OOTP Developments Forums - View Single Post - ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

Eugene Church · 07-31-2017, 12:07 AM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 21, 2054

RASCALS BACK ON TOP OF TU NORTH
After dawdling along to a 39-39 record halfway through the season, the White River Rascals (89-65) culminated the year in a blaze of glory piling up a 50-26 mark in the second half and routing the rest of the clubs for the Tycobbian North Division flag... the team's fifth crown in the last seven seasons... front-runners Luxora (48-30) and North Hills (48-30) tied for the top spot at midyear, 9 games in front of third place White River... but they couldn't stand prosperity and wound up far behind in the pennant chase... Luxora (82-72) came in second, trailing by 7 games, Oxford (79-75) finished third, 10 games out and North Hills (78-76) was fourth and 11 games back.

1. WHITE RIVER RASCALS (89-75)... manager Marty Blake has enjoyed a lot of success in his tenure at the helm of the Rascals... after four straight pennants from '48 to '51, his club slipped slightly to third place in '52 (82-72) and in '53 (80-74) came in second, but with a worst record... this year he got his pitching straightened out and White River returned to the top of the TU North standings... this will be the Rascals' ninth postseason appearance... they still don't have a Pro Cup championship, but have been very competitive several times over the years... lost in Pro Cup Finals in '21 to the Sligo Rovers... fell to IPA champ Tuckanarra in TU Finals in '23 and '24... defeated by IPA champ Southport in '27 TU Finals... in '49 and '50 were beaten by IPA champ Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals.

The current batch of Rascals have standout pitching with a 2.83 team ERA (3rd)... only Pro Cup champ Midway (2.69 ERA) and Summerland (2.63 ERA) had better seasons... also White River can put runs on the scoreboard fairly well with a .257 BA (21st), 699 runs (15th) and 128 homers (19th)... skipper Marty Blake has a well-rounded club... his top starters are 35-year-old ace Nicky Palmer (21-15/2.39), solid veteran Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) and reliable vet Glen Horton (19-12/3.26)... the other two starters also did well... both youngsters Cody Butler (6-1/2.43) and Ringo Lanier (9-7/2.74) impressed after being put into the starting rotation in the second half... the Rascals are led at the plate by star LF Pudge Tate (.296/26 HR/84 RBI/107 R/23 SB)... dependable 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.281/18 HR/71 RBI/66 R/20 SB)... and youngsters RF Jed Small (.274/17 HR/52 RBI/46 R/4 SB) and 2B Mark Gates (.288/14 HR/63 RBI/53 R/2 SB).

Outlook: White River can compete in the Pro Cup playoffs with the big boys because of its outstanding mound staff... Midway, Turon and Middlefield beware... don't look past them... you could get burned... the Rascals should be contenders in the Tycobbian North for several years to come... the only aging personnel is mound ace Nicky Palmer (229-149/2.89)... he will be a big loss when he retires, but he is still going strong at age 35... Palmer is also 8-4 in postseason play with an impressive 2.70 ERA in 17 starts.

2. Luxora Zorros (82-72) (7 GB)... 48-30 at midyear, the Z's fell apart in July and August (22-35) and were overrun by fast-closing and redhot White River (50-26)... it's been 24 years since the Zorros made the playoffs... '31 was the last division crown... 11 times they made the postseason, but Luxora never has won a Pro Cup trophy... were whipped by IPA Pro Cup champ Red Bluff in the TU Finals in '04... and were eclipsed by IPA Pro Cup titlist Turon in first round in a seven-game series in '18... however, manager Kent Halloran has them on the rise, going from seventh place (68-86) in '52 to fifth place (67-87) in '53 and up to the second spot at 82-72 this season... Halloran has a better-than-average ballclub... 3.83 ERA (16th)... with modest hitting and run scoring... .254 BA (23rd), 680 runs (24th) and 107 homers (28th)... the starters Mack Wellman (14-14/3.61), All-Star Juliano Machado (16-16/3.66) and Paolo De Freitas (16-14/4.28) are dependable... however Wellman is up in age at 37... 23-year-old rookie Roy Foxton (7-4/2.84) showed very well when he was added to the starting rotation in late July... the Luxora bullpen is in good hands with Kippy Stearns (2-4/2.48/23 saves/45 G)... the Zorros' best batsman is 1B Tuff McLendon, but he only plays against right-handers... McLendon hit .355 in 109 games with 11 HRs and 59 RBIs... the top regulars are LF Tommy Lee Townsend (.264/16 HR/70 RBI/82 R/20 SB), CF Rodrigo Santana (.283/4 HR/54 RBI/70 R/35 SB) and 3B Bobby Portonova (.255/18 HR/62 RBI/68 R)... Luxora could use a hefty influx of firepower.

