ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

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** Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 5 **

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Tuesday, September 28, 2060

RACERS IN TU FINALS, NINJAS FORCED TO 7TH GAME
The Rolling Hills Racers disposed of the South Fork Stallions in six games in the Tycobbian Union, but defending Pro Cup titlist, the Ginza Ninjas, couldn't finish off the Oxford Red Caps and will have to battle in a showdown seventh game.

The Racers got some standout pitching and eliminated South Fork 7-1... Oxford also got some sparkling mound work and blanked the Karate Kids 5-0 to stay alive in the Pro Cup playoffs... the two clubs tussled last year in a seven-game series... Ginza had to come back from a 3-2 deficit last year against the Red Caps in first-round action... the Ninjas went on to take the IPA Pro Cup trophy for the first time in its history... Ginza is seeking back-to-back IPA titles.

Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 6

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Thursday, September 30, 2060

HISTORY REPEATS, GINZA IN TU TITLE SERIES AGAIN
Defending IPA Pro Cup champ Ginza is at it again... the Karate Kids upended favored Oxford again in the seventh game of the Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series... the Ninjas' Pro Cup journey continues as they go up against the Rolling Hills Racers in the second round of the IPA postseason.

Tycobbian Union Division Championship Series - Game 7

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Saturday, October 2, 2060

RU, TU TITLE SERIES START TOMORROW
The Islandian Pro Alliance is now down to just four teams in the Pro Cup playoffs... there is only one returnee this year to the second round of action - the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian title series... the reigning Pro Cup champion Ginza Ninjas remarkably are back again to defend their 2059 title... the Karate Kids are trying to repeat and win back-to-back Pro Cup trophies... it is rare for a team to win just one Pro Cup, much less win them in consecutive years.

Ginza has its work cut out for them... they will have to beat three teams with explosive firepower... and three teams rated better than the Ninjas in the Pro Cup poll... Pro Cup favorite Wynnamac, 4th-ranked Ranford and 5th-rated Rolling Hills... Ginza was the seventh choice to win this year's Pro Cup trophy in The Islandian Times poll... in first round play Ginza upset #2 Oxford in seven games... and Rolling Hills licked #3 South Fork in six games.

Going by the prognosticators the Racers and Sundowners will meet for the overall IPA Pro Cup title... at least on paper... and the Macs will be crowned the best baseball team in Islandia... those are the numbers at a glance.

However, let's look just a little closer and see what the numbers really tell us... it really doesn't matter what you have done in the past... what you did years ago has no effect today... Wynnamac's 12 playoff appearances and two Pro Cups won't mean anything to the Ranford Bulls... in its history Ranford has made the playoffs just seven times and has one Pro Cup title... and will Rolling Hills three Pro Cup trophies... yes, I said, three Pro Cup trophies... will that frighten the Ginza Ninjas?... the poor Ninjas only have one Pro Cup and have only made the postseason playoffs eight times.

But on the other hand, the Karate Kids have a Pro Cup in their possession that they won last year... the other teams will take note of that... it all gets down to "what have you done lately?"

So let's see what the teams have done lately... taking a look at the Ruthlandian Championship Series, Wynnamac is a powerhouse... the Macs won more games than anybody this year with 104 victories and they put away a good Sligo club in five games... and the Rovers had one of the best pitching staff in the IPA... the Sundowners have one of the better offensive clubs in the IPA and they showed it against Sligo... Manny Sendejas, Snooky Bartels and Phils McLemore are all rock-solid hitters... and on the hill Wynnamac is no slouch with Dick Vanner, Tike Collazo and Billy Skidmore... the bullpen is pretty good, too.

The Ranford Bulls are a pretty fair ball club, too... they chalked up 99 wins this year, second best in the IPA... they sure can put runs on the scoreboard with the likes of Jeff Blodgett, Gianni Berra, Glen Chambliss, Tommy Slater and John Billingsley... they did a good job on St. John and whipped the Crusaders in five games... the Bulls got some impressive playoff pitching from Douglas McKinney, Dave Brewster and Marv Douglas... to upend the potent Sundowners, Ranford will have to be going on all cylinders... Wynnamac is one solid team.

Ruthlandian Union Title Series Outlook: the Macs in six games... pitching will make the difference... Wynnamac has the superior staff... the Sundowners also have the homefield advantage in the best-of-seven series.

Can the Ginza Ninjas continue their remarkable run and win its second straight Pro Cup title?... highly likely, but that's easy to say because you just don't see it happen very often... only four times in the 60 years of IPA history has it been done.

Ginza won only 89 games this season... they have the worst record of any teams in the postseason... the Ninjas were underdog in all three rounds last year, yet they won... they are again the underdog... the Ninjas were not supposed to defeat heavy-hitting Oxford, but they did... for the second straight season they beat the favored Red Caps... can Ginza get by Rolling Hills, a club very similar to the likes of Oxford?

My heart says yes... but it gets overruled by my mind... I don't think Ginza is as good as last year... they have two really fine pitchers in starter Kurt Brophy and closer Abram Worth... but the rest of the rotation is not consistent and steady... the Ninjas did not hit especially well against Oxford and will have to do better to upend Rolling Hills... Jamie Fellows, Tamotsu Saikawa, Gideon Tracy and Kuzuki Tamura need some help from Akio Ikeda and Kentaro Kogo to knock off the Racers.

The Rolling Hills Racers posted 93 wins this season and they beat a very good South Fork club in the first round... it was good hitting that eliminated the Stallions... the Racers have far better hitting than the Ninjas... top guns Teddy Stonich, Jameson Mulbert, Gil Arthur, Jean-Luc Roubique, Jimmy Brandini and Enrique Marantos are too much to handle... Ginza's only chance is if they can put some runs on the scoreboard against the Racers rotation of Vance Dillaway, Audie Stafford, Tommy Otis and Bob Corcorane... South Fork hit them pretty well, but the Stallions couldn't beat the big bats of the Racers.

Tycobbian Union Title Series Outlook: Ginza's lack of scoring... and lack of power... is significant... they did not hit one homer in the first round against Oxford... Rolling Hills will win it in six games... the tenacity of the Karate Kids will probably win them a couple of games... the Racers pitching corps will be able to handle the weaker bats of Ginza, while the Ninjas staff will have trouble containing the high-powered Racers... Rolling Hills also has the homefield advantage in the best-of-seven series.