ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Great News!

Ktulu downloaded my league and checked it out... he played out the playoffs and everything went well... the history of the season was posted properly... there were a few items that puzzled him... the playoff schedule mainly... but the AI apparently overcame the glitches and finished the season with no errors in the history.

My eternal thanks to Ktulu for doing this.

You da man, Ktulu!

I'm going to wait and see if anyone else looks at the league and can offer some advice on how to fix it.

[reds1]

That is indeed great news, Eugene!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by reds1

That is indeed great news, Eugene!

Yeah, buddy, the OOTP Community is filled with a bunch of nice people.

Ktulu is even better than John Wayne and the 7th Cavalry!

[Eugene Church]

As soon as I get the OK from Ktulu, I will sim the playoffs and see if the game is OK.

Wish me luck.

[jg2977]

Good luck! This sounds like great news

[Eugene Church]

Thanks to Ktulu, the 2079 IPA Pro Cup playoffs will begin.

I can't believe this has been going on since last September... about 7 long, tedious months... unbelievable... I'm SOOOO glad I didn't give up... now at least EC has a chance to reach 100 seasons and just maybe get 1 million viewers.

Sorry for all the delay... I know you are sick and tired of the back-and-forth trying to solve the problem.
I'm afraid it has run off over 200 viewers... my views have dropped from 300 a day to 75 a day.
Hopefully, they will come back when the playoff coverage returns.

In the glitch, the playoff game to decide the Tycobbian North title had to be replayed and the Mahaska Haymakers won this time... White River won it before the glitch... oh, well, that's the way it goes... that's easy to live with as long as you don't live in White River.

I will repost the 2079 season recap and the season stats... then give a Pro Cup preview... the first-round playoff coverage will follow.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, October 4, 2079

HAYMAKERS AND RED SOX FINALIZE IPA POSTSEASON PARTICIPANTS
Mahaska and Red Bluff nabbed the last two postseason spots in spirited last-week action in the Islandian Pro Alliance... the Haymakers had to go an extra game to beat
the White River Rascals... the Red Sox won on the final day of the regular season... poor Ozarka lost on the last day and fell one game short of the division flag.

IPA PENNANT WINNERS
And away we go!
Valmara was victorious in the Ruthlandian North... Crystal Lake captured the RU South... Elnora was the elite team in the RU East and Fort Benton was the best in the
RU West... reviewing the Tycobbian Union, Mahaska won the TU North... IPA Pro Cup champion Turon tore up the TU South... Red Bluff won a 5-team barnburner in the TU
East... and Rolling Hills rolled over everybody in the tight TU West chase.

Ruthlandian Union Recap

VIPERS VICTOR IN RU NORTH
The Valmara Vipers are making their 31st appearance in the IPA postseason... the Vipers will be seeking their 5th Pro Cup... Valmara took command of the Ruthlandian North
at midseason and held off Kilkenny in September... the Cats were Pro Cup Finalists last year... the LaGrange Gators finished 6 games back in second place... Kilkenny came
in third, 7 GB... and the Ranford Bulls wound up in fourth place, 9 GB.

SKIPPERS SAILING HIGH IN RU SOUTH
Crystal Lake was never really challenged in the Ruthlandian South... most of the season they enjoyed a comfortable lead... the Skippers took charge of the race at midyear,
but they had to fend off a determined effort by the runner-up Belair Beach Sunbirds in August and September... none of the other teams offered much resisistance... Waleska
was 15 games behind in the third spot... and Grand City ended in fourth place, 17 GB.

CLIPPERS HOLD OFF LATE-CLOSING RACCOONS IN RU EAST
Most of the time the Elnora Clippers had a big lead in the RU East, several times over 10 games... they ultimately won the flag by 3 games... second place Cold Creek came
on strong in the second half of the season and made it close for the Clippers... the Marston Nine lagged way back most of the year, but got hot in August to put some mild
pressure on Elnora, but they faded in September and lost out by 8 games... preseason favorite Wynnamac struggled most of the season, got within 6 games in September,
but then swooned and slipped back in the race, winding up fourth and 11 games off the pace.

