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Eugene Church · 01-16-2018, 09:16 PM

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, May 1, 2056

ROOSTERS STILL CROWING LOUDLY IN RU WEST
The Middlefield Roosters (17-9) are off and running in the Ruthlandian West ready to take their eighth straight division flag... they had a good April, but so did several other clubs... the Sligo Rovers (16-10) are clinging close by just one game off the pace... Colfax (15-11) played well the first month... so did the Fort Benton Defenders (14-12), Stoner Stars (13-13) and Forest City Firebirds (13-13)... in the preseason predictions Middlefield was forecast to again win the division rather easily... most of the time in the past few years the Roosters have prevailed by double-digit numbers... seven games has been the closest any club came the last seven seasons.

Middlefield (17-9) is already first in the RU West with a solid start in the first month of the season... the Roosters have very good pitching combined with very good power... the mound corps is doing their job very well this year... top starters are aging veterans 35-year-old James Long (4-1/2.22) and 41-year-old Hollis Dale (4-2/2.98)... neither is showing any signs of slowing down yet... Long has won the RU Golden Arm the past two years... rookie phenom Rick Goldman (6-1/2.42) has jump into the starting rotation and into the spotlight with a dazzling display his first month in the league... however, the bullpen has been really bad in the early going with a 5.04 ERA... another shortcoming is the team batting average... the Roosters are 20 points off this year, batting just .251... but they can still score runs... last season's RU MVP LF Trip Agarn (.301/7 HR/20 RBI/18 R/1 SB) has started well... other top bats are 3B Donnie Hix (.279/1 HR/10 RBI/18 RBI) and C Johnny McDonald (.377/1 HR/10 RBI/9 R)... star SS Stan Radzikowski (.247/5 HR/20 RBI/13 R) is productive, but is 40 points under his career BA so far... fine CF Johnny Wyatt (.206/5 HR/14 RBI/7 R1 SB) is way down, too, 90 points off his lifetime BA... still the Roosters are in first place... look out when the hitters hit their strides.

For the past four seasons the second place Sligo Rovers (16-10) have played second fiddle to Middlefield... things are looking better this year for them... the pitching has been remarkable this season... they are ranked first in the RU with a sensational 2.60 ERA... and the bullpen is even better than the starters... the Sligo ace is veteran Mickey Walsh (4-2/2.80), but he is getting solid help from Judah Carmack (3-1/2.55), Jacky Harshman (2-4/2.45) and Ayden Evans (2-3/3.45)... poor hitting has hurt the won/loss records... closer Tiger Snodgrass (2-0/1.64/4 saves/9 G) has excelled so far... the Rovers don't hit well or score well, batting only .255 (23rd)... except for CF Merle Bliss (.348/4 HR/13 RBI/17 R/3 SB) and RF Scooter Pugh (.409/3 HR/11 RBI/11 R/2 SB), all of the rest are having down years... yet the Rover pitching is so good, they just might be able to overcome the lack of offense.

The Colfax Blasters (15-11) are in third place in the RU West and off to a surprisingly good start, just two games behind Middlefield... they were ranked seventh in this year's preseason ratings... the club has had a losing mark for the previous six seasons... it's been 16 years since they won the division... this year the bats are blasting with a torrid .292 team BA... they rank 4th in scoring with 141 runs and 7th in homers with 29... but the Blasters are abominable on the mound with a horrendous 4.91 ERA (31st)... leading the attack are 1B Nicky Yorke (.286/7 HR/25 RBI/15 R), CF Stan Kovalenko (.287/0 HR/18 RBI/18 R/5 SB), 3B Nigel Colvin (.323/5 HR/15 RBI/19 R) and 2B Lon Downer (.320/3 HR/12 RBI/15 R)... the only decent starter is Keith Himmel (3-0/2.96)... Quince Blakeley (1-1/2.08/4 saves/8 G) was just promoted to a starting spot after shining in the bullpen... don't expect Colfax to stay this high in the standings... the pitching is just too bad... should the hitting cool down... and it probably will, the Blasters will, too.

