ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 5, 2047

2047 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME 1

MIDDLEFIELD TOPS SOUTHPORT 6-1 IN GAME 1
On a rainy, windy and cool afternoon at Middlefield Park, the Middlefield Roosters methodically took care of business in game one of the IPA Pro Cup Finals, topping Southport 6-1 with solid pitching and 14 hits... heavy rain put the damper on the mound duel between James Long and Billy Hoover, the two starters... they both left after four innings due to the long rain delay... the Roosters had a 1-0 lead at that time... when the game resumed Norman Antonioni boomed a big three-run homer off reliever Wayne Stewart in the fifth to expand the Roosters' lead to 4-0... Rooster reliever Ricky Farris (2-1/3.31) saved the day with four runless frames, giving up only one hit and striking out four... Farris got credit for the victory... the loss went to Hoover (3-2/2.33), who allowed only one unearned run on six hits in his four innings.

Leading Middlefield at the plate were Antonioni (.196), SS Jimmy Beach (.333), CF Russell Martin (.500), 1B Cliff Patterson (.167) and 2B Ike Gary (.286), all with two hits each... the Sun Sox's only score came in the top of the ninth on 3B Craig Glennon's (.302) seventh homer of the playoffs... Southport was restricted to six hits by three Rooster hurlers.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 6, 2047

2047 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME 2

SUN SOX EVEN PRO CUP SERIES WITH 3-RUN 9TH
Better late than never - Southport, on the brink of dropping the first two games in the Pro Cup Finals - rallied to win 4-2 with a three-run ninth to even the best-of-seven affair at one game apiece... Middlefield's Larry Wheelhouse tired in the late innings and couln't protect a 2-1 lead... Wheelhouse crumbled in the top of the ninth... he was tagged for a lead-off homer by Craig Glennon that tied the score at 2-2... Wheelhouse then walked the next two batters and wild pitched them to second and third base, finally giving up an RBI single to PH Lance Turcotte, who knocked in the winning run... Robert Martin followed with an RBI single to give the Sun Sox an insurance run.

Hal Combs (2-0/0.00), in relief of starter Johnny Swanson, struck out two of the three batters he faced to nailed down his third postseason save... Swanson (3-0/3.14) notched the win in an effective outing, yielding just two runs on seven hits with five Ks and one walk... Wheelhouse (2-1/1.73) was the loser as he was slapped for four runs on seven hits in eight and two-thirds innings... he whiffed eight batters and gave up five walks.

Both teams collected seven hits apiece... Glennon (.304) got his eighth roundtripper in the playoffs to pace the Sun Sox... 2B Ricky Whitaker (.358) added two hits and an RBI... LF Robert Martin (.125) also drove in a run for the winners... Middlefield got an early 2-0 lead in the last of the fourth when CF Norman Antonioni (.203) tripled in 2B Ike Gary (.300), who had singled... SS Jimmy Beach (.329) then singled in Antonioni.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 7, 2047

2047 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME 3

BEACH'S BLAST GIVES ROOSTERS PRO CUP LEAD
In game three of the Pro Cup Finals at Pleasure Beach Park in Southport, pitching prevailed... Middlefield got only four hits but one of them was Jimmy Beach's two-run swat in the top of the sixth frame that gave the Roosters a 2-0 victory over the Sun Sox and the lead in the series two games to one... four Rooster hurlers combined for an 8-hit shutout... winner Carroll Collier (2-2/3.51) started and worked seven innings, giving up six of the hits, striking out three and issuing two walks... Ray Owens (1-2/1.72/1 save), Ricky Farris (2-1/3.18) and Royce Richardson (0-0/3.86/1 save) got the final six outs with the save going to Richardson... Sun Sox starter Bruce Delmore (1-3/3.77) went eight sharp innings with seven Ks and three walks, while allowing just four hits in a tough loss.

CF Barney Lewis (.320) went 2-for-2 and 3B Craig Glennon (.317) was 2-for-4 for Southport... the Sun Sox threatened three times in the game... they got runners on first and second in the second with no outs... runners on second and third in the sixth with two outs... and on first and second again in the eighth with two away... Beach's game-winning blast was his fifth home run in the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 8, 2047

2047 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME 4

HOOVER HALTS ROOSTERS 4-2, SUN SOX TIE SERIES
After four games in the IPA Pro Cup Finals, it's an even split between Southport and Middlefield... Billy Hoover, the ace of the Sun Sox, halted the Roosters in game four 4-2 with the help of closer Hal Combs (2-0/0.00), who retired all six batters he faced in the eighth and ninth to get his fourth save in the playoffs... Hoover (4-2/2.36) tossed seven innings for the win, struck out five and walked two in a solid outing.

