ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 17, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian East Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian West Final Recap
The free-swinging Middlefield Roosters copped another Ruthlandian West pennant, their second in succession and fourth overall... Bailey Norcross and his Roosters breezed to a 7-game victory over runner-up Sligo, 9 ahead of Rocky Rapids and 11 in front of fourth-place Forest City. Middlefield took the lead in June and never relinquished it.

Middlefield (85-69) blasted its way to the title with 221 homers (1st), tops in the IPA... High Mesa of the TU East was second with 191... Sugar Valley was the RU runner-up with 162...the Roosters are the best team in a weak division... only two clubs had winning records... Norcross had 8 players with 10 or more homers, led by superstar 1B Allan Stewart, who hit 53 and was first in the RU... Stewart hit .302 and batted in 113 runs and scored 108 times... he got plenty of help from LF Floyd McClellan with a .318 BA, 32 home runs, 99 RBIs and 90 runs scored... CF Tom Daniels only batted .236, but produced 29 roundtrippers, scored 108 runs and drove in 59 with 47 stolen bases... and 3B Stu Butterworth had a solid season, too, with 18 homers and 86 RBI, while batting .280... heading up the pitching staff were Frank Dean (17-12 2.81) and Danny Denver (17-12 3.73)... closer Waylon Hillman (4-7) posted 26 saves with a 2.80 ERA.

The second-place Sligo Rovers (78-76) were paced by two fine veteran starters, Les Patterson (19-12 2.75) and Sam Tate (20-16 3.00)... skipper Eddie Keys needed another starter and more offense to contend with Middlefield... at the plate RF Biff Blauer (.306 BA/9 HR/77 RBI/78 R), C Sherman Albert (.290 BA/16 HR/81 R) and CF Chris Michel (.295 BA/9 HR/53 RBI/95 R) provided most of the offense... 42-year-old Jasper LaForge went over the 300-win milestone this season, though he was only 7-12 in his 24th season... career-wise LaForge is (302-228) with a 3.50 ERA.

The best thing going for Ryan Noland and the third-place Rocky Rapids Snappers (76-78) was its mound staff... Don Chaney (16-16 2.43) and Wilcy Lord (17-11 3.54) were two capable starters... 19-year-old Walter Noland made a nice rookie impression with a fine 2.96 ERA and a 6-7 record in 15 starts... he's the son of team owner and manager Ryan Noland, who has three other sons on the squad: Tiger in CF, Tommy at SS and Cyrus, a back-up in LF... 9-year vet Tiger is the best of the lot with a .281 mark, 12 homers, 70 RBIs and 88 runs... in his rookie year Tommy hit .288 with 11 home runs and 47 RBIs... in his second season Cyrus hit .211 in 78 games with 8 homers... long-time leader 2B Paul Shelton topped the team with 22 homers and 96 RBis, while batting .262... 1B Angelo Nardone (.296 BA/21 HR/79 RBI) and LF Ron Barton (.300 BA/6 HR/62 RBI/82 R) chipped in, too.

The Forest City Lumberjacks (74-80) wound up in the fourth spot in the standings and trailed by 11 games... manager Rob Jackson got some decent pitching from Norm Dawson (16-15 2.71), Stephen Phillips (19-16 3.21) and Doug Haynes (13-11 3.92)... vet closer Andy Velasco had 28 saves with a 2.35 ERA, but was a poor 4-9 record-wise... Jackson's best bats were his son, Jackie at 2B with a .313 BA, 12 homers, 69 RBI and 87 runs, followed by CF Luc St. Germain (.300 BA/9 HR/58 RBI/105 R) and LF Ryan Ray (.288 BA/21 HR/73 RBI)

The Stoner Stars (70-84) finished in fifth place, 15 games off the pace... Benny Stern's best performers were Billy Chapel (18-15 3.58), who is 210-178 after 12 years in the league with a solid 3.33 ERA... young 25-year-old closer Joel Shepard (4-3) with a 1.26 ERA and 17 saves... and CF Al Rispone (.296 BA/11 HR/60 RBI/75 R).

Sixth-place Colfax (68-86) was 17 games behind division-leading Middlefield... Clem Rogers is short on talent... his best are starter Cliff James with a strong 2.95 ERA, but was only 16-18 due to poor run support... C Joe Alexander (.248 BA) is the club leader with 21 roundtrippers... 1B Doug Kirkwood (.280 BA/17 HR) is tops with 89 RBIs... and 3B Erich Uhl (.264 BA/15 HR) has the most runs with 82.

The seventh-place Volusia Vigilantes (64-90) and manager Alfonso Feliz had the worst record in the team history... The V's were 74-80 in 2007, but didn't come close to that this season... Duane Jenkins turned in a good year with a 15-11 mark and an excellent 2.51 ERA... and 12-year veteran CF Joe DeLucca sparked the team at the plate with a .304 BA, 13 HR, 56 RBI and 82 runs... lifetime DeLucca sports a .324 BA and 315 home runs.

Same thing befell the basement-dwelling Fort Benton Defenders (54-100), who suffered the poorest record in history and came in last for the fourth straight year, 31 games behind pennant-winning Middlefield... manager Robbie Brooks has no hitting and no pitching... Nick Walker (13-15 3.28) is his best starter... and LF Stan Saunders (.290 BA/8 HR/54 RBI/76 R) is the best bat.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian North Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian North Final Recap
Defending champion White River came back in the second half of the Ruthlandian North season and snatched its third flag in four years, but it was not easy. Manager Mick Cronyn's crew trailed a tough Oxford by 5 games at the All-Star break. It took a strong August and September run to overtake the Red Caps by one game. The Rascals went into the last month 2 games behind the Red Caps. Oxford had a chance to tie and force a playoff on the final day. However, both teams dropped games on the last day of the season, giving the division crown to the Rascals. The Hartsdale Hellcats came in third, 9 games back in the race. The Fairfax Frogs were fourth and 12 games behind with Mahaska 13 games out in fifth.

The champion White River Rascals (88-66) had the best staff in the team's history... Mick Cronyn's club has always hit well, now he has pitching... Ron Hendrix (24-9 2.63) and Paul Sardini (17-10 2.11) led the way... ace Jon French returned in mid August from the DL and did not look sharp... French was 3-3 with 3.39 ERA in 9 starts... it will be vital in the Pro Cup playoffs for French to regain his old form... White River is blessed with many quality bats... topping the list is superstar 1B Marty Blake (.292 BA/89 RBI/92 R), who is nearing 500 career homers and possesses a .323 BA in his 12 seasons... other valuable contributorss are RF Kenneth Kent (.280 BA/18 HR/92 RBI/80), CF Hal Littleton (.316 BA/11 HR/59 RBI/82 R), 3B Sammy Tucker (.303 BA/16 HR/57 RBI/85 R) and LF Jim Abrams (.268 BA/13 HR/89 RBI/68 R)... expect to see White River as one of the top seeds in the Pro Cup... the Rascals finished second to Valmara last year, losing in six games.

This season was a long time coming for the runner-up Oxford Red Caps (87-67)... they were an early powerhouse in the IPA with 4 pennants in the first 6 years, including the Pro Cup in 2007... but nothing since... this year was really special for Mack Spencer's ball club... rookie Carmine Scalise (22-10 2.71) had a brilliant season and the man that made it happen... a solid bullpen also played a part... standouts were closer Arnie Bradshaw (3-8) with 30 saves and a 2.75 ERA and long reliever Eddie Singleton (2-1), who chalked up 2.02 ERA in 43 games... star LF Dennis Hartwig had a strong sophomore season with a .337 BA, 27 HRs, 116 RBIs and 118 runs scored... 1B Pat Bartz chipped in with 15 home runs, 86 RBIs and a .282 BA.

Skipper Zim Donner and his Hartsdale Hellcats (79-75) were given the best chance to challenge White River this year, but they fizzled in the second half and dipped down to third in the standings, 9 games off the pace... The Hellcats were tied with White River for second and 5 games back at the mid-season mark, primed and ready to win it all... Jim Starks (17-12 3.17) and Bobo Boisseau (19-13 3.54) stood out on the hill, while 1B Johnny Scott (.309 BA/36 HR/107 RBI/111 R), C Derek Yurek (.304 BA/31 HR/89 RBI/98 R) and 2B Neil Wills (.275 BA/13 HR/53 RBI/100 R) topped the offense.

