ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, November 7, 2093

IPA GOLDEN DEFENDERS ACCLAIMED IN IPA
The highlight reels were full of plays from these Islandian Pro Alliance standouts this year. The Ruthlandian Union Golden Glove Award for 2093 has been awarded to the following players:
Pitcher
Jaan Veerpalu (Valka Blackhawks) (40 G/1.000 FA/21 PO/39 A/2 DP) - (20-8/2.42 ERA)

Catcher
Gruffy McGriff (Waleska Westerners) (127 G/.996 FA/87 A/4 DP/3 PB/52.2% RTO) - (.244 BA/4 HR/47 RBI/41 R)

First Baseman
Daiji Kawahara (Beechwood Blues) (145 G/.994 FA/103 A) - (147 G/.305 BA/16 HR/87 RBI/76 R)

Second Baseman
Gil Kirchberg (Ranford Bulls) (144 G/.984 FA/404 A) - (149 G/.269 BA/9 HR/67 RBI/68 R/12 SB)

Third Baseman
Jim Raver (Forest City Firebirds) (148 G/.979 FA/340 A/31 DP) - (154 G/.305 BA/13 HR/71 RBI/90 R) - 2 Golden Gloves

Shortstop
Carlton Carroll (Wynnamac Sundowners) (149 G/.975 FA/539 A) - (152 G/.257 BA/32 HR/102 RBI/85 R/12 SB) - 2 Golden Gloves

Left Fielder
Cade Frizzelle (Kilkenny Cats) (143 G/.996 FA/257 PO/6 A) - (151 G/.257 BA/14 HR/51 RBI/60 R)

Center Fielder
Ben Atcheson (Marston Nine) (139 G/.993 FA/374 PO/30 A) - (143 G/.276 BA/21 HR/85 RBI/90 R/4 SB) - 3 Golden Gloves

Right Fielder
Julien Concepcion (Eastshore Cotton Kings) (147 G/.997 FA/303 PO/16 A) - (149 G/.269 BA/5 HR/58 R/75 R/7 SB)

Today the most best glovemen in the Tycobbian Union for 2093 were announced. Golden Glove Awards will be presented to these top-notch defenders:
Pitcher
Russell Hayden (Ozarka Naturals) (35 G/1.000 FA/20 PO/30 A/4 DP) - (15-12/3.85 ERA)

Catcher
Billy Simms (Arroyo Grande Suns) (131 G/.999 FA/70 A/6 DP/.47.1% RTO) - (137 G/.291 BA/20 HR/77 RBI/60 R) - 2 Golden Gloves

First Baseman
Joe Leaphorn (Chicopee Braves) (139 G/.997 FA/93 A) - (142 G/.317 BA/15 HR/78 RBI/81 R)

Second Baseman
Arlon O'Shea (Midway Wolves) (146 G/.985 FA/467 A) - (152 G/.292 BA/20 HR/90 RBI/77 R)

Third Baseman
Hernando Salazar (Midway Wolves) (140 G/.977 FA/293 A/23 DP) - (.179 BA/9 HR/41 RBI/47 R/8 SB)

Shortstop
Greg Bretton (High Mesa Buckaroos) (147 G/463 A/.973 FA) - (152 G/.287 BA/18 HR/75 RBI/91 R/3 SB)

Left Fielder
Roy Whitwell (Mahaska Haymakers) (148 G/.993 FA/276 PO/6 A) - (151 G/9 HR/63 RBI/73 R/6 SB)

Center Fielder
Shaun Musgrove (White River Rascals) (120 G/.994 FA/307 PO/19 A) - (148 G/10 HR/40 RBI/79 R/12 SB)

Right Fielder
Arlie Doerr (Kenwood Wildcats) (149 G/.986 FA/345 PO/18 A) - (151 G/21 HR/88 RBI/79 R/3 SB)

[Eugene Church]

Hip, Hip Hooray!
IPA season 2093 is fini.

Good Lord willin' and those two creeks don't rise, get ready for the 94th year of Islandian Pro Alliance baseball coming to a ballpark near you real soon!

EC is hoping to live long enough to get to 100 years --- NOPE, not me --- the IPA.
7 seasons to go.

