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Eugene Church · 04-28-2017, 07:00 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, May 1, 2054

TARS ON TOP IN RU NORTH, BUT NOT BY MUCH
At the end of the first month of play, it's a good race in the Ruthlandian North Division... 6 of the teams have winning records with favored Taranto (17-7) on top as expected, but not by much... the Tars are only one game up on Glasco (16-8) and Far Mountain (16-8), two better than Valmara (15-12) and four ahead of LaGrange (13-11) and Ancona (13-11)... Taranto is going for its third straight divisIon crown.

In a blockbuster deal Taranto traded for superstar outfielder Lenny Buisson (.326 BA/52 HR/135 RBI) and added a lot more offense to its attack, but had to give the Belle Plaine Musketeers three solid players for him... two budding hurlers with much potential: starter Jaron Montague (14-4/3.31) and reliever Raphael Palmieri (4-1/1.52/2 saves/19 G), along with a talented part-time outfielder Cody Losby (.336 BA/19 HR/45 RBI/49 R), that had trouble getting playing time on the talent-laden Tars... could be a win-win for both clubs.

Taranto (17-7) manager Augie Marshall has them going on all cylinders, getting fine pitching from starters Freddy DeAngelis (5-1/3.04) and Armani Pizziconi (3-2/2.82)... Enzo Ferrara (4-0/1.73) is back after missing most of last year with an arm injury and starting off in terrific fashion... he was 17-15 in his rookie season... he could make fans forget Montague and Palmieri... Taranto is hitting the tar out of the baseball, leading the Ruthlandian Union and the entire IPA with 43 homers... CF Renzo Caruso (.383 BA/5 HR/10 RBI/14 R), LF Kuma Toyota (.359/9 HR/16 RBI/13 R) and C Niccolo Parisi (.268 BA/6 HR/13 RBI/12 r) are tearing up the opposition so far... 1B Phil Wilson (.263 BA/5 HR/14 RBI14 R) is a solid hitter, too... however, Buisson (.243 BA/4 HR/9 RBI/10 R) is off to a slow start for him... Buisson is a career .333 batter... look out when he starts hitting.

The second place Glasco Athletics (16-8) under Charles Darby are off to a blazing start... a huge turnaround from last year's 7th place (72-82)... it's the A's pitching (3.06 ERA/5th) that has them doing so well, led by Evan Walsh (3-2/1.62), Benny McDaniel (3-3/2.57) and Pat Meyers (4-2/3.58)... vet closer Ken McLin (2-0/2.93/6 G) is doing well in the bullpen, too... at the plate last year's batting crown winner Callum Slattery (.407 BA/2 HR/12 RBI/18 R/6 SB)) is off to a fine start and getting some help from 3B Allen Spears (.305/3/13/18) BA) and SS Odis Tomlin (.299/2/12/14/4 SB).

It's been 5 years since the Far Mountain Redhawks (16-8) made the first division... last year they came in fifth (79-75/24 GB)... this season manager Robby Kelly is getting super pitching and has them tied for second in the standings... the Redhawk rotation is leading the league with a 2.71 ERA... leading the way is Ryan Kolb (4-1/1.42), Benny Van (5-1/2.09) and Stan Smith (3-2/3.43)... however, Kelly falls way short at the plate... the team is hitting a lowly .242 (28th)... CF Ox Gless (.289 BA/4 HR/16 RBI) and RF Frankie Neill (.231/9/21/12) supply the only power and the only offense.

Over in the maritime regions skipper Uncle Vanya Vasylenko always had a good club in Valmara... the Valmara Vipers (15-9) still have strong pitching... they stumbled in fourth (80-74/23 GB) last year, but the offense seems to have perked up this year... veteran starters Primo Sirak (4-0/2.79) and Darek Polaski (3-2/2.32) are as good as ever and this season have some help from 22-year-old Jiro Valastro (3-0/3.38)... he was a rookie reliever last year and has been moved into the starting rotation... the Viper attack is sparked by vets RF Boyd Holmes (.323 BA/4 HR/20 RBI/13 R), 3B Ken Jensen (.298/1/11/17), CF Don Ritchie (.308/1/10/17), C Karol Koska (.310/4/13/11) and SS Andrew Parkhill (.316/0/11/10/2 B).

Mike York is at the helm of the fifth place LaGrange Sports (13-11) and he has them off-and-running and playing much better than last year's cellar-dwelling club (57-97/46 GB)... starters Elvis Capell (2-2/2.56), Gerard Dubois (2-3/3.47) and Johnny Stoneman (2-0/2.70) are heading up the staff... the best thing about the Sports is their standout bullpen, paced by Rudy Bonnett (3-0/1.89/7 G) and Rob Fullmer (1-1/1.50/5 G)... York has a lukewarm offense... LaGrange only has two reliable bats: LF Sonny Ricard (.263 BA/6 HR/17 RBI/12 R) and SS Ralph Julien (.277/5/15/15).