Currently in the fourth spot in the RU West, Fort Benton (14-12) is hanging near the top of the division because they are batting .285 (4th) and are second in scoring runs with 144... but like Colfax, they don't have a lick of pitching (4.17 ERA) except in the bullpen (1.82 ERA)... the Defenders have a solid core of hitters, sparked by 3B Lucien Lindsey (.376/4 HR/13 RBI/19 R/7 SB), 2B Steven Hornblower (.320/2 HR/17 RBI/16 R/2 SB), SS Sandy Harling (.269/1 HR/17 RBI/8 R), CF Teddy Keys (.306/1 HR/16 RBI/22 R/5 SB), C Terry Caslin (.284/1 HR/11 RBI/9 R/1 SB) and UIF Billy Currie (.270/1 HR/13 RBI/12 R/3 SB)... veteran ace Zeke Yoder (4-0/3.00) is off to a good year... youngster Gil Hicks (2-5/3.24) has looked good, too... the bullpen is solid with Julian Le Carre (1-1/2.45/2 saves/9 G), Randy Rinehart (1-2/3.09/3 saves/10 G) and Darius Kimberly (3-0/1.08/1 save/6 G)... until the starting rotation improves, Fort Benton is destined to be a fair-to-middling ballclub... they were picked to wind up fourth this season in Ruthlandian West... one of the league's worst franchises, the Defenders have only won one pennant in their entire IPA history... that was 20 years ago in 2037.

The fifth place Stoner Stars (13-13) were forecast for third place this year... they finished third last year, 22 GB... last division crown was way back in 2029... the Stars have made the postseason only three times... and have never won a Pro Cup trophy... they hit very well (.287), score well (9th) and have good power (10th), but lack pitching... it's only mediocre (24th), at best... last year's best rookie and Golden Bat winner 1B Tyler Stoddard (.252/3 HR/15 RBI/17 R) is doing OK, but not as good as last year... club leaders are 3B Lance Andre (.294/3 HR/20 RBI/12 R), along with three LFs Steve Brunson (.395/3 HR/9 RBI/7 R), Anton Schindler (.407/1 HR/4 RBI/12 R/3 SB) and Tommy Boutwell (.278/3 HR/9 RBI/7 R)... 2B Doug Moody (.317/1 HR/8 RBI/8 R/3 SB), SS Mack Lord (.286/2 HR/7 RBI/13 R/3 SB), CF Grayson Lancaster (.328/1 HR/5 RBI/12 R) and RF Sonny Sikes (.303/3 HR/11 RBI/9 R/1 SB) have contributed, too... the only consistent pitchers have been starters Brad Squires (2-1/2.16) and Al Raver (4-2/3.33)... long reliever Ira Monaghan (1-0/2.25/10 G) had done well in the pen... if the pitching comes around, Stoner could finish as high as third... however, the Stars are not in the class of Middlefield and Sligo.

The Forest City Firebirds (13-13) are tied with Stoner for the fifth spot in the RU West Division... the Firebirds last won a pennant in 2048 and have never won a Pro Cup... they have made the postseason only five times in the team's existence... they are a fairly balanced club with average hitting (15th), mediocre scoring (23rd), good power (8th) and just average pitching (13th)... fourth or fifth place would probably be the outlook for this year... that's how the Island baseball gurus picked them... Omar Cordero (3-2/3.49) and Ben Drummond (2-3/2.27) are rated the best starters... there's nothing special in the bullpen...Tim Varnado (0-0/3.00/3 saves/5 G) is adequate, though... the only reliable bats are CF Randy Snow (.280/7 HR/15 RBI/13 R/1 SB), 2B Ziggy Regan (.344/1 HR/6 RBI/11 R/2 SB) and SS Marcel Poirot (.247/3 HR/11 RBI/14 R).