A two-run clout by C Visalis Vlachos (.250) in the bottom of the sixth put Southport ahead 2-1... this was his third roundtripper in the postseason... the Roosters tied it up in the seventh, but doubles by LF Chris Jones (.264) and RF Pat Kinney (.220) gave Southport the lead again... the final Sun Sox score came in the eighth on a double by CF Barney Lewis (.315) and an RBI single by 3B Craig Glennon (.313).

Middlefield starter James Long (3-1/1.46) lost for the first time in 7 postseason assignments... he went all the way, permitted four runs on nine hits, while striking out two and walking none... the Roosters went ahead in the top of the second when 3B Rick Jackson (.289) singled in CF Russell Martin (.429)... and got their last run in the seventh on three singles by C Johnny McDonald (.169), SS Jimmy Beach (.321) and RF Sidney Conner (.320) and a sacrifice fly by LF Norman Antonioni (.185).

Both clubs picked up nine hits each... Chris Jones collected two hits for Southport, while Sidney Conner smashed three hits and Russell Martin whacked a pair for Middlefield.

[Honorable_Pawn]

Fitting series for two of the best teams over the past several seasons.

Great stuff here.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Honorable_Pawn

Fitting series for two of the best teams over the past several seasons.

Great stuff here.

Yeah, it's a fine series between two evenly-matched clubs. I hope it goes seven games... a Billy Hoover and James Long matchup in game seven would be a great end for the season.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 9, 2047

2047 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME 5

SUN SOX NIP ROOSTERS 2-1 IN GAME 5
Game five of the IPA Pro Cup Finals was a tense thriller played at Pleasure Beach Park in Southport... the hometown heroes came away with a 2-1 triumph over Middlefield... Johnny Swanson put the Sun Sox in the driver's seat with a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series... he powder-puffed his way to his fourth playoff victory... the Roosters hit him often, but they couldn't score... Swanson was touched for 11 hits, but they got only one run off of him... Swanson (4-0/2.79) fanned four and walked two in going eight and two-thirds innings... he got the first two batters in the bottom of the ninth, but then was tagged for three straight singles, filling the bases... closer Hal Combs (2-0/0.00) relieved him and got the last out for his fifth save.

In a battle of superb southpaws Larry Wheelhouse was nicked for the loss as he permitted two runs on 10 hits... Middlefield took the lead with a run in the top of the second... singles by RF Sidney Conner (.329) and SS Jimmy Beach (.329) placed runners on first and second... Conner moved to third on a deep flyout, then scored on Jorge Carpenter's (.237) sac fly... Southport knotted it up 1-all in the bottom of the sixth on an RBI single by SS Gonzalo Topez (.274) that scored 3B Craig Glennon (.324) from second base... the Sun Sox won it in the seventh when CF Barney Lewis (.328) doubled and was driven in by C Vasilis Vlachos' (.279) base hit.

Vlachos paced Southport with three hits... Lewis and Glennon numbered two hits each for the winners... topping Middlefield at the plate were LF Russell Martin (.444), Conner (.329) and Beach (.329)... they each delivered a pair of hits.

Southport needs only one win in the next two games to capture its third Pro Cup... the Sun Sox will have to win it on the road because Middlefield has the homefield advantage... games six and seven are slated to be played at Middlefield Park... the Roosters are only 3-5 at home in the playoffs this season, while the Sun Sox are 5-3 out of town... however, during the regular campaign Middlefield was great at home with a 54-23 mark... as visitors Southport chalked a respectable 43-34 record.

