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Old 12-13-2019, 04:55 PM   #6872
Eugene Church
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Tuesday, October 4, 2062

ROLLING HILLS PICKED TO WIN PRO CUP
The baseball experts are giving the edge to the Rolling Hills Racers in this year's Pro Cup playoffs... according to the postseason prognosticators high-powered offenses will rule the day... the top three picks, Rolling Hills, Oxford and Elnora are given the best chance of hauling in the 2062 edition of the Pro Cup... for the last few seasons scoring runs is the name of the game in the Islandian Pro Alliance... good firepower and adequate pitching will get the job done... the Karate Kids of Ginza are the only club to win in recent years with just average hitting and scoring.

The teams with the solid pitching will have a tough sledding... High Mesa is the fourth-rated pick in the postseason poll... followed by number five Southport... number six is last year's Pro Cup finalist, Volusia... all of them have good pitching, but can't compare with the three elites scoring-wise... the seventh-ranked club is the St. John Crusaders... rated the least likely to win the IPA title this year is the Far Mountain Redhawks.

1. Rolling Hills is rockin' and rollin' and ready to make IPA history with their record-setting fifth Pro Cup (2029, 2031, 2048, 2060)... and they have the momentum, too... the Racers are playing their best ball of the season heading into the playoffs... the key to their success will be starters Vance Dillaway (17-5, 3.15 ERA), Brownie Ashmore (14-5, 3.34 ERA), Bob Corcorane (9-2, 3.20 ERA) and Tommy Otis (11-6, 3.94 ERA)... if they can get the job done, Rolling Hills will win... the Racers starters are just average with a 4.03 ERA (13th) ... last year in the postseason the mound staff performed poorly, both starters and bullpen... closer Rob Gates is going to have to be much better in the bullpen this year... he was lousy last year with a 9.31 ERA in 9 innings and 6 games with only one save... the Racers have plenty of high-powered bats in the batting order, top to bottom... Teddy Stonich (.345 BA, 31 HR, 134 RBI), Jean-Luc Roubique (.331 BA, 18 HR, 87 RBI), Jameson Mulbert (.299 BA, 2 HR, 74 RBI, 103 R), Lee Fountain (.299 BA, 13 HR, 81 RBI), Hugo Sutton (.329 BA,16 HR, 83 RBI), Gil Arthur (.340 BA, 10 HR, 58 RBI), Jimmy Brandini (.318 BA, 12 HR, 60 RBI) and Mark Carmickle (.300 BA, 18 HR, 83 RBI) are ready to rip and roar again... they hit a sky-high .304 this season and averaged almost 6 runs a game... Rolling Hills has a tough task right off the bat... the Racers will meet High Mesa in round one.

Rolling Hills is aching to get back at Oxford... last year in game seven in the Tycobbian finals the Racers blew a ninth-inning 5-2 lead and heartbreakingly lost 9-5... it was one of the most stunning finishes in IPA history... it cost them a chance at an unprecedented fifth Pro Cup trophy... the Racers were the best team last year, but just had one bad inning in a critical game... that has happen to a lot of good teams down the history of baseball... on any given day, the worst team in the league can whip the best team in a league... football and basketball can't say that.

2. Oxford is also intent on repeating as IPA Pro Cup champion featuring the fine starting pitching of Pat McFarlane (16-9, 2.78 ERA, All-Star Rico Alessi (19-7, 2.60 ERA) and All-Star Maury Statler (17-4, 3.61 ERA) and the explosive lineup of super bats of All-Star Buddy Blackford (.323 BA, 49 HR, 127 RBI) and All-Star Showboat Lynn (.294 BA, 41 HR, 119 RBI), along with Roland Latimer (.268 BA, 25 HR, 92 RBI)... the Red Caps relief corps will be crucial... hot-and-cold closer Chucker Pitts (14-7, 3.34 ERA, 17 saves, 62 games) will have to be steady and consistent... he was 1-4 last year in the postseason with only one save in 8 games and a 4.35 ERA... last year's Pro Cup MVP Freddy Tilford (7-3, 2.52 ERA, 1 save, 17 games) might be called on to do it again... in last year's playoffs Tilford was 3-0 in 10 appearances with a sterling 2.11 ERA... last year Blackford and Lynn got a lot of support in carrying the offensive load... that, along with quality starters Alessi, McFarlane and Statler, plus the relief work of Tilford is why they won the Pro Cup trophy... Oxford could capture its third Pro Cup title if it all magically comes together again... the talent is there... the Red Caps won their first one long ago in 2007... the Red Caps engage Southport in first round action in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs.

