ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 22, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - North Division

Luzzatti Stops V's, Redhawks Squeeze Out 3-1 Win
The first place Far Mountain Redhawks fought off the tough third place Volusia Vigilantes 3-1 at the Jailhouse. Manager Alex Groveland's chunky little 5'8" righthander John Luzzatti (9-7 3.22) crafted a six-hitter to stop the V's. The difference in the ballgame was two throwing errors by catcher Jorge Rosado. Twice he threw the ball away on attempted steals of third and allowed the runners to score. The Redhawks didn't score an earned run off of losing pitcher Brian King (1-3 2.23), who fanned ten batters in six and two-thirds innings. King gave up all three runs, walked five and allowed four hits. First baseman Royce Benson (.309) was 2-for-3 and had the only RBI for Far Mountain. Left fielder Winky Rush (.294) doubled in Volusia's only run in the eighth inning.

Far Mountain (54-44) expanded its lead over the Vigilantes (50-48) to 4 games.

All-Stars Sweep Series From Colfax
Zoggy White's Elnora All-Stars certainly are not playing like a last-place ballclub -- at least not against the second place Colfax Blasters. The All-Stars swept all 5 games in the series at their home park, State Fair Park, and have taken 8 of the last 9 encounters, holding the Blasters to two runs or less seven times. This time it was the big righthander Carl Costas (8-10 3.11) tossing a four-hitter to capture his fourth consecutive victory. Southpaw Harry Manning (11-8 3.87) suffered his fourth successive setback, yielding three runs and six hits in six innings. Elnora got its runs early. Right fielder Paul Giles (.277) tripled in the first run in the opening frame. In the third, left fielder Quincy Peterson (.291) doubled in a run and center fielder Harry Wright (..259) pushed across a run when he was hit by a pitch with the bases loaded. Colfax got a run in the first on a sac fly by first baseman Dennis Cole (.328). In the sixth center fielder Tatsuya Sasaki (.274) doubled in the last score. Elnora had the edge in hitting, 7 hits to 4.

Despite the horrendous slump, Colfax (50-47) is still within striking distance of first place Far Mountain (54-44) at the All-Star break, trailing by 3.5 games. Elnora (43-55) is in sixth place in the RU North, 11 games off the pace. The Blasters, managed by Clem Rogers, are 1-9 over the last 10 games, while the All-Stars are 8-2.

Vipers Win 5th Straight, Zalewski Beats A's 3-1
Hard-throwing Zarek Zalewski was almost flawless. The brilliant righthander dominated the Glasco Athletics, holding them to just one hit in the 3-1 victory. First baseman Maury Smith (.354) broke up the no-hitter with an RBI double in the fourth. No other A's got a hit. Zalewski (13-5 2.36) lowered his RU-leading ERA to 2.36, fanned 10 and issued only one walk in winning for the fourth straight time. Reece Kilham (1-2 4.76) for Glasco was almost his equal, striking out 10, walking two and giving up eight hits in a route-going performance. The difference in the game was the Vipers outstanding center fielder Jan Szymanski (.271), who doubled in the winning runs in the bottom of the eighth inning. That gave him 97 RBIs on the year, good enough to lead the IPA. Valmara third baseman Rickey O'Reilly (.286) led off the game with his 12th homer this season to account for the other run

It was Valmara's (49-48) fifth triumph in a row and Glasco's (46-50) seventh straight setback. The Vipers have now closed to within 4.5 games of the RU North Division leader, Far Mountain (54-44). The A's have dropped 7 games back in the race.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 22, 2001

Ruthlandian Union - South Division

Marston Raps Rattlers 6-3
Manager Johnny Walters of the first place Marston Nine continues to get good pitching and good hitting. They lead the division in both categories. The Nine knocked off third place Sugar Valley 6-3 on a seven-hitter by Paul Azard (9-5 3.97). He was backed up by reserve outfielder Rodney Rich (.362), who went 3-for-4 with a home run and four RBIs. Rich could start for most clubs in the IPA. Rich hit a two-run roundtripper in the second, broke a 3-3 tie with an RBI single in the sixth and added another run in the ninth with a single. Marston wrapped up the game with two more in the eighth on a sac fly by shortstop Don Nichols (.327) and a single by Rich. The Rattlers did all of their scoring in the fourth inning with RBIs on doubles by third baseman Jorge Vargas (.332) and Cy Bartz (.273), and a single by backup first baseman Ken Arnold (.232). Recent-signee 21-year-old John-Michael Darragh (0-3 7.27) lost his first starting assignment, giving up four runs in 5-plus innings. Shaky defense cost Sugar Valley three runs in the game. They committed two costly errors.

Marston (55-41) is the top club in the Ruthlandian Union South Division and leads third place Sugar Valley (47-49) by 8 games.

Giarussa Has Career Day, 6-6 and 8 RBIs
It was one of the greatest batting performances in the brief IPA history. Shortstop Jinx Giarussa of Waleska went 6-for-6 with three doubles, a home run, 8 RBIs and scored four times as the Westerners demolished Forest City 14-2 at Riverside Stadium. Giarussa (.313) tied the IPA mark for hits, runs and RBIs as Waleska hit 7 doubles, two triples and a home run among their 16 hits. Third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.290) contributed three hits and three RBIs, while second baseman Wiz Taylor (.301) chipped in two hits, two walks and scored four times. Skipper McGraw Johnson got a strong effort on the hill from Jack Wagner (5-2 3.39), who stiffed the Lumberjacks on three hits and 10 strikeouts. The loser was Brian Charles (4-5 4.20), who bit the dust early and was sent to the showers after giving up 5 runs in one and two-thirds innings.

Giarussa now holds the RBI mark with Cape Coral's Rafael Betencourt, who drove in 8 on April 28 against Ozarka. He tied the record for hits and now share it with Billy Echevarria of Fairfax and Arlon's Jerry Keller. Echevarria had a 6-hit performance July 15 against Bayview and Keller accomplished it May 4 against Blue Lake. Giarussa scored four runs to tie the IPA record. He is the fourth player to do it. Dennis Cole of Colfax did it on April 28, Jerry Keller of Arlon on May 6 and Jan Szymanski of Valmara on May 14.

Forest City (53-45) is piloted by Rob Jackson and is second in the standings, trailing first place Marston (55-41) by 3 games. Waleska (46-51) is in the fourth spot in the division, 9.5 games out.

Diamonds Hold Off Sunbirds 6-5
Playing on the road at Bayside Park in Belair Beach, the Claxton Diamonds ran up a 3-0 lead after five innings and held off the Sunbirds for a 6-5 triumph. Topping the 9-hit attack were second baseman Donny McCoy (.341) with a double and a home run, shortstop Bobby Ritter (.312) with 2-4 and an RBI and right fielder Dixie Baker (.320) with two hits and a run batted in. Belair Beach had 10 hits and were paced by first baseman Phil Gravelli (.338) with three hits in four tries and two RBIs and shortstop Danny Church (.246) with a two-run homer, number 7 for him on the season. Gravelli also homered, his 21st. Lefthander Sammy Melton (2-1 4.07) registered the win, allowing four runs in seven and two-thirds innings. Chris Jauvert (0-1 5.68) got the last four outs for the Diamonds, but gave up a run in the ninth. It was his first save this season.

Claxton (46-52) is fifth in the RU South, 10 games off the pace. Belair Beach (44-53) is in the cellar and 11.5 games back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 22, 2001

Tycobbian Union - East Division

Ginza Wins 3rd Straight Over 'Canes 6-1
The first place Ginza Ninjas took their third straight game from Cape Coral, topping the Hurricanes 6-1 behind Toshiharu Ito. The 25-year-old Ito (10-3 2.34) was again in top form, stopping the Hurricanes on seven hits, fanning nine and walking just one batter. Ito has the best ERA in the IPA at 2.34. The Ninjas cracked 13 hits, sparked by home runs by catcher Katsuya Noguchi (.271) and shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.286). It was Noguchi's third in two days. Everybody in the Ginza lineup got at least one hit, including Ito (.205). Gary Fountain (7-6 4.31) sustained the loss, being tagged for 13 hits and 6 runs in seven-plus innings. Aoki and Kenshin Yamamoto (.308) each had three hits.