The fourth-place Fairfax Frogs (76-78) had the fourth-best pitching staff in the TU (3.23 ERA), but were terrible offensively with a .236 BA (31st)... the Frogs trailed by 12 games... Kevin Meeks (22-11 2.38) had a remarkable year on the mound... vet Ken Hill (17-18 2.91) and Walt Smith (18-17 3.48) deserved better records, proving it's hard to win without runs... closer Manny Hunsinger racked up 24 saves with a great 1.66 ERA, but was only 1-5 record-wise... the only decent bats in Dane Wesner's batting order were RF Johnny Eichhorn (.295 BA/23 HR/76 RBI) and LF Sean Lawson (.285 BA/21 HR/82 HR).

The Mahaska Haymakers (75-79) are just a mediocre ball team in fifth place and 13 games behind... but manager Rusty Tanussa does have two quality starters in young 20-year-old Sammy Kafelnikov (20-10 3.23) and 29-year-old veteran Arno Vainmaa (18-16 3.35)... plus a very good closer Andy Slavyansky (4-4), who notched 30 saves and posted a splendid 2.01 ERA in 51 games... the Haymakers boast a couple of quality batters, too... C Bucky O'Brian (.304 BA/22 HR/84 RBI/77 R) has been the team leader for 12 years and has a lifetime .304 BA... he got plenty of help from RF Travis Tuttle (.297 BA/27 HR/94 RBI/107 R) this year.

The Blue Lake Blue Sox (73-81) wound up sixth in the TU North and 15 games behind division champ White River... Cobb Tyson's bunch never got into the race... the Blue Sox have four capable starters, but little offense in the line-up... Cory Burg (18-11 3.69) and Jim Vayda (14-13 3.47) gave them pretty good starts and Chris Landry (10-5) closed out well with a 2.29 ERA and 10 saves... CF Tony Kerkorian (.285 BA/19 HR/48 RBI/83 R) and LF Gil Willis (.281 BA/18 HR/82 RBI/82 R) provided most of the run production.

Last year the Luxora Zorros (67-87) dropped 105 games, but they got much better this season, yet still wound up in seventh place... lousy offense is the culprit... even a pitcher as talented as Tiago Torres (6-11 2.97) had a tough time winning... Torres was lost for a couple of months in late June, but came back in September... 20-year-old closer Toby White showed potential in the closing role with a 4-3 record, 14 saves and a super-low 1.17 ERA... none of the regulars hit for much of an average, but 1B Wayne Harris delivered 31 homers and drove in 95 runs... C Jim Thorpe Chandler added 17 roundtrippers, scored 90 times and batted across 67... Harris batted .261 and Chandler hit at a .263 clip.

After three seasons in the first division, the North Hills Hawks (61-93) couldn't stand the prosperity and sank down to last place 27 games out... Lenny Danforth (18-17 3.04) is manager Masichi Okawa's one reliable arm... the Hawks top hitters are RF Al Bowden (.301 BA/15 HR/80 RBI/86 R) and 1B Lou Hooper (.305 BA/6 HR/50 RBI/68 R).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian South Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian South Final Recap

Suns Burn Ninjas In TU South Playoff
The 2024 Tycobbian South season had to go overtime to get a champion. The Arroyo Suns and the Ginza Ninjas were tied after 154 games and the Suns burned them 9-1 in the playoff game and won the pennant. It was Arroyo Grande's fourth flag in the last five years. Ginza had beaten them last season. Third place went to the Summerland Sunsets, who were right up with the Suns and the Ninjas until a bad September, but slipped 7 and a half games back with a 3-11 mark the last month. The Cape Coral Hurricanes finished fourth, 8 and a half games off the pace.

Manager Cyclone Cobb depends on good bats and average pitching to get his Arroyo Grande Suns (89-66) by... The Suns were the top hitting team in the TU with a .269 BA and were number two with 187 home runs and 795 runs... only High Mesa with 191 homers and Bay St. Clair with 798 runs were better... the triumvirate of superstar 1B Rusty Vizcarra (.341 BA/54 HR/161 RBI/129 R), SS Andy Pearson (.315 BA/26 HR/80 RBI/124 R) and C Gary Troxell (.289 BA/34 HR/95 RBI/72 R) are hard to outscore... Vizcarra had another fabulous season and led the entire IPA in homers, RBIs and runs... Vizcarra came real close to the Triple Crown as he was fifth in the batting race... leading the Suns mound corps were two 20-game winners: 42-year-old Sixto Zamora (24-14 3.00) and 11-year vet Ernie Matthews (20-14 3.48)... 38-year-old closer Jason Patrick saved 31 games with a 2.93 ERA, but was only 7-9 in wins and losses.

The Ginza Ninjas (88-67) gave Arroyo Grande a great run for its money and came up only one game short of winning its second straight TU South title... Huroko Uchiyama had a fine starting four with Yutaka Yoshida (23-12 3.34), Harlan Wilson (20-10 3.34), Ron Koehler (19-18 3.65) and Daniel Ferguson (16-16 3.20)... in the bullpen, closer Frank Beard (2-4) was excellent with 31 saves and an impressive 1.50 ERA... star 1B Johnny O'Rorke (.321 BA/28 HR/105 RBI/100 R) continued to carry the team with some help from C Crash Davis (.285 BA/17 HR/72 RBI/79 R)... Ginza need a couple of studs at the plate to overtake Arroyo Grande.

It was a remarkable season for the downtrodden Summerland Sunsets (81-73), who snapped a three-year string of cellar-dwelling with a sudden jump to third place... Summerland hasn't been in the first division since 2012... skipper Will Hackett had the Sunsets running neck-and-neck with the leaders down the stretch, but they faded badly in September... the Sunsets had adequate starters (3.73 ERA-7th), but were really good in the bullpen with a 1.75 ERA (1st)... Cary Snead (5-4) was the closer with 25 saves and a super 1.67 ERA... middle reliever and spot starter Scotty Ellison stood out with a 10-2 record and an outlandish 1.21 ERA in 37 games and 5 starts... Sparky DeWey (19-12 3.63) topped the starters... SS Gregg Proctor (.286 BA/15 HR/93 RBI), CF Clell Renshaw (.263 BA/15 HR/83 RBI/93 R) and RF Brady Gilbert (.262 BA/13 HR/82 RBI/87 R) provided most of the offense.

For the first time in years the Cape Coral Hurricanes (80-74) also got out of the second division... Huggy Miller's Hurricanes had finished seventh for the last five seasons... Miller gives most of the credit to his 5-man bullpen, who chalked up a 2.09 ERA (5th), led by closer Flapper Bird (8-3) with 22 saves and a microscopic 0.65 ERA... also excelling were Mike Rinaldi (9-7 2.42), Bobby Maas (3-0 2.22), Alec Gunderson (4-0 2.79) and Jesse Seymour (1-0 1.78)... Ray Salisbury (9-5 3.98) was the most effective starter... Miller gave up on 21-year-old Cory Burg too soon this season... Burg, the son of IPA great and all-time strikeout leader Cody Burg, was released in July with an 8-6 record and a 4.61 ERA... his daddy was 369-264 with over 5000 Ks in 21 seasons... Blue Lake signed him and he promptly went 10-5 with a 2.93 ERA... if Cory is half the pitcher his dad was, Blue lake got a heck of a bargain... RF Bill James (.299 BA/18 HR/78 RBI/105 R) and C Wendell Crosby (.267 BA/21 HR/86 RBI was the only productive batters in the line-up.

The Turon Typhoons (75-79) finished fifth for the second successive season, trailing Arroyo Grande by 13 and a half games... stars of the past have retired, been traded, or just got old... Turon is no longer the dynasty that won 4 Pro Cups and 11 TU South pennants... manager Whitey Richburn still has the great Nicky Engstrom around at age 35 and he's still a prime-time pitcher with a 20-12 mark and strong 2.35 ERA, but he has little help on the hill... Engstrom is 320-149 in his 15 years with the club... 1B Michael Page (.279 BA/33 HR/97 RBI/82 R) is the best bat on the team and a good one, but has little help... it's been rebuilding time for Richburn and the Typhoons for several years now.

It's been seven years since the Colchester Elites (73-81) have been in the hunt for the pennant... Uncle Robbie Wilbertson guided the Elites to sixth place, winding up 15 and a half games back... Wilbertson has two fine starters in Brandy Snow (20-15 2.72) and Mac Flowers (18-11 3.04)... but no much else... offensively the Elites are not very good... RF Johnny Washington (.273 BA/19 HR/65 RBI) and LF Stephen Day (.272 BA/15 HR/64 RBI) are the only decent bats in the line-up... but Wilbertson may have found a pretty good bat in youngster Steve Burns, who was installed at first base in August and he ended up with 16 homers and a .304 BA.

