ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union LCS

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, October 6, 2061

V'S, RACERS UP 2-1 IN IPA PLAYOFFS
Three games into the IPA League Championship Series, defending Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills and Volusia have taken 2-1 leads over the Oxford Red Caps and the St. John Crusaders... the Racers slugged their way past the Red Caps 6-2 and the Vigilantes won another squeaker from the Crusaders 4-3.

Rolling Hills is trying to win back-to-back Pro Cup trophies and their record-setting fifth IPA title.

Ruthlandian Union League Championship Series - Game 3

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union League Championship Series - Game 3

[Eugene Church]

Friday, October 7, 2061

RU, TU SERIES ALL TIED UP AT 2-2
The IPA postseason series in the League Championship round are both tighter than twin Texas fiddles... both the Ruthlandian LCS and the Tycobbian LCS are deadlocked at two games apiece... the St. John Crusaders squeezed out a 3-2 win over the Volusia Vigilantes in game four and the Oxford Red Caps put it on the current Pro Cup champ and Pro Cup favorite Rolling Hills Reds 7-1.

RUTHLANDIAN UNION LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 4

[Eugene Church]

TYCOBBIAN UNION LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - Game 4

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, October 8, 2061

UNDERDOGS PREVAIL IN IPA PLAYOFFS, UP 3-2
Uh, oh... upsets are in the making in the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian League Championship Series... underdogs Volusia and Oxford have taken 3-2 leads in the best-of-seven series with favored St. John and Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills.

The Volusia Vigilantes vaulted past the St. John Crusaders 7-5 in game five and the Oxford Red Caps dealt the Rolling Hills Racers a harsh blow to their repeat hopes with a 5-3 triumph.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, October 9, 2061

V's Pro Cup Bound, Red Caps, Racers Play 7th Game
One half of the Pro Cup Series has been decided... the Volusia Vigilantes finished off the St. John Crusaders in a spirited six-game series to gain one spot in the IPA championship series... the other slot will go to the winner of the Rolling Hills Racers and the Oxford Red Caps... a seventh game is set for today in Rolling Hills.

Yesterday Volusia won another thriller to dispose of the Crusaders four games to two... the V's captured the series on a ninth-inning homer and eliminated scrappy St. John in a very tight and very close affair... in game six in the Tycobbian title series, the reigning Pro Cup crownholder Rolling Hills got their bats booming and staved off elimination in a rousing 11-8 slugfest with Oxford.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 11, 2061

RED CAPS STUN RACERS IN GAME 7
Believe you, me... Yogi was right... "It ain't over, till it's over"... just ask the bewildered Rolling Hills Racers... in a stunning reversal Oxford rallied from a three-run deficit in their very last at bat to win the Tycobbian title and advance to the IPA Pro Cup Series against the Volusia Vigilantes, the Ruthlandian Union title winner.

[Eugene Church]

Casey at the Bat
Ernest Lawrence Thayer - 1863-1940

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville nine that day:
The score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play,
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
A pall-like silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
Clung to the hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
They thought, "If only Casey could but get a whack at that—
We'd put up even money now, with Casey at the bat."

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
And the former was a hoodoo, while the latter was a cake;
So upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
For there seemed but little chance of Casey getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
And Blake, the much despisèd, tore the cover off the ball;
And when the dust had lifted, and men saw what had occurred,
There was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
It rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
It pounded on the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
For Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
There was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile lit Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
No stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
Five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt;
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
Defiance flashed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
And Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped—
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one!" the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
Like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore;
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
And it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
He stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
He signaled to the pitcher, and once more the dun sphere flew;
But Casey still ignored it and the umpire said, "Strike two!"

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered "Fraud!"
But one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
And they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate,
He pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate;
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Mudville—mighty Casey has struck out.

This poem is in the public domain.

[Eugene Church]

Friday, October 14, 2061

V'S AND RED CAPS IN PRO CUP FINALS
If the postseason pollsters had their way, it would be #1 Rolling Hills and #2 Wynnamac in the Pro Cup Finals... if it has played out according to the experts that's who would be playing for the much-coveted IPA Pro Cup trophy this October... but it was played out on the baseball diamond where the #7 Volusia Vigilantes and the #3 Oxford Red Caps reigned supreme... the Vigilantes are the Ruthlandian Union champion for 2061 and the Red Caps are the Tycobbian Union titlewinners... they will tangle in a best-of-seven series beginning this Saturday at the Jailhouse in Volusia... games one and two will be played there, then will shift to Oxford for games three, four and five... if needed, games six and seven will be played in Volusia... the V's got the homefield advantage because they were 97-57 this season... the Red Caps posted a 96-58 mark.

This year's Pro Cup Finals has the makings of a rootin' tootin' shootout... both clubs can hit the ball and score runs... they each possess high-octane attacks... whoever gets the best pitching will win the Pro Cup this year... Volusia beat a fine, well-rounded Wynnamac squad in the first round four games to two... in the Ruthlandian title series, the Vigilantes bested a solid St. John team four games to two... now they get the pleasure of playing the high-powered Oxford Red Caps, who toyed with Turon in round one, winning in six games... and lo and behold, the Oxfordians waylaid the defending Pro Cup holder, the Rolling Hills Racers, in the Tycobbian Finals in a stirring seven-game set.

