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Eugene Church · 08-24-2012, 10:27 PM

2033 Ruthlandian West Final Recap

Sligo Rallies, Beats FTB In RU West Playoff
It has been an incredible journey for the Sligo Rovers, newly-crowned champion of the Ruthlandian West. Sligo had to overcome a 9-game mid-season deficit to claim a berth in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs this year. The Rovers garnered the division title with a 4-1 triumph in a sudden-death playoff game with the Fort Benton Defenders. Sligo trailed Fort Benton by 9 games at the All-Star break. The Rovers got red-hot in August and September with a 30-16 record to surpass the Defenders, who slumped to 20-26. The Stoner Stars and last year's division winner Colfax Blasters tied for third, three and a half games out. Middlefield was fourth, four and a half back. Sligo and Fort Benton were the only clubs in the RU West with winning records.

Eddie Keys has remarkably seen his Sligo Rovers (79-76) go from first to last and back to first in the last three seasons... This was Sligo's sixth division flag in its history and third in the last seven seasons... the Rovers are only an average ball club... Terry Bailey (14-7/2.82) and Lou Page (14-11/3.55) are the top starters with Mike Rinaldi (8-3/2.34/10 saves) the best reliever... free agent 1B Marty Blake (.274/22/77/80) was a gift from Belle Plaine... 39-year-old Blake supplied vital offense to the impotent Rover lineup... Blake is one of the greatest player in league history and is expected to a shoo-in for the IPA Hall of Fame when he retires... he has a career .314 BA with 698 homers and 2075 RBIs... Blake had a little help from SS Howie Robertson (.272/6/47/100), 3B Neil Mitchell (.275/14/60/79) and LF Teddy Brunet (.276/14/60/63)... Sligo is rated the weakest team in the Pro Cup playoffs and is ranked 8th and last in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll... they lost valuable pitcher Earl Perkins (15-14/3.35) to injury in mid-August and they will not have him for the postseason.

Halfway through the season with a 6-game lead, the Fort Benton Defenders (78-77) seemed destined to win its first RU West pennant... manager Robbie Brooks still looked like a winner as late as August, but it wasn't to be as the Defenders were beaten out by one game... Fort Benton had three quality starters in Edd Farmer (19-12/2.94), Frankie Quinn (17-17/2.86) and Augie Marquis (18-12/3.44)... Brooks had some capable bats, too, with 3B Monty McMurtry (.330/6/44/88), 2B Hans Gustavsen (.303/58/52), 1B Chuck Moyer (.281/16/87/69) and LF Darrell Daly (.287/12/42/51).

The Stoner Stars (75-79), piloted by Benny Stern, waited too late to make their move... like champ Sligo, they were also 9 games back at mid-year, but they ended up tied for third with Colfax, three and a half games out of first place... the Stars had the pitching, but lacked offense... Stern had a solid threesome in starters Kurt Cobb (18-11/2.91), Darrell Geoffrey (18-16/2.92) and Frank Robichaux (14-15/2.67)... they deserved a better fate, but suffered from a lack of scoring and also a good bullpen... Stoner's top bats were 1B Fletch Fowler (.293/16/90/63), CF Al Rispone (.284/16/64/67), 2B Jesse Walker (.255/12/65/82) and trade acquisition from Wynnamac, 3B Dorak Aranda (.253/20/64/50), who topped the team in homers.

The Colfax Blasters (75-79) won the RU West last year and in 2030, too... the Blasters were finalists in the IPA Pro Cup last year and came in second to titlist San Alejo... manager Ilya Szabo's problem was his offense... it went from high-powered to just average, falling from .282 to .264... LF Hal Granders (.324/3/39/75), rookie RF Dom DeJohnette (.282/23/83/68) and 1B Lou Wilhoit (.302/14/64/56) had good seasons, but mainstay C Mitch Fullerton (.244/12/57/66) fell off considerably... Fullerton, a lifttime .303 hitter, fell off over 100 points at the plate... he had a career .351 season last year with 109 RBIs...Colfax still has some solid starters in Milton Garnett (21-16/2.83), Rudy Rosario (14-18/2.66), Andy Velasco (11-9/3.14) and Randell Perkins (13-17/3.51).