CANNONS OVERTAKE FIREBIRDS IN TU WEST IN SECOND-HALF SURGE
The Fort Benton Cannons stayed in range of the leaders most of the season, then bolted in August and won going away in September... they whipped runner-up Forest City
by 7 games and last year's champion and preseason choice Sligo by 8 games... the Rovers languished near the bottom of the standings until they started playing well in
August... but that was too late... Colfax came in fourth, trailing by 9 games... the Black Sox never really contended... Forest City had the lead in July, but could not hold on
to it... the Cannons took over first place by September and prevailed.

Tycobbian Union Recap

HAYMAKERS JUST BARELY SKIM PAST RASCALS IN SUDDEN DEATH FOR TU NORTH TITLE
'Twas a 6-team fight in the Tycobbian North for most of the season between champion Mahaska, runner-up White River (1 GB), third place Luxora (6 and a half games behind),
fourth place Blue Lake (7 and a half games behind), fifth place Oxford (8 and a half games behind) and sixth place Hartsdale (10 and a half games behind)... Luxora was
favored to win the flag in the preseason poll... Hartsdale had won it the last two years... the Luxora Zorros topped the RU North most of the first half, holding the top spot
until mid-June, then they stumbled badly and fell out of the race... the Mahaska Haymakers and White River Rascals jostled all season, battling down the last game of the year...
the Haymakers won the sudden-death game and won the division crown.

TURON WINS 103 GAMES AND EASILY TRIUMPHS IN TU SOUTH
There was no race in the Tycobbian South... nope, none at all... defending Pro Cup champ and defending division champ Turon was on top every month in the season...
it was close until June, then the Typhoons blew everybody away and romped to the title by a colossal 15 games over second place Cape Coral, 21 better than third place
Summerland and 23 games ahead of fourth place Arroyo Grande... Turon won 103 games... the Typhoons have a decent shot at repeat Pro Cup trophies... they very well
could win their 7th Pro Cup... the Rolling Hills Racers lead the IPA with 8 Pro Cups.

RED BLUFF WIN SEASON-LONG 5-TEAM DUEL IN TU EAST... RED SOX WIN ON LAST DAY OF THE SEASON
What a race in the Tycobbian East... April, May and June saw only 4 games difference between first place and last place... it settled down to a 5-team tussle in July between
Ozarka, Red Bluff, Tuckanarra, defending division winner and preseason pick South Fork and Midway... the other three clubs dropped out of contention... and what a stretch
drive it was... with two games remaining on the schedule Ozarka and Red Bluff were tied for the top spot with South Fork and High Mesa just one game behind... the Red Sox
won two 1-run games from the High Mesa Buckaroos, while the Naturals split two with last place East Point... the Stallions lost both games to tough Midway... Red Bluff earned
its first pennant since 2072.

ROLLING HILLS OUTRACES 4 TEAMS TO TAKE TU WEST CROWN
In the Tycobbian West the defending champion was the Kenwood Wildcats and the preseason choice was the Bayview Vikings... by September it settled down into a 5-team
scrum between Rolling Hills, Bayview, Kenwood, Chicopee and Denton City... the Racers finished the season with a rock-solid September and outraced all the challengers,
beating second place Kenwood by 3 games, third place Bayview by 5, fourth place Denton City by 6 games and fifth place Chicopee by 9 games... Rolling Hills never got to
the top spot until August 29... the Racers went 18-9 in the September stretch drive and won the pennant... Kenwood battled hard until the end, going 17-10... Bayview only
managed 13-14, Denton City went 16-11 and Chicopee finished 14-14... with 8 IPA Pro Cup titles, the Racers would really like to make it 9 in 2079.

2079 Ruthlandian Union Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

[ChromEagle]

This is great, I'm glad that the league is back!

[Eugene Church]

2079 Tycobbian Union Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, November 7, 2029

TYPHOONS CHOICE TO REPEAT IN 2079 IPA PRO CUP PLAYOFFS
November is the most popular month of all the Islandians... it's that cherished time of the IPA Pro Cup playoffs, which begin this Tuesday afternoon... 8 division winners will
clash for the overall supremacy in Island baseball -- the much-coveted IPA Pro Cup Trophy.

Defending Islandian Pro Alliance champion Turon is a solid choice to repeat this season in the 2079 Pro Cup playoffs... the Typhoons had another great year, running up
101 victories to easily capture their 8th TU South flag in the last 10 years... Turon toppled Kilkenny in 5 games last year to nab their 6th Pro Cup Trophy... the Cats wound up
third this year in the RU North to the Valmara Vipers... the Typhoons are second to the Rolling Hills Racers for the most IPA crowns... the Racers have copped 8 overall.