Well, EC, who's gonna win?... to be honest, I just don't rightly know... I have picked Volusia to lose both of their series... and they didn't... and I picked Oxford to lose in seven games to Rolling Hills... and they didn't... continuing that same line of thinking, Volusia will beat Oxford in seven games... but that's not really how I feel... if the high-powered Red Caps can whip the high-octane Racers, then they should defeat the Vigilantes... and it might take them six games... am I making any sense?... don't think so.

It appears to me that I'm just hedging my bets and picking both teams to win... hey, call me "wishy washy", if you like.

Here's what I'm a gonna do... my wife is an experimental statistician, so I will ask her to analyze both ballclubs very scientifically and help me out... maybe she can figure it all out for me... one thing for sure, she's a much better scorekeeper at games than I am... too often I have to use "ww" on my scorecard... "ww" means "wasn't watching".

Maybe that's my problem in assessing the Pro Cup playoffs... too much "ww".

In a nutshell, Oxford will whip Volusia because they have better starting pitching... Pat McFarlane (3-0, 2.92 ERA), Rico Alessi (2-0, 1.42 ERA) and Maury Statler (2-1, 3.47) are more dependable than the Vigilantes' Lonny Rinehart (2-1, 5.73 ERA), Tomaz Mota (1-0, 2.41 ERA) and Reynaldo Medrano (2-1, 4.67 ERA)... plus Red Cap pitching gives up fewer home runs than the V's.

But Volusia has a much better bullpen... Dan Hunt (2-0, 2.30 ERA, 2 saves, 6 games) and Ron Beeman (1-1, 2.21 ERA, 2 saves, 7 games) are superior and more reliable than Chucker Pitts (1-2, 4.70 ERA, 1 save, 6 games) and Freddy Tilford (0-0, 3.86 ERA, 0 saves, 5 games).

At the plate Oxford also has the advantage there... the Red Caps have hit 27 doubles, 3 triples and 14 home runs... the Vigilantes show 20 doubles, 7 triples and only 7 homers... one of the keys to Oxford's Pro Cup aspirations was whether or not their two superstars, Buddy Blackford and Showboat Lynn, would get any help offensively... in past years they didn't... this year they did... Errol Sears (.340 BA), Roland Latimer (.308 BA, 5 HR, 13 RBI, 11 R), Scott Schneider (.271 BA, 3 HR, 10 RBI, 9 R) and Frankie Beckwith (.290 BA, 2 HR, 11 RBI, 5 R) have helped out considerably, while Blackford (.267 BA, 6 doubles, 1 homer, 6 RBIs, 11 runs) and Lynn (.250 BA, 3 HR, 7 RBI, 12 runs) have done their part.

Taking a gander at Volusia: they hit very well for average, but come up short in longballs... that could be critical in the Pro Cup Finals... however, Carlos Silva (.404 BA, 4 doubles, 11 RBI), Bandy Barnwell (.306 BA, 3 doubles, 2 homers, 8 RBI, 9 runs), Ellie Hudgins (.333 BA, 5 doubles, 3 triples, 11 RBI, 9 runs) and Clement Beliveau (.293 BA, 1 HR, 4 RBI, 10 runs) have done well so far and beat two good teams with solid pitching, Wynnamac and St. John.

Volusia might have the better defense... the V's are very good with the gloves with a .979 FA... Oxford is only average with a .975 FA.

So who's gonna win after all of this scientific and wishy washy analyses?... maybe I should just flip a coin and decide... look, the nickel is in the air... heads it's Oxford... tails it's Volusia... or maybe it should be the other way around? ... oh, what the heck, the 2061 IPA Pro Cup champion will be __________ in _________ games.

I think I will just come back after the Pro Cup Series is over and fill in the blanks.

Just joshing... Oxford in six games... as they say in Loosiana, "for true"... the Red Caps have better starters... hit a lot of homers... and beat last year's Pro Cup winner... that should be enough "for true"... I went to school with some guys from the Ninth Ward in Noo Awlins... and that's "for true", too.

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, October 15, 2061

V'S TAKE THRILLER FROM RED CAPS IN PRO CUP OPENER
The 2061 edition of the Pro Cup Series is forecast to be a ding-dong donnybrook, just about as close as you can get... and the first game lived up to the billing... Volusia took the opener 6-5 with a last-ditch comeback in the eighth and ninth... the Vigilantes are now up one game to none in the best-of-seven series.

[Eugene Church]

Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

Monday, October 17, 2061

V'S WIN ANOTHER THRILLER FROM RED CAPS
One would think Oxford is snake-bitten... for the second game in a row in the IPA Pro Cup Finals, they have let the Volusia Vigilantes off the hook and lost the first two games... the V's won another thriller in their last at bat, knocking off the stunned Red Caps 5-4.

[Eugene Church]

Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, October 19, 2061

OXFORD NIPS V'S IN GAME 3, STILL TRAILS 2-1
Oxford just about had to win game three and it did... the Red Caps rode terrific pitching and cut the Volusia lead in the IPA Pro Cup Series back to two games to one... at home, Oxford edged out the Vigilantes 1-0 in a standout pitcher's duel.

[Eugene Church]

Stars of the Game

[Eugene Church]

RED CAPS WIN IN 12TH, PRO CUP TIED AT 2-2
For the fourth successive game, the home team won by one run in the IPA Pro Cup Series... the Oxford Red Caps clipped Volusia 3-2 in 12 innings to knot it up at two games each in the best-of-seven series.

[Dark Horse]

It's been a rough RL summer. But i got back just in time for the IPA playoffs. Best time of the year. And this playoff has been an all timer.