Monday, November 1, 2083
IPA HONORS SUPER SKIPPERS OF THE SEASON
There are a lot of deserving managers in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The best of the best in 2083 were announced today at IPA Headquarters in Marston. The Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year went to East Point's Johnny Moore and the Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year was awarded to Volusia's Lonny Rinehart. Moore has won it twice. The first time was just two years ago in 2080.
EAST POINT'S MOORE NUDGES OUT COLCHESTER'S DURAND AND BAYVIEW'S CODSWORTH IN TU TOP MANAGER POLL
Johnny Moore took over in 2076 and suffered through four bad seasons before things began to click for East Point. Since then Moore has sparked the Panthers to three pennants in four years and even led them to their first-ever Pro Cup this season. This year's top skipper went from 3rd place and 89-65 last year to first place and 92-62 this year. East Point supplanted defending TU East champion Ozarka by 4 games. Moore was a pretty good pitcher for a bad team from 2030 to 2045 for the Panthers, chalking up a mediocre 156-177 mark with a quality 3.49 ERA. Moore just barely beat two of his former pitching peers in a very close vote.
Coming in second place in the TU best manager poll was Denzel Durand of the vastly improved Colchester Elites, who leaped from 7th place and 71-83 last year to 97-57 and the top spot in the Tycobbian South. Colchester ran away with the pennant, winning by 13 games over runner-up and defending champion Cape Coral (84-70). As a pitcher for the Elites from 2048 to 2058 Durand had marginal success with a 168-169 mark and a 3.71 ERA in his 11 seasons. Colchester was a real bad ballclub during his tenure with only one winning season. It has been up-and-down seasons for Durand. He took charge of the team in 2075. This was only his third winning season.
Third in the TU Manager of the Year Poll was Bayview's Vance Codsworth. He took over the club in 2068 and has been in contention often, but the Vikings have never won the pennant under Codsworth. But they did have a fine season. Bayview improved from 5th place last year with a 79-75 mark, 11 GB, to 2nd place, finishing just one game behind the powerhouse Rolling Hills Racers (89-65) with an 88-66 mark. Codsworth was a workhorse for 17 seasons in Bayview, carding 209 victories with 224 defeats and a 4.26 ERA.
V'S RINEHARD SKIMS BY FM'S VAN AND SUNBIRDS' JOSEPHSON FOR RU BEST MANAGER
It was another very tight vote in the Ruthlandian Union where Lonny Rinehart of Volusia bested Benny Van of Far Mountain and Brock Josephson of Belair Beach for the 2083 RU Manager of the Year Award.
It was a marvelous turnaround season in Volusia, where Lonny Rinehart sparked his Vigilantes from 7th place and 69-85 (25 GB) to first place and the Ruthlandian West flag with an 89-65 record. He won the flag by 2 games over Middlefield, 4 games better than third place Colfax and 6 over preseason favorite Sligo. This was Rinehart's first trip to the podium for the top skipper award. He has enjlyed much success as a star pitcher for Volusia from 2055 to 2071, registering a standout 262-171 mark with a 3.15 ERA. Rinehart made the IPA Hall of Fame in 2076. This was his best season by far as a manager.
Benny Van has skippered Far Mountain since 2076 with little success, only 2 winning years, 2076 and this year. He was a fine pitcher for the Far Mountain Redhawks from 2052 to 2062, going 161-115 with a 3.16 ERA. This season Van moved his club up from 7th place and 70-84 (16 GB) to the top spot in the Ruthlandian North with an 89-65 record. He nudged out the Taranto Tars by 2 games. Van said, "Winning the pennant saved my job".
Last year's Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year almost won it again. Brock Josephson did even better this year. His Belair Beach Sunbirds soared from 6 games behind in second place and 90-64 to the top spot and 95-59 and just barely beat out Valka (93-61) by 2 games and last year's winner Crystal Lake (88-66) by 7 games. Josephson wound up a very close third in the voting this year.