The Good Lord has given me 86 years so far.
Thank you, Jesus.
Hope I will be around long enough to complete the 100th IPA season.

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, November 8, 2093

SURPRISE AGAIN - CLOSERS FERRELL AND SNIJDER WIN IPA MVP AWARDS
Those fantastic closers, Claxton's Dingo Ferrell and Summerland's Duke Snijder, have done the almost-impossible twice in the same season --- first, they won the 2093 IPA Golden Arm Awards --- and now the 2093 IPA Most Valuable Players Awards. Never ever happened before.

Farrell nudged out another closer Dax Brimfield of the Beechwood Blues and outfielder Domingo Braceras of the Volusia Vigilantes, while Snijder outpolled two starters, Javon Harbin of the Hartsdale Hellcats and Geoff Tomczik of the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers.

FARRELL CHOSEN RU MVP OVER BRIMFIELD AND BRACERAS
Dingo Farrell saved an IPA-leading 36 games and was 10-9 in 91 games with a 2.58 ERA. He paced Claxton to second place in the Ruthlandian South. The Diamonds were beaten out by the Valka Blackhawks, finalists in the Pro Cup Series.

Beechwood closer Dax Brinfield stood out with 33 saves and a strong 2.27 ERA in 91 relief appearances. He posted a 10-8 record. The Blues ran a good race against the RU East champion Cold Creek, losing out by 5 games.

Volusia left fielder Domingo Barcenas had a sensational season, winning the RU Golden Bat and Rookie Of The Year honor. He batted .328 in 150 games with 42 doubles, 14 triples, 18 homers, 101 RBIs, scored 95 times and stole 9 bases, helping the Vigilantes wind up a close third in the RU West race, just 3 and a half games behind Forest City and Colfax.

TU MVP TIGHT VOTE GOES TO SUMMERLAND'S SNIJDER OVER HARTSDALE'S HARBIN AND BSC'S TOMCZIK
Three twirlers battled for the 2093 Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player Award. It went to this year's Golden Arm winner, Duke Snijder of the Summerland Sunsets, champion of the TU South. Snijder had an astounding season with a 19-10 mark, 33 saves in 96 games with a solid 2.61 ERA. The Sunsets ran away with the TU South by 15 games. Summerland wrapped up a superb season by winning the IPA Pro Cup.

Javon Harbin sparked the Hartsdale Hellcats to the TU North division title with a sparkling 25-3 record and 3.00 ERA. The Hellcats handily won the pennant with ease, romping by 17 games.

Bay St. Clair workhorse Geoff Tomczik stood out for the 5th-place Buccaneers with an 18-14 record and outstanding 2.52 ERA in 38 starts. He came in third in the TU Most Valuable Player voting.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, April 1, 2094

SUMMERLAND BEST IN TU AGAIN, VALKA BEST IN RU AGAIN
The Islandian baseball scribes have labeled defending Pro Cup champion, the Summerland Sunsets, a repeat winner in the Islandian Pro Alliance this season. Last year's Pro Cup finalist, the Valka Blackhawks, are forecast to battle the Sunsets again for the overall IPA crown. Summerland was victorious over Valka in six games last year.

This year's favorites in the 8 IPA divisions are Valmara in the RU North, Valka in the RU South, Marston in the RU East and Volusia in the RU West, Hartsdale in the TU North, Summerland in the TU South, South Fork in the TU East and La Claire in the TU West. Five of them are repeat winners.

Around the Ruthlandian Union

The Valmara Vipers are the pick of the litter again in the Ruthlandian North. It looks like a tight two-team affair with the Far Mountain Redhawks. Last season the Vipers bested the Taranto Tars by 5 games and the Redhawks by 7.

Valka is rated the best team in the Ruthlandian Union. The Blackhawks are favored to rule the roost in the RU South handling last year's runner-up rival by 7 games. They whipped the Diamonds by 5 games last season. Grand City came in third, 6 GB. A two-team race is predicted this season.

Ditto in the Ruthlandian East chase. Only two clubs have a chance at the division flag. The Marston Nine gets the nod over the Elnora Clippers by 3 games. Defending champ Cold Creek will wind up in third place in the standings, 10 GB. Marston won it in 2091 and 2092.

