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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, August 1, 2039
MIDWAY ON TOP IN 3-TEAM RACE
The top two clubs in the Tycobbian East Division stumbled a bit in July... now it's a four-team race between first place Midway, second place Tuckanarra and Ozarka, and East Point in the fourth spot... the Wolves are four games ahead of the Blue Jays and Naturals and five in front of the Panthers... the Tucks are the defending champion and trying for their sixth division crown in a row... Ozarka had a good month with a 17-12 mark... East Point did, too, at 16-13... Midway and Tuckanarra both went 13-16 to tighten up the pennant race... only three teams in the weak TU East are above the .500 mark for the season.
Good pitching is keeping the Midway Wolves on top, led by Carl Dreaux (14-8/3.33), Cary Snead (12-10/3.39), Charlie Chase (11-11/3.75) and Bobby Boy Wolf (9-5/2.78/1 save)... not much offense... but they have a few decent bats in 2B Lou Flowers (.298/18/74/56), All-Star LF Bennett Caldwell (.315/12/51/59), 1B Shaman Sakima (.282/20/64/64) and CF Yancey Tanner (.293/0/38/69)... Midway won't go far in the postseason, should they win the pennant... just a middle-of-the road club.
Tuckanarra has dominated the division the last six seasons, but not this year... the Blue Jays are not the same club... it will be tough to repeat again... they are pretty much an average team and are just one game over .500... Bobby Reid (11-7/3.52) has the best record on the staff... MVP and Golden Armer Junior Bristow (10-13/3.13) and Jeff Buttrum (10-12/4.38) are having very disappointing seasons... closer Jack Rogers (9-6/1.95/12) has done a fine job in the bullpen... only LF Spade Weldon (.303/14/52/72) is having any kind of good season... IPA icon RF Lorne Evans has flopped this year with a poor .237 BA, 13 homers, 60 RBIs and 57 runs... far away from his career season numbers of .305 BA, 40 HRs, 105 RBIs and 120 runs.
The Ozarka Nats have had good months back-to-back and may be playing the best ball of the four contenders... they have three decent starters in Glen Jenkins (15-9/3.42), Dirk Halstad (7-3/3.90) and Teddy O'Shea (6-5/3.06)... only two dependable bats: 3B Jimmy Woods (.301/18/63/51) and SS Duffy Morrison (.293/19/57/69).
The fourth-place East Point Panthers only do one thing well... the have 143 HRs (4th)... otherwise they are a mediocre club, one-game below .500... SS Dean O'Donnell (.262/20/62/52) and 1B Bert Henrich (.275/22/66/55) are the only dependable bats in the line-up... top starters are only average: Johnny Moore (10-8/3.75) and Frank Blair (10-10/3.88)... superstar ace Dixie Brooks (9-10/5.32) is having an atrocious year... Tuck Tawney (5-1/1.85/9 saves) had done very well as closer.
Preseason favorite Red Bluff has not produced this year... they are in fifth place in the standings and 10 games off the pace... but they have improved in the last two months (30-25) after a very slow start (19-35)... the Red Sox have mediocre pitching (4.16-23rd), don't hit for average (.242 BA-30th), but can go deep (157 HR-2nd)... top hitters are star All-Star CF Ike Sweetwater (.296/26/73/67), who leads the club in hits, BA, HRs, RBIs and runs scored... RF David Kelso (.286/25/69/50), LF Jesse Shaw (.269/17/53/66) and 3B Fran Blanchard (.257/21/45/41) have also contributed... most productive pitchers are Jud Cox (14-8/3.24) and Tony Defazio (12-12/3.78).
In the sixth spot are the South Fork Stallions, tied with Hillsboro... they have yet to have a winning month, going 14-15 in July... the Stallions are headed for another second-division finish for the fourth consecutive season... pitching has vastly improved, but the offense is still poor... South Fork's most effective starters are Big Murph McAlister (13-10/3.04), Roger Johnson (8-8/3.53) and Mike Lambertini (7-9/3.29/3 saves)... fine 3B Elton Jacoby (.325/17/47/71) is the only threat in the batting order... SS Jess Wilkerson (.246/21/65/53) has helped out some.
For the sixth succession season the Hillsboro Blazers are destined for a spot near the bottom of the TU East... they are tied with South Fork for sixth... the Blazers were 15-14 last month... they have fair hitting and average pitching... Ralph Quick (10-10/3.74) and Cazzie Reier (9-12/3.49) are the only reliable starters... no standout sticks... the best of the lot are LF Julien Bellini (.263/26/67/68) and 1B Claude Kingston (.287/24/62/63).
The High Mesa Cowboys are in last place and is just a bad ball team... no pitching and no bats... Russ Krolle (11-11/3.65) is the only dependable starter... LF Clay Johnston is having a fine season with 37 HRs, second in the IPA to Bayview's Jerry Culpepper, the leader with 38... Johnston has 75 RBIs, scored 62 runs and is batting .288... he is getting a little longball help from 1B Clifford Coleman (.255/22/57/57) and veteran slugger RF Corbett Brooks (.209/28/56/58).
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