Outlook: White River is the main power in the Tycobbian North Division... as it presently stands, Luxora can't keep up with the Rascals... they should be able to contend for the first division in this weak division... not a lot of good teams... the Zorros will be in the running for second, third or fourth place.

3. Oxford Red Caps (79-75) (10 GB)... manager Dennis Hartwig's club has hit its way to two pennants in a row in the TU North, winning in 2052 and 2053, but he didn't get the pitching this year... but the arsenal is still there... the Red Caps boast beaucoup batters sparked by RF Wade McGrew (.312/37 HR/113 RBI/100 R/13 SB) and All-Star LF Ozzy Ackeman (.314/27 HR/97 RBI/100 R/35 SB)... other reliable contributors are CF Dwayne Wagner (.296/24 HR/99 RBI/86 R/9 SB), 2B Roger Bajon (.294/14 HR/79 RBI/90 R/5 SB) and 3B Ethan Cuthbert (.246/26 HR/83 RBI/81 R/6 SB)... Oxford also has quite a few solid hitters on the bench... the Red Caps need some mound depth... the bullpen is lousy with a sky-high and out-of-sight 5.53 ERA (32nd)... Hartwig has three fairly good starters in veterans Rudy Mellancamp (20-13/3.68), Lou Ellison (18-14/3.97) and 18-year-old rookie Maury Statler (15-11/3.48)... but that's it for the pitching corps.

Historically, Oxford did very well in the early seasons of the IPA, making the playoffs five of the first six seasons... even winning their only Pro Cup in 2007... from '08 to '51 they missed the playoffs every year... a dismal performance... but they have perked up a bit in recent years with two TU North division titles in the last three seasons.

Outlook: Good sticks and a few decent pitchers can take Oxford a long way... not to the level of White River, but the Red Caps are good enough, as is, to be in contention for second, third and fourth place in the next few years.

4. North Hills Hawks (78-76) (11 GB)... manager David Michael had a fine first half (48-30) and was tied for first place with Luxora... they were 9 games ahead of White River, but it didn't last... the Hawks swooned terribly in the second half with a 30-46 record and wound up in fourth place... Michael has pretty good pitching with a 3.70 ERA (13th) and fairly respectable scoring with 670 runs (21st) and .259 BA (18th), but very little home-run power with only 99 HR (30th-tied)... North Hills' top hurlers are starters Johnny Kristoff (18-13/3.50), Thad Vachon (15-21/3.58) and Stan Kallis (15-16/4.29)... closer DeWitt Dobkins (5-5/1.82/20 saves/49 G) tops the bullpen... the Hawks don't have any real threats in the lineup, just a lot of lackluster hitters... the main run providers are 2B Tony Durant (.314/11 HR/72 RBI/66 R/8 SB), 1B Sam Dunstone (.287/6 HR/56 RBI/76 R/10 SB), CF Rusty Redd (.275/11 HR/60 RBI/68 R/21 SB), RF Ryan Webbe (.247/21 HR/68 RBI/64 R) and C Leland Backus (.271/12 HR/74 RBI/54 R).

The Hawks had a tremendous 12-year run from 2034 to 2045 when the club captured 11 pennants... not only did they totally dominate the Tycobbian North, they also commanded the entire IPA with four Pro Cups ('34, '36, '38, '41)... skipper Dave Michael was a big part of that success with a 315-234 mark with a 3.11 ERA... his postseason record stood out well with a 20-13 record and a great 2.32 ERA in 37 starts... Michael was selected for the IPA Hall of Fame in 2047... the Hawks have made the playoffs 13 times in all... the Turon Typhoons (.03, '06, '09, '18) and Valmara have also won four Pro Cups... and the Tuckanarra Blue ('23, '24, '35), Far Mountain Redhawks ('11, '12, '13), Southport Sun Sox ('27, '44, '47), Waleska Westerners ('28, '37, '39) and Rolling Hills Reds ('29, '31, '48) have won it three times each .

