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Tuesday, October 1, 2086
IPA POSTSEASON STARTS TOMORROW AFTERNOON; SUNBIRDS FAVORED IN RU, HAYMAKERS IN TU
The team with the most recent postseason success is the choice of the sportswriters, broadcasters, scribes and baseball prophets. That would be the Belair Beach Sunbirds, who will be appearing for the fourth consecutive time. The Sunbirds reach the RU Title Round in 2083, won the Pro Cup in 2084 and were eliminated by Pro Cup champion Colfax last year in the RU Title Round in 7 games. The 2086 edition of Belair Beach looks improved on the 2084 edition. The time is right for the Sunbirds to soar this postseason. The were the number-one pick in The Islandian Times' Pro Cup Poll. This year it looks like the Pro Cup Trophy will go to Belair Beach or the Mahaska Haymakers. However, the pollsters cautiously said South Fork, Ginza and Rolling Hills will also have a say in the matter. Momentum is everything in the playoffs. The hot team usually wins it all. The red-hot clubs the last month of the season were Belair Beach, Mahaska and Ginza. Ancona, Rocky Rapids and South Fork are playing well going into the postseason. Only Rolling Hills and Marston had losing months down-the-stretch.
2086 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Poll conducted by The Islandian Times
1. Belair Beach Sunbirds (93-61)
The Sunbirds' postseason success in recent years is their biggest plus. Belair Beach's fate will be determined by its experienced pitching staff. They have a pretty fair starting four, coupled with an outstanding rookie closer. As the mound corps of Gardiner Palmquist, Georgie Adams, Felix Poirot, Jim Brockington and rookie Orval Columbus goes, so goes the Sunbirds. Belair Beach has a fine scoring machine, paced by Lucky Hayden, rookie Bucky Keats, Dutch Van Donk, Dirk MacIntyre and Mees Achthoven. The Sunbirds are have one of the best attacks in the IPA this season. Rocky Rapids and South Fork are their biggest rivals offensively.
2. Mahaska Haymakers (94-61)
The Haymakers may be the best team in the IPA. They can do it all. No real weakness. In the playoffs scoring runs may be a problem for them. They only possess one elite hitter. Byron Bennigan can't win the Pro Cup by himself. The lesser lights in the lineup like Manny Saballos, Jeff Thigpen, Sam Moody and Roland Hague will be crucial to their postseason success. Mahaska has good home-run power, fine starting pitching and excellent defense. Corky Jasker is their ace. Bobby Perry and Mel Golden are quality starters, too. The bullpen is capable with Izo Utterbach, Goldy Keane, Greg Stoneman and Harry Marceaux. They should go far in the IPA playoffs this year.
3. South Fork Stallions (92-62)
The Stallions can put runs on the scoreboard, hit with power and have two fine starters. Will Wilford, Davy Mannington and Yank Yankovich are a rock-solid threesome in the batting order. Arjen Rijkaard and Willem Bekker are strong starters. Alfie Ginger takes care of the relief chores very well. South Fork will contend for the 2086 Pro Cup Trophy. Their secondary starters will be the key, along with the middle relief.
4. Ginza Ninjas (92-62)
The Ninjas are a dark horse in the IPA postseason. Fine pitching coupled with longball power and defense goes a long way in the playoffs. Kazz Yamazaki and Muzuki Hoshimo are dynamite threats in the batter's box, both for average and power. Should they get good secondary run support from the rest of the lineup, the Ninjas will do well. Top-to-bottom the pitching staff is top-notched, sparked by Asmund Bjornstad, Eddy Bohannon, Taichi Taka and Louie Patino. The bullpen is quite solid, too, with Luis Rosario, Louis St. Pierre Kento Tokota and Riley Kincaid. We will find out real quick just how good Ginza is. They play Mahaska in the first round.
5. Rolling Hills Racers (92-62)
The Racers are not your father's baseball team of old. These Racers pitch well and do not depend on hitting their way to the Pro Cup crown. Lack of home-run power will hurt their chances in the playoffs. Rolling Hills has to play like they did in the first five months of the season. The Racers slowed down in September and were not impressive. That's why they are picked as the fifth-best postseason team. If starters Junior Ashmore, Linc Dickens, Skeets Kazlauskas and Dain Holman perform well in the playoffs. They should do well. The bullpen headed up by J.B. Deeds and Steve Farnham are solid, too. Hopefully, Emmett Spangler, Clifford Stratton, Danny Marisnick and Fabian Quigley can get the offense going and give them the run support their need.
6. Rocky Rapids Snappers (91-63)
The Snappers are sleepers in the playoffs. They may be better than the prognosticators think. Rocky Rapids can hit, score runs and have power with the likes of Lanny Moultrie, Tony Nobles and Lee Drummond. They have one excellent starter in rookie Ronnie Dabbs. It will be up to veteran Pat Buckland and Nelson Goodlee to enable them to go deep in the playoffs. The bullpen is questionable, too. Hitting your way to the Pro Cup title can be done, but it is not likely.
7. Ancona Jumbos (90-64)
The Jumbos have some punch in the middle of their lineup with Chris Savallas, Hank Allardice and Ricardo Quexada. At the top of the batting order Yanis Trikoupis and Cosmo Kourakis are very solid sticks, too. Hamilton Burger and Sneaky Breedlove are capable hurlers. The other two starters are marginal and the relief corp is suspect, too. The Pro Cup outlook is not particularly good for Ancona.
8. Marston Nine (88-66)
The Nine has the worst regular-season mark of any of the playoff participants. They lack offense, pitching and power. But they do have an excellent up-and-coming rookie first baseman, Hobbs Noland. He just doesn't have much help in the lineup or on the hill, except for hurler Haywire Haygood. Marston opens up with #1-rated Belair Beach. Their stay in the playoffs may be short-lived.