ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian East Final Standings and Team Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2019

2019 Tycobbian East Final Recap

Ozarka TU East Champs, Fifth Straight Pennant
Nothing new in the Tycobbian East... The Ozarka Naturals made shambles of the race again... The Nats won for the fifth time in a row and eighth time in the last decade... Ozarka swept the title by 9 games over the Midway Wolves, 12 games better than the Hillsboro Blazers and 14 ahead of the High Mesa Cowboys... the TU East is the strongest division in the IPA with 7 teams playing over .500 ball... it was a close race until mid-year with five teams within six games of each other... but Ozarka pulled away in the second half.

Ozarka has an explosive attack with a .289 team batting average and good power... the Nats led the IPA in batting average and ranked high in run scored... 3B Andre Dumas (.277/34/100/84), 1B Benny Rousseau (.308/28/89/74) and RF Ken Mayberry (.347/6/62/105) were the main bats with plenty of help from SS James Couch (.352/12/52/75) and CF Ryoma Nakayama (.302/10/65/67)... Dumas had the worst batting average of any regular at .277... on the hill manager Joe Mac Carnery featured four quality arms in Yuka Nawajuk (19-13 2.78), Benny Osterman (19-13 3.25), Howard Hutch (19-7 3.39) and Wayne Gates (16-12 3.61)... Nawajuk was 11-0 with a 1.95 ERA after being picked up in a trade with Tuckanarra... Ozarka is expected to duel with Turon for the TU title and a spot in the IPA Pro Cup Finals.

The second-place Midway Wolves cracked 202 homers (2nd) and were number two in scoring... 5 Wolves hit over 20 homers and all 8 regulars were in double digits, paced by 1B Cal Hunter (.322/21/87/88), CF Johnny Lee (.277/24/92/77) and RF Lou Sturge (.239/30/75/90)... Motega Wolf (20-12 2.45) and Sherm Jarvis (23-4 3.97) and Dakota Dyami (16-8 3.90) formed an impressive rotation with Dom Vilaggio (4-7) as the closer... Vilaggio saved 30 games and posted a fine 2.73 ERA.

Another powerful club was third place Hillsboro with a league-leading 207 homers... the Blazers were fourth-best in scoring... CF Bob Graham (.300/21/82/101), 2B Matt Lalonde (.308/26/94/86), C Gil Giroux (.296/18/86/84), 1B Andy Jefferson (.288/38/93/75), RF Tony Salerno (.283/26/79/66) and LF Raphael Semmes (.247/28/74/90) led an endless list of sluggers... skipper Rawhide Marshall also had decent pitching to go with the offense, headed up by Chris Dean (22-12 2.54) and Tom Edgar (15-14 3.30)... closer Hank Hellman (5-6 3.53) notched 32 saves.

Normally the High Mesa Cowboys lose out because of sub-par pitching... but it was not the case this year... manager Frisky Franks's staff more than did its job on the mound... the fourth-place Cowpokes had a capable core of starters in Ronald Ward (20-10 3.30), Frankie Walsh (18-14 3.60), Scotty Snyder (13-13 2.81) and Koichi Ishikawa (14-14 3.61)... closer Ed Galiano (10-7) really did a fine job in the bullpen with 17 saves and a 2.43 ERA... the High Mesa hitters were third in homers with 199 and were sparked by the legendary 1B Jack Elliott (.358/53/125/150), LF Darrel Alston (.274/31/95/75) and 2B Wild Deer Etchimin (.286/25/64/84)... despite these numbers the Cowboys ranked 10th in scoring.

The Red Bluff Red Sox and South Fork Stallions tied for the fifth spot and trailed by 17 games... Bucky Frizell's Red Sox had two solid starters in Grady Daggs (21-14 3.34) and Paul Nelson (17-15 3.28) and an exceptional closer in Rod Westfall (3-4), who logged 33 saves and chalked up a sensational 1.36 ERA... Red Bluff just didn't score enough runs and ranked far down the list in 22nd place... 2B James Mack (.331/25/98/78) sparked the offense with some help from SS Jerry Richardson (.271/21/89/81), LF D'Andrew Clayburn (.277/22/90) and CF Ron van Riebe (.306/28/76).

The South Fork Stallions had the hitting, but fell down on the mound this year... Duroche "Lips" Leon's Stallions were seventh in batting and scoring, but 22nd in team ERA... 1B Joe Peters paced the bats with a .302 mark, 19 homers, 115 runs batted in and 102 scored... LF Patric Giles had an excellent freshmen season with a .313 BA, 32 home runs, 96 RBIs and 94 runs... and vet RF Robby Michael contributed a .316 batting average, 16 roundtrippers, 72 RBIs and 99 runs scored... Sean Swensen (17-15 3.54), Blackie Terranova (16-12 3.70) and Jason Graham (13-15 2.78) were South Fork best arms.

In spite of strong pitching the Tuckanarra Blue Jays took a nosedive in the second half and sunk down to seventh in the TU East, winding up 19 games off the pace of champ Ozarka... Billy Boy Hawkes (17-10 2.98) led the staff with help from Knucks Nomellini (12-12 2.42) and Titus Bristow (15-19 3.38)... Archie Desmond (3-5) did well in the closing role with 21 saves and a fine 2.43 ERA... RF Danny Redd was the only real bat with a .341 average, 20 homers, 93 RBIs and 99 runs.

