[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

HAWKS WIN NORTH AGAIN, 8 IN A ROW
It wasn't easy... North Hills started off slowly, but finished fast to nab its eighth successive Tycobbian North Division championship... the Hawks set a new IPA record... they had been tied with the Ozarka Naturals of the TU East, who won seven straight from 2015 to 2021... the Far Mountain Redhawks of the Ruthlandian North are third with six titles from 2009 to 2014... North Hills had to fend off a determined Fairfax this season... they won by only three games over the Frogs... the Hawks had to go 30-13 the last six weeks to hold them off... the Frogs were 29-14.

1. North Hills (95-59): the Hawks will be going for a record-tying fourth Pro Cup this year... they won it in 2034, 2036 and 2038, but failed the last two years despite being the favorite... second-best record in the IPA with 95 wins... only Cape Coral of the TU South was better with 97... the Hawks have great pitching with a 2.76 ERA (1st) and pretty good offense... and better-than-average defense (.975 FA).
Top Pitchers: All-Star Jeff Owens (22-11/2.33), Joey Santini (14-5/2.45/7 saves), Nelson Hooper (14-11/2.59)... ace Tony Mack (23-9/2.69) will miss the playoffs due to injury... that's a big loss, but Hooper and Santini may be able to fill the huge gap.
Top Batters: 30-year-old superstar LF Adam Thurgood (.307/35/99/95) still carries the team, but had solid help from CF Kris Anastas (.294/22/82/78), 3B Jim McDermott (.307/19/79/70), 1B Ric Hamilton (.264/19/78/71) and 2B Tommy Vavas (.273/16/70/98).

2. Fairfax (92-62) (3 GB): this was the Frogs' best season since winning 95 and 102 games in 2032 and 2033... but it wasn't good enough to top the Hawks... they are still waiting for their first Pro Cup... Fairfax led the TU with a .288 BA, scored well with 767 runs (6th-tied), but hit only 96 homers (32nd)... they have strong pitching with a 3.19 ERA (3rd), but aren't good with the gloves (.969 FA).
Top Pitchers: Lucien Vachon (20-15/2.44) and Ken Perry (19-8/2.73) gave them two top-notch starters... Vachon has quietly posted a 306-269 record with a 3.21 ERA in his 19 years in the IPA... age 38 he has chalked up four twenty-game seasons, two in the last two years... Paul Sardini (18-11/4.45) and Harold Dorman (16-13/3.88) have taken advantage of good run support... also at age 38 Sardini is approaching the 300-win milestone with a 293-231 record in 19 seasons, mainly with White River... Sardini came over in a trade deadline deal in July... Wes Christopher (10-5/2.57/22 saves) did well as a reliever-spot starter... in the bullpen Terry Sawyer (7-3/2.05/10 saves) did very well in his 54 relief appearances... Fairfax boasts a slew of .300 hitters (six) and were sparked by 3B Bobby Joe Daniel (.371/4/69/71), the Tycobbian BA leader, rookie CF Brad Johnson (.313/12/97/87) and rookie C Scott Courtney (.308/20/98/76)... other .300 batters were rookie SS Joji Yamasaki (.310/7/63/85), rookie LF Doug Carver (.302/7/39/78) and 1B Ferrell Dillard (.300/3/49/38)... vets 2B John Velasco (.292/12/82/90) and LF Eric Kusek (.285/7/40/46) also added to the run production.

3. Mahaska (85-69) (10 GB): the Haymakers have been a solid ballclub with four consecutive first-division finishes the last four years... three seconds and a third... Mahaska has never won a Pro Cup and 2028 was the last time they were in the playoffs... features impressive pitching with a 3.30 ERA (4th) and average hitting with a .260 BA (18th)... fairly good with a .975 FA.
Top Pitchers: rookie Bobby Kelman (17-12/2.45), All-Star Jergen Fyelstad (18-12/2.75) and vet Freddy Pfeffer (19-14/3.65) were the prime starters... Luke Cargill (7-8/2.24/19 saves) did a fine job in the bullpen.
Top Batters: All-Star C James Boswell (.302/38/93/76) had a break-out season at age 24... SS Rocco Bertara (.290/8/75/83) played fine defense and held his own at the plate... 34-year-old 2B Mikk Kukk (.274/13/66/67), 36-year-old CF Grisha Urbonas (.287/17/59/58) and 40-year-old RF Anton Hymel (.285/17/60/58) also chipped in with offense.

