[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, April 1, 2057

ROOSTERS WILL RULE ROOST AGAIN IN RU WEST
So what's new in the Ruthlandian West Division?... no much really... The Islandian Times' preseason poll is predicting the Middlefield Roosters will be crowing loudly again in 2057... they are forecast to win their 9th successive division title... but they might get some stiff competition from the Sligo Rovers and Stoner Stars... the Volusia Vigilantes could be in the hunt as well... the Roosters are coming off a splendid Pro Cup season... they whipped Turon in five games last year to claim the IPA championship and will be looking to repeat if they don't fall victim to old age.

1. Middlefield Roosters (95-59) (1st Place)
Manager Ricky Tinker has pretty much the same roster... just a year older... and age could be a factor... Middlefield has several stalwarts in their mid 30s... especially the pitching staff... anchoring the starting rotation will be 36-year-old James Long, who has won the RU Golden Arm for the last three years... 35-year-old Scott Cole and 21-year-old Rick Goldman will be the other primary starters... the bullpen is aging, too... Norm Coventy, age 36, and Yazzy Yastrzemski (7-2/2.33/7 saves), age 35, will handle the bullpen again... Coventry was the 2056 Pro Cup MVP... he was 3-0 in 9 games with one save and did not allow a single run in the playoffs... the Roosters will led once again by Trip Agarn, the RU MVP for two straight years... aided by Johnny Wyatt, Stan Radzikowski and Natty Colclough... only one rookie made the roster this season... C Tyler Sistrunk is a fairly good defender with good power, but didn't fare too well in the spring... even though the Middlefield Roosters are up in years, they will still have enough to take the RU West... but it will be a little tougher than in the past.

Top Batters:
CF Trip Agarn (.284/43 HR/125 RBI), RF Johnny Wyatt (.255/30 HR/104 RBI), SS Stan Radzikowski (.276/22 HR/92 RBI), 1B Natty Colclough (.298/18 HR/79 RBI).

Top Pitchers:
starters James Long (20-9/2.21), Scott Cole (19-12/3.53) and Rick Goldman (20-3/4.20)... relief specialists Norm Coventry (1-2/121 ERA/24 saves) and Yazzy Yastrzemski (7-2/2.33 ERA/7 saves).

Outlook:
Middlefield is still a very talented club and should take the RU West again this season... but Sligo and Stoner might be sneaking up on them... it should be a pretty fair pennant chase.

2. Sligo Rovers (89-65) (6 GB) (2nd Place)
Lately the Rovers have just been a bridesmaid and never a bride... for four straight years they have played second fiddle to the powerful Middlefield Roosters... could this be Sligo's year?... manager Les Patterson has solid solid core of hurlers on his staff... that's the Rovers' strength... they just need more offense to get over-the-hump and past Middlefield... last year was the closest they have come in beating the Roosters... three rookies have made the team this spring... one of them 2B Johnny Wagner looks like a good one with a little power, much needed by the Rovers.

Top Batters:
SS Clancy Beaufort (.267/25 HR/84 RBI), CF Merle Bliss (.290/16 HR/54 RBI), 1B Cliff Hawthorne (.279/15 HR/78 RBI) and LF Josh Brolin (.275/13 HR/58 RBI)

Top Pitchers:
Judah Carmack (21-10/2.48), Mickey Walsh (19-17/2.70), Jacky Harshman (17-15/3.02)... last year's closer Tiger Snodgrass (9-7/3.07 ERA/22 saves) gets a shot at the starting rotation this season... bullpen could now use some help.

Outlook:
If the rookie bats produce, Sligo could challenge Middlefield... all they need is one solid threat at the plate and one more reliable starter to topple the mighty Roosters.

3. Stoner Stars (81-73) (14 GB) (3rd Place)
Stoner has just been a little better-than-average in recent years... lack of long balls has hurt them... it's hard for singles' hitters to beat Middlefield's maulers, even if you have a respectable mound corps... manager Fletch Fowler might have a fine rookie starter in Alberto Temozos... he stood out in spring training and won a spot in the rotation... none of the three rookie position players made much of an impact so far... CF Reynaldo Dantes, strong contact hitter, seems to have the best chance of getting into the lineup... C Claude Brick could do well, too.