The Island baseball scribes, pundits and broadcasters have made Turon the standout Pro Cup favorite, citing that they can run, hit, hurl and play defense with the best of them.
Valmara is the most likely winner in the Ruthlandian Union and is ranked number two in the Pro Cup Poll by The Island Times... none of the Pro Cup challengers appear to be
on the level of the Turon Typhoons.

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Poll
1. TURON TYPHOONS (101-53)... they can do it all... most talented team in the IPA.
2. Valmara Vipers (91-63)... good offense, good pitching, good speed, good defense... may be short of home-run power.
3. Crystal Lake Skippers (92-62)... has good power, good contact hitting, scores very well, fairly good pitching... not so good on defense.
4. Elnora Clippers (87-67)... solid starters and bullpen... can score runs... hits for average... not much HR-power... mediocre defense.
5. Rolling Hills Racers (89-65)... high-octane attack that puts a lot of runs on the scoreboard, but lacks HR-power... mediocre pitching... poor defense... not a good combination
to win a Pro Cup.
6. Fort Benton Cannons (89-65)... offensive-minded, can score, but no power at the plate... just average pitching staff... with fine defense.
7. Mahaska Haymakers (87-70)... pretty much just an average team in all aspects.
8. Red Bluff Red Sox (82-72)... not a lot on the hill... nor at the plate... poor defense... not an impressive team at all.

In the Ruthlandian Union the Valmara Vipers will host the Fort Benton Cannons in the first game of a best-of-seven series... Crystal Lake will entertain the Elnora Clippers in the
other first-round Ruthlandian Series... over in the Tycobbian Union Turon will open up at home against the Red Bluff Red Sox... in the other series Mahaska will travel to Rolling Hills.

Ruthlandian Union First Round, Game 1

Fort Benton at Valmara
Nick Banfield (15-11/3.47 ERA) vs Milosz Mazur (13-13/3.53 ERA)

Elnora at Crystal Lake
Davis Hickerson (19-8/2.50 ERA) vs Bret Lynch (12-8/3.09 ERA)

Tycobbian Union First Round, Game 1

Red Bluff at Turon
Ernie McNamee (12-7/2.76 ERA) vs. Clete Engstrom (18-3/ 2.60 ERA)

Mahaska at Rolling Hills
Stacy Grimmer (9-9/4.77 ERA) vs Trent Sparks (0-0/0.00 ERA)

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, November 14, 2079

CHAOS IN IPA FIRST ROUND, TOP TEAMS TURON, VALMARA AND ELNORA FALL
What is going on in the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs?... the reigning champion and Pro Cup favorite Turon Typhoons (101-53) were blown away by the worst team in the
playoffs, the Red Bluff Red Sox (82-72)... Turon couldn't even get past the first round... the number two-rated club, the Valmara Vipers (91-63), were upended by number six,
the Fort Benton Cannons (89-65)... the number three choice, the Elnora Clippers (87-67) were beaten by number four pick, the Crystal Lake Skippers (92-62)... the other
first-round series went according to Hoyle, number five Rolling Hills (89-65) raced past number seven Mahaska (88-70).

In the Tycobbian Union Red Bluff unbelievably swept all four games from Turon... the Red Sox were victorious 7-6, 4-0, 7-6 and 6-4... they handled the Typhoon hurlers pretty
well and got enough pitching to get by... Turon had the very best pitching the IPA this year and were one of the better batting clubs... the Typhoons were 101-53 this season,
while the Red Sox didn't do anything especially well and wound up only 82-72... however, for a few days in November, Red Bluff was better... will the luster last?
Series MVP: Red Bluff Left Fielder Sherrill Wilde

In the other Tycobbian clash, the Rolling Hills Racers rolled over the Mahaska Haymakers in 5 games... Rolling Hills has a high-octane attack, the top-hitting team in the IPA...
the Racers pounded the Haymakers 14-5 in the opener, lost 5-3 in game two, but finished Mahaska off with three victories in a row, 6-2, 5-2 and 6-3... Rolling Hills
is not noted for its pitching and defense, but they did a job on the Farmers and easily won the series.
Series MVP: Rolling Hills Right Field Alberto Amigo

