[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 23, 2053

ROOSTERS RULE IN PRO CUP PLAYOFFS
There could be a rooster ruling the roost again in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs... or there could be a wolf in the henhouse... whoever survives will be put to the test... Middlefield won the IPA crown last year with its home-run power, but it was a struggle getting past Wynnamac, Taranto and East Point... they lost 7 games last year in the postseason... it certainly will be another hassle this year for the overall IPA champion.

The powerhouses Middlefield, Taranto, Midway and Turon will be the odds-on favorites with their high-scoring attacks and strong pitching... the other playoff clubs Wynnamac, Waleska, Denton City and Oxford are lacking one of the two elements needed to win - offense or pitching.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES released its annual Pro Cup Predictions today... the baseball experts are ranking the reigning IPA champion Middlefield Roosters #1, followed by the Taranto Tars #2, Midway Wolves #3 and Turon Typhoons #4... the also-ran will be the Wynnamac Sundowners, Waleska Westerners, Denton City Redbirds and the Oxford Red Caps.

#1 MIDDLEFIELD ROOSTERS (99-55): Strong bats, pitching and very good defense make them a formidable foe in the IPA playoffs... Middlefield has won two Pro Cups... might be #3 this year... but it won't be easy to get past Wynnamac's fine pitching staff in round one or by Taranto in the Ruthlandian Championship Series... James Long (23-12/2.37), Hollis Dale (22-10/3.30), last year's Pro Cup MVP Carroll Collier (12-12/3.19), along with sluggers Rufus Blackburn (45 HR/114 RBI), Johnny Wyatt (40 HR/133 RBI), Natty Colclough (30 HR/91 RBI), SS Stan Radzikowski (28 HR/102 RBI) and Trip Agarn (26 HR/95 RB) are ready to roll again... the Roosters played well in September after a cool August... Middlefield has made the playoffs 16 times, winning 2 Pro Cups in '05 and last year.

#2 Taranto Tars (103-51): best record in the IPA this year... team features standout staff, a lineup full of fireworks and an excellent defense... last year fought Middlefield tooth-and-nail in the Ruthlandian title series before losing four games to three... twirlers Armani Pizziconi (25-9/3.0-9), Valerio Rossi (15-9/2.68), Freddy DeAngelis (17-12/3.17), Louis Toscano (3-4/2.13/17 saves/36 G) and a big batch of batters like Renzo Caruso (.37 HR/85 RBI), Niccolo Parisi (.30 HR/73 RBI), Kuma Toyota (29 HR/73 RBI) and Gaetano Palombo (18 HR/61 RBI) are poised and ripe for winning its second Pro Cup trophy... they won the first one in 2015... the Tars are really playing well and with a lot of momentum... may have been the best team in the IPA the second half of the season... this will be the 6th time Taranto has made the postseason... the Tars won their only Pro Cup trophy in 2015... the long-suffering fans are ready for another one.

#3 Midway Wolves (100-54): could have the best rotation and bullpen in the IPA with Yank Atchley (15-7/2.39), Charlie Chase (27-10/2.51), Will DeBerry (25-10/3.25), Beau McCloud (18-10/3.38), Rocket Rhodes (7-4/2.22/13 saves/36 G) and Jeffrey Leonard (4-2/0.36/8 saves/21 G)... some good batters, too, with Kax Clark (.368 BA/17 HR/88 R), Daryl Vale (.332/21 HR/62 RBI), Tom Goodnight (.289 BA/21 HR/86 RBI) and Jamey Southwick (.263 BA/25 HR/70 RBI)... Midway is just an average team with the gloves... only had a so-so month in September...first playoff appearance in years and years... last pennant came in '27... the Wolves are really hungry for their first Pro Cup trophy.

#4 Turon Typhoons (101-53): one of the best franchises in the IPA with 16 postseason appearances and 4 Pro Cups (2003, 2006, 2009, 2018)... talented club that is heading in the playoffs playing very well... an impressive attack with good contact hitters, can score runs, but lacks longball power... good defensively... top-notch starters... fair bullpen... offensive leaders are Stoyo Yuro (.316 BA/18 HR/81 RBI), Gaylen Clive (.327 BA/3 HR/61 RBI), Joel Guidry (.289 BA/16 HR/96 RBI) and Doyle Ashcroft (.279 BA/19 HR/114 RBI)... top staffers are Nate Scottsdale (25-10/2.77), Glenn Avery (23-12/3.39) and rookie Yancey Hedges (8-4/2.81), who missed the first half of the season with an injury... not as highly heralded as the trio of Middlefield, Taranto and Midway.