Outlook: the prognosis for North Hills is not very good... they really went downhill in the second half of the year... the Hawks may drop down into the second division next year.

5. Hartsdale Hellcats (69-85) (20 GB)... the current skipper is Wayne Dawson... he was a solid starter for the Hellcats for most of his 17 seasons... Dawson was 204-203 with a lifetime 3.38 ERA... he retired in 2046... Hartsdale has fallen off the past two years... they were eighth in '52 with a 65-89 record... a little bit better this year with 69-85, good for the fifth spot in the TU North standings... in the Hellcat history they have made the playoffs on nine occasions... they last won the division in '42, '46 and '47... also garnered the team's only IPA crown in '46.

This year Hartsdale possessed just average pitching with a 3.98 ERA (19th) and only a fair to mediocre offense with a .252 BA (25th), 641 runs (26th) and 141 homers (14th)... veteran Perry Givens (16-16/3.78), Chet Salsbury (12-12/3.52) and Mick Merling (13-13/4.36) are just average starters... while closer Roy Krieger (6-6/2.70/20 saves/64) is a stalwart in the bullpen... the Hellcats are led at the plate by so-so batters: 1B Bruno Bardella (.263/26 HR/89 RBI/58 R), LF Rico Visaggi (.282/8 HR/50 RBI/65 R/6 SB), 3B Smokey Nix (.261/16 HR/67 RBI/86 R/15 SB) and C Kenton Carmichael (.252/15 HR/68 RBI/56 R).

Outlook: Hartsdale needs more talent on its roster... the future doesn't look too bright... currently the Hellcats are just a second-division club.

6. Mahaska Haymakers (66-88) (23 GB)... the Haymakers have a poor IPA history... only four playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... they did reach the Pro Cup Finals in 2026, but were swept by the Valmara Vipers in four games... the last TU North pennant was raised at the ballpark way back in 2028... in 2052 they were beaten out by one game for the division title... Mahaska had an 85-70 record that year... the Haymakers have been sixth the last two seasons with 66-88 marks... former slugger and outfielder Travis Tuttle (.308 BA/273 HR/875 R) had good success with the club from '23 to '33... he is the present manager... Mahaska is just a second-rate team, destined for a second-division finish... they hit .257 (20th), scored 681 runs (18th) and rapped 133 home runs (17th)... on the hill they are just average with a 3.83 ERA (17th)... 21-year-old youngster Morrie Dalman (15-15/2.89) is a quality arm, along with Pip Cordice (14-17/3.64) and Marty Mobley (11-14/3.47)... they are the makings of a pretty good rotation... Rique Batista is the fourth man... he was a quality starter his first two seasons, then Batista slumped this year... if he can return to form, it will give Tuttle something to work with... but there is nothing in the bullpen... as far as offense, 21-year-old CF Dub Forrester (.303/14 HR/77 RBI/87 R/13 SB) is the club leader and a good one... at 22, 2B Paul Waldrep (.301/6 HR/53 RBI/72 R/8 SB) looks to have good potential... as far as veteran players, CF Tom Norbonne (.292/19 HR/59 RBI/55 R/10 SB) and 1B Roger Lewis (.234/18 HR/69 RBI/47 R) are just fair-to-middling and nothing special.

Outlook: Not a rosey future for Tuttle and his Haymakers... they are not likely to escape the second division for a while.

7. Fairfax Frogs (63-91) (26 GB)... the Frogs haven't had a lot of success in the IPA... just eight playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... Fairfax has never gone real deep in the postseason... twice they lost out in the Tycobbian Finals... 2033 was the last division title... the Frogs have been mired in the second division of the TU North for the past eight seasons... and 10 of the previous 12 years... Fairfax has been last or next-to-last for the last six seasons... Scott Courtney is the playing manager at age 32... his club lack home-run power... they hit only 88 out of the park this year and ranked last in the Tycobbian Union, but they can score with a .276 BA (5th) and ranked 13th in runs scored with 711... however pitching is non-existent with a 4.69 team ERA (29th)... the skipper, C/1B Scott Courtney (.273/13 HR/88 RBI/68 R), is one of the Frogs' best run providers, along with LF Kaz Ozaki (.267/21 HR/92 RBI/95 R/14 SB), 1B/C Mike Mitchell (.343/12 HR/75 RBI/67 R), LF Paddy Fenroy (.293/3 HR/59 RBI/73 R/18 SB), SS Sammy Monroe (.279/10 HR/67 RBI/74 R/14 SB) and 3B Cade Durning (.301/8 HR/44 RBI/47 R).