After four good years the Southport Sun Sox (67-87) have fallen on hard times and have spiral downward to seventh, 21 and a half games out... for the past two years Charley Oscar had the finest pitching in the IPA, 2.78 team ERA in 2022 and 2.90 in 2023, but not this year... it skyrocketed to 4.05... the staff was decimated by the retirement of long-time ace Bob Montgomery, who won 147 games in 8 seasons with the club, and the loss of young Rod Bailey, who signed a great contract with San Dimas of the Ruthlandian Union... Montgomery (18-14 2.64) and Bailey (24-12 2.32) won 42 games between them last year... Oscar had no one to replace them... never much offensively in the past, Southport hit only .245 (25th)... 3B Jason Hinton (.313 BA/16 HR/67 RBI) and 1B Kyle Ross (.273 BA/19 HR/80 RBI) were Oscar's best regulars.

Over 20 years ago the San Alejo Montaneros (62-92) won the pennants in the team's first two seasons in the IPA, but have nothing to show for it since... manager Alberto Herrera's club struggled again this season and finished in the TU South basement, 26 and a half games off the pace... the best thing the Montaneros have is Trini Corona, a talented pitcher... Corona was 14-16, but had an excellent 2.87 ERA... the only other thing they do is hit a few homers... San Alejo is 11th in the TU with 133 HRs... 24-year-old RF Lou Browning tops the team with a .288 BA, 29 HR, 71 RBIs and 102 runs scored... LF Warren Love slammed 22 out of the park and batted in a team-high 91 runs, but hit only .205.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian East Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian East Final Recap

Tucks Barely Win Again In TU South
Down by 5 games to the Midway Wolves at mid-season, the defending IPA champion Tuckanarra Blue Jays turned it on in the second and came away with the Tycobbian East title for the second year in a row. The Blue Jays nudged by the feisty Wolves by a scant game. All the other teams were left in the dust. In third place and 9 games back were the Hillsboro Blazers. East Point and High Mesa tied for fourth and trailed by 23 games. Tuckanarra won the 2023 Pro Cup, topping Valmara in six games. The Blue Jays and the Vipers may meet again. Both of them will be favored to win their respective leagues and meet in the Pro Cup Finals.

Defending division champ Tuckanarra (96-58) proved its mettle with a great finish, winning more games than anyone in the Tycobbian Union... Valmara topped the IPA with 97 victories... Glynn Starr (19-12 2.56) carried the club in the first half, then his teammates Croc Wedgedale (20-9 2.81) and Quinn Starr (17-17 2.61) took over in the second half... closer Archie Desmond (6-4) was strong the entire season with 33 saves and a super 1.80 ERA... manager Lefty Stevens got improved hitting in the second part of the season, which was another important factor in overtaking and holding off Midway... 1B Lynn Starr went on a tear and raised his batting average from .303 at mid-year to a final .342 with 29 homers, 104 RBIs and 97 runs... RF Danny Redd (.274 BA/13 HR/55 RBI/117 R) didn't hit for average, but was a productive hitter... ditto for LF Jeff Johns (.258 BA/21 HR/87 RBI), SS Narra Gilyinju (.264 BA/21 HR/76 RBI/83 R) and 3B Koora Nawajuk (.264 BA/18 HR/88 RBI/70 R).

It's tough to win 95 games and not win a division... that's what happened to Cochise Chandler and his Midway Wolves (95-59)... at the All-Star game it looked like they were getting ready to run away with the TU East... the Wolves seemingly had it all - great pitching and solid hitting... Midway had a terrific 2.88 team ERA (2nd), batted .260 (6th), hit 154 homers (6th) and scored 743 runs (7th-tied)... but it wasn't quite enough to whip talented Tuckanarra... Chandler had a wonderful rotation with the brilliant Bobby Dorignac (27-8 1.65), who led the IPA in wins, ERA and shutouts with 9... the other starters were Luka Abromowitz (20-9 3.01), Alberto Toledo (11-6 3.03) and Motego Wolf (16-19 3.07)... veteran closer Dom Vilaggio (4-3) had his typically-good season with 32 saves and a fine 2.19 ERA... the Wolves offense was quite capable, too, with 3B Rusty Graves (.315 BA/26 HR/79 RBI/97 R), SS Rob Gigler (.307 BA/24 HR/75 RBI/95 R) and RF Chitto Chandler (.280 BA/20 HR/84 RBI/70 R).

The third-place Hillsboro Blazers (87-67) got too far behind in the first half and they couldn't close the gap, even though they played as well as Tuckanarra and Midway in the second half... Rawhide Marshall's club trailed by 9 games at the All-Star break and finished that way... Hillsboro had three quality starters: Yank Yoland (20-12 3.27), Ben Garvik (22-10 3..47) and Tom Edgar (17-16 3.10)... plus a good closer in Gregg Hughes (6-5) with 26 saves and an impressive 2.17 ERA... the Blazer batting order packed some punch with 168 home runs (4th), led by RF Tommy O'Hara (.272 BA/31 HR/91 RBI/91 R), 1B Larry Guichard (.278 BA/20 HR/97 RBI/87 R), CF Biggy Washington (.279 BA/14 HR/57 RBI/105 R/65 SB), SS Jason DiMucci (.297 BA/12 HR/67 RBI/99 R/58 SB) and C Mike Payne (.324 BA/19 HR/74 RBI)... next year is looking good for Hillsboro.

The East Point Panthers (73-81) were one of the good stories in the IPA this year... for the first time since 2008 manager Robbie Brooks' ball club made the first division, tying for fourth in the standings with High Mesa... pitchers Andy Charles (21-9 2.97 ) and J. D. McDermott (3-1) led the way... closer McDermott saved 30 games and chalked up a superlative 2.03 ERA... Brooks' best at the plate were LF Kenko Aoki (.252 BA/28 HR/101 RBI/87 R), CF Ian Holmes (.288 BA/3 HR/45 RBI/107 R/39 SB) and 2B Nick Kohl (.285 BA/12 HR/84 RBI).

One of the most disappointing teams in the IPA this year was the High Mesa Cowboys (73-81)... they fought tooth-and-nail last year and lost out to Tuckanarra by a single game and were forecast to be one of the best teams again... 'twas not to be... skipper Frisky Franks' pitching fell apart, going from 3.58 last year to a dismal 4.52 this year... the Cowpokes lost 20-game winner Daniel Ferguson to Ginza for a big contract... John Rainer (13-17 4.03) was the most effective starter... the others had ERAs 4.50 and above... High Mesa still swung good bats with 191 roundtrippers (1st) and were third in runs with 756... one of the best hitter in IPA history, maybe the best, 1B Jack Elliott, had another fine season with a .343 BA, 49 HR, 110 RBI and 122 R... in 12 seasons Elliott has amassed 635 homers and hit for a .358 BA... RF Bill Andrews also pitched in with 42 home runs, 106 RBIs and 95 runs, while batting .285.

For the sixth consecutive year the South Fork Stallions (69-85) ended up in the second division... The Stallions were in sixth place, 27 games behind in the race... Lips Leon's team could hit and score, but couldn't get too many out... top hitters were LF Patric Giles (.294 BA/23 HR/86 RBI/101 R), CF Robby Michael (.324 BA/16 HR/73 RBI/88 R) and SS Teddy Nixon (.290 BA/18 HR/74 RBI/84 R)... Gary Price (20-13 3.46) was the only reliable pitcher, though 42-year-old Blackie Terranova (15-21 3.56) tossed 4 shutouts and stood out on many occasions.

After being an IPA dynasty for 17 years with 13 postseason appearances and 11 TU East crowns, the Ozarka Naturals (67-87) have descended into mediocrity... the Nats wound up in seventh place, 29 games in back of Tuckanarra, the second straight season they have been mired in the second division... Joe Mac Carney had good work from Howard Hutch (16-8 3.10), who led the IPA with 312 strikeouts in 288 innings... Hutch has led the IPA the last three years in strikeouts and four times in his 10-year career... vets Benny Ostermann (9-17 4.90) at age 28 and Eddie Roberts (5-12 4.89) at age 35 both had miserable seasons... youngster Stan Carey (8-2 2.69) racked up a fine 5-0 mark in 11 starts after being promoted to the starting rotation in August... only two batters had good seasons... SS James Couch led the TU with a .351 batting average... Couch had 19 homers, 80 RBIs and scored 105 times...it was his first batting title... 1B George Jenkins hit well, too, with a .306 mark, 16 home runs and 86 runs batted in... long-time star, 36-year-old 3B Andre Dumas, rode the bench most of the season... Dumas batted only .208 with 2 homers in 106 plate appearances.

