ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

Mid-Season Classic Set For Turon Tomorrow
The 19th IPA All-Star Classic will be played tomorrow afternoon in Turon at Typhoon Stadium. 60 of the best players in Islandia will represent the two IPA leagues, the Ruthlandian Stars and the Tycobbian Stars. Ancona's Manny Mickens will be in charge of the RU All-Stars and Turon's Whitey Richburn will head up the TU All-Stars. For Ruthlandia Sugar Valley's Hal Stevenson and Claxton's Mike Luzzatti both made the Dream Team for the 11th time in their careers, while Far Mountain's Don Nichols has been honored 10 times. Arlon's Rocco Belasario heads up the TU Stars. Belasario was picked for his 8th time. Crash Davis of Ginza and Jack Elliott of High Mesa have been chosen 7 times.

For the Ruthlandian Union the roster includes:
SP Luka Abromowitz (SLI) 11-5 2.18 1X
SP Billy Ray (BEE) 11-6 1.89 2X
SP Denny Whitaker (BB) 12-4 1.50 1X
SP Woody Crawford (FM) 10-5 2.33 2X
SP Les Patterson (SLI) 10-5 2.07 2X
SP Brent Sturgis (GC ) 10-2 2.63 1X
SP Matty Wilkerson (ELN) 10-4 2.86 2X
SP Vic Bauer (CL) 8-2 2.00 1X
CL Milt Baker (RR) 2-1 1.78 15 saves 1X
CL Bobby Daniel (MAR) 3-5 1.13 13 saves 2X
C Hal Stevenson (SV) .291 BA/11 HR/43 RBI/42 R 11X
C Leon Carter (ELN) .285 BA/22 HR/62 RBI/46 6X
C Little Jake Bungarooba (BB) .261 BA/8 HR/30 RBI/32 R 3X
1B Pat Farris (MAR) .333 BA/8/38 RBI/44 R 3X
1B Mike Luzzatti (CLX) .317 BA/22 HR/63 RBI/53 R 11X
2B Gerry Garner (ETS) .338 BA/12 HR/43 RBI/52 R 2X
2B Paul Shelton (RR) .330 BA/18 HR/58 RBI/59 R 3X
3B Todd Nasso (ANC) .342 BA/17 HR/72 RBI/52 R 1X
3B Vic Scalzi (RAN) .303 BA/17 HR/54 RBI/52 R 2X
3B Jug Slavin (GC ) .333 BA/8 HR/37 RBI/48 R 4X
SS Glenn Christian (SV) .287 BA/16 HR/60 RBI/54 R 2X
SS Don Nichols (FM) .287 BA/12 HR/47 RBI/54 R 10X
LF George McKay (CLX) .318 BA/21 HR/67 RBI/59 R 2X
LF Quincy Peterson (LAG) .300 BA/14 HR/36 RBI/50 R 6X
CF Roy Hobbs (WLK) .376 BA/14 HR/53 RBI/49 R 5X
CF Russ Woodward (MAR) .348 BA/18 HR/56 RBI/54 R 2X
CF Joe DeLucca (VOL) .318 BA/15 HR/48 RBI/51 R 6X
RF Augie Marshall (TAR) .319 BA/20 HR/70 RBI/51 R 7X
RF Norm Owens (SD) .287 BA/14 HR/60 RBI/39 R 1X
RF Ricky Rich (GC ) .338 BA/9 HR/53 RBI/47 R 2X

For the Tycobbian Union these players have been selected:
SP Nicky Engstrom (TUR) 10-5 1.51 6X
SP James Elliott (RH) 12-4 2.02 1X
SP Mila Mohoski (DC) 8-4 2.12 2X
SP Shane Farmer (TUR) 10-4 2.30 2X
SP Tiago Torres (LUX) 11-6 2.19 2X
SP Errol Gaudet (RH) 9-5 2.49 1X
SP Motega Wolf (MDW) 10-6 2.86 2X
SP Alec Sasek (GIN) 12-4 2.71 2X
CL Juzo Takaki (GIN) 4-1 0.72 16 saves 1X
CL Don Richard (CCH) 2-1 0.32 16 saves 2X
C Crash Davis (GIN) .377 BA/12 HR/43 RBI/50 R 7X
C Jim Schubert (RB) .340 BA/7 HR/19 RBI/39 R 1X
C Bucky O'Brian (MAH) .337 BA/9 HR/38 RBI/35 R 6X
1B Clyde Kingsford (TUR) .332 BA/28 HR/67 RBI/47 R 6X
1B Marty Blake (WR) .366 BA/22 HR/47 RBI/55 R 3X
1B Jack Elliott (HM) .350 BA/25 HR/65 RBI/74 R 7X
2B Matt Lalonde (HIL) .331 BA/18 HR/53 RBI/47 R 1X
2B Wild Deer Etchimin (HM) .291 BA/13 HR/35 RBI/48 R 2X
3B Kendry Moulton (HAR) .354 BA/14 HR/48 RBI/51 R 5X
3B Flash Devlin (LC) .330 BA/22 HR/59 RBI/51 R 5X
3B Clay Hoffman (RH) .302 BA/15 HR/52 RBI/30 R 3X
SS Tommy Shore (BAY) .353 BA/9 HR/44 RBI/44 R 1X
SS Andy Pearson (AG) ..338 BA/11 HR/40 RBI/44 R 5X
LF Rocco Belasario (ARL) .386 BA/19 HR/45 RBI/59 R 8X
LF Davey Krueger (BAY) .320 BA/16 HR/50 RBI/46 R 4X
CF Bill Howell (BSC) .341 BA/0 HR/33 RBI/43 R 1X
CF Sozi Akiyama (EP) .321 BA/5 HR/49 RBI/38 R 2X
RF Danny Redd (TUC) .376 BA/11 HR/42 RBI/51 R 4X
RF Johnny Stratton (WR) .318 BA/8 HR/52 RBI/51 R 2X

[Eugene Church]

2019 Ruthlandian North Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Ruthlandian North Mid-Season Recap

4-Team Race In RU North, Tars and Bulls Tied at All-Star Break
Defending champ Ancona has been lackluster so far and is fourth place, 6 games back... Taranto and surprising Ranford are tied for first with a 4-game lead on Far Mountain... no other contenders on the horizon.

