[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 19, 2057

RED CAPS SOAR IN TU NORTH IN 2ND HALF
The Tycobbian North Division was a humdrum affair for most of the year with barely any team playing winning baseball, but it was a very good pennant race... the eventual pennant-winning Oxford Red Caps didn't even reach the .500 mark until August... despite being the preseason favorite, the Red Caps played poorly the first half (33-40) and even trailed by 6 games at midseason, tied for the sixth spot in the standings... but then Oxford (88-66) kicked it into overdrive and went on a 49-23 spree and won the TU North by 7 games over runner-up North Hills (81-73)... third place went to the Luxora Zorros (80-74), 8 games out... and winding up in fourth were the White River Rascals (78-76), 10 games off the pace... the Rascals had won the division crown the previous three seasons... actually the TU North was quite a race... North Hills led at the end of April... Luxora took over at the All-Star Game... but the Z's faded in August and gave way to on-rushing Oxford... even also-rans Hartsdale and Blue Lake had their day in the sun during the year... the fifth-place Hellcats (74-80) and last place Blue Sox (72-82) were tied for second place at midseason.

The Oxford Red Caps were redhot at the plate with a .270 BA and 257 homers and put a lot of runs on the scoreboard, topping the IPA with 839 runs... manager Dennis Hartwig had just enough pitching to get by... only two other clubs in IPA history had more roundtrippers than the Red Caps... Red Bluff set the all-time mark with 283 in 2045 and Arroyo Grande smashed 260 out of the park years ago in 2005... Oxford had 10 players with 10 or more homers... the Tycobbian Union had four fine ballclubs in the playoffs... each one of them could capture the Pro Cup this year.

1ST PLACE: OXFORD RED CAPS (88-66)
Last Year: (78-76) (4 GB) (2nd Place)
Two Years Ago: (82-72) (1 GB) (2nd Place)
Last Postseason: 2052 and 2053 (1 Pro Cup - 2007) (8 Pennants)
Manager Dennis Hartwig has a powerhouse attack and will have to be reckoned with in the playoffs... this is the Red Caps' third pennant in five years... they are poised and ready for bigger and better things in the IPA.

Team Stats: .270 BA (7th), 839 runs (1st), 257 HR (1st), 4.23 ERA (27th), .978 FA (good)

Top Pitchers: All-Star ace Maury Statler (26-10/2.94) led the IPA with 26 victories, tied with Tuckanarra's Ian Timms (26-5/2.24).... a big part of the Red Caps' success was rookie starter Meldon Eddington (17-11/4.14)... another rookie sparkled in the bullpen... Pat McFarlane (2-4/2.29 ERA/26 saves/44 G) was outstanding.

Top Batters: Oxford has a scary lineup with bunch of bangers like rookie 1B Buddy Blackford (.285/41 HR/113 RBI/82 R), 3B Roland Latimer (.253/36 HR/90 RBI/75 R/2 SB), OF Frankie Beckwith (.303/34 HR/76 RBI/71 R/2 SB), LF Wade McGrew (.322/31 HR/73 RBI/74 R/3 SB), RF Ozzy Ackerman (.289/25 HR/71 RBI/66 R/9 SB), OF Dwayne Wagner (.255/21 HR/73 RBI/83 R/6 SB), SS Roger Bajon (.260/16 HR/62 RBI/80 R/6 SB), 3B Ethan Cuthbert (.300/14 HR/41 RBI/42 R/1 SB), C Giles Gilliam (.300/12 HR/46 RBI/67 R) and OF Raylan Theodore (.308/10 HR/33 RBI/35 R/3 SB)... slick-fielding rookie SS Scott Schneider (.269/7 HR/58 RBI/60 R/9 SB) also helped out with his bat, too.

2nd Place: North Hills Hawks (81-73) (7 GB)
Last Year: (78-76) (4 GB) (3rd Place)
Two Years Ago: (75-79) (7.5 GB) (4th Place)
Last Postseason: 2045 (4 Pro Cups - 2034, 2036, 2038, 2041) (13 Pennants)
The Hawks have Hall-of-Famer Dave Michael as skipper... He was the Pro Cup MVP twice (2034, 2038)... Michael posted a 315-234 record in his 19 seasons with the Hawks... he was marvelous in the postseason with a 20-13 mark and 2.32 ERA in 37 starts... Michael has led the Hawks to first-division finishes for five years in a row... they are back on track to being a contender in the TU North.

Team Stats: .271 BA (6th), 695 runs (13th), 87 HR (32nd), 3.85 ERA (17th), .972 FA (poor)

Top Pitchers: North Hills has a good starting rotation with Johnny Kristoff (20-15/3.56), Juan Cintron (15-15/3.68), Thad Vachon (11-8/3.99) and Zip Harben (11-16/3.73)... add into the mix rookie Eddy Salem (4-0/2.50), who stood out after joining the club in August... the Hawks' bullpen is in good hands with Bobby Antonio (7-3/1.54 ERA/19 saves/44 G).