Outlook: despite the good offense, Fairfax will mostly likely wind up deep in the second division of the TU North.

8. Blue Lake Blue Sox (51-103) (38 GB)... the Blue Lake franchise is one of the worst in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only three times have they made the playoffs, but fortunatly they did win one Pro Cup in 2030... that more than a lot of teams can say... 35 of the 64 franchises have never won the overall IPA championship -- the Pro Cup.

This season was a total disaster for manager Frankie Quinn and his Blue Lake Blue Sox... they were 72-82 in '52 and 76-78 in '53, but the bottom fell out in '54 with a terrible 51-103 record... the Blue Sox pitching staff posted a poor 4.37 ERA (26th), while the club hit only .249 (28th), scored only 628 runs (28th) and totaled 125 homers (23rd-tied)... not many quality hitters... the best ones Blue Lake had were LF Burt Baugh (.229/24 HR/72 RBI/57 R), RF Johnny Harding (.270/17 HR/67 RBI/60 R), C Juan Luis Barcelona (.277/10 Hr/58 RBI/69 R), SS John Gilbert (.258/12 HR/57 RBI/80 R/6 SB) and CF Jude Rupp (.268/14 HR/55 RBI/75 R)... on the hill ithe quality wasn't very good, either... the best of the lot were just barely effective: Dookie Denham (12-9/3.85) and Dirk Sinclair (9-23/3.85)... however, the Blue Sox had a quality closer in Marty Manush (6-6/2.39/13 saves/61 G).

Outlook: there's a very good chance Blue Lake will be cellar-dwellers for sometime to come... the future for Blue Lake is very bleak.

