Saturday, November 25, 2090
FC'S SNOW AND SUMMERLAND'S HALLSTROM REWARDED FOR FINE SEASONS
Most managers are happy just to make it through another season in the Islandian Pro Alliance. The ones that win pennants and make the postseason playoffs are overjoyed. Randy Snow of the Forest City Firebirds and Jayson Hallstrom of the Summerland Sunsets are jubilant. Not only did they make it through another season under fire and won the division flag, they even picked up their second Manager of the Year Award. It was pretty clear who the top skippers were this year in the IPA. Only four managers, two in each league, received votes.
FC SKIPPER SNOW SPARKLES WITH 105 VICTORIES, NAMED RU TOP MANAGER FOR SECOND TIME
Forest City's Randy Snow started off his managerial career with a bang --- he won the IPA Pro Cup his first year in 2068 at the age of 41. That's when he picked up his first best skipper honor. Number two did not come again until this season at age 63. Snow sparked the Firebirds to their third straight Ruthlandian West pennant, winning 106 games in the process. He also won 102 games in '89 and 105 in '88. Snow has been at the helm 23 seasons, the vast majority as pennant contenders. He was a rock-solid outfielder from 2052 to 2064 for Forest City, batting .297 overall with 301 homers and 1060 RBIs.
Last year's RU Manager of the Year Primo Sirak of Valmara almost nabbed it again this year. His Vipers (95-59) repeated as RU North champion, but he didn't quite have the year as Snow and wound up second in the RU Manager of the Year poll. Valmara nipped Far Mountain by 3 games in a hot race. Sirak has managed Valmara for 15 years with modest success. He did haul in a Pro Cup in '89. Sirak retired this year at age 71. He turned it over to his pitching coach and former star hurler Andre Zajac (193-154/3.36 ERA/75 saves), who is 45. Sirak said he wanted to go out a winner and not be fired like most managers that stay too long. I learned my lesson as a player. I played one year too many when I went 5-5 with a miserable 5.14 ERA. Sirak was a Hall of Famer hurler with a 272-147 record in 17 seasons. His posted a superb 2.80 ERA in his career. He was inducted in 2061.
SUMMERLAND SKIPPER HALLSTROM WINS AGAIN, SECOND TIME IN THREE YEARS
Jayson Hallstrom took charge of the Summerland Sunsets in 2068 and has kept his club in contention most of his 23 years. He has seen great success his last three seasons, winning the TU South each year. His 2088 team almost won the only Pro Cup in club history. They were beaten in the Pro Cup Finals by the Belle Plaine Musketeers. This past season his Sunsets rung up 101 wins and easily won the division flag by 12 games over South Fork. The press rewarded him with his second Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year Trophy. He also earned it in 2088. Hallstrom is used to fame and prestige. He is also a Hall of Fame pitcher, inducted in 2061 after an outstanding 21 years on the mound, registering a 368-274 mark with a brilliant 2.65 ERA. Summerland was just a so-so club many of his playing years. Hallstrom was a 7-time All-Star. Hallstrom is also going out on top at age 74. He will retire soon and give the reins to former Sunset star center fielder Johnny Pendergrass. He was a Gold Glover and 6-time All-Star with a .309 BA, 349 homers, 1022 RBIs and 1209 runs. He said it's about time "we got somebody that knows something about hitting and scoring runs. Lord knows, we could have won a lot more pennants with a few more runs. We might have even won a Pro Cup or two".
Runner-up La Claire skipper Jonny Bacon gave Hallstrom some tough competition for the top manager honor. He guided the Lynx (98-56) to the Tycobbian West title for the fourth consecutive seasons, besting Rolling Hills by 4 games. His success has been remarkable since he took over in 2083. His first team lost 106 games and 86 the next year, but it has been all success since with nothing but pennants and two Pro Cups (2087, 2090). Bacon is 52 years old and had a good career in the outfield for La Claire, batting .292 lifetime with 197 dingers and 733 RBIs in a 9-year stint from 2061 to 2069.
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