[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 21, 2038

TYPHOONS BLOW AWAY MONTIES IN TU SOUTH
No much of a pennant race in the Tycobbian South Divisionn either... at least it wasn't close in the final weeks of the season... Turon opened up a good lead in August and built on it in September to blow away San Alejo and Ginza by 9 games... at the halfway point in the year, Turon led San Alejo by 3 games and Ginza by 7... the Typhoons were the preseason favorite over the Montanaros and Cape Coral Hurricanes... the 'Canes came in fourth in the final standings... Turon had too much of everything and should do quite well in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs.

1st: Turon
PRO CUP OUTLOOK: the Typhoons can do it all - pitch, hit and field - good qualities to bring home their fifth Pro Cup... Turon was a powerhouse in the early years of the IPA with 13 playoffs appearances and four Pro Cups in its first 19 seasons... since then - zilch... the Typhoons hold the IPA record for most Pro Cup Finals... a total of six... although they have come close recently, being beaten out by a single game in 2033 and 2037.
Top Pitchers: All-Star Clyde Engstrom (26-10/2.90), All-Star Armin Boehm (22-10/2.92), Wes Brynnton (18-13/3.15), Nate Scottsdale (19-15/3.71), reliever Ralph Fulton (6-5/2.10/15 saves)
Top Batters: All-Star RF Guido Gervasio (.305/21/100/104), All-Star J. P. Trevenot (.315/26/81/99), SS C. C. Kingsford (.296/24/98/87), C Gil Erwin (.317/15/57/76), 2B Marty Gibson (.313/8/60/49), 3B George Jordan (.264/14/83/57)

2nd: San Alejo
Comments: the Montaneros were almost equal to the Typhoons, but couldn't stay with them defensively... that might have been the difference... San Alejo has won the TU South four of the last seven seasons and won it all in 2032 for their first and only IPA Pro Cup... six times the Monties have made the postseason.
Top Pitchers: Benny Buckmaster (23-8/2.97), Johnny Brown (21-12/3.20), Lupe Olmedo (14-11/2.96), Tommy Smith (13-13/3.40)... 30-year-old Brown reached the 200-win milestone this season... 31-year-old Smith should reach it early next season.
Top Batters: All-Star C Filipe Zamora (.301/41/120/105), All-Star 1B Ted Hatch (.305/34/82/54), CF Dusty Rogan (.301/21/74/87), SS Sancho Cruz (.242/19/78/87), 3B Bubby Blackwell (.287/9/72/80), RF Charlie Wilberforce (.271/18/56/84)

3rd: Ginza
Comments: the Ninjas have made steady progress under new playing manager and LF Sadaharu Uchiyama the last two years, rising up from sixth to fourth to third... it's been seven years since Ginza made the postseason... they have made the playoffs seven times, but don't possess an IPA crown... 2031 was the last year they made the playoffs... the Ninjas could score and had fairly good pitching this year with poor defense.
Top Pitchers: Hollis Pace (16-12/3.10), Emil Kaltenborn (10-6/3.58) and Glenn Downing (16-19/3.89), reliever Timmy Hickens (5-2/2.13/20 saves)
Top Batters: CF Sogo Takagi (.299/22/110/109), LF Ichiro Kazumi (.318/9/59/67), 1B Steve Daniels (.298/22/81/62), LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.319/6/50/69), RF Scott Sparks (.256/25/75/64)

4th: Cape Coral
Comments: the Hurricanes' offense really puts runs on the board, but the pitching and defense was bad... the 'Canes topped the IPA with a .290 team BA and led the Tycobbian Union in runs and ranked near the top in roundtrippers with 216... they improved from sixth to fourth this year... Cape Coral is still looking for its first Pro Cup... and has made the postseason seven times.
Top Pitchers: Mario Morales (14-11/3.77), Norm Dawson (16-14/3.92)
Top Batters: All-Star 1B Stan Ferguson (.322/32/128/74), 3B Rikky Van Dalen (.324/38/105/109), CF Max Tselika (.307/16/43/98), SS Joel Collins (.300/8/73/79), LF Paul Law (.268/20/82/99)

5th: Summerland
Comments: the Sunsets were strong contenders in 2036 and 2037 with second and third-place finishes... they dropped to fourth this year because of atrocious offense... the Sunsets ranked last in the division in scoring... but they have solid pitching and excellent defense... Summerland is one of the least successful franchises in the IPA with only two postseason appearances (2005 and 2033) with no Pro Cups.
Top Pitchers: Freddi Rossi (20-18/3.25), Johnny Young (16-16/3.15), Jayson Hallstrom (16-16/3.65), Dutch De Boer (7-3/3.33/2 saves), reliever Ronald Shaddock (7-4/1.26/23 saves)
Top Batters: CF Antonio Vasquez (.292/5/52/100), 1B Mark Delaney (.262/25/107/62)

6th: Southport
Comments: the Sun Sox are just a so-so ball club bordering on mediocre... only three times have they made the Pro Cup playoffs and have never captured the Islands' baseball crown... Southport last made it to the postseason in 2027 and 2028... prior to that it was in 2002, their first season in the Tycobbian Union.
Top Pitchers: rookie Johnny Swanson (14-11/3.23), Blitzer Borden (16-13/3.96), rookie reliever Brandon Delmore (8-9/3.23/17 saves)
Top Batters: SS Craig Glennon (.264/30/103/93), CF Barney Lewis (.281/22/84/70), CF Pat Kinney (.283/7/53/78)

7th: Colchester
Comments: after a great season in 2036 when they chalked up 96 wins and the TU South flag, the Elites have dropped quickly into oblivion going from fifth to seventh... Colchester scores well, but has poor pitching and only average defense... they have never won a Pro Cup and have been in the playoffs just four times... three of them came in the team's first six seasons 2002 to 2007.
Top Pitchers: Tony Dazzi (13-12/4.47), Dave Lacoste (13-16/4.09)
Top Batters: RF Blake Barrister (.275/48/122/122), 1B Billy Christianson (.313/23/85/96), LF Chet Porter (.364/8/82/79) 2B Joey Rogers (.268/8/67/87), SS Alejandro Vasquez (.277/14/70/74), 3B Jasper Matthews (.233/20/85/87)

8th: Arroyo Grande
Comments: it was another very long season for the hapless Suns... after three straight years in seventh place, they finally reached the bottom, ranking near the bottom in batting, scoring and pitching... Arroyo Grande is another of the many long-suffering IPA franchises with no Pro Cups and only four playoff appearances from 2020 to 2025, the team's best seasons.
Top Pitchers: rookie Anthony Lombardi (15-12/4.49), reliever Cody Simmons (6-4/2.85/16 saves), reliever Kevin Meeks (6-7/3.48/15 saves)
Top Batters: CF Rafael Montoya (.286/14/60/66), LF Rene Jesclard (.257/20/67/90), C Pip Gleason (.258/23/66/50), RF Gregorio Olivera (.245/30/74/63)

2038 Tycobbian South Division Final Standings and Team Statistics