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Eugene Church · 04-04-2014, 06:22 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 24, 2044

7 IPA GREATS NAMED TO HOF
Five years has past since the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame added anyone to the esteemed institution. Joe DeLucca and Bobby Dorignac were the most recent honorees. Many people feel that the Hall selection committee is getting too strict with the guidelines and they should loosen up a little bit, citing numerous 300-game winners and 3000-hit batters that have been overlooked thus far. Their complaints have been heard. This year there will seven icons added to the pretigious assemble.

Pitching stars Dave Whitaker, Pat Kovacs, Arno Vainmaa and Jasper LaForge have made the legendary cut, along with position players Big Hoss Burkhalter, Donnie Lewis and Lorne Evans. This brings the total number to 62, 38 position players and 24 pitchers. They will all be inducted at the Hall of Fame in Marston in December.

Dave Whitaker was the highest votegetter this year. He had the misfortune to play for a team that never made the playoffs. Michael starred for Kilkenny from 2023-2041 and compiled an outstanding 347-282 record with an impressive 2.80 ERA for the generally mediocre Cats. Michael holds the IPA all-time record for shutouts and complete games and is fourth in career wins. He fired 67 shutouts and had 375 complete games. Eight times Michael won 20 or more games for Kilkenny. He won the RU Golden Arm three times in 2024, 2029 and 2036, and the RU MVP in 2024. Michael retired at age 38 in 2041.

Outfielder Lorne Evans was second in the Hall-of-Fame balloting. He is ranked fifth all-time in homers with 701, seventh in runs with 2045 and tenth in RBIs with 1836 runs batted in. Evans split his 19-year career between Southport and Tuckanarra and batted .305 with 2928 hits. He played from 2025 to 2043 and retired at 38. Eight times his teams made the playoffs and Tuckanarra captured the Pro Cup in 2035. Evans was a 12-time All-Star and twice a Golden Glover.

Fireballer Pat Kovacs collected the third-highest votes in the Hall of Fame poll this year. The 18-year veteran chalked up a 308-228 mark, all with the La Claire Lynx from 2025 to 2042 with a sterling 2.84 ERA. Kovacs is third on the all-time list with 4179 Ks, only Cape Coral's Cody Burg with 5250 and Turon's Nicky Engstrom with 4498 are in front of him. Engstrom tops the IPA with 387 victories in his career and Burg is number two with 369. Kovacs holds the IPA strikeout mark for a single season with 391 in 2028. He retired in 2042 at age 37.

7-foot hurler Arno Vainmaa toiled mainly in obscurity for Valka in Ruthlandia and Mahaska in Tycobbia and rarely played with a good ballclub, yet the right-hander piled up 308 wins with 252 losses with a 3.47 ERA. His high ERA was a stumbling block for many Hall of Fame votecasters, but this year Vainmaa came in fourth in the voting. He pitched from 2015 to 2034 and called it quits at 38.

The fifth-best votegetter Jasper LaForge also was kept out of the Hall of Fame until this year because of his lofty 3.50 ERA. The electors finally relented because of his 302-228 pitching record. Seven times LaForge won 20 games in his 21 seasons with Colfax and Sligo in the Ruthlandia Union. The Blasters won five pennants with him and one Pro Cup in 2010, when they set an IPA mark with 107 victories. The Rovers claimed three flags during his tenure. LaForge played his last season in 2024 and retired at age 42.

The last two inductees are outfielders, Big Hoss Burkhalter and Donnie Lewis. Burkhalter wound up sixth in the HOF poll. The 6-foot-6 giant slugger played from 2001 to 2018, finishing with 468 homers and 1718 RBIs and a .288 lifetime batting average. He was a vital cog in the early years with Waleska and Wynnamac in the Ruthlandian Union.

Donnie Lewis was a .309 career batter with 3234 hits, 583 doubles, 123 triples, 148 roundtrippers, along with 1886 runs and 1837 walks, ninth-best in IPA history. Lewis had a standout .412 on-base percentage. He was active 2010 to 2029, divided between Rolling Hills (14 years) in the Tycobbian Union and Ancona (6 years) in the Ruthlandian Union. His last season Lewis was 39. His election should open the Hall doors to several others who have 3000 hits, who have never impressed the electors in past years.