The Ranford Bulls are the cinderella club rising up from fifth place last year... youthful skipper Rick Fargnoli's team is led by pitchers Scotty Simmons (10-5 2.44) and Archie Young (10-4 2.93) and at the plate by All-Star 3B Vic Scalzi (.303/17/54) and RF Tyee Maska (.262/13/55).

Whenever Tommaso Lazzorda get any kind of pitching in Taranto, the Tars do well... he's getting it this year with Yuri Dozhenko (10-4 3.05) and long-time Tar Angelo Zinacola (11-2 4.43) and closer Vance Waters (4-1 1.75)... Lazzorda picked up the 42-year-old Dozhenko in a trade with Mahaska... as usual Taranto is loaded with hitters led by All-Star Augie Marshall (.319/20/70), Arnie Kennedy (.325/16/34) and Aron Aiello (.296/8/47)... two capable starters, a good closer and good bats can carry a team a long way.

Manager Alex Groveland doesn't have the talent he has in years past, but the Far Mountain Redhawks can score runs with Fran Grzanka (.350/5/34), All-Star Don Nichols (.287/12/47), Tony Tanaka (.294/13/47) and Mackie McAllister (.274/15/47)... Groveland needs another pitcher to keep up with Ranford and Taranto.

Last year's Ruthlandian champ and Pro Cup finalist Ancona has slumbered through the first half of the season, but still has the solid core from 2018, plus one of the best rookie in the league... they are showing signs of a second-half turnaround... rookie 3B Todd Nasso (.340/17/72) has been just about the best hitter in the IPA and made the All-Star club in his first year... the Red Elephants still sport a solid line-up with Kenny Willard (.317/9/35), Louie DiMucci (.333/14/37) and Johnny Lee Harder (.276/12/40)... all manager Manny Mickens needs is another starter to go along with his ace Clete Dukas (8-6 2.24)... last year's number two starter and postseason star Dave Blair (15-10) retired this season... he was a big loss.

Not a lot of talent on the second division clubs in the RU North... no one on Glasco is having much of a season... Kilkenny is paced by two fine starters in Sidney McFarland (8-7 3.13) and Rodger Wright (10-7 3.17)... Valmara has two standouts in pitcher Tad Janicki (11-6 2.96) and flashy-fielding 2B Ron Freiberg (.287/10/31)... 19-year vet LF Quincy Peterson (.300/14/36) is last place LaGrange's top player at age 42... Peterson again made the All-Star squad for the sixth time in his illustrious career.

Ruthlandian North Outlook:
All four of the contenders should stay in the race... likely finish: Taranto, Ancona, Ranford and Far Mountain... the Tars can score runs and have decent pitching... Ancona won it last year with the same group of players... Ranford has two good starters, but doesn't seem to have the offense for the long haul... the Redhawks just don't have the pitching to win the pennant... Kilkenny will be fifth, followed by Valmara, Glasco and LaGrange.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Ruthlandian South Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Ruthlandian South Mid-Season Recap

GC Cybercats Class Of RU South
Wade Joslin has been slowly building a good ball club in Grand City and 2019 could be the year of the Cybercats in the Ruthlandian South. At mid-year Grand City has a 5-game edge over last year's division winner, the Claxton Diamonds. There are no other challengers for the pennant. It looks to be between the Cybercats and the Diamonds. Belair Beach is third, 8 games out, followed by Waleska, trailing by 9.

Joslin has a good mixture of veteran pitchers and youthful position players... Grand City has fine pitching and good contact hitting, but lacks firepower... the Cybercat bats have registered the best team batting average in the RU so far with a .275 team average... Joslin has a strong rotation, featuring All-Star Brent Sturgis (10-2 2.63), Randy Andrews (9-5 2.95) and Jimbo Stearns (8-7 3.54), along with an excellent closer in Ralph Teague (4-4 2.60), who has chalked up 15 saves... the line-up doesn't have much power, but they hit for average... All-Star RF Richy Rich (.338/9/53), All-Star 3B Jug Slavin (.333/8/37), 2B Jim Mellencamp (.300/0/23) and CF Nick Baldini (.313/7/38) give Joslin some good offense, at least enough to get by.

Stacy Engel always has his Claxton Diamonds near the top in recent years, winning the pennant last year for the fourth time in his career... Pitching is his shortcoming... Tom Dahl (10-6 3.60) and Ernie van Riebeeck (10-6 4.19) are his only decent starters... but Engel does have a competent closer... Tony Haverkamp (2-4) has rung up 13 saves and posted an outstanding 1.73 ERA... Claxton may be short on starters, but they have some top-notch hitters in All-Star LF George McKay (.318/21/67), All-Star 1B Mike Luzzatti (.317/22/63), RF K. C. Moerdijk (.308/20/45) and C Allen Lemay (.280/11/39)... the Diamonds boast a high-scoring attack, second best in the RU... Engel needs another pitcher to step it up to compete with Grand City.

No other teams are expected to challenge the top two clubs in the RU South this season. Impotent bats are holding back the third place Belair Beach Sunbirds... Marty Pedroza has two solid starters in All-Star Denny Whitaker (12-4 1.50) and Rik Flippen (7-7 3.00), but is severely lacking in hitting... All-Star C Little Jake Bungarooba (.261/8/30) and 1B Derek Krohn (.256/14/33) are the Sunbirds best producers.

McGraw Johnson has a vastly-improved pitching staff over last year... but the Waleska Westerners are a long way from the top... Johnson has guided them up to fourth after a sixth-place finish in 2018... second-year starter Doug Watts (10-5 2.20) and rookie closer Marv Cook (4-3) have led the push... Cook has 10 saves and a superb 1.45 ERA... offensively the Westerners have two standout sticks, but All-Star CF Roy Hobbs (.376/14/53) and 3B Grant Betzer (.329/7/49) can't do it all by themselves.

