ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

2-TEAM TANGLE OUTLOOK IN THE TU EAST BETWEEN NATS AND RED SOX
Last year the Hillsboro Blazers roared out of nowhere to take the Tycobbian East title in a 5-team skirmish... they whipped runner-up High Mesa by 5 games, third place Red Bluff and Tuckanarra by 6 games and they were 7 games better than 5th place Ozarka... this year the prediction is just a two-team race between the Ozarka Naturals and the Red Bluff Red Sox, followed by Hillsboro and High Mesa.

The preseason analysts are giving the edge to the teams with the best pitching over the teams that score the most runs... Ozarka has a bunch of good starters anchored by Terry Cawthorne and Dennis Selvy... closer Tomas Vallejo is solid, too... however, the Nats are just an average offensive team with little power... the main bats are center fielder Chris Kile, first baseman Ari Alpert and right fielder Laney Christ.

Red Bluff had the best pitching staff last season and that should continue to be the case this year... the Red Sox's rotation is paced by Dontrelle Gilbreath, Gino Angeletti and Angus McDade... they are depending on Ian Goldsmith, Ralph Montgomery and Wilson Sharpe to take care of the bullpen duties... putting runs on the scoreboard will be handled well by right fielder Ian Driskell, left fielder Andrew Chelkowski, second baseman Jacoby Elliott, first baseman Tracy Andrews and third baseman Robin Pardue... if I were a betting man I would put my money on the Red Sox to prevail in the TU East... they are a good, solid, all-around team.

The Hillsboro Blazers were the darlings of the IPA last year... home runs are the order of the day in Hillsboro... they possess a lineup that can go deep, led by third baseman Harold Essex, first baseman Jackie Hansford, second baseman Rube Nealy, left fielder B. B. Wilder and right fielder Jeff McDaid... as far as pitching goes, Scotty McElroy and Ramsey Crowe had to carry the team last season... they expect to have some help this season... rookie Jeremy Morris is expected to be an impact pitcher and much improve the starting rotation... the scouts have been giving Morris glowing reports... the Blazers are not likely to surrender the division crown without a big fight... Hillsboro may be the second-best team in the league... they are not far behind Red Bluff... many think they will be the two teams that will battle for the TU East title this year... some think Ozarka may be overrated... they came in fifth in 2067.

The High Mesa Mustangs are rated the fourth-best club in the Tycobbian East... very similar to Hillsboro, they have firepower and can go deep, but they are a step below the Blazers on the hill... the Mustangs are led at the plate by two magnificent sluggers, first baseman Roy Roberts and third baseman Kagetoki Miyazaki... Roberts hold the all-time homer mark for a season with 73 in 2066... Miyazaki has hit 696 roundtrippers so far in his 17 seasons... Roberts has poled 418 out of the park in his 9 seasons... right fielder Billy Putnam and left fielder Herm Stephens don't hit much for average, but they hit with power... the starting rotation is just modest with the likes of Alex Crabtree, Andy Carne, Russ Redford, Gary Albertson and Clay Burton... and the bullpen is suspect and not very good.

Tuckanarra may just be an average ballclub with so-so pitching and some longball power, but they don't hit a lot for average... however, shortstop Mick Remington, first baseman Boomer Carlton, right fielder Bubby Creekmur, left fielder Duncan McLemore, third baseman Atticus Finch and catcher Odell Overstreet can put some quick runs on the scoreboard... the ace of the mound staff is Ian Timms, who is still a solid starter... the rest of them are just fair-to-middling: William Pike, Kyran O'Grady, rookie Wayne Haygood and Lorne Tierney... the Tiger Cats will probably finish back in the middle of the pack this season.

Also-rans Tuckanarra, Midway and South Fork will contend for 5th place in the standings... and poor and hapless East Point will continue to be mired deep in the TU East cellar.

[Eugene Church]

RACERS ARE A SHOO-IN TO COP 9TH CONSECUTIVE TU WEST CROWN
No surprises expected in the Tycobbian West this year... perennial powerhouse Rolling Hills (97-57) is forecast to steamroll everybody again this season and gather in its 9th consecutive division flag... no one has tested the Racers since 2064 when they won the pennant by the scant total of 4 games over the La Claire Lynx... most of the last decade Rolling Hills has made shambles of the pennant race by winning by 8 games to 25 games... only one team is given any chance of challenging... according to the baseball forecasters the Bayview Vikings (89-65) might finish within 10 games of first place this season... 5 of the clubs will be vying for third place... the final team, the pitiful Chicopee Braves, are destined to finish far behind and in last place for the 5th straight season.