07-31-2017, 12:07 AM	#5523
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 36,136	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, September 21, 2054 RASCALS BACK ON TOP OF TU NORTH After dawdling along to a 39-39 record halfway through the season, the White River Rascals (89-65) culminated the year in a blaze of glory piling up a 50-26 mark in the second half and routing the rest of the clubs for the Tycobbian North Division flag... the team's fifth crown in the last seven seasons... front-runners Luxora (48-30) and North Hills (48-30) tied for the top spot at midyear, 9 games in front of third place White River... but they couldn't stand prosperity and wound up far behind in the pennant chase... Luxora (82-72) came in second, trailing by 7 games, Oxford (79-75) finished third, 10 games out and North Hills (78-76) was fourth and 11 games back. 1. WHITE RIVER RASCALS (89-75)... manager Marty Blake has enjoyed a lot of success in his tenure at the helm of the Rascals... after four straight pennants from '48 to '51, his club slipped slightly to third place in '52 (82-72) and in '53 (80-74) came in second, but with a worst record... this year he got his pitching straightened out and White River returned to the top of the TU North standings... this will be the Rascals' ninth postseason appearance... they still don't have a Pro Cup championship, but have been very competitive several times over the years... lost in Pro Cup Finals in '21 to the Sligo Rovers... fell to IPA champ Tuckanarra in TU Finals in '23 and '24... defeated by IPA champ Southport in '27 TU Finals... in '49 and '50 were beaten by IPA champ Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals. The current batch of Rascals have standout pitching with a 2.83 team ERA (3rd)... only Pro Cup champ Midway (2.69 ERA) and Summerland (2.63 ERA) had better seasons... also White River can put runs on the scoreboard fairly well with a .257 BA (21st), 699 runs (15th) and 128 homers (19th)... skipper Marty Blake has a well-rounded club... his top starters are 35-year-old ace Nicky Palmer (21-15/2.39), solid veteran Keil Trickett (19-13/2.86) and reliable vet Glen Horton (19-12/3.26)... the other two starters also did well... both youngsters Cody Butler (6-1/2.43) and Ringo Lanier (9-7/2.74) impressed after being put into the starting rotation in the second half... the Rascals are led at the plate by star LF Pudge Tate (.296/26 HR/84 RBI/107 R/23 SB)... dependable 3B Kenny Yarbrough (.281/18 HR/71 RBI/66 R/20 SB)... and youngsters RF Jed Small (.274/17 HR/52 RBI/46 R/4 SB) and 2B Mark Gates (.288/14 HR/63 RBI/53 R/2 SB). Outlook: White River can compete in the Pro Cup playoffs with the big boys because of its outstanding mound staff... Midway, Turon and Middlefield beware... don't look past them... you could get burned... the Rascals should be contenders in the Tycobbian North for several years to come... the only aging personnel is mound ace Nicky Palmer (229-149/2.89)... he will be a big loss when he retires, but he is still going strong at age 35... Palmer is also 8-4 in postseason play with an impressive 2.70 ERA in 17 starts. 2. Luxora Zorros (82-72) (7 GB)... 48-30 at midyear, the Z's fell apart in July and August (22-35) and were overrun by fast-closing and redhot White River (50-26)... it's been 24 years since the Zorros made the playoffs... '31 was the last division crown... 11 times they made the postseason, but Luxora never has won a Pro Cup trophy... were whipped by IPA Pro Cup champ Red Bluff in the TU Finals in '04... and were eclipsed by IPA Pro Cup titlist Turon in first round in a seven-game series in '18... however, manager Kent Halloran has them on the rise, going from seventh place (68-86) in '52 to fifth place (67-87) in '53 and up to the second spot at 82-72 this season... Halloran has a better-than-average ballclub... 3.83 ERA (16th)... with modest hitting and run scoring... .254 BA (23rd), 680 runs (24th) and 107 homers (28th)... the starters Mack Wellman (14-14/3.61), All-Star Juliano Machado (16-16/3.66) and Paolo De Freitas (16-14/4.28) are dependable... however Wellman is up in age at 37... 23-year-old rookie Roy Foxton (7-4/2.84) showed very well when he was added to the starting rotation in late July... the Luxora bullpen is in good hands with Kippy Stearns (2-4/2.48/23 saves/45 G)... the Zorros' best batsman is 1B Tuff McLendon, but he only plays against right-handers... McLendon hit .355 in 109 games with 11 HRs and 59 RBIs... the top regulars are LF Tommy Lee Townsend (.264/16 HR/70 RBI/82 R/20 SB), CF Rodrigo Santana (.283/4 HR/54 RBI/70 R/35 SB) and 3B Bobby Portonova (.255/18 HR/62 RBI/68 R)... Luxora could use a hefty influx of firepower. Outlook: White River is the main power in the Tycobbian North Division... as it presently stands, Luxora can't keep up with the Rascals... they should be able to contend for the first division in this weak division... not a lot of good teams... the Zorros will be in the running for second, third or fourth place. 