Wednesday, October 4, 2073
IPA PRO CUP PLAYOFFS - BASEBALL IN ALL ITS SPENDOR
Yep, you got it right... baseball in all its splendor is just around the corner all across Islandia... it's time once again to determine the best team in the Islands... the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs begin this Friday afternoon... defending IPA champion Turon will be trying to repeat as titlist... but the Typhoons will be severely put to the test by 7 other clubs seeking the renowned Pro Cup Trophy... back-to-back crowns are hard to come by... it rarely happens... the record for most wins in a row is held by the Far Mountain Redhawks, who captured Pro Cups in 2011, 2012 and 2013... 5 other clubs have won 2 in a row, Eastshore in 2016 and 2017, Tuckanarra in 2023 and 2024, Valmara in 2049 and 2050, Midway in 2053 and 2054 and Southport in 2065 and 2066.
The team with the most Pro Cups in their trophy case is the Rolling Hills Racers with 7... next in line are the Turon Typhoons with 5... and Valmara Vipers, North Hills Hawks and Southport Sun Sox with 4 apiece.
This year's Pro Cup favorite is the White River Rascals... they are forecast to win it all this season... should it come to be, it will be the first time for the Rascals... the baseball soothsayers are picking them to whip Eastshore for the overall IPA title.
2073 IPA Pro Cup Poll by THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
1. WHITE RIVER RASCALS (106-48)
Could be the year of the Rascals... the are back in the Pro Cup playoffs for the third time in the last 4 seasons... the Rascals have been improving each year... this season White River is loaded... not only can they pitch, this year they can hit... 3.23 team ERA (2nd)... .280 BA (6th)... 158 homers (3rd)... 836 runs (1st)... most win in the IPA (106)... fine defense, too (.979 FA)... on the mound Shorty Meaux, rookie Jamey Ellison, Henry Youngman and Edward Carlin are ready to reap their first-ever Pro Cup... and they have a rock-solid lineup, too, featuring top guns like Kerry Quick, Finley McTavis, Paul Douglas and Mac Blau... the IPA Pro Cup is theirs to lose... this would be the first Pro Cup title in White River history... they have never won one... the Rascals made the Pro Cup Finals in 2021, but lost to the Sligo Rovers... also were there in 2055, but were beaten by the Wynnamac Sundowners... this will be the team's 12th postseason appearance.
2. Turon Typhoons (96-58)
The reigning kings of the IPA are just as good as ever... the Tycobbian Title Series will be something to behold, assuming both Turon and White River get there... the Typhoons have proven themselves the last 3 seasons and they are ready to repeat as IPA champions... it will be the pitching that will make or break Turon... pitching won it for them last year... both the pitching and hitting has gotten a little better this year... Cookie Culpepper had a very fine season with 21 wins... 2072 Pro Cup MVP Skippy Mulroy, Ivan Malek and Billy Pearl are back to defend the title... so are Corky Apple, Maxie Mullinax, Robert Newell and Freddie Civik... plus Turon had added a standout first sacker to the batting order, Artie Falcon... he took over the cleanup spot and has thrived in that spot in the lineup... the bullpen will be the key to victory for the Typhoons... this is the 25th time Turon has made the IPA playoffs... they hope to come home with their 6th Pro Cup... yep, the Typhoons are sho 'nuff good enough to do it, y'all.
3. Eastshore Cotton Kings (96-58)
The Cotton Kings are newcomers to the postseason... they have not made the playoffs since 2056... only made the playoffs 8 times in the team's history... however, they possess 2 Pro Cups (2016, 2017)... but it is likely Eastshore will make its presence known... the Cotton Kings sport a fine, good all-around club, deep in hitting and pitching with good power... the team is led by 3 quality starters, Vinnie Harrington, Ayasha Kanjorsky and Eric Steinhardt... in addition, veteran closer Tommy Johnson is strong in the bullpen... Eastshore put up a 3.38 ERA (2nd)... only Taranto was better in the IPA with a 3.33 ERA... and the Cotton Kings can put runs on the scoreboard with the likes of Hugo Cieka, Alec Lauricella, Ollie Daggs, and Roland Ellis... the only downside to the team is its so-so fielding (.974 FA)... otherwise Eastshore could make some loud noise in the IPA playoffs this season... 2017 was the last time the Cotton Kings captured the Pro Cup Trophy... back then, they were known as the Elegants and they won their second straight Pro Cup... IPA Pro Cup #3 just might be just over the horizon.