Top Batters:
Best Rookie and Golden Bat in '55 1B Tyler Stoddard (.289/22 HR/94 RBI) had a good sophomore year... 3B Lance Andre (.313/10 HR/70 RBI), SS Mac Lord (.325/7 HR/65 RBI) and 2B Doug Moody (.292/6 HR/52 RBI) are quality bats, too... but can't go deep often.

Top Pitchers:
Al Raver (17-10/3.69), Donald Gilpin (16-11/3.92), Brad Squires (15-15/3.66), Ivan Kleczko (13-12/3.75 ERA/6 saves), Stan Ulmer (12-12/3.48 ERA/7 saves)... plus rookie Alberto Tamozos.

Outlook:
Stoner has a capable starting rotation, pretty good bullpen, good contact hitters, but very little firepower... but they could be a factor this season in the Ruthlandian West... they will be improved this season... could win 90 games... definitely a first division team... as high as second place... not likely to surpass Middlefield.

4. Volusia Vigilantes (69-85) (26 GB) (6th Place-tied)
Not an inpressive team... broke .500 only once in a decade... suffers from lack of home-run power... but they are good hitters for average... with a run-of-the-mill mound staff... skipper Tubby Tarkanian has come in 8th and 6th in his two seasons... on the hot spot... he needs a first-division finish and a winning record this year... the V's have one rookie starter in Sixto Domenguez, who had a decent spring training... several position players, 1B Lando Vila and 2B Sandy Infantes, show a little power potential... they both are expected to get a lot of playing time early at least.

Top Batters:
Tarkanian is big on platooning... uses a lot of players... 3B Teddy Cornelius (.301/13 HR/69 RBI), C Kees Tenbrook (.301/11 HR/61 RBI), CF Ellie Hudgins (.310/8 HR/59 RBI/CF Rupert Myles (.290/16 HR/47 RBI), LF Johnnie Dalrymple (.336/1 HR/47 RBI), RF Flash Nash (.317/8 HR/40 RBI), RF Bandy Barnwell (.320/2 HR/45 RBI)

Top Pitchers:
Lonny Rinehart (20-15/2.98), Cloyd Queen (15-17/4.07), Reynaldo Medrano (10-17/4.11)... bullpen is only so-so... Dan Hunt (3-1/3.32 ERA/3 saves) is the best reliever.

Outlook:
Volusia might be improved enough this year to contend for fourth place... but no higher... most likely will wind up 5th or 6th.

5. Forest City Firebirds (65-89) (30 GB) (8th Place)
Manager Rich Barstow brought them in 4th two years ago near the .500 mark (76-78), but slipped badly to the basement last year... he needs improvement this year to keep his job... the Firebirds have 7 rookies on the roster... only one of them impressed in spring training... newcomer Dale Madison earned a spot in the starting rotation.

Top Batters:
CF Randy Snow (.296/30 HR/84 RBI)... the only real threat in the batting order... not much after him.

Top Pitchers:
Cale Ballantine (20-14/3.71), Ben Drummond (13-16/3.82)... closer Tim Varnado (3-7/2.72 ERA/18 saves) is quite good at times.

Outlook:
Forest City is mediocre at the plate and on the hill... just a second-division club... will wind up close to the bottom in the RU West.

6. Fort Benton Defenders (77-77) (18 GB) (4th Place)
Comparatively speaking, last year was a great year for manager Augie Marquis and his Defenders... for the first time since 2041, they reached the .500 mark... they pitched fairly well and hit very well and wound up in 4th place... and this year they have added two more pretty good bats to the roster in CF Kip Drumm and 1B Marlon Hazard... but the Defenders lacks long-ball power... just a lot of good contact hitters... only the Middlefield Roosters hit homers in the RU West... that's the prime reason they have dominated for so long... Fort Benton has more good hitters than they can play.