Herman "Baby" George has gotten his Crushers close the past two seasons... they lost the pennant by one game both times... George has the same problem in Crystal Lake as Belair Beach and Waleska... the fifth-place Crushers are terrible at the plate and rank last in the RU with a .242 BA and are last in scoring... even legendary 1B Phil Gravelli (.311 BA) is having a down year with only 11 homers and 36 RBIs... over his 19-year career Gravelli has averaged 35 homers and 115 RBIs... But George has two superlative starters... All-Star Vic Bauer is 8-2 with a super 2.00 ERA and Duncan Welch has fashioned a 2.38 ERA, but only has a 6-8 record to show for it... if Ralph McCullough (6-8 3.65) can regain his form of the last two seasons, when he was a 20-game winner, Crystal Lake could really liven up the pennant chase in the RU South.

The sixth-place Valka Blackhawks won the division flag two seasons ago, but dropped to third last season and now have declined even further... Andrei Kokk still has capable starters, but Valka can't score enough to compete, despite being third in the RU in homers with 85... Arno Vainmaa (10-5 3.12), Richie Jost (7-8 3.26) and Eddie Lasky (4-10 3.43) need some run support badly... the best Blackhawk bats are rookie RF Glen Nance (.263/16/50), LF Kurt Jankauskas (.271/12/34) and C Thomas Lawson (.284/18/40).

The seventh-place San Dimas Rancheros and eighth-place St. John Crusaders have little to brag about or to look forward to this season... the future is bleak... Ranchero skipper Paco Banderos and Crusader boss Dickie Billings have absolutely no pitching at all with 4.46 and 4.60 team ERAs respectively... San Dimas has three quality hitters in All-Star RF Norm Owens (.287/14/60), SS Greg Lawrence (.267/9/50) and CF Andre Drexel (.314/9/39)... St. John 3B Vinny Sardisco (.303/14/46) is Billings only threat at the plate.

RU South Outlook:
Probable first-place finish for Grand City with its fine pitching and offense... Claxton will have to settle for second... because of their fine pitching rotations Crystal Lake and Valka might pass Belair Beach and Waleska in the second half ... no hope for San Dimas and St. John.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Ruthlandian East Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Ruthlandian East Mid-Season Recap

Elegants On Top In RU East, Rattlers, Bobcats And Nine Close
The Eastshore Elegants are going for their 5th consecutive Ruthlandian East pennant, however four clubs are contesting them this season. Sugar Valley is only 2 games off the pace at the All-Star break. Beechwood is running a strong third, just 4 games behind. The Marston Nine are fourth and 6 games out, followed by fifth-place Elnora, which trails by 8.

Eastshore started the season off slowly, 13-15 in April, but have put it in high gear of late and looks like the dominating Elegants of the last few years... Killer Brewster is still blessed with a strong starting four... Melvin Key (9-6 3.27), Danny Siegfried (9-6 3.55), Al Froelich (8-5 2.91) and Bix Hansen (12-4 3.94) might be the best rotation in the IPA... Eastshore has solid bats, too, sparked by All-Star 2B Gerry Garner (.338/12/43), 3B George Alford (.273/19/47) and LF Stan Cuccinello (.271/12/42)... Brewster's critical need right now is a capable closer... if he finds one, the Elegants should win in a breeze.

Manager Gibson Bobkins got his Sugar Valley Rattlers off to a great April and they charged out to a big first-month lead with a 20-8 mark, but have recently come down-to-earth... this season the Rattlers have improved on the hill and at the plate... Harry Diefendorf (11-3 3.26) heads up the staff, along with closer Woody Murrell (3-2), who has been exceptional with 17 saves and a 2.14 ERA... Bobkins' relief corps has been outstanding... offensively All-Star SS Glenn Christian (.287/16/60) is Sugar Valley's main man with help form All-Star C Hal Stevenson (.291/11/43) and CF Milt Purvis (.335/2/24).

The third-place Beechwood Bobcats also got out of the starting gate early (19-9), but have since leveled off... Bret George has one fine starter in All-Star Billy Ray (11-6 1.89) and a quality closer in Jeff Lyons (4-0), who recently took over that slot and has done quite well with 9 saves and an extraordinary 1.13 ERA... at the plate the Bobcats are paced by superstar CF Vic Valenti (.273/9/40), who is having his first off-year in the league, hitting 60 points under his .334 career average... so far the big bat in the line-up has been LF Ryan Ray (.283/16/47)... Ray is Billy Ray's younger brother... other good contributors have been 2B Darrell Woods (.273/7/44) and C Yoshi Motsuzuki (.308/7/41)... the 39-year-old Motsuzuki, obtained a year ago in a trade with Tuckanarra, has been a pleasant surprise... he can still swing a good bat.

Last season the Marston Nine came close to winning the division, but fell one heartbreaking game short... this year they began badly with a 12-16 April, but rebounded with a good May and a good June... Johnny Walters' Nine is in fourth place in the standings and 6 games back in the race... Marston has a quality staff with starters Ronnie Flynn (9-9 3.92), Anson Thomas (6-7 3.77), Dennis Townsend (7-5 3.55) and Ron Vincent (4-0 3.19)... All-Star closer Bobby Daniel (3-5) has 13 saves with a sensational 1.40 ERA... All-Star CF Russ Woodward (.348/18/56) is the big gun, but has help from All-Star 1B Pat Farris (.333/8/38) and LF James Yardley (.292/12/37).

Sam Malone got his Elnora All-Stars off to a fast start with a 17-11 mark in April, but they now have dropped back in the pack into 5th place, 8 games out... All-Star pitcher Matty Wilkerson (10-4 2.86) and All-Star battery mate Leon Carter (.285/20/62) get the credit for the club's success this season... the rest of the roster is pretty much lacking in talent.

The remaining teams will battle it out to see who stays out of the cellar... it's going to be a long, dismal season for the Belle Plaine Musketeers, Wynnamac Sundowners and Cold Creek Catamounts... the Muskies best players are few in number... Lou Dozier's best hurlers are starter Brad Anderson (7-6 3.18) and closer Fabian Moreau (2-2) with 10 saves and a great 1.61 ERA... Belle Plaine's top hitters are SS Scott Hammill (.309/7/42) and LF Jim Beauregard (.304/15/46).