Coming into the Pro Cup playoffs Valmara had a solid season and ranked the best team in the Ruthlandian Union... the Vipers had the misfortune to run into Fort Benton, who
totally shut down their offense and upset them, taking the series 4 games to one... the Cannons lost the opening game, 3-1, but rattled off four wins in a row
to move to the Ruthlandian Title Round... Fort Benton got great pitching and prevailed 5-0, 6-0, 3-0 and 5-3... can you believe 3 shutouts in a row in the Pro Cup playoffs?
Series MVP: Fort Benton Catcher Cloyce Farmer

The Elnora-Crystal Lake series was forecast to be a good one... they were pretty evenly matched... the Clippers were a slight favorite over the Skippers... Elnora fell behind
2 games to one, came back and grabbed a 3-2 edge, but then faltered in the final two games... Crystal Lake prevailed four games to three... the Skippers won the first game 8-1,
lost 8-3 in game two, but pulled out a narrow 3-2 victory in game four... the Clippers rebounded and beat Crystal Lake 1-0 in 11 innings and 8-1 in game five for a three games to
two lead, needing just one more win to cop the series... the Skippers took command with two straight victories 3-1 and 12-5 and rallied to take the series.
Series MVP: Crystal Lake Second Baseman Gino Lorenzetti

In the IPA Ruthlandian Union Title Round it will be Crystal Lake taking on the Fort Benton Cannons... the Skippers will have the homefield advantage... over in the Tycobbian Union
Title Series it will be Rolling Hills tangling with the redhot Red Bluff Red Sox... the Racers possess the homefield advantage.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, November 23, 2079

CANNONS UPSET SKIPPERS, RACERS ROLL PAST RED SOX IN IPA PRO CUP SECOND-ROUND RU and TU TITLE SERIES
Get ready for a Fort Benton-Rolling Hills Pro Cup Series.
Yeah, buddy, the season is still booming for the Fort Benton Cannons... they shot down another favored team, the Crystal Lake Skippers in the Ruthlandian Union
Title Series and will now meet the Rolling Hills Racers for the overall IPA title... the Racers got there by subduing the upstart Red Bluff Red Sox, who eliminated defending
IPA Pro Cup titlist Turon in the first round of the playoffs... it will be 5th-ranked Rolling Hills against 6th-rated Fort Benton for the Islands' much-cherished IPA Pro Cup Trophy...
the Racers will be going for their record-setting 9th trophy, while the Cannons are shooting for their first ever... Rolling Hills had made the playoffs 26 times, while poor Fort Benton
has been to the party just 4 times.

Fort Benton was only the sixth choice to take the Pro Cup, while Crystal Lake was ranked third... the Cannons copped the Ruthlandian Union Title Series four games to two... Fort
Benton edged Crystal Lake 7-6 in the 11-inning opener, were shut out in game two 3-0, but rebounded for wins in games three and four 7-2 and 4-3... the Skippers remained alive
with a 6-3 decision in the fifth game... the Cannons KO'ed them 6-2 in game six, taking the series four games to two.
Series MVP: Fort Benton First Baseman Trace Lansing

The big bats and high-powered attack of Rolling Hills were too much for Red Bluff... actually the Racers has decent pitching, too... the Red Sox nabbed the first game 5-2, but they
then succumbed in the next three games by the scores of 8-3, 3-0 and 6-2... Red Bluff staved off elimination with a 1-0 win in the fifth game... Rolling Hills finished off the Red Sox
8-6 in game six to win the series four games to two.
Series MVP: Rolling Hills Third Baseman Art Horn

The 2079 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series should be highly entertaining and high scoring... Rolling Hills was the IPA scoring leader with 819 runs this season and a .295 BA...
Fort Benton wasn't far behind with 764 runs and a .290 BA... both of them are just average on the mound... whoever gets the best pitching will win... the homefield advantage goes
to the Cannons.

