Tuesday, October 31, 2078
BELLE PLAINE'S KAYLAN AND ARROYO GRANDE'S MONTALVO ARE IPA BEST NEWCOMERS
Two corner outfielders were hailed as the Islandian Pro Alliance best newcomers this season... Denver Kaylan of the Belle Plaine Musketeers in the Ruthlandian Union and Miggy Montalvo of the Arroyo Grande Suns in the Tycobbian Union were chosen the 2078 IPA Rookies of the Year.
Kaylan bested pitcher Steve Farnham of Forest City... third in the top rookie poll was third baseman Jules Robichaux of LaGrange... Kaylan, age 26, took the honor by hitting .269 in 141 games and finishing with 133 hits, 25 doubles, 7 triples, 3 roundtrippers, 51 ribbies, 77 runs scored and 30 stolen bases... Kaylan sparked downtrodden Belle Plaine to a rise in the standings, improving from 70-84 to 80-74 this season... the Muskies were only 4 games back in third place behind pennant-winning Wynnamac (84-70) and second place Eastshore (83-71).
Steve Farnham played for the 5th place Forest City Firebirds (76-78) in the Ruthlandian West... they ended up 10 and a half games behind the first place Sligo Rovers (87-68)... at age 25 Farnham was one of the few rookie hurlers who won starting spots in the IPA... he wound up 12-11 with a fine 3.10 ERA, working 209 innings in 28 starting assignments with 21 quality starts... Farnham fired 3 shutouts in his debut season.
The third-highest votegetter in the RU Rookie of the Year poll was the third sacker for the LaGrange Gators, Jules Robichaux... his Gators improved from 7th place (61-93) to the 4th spot (81-73), 9 games out of the top team, the Kilkenny Cats (90-64)... Robichaux played in 114 games with a solid .283 BA, 22 doubles, 2 triples, 13 homers, 42 RBIs and 57 runs... Robichaux is 23 years old.
At the young age of 19, Miggy Montalvo jumped right into the Arroyo Grande lineup and played like a veteran from the git-go... in his rookie year the talented right fielder burst on the scene with a .303 BA and 144 hits in 133 games... Montalvo clouted 31 out of the park, drove in 84 runs and scored 76 times, leading the Suns to 4th place in the Tycobbian South, won by the IPA Pro Cup champion Turon Typhoons.
In a very close vote Montalvo outpolled runner-up Arjan Westervelt of the runner-up Summerland Sunsets (88-66) in the Tycobbian South Division... his club had a fine season, winding up in the second position, but still finishing 12 games behind powerful Turon... playing left field in 138 games Westervelt collected 124 hits and batted .281 with 16 homers, 75 RBIs and scored 73 runs... Westervelt debuted in the IPA at age 24.
High Mesa's 19-year-old right-hander Jeremy Dabbs hotly-contested the TU top rookie poll coming in a very close third and just barely beaten out by Montalvo and Westervelt... Dabbs dazzled in his first year with a 16-8 mark with a superb 2.37 ERA... he fired 220 innings in 33 starts and fanned 179 batters... he was the best rookie hurler in the IPA this year... Dabbs hurled 3 shutouts and made 26 quality starts... it was also a pretty good year for the High Mesa Buckaroos, who compiled an 81-73 record in the tough Tycobbian East Division... the Cowboys wound up in 4th place and trailed division winner South Fork by 9 games... Ozarka and Tuckanarra tied for the 3rd spot, just 5 games out.