Matt Donnelly's best players in Wynnamac are starter Jerry Meeks (7-12 3.33) and closer Jim Horton (1-2 0.47), who has 12 saves... the Sundowners best bats belong to 1B Pete Simmons (.329/7/35) and LF Joey Eaton (.307/7/32).

Cold Creek manager Trip Holmes finally hung up his spikes after 17 seasons in center field... and boy, does he miss himself in the outfield and at the plate... lifetime he hit .283 and averaged 22 homers, 90 RBIs and 100 runs scored a season... Holmes is scrounging for players this year... Lou Hillman (9-6 3.97) is his best arm... 39-year-old RF Emile Stosha (.253/4/30) is his best bat and is nearing the end of his fine career... that's how poor the talent is in Cold Creek.

Ruthlandian East Forecast:
It looks like Eastshore is going to pull away from the rest of the league in the second half... the Elegants are just too strong on the mound and at the plate... Marston will be a distant second, Beechwood should climb over Sugar Valley for third... with the Rattlers coming in fourth... Elnora fifth... with Belle Plaine sixth, Wynnamac seventh and Cold Creek last.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Ruthlandian West Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Ruthlandian West Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting Average

Sligo Ahead In RU West In Tight 6-Team Race
Eddie Keys has rebuilt the Sligo Rovers in recent years and it's paying off this season in the Ruthlandian West... At the halfway point, the Rovers have a slight one-game edge over defending champion Rocky Rapids, 3 games over Forest City, 4 games over Volusia, 5 games ahead of Fort Benton and 6 games up on Stoner... Colfax and Middlefield are far back in the race.

Keys has tremendous pitching in Sligo with a 2.92 team ERA (1st), but not much hitting with a .243 BA (30th)... his main starters are All-Star Luka Abromowitz (11-5 2.18), All-Star Les Patterson (10-5 2.07) and Ralph Okakota (9-7 2.50)... the Rovers best bats are 1B Avery Womack (.321/1/31) and RF Clell Renshaw (.313/11/42)... it looks like Sligo has enough pitching to stay right with Rocky Rapids, who have won the division the past two years.

The Rocky Rapids Snapper skipper Ryan Noland is still strong on the hill with a 3.03 team ERA (2nd) and has capable offense... Joe Anderson (11-4 2.45), Don Chaney (9-6 3.36) and Junior Noland (8-6 3.36) are strong starters, coupled with a standout All-Star closer in Milt Baker (2-1) with 15 saves and a minuscule 1.78 ERA... for offense the second-place Snappers depend on All-Star 2B Paul Shelton (.330/18/58) and CF Carl Johnson (.311/14/43).

Third place Forest City relies on its bats, led by CF Luc St. Germain (.312/4/30), 1B Andy Doiron (.303/4/32), LF Joe Judlin (.280/15/51) and RF Sonny Harrison (.284/14/46)... manager Robby Jackson only has two dependable starters in Ricky Hoffman (8-5 3.70) and Tommy Zenon (8-10 3.77).

Year in and year out Alfonso Feliz has the Volusia Vigilantes in the pennant chase... this season the V's are in fourth place in the standings with solid bats and solid pitching... topping the rotation are Gerry Hersh (9-5 3.20), Todd Wolfe (7-2 2.65) and Sixto Moreno (8-7 3.48)... the batting leaders are All-Star CF Joe DeLucca (.318/15/48), 1B Rafael Garza (.313/9/39) and SS Vance Wilson (.307/12/34).

In Fort Benton Robbie Brooks has a crackerjack staff with a 3.12 team ERA (3rd) headed up by Tucker Dawes (11-7 2.89), Pete Varisco (6-3 2.77), Cal Walger (708 2.82) and Vic Kessler (6-7 3.38)... the only thing holding the fifth-place Defenders back is weak bats... they just simply don't score enough runs to compete with the teams ahead of them... CF Ryan Smith (.273/13/33) shoulders most of the offense.

The Stoner Stars are in sixth place under Benny Stern, but are only 6 games off the pace... Stern has quality arms in Charley Norton (9-7 3.78) and Billy Chapel (8-5 4.23), but Chapel is having a sub-par season thus far... leading the Stars at the plate are LF Mike Jaffe (.339/11/51), 1B Robert Dunbar (.298/11/36) and C Rob Stern (.318/2/29).

The other two clubs in the RU West are already out of the running at mid-season... After winning the division three straight years 2014-2016, Colfax manager Clem Rogers has seen his talent base dissolve... only aging pitchers Ilya Szabo (8-6 3.27) and Jimmy Joe Cartner (5-3 3.01) are still around from the championship team... the Blasters best bats are LF Billy Garrett (.315/16/45) and 3B Mike Janocko (.307/13/41).

With a 5.03 team ERA Smitty Michaels doesn't stand a chance in Middlefield... the Roosters could be headed for the worst season in their history... Middlefield can still score runs with the likes of RF Vic Ivarsson (.312/10/40) and 3B Stu Butterworth (.332/17/53).

Ruthlandian West Forecast:
You have to go with defending champ Rocky Rapids with its experience, fine pitching and adequate offense... Volusia will also finish ahead of Sligo because it has better bats... the Rovers have great pitching, but weak hitting... fourth place will go to Fort Benton, Forest City will end up fifth, Stoner sixth, Colfax seventh and Middlefield will wind up in the cellar.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian North Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Tycobbian North Mid-Season Recap

Luxora Leads TU North, Hartsdale And Oxford Trail By 6
At the All-Star hiatus, the Luxora Zorros are well on the way to a third Tycobbian North title in a row with a comfortable 6-game lead over runners-up Hartsdale and Oxford... the other five clubs in the division are well below the .500 mark and pretty well out of the pennant chase.

Fine pitching is carrying the Luxora Zorros... manager Cristo Viamonte's club has a 3.42 team ERA (7th) and a mediocre offense... but the Z's are good enough to be the big fish in a little pond... the TU North is one of the weaker division in the IPA... Viamonte's top pitchers are last year's TU MVP and Golden Arm winner Tiago Torres (11-6 2.19) and Steve Aaron (11-4 2.81)... closer Jay Brewer (4-2) also has stood out with 13 saves and a super 1.63 ERA... Luxora depends on C Jim Thorpe Chandler (.289/10/46) and RF Jon Stafford (.263/16/42) for offense.

