[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, May 1, 2059

TU EAST RIVALS, RED SOX, WOLVES, AT IT AGAIN
Two bitter rivals are waging all-out war again in the Tycobbian East... Red Bluff and Midway are at it battling for the top spot... heading into May, the Red Sox (15-8) have a scant one-game edge on the Wolves (14-9) with Ozarka, South Fork, East Point and High Mesa on their heels... the Naturals (13-10) are tied with the Stallions (13-10) for third place in the standings, while the Panthers (12-11) and the Mustangs (12-11) are just 3 games back in the 5th spot... 7th place Tuckanarra is only 4 games off the pace... and in the TU East basement, it's the Hillsboro Blazers (8-15), trailing by 7 games.

Two years ago Pro Cup champion Red Bluff spoiled Midway's hopes for a 5th consecutive division flag... while last year the Wolves knocked off the Red Sox and ended their Pro Cup reign... normally Red Bluff hits their way to the pennant, but this year it's hurlers and homers... the Red Sox have chalked up an impressive 2.86 team ERA (3rd) and coupled that with 29 fourmasters (3rd-tied) to take the lead in April... the club is batting .259 (15th) with 96 runs (17th)... at the top of the Red Bluff rotation are Wilson Sharpe (3-1/1.86) and Duane Sturgeon (4-0/2.30), helped out by Fred Taylor (1-1/1.29) and Mac King (1-0/3.16)... the Red Sox bullpen is only average with closer Dontrelle Gilbreath (2-4/3.28 ERA/4 saves/14 G)... star slugger RF Toni Kolkov (.312/9 HR/19 RBI/16 R) is off to a great start and tearing up the league... giving him some aid with the offense are LF Ian Driskell (.321/1 HR/7 RBI/10 R/1 SB), CF Paul Gaddison (.235/2 HR/6 RBI/15 R/1 SB), 1B Jonathan Haworth (.244/4 HR/13 RBI/8 R) and 3B Dazzy Bevis (.220/3 HR/9 RBI/11 R/2 SB)... look out, everybody in the IPA, the Red Bluff Red Sox are raging again and ready to win another Tycobbian East pennant and another IPA Pro Cup.

If it hadn't been for Red Bluff snatching the TU East from them in '57, the mighty Midway Wolves would be working on their 6th straight division title... the Middies had a great April swinging the bats with a .268 BA (10th), 44 HR (1st) and 128 runs (1st-tied)... however, the mound corps is suspect with a 4.35 team ERA (22nd)... only two of the starting five are reliable: Rob Land (2-1/2.63) and Mel Merlo (2-0/3.86)... Dookie Higgins (4-1/4.41) has a good record, but he has given up a lot of runs... the bullpen is quite questionable, too... closer Steve Swanwick (2-2/3.98 ERA/4 saves/14 G) has had some shaky appearances... but the bats are boomin' with super superstar LF Norishige Ito (.365/8 HR/18 RBI/18 R), superstar Daryl Vale (.245/10 HR/28 RBI/17 R), star SS Kax Clark (.281/2 HR/17 RBI/16 R), C Rob Hughes (.271/5 HR/13 RBI/12 R), RF Kody Kenyon (.282/2 HR/5 RBI/15 R/1 SB) and 2B Bryan Busby (.262/5 HR/7 RBI/11 R/1 SB)... it's going to be quite a race in the Tycobbian East again this year... the last man standing could be the Midway Wolves again.

Third place Ozarka (13-10) put up a good record in the first month of play, but they will not keep it up... the Nats have managed only 2 winning seasons out of the last 16... they are long overdue for a pennant... the last one came almost two decades ago in 2040... I don't think it will be this year... the Naturals have bad pitching with a 4.44 team ERA (25th)... Willis Reece (3-2/4.11), Ronny Belzer (1-1/4.54) and Ezra Hancock (3-1/4.21) have to do it all... they need more help in the rotation... the bullpen is just average... at the plate the Nats are pretty good at putting runs on the scoreboard... they are batting a solid .267 (11th) with 102 runs (11th-tied), but lack firepower with only 15 out of the park clouts (27th-tied)... the top bats in the lineup are 1B Sookie Lagerberg (.396/2 HR/12 HR/10 R) and LF Heck Bibbins (.357/2 HR/10 RBI/8 R/1 SB)... other threats are 3B Foxy Alderson (.286/2 HR/14 RBI/13 R/1 SB), CF Chris Kile (.292/0 HR/12 RBI/9 R) and 2B Happy Springs (.293/0 HR/2 RBI/9 R)... Ozarka came in 7th last year... probably won't do any better than 6th this year... South Fork, High Mesa and East Point are better than the Nats... and there is no way Ozarka can challenge the two big boys, Red Bluff and Midway.