Top Batters: the Hawks suffer from a total lack of power... none of the regulars go deep very often... 3B Sam Dunstone (.307/2 HR/54 RBI/74 R/8 SB) and 1B Victor Bates (.316/7 HR/54 RBI/64 R/1 SB) are good contact hitters... the most productive bats are SS Pat Johnston (.268/1 HR/70 RBI/76 R/3 SB), 2B Don Shirley (.259/10 HR/60 RBI/61 R/3 SB) and part-timer LF Eddy Carlyle (.343/15 HR/45 RBI/32 R)... better run-scoring could do wonders for the Hawks.

3rd Place: Luxora Zorros (80-74) (8 GB)
Last Year: (69-85) (13 GB) (7th Place)
Two Years Ago: (81-73) (1.5 G) (3rd Place)
Last Postseason: 2031 (No Pro Cups) (11 Pennants)
Kent Halloran took charge of the Zorros back in 2052 and has them on the rise... this year the Z's had the league lead most of the time until August, but got blown away by the rampaging Oxford Red Caps in the last six weeks of the season.

Team's Stats: .262 BA (12th), 733 runs (7th-tied), 173 HR (8th), 4.04 ERA (23rd), .980 FA (very good)

Top Pitchers: Luxora has decent starters in Paolo De Freitas (17-17/3.53), Mack McKitrick (18-11/3.66), Jimmy Hollis (16-15/3.92) and Juliano Machado (14-13/4.21)... the bullpen is just mediocre... rookie Bartolo Baptista (7-7/3.69 ERA/25 saves/46 G) is the most reliable reliever.

Top Batters: top performers on the team were LF Marvin Harrelson (.283/28 HR/86 RBI/76 R/6 SB), 1B Wade Tibbs (.279/22 HR/84 RBI/76 R), rookie 2B Ryo Nijo (.278/19 HR/59 RBI/72 R/4 SB)... backup rookie RF Omar Solis (.311/15 HR/55 RBI/59 R/1 SB) also put up some very good numbers.

4th Place: White River Rascals (78-76) (10 GB)
Last Year: (82-72) (1st Place)
Two Years Ago: (83-72) (1st Place)
Last Postseason: 2056 (No Pro Cups) (11 Pennants)
Until this season manager Marty Blake had won the past three pennants and seven of the last nine, a decline in his aging pitching staff hurt.

Team Stats: .257 BA (17th), 676 runs (18th), 168 HR (10th), 3.50 ERA (5th), .983 FA (excellent)

Top Pitchers: at 36 Nicky Palmer (13-17/3.41) slipped a bit... but 35-year-old vet Glen Horton (15-9/2.99 ERA/2 saves/33 G) and Ringo Lanier (17-9/2.82 ERA/2 saves/42 G) had impressive years... fourth-year hurler and 22-year-old Noel Woods (8-9/4.62 ERA/2 saves/40 G) finished the season in the bullpen... big things were expected of him this year... the relievers fizzled this year... at 32 Butch Slattery (4-9/3.76 ERA/12 saves/36 G) did not have a good season as a starter or as a reliever.

Top Batters: star CF Pudge Tate (.277/31 HR/86 RBI/79 R/8 SB) was one of the prime bats, along with rookie sensation and All-Star RF Jake Bohannon (.277/28 HR/95 RBI/65 R/8 SB) and vet 1B Fred Kraft (.262/26 HR/73 RBI/86 R/4 SB)... SS Freddie Bannon (.278/10 SB/54 RBI/81 R) did well in the field and was pretty decent at the plate... Blake needs an influx of youth, especially on the mound.

5th Place: Hartsdale Hellcats (74-80) (14 GB)
Last Year: (74-80) (8 GB) (5th Place)
Two Years Ago: (74-80) (8.5 GB) (5th Place)
Last Postseason: 2047 (1 Pro Cup - 2046) (9 Pennants)
Manager Wayne Dawson and his Hellcats are stuck in a rut... three successive seasons in fifth place with identical 74-80 records... Dawson has a pretty fair ballclub with solid hitting, scoring, pitching, but just average defense... their stats look better than their record.

Team Stats: .272 BA (4th), 728 runs (10th), 166 HR (11th), 3.70 ERA (12th), .975 FA (fair)

Top Pitchers: Hartsdale has three reliable starters in Christopher Wolfe (14-18/3.46), Chet Salsbury (15-17/3.47), Bradley Barr (17-17/3.91)... and Wallace Roscoe (16-16/4.59) occasionally comes up with a quality start, too... the Hellcat bullpen is one of the better in the IPA with Roy Krieger (3-4/2.02 ERA/16 saves/38 G).

