2-TEAM TANGLE OUTLOOK IN THE TU EAST BETWEEN NATS AND RED SOX
Last year the Hillsboro Blazers roared out of nowhere to take the Tycobbian East title in a 5-team skirmish... they whipped runner-up High Mesa by 5 games, third place Red Bluff and Tuckanarra by 6 games and they were 7 games better than 5th place Ozarka... this year the prediction is just a two-team race between the Ozarka Naturals and the Red Bluff Red Sox, followed by Hillsboro and High Mesa.
The preseason analysts are giving the edge to the teams with the best pitching over the teams that score the most runs... Ozarka has a bunch of good starters anchored by Terry Cawthorne and Dennis Selvy... closer Tomas Vallejo is solid, too... however, the Nats are just an average offensive team with little power... the main bats are center fielder Chris Kile, first baseman Ari Alpert and right fielder Laney Christ.
Red Bluff had the best pitching staff last season and that should continue to be the case this year... the Red Sox's rotation is paced by Dontrelle Gilbreath, Gino Angeletti and Angus McDade... they are depending on Ian Goldsmith, Ralph Montgomery and Wilson Sharpe to take care of the bullpen duties... putting runs on the scoreboard will be handled well by right fielder Ian Driskell, left fielder Andrew Chelkowski, second baseman Jacoby Elliott, first baseman Tracy Andrews and third baseman Robin Pardue... if I were a betting man I would put my money on the Red Sox to prevail in the TU East... they are a good, solid, all-around team.
The Hillsboro Blazers were the darlings of the IPA last year... home runs are the order of the day in Hillsboro... they possess a lineup that can go deep, led by third baseman Harold Essex, first baseman Jackie Hansford, second baseman Rube Nealy, left fielder B. B. Wilder and right fielder Jeff McDaid... as far as pitching goes, Scotty McElroy and Ramsey Crowe had to carry the team last season... they expect to have some help this season... rookie Jeremy Morris is expected to be an impact pitcher and much improve the starting rotation... the scouts have been giving Morris glowing reports... the Blazers are not likely to surrender the division crown without a big fight... Hillsboro may be the second-best team in the league... they are not far behind Red Bluff... many think they will be the two teams that will battle for the TU East title this year... some think Ozarka may be overrated... they came in fifth in 2067.
The High Mesa Mustangs are rated the fourth-best club in the Tycobbian East... very similar to Hillsboro, they have firepower and can go deep, but they are a step below the Blazers on the hill... the Mustangs are led at the plate by two magnificent sluggers, first baseman Roy Roberts and third baseman Kagetoki Miyazaki... Roberts hold the all-time homer mark for a season with 73 in 2066... Miyazaki has hit 696 roundtrippers so far in his 17 seasons... Roberts has poled 418 out of the park in his 9 seasons... right fielder Billy Putnam and left fielder Herm Stephens don't hit much for average, but they hit with power... the starting rotation is just modest with the likes of Alex Crabtree, Andy Carne, Russ Redford, Gary Albertson and Clay Burton... and the bullpen is suspect and not very good.
Tuckanarra may just be an average ballclub with so-so pitching and some longball power, but they don't hit a lot for average... however, shortstop Mick Remington, first baseman Boomer Carlton, right fielder Bubby Creekmur, left fielder Duncan McLemore, third baseman Atticus Finch and catcher Odell Overstreet can put some quick runs on the scoreboard... the ace of the mound staff is Ian Timms, who is still a solid starter... the rest of them are just fair-to-middling: William Pike, Kyran O'Grady, rookie Wayne Haygood and Lorne Tierney... the Tiger Cats will probably finish back in the middle of the pack this season.
Also-rans Tuckanarra, Midway and South Fork will contend for 5th place in the standings... and poor and hapless East Point will continue to be mired deep in the TU East cellar.