The seventh place Volusia Vigilantes (12-14) finished in the cellar last year and were picked to finish there again in the preseason poll... the V's haven't won a pennant since 2043... they have one Pro Cup trophy... they won the very first Pro Cup trophy in 2001... none since... Volusia is hitting well with a .283 BA (5th), they can score (13th), don't have much power (29th-tied), have very good starters (4th), but a horrible bullpen (32nd)... top starters are rookie Reynaldo Medrano (3-2/2.26), veteran Casimiro Ramires (4-2/3.46), Lonny Rinehart (4-4/2.93) and Cloyd Queen (1-4/2.72)... best run providers are young RF Bandy Barnwell (.540/2 HR/14 RBI/12 R), 1B Kees Tenbrook (.301/2 HR/12 RBI/11 R/3 SB), CF Rupert Myles (.327/4 HR/7 RBI/14 R/1 SB), 3B Teddy Cornelius (.327/0 HR/5 RBI/22 R/1 SB), LF Flash Nash (.333/2 HR/8 RBI/9 R) and 2B Alberto Torres (.286/1 HR/11 RBI/5 R/1 SB)... Volusia is hitting much better so far this year... if they keep it up the Vigilantes could climb as high as fifth in the RU West standings.

The Rocky Rapids Snappers (10-16) are last in the RU West this season... last year they came in sixth... the last pennants came in '44 and '46... the Snappers have won Pro Cup in their history... that was in 2019... the current team's problem is at the plate... terrible offense... they are batting only .241 (30th)... are dead last in scoring with only 83 runs (32nd), but Rocky Rapids has a fairly good mound staff... 3.74 ERA(14th)... fair starting rotation (3.98 ERA)... top starters are Clay Callaghan (4-3/2.98) and Big Jim Wakely (2-3/2.86)... not much in the way of offense... club leaders are LF Joe Clarkson (.291/2 HR/13 RBI/5 R), CF Gary Grable (.306/1 HR/7 RBI/9 R/2 SB), 1B Deke Lundy (.292/2 HR/6 RBI/9 R) and RF Jamey Murton (.272/3 HR/5 RBI/13 R)... Rocky Rapids is a second division club... not first division material at all.

