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Eugene Church · 10-28-2012, 05:09 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, May 1, 2034

2034 Ruthlandian West Preseason Poll

RANK/TEAM (LAST SEASON)
1. Colfax Blasters (3rd tied)
2. Fort Benton Defenders (2nd)
3. Forest City Lumberjacks (6th)
4. Stoner Stars (3rd tied)
5. Sligo Rovers (1st)
6. Middlefield Roosters (5th)
7. Volusia Vigilantes (8th)
8. Rocky Rapids Snappers (7th)

Vigilantes Surprise Leader In RU West
In the first month of the season the downtrodden Volusia Vigilantes(15-11) have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse in the Ruthlandian West. Last year they finished dead last, but this year they are the surprising leader with a slight one-game edge over second place Stoner (14-12). In THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll the V's were selected seventh in the rankings, but they have not played like a bottom-rung team. Forest City (13-13) is in the third spot, just two games back with Middlefield (11-15) four games out in fourth. The remaining clubs are all tied for fifth place with identical 10-16 marks and trail by five games. Sligo, Rocky Rapids, Fort Benton and Colfax are all in the second division. Colfax was the preseason favorite with Fort Benton forecast for the runner-up spot.

Manager Alfonso Feliz and his Volusia Vigilantes have not graced the postseason since 2007... the V's have turned it around with a blistering .300 team batting average, second-best in the IPA to Kenwood's .301 mark in the Tycobbian Union... this is in spite of losing capable CF Vasco Aguilar (.289 career BA) to Sligo in free agency... Feliz's pitching has taken a turn for the best, too, with a 3.72 ERA, much improved over last year's 4.21... Volusia's top hitters are CF Stan Kovalchuk (.403), 1B Ernie Pryor (.363), LF Ernesto Andujar (.344), 2B Carl Kendall (.316), vet RF Sonny Oliver (.313) and rookie 3B Antonio Diaz (.302)... Diaz has 6 homers and 24 RBIs to top the attack... rookie Tubby Tarkanian (.265) had solidified the catching with excellent defense and a good bat... anchoring the Vigilantes mound corps are starters Tommy Smith (5-1/1.45), Marv Webb (4-2/2.01) and Rio Lobo (1-0/2.74)... Feliz has got to get better results from his bullpen to remain in the pennant chase... a 4.58 ERA will not cut it.

The second place Stoner Stars have been a quality club for sometime under skipper Benny Stern... they have been a first-division team in six of the last seven seasons and won the RU West flag in 2029... four fine hitters are carrying the club: free agent sensation LF Felix Jobin (.370) from Belle Plaine, CF Don Cain (.360), vet 1B Fletch Fowler (.353) and RF George Shepherd (.284)... Shepherd (.288 BA lifetime) was a free-agent signee, who played 7 years for Eastshore... pitching is the Stars' problem with a high 4.27 ERA (26th).

The third place Forest City Lumberjacks have not been contenders in seven of the last eight years... manager Joe Judlin's 'Jacks came in third in 2029... they haven't made the Pro Cup playoffs since 2013... last year the team was sixth in the standings, but was selected to finish third this year... Judlin has good starters (3.17 ERA), but not much in the bullpen (5.87 ERA) or at the plate (.246 BA)... four vets lead the mound staff: Jimmy Willard (4-1/3.40), Judson Davis (3-1/3.06), Jerry Watford (2-3/1.93) and Rich Barstow (4-3/4.18)... 2B Jerry Rembert has sizzled with a .373 BA and has gotten help from rookie C Bob Brisdon (.258) with 6 homers and 16 RBIs and LF Chuck Kramer (.289) with 13 RBIs... Rembert was acquired in a trade with Valmara.

For the last four years the Middlefield Roosters have wallowed in the second division... it's been seven seasons since they made the postseason... not a lot is expected this year... the Roosters were chosen to come in sixth in the preseason poll... skipper Bailey Norcross is getting better hitting this season with a .264 BA, up from .243 last year... as usual Middlefield with its small ballpark is among the leaders in homers with 31 so far (3rd tied)... pitching is average with a 3.73 team ERA... top bats are 2B Paul Coker (.314) with 10 homers and 18 RBIs, SS Kenny Johnston (.284) with 18 RBIs and rookie 3B Colt Chadwick (.337) with 11 RBIs... Judd Hampton (2-2/3.19) and Ron Sinclair (2-4/3.00) are the best arms.

Last year's RU West champ Sligo is in a 4-way tie for fifth this year, five games behind Volusia and just a game from last place... the baseball scribes are not impressed with the Rovers and have slotted them for fifth in the preseason analysis... manager Eddie Keys' club hits homers, ranked second in the RU with 33, but doesn't do much else very well... free agent from San Dimas Kyell Rindahl was a good find with a .325 BA, 8 HRs and 18 RBIs... so was CF Vasco Aguilar from Volusia with a .267 BA, 4 HRs and 10 RBIs... on the hill Mark Smith (4-3/2.13) and Ricky Cooke (3-2/3.40) have been the best pitchers... solid pitchers from last year Lou Page (14-11) and Flapper Bird (15-17) have not been resigned... and Earl Perkins (15-14) signed with Glasco... Page and Bird would be good additions to the rotation.