It's been almost 20 years since South Fork was a force in the TU East... the Stallions won 3 years in a row in '41, '42 and '43... even won their only Pro Cup in '42... the Hosses came in 4th last year (82-72)... 2059 might be their year to make a run for the roses... the talent is there... South Fork has a lineup filled with solid hitters... they are batting .277 (6th), have scored 107 runs (7th) and cracked 26 homers (7th-tied)... and the pitching is much improved this season with a 3.72 ERA (11th)... on paper the Stallions can compete with anybody... South Fork (13-10) is currently resting in the 4th spot, but it's not out of the question that they could win the TU East and and go on and go all the way to the IPA crown... that's not too far fetched... leading the way in the potent batting order are LF Rudi Eberhardt (.304/7 HR/14 RBI/19 R), star C Rudy Maroney (.250/5 HR/20 RBI/13 R), CF Johnny Godfrey (.364/0 HR/4 RBI/10 R/3 SB), blossoming superstar RF Bob Purkey (.282/3 HR/7 RBI/16 R/1 SB), SS Lyle Tatton (.291/4 HR/17 RBI/10 R/1 SB) and backup OF Artie Greer (.351/3 HR/8 RBI/10 R)... the Stallions' outfield is so strong that Greer has trouble getting playing time.... anchoring the starting rotation is 25-game winner Emmett Coogan (2-2/3.58), rookie Caine Hanlon (3-2/3.00), Tris Desselle (3-0/2.48) and 17-game winner Brett McCracken (0-1/2.75)... South Fork needs help in the subpar relief corps (4.41 ERA/26th)... other than that, the Stallions are off and running for a fine season in the Tycobbian East.

The High Mesa Mustangs (12-11) are another highly-regarded club... currently tied with East Point for 5th place... they ran a good race and wound up 5th last year (81-73) and could give Red Bluff, Midway and South Fork a run for their money... High Mesa came very close in '57, winding up a very, very close third, losing out by just one and a half games... their last TU East division title came in 2048... the Mustangs would like nothing better than to do it again in '59... they are similar to South Fork with a fine offense and good starters, but lack a good bullpen... High Mesa doesn't hit well for average, batting only .243, but they have scored 105 runs (9th) with 29 roundtrippers (3rd-tied) doing most of the damage... on the hill the Mustangs have a 3.83 team ERA (13th), which is inflated by a terrible 5.26 ERA (30th) in the relief corps... the starters have a good 3.52 ERA (6th)... High Mesa is blessed with two fine rookies that have really revved up the offense: sensational RF Billy Putman (.329/7 HR/22 RBI/16 R/2 SB) and solid 1B Sonny Bledsoe (.278/3 HR/14 RBI/8 R)... they join an already-solid core of hitters like 3B Kagetoki Miyazaki (.280/7 HR/14 RBI/14 R/2 SB), LF Tracy McGriff (.268/2 HR/7 RBI/17 R) and CF Curly Yeats (.266/4 HR/13 RBI/12 R/1 SB)... the Mustangs have four quality starters in their rotation that consists of Bucky Dodge (4-0/1.67), David Newell (1-2/3.13), Scott Findlay (1-3/3.26) and ace Weldon Herrington (1-2/3.93)... the bullpen numbers are staggering bad... closer Sandy Stevenson (1-1/7.20 ERA/4 saves/12 G) has been put through the ringer... High Mesa could finish as high as 4th in the standings this year... could do better if they can get a decent bullpen.

