Tuesday, November 12, 2075
IPA PRESENTS BEST SKIPPER AWARDS... CHRISTIANSON VOTED TOP TU MANAGER FOR 7TH TIME... SKIPPMAN WON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN THE RUTHLANDIAN UNION
It was a dazzling year for Billy Christianson and Bert Skippman... they led their teams to standout seasons and were voted the top skippers in the IPA... Christianson of the Rolling Hills Racers was honored for the 7th time... it was the first time that Skippman of the Ranford Bulls has been the recipient of the award... both have been around for quite a few campaigns... Christianson took over the Racers, then the Reds, in 2052 and Skippman has had the reins of the Bulls since 2059.
Christianson is the 2075 Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year... his Racers improved from 84-70 in '74 to 100-54 this season in the TU West Division... in fact, Rolling Hills also won their record-setting 8th Pro Cup Trophy this year, defeating the Sligo Rovers in 5 games... this is his 5th time to lead the Racers to the overall IPA crown... he also won two as a player and was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2049... Christianson bested Turon skipper Nate Scottsdale for the honor... the Typhoons went from 4th place (82-72) to a sparkling 100-54 and the TU South pennant... both teams won by lopsided totals... Rolling Hills defeated Chicopee by 9 games and Turon topped Southport by 15 games... they were the only votegetters in the RU best-manager poll.
It took Skippman a few years to get the Ranford Bulls at the top of the heap in the Ruthlandian North again... Skippman came into the IPA from the collegiate ranks where he had dominated for years, winning many national titles... he won the pennant in his second pro season in 2060, but it's been tough since then with only 6 first-division finishes since... 4 times Ranford came in third and 2 times in the fourth spot in the standings... the Bulls were sixth (74-80) in '74, but jumped to 97-57 this year and ran away with the RU North crown by a whopping 12 games over second place Far Mountain (85-69).
The RU top manager poll was hotly-contested... Valka's Matvey Kazak, Marston's Russ Woodward and Sligo's Les Patterson also had excellent seasons... Kazak beat out defending Pro Cup champion Crystal Lake for the RU South title, going from 89-65 to 92-62 to edge out the Skippers (89-65) by 3 games... Woodward lifted his Marston Nine from 5th place (80-74) to first place (97-57) this season to gain the RU East pennant over runner-up Wynnamac by 9 games... and last, but certainly not least, was Patterson, who led his Rovers to a marvelous year... Sligo improved from 4th place (76-78) to first place (101-53), leading the IPA in victories and making shambles of the RU West, winning it by 15 games over Stoner... this was his final season at age 85... he spent 41 years with Sligo as a Hall-of-Fame player and manager... Patterson and his Rovers went all the way to the Pro Cup Finals this year, but were beaten by Christianson and his Rolling Hills Racers in 5 games.