Game six will be a match-up of number three starters: portsider Brandon Delmore (1-3/3.77) for Southport and right-hander Carroll Collier (2-2/3.51) for Middlefield.. Collier got the best of Delmore 2-0 in game three of the series. During the regular season Collier was 19-13 with an impressive 2.88 ERA, while Delmore was 20-13 with a 3.71 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 10, 2047

2047 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME 6

CONNER'S 2 HRS KEEPS ROOSTERS ALIVE IN PRO CUP
Get ready for a seventh-game showdown for the IPA Pro Cup championship... Middlefield dodged elimination with a stirring 4-3 victory over Southport in game six at Middlefield Park via two dramatic homers by Sidney Conner... he slammed a three-run shot in the opening frame and won the game with a solo clout in the bottom of the eighth to even up the series at three games each.

The IPA title will be decided tomorrow afternoon in Middlefield... Southport will be seeking its third IPA crown and Middlefield its second trophy... the Sun Sox won it the first time in 2027... and again in 2044... they were finalists again in 2045, but fell in six games to Sugar Valley... the Roosters were the Islands' champion in 2005 and runner-up in 2025.

Middlefield's number three starter Carroll Collier (3-2/3.24) came up big in the "must win" game... he went eight and one-third innings, surrendered three runs, only two earned, nine hits, fanned four and walked three... Collier took a 4-1 lead into the ninth and needed the help of Ray Owens to secure the win... with the score 4-3 and the tying run on first, Owens (1-2/1.56) retired the only two batters he faced for his second save in this postseason.

Southport Brandon Delmore (1-4/3.46) lost it, but held his own... only two of the four runs he allowed were earned... the Roosters got six hits off of him and Delmore chalked up six Ks with no walks.

RF Sidney Conner (.349) sparked the Roosters with three hits and four RBIs... he now has five homers in the playoffs... leading the Sun Sox with two hits apiece were SS Gonzalo Topez (.284), C Visalis Vlachos (.292) and LF Chris Jones (.262).

Tomorrow in game seven it will be the aces of both staffs going at it... Billy Hoover (22-14/1.79) will be on the hill for the visiting Southport Sun Sox and James Long (23-10/2.05) will do the honors for the hometown Middlefield Roosters... this will the third time they have faced one another in this series... Long got the best of Hoover in the first game of the series 6-1, but Hoover got revenge in game four with a 4-2 triumph... in the playoffs both have excelled... Long is 3-1 with a 1.48 ERA in 7 starts, while Hoover is 4-2 with a fine 2.36 ERA in 6 starts.

Hoover, a 32-year-old right-hander, has made 23 postseason starts and carries a 14-8 record with an impressive 2.50 ERA... in his nine-year career with the Sun Sox Hoover is 181-114 with a 2.58 ERA... last year he was the recipient of the Tycobbian MVP Award and the Golden Arm... in 2044 Hoover won game seven of the Pro Cup Finals, beating Wynnamac 5-2 and giving Southport its second Pro Cup crown.

Long, a 27-year-old righty, is 5-3 in the playoffs with a great 1.33 ERA in 11 starting assignments... lifetime he is 177-124 with a 2.74 ERA in his 9 seasons with the Roosters.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 11, 2047

2047 IPA PRO CUP SERIES - GAME 7

SUN SOX IPA CHAMP ON VLACHOS' GRAND SLAM
The Southport Sun Sox capped the 2047 season in grand style winning the IPA Pro Cup on a grand slam homer in the 10th inning by Visalis Vlachos to win 7-2 in game seven of the Pro Cup Series with the Middlefield Roosters at Middlefield Park... the Sun Sox captured the series four games to three and picked up their third Pro Cup trophy overall and second in the last four seasons... Turon and North Hills lead the IPA with four Pro Cups each, followed by Far Mountain, Waleska, Tuckanarra and Southport with three apiece.

Southport had to rally from a 2-1 deficit in the top of the ninth... Rooster starter James Long couldn't finish them off... C Visalis Vlachos (.299) got aboard with a lead-off single and advanced to second an error by CF Norman Antonioni (.173), scoring the tying run on 2B Ricky Whitaker's (.310) RBI single... the Sun Sox then put the Roosters away with the 5-run 10th... Long (3-2/1.84) caught the loss, yielding four runs on four hits in his nine innings... Ricky Farris relieved him with runners on first and second and no one out... Farris did not fare very well... he surrendered Vlachos' grand slammer.

