Monday, November 1, 2066
SUPER SKIPPERS WIN AGAIN IN IPA TOP MANAGER POLLS
This year in the Islandian Pro Alliance the best managers got even better... Billy Christianson had a record-bustin' season in more ways than one... not only did his Rolling Hills Racers romp to a new IPA record of 111 wins, Christianson nabbed his 5th Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year Award, which is also a new all-time mark... previously he was tied with skipper greats Lorne Evans, Vanya Vasylenko and his own father, Matty Christianson... the 2066 Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year Award went to Claxton's chief, Abe Shiffman, who was selected for the second time in three years... Christianson took the honor four straight seasons from '61 to '64, an unprecedented achievement... prior to that Alex Groveland's run from 2012, 2013 and 2014 with his Far Mountain Redhawks was the best ever.
Both winners this season had their work cut out for them... success breeds the need for even more success... Christianson won the pennant last year with a standout 101-53 record... this season his Racers rolled to 111 victories and won their 7th straight TU West title... what is Christianson going to do for an encore next season?... Rolling Hills will be trying to tie the North Hills Hawks, who won 8 consecutive TU North crowns from '34 to '41... you might say Abe Schiffman had it easier... all he had to do to win the best RU skipper honor was improve from 94-60 to 102-52... Schiffman has a super streak himself with 4 RU South crowns in a row.
The runners-up in the IPA top manager poll were Valmara's Don Ritchie and Sligo's Les Patterson in the Ruthlandian Union... Ritchie nurtured his Vipers upward from the fourth spot and 15 games behind in the RU North to the top spot, upping his record from 80-74 to 88-66... Valmara edged out LaGrange by 4 games to garner the pennant... Patterson sparked his Rovers upward from 85-69 and 7 games behind champion Colfax to 88-66 and the RU West flag... Sligo finished 6 games in front of second place Volusia and 8 games ahead of third place Colfax.
Christianson really didn't have a lot of competition in the Tycobbian balloting... second plate went to Matt Bell of the San Alejo Montaneros, who went from sixth place and a 73-81 mark to 86-68 and second place in the TU South, winding up just 3 games back of the pennant-winning and powerhouse Southport Sun Sox... the third-best votegetter was Ike Sweetwater of the Red Bluff Red Sox... his club rose up from third place and 13 games behind in the TU East standings with an 81-73 record to the top spot with an 87-67 season mark... the Red Sox outduelled runner-up South Fork by one game for the pennant.