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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, April 1, 2058
OPENING DAY ALL AROUND THE ISLANDS
Hope springs eternal and it happens every spring all across Islandia when the Islandian Pro Alliance begins anew... 64 baseball teams are primed, poised and ready to pluck the Pro Cup for 2058... but in reality, not all baseball teams are created equal... there are some better than others... it's opening day in the IPA and here are the top 10 teams in the IPA according to a conglomerate of baseball writers and broadcasters... here's what the best baseball minds think will happen... remarkably, Red Bluff took the IPA title last year in a huge upset... they defeated the Turon Typhoons in six games for the Pro Cup trophy... Middlefield claimed it in '56... and Midway won it in back-to-back seasons in '54 and '55.
On paper the Valmara Vipers of the Ruthlandian North Division are the number one pick to win it all this season... ranked number two are the Middlefield Roosters of the Ruthlandian West... picked third in the voting were the Denton City Redbirds of the Tycobbian West... rated fourth were the Midway Wolves of the Tycobbian East Division... in the fifth spot were the surprising Fairfax Frogs, a last-place team in the Tycobbian North last year... the Oxford Red Caps of the Tycobbian North came in sixth in the Pro Cup poll... followed by the seventh choice, the Far Mountain Redhawks of the Ruthlandian North... the number eight-ranked club was the Glasco Athletics, also in the RU North... the Sligo Rovers of the RU West are rated the ninth-best squad... and rounding out the top 10 teams are the Hartsdale Hellcats of the Tycobbian North Division.
At the end of the year the baseball prognosticators forecast that Valmara will whip Middlefield for the Ruthlandian Union Championship and it will come down to Midway and Oxford for the Tycobbian Union title... ultimately the Midway Wolves are predicted to prevail in the Pro Cup playoffs, defeating the Valmara Vipers for the overall IPA crown... last year's upset Pro Cup victor, the Red Bluff Red Sox, are rated no better than third behind powerful Midway and the up-and-coming High Mesa Mustangs in the TU East pennant race.
Top 10 IPA Teams in The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll:
1. Valmara Vipers (RU North)
2. Middlefield Roosters (RU West)
3. Denton City Redbirds (TU West)
4. Midway Wolves (TU East)
5. Fairfax Frogs (TU North)
6. Oxford Red Caps (TU North)
7. Far Mountain Redhawks (RU North)
8. Glasco Athletics (RU North)
9. Sligo Rovers (RU West)
10. Hartsdale Hellcats (TU North)
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