The Ninjas (55-42) kicked their lead over the third place Hurricanes (49-48) up to 6 games.

Hellcats Club Stallions 8-4, Turner Drives In 5
Manager Zim Donner of Hartsdale got some offense from an unexpected source. Little-used outfielder-first baseman Pat Turner (.129) had two hits, including a grand slam, and drove in five runs as the Hellcats clubbed second place South Fork 8-4 and dealt them a third consecutive loss. Center fielder Greg Reynolds (.267) also went 2-for-4 and batted in two runs. Left fielder Jay Luna (.267) was 2-for-5, scored twice and had an RBI for the Hellcats. Mitch Yassen (2-2 3.57), a gutsy 22-year-old, won it, went the distance throwing 155 pitches, permitted four runs on eight hits with seven Ks. He outpitched Ken Olson (11-8 2.70), who took the loss, surrendering four runs in seven innings. Hartsdale busted a 4-3 game wide-open on Turner's grand slam in the eighth. Right fielder Art Atkins (.309) and third baseman Glenn Holliday (.284) hit solo homers in a losing cause for the Stallions. It was number 6 for Atkins and number 20 for Holliday.

South Fork (54-44) is in the runner-up position in the division and trail the leader, Ginza (55-42), by 1.5 games. Hartsdale (42-45) is in the basement and are 13 games behind.

Snow's 3-Run HR Wins It for Ozarka
Ozarka got a clutch three-run homer from first baseman Floyd Snow (.229) in the fifth inning to propel them to a 6-4 triumph over Luxora at Ellie Ewing Stadium. That put the Nats ahead 5-3 and they were never headed the rest of the way. Catcher Scotty Fisher (.247) had two hits and two RBIs and second baseman Duane Starr (.291) had two hits and an RBI for Ozarka. Both ballclubs had ten hits each. Left fielder Pedro Vizquel (.299) doubled in two runs to give Luxora an early 3-2 lead in the third inning. Center fielder Tommy Fortunato (.258) and second baseman Paco Benitez (.253) drove in the other two Zorro runs. The win went to starter Sid Hyder (4-2 3.35). He tossed six and two-thirds innings and was the victim of bad defense. Hyder gave up four runs, but only one was earned. Relievers Jackie Cunningham (0-2 4.17) and Alex DiMaggio (8-4 1.17) blanked the Z's over the last two and a third innings. DiMaggio got credit for his 10th save. Starter Chris Pierce (8-9 3.86) absorbed the defeat, yielding six runs in five-plus innings, only four of them were earned.

Fourth place Ozarka (48-49) is within one game of .500 and has its eye on third place. The Naturals are 7 games behind in the standings, while Cape Coral is 6 games in back.

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance

Sunday, July 22, 2001

Tycobbian Union - West Division

Frogs Snap 3-Game Skid, Beat Blue Sox 8-3
The Fairfax Frogs knock the socks off of the Blue Lake Blue Sox and snapped a three-game losing streak. They belted 11 hits and beat them 8-3, getting a solid effort on the mound from Bobby Ray Trent (2-2 2.79), who held the Blue Sox to six hits and three runs, while striking out eight and walking two. The Frogs pounded out six runs in the sixth inning, highlighted by a three-run double by second baseman Greg Inman (.286) and a two-run double by center fielder Billy Echevarria (.285). Dino Manetti (6-8 4.47) was knocked out of the box in the inning. He allowed six runs over five-plus innings for the loss. Blue Lake left fielder Greg Boone (.295) had the game's only home run, his 3rd of the season.

At the All-Star break, First place Fairfax (56-41) has a 6-game edge over second place Bayview (51-48), while Blue Lake (48-49) is in a third place tie with Arlon (48-49) in the Tycobbian Union West and trails by 8 games.

Viks Vault Past Lynx on Coleman's 2 HRs
The Bayview Vikings were down 3-1 in the sixth to La Claire, when the home run and RBI leader in the Tycobbian Union went to work. First sacker Dwayne Coleman sent two out of the park to bring home the victory 5-3 and halt their three-game losing streak to La Claire. He hit number 29 in the sixth to close it to 3-2, then smacked number 30 to break up a 3-3 game in the last of the ninth. Coleman (.299) totaled three RBIs for the day and now has 91 on the season, far and away the most in the TU. His closest competitor, Greg Vincent (.326) of Fairfax, has 77. Reliever Tony Vardaman (1-0 2.95) picked up the win with a scoreless ninth, while Lynx closer Monoto Kishata (4-8 3.66) suffered the loss, giving up Coleman's walk-off two-run shot. Coleman had three hits in the game to lead then Viks. First baseman Francisco Robles (.286) walloped a two-run roundtripper for La Claire and third baseman Luis Marquez (.282) slapped a solo home run.

Bayview (51-48) is in the second spot in the divisional standings, 6 games in back of the top club, the Fairfax Frogs (56-41). La Claire (46-52) is a distant 10.5 games behind them and is in fifth place.

Tate Gets Game-Winning Hit in the 11th
Arlon nipped Bay St. Clair 5-4 at home at Derby Downs on Bubba Tate's 11th-inning single. Tate scored second baseman Karl Detwiler (.309) from second for the game-winning score. It was Tate's (.333) fourth hit in the game and second RBI. It came off of the Bucs new closer, the tough Chris Van Arden (3-1 1.10), who got his first defeat of the year. Claiming the victory was the Champs superb bullpen ace, Jeff Nieman (7-5 1.54), who fired four strong innings, striking out five and allowing no runs. Left fielder Kris Gervais (.252) hit his 5th home run for Arlon and right fielder Jose Valenzuela (.288) knocked his 8th for the Buccaneers. Arlon had the advantage in hits with 13 to the Bucs 10.

The Champions (48-49) are now tied for the third spot in the Tycobbian West Division with the Blue Lake Blue Sox (48-49). They are 8 games off the pace. Bay St. Clair (44-54) is at the bottom of the division and are 12.5 games out.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, July 23, 2001

Hot Bat Wins Echevarria the TU Player of the Week
His lightning swing and solid bat took the Tycobbian Union by storm. All week Billy Echevarria of the Fairfax Frogs shocked opponents with an electrifying performance to capture the Tycobbian Union Player of the Week honors.

The talented center fielder sparked his team by hitting .484 with 2 home runs, 8 RBIs and 10 runs scored.

So far this year Echevarria is batting .285 with 6 home runs, 34 RBIs and 58 runs scored.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, July 23, 2001

Benson RU's Best of the Week
Today the Ruthlandian Union announced the Player of the Week Award. This week's honoree is Far Mountain's talented first baseman Royce Benson. When he steps into the batter's box, it's usually a bad omen for pitchers.

For the week Benson batted .593 (16-27) with 1 home run and 5 RBIs.

Benson is currently batting .309 with 4 home runs and 34 RBIs.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Sunday, July 22, 2001

IPA Announces RU and TU All-Stars
Two-thirds of the season has been played and now it's time the first-ever Islandian Pro Alliance All Star game! It's a game where the fans will get to see their favorite players compete on the same field together, a game where the players themselves become fans and all of baseball comes together to celebrate one of the great traditions of the game -- the All-Star game. Fairfax will be the site of the game. Commissioner John Banson gave the game to the Frogs because they have compiled the best overall record in the league so far. The All-Star Game will be played at their home park, the Frog Pond. Johnny Walters of Marston and Harry Buckley of Fairfax were chosen to manage the All-Star teams because their respective clubs have the best records in their leagues.

The Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union will come together tomorrow to decide the title of the best league for this season.

Here are the talented stars on the Ruthlandian Union roster:
SP Ron Benson (SV) (15-7 2.56) *Pitched recently, will not play unless needed
SP Zarek Zalewski (VLM) (13-5 2.36) *Pitched recently. will not play unless needed
SP Nick Pace (MAR) (14-8 2.80)
SP Sonny Elliott (FM) (13-7 2.68)
SP Carl Thompson (BB) (12-8 2.56)
1B Dennis Cole (CFX) (.328/27 HR/86 RBI/77 R)
LF Nicky Swift (BB) (.331/32 HR/80 RBI/72 R)
SS Scooter Perez (VOL) (.380/6 HR/33 RBI/76 R)
CF Ryan Morse (FC) (.359/12 HR/46 RBI/77 R)
3B Jorge Vargas (SV) (.332/23 HR/77 RBI/73 R)
C Dave Davis (FM) (.383/6 HR/56 RBI/51 R)
RF Dixie Baker (CLX) (.320/28 HR/91 RBI/64 R)
2B Gil Foster (ELN) (.344/14 HR/55 RBI/57 R)
C Yoshi Motsuzuki (VLM) (.292/10 HR/38 RBI/58 R)
LF Chuck Hill (FC) (.320/23 HR/78 RBI/67 R)
RF Big Hoss Burkhalter (WLK) (.310/27 HR/91 RBI/56 R)
LF Ox Beauvais (GLS) (.333/19 HR/56 RBI/54 R)
3B Roland Thomas (MAR) (.364/3 HR/53 RBI/51 R)
RF Paul Giles (ELN) (.277/20 HR/61 RBI/65 R)
1B Maury Smith (GLS) (.354/11 HR/64 RBI/65 R)
3B Yoshihide Nishida (WLK) (.290/15 HR/63 RBI/69 R)
SP Flash Guidry (CFX) (11-10 3.14)
SP Casey Ledbetter (MAR) (12-6 3.36)
SP Smokey Joe Carter (WLK) (12-9 3.43)
SP Herm Bahr (FC) (11-6 3.34) *Pitched recently, will not play unless needed
SP Glenn Moore (FC) (11-7 3.10)
SP Charles Darby (GLS) (11-10 3.59) *Pitched recently, will not play unless needed
RF Matty McDermott (BB) (.326/14 HR/44 RBI/76 R)

And these are the gifted players for the Tycobbian Union:
SP Flint Battle (SF) (13-8 2.48)
SP Kojiro Matsumoto (GIN) (14-5 2.96)
SP Ken Olson (SF) (11-8 2.70) *Pitched recently, will not play unless needed
SP Jay Clay (BL) (11-4 2.76)
SP Wally Robinson (CC) (12-7 3.12)
2B Alan Hansen (BAY) (.398/1 HR/34 RBI/87 R)
RF Gregg Vincent (FFX) (.326/26 HR/77 RBI/61 R) *Injured, will not play
3B Stan Cobb (FFX) (.322/10 HR/63 RBI/67 R)
1B Dwayne Coleman (BAY) (.299/30 HR/91 RBI/66 R)
CF Donnie Frazier (BL) (.291/16 HR/52 RBI/54 R)
LF Matt Merrill (ARL) (.315/17 HR/56 RBI/57 R)
SS Warren Lee (FFX) (.321/6 HR/38 RBI/51 R)
C Eric Richter (LUX) (.325/3 HR/44 RBI/38 R)
C Marv McCoy (FFX) .290/3 HR/23 RBI/29 R)
3B Doug Cunningham (OZK) (.267.22 HR/67 RBI/52 R)
3B Timmy Smith (BL) (.324/11 HR/45 RBI/42 R)
CF Takashi Fujimoto (GIN) (.285/14 HR/52 RBI/61 R)
1B Paul Hallenbeck (LUX) (.322/14 HR/58 RBI/44 R)
1B Rodger Wooten (CC) (.291/19 HR/62 RBI/57 R)
LF Rod Kelly (CC) (.303/16 HR/55 RBI/54 R)
RF Pedro Vizquel (LUX) (.299/4 HR/38 RBI/53 R)
SP Robbie Meredith (FFX) (10-5 2.97)
SP Craig Smith (ARL) (11-7 3.22) *Pitched recently, will not play unless needed
SP Toshiharu Ito (GIN) (10-3 2.34) *Pitched recently will not play unless needed
SP Jerry Harrison (BAY) (11-6 3.28)
SP Norm Gross (BSC) (12-7 3.48) *Pitched recently, will not play unless needed
SP Jackie Leslie (FFX) (12-8 3.74)
SP Bennie West (BL) (11-9 3.04)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Monday, July 23, 2001

RU Stars Rally, Top TU Stars 5-4
The first-ever Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game was played in Fairfax at the Frog Pond and the Ruthlandian Union All-Stars saved the best for last. The RU Stars rallied for four runs in the ninth to stun the TU Stars 5-4. Waleska's Smokey Joe Carter (.137) (Waleska) delivered a game-winning single in the bottom of the ninth to score Scooter Perez (Volusia) from second base. The RU Stars had done little with the bats up until the their last at-bat and trailed by a 4-1 score. In the rally, they really tore into Jackie Leslie (12-3 3.74) of Fairfax. A lead-off walk to Yoshi Motsuzuki (.292) (Valmara} and singles by Gil Foster (.344) (Elnora) and Chuck Hill (.320) (Forest City) loaded the bases. Perez's (.380) single made it 4-2 and Matty McDermott (.326) (Belair Beach) singled to cut it to one run. Maury Smith (.354) (Glasco) tied the score with a deep fly to right. That set the stage for Carter's walk-off line-drive single to right that decided the game.

In the first frame, a double by Alan Hansen (.398) (Bayview) and a single by Dwayne Coleman (.299) (Bayview) produced the first run of the game sending TU ahead 1-0. In the second, a double by Rod Kelly (.303) (Cape Coral) and two singles by Eric Richter (.325) (Luxora) and Flint Battle (.234) (South Fork) added another run. Dixie Baker (.320) (Colfax) homered for RU in their half of the second to cut it to 2-1. TU went up 3-1 in the third on a walk to Donnie Frazier (.291) (Blue Lake), who stole second and went to third on a throwing error by the catcher. Matt Merrill (.315) (Arlon) pushed him across with a single. It wasn't until the seventh that another run was put on the scoreboard. TU's Rodger Wooten (.291) (Cape Coral) made it 4-1 with a long, solo homer.

TU's second baseman Alan Hansen (Bayview) was selected the Star of the Game as he went 3-for-4. The Tycobbian Stars outhit the Ruthlandian Stars 16 to 10 with catcher Eric Richter (Luxora) going 3-for 3, and left fielder Matt Merrill (Arlon) and right fielder Rob Kelly (Cape Coral) each collecting two hits apiece. Second baseman Gil Foster (Elnora) was the only RU Star with two hits. Smokey Joe Carter (Waleska) also got credit for the victory with a scoreless ninth, while Jerry Harrison (Bayview) suffered the defeat.

Marston's Johnny Walters skippered the RU Stars to victory, while Fairfax's Harry Buckley piloted the TU Stars. The game was played at the Frog Pond in Fairfax because the Frogs had the best overall record so far in the regular season. Walters and Buckley were chosen as managers for having the best divisional records. They got all of the position players in the game.

