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

Eugene Church · 12-21-2017, 10:36 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 9, 2055

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! RASCALS VS MACS IN IPA FINALS
Yes, Island baseball aficianados, it is that glorious time of the year -- the IPA Pro Cup Finals -- when the top two teams in the Islands battle for the much-revered Pro Cup trophy... this year it's between the Wynnamac Sundowners, the best in the Ruthlandian Union, and the unheralded White River Rascals, surprisingly the best in the Tycobbian Union... the 55th edition begins this Monday afternoon, and if needed, will run for one week... it will be a best-of-seven affair... Wynnamac will host the first two games at Granger Field... the next three are slated for White River Stadium... and, if necessary, the final two games are slated for Wynnamac again.

Much to the chagrin of almost all baseball experts, broadcasters and sportswriters all around the Islands, the team least likely to win the Pro Cup is in the Pro Cup Finals... yessiree, the 8th-ranked White River Rascals defied the odds and surprised just about everybody in the Islands... Marty Blake's Rascals will challenge the 5th-rated Wynnamac Sundowners in the 55th edition of the IPA Pro Cup Finals... actually, neither club should be here, but they are... it will be a repeat appearance for the Macs... they lost in four games last year to Midway... White River is back again after a four-year absence... they last appeared in '49 and '50, losing to the powerful Valmara Vipers both years... the Rascals also were in the '21 Finals, falling to the Sligo Rovers... Wynnamac has one IPA crown... they captured it in 2008... the Sundowners also reached the IPA Finals in '44, but lost to the Southport Sun Sox.

On paper, it doesn't look good for White River... the Rascals had the poorest record of any of this year's playoff clubs... they were only 83-72 in the regular season, while Wynnamac was 96-58... White River was near the bottom in batting and offense, while the Macs were near the top in hitting and scoring runs... on the mound they are both about equal, sporting good starters and a good bullpen... also about the same defensively.

So it will be a breeze for Wynnamac?... right?... not so fast... White River bested the 3rd-ranked Southport Sun Sox (99-56) in round one and then pulled a huge upset in the Tycobbian Finals, whipping 4th-rated Midway (98-56), which had won the last two Island championships... now the Rascals must get by a team that whipped the Pro Cup favorite, the Middlefield Roosters (105-49), in the Pro Cup opening round.

IPA Pro Cup Outlook: the teams are evenly matched... should go seven games... and the winner is... surprise! surprise!... it'll be White River... they beat Midway this year... so they should be able to beat the team Midway beat last year... sorry, Wynnamac fans, that's my simple philosophy... this looks like the Year of the Rascals in the Islands.

12-21-2017, 10:36 PM	#5613
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 36,047	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Saturday, October 9, 2055 SURPRISE! SURPRISE! RASCALS VS MACS IN IPA FINALS Yes, Island baseball aficianados, it is that glorious time of the year -- the IPA Pro Cup Finals -- when the top two teams in the Islands battle for the much-revered Pro Cup trophy... this year it's between the Wynnamac Sundowners, the best in the Ruthlandian Union, and the unheralded White River Rascals, surprisingly the best in the Tycobbian Union... the 55th edition begins this Monday afternoon, and if needed, will run for one week... it will be a best-of-seven affair... Wynnamac will host the first two games at Granger Field... the next three are slated for White River Stadium... and, if necessary, the final two games are slated for Wynnamac again. Much to the chagrin of almost all baseball experts, broadcasters and sportswriters all around the Islands, the team least likely to win the Pro Cup is in the Pro Cup Finals... yessiree, the 8th-ranked White River Rascals defied the odds and surprised just about everybody in the Islands... Marty Blake's Rascals will challenge the 5th-rated Wynnamac Sundowners in the 55th edition of the IPA Pro Cup Finals... actually, neither club should be here, but they are... it will be a repeat appearance for the Macs... they lost in four games last year to Midway... White River is back again after a four-year absence... they last appeared in '49 and '50, losing to the powerful Valmara Vipers both years... the Rascals also were in the '21 Finals, falling to the Sligo Rovers... Wynnamac has one IPA crown... they captured it in 2008... the Sundowners also reached the IPA Finals in '44, but lost to the Southport Sun Sox. On paper, it doesn't look good for White River... the Rascals had the poorest record of any of this year's playoff clubs... they were only 83-72 in the regular season, while Wynnamac was 96-58... White River was near the bottom in batting and offense, while the Macs were near the top in hitting and scoring runs... on the mound they are both about equal, sporting good starters and a good bullpen... also about the same defensively. So it will be a breeze for Wynnamac?... right?... not so fast... White River bested the 3rd-ranked Southport Sun Sox (99-56) in round one and then pulled a huge upset in the Tycobbian Finals, whipping 4th-rated Midway (98-56), which had won the last two Island championships... now the Rascals must get by a team that whipped the Pro Cup favorite, the Middlefield Roosters (105-49), in the Pro Cup opening round. IPA Pro Cup Outlook: the teams are evenly matched... should go seven games... and the winner is... surprise! surprise!... it'll be White River... they beat Midway this year... so they should be able to beat the team Midway beat last year... sorry, Wynnamac fans, that's my simple philosophy... this looks like the Year of the Rascals in the Islands. Last edited by Eugene Church; 01-05-2018 at 06:51 PM.