Bailey Norcross guided the Middlefield Roosters (74-80) to a fifth-place finish, trailing by four and a half games, yet four games under the break-even point... the Roosters have less-than-average pitching, but they can go deep with 161 homers (5th)... so can the opposing teams in little bitty Middlefield Park... they hit 186 (31st) out of it... 1B Zipp Kobzar (.265/21/73/50) and 2B Wes Gore (.269/18/49/51) led the power parade... the Middlefield mound staff was led by Jaime Pedroza (14-10/3.57).

For the fourth successive season the Forest City Lumberjacks (73-81) under skipper Joe Judlin were in the second division, finishing sixth, five and a half games short of winning Sligo... the 'Jacks are nothing special at the plate or on the hill... Rich Barstow (22-11/3.48) was the ace with some help from Jules Delhomme (9-7/3.11)... 1B Al Withers (.268/13/87/67) and CF Ronnie Pollet (.280/20/64/62) were the only dependable hitters.

Perennial also-ran Rocky Rapids (71-83) had its one-year of glory in 2032 when it soared magnificently from 7th to 2nd... the Snappers came back to earth this year and wound up in 7th place, seven and a half games behind... Junior Noland has some firepower, but not enough on the mound... the Snappers batted .271 (4th), scored 730 runs (3rd) and slammed 189 homers to lead the IPA... pitching-wise the team compiled a 3.64 ERA... SS Kelvin Cassidy had a wonderful year and topped the IPA with a .344 BA... Cassidy collected 34 home runs, drove in 90 runs and scored 83... C Allie Blackwell (.301/14/60/76) and 1B Angelo Nardone (.305/16/57/58) also contributed offensively... leading the staff in wins was Matt Loudermilk (17-14/3.34).

The last-place Volusia Vigilantes (68-86) continued to struggle in the RU West... for the eighth time in ten years the V's were a second-division team... skipper Alfonso Feliz's club came in dead last and were 10 and a half games out... his offense is just average, while his pitching is just plain bad with a 4.21 team ERA (31st)... RF Sonny Oliver (.268/26/75/60), LF Vasco Aguilar (.285/17/70/50) and 1B Ernie Pryor (.306/11/51/50) are the most dependable run producers... Tommy Smith (16-15/3.78) is the best of the lot on the mound.