The Racers are showing their age, but they are still going strong... no one has ever hit as well for so long in IPA history... Rolling Hills still hits over .300 as a team each year and leads the league in scoring... top batters are 34-year-old third baseman Teddy Stonich (.332 career BA), 33-year-old center fielder Jimmy Brandini (.325 career BA), 36-year-old shortstop Jameson Mulbert (.314 career BA), 32-year-old left fielder Jean-Luc Roubique (.304 career BA), 30-year-old second baseman Clayton Claiborne (.306 career BA), 29-year-old first baseman Luca Palazzi (.310 career BA), 27-year-old Hugo Sutton (.327 career BA) and 36-year-old catcher Lou Fountain (.278 career BA)... the Racers look like they have enough left in the gas tank to last several more years at the top of the TU West... pitching-wise Rolling Hills is just run-of-the-mill with the likes of graying starters Clay Callaghan, Charley Clutterbuck, and Jordy Wales... the bullpen is not much better with Brownie Ashmore, Chris Malbrough and Donny Joe Nelson... the Racers will be gunning for their 7th IPA Pro Cup trophy this season.

The Bayview Vikings are rated the number-two team in the TU West this season, but they don't really look like it... they wound up 7th last year (65-89), 35 games back of champ Rolling Hills... however, the Viks can put runs on the scoreboard in abundance, sparked by first baseman Hakon Verlander, second baseman Goldy O'Toole, third baseman Zak Smalley and Lars Kristensen... but the pitching is atrocious... maybe rookie hurlers Billy Wilkerson, Dewey Carnevale and Kerry Addington can turn the club around... but it would be remarkable if that happened... middle-of-the-pack is the most likely destination for Bayview this year.

Denton City is the choice to wind up 3rd this season... this would be a big jump for the Redbirds... they were below .500 last year (73-81), 27 GB... but they can score runs aplenty and the pitching is borderline mediocre... top bats are left fielder Winky Biggio, Ozzie Crenshaw and Ian Denny... two rookies made the starting lineup... center fielder Emmett Harman and shortstop Jay Coursey had very good Spring Trainings and impressed everybody... same thing for three rookie pitchers Lyle Hollander, Sassy Brady and Mark Mortensen... they could be a big help to so-so veterans Rance Hasbrough, Carl Coons, Alex Kuklinski and Chris Osburn... the newcomers will make or break Denton City this year.

The La Claire Lynx are coming off a fine season... they sparkled with an 89-67 record, good for second place, yet they were 13 games behind Rolling Hills... the outlook is 4th place this year... the Lynx are a solid club with good hitting and good pitching... they have lots of solid bats with right fielder Jonny Bacon, first baseman Dandy Zack, second baseman Derek Winchester, third baseman Duffy McIntosh and left fielder Howie Sarkissian... rookie center fielder Otis Marcum might be a help, too... he is a solid glove and hit very well in the Spring... La Claire has a fine ace in veteran star Ivar Rasmussen... should he get some help from the new rookie hurlers, the Lynx could prosper once again.

Bay St. Clair, Arlon and Kenwood will fight it out for the fifth spot in the TU West standings... poor Chicopee is in a class of its own and will suffer through another long and tedious season... the Braves are perhaps the worst team in the Islandian Pro Alliance... but they do have one very pretty logo and really nice jerseys.

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, July 15, 2068

IPA MIDSEASON RECAP: ALSO-RANS ARE UP AND RUNNING THIS SEASON
There are plenty of familiar names doing well in the Islandian Pro Alliance pennant races... defending IPA champion Rolling Hills, Southport, Oxford, Hillsboro and San Alejo are riding high and in the chase in the Tycobbian Union... so are LaGrange, Wynnamac and Sligo in the Ruthlandian Union... and there is some good news for perennial also-rans, too... the Forest City Firebirds are on fire in the RU West... the Waleska Westerners, St. John Crusaders and Valka Blackhawks are making life miserable for the Claxton Diamonds in the RU South... even the downtrodden Eastshore Cotton Kings and the pitiful Belle Plaine Musketeers are testing the Wynnamac Sundowners and the Marston Nine in the RU East.

