Friday, October 2, 2065
WIDE OPEN PRO CUP PLAYOFFS BEGIN TOMORROW
The 2065 IPA Pro Cup champion is anybody's guess... a case can be made for four or five teams in this year's postseason playoffs... the Claxton Diamonds are the defending Pro Cup champion and back, ready and able to win back-to-back IPA titles... Rolling Hills just barely lost out last year in the Finals and the Racers are back better than ever, seeking its 6th Pro Cup trophy... LaGrange and Southport have super pitching... and unheralded Colfax, Wynnamac, Tuckanarra and Hartsdale are hoping lightning will strike again this year and make it a dream season for them... Hartsdale was in this same position just two years ago and came away the IPA overall champion... Arlon and Ginza were lightly-regarded clubs that surprised and won it all in '58 and '59.
And it all begins tomorrow afternoon across the Islands... baseball bedlam... the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs... reigning titleholder Claxton will open on the road on the road in LaGrange in the Ruthlandian Union... Colfax will travel to Wynnamac... over in the Tycobbian Union it will be high-powered Rolling Hills hosting the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats and the Southport Sun Sox entertaining the Hartsdale Hellcats... all playoff series are best-of-seven series.
If this year's Pro Cup playoffs play out according to the baseball pundits and prognosticators, it will be a replay of last year's great Finals... Rolling Hills will prevail in the Tycobbian Union and again tangle with Claxton, the Ruthlandian Union representative... those two powerhouses met in the Pro Cup Finals last year and the Diamonds upset the Racers in a stunning seven-game series... most of the games were decided by one run... Claxton won the first three games... Rolling Hills surged back and won the next three games... only to succumb to the Diamonds in a stirring seventh-game finale... will it happen again?
Could be... the pollsters are picking Rolling Hills to triumph this year and whip Claxton in the Pro Cup Finals.
2065 Islandian Pro Cup Series Poll
1. ROLLING HILLS RACERS (101-53)
The Racers are led by 7 All-Star players with an awesome batting order... team hit .304 this year... top offense in the entire IPA... solid pitching... Rolling Hills has an Achilles heel... the Racers are weak defensively, which might make a difference in a hotly-contested series... the 6th Pro Cup trophy just might be sitting pretty on a shelf in the Racers' trophy room soon.
2. Claxton Diamonds (94-60)
The Diamonds have strong pitching, one of the best staffs in the IPA... offense is adequate... short on power, but can score runs... with excellent defense, too... Claxton won it last year... can do it again and rein in their second straight Pro Cup trophy..
3. Southport Sun Sox (96-58)
Sun Sox are very similar to Claxton... just a good, all-round club... excellent pitching... may be the best staff in the IPA... sound offense... solid group of hitters... not a lot of home-run power... plays good defense, too...Claxton did it this way... the Sun Sox are just as good... Pro Cup number 3 just might be headed down Southport's way.
4. LaGrange Gators (95-59)
The Gators are quite a lot like Claxton and Southport... can score runs... but no longball power... deep and talented pitching corps... plays average defense... the Gators could follow in the successful footsteps of the Claxton Diamonds and captured its first-ever IPA Pro Cup trophy..
5. Tuckanarra Tiger Cats (94-60)
The Tiger Cats will have to win it with home-run power and so-so pitching... that's tough to do... defense is just fair... batting order is chocked full of good bats... the Tucks will be seeking their 4th Pro Cup.
6. Colfax Black Sox (92-62)
The Black Sox went to the Pro Cup Finals in '63 with a solid core of hitters and almost won the Pro Cup trophy... very potent attack, but just fair pitching... better-than-average with the gloves... fhis would be their second Pro Cup trophy.
7. Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60)
The Macs can smack the ball... can score runs... has fairly good power... but just fair pitching... can play defense with the best of them... the Sundowners would like to add a 3rd Pro Cup to their collection.
8. Hartsdale Hellcats (87-67)
Can the Hellcats recreate the magic of '63 when they were picked the worst team in the Pro Cup playoffs, but won it anyway in a huge upset... while the lineup is filled with solid hitters, who can score runs and hit a few out of the park with some regularity, the pitching is just average and the defense is just average... Hellcats' fans, don't get your hopes up... don't think there is a second Pro Cup in your future this year.