Monday, September 28, 2088
2088 Tycobbian East Season Review
PRESEASON FAVORED NATS CRUISE TO TU EAST FLAG
The Island baseball pundits were right on this year. The Ozarka Naturals were the heavy favorite to cop the Tycobbian East flag this year and they did it quite easily, whipping second place Midway by 9 games, third place Tuckanarra by 12 and fourth place South Fork and East Point by 13 games. The Nats did it with wonderful starting pitching and just fair-to-middling offense. Ozarka returns to the IPA postseason for the first time since 2082 and 2084. The Naturals have made the playoffs on 17 occasions and have never won the Pro Cup, though they reached the Pro Cup Finals 5 times during their heyday and Golden Days back in the first two decades of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Each year in that era Ozarka would dominate the regular season. They won the TU East 13 times in 21 years, 10 times in 12 years and 7 times in succession. The Naturals were often the Pro Cup choice, but they never won it. Talk about being a bridesmaid and never a bride. That was the Nats.
This season the TU East was a good race until midseason. Ozarka led the Midway Wolves and Hillsboro Blazers by 3.5 games and 4 respectively at the end of June. In August the Nats sizzled with a 22-5 mark and moved up to a 7-game margin. By September they were 14 games in front. Midway was the surprise team this year. The Wolves were forecast to be a cellar-dweller this season.
Last year's Tycobbian East title winner was Tuckanarra in a close race with Ozarka (2 GB), South Fork (2 GB) and Hillsboro (5 GB).
