Friday, October 6, 2090
IPA PRO CUP PLAYOFFS SET TO GO SATURDAY AFTERNOON
FOREST CITY FAVORED IN RU, SOUTH FORK IN TU
FIREBIRDS WILL WIN IT ALL IN 2090
October is here and all of Islandia is poised and ready to enjoy the ultimate baseball experience beginning this Saturday afternoon at four diamond venues. Get ready! It's Pro Cup time all across the Islands! Come November there will be a new IPA Pro Cup champion. Will it be Valmara, Belair Beach, Belle Plaine, Forest City, White River, Summerland, South Fork or La Claire? Last year's Pro Cup champion, the Valmara Vipers are back again, better-than-ever and ready, willing and able to repeat. In fact, anybody could win the IPA crown this year. There are 8 solid, good all-around contenders. Last year Valmara nabbed the overall title by defeating the South Fork Stallions in a stirring 7-game series.
The opening round features Belair Beach at Forest City and Belle Plaine at Valmara in the Ruthlandian Union. Over in the Tycobbian Union it will be La Claire hosting South Fork and Summerland entertaining White River. All postseason series are best-of-seven. According to the Pro Cup Preview Poll it will be a Forest City-South Fork Pro Cup Series with the Firebirds favored over the Stallions. The Ruthlandian Union has won five of the last six Pro Cup Trophies. Overall the Tycobbian Union has captured the Pro Cup 50 times. The Ruthlandian Union has been IPA champion only on 39 occasions.
2090 IPA PRO CUP PREVIEW POLL by
The Islandian Times
1. FOREST CITY FIREBIRDS (106-48)
Won its only Pro Cup in 2068... Firebirds have won RU West three straight years... lost in Union Tittle Series to Pro Cup champ Belle Plaine in 2088 and to Pro Cup winner Valmara last year...powerful offense... strong pitching, starters and bullpen... strong defense... won 106 victories, third-best in IPA history...has everything going for it this season... looks to be a postseason powerhouse!
2. South Fork Stallions (94-60)
Four Pro Cups, last one in 2077... 3 TU East titles in the previous 5 seasons... rock solid club... can hit and score with HR-run power... very good pitching... good defense... lost to Valmara in the Pro Cup Finals last year in 7 games.
3. La Claire Lynx (98-56)
Copped only Pro Cup in 2087... TU West titlists for the last four seasons... picked high in Pro Cup polls last few years, but disappointed... they didn't hit... pitching and defense are strong points... offense is adequate and better this year... to WIN a Pro Cup a team has to HIT and PITCH... the Lynx are improved at the plate this year... yeah buddy, I do declare it just might be another Pro Cup season for La Claire.
4. Summerland Sunsets (101-53)
The Sunsets have been a strong postseason presence in recent years, reaching the TU Title Series last year and the Pro Cup Finals in 2088. Summerland has never won a Pro Cup... weak bats has always hindered their Pro Cup aspirations... the Sunsets have the pitching and defense... they need more offense to win a Pro Cup... on paper this could be "the year" for Summerland.
5. Valmara Vipers (95-59)
Don't let the #5 rating fool you... all 8 playoffs teams are good this year... the defending Pro Cup champion Vipers could easily win back-to-back IPA titles... Valmara just might be better that last year... they can score, hit with power and play good defense... the key will be their pitching staff, which has several newcomers... also several new bats, too... the Vipers have won 5 Pro Cups in its history... just might add #6 this year.
6. White River Rascals (92-62)
It's been a bad decade for the Rascals... for the first time since '80 and '81 they have made the playoffs... White River nabbed its only Pro Cup in 2080... the Rascals have the pitching and defense to win a Pro Cup, but probably don't have the offense.
7. Belle Plaine Musketeers (94-60)
The last 7 years have been the very best in Belle Plaine's plain terrible history with just 5 postseason appearance in 82 seasons... the Musketeers have won 3 RU East flags in the last 4 years... in '88 they won their first-ever Pro Cup... last year they came in second place in the standings... now the Muskies are back again... Belle Plaine has almost everything needed to win a Pro Cup... they can score fairly well, hit with good power, good defense, good starting rotation, all they need is good bullpen work. That will be the key factor to their postseason success.
8. Belair Beach Sunbirds (90-64)
One would think the Sunbirds will be in the Pro Cup fight... they won the RU South 6 times in the last 8 seasons... Belair Beach also prevailed in the Pro Cup twice, in '84 and '86... they had a better attack back then... not so, present day... it will be tough to win the Pro Cup with just a good pitching corps... the Sunbirds only have a few of those players from the Pro Cup years... the outlook is not good for the Sunbirds in this year Pro Cup playoffs.
2090 IPA Pro Cup Outlook:
Forest City will prevail over defending Pro Cup crown bearer Valmara in the RU Title Series... South Fork will get by La Claire for the TU title... the Forest City Firebirds will defeat the South Fork Stallions for the Pro Cup Trophy. All three rounds will be hard-fought and competitive... there should be mostly 6 and 7-game series... all 8 division champions are good ballclubs.