At the All-Star break in the Ruthlandian Union, LaGrange, Wynnamac and Forest City have built up solid leads in their respective divisions... the Gators (59-30) have shot ahead by 9 games over runner-up and last year's RU North winner Far Mountain (50-39)... the Macs (54-35) top Eastshore (48-41) by 6 games in the RU East with perpetual loser Belle Plaine only 8 games off the pace... last season's division champion Marston (45-44) is struggling, but still within striking distance at 9 games out... with its magnificent pitching staff Forest City is sporting a surprising 5-game edge on last year's RU West winner Sligo (51-38) with Fort Benton (49-40) still hanging close in the race, trailing by 7 games... the Firebirds lead the entire IPA with a 2.69 ERA... but there is one tight race... Waleska (50-39) is having quite a battle with St. John (48-41), Valka (46-43) and current RU titleholder Claxton (45-44)... only 5 games separate the four clubs... Crystal Lake (43-46) and Belair Beach (43-46) haven't thrown in the towel yet, either... they could get back in the hunt quite easily with a good winning streak.

Over in the Tycobbian Union the pennants races are kind of chaotic... preseason favorites White River (42-47) and Summerland (41-48) have both flopped badly... the defending champion Rascals can forget about this season... they are 18 games out of first place in the TU North... the Sunsets have some hope... they are trailing by 9 games in the TU South, but could possibly get back into the thick of things with a good second half... the Oxford Red Caps are sizzling in the TU North with a whopping 12-game bulge over second place Mahaska (48-41), followed by third place Fairfax (44-45) and fourth place Hartsdale (43-46)... Luxora (32-48), White River and North Hills also all still have a shot at the third spot in the standings.

The other three divisions still are very much in doubt... Southport (50-39) is in a torrid race in the TU South with 5 teams crunched together... you won't believe it, but the crummy Colchester Elites are actually in 2nd place, just one game back of the Sun Sox... it's been over 3 decades since Colchester won the division flag eons ago in 2036... how bad have the Elites been?... during all that time they only reached the .500 mark twice (2042, 2051)... 5 rookie hurlers have made an impact this season... last season's champion San Alejo (47-42) is just 3 games out and tied with the Ginza Ninjas (47-42) for 3rd place... the Montaneros will be a factor in the pennant chase... Cape Coral (46-43) is hanging tight, only 4 games off the pace in 5th place... even 6th place Turon (44-45) is still contending, just 6 games behind the Sun Sox... the preseason pick Summerland Sunsets just don't score enough runs, plus their solid pitching hasn't been very good this year... the Sunsets (41-48) are seventh and 9 games back... last place Arroyo Grande (32-57) is just sho 'nuff bad in all respects.

There's a pretty fair race going on in the Tycobbian East Division... superb pitching has the Red Bluff Red Sox (54-35) high atop the standings, but not by much... defending champion Hillsboro (51-38) is no flash in the pan... the Blazers are for real and clinging close to the Red Sox, just 3 games behind... Red Bluff is a potent club with better-than-average scoring and very strong pitching... Hillsboro has home-run power, tops in the IPA, and fair pitching... 4 other teams are lurking nearby... 3rd place Ozarka (47-42), the preseason favorite, is only 7 games off the pace... 4th place Midway (46-42), 5th place High Mesa and 6th place South Fork are still in the pennant chase... in the end it will be a battle between Red Bluff and Hillsboro.

There really hasn't been any kind of pennant races the last decade in the Tycobbian West... by midseason the mighty Rolling Hills Racers are usually leading the division by a comfortable margin, at least 6 or 7 games... they are working on their 9th consecutive division crown this year, but it is not coming easily... would you believe that 4 other teams are putting up a good fight so far at midyear... the Racers (53-36) are just one game ahead of runner-up Denton City (52-37)... only 3 in front of 3rd place Bay St. Clair (50-39)... 4 better than 4th place La Claire (49-40)... and only 6 better than 5th place Bayview (47-42)... the TU West is shaping up as a 5-team fight to the finish... any one of the teams is capable of winning... pitching will be the key... all of them can hit and score runs... the best mound staff will decide it... that just might be the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers.