The best thing the last-place Red Bluff Red Sox (66-88) did this year, was hit homers... Bucky Frizzell's club went deep 169 times (3rd), sparked by 3B James Mack (.293 BA/38 HR/112 RBI/94 R), LF Corbett Brooks (.290 BA/38 HR/108 RBI/98 R) and 2B Leander Burks (.263 BA/33 HR/85 RBI/75 R)... on the hill the team ERA was a pathetic 4.51 (31st)... closer Rod Westfall (3-5) did well with 50 appearances, 30 saves and a standout 1.98 ERA... Ramsey McCloud (10-14 3.87) was the only starter under a 4.00 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian West Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

2024 Tycobbian West Final Recap

Wildcats Win In TU West
The Kenwood Wildcats held off two strong contenders to capture the Tycobbian West. The Wildcats went into September leading Rolling Hills and Bay St. Clair by 4 games, but managed to hold them off. Kenwood topped the Reds by just 2 games and the Buccaneers by 4. Denton City came in a distant fourth and trailed by 15 games. This was Kenwood's second pennant, the other was in 2014, when the Wildcats went all the way and claimed the Pro Cup in a huge upset. Rolling Hills rallied from last place at mid-season and came within an eyelash of catching the Wildcats. Last year's champ Bay St. Clair slumped badly in August and it cost them the flag.

Great pitching and just enough offense brought the title to the Kenwood Wildcats (90-64)... Aaron Hankins ' pitching corps chalked up a great 2.99 ERA (3rd) sparked by starters Jody Gentry (21-10 2.15) and Thomas Norman (19-15 2.59)... Kenwood's bullpen was second in the TU with a super 1.98 ERA, led by closer Glenn Kennedy (5-2) with 26 saves and a fantastic 0.96 ERA... middle relievers Scott Bohn (7-2 2.21) and Chuck Rohmer (6-0 1.58) stood out, too... at bat, the Wildcats had modest power with 138 homers (10th) and were paced by LF Nicky Carpenter (.299 BA/26 HR/86 RBI/88 R), RF Babe Hankins (.279 BA/20 HR/81 RBI/80 R) and SS Lee Sullivan (.249 BA/19 HR/77 RBI/91 R).

At the All-Star game, the Rolling Hills Reds (88-66) were 9 games under .500 and 12 games behind, but Matty Christianson's club did an about-face and almost pulled off the greatest comeback in IPA history. The Reds rolled to a remarkable 56-25 record the rest of the year, but came up 2 games short... vets Sal Jordan (24-9 2.80) and Errol Gaudet (17-14 2.86) led the staff, along with the manager's young sons, rookies Joey Christianson (13-8 3.30) and McGraw Christianson (10-7 3.04)... Jordan was a brilliant 17-2 in the second half... budding star LF Pat Webb topped the team with a .302 BA, 30 HR, 102 RBI, 90 R, aided a little by Christianson's third son, 19-year-old 1B Billy, who became a regular in July and hit .311 in 59 games.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (86-68) were coming off a great 2023 when they put up 97 wins, the best in the TU, and were the odds-on favorite to win the division again... and Guy Rondre would have done it, if not for a poor 12-17 August... The Bucs had the best offense in the league with 798 runs... they hit .264 (5th)... Rondre had fairly good starters (3.69 ERA-14th) and a fine bullpen (2.43 ERA- 7th)... the Buccaneers had a well-balanced club, paced by a rock-solid core of hitters: star 1B Jerry Todd (.343 BA/30 HR/110 RBI/88 R), RF Don Smithers (.297 BA/24 HR/89 RBI/78 R), SS Van Kellner (.254 BA/23 HR/80 RBI), CF Bill Howell (.311 BA/1 HR/78 RBI/111 R) and 2B Bud Walker (.296 BA/3 HR/47 RBI/119 R)... Rondre needs improvement on the hill... Golden Arm winner Eddie Lasky (12-15 4.16) had an awful year after going 25-8 last year... Vic Bauer, acquired in a trade with Crystal Lake of the RU, did well with a 19-14 mark and a 3.66 ERA... closer Ray McClendon (6-6 1.19), Benson O'Brian (3-2 2.38) and Steve Richt (3-1 2.65) did well in relief roles.

Ford Whiteman had his Denton City Redbirds (75-79) in the race at mid-year... the Redbirds were tied for second with Bay St. Clair, just a game behind leading Kenwood, but they couldn't sustain it and burned out in the summertime and late season... however, Denton City did sneak into the the first division for the first time in 5 years, finishing fourth, 15 games back... Whiteman's best performers were 1B Don Timmons with 30 homers and 102 RBIs, but only a .252 BA... Phil Cooper (18-16 3.67) led the starters, while Rich Hopkins (7-6) stood out in the bullpen with 29 saves and an excellent 2.30 ERA.

Bayview (71-83), piloted by Walter Johanssen to a fifth-place tie with Chicopee, 19 games out of first... the Vikings were just mediocre on the mound and at the plate, but they did go deep occasionally with 158 home runs (5th)... CF Davey Krueger hammered 39 out of the park and drove in 105 runs with a .264 BA... LF Norm Owens chipped in with 20 roundtrippers, 83 runs batted in, scored 90 times and batted .286... long-time ace Harald Turi (17-14 3.04) turned in an other good year... new closer Gunnar Haagensen showed promise with an 11-3 record and a 1.94 ERA in 37 relief appearances.

It was another run-of-mill season for the Chicopee Braves (71-83) and manager Harry Fleetfoot, but his young starters showed signs of coming-of-age... Will Joseph (18-14 3.17), Mackie Smith (14-20 3.18) and Papoose Littlefeather (16-16 3.81) make the future brighter... old-timers RF Dominick DiCaprio (.303 BA/27 HR/96 RBI) and 1B Jose Duran (.329 BA/20 HR/97 RBI/94 R) had fine seasons and were the Braves only reliable bats.

Manager Maka Bardinda of the La Claire Lynx (69-85) was excited at the beginning of the season after his club wound up third last year with an 81-73 mark, but the optimism proved futile, when his hitting collapsed and the club dropped back deep into the second divison to seventh place, 21 games off the pace of TU West champ Kenwood... star 3B Flash Devlin had his usual good year with a .304 BA, 33 HR, 94 RBI and 105 runs... with some help from 1B Jess Swain (.293 BA/13 HR/76 RBI/72 R)... Iggy Cobos (16-19 3.75) paced the pitchers.

Since winning the pennant in 2020, Gary Louis has seen his Arlon Champions (68-86) wind up in seventh, eighth, seventh and again last place this year, 22 games behind... his young team was fourth at the halfway point, just 6 games out, but frizzed out in the second half... but Arlon made some progress on the mound... Louis' youngsters got valuable experience... Dorsey Peters was 18-15 with a strong 2.86 ERA... Derek Wilmer lost a lot of games where he pitched well, but got no run support... Wilmer was 16-20 with a 3.57 ERA... Lanny Andrews (13-16 4.35) and Lacy Dalton (10-21 4.16) look good for the future.... closer Buddy Palmer (4-6) led a solid bullpen with 28 saves and a terrific 1.14 ERA... overall the Champs relievers registered an impressive 2.62 ERA, 8th-best in the Tycobbian Union... Arlon hit only .230 (32nd) and ranked last... the only decent bat in the line-up was CF Carlos Quintana, who led the team with a .277 BA, 26 home runs and 92 RBIs.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Crushers Star Earns RU Bat Title
This season Crystal Lake center fielder Herm Taylor won the Ruthlandian Union batting crown for the first time. His .355 average led everyone in 2024. Taylor's season stats included 205 hits, 1 home run, 82 runs scored and 73 RBIs. In his two seasons Taylor has a .314 batting average.

Last year's champ Jo-Jo Davis of Beechwood came in second with a .343 batting average, followed by Ray Ford of San Dimas in third with a .339 mark. In fourth place was Jan Kessinger of Sugar Valley at .335, while Glen Smith of Colfax and Teddy Szymanski were tied for fifth with .333 batting averages.

James Couch Wins TU Batting Title
This year's Tycobbian Union batting title went to James Couch of the Ozarka Naturals. During the regular season he slapped out hits at a .351 pace (210-599) to win the honor. The 28-year-old Ozarka shortstop played in 146 games and had 19 home runs, 80 RBIs and scored 105 runs. This was Couch's first batting crown in his 10-year career. Lifetime he is a .318 hitter. Couch's best year previously was 2020 when he finished 10th with a .321 BA.

