Wednesday, August 1, 2063
IPA PRESEASON PICKERS HAVING TOUGH SEASON
It is a tough season for the IPA baseball experts so far... at least in the Ruthlandian Union where they are a dismal 0 for 4, but they are pretty much hitting the mark in the Tycobbian pennant races, where they are 3 for 4 in picking the division champions.
Heading into August, only Tycobbian favorites Rolling Hills, Oxford and South Fork are on top of their divisions... Glasco (51-49) in the Ruthlandian North is running fourth in the race behind LaGrange (68-33), Taranto (53-48) and Kilkenny (52-48)... this pennant hunt is over... the Gators are far and away the best club and look to be shoo-in for the division flag with a whopping 15-game bulge.
But there's still a tight race in the RU South where the Claxton Diamonds (59-42) are only one game up on last year's champion the St. John Crusaders (58-43)... four games better than the preseason choice Valka Blackhawks (55-46)... two other teams still are in the chase... the fourth place Crystal Lake Skippers (52-49) are seven games out, while the fifth place Waleska Westerners (51-50) trail by eight... in the last month the Blackhawks and the Crusaders have been playing the best ball of the contenders... however, the best team in the RU South the last two months has been the Westerners... after a very poor start they have turned it around, posting a torrid 33-19 mark in June and July... it should be a good pennant race down the stretch... it will probably be decided between Claxton, St. John and Valka... Crystal Lake and Waleska might have too much ground to make up.
Two of the better-ranked clubs are still in the battle in the RU East... the preseason choice Wynnamac Sundowners (58-42) are four games behind the Elnora Clippers (62-38)... the other contenders, the third place Cold Creek Raccoons (54-47) are eight and a half games out and the fourth place Marston Nine (51-50) are 11 and a half games back... neither club is likely to catch the Clippers and Sundowners... the outlook is for a two-team tussle between Elnora and Wynnamac.
All of the preseason challengers are still in the RU West race... this season's favorite and the division champion the last two years, the Volusia Vigilantes, have floundered a bit... the V's started poorly in April and just played .500 ball in May and June... the fourth place Vigilantes (53-48) are currently seven and a half games back of the first place Colfax Black Sox (60-40)... but they got hot in July and should be in the thick of things down the stretch... the scrappy V's will not go quietly... in second place are the eternal bridesmaid of IPA baseball, the Sligo Rovers (59-42), just one and a half games behind Colfax... nine times in the last 11 seasons the Rovers have wound up in second place in the standings... the other two times they won the pennant... third in the RU West standings are the Rocky Rapids Snappers (55-46), five and a half games off the pace... it might be a four-team fight-to-the-finish to determine the best in west this season in the Ruthlandian West... right now you would have to lean toward Colfax... the Black Sox are a well-balanced team... Sligo, Rocky Rapids and Volusia just don't possess enough pitching to hang with Black Sox.
In the preseason prognostications, the pollster said hands down, the reigning Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers are the best team in the Islandian Pro Alliance and they are proving it... as predicted the Racers (71-30) are running roughshod over everybody in the Tycobbian West Division and just might be headed for their third IPA crown in four years... they are 17 games ahead of the runner-up Kenwood Wildcats (54-47)... the only thing left to play for is second place... Kenwood will have to fight off third place Bayview (51-49), fourth place La Claire (48-52) and fifth place Bay St. Clair (47-54)... the Wildcats should be able to fend off those clubs... so in the end most of the teams in the TU West are playing for third or fourth place, at best.
Another dynamite ballclub is the Oxford Red Caps... they were heavily favored to dominate the Tycobbian North Division again... right on schedule the Red Caps appear to be headed for their fifth consecutive division pennant and sixth in the last seven seasons... Oxford (60-41) currently is five games up on the second place Mahaska Haymakers (55-46), six games better than the third place Hartsdale Hellcats (54-47) and seven in front of the Blue Lake Schooners (53-48)... the most dangerous team among the three contenders is the Schooners, who went a sizzling 18-7 in August... however, it looks like high-powered Oxford will survive all challenges again this season and snare another TU North title... the Red Caps also have their eye on another IPA Pro Cup trophy... they won it in '61 and still have the ballclub to do it again.
A heck of a race was forecast in the Tycobbian East this season and this has come to pass... five clubs were picked to be in the pennant fight and that is exactly what has transpired thus far... heading into the last six weeks of the season, the South Fork Stallions (59-42) have a three-game edge over the second place Red Bluff Red Sox (56-45), four and a half up on the third place Ozarka Naturals (54-46), five and a half games in front of last year's pennant winner, the High Mesa Mustangs (53-47) and just seven games better than the fifth place Tuckanarra Tiger Cats (52-49)... the Stallions look to be the best, but they will have a battle down the stretch... the Red Sox, Nats and Mustangs still have a shot at the division flag... not so for the Tucks... too far behind and not quite the talent.
The big surprise of the year is in the Tycobbian South Division, where the unheralded Summerland Sunsets have been sensational... picked to wallow down in sixth place in the preseason poll, the Sunsets have surged to the top of the division with standout pitching... Summerland (61-40) has led the division for the whole season and they even built up a comfortable seven-game margin last month, but they have seen that lead decline since last year's TU South champion, the Southport Sun Sox (60-41) and the torrid Turon Typhoons (57-43) have gotten hot and really turned up the heat ... the Sun Sox are just one game behind and the Typhoons trail by just three and a half games...the Ginza Ninjas (52-48) were expected to be in the race, but they have fizzled in recent months, slumping to 21-31 in June and July and dropping to fourth place, eight and a half games off the pace... it looks like Summerland may be running out of gas after a poor 12-14 record last month... Southport will be a tough rival in the stretch drive... Turon might be in it, too... the sizzling Sun Sox are on a two-month tear with 34 wins and only 19 defeats... and the torrid Typhoons posted a fine 16-8 mark in July to get back near the top of the standings...methinks, I myself will be pulling for the underdog Sunsets.
Ruthlandian Union Standings
Wednesday, August 1, 2063