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THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 15, 2058
VIPS' GILBRIDE, CANES' FISKE TOP ROOKS
This year's IPA rookies performed well as a group and there was an abundance of them scattered around the Islands... this year's top rookies put up excellent numbers and made 2058 a bumper season... Valmara center fielder Jud Gilbride had a tremendous freshmen season and captured the Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year trophy... while the Tycobbian Union Rookie of the Year Award went to Cape Coral third baseman Barney Fiske.
Gilbride batted .285 for the year, played in 143 games and led the Vipers to the Ruthlandian North pennant, chalking up the second-best record in the IPA with 98 victories, topped only by Volusia with 105 wins... the 20-year-old outfielder socked 177 hits with 28 doubles, 13 triples, 33 homers, 96 RBIs and 127 runs... Gilbride also swiped 32 bases... he led the IPA in runs scored.
Wynnamac's fine 21-year-old right-hander Kuparr Bunji was a very close second in the RU top rookie balloting... he sparked the Sundowners to the Ruthlandian East title with a strong 21-11 record with a 3.19 ERA... Bunji fired 2 shutouts, hurled 20 complete games and fanned 212 batters in 302 innings pitched.
Third in the voting was 22-year-old second baseman Marcos Aguilar of the Fort Benton Defenders... he had a strong year, too, with a .324 BA in 144 games, 37 doubles, 4 triples, 7 home runs, 66 ribbies and 91 runs scored... but Fort Benton only managed a 5th place finish this year.
Cape Coral's 19-year-old third sacker Barney Fiske was named the Tycobbian top rookie, winding up with a .335 BA in 150 games with 28 doubles, 3 triples, 14 roundtrippers, 68 RBIs and 115 runs... the Hurricanes came in third in the TU South Division... Barney's grandfather was Chip Fiske, a fine outfielder for Crystal Lake from 2013 to 2018... he only played five and a half seasons, but hit a sizzling .344 in his career, shortened by a career-ending arm injury... the elder Fiske won the batting title in 2017 with a .379 average in his last full year.
The Fairfax Frogs hit paydirt twice this season with the two of the top three rookies in the Tycobbian Union... selected second was 22-year-old southpaw Ronnie Custer, who had a superb freshman season with a 22-10 mark and a 2.45 ERA... Custer finished up the year with 154 Ks in 279 innings and had 11 complete games.
Winding up third was another Frog, left fielder Ron Travis... in 131 games the 23-year-old Travis posted a .330 BA with 26 two-baggers, 3 triples, 23 homers, 92 RBIs and 87 runs scored... the two splendid freshmen helped Fairfax rise up to second place in the Tycobbian North race... the Frogs lost the pennant to Luxora by a single game.
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