Zim Donner of Hartsdale has the best team ERA in the TU North and sixth-best in the Tycobbian Union with a strong 3.27 ERA... the Hellcats starting four is a good one and is composed of Don Weill (8-7 2.79), Bobo Boisseau (10-5 3.19), Tony Lane (7-5 3.77) and Jim Starks (9-8 3.65)... Donner also has some capable bats in All-Star 3B Kendry Moulton (.354/14/48), who is having career year, 2B Jud Turchin (.290/4/38) and 1B Clint Coates (.280/8/41)... Hartsdale looks good enough on paper to challenge Luxora in the second half... it's surprising that the Hellcats are only one-game over .500 and are 6 games behind in the race, tied with Oxford for second place.

After three down seasons the Oxford Red Caps have perked up a bit, but are not likely to finish any higher than third... Campy Roy just doesn't have the talent... other than one starter Rick Vaughn (9-7 3.61) and a capable closer Rick Hunt (0-1), Oxford is mediocre on the mound... Hunt has saved 13 games and has a commendable 2.08 ERA... the Red Caps are pathetic at the plate with a .254 BA (18th) and short on power with only 48 homers (27th)... 1B Eddy Dowler (.294/4/30) and C Bryan Lewis (.308/5/26) are the best Oxford has to offer.

The fourth-place White River Rascals are fairly solid in the batter's box (.266 BA) and just plain bad on the mound with a terrible 4.57 team ERA (31st)... John Randison's Rascals are 11 games back of leading Luxora... Despite having three solid bats in the line-up, they can't overcome lousy pitching... All-Star 1B Marty Blake (.366/22/47) is having a sensational season and has help from two productive hitters All-Star RF Johnny Stratton (.318/8/52) and 3B Ken Mathers (.272/15/53)... the only pitcher to speak of is Joe Hudson with a 10-7 mark and a fair 4.09 ERA.

It's been 7 years since Blue Lake's Cobb Tyson had a competitive team in the TU North... and it isn't much better this season... Blue Lake is in fifth place and tied with Fairfax and Mahaska, 13 games back... the Blue Sox really have the blues at the plate with a .230 BA (31st) and are 31st in scoring... 2B Herb Blair (.257/9/42) and CF Orlando Macias (.253/13/39) are the only decent bats... Ray Davini (8-7 4.00) and Phil Wilkinson (7-9 3.12) are the best Blue Sox hurlers.

Harry Buckley has guided his Fairfax Frogs to third-place finishes the last four seasons, but they have croaked this year and fallen to the fifth spot... the Frogs are the worst hitting team in IPA history with a .219 batting average... LF Dane Wesner is far and away the top hitter, but is hitting only .277 with 10 roundtrippers and 30 runs batted in... pitching-wise 10-year-vet Ken Hill (10-7 2.97) is still one of the best in the IPA, but gets no help from the batters.

The Mahaska Haymakers with Rusty Tanussa at the helm were the division runner-up to Luxora the previous two seasons, but have dipped sharply this year, suffering from poor hitting and pitching... Johnny Picou (7-9 2.92) and Joey Wallace (3-10 3.45) are both capable starters, but are having problems due to poor run support... the Haymakers still have a strong closer in Ivan Belakov (1-3), who has totaled 12 saves and a 2.26 ERA... All-Star C Bucky O'Brian (.337/9/38) is the top batsmen, along with LF Paul Conway (.320/1/28).

Since a stunning rise from seventh to first in 2016 when the North Hills Hawks surprised everybody in the Islands by unexpectedly winning the TU North, skipper Hub Carlson's club has plunged back near the bottom the last three years... The Hawk hurlers are absolutely last in the IPA with a sad 5.51 team ERA... even if the Hawks hit .300 as a team, they still wouldn't be a contender... North Hills is hitting only .247 (25th)... 'nuff said... Only 1B Lou Hooper (.336/12/32) and LF Nicky Makovsky (.300/9/48) are having solid seasons.

Tycobbian North Forecast:
Luxora will win it because of the 6-game lead at mid-season, but Hartsdale could challenge them and make them sweat... the other 5 teams will battle it out for third place... Mahaska with the better pitching will beat them out... Oxford will be fourth... White River will wind up fifth, with Blue Lake sixth, Fairfax seventh and North Hills last.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Tycobbian South Mid-Season Recap

2-Team Race In TU South, Turon Tops Ginza By 3 At Mid-Year
No surprise that the defending Pro Cup champion Turon Typhoons are again atop the Tycobbian South, which they have won 11 times... the only surprise is the Ginza Ninjas are only 3 games behind the powerful Typhoons at the All-Star break... Turon is shooting for back-to-back 100-win seasons... they won 102 last year... both clubs have outstanding pitching and strong bats... Turon could have a fight on its hands all season long... Everybody else in the TU South have losing records and are far behind the two leaders.

Manager Whitey Richburn has won a record four Pro Cups in his career and could be headed for a fifth because of his superlative pitching staff... the Typhoons lead the IPA with a remarkable 2.73 ERA... leading the way are All-Star Nicky Engstrom (10-5 1.51), All-Star Shane Farmer (10-4 2.30), Ted Farentino (11-5 3.43) and James Stuart (8-1 3.25)... not only are the starters great, but the relief corps is, too... Closer Merle Studebaker (1-1) has posted 14 saves with a strong 2.04 ERA... it doesn't end on the mound, either... Turon totes some heavy lumber, too... All-Star 1B Clyde Kingsford could set a new home run record in the IPA... Kingsford has 28 so far this year with a .332 batting average and 67 RBIs... the future HOFer tops the TU in homers and RBIs... other quality bats in the line-up are CF Mac McCurnan (.285/11/50) and RF Dominick DiCaprio (.286/5/41).