Solid pitching, both starting and bullpen, and solid hitting sparked Southport to the Islands' championship... Billly Hoover got off to a shaky first frame, giving up two runs on three singles and an error... RF Sidney Conner (.337) drove in the first run and SS Jimmy Beach (.311) plated the second one... Long made the 2-1 score stand up until the top of the ninth... Hoover settled down and shut the Roosters out the next seven innings... he worked eight innings, allowed six hits and no earned runs, struck out four and walk none in a sterling start... Hal Combs (2-0/0.00) got the win with a scoreless ninth... Gordon Forbes sat down Middlefield in order in the last of the tenth to nail down the IPA crown... it was Forbes' only appearance in the playoffs... Southpost got 11 hits in the game, paced by Vlachos (.299), CF Barney Lewis (.323) and SS Gonzalo Topez (.292), all with two hits each.

Manager Lorne Evans won the Pro Cup in his first year at the helm of the Sun Sox... speaking to reporters after the game he said, "When you've got the hosses, hoss, even a rookie skipper can win... Hoover, Swanson, Combs, Vlachos, Glennon, Lewis, Douglas and a dozen others guys won it for us... being a hometown boy makes this really special."... Evans played his first nine years with the Sun Sox, before signing with Tuckanarra as a free agent.

Ricky Tinker, manager of the Roosters, told the press, "I only have one single complaint... we didn't win it... still it was a fine season where we just came up a little short... we would be celebrating the Pro Cup victory instead of Southport, if a few plays had gone our way today."

Tinker added, "Yet, the Sun Sox won it and they deserved it... they are a fine ball club and there is no shame in losing to them... Lorne has a very talented team."

[Dark Horse]

Visalis Vlachos will never have to buy another drink in Southport!

[Honorable_Pawn]

wow, what an incredible season. Thanks, Eugene...I have really enjoyed this dynasty report. I'm truly looking forward to what you do for an encore after 2050.

It will be nice for me to start from the beginning but I can imagine how hard it will be for you to let go of this league.

If the next 2 seasons are anything like this one it will be a fitting finale to a geat great great dynasty report.

Excellent job.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Honorable_Pawn

wow, what an incredible season. Thanks, Eugene...I have really enjoyed this dynasty report. I'm truly looking forward to what you do for an encore after 2050.

It will be nice for me to start from the beginning but I can imagine how hard it will be for you to let go of this league.

If the next 2 seasons are anything like this one it will be a fitting finale to a geat great great dynasty report.

Excellent job.

Thank you very much for your gracious comments and support.

Yes, it will be a little hard to let the IPA ride off into the sunset after the 2050 season. Like they say, "All good things must come to an end." ... Roy Rogers, Hopalong Cassidy, Marshal Dillon, the Everly Brothers, the Beatles, Elvis, Sam Cooke, Hank Williams, George Jones, John Wayne, James Garner, Andy Griffith, Bob Hope, Stan Musial, Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Hank Aaron, Walter Johnson, Mickey Mantle, Don Zimmer, Jackie Robinson, Roy Campanella, Satchel Paige, Josh Gibson, John Henry Lloyd, Buck O'Neal, Jack Elliott, Phil Gravelli, Roy Hobbs, Loco Dillinger, Clyde Kingsford, Nicky Engstrom, Cory Burg, Mila Mohoski, Duncan Welch, Titus Bristow, Ilya Szabo and many other legendary icons of my real life and my make-believe world have come and gone and are greatly missed by me.

I have really enjoyed covering the Islandian Pro Alliance over the years. This year was a special one... not sure why... I think it's because I realize that it won't go on forever.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 12, 2047

CLOSER COMBS CLAIMS '47 PRO CUP MVP
Hal Combs appeared in only 8 of the Southport 18 playoff games, but the 30-year-old southpaw played a very decisive role with 5 saves and 3 victories, a performance good enough to win the IPA Pro Cup Most Valuable Player Award. In a very close vote Combs edged out five of his teammates. Center fielder Barney Lewis came in second in the balloting with 25 votes and starter Billy Hoover tallied 23 votes. Tied for fourth were third baseman Craig Glennon, catcher Visalis Vlachos and starter Johnny Swanson, all getting 14 votes apiece.

Combs didn't give up a single run in the postseason. He posted 11 and one-third scoreless innings, struck out nine batters and walked only one in eight relief appearances. Combs figured in 8 of the Sun Sox's 12 wins in the playoffs. He led the IPA in saves during the regular season with 24, while chalking up a 9-7 record with a 2.39 ERA.