[Eugene Church]

2068 Ruthlandian Union Midseason Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2068 Tycobbian Union Midseason Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Dark Horse]

[Eugene Church]

2068 Ruthlandian Union Midseason Batting and Pitching Leaderboards

RU Batting Leaders



RU Pitching Leaders

[Eugene Church]

2068 Tycobbian Union Midseason Batting and Pitching Leaderboards

TU Batting Leaders



TU Pitching Leaders

[Eugene Church]

2068 IPA Midseason Team Leaderboards

Ruthlandian Union


Tycobbian Union

[Eugene Church]

TU STARS AND RU STARS MEET IN 68TH IPA ALL-STAR CLASSIC AT ROLLING HILLS
Built in 1907 the ancient and rustic Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills will host the 68th Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game this Tuesday afternoon... the Tycobbian Stars will tangle with the Ruthlandian Stars and try to continue their overwhelming dominance in the midsummer dream game... the TU Stars are 45-22 overall against the RU Stars.

This year will feature the youth of the Ruthlandian Union against the older and more experienced Tycobbian Union... the TU All-Stars have a wealth of talent in 8-time All-Star third baseman Teddy Stonich, 7-time honoree shortstop Jameson Mulbert, 6-time choice third baseman Kagetoki Miyazaki and 5-time All-Stars catcher Ozzy Crenshaw, catcher John Michael Lansdell, first baseman Roy Roberts and center fielder Hugo Sutton... the RU Stars have the oldest player in the game Manny Sandejas at age 37... Mulbert and Lansdell are the TU elders at 36... two rookies, pitcher Julien Millikin and first baseman Sasha Osinski, will be in the All-Star lineup this season... both of them will play for the Tycobbian Stars... Osinski is the youngest All-Star... he is just 21 this season, while Millikin is 22... heading up the Ruthlandian All-Stars will be 8-time nominee right fielder Snooky Bartels... Manny Sendejas is a 5-time All-Star... three pitchers will be appearing for the third time, Mark Meisner, Wallace MacPherson and Lonny Rinehart... all of the TU pitchers are first timers except for Rico Alessi, a 4-time All-Star.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 17, 2068

TU STARS TROUNCE RU STARS IN 68TH IPA ALL-STAR GAME
The league bragging rights once again went to the Tycobbian Union... for the second straight year, the 15th time in the last 19 Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star clashes and the 46th time in 68 games, the Tycobbian All-Stars have prevailed over the Ruthlandian All-Stars... the TU Stars totally dominated the RU Stars 8-0 this year in the 68th IPA All-Star Game at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills.

The powerful Tycobbian bats tore into Ruthlandian pitching in the opening inning for three runs, highlighted by John Michael Lansdell's (Kenwood) three-run smash and never let up... the TU All-Stars put the RU All-Stars away for good with four more scores in the seventh frame... right fielder Merle Creekmur (Colchester) and third baseman Kogetoki Miyazaki (High Mesa) provided two-run base hits to seal the verdict... Creekmur had two hits and two ribbies and was named the game's Most Valuable Player.

Tycobbia cracked 15 hits off five of the finest hurlers in the Ruthlandian Union... six the of the Tycobbian Union's best pitchers tamed the RU Stars on just five hits... Rick Alessi (Oxford) starred with three scoreless innings and Caine Hanlon (South Fork) twirled two runless innings... the victory went to Timmy Aaron (Southport) and the defeat was pinned on starter Mark Meisner (Claxton)... Aaron tossed a perfect 1-2-3 frame, while Meisner was treated quite harshly and battered for three runs and five hits in his two innings.

The winning skipper was Billy Christianson of the Rolling Hills Racers... the losing manager was Benjy Donahue of the Far Mountain Redhawks... Christianson and Donahue got the honor because they piloted their respective clubs to the Pro Cup Finals last season... Christianson got the best of him in that sensational series, too... the Pro Cup Series went to the full 7-game limit.

[jg2977]

How does the Tycobbian Union dominate the All-Star game like that? A 46-22 record? You would think that it would be close to 50-50. I expect some regression to the mean over the next few years.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

How does the Tycobbian Union dominate the All-Star game like that? A 46-22 record? You would think that it would be close to 50-50. I expect some regression to the mean over the next few years.

Not a statistician... have no idea why there is such a difference.

The Tycobbian Union is the better of the two leagues... it leads 38-29 in Pro Cup victories.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Not a statistician... have no idea why there is such a difference.

The Tycobbian Union is the better of the two leagues... it leads 38-29 in Pro Cup victories.

Can't wait to see how the regular season ends! Lots of exciting pennant races this year.