RU pitchers Zarek Zalewski (13-5 2.36) (Valmara], Ron Benson (15-7 2.56) (Sugar Valley), Herm Bahr (11-6 3.34) (Forest City) and Charles Darby (11-10 3.59) (Glasco) did not play in the game. They recently pitched and would have been used only as a last resort. The RU Stars were also missing Fairfax's outstanding slugger, Gregg Vincent, who is hitting .326 with 26 homers, 77 RBIs and scored 61 runs. He has been out for about the last ten days with a sprained ankle.

TU pitchers who did not participate because they had pitched too recently: Toshiharu Ito (10-3 2.34) (Ginza), Ken Olson (11-8 2.70) (South Fork) and Norm Gross (12-7 3.48) (Bay St. Clair).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

No Games in the IPA Today
The teams in the IPA will take the day off to give the All-Star players a day off. The clubs will return to action on Wednesday with a full slate of 12 games.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - North Division

The Far Mountain Redhawks are on top of the RU North Division, 3.5 games in front of the Colfax Blasters. The Redhawks just jumped ahead of the them in the last ten days as the Blasters have spiraled into a 1-9 slump and dropped out of first place. The last third of the season looks like it is going to be a humdinger in this division with a four-team battle between Far Mountain, Colfax, Volusia and Valmara. The Vigilantes are only 4 games off the pace and playing well of late, while the Vipers are just 4.5 games out. Valmara, the best hitting team in the RU North, has had a good July, too.

So far the Redhawks and the Blasters pitching has kept them at the top of the standings. Far Mountain and Colfax are tied for the best team ERA at 3.74, Glasco is third with a 3.82 ERA, Volusia is fourth with a 3.91, Elnora is fifth at 4.27 and Valmara is dead last with an atrocious 4.53 ERA. The clubs that have good pitching can get by with it, more so than the team that hit well. Look out, if Valmara ever gets any kind of good pitching.

Valmara leads with a .280 team batting average, Volusia is second with .275, Colfax and Elnora are tied for third at .271, Glasco is fifth at .267 and first place Far Mountain is last with a .265 average. The Vipers and Blasters are the best run producers by far over the other four clubs, averaging a run a game more.

The Valmara Vipers also are the best defenders in the division with a .980 mark. The other four clubs are closely bunched with Volusia and Elnora at .978, Glasco and Colfax .977 with Far Mountain way down the line at .974.

The Far Mountain Redhawks have not had a good July thus far. They have an 11-14 mark. Pitching has been their strong point with two fine starters in righthanders Sonny Elliott (13-7 2.68) and John Luzzatti (9-7 3.22) and two good relievers in Doc Rutledge (6-6 3.00) and Mike McCabe (4-2 2.59). McCabe recently took over the closer role from Rutledge. McCabe has two saves and 32 relief appearances this season, while Rutledge has 11 saves and 36 game appearances. Stan Lamoreaux (6-3 4.24) and Vic Vaux (8-6 4.27) have been good at times and ineffective at other times. Consistency has been their problem.

Far Mountain is skippered by the legendary pitching great of the amateur leagues, Alex Groveland. In order to shore up his hitting for the final six weeks of the regular season, Groveland shipped one of his pitchers, Vance Mitchell (5-4 3.73), to Valmara in exchange for second baseman Steve Kaminski (.345). Mitchell had four starts for the Redhawks, while Kaminski was a backup utility infielder with good potential, but no place to play for the Vipers. Newly-signed Bud Ford, a 29-year-old righthander, will take Mitchell place in the starting rotation.

Offensively the Redhawks are led by All-Star catcher Dave Davis, who tops the RU with a lofty .383 batting average, while driving in 56 runs. Third baseman Johnny Strickland (.281) has been good in the clutch and tops the team with 15 homers and 55 RBIs. He is one of the few longball threats, but is weak on defense with a .924 fielding percentage. Power is sorely lacking in Far Mountain. First baseman Royce Benson (.309) and center fielder Hawk Gallagher (.306) have been important cogs in the Redhawks success this year, but both lack power. They both have stolen over 30 bases each. Gallagher is a solid defender (.996 FA) and tops the league in putouts. In an attempt to perk up the offense Groveland has picked up two new outfielders, left fielder Dennis Jones and right fielder Sid Cameron. Both will split time with Gerald Davis (.234) and Tommy Sonnier (.254). Shortstop Joey Cannizaro (.307) has taken over for Al Nixon (.256), but his defense is not quite as good.

The new additions will be the key to how well Far Mountain does over the last 50 games of the season. If they come through for them, you could see them in the Final Four playoffs. Time will tell if it was wise to give a division rival a desperately-needed good pitcher. The Kaminski for Mitchell trade could backfire on them.

What's wrong with the second place Colfax Blasters? On paper they are one of the best-balanced clubs in the North Division with good pitching and good hitting. But lately everything seems to have gone south on them. They are 8-16 this month, the worst record in the division. Colfax has now fallen 3.5 games behind Far Mountain.

All-Star righthander Flash Guidry (11-10 3.14) always gives skipper Clem Rogers a good start, along with southpaw Harry Manning (11-8 3.87). 1 through 9 in the mound corps, Colfax may be just about as good as it gets in the IPA. Lefty Robbie Smith (6-6 3.19), and righthanders Irv Panko (1-2 3.47) and Jim Dreyer (3-0 3.21) have done well in limited service so far. New middle reliever Vic Jankovich (2-0 1.02) had been outstanding in his 10 appearances. Closer Walt Sellers (2-5 3.25) has struggled at times, but had pitched fairly well with 8 saves in 32 games. Jankovich has just been promoted to the finisher role by Rogers. Sellers will be his main long relief.

Except in home runs the Blasters have a solid bunch of regulars. 1 through 7 Colfax is good with the bats. All-Star first baseman Dennis Cole (.328) is outstanding with 27 homers, 86 RBIs, 77 runs and 99 walks. He will definitely be in the running for all the batting awards this year. Other regulars include second baseman Tucker Hill with a .329 average and 61 runs, left fielder Blinky Brandon with a .302 average and 76 runs scored, third baseman Russ Farrell, batting .290 with 48 RBIs, right fielder Pat Lott with 57 RBIs and a .277 batting average, and center fielder Tatsuya Suzaki (.274), a sure-handed defender. Rogers has restored Wayne O'Reilly to the shortstop position. He is a good fielder with power. He has 12 roundtrippers and will lend some much needed power in the lineup and better defense.

Look for Rogers to crack the whip and get his ship turned around and headed in the right direction. The Blasters are too good of a club to continue playing so poorly. Rogers said they have just hit a bad stretch in the season and will be in the hunt for a Final Four position come late September.

A trade between Colfax and the Bayview Vikings of the Tycobbian Union East was made official this morning. The Blasters have sent 27-year-old backup third baseman Vic Boldt to the Vikings in exchange for 33-year-old catcher Jose Hernandez. Manager Clem Rogers thinks Hernandez can contribute some run production to the lineup.

In 24 games Boldt is currently hitting at a .257 pace with 1 home run, 14 RBIs and has scored 11 times.

This season in 15 games, Hernandez is batting .276 with 1 home run. His totals include 9 RBIs and 7 runs scored.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - North Division

For the past two months the third place Volusia Vigilantes have been the best team in the RU North Division with a 32-23 record, 14-11 in July. The V's have moved up to challenge Far Mountain and Colfax and are just 4 games off the pace at the All-Star interlude. Manager Alfonso Feliz has good hitting and very fine pitching. His closer, Ricky Moreno, (4-2 1.81) has been a standout with 15 saves in 30 appearances. Moreno is the IPA co-leader in saves with Buzzy Lewis (4-6 3.14) of Bayview. Feliz has two good southpaw starters in Lenny Collins (9-5 3.10) and Raul Sandoval (10-10 3.21). Righthander Kit Kivett (9-5 3.78) started off great, but in recent weeks has come down to earth and become human. Kivett is still more than adequate. The fourth starter in the rotation, Brian King (1-3 2.23), has pitched very well, but has gotten very poor run support in his three starts - the Vigilantes have scored only two runs for him. Feliz thinks King will give him another solid starter. He said his mound corps will be fine if Kivett regains his early form. Volusia's main shortcoming is in middle relief. Feliz needs help here. With improvement in this department the V's could be serious contenders for the division title. Actually Volusia is already a serious contender just playing the way they are playing. The Vigilantes are a good ballclub.