3. The Elnora Clippers jumped out the lackluster pack of teams and blossomed in to a pennant winner this season with a potent and hard-hitting ballclub... they hit .292 (2nd), scored a whopping 900 runs (1st) and hit 161 out of the park (3rd)... and they won the RU East with very little pitching... they were ranked 19th with a mediocre 4.26 ERA... the big question is can they handle playoff teams that have much better pitching than them... they have the worst mound staff of any of the Pro Cup teams... despite the lack of starting pitching with the likes of Matthew Minden (15-14, 3.68 ERA), Norm Griffin (19-8, 4.22 ERA), Dana Witherspoon (18-11, 4.52 ERA) and Matt Mackowiak (18-8, 4.70 ERA), the Clippers could do well in the playoffs, thanks to their terrific closer Stevie Tucker (5-1, 1.90 ERA, 33 saves, 51 games), who nailed down a lot of wins for the starting rotation... and thanks to the hyped-up firepower of All-Star Donald Ray Mooney (.367 BA, 30 HR, 121 RBI), All-Star Mickey Wilbur (.296 BA, 32 HR, 107 RBI), Kuro Ishihara (.303 BA, 16 HR, 96 RBI), Gus Abreu (.345 BA, 18 HR, 77 RBI) and All-Star Robin Staroff (.313 BA, 12 HR, 91 RBI)... decent pitching could bring home the revered Pro Cup to Elnora this year... they won their first and only overall IPA crown way back in 2033...the Clippers will take on last year's Ruthlandian champion in the opening round of the postseason... they will play the Volusia Vigilantes, who almost won the Pro Cup last year... they lost in the Finals to champion Oxford in six games.

4. And finally we get to a pitching team, the High Mesa Mustangs... they compiled the best ERA in the IPA with a brilliant 2.85 ERA (1st)... manager Jack Elliott has a solid foursome in his rotation with All-Star Weldon Herrington (18-7, 2.27 ERA), All-Star Robby Numbers (19-9, 2.29 ERA), Alex Crabtree (17-10, 2.57 ERA) and Bucky Dodge (14-15, 3.48 ERA)... and he has a strong guy in the closer role, Sandy Stevenson (9-4, 2.56 ERA, 23 saves, 48 games)... the Mustangs don't make a lot of contact with a poor .242 BA (28th), but they have another weapon that goes well with good pitching -- 192 roundtrippers (1st) -- keep the game close, bang one out of the park and then bring on Stevenson... that's a good way to have a winning team in the IPA... leading the High Mesa high-powered batting order are All-Star Kagetoki Miyazaki (.264 BA, 44 HR, 107 RBI) and Roy Roberts (.254 BA, 44 HR, 105 RBI)... they get some help from Phil Cahoon (.261 BA, 23 HR, 59 RBI) and Billy Putnam (.247 BA, 21 HR, 62 RBI)... if those guys can put some runs on the scoreboard, the Mustangs could win their first IPA title since their first year in the league in 2002... we'll see how good High Mesa is right away... the Mustangs will clash with the Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills in round one.

5. The Southport Sun Sox are a well-balanced ballclub with really good pitching with a 3.14 ERA (4th), adequate offense with a .270 BA (11th), better-than-average scoring with 717 runs (12th) and average fielding with a .975 FA... top guns on the hill are Roman Littrell (16-8, 2.72 ERA), Jeff Moncriffe (14-7, 3.13 ERA), Jake Shank (16-7, 3.45 ERA) and Jordy Wales (15-5, 3.10 ERA)... they have a fine bullpen, too, with closer Greg Brisbourne (13-7, 2.88 ERA, 26 saves, 81 games)... this year the Sun Sox suffered from a lack of longballs... they hit only 107 homers (23rd), but they hit pretty well with a .270 BA (11th) and scored well with 717 runs (12th)... defense just so-so with a .975 FA... for Southport to go far in the postseason playoffs the offense will have to step it a notch... the top performers only have modest numbers: Walt Walmsley (.295 BA, 14 HR, 74 RBI), Perry Parkhill (.279 BA, 9 HR, 84 RBI) and Buzzy McGinnis (.301 BA, 14 HR, 69 RBI)… Southport has the daunting task of taking on the defending Pro Cup champion Oxford Red Caps in first-round play.