Only two teams are given a shot at the Ruthlandian West title this year. Volusia and Colfax will battle it out in a close race with the Vigilantes slipping past the Black Sox by 3 games. Last year's champion Forest City and fourth place Fort Benton will wind up 9 games off the pace. The Firebirds have dominated the RU West for the last six seasons, winning the pennant every year. The V's came in third last year, losing out by just 3 and a half games. Forest City just barely beat Colfax last year. The Firebirds won a sudden-death playoff for the division crown.

Around the Tycobbian Union

The Hartsdale Hellcats will have their own way again in the Tycobbian North, romping by 11 games over Mahaska, 13 games better than Fairfax and 15 games ahead of North Hills. The Hellcats will triumph for the 4th consecutive season and will likely contend for the Pro Cup crown.

The Summerland Sunsets are seeking to repeat as Pro Cup champion, but they are also trying to win their 7th Tycobbian South title in a row. Most years they easily prevailed, but not this year, according to the soothsayers and crystal ballers around the Islands. Three teams will be in the pennant hunt with the Sunsets. Arroyo Grande and Southport will put up the biggest fight before succumbing by 4 games. Cape Coral will come in a fairly close fourth, 7 GB.

The Ozarka Naturals nabbed the Tycobbian East last year in a torrid race with East Point (2 GB), Tuckanarra (4 GB) and South Fork (6 GB). This season only three clubs will likely contend. The South Fork Stallions are favored by 3 games over the Tuckanarra Blue Jays with the Nats winding up third and 5 games off the pace. The Stallions won the TU East 4 straight seasons, 2089 to 2092.

The La Claire Lynx been a powerhouse in the IPA with 3 Pro Cups (2089, 2090, 2091) in the last 7 seasons and 7 Tycobbian West pennants in that same timeframe. They were pushed hard by the Denton City Redbirds last year. The Lynx squeezed past the Redbirds by just a single solitary game. The rest of the division teams were far back in the race. The same scenario is forecast. Just two teams will tangle for the pennant with La Claire winning by 7 games over Denton City.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, January 7, 2094

IPA IMMORTALS SWINNERTON, STANSBURY AND MCCANLISH GET THE CALL TO THE HALL
The Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame, a bastion for the very best baseball player in the Islands, swelled by 3 recently to 152. Their numbers were enhanced by Tory Swinnerton, Dayton Stansbury and Scotty McCandlish, all elected their first year on the ballot.

Swinnerton starred for 17 seasons for the LaGrange Gators, blasting 753 balls out of the Islandian baseball parks. He was 4th all-time on the homer list, trailing only Jerry Culpepper (878 HR), Roy Roberts (872 HR) and Jack Elliott (848 HR). The Gator first baseman played for 18 seasons, all in LaGrange, leading them to 7 pennants from 2073 to 2090. He topped the Ruthlandian Union in homers 13 times, made 10 All-Star teams, copped 2 Golden Gloves and led in RBIs on 3 occasions. Swinnerton was honored with 5 Most Valuable Player Awards and 4 Golden Bats. An artisan with a bat whose daily pursuit of excellence produced a .297 lifetime batting average, 2904 hits, 1932 ribbies and 753 home runs. Swinnerton was 14th all-time in RBIs.

Dayton Stansbury, a portsider, toiled on the hill for 17 years for a lackluster ballclub most of the time, the Ranford Bulls,. He paced them to 3 pennants from 2074 to 2090, winning the RU Rookie of the Year his first season. Stansbury was a 4-time All-Star, Golden Glove and the 2080 RU Golden Arm winner. He was a workhorse for a so-so team, compiling a 254-159 mark with a 3.07 ERA. In the postseason Stansbury really stood out with a 6-0 record and 1.76 ERA in 7 starts and 9 appearances. He worked 61 postseason innings. In his overall career in 563 game appearances he fanned 2721 batters in 3969 innings and held opposing hitters to a .239 average. He retired at 38. His final season Stansbury was 8-4 with a 4.16 ERA in 59 games. He worked mainly in relief.