For the eighth time in the last 10 years the hapless East Point Panthers found themselves in last place, 34 games behind... manager Rex Sokolov's club is just mediocre to borderline bad in both hitting and on the hill... Gil Masters (16-17 3.61) was the best pitcher and CF Sozi Akiyama (.302/18/93/79) was the best bat.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian West Final Standings and Team Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2019

2019 Tycobbian West Final Recap

RH Reds Rise To The Top, TU West Winner
The Rolling Hills Reds rode superior pitching from fifth place in 2018 to the Tycobbian West title this season... the Reds whipped runner-up Bayview by 5 games, Arlon by 11 and Denton City by 18... after a close 7-team race in the first half of the season, only the Vikings could stay near Rolling Hills... the rest of the pretenders faded quickly in the last half of the year.

Pennant-winning Rolling Hills featured outstanding pitching with starters Sal Jordan (19-9 2.15), rookie Errol Gaudet (18-10 2.29) and James Elliott (21-13 3.27), combined with excellent relievers, led by closer Barney Kearns (4-6), who collected 32 saves and had a terrific 2.17 ERA... top to bottom in his rotation Matty Christianson has a wealth of fine moundsmen... and the Reds have just enough offense to get by... top bats are LF Donnie Lewis (.321/16/87/107) and 3B Clay Hoffman (.306/27/97).

A bad May and June cost the second-place Bayview Vikings the pennant... manager Walter Johanssen's club played under .500 in those months, but rallied in the second half of the year by playing well above .600 baseball... Harald Turi (21-13 2.02) was the ace of the staff and tied for the TU lead in ERA... Rick Pritchard (18-11 2.77) posted a fine season and Don Griggs (17-14 3.78) was a solid number three starter... the Vikings need a better closer and some improvement in the relief corps... offensively LF Davey Krueger (.285/35/95/108), 1B Stan Haddix (.334/23/107/85) and SS Tommy Shore (.317/15/86/94) got the runs the Viks needed.

The Arlon Champions were third in the pennant chase, but not really a challenger after mid-year... the Champs ended up 11 games behind Rolling Hills... skipper Gary Louis had fair starters and the best bullpen in the TU... closer Ross Birchford (9-2) led the relievers with a splendid 1.70 ERA... Birchford chalked up 12 saves and setup man Johnny Rabelais (3-2 2.72) had 17... Armando Cruz (22-11 3.26) was Louis' ace... at the plate two players carried the Champs... LF Rocco Belasario (.340/34/98/113) and CF Chucky Gilton (.268/23/108/88) provided most of the offense.

Ford Whiteman saw some improvement in his Denton City Redbirds... they climbed up to fourth in the standings after spending the previous three seasons in the basement, but still did not finish above .500... all-time IPA great Mila Mohoski (16-12 2.93) and Tommy Price (18-9 3.67) led the way... Mohoski is 40 and Price 37... the Redbirds had to do it all with pitching as they came up short when it came to offense... CF Todd Bryant (.271/25/96/93) and C Pete Gibbs (.286/17/77) were the most reliable bats.

Fifth-place Kenwood wound up 19 games out of first... Aaron Hankins' has pitiful hitting (29th) and scoring (31st) and just fairly good pitching... Sammy Shaw (17-16 3.30), Connie Gavagan (13-16 3.24) and Roger Murray (12-11 3.01) give the Wildcats a good trio of starters... closer Jody Gentry (3-4) saved 26 games with a strong 2.30 ERA... RF Marty Nuxhall led Kenwood with a .282 BA and 13 homers... CF Vince Palmer led the club with 67 runs batted in, but hit only .240 for average... as a team the Wildcats hit only .235.

The sixth-place LaClaire Lynx were 21 games behind champ Rolling Hills... manager Rip Calkin relied on firepower with 161 homers (5th) and ranked fifth in scoring... but he had bad pitching... 23-year-old Don Schmidt was Calkin's only capable starter with a 17-13 mark and a 3.53 ERA... star RF Zeppy Deshotel (.330/22/85/97) and talented 3B Flash Devlin (.320/39/111/115) were LaClaire's only big bats.

What a fall from grace!... the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers had won the TU West flag two of the last three years... however, this season the Bucs almost went from first to worst, placing seventh and 23 games off the pace... Guy Rondre's pitching went into the pits in just one year... the starting rotation rated 31st with a 4.48 team ERA... Hal Meissner was the best he had with a 15-13 record and lofty 4.68 ERA... at the plate CF Bill Howell (.322/1/59/88) and RF Justin Kucks (.299/25/73/81) put up the best numbers.

Last place went to the Chicopee Braves, 24 games out... manager Harry Fleetfoot had little to smile about this season... Tommy Ruffin (16-11 3.41) was his only winning starter and Tom Greenwood pitched extremely well as the closer... Greenwood was 6-4 with a superb 1.44 ERA and 24 saves... 1B Rob Pearson paced the Braves with 21 roundtrippers and 86 RBIs, but batted only .248... SS Austin Hardy had 15 home runs, 77 RBIs and a .273 BA.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Pete Simmons Paces RU with .361 Average
The top hitter in the Ruthlandian Union in 2019 was 24-year-old Pete Simmons, the standout Wynnamac first baseman. He copped the league batting crown with a .361 batting average. Simmons also piled up 17 home runs and 83 RBIs and scored 98 runs while playing in 149 games. This was Simmons' first batting title. 2019 was his second season of play in the IPA.