4. Valmara Vipers (98-56)
The Vipers have been making regular appearances in the postseason... Valmara has been to the playoffs more time than any other IPA team... this will be the 30th time for the Vipers... this is the fourth consecutive year... but in recent seasons they have never played up to expectations... Valmara just doesn't have a dominant pitcher which is necessary to cop a Pro Cup... they hit well in the regular season, then fizzle in the postseason... on paper the Vipers have it again... 858 runs (1st)... hit for a .276 BA (10th) with 140 roundtrippers (4th)... have a fine defensive team (.979 FA)... they are certainly not hurting for hitters, sparked by budding superstar Stefan Skarzynski, Leevi Lindmaa, Jim Diliberto, Cyryl Kozak, Alex Janicki and Ricardo Vargas... and the pitchers are solid, too... Jaromir Kaminski, Andre Zajac, Mark Rummel and rookie Cale Abercrombie.... and Milosz Mazur and Axel Heiden are solid in the pen... if Valmara plays like they do in the regular season, they could do some damage in the IPA playoffs.
5. Kenwood Wildcats (94-61)
The Wildcats have not graced the IPA playoffs in a long, long time... not since 2052... and their only Pro Cup came years earlier in 2014... this is their 11th appearance... Kenwood is a dark horse in the Pro Cup derby... they have all the hallmarks for Pro Cup success... high-octane attack, impressive starting rotation, but they come up lacking in the home-run power, bullpen and defense... only 108 homers (21st), 3.76 ERA (17th) and .973 FA (24th)... Paulo Passo, Kurt Gammons and Dallas Dodson give them quality innings, but the bullpen is suspect, maybe even poor... but the bats blaze with a lineup of Miguel Blanco, Misha Makowski, Bitsy Sumter, Elvis Groom and Maksim Issak... top-to-bottom this may be the best batting order in the IPA... it is really difficult to win the IPA Pro Cup just strictly with offense... the pitching has to be fairly decent... Rolling Hills used to do it, but Kenwood is not Rolling Hills.
6. South Fork Stallions (97-57)
After a 4-year absence, the Stallions are back in the IPA playoffs... this will be appearance #10... South Fork won the Pro Cup in 2025 and 2042... it's time they won it again... they have the offense to do it, but not the pitching... the Stallions batted a strong .279 (7th), cracked 127 out of the park (13th) and scored 806 runs (3rd), but their starters posted a mediocre 4.23 ERA (17th)... the best one is superstar veteran Mark Meisner, now 37 years old and on the decline in the sunset of his great career, but still quite productive this year with a 16-9 mark and a fine 3.31 ERA... he was dominant when he hurled for the Claxton Diamonds in the '50s and 60s... Meisner led the Diamonds to an upset Pro Cup victory over vaunted Rolling Hills in 2064... overall in his great career Meisner is 202-93 with a superlative 2.57 ERA... he is a Hall-of-Famer for sure... however, the Stallions don't lack for offense, paced by superstar slugger and future Hall-of-Fame Pat Johnstone... and he has plenty of help from Carroll Ezzell, Patrick Packenham, Mal Galbreath and Jake Glazer... South Fork can sho 'nuff do the job with the bats... in addition to its pitching shortcomings, the Stallions only play average defense (.975 FA)... as far as the Pro Cup is concerned, this is probably not the Year of the Hoss... but hey, I can dream, can't I?... would be special if Meisner led the Stallions to the Pro Cup crown... yep, that would be nice.
7. Volusia Vigilantes (89-65)
For the third time on four seasons, the Vigilantes are back in the postseason... this will be their 15th appearance, but they only have one Pro Cup trophy, which came 72 years ago in the very first IPA season... Volusia is another team with blockbuster bats - 1 through 8 in the batting order, the V's are strong - but they have no pitching and no power... defense is a little above average (.976 FA)... the Vigilantes are not a big threat to win the Pro Cup this year... but they have some super sockers in Lenny Larker, Dante De Jesus, Valentino Robles, Raul Bernardo, Benito Santana, Gail Scott and Shig Morton... however, the mound corps is subpar with a 4.33 ERA... the best of the lot is Tim Cayton, Nobuo Ojima and Darrell Waldrep... Volusia had a pretty fair bullpen with Dave Loxley and Nickie Acosta... the Vigilantes will have to wait till next year to win the IPA Pro Cup... not gonna happen in 2073.
8. Valka Blackhawks (95-59)
The Blackhawks have never won a Pro Cup in 6 tries... never reached the Pro Cup Finals, either... but they can hit the heck out of the horsehide... and they have a couple of good starters... Valka just might be better than the pundits are prognosticating... up-and-down in the batting order is a rock-solid hitter... Jackie Hanford, Jimmy Czarnecki, Olef Kotli, Flash Callis, Martiinus Kaasik, Markko Petrov and Jim Kennedy... the Blackhawks hit .279 this season (6th), scored 784 runs (7th), but did not hit with much power... only 96 roundtrippers (24th)... pitching was good with a 3.77 ERA (4th)... Priit Laur and Dorsey Burnette are solid starters, but the bullpen is suspect... another good attribute is a fine defense (.979 FA)... sounds like the Stoner Silver Sox last year, don't it?... Stoner almost won the Pro Cup last year... maybe Valka is better than we think.