But hand it to Huroko Uchiyama and his Ginza Ninjas, they are a talented ball club, too... Uchiyama has four fine starters, an excellent closer and relievers... and the Ninjas can score runs despite a deceiving .257 BA (15th)... they are seventh in scoring... on the hill ace Joji Azuma (11-8 2.64), All-Star Alec Sasek (12-4 2.71), Julian Gilchrist (9-2 3.40) and Koichi Ishikawa (7-6 3.26) are as good a foursome as there is in the IPA... and they are backed up by one of the best bullpens in the Islands, headed up by the superb All-Star closer Juzo Takaki (4-1), who has chalked up 16 saves and compiled a microscopic 0.72 ERA... the Ninjas have All-Star C Crash Davis (.377/12/43) as their big gun with CF Augie Vitanza (.270/14/54) and SS Ralph Hart (.268/14/56) also supplying some power and runs... RF Jack Vorland (.306/11/35) is another quality bat.

All the other clubs are sub .500 and at least 16 games off the pace... the Colchester Elites are third... Robbie Wilbertson has some talented hitters, but little pitching... his top bats are C Tommy Booker (.338/13/54), 1B James McCall (.353/12/47) and LF Douglas Tilford (.359/5/23)... Colchester also has an excellent closer... All-Star closer Don Richard (2-1) has an unbelievably low 0.32 ERA and has saved 16 games.

The Arroyo Grande Suns are fourth in the TU South... skipper Cyclone Cobb has two talented starters in Sixto Zamora (6-6 2.32) and Earl O'Reilly (7-8 2.94)... much better than their won-loss records... they need run support... the Suns have only two quality batters... All-Star SS Andy Pearson (.338/11/40) and rookie LF Eduardo Villanueva (.289/12/42) are Cobb's only reliable bats... but the Suns do hit with power and are ranked fourth in the TU with 82.

San Alejo has suffered through 15 consecutive losing seasons, including last-place finishes the last five years... the Montaneros are fifth this year, but they not have a winning record... manager Marcelino Zuniga has better pitching this season... 20-year-old rookie Trini Corona (9-8 3.16) tops the twirlers, but San Alejo still can't hit... RF Warren Love (.250/14/33) and C Paul Bailey (.279/9/34) are only modest run producers.

Huggy Miller's Cape Coral Hurricanes are still in a decline that started two years ago and is getting worse... Cape Coral is 18 games behind and in sixth place in the standings... even the IPA's all-time winning pitcher and strikeout king, Cody Burg, is in the throes of an awful 4-12 season, but is still quite competitive with a 3.03 ERA... Burg is still Miller's best pitcher by far and he has a 327-224 record lifetime with almost 5000 strikeouts... three veterans 3B Flipper Bird (.283/13/30), 2B Lonnie Moon (.304/3/49) and CF Derek Ryckman (.294/11/39) top the batters.

The Summerland Sunsets are seventh and 20 games back of Turon... manager Will Hackett has solid pitching with a 3.63 team ERA (11th), but terrible hitting with a .237 BA (30th)... 19-year vet Denny Coulon (6-9 2.68) is still the ace of the staff and sports a career 289-267 record with an outstanding 2.89 ERA... this is his 12th season with the Sunsets, a team never know for its hitting... Summerland has two capable performers in RF Vann Kelter (.307/13/39) and CF Jim Garrison (.281/4/40).

Last place belongs to the Southport Sun Sox, who are 21 games out of first... however skipper Charley Oscar can still salvage the season because of several quality hurlers... Southport is only 5 games away from third place... Bob Montgomery (6-9 3.07) and Wilcy Lord (9-8 3.78) still keep the Sun Sox in games... plus Jesse Martin (2-3) is a solid closer with 13 saves and a very respectable 2.39 ERA... scoring runs is the big problem for Oscar... his best bats are 1B Bill McCann (.288/9/41) and LF Walt Muller (.306/7/27).

Tycobbian South Forecast:
Turon will win the pennant, but may be tested by the testy Ginza Ninjas... Arroyo Grande has the pitching and the power to move up to third place by season's end... Southport might sneak up to fourth place, also because of its mound corps... good pitching will move Summerland up to fifth... Colchester should hit well enough to come in sixth... Cape Coral will remain in seventh place and San Alejo will fall back to the basement.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian East Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Tycobbian East Mid-Season Recap

Ozarka On Top In 5-Team Chase
As usual, the Ozarka Naturals can be found on top of the Tycobbian East standings... the Nats have won it 9 times overall and the last four years in a row... but this year Ozarka has plenty of challengers... they are four teams within 6 games of them at mid-year... The High Mesa Cowboys are only 2 games behind, the Midway Wolves are 4 back, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays 5 games out and the Hillsboro Blazers just 6 games off the pace... In recent years only one team each season has contended with the perennial pennant winners. Tuckanarra has usually been the team to challenge the Nats of late.

Joe Mac Carney's Ozarka club is still a very good team, but not as strong as they have been... Ozarka won't approach 100 wins this season, which they have averaged for the past four seasons... there are just too many good teams in the division... But don't feel sorry for the Nats... they still have three quality starters in Wayne Gates (8-3 3.79), Howard Hutch (9-4 3.55) and Benny Osterman (8-5 3.51) and they still have a rock-solid batting order chocked full of fine hitters like 3B Andre Dumas (.270/18/52), 1B Benny Rousseau (.311/14/38), RF Ken Mayberry (.338/3/30) and C Frank Kiffin (.305/8/34).

The second-place High Mesa Cowboys will go as high as its pitching will take them... so far Scotty Snyder (7-5 2.84), Ronald Ward (8-4 3.62) and Frankie Walsh (8-8 3.28) have done the job... Offensively the Cowpokes have All-Star 1B Jack Elliott (.350/25/65), All-Star 2B Wild Deer Etchimin (.291/13/35) and LF Daryl Alston (.281/15/44) to knock in the runs... 39-year-old Alston has quietly hit over 500 homers and driven in over 1500 runs in his 18 years in the IPA, the last 8 with High Mesa.

