Friday, July 2, 2094
AROUND THE IPA AT MIDYEAR
SUNSETS AND HELLCATS STILL STRONG --- SOMETHING NEW --- ALSO-RANS ALSO IN THE RUNNING
Like precision clockworks, Summerland is right on time and headed for its 7th straight Tycobbian South Division crown. Hartsdale is in first place and should nab its 4th consecutive TU North flag, but so far, it has not been easy. The Hellcats have a fight on their hands from at least 4 clubs, most of which have not been in the playoffs for at least a decade.
Something new is in the air. There are two teams seldom seen in the postseason that are running atop their divisions. The Red Bluff Red Sox haven't won the TU East since 2079 and Rolling Hills Racers last won the TU West in 2086.
HELLCATS HAVE PRECARIOUS LEAD IN TU NORTH AT MIDSEASON
Hartsdale was strongly favored to rout the Tycobbian North again by double digits. So far the also-rans have not played ball. Halfway through the season it's a heck of a race with four other teams. North Hills is just one and a half-game behind in 2nd place, Blue Lake is only 2 and a half games back in 3rd, Oxford and Fairfax are deadlocked for the 4th spot in the standings, 5 GB. Even 6th place Mahaska and 7th place Luxora still have a reasonable shot at the pennant. Why is this happening? Simple --- the Hellcats are not hitting like the usually do --- but they are still pitching --- maybe better than ever. Bennie Frye, Javon Harbin, Dandy DeBusshere and Teddy Rozanski all have ERAs under 3.00 --- that why the Hellcats have the lead. If the bats don't perk up in the second half, Hartsdale can still win, but it will not be easy. Good defense also give the Hellcats an edge in the race. The North Hills Hawks and Blue Lake Blue Caps look like the mostly likely serious rivals. Hartsdale hit a solid .273 last year. It's way down to just .249 this season. That is their primary problem.
SUMMERLAND SUNSETS SITTIN' PRETTY IN TU SOUTH AGAIN
Yeah buddy, life is good today --- life is good for the Summerland Sunsets. It's midyear and already they have built up a strong 9 and a half-game margin in the Tycobbian South. Nobody is on the horizon to challenge the Sunsets. In its division Summerland is just about the best team with the bats, best on the hill by far and just about the best defensively. Yes indeed, the Sunsets are set to win its 7th successive TU South pennant and just might possibly win a second straight Pro Cup trophy. They are much more talented than their division rivals. The Arroyo Grande Suns, the Southport Sun Sox and the Cape Coral Hurricanes were forecast to put up a fair fight, but so far, no one has. The Suns, Sun Sox and Turon Typhoons are tied in the runner-up spot, 9 and a half games out. The 'Canes are 10 games behind. All of them can handles the bats pretty well, but none come close to Summerland's mound corps.
6-TEAM TANGLE IN TU EAST AT HALFWAY POINT
The preseason poll called for a 3-team tangle, but halfway through the season, as many as 6 clubs could have a shot at winning the Tycobbian East. According to the pundits the South Fork Stallions would win a close race with the Tuckanarra Blue Jays and last year's division champion, the Ozarka Naturals. To the surprise of many, the unheralded Red Bluff Red Sox and East Point Panthers are running 1-2 in the standings with the Tucks clinging close by. The Stallions, Naturals and Hillsboro Blazers could be in the hunt with good second halves. Good pitching favors the Panthers and the Blue Jays in the long run. All of the challengers can score runs. Red Bluff has hit their way to the top, but they probably don't have the pitching to win it. Ozarka is in the same boat --- good hit, no pitch. East Point plays really good defense, much better than the other clubs. The Panthers will outpace the Tucks in a very tight stretch drive.
IN TU WEST LA CLAIRE SHOO-IN FOR 8TH YEAR IN A ROW
The La Claire Lynx have quietly and without a lot of fanfare been the best team in the Islandian Pro Alliance since 2087. All the Lynx have done is win 3 Pro Cups ('87, '90, '91) and 8 Tycobbian West division titles in a row. They had a chance at all of the Pro Cups in that glorious run. This year the Island baseball experts again ranked them as the team to beat and by a goodly margin. Only the Denton City Redbirds were given any chance at the pennant. La Claire was favored to fend off the Redbirds by a comfortable 7 games. Lo and behold, no one foresaw the rollickin' and rollin' Rolling Hills Racers. They were rated the 5th-best team, very likely to finished way out of the running and below the .500 mark. OOPS! Nobody told the Racers. At midyear they are playing sound baseball and have a 5-game lead over La Claire, 8 games better than the Kenwood Wildcats and 10 up on the Bayview Vikings. Denton City is 5th and trails by 10 and a half games. It's a long season. Rolling Hills has the edge in home-run power and defense over La Claire, but the Lynx counter that with rock-solid starters and a much better bullpen. Look for La Claire to do it again and win their 8th straight TU West pennant. However, it's not likely the Lynx will rack up their 4th Pro Cup Trophy in the last decade, in spite of being a dynastic team --- they just can't put enough runs on the scoreboard in the playoffs.
2094 IPA PRO CUP CRYSTAL BALL VIEW
The Summerland Sunsets are really shining this season. It is so, so hard to win just one Pro Cup, to repeat is really, really tough. But the Sunsets have fairly good odds to do it. Most likely opponent --- the Forest City Firebirds.
Here is what the Firebirds have done in the postseason in recent years: lost to Pro Cup champion Belle Plaine in 2088, lost to Pro Cup champion Valmara in 2089, lost to Pro Cup Finalist Valmara in 2090, defeated by Pro Cup Finalist LaGrange in 2091, however, Forest City finally captured the Pro Cup in 2092. But keep in mind, the Firebirds are not the same team. Aging has set in. They did not do well last year postseason playoffs. Forest City was eliminated in the first round. They don't have the offense they used to have, nor the pitching.
2094 Tycobbian Union Midseason Standings