6. The Volusia Vigilantes are a bunch of scrappers, that went deep into the playoffs last year, finally losing out to powerful Oxford in the Pro Cup Finals in six games... the feisty V's are back again and hoping to surprise some of the big-time powers... they have fairly good pitching with a 3.91 ERA (13th)... they make very good contact with a .280 BA (6th), but have little power with only 81 homers (28th)... however, Volusia can score runs with 746 (9th-tied)... plus the Vigilantes play darn good defense with a .981 FA... the best hurlers are starters Dan Hunt (15-5, 2.75 ERA), Reynaldo Medrano (11-11, 3.30 ERA), Lonny Rinehart (11-13, 3.70 ERA) and Gustavo Clemente (15-5, 3.90 ERA)... in the bullpen they have Ron Beeman (18-7, 3.78 ERA, 18 saves, 73 games), who chalked up a lot of wins and saves this year... inconsistency can be a problem with him... Beeman pitched very well last year in the postseason with a 2-1 mark in 12 games, 2 saves and a fine 2.15 ERA... they will do well if he can do it again... top bats are just OK with All-Star Carlos Silva (.303 BA, 1 HR, 58 RBI), Ellie Hudgins (.322 BA, 13 HR, 68 RBI) and Carlos Vaz (.332 BA, 6 HR, 59 RBI)... they upset the #3 pick Wynnamac last year in the first round... let's see how they handle the #3 pick Elnora this year... they will oppose one another in the first round.

7. Another well-rounded club is the St. John Crusaders... without home-run power, they scored a heck of a lot of runs, ranking 3rd with 792... hit very well with a .277 BA... but cracked only 103 home runs (19th)... on the mound the Crusaders have a solid starting four in All-Star Teddy de Grom, All-Star Mark Faber, Smoke Early and Deke Eubanks... the pitching is pretty good with a 3.73 ERA (9th)... since Early was taken out of the closing role and placed in the starting rotation, the bullpen has been lackluster... St. John will have to find a stopper to advance in the playoffs... and they are good with the gloves with a .980 ERA... offensive leaders are Freddie Woodruff (.307 BA, 9 HR, 66 RBI), Ozwaldo Romero (.270 BA, 11 HR, 90 RBI), Mark Warner (.313 BA, 8 HR, 69 RBI), Tuffy Palmieri (.313 BA, 1 HR, 59 RBI) and Matt Silverman (.269 BA, 16 HR, 74 RBI)... the Crusaders get a break in the first round... they play the team least likely to win the Pro Cup, the Far Mountain Redhawks.

8. The unheralded Far Mountain Redhawks had a good season in one of the lesser of the divisions in the Islandian Pro Alliance, winning the Ruthlandian North... the Redhawks batted .268 (16th), but scored pretty well with 746 runs (9th-tied) with good power and 145 roundtrippers (5th-tied)... pitching-wise they put up a fairly good 3.77 ERA (10th)... but were just average with a modest .975 FA ... Far Mountain has some good sticks with Oskar Neumann (.343 BA, 21 HR, 84 RBI), Ox Gless (.292 BA, 23 HR, 90 RBI), Curt Miley (.339 BA, 13 HR, 53 RBI) and Luke Hazlett (.280 BA, 16 HR, 89 RBI)... not a lot of depth in the starting rotation, but Benny Van (12-6, 3.24 ERA) and Derek Meijer (10-12, 3.24 ERA) are quality starters... Jeffrey Chandler (12-11, 3.93 ERA) and Dylan O'Connor (7-8, 4.05 ERA) will have to step it up a level or two to make waves in the playoffs this year... in the relief corps Howie Haywood runs hot-and-cold, hit-and-miss... In 81 games he was 17-12 with 17 saves and a 3.80 ERA... the Redhawks will tangle with lightly-regarded St. John in the opening round of action.
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Last edited by Eugene Church; 12-13-2019 at 05:25 PM.
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