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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Around the Town in the IPA
SAN ALEJO MONTANEROS
Owner: Petro Internationale
GM: Lando Peceda
Manager: Alberto Herrera
San Alejo rests on a large plateau in the highlands of Arvonian Island, which is south of Tycobbia and Ruthlandia and is bordered by the Southern Sea and Belair Bay. Its population is nearly 40,000, making it one of the smallest towns in the IPA.
The initial settlement was founded in the 1850's by remnants of Portuguese sailors that settled Arroyo Grande. They sought the safety of the isolated central highlands. Over the next hundred years the initial group of 42 settlers grew to a modest town of 10,000 inhabitants. They survived predominantly on subsistence farming and hunting. Life was hard in San Alejo.
In 1937, all that changed as a Mexican oil and gas baron, Antonio De Nova, brought commerce and industry to the town. His company, Petro Internationale, discovered natural gas in the area. Instant prosperity came to San Alejo. With their newly-found wealth, the city fathers greatly improved life with modern hospitals and schools. As Petro Internationale grew in size, De Nova had to import oil field workers from Mexico. In 1947, De Nova built the first stadium the town has ever had. He called it the Casa de Beisbol, which was primarily for his plant workers to play baseball and soccer. The Casa de Beisbol is not a fancy stadium. It is on the rustic side and just a functional ball park. Because of the ballpark, baseball became an important part of the town's culture. Only recently were the wooden bleachers rebuilt using steel. This was done when the town received a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance.
The team is called the Montaneros, Spanish for "Mountaineers". San Alejo's GM is Lando Peceda, an outstanding hitter and first baseman for the Petro Internationale company teams in the 70s and 80s. The Montaneros are a member of the Tycobbian Union South Division. The Monties are managed by former player Alberto Herrera, who toiled long and hard on the mound for 17 seasons from 2002 to 2018 with a 203-250 lifetime record. Herrera compiled a fine 3.30 ERA and was a much better pitcher than his won-lost record shows. San Alejo was pretty bad during those years, finishing deep in the second division most seasons. Herrera won 20 games twice in his career and made the All-Star team once.
Stadium: Casa de Beisbol (1947)
Capacity: 8,000
Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 340
Left Field - 360
Left Center - 380
Center Field - 400
Right Center - 380
Right Field - 360
Right Field Line - 340
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