Waleska's splendid center fielder Roy Hobbs lost to Simmons by a scant point with a .360 BA. Robby Campbell of the Kilkenny Cats was a distant third at .346, fourth place went to Paul Shelton of Rocky Rapids, who batted .340. LaGrange's Quincy Peterson was in the fifth spot with a .336 BA.

Elegants Hansen Tops In Wins, Crushers Welch Had Best ERA
In the pitching department, Eastshore's Bix Hansen led the RU with 25 wins to outdistance Joe Anderson of Rocky Rapids, who won 23 games. Hansen was 25-7 with a 3.36 ERA, while Anderson posted a 23-11 mark with a 2.63 ERA.

The top ERA in the RU belonged to Duncan Welch of the Crystal Lake Crushers, who posted a 24-10 record with a 1.66 ERA. Billy Ray of Beechwood was number two with and 18-13 mark and a 1.96 ERA.

Jack Elliott Wins 2019 TU Batting Title
The 2019 baseball season has come to a close. And what a year it has been for High Mesa's Jack Elliott. He finished off an all-star caliber year with the Tycobbian Union batting title. Elliott has won this award five years in a row. He topped all comers with a .358 batting average and registered 53 home runs and 125 RBIs in 154 games.

Ozarka outfielder Ken Mayberry was second in hitting with a .347 mark, third was Ginza's Crash Davis at .346, number four was Danny Redd of Tuckanarra with a .341 average and rounding out the top 5 was Arlon's Rocco Belasario with a .340 batting average.

Typhoons Farmer Tops TU In Wins And ERA
The twirler in the TU with the most victories was Turon's Shane Farmer with a 24-10 record and a league-leading 2.02 ERA. The runner-up was Sherm Jarvis of Arlon with a 23-4 record and a 3.97 ERA. Farmer was tied with Harald Turi of Bayview and Nicky Engstrom of Turon for the best ERA.

[Eugene Church]

2019 Ruthlandian Union Final Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2019 Ruthlandian Union Final Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian Union Final Batting Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2019 Tycobbian Union Final Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Pro Cup Begins Tomorrow, Defending Champs Turon Favored
The IPA Pro Cup playoffs get started tomorrow afternoon with the Elite 8 Series. The 8 division champions will be pitted against one another in the first round of the postseason. 6 of last year's participants are back again in another quest for the Pro Cup, symbolic of professional baseball supremacy in Islandia. Turon is the defending champion and is favored to repeat, but it will have a tough path to get through Ozarka and Rolling Hills, two very potent Tycobbian challengers. Rocky Rapids is the pick in the Ruthlandian Union, but it faces three fine teams in Eastshore, Taranto and Claxton. Most baseball analysts say the field is wide open with no clear-cut favorites. Only three times in Pro Cup history has the team with the best regular-season record managed to win it. Colfax did it in 2010, Far Mountain in 2012 and Turon last year. It is also rare for the favorite to win the crown.

In the Ruthlandian Elite 8, two powerhouses face up right away. The Rocky Rapids Snappers will host Eastshore in a best-of-seven series. The Snappers won the match-up last year and then lost to the unheralded Ancona Elephants. Two heavy-hitting teams tangle in the other RU match-up. The Taranto Tars will be at home against the Claxton Diamonds. Taranto has one of the highest-scoring team in IPA history and the Diamonds are not far behind them. The Eastshore-Rocky Rapids victor is expected to reign supreme in the Ruthlandian Final 4 because of better pitching.

Last year's Pro Cup winner Turon takes on the Luxora Zorros in the Tycobbian Elite 8. The Z's took them to 7 games last year. So the Typhoons know to be wary and not over confident. Nothing is a cinch in the playoffs. Many times in the past, underdogs have done well. Volusia (2001), Middlefield (2005), Wynnamac (2008) and Kenwood (2014) are examples of lowly-rated clubs that won the Pro Cup. The first two games will be played at Typhoon Stadium in Turon. In the other TU series, Rolling Hills Reds will be at home hosting the Ozarka Naturals. It's the Reds first postseason appearance since 2003, a gap of 16 years.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2019

2019 IPA Elite 8 Series (best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Snappers Snatch Opener, Edge Elegants 4-3 in 14 Innings
Two of the finest clubs in the IPA paired up in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... they went at it for 14 innings before Rocky Rapids emerged a 4-3 victor to take the opener at Snapper Stadium... the winning run was scored by SS Lucas Badeaux when he beat the throw to the plate... RF Tiger Noland's groundball RBI drove him in... Rocky Rapids got outstanding pitching, especially its relievers, who held the Elegants hitless over the last five frames... Milt Baker worked three innings and Earl Pitts the last two... Pitts (1-0) picked up the victory, while Eastshore closer Milt Campbell (0-1) lost it, yielding 1 hit, 1 run and 3 walks in 3 and one-third innings... both clubs got good starts... Elegants Danny Siegfied worked 10 innings, allowed 10 and 3 runs... Snapper starter Joe Anderson went the first 9, gave up 3 runs on 8 hits and struck out 7... Rocky Rapids outhit Eastshore 11 to 8... 1B Don Timmons had 2 hits and 2 RBIs, including a solo home run... Noland also had 2 hits and 2 runs batted in... LF Warren Crawford smacked a 2-run homer for the Elegants.