RUTHLANDIAN WEST STANDINGS
Monday, May 1, 2056

01-16-2018, 09:16 PM	#5648
Eugene Church Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Posts: 35,749 Blog Entries: 1	THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Monday, May 1, 2056 ROOSTERS STILL CROWING LOUDLY IN RU WEST The Middlefield Roosters (17-9) are off and running in the Ruthlandian West ready to take their eighth straight division flag... they had a good April, but so did several other clubs... the Sligo Rovers (16-10) are clinging close by just one game off the pace... Colfax (15-11) played well the first month... so did the Fort Benton Defenders (14-12), Stoner Stars (13-13) and Forest City Firebirds (13-13)... in the preseason predictions Middlefield was forecast to again win the division rather easily... most of the time in the past few years the Roosters have prevailed by double-digit numbers... seven games has been the closest any club came the last seven seasons. Middlefield (17-9) is already first in the RU West with a solid start in the first month of the season... the Roosters have very good pitching combined with very good power... the mound corps is doing their job very well this year... top starters are aging veterans 35-year-old James Long (4-1/2.22) and 41-year-old Hollis Dale (4-2/2.98)... neither is showing any signs of slowing down yet... Long has won the RU Golden Arm the past two years... rookie phenom Rick Goldman (6-1/2.42) has jump into the starting rotation and into the spotlight with a dazzling display his first month in the league... however, the bullpen has been really bad in the early going with a 5.04 ERA... another shortcoming is the team batting average... the Roosters are 20 points off this year, batting just .251... but they can still score runs... last season's RU MVP LF Trip Agarn (.301/7 HR/20 RBI/18 R/1 SB) has started well... other top bats are 3B Donnie Hix (.279/1 HR/10 RBI/18 RBI) and C Johnny McDonald (.377/1 HR/10 RBI/9 R)... star SS Stan Radzikowski (.247/5 HR/20 RBI/13 R) is productive, but is 40 points under his career BA so far... fine CF Johnny Wyatt (.206/5 HR/14 RBI/7 R1 SB) is way down, too, 90 points off his lifetime BA... still the Roosters are in first place... look out when the hitters hit their strides. For the past four seasons the second place Sligo Rovers (16-10) have played second fiddle to Middlefield... things are looking better this year for them... the pitching has been remarkable this season... they are ranked first in the RU with a sensational 2.60 ERA... and the bullpen is even better than the starters... the Sligo ace is veteran Mickey Walsh (4-2/2.80), but he is getting solid help from Judah Carmack (3-1/2.55), Jacky Harshman (2-4/2.45) and Ayden Evans (2-3/3.45)... poor hitting has hurt the won/loss records... closer Tiger Snodgrass (2-0/1.64/4 saves/9 G) has excelled so far... the Rovers don't hit well or score well, batting only .255 (23rd)... except for CF Merle Bliss (.348/4 HR/13 RBI/17 R/3 SB) and RF Scooter Pugh (.409/3 HR/11 RBI/11 R/2 SB), all of the rest are having down years... yet the Rover pitching is so good, they just might be able to overcome the lack of offense. The Colfax Blasters (15-11) are in third place in the RU West and off to a surprisingly good start, just two games behind Middlefield... they were ranked seventh in this year's preseason ratings... the club has had a losing mark for the previous six seasons... it's been 16 years since they won the division... this year the bats are blasting with a torrid .292 team BA... they rank 4th in scoring with 141 runs and 7th in homers with 29... but the Blasters are abominable on the mound with a horrendous 4.91 ERA (31st)... leading the attack are 1B Nicky Yorke (.286/7 HR/25 RBI/15 R), CF Stan Kovalenko (.287/0 HR/18 RBI/18 R/5 SB), 3B Nigel Colvin (.323/5 HR/15 RBI/19 R) and 2B Lon Downer (.320/3 HR/12 RBI/15 R)... the only decent starter is Keith Himmel (3-0/2.96)... Quince Blakeley (1-1/2.08/4 saves/8 G) was just promoted to a starting spot after shining in the bullpen... don't expect Colfax to stay this high in the standings... the pitching is just too bad... should the hitting cool down... and it probably will, the Blasters will, too. Currently in the fourth spot in the RU West, Fort Benton (14-12) is hanging near the top of the division because they are batting .285 (4th) and are second in scoring runs with 144... but like Colfax, they don't have a lick of pitching (4.17 ERA) except in the bullpen (1.82 ERA)... the Defenders have a solid core of hitters, sparked by 3B Lucien Lindsey (.376/4 HR/13 RBI/19 R/7 SB), 2B Steven Hornblower (.320/2 HR/17 RBI/16 R/2 SB), SS Sandy Harling (.269/1 HR/17 RBI/8 R), CF Teddy Keys (.306/1 HR/16 RBI/22 R/5 