2077 Ruthlandian Union East Division Final Season Recap
CLIPPERS BREEZE PAST FOES IN RU EAST, FIRST PENNANT IN 14 YEARS
It was a frenetic race in the Ruthlandian East this season... but that is the way it was supposed to be according to the preseason forecast... Sugar Valley was a very, very slight favorite over Eastshore and Wynnamac, the reigning Pro Cup champ... Cold Creek was right up with all of the them, too... yep, Wynnamac really had its hands full with a scrappy bunch of rivals... the eventual winner was the Elnora Clippers (86-68), who played good ball most of the season and fended off 4 other spunky aspirants... Elnora took command with a standout 21-5 mark in July, then kept the others at bay the rest of the year... the Clippers sailed to the title by 2 games over the Marston Nine (84-70) and Wynnamac Sundowners (82-72)... the Sugar Valley Rattlers (77-77) finished in the fourth spot in the standings, 9 games behind in the race... Cold Creek (76-78) and Eastshore (72-82) were eventually doomed to the second division with losing records, trailing by 10 and14 games, respectively.
The key to the
Elnora Clippers (86-68) success was a consistent and steady four starters... Hamilton Burger, Javis Packham, Hawk Templeton and Jerry Burwyn were not great, but they were available, durable and dependable... plus Johnny McQuillan was a solid closer... and the bats were rock-solid in the hands of All-Star Ronald Bayless and Andre Langdon... 9-year veteran Bayless was a prime part of the division title as he led the league with a .374 BA... it was his first batting crown for the 30-year-old third baseman... career-wise he is a .330 hitter... catcher Jorgy Jorgensen also made the All-Star team... time will tell how far a team with quality pitching and fair bats go in the postseason... the only overpowering team looks to be the talented Turon Typhoons, who posted a 97-57 record with its strong mound corps and proven offense... no team in the IPA playoffs can match those credentials.