PRONOSTICATORS PREDICT PRO CUP FOR FORT BENTON

The Pro Cup prognosticators have made Fort Benton a slight favorite, citing their better starting rotation, bullpen and better defense... closer Monty Gulliver (6-10/2.79 ERA/12 saves/54 games)
and Jake Mundy (11-7/3.91 ERA/14 saves/75 games) have been a fairly good tandem... the starting foursome of Luis Trevino (16-5/3.28 ERA), Bill Aubrey (11-11/3.29 ERA), Noah
Fairclough (6-3/3.02 ERA) and Greg Hammerstein (0-0/0.00 ERA) just might be a difference maker... Hammerstein, who also plays third base, was injured the entire season, but
is now back... last year Hammerstein was 13-6 with a 3.34 ERA... he has always been a dependable starter in his 5 seasons, posting an overall 59-39 mark with a 3.90 ERA.

The Racers will counter with Skeets Kazlauskas (18-5/3.14 ERA) and Linc Dickens (13-10/4.53 ERA)... unproven and inexperienced Trent Sparks (0-0/0.00 ERA) and Georgie
Adams (1-1/2.25 ERA) are the other starters... the only dependable reliever is Benton Garrett (17-10/4.08 ERA), who started during the regular season and has been the postseason
closer, but he has been off-and-on, hit-and-miss in the playoffs.

Both clubs have potent bats... Rolling Hills is sparked by left fielder Liam Geraghty (.308 BA/15 HR/101 R/16 SB), catcher Jaron Shufford (.310 BA/14 HR/87 RBI/91 R/24 SB),
first baseman Ollie Ringer (.317 BA/16 HR/80 RBI/61 R), shortstop Emmett Spangler (.336 BA/5 HR/79 RBI/94 R/5 SB), third baseman Art Horn (.289 BA/6 HR/73 RBI/61 R/20 SB),
second baseman Philip Bliss (.330 BA/3 HR/58 RBI/55 R/5 SB) and right fielder Alberto Amigo (.243 BA/8 HR/54 RBI/102 R/29 SB).

Fort Benton has some top guns, too, with the likes of second baseman Stosh Dusek (.350 BA/2 HR/89 RBI/92 R/28 SB), shortstop Dwight Hogan (.325 BA/11 HR/93 RBI/87 R/10 SB),
catcher Cloyce Farmer (.318 BA/4 HR/50 RBI/53 R), left fielder Olev Kotli (.306 BA/17 HR/64 RBI/96 R/24 SB), right fielder Jack Luxton (.299 BA/12 HR/91 RBI/76 R/7 SB), first baseman
Trace Lansing (.276 BA/16 HR/89 RBI/93 R/2 SB) and third baseman John Harding (.268 BA/12 HR/60 RBI/98 R/13 SB).

Fort Benton is much better defensively than Rolling Hills... the Cannons put up a fine .978 FA, while the Racers had a pretty poor .967 FA.

2079 IPA Pro Cup Prediction:
It will be a rock 'em, sock 'em series with the Fort Benton Cannons winning their first-ever Pro Cup in a stirring 7-game series with the Rolling Hills Racers.

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, November 25, 2079

RACERS RALLY AND BEAT CANNONS IN 10 INNINGS IN PRO CUP OPENER
The opening game of the IPA Pro Cup Series started off with a bang... it lived up to the pre-game hype with a rousing 10-inning affair won by the explosive bats of the Rolling
Hills Racers... Deke Cronin stroked a go-ahead hit in the top of the 10th to topple the Fort Benton Cannons 8-6... the Pro Cup Finals is the best-of-seven games.

Fort Benton took an early 5-2 lead at the end of 4 innings, but couldn't hold it... in fact, they lost the lead 6-5 after 6 frames and had to come back and tie it to go extra innings...
the Cannons' relief corps failed to do their job, while the suspect Racers' bullpen did their job... Ivan Malek, Benton Garrett and Orin McGinnis only allowed one run in their 5
innings... Fort Benton's pen was smacked for 4 runs in its 5 innings... Monty Gulliver and Fletch Redmond each gave up 2 runs each in the loss.

There were hits galore, 11 by each club... Liam Geraghty led the Racers with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... Stosh Dusek paced the Cannons with 2 hits and a run batted in... Greg
Hammerstein and Dwight Hogan drove in a pair of runs early in the game.

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, November 26, 2079

RACERS RAP CANNON AGAIN, GO UP 2-0 IN PRO CUP FINALS
The Rolling Hills Racers are on the prowl for their 9th IPA Pro Cup Trophy and are well on their way to it... the Racers won their second in a row on the road at Old Fortress
Park in Fort Benton, smacking the Cannons 6-2... after a travel day, the best-of-seven Pro Cup Series continues in Rolling Hills for the next three games.