Tars Outscore Diamonds 13-9 In Game 1
It was billed as a battle between two talented offenses and that's exactly what it was in the first game of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 between hard-hitting Taranto and Claxton... the Tars rallied from a 9-4 deficit after four and half frames to win 13-9 as they scored 9 unanswered runs the last four and a half innings... a six-run sixth decided the game... SS Aron Aiello led the Tars with four RBIs, RF Augie Marshall had 3 and C Denny Radke drove in 2... Marshall hammered two home runs into the stands and Aiello got one... Claxton was sparked by RF K. C. Moerdijk with a 3-run clout and CF Tommy Rivers with a solo shot... SS Rory Davidson 2B Donnie Pilsner had a pair of RBIs each for the losers... Reliever Pat Pappas tossed a perfect sixth and seventh for the victory... Vance Waters and Vito Incardona finished it and allowed no hits in the eighth and ninth... George Ferguson suffered the loss as he was shelled for 5 runs in the sixth.

Tycobbian Union

Engstrom Tops Torres, Turon Takes Opener 7-1
Both Turon and Luxora had their aces on the mound in the Tycobbian Elite 8 opening game at Typhoon Stadium and for 5 innings both were flawless... then the Typhoons tagged Tiago Torres for 3 runs in the sixth and added 4 more in the eighth for a 7-1 triumph... winning pitcher Nicky Engstrom stymied the Zorros on 4 hits and a run in his 8 innings, striking out 6 and walking only one in a fine performance... Turon collected 11 hits and were paced by SS Alan Hansen with 4 hits... CF Mac McCurnan delivered 2 hits and LF Reggie Penn had 2 runs batted in for the Typhoons.

Osterman Outduels Jordan 2-1, Nats Win First Game
Jose Ordonez's 2-run double in the fourth inning was all the runs Ozarka's Benny Osterman needed to subdue the Rolling Hills Reds in the first game of the TU Elite 8 Series... Osterman outdueled Sal Jordan 2-1, stopping the Reds on just one hit, a fourth-inning single by 2B Frank Bowman... Rolling Hills got its only run on an error in the 8th... Osterman (1-0)fanned 8 and walked 2 in a superlative outing... Natural closer Josh Carpenter sat the Reds down in order for the save in the ninth... Jordan went the route and lost a tough one, permitting only 2 runs and 6 hits with 7 Ks and 3 bases on balls.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 19, 2019

2019 IPA Elite 8 Series (best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Snappers Nip Elegants Again, 2-1 In 10
For the second straight day it was a nip-and-tuck extra-inning thriller at Snapper Stadium in Rocky Rapids and the hometown Snappers nipped the Eastshore Elegants 2-1 in 10 innings to take a two-games-to-none lead in the RU Elite 8 Series... the Snappers needed a run in the eighth to tie the game at 1-1 and then won it in the tenth on C Hank Bethel's bases-loaded single... Bethel had also tied the score in the eighth with a single... starting pitcher Melvin Key got the Elegants only run in with a second-inning single... Key worked 9 innings and allowed 1 run on 7 hits, while Don Chaney started for Rocky Rapids and held the Elegants to 1 run and 6 hits in his 9 frames... Milt Baker (1-0) worked a perfect ninth for the victory and Milt Campbell (0-2) again was the loser as he couldn't get anybody out in the bottom of the tenth, surrendering 2 hits, 2 walks and the winning run... the Snappers had a 9-6 hit advantage over Eastshore... the Elegants will try to get back in the series at Kraft Stadium in Eastshore... if needed, games 3, 4 and 5 will be played there.

Taranto Wins 15-9 Slugfest Over Claxton
For the second consecutive game the bats were blazing in Taranto, where the torrid Tars smashed Claxton 15-9 with a 16-hit, 4-homer barrage at the Palazzo di Sport... It was the Tars second win in a row in the RU Elite 8 Series... Taranto ran up a 9-2 score after the first three innings, allowed the Diamonds to come back and knot it up at 9-9 after five, then powered it up again and won going away... the Tars had homers by 3B Wayne Pounders, CF Phil Buckner, 2B Ed Miles and 1B Pietro Skrmetta... Claxton also had a great day at the plate with 3 homers and 14 hits... it just wasn't good enough... 3B Erik Carducci homered twice for the Diamonds and batted in 4 runs, while LF George McKay had 3 hits and 3 RBIs, including a roundtripper... Matt Zumwalt (1-0), the second of five Tar hurlers, notched the win, although he gave up a pair of runs in his 3 innings... the loss went to Jarno Osten (0-1), who allowed the winning runs in the last of the sixth... Claxton will be happy to get out of Taranto and return home to friendly Avalon Stadium for the next three games, if the series runs that long.

Tycobbian Union

Z's Trim Typhoons 3-2, Even Series
Strong pitching by Luxora gave the Zorros a 3-2 decision over Turon to even up the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series at a game apiece... Four pitchers limited the Typhoons to 2 runs and 5 hits... Steve Aaron worked the first five frames and held Turon to 3 hits and a run and left with a 2-1 lead... Aaron (1-0) got the win... 2B Billy Whitney's solo home run in the top of the seventh turned out to be the winning run... after Valerio Lopez permitted the Typhoons to narrow the score to 3-2 in the seventh, Jay Brewer and Alvaro Flores blanked them over the last two innings... Turon starter Shane Farmer (0-1) went down to defeat after giving up 2 runs in 5 innings... he departed behind 2-1... Luxora had 7 hits, while the Typhoons could only come up with 5... the next three games will be played at De la Vega Stadium in Luxora.