The Colfax Blasters were one of the darlings of the press in the preseason... Ilya Szabo's boys were the choice to take the RU West division, but thus far, it hasn't happened... good pitching (3.47 ERA) with good power (28 homers) and poor batting average (.236 BA) hasn't done the job... Colfax was tied for third last season... Rudy Rosario (2-4/2.19), Randell Perkins (2-2/3.00) and Milton Garnett (3-2/3.15) are still quality pitchers, but they get very little run support... the team BA is down 28 points from last year's .264... 1B/3B Lou Wilhoit (.294) is one of the few dependable batters with 5 homers and 16 RBIs... platooners 3B Benny Reier (.333) and LF Hal Granders (.309) are hitting for average in limited roles... other regulars are batting .240 or less... Colfax still has a lot of games to repair the damage and challenge for the pennant... the season is far from done.

Fort Benton has also had a miserable April... after almost winning the pennant last year, the Defenders were ranked number two in the RU West preseason poll... Sligo won the flag in a one-game playoff... Fort Benton has never played in the postseason... this might just be their year... however, nothing has gone right for manager Robbie Brooks... a 28-point drop in BA (.240) and a 1.25 rise in ERA (4.67) has had a devastating effect on the team... free agent signee from Valmara 2B Alec Leclerc (.294) and rookie CF Chuck Sears (.274) are the only decent bats in the lineup... 18-game winner Augie Marquis (3-4/4.72) has struggled... a turnaround is still possible for the Defenders, but the nine rookies will have to produce better than they have in the first month.

There's not much optimism in Rocky Rapids... last year Junior Noland's club finished seventh in the RU West race... this year they were picked last in the preseason poll... so far the prognosticators appeared to have been right on the money... the Snappers have lousy pitching (4.66 ERA) with a pretty fair offense... they are batting .270 (11th) with 30 homers (5th)... leading the attack are last season's batting champ 3B Kelvin Cassidy (.322) and 2B Rod Cook (.310)... on the mound rookie Ed Ayers (3-1/3.41) had led the staff, along with reliever John Young (1-0/1.64/4 saves)... not much talent otherwise.