Rolling Hills busted up a tight 3-2 game with 3 runs in the top of the 8th... the Racers again ravaged the Fort Benton bullpen... Emmett Spangler walloped a 3-run homer to lead
the way... Philip Bliss also went deep for Rolling Hills... Trent Sparks notched the win, but struggled... he only allowed 2 runs in his 5 innings, but gave up 5 hits and also walked
four... the Racers' relievers Ivan Malek and Benton Garrett again did their job, holding the Cannons scoreless for the last 4 frames... Julio Santana sparked Fort Benton at the
plate with 2 hits and 2 RBIs... otherwise, the Cannons were limp with the bats.

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, November 28, 2079

RACERS OFF TO ROARIN' START, WIN 3RD STRAIGHT
The Rolling Hills Racers are playing at a dazzling pace in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Series... in their third straight victory, the Racers hit the cover off the ball and got
some standout pitching in the 11-1 routing of the dazed Fort Benton Cannons... at the plate Ollie Ringer stood out with 4 hits and 3 RBIs, Emmett Spangler went 3 for 5
and scored 3 times and Deke Cronin and Art Horn drove in a pair of runs apiece... overall the Racers racked up 13 hits, while Linc Dickens throttled the Cannons on 6 hits.
he walked just one batter and fanned 6 in a route-going performance.

Rolling Hills is nearing its 9th Pro Cup Trophy... one more victory and it's theirs again... Fort Benton has a very daunting task before them... the Cannons must win four
straight games to garner the revered trophy... it has only occurred three times in 79 years of IPA history... in 2001 Ginza did it against the Fairfax Frogs in the first round... in
2009 Turon rallied against the Far Mountain Redhawks in the Pro Cup Finals... and in 2015 Bay St. Clair came back and beat the Ozarka Naturals in opening-round action.

Games four and five are also slated at Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills... if needed, the last two games will be played in Fort Benton.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, November 29, 2079

FAIRCLOUGH HALTS RACERS RUN, CANNONS STILL TRAIL 3-1 IN PRO CUP SERIES
Fort Benton's Noah Fairclough hurled one of the best games of his IPA career at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills... the right-hander kept Rolling Hills from
sweeping the Pro Cup Series... he stopped the Racers 5-1 to cut their series lead to three games to one in the best-of-seven series... in a strong outing Fairclough tossed
7 and two-thirds strong innings, holding the hard-hitting Racers to just one unearned run and 4 hits... he whiffed 6 of them and issued just 2 bases on balls.

The Cannons collected 11 hits in the game, scored 5 runs in the first 4 frames and were never really challenged by Rolling Hills... Dwight Hogan led them with 3 hits and
2 RBIs... Cloyce Farmer chimed in with a pair of hits and 2 runs batted in.

Georgie Adams absorbed the defeat... Fort Benton belted him for 5 runs and 9 hits in his 5 frames.

Game five is set for Rolling Hills, too.
To win their first Pro Cup Trophy, Fort Benton will have win the rest of the games in the series... it has only happened one time previously in Pro Cup history... Turon came
back from a 3-0 deficit in 2009 and whipped the Far Mountain Redhawks.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, November 30, 2079

CANNONS BOMB RACERS IN GAME 5, CUT LEAD TO 3-2 IN PRO CUP FINALS
Rolling Hills jumped out to a quick 5-2 lead in the fifth game of the IPA Pro Cup Series and were well on their way to their 9th Pro Cup crown, but lo and behold, the Fort
Benton Cannons began to roar and when the bombs stopped bursting in air, they had demolished the Racers 12-6 and cut their deficit to three games to two in the
best-of-seven series... now the Cannons are alive and kicking and have a fighting chance to win their first Pro Cup Trophy... games six and seven are scheduled for their
home field, Old Fortress Park on Friday and Saturday afternoons.

The Cannons were booming, their bats were blazing... they smashed 19 hits in the game, sparked by Trace Lansing with 2 hits, a double, 3-run homer and 4 RBIs, Cloyce
Farmer with 3 hits and 3 ribbies, including a solo roundtripper and 2-run double, Olev Kotli socked 4 hits and scored 3 runs and Stosh Dusek added 3 singles... Fort Benton
went to town on the Rolling Hills bullpen with 7 runs in the top of the 7th to shoot ahead 10-5 and extend the Pro Cup Series for another day.

