Wednesday, April 2, 2070
IPA HONORS 7TH ALL-DECADE TEAM (2060-2069)
Which Islandian Pro Alliance players performed the best during the last decade from 2060 to 2069?... which hurler had the best decade?... which position players put up the best numbers and dominated the decade?... the baseball pundits have diligently reviewed the last 10 seasons to find the star standouts at each spot in the lineup... and here's what they have come up with... 60s powerhouse Rolling Hills got three spots on the All-Decade squad.
Islandian Pro Alliance Seventh All-Decade Team (2061-2069)
Pitcher: Ian Timms (Tuckanarra) (2054-2069)
The most foremost flinger in the IPA in the last decade was Ian Timms... his best years were in the late 2050s, when he won his 2 Tycobbian Union Golden Arms, but the rotund right-hander was a rock-solid performer year-after-year in recent times... the last decade has seen a change in the IPA as far as pitchers... the trend is to give pitchers more time off... a start every 5th day is the present-day norm... Timms' career lasted 16 seasons with a 232-133 record and a super 2.88 ERA... he retired at the end of this season... twice Timms sparked the Tucks to postseason appearances and he flourished with a 3-1 mark in 5 appearances and 4 starts, ending up with a standout 2.03 ERA... Timms was the outstanding pitcher of the decade... his postseason work set him apart from his contenders... Timms called it a career in 2069 at age 33.
But Timms had some very capable challengers in Volusia's Lonny Rinehart, Rolling Hills' Vance Dillaway and Denton City's Rance Hasbrough... Rinehart wound up 255-159 in his 15 years with the Vigilantes with a 3.13 ERA (2055-2069)... he was 31-6 in 2058, the all-time IPA wins record for a single season... in his career Rinehart won the RU Golden Arm and MVP Awards in 2058... postseason-wise he didn't do well, going 4-3 with a 5.52 ERA in 13 starts... but there was a good reason... the Vigilantes made the Pro Cup Series two years in a row... in 2061 the V's lost to Pro Cup champion Oxford in 6 games in the Pro Cup Finals and in 2062 Volusia pushed Pro Cup champ Rolling Hills to 7 games in the Finals.
Third place in the voting was Vance Dillaway, who was 220-135 for Rolling Hills from 2052 to 2067 with a 3.35 ERA... in the playoffs Dillaway posted a 13-8 record with a 4.31 ERA in his 28 starts... his Racers won 10 straight pennants in the decade and 4 Pro Cup trophies... Dillaway was a vibrant part of the team's success... he retired in 2067 at age 34.
Winding up fourth in the All-Decade team balloting was Rance Hasbrough of the Denton City Redbirds... playing from 2055 he is still an active player at age 34... so far Hasbrough has gone 207-165 with a 3.40 ERA... he had a superb 2069 season with a 20-5 mark and a strong 2.70 ERA... but he has not fared well in the playoffs with a poor 0-4 record and a 4.43 ERA in 5 appearances and 3 starts... Denton City has made the postseason 3 times in Hasbrough's tenure.
Catcher: Carlos Silva (Volusia) (2057-2069)
Silva is still a solid performer at age 37... he hit .313 this season and was voted to the Ruthlandian Union All-Star Team... but the catcher spot is full of fine players... Silva beat out 7 other fine backstops for the 7th All-Decade Team... he is a 6-time All-Star for the Vigilantes and 3-time Gold Glove winner with a career .300 mark with 66 homers and 699 RBIs, .990 FA with a 48.9% RTO Pct... Silva began his career in 2057 and has now played 13 years and will be back next season... 2069 was his best season... his defensive skills gave him the edge over the other top catchers in the decade... Silva also excelled in the postseason with a .345 BA in 42 games with 27 ribbies... twice he led Volusia to the Pro Cup Finals in 2061 and 2062 when they lost hard-fought series to Oxford and Rolling Hills, the IPA Pro Cup champions.
Number 2 is the poll was Stoner's Jean St. Julien... he had an excellent 15 seasons in the IPA (2054-2068)... he was a 6-time Ruthlandian Union All-Star, a fine defender, power guy and RBI man for the Silver Sox... St. Julien batted .281 lifetime with 297 home runs and 1100 ribbies... his defense numbers were solid with a .986 FA and a 38.2% RTO pct... but he never made the playoffs... St. Julien retired in 2068 at age 34.
3rd place in the All-Decade Team was another reliable bat with home-run power and fair defense... it was John Michael Lansdell of the Kenwood Wildcats, a 6-time Tycobbian All-Star... he played there from 2056 to 2069, retiring this season at 37... Lansdell hit .298 with 236 HRs and 1061 RBIs... on defense he compiled a .983 FA with a 35.7% RTO pct... he had the misforture to play in the TU West with the powerhouse Rolling Hills Racers and his Wildcats never graced the playoffs, but they battled the Racers year-after-year and Lansdell was a big part of it.
Hands down the top batter among the decade's best backstops was Denton City's Ozzy Crenshaw... still active at age 34 he sports a lofty lifetime .323 BA from 2057 to 2069 with 180 roundtrippers and 892 RBIs... however, his defense is nowhere near Silva's... .980 FA with a 33.2% RTO pct... Crenshaw is a 6-time Tycobbian Union All-Star... he was number 4 in the All-Decade poll... in the postseason proved his worth with a .400 BA in 11 games with 2 homers and five RBIs... Crenshaw went 18-45 against the best pitching in the IPA in 2 playoff series.