7-time winner Jack Elliott of Turon wound second again this year, tied with Jerry Todd of Bay St. Clair, both of them finishing 8 points back of Couch with a .343 averages. Tuckanarra's Lynn Starr was fourth at .342 and Arroyo Grande's Rusty Vizcarra came in fifth with a .343 mark. Last year's top batter Dennis Hartwig of Oxford ended up sixth this season at .337.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Valmara-Tuckanarra Repeat Forecast
It's Elite 8 Time all across the Islands. Beginning tomorrow afternoon 8 elite squads and division winners will start their quest in search of the Holy Grail in Islandian baseball - the Pro Cup. The Islandian Times released its annual Pro Cup poll today and if the pro baseball experts are right, the 2024 IPA Pro Cup will be a repeat of last year's title clash between Tuckanarra and Valmara. The Blue Jays got the best of the Vipers in a six-game set and are favored to do it again. But they each will have to dispose of several pretty fair teams to get there. Upsets are not a rarity in Pro Cup circles. Top-seeded Tuckanarra will open at home against the eighth-seeded Kenwood Wildcats. Number-two seed Valmara and the seventh-seeded Waleska Westerners will clash on the Vipers home field. Fourth-seeded Sugar Valley will slug it out at home with the Middlefield Roosters, the sixth seed. Number-five seed Arroyo Grande will entertain third-seeded White River in another match-up between heavy-hitting teams.

By the Numbers:
Best Record - Valmara 97-57 (1st)
Best Team BA - Arroyo Grande .269 (1st)
Most Runs - Arroyo Grande 795 (1st)
Most Home Runs - Middlefield 211 (1st)
Best Team ERA - Tuckanarra 2.85 (1st)
Best Starters ERA - Tuckanarra 3.03 (2nd)
Best Bullpen ERA - Kenwood 1.98 (2nd)
Best Fielding - Valmara .977 FA (2nd-tied)

Worst Record - Middlefield 85-69 (13th)
Worst Team BA - Kenwood .243 (27th)
Fewest Runs - Kenwood 659 (21th)
Fewest Home Runs - Waleska 105 (18th)
Worst Team ERA - Arroyo Grande 3.77 (17th)
Worst Starters ERA - Arroyo Grande 3.71 (18th)
Worst Bullpen ERA - Middlefield 3.52 (25th)
Worst Fielding - Waleska .968 FA (57th)

#1 Seed - Tuckanarra Blue Jays (96-58) Tycobbian Union
Pro Cup champ is even better than last season... the Tucks have brilliant pitching with three super starters and an exceptional bullpen... early this season they lost 20-game winner Dean Peterson (20-11 2.92) with a career-ending injury at age 25... Peterson won the title game last year... the addition of rookie starter Croc Wedgedale (20-8 2.81) greatly eased the loss of Peterson... coupled with Glynn Starr (19-12 2.56) and Quinn Starr (17-17 2.61), this gives manager Carlton "Lefty" Stevens one of the best rotations in the IPA... closer Archie Desmond (6-4) heads up a top-notch bullpen with 33 saves and a 1.80 ERA... the Blue Jays have a solid core of hitters led by star 1B Lynn Starr (.342 BA/29 HR/104 RBI/97 R), along with RF Danny Redd (.274 BA/13 HR/55 RBI/117 R), 3B Koora Nawajuk (.264 B/18 HR/88 RBI/70 R), LF Jeff Johns (.258 BA/21 HR/87 RBI) and SS Narra Gilyinju (.268 BA/21 HR/76 RBI/83 R).

#2 Seed - Valmara Vipers (97-57) Ruthlandian Union
Last year's Pro Cup runner-up, skippered by former IPA and Viper great Jet Kazmarek, 8-time All-Star, .350 lifetime average... best overall IPA record... best defense... two Pro Cup seasoned starters in Clem Carmouche (20-8 2.52) and Billy Ray (20-11 2.93)... fine closer Chris Phillips (5-4) with 34 saves and great 1.01 ERA... good offense led by CF Teddy Szymanski (.333 BA/27 HR/110 RBI/104 R) and LF Sonny Oliver (.299 BA/30 HR/111 RBI/85 R)... key will be number three starter Johnny Vasylenko (21-11 3.97), who labored last year with a poor postseason. He was 0-2 with a 5.28 ERA in 4 starts... lost crucial sixth game.

#3 Seed - White River Rascals (88-66) Tycobbian Union
Mick Cronyn has a well-balanced club with fine pitching and hitting... Pro Cup success depends on star pitcher Jon French (3-3 3.39), who was on the DL most of the season, but came back late with modest success, but nothing like the 16-6 and 1.96 ERA he had in 2023... if he is sharp, the Rascals will be right up there with Tuckanarra and Valmara... the two prime starters Paul Sardini (17-10 2.11) and Ron Hendrix (24-9 2.63) are as good as anybody in the IPA... big shortcoming is the closer... Carl Dreux (5-10 6.96) struggled badly this year and was replaced in late season by Arnie Montel (0-1 2.12)... Cronyn has some real good bats, sparked by superstar Marty Blake (.292 BA/34 HR/89 RBI/92), CF Hal Littleton (.316 BA/11 HR/59 RBI/82 R) and RF Kenneth Kent (.280 BA/18 HR/92 RBI/80 R), plus four others who have hit 10 or more homers.

#4 Seed - Sugar Valley Rattlers (88-66) Ruthlandian Union
Solid offensively with good power, can score runs... strong starting pitching and great bullpen... Nick Moore (20-13 2.70) and Benny McConnell (20-15 3.04) give manager Gibby Bobkins two fine starters... closer Dallas Casey (5-5) heads up an excellent relief corps with 28 saves and a 1.70 ERA... needs some good starts from number-three man Harry Diefendorf (21-11 3.75) to go deep in playoffs... top bats are 2B Jan Kessinger (.335 BA/7 HR/71 RBI/94 R), RF Randall Hawson (.300 BA/37 HR/86 RBI/76 R), 1B Dean Woods (.288 BA/29 HR/95 RBI/79 R) and LF Marty Beckett (.278 BA/30 HR/ 94 RBI/72 R).

#5 Seed - Arroyo Grande Suns (89-66) Tycobbian Union
Cyclone Cobb has the best hitting team in the playoffs and the worst pitching, at least statistically... superstar 1B Rusty Vizcarra had another colossal season with an IPA-leading 54 homers, 161 RBIs and 129 runs, while hitting .341... and he got plenty of help from SS Andy Pearson with 26 roundtrippers, 124 runs, 80 RBIs and a .315 BA and C Gary Troxell with 34 home runs, 95 runs batted in and a .289 average... the Suns also have several other capable bats in the line-up... they hit .269 overall with 187 home runs (2nd) and 795 runs (2nd)... Cobb's pitchers are better than you might think with a 3.77 team ERA... starters Sixto Moreno (24-14 3.00) and Ernie Matthews (20-14 3.48) are very capable... the Suns needs the number three starter to step it up in the postseason... Cesar De Leon (15-10 4.37) and Earl Reilly (13-11 4.06) were off-and-on during the regular season and will have to be better in the playoffs... closer Jason Patrick was somewhat spotty at times with a 7-9 record and 31 saves with a 2.93 ERA.

#6 Seed - Middlefield Roosters (85-69) Ruthlandian Union
The name of the game in Middlefield is home-run power... the Roosters smacked 211 out of the park to top the IPA and they wound up second in scoring with 758 runs... all eight of manager Bailey Norcross's regulars totaled 10 or more homers, paced by 1B Allan Stewart with 53, LF Floyd McClellan with 32 and CF Tom Daniels with 29... Stewart batted .302, drove in 113 runs and scored 108 times... McClellan hit .318 with 99 runs batted in and 90 runs scored... 3B Stu Butterworth chipped in with 19 homers, 86 RBIs, while batting .280 for average... Middlefield only has one quality starter... Frank Dean is the Rooster ace with a 17-12 record and a fine 2.81 ERA, considering he has to pitch in such a small home stadium... Glenn Tackett (14-17 3.10) is wild-and-wooly as the number-two starter... Danny Denver (17-12 3.73) is number three in the rotation

#7 Seed - Waleska Westerneers (91-63) Ruthlandian Union
McGraw Johnson led Waleska to its best season ever with strong pitching and a fairly good offense... the Westerners had four quality starters: Pete Herrmann (21-13 3.04), Chet McNeil (17-10 3.15), Charlie Chan (15-14 3.21) and Sammy Grimaldi (16-15 3.47)... and a wealth of relievers led by closer Jarred Laclair (3-2), who posted 33 saves with a standout 1.55 ERA... most of the offense was supplied by superstar CF Roy Hobbs (.325 BA/32 HR/106 RBI/102 R), 1B Glenn Childress (.305 BA/19 HR/97 RBI/92 R) and C Stu Milligan (.285 BA/9 HR/80 RBI).

