Saturday, September 1, 2086
SEPTEMBER SOAR AND SCORE OR SWOON AND MOON; IPA ENTERS FINAL MONTH
Soar in September and good things are likely to happen in the IPA, swoon and it's gloom and doom. Pro Cup defending champion Belair Beach is basking in the glow of a 10-game lead in the Ruthlandian
South going into September, the last month of the season in the Islandian Pro Alliance. Hartsdale is doing quite well with a hefty 8-game margin in the Tycobbian North race. Both clubs are playing very well
entering the final month and no one is liable to catch them. Eastshore is looking cautiously good with a 5-game edge in the RU East. Ditto High Mesa in the Tycobbian East with a 4 and a half-game lead. The
Cotton Kings and the Buckaroos are playing like champions, too. The outlook is not certain, but odds favors them. The other four divisions are up for grabs with 13 teams in the hunt. Let's take a whirlwind
sample of each of the 8 divisions in the IPA.
PHOTO FINISH IN RU NORTH BETWEEN GATORS AND TARS
LaGrange and Taranto are running neck-and-neck in the Ruthlandian North, separated by just one-half game. The Gators have won the pennant 3 of the last 4 seasons. They struggled in August, posting a poor
12-15 mark, while Tars shined with 16-11. Momentum may be with Taranto. The Tars have not won the RU North since 2074. Their mound corps may be the difference. The Tars have 3 solid starters and a good
bullpen.
SUNBIRDS SNOWBALL RU SOUTH AGAIN THIS YEAR
For the second successive season the reigning Pro Cup titleholder, the Belair Beach Sunbirds have ravaged the Ruthlandian South. Last year by an outrageous 18 games, this year by 10 so far. The BB 'Birds
flew sky-high in August with a 20-7 record. Nope, no one thinks anyone will catch them this year. Belair Beach has its eye set on a second straight Pro Cup Trophy. Some folks think they are a tad better than last
year, despite losing star center fielder Lucky Hayden with back trouble last month. He might be able to return in October.
COTTON KINGS PICKED IN RU EAST
It's pretty much coming down to first place Eastshore and second place Wynnamac in the Ruthlandian East race. Both clubs are red-hot. It might be asking too much of the Macs to make up 5 games in September.
It could happen, but it's not likely. The Cotton Kings are the top-scoring team in the IPA and they also possess good pitching and a pretty good bullpen. Eastshore will be hard to beat. A September swoon is not
expected. Last year's flag winner Belle Plaine is running third, trailing by 8 and a half games. The Cotton Kings have run close thirds the last two seasons. Their last RU East crowns came in back-to-back seasons
in '73 and '74. Eastshore was the preseason choice to take the division this season, but pushed hard by Belle Plaine and Wynnamac in a close race.
UNSUNG FIREBIRDS AND HIGH-TOUTED BLACK SOX FIGHT IT OUT IN RU WEST
The baseball pundits and prognosticators called it wrong in the Ruthlandian West this year. Rocky Rapids was the preseason favorite. Forest City was destined for a dead-last finish. Nope, it didn't happen. The
Snappers were supposed to edge out Colfax and last year's champ Fort Benton in a tight race. Instead, Rocky Rapids never contended and is running in 6th place, 17 GB. Forest City just might be the surprise
team of the year in the IPA. The Firebirds are tied for the top spot in the standings with Colfax. Current champ Fort Benton has fizzled, too, and finds itself in 3rd place, but 11 GB. Forest City recently won the RU
West in '81, but they faltered badly the last 2 years. The Firebirds hit and score fairly well, but they have an excellent starting rotation and strong bullpen. The Black Sox can match their starters, but falls short
in the bullpen. Colfax has the better offense. Both clubs are playing very well headed in the last month of the year. The Firebirds were 19-7 last month, while the Black Sox were 16-11. Forest City has been
the best team in the RU West the second half of the season. They are a rock-solid club. Look for them to edge out Colfax in a stirring finish. The Black Sox haven't won the division title since 2065, but they did
run pretty good races the last 3 seasons. Colfax is a good team, too.
HARTSDALE HEADED FOR 4TH TU NORTH TITLE IN A ROW, AIMING FOR 3RD PRO CUP TROPHY
The Hartsdale Hellcats have had the Tycobbian North all to themselves in recent years. They are gunning for their 4th flag in a row and are very likely to get it. No one is close to them this season. The Hellcats
have a good attack and can score runs and they couple it with good pitching and a good bullpen. They are a good-around club that will go deep in the postseason playoffs. It's about time for the Hellcats to ring
up their 3rd Pro Cup. The last one came in 2063. Runner-up Mahaska trails by 8 games, going into September. Third place Fairfax is 11 and a half games off the pace. Both the Hellcats and Haymakers did well
in August. Not so, the Frogs. It is highly unlikely Mahaska can overtake Hartsdale. They will just have to be happy with second place. The Hayseeds were second last year, 8 GB. Mahaska last won the TU North in
2076 and 2078. Poor Fairfax has not made the postseason since 2033. The Frogs have the offense, they just don't have much pitching.