#5 Wynnamac Sundowners (89-65): team possesses some fine starters in Sammy Hayes (23-24/2.26), Simon Northcott (22-10/2.50), James Duncan (15-14/2.79) and George Medworth (11-11/3.49)... not a lot in the bullpen... gave IPA champ Middlefield fits last year in the postseason, but it wasn't the pitching... it flopped last year in the playoffs... gave up 14 homers and 56 runs in 6 games and lost the series 4-2... the Sundowners are a modest hitting club with Dickie Key (.299 HR/21 HR/96 RBI), Enos Benham (.353 BA/13 HR/60 RBI) and C Jethro Bibbs (.301 BA/7 HR/58 RBI) the best of the lot... WMACs have average fielding... not likely to get past powerful Middlefield in opening round... the one and only Pro Cup came years ago in 2008... Wynnamac will be making its 9th postseason appearance.

#6 Waleska Westerners (90-64): same boat as Wynnamac... fairly good pitching corps, but not a lot of offense to go with it... defense is just fair... the Westerners put up a fight last year against Taranto in the round one, but lost 4 games to 2... might be even harder this year as the Tars really are a fine team with Pro Cup potential... but if they are right Kenny Foster (20-12/3.11), Vince Gibson (25-11/2.57), Trey Earnest (13-10/3.18) and Lou Carlson (11-15/3.45) could throw a monkey wrench into the Tars' title aspirations... the pitchers will have to do it all... runs don't come easy for Waleska... no power, but decent contact hitters... defense is just fair at best... most productive batters are Boomer Barnes (.275 BA/14 HR/70 RBI), Jingo Jernigan (.303 BA/8 HR/65 RBI), Richie Fry (.331 BA/1 HR/42 RBI) and Hisashi Yamaguchi (.289 BA/3 HR/57 RBI)... the Westerners have done well in the Pro Cup playoffs winning 3 IPA crowns (2028, 2037, 2039) and have made the postseason 9 times... this will be the third year in a row they have won the division flag... but it will be a tough task to take Taranto.

#7 Denton City Redbirds (89-65): two veterans Flash Stringfellow (21-10/2.53) and Johnny Wingate (21-8/2.67) make the Redbirds a dangerous team... if Harry Elliott (14-13/4.08) has his good stuff, they could challenge the Midway Wolves... Denton City ranked third in pitching and fourth in scoring runs, but is just an average fielding club... the top guns at bat are Harper Catlow (.262 BA/34 HR/104 RBI), Vincent McCloud (.313 BA/23 HR/110 RBI), Tristan Redgrave (.351 BA/17 HR/72 RBI), Val Anniston (.295 BA/22 HR/71 RBI) and Ronnie Lambert (.290 BA/11 HR/58 RBI)... the Midway hurlers better be ready... the Redbird bats will test them... Denton City will be making its 10th postseason appearance, the first in 13 seasons... it has never won a Pro Cup trophy.

#8 Oxford Red Caps (91-63): the Red Caps played well in the second half of the season and are ready for the playoffs... Turon was favored over them in the first round action last year, but Oxford knocked them off in a mild surprise 4 games to one... the Red Caps will still be underdogs this year... but Oxford still has the same explosive attack that eliminated Turon last season... the Red Caps tied Middlefield for the top-scoring team in the IPA this year... Look out, Turon, Ozzy Ackerman (.252 BA/40 HR/111 RBI), Ethan Cuthbert (.329 BA/32 HR/89 RBI), Dwayne Wagner (.282 BA/24 HR/99 RBI), Cliff Nilssen (.315 BA/1 HR/49 RBI) and Mito Fujikawa (.272 BA/14 HR/79 RBI) are coming back at you again... on the mound Oxford has one truly fine pitcher Rudy Mellancamp (27-3/1.97), who posted one of the best season's ever in IPA history... but he can't win it all by himself... he will need a lot of help from Lou Ellison (19-15/3.73) and Homer Keaton (8-4/3.97) to upset the Turon Typhoons again... the Red Caps have better-than-average pitching and just average defense, but their bats are blazing... Oxford has only made the playoffs 6 times in its history, most of them long ago in the early years of the IPA... they have captured one Pro Cup... that was long ago, too, in 2007... their series against Turon just might be a toss-up.