Runner-up Barney Lewis led the Sun Sox to the Pro Cup crown in 2044 and captured the MVP honor that year. This year Lewis batted .323 with 6 doubles, 5 homers, 16 RBIs, 14 runs and 16 walks in 18 games.

Billy Hoover went 4-2 with a super 2.01 ERA in the playoffs against three of the most powerful clubs in the IPA: Hartsdale, Red Bluff and Middlefield.

The other three votegetters were also vitally important in the Southport Pro Cup championship drive. Craig Glennon hammered 8 home runs, drove in 17 runs and scored 16, while batting .286. Johnny Swanson went 4-0 with a 2.79 ERA in 6 playoff starting assignments and Visalis Vlachos hit .299 with 4 rountrippers, 15 runs batted in and 9 runs scored.

All six Sun Sox stars were deserving of the MVP trophy. It's a shame it had to go to just one of them.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 13, 2047

RU SWING KING IS SUNBIRDS' BUTLER
The Belair Beach Sunbirds soared to new heights this season by winning their first Ruthlandian South pennant in 31 years. Playing a big part of that was third baseman Jason Butler, this year's Ruthlandian Union Golden Bat winner. The 34-year-old Butler excelled with 45 homers, 129 RBIs, 105 runs and a .329 batting average to take the prize from Claxton's Jojo DeLucca and Ancona's Eldon Auldridge, the second and third place finishers respectively. Butler paced the RU with 129 runs batted in and was second in homers with 45. He wound up sixth in batting average. In his 13 years with the Sunbirds Butler has posted a .299 BA with 491 homers and 1387 runs. He is a six-time All-Star. This was his first time to capture the Golden Bat.

Jojo DeLucca helped his club, the Claxton Diamonds, to a three-way tie for second place in the Ruthlandian South with a .320 BA, 35 homers, 113 RBIs and 98 runs scored. DeLucca was honored with the Golden Bat in 2045, his MVP year.

Auldridge was one of the few bright spots for the hapless Ancona Red Elephants this season. They lost 103 games. However, Auldridge still put up strong numbers. At 34 he batted .303 with 34 roundtrippers, 106 RBIs and scored 93 runs. Lifetime Auldridge is a .292 batter with 274 home runs and has won five Golden Gloves.

JASON BUTLER* JOJO DELUCCA*ELDON AULDRIDGE

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 13, 2047

HM'S TALLIS TAKES TU GOLDEN BAT IN RECORD YEAR
In a miraculous season slugging first sacker Johnny Tallis of the High Mesa Cowboys put up record-breaking numbers to cop the prestigious Tycobbian Golden Bat Award, given annually to the top batter in the league. The 35-year-old slugger broke Jerry Culpepper's single-season home-run mark of 66 set in 2045 with 68. Tallis also drove in 178 runs to top Adam Zitek's 170 RBIs, established in 2005.

This year's honoree has never won any awards and had never approached these numbers in his 10 seasons in the IPA. Tallis started in 2034 with Kilkenny of the Ruthlandian North Division, but played regularly only one year (2037) compiling modest statistics. Tallis had 24 HRs and 71 RBIs with a puny .231 BA that season. He was cut loose by the Cats and didn't play in the IPA for five years, when High Mesa signed him at age 29 as a free agent in 2042. Tallis has been a standout every year since. The most homers he ever had was 41 in 2043 and his RBI high was 122 in 2044. This year's TU Golden Bat winner is a career .258 hitter with 285 homers and 813 RBIs. Tallis outpolled IPA icon Jack Culpepper of Bayview and Sogo Takagi of Ginza for this year's trophy. Tallis' monumental season sparked High Mesa to third place behind powerful Red Bluff and Tuckanarra in the TU East pennant race.

Culpepper has won five Golden Bats in his legendary career and he would have added to his totals except for Tallis' tremendous season. Culpepper totaled 60 home runs and 154 RBIs this year, but wound up second in the balloting. The 33-year-old third baseman hit .324 and scored 108 runs for the sixth-place Bayview Vikings of the Tycobbian West.

A distant third in the voting was right fielder Sogo Takagi. He put together another fine season for the Ginza Ninjas, who wound up fifth in the very strong Tycobbian South. Takagi stood out with a .314 BA, 43 homers, 116 RBIs and 118 runs.