The Midway Wolves are currently holding down the third spot and may pose the biggest threat to Ozarka... skipper Cochise Chandler has two very capable starters and some long-distance hitters... Sherm Jarvis is 11-1 with a 3.37 ERA and All-Star Motega Wolf is 10-6 and a 2.86 ERA... if Chandler can find another solid starter, he could challenge Ozarka... the Wolves are first in homers with 98... Midway has three .300 bats in its line-up, led by 1B Cal Hunter (.340/10/49), 2B Phil Strong (.321/8/40) and talented CF Johnny Lee (.301/12/44).

It's usually Lefty Stevens' Tuckanarra Blue Jays contesting Ozarka in the TU East... this year they are in fourth place trailing by 5 games and still within striking distance... Pitching is the name of the game in Tuckanarra... Stevens has three fine starters, headed up by Yuka Nawajuk (8-5 2.86), Billy Boy Hawkes (5-4 3.34) and long-time ace Titus Bristow (7-9 3.49)... the Blue Jay bullpen is outstanding with closer Archie Desmond (1-1) having 10 saves and a terrific 1.25 ERA... Setup man Stephen Eubarinja is 6-4 with a 2.68 ERA... Stevens just doesn't have enough strong bats... All-Star RF Danny Redd (.376/11/42) is his best with some help from 1B Erik Vayda (.273/6/45)... lack of scoring will be the downfall of Tuckanarra... all the teams ahead of them have offense to go with good pitching.

For many years Hillsboro was the shame of the TU East, rarely rising above seventh place and never above fifth... that changed two years ago... the Blazers skipper Rawhide Marshall has posted two winning seasons and two fourth-place finishes... Marshall is aiming higher this year... at the halfway point Hillsboro is fifth, but within 6 games of first place... The Blazers can hit with power and are third in homers with 96... Marshall high-octane batting order has All-Star 2B Matt Lalonde (.331/18/53), LF Raphael Semmes (.278/17/47), 1B Andy Jefferson (.271/21/52) and CF Bob Graham (.309/9/39)... he also has a couple of pretty good starters, but Chris Dean (9-8 3.15) and Tom Edgar (9-7 3.93) can't do it alone... someone else has to step up for the Blazers to contend.

The other three teams in the division will have to wait until the proverbial next year... all are double digits out of first... Red Bluff is sixth and 10 games out... South Fork is seventh and 12 games behind... and East Point is in the cellar again and trails by 13.

In Red Bluff, the Red Sox suffer from a lack of scoring, but skipper Bucky Frizzell does have some good pitching with starter Grady Daggs (9-7 3.57) and closer Rod Westfall (2-1)... Westfall has a brilliant 0.69 ERA and has saved 16 games... it was a crime he didn't make the All-Star team... Red Bluff best bats are All-Star C Jim Schubert (.340/7/19), LF D'Andrew Clayburn (.299/12/47) and CF Ron van Riebe (.292/12/38).

The South Fork Stallions, managed by Deroche "Lips" Leon, have several quality starters in Sean Swenson (8-8 3.23) and Jason Graham (7-9 2.68)... Woody Price (2-2) is a capable closer with 11 saves and a 2.42 ERA... Leon has a few good bats, but with little power... the Stallions best hitters are 1B Joe Peters (.309/5/59) and C Jake Singleton (.308/4/51)... other contributors are LF Patric Giles (.300/11/36) and RF Robby Michael (.299/5/29).

Since 2010 the East Point Panthers have wound up in the basement 7 times... it is very likely where they will end up this year, too... the Panthers are in last place and are 13 games behind Ozarka... manager Rex Sokolov's best performers are pitcher Bingo Long (6-8 2.76), All-Star CF Sozi Akiyama (.321/5/49), 1B Gil Rayfor (.307/3/27) and LF Ted Dupre (.302/8/27).

Tycobbian East Forecast:
The Ozarka Naturals will win the TU East, but will have to beat out High Mesa and Midway in a close race... both clubs could give the Nats fits before its over... the Cowboys will be second, followed by the Wolves... High Mesa has a little better pitching than Midway... Hillsboro will wind up in fourth place... the Blazers offense will overtake Tuckanarra... the Blue Jay bats are just too weak to compete... The Tucks, Red Bluff and South Fork will battle for fifth place with the edge going to the Blue Jays, who have superior pitching... the Stallions will be sixth, Red Sox seventh and Panthers last.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian West Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 18, 2019

2019 Tycobbian West Mid-Season Recap

7-Teams Contest TU West, RH Reds First At All-Star Game
What a pennant race in the Tycobbian West with 7 teams within 6 games of each other... 7 of the 8 clubs in the division are playing .500 or better baseball... competition is hot and heavy... Rolling Hills roared from fifth last year to first this year and has a 2-game edge over Denton City, who has jumped from seventh to second in a year... Bay St. Clair and Bayview are hanging close in third place, just 5 games back... Arlon, Kenwood and La Claire are 6 out and deadlocked for fifth... only Chicopee is out of it... the Braves are last and 11 games off the pace.

Matty Chrisianson's Rolling Hills Reds appear to be the class of the TU West with a strong mound corps and decent hitting... the Reds starting rotation is excellent with All-Star James Elliott (12-4 2.02), rookie All-Star Errol Gaudet (9-5 2.49) and veteran Sal Jordan (8-3 2.59)... Barney Kearns (4-3) is another big plus in the bullpen with 15 saves and a 2.01 ERA... Rolling Hills sports four .300 hitters: All-Star 3B Clay Hoffman (.302/15/52), LF Donnie Lewis (.323/9/44), C Dennis Johanson (.325/1/23) and 2B Frank Bowman (.315/8/32)... the TU West is full of good teams... the Reds have a tough row to hoe to make the playoffs with challengers like defending champ Bay St. Clair, Bayview and rebounding Denton City.