There were 4 other contenders... #5 was Francisco Quiero of Luxora (2055-2069)... 3-time Tycobbian Union All-Star... .285 batter with 304 homers and 1061 RBIs... fair fielder with a . 979 FA and 36.5% RTO pct... made the postseason one time, hitting .261 with 2 homers and 6 ribbies.
In the 6th spot was Daryl Monaghan of Blue Lake (2055-2069), a fair defender and good bat... he batted .279 in his career with 192 home runs and 1021 RBIs... .981 FA with a 35.5% RTO pct... 3-time Tycobbian Union All-Star... made the playoffs this season for the first time... Monaghan hit .273 with 1 RBI in 4 games... the Blue Caps were defeated by Southport in 5 games.
Elnora's Kuro Ishihara is a 2-time Ruthlandian All-Star... he batted .289 in his career from 2056 to 2069 with 204 homers and 999 RBIs... still playing at age 31... has hit very well in playoffs with a .319 BA, 4 HRs and 17 RBIs in 26 games... his club made the postseason 3 times... just fair on defense with .984 FA and 37.6% RTO pct... Ishikawa ranked 7th in the All-Decade voting at the catcher position.
Coming in 8th was Ancona's Robin Hargroder (2056-2069)... still going strong at age 32 with a .280 BA and 23 HRs... career BA is .273 with 263 HRs and 975 RBIs... 3-time Ruthlandian Union All-Star... never has made the playoffs... so-so defense with a .982 FA and a 36.6% RTO pct.
First Baseman: Roy Roberts (High Mesa) (2060-2069)
Roberts dominated the decade, topping the Tycobbian Union 5 times in home runs... drove in 100 runs or more 8 times... set a new single-season mark for homers in 2066 with 73... Roberts was a 6-time TU All-Star, 2-time MVP and Golden Bat... he hit .290 for average with 514 HRs and 1191 RBIs... an OK fielder with a .986 FA... won only one pennant and batted .250 in the playoffs with 3 HRs and 7 RBIs in 7 games.
Buddy Blackford of Oxford was Roberts' stiffest competition... has played 2057-2069... still active at age 34... he led the Tycobbian Union 3 times in homers and twice in runs batted in... lifetime Blackford is a .285 hitter with 600 home runs and 1543 RBIs... 6-time TU All-Star, 5-time Gold Glover (.992 FA)... he won the 2058 Tycobbian Union MVP and Golden Bat Awards... had made the postseason 7 times with a solid .281 BA in 59 games with 14 roundtrippers and 38 RBIs... the Red Caps captured the IPA Pro Cup in 2061.
Manny Sendejas of Wynnamac (2055-2069) came in third in the All-Decade poll... Sendejas hit .292 in his career with 428 HRs and 1390 RBIs... made the HOF in 2069... 5-time RU All-Star and 2059 RU Most Valuable Player... made the playoffs 7 times and was a solid contributor with 14 HRs and 49 RBIs in 70 games... won one Pro Cup ring in 2055, his rookie season.
Also getting some support were Bralen Josephson of Colfax (2057-2069) and Luca Palazzi of Rolling Hills (2062-2069)... both are still active... Josephson has a .324 lifetime BA with 218 homers, 838 RBIs and 947 runs... made the playoffs twice with a super .343 BA, 8 HRs and 22 RBIs in 35 games... the Black Sox lost twice in the Pro Cup Finals in 2063 to Hartsdale and to Southport in 2065... Josephson was the RU Most Valuable Player in 2065.
Palazzi has been to the playoffs in all of his 8 seasons... his career average is .310 with 123 HRs, 811 runs, 223 SBs and 604 RBIs... Palazzi is a 2-time TU All-Star... only a fair fielder (.984 FA)... but he has fared well in the postseason when his Racers won 3 Pro Cups (2062, 2067, 2069), batting .287 in 125 games with 140 hits, 31 doubles, 6 triples, 11 HRs, 63 RBIs, 86 runs and 24 SBs.
Second Base: Derek Winchester (La Claire) (2052-2069)
Still playing well at age 36 with a .308 BA, but retired this season... Winchester is a 2-time TU All-Star, 2-time Golden Glove (.974 FA)... lifetime .306 BA with 3165 hits, 505 doubles, 98 triples, 164 homers, 1153 RBIs, 1412 runs and 267 SB... never made the playoffs... solid hitter and steady defender.
Other second-base contenders were Luke Hazlett of Far Mountain (2055-2069), Elvis Gilford of Mahaska (2054-2068) and Vince Norberg of Cold Creek (2061-2069)... Hazlett was a 2-time RU All-Star with a .301 BA, 269 HRs, 1277 RBIs and .975 FA.
Gilford was a 5-time TU All-Star with a .298 BA, 194 HRs, 1031 RBIs and a .974 FA... he never appeared in the postseason.
Norberg was a 1-time RU All-Star, 2-time Gold Glover (.981 FA), 2061 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year... he has a career .275 BA with 277 HRs, 891 RBIs and 134 SBs... Norberg never has made the playoffs.