Nawajuk Blanks Reds 6-0, Ozarka Up By 2
Ozarka's Yuka Nawajuk hurled a fine 4-hitter and blanked Rolling Hills 6-0 in game two of the TU Elite 8... It was the Nats second successive victory... Nawajuk fanned 7 batters and issued 3 walks... rookie Errol Gaudet (0-1) lost his first playoff start, allowing 6 runs and 10 hits in his 7 innings... CF Ryoma Nakayama and RF Ken Mayberry led the Naturals with 2 hits and 2 RBIs each... SS James Couch also chipped in with 3 hits and scored twice... the series will now switch to Midtown Base Ball Grounds in Rolling Hills for games 3 and 4 (and 5, if needed).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, September 20, 2019

2019 IPA Pro Cup Elite 8 Series (best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Snappers Near Sweep, Noland Blanks Elegants
Rocky Rapids continues to dominate Eastshore in head-to-head competition... Junior Noland shut out the Elegants 3-0 for the Snappers third win in a row in the RU Elite 8 Series... one more victory in the best-of-seven series and the Snappers will move on to the next round... Rocky Rapids was 5-1 against Eastshore in the regular season... Noland halted them on just 6 hits, fanned 3 and walked 3... Eastshore starter Bix Hansen tossed 8 innings, permitting 3 runs and 9 hits in the loss... the Snappers got their runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth with RBIs from C Hank Bethel (.333), 2B Paul Shelton (.250) and CF Carl Johnson (.357).

Tars Wins 3rd Straight, Down Diamonds 6-5
At Avalon Stadium in Claxton, the Diamonds held Taranto under 10 runs for the first time in the Elite 8 Series, but the Tars still belted out 14 hits en route to a 6-5 victory... 3B Wayne Pounders pounded a 3-run homer in the top of the eighth to put Taranto ahead to stay... the Tars have won all three of the games so far and need just one more win to wrap up the series... Pounders (.429) led the hit parade with 4 RBIs and RF Augie Marshall (.500) batted in 2... Claxton also racked up 14 hits with LF George McKay (.429) and 1B Mike Luzzatti (.462) leading the way with 3 hits each... SS Rory Davidson (.385) slammed the Diamonds only homer, a solo clout in the first inning... 39-year-old Jimmy Mosley (1-0) toughed it out for the win, giving up only 3 runs in his 8 innings... closer Vance Waters saved it for him, but was hit hard for 2 runs in the last of the ninth... fortunately, the Tars had a 6-3 lead going in... Kaz Hayakawa (0-1) suffered the defeat as he was rocked for 6 runs and 10 hits in his 8+ innings.

Tycobbian Union

Turon Rallies Late, Tames Z's 9-6
On the road in Luxora, the Turon Typhoons finally broke loose with the bats and rallied to defeat the Zorros 9-6 in the late innings... Turon rapped out 14 hits to 8 for Luxora and took a 2-1 edge in the best-of-seven series... the Typhoons cracked 6 extra base hits and were led by RF Dominick DiCaprio (.417) with 3 hits and 2 RBIs, LF Reggie Penn (.429) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs and 3B Mickey O'Malley (.444) with 2 hits and 2 runs batted in... DiCaprio had the game's only homer, a one-run blast in the eighth... Turon got outstanding bullpen work from James Nordman, James Stuart and Merle Studebaker, who blanked the Z's over the final 5 frames on no hits... Luxora starter Octavio Mercado (0-1) took the loss and the brunt of the attack... Turon slammed him for 8 runs and 10 hits in just 6 frames... the score was 6-6 after four frames... the Typhoons went in front on Penn's 2-run single in the top of the sixth and added another run in the ninth on DiCaprio's solo shot.

Nats Bomb Reds 14-5, Break Out The Brooms
The Ozarka Naturals unleashed 17 hits and bombed the Rolling Hills Reds 14-5 for victory number three in the best-of-seven TU Elite 8 Series... the Nats busted the game wide open with a 6-run burst in the sixth, giving them a 10-4 lead... all Ozarka needs is one more win to advance to the Final 4... they have won all three games so far... 3B Andre Dumas (.357) went 4-for-6 and drove in 5 to lead the way... CF Ryoma Hakayama (.364) batted in 3 runs and SS James Couch (.583) added 2 more in the rout... Howard Hutch (1-0), who struggled early and trailed 4-1 after 3 frames, settled down and stopped the Reds on 1 runs over the last 6 innings... Hutch went the distance, gave up only 2 earned runs on 7 hits, struck out 9 and walked 5... loser James Elliott (0-1) was routed early for 8 runs and 10 hits in 5+ innings... only 4 of the runs were earned.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 21, 2019

2019 IPA Elite 8 Series (best-of-seven)

Snappers Sweep Eastshore
Rocky Rapids proved to be too much for Eastshore... the Snappers whipped them in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 for the second straight year... this time they swept the Elegants in four games... 23-game winner Joe Anderson (1.00 2.00) nailed down the series with a 4-1 triumph... Anderson went the route, holding Eastshore to 6 hits and a run with no walks and 5 Ks... taking the loss was Danny Siegfried (0-1 3.50), who allowed 4 runs and 10 hits in 8 innings... Rocky Rapids went to work early and built up a 4-0 lead after 3 frames... 3B Bill Riley (.400) had 3 hits and an RBI for the winners, while 2B Paul Shelton (.235) batted in 2 runs and SS Joel Williams (.133) drove in the other run... the Snappers will have to wait to see who will win the other RU Elite 8 series between Taranto and Claxton... the Tars have a 3-0 lead and could end it today.