The East Point Panthers tumbled badly last year, ending up in last place (66-88) in the TU East... that ended an 8-year run in the first division... they won two pennants during that time ('50, '52)... last season the Panthers' pitching failed them (4.32 ERA)... well, now, it just might be back... East Point (12-11) is tied for 3rd, mainly because of its standout 3.14 ERA (4th)... now it's the offense holding them down... the Panthers are batting only .239 (28th)... have trouble scoring with just 83 runs (30th-tied)... but are alright with 20 HR (18th-tied)... two rookies have certainly improved the starting rotation... one of them, Vitorio Descalsco (2-1/1.66), has been sensational... the other one, Katsuhiko Hirayama (1-3/3.00), has pitched well... Marty Yaden (4-1/2.68) is also having a good season... now all they need is for veteran Eddy Winbourne (1-3/4.19) to get going... not a lot to talk about in the batting order... the best of the lot is CF Skip Donley (.244/5 HR/7 RBI/13 R/1 SB), 2B Justin McRae (.318/0 HR/7 RBI/9 R) and 3B Cal Goldsberry (.293/2 HR/10 RBI/10 R)... Justus Coles (.326/2 HR/8 RBI/7 R) recently took over the shortstop position and he has performed very well in the field and with the bat... long-time reliables 1B Alvaro Cavacos (.122/0 HR/2 RBI/4 R) and LF Pokie Ash (.225/1 HR/4 RBI/8 R/1 SB) have been mired deeply in slumps... Cavalos hit 40 homers and drove in 100 runs last year... while Ash is a steady .278 career batter... if these two and Skip Donley perk up at the plate, it would pay great dividends for the Panthers... they might be in the running for 4th place... it's not very likely they will beat out the TU East powers like Red Bluff, Midway, South Fork and High Mesa.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays (11-12) are 7th in the Tycobbian East race this year... it's been over a decade since the Bluebirds had a strong team... that was 2049 when they won the pennant... but, boy, let me tell you something... the Tucks were really something from '23 to '38... they won 11 pennants and 3 Pro Cups (2023, 2024, 2035)... 18 times Tuckanarra has appeared in the postseason playoffs... but that was days of yore... in 2059 the Blue Jays have an average offense and good pitching... they are batting .245 (25th), but scored fairly well with 94 runs (20th) and 24 home runs (10th-tied)... on the mound Tuckanarra has compiled a 3.67 team ERA (9th)... 22-game winner Ian Timms (2-1/3.60) heads up a good staff... Timms has won the TU Golden Arm the past two seasons... helping him out are Ralph Ayers (3-0/1.36), Russell Knowles (2-2/2.80) and Justin Shank (1-1/2.87)... the bullpen is average (3.57 ERA) and nothing special (18th)... the offense is paced by 1B Boomer Carlton (.300/5 HR/15 RBI/11 R), rookie 2B Rex Heyman (.309/4 HR/10 RBI/16 R/1 SB), C Odell Overstreet (.306/3 HR/7 RBI/13 R) and LF Ira Rider (.271/3 HR/10 RBI/9 R/1 SB)... the Blue Jays will more than likely wind up in the second division of the TU East for the 5th time in the last 6 years... it's a tough division.

Hillsboro was in the pennant fight last season, coming in 3rd and 7 games out in the race (85-69), which was won by the Midway Wolves (92-62)... this was the Blazers' best season since winning the pennant in '51 (98-56)... in fact, that is the only time Hillsboro has ever made the playoffs... one of the worst records in the IPA... the Blazers (8-15) have plunged to last place this season because of poor pitching... the team ERA is a sad 4.60 (27th)... last year it was an acceptable 3.85 (14th)... Hillsboro hit poorly last year (26th) and is still bad with a .246 BA (24th)... not much in scoring with just 92 runs (26th) and only fair in firepower with 19 clouts (20th-tied)... 'nuff said... it's pretty obvious the Blazers are suffering this year... RF Eli Nickelson (.295/4 HR/17 RBI/14 R/1 SB) and 1B Darlon Danford (.264/2 HR/17 RBI/14 R) are the most productive hitters on the squad... along with SS Bobby Bartell (.275/1 HR/5 RBI/11 R/4 SB), LF Ichiro Ishikawa (.294/3 HR/7 RBI/7 R/1 SB) and 2B Bob Foster (.313/2 HR/10 RBI/8 R/1 SB)... 19-game winner Ellie Frampton (1-3/2.67), 18-game winner Ian Barrie (1-2/3.23) and 18-game winner Clay Spencer (1-1/3.20) are still pitching well, just not winning any games... the bullpen is not very good except for closer Jeffrey Bevan (1-1/2.57 ERA/6 saves/9 G)... it's still early in the year, the Blazers could rebound and play like last year... super closer Ron Pryor (4-3/3.03 ERA/41 saves/55 G) just returned to the club... he held out this year for more money and was just signed... Pryor led the IPA with 41 saves last year... his addition should give the club a big lift.