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, September 1, 2068

5 IPA DIVISION LEADERS ARE BREEZING INTO SEPTEMBER... WHILE 3 LEADERS ARE UNDER DURESS DOWN-THE-STRETCH
The Islandian Pro Alliance season is entering the final stages of the 2068 season... the pennant races are in the final turn and headed into the home stretch with 5 clubs holding fairly safe leads... the LaGrange Gators (82-46) are up by 8 games over the defending division champion Far Mountain (74-54) in the Ruthlandian North... it's not likely the Redhawks will catch the Gators this year... the 4 division leaders in the Tycobbian Union seem to be set for the season... all of them have even better leads than LaGrange... several of them are in front by double digits... Oxford (79-49) has a bulging 13-game edge in the Tycobbian North over runner-up Luxora (66-62)... Southport (76-51) leads second place Turon (68-60) by 8 and a half games in the TU South... Red Bluff (78-50) tops last year's winner Hillsboro (68-60) by 10 games in the TU East race... and current IPA Pro champion Rollings Hills (82-46) is racing ahead of second place La Claire (73-56) by 9 and a half games in the TU West... all of the TU division leaders except Oxford did well in recent months... the Racers were 34-18, the Red Sox 30-22 and the Sun Sox 31-21... the Red Caps posted a poor 25-27 mark, but are in no danger of being caught.

However, there are 3 races still up for grabs, all in the Ruthlandian Union... in the RU South the Claxton Diamonds (75-53) have jumped from fourth place and 3 games behind in July to the top spot in September, scorching the diamond the last two months with 35 wins and only 17 defeats... the Diamonds sport a 3-game margin over solid runner-up Waleska (72-56)... the Westerners are the only real challenger... they played very well with a 32-21 mark in July and August... midseason contenders Valka (65-62), St. John (62-67) and Belair Beach (54-74) have fallen out of the chase... the Blackhawks slumped to 24-28, the Crusaders to 19-34 and the Sunbirds dropped out of sight and as far down as you can go to a dismal 15-37... St. John had the lead at midseason, Valka was a half-game back and Belair Beach was in fifth place and just 4 games off the pace... the third place Grand City Cybercats (67-61) have been surging since the All-Star break with a 33-19 mark, but they are still 8 games out with only one month to play... the Cybercats were in seventh place in the standings at midseason.

The Wynnamac Sundowners (76-52) are still under some pressure in the RU East... the Macs are 6 games better than second place Eastshore (70-58) and 8 up on third place Beechwood (68-60)... but neither the Cotton Kings, nor the Jackrabbits are likely to catch Wynnamac... all three clubs are playing well going into the final month of the regular season... so far in the second half of the season the Macs are 32-21, the Cotton Kings are 30-22 and the Jackrabbits are 27-25... it will be the Sundowners high-powered attack and bad pitching trying to fend off the Cotton Kings, who score well and pitch well... Beechwood scores pretty well and has good power, but is just average on the hill... not likely to catch Wynnamac or Eastshore.

The Forest City Firebirds (73-55) have come out of the ashes this year in the RU West and taken the division by storm with its young super-duper hurlers... the Firebirds were dead last in 2067, but they have risen to the top of the standings this season... Forest City has remained in first place pretty much the entire season... the Firebirds lead last season's champion Sligo (69-59) and Fort Benton (69-59) by a slim 4 games... all of them are short on scoring runs, but have solid pitching... the Generals are playing the best ball in the last few months with a 29-23 record, but their offense is pitiful... the Firebirds and the Rovers have slumped a bit to 24-28 and 24-29 in July and August, but they have better offenses than the Generals... the race will go down to the last days of the season... give Forest City a slight advantage over Sligo and Fort Benton.

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 2, 2068

LOTS OF RUNAWAY RACES IN THE IPA THIS SEASON... ONLY 3 FAVORITES PREVAILED
The IPA didn't play favorites this year... there were not a lot of pennant races or down-to-the-last day battles in season 2068, but there were quite few runaways... reigning Pro Cup champion and preseason pick Rolling Hills made a farce again of the Tycobbian West, winning by a massive 18 games... favorite Wynnamac topped the Ruthlandian East easily by 12 games... Oxford beat everything in sight in the Tycobbian North by 10 games... and Red Bluff toyed with the Tycobbian East teams, bashing them by 9 games... however, there were decent races in the other 4 divisions... favorite Claxton finally overtook the Waleska Westerners by 7 games in the Ruthlandian South... the LaGrange Gators upended favored and last year's champ Far Mountain by 6 in the Ruthlandian North... Southport was victorious in one of the only tight divisional races, a 5-team fracus... they whipped Turon and Colchester by 5 games and preseason pick Summerland and last year's champion San Alejo by 6 in the Tycobbian South... the closest pennant race in the IPA this season was in the Ruthlandian West, where Forest City bested the Rocky Rapids Snappers by 4 games and last year's champion Sligo by 6 games.