Lacking home run power, Volusia has to manufacture runs. Fortunately no team in the division hits for much power. No one knows if it is just good pitching or bad hitting. The playoffs will tell. Only one Vigilante player has double-digit homers. Volusia's prize possession is the super shortstop Scooter Perez. He made the All-Star team with a sky-high .380 batting average with 28 doubles, 5 triples and 6 home runs. Perez is among the leaders with 76 runs scored and 41 stolen bases. He is also a good fielder. Feliz has a quality lineup with first baseman Alejandro Salazar (.295/12 HR/54 RBI/56 R), left fielder Winky Rush (.294/8 HR/53 RBI), center fielder Alex Luna (.274/9 HR/58 RBI/56 R/13 SB), right fielder Jesus Arroyo (.274/6 HR/52 RBI) and catcher Jojo Nunez (.268/ 5 HR/31 RBI). However, second base and third base could use more offense.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - North Division

The Valmara Vipers, piloted by J. Jackson Samuel, tied last place Elnora for the best record in the division in July with a 14-10 mark. The Vipers are in the fourth spot in the standings, just 4 games back and ready to make a run at Far Mountain, Colfax and Volusia. Pitching is Valmara's Achilles' heel. They are ranked last in the Ruthlandian Union North with an astronomical 4.53 ERA.

Samuel has had only two dependable hurlers this season, but both are dillies. All-Star lefthander Zarek Zalewski (13-5 2.36) has the best ERA in the RU and leads it with four shutouts, while lefty closer Danny Blauser (7-4 2.60) has made 39 game appearances and has saved 6 games. Valmara has gone through 18 pitchers so far during the year. Samuel just added three more over the All-Star break. He also traded for Vance Mitchell (5-4 3.73) and gave up a utility infielder with good potential, Steve Kaminski. Mitchell will move into the starting rotation along with Todd Turner (10-7 4.17) and Gerry Wojcik (2-2 4.23). The three newcomers will be used in middle relief. Kaminski will be installed at second base right away.

It is with the bats that the Vipers excel. The entire Valmara line-up is filled with good hitters. As a team they are batting .280 and have scored more runs than any club in the IPA. Center fielder Jan Szymanski (.273/21 HR/97 RBI/74 R/9 SB) is having a great season and lead the IPA in RBIs, right fielder Jet Kazmarek (.312/21 D/18 T/3 HR/54 RBI/73 R/45 SB) is tops in triples and stolen bases, left fielder Louis Sharp (.328/59 R) is the lead-off man and leads the club in batting average, first baseman Yank Jankowski (.319/44 R) has the second-best average, catcher Yoshi Motsuzuki (.292/10 HR/58 R/19 SB) made the All-Star team and second baseman Floyd Vinson (.306/46 R) is another .300 hitter.

Defensively the Vipers are number one in the RU North with .980 team fielding average. They have a strong infield, but have some error-prone outfielders.

If Mitchell can come through as a starter and the middle relief corps can do a decent job, the Valmara Vipers could be in the thick of things come playoff time.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - North Division

The Glasco Athletics are fifth in the RU North Division and manager McDuffie Hughes has lived and died by his pitching, lately he has been mostly dying as several of his starting rotation has slumped badly. The A's are 12-13 this month and have lost 7 in a row to dip 7 games back in the standings.

Portsiders Charles Darby (11-10 3.59) and Jesse Balfour (8-9 3.27) have paced the Athletics on the hill. Darby has three shutouts and is a workhorse, but has tailed off severely in the last month and lost his last four starts. Darby is 5-7 and a 4.60 ERA the last two months, but made the All-Star team. Balfour is a hard-thrower with two shutouts and has dropped his last three decisions. Jerry Smith (11-10 4.00), the only righthanded starter, came to Glasco in a trade a month ago for first baseman Francisco Robles (.286). He is 4-3 with a 3.97 ERA since joining the club. Hughes has inserted new righthander Bobby Joe Trent (0-2 1.99) into the starting rotation after the 18-year-old impressed him during his 11 relief appearances over the last month. Glasco has a fine closer in Ray Cook (3-4 1.76) with 9 saves and 29 appearances. Middle relief has been mediocre and needs some shoring up. The A's have signed two new hurlers to try and turn things around. Southpaw Jake Nyberg and righty Riley McKeever have been added to the roster.

In the batter's box Glasco has a solid core of hitters, but just don't have enough of them. They are only fifth in the division with a .267 team batting average. Heading up the batting order are two All-Stars, first baseman Maury Smith (.354/11 HR/64 RBI/65 R) and left fielder Ox Beauvais (.333/18 HR/56 RBI/54 R). Second baseman Barry McCord (.310/8 HR/56 RBI/48 R) and center fielder Chet Reynolds (.297/5 HR/36 RBI/59 R/29 /SB) have been vital contributors, too. Glasco needs the other four regulars to be productive to move up in the standings. Skipper Hughes thinks outfielder Buck Bucholtz (.405) may fill part of the bill when he comes back from a short stay on the disabled list. Bucholtz has been impressive in his 8 starts since signing a month ago. The Athletics need help at catcher and third base, and more punch at shortstop. Kyle Ballentine (.298) has hit for average and played good defense, but is just a singles hitter.

Overall on defense, the A's are only fair. They are fifth in the division with a .977 fielding percentage.

Glasco could still be in the playoff mix, if Darby can return to form and Bucholtz turns out to be as good as he has looked in the short term.

Manager Zoggy White's Elnora All-Stars haven't exactly live up to their nickname this season except in the month of July when they compiled a 14-10 mark and tied fourth place Valmara for the best record in the division. The All-Stars are poor at pitching and just average hitting. They have a 4.27 team ERA, fifth in the RU North Division. At bat Elnora is hitting .271 with a solid trio in the 2-3-4 slots in the batting order. Second baseman Gil Foster (.344)/14 HR/55 RBI/57 R), left fielder Quincy Peterson (.291/17 HR/68 RBI/55 R) and right fielder Paul Giles (.277/20 HR/61 RBI/65 R) are the club's prime producers. Paul Kesler (.329) recently became the first string first baseman and has looked good in his 18 starts this year. He is a fine defender, too. White needs a lot of help at catcher, short and third, but it doesn't seem to be on the horizon.

On the mound Elnora has a good group of starters in righthanders Carl Costas (8-10 3.11) and Pat Savoie (7-2 2.86) and lefties Tyrone Gray (7-10 3.86) and Jim Tarzetti (3-2 3.03). But the quality pretty much ends there. Up to the All-Star break, none of the middle relievers were effective, neither was closer Wally Tidwell (3-6 3.97). New-signee Taylor Gibbs will take over the closing slot from Tidwell. Gibbs is a 22-year-old fireballer with good stuff and erratic control, but he throws 95-97 mph.

The All-Stars are 9-1 in their last 10 contests and the season is looking up for them, but they are 11 games in back of the pack. It may too hard to make up that many games. They recently traded for outfielder Paul Giles to get some long range punch into the lineup. He should be a big plus in the last third of the season. But it may be too late for this year.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - South Division

The Marston Nine, under the tutelage of manager Johnny Walters, had a great June with a 20-9 record and 12-12 in July thus far to lead runner-up Forest City by 3 games in the Ruthlandian Union South Division. Marston can do it all on the baseball diamond - especially hit. The Nine is hitting .287, the highest of any team in the IPA. In the third spot are the Sugar Valley Rattlers, but they are 8 games back. Waleska is in the number four slot in the division standings, 9.5 games off the pace. Claxton is fifth 10 games out and Belair Beach pulls up the rear, 11.5 games behind.