Claxton Stays Alive, Trims Tars 2-1 in Game 4
The Taranto Tars had terrorized Claxton pitching in the first three games, but found their match in Ernie van Riebeeck today, who stopped them 2-1 on a 7-hitter and kept the Diamonds in the Elite 8 Series... however, Taranto still has a huge 3-1 lead and needs only one more victory in the next three games to move on to the RU Final 4 against Rocky Rapids... van Riebeeck (1-0 5.40) went 8 innings, fanned 3 and walked 5 for the win... Tony Haverkamp closed it by retiring the Tars in order in the ninth for the save... Taranto took the lead in the top of the fourth when CF Phil Buckner (.400) walked with the bases loaded... Claxton regained the lead in the bottom of the frame on RBI singles by C Alan Lemay (.267) and 2B Donnie Pilsner (.267)... the Tars got a strong outing from Vito Incardona (0-1 2.00), who only gave up 4 hits in 8 innings, but walked 7 in the loss.

Tycobbian Union

Jordan Keeps Reds In Series, Beats Nats 4-2
The Rolling Hills Reds needed a win in the worst way, another loss and their season would be over... Sal Jordan was the man of the hour as he went all the way in the 4-2 triumph to cut Ozarka's lead in the TU Elite 8 to three-games-to-one and keep the Reds alive... Jordan (1-1 2.12) scattered 9 hits and held the Naturals to 2 runs in a route-going performance... Jordan outpitched Benny Osterman), who wilted in the last two innings... Osterman had a 2-0 edge late in the game, but Rolling Hills got to him for 2 in the seventh and 2 more in the eighth for the victory... 1B Benny Rousseau (.313) and James Couch (.563) gave Ozarka an early 2-0 lead in the opening frame with RBI singles... C Dennis Johanson (.154) singled in the tying runs in the last of the seventh and then the Reds won it in the eighth on LF Donnie Lewis' (.214) double... pinchhitter Matt Sundberg added an insurance run with a sacrifice fly... Osterman (1-1 2.81) also went the distance in defeat, yielding 4 runs on 7 hits with 5 walks and 5 strikeouts.

Torres Evens Series, Z's Blank Turon 1-0
It's all even in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series between underdog Luxora and Pro Cup favorite Turon after Tiago Torres hurled the Zorros to a 1-0 shutout victory... The teams have now split the first four games... Torres (1-1 2.76) permitted only 6 hits, all singles, walked only one and whiffed 4... the game was decided in the sixth on C Jim Thorpe Chandler's (.200) RBI single... losing pitcher Nicky Engstrom (1-1 1.13) worked a strong game, too... he stopped Luxora on just 4 hits, fanned 5 and walked 4.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 22, 2019

2019 IPA Elite 8 Series (best-of-seven)

Ruthlandian Union

Taranto Trounces Claxton 7-2, Wins Elite 8
The Taranto Tars bats were just too much for the Claxton Diamonds as they finished them off in five games in the RU Elite 8 Series... The Tars trounced the Diamonds 7-2 in game 5 at Avalon Stadium in Claxton behind the solid 6-hit pitching by Yuri Dozhenko, a 43-year-old right-hander... Dozhenko (1-0 2.84) went the distance in the clinching game and gave up only 1 earned run... Taranto clubbed losing pitcher Tom Dahl (0-1 18.00) for 6 runs in just 5 innings...the Tars racked up 10 hits and were paced by homers by RF Augie Marshall (.400) and LF Arnie Kennedy (.227)... Tar 1B Pietro Skrmetta (.389) had 2 hits and drove in 2 runs... Taranto will now advance to the RU Final 4 against the Rocky Rapids Snappers, who knocked off highly-rated Eastshore in four games.

Tycobbian Union

Nats Eliminates Reds 1-0 In Game 5
Ozarka veteran Yuka Nawajuk and Rolling Hills rookie Errol Gaudet locked up in a mound masterpiece that was decided in the top of the ninth inning when Nats C Frank Kiffin (.208) doubled in RF Ken Mayberry (.263) for the only run of the game, eliminating the Reds from the playoffs... Ozarka won game five 1-0 and captured the TU Elite 8 Series four-games-to-one to move ahead to the Final 4 against the winner of the Luxora-Turon series... It was the second shutout of the series by 35-year-old Nawajuk (2-0 0.00), who only allowed 5 hits, struck out 3 and issued only 1 walk... 25-year-old Gaudet (0-2 2.25) was almost as good... He surrendered only 1 run on 5 hits, fanned 6 batters and walked 2 in defeat... Nawajuk also blanked Rolling Hills in game two 6-0 on 4 hits.

