18/103/62), CF Scotty Lagrange (.272/29/89/91), SS Larry Romney (.305/13/79/78) and LF George Shepherd (.309/12/63/70)... it's been a prolonged playoff drought for the Elegants... 2019 was the last postseason appearance... it is rumored that Brewster may retire this season... the golden years of 2016-2021, when Eastshore won 2 Pro Cups and 4 pennants are long gone. Success in the IPA has been minimal for the Cold Creek Catamounts (73-81)... they have been a habitual also-ran in the RU East for the last two decades, last winning a pennant in 2012... Cold Creek has made the playoffs only three times in its history... this year the Catamounts were in seventh place and trailed by 13 games under manager Scoop Lemieux... Cold Creek had two strong starters with Eddie Brasher (19-14/2.94) and Tommy Smith (17-17/2.76), but little else... leading the offense were 1B Steve Daniels (.289/23/83/82), LF Carl Glick (.266/19/68/92) and CF Teke Holmes (.283/11/38/79). Skipper Leon Carter had the Elnora All-Stars (70-84) on the rise with first-division finishes in 2028 and 2029, but they relapsed this season and plunged into the basement, 16 games out of first place... it's been 8 years since the All-Stars won a pennant and made the postseason... Elnora can hit the ball with the likes of CF Travis Glass (.272/33/96/89), 1B Mel Long (.281/26/85/61), RF Pettis Pentleton (.314/24/77/91), 2B Matt Boyd (.330/13/79/77) and 3B Jeff Matthews (.276/15/70/80) in the lineup... in his starting rotation Carter has two dependable pitchers in Freddy Pfeffer (19-15/3.19) and Lucien Vashon (15-16/3.39), but the bullpen is horrendous with a 4.74 ERA (31st). Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 02-22-2012 at 01:56 PM.