3. Oxford Red Caps (79-75) (10 GB)... manager Dennis Hartwig's club has hit its way to two pennants in a row in the TU North, winning in 2052 and 2053, but he didn't get the pitching this year... but the arsenal is still there... the Red Caps boast beaucoup batters sparked by RF Wade McGrew (.312/37 HR/113 RBI/100 R/13 SB) and All-Star LF Ozzy Ackeman (.314/27 HR/97 RBI/100 R/35 SB)... other reliable contributors are CF Dwayne Wagner (.296/24 HR/99 RBI/86 R/9 SB), 2B Roger Bajon (.294/14 HR/79 RBI/90 R/5 SB) and 3B Ethan Cuthbert (.246/26 HR/83 RBI/81 R/6 SB)... Oxford also has quite a few solid hitters on the bench... the Red Caps need some mound depth... the bullpen is lousy with a sky-high and out-of-sight 5.53 ERA (32nd)... Hartwig has three fairly good starters in veterans Rudy Mellancamp (20-13/3.68), Lou Ellison (18-14/3.97) and 18-year-old rookie Maury Statler (15-11/3.48)... but that's it for the pitching corps. Historically, Oxford did very well in the early seasons of the IPA, making the playoffs five of the first six seasons... even winning their only Pro Cup in 2007... from '08 to '51 they missed the playoffs every year... a dismal performance... but they have perked up a bit in recent years with two TU North division titles in the last three seasons. Outlook: Good sticks and a few decent pitchers can take Oxford a long way... not to the level of White River, but the Red Caps are good enough, as is, to be in contention for second, third and fourth place in the next few years. 4. North Hills Hawks (78-76) (11 GB)... manager David Michael had a fine first half (48-30) and was tied for first place with Luxora... they were 9 games ahead of White River, but it didn't last... the Hawks swooned terribly in the second half with a 30-46 record and wound up in fourth place... Michael has pretty good pitching with a 3.70 ERA (13th) and fairly respectable scoring with 670 runs (21st) and .259 BA (18th), but very little home-run power with only 99 HR (30th-tied)... North Hills' top hurlers are starters Johnny Kristoff (18-13/3.50), Thad Vachon (15-21/3.58) and Stan Kallis (15-16/4.29)... closer DeWitt Dobkins (5-5/1.82/20 saves/49 G) tops the bullpen... the Hawks don't have any real threats in the lineup, just a lot of lackluster hitters... the main run providers are 2B Tony Durant (.314/11 HR/72 RBI/66 R/8 SB), 1B Sam Dunstone (.287/6 HR/56 RBI/76 R/10 SB), CF Rusty Redd (.275/11 HR/60 RBI/68 R/21 SB), RF Ryan Webbe (.247/21 HR/68 RBI/64 R) and C Leland Backus (.271/12 HR/74 RBI/54 R). The Hawks had a tremendous 12-year run from 2034 to 2045 when the club captured 11 pennants... not only did they totally dominate the Tycobbian North, they also commanded the entire IPA with four Pro Cups ('34, '36, '38, '41)... skipper Dave Michael was a big part of that success with a 315-234 mark with a 3.11 ERA... his postseason record stood out well with a 20-13 record and a great 2.32 ERA in 37 starts... Michael was selected for the IPA Hall of Fame in 2047... the Hawks have made the playoffs 13 times in all... the Turon Typhoons (.03, '06, '09, '18) and Valmara have also won four Pro Cups... and the Tuckanarra Blue ('23, '24, '35), Far Mountain Redhawks ('11, '12, '13), Southport Sun Sox ('27, '44, '47), Waleska Westerners ('28, '37, '39) and Rolling Hills Reds ('29, '31, '48) have won it three times each . Outlook: the prognosis for North Hills is not very good... they really went downhill in the second half of the year... the Hawks may drop down into the second division next year. 5. Hartsdale Hellcats (69-85) (20 GB)... the current skipper is Wayne Dawson... he was a solid starter for the Hellcats for most of his 17 seasons... Dawson was 204-203 with a lifetime 3.38 ERA... he retired in 2046... Hartsdale has fallen off the past two years... they were eighth in '52 with a 65-89 record... a little bit better this year with 69-85, good for the fifth spot in the TU North standings... in the Hellcat history they have made the playoffs on nine occasions... they last won the division in '42, '46 and '47... also garnered the team's only IPA crown in '46. This year Hartsdale possessed just average pitching with a 3.98 ERA (19th) and only a fair to mediocre offense with a .252 BA (25th), 641 runs (26th) and 141 homers (14th)... veteran Perry Givens (16-16/3.78), Chet Salsbury (12-12/3.52) and Mick Merling (13-13/4.36) are just average starters... while closer Roy Krieger (6-6/2.70/20 saves/64) is a stalwart in the bullpen... the Hellcats are led at the plate by so-so