Typhoons Trim Zorros 6-4, Take Series Lead
At De la Vega Stadium in Luxora, Turon trimmed the Zorros 6-4 and took a 3-2 lead in the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... The Typhoons ran up a 6-1 lead going into the bottom of the eighth and had to hold on as the Z's mounted a 3-run rally... winning pitcher Shane Farmer (1-1 2.25) stifled the Zorros on 1 run and 7 hits in his 7 innings... Farmer exited with a 5-1 lead... leading the Typhoons 11-hit attack was SS Alan Hansen (.429) with 3 hits, 2 runs scored and an RBI... CF Mac McCurnan (.313) had 2 hits and a run batted in for the winners... SS Jose Malagon (.143) topped Luxora with a double, triple and 2 RBIs... closer Merle Studebaker almost blew the games as he was rocked for 3 runs in the eighth... James Stuart relieved him and saved the day by getting the last four outs of the game... Steve Aaron (1-1 3.86) suffered the defeat... Turon smacked him for 4 runs and 7 hits in 5+ frames... the series returns to Typhoon Stadium in Turon for game 6... Game 7 will also be in Turon if necessary.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 23, 2019

2019 IPA Elite 8 Series (best-of-seven)

Tycobbian Union

Turon KO's Zorros In 6 Games
For the second successive season Turon knocked the Luxora Zorros out of the playoffs in the TU Elite 8 Series... This time in six games... Typhoon number three starter Ted Farentino, last year's Pro Cup MVP, mowed down the Z's 5-1 in game six... Farentino (1-0 1.38) spread out 8 hits effectively and permitted no earned runs... LF Reggie Penn (.417) got the Typhoons started with a 3-run double in the opening frame... CF Mac McCurnan (.316) and 3B Mickey O'Malley (.278) each added an RBI in the third inning to make it 5-0... starter Octavio Mercado (0-2 1.39) failed to last 3 innings... Mercado was roughed up for 5 runs and 5 hits, although only 2 were earned... Defending Pro Cup champion Turon will now have to whip powerful Ozarka to get a chance to repeat... The Tycobbian Final 4 will begin on Wednesday in Turon.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 24, 2019

RU And TU Final 4s Start Tomorrow
There were no real postseason surprises this time around. All of the clubs in the Ruthlandian and Tycobbian Unions Final 4 are ones forecast to be there. There are no underdogs or Cinderellas this season. Defending Pro Cup champion Turon is a slight favorite to win it all for the second straight year, but it will surprise no one if Taranto, Rocky Rapids or Ozarka are crowned the winner. The teams are very evenly matched.

The 2019 IPA Final 4 gets underway tomorrow afternoon with Rocky Rapids hosting Taranto at Snapper Stadium in the clash for the Ruthlandian Union title. In Tycobbia it will be the Turon Typhoons being challenged by the Ozarka Naturals at Typhoon Stadium.

The questions in the RU Final 4: Will Rocky Rapids strong staff be able to hold back the booming bats of the Taranto Tars? Can Joe Anderson (23-11 2.63), Junior Noland (20-11 3.08) and Don Chaney (17-13 2.83) cool off the red-hot Tars? Will the modest-hitting Snappers feast on the mediocre Taranto hurlers? Will Paul Shelton (.340/46/153/124), Carl Johnson (.312/29/91/100) and Rob Barton (.304/8/70/106) be outnumbered and outscored by Augie Marshall (.319/40/130/111), Denny Radke (.327/14/101/87), Ed Miles (.287/27/96/117), Phil Buckner (.314/11/79/133) and Arnie Kennedy (.303/29/80/103)? The key will be how well Tar pitchers Randy Pitri (8-3 4.32), Yuri Dozhenko (17-11 4.22) and Jimmy Mosley (15-16 4.61) can stop the Snapper batters? Taranto sustained a serious loss when ace Angelo Zinacola (21-9 3.94) came down with a tender shoulder after his last start and will be out for a few days and may miss several starts. Doctors say he might be recovered for games six and seven, if the series goes that far. Baseball pros are picking the Snappers to win because of the strong pitching and solid hitting.

In the Tycobbian Final 4, Turon gets the edge in pitching with Nicky Engstrom (22-9 2.02), Shane Farmer (24-10 2.02) and Ted Farentino (19-13 3.67) favored over Ozarka's Benny Osterman (19-13 3.25), Yuka Nawajuk (19-13 2.78) and Howard Hutch (19-7 3.39). At the plate it's a toss-up between the Typhoons Clyde Kingsford (.339/54/151/127), Dominick DiCaprio (.306/22/108/86) and Mac McCurnan (.279/25/89/93) and the Naturals Andre Dumas (.277/34/100/84), Benny Rousseau (..308/28/89/74), Ken Mayberry (.347/6/62/105) and James Couch (.352/12/52/75). Forecasters are going with Turon's pitching and playoff experience, but not by much. Ozarka is a fine ball club, too.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Around The Town In The IPA

Taranto Tars

Owner: Gianni Di Bello, CEO Papa Giovanni's Pizza
GM/Manager: Tommaso Lazzorda

Originally Taranto was just a small fishing village on the southeastern coast of Valdar Island settled by Italian immigrants in the 1870s after the unification of Italy caused economic collapse in several areas of the country. Taranto was named after its namesake in Italy. Visitors are enthralled by the quaint and picturesque town. It has the feel and essence of the old country and should not be missed by tourists.