JOHNNY TALLIS*JERRY CULPEPPER*SOGO TAKAGI

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 14, 2047

CLOSER FRIDAY TOP TWIRLER IN RU
After 47 years a reliever has finally won the coveted IPA Golden Arm Award. It happened this year in the Ruthlandian Union. Eastshore's masterful closer Jody Friday beat all the starters in the league and garnered the trophy this season. Friday's biggest competition came from Curt Steinhauer of Far Mountain and James Long of Middlefield.

During the regular season Friday worked a total of 87 games all in relief and led the RU with a great 1.56 ERA. He went 15-3 for the season with 17 saves for the sixth place Eastshore Elegants. Friday also topped the league in 2044 with a 2.04 ERA. In his 10 years with the club the 37-year-old portsider is 74-38 with 112 saves and an overall 2.05 ERA.

Curt Steinhauer was a very close second in the voting. The Far Mountain right-hander notched a 22-6 mark with a superb 2.12 ERA in 39 starts for the first place Redhawks in the RU North Division, who posted an IPA high of 101 victories this year.

James Long of the RU West champion Middlefield Roosters came in third in the Golden Arm vote. He went 23-10 with a 2.05 ERA in 39 starts.

***Jody Friday*** *Curt Steinhauer* *James Long*

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, October 14, 2047

SA'S BELL WINS 2ND TU GOLDEN ARM
Two years ago Matt Bell of the San Alejo Montaneros was acclaimed the best hurler in the Tycobbian Union. Now the 28-year-old star is back in the winner's circle again. He was honored with another Tycobbian Golden Arm trophy for his superlative season of 24-6 for the second place Monties in the TU South, the runner-up to the Southport Sun Sox, who claimed the division title and went on to win the Pro Cup. Southport's Billy Hoover wound up second in the poll with Red Bluff's Jud Cox in third place. Cox won the trophy last year.

This season's best Tycobbian pitcher has flourished for nine years with the Monties. Bell registered the second best ERA in the IPA with a 1.71, bested only by Jody Friday of Eastshore, the winner of the RU Golden Arm this year. Bell was fourth in strikeouts with 268 in 326 innings. Bell has won 20 games or more in seven of his nine years in the league. His overall record is 191-101 with a super low 2.35 ERA.

Hoover was 22-14 with a 1.79 ERA for the Pro Cup-winning Southport Sun Sox this year, while Cox compiled a 22-8 mark with an impressive 1.76 ERA for the Red Bluff Red Sox, the division winner in the TU North. Cox finished third in the IPA in ERA and Hoover was number four.

******Matt Bell****** Billy Hoover ****Jud Cox****

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 15, 2047

BP'S BUISSON RU ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
The IPA had a pretty decent crop of newcomers this season. The Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year Award went to Belle Plaine's fine young 22-year-old outfielder Lenny Buisson, who edged out two hurlers for the honor. Mickey Walsh of Sligo and Casimiro Ramires finished second and third in the best rookie poll.

Buisson played in 102 games for the fifth-place Musketeers and showed off some great muscle power. He hit .316 for average with 30 home runs, 84 RBIs and scored 77 runs... he also stole 16 bases and played well defensively.

Walsh had a standout freshman season with an 18-15 record for the sixth-place Sligo Rovers. The 20-year-old right-hander posted a fine 2.54 ERA with 215 Ks in 294 innings. Walsh made 35 starts and completed 23 of them.

Ramires made 32 starts for the Volusia Vigilantes, winding up with a 14-10 mark and a solid 3.11 ERA. The 25-year-old righty helped the V's finish second in the Ruthlandian West. Ramires struck out 179 batters in his 243 innings.

Lenny Buisson *** Mickey Walsh *** Casimiro Ramires

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 15, 2047

HIGH MESA HURLER ARMSTRONG TOP TU ROOKIE
The High Mesa Cowboys enjoyed a very good 2047 season in the Tycobbian East pennant race and young starter Lloyd Armstrong played a big part in their third place finish with a strong 18-12 record and a superb 2.00 ERA, which was sixth best in the IPA. And his efforts paid off well for him. The 27-year-old Armstrong was voted the top newcomer in the Tycobbian Union and was awarded the Rookie of the Year trophy. Two outfielders provided worthy competition. The runner-up was Teddy Plimpton of Cape Coral and in the third spot in the balloting was Xavier Da Nova of the Luxora Zorros.