Skipper Walters is blessed with a bevy of batters. In fact, he has some many good hitters he can't play them all. His bench is by far the strongest in the IPA. Walters can start four .300 hitters, and six if he wanted. Marston is paced by All-Star third baseman Roland Thomas (.364/3 HR/53 RBI/51 R), second baseman Ken Green (.329/9 HR/44 RBI/58 R), shortstop Don Nichols (.327/2 HR/26 RBI/14 R/7 SB), center fielder Tommy Reinhold (.312/9 HR/40 RBI/55 R/33 SB), catcher Mo Chappell (.296/6 HR/35 RBI/25 R), left fielder Ronnie Horn (.291/11 HR/40 RBI/57 R/17 SB) and right fielder Chris Deangelo (.272/13 HR/47 RBI/46 R/5 SB). First baseman Johnny Bethold (.241/18 HR/55 RBI/54 R) doesn't hit for average, but hits homers and drives in runs.

For backup, the Nine can call upon outfielders Kerby Jost (.542), Rodney Rich (.362) and Sam Dixon (.288). In the infield Walters has first baseman Chuck Barrett (.262) and third baseman Roddy Teague (.412). There are many clubs in the IPA that could make good use of the Marston bench, but they will have to part with a quality pitcher to get them.

The pitching corps is no slouch, either. Walters has two All-Star twirlers in his rotation. Righthanders Norm Pace (14-8 2.80) and Casey Ledbetter (12-6 3.36) might be the best duo in the IPA. Pace has 4 shutouts and 13 complete games, both numbers are tops in the IPA. Ledbetter has two shutouts. Lefthander Paul Azard (9-5 3.97) is a sound starter, too. Rounding out the starters is right hander Booger Burchfield (5-9 3.43), who has gone 2-3 with a with a 3.56 ERA since being obtained in the last month from the South Fork Stallions of the TU East.

Walters has not found a closer yet. The current one is Vince Gardner (3-4 3.89). Marston's mid-relievers have 13 saves working by committee. Gardner has two so far. Milt Wilson (1-4 3.21) has four saves, Juan Bonilla (2-0 3.47) four saves, Kenny Bagby (4-3 3.94) three saves and Ed Vogler (3-4 4.46) 2 saves.

Marston only weakness is a lack of longballs. They are last in the RU South with 90 homers, while Forest City leads with 122. Nonetheless, the Nine are second in runs scored to the Lumberjacks, trailing them by only 11.

Marston has done well, despite the fact that they have been missing one of their better pitchers pretty much the entire season due to a knee injury. Bob Lowe (1-2 3.44) is expected back for the tail end of the season. He should be ready for the playoffs for sure.

The keys to the Nine's success this season is the domination of Waleska and Belair Beach. Marston is 15-4 against the Westerners in head-to-head play and 13-5 against the Sunbirds. Forest City has a 12-8 mark in the season series with the Nine.

Rob Jackson has skippered the Forest City Lumberjacks to a second place position this year. They were 17-14 in June and 14-10 in July. The 'Jacks success has been a combination of home run power, solid starting pitching, excellent closing and fielding. They also hit for average. On paper, you would think they would be 10 games up on everybody. The Lumberjacks had the most All-Stars in the Ruthlandian Union with four, two pitchers and two position players. Fairfax of the Tycobbian Union topped all teams with six All-Stars.

Forest City has 122 roundtrippers on the year, led by All-Star left fielder Chuck Hill (.320/23 HR/78 RBI/67 R), second baseman Jesse Wolf (.300/20 HR/69 RBI/62 R), right fielder Benny Davis (.271/18 HR/58 RBI/51 R), first baseman J. T. Edmonds (.293/12 HR/52 RI/45 R), All-Star center fielder Ryan Morse (.359/12 HR/46 RBI/77 R) and shortstop Pops Keller (.294/6 HR/32 RBI/52 R).

Jackson can call on three impressive starters: All-Stars Glenn Moore (11-7 3.10) and Herm Bahr (11-6 3.34), plus Vinny Edelman (9-7 3.11). In the bullpen Timmy Brooks (4-3 1.38) has consistently shut down the opposition, when he gets the summons. Middle relief has been another story for the Lumberjacks. Consequently Jackson just cut three pitchers and signed three replacements. They could also vie for the fourth starter slot, currently held by Brian Charles (4-5 4.20).

Forest City's other negative is a weak bench. It is a big talent drop-off when Jackson has to rest his regulars.

Defensively, the 'Jacks have four Gold Glove contenders in first baseman Edmonds (.997), shortstop Keller (.991), and outfielders Morse (.995) and Hill (.985). They are the top defensive club in the Ruthlandian Union with a .982 fielding average.

The Lumberjacks have played consistently well thus far and the outlook is pretty much the same. The key will be middle relief. Forest City could catch Marston, if they come through for Jackson.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - South Division

The Sugar Valley Rattlers haven't been making a lot of noise in the RU South race. They are 8 games out of first at the All-Star break. Manager Gibson Bobkins' club is only 10-14 this month and is in need of both pitching and hitting. The Rattlers are fourth with a 4.20 ERA and fourth with a .272 batting average. Neither is good enough to complete with the likes of Marston and Forest City. Team fielding could be improved, too. Sugar Valley is fifth with a .976 fielding percentage.

Bobkins does have several pluses. All-Star righthander Ron Benson (15-7 2.56) is the top winner in the IPA and closer Gregg Neal (8-5 2.11) has been sensational with 12 saves in 35 appearances. That's about it for pitching. Sugar Valley has starter Harvey Hines (9-7 3.66), but he has been inconsistent so far this season and gives up too many hits. Reliever Jay Washington (1-2 3.60) has been so-so so far. Look for the Rattlers to sprout four new pitchers soon.

The hitting load is carried by four fine players: All-Star third baseman Jorge Vargas (.336/23 HR/77 RBI/73 R), second baseman Rudi Oliver (.338/9 HR/44 RBI/47 R/7 SB), center fielder Freddie Vaux (.332/6 HR/49 RBI/53 R/15 SB) and shortstop Flipper Bird (.296/19 D/1 T/10 HR/38 RBI/64 R/10 SB). The latter three are good with the glove, too.

Other contributors to the Rattler offense are Left fielder Cy Bartz (.273/10 HR/49 RBI), who leads the IPA with 32 doubles and right fielder Karl Dietz (.247) with 15 home runs and 46 RBIs.

Bobkins has a lot of holes to fill on his roster to get competitive. Four quality pitchers, an outfielder, catcher and first baseman will not be found anytime soon. It has been rumored that Sugar Valley might part with Rudi Oliver in a two-for-one deal.

It looks like a long season for the Rattlers. Last place Belair Beach is on the rise and may have a better ballclub than Bobkins. A fifth or sixth place finish is possible for Sugar Valley.

The Waleska Westerners have had a mediocre year and are in fourth place in the RU South, 9.5 games behind with no prospects of turning it around. Their July record is poor, only 11-14, but they have three All-Stars on the team. They also have the wherewithal to win -- owned by the wealthy Jock Ewing family. And the Westerners have the legendary McGraw Johnson at the helm. He is not used to being second, much less in fourth place. Heads will roll and butts will be kicked until McGraw gets in his accustomed position as the top dog in baseball. He won more titles than anyone in the amateur and company leagues. The Ewings are not used to losing, either, and will do what it takes to win.