Fort Benton reliever Monty Gulliver gained the victory with one and two-thirds scoreless innings, while the loss went to Rolling Hills closer Benton Garrett, who was bashed
for all 7 runs in the fatal 7th frame.

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, December 2, 2079

BEEN THERE, DONE THAT!
ROLLING HILLS NABS 9TH PRO CUP TROPHY!
The Rolling Hills Racers chalked up their 9th Islandian Pro Alliance crown by rolling past the Fort Benton Cannons in six games, winning the Pro Cup Series four games
to two... the Racers fought off the determined Cannons 6-5 in an exciting game six at Old Fortress Park in Fort Benton... Rolling Hills put up a 6-1 lead midway through the
finale and then had to hang on for dear life as the Cannons came to life in the late innings and chopped that lead down to just one run... Fort Benton's third straight victory
was almost in sight... they had two innings, the 8th and the 9th, to make their startling and historic comeback from a 3-0 deficit... they only had to deal with Rolling Hills sometimes
suspect and inept bullpen... the Cannons seriously threatened in the bottom of the 9th... they got runners on first and third with 2 outs with one of their top hitters, catcher Cloyce
Farmer, at the plate... Racer reliever Ivan Malek fanned him swinging on a 3-2 pitch... it was a dynamite ending to a stirring and hard-fought series.

Thank goodness Trent Sparks had a solid start for the Racers... this was crucial to the game-six victory... Sparks stifled the Cannons for the first 5 frames, holding them to just
one run and giving the Racers a 6-1 lead... sadly, his relief almost blew the game... however, Ivan Malek finally saved the day, but just barely.

Rolling Hills scored in the top of the first on a walk to Emmett Spangler and a double by Liam Gerragty... Olev Kotli tied it up for Fort Benton with a solo homer in the last half of the
inning... the Racers came right back in the second and regained the lead when Philip Bliss singled and came around to score on Art Horn's two-bagger... Rolling Hills boosted the
margin to 4-1 in the 4th... Bliss doubled in Jaron Shufford, who had led off with a base hit... Bliss scored on Horn's RBI single... the Racers tacked on 2 more in the 6th on RBI
two-baggers by Alberto Amigo and Emmett Spangler.

Down 6-1 heading into the last of the 6th, but not out, the Cannons went to work and made a ball game of it... the 6th and 7th belonged to them... Cloyce Farmer made it 6-2 with
a single and Dwight Hogan narrowed it to 6-4 with a 2-run single... shoddy defense put Fort Benton back in business in the 7th... pinch hitter John Harding singled, went to second
on an outfield error, move to third on a ground out and scored on a wild pitch... now Rolling Hills was in reach... the Racers were just one run ahead 6-5... the Cannons were poised
to prevail... they just knew they could come back and win the game and then win the Pro Cup Series in game seven at home.

Nope, it didn't happen... just wishful thinking... this was real life, not a Hollywood script... Fort Benton fell one run short and had to go home for the season without their much-coveted
and much-hoped for first-ever Pro Cup Trophy.

What a great season for Rolling Hills' youthful skipper, Hugo Sutton... he replaced the legendary manager Matty Christianson in 2077... just in his third year Sutton has already
won the ultimate, the Pro Cup... "We wavered a bit in losing games four and five and letting the Cannons get back into the series... it was getting scary in game six... Thank goodness,
we hung on and wrapped it up... I really didn't want to play a 7th game, especially on their home field."

Sutton told the press, the biggest factors in the Racers' Pro Cup title run "were a rock-solid bunch of batters and some crucial bullpen work... Ringer, Bliss and Spangler got on base
and Horn, Shufford, Cronin and Gerraghty drove 'em in... everybody in the batting order did their part at one time or another... we needed a high-powered attack to win the Pro Cup and
we got it in the playoffs... we got just enough pitching to get by... truly, it was team effort... we got some good starts from Dickens and Sparks... and some good work from the bullpen,
led by Malek... they really came through in the Pro Cup Finals... that's how we beat the Cannons".

