Thursday, July 1, 2066
CLAXTON AND ROLLING HILLS TOP TEAMS IN IPA AT MIDYEAR
Halfway through the 2066 season it is looking like the Claxton Diamonds and the Rolling Hills Racers could be headed for a Pro Cup showdown... The Diamonds are the top team in the Ruthlandian Union and the Racers are the number-one team in the Tycobbian Union... presently, they are the only safe postseason calls in the Islandian Pro Alliance... Claxton has double-digit lead in the RU South and Rolling Hills is running 6 games ahead in the TU West... not so in the other 6 divisions... tight pennant races are abound and in abundance... 16 clubs in the Ruthlandian Union are playing .500 baseball at midseason, while 19 teams are breakeven or better in the Tycobbian Union... 35 of the league's 64 clubs are within striking distance of first place.
Ruthlandian Union
Quickly brousing through the IPA, it's a 5-team tussle in the Ruthlandian North between co-leaders Valmara (46-33) and preseason favorite LaGrange (46-33)... however, Glasco (40-39), Ancona (39-39) and Ranford (39-40) could get back into the race in the second half... the Gators won it last year in easy fashion by 11 games over second place Glasco.
The race is over in the Ruthlandian South... Claxton (58-21) is up by 12 games over runner-up Crystal Lake (46-33) and looks to be headed for a recording-breaking season... they are on pace to shatter the IPA record for most victories in a season... Colfax and Midway currently hold the record with 107 wins apiece... the Black Sox, then the Blasters, did it in 2010, while the Wolves accomplished it in 2054.
What a race they are having in the Ruthlandian East with 7 of the 8 clubs still in the hunt... favorite and last year's champ Wynnamac (44-35) is seeking its third straight division crown... however, the Macs are being hotly pursued by Eastshore (43-36), just one game off the pace... Sugar Valley (40-38) is clinging close, just 3 and a half games behind... followed by Marston (40-40) and Cold Creek (39-39), tied for the fourth spot in the standings, just 4 and a half games out... even Beechwood (39-40) and Elnora (38-41) could it around and contend... Wynnamac is on top, but it could be pressured by several teams... the victor is still up in the air.
It's also quite a battle in the Ruthlandian West with 5 teams in the pennant chase... last year's winner Colfax (34-45) has taken a severe turn for the worst and tumbled to seventh place and looks to be out of it this year... the Fort Benton Generals (47-32) have taken charge with a 3 and a half-game edge over runner-up Middlefield (43-35)... lightly-regarded Volusia (42-37) is hanging close in the third spot, trailing by just 5 games... the well-regarded Sligo Rovers (40-39) are fourth in the standings and 7 games behind... and perennial loser Stoner (39-40) is 8 games back.
Tycobbian Union
Over in the Tycobbian Union, the North Hills Hawks (48-31) and last year's champ Hartsdale Hellcats (48-32) are in a heck of a fight... just a half-game separates them... White River (41-37) is also nearby in third place, 6 and a half games off the pace... preseason favorite Oxford (36-43) has floundered badly below the .500 mark and is sixth so far and not likely to challenge the leaders.
We have a Cinderella ballclub in the Tycobbian South... it's the Cape Coral Hurricanes (49-30)... picked near the bottom in the preseason rankings, the 'Canes have surprised and surged to the top of the standings, 3 games in front of last year's TU South winner Southport (46-33)... the Sun Sox are also the reigning Pro Cup titlist... four other clubs are still in contention at the halfway point... Turon (41-37) is in third place, 7 and a half games out... Arroyo Grande (41-38) is fifth, 8 GB... and Summerland (40-40) and San Alejo (40-40) are deadlocked in the fifth spot, but 9 and a half games back... the Montaneros were the preseason pick to win it all.
It's also a whale of a pennant race in the Tycobbian East where preseason favorite South Fork is one game up on runner-up Red Bluff (44-35), 2 and one-half games better than third place Ozarka, 3 and a half ahead of fourth place Hillsboro (42-38) and Tuckanarra (42-38)... even sixth place High Mesa (40-39) is just 5 games behind in a splendid pennant race.
Over in the TU West the powerhouse Rolling Hills Racers (48-31) as usual are doing quite well and seem to be on track for its 7th straight flag... arch rival Kenwood (49-31) is playing very well, yet it still trails the Racers by 6 games... the Denton City Redbirds (47-33) are a distant third and 8 games behind at midyear... fourth place Bay St. Clair (44-36) is also having a good year, but is 11 games out of first place.
What this all means is there is still another half of the season to be played in the Islandian Pro Alliance and lots to be settled on the baseball diamonds, where 6 of the 8 divisions are anybody's ballgame.