#8 Seed - Kenwood Wildcats (90-64) Tycobbian Union
Aaron Hankins noted that "the last time his Wildcats were in the playoffs they were rated the seventh-best team... that was in 2014, the year Kenwood won the Pro Cup... so it's nothing new to be seeded eighth... look at Valmara last year... they were seeded last and almost won it... you still have to play the games to determine the Pro Cup champ... and we've got good pitching this year... I think my Wildcats can compete"... Hankins has two strong starters with Jody Gentry (21-10 2.15) and Thomas Norman (19-15 2.59), plus a superb closer in Glenn Kennedy, who chalked up 26 saves with an extraordinary 0.96 ERA and a 5-2 record... Kenwood's relief corps was the second best in the TU with a 1.98 ERA... RF Babe Hankins (.279 BA/20 HR/81 RBI/80 R) and LF Nicky Carpenter (.299 BA/26 HR/86 RBI/88 R) lead a so-so offense and will need a lot of help for the Wildcats to win the Pro Cup again.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 19, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series

Rattlers Rap Roosters 7-2 In Opener
At Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, Nick Moore stopped Middlefield 7-2 in the opening game of the RU Elite 8 Series... Moore (1-0) worked 8 innings for the win, holding the Roosters to 2 runs and 6 hits... Moore was a little wild with 6 walks as Middlefield stranded 11 baserunners... closer Dallas Casey blanked the Roosters in the ninth... Frank Dean (0-1) got the loss as he surrendered 5 runs in four frames... C Silvio Salas and 1B Dean Woods led the Rattlers 9-hit attack with homers... Salas hit a 2-run shot in the second and Woods went deep for 3 runs in the third... Woods had 4 RBIs and Salas 3... C Rod Buckley got 4 of the Roosters 8 hits... Buckley homered in the sixth.

Vipers Whack Waleska 6-2 In Game 1
Playing at home at War Memorial Stadium, the Valmara Vipers whacked the Waleska Westerners 6-2 in game one of the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series... both clubs collected 10 hits each... the Vipers were sparked by RF Gerry Kazmarek with 3 hits and 3 runs... Kazmarek and LF Sonny Oliver had solo homers... Clem Carmouche tossed 8 innings for the win, allowing 9 hits, but only 2 runs... Carmouche (1-0) struck out 5 and walked only one... Ivan Guzek worked a scoreless ninth for Valamara... Pete Herrmann (0-1) lost it as he was hammered hard for 6 runs on 9 hits in 5-plus innings... Herrmann left trailing 6-1.

2024 Tycobbian Elite 8 Series

Suns Edge Rascals 1-0 In Elite 8
At Capet Stadium in Arroyo Grande, the fans were treated to a sparkling pitchers' duel between the Suns Sixto Zamora and White River's Paul Sardini in the opening game of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... 1B Rusty Vizcarra settled it with a solo homer in the last of the second to give Zamora a 1-0 decision over Sardini... Zamora (1-0) fanned 3, walked none and held the Rascals to 5 hits in 8 innings... Jason Patrick got the save with a scoreless ninth... Sardini (0-1) went the distance in defeat, permitting only 5 hits, while striking out 8 and walking 2.

Tucks Trim Wildcats 2-1 Behind G. Starr
In what should be a pitching-dominated series , defending IPA Pro Cup champion Tuckanarra opened up with a 2-1 triumph at home over the Kenwood Wildcats at Central Park Stadium... Glynn Starr bested the Wildcats Jody Gentry... Starr (1-0) went 8 sharp innings, yielding just one run and 6 hits with 6 Ks and a walk... closer Archie Desmond finished Kenwood off with a runless ninth... Gentry (0-1) gave up 2 runs in 7 and two-thirds innings, only one earned... Gentry was touched for 8 hits, struck out 3 and issued no walks... RF Danny Redd got the winning run in with a single in the bottom of the fifth that scored CF Jim Garrison from third base, snapping a 1-1 tie... Redd led the Blue Jays with a pair of hits, while CF Babe Hankins topped Kenwood with 3 hits... the Wildcats outhit Tuckanarra 8 to 7.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Friday, September 20, 2024

2024 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series

Rattlers Bomb Roosters 6-2, Up By 2 Games
It didn't matter that they were outhit 10 to 4, the Sugar Valley Rattlers still chalked up its second successive victory in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series with Middlefield... two 3-run bombs gave Sugar Valley the win... CF John Drake slammed one for a 3-0 lead in the first frame and SS Jack Sanderson cinched it with another one in the sixth, sending the Rattlers up by a 6-2 count... although he gave up a lot of hits, winning pitcher Benny McConnell was tough with men on base, stranding 10 runners... in a complete game, McConnell (1-0) fanned 8 and walked one... Glenn Tackett (0-1) suffered the defeat, allowing 6 runs in 5-plus innings.

Ray Whips Waleska 7-3, Valmara Wins Game 2, Too
Two key hits and a fine pitching performance by Billy Ray put Valmara up two games to none in the RU Elite 8... the Vipers won game two 7-3 at home... Ray (1-0) checked Waleska on 2 runs and 7 hits in 8 innings, fanning 6 and issuing 2 walks... closer Chris Phillips encountered a few problems and was tagged for a run in the ninth, but he managed to get the Westerners out without too much damage... Chet McNeil (0-1) was the loser as the Vipers slammed him for 7 runs and 8 hits in 7-plus innings... CF Teddy Szymanski ripped him for a 2-run blast in the sixth for a 3-1 lead and C Pete Gibbs finished him off with a base-clearing triple in the eighth.

Tycobbian Elite 8 Series

Suns Edge Rascals 4-3 In 11, Lead 2-0
Two of the better hitting teams in the IPA are finding it tough going so far in the playoffs... the pitchers prevailed again as the Arroyo Grande Suns edged White River 4-3 in 11 innings on Alton Sonnenberg's walk-off single... the Suns are now up in 2-0 in the best-of-seven TU Elite 8 Series... starters Ernie Matthews and Ron Hendrix battled to a 3-3 draw after 9 innings, then turned it over to the bullpen... the Suns Jason Patrick (1-0) picked up the win with two hitless innings... Arnie Montel (0-1) was tagged with the loss as he walked two and allowed 3 hits in just one and a third innings... 3B Felix Estrada paced the Suns 12-hit attack with 3 hits and 2 RBIs... Estrada cut the Rascals lead to 3-1 with a seventh-inning homer... Arroyo Grande tied it with two in the eighth... RF Kenneth Kent and 2B Sandy Scott led White River with solo home runs... the Rascals only managed 6 hits.

Kenwood Evens Series, Norman Blanks Jays 2-0
Underdog Kenwood got a great mound performance in game two of the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series from 22-year-old Thomas Norman, who blanked the reigning Pro Cup titlist Tuckanarra Blue Jays 2-0 on just 5 hits in his 8 innings to even up the series at a game apiece... Norman (1-0) got help from Glenn Kennedy, who got the save with a scoreless ninth inning... the Wildcats got the first run in the fourth when SS Lee Sullivan walked to lead off the inning and later scored on 1B Johnny Ostendorf's base hit... in the seventh a single by 3B Waylon Bramlett and a double by pinchhitter Pat Tishenko produced the second score... rookie Croc Wedgedale (0-1) pitched quite well in defeat, giving up only 2 runs and 7 hits in a route-going outing... Wedgedale struck out 7 and allowed only one base on balls.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, September 21, 2025

2024 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series

Roosters 5 HRs Blast Rattlers 10-3
After dropping two games on the road in Sugar Valley, the Middlefield Roosters were ready for the friendly fences at tiny Middlefield Park... they slammed 5 homers and blasted the Rattlers 10-3 to get back in the RU Elite 8 Series, narrowing Sugar Valley's lead to two games to one in the best-of-seven series... manager Bailey Norcross also got an outstanding outing from Danny Denver (1-0), who fired a 3-hitter and only allowed one earned run... leading the Roosters hit parade were RF Chuck Larkin (.200) with a 3-run homer... 1B Allan Stewart (.417) and LF Frank McClellan (.222) with 2-run shots... and solo roundtrippers by SS Wes Gore (.333) and 3B Stu Butterworth (.273)... the Roosters crucified loser Harry Diefendorf (0-1) for 4 homers and 7 runs in the first two innings.

Chan Charms Vipers, Waleska Wins 4-1
The Waleska Westerners needed a win in the worst way and got it from Charlie Chan, who charmed the Valmara Vipers 4-1 in game three of the RU Elite 8 Series at Westerner Field... that cut Valmara's lead to two games to one... Chan (1-0) walked 6, but went the distance... the Vipers had chances, but left 11 men on base... Chan only permitted 5 hits... CF Teddy Szymanski gave Valmara an early lead with a solo home in the opening frame... losing pitcher Johnny Vasylenko made it stand up for 5 innings, but the Westerners got to him for a pair of runs in the sixth on a balk and an RBI single by 1B Glenn Childress (.182)... CF Roy Hobbs (.300) gave Chan breathing room with a 2-run wallop in the eighth... Vasylenko (0-1) struck out 6, walked none and gave up 4 runs on 7 hits in a complete game.