batters: 1B Bruno Bardella (.263/26 HR/89 RBI/58 R), LF Rico Visaggi (.282/8 HR/50 RBI/65 R/6 SB), 3B Smokey Nix (.261/16 HR/67 RBI/86 R/15 SB) and C Kenton Carmichael (.252/15 HR/68 RBI/56 R). Outlook: Hartsdale needs more talent on its roster... the future doesn't look too bright... currently the Hellcats are just a second-division club. 6. Mahaska Haymakers (66-88) (23 GB)... the Haymakers have a poor IPA history... only four playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... they did reach the Pro Cup Finals in 2026, but were swept by the Valmara Vipers in four games... the last TU North pennant was raised at the ballpark way back in 2028... in 2052 they were beaten out by one game for the division title... Mahaska had an 85-70 record that year... the Haymakers have been sixth the last two seasons with 66-88 marks... former slugger and outfielder Travis Tuttle (.308 BA/273 HR/875 R) had good success with the club from '23 to '33... he is the present manager... Mahaska is just a second-rate team, destined for a second-division finish... they hit .257 (20th), scored 681 runs (18th) and rapped 133 home runs (17th)... on the hill they are just average with a 3.83 ERA (17th)... 21-year-old youngster Morrie Dalman (15-15/2.89) is a quality arm, along with Pip Cordice (14-17/3.64) and Marty Mobley (11-14/3.47)... they are the makings of a pretty good rotation... Rique Batista is the fourth man... he was a quality starter his first two seasons, then Batista slumped this year... if he can return to form, it will give Tuttle something to work with... but there is nothing in the bullpen... as far as offense, 21-year-old CF Dub Forrester (.303/14 HR/77 RBI/87 R/13 SB) is the club leader and a good one... at 22, 2B Paul Waldrep (.301/6 HR/53 RBI/72 R/8 SB) looks to have good potential... as far as veteran players, CF Tom Norbonne (.292/19 HR/59 RBI/55 R/10 SB) and 1B Roger Lewis (.234/18 HR/69 RBI/47 R) are just fair-to-middling and nothing special. Outlook: Not a rosey future for Tuttle and his Haymakers... they are not likely to escape the second division for a while. 7. Fairfax Frogs (63-91) (26 GB)... the Frogs haven't had a lot of success in the IPA... just eight playoff appearances and no Pro Cups... Fairfax has never gone real deep in the postseason... twice they lost out in the Tycobbian Finals... 2033 was the last division title... the Frogs have been mired in the second division of the TU North for the past eight seasons... and 10 of the previous 12 years... Fairfax has been last or next-to-last for the last six seasons... Scott Courtney is the playing manager at age 32... his club lack home-run power... they hit only 88 out of the park this year and ranked last in the Tycobbian Union, but they can score with a .276 BA (5th) and ranked 13th in runs scored with 711... however pitching is non-existent with a 4.69 team ERA (29th)... the skipper, C/1B Scott Courtney (.273/13 HR/88 RBI/68 R), is one of the Frogs' best run providers, along with LF Kaz Ozaki (.267/21 HR/92 RBI/95 R/14 SB), 1B/C Mike Mitchell (.343/12 HR/75 RBI/67 R), LF Paddy Fenroy (.293/3 HR/59 RBI/73 R/18 SB), SS Sammy Monroe (.279/10 HR/67 RBI/74 R/14 SB) and 3B Cade Durning (.301/8 HR/44 RBI/47 R). Outlook: despite the good offense, Fairfax will mostly likely wind up deep in the second division of the TU North. 8. Blue Lake Blue Sox (51-103) (38 GB)... the Blue Lake franchise is one of the worst in the Islandian Pro Alliance... only three times have they made the playoffs, but fortunatly they did win one Pro Cup in 2030... that more than a lot of teams can say... 35 of the 64 franchises have never won the overall IPA championship -- the Pro Cup. This season was a total disaster for manager Frankie Quinn and his Blue Lake Blue Sox... they were 72-82 in '52 and 76-78 in '53, but the bottom fell out in '54 with a terrible 51-103 record... the Blue Sox pitching staff posted a poor 4.37 ERA (26th), while the club hit only .249 (28th), scored only 628 runs (28th) and totaled 125 homers (23rd-tied)... not many quality hitters... the best ones Blue Lake had were LF Burt Baugh (.229/24 HR/72 RBI/57 R), RF Johnny Harding (.270/17 HR/67 RBI/60 R), C Juan Luis Barcelona (.277/10 Hr/58 RBI/69 R), SS John Gilbert (.258/12 HR/57 RBI/80 R/6 SB) and CF Jude Rupp (.268/14 HR/55 RBI/75 R)... on the hill ithe quality wasn't very good, either... the best of the lot were just barely effective: Dookie Denham (12-9/3.85) and Dirk Sinclair (9-23/3.85)... however, the Blue Sox had a quality closer in Marty Manush (6-6/2.39/13 saves/61 G). Outlook: there's a very good chance Blue Lake will be cellar-dwellers for sometime to come... the future for Blue Lake is very bleak. Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 07-31-2017 at 12:24 AM.