Sunday, October 14, 2063
RU, TU TITLE SERIES ON TAP
And then there were just four... Colfax, LaGrange, South Fork and Hartsdale.
The first round is over in the Islandian Pro Alliance postseason playoffs... the second round is for the Ruthlandian Union title and the Tycobbian Union title... three of the top teams were eliminated in the opening round, including last year's IPA Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills... you would think that would make it easier for the highest-ranked team, the Colfax Black Sox, to prevail... well, time will tell... we're going to have to play the games rather than just speculate about the outcome.
So, as any good journalist should do, I will just present the facts and let you make up your own minds.
Second-round action begins this Tuesday afternoon... in the Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series it will be the third-rated Colfax Black Sox (91-63) playing host to the LaGrange Gators (96-58) at The Swamp in LaGrange... the sixth-ranked Gators will have the homefield advantage throughout the IPA playoffs... over in the Tycobbian Union League Championship Series, the fifth choice to win the Pro Cup, the Hartsdale Hellcats (88-67), will open up on the road at Jock Ewing Stadium in South Fork against the number-seven pick, the South Fork Stallions (88-66).
The four finalists have not done very well in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs down through the years... all together they only have three Pro Cups between them... South Fork won it twice, in 2025 and in 2042... and Colfax captured its only trophy long, long ago in 2010... LaGrange and Hartsdale are seeking their first Pro Cup.
Based on how the teams played in the opening round, South Fork was the most impressive, defeating the defending Pro Cup titlist, the Rolling Hills Racers, in seven games... Hartsdale also stood out with its sweep of the second-best team in the Pro Cup poll, the Summerland Sunsets... Colfax beat a solid ballclub, the fourth-rated Elnora Clippers... and LaGrange beat the lowest-rated club, the Claxton Diamonds... by supposition and just making an educated guesstimate, that may get us down to South Fork winning the Tycobbian title and Colfax taking the Ruthlandian crown... and then, of course, it would be proper to pick the Stallions over the Black Sox in the Pro Cup Finals... South Fork appears to be the favorite to win the sacred and hallowed Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup this year.
And now, let's take a gander at the final four teams on paper and glean whatever the statistical factors will show us.
The South Fork staff certainly did the job against heavy-hitting and high-powered Rolling Hills... they shut them down extremely well... Hartsdale is not in the Racers' class offensively, but the Hellcats do have some capable run producers... and they have a very solid starting rotation, but not as good as the Stallions' starting foursome... this will not be a one-sided series... it should be quite competitive and hotly-contested... no obvious favorite... a toss-up series.
The South Fork offense may be better than it looks... they hit 7 homers against a good Rolling Hills' staff... Hartsdale may have better starters and better relievers than the Racers... the Hellcats just might be a better all-around offensive club than the Stallions... defensively, both clubs are about the same, just average with the gloves.
South Fork's top two starters did not fare well in the first-round games... Herm McClanahan and Christopher Hollie will have to do better to beat Hartsdale... and the big question is how will the number three and four starters, Rex Waller and Sam Black, do in the second round... Waller won two games, Black one and they both were outstanding.
The Stallions will have to get good series at the plate from their top guns, stars Bob Purkey and Rudy Maroney... and hope Royce Cain, Ernie Chambers, Rudy Gatlin and Artie Greer can help out, too.
South Fork Stallions Statistics