It will be a tough job. Waleska has a long way to go. They are fifth in hitting with a .265 batting average and also fifth in pitching with a very poor 4.40 ERA. Johnson does have some talent on the hill with All-Star Smokey Joe Carter (12-9 3.43), Jack Wagner (5-2 3.39) and the hot-and-cold Gary Hill (9-6 4.32), who is tough one day and then shelled a few days later. Same thing for the 4th starter Rusty Kraft (7-10 4.19). But the rest of the staff is fair to lousy, leaning more toward the lousy. After reliever Buddy Kennedy (2-5 3.66) and closer Andrei Marsiske (4-4 3.71), there isn't much on the mound. All of them have ERAs 5.00 and higher.

Waleska has a few gems in its batting order. All-Star right fielder Big Hoss Burkhalter (.310/27 HR/91 RBI/56 R) is one of the supreme power hitters in the IPA and All-Star third baseman Yoshihide Nishida (.290/28 D/10 T/15 HR/63 RBI/69 R/19 SB) is one of the best all-around-players in the league. Johnson has said he might do a 3-for-one deal for either of them, if it would improve the team.

Other quality players in Johnson's line-up are center fielder Rick Vaughn (.312/9 HR/35 RBI/44 R/5 SB), second baseman Wiz Taylor (.301/5 HR/67 R), first baseman Freddie Shelton (.289/14 HR/51 RBI), left fielder Charley Williamson (.289/10 HR/51 RBI) and shortstop Jinx Giarussa (.313/3 HR/19 RBI/27 R) in 33 games.

The Westerner bench is not much to speak of, with no immediate help there.

For Waleska to do an about-face, they need consistency from starters Hill and Kraft, at least two more quality pitchers, and a hitting catcher. A blockbuster deal featuring their All-Star players might be a partial solution.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - South Division

The Claxton Diamonds are currently in fifth place in the Ruthlandian Union South Division and trail first place Marston by 10 games. Toss out a bad April and May and the Diamonds are playing good ball under Stacy Engel. For June they were 16-15 and 12-12 in July.

"You are in trouble when you can score a lot of runs, but the other teams can score more," said Claxton's glib manager Stacy Engel in accessing his team's first season in the Islandian Pro Alliance. "The Old Perfessor" told BNN, "I must be getting too old for the game. It took me 60 games into the season before I realized I had a .370 hitter wasting a lot of time sitting on the bench instead of swinging the bat. Once I wised up and traded Winky Rush to Volusia for pitcher Johnny Szwak and put Dan Molnar in the line-up, it made me look like a genius."

Hitting is definitely the strong point of the Claxton Diamonds. The Diamonds have compiled a .281 team batting average, second-best to Marston's .289 in the RU South. Leading the Claxton hit brigade is left fielder Dan Molnar (.379/10 HR/25 RBI/19 R) in just 30 games, All-Star right fielder Dixie Baker (.320/28 HR/91 RBI/64 R), All-Star second baseman Donny McCoy (.341/34 D/2 T/4 HR/45 RBI/69 RBI), shortstop Bobby Ritter (.312/4 HR/53 R), first baseman Marty McCluskey (.305/11 HR/51 RBI/45 R), third baseman Keith Olsen (.302/24 D/3 T/7 HR/50 RBI/57 R) and center fielder Wayne Wilson (.277/6 HR/24 R/40 R) in 63 games.

According to Engel, "You give us the pitching some of these clubs have and no one could touch us, but God has a way of not arranging that, because it's not as much fun."

So much for fun. Here's what "The Old Perfesser" has to work with. His best starter came from the bullpen. Engel was desperate for a starter, so he took his best reliever, Alex Vanzetti, and made a starter out of him. Vanzetti (7-3 2.53) is now his number one starter. Johnny Szwak (9-5 3.85) was 7-1 at one time and has had some rocky starts of late, but can usually keep the game close for a while. He is 3-4 with a 4.18 ERA since coming to the Diamonds in a trade for outfielder Winky Rush (.294/8 HR/53 RBI/41 R). Claxton's biggest winner is bewildering. You never know which Tetsunori Nagashima (12-6 4.47) will show up. He has run hot-and-cold all season long. Brilliant at times, very bad at times.

Engel says, "It a flip of the coin, sometimes I win with whatever his name is and sometimes I lose with whatever his name is." Engel is notorious for not being very good with names.

The Diamonds number four starter is newcomer Sammy Melton (2-1 4.07), who has done a pretty decent job in his three starts. The 21-year-old lefty beat first place Marston 11-2 ten days ago for his first IPA victory. Engel is predicting good things for Melton.

What's the prediction for the Claxton Diamonds? Fifth or sixth if the pitching doesn't come around. But no matter what happens, good pitching or bad, it should be a fun season as long as "The Old Perfesser" is in charge.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Ruthlandian Union - South Division

One of the best righthanders of all-time, Marty Pedrosa, is the skipper of the last place Belair Beach Sunbirds. Pedrosa's club is 11.5 games out, mainly due to a terrible June when they were 9-22. The Sunbirds have rebounded to a 14-10 mark for July and are looking like a much better ballclub than their record.

The crux of Pedrosa's problem is the poor hitting. Belair Beach is last in the division, batting only .262 this year. The Sunbirds only have three threats in their line-up: All-Star left fielder Nicky Swift (.331/18 D/4 T/32 HR/80 RBI/72 R), one of the best pure hitters in the IPA and the home run leader, first baseman Phil Gravelli (.338/20 D/0 T/21 HR/58 RBI/40 R), a remarkable 17-year-old, who didn't sign until one-third of the season had gone by, and All-Star Matty McDermott (.326/15 D/2 T/14 HR/44 RBI/76 R/26 SB). The rest of the line-up really struggles.

Fielding is also a weak spot for the Sunbirds as they are last with a .975 fielding percentage. One bright spot, however, is shortstop Danny Church (.246), who has been outstanding on defense. He could be headed for a Gold Glove.

Pedrosa's pitching corps is anchored by Big John Thompson (12-8 2.56), an All-Star with three shutouts. The remainder are just adequate and nothing more. Closer Lou Zanelli (7-7 3.59) has 10 saves in 40 appearances. The others in the Belair Beach starting rotation are Tiny Lindgren (2-1 3.73), Ray Watson (3-2 3.84) and Kenny Frey (6-9 3.95).

Handling the middle relief for the Sunbirds are Sandy Kozicz (0-1 4.33), Lyndon Yarbrough (0-3 4.68), Todd Wilson (5-9 4.60) and Dirk Garrett (4-6 4.54). Improvement is needed for Pedrosa's crew to move up in the standings.

Belair Beach is playing very well lately, winning games with clutch hits and fine pitching. It is not likely they can continue to do this for the rest of the season. A third or fourth place finish may be the best the Sunbirds can do.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Tycobbian Union - East Division

The best club in the Tycobbian Union East this season has been the Ginza Ninjas. They have battled back and forth with the second place South Fork Stallions. At the All-Star break the Ninjas have surged slightly ahead by 1.5 games. Cape Coral and Ozarka are the next tier of teams, running third and fourth in the standings. The Hurricanes trail by 6 games and the Naturals by 7. Pulling up the rear are the Luxora Zorros and Hartsdale Hellcats. The Z's are 11.5 games out in fifth place, while the Hellcats are last, 13 games off the pace.

The Ginza Ninjas are a very well-balanced club with solid pitching, hitting and defense, ranking first or second in each category in the pitching-dominated Tycobbian Union. The Ninjas lead the division with a .267 mark, followed by Cape Coral at .260, Luxora at .256 and South Fork is fourth with a .255 average. Hartsdale and Ozarka are fifth and sixth with poor .248 and .239 averages respectively.

In pitching South Fork totally dominates the division with a brilliant 2.95 team ERA. Ginza is number two with a 3.46 ERA, followed by Luxora at 3.60, Cape Coral at 3.85, Ozarka with a 3.98 ERA and Hartsdale is last at 4.03.

