Tuesday, November 3, 2065
SUPER SKIPPERS SELECTED FOR IPA 2065 SEASON
There wasn't a lot of debate about the best managers in the Islandian Pro Alliance this season... it was pretty clear-cut in both leagues... Garry August of the Colfax Black Sox and Lorne Evans of the Southport Sun Sox were just about unanimous selections this year... neither had much competition in the voting... August was picked as the 2065 Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year and Evans was chosen the 2065 Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year.
What an anomaly is Garry August... he is no athlete... never played any sport on an organized team, yet August is a very successful manager at the professional level... he was a high school coach in Colfax... August won multiple state championships in a baseball, basketball and football... the current Colfax general manager Mitch Fullerton hired him as a bench coach in the late '50s and appointed him skipper in 2062... August has won pennants twice in his four seasons and twice reached the IPA Pro Cup Finals... last year the Black Sox slumped to 77-77, but they were rejuvenated this year, improving to 92-62 and winning the Ruthlandian West title.
This the fourth time in his legendary career that Lorne Evans has been named the skipper of the year...he is tied with Matty Christianson, Vanya Vasylenko and Billy Christianson for the most best-manager awards... Evans also was honored in 2047, 2055 and 2058... Southport suffered through a down season last year, falling to third place and winding up with a 79-75 mark... but the Sun Sox rebounded this season with a 95-58 record, good enough to win the Tycobbian South pennant... not only is Evans a Hall of Fame player, but he is also a standout skipper.
The two managers of the year met in this year's Pro Cup Finals and Evans got the best of August... his Southport Sun Sox outshined the Colfax Black Sox four games to one and captured the IPA Pro Cup.
Only two other managers got any votes in this year's best manager poll... that was LaGrange's John Rodgers in the Ruthlandian Union and Tuckanarra's Quinn Starr in the Tycobbian Union... Rodgers took the Gators from 81-73 and 4th place in '64 to 95-59 and the RU North pennant in '65... in stark contrast to August, Rodgers starred in the IPA for 17 seasons with mainly with LaGrange and a couple of years with Marston and Southport at the end of his career... he was a 5-time All-Star shortstop and twice a Gold Glover... Rodgers was a lifetime .293 hitter with 343 homers and 1337 RBIs.
Quinn Starr guided the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats to the TU East title this year with a 94-60 mark and also in 2064 when they were 89-65... Starr was one of the legendary triplet brothers that starred with the Tucks in the 20s and 30s... he was 219-164 in his 15-year career with a strong 2.97 ERA... Quinn was a three-time All-Star and a Gold Glover... along with his siblings, Glynn Starr and Lynn Starr, they led the then-Tuckanarra Blue Jays to 5 pennants and 2 Pro Cups.