[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

BASEBALL RETURNS TO ISLANDIA TOMORROW
Well, time really does fly by in the Islands... it seem like it was just a few days ago that we were talking about the Pro Cup champion Red Bluff Red Sox and their wonderful season... it's a new year in the Islandian Pro Alliance... season number 58 begins tomorrow afternoon all across Islandia… 64 ballclubs will figuratively engage in mortal combat for the Holy Grail of Baseball - the IPA Pro Cup trophy.

And to help you in your picks and prognostications, here is what the famed baseball writers across Islandia are saying about the teams this coming season... last year our renowned sportswriters and scribes forecast that Middlefield would whip Denton City for its second straight IPA overall title... instead upstart Red Bluff reeled in the Pro Cup by defeating Turon in a six-game series.

2058 Ruthlandian North Division Preview

VIPERS FAVORED IN RU NORTH, REDHAWKS AND A'S WILL CHALLENGE
The Valmara Vipers had the best overall record last year in the Islandian Pro Alliance and they are favored to repeat again in the Ruthlandian North Division... only two clubs are predicted to contend with the Vipers... Far Mountain with its fine pitching staff just might slow down the Valmara pennant express... the Glasco A's are going to be in the mix as well with its good starting rotation and pretty good offense... the rest of the clubs in the RU North will be vying for the fourth spot in the standings.

1st: Valmara Vipers
Last Year: 1st Place (96-58)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (72-82) (19 GB)
Outlook: despite an aging pitching staff, Vipers will be the class of the RU North again this year... they will hit well and just might pitch even better... manager Don Ritchie has a strong club... should repeat as division champ... two rookie pitchers Manabu Ozaki and Tadzio Zajkowski will get some work in the bullpen... nobody new in position players... starters Primo Sirak (19-12) and Darus Grajek (20-16) will be the key to the season... Sirak is 38... Grajek 34... reliever Carver Dillon is 35... Ritchie has some rock-solid hitters in Timmy Benford (.312 BA/24 HR/87 RBI/90 R), Alek Stolarski (.302 BA/11 HR/70 RBI/108 R), Vladimir Szymanski (.308 BA/10/70 RBI/74 R) and Borys Balicki (.312 BA/8 HR/71 RBI/63 R).

2nd: Far Mountain Redhawks
Last Year: 3rd Place (81-73) (15 GB)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (88-66) (3 GB)
Outlook: new skipper Benjy Donahue has improved hitting and pitching and is forecast to challenge Valmara this year... the Redhawks have some solid starters with vets Frankie Frasier (19-14), Eldon Bittner (12-15) and last year's impressive rookies Jeffrey Chandler (6-4/2.05 ERA/11 starts) and Bob Speed (4-5/2.95 ERA/11 starts)... both Chandler and Speed joined Far Mountain in July last season... Donahue has also added some youngsters in the relief corps... look for Carl Gray and Whitlow Dumas to stand out in the bullpen... Far Mountain could nip at the Vipers' heels all season long... and could win the pennant should Valmara's old staff suddenly fall apart... Donahue's offense is subpar... only reliable hitter is CF Ox Gless (.287/24 HR/90 RBI/93 R)… but the mound staff is a good one and can carry the club.

3rd: Glasco Athletics
Last Year: 2nd Place (89-65) (7 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (tied) (68-86) (23 GB)
Outlook: manager Charles Darby has a fine foursome with Monte France (18-17), Jayden Furman (19-12), Herb Goodman (20-12) and Jonathan Burnett (14-13) in the starting rotation and they are predicted to be better this year... offense is fine, too, with Rick Farns (.302 BA/22 HR/98 RBI/70 R), Callum Slattery (.325 BA/20 HR/82 RBI/96 R), Gordy Glisson (.303/9 HR/75 RBI/60 R) and Allen Spears (.299 BA/9 HR/82 RBI/74 R)... the A's will be in contention all season long again like last year... Darby has a good club... not much expected from his rookie crop.

4th: Ancona Red Elephants
Last Year: 6th Place (74-80) (22 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (tied) (68-86) (23 GB)
Outlook: Better pitching this year... two rookies hurlers may contribute: starter Benny Arledge and reliever Dinos Kyrkos... third-year pitcher Eugene Holifield showed well in relief in spring training... manager Tommy Richardson is looking for good years from starters Yanni Bubas (21-12) and Burnell Simms (16-19) and he's hoping Arledge can add to the mound corps, along with second-year man Bill Bumgardener, who really stood out this spring... he did fairly well in his debut year, going 4-5 with a 4.13 ERA in 11 starts... the Red Elephants have an adequate offense led by Franco Briganti (.325 BA/18 HR/77 RBI/66 R), Skeets Barker (.300 BA/20 HR/67 RBI/97 R), Horace Nickens (.277 BA/18 HR/66 RBI/83 R), Jerry Coppock (.284 BA/16 HR/84 RBI/68 R) and Tony Nardi (.306 BA/13 HR/60 RBI/64 R)… Ancona might sneak up into the RU North first division, but no higher... they are nowhere near the talent of the top three clubs.