South Fork is again on top in team fielding with a .979 percentage. Ginza is second at .977 with Luxora and Hartsdale tied for third with .975. Ozarka is fifth at .974 and Cape Coral is way back with a dismal .968, the worst in the IPA.

The Ginza Ninjas have been on an even keel the entire season, always near the top, piloted by the stoic baseball genius, Huroko Uchiyama. June was an especially good month with an outstanding 21-10 record. The Ninjas have cooled down in July, but still have a 13-11 mark, good enough to have a 1.5-game edge in the TU East over South Fork. Sparking the Ginza offense are first baseman Kenshin Yamamoto (.308/16 HR/58 RBI/55 R), right fielder Charlie Campbell (.301/14 HR/61 RBI/47 R) and All-Star center fielder Takashi Fujimoto (.285/14 HR/52 RBI/61 R/18 SB). Shortstop Shinjiro Aoki (.286/2 HR/29 RBI/62 R/30 SB) and third baseman Kaz Ojima (.321/3 HR/28 RBI/32 R/8 SB) in 52 starts have provided some run production, too.

Uchiyama has two All-Stars in his rotation, Kojiro Matsumoto (14-5 2.96) and Toshiharu Ito (10-3 2.34). It is hard to lose a series with these two fine righthanders. Kazuhiro Nakayama (8-10 2.81) keeps the Ninjas in every game. He could have won 3-4 more games with good defense and better run support. Rounding out the starters is Vic Rousakis (10-11 3.93), who has been a quality starter, too. There's nothing wrong with the Ninja starting rotation. They are ready for the stretch run.

But middle relief could use some improvement. Only Buddy Hart (3-3 4.24) has been adequate. Uchiyama has signed righthanders Gerry Hersh, Emil Kreskas and lefty Kenny Nishimura to ease the problem. All three could be used as spot starters.

Ginza's bullpen specialist, Ken Watkins (4-5 3.11), has been fairly effective with 7 saves in 26 relief assignments. But he has not been dominating the way Uchiyama would prefer it. But it is unlikely the Ninjas can get a closer in a trade. No one will give up such a valuable commodity.

The Ninjas have a tough task to make the Final Four playoffs. South Fork has such fine pitching. But so far Ginza has been equal to it and has a 12-8 edge in the season series and a 1.5-game lead in the division. They will play each other 10 more times in the last weeks of the season.

Manager DeRoche "Lips" Leon of the South Fork Stallions suffered for much of the season, languishing in last place. His hitting was atrocious at first, then improved to where it is now sufficient. But his pitching is superb, far and away the best staff in the IPA. Opponents only hit .239 against them with a brilliant 2.95 team ERA. Just look at his mound staff: All-Star Flint Battle (13-8 2.48) with 12 complete games, All-Star Ken Olson (11-8 2.70), Ken Connor (9-3 2.61) and newcomer Vic Bernini (4-3 2.00), who may be his best of all. The team really took off when Leon moved Connor out of middle relief into the starting rotation. He is 6-1 in the last month. That the starters.

In the relief corps Glenn Turnbull (6-4 2.98) and Billy Joe Gordon (0-5 2.98) have been the closers. Turnbull took over after Gordon lost 5 games in the early season. Since then Gordon has turned it around and pitched very well in long relief. Turnbull has 4 saves and Gordon 7. The other two relievers are Kyle Moss (0-1 3.68) and Burnell Bradford (0-0 3.24) only do mop-up work.

South Fork's wheeling and dealing GM Finley Charles went on a shopping spree a month ago to get some punch in the Stallion line-up. And it certainly has paid off. He traded for center fielder Ronnie Lee (.313/2 HR/27 RBI/49 R/20 SB), right fielder Art Atkins (.309/6 HR/33 RBI/47 R/7 SB), first baseman Keith Burke (.304/4 HR/23 RBI 34 R/4 SB) in 37 starts and second baseman Rick Tsoukalis (.312/1 HR/16 RBI/16 R/5 SB) in 27 starts. They had to give up a fine power hitter in Paul Giles (.273/19 HR/57 RBI/60 R) and two solid pitchers, Jerry Harrison (7-3 3.55) and Booger Burchfield (3-6 3.35) to get them. Joining with third baseman Glenn Holliday (.284/20 HR/53 RBI/55 R) and left fielder Gene Woodruff (.287/7 HR/39 RBI/38 R), the new additions have given South Fork a respectable line-up.

The Stallions gave up power and expendable pitchers for batting average and it has worked out very well for them. It also improved the defense.

If South Fork continue to play like they have in the last month, no team in the Tycobbian Union East Division will be able to keep up with them. Only Ginza has a chance to stay with them. The Stallions may be the best bet to make the Final Four playoff round.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, July 24, 2001

Around the IPA
Tycobbian Union - East Division

Huggy Miller, manager of the Cape Coral Hurricanes, has them hanging close in third place, 6 games out at the All-Star break. The 'Canes hit fairly well, pitch fairly well and play defense poorly. They were 17-15 in June, but fell to 11-13 so far this month.

Describing his ballclub Miller said, "Baseball takes pitching, hitting and defense. Any two can win. All three make you unbeatable. I guess we need to work on all of them a little bit more."

Cape Coral is second in hitting with a .260 batting average and second in homers with 90. Miller's top batters are All-Star first baseman Rodger Wooten (.291/19 HR/62 RBI/57 R) and All-Star left fielder Rod Kelly (.303/16 HR/55 RBI/54 R). They have been the only two regulars that have stayed in the line-up since opening day. Miller has had to play a lot of players and is still looking for them. Right fielder Danny Mullins (.272/10 HR/31 RBI/30 R) in 57 games has done a fine job. Shortstop Bobo Hatfield (.290/4 HR/34 RBI/41 R) has hit, but hasn't made the plays on defense, fielding only .913 on the season. Center fielder James Middleton (.307/6 HR/28 RBI/45 R/6 SB) has hit well, but played in only 66 games due to injury. Third baseman Spook Estes (.293/5 HR/22 RBI/28 R), gotten in a trade with Fairfax has played in 43 games this season and is a fine infielder. Second baseman Andy Anderson (.285/5 HR/26 RBI/31 R) hits for average, but is a singles hitter and a so-so fielder. Catcher Rick Clark (.286/5 HR/21 RBI/31 R) has played in 57 games, but has played poorly in the field. Cape Coral recently traded for shortstop Kenny Hall (.230) to improve the defense, but so far has struggled in the field. Only Mullins and Middleton are strong on defense. The rest have a ways to go. Second baseman Howie Winters will replace Anderson at second base. Winters is a solid defender and a fair hitter, but with little power.

Cape Coral is fourth with a 3.85 ERA with All-Star hurler Wally Robinson (12-7 3.12) leading the way. New signee Josh Salow (3-3 3.00) has done well in his 8 starts. Katsuyuki Nagashima (9-7 3.05) started the season in the bullpen as the closer, but was pressed into service as a starter in early June and has rung up a very impressive 6-1 mark. Gary Fountain (7-6 4.31) is the fourth starter. Fountain was great in the first month and terrible in the second month. He went to the bullpen and did well and now has returned to the starting rotation. The rest of the pitching staff is Joey Martin (0-2 3.38), Owen Pruitt (6-5 4.10) and former closer Scotty Lohmeyer (2-5 4.29). Miller recently picked up a new closer, 27-year-old Tommy Archer, who throws 96-98 mph. Cape Coral also added pitcher, 23-year-old Max Darenhauer. He is another fireballer with a high 90s fastball and will be used in middle relief.

The Hurricanes don't seem to be in the same league with first place Ginza and second place South Fork. Third place is probably the best they can do with the talent they have.