A slugging first sacker, most of his career Scotty McCandlish played in anonymity. His first 10 seasons were in Arlon. He finished up in Waleska the final 4 years. Sadly, he never made the playoffs. Neither the Champions, nor the Westerners were postseason participants. Both were just mediocre to average in his seasons there. However, McCandlish hammered the old horsehide. He played in 2064 games with a .277 lifetime batting average. Among his 2083 hits were 349 doubles, 17 triples and 504 home runs. He also scored 1248 runs and drove in 1477 runs. McCandlish was 37 when he retired. He made the All-Star team on 4 occasions, won the TU Rookie of the Year in 2077 and the TU Golden Bat in 2080. McCandlish led the league 3 times in homers and an RBIs.

Tory Swinnerton, Dayton Stansbury and Scotty McCandlish were inducted into the Hall of Fame today after being elected by the Islandian Baseball Writers Association.

The full voting results are included here. Players require 75% of ballots cast to be elected to the Hall, may stay on the ballot for up to 10 years if they receive at least 5% of the votes. Players must be retired for 3 years before they are eligible for induction to the Hall of Fame.

1B Tory Swinnerton 100.0 (1st year) Inducted HOF
SP Dayton Stansbury 94.5 (1st year) Inducted HOF
1B Scotty McCandlish 87.7 (1st year) Inducted HOF
RF Ernie Friedricks 64.8 (9th year)
SS Carroll Ezzell 58.1 (6th year)
SP Chuck Chelkowski 53.8 (1st year)
1B Wiilie Nelson 44.3 (1st year)
SP Clete Engstrom 41.9 (1st year)
2B Johnny Davidson 39.9 (2nd year)
3B Ronald Bayless 32.4 (4th year)
1B Matt Hazelton 31.6 (3rd year)
SP Sid Humphrey 29.2 (1st year)
CF Robert Hazle 28.1 (3rd year)
LF Olev Kotli 26.5 (2nd year)
C Conn Donaldson 23.7 (1st year)
1B Matty Cardoso 20.2 (1st year)
LF Bruno Lutz 17.8 (1st year)
C Jaron Shufford 16.2 (3rd year)
CF Luc Likovich 15.0 (2nd year)
RF Joe Willard 12.6 (2nd year)
SP Frankie Tate 9.9 (1st year)
C Liam McWhirter 8.3 (1st year)
SP Skeets Kazlauskas 8.3 (4th year)
SS Emmett Spangler 7.9 (3rd year)
SP Hawk Templeton 7.9 (5th year)
3B Ben Watkins 6.3 (1st year)
SP Mitch Hynes 6.3 (2nd year)
SP Mick Flanders 6.3 (9th year)
CF Donald Wilhelm 5.9 (3rd year)
RP Elizar Belasario 5.1 (2nd year)
SP Clifton Branch 5.1 (2nd year)
RF Harland Schiffman 4.3 (2nd year) Dropped
SP Davis Hickerson 4.3 (4th year) Dropped
C Raul Bernardo 4.3 (5th year) Dropped
SP Andrew Saul 4.0 (2nd year) Dropped
2B Sonny Zambello 4.0 (1st year) Dropped
SP Hamilton Burger 2.8 (2nd year) Dropped
SP Dex Antoon 2.8 (1st year) Dropped
SP Felix Poirot 2.4 (2nd year) Dropped
2B Ethan Youngman 2.4 (3rd year) Dropped
CF Lucky Hayden 2.4 (1st year) Dropped
SP Wayne Wolfe 2.4 (2nd year) Dropped
C Armand Rochet 2.0 (1st year) Dropped
2B Nat Kenner 2.0 (9th year) Dropped
SP Greg Hammerstein 1.2 (3rd year) Dropped
C Michel Colbert 1.2 (3rd year) Dropped
1B Beauregard Berthelot 1.2 (1st year) Dropped
CL Philip Reiser 1.2 (1st year) Dropped
3B Eli Kulacz 0.8 (1st year) Dropped
SP Jim Brockington 0.8 (3rd year) Dropped
RP Marcello Rossi 0.8 (3rd year) Dropped
1B Miggy Montalvo 0.4 (1st year) Dropped
SS Buddy Ball 0.4 (1st year) Dropped
SP Jorgy Neal 0.4 (1st year) Dropped
C Mike Mantle 0.4 (3rd year) Dropped
LF Sid Barton 0.4 (3rd year) Dropped
No other players received a vote, and have been dropped from the ballot.