Tycobbian Elite 8 Series

Rascals Skim By Suns 3-2, French Winner
It looks like Jon French is back... the White River ace missed almost the entire season due to injury, but French looked like his old self with a 3-2 win over the Arroyo Grande Suns in the third game of the TU Elite 8... it was third straight low-scoring affair between two of the highest-scoring teams in the IPA... French (1-0) gave White River its first victory in the series with a 5-hitter... in 8 innings he fanned 6 and walked 5... Arnie Montel got a shaky save with a scoreless ninth, but he walked two after two were out and had the tying run on second, when he struck out the final batter.

Both clubs scored in the first frame... the Suns got a gift run when French gave up a bases-loaded walk, the third one in the inning... LF Kenneth Kent (.200) tied it up with a double in the bottom half of the inning... 2B Sandy Scott (.400) put the Suns back into the lead again with a fifth-inning homer... Rascal C Gary Troxell (.333) knotted the score at 2-2 with a deep sacrifice fly in the sixth... Kent got the winning run in with an RBI ground-out in the last of the eighth... Cesar De Leon (0-1) suffered the defeat, though he did well... De Leon was touched for 7 hits and went the route, striking out 3 and walking 2.

Tucks Trounce Kenwood 13-6, Take Series Lead
In game three of the TU Elite 8 at Olde Towne Grounds in Kenwood, the powerful Tuckanarra Blue Jays battered the hometown Wildcats for 19 hits in a 13-6 trouncing for a 2-1 lead in the series... SS Narra Gilyinju (.417) had 4 hits to led the way with LF Jeff Johns (.400) chipping in 3 hits and 3 RBIs... 3B Koora Nawajuk (.222), CF Jim Garrison (.500) and SP Quinn Starr (.500) drove in 2 runs each... and Garrison and RF Danny Redd (.286) homered... Quinn Starr (1-0) was not at his best, but still picked up the win... He went 7 innings, allowed 5 runs and 7 hits... Archie Desmond tossed the last two innings and surrendered a meaningless unearned run... Kenwood's Johnny Shaw (0-1) was shelled for 6 runs in just 3 innings for the loss.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Sunday, September 22, 2025

2024 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series

4 Rooster HRs Demolish Rattlers, Series Tied At 2
The Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series between Sugar Valley and Middlefield is all tied up at two games apiece after the Roosters demolished the Rattlers 8-0 at Middlefield Park... Middlefield swatted 4 homers and Frank Dean hurled a splendid 4-hit shutout... Dean (1-1 3.46) was absolutely stunning with 12 strikeouts... the Roosters ripped loser Nick Moore (1-1 5.91) for 7 runs and 10 hits in 2-plus innings... Middlefield mauled him for 7 runs in the third inning with 3 homers hit back-to-back-to-back... CF Tom Daniels (.368) paced the Roosters 12-hit attack with 4 hits and 3 RBIs... Daniels, C Rod Buckley (.438), 1B Allan Stewart (.400) and SS Wes Gore (.400) all cracked homers.

Trio Blanks Vipers 4-0, Westerners Knot Series
For the second day in a row at Westerner Stadium manager McGraw Johnson got a superb mound performance... three Waleska pitchers combined for a 4-0 victory, shutting down Valmara on just two hits... but it was a costly win as 21-game winner Pete Herrmann was lost for 8 weeks with an injured back... Herrmann blanked the Vipers on one hit for 3 and two-thirds innings... winning pitcher Rick Durham (1-0 0.00) worked through the 7th and allowed only one hit... closer Jarred Laclair then hurled two perfect innings... Clem Carmouche (1-1 3.60) was ineffective in defeat, yielding 4 runs and 5 hits in 7 innings... Carmouche walked 5 and fanned 3... 2B Freddy White (.267) knocked in the first Westerner run in the second frame... in the seventh Waleska scored three more times on a bases-loaded walk to RF Kid Kelley (.125) and a two-run double by CF Roy Hobbs (.286).

2024 Tycobbian Elite 8 Series

Rascals Nip Suns In 10, Even Series at 2-2
For the fourth consecutive game it was a one-run ball game between White River and Arroyo Grande... the Rascals nipped the Suns 3-2 in 10 innings to even up the Tycobbian Elite 8 Series at two games each... it was also the fourth low-scoring game in a row... the pitching has been excellent... Paul Sardini went the first 8 for the winners, holding the Suns to 2 runs and 7 hits with 8 Ks and zero walks... however, the win went to Lou McKenzie (1-0), who worked two scoreless frames... White River won in the tenth when a single by 3B Sammy Turner (.333) and a double by Jake Doerr (.429) placed runners on second and third... the game-winning run came in on a passed ball by Gary Troxell... Sixto Zamora started for Arroyo Grande and he tossed 9 innings, was tagged for 12 hits, but only permitted 2 runs... White River left 14 on base... the Rascals slapped 14 hits to 9 for Arroyo Grande... the game was scoreless for five innings... both clubs got a run in the sixth... Troxell's (.250) sac fly got the first Sun score in, while Rascal 2B Sandy Thompson's (.400) RBI single made it 1-1... 3B Felix Estrada's (.500) triple and PH Jesus Hernandez RBI ground-out sent the Suns up 2-1 in the seventh , only to be tied again by the Rascals in the last of the eighth on LF Jim Abrams' (.231) single.

Wildcats Swat Blue Jays 9-6, Tie Series
At home, Kenwood ran up an 8-1 lead in the first five innings and then almost squandered it with three errors and four unearned runs in the 5-run sixth... The Wildcats settled down and came away with a 9-6 triumph over the heavily-favored Tuckanarra Blue Jays... the Tycobbian Elite 8 is now deadlocked at two games each... top bats for the Wildcats were 3B Waylon Bramlett (.385) with a 3-run double, 2B Freddie Herbert (.133) with a homer and 2 runs driven, 1B Johnny Ostendorf (.091) with 2 RBIs and CF Babe Hankins (.571) with 3 base hits... Tucks starter and loser Glynn Starr (0-1 6.75) was hammered hard for 7 runs in 2-plus innings... Jody Gentry got the call for the Wildcats... Gentry (1-1 1.84) was the victor, but he was victimized by shoddy defense... he allowed only 2 earned runs in 7 innings, but departed with an 8-6 lead... relievers Scott Bohn and Chuck Rohmer saved it for him with perfect innings in the eighth and ninth... RF Danny Redd (.263) paced the Blue Jays with a 3-run homer and CF Jim Garrison (.462) had a 2-run double... Kenwood collected 9 hits to 8 for Tuckanarra.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 23, 2025

2024 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series

Roosters Beat Rattlers With 4 HRs
The bats are really booming in Middlefield, where the Roosters pounded 4 more homers and won for the third straight day to go up in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 three games to two... Middlefield has gone deep 14 times in the series... The Roosters only got 8 hits, but it was enough to subdue Sugar Valley 7-5 in game five... 3B Stu Butterfiedl slammed two of them with 1B Allan Stewart (.421) and C Rod Buckley (.400) getting the other two... LF Marty Beckett (.333) sparked the Rattlers with 2 doubles and 3 RBIs... PH Craig Howell (.250) got the only homer for Sugar Valley... the Rattlers jumped off to a 2-0 lead in the opening frame, only to see the Roosters rally and take the lead 4-2 after four innings... by the top of the fifth Sugar Valley had come back and tied the score at 4-4... Middlefield scored 3 in the fifth to take a 7-4 lead, which they never relinquished... Middlefield starter Glenn Tackett (1-1 7.94) claimed the win, but struggled... Tackett was battered for 5 runs and 7 hits in 6 innings... Super relief work by Alec Bacardi and Waylon Hillman nailed down the victory with 3 scoreless innings... Johnny Kingsberry (0-1 10.50) caught the loss as he was shellacked for 7 runs in just five frames.