Taranto is also the origin of the common name of the Tarantula spider family, In ancient times, residents of the town of Taranto, upon being bitten by a spider, would promptly do a long vigorous dance like a jig. This was done in order to sweat most of the poison out of their pores and thus survive the spider bite. The dance they did became locally known as the Tarantella, which eventually became the name we use today to describe the large, sometimes hairy type of spider, the Tarantula.

The town got a big boost in the 1880s when the Ruthlandian government decided to construct a naval base here. The natural harbor at Taranto made it a logical home port for the Ruthlandian naval fleet. Taranto has since grown to a present-day population of 63,000. As a result of the naval expansion, baseball leagues sprang up in Taranto. First it was just for the sailors and marines, but soon spread to the town. Baseball has thrived in Taranto since the late 1880s.

The Navy is still the prime industy in Taranto. However, the town is also known for being the headquarters of Papa Giovanni's Pizza, the number one pizza in the Islands. Giovanni Di Bella began making pizzas in 1905 after emigrating from Italy. His pizzas with a special garlic butter sauce soon became a favorite of the townspeople. Papa Giovanni's Pizza's popularity soon spread throughout Vandar Island and then to the mainland of Ruthlandia and Tycobbia. You will now find a Papa Giovanni's Pizza shop in all of the main towns of Islandia.

Papa Giovanni was a good baseball player in his own right, but where he excelled was in sponsorship of the local amateur team. Papa Giovanni also managed the club and got most of his players from the navy leagues, hence the name Papa Giovanni's Tars. He used the team to publicize his expanding pizza business. The more popular his team got, the more pizza he sold.

A "tar" is a sailor. The name comes from the black, petroleum substance used to keep ropes and rigging dry aboard ship. It was also used to seal and make the ships water-tight. It would get on the sailors uniform, so people began to refer to them as Tars.

Papa Giovanni housed his team in the Palazzo di Sport, which was built in 1922 and is still in use today. The Palazzo is known for being a hitter's ballpark with its short fences. It's only 320 down the lines, 360 in the power alleys and just 385 to center. The Di Bello family has continued to big supporters of baseball in Taranto. When they heard that the IPA was going to expand the league, Grandson Gianni Di Bello got the backing of the Admiralty to insure a franchise would be granted to Taranto and to Papa Giovanni's Pizza.

The general manager and field manager of the Taranto Tars is Tommaso Lazzorda. He gained his fame as a crafty southpaw for the Papa Giovanni's Tars. Lazzorda gained even more success and notoriety as the team's skipper. When the Tars switched over to professional baseball, Lazzorda came, too. Lazzorda loves to eat and loves his baseball. The congenial Lazzorda is good with a quote, too. "When we win, I'm so happy I eat a lot. When we lose, I'm so depressed, I eat a lot. When we're rained out, I'm so disappointed I eat a lot."

And the people of Taranto love him, too. There's no better ambassador of baseball than Tommaso Lazzorda. He often tells reporters, "I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer."

Palazzo de Sport (1922)

Capacity: 7,175

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 320
Left Field 335
Left Center 360
Center Field 385
Right Center 360
Right Field 335
Right Field Line 320

[Eugene Church]

Map Of Islandia

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Around The Town In The IPA

ROCKY RAPIDS SNAPPERS

Owner: Express Freight and Shipping Company
GM/Manager: Ryan Noland

Rocky Rapids, population near 63,000, is a river town in northwestern Ruthlandia on the banks of the vital Green River, which begins in the Appian Mountains near Far Mountain and ends in Belair Beach, almost splitting the country in half north to south. The Green River intersects with its western tributary, the Silver River, at Forest City, the Ruthlandian capital and main commercial city.

Rocky Rapids is a lumber and grain processing center and is an important transportation community. Vast quantities of timber from Far Mountain in the north are shipped through the town. It is not a fancy town, just a blue collar, middle class town.

Rocky Rapids is also the home of the Snappers of the IPA’s RU West Division. The Snappers play at Snapper Stadium, overlooking the Green River in the downtown area, which can be seen in the background beyond the ballpark fences. The team is named the Snappers because of the financial importance of the river to the community’s economy. The Snapper was chosen because it is a tough, tenacious river inhabitant, just like the citizens of Rocky Rapids.

The fans really rock at Snapper games with team mascot, Rocky the Snapping Turtle, leading the charge. Music is played throughout the game by the rock band, Rocky Rapids Revival. They constantly rock the stadium with the classic “Rollin’ on the River” every time the Snappers mount a rally. And the seventh inning stretch is really something to hear. RRR jams out on a rock-n-roll version of the baseball classic “Take me out to the ballgame”.

Stadium concessions include crisp and tasty fried catfish taken from the river’s pure and clear waters. But absolutely no turtle soup can be found in the town, despite the request by many opposing teams fans.

The team is owned by Express Freight and Delivery Company, which has extensive railroad and river barge interests and is managed and directed by Ryan Noland, the all-time strikeout leader in company league baseball history. His father is the president of the company board of directors.

Snapper Stadium (1940)

Capacity: 7,650

Left Field Line - 310
Left Field - 340
Left Center - 370
Center Field - 410
Right Center - 370
Right Field - 340
Right Field Line - 310