The Ancona Red Elephants (13-11) came in distant second last season (83-71/20 GB) to Taranto... skipper Alekos Kotas has an impressive staff (3.04 ERA), but little offense (.241 B)... his starting rotation is Roger Kostas (3-2/2.66), Benjie Scaggs (3-2/2.40) and Denny Scurlock (3-2/3.38)... plus Kotas has a quality and reliable bullpen, too... sadly, there just isn't much in the Ancona batting order... just a couple of decent bats in 2B Jason Seleznick (.299 BA/4 HR/14 RBI/5 R) and SS Ron Drinkwater (.280/1/7/14).

The Kilkenny Cats (11-13) are in seventh place in the RU North... the offense is sparse (.250 BA)... led by 1B Ryan Reagan (.228 BA/6 HR/23 RBI/11 R), who goes deep and drive in runs, but is batting a lousy .228 so far... 3B Jorge Collazo (.338/1/9/17) is doing well at the plate... recently RF Butch Sheppard (.442/2/9/11) has stood out since getting some playing time in a platoon situation... just an average mound corps... only dependable starters are Braydon Washbourne (3-2/2.12) and veteran Glen Caswell (1-3/3.33)... and not much of a bullpen, either (4.67 ERA)... last year manager Kevin McLaglen led the Cats to sixth place with a 78-76 mark.

At the end of April the Ranford Bulls (10-14) are in last place... not playing real badly and not playing very well... they finished third last year under manager Kyle Hunt with an 80-74 record, 22 games back of pennant-winning Taranto (103-51)... more or less an average ballclub... Hunt still has talent... superstar Ralph Hawk (5-1/0.87) is off to a great season at age 36... he is 298-159 in his 17th season with a brilliant 2.41 ERA... Martin Futch (0-2/2.45/2 saves/13 G) is solid in the bullpen... Neil Martin (3-2/3.58) is a capable starter... the offense is led by CF Joey Hawkins (.253 BA/5 HR/13 RBI/9 R)... but he is off to a sluggish start... Hawkins is a career .316 batter... RBI man 2B Don Connell (.275/4/15/8) is having his normal solid season... and LF Zach Isom (.301/2/5/14) is a lightly-productive bat, that hit for average.