4. White River (81-73) (14 GB): finally moved up into the first division after six seasons of second-division play... no postseason since 2027 and no Pro Cup in their trophy case... just average in scoring with 725 runs (12th)... very good power with 202 HRs (4th), but don't make much contact with .248 BA (26th)... average on the hill with a 3.80 ERA (15th)... fairly good fielding with a .974 FA.
Top Pitchers: Clem Warren (16-11/3.27) was best starter with some help at times from vet Trenton Anderson (14-19/3.61)... great job from closer Les Dennis (5-5/1.32/26 saves), who led the IPA in saves.
Top Batters: 1B Billy Joe Hickman (.299/34/98/85), All-Star RF Zachary Kriger (.305/26/80/109) and SS Warren McKenzie (.268/36/90/89) all had good seasons... CF Buford Cross hit 21 roundtrippers, drove in 74 runs and scored 98 with a .263 BA.

5. Blue Lake (79-75) (16 GB): third successive season in second division... pretty fair club, just in a tough division... six clubs were over the .500 mark... the Blue Sox rarely make the postseason... been in it only three times, but captured the Pro Cup in 2030... good pitching with a 3.55 ERA (7th)... average bats with .264 BA (13th), 711 runs (14th-tied), but weak going deep with only 113 HRs (29th)... woeful defense with a .969 FA.
Top Pitchers: Frankie Quinn (18-14/2.75), Sal Mays (16-13/3.88) and Andre Montrose (16-18/3.91)... in his 15 seasons 35-year-old Quinn is 283-209 with a fine 3.03 ERA... nine times he has won 20 games... was Golden Arm winner in 2037.
Top Batters: RF Pudge Clinkscale (.305/3/51/76) topped the team in BA at .305... CF Raddy Pajak (.302/7/58/92) led the team in runs with 92... 2B Egon Ojamaa was the club leader in homers with 28 and RBIs with 97, scored 90 runs, but hit only .234.

6. Hartsdale (78-76) (17 GB): just a mediocre team most of the time... hasn't been to the postseason since 2029... never won Pro Cup... but had a winning record this year for the second time in three seasons... pretty much an average club with a .260 BA (16th), 711 runs (14th-tied), 163 HRs (16th)... 3,79 ERA (14th)... very good defense with a .977 FA.
Top Pitchers: Gil Younger (19-12/3.66) and Freddie Whitaker (15-12/3.88) had winning records... Wayne Dawson (16-21/3.19) was the most effective.
Top Batters: All-Star CF Darrell Nesbitt (.310/17/86/102), SS Robinson Alomar (.268/26/85/89), 3B Greg Melton (.275/25/89/77), 1B John Ford (.281/23/77/62) and LF Marv Shaw (.275/24/70/63).

7. Luxora (75-79) (20 GB): the Zorros zapped out after three years in third place... still came within four games of a break-even season... may depend on too many aging players... last pennant came in 2031... club has never won a Pro Cup... team stats are better than their record... .272 BA (8th), 760 runs (9th), 193 HRs (6th), 3.67 ERA (9th)... but the Z's are poor on defense with a .969 FA.
Top Pitchers: Kent Halloran (20-10/2.73) is one of the best in the IPA at age 35... in 13 years he has a lifetime 2.45 ERA with a 194-140 record... won the TU Golden Arm Award in 2035... top reliever was Fernando Sanches (7-6/3.03/16 saves).
Top Batters: All-Star SS Joel Poche (.321/24/107/94), 37-year-old 3B Todd Dubbins (.301/31/94/80), RF Derrek Jackson (.337/18/72/105), 36-year-old LF Milt Powers (.263/28/82/99), 38-year-old veteran 1B Gerry Hathaway (.298/22/83/65)... Hathaway has 458 HRs in 16 years with the club.

8. Oxford (68-86) (27 GB): fourth straight season at or near the bottom... last three in the cellar... last pennant was way back in the 2007 Pro Cup year... has bad pitching with a 4.53 ERA (29th)... fair offense with .253 BA (22nd), 690 runs (20th-tied) and very good power with 192 HRs (7th)... just average with the gloves with .973 FA.
Top Pitchers: Johnny Lee Adams (11-5/3.96) and Rusty Garland (13-15/3.82) are the only decent pitchers on the team.
Top Batters: 1B Andy Preston (.306/24/83/97) tops the club in BA and runs, tied for RBIs... 3B Alonzo Norris (.278/27/83/81)... CF Dalton Ward is the HR leader with 35, drove in 82 runs, but hit only .212 for average.