Fort Benton manager Max Gregory praised the Rolling Hills offense, "Man, they are an awesome group... the good hitters never stop coming... we just couldn't shut them down... I
was also impressed with their pitching staff... especially the starters Dickens and Sparks... they were better than we expected... my Cannons can swing a bat with the best of them,
but they shut us down in games two and three... and we couldn't recover from those losses... otherwise I thought we held our own at the plate."

For the Pro Cup Series Rolling Hills posted a .283 BA with 60 hits in 212 at-bats, 18 doubles, 1 homer with 31 walks and 45 strikeouts... they outscored Fort Benton 38-31 in the
six games... the Cannons went 65 for 220 for a .295 BA with 11 doubles, 3 homers, 14 walks and 31 strikeouts... on-base was a key factor in the series, along with starting pitchers...
the Racers won those categories by a wide margin... Rolling Hills starters posted a solid 2.91 ERA in the six-game series, while Fort Benton starters only managed a 5.93 ERA... overall
the Racers staff had a 4.09 ERA to 5.30 ERA for the Cannons.

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, December 3, 2079

LITTLE-KNOWN HURLER SPARKS NAMED 2079 IPA PRO CUP MVP, EDGES OUT TEAMMATES HORN, SPANGLER and DICKENS FOR HONOR
Yeah buddy, a little-known nobody is now the biggest celebrity name in the Islands... nobody ever heard of Trent Sparks prior to the 2079 IPA playoffs... now that relatively
unknown Rolling Hills hurler is the 2079 IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player... Sparks outpolled veterans Art Horn, Emmett Spangler and Linc Dickens as the standout player
in the playoffs this year... Sparks sparked the Racers to their 9th Islandian Pro Alliance Trophy year... the Racers triumphed over the Fort Benton Cannons four games to two
to once again garner the renowned and highly-esteemed award.

The 28-year-old Sparks hadn't pitched in the IPA since 2076... he was signed by Rolling Hills in 2077, but he failed to make the team... Sparks languished on the reserve roster
all of 2078 and all of 2079... this year the Racers added him to their starting rotation for the playoffs because of injury to one of their starters... the rest is now history... Trent Sparks
with only two years of IPA experience and a record of 6-10 and an astronomical 5.50 ERA is now one of the most famous baseball players in Islandia... he was voted the premier
performer in the playoffs this year in The Islandian Times IPA Pro Cup MVP Poll.

Trent Sparks was one of the keys to Rolling Hills adding to their huge pile and collection of Pro Cups... this season the little-known right-hander made 6 starts in the playoffs and
posted a 3-1 record and an impressive 2.45 ERA... Sparks won two of the four victories in the Pro Cup Finals... he got credit for the 6-5 win in the sixth game that clinched the IPA
title... Sparks held Fort Benton to one run in his 5 innings... he also whipped the Cannon 6-2 in game two, permitting only one run in 5 innings... Sparks' only playoff loss was 1-0
to Red Bluff in the Tycobbian Union Title Series... he only allowed one run in his 5 innings... in Round One Sparks went the distance and defeated the Mahaska Haymakers 6-3.

It was a tough choice this year... three of Sparks' teammates, third baseman Art Horn, shortstop Emmett Spangler and pitcher Linc Dickens also received MVP support in the poll
... Horn came in a close second... in 17 playoff games he batted .385 with 7 doubles, 1 triple and 3 roundtrippers with 16 RBIs and 6 runs scored... during the regular season Horn
hit a modest .289 with 6 homers and 73 RBIs.

Coming in third in the Pro Cup MVP Poll was shortstop Emmett Spangler... in his 17 games he batted .294 with 9 doubles, 1 triple, 1 homer, 8 RBIs and 16 runs scored... Spangler
stood out with a .336 BA this season with 5 homers, 94 runs and 73 RBIs

Fourth place in postseason MVP poll went to pitcher Linc Dickens, who went 4-0 in the postseason playoffs in 6 starts, chalking up a pretty fair 4.05 ERA... Dickens was Rolling Hills'
number four starter this season and he finished at 13-10 with a 4.53 ERA.

Looking back at all of the previous Pro Cup Most Valuable Players, they were all established players when they won the award... Trent Sparks has a unique and inspiring story...
his sudden rise to fame is unprecedented in the annals of the Islandian Pro Alliance.