The Denton City Redbirds have been lousy the last four years, the last three as cellar-dwellers... but Ford Whiteman has revitalized several old vets and added in a little youth to get his club back on the right track... 39-year-old All-Star and all-time ace Mila Mohoski (8-4 2.12) is getting a little run support and making it stand up this season... Tommy Price (10-3 2.98) is having his best year... and 35-year-old Hank Taylor (8-7 3.89) gives the Redbirds a good number three starter... in the bullpen Rich Hopkins (2-3) has been hit-and-miss with a 3.69 ERA, but has posted 19 saves, the most in the TU and second most in the IPA... Whiteman certainly needs more offense to stay in the hunt... C Pete Gibbs (.286/11/38) and CF Fred Castleberry (.312/1/24) are the only decent bats in the batting order.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers have won the TU West three of the last four seasons and will be a strong contender this year... the Bucs are tied with Bayview and are 5 games back in third place... skipper Guy Rondre has three quality starters in vets Bobby Joe Belvin (7-6 3.32), Hal Meissner (8-3 3.88) and Chris Van Arden (7-9 3.63)... a good closer in Steve Richt (2-2), who has put up 9 saves and an impressive 1.73 ERA... and the Bucs can score runs with All-Star CF Bill Howell (.341/0/33), 1B Johnny Cole (.263/19/45), RF Justin Kucks (.316/11/34), SS Ryan Sanders (.302/4/36) and LF Bruno DiPirro (.302/1/23).

Walter Johanssen always has his Bayview Vikings in contention... The Viks have two excellent starters with Rick Prichard (9-4 2.61) and Harald Turi (9-7 2.01) and quality hitters in All-Star SS Tommy Shore (.353/9/44), 1B Stan Haddix (.309/13/54) and All-Star LF Davey Krueger (.320/16/50)... the Buccaneers should be in the race to the end.

The Arlon Champions, Kenwood Wildcats and LaClaire Lynx all trail by 6 games and are in a tie for the fifth spot in the standings... the Champs have one standout starter in Armando Cruz (12-3 2.89) and he is having a career year at age 37... Cruz and and a very reliable relief corps are carrying the Champions so far... long-time bullpen ace Johnny Rabelais (3-2) has chalked up 16 saves and a 3.12 ERA... manager Gary Louis has All-Star LF Rocco Belasario heading up his hitters with an IPA-leading .376 batting average... Belasario had 19 homers and 45 RBIs... other run producers are CF Chucky Gilton (.264/9/50) and young SS Sandy Coburn with a .280 BA, 47 runs scored and 28 RBIs... Louis needs more mound help and more offense to make a charge for the pennant in the second half.

Kenwood's Aaron Hankins surprised everybody in Islandia in 2012 by winning the Pro Cup... it's not likely to happen again this year... Hankins has some good arms in his starting rotation with veterans Connie Gavagan (6-6 3.67), Sammy Shaw (7-7 3.97) and second-year man Steve Reeves (5-3 3.45), who just moved up to number three in the rotation and won his first two starts... Kenwood is woeful at the plate with a paltry .239 BA (29th)... the Wildcats will never be a pennant contender until this improves... you can't compete when your top hitters are CF Vince Palmer (.260/6/43) and RF Marty Nuxhall (.290/7/33).

The La Claire Lynx under manager Rip Calkin have a lot going for them... they lead the TU in scoring runs and are fifth in homers... and Calkin has two talented starters and two superstar bats... 23-year-old Don Schmidt (9-5 2.86) is in his third season and 22-year-old Paul Newman (9-4 3.49) is in his second year... hitting-wise the Lynx are blessed with future Hall-of-Famer RF Zeppy Deshotel (.353/13/36) and All-Star 3B Flash Devlin (.330/22/59)... 35-year-old Deshotel is a 9-time All-Star with a .314 lifetime BA and over 1400 runs and 1400 RBIs... Deshotel has 422 roundtrippers... 25-year-old Devlin is a 5-time All-Star with a career .333 BA... 7-year vet Devlin has averaged 30 homers, 100 RBIs and 100 runs a season... Calkin could really make a lot of noise in the TU West with another quality starter and hitter. Look for the Lynx to move up in the standings in the second half... they might move up to fifth and past Arlon and Kenwood.

There is not a lot of talent in Chicopee... manager Harry Fleetfoot's best ballplayers are not much better than an average IPA player... 41-year-old Desmond Quartermain (4-10 3.18) is his only quality pitcher... 2B Austin Hardy (.265/10/47), SS Victor Walsh (.296/6/34) and 1B .245/13/46) top the Brave batting order.

Tycobbian West Forecast:
It should be a real dogfight between Rolling Hills, Denton City, Bay St. Clair and Bayview and go down to the wire... The Reds will barely beat the Buccaneers for the flag with the Redbirds and the Vikings a very close third and fourth... La Claire will wind up number five in the standings with Arlon sixth, Kenwood seventh and Chicopee eighth and last.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 19, 2019

2019 Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game

TU Stars Crush RU 10-2 In IPA All-Star Game
At Typhoon Stadium in Turon, the Tycobbian Stars crushed the Ruthlandian Stars 10-2 in the Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game... It was Tycobbia's 14th victory in the 19-game series... the TU Stars rapped out 12 hits, including homers by Clyde Kingsford (Turon) and Marty Blake (White River)... Kingsford was voted the game's MVP as he collected two hits and two RBIs... Sozi Akiyama (East Point) also drove in a pair of runs for the winners and Jack Elliott (High Mesa) had two hits... Roy Hobbs (Waleska) was Ruthlandia's top bat with a homer, single and two RBIs... James Elliott got the win, but allowed a run in his only inning, the fourth... Tycobbia took the lead with a 5-run fourth inning and pinned the loss on Vic Bauer (Crystal Lake)... TU starter Nicky Engstrom (Turon) blanked the RU in the first two innings and fanned 3... Tiago Torres (Luxora) also worked two scoreless frames... and Shane Farmer (Turon) and Mila Mohoski (Denton City) pitched 1-2-3 innings for the winners... Bobby Daniel (Marston), Luka Abromowitz (Sligo) and Les Patterson (Sligo) all hurled scoreless innings for the losers... Ruthlandia had 8 hits in the game... the TU pitchers struck out 9 and walked 1, while RU hurlers had 3 Ks and a walk... Ruthlandia commited 2 errors and Tycobbia 1.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, June 20, 2019

2019 Ruthlandian Union Mid-Season Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

2019 RU Mid-Season Leaderboards