Plimpton participated in 114 games for the fifth-place Hurricanes in the TU South. The 23-year-old Plimpton showed great promise in his initial season with a .311 BA, 26 doubles, 6 triples, 21 homers, 80 RBIs, 93 runs and 40 stolen bases. He ended up third in the IPA in stealing bases.

Da Nova played a terrific center field for the seventh place Z's and hit well, too. He compiled a .316 BA with 16 homers, 70 RBIs and 78 runs scored. Da Nova also chalked up 96 walks and a .436 on-base percentage in 118 games.

Lloyd Armstrong * Teddy Plimpton * Xavier Da Nova

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 16, 2047

BB'S BUTLER BAGS RU MVP, TOO
It was quite a season for Jason Butler of the Belair Beach Sunbirds. His team won its first pennant in over three decades and made the playoffs, he copped the Ruthlandian Golden Bat Award and Butler was voted the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player. The 13-year veteran was a first-time winner in each category. To win the honor Butler had to beat out two of the best pitchers in the IPA. Curt Steinhauer of the Far Mountain Redhawks was the runner-up in the MVP balloting and James Long of Middlefield came in third.

Butler, the 34-year-old first baseman for Belair Beach, hoisted up some super numbers this year. He batted .329 with 45 homers, 129 RBIs and scored 105 runs in 145 games. Butler is a six-time All-Star with a lifetime .299 BA and 491 home runs. He led the Ruthlandian Union in RBIs and finished third in the IPA. He was second in homers in the RU and eighth in the IPA.

Steinhauer also came in second in the RU Golden Arm vote, losing out to Eastshore reliever Jody Friday. Steinhauer fashioned a fine 22-6 season for Far Mountain, the champion of the Ruthlandian North and compiled a 2.12 ERA.

Middlefield's hard-throwing right-hander James Long sparked his club to the RU West pennant with a 22-10 mark and an superb 2.05 ERA. He wound up third in the Golden Arm poll.

** Jason Blake ** Curt Steinhauer ** James Long **

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 16, 2047

HIGH MESA'S TALLIS ADDS TU MVP TROPHY
2047 was a blockbuster season for record-setting High Mesa slugger Johnny Tallis. He shattered two IPA standards this year with 68 homers and 178 RBIs. Those numbers not only got him the Tycobbian Golden Bat, but also the much-desired Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player trophy. Tallis took the trophy from two fine performers, Southport hurler Billy Hoover and San Alejo outfielder Paolo Teixeira, who ran second and third in the voting.

Tallis' years in the IPA have not always been good ones. He flopped in his first trial with the Kilkenny Cats of the Ruthlandian North, washing out of the league after four poor seasons in 2037. However, fate smiled on him five years later when the High Mesa Cowboys signed him in 2042, which began his Cinderella story. This season was epic and unforgettable for him. Tallis totaled 68 roundtrippers that toppled Jerry Culpepper's IPA record of 66, set in 2040. He also busted Adam Zitek's mark of 170 RBIs in 2005 with 178 runs driven in. For the season Tallis batted .275. Over his 10 years in the IPA he has hit only .258. Tallis' tremendous season inspired the Cowboys to a strong third-place finish to Red Bluff and Tuckanarra in the TU East.

2043 was a spectacular season for Southport ace Billy Hoover when he gathered in the Tycobbian MVP and Golden Arm honors. This year Hoover went 22-14 with a standout 1.79 ERA, only good enough for second place in both award categories. With his help the Sun Sox captured their fifth division titles in the last six years. They also won their second Pro Cup in the last four seasons, whipping the Middlefield Roosters in a seven-game series.

San Alejo's gifted center fielder Pablo Teixeira had his best season this year at age 28. He batted .310 in 148 games, slammed 47 homers, drove in 110 runs and scored 118 times. Teixeira tied Ginza's Sogo Takagi for the IPA lead in scoring runs. His performance propelled the Montaneros to a very close second place to Southport in the Tycobbian South race. The Sun Sox won out by just two games.

*** Johnny Tallis *** Billy Hoover *** Paolo Teixeira ***