5th: Taranto Tars
Last Year: 4th Place tied (78-76) (18 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (91-63)
Outlook: manager Augie Marshall doesn't have the pitching like he did when he won the RU North pennant in '56... he's excited about second-year pitcher Zeppo Perrelli (3-2/2.67 ERA)... he and rookie reliever Mario Abatucci both had good springs... Marshall already has two strong starters in Phil Castle (21-9) and Valerio Rossi (17-15)... he just need 35-year-old Freddy De Angelis to revert to the form of his first two seasons when he was 18-10 and 22-7... last year he slipped to 8-11 and a 4.19 ERA... Taranto can still tag the ball... anchoring the Tars' arsenal are Golden Bat winner Lenny Buisson (.304 BA/49 RBI/105 RBI/90 R), Buddy Lark (.316 BA/28 HR/68 RBI/75 R) and Mark Trupiano (.300 BA/27 HR/73 RBI/77 R)… Tars could get back into the thick of things if the mound staff returns to the 2056 level.

6th: Kilkenny Cats
Last Year: 4th Place tied (78-76) (18 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (65-89) (26 GB)
Outlook: the Cats still look like a middle-of-the-road ballclub under Dave Whitaker... his strength is his starters: Bretton McKay (19-12), Billy Joe Wooster (18-14), Jamie Ayers (17-10) and Carroll Hudsmith (14-12)... Kilkenny may have improved its mound staff some with the addition of rookie reliever Larry Henley, who looked very good in training camp and preseason... look for some good progress for Al Pinckney in his third season in the bullpen... no new blood among the position players... the offense is still just mediocre at best... you know you're in trouble when Jimmy Gunn (.302 BA/15 HR/52 RBI/72 R) and Niles Bedford (.274 BA/7 HR/71 RBI/54 R) sport your best offensive numbers... veteran slugger Ryan Reagan hit 21 homers and drove in 79 runs, but only hit .226 for average.

7th: LaGrange Sports
Last Year: 8th Place (69-85) (27 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (73-81) (18 GB)
Outlook: rookie skipper John Rodgers has added three newcomers to his mound corps in hopes of kickstarting his Sports... the pitching was terrible last year... Rodger Gagnier (15-11) and Amos Wadsworth (16-14) are two good ones in the starting rotation and will be joined by rookie Dave Loxley and returnee Spike Swearingen, who got a taste of the IPA in a short run in '55... Rodgers is also optimistic about his bullpen this season... Trey Ladner, Willie Doolittle and Kelvin Delacroix did well in spring training... it's Ladner's third year with the team, Doolittle's fourth and second for Delacroix... but the Sports will go with the same bunch of batters... nobody new in the batting order to kickstart the offense... however, Rodgers has some reliable hitters in Sonny Ricard (.284 BA/27 HR/86 RBI/72 R), Billy Broadway (.311 BA/20 HR/86 RBI/69 R), Rick Wade (.308 BA/15 HR/77 RBI/64 R), Tony Rojas (.309 BA/10 HR/62 RBI/82 R) and Earl Walker (.303 BA/5 HR/52 RBI/83 R).

8th: Ranford Bulls
Last Year: 7th Place (71-83) (25 B)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (71-83) (20 GB)
Outlook: manager Kyle Hunt is under the gun to make some progress this season with the Bulls and he may have a difficult task... Ranford has steadily declined ove the past three seasons and seems to be headed further south this year... offensively the club is about the same as last year... but Hunt is looking for good things from first baseman Cal O'Leary... he's back for a third try after flunking out with mediocre years in '55 and '56... he didn't make the team last year, but did very well this spring with a great glove and good bat... the pitching looks worse... the best thing going for the Bulls is in the bullpen... closer Martin Futch (2-4/1.55 ERA/21 saves/46 G) is always steady as a rock and still going strong at 32... Hunt's starters are just fair and average: Dave Brewster (11-10), Darrell Askew (17-17) and Primo Uzzo (13-18)... rookie Troy Chisholm will get his chance in the rotation, but didn't do well in the spring... #5 starter Mac Roberts (12-18) needs better control and command to succeed... the only decent hitter in the lineup is All-Star second baseman Erik Neilson, who stood out in his rookie year with 25 homers and 100 RBIs... and he is a slick defender, too... but Neilson batted only .262 for the year... not much after him on the lineup card.