08-24-2012, 10:27 PM	#3269
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,820	2033 Ruthlandian West Final Recap Sligo Rallies, Beats FTB In RU West Playoff It has been an incredible journey for the Sligo Rovers, newly-crowned champion of the Ruthlandian West. Sligo had to overcome a 9-game mid-season deficit to claim a berth in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs this year. The Rovers garnered the division title with a 4-1 triumph in a sudden-death playoff game with the Fort Benton Defenders. Sligo trailed Fort Benton by 9 games at the All-Star break. The Rovers got red-hot in August and September with a 30-16 record to surpass the Defenders, who slumped to 20-26. The Stoner Stars and last year's division winner Colfax Blasters tied for third, three and a half games out. Middlefield was fourth, four and a half back. Sligo and Fort Benton were the only clubs in the RU West with winning records. Eddie Keys has remarkably seen his Sligo Rovers (79-76) go from first to last and back to first in the last three seasons... This was Sligo's sixth division flag in its history and third in the last seven seasons... the Rovers are only an average ball club... Terry Bailey (14-7/2.82) and Lou Page (14-11/3.55) are the top starters with Mike Rinaldi (8-3/2.34/10 saves) the best reliever... free agent 1B Marty Blake (.274/22/77/80) was a gift from Belle Plaine... 39-year-old Blake supplied vital offense to the impotent Rover lineup... Blake is one of the greatest player in league history and is expected to a shoo-in for the IPA Hall of Fame when he retires... he has a career .314 BA with 698 homers and 2075 RBIs... Blake had a little help from SS Howie Robertson (.272/6/47/100), 3B Neil Mitchell (.275/14/60/79) and LF Teddy Brunet (.276/14/60/63)... Sligo is rated the weakest team in the Pro Cup playoffs and is ranked 8th and last in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll... they lost valuable pitcher Earl Perkins (15-14/3.35) to injury in mid-August and they will not have him for the postseason. Halfway through the season with a 6-game lead, the Fort Benton Defenders (78-77) seemed destined to win its first RU West pennant... manager Robbie Brooks still looked like a winner as late as August, but it wasn't to be as the Defenders were beaten out by one game... Fort Benton had three quality starters in Edd Farmer (19-12/2.94), Frankie Quinn (17-17/2.86) and Augie Marquis (18-12/3.44)... Brooks had some capable bats, too, with 3B Monty McMurtry (.330/6/44/88), 2B Hans Gustavsen (.303/58/52), 1B Chuck Moyer (.281/16/87/69) and LF Darrell Daly (.287/12/42/51). The Stoner Stars (75-79), piloted by Benny Stern, waited too late to make their move... like champ Sligo, they were also 9 games back at mid-year, but they ended up tied for third with Colfax, three and a half games out of first place... the Stars had the pitching, but lacked offense... Stern had a solid threesome in starters Kurt Cobb (18-11/2.91), Darrell Geoffrey (18-16/2.92) and Frank Robichaux (14-15/2.67)... they deserved a better fate, but suffered from a lack of scoring and also a good bullpen... Stoner's top bats were 1B Fletch Fowler (.293/16/90/63), CF Al Rispone (.284/16/64/67), 2B Jesse Walker (.255/12/65/82) and trade acquisition from Wynnamac, 3B Dorak Aranda (.253/20/64/50), who topped the team in homers. The Colfax Blasters (75-79) won the RU West last year and in 2030, too... the Blasters were finalists in the IPA Pro Cup last year and came in second to titlist San Alejo... manager Ilya Szabo's problem was his offense... it went from high-powered to just average, falling from .282 to .264... LF Hal Granders (.324/3/39/75), rookie RF Dom DeJohnette (.282/23/83/68) and 1B Lou Wilhoit (.302/14/64/56) had good seasons, but mainstay C Mitch Fullerton (.244/12/57/66) fell off considerably... Fullerton, a lifttime .303 hitter, fell off over 100 points at the plate... he had a career .351 season last year with 109 RBIs...Colfax still has some solid starters in Milton Garnett (21-16/2.83), Rudy Rosario (14-18/2.66), Andy Velasco (11-9/3.14) and Randell Perkins (13-17/3.51). Bailey Norcross guided the Middlefield Roosters (74-80) to a fifth-place finish, trailing by four and a half games, yet four games under the break-even point... the Roosters have less-than-average pitching, but they can go deep with 161 homers (5th)... so can the opposing teams in little bitty Middlefield Park... they hit 186 (31st) out of it... 1B Zipp Kobzar (.265/21/73/50) and 2B Wes Gore (.269/18/49/51) led the power parade... the Middlefield mound staff was led by Jaime Pedroza (14-10/3.57). For the fourth successive season the Forest City Lumberjacks (73-81) under skipper Joe Judlin were in the second division, finishing sixth, five and a half games short of winning Sligo... the 'Jacks are nothing special at the plate or on the hill... Rich Barstow (22-11/3.48) was the ace with some help from Jules Delhomme (9-7/3.11)... 1B Al Withers (.268/13/87/67) and CF Ronnie Pollet (.280/20/64/62) were the only dependable hitters. Perennial also-ran Rocky Rapids (71-83) had its one-year of glory in 2032 when it soared magnificently from 7th to 2nd... the Snappers came back to earth this year and wound up in 7th place, seven and a half games behind... Junior Noland has some firepower, but not enough on the mound... the Snappers batted .271 (4th), scored 730 runs (3rd) and slammed 189 homers to lead the IPA... pitching-wise the team compiled a 3.64 ERA... SS Kelvin Cassidy had a wonderful year and topped the IPA with a .344 BA... Cassidy collected 34 home runs, drove in 90 runs and scored 83... C Allie Blackwell (.301/14/60/76) and 1B Angelo Nardone (.305/16/57/58) also contributed offensively... leading the staff in wins was Matt Loudermilk (17-14/3.34). The last-place Volusia Vigilantes (68-86) continued to struggle in the RU West... for the eighth time in ten years the V's were a second-division team... skipper Alfonso Feliz's club came in dead last and were 10 and a half games out... his offense is just average, while his pitching is just plain bad with a 4.21 team ERA (31st)... RF Sonny Oliver (.268/26/75/60), LF Vasco Aguilar (.285/17/70/50) and 1B Ernie Pryor (.306/11/51/50) are the most dependable run producers... Tommy Smith (16-15/3.78) is the best of the lot on the mound.