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Eugene Church · 01-07-2018, 06:19 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 23, 2055

STANDOUT SKIPPERS SELECTED BY IPA
How important are managers in baseball?
A famous baseball manager succinctly once replied to this inquiry this way, "If you don't have the hosses, hoss... you don't win."

Well, so much for the importance of a manager in the diamond sport... still, the Islandian Pro Alliance gives them credit for the success of the teams by selecting the top skippers in the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Unions each year... the Managers of the Year for 2055 are Thomas Hall of the Grand City Cybercats in Ruthlandia and Lorne Evans of the Southport Sun Sox in Tycobbia... Evans won it for the second time in his career... he also was chosen in 2047... this is the first time Hall has been honored... both are 50 years old.

In a fairly close race Evans outpolled Arroyo Grande's manager Eduardo Villanueva for this season's Tycobbian Award... both teams play in the TU South Division... under Evans the Southport Sun Sox improved from third place to first place... the Sun Sox upped their record from 82-72 to 99-56 and won the pennant in a playoff by one game over the defending division champion Turon... the previous season Southport was 22 games off the pace... Evans had a standout career as a player in the IPA... he was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2045... Evans batted .305 lifetime with 701 homers, which is sixth best in IPA history.

The only other TU manager receiving support was 60-year-old Eduardo Villanueva of Arroyo Grande, a perennial also-ran in the TU South... the Suns have made vast improvement in the last few seasons... going from 8th (65-89) and 36 GB in '53... to 4th (77-77) and 27 GB in '54... to 3rd place (89-65) and only 9 and a half games out this year... Villanueva was a part of the best era in the team's history when they made the playoffs regularly... he was a solid outfielder and reliable bat from 2019 to 2027, winding up with a .304 career batting average and 229 roundtrippers.

Thomas Hall, this year's Ruthlandian Manager of the Year, starred for Grand City for 16 seasons until he retired as a player in 2041... he compiled a .283 BA and hit 321 homers... this year Hall guided the Cybercats to an 85-69 mark and they won their first pennant in 26 years (2030)... his club improved from 72-82 in '54, winding up in third place and 10 games behind in the division standings.

In another nip-and-tuck vote, Hall bested Far Mountain's Robby Kelly for the top skipper trophy... at age 78 Kelly had a fine year leading the Redhawks to their first pennant in eight years (2047)... Far Mountain went from fifth place and five games behind in the RU North to the top spot... the Redhawks were 81-73 a year ago and 85-69 this season... Kelly is also a member of the IPA Hall of Fame, inducted in 2030... he was 279-196 in his 20-year career with a 3.23 ERA... Kelly was a vital part of the historic team that won the IPA Pro Cup three years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013)... he was 16-10 in his 30 playoff appearances.

01-07-2018, 06:19 PM	#5633
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,923	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Saturday, October 23, 2055 STANDOUT SKIPPERS SELECTED BY IPA How important are managers in baseball? A famous baseball manager succinctly once replied to this inquiry this way, "If you don't have the hosses, hoss... you don't win." Well, so much for the importance of a manager in the diamond sport... still, the Islandian Pro Alliance gives them credit for the success of the teams by selecting the top skippers in the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Unions each year... the Managers of the Year for 2055 are Thomas Hall of the Grand City Cybercats in Ruthlandia and Lorne Evans of the Southport Sun Sox in Tycobbia... Evans won it for the second time in his career... he also was chosen in 2047... this is the first time Hall has been honored... both are 50 years old. In a fairly close race Evans outpolled Arroyo Grande's manager Eduardo Villanueva for this season's Tycobbian Award... both teams play in the TU South Division... under Evans the Southport Sun Sox improved from third place to first place... the Sun Sox upped their record from 82-72 to 99-56 and won the pennant in a playoff by one game over the defending division champion Turon... the previous season Southport was 22 games off the pace... Evans had a standout career as a player in the IPA... he was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2045... Evans batted .305 lifetime with 701 homers, which is sixth best in IPA history. The only other TU manager receiving support was 60-year-old Eduardo Villanueva of Arroyo Grande, a perennial also-ran in the TU South... the Suns have made vast improvement in the last few seasons... going from 8th (65-89) and 36 GB in '53... to 4th (77-77) and 27 GB in '54... to 3rd place (89-65) and only 9 and a half games out this year... Villanueva was a part of the best era in the team's history when they made the playoffs regularly... he was a solid outfielder and reliable bat from 2019 to 2027, winding up with a .304 career batting average and 229 roundtrippers. Thomas Hall, this year's Ruthlandian Manager of the Year, starred for Grand City for 16 seasons until he retired as a player in 2041... he compiled a .283 BA and hit 321 homers... this year Hall guided the Cybercats to an 85-69 mark and they won their first pennant in 26 years (2030)... his club improved from 72-82 in '54, winding up in third place and 10 games behind in the division standings. In another nip-and-tuck vote, Hall bested Far Mountain's Robby Kelly for the top skipper trophy... at age 78 Kelly had a fine year leading the Redhawks to their first pennant in eight years (2047)... Far Mountain went from fifth place and five games behind in the RU North to the top spot... the Redhawks were 81-73 a year ago and 85-69 this season... Kelly is also a member of the IPA Hall of Fame, inducted in 2030... he was 279-196 in his 20-year career with a 3.23 ERA... Kelly was a vital part of the historic team that won the IPA Pro Cup three years in a row (2011, 2012, 2013)... he was 16-10 in his 30 playoff appearances. Last edited by Eugene Church; 01-07-2018 at 06:21 PM.