04-04-2014, 06:22 PM	#4119
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 36,119	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, October 24, 2044 7 IPA GREATS NAMED TO HOF Five years has past since the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame added anyone to the esteemed institution. Joe DeLucca and Bobby Dorignac were the most recent honorees. Many people feel that the Hall selection committee is getting too strict with the guidelines and they should loosen up a little bit, citing numerous 300-game winners and 3000-hit batters that have been overlooked thus far. Their complaints have been heard. This year there will seven icons added to the pretigious assemble. Pitching stars Dave Whitaker, Pat Kovacs, Arno Vainmaa and Jasper LaForge have made the legendary cut, along with position players Big Hoss Burkhalter, Donnie Lewis and Lorne Evans. This brings the total number to 62, 38 position players and 24 pitchers. They will all be inducted at the Hall of Fame in Marston in December. Dave Whitaker was the highest votegetter this year. He had the misfortune to play for a team that never made the playoffs. Michael starred for Kilkenny from 2023-2041 and compiled an outstanding 347-282 record with an impressive 2.80 ERA for the generally mediocre Cats. Michael holds the IPA all-time record for shutouts and complete games and is fourth in career wins. He fired 67 shutouts and had 375 complete games. Eight times Michael won 20 or more games for Kilkenny. He won the RU Golden Arm three times in 2024, 2029 and 2036, and the RU MVP in 2024. Michael retired at age 38 in 2041. Outfielder Lorne Evans was second in the Hall-of-Fame balloting. He is ranked fifth all-time in homers with 701, seventh in runs with 2045 and tenth in RBIs with 1836 runs batted in. Evans split his 19-year career between Southport and Tuckanarra and batted .305 with 2928 hits. He played from 2025 to 2043 and retired at 38. Eight times his teams made the playoffs and Tuckanarra captured the Pro Cup in 2035. Evans was a 12-time All-Star and twice a Golden Glover. Fireballer Pat Kovacs collected the third-highest votes in the Hall of Fame poll this year. The 18-year veteran chalked up a 308-228 mark, all with the La Claire Lynx from 2025 to 2042 with a sterling 2.84 ERA. Kovacs is third on the all-time list with 4179 Ks, only Cape Coral's Cody Burg with 5250 and Turon's Nicky Engstrom with 4498 are in front of him. Engstrom tops the IPA with 387 victories in his career and Burg is number two with 369. Kovacs holds the IPA strikeout mark for a single season with 391 in 2028. He retired in 2042 at age 37. 7-foot hurler Arno Vainmaa toiled mainly in obscurity for Valka in Ruthlandia and Mahaska in Tycobbia and rarely played with a good ballclub, yet the right-hander piled up 308 wins with 252 losses with a 3.47 ERA. His high ERA was a stumbling block for many Hall of Fame votecasters, but this year Vainmaa came in fourth in the voting. He pitched from 2015 to 2034 and called it quits at 38. The fifth-best votegetter Jasper LaForge also was kept out of the Hall of Fame until this year because of his lofty 3.50 ERA. The electors finally relented because of his 302-228 pitching record. Seven times LaForge won 20 games in his 21 seasons with Colfax and Sligo in the Ruthlandia Union. The Blasters won five pennants with him and one Pro Cup in 2010, when they set an IPA mark with 107 victories. The Rovers claimed three flags during his tenure. LaForge played his last season in 2024 and retired at age 42. The last two inductees are outfielders, Big Hoss Burkhalter and Donnie Lewis. Burkhalter wound up sixth in the HOF poll. The 6-foot-6 giant slugger played from 2001 to 2018, finishing with 468 homers and 1718 RBIs and a .288 lifetime batting average. He was a vital cog in the early years with Waleska and Wynnamac in the Ruthlandian Union. Donnie Lewis was a .309 career batter with 3234 hits, 583 doubles, 123 triples, 148 roundtrippers, along with 1886 runs and 1837 walks, ninth-best in IPA history. Lewis had a standout .412 on-base percentage. He was active 2010 to 2029, divided between Rolling Hills (14 years) in the Tycobbian Union and Ancona (6 years) in the Ruthlandian Union. His last season Lewis was 39. His election should open the Hall doors to several others who have 3000 hits, who have never impressed the electors in past years.