Monday, October 23, 2084
CRUTCH TIME IS HERE! BELAIR BEACH HOST ROLLING HILLS IN IPA PRO CUP OPENER
Most of the good teams in the IPA postseason playoffs played well and won as they were supposed to do and none of the lesser lights played over their heads and upset the powers-that-be. Playing according to the script of the Pro Cup Poll it will be #1-ranked Belair Beach welcoming #3 Rolling Hills for the 2084 Islandian Pro Cup Trophy. This will be old hat for the Racers, who will be going for their 11th IPA crown. The Sunbirds are seeking their second one. The best-of-seven Pro Cup Series begins this Monday afternoon in Belair Beach at Bayside Park.
Everybody and their mothers-in-law are picking the Belair Beach Sunbirds to triumph in the IPA Pro Cup Series and rightly so. They won more games (99) than anybody this season. They led the Ruthlandian Union and the entire IPA in scoring runs (890). They hit lots of homers (178), ranking third. They have very good pitching, good starters and good bullpen. They have four players, yes, count 'em, four players that drove in over 100 runs. I don't know if that has ever happened in IPA history. This is unprecedented. What's not to like? The Belair Beach Sunbirds are a really fine team, yeah buddy.
EC'S OUT ON A LIMB AGAIN, SHOOTING OFF HIS MOUTH, PICKS RACERS TO WIN
However, upon very close scrutiny with lots and lots of diligent research, EC is going to differ with the baseball sages, scribblers and know-it-alls. Rolling Hills beat the #2 team team, the Ozarka Naturals, who won 98 games. The Racers swept the Nats in four games. They also whipped the #4 team, the heavy-hitting Hartsdale Hellcats in a torrid and tense seven-game series. The Hellcats led the Tycobbian Union in runs and the entire IPA with 230 homers. They had 3 players that drove in over 100 runs apiece. And they won 98 games, too. You have to say Rolling Hills' run in this year's postseason has been impressive, more so than Belair Beach, who eliminated #7 LaGrange in four straight games and #6 Fort Benton in a tough six-game affair.
What sets the Racers apart is their fine starters. Dominic Bard, Dain Holman and Skeets Kazlauskas will be the difference makers. I'm not too sure Gardiner Palmquist, Seth Calamaris, Delmer Keel and Larry Gabrielson can match the Racers' starters. Rolling Hills can score runs, has pretty good home-run power and solid defense. Everybody in their lineup can handle the bat well. Keep in mind, Belair Beach is not a quality defensive team, plus the bullpen is not very good. That may be their Achilles' heel. EC is picking the Racers in a red-hot seven-game series. Yep. You just might start finding a space in Rolling Hills' museum for their 11th Pro Cup.