TURON SLIGHTLY FAVORED OVER SAN ALEJO AND GINZA IN TU SOUTH DOGFIGHT
Yeah, buddy, the best division race in the IPA is in the Tycobbian South where 4 clubs are fighting tooth-and-nail and trying to claw their way into the Pro Cup playoffs. Preseason favorite and last year's champ
Turon is deadlocked at the top of the standings with unheralded San Alejo, beginning the final month of regular-season play. Tied for third place and just 3 games back are lightly-regarded Ginza and slumping
Arroyo Grande. It's a rip-roaring shootout and very likely will go down-to-the-wire. Preseason selection Turon is the defending champ and has the best pitching. The Montaneros and the Ninjas also possess pretty
fair pitching. Only Arroyo Grande has an offense, but the Suns suffer badly from pathetic pitching. They also are going into the last month not playing well at all. Arroyo Grande slumped to 10-18 in August and seems
to be swooning into oblivion. Turon (15-13), San Alejo (15-12) and Ginza (15-12) are playing pretty good baseball heading into September. It is looking like a 3-way photo finish. Give the edge to the perennial playoff
team, the Typhoons. Turon has won 9 pennants in the last 15 seasons and taken 2 Pro Cups, too, in '72 and '78. San Alejo has been really bad the last decade with only one winning season in '84. The Monties last
appeared in the postseason in 2076. The Ninjas last big year was in 2060 when they copped the pennant. In 2059 Ginza won its only Pro Cup.
LONG-TIME LOSER BUCKAROOS WILL WIN IN TU EAST
The High Mesa Buckaroos just might win their first Tycobbian East title since 2062. They possess a 4 and a half-game lead over runner-up Hillsboro, heading into the final month of the year. The Buckaroos are playing
well, 17-11 last month, while the challenging Blazers only mustered a 13-14 mark. High Mesa can hit, score, hit with power and they have the top pitching staff in the Tycobbian Union. Hillsboro has the better offense,
but comes up way short in pitching. That's the difference maker in the race. The Blazers rarely make the postseason playoffs. Only twice in its infamous IPA history have they made it. Hillsboro made the playoffs in '51
and '67. That's all, y'all. No matter how it plays out in the TU East this year, fans of underdog teams will be happy. Especially the fans in High Mesa and Hillsboro.
LA CLAIRE BEST IN THE TU WEST THIS YEAR
Yep, things are chaotic in the wild, wild Tycobbian West this year. 5 teams are in the hunt for the pennant. Heading into September, only 5 and a half games separate 5th place Bayview and the top team La Claire.
Also in the mix are last year's division winner Rolling Hills and Chicopee, tied for second place, just 2 GB. Fourth place Arlon is just 3 and a half games behind. Only two of the clubs are playing well. La Claire went
19-9 last month, while Arlon was 16-12. Rolling Hills (10-18), Chicopee (11-16) and Bayview (12-15) did not fare very well. The Racers were the preseason choice to win their 5th flag in the last 7 seasons. Rolling Hills
was a big favorite to win. Bay St. Clair (2nd), Bayview (3rd) and Denton City (4th). Chicopee (5th), Arlon (6th), La Claire (7th) and Tuckanarra (8th) were given little chance to take the division crown. The Lynx seldom
win a pennant. Only 6 times has the team made the postseason. The last pennant came in 2077. The Braves are a regular also-ran, appearing in the playoffs only 4 times in its pathetic history. 2074 was the last pennant.
The Champions have not won the TU West since 2058. And lastly, the poor Vikings haven't participated in the postseason since 2016. Who will be the victor? Probably La Claire. The Lynx have solid pitching and solid
scoring, but they lack home-run power. The Racers are in trouble. They are playing poorly, no home-run power with average scoring and pitching. They are not the Racers of old. The Braves are not playing well. They
possess scoring ability, despite no power. Chicopee had solid starters, but a terrible bullpen. The Champions are the best bet to give La Claire a run for its money. Arlon can score runs, has some power, but lacks pitching.
The Vikings have decent pitching and some HR-power. Bayview ran good races the last few years, but always lost out to powerhouse Rolling Hills. La Claire looks to be the cream of the crop in the TU West this year, but it
will be close. The best-hitting team will win it.
2085 Ruthlandian Union September Standings
2085 Tycobbian Union September Standings