Ruthlandian Union Season Recap

For most of the season it was just a two-team battle in the RU North... LaGrange (94-60) bolted to the top in May and fended off last year's winner Far Mountain (88-66) the rest of the season... LaGrange won by 6 games over the Redhawks... the Gators had it won by July, ahead by 8 and a half games... third place Taranto (81-73) and fourth place Valmara (80-74) had good seasons, but they only contended in the first two months of the year... both the Tars and the Vipers were below .500 in the second part of the season.

The favored Claxton Diamonds (92-62) lost the division lead in July and tumbled to fourth place, but they then took charge and played like a champ the rest of the season and captured their 6th straight RU South flag... the Diamonds repelled scrappy Waleska by 7 games by season's end... Grand City (79-75) and Valka (78-76) wound up with winning records... the Cybercats ended up in the third spot in the standings, trailing by 13 games, while the Blackhawks finished 14 games behind in fourth place... Grand City struggled the first half of the year, but closed it out well, playing 45-33 ball in the second half... Valka was sub .500 after midseason.

Start-to-finish this was an excellent year for the Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60) in the RU East... the Macs won it for the third time in the last five seasons... they were far-and-away the top team... no one came close to them... runner-up Cold Creek (82-72) was 12 games back... third place Eastshore (80-64) wound up 14 games out in the race... and fourth place Beechwood (79-75) came in 15 games behind... last year's division winner Marston (73-81) slipped down to the fifth spot and had a losing season.

The Ruthlandian West certainly did not perform like the baseball pundits forecast... Volusia was a slight favorite over Colfax and Forest City in the preseason polls, but it didn't turn out that way... the Vigilantes and the Black Sox never contended at all... Volusia (75-79) tied for 5th with the Stoner Silver Sox (75-79) and Colfax (63-91) flopped badly and came in dead last, 25 games out of first place... the Forest City Firebirds were hot from the beginning and stayed at the top of the heap all season long... for most of the year their biggest competition came from defending champ Sligo and Fort Benton, but the Rovers and Generals faded in the stretch and were suppassed by the red-hot Rocky Rapids Snappers (84-70), who closed out the year with a 33-21 mark and ended up in second place... the Snappers struggled until August and then took off... Sligo (82-72) came in third, 6 games behind the Firebirds... Fort Benton (80-74) wound up fourth and 8 games back in the race.

Tycobbian Union Season Recap

The baseball pollsters had it all wrong in the Tycobbian North race this season... last year's champ White River was their choice to win the division crown again in a tight race with the North Hills Hawks... Oxford was a distant pick for third place... but that did not happen... the Rascals (77-77) came in fourth in the standings and the Hawks (70-84) a pathetic last... there was absolutely no race whatsover in the Tycobbian North this year, the Oxford Red Caps (90-64) leaped to the top of the standings right out of the gate and kept right on going... the pennant was decided by June when the Red Caps led by 11 and a half games and never looked back... second place went to unheralded also-ran Luxora (80-74)... the Zorros were in the TU North cellar last year and were forecast to finish there again... another unsung club, the Fairfax Frogs (78-76) grabbed third place, winding up 12 games out... the preseason prognosticators predicted the Frogs would wind up in seventh place again this year... it's been seven years since Fairfax posted a winning season.

Nobody ever put any pressure on the Southport Sun Sox this season in the TU South... for the third time in the past four years the Sun Sox are class of the division... last year Southport would have had a shot at a third consecutive Pro Cup trophy if they had not come in second to the San Alejo Montaneros, losing out by 3 games... the Sun Sox cruised to the title this season... they kept all 4 challengers at a safe distance throughout the year... it only got close in September when the Sun Sox had their only losing month of the year (10-17)... Southport whipped the runners-up Turon Typhoons (81-73) and Colchester Elites (81-73) by 5 games... it was a remarkable turnaround year for Colchester... this was their first winning record since 2036... coming in tied for the fourth spot were preseason favorite Summerland (80-74) and last season's champ San Alejo (80-74)... they trailed by 6 games at season's end... the Sunsets slumbered half the season at 35-41 before they began to play like they were touted to be... Summerland closed out 45-33 in the second half.