04-28-2017, 07:00 PM	#5496
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,899	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Friday, May 1, 2054 TARS ON TOP IN RU NORTH, BUT NOT BY MUCH At the end of the first month of play, it's a good race in the Ruthlandian North Division... 6 of the teams have winning records with favored Taranto (17-7) on top as expected, but not by much... the Tars are only one game up on Glasco (16-8) and Far Mountain (16-8), two better than Valmara (15-12) and four ahead of LaGrange (13-11) and Ancona (13-11)... Taranto is going for its third straight divisIon crown. In a blockbuster deal Taranto traded for superstar outfielder Lenny Buisson (.326 BA/52 HR/135 RBI) and added a lot more offense to its attack, but had to give the Belle Plaine Musketeers three solid players for him... two budding hurlers with much potential: starter Jaron Montague (14-4/3.31) and reliever Raphael Palmieri (4-1/1.52/2 saves/19 G), along with a talented part-time outfielder Cody Losby (.336 BA/19 HR/45 RBI/49 R), that had trouble getting playing time on the talent-laden Tars... could be a win-win for both clubs. Taranto (17-7) manager Augie Marshall has them going on all cylinders, getting fine pitching from starters Freddy DeAngelis (5-1/3.04) and Armani Pizziconi (3-2/2.82)... Enzo Ferrara (4-0/1.73) is back after missing most of last year with an arm injury and starting off in terrific fashion... he was 17-15 in his rookie season... he could make fans forget Montague and Palmieri... Taranto is hitting the tar out of the baseball, leading the Ruthlandian Union and the entire IPA with 43 homers... CF Renzo Caruso (.383 BA/5 HR/10 RBI/14 R), LF Kuma Toyota (.359/9 HR/16 RBI/13 R) and C Niccolo Parisi (.268 BA/6 HR/13 RBI/12 r) are tearing up the opposition so far... 1B Phil Wilson (.263 BA/5 HR/14 RBI14 R) is a solid hitter, too... however, Buisson (.243 BA/4 HR/9 RBI/10 R) is off to a slow start for him... Buisson is a career .333 batter... look out when he starts hitting. The second place Glasco Athletics (16-8) under Charles Darby are off to a blazing start... a huge turnaround from last year's 7th place (72-82)... it's the A's pitching (3.06 ERA/5th) that has them doing so well, led by Evan Walsh (3-2/1.62), Benny McDaniel (3-3/2.57) and Pat Meyers (4-2/3.58)... vet closer Ken McLin (2-0/2.93/6 G) is doing well in the bullpen, too... at the plate last year's batting crown winner Callum Slattery (.407 BA/2 HR/12 RBI/18 R/6 SB)) is off to a fine start and getting some help from 3B Allen Spears (.305/3/13/18) BA) and SS Odis Tomlin (.299/2/12/14/4 SB). It's been 5 years since the Far Mountain Redhawks (16-8) made the first division... last year they came in fifth (79-75/24 GB)... this season manager Robby Kelly is getting super pitching and has them tied for second in the standings... the Redhawk rotation is leading the league with a 2.71 ERA... leading the way is Ryan Kolb (4-1/1.42), Benny Van (5-1/2.09) and Stan Smith (3-2/3.43)... however, Kelly falls way short at the plate... the team is hitting a lowly .242 (28th)... CF Ox Gless (.289 BA/4 HR/16 RBI) and RF Frankie Neill (.231/9/21/12) supply the only power and the only offense. Over in the maritime regions skipper Uncle Vanya Vasylenko always had a good club in Valmara... the Valmara Vipers (15-9) still have strong pitching... they stumbled in fourth (80-74/23 GB) last year, but the offense seems to have perked up this year... veteran starters Primo Sirak (4-0/2.79) and Darek Polaski (3-2/2.32) are as good as ever and this season have some help from 22-year-old Jiro Valastro (3-0/3.38)... he was a rookie reliever last year and has been moved into the starting rotation... the Viper attack is sparked by vets RF Boyd Holmes (.323 BA/4 HR/20 RBI/13 R), 3B Ken Jensen (.298/1/11/17), CF Don Ritchie (.308/1/10/17), C Karol Koska (.310/4/13/11) and SS Andrew Parkhill (.316/0/11/10/2 B). Mike York is at the helm of the fifth place LaGrange Sports (13-11) and he has them off-and-running and playing much better than last year's cellar-dwelling club (57-97/46 GB)... starters Elvis Capell (2-2/2.56), Gerard Dubois (2-3/3.47) and Johnny Stoneman (2-0/2.70) are heading up the staff... the best thing about the Sports is their standout bullpen, paced by Rudy Bonnett (3-0/1.89/7 G) and Rob Fullmer (1-1/1.50/5 G)... York has a lukewarm offense... LaGrange only has two reliable bats: LF Sonny Ricard (.263 BA/6 HR/17 RBI/12 R) and SS Ralph Julien (.277/5/15/15). The Ancona Red Elephants (13-11) came in distant second last season (83-71/20 GB) to Taranto... skipper Alekos Kotas has an impressive staff (3.04 ERA), but little offense (.241 B)... his starting rotation is Roger Kostas (3-2/2.66), Benjie Scaggs (3-2/2.40) and Denny Scurlock (3-2/3.38)... plus Kotas has a quality and reliable bullpen, too... sadly, there just isn't much in the Ancona batting order... just a couple of decent bats in 2B Jason Seleznick (.299 BA/4 HR/14 RBI/5 R) and SS Ron Drinkwater (.280/1/7/14). The Kilkenny Cats (11-13) are in seventh place in the RU North... the offense is sparse (.250 BA)... led by 1B Ryan Reagan (.228 BA/6 HR/23 RBI/11 R), who goes deep and drive in runs, but is batting a lousy .228 so far... 3B Jorge Collazo (.338/1/9/17) is doing well at the plate... recently RF Butch Sheppard (.442/2/9/11) has stood out since getting some playing time in a platoon situation... just an average mound corps... only dependable starters are Braydon Washbourne (3-2/2.12) and veteran Glen Caswell (1-3/3.33)... and not much of a bullpen, either (4.67 ERA)... last year manager Kevin McLaglen led the Cats to sixth place with a 78-76 mark. At the end of April the Ranford Bulls (10-14) are in last place... not playing real badly and not playing very well... they finished third last year under manager Kyle Hunt with an 80-74 record, 22 games back of pennant-winning Taranto (103-51)... more or less an average ballclub... Hunt still has talent... superstar Ralph Hawk (5-1/0.87) is off to a great season at age 36... he is 298-159 in his 17th season with a brilliant 2.41 ERA... Martin Futch (0-2/2.45/2 saves/13 G) is solid in the bullpen... Neil Martin (3-2/3.58) is a capable starter... the offense is led by CF Joey Hawkins (.253 BA/5 HR/13 RBI/9 R)... but he is off to a sluggish start... Hawkins is a career .316 batter... RBI man 2B Don Connell (.275/4/15/8) is having his normal solid season... and LF Zach Isom (.301/2/5/14) is a lightly-productive bat, that hit for average. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 04-30-2017 at 08:23 PM.