10-28-2012, 05:09 PM	#3320
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 36,205	*THE ISLANDIAN TIMES* Monday, May 1, 2034 2034 Ruthlandian West Preseason Poll RANK/TEAM (LAST SEASON) 1. Colfax Blasters (3rd tied) 2. Fort Benton Defenders (2nd) 3. Forest City Lumberjacks (6th) 4. Stoner Stars (3rd tied) 5. Sligo Rovers (1st) 6. Middlefield Roosters (5th) 7. Volusia Vigilantes (8th) 8. Rocky Rapids Snappers (7th) Vigilantes Surprise Leader In RU West In the first month of the season the downtrodden Volusia Vigilantes(15-11) have gone from the outhouse to the penthouse in the Ruthlandian West. Last year they finished dead last, but this year they are the surprising leader with a slight one-game edge over second place Stoner (14-12). In THE ISLANDIAN TIMES preseason poll the V's were selected seventh in the rankings, but they have not played like a bottom-rung team. Forest City (13-13) is in the third spot, just two games back with Middlefield (11-15) four games out in fourth. The remaining clubs are all tied for fifth place with identical 10-16 marks and trail by five games. Sligo, Rocky Rapids, Fort Benton and Colfax are all in the second division. Colfax was the preseason favorite with Fort Benton forecast for the runner-up spot. Manager Alfonso Feliz and his Volusia Vigilantes have not graced the postseason since 2007... the V's have turned it around with a blistering .300 team batting average, second-best in the IPA to Kenwood's .301 mark in the Tycobbian Union... this is in spite of losing capable CF Vasco Aguilar (.289 career BA) to Sligo in free agency... Feliz's pitching has taken a turn for the best, too, with a 3.72 ERA, much improved over last year's 4.21... Volusia's top hitters are CF Stan Kovalchuk (.403), 1B Ernie Pryor (.363), LF Ernesto Andujar (.344), 2B Carl Kendall (.316), vet RF Sonny Oliver (.313) and rookie 3B Antonio Diaz (.302)... Diaz has 6 homers and 24 RBIs to top the attack... rookie Tubby Tarkanian (.265) had solidified the catching with excellent defense and a good bat... anchoring the Vigilantes mound corps are starters Tommy Smith (5-1/1.45), Marv Webb (4-2/2.01) and Rio Lobo (1-0/2.74)... Feliz has got to get better results from his bullpen to remain in the pennant chase... a 4.58 ERA will not cut it. The second place Stoner Stars have been a quality club for sometime under skipper Benny Stern... they have been a first-division team in six of the last seven seasons and won the RU West flag in 2029... four fine hitters are carrying the club: free agent sensation LF Felix Jobin (.370) from Belle Plaine, CF Don Cain (.360), vet 1B Fletch Fowler (.353) and RF George Shepherd (.284)... Shepherd (.288 BA lifetime) was a free-agent signee, who played 7 years for Eastshore... pitching is the Stars' problem with a high 4.27 ERA (26th). The third place Forest City Lumberjacks have not been contenders in seven of the last eight years... manager Joe Judlin's 'Jacks came in third in 2029... they haven't made the Pro Cup playoffs since 2013... last year the team was sixth in the standings, but was selected to finish third this year... Judlin has good starters (3.17 ERA), but not much in the bullpen (5.87 ERA) or at the plate (.246 BA)... four vets lead the mound staff: Jimmy Willard (4-1/3.40), Judson Davis (3-1/3.06), Jerry Watford (2-3/1.93) and Rich Barstow (4-3/4.18)... 2B Jerry Rembert has sizzled with a .373 BA and has gotten help from rookie C Bob Brisdon (.258) with 6 homers and 16 RBIs and LF Chuck Kramer (.289) with 13 RBIs... Rembert was acquired in a trade with Valmara. For the last four years the Middlefield Roosters have wallowed in the second division... it's been seven seasons since they made the postseason... not a lot is expected this year... the Roosters were chosen to come in sixth in the preseason poll... skipper Bailey Norcross is getting better hitting this season with a .264 BA, up from .243 last year... as usual Middlefield with its small ballpark is among the leaders in homers with 31 so far (3rd tied)... pitching is average with a 3.73 team ERA... top bats are 2B Paul Coker (.314) with 10 homers and 18 RBIs, SS Kenny Johnston (.284) with 18 RBIs and rookie 3B Colt Chadwick (.337) with 11 RBIs... Judd Hampton (2-2/3.19) and Ron Sinclair (2-4/3.00) are the best arms. Last year's RU West champ Sligo is in a 4-way tie for fifth this year, five games behind Volusia and just a game from last place... the baseball scribes are not impressed with the Rovers and have slotted them for fifth in the preseason analysis... manager Eddie Keys' club hits homers, ranked second in the RU with 33, but doesn't do much else very well... free agent from San Dimas Kyell Rindahl was a good find with a .325 BA, 8 HRs and 18 RBIs... so was CF Vasco Aguilar from Volusia with a .267 BA, 4 HRs and 10 RBIs... on the hill Mark Smith (4-3/2.13) and Ricky Cooke (3-2/3.40) have been the best pitchers... solid pitchers from last year Lou Page (14-11) and Flapper Bird (15-17) have not been resigned... and Earl Perkins (15-14) signed with Glasco... Page and Bird would be good additions to the rotation. The Colfax Blasters were one of the darlings of the press in the preseason... Ilya Szabo's boys were the choice to take the RU West division, but thus far, it hasn't happened... good pitching (3.47 ERA) with good power (28 homers) and poor batting average (.236 BA) hasn't done the job... Colfax was tied for third last season... Rudy Rosario (2-4/2.19), Randell Perkins (2-2/3.00) and Milton Garnett (3-2/3.15) are still quality pitchers, but they get very little run support... the team BA is down 28 points from last year's .264... 1B/3B Lou Wilhoit (.294) is one of the few dependable batters with 5 homers and 16 RBIs... platooners 3B Benny Reier (.333) and LF Hal Granders (.309) are hitting for average in limited roles... other regulars are batting .240 or less... Colfax still has a lot of games to repair the damage and challenge for the pennant... the season is far from done. Fort Benton has also had a miserable April... after almost winning the pennant last year, the Defenders were ranked number two in the RU West preseason poll... Sligo won the flag in a one-game playoff... Fort Benton has never played in the postseason... this might just be their year... however, nothing has gone right for manager Robbie Brooks... a 28-point drop in BA (.240) and a 1.25 rise in ERA (4.67) has had a devastating effect on the team... free agent signee from Valmara 2B Alec Leclerc (.294) and rookie CF Chuck Sears (.274) are the only decent bats in the lineup... 18-game winner Augie Marquis (3-4/4.72) has struggled... a turnaround is still possible for the Defenders, but the nine rookies will have to produce better than they have in the first month. There's not much optimism in Rocky Rapids... last year Junior Noland's club finished seventh in the RU West race... this year they were picked last in the preseason poll... so far the prognosticators appeared to have been right on the money... the Snappers have lousy pitching (4.66 ERA) with a pretty fair offense... they are batting .270 (11th) with 30 homers (5th)... leading the attack are last season's batting champ 3B Kelvin Cassidy (.322) and 2B Rod Cook (.310)... on the mound rookie Ed Ayers (3-1/3.41) had led the staff, along with reliever John Young (1-0/1.64/4 saves)... not much talent otherwise.