Top Batters: CF Leon Croyle (.311/18 HR/68 RBI/86 R/14 SB), All-Star C Kenton Carmichael (.240/25 HR/80 RBI/78 R), 2B Smokey Nix (.283/17 HR/78 RBI/79 R/3 SB), RF Nathan Ivy (.286/19 HR/76 RBI/58 R/10 SB) and rookie SS Walt Ivy (.293/18 HR/61 RBI/98 R/18 SB)... the Ivys are brothers... the future looks good in Hartsdale.

6th Place: Mahaska Haymakers (73-81) (15 GB)
Last Year: (75-79) (7 GB) (4th Place)
Two Years Ago: (66-88) (16.5 GB) (7th Place)
Last Postseason: 2027 (No Pro Cups) (4 Pennants)
Travis Tuttle was in charge of the Haymakers this year, but he will be replaced by Rocco Bertara for the coming season... Tuttle suffered through the fifth straight losing season... Mahaska is just a second-class club.

Team Stats: .261 BA (13th), 683 runs (17th), 113 HR (27th), 4.17 ERA (26th), .979 FA (good)

Top Pitchers: Mahaska's most effective starter was Marty Mobley (14-21/3.35), followed by Kerstan Koening (11-11/3.86) and Pip Cordice (15-14/4.08)... Cubby Darville (2-6/3.14 ERA/29 saves/49 G) had a fair year in the bullpen.

Top Batters: rookie 1B Timothy Honor (.267/25 HR/76 RBI/87 R/7 SB) did well his first season... but the top performer was 2B Elvis Gifford (.295/12 HR/82 RBI/86 R/11 SB), a solid hitter and strong defender... RF Dub Forrester (.280/14 HR/70 RBI/85 R/6 SB) also had a fair bat.

7th Place (tied): Fairfax Frogs (72-82) (16 GB)
Last Year: (73-81) (9 GB) (6th Place)
Two Years Ago: (65-89) (17.5 GB) (8th Place)
Last Postseason: 2033 (No Pro Cups) (8 Pennants)
Former star Frog hurler Ken Hill (311-271/3.03 ERA) took over the reins this season... he toiled 20 years with a fair-to-middling team, 2010-2029... the Frogs didn't improve a whole lot... still just a borderline bad ballclub.

Team Stats: .259 BA (16th), 665 runs (20th), 109 HR (28th), 4.27 ERA (30th), .977 FA (average)

Top Pitchers: Norb Eberly (16-12/3.60) and Ken Wallington (16-19/3.79) are quality starters... rookie Clyde Sowers (10-9/3.82) did well at times, too... standout rookie closer Val Jackson (1-2/1.23 ERA/23 saves/34 G) showed some really good potential... overall the Fairfax staff is poor.

Top Batters: RF Patty Fenroy (.314/7 HR/63 RBI/96 R/10 SB) is a good, all-round ballplayer... he does everything well except hit the longball... is a fine defender... tied for the IPA lead in triples with 17... CF Wayne Clausen (.292/11 HR/61 RBI/93 R/16 SB), C Mike Mitchell (.296/9 HR/67 RBI/52 R) and 1B Javis Tyler (.306/19 HR/70 RBI/48 R/2 SB) helped out as well.

7th Place (tied): Blue Lake Blue Sox (72-82) (16 GB)
Last Year: (59-95) (23 GB) (8th Place)
Two Years Ago: (71-83) (11.5 GB) (6th Place)
Last Postseason: 2030 (1 Pro Cup - 2030) (3 Pennants)
Former star catcher Juan Luis Barcelona was the rookie skipper this season for the Blue Sox... they improved record-wise quite a bit, but still wound up in the TU North basement with Fairfax... Barcelona hit .288 for 13 years and hit 156 out of the park... he was a 5-time All-Star... Barcelona inherited a just plain bad ball team... it will take some time to turn it around in Blue Lake.

Team Stats: .241 BA (29th), 638 runs (26th), 108 HR (29th), 4.16 ERA (25th), .975 FA (fair)

Top Pitchers: Weldon Nettleton (14-18/3.15) is a solid, young starter... All-Star Dirk Sinclair (18-15/3.99) is up in age at 37, but had a very good season until midseason with an 11-4 mark, but slumped in the second half ... Dookie Denham (18-13/4.16) also had a pretty good year... absolutely nothing after them... Barcelona has a lousy pitching corps.

Top Batters: the Blue Sox have only two quality players in their lineup... rookie phenom CF Steve Schueler (.333/5 HR/52 RBI/93 R/16 SB) is a bonafide star from the git-go... he had the sixth-best batting average in the IPA this year... and tied for the lead with 17 triples... 3B Billy Blue (.303/14 HR/56 RBI/78 R/1 SB) is a solid infielder and a fairly good contact hitter... absolutely nothing after these two in the batting order.

********************* May 1st Standings ******************************** July 1st Standings **************************