Top Batters:
1B Mel Lightfoot (.305/15 HR/82 RBI), LF Teddy Keyes (.302/4 HR/73 RBI), SS Steve Hornblower (.303/9 HR/76 RBI), 2B Sam Arnett (.312/3 HR/67 RBI), RF Charlie Bondy (.290/6 HR/58 RBI), C Terry Caslin (.284/4 HR/41 RBI) and SS Billy Currie (.307/3 HR/47 RBI)

Top Pitchers:
Dave Llewellyn (14-13/2.83), Zeke Yoder (17-14/3.71), Gil Hicks (13-19/3.82)... bullpen is chocked full of good arms, led by Randy Rinehart (5-5/2.17 ERA/25 saves)

Outlook:
The media has slated Fort Benton for the 6th spot in the RU West standings, but they don't look like one... you could make a good argument that the Defenders are good enough to challenge Sligo and Stoner for second and third place... on paper they could do it... and just maybe on the field, too... Marquis has an improved team.

7. Colfax Blasters (69-85) (26 GB) (6th Place-tied)
It's been 7 long years since Colfax had a competitive team (86-68) in the RU West and that was good enough for 3rd place... they have just been a lackluster club ever since... this season the Blasters made a change in management and fired long-time skipper Mitch Fullerton... his replacement is Jorgen Krogstad, a journeyman hurler for the club from '42 to '54... his career record was 148-162 with a 4.00 ERA... the Ruthlandian Union has 7 new managers this season... Krogstad has a fine hitting squad, maybe second to Middlefield... has good power and hits for average... but the pitching is pathetic... Krogstad will go with pretty much the same staff, but has found a pretty fair closer in rookie Karl Kruger, who pitched well in the spring... he's sticking with the same position players, too... except for rookie C Jerry Vayda, who may give 38-year Darrell Dillon some rest this year.

Top Batters:
CF Stan Kovalenko (.316/9 HR/82 RBI), 3B Nigel Colvin (.296/20 HR/68 RBI), 1B Nicky Yorke (.303/24 HR/85 RBI), 2B Lon Downer (.297/8 HR/58 RBI)

Top Pitchers: Larry McDuffie (14-13/3.66), Alan Schmitt (18-11/4.76), Keith Himmel (12-13/4.23)... the bullpen is bad... hopefully rookie Karl Kruger will fill the closer spot.

Outlook:
Good hitting can't make up for lousy pitching... that's Colfax and new skipper Jorgen Krogstad's problem... the Blasters will probably wind up near the bottom again this season.

8. Rocky Rapids Snappers (71-83) (24 GB) (5th Place)
Manager Junior Noland has not been pleased with his Snappers the last two seasons... they were 6th in '55 with a 72-82 mark and 5th last year at 71-83... he has a pretty good pitching staff, but the offense is not adequate... Noland's Snappers have been ranked the worst team in the RU West this year and picked to be in the cellar... Noland doesn't agree with that assessment and thinks his club can get into the first division with a little improvement... he was very impressed with his new OF Corey McGee, who had a strong spring... McGee is a fine outfielder and an even better hitter... he also can go deep at times... Noland thinks McGee will be one of the best rookies in the IPA this year... rookie SS Ian Starkey should be a good addition to the roster, too... he hits for average and has a little power and will start the season as a regular.

Top Batters:
1B Deke Lundy (.304/20 HR/63 RBI), RF Joe Clarkson (.263/20 HR/74 RBI), 2B Charles Stradley (.265/13 HR/73 RBI)

Top Pitchers:
Clay Callaghan (21-12/3.14), Lance Obermueller (14-11/3.52), Kip Golden (15-17/3.73)... reliever Big Jim Wakely (5-12/3.62 ERA/2 saves/55 G) moves to the number four starter slot this year... closer Rance Donnelly (5-6/3.72 ERA/25 saves) will still be the main man in the bullpen.

Outlook:
Rocky Rapids has improved its offense with the new rookies McGee and Beaton... if Wakely can give them another quality starter, then the Snappers may be a contender for 4th place... they certainly don't look like a last-place team.