SB), C Terry Caslin (.284/1 HR/11 RBI/9 R/1 SB) and UIF Billy Currie (.270/1 HR/13 RBI/12 R/3 SB)... veteran ace Zeke Yoder (4-0/3.00) is off to a good year... youngster Gil Hicks (2-5/3.24) has looked good, too... the bullpen is solid with Julian Le Carre (1-1/2.45/2 saves/9 G), Randy Rinehart (1-2/3.09/3 saves/10 G) and Darius Kimberly (3-0/1.08/1 save/6 G)... until the starting rotation improves, Fort Benton is destined to be a fair-to-middling ballclub... they were picked to wind up fourth this season in Ruthlandian West... one of the league's worst franchises, the Defenders have only won one pennant in their entire IPA history... that was 20 years ago in 2037. The fifth place Stoner Stars (13-13) were forecast for third place this year... they finished third last year, 22 GB... last division crown was way back in 2029... the Stars have made the postseason only three times... and have never won a Pro Cup trophy... they hit very well (.287), score well (9th) and have good power (10th), but lack pitching... it's only mediocre (24th), at best... last year's best rookie and Golden Bat winner 1B Tyler Stoddard (.252/3 HR/15 RBI/17 R) is doing OK, but not as good as last year... club leaders are 3B Lance Andre (.294/3 HR/20 RBI/12 R), along with three LFs Steve Brunson (.395/3 HR/9 RBI/7 R), Anton Schindler (.407/1 HR/4 RBI/12 R/3 SB) and Tommy Boutwell (.278/3 HR/9 RBI/7 R)... 2B Doug Moody (.317/1 HR/8 RBI/8 R/3 SB), SS Mack Lord (.286/2 HR/7 RBI/13 R/3 SB), CF Grayson Lancaster (.328/1 HR/5 RBI/12 R) and RF Sonny Sikes (.303/3 HR/11 RBI/9 R/1 SB) have contributed, too... the only consistent pitchers have been starters Brad Squires (2-1/2.16) and Al Raver (4-2/3.33)... long reliever Ira Monaghan (1-0/2.25/10 G) had done well in the pen... if the pitching comes around, Stoner could finish as high as third... however, the Stars are not in the class of Middlefield and Sligo. The Forest City Firebirds (13-13) are tied with Stoner for the fifth spot in the RU West Division... the Firebirds last won a pennant in 2048 and have never won a Pro Cup... they have made the postseason only five times in the team's existence... they are a fairly balanced club with average hitting (15th), mediocre scoring (23rd), good power (8th) and just average pitching (13th)... fourth or fifth place would probably be the outlook for this year... that's how the Island baseball gurus picked them... Omar Cordero (3-2/3.49) and Ben Drummond (2-3/2.27) are rated the best starters... there's nothing special in the bullpen...Tim Varnado (0-0/3.00/3 saves/5 G) is adequate, though... the only reliable bats are CF Randy Snow (.280/7 HR/15 RBI/13 R/1 SB), 2B Ziggy Regan (.344/1 HR/6 RBI/11 R/2 SB) and SS Marcel Poirot (.247/3 HR/11 RBI/14 R). The seventh place Volusia Vigilantes (12-14) finished in the cellar last year and were picked to finish there again in the preseason poll... the V's haven't won a pennant since 2043... they have one Pro Cup trophy... they won the very first Pro Cup trophy in 2001... none since... Volusia is hitting well with a .283 BA (5th), they can score (13th), don't have much power (29th-tied), have very good starters (4th), but a horrible bullpen (32nd)... top starters are rookie Reynaldo Medrano (3-2/2.26), veteran Casimiro Ramires (4-2/3.46), Lonny Rinehart (4-4/2.93) and Cloyd Queen (1-4/2.72)... best run providers are young RF Bandy Barnwell (.540/2 HR/14 RBI/12 R), 1B Kees Tenbrook (.301/2 HR/12 RBI/11 R/3 SB), CF Rupert Myles (.327/4 HR/7 RBI/14 R/1 SB), 3B Teddy Cornelius (.327/0 HR/5 RBI/22 R/1 SB), LF Flash Nash (.333/2 HR/8 RBI/9 R) and 2B Alberto Torres (.286/1 HR/11 RBI/5 R/1 SB)... Volusia is hitting much better so far this year... if they keep it up the Vigilantes could climb as high as fifth in the RU West standings. The Rocky Rapids Snappers (10-16) are last in the RU West this season... last year they came in sixth... the last pennants came in '44 and '46... the Snappers have won Pro Cup in their history... that was in 2019... the current team's problem is at the plate... terrible offense... they are batting only .241 (30th)... are dead last in scoring with only 83 runs (32nd), but Rocky Rapids has a fairly good mound staff... 3.74 ERA(14th)... fair starting rotation (3.98 ERA)... top starters are Clay Callaghan (4-3/2.98) and Big Jim Wakely (2-3/2.86)... not much in the way of offense... club leaders are LF Joe Clarkson (.291/2 HR/13 RBI/5 R), CF Gary Grable (.306/1 HR/7 RBI/9 R/2 SB), 1B Deke Lundy (.292/2 HR/6 RBI/9 R) and RF Jamey Murton (.272/3 HR/5 RBI/13 R)... Rocky Rapids is a second division club... not first division material at all. RUTHLANDIAN WEST STANDINGS Monday, May 1, 2056 Attached Images Last edited by Eugene Church; 01-23-2018 at 10:21 PM.