The Ozarka Naturals were rated the best team in the Tycobbian East heading into the season... the Oxford Red Caps were forecast to be their only competition... that race never really materialized... the Red Caps controlled the top spot almost all of the season... it was a close race until Red Bluff (92-62) took charge in July and August, pushing High Mesa (83-71), last year's division champion Hillsboro (82-72) and Ozarka (78-76) downward in the standings and back into the pack.

For the fourth year in a row the Rolling Hills Racers have rolled up 100 or more victories... they have done this 5 times in 6 seasons... and for 9 straight years the Racers have been triumphant in the Tycobbian West... for 8 of those 9 years they have also batted over .300 as team and the Racers have captured three Pro Cups... and yes, the baseball soothsayers picked them to take division crown once again by a lot... and Rolling Hills did... by a whole, whole lot... the Racers (101-53) won the TU West by 18 games... the Denton City Redbirds (83-71) came in a very distant second...the La Claire Lynx (82-72) a very distant third... and the Bayview Vikings (80-74) a very distant fourth place... the Redbirds and Lynx clung somewhat close, within 6 games until August, then Rolling Hills kicked it up into overdrive and ran away with the pennant... the Racers went 39-15 the final two months of the season.

2068 IPA Final League Standings

[Eugene Church]

2068 IPA Final Team Batting and Pitching Stats

[Eugene Church]

2068 IPA Final Team Fielding Statistics

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Playoff Teams

Ruthlandian Union First Round Games
Claxton Diamonds (92-62) at LaGrange Gators (94-60)
Forest City Firebirds (88-66) at Wynnamac Sundowners (94-60)

Tycobbian Union First Round Games
Red Bluff Red Sox (92-62) at Rolling Hills Racers (101-53)
Southport Sun Sox (86-68) at Oxford Red Caps (90-64)

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, October 6, 2068

IPA PLAYOFFS START TOMORROW ALL ACROSS THE ISLANDS
Get ready for some more baseball!
The regular season in the Islandian Pro Alliance is over... now it's that revered time all across Islandia... postseason baseball is coming to a ballpark near you tomorrow afternoon at four sites... 8 division champions will present their wares and talent on the baseball diamonds in quest of the glorious Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy... 7 challengers will be vying to dethrone the current IPA champion Rolling Hills Racers... only one of the teams will reign supreme and raise the banner as the best baseball team in the Islands.

Right off the bat first-round action in the Tycobbian Union pits second-ranked Red Bluff taking on the Pro Cup favorite and defending Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills on the road... the Racers are seeking to repeat and capture back-to-back Pro Cup Trophies... the other TU matchup features fifth pick Oxford clashing at home at Winchester Park with the third-rated Southport Sun Sox.

In the Ruthlandian Union the fourth-ranked LaGrange Gators entertain eighth pick Claxton at the Swamp in LaGrange... while sixth choice Wynnamac will host the seventh-rated Forest City Firebirds on the Sundowners' home diamond, Granger Field.

2068 IPA Pro Cup Preview Poll

1st: ROLLING HILLS (101-53)
The Racers are the top choice to win the Pro Cup trophy this year... Rolling Hills possesses the best offense in the IPA this season and also the best in IPA history... they cakewalked to the TU West title, piling up 101 victories and winning by 18 games... everybody in the starting lineup except for one batted over the .300 mark -- and he hit .295... 3 players drove in over 100 runs each... 6 of them scored more than 100 runs... Rolling Hills is just average on the hill... and is solid with gloves (.981 FA)... 9 years in a row the Racers have hoisted the TU West pennant over the Midtown Base Ball Grounds... Rolling Hills leads the IPA with 6 Pro Cups... 3 in the last 8 seasons (2060, 2062, 2067)... if the Racers just get fairly good pitching, they will nab their record-setting 7th Pro Cup... but they have a tough task in getting by Red Bluff in the first round...the Red Sox have strong pitching and a good offense... they are a formidable foe... the first-round matchup is a toss-up.

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