Szymanski HR Gives Vipers 5-4 Win In 12th
In game five at Westerner Field, Teddy Szymanski's twelfth-inning home run gave the Valmara Vipers a 5-4 victory over Waleska and the lead in the Ruthlandian Elite 8 series three games to two... Valmara won despite being outhit 15 to 9... CF Szymanski (.316) led the Vipers at the plate with 3 hits... PH Fred Flint also rifled one out of the park... CF Roy Hobbs (.350) paced the Westerners... Ivan Guzek (1-0 0.00) blew the save with an unearned run in the 11th, but got credit for the win... Rick Durham (1-1 1.79) was the losing pitcher... he relieved starter Sammy Grimaldi with one out in the tenth... Szymanski's decisive homer came off Durham.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 24, 2025

2024 Tycobbian Elite 8 Series

Rascals Outslug Suns 12-10, Up 3-2 in Series
After four low-scoring games, each decided by a single run, White River and Arroyo Grande busted loose with lots of hits and lots of runs in game five with the Rascals outscoring the Suns 12-10 to take a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven Tycobbian Elite 8 Series... White River bashed out 14 hits and were led LF Kenneth Kent's (.235) grand slam homer that erased a 5-3 lead by the Suns in the seventh frame... the Rascals racked up 3 more runs in the eighth for an insurmountable 12-6 lead, although RF Buddy Bechtel's made it close with a grand slam in the Suns ninth... Bechtel (.412) had 4 hits and 6 runs batted in... White River starter Jon French (2-0 4.20) got credit for the win, despite allowing 5 runs on 9 hits in his 7 innings... French made his exit with a 9-5 lead... Arroyo Grande starter Ernie Matthews (0-1 6.46) had a rocky outing and took the loss, giving up 8 runs and 10 hits in 6-plus innings.

Wedgedale Zaps Wildcats 4-0, Blue Jays Up A Game
Olde Towne Grounds in Kenwood was the scene of Croc Wedgedale's 2-hit masterpiece... the 20-year-old southpaw rookie shut out Kenwood 4-0 to move in front in their TU Elite 8 Series three games to two... Wedgedale struck out 4 and walked just one in the victory... Thomas Norman (1-1 2.12) was the loser... he went all the way and was tagged for 12 hits, but only four runs... 3B Koora Nawajuk (.353) led the Blue Jays at bat with 3-5 and 2 RBIs... SS Narra Gilyinju (.350) added a double and a triple and scored twice.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, September 24, 2025

2024 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series

Rattlers Rout Roosters 12-3, Forces 7th Game
Sugar Valley finally turned the tables on the Middlefield Roosters in game six of the Ruthlandian Elite 8... after they had been bombed, battered and beaten three games in a row, the Rattlers erupted for a 12-3 victory at home to force a seventh and deciding game tomorrow afternoon... the series is all even at three games each... Sugar Valley smashed 12 hits against four Rooster pitchers... leading the way was Harry Diefendorf (.333), who not only went the distance, but delivered 3 RBIs, too... Diefendorf (1-1 9.00) stunk in game three, but rose to the occasion today in a sink-or-swim game... he struck out 9, walked 3 and gave up 3 runs on 7 hits... CF Moonie Moomaw (.333), C Silvio Salas (.261) and 3B Eddie Newman (.200) sparked Sugar Valley with 2 RBIs apiece.

The Rattlers pounced on losing pitcher Danny Denver (1-1 3.00) for 5 runs in the first three frames, only to have the Roosters rally to make it 5-3 in the fifth... Sugar Valley went back to work with 4 in the last of the fifth and 3 more in the sixth to overwhelm Middlefield... LF Frank McClellan (.211) and CF Tom Daniels (.333) both homered to give the Roosters 16 homers in the series... Sugar Valley has hit only 5 out of the park... starting pitchers tomorrow in the finale will be Frank Dean (17-12 2.81) for Middlefield and Benny McConnell (20-15 3.04) for Sugar Valley... Dean lost game one 7-2, but came back with a great 8-0 shutout in game four... McConnell won game two 6-2 in a fine outing.

Waleska's Chan Shackles Vipers 3-2, Series Tied
The Waleska-Valmara series will also go to a seventh game... Charlie Chan (2-0 1.69) stopped Valmara in game six just like he did in game three... this time around Waleska won 3-2 as Chan held the Vipers to 5 hits and 2 runs in 8 innings... Jarred Laclair closed it out with a runless ninth for his second save in the playoffs... Johnny Vasylenko (0-2 3.71) hurled a complete game, yielding just 6 hits and 3 runs in defeat.

The Westerners opened the scoring with 1B Glenn Christian's (.250) 2-run shot in the top of the fourth inning... Valmara got one back on 2B Ron Freiberg's (.286) sac fly in the last of the fourth... Waleska chalked up the eventual-winning run in the fifth when SS Raoul Alleman (.300) led off with a double, advanced to third on a sacrifice bunt and scored on RF Kid Kelley's (.231) groundout to third... Valmara cut it to 3-2 in the bottom of the sixth... SS Tyler Ferguson was walked, moved to third on CF Teddy Szymanski's double and scored on LF Sonny Oliver's grounder to second.

Game seven will be played at War Memorial Stadium in Valmara with Clem Carmouche (20-8 2.52) on the hill for the Vipers, opposed by Chet McNeil (17-10 3.15) of the Westerners... Carmouche was victorious in game one 6-2, but was beaten 4-0 in game four... McNeil lost game two 7-3.

2024 Tycobbian Elite 8 Series

Rascals Eliminate Suns 4-3 In 13th
White River is the first team to quality for this year's Final 4... It was "dog eat dog" in the hotly-contested Tycobbian Elite 8 series between two very fine teams... five of the six games were decided by one run and the other by just two runs... in game six at Arroyo Grande, the third-seeded White River Rascals edged the hometown Suns 4-3 in 13 innings to captured the series four games to two... it was CF Hal Littleton's solo homer that finished off Arroyo Grande.

Both clubs got standout pitching with the victory going to Jeffrey Floyd (1-0 0.00), who tossed two scoreless innings, with the loss going to Steve Sampson (0-1), who came on in the 13th... Ron Hendrix went the first 9 for the Rascals, permitting 3 runs and 9 hits with 5 Ks and a walk... and Arnie Montel blanked the Suns in the 10th and 11th... Arroyo Grande starter Cesar De Leon stayed around for 9 frames, surrendering 3 runs on 7 hits with 3 strikeouts and no walks... then closer Jason Patrick shut out the Rascals in the 10th, 11th and 12th on 1 hits with 3 strikeouts and a walk.

White River only got 9 hits in the game, while Arroyo Grande totaled 12... Littleton (.370) had 3 hits for the Rascals and 3B Sammy Tucker (.348) went 2-for-4... C Gary Troxell (.318) slugged two out of Capet Stadium and accounted for all of the Suns 3 runs.

Tucks Too Tough, KO Kenwood In 6 Games
The top-seeded Tuckanarra Blue Jays advanced to the Tycobbian Final 4 and will get to continue the quest for its second straight Pro Cup trophy... the reigning IPA champion Blue Jays knocked off the eighth seed Kenwood Wildcats 5-3 in game six to win the series four games to two.

Quinn Starr (2-0 2.40) polished off the Wildcats on 7 hits in his 8 innings, though none of the 3 runs were earned... Tuckanarra had a terrible day in the field with 4 miscues... Starr fanned 6 and issued 3 walks... Trailing 2-0 going into the last of the second, the Blue Jays bolted ahead with 3 runs... 1B Lynn Starr (.417) added to the lead with a 2-run roundtripper in the third to put them up for good 5-2... Kenwood starter Johnny Shaw (0-2 5.40) was the losing pitcher... Tuckanarra tagged him for 5 runs and 7 hits in 7 frames... RF Nicky Carpenter (.238) led the Wildcats with 3 hits.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Thursday, September 25, 2025

2024 Ruthlandian Elite 8 Series

Rattlers Dispose Of Roosters In 7 Games
The fourth-seeded Sugar Valley Rattlers were forced to win the last two games to dispose of the sixth-seeded Middlefield Roosters in the RU Elite 8 Series... the Rattlers nudged past the powerful Roosters 5-4 in game seven to cop the series four-games-to-three... with the score knotted at 4-4 in the last of the sixth, 3B Conan O'Flaherty (.083) singled with one out, stole second and rode home on SS Jack Sanderson's (.200) RBI single to give Sugar Valley a spot in the RU Final 4 against the winner of Valmara and Waleska.

Strong bullpen work saved the Rattlers today... Fernando Vargas, Dallas Casey and Milt Baker held the Roosters to no runs and just one hit over the final three innings with Baker getting the save... starter and winner Benny McConnell (2-0 3.60) was touched for 4 runs and 6 hits in his 6 frames... Frank Dean (1-2 4.74) collected the loss, allowing 5 runs on 7 hits in 6 innings.

RF Randall Hawson (.263) topped Sugar Valley at the plate with 2 hits, including a double and a homer with 3 RBIs... Rooster 3B Stu Butterworth (.346) went deep for the 4th time in the series... CF Tom Daniels singled in 2 runs... all total Middlefield unleased 17 homers to just 6 for the winning Rattlers.

Valmara Vaults Past Waleska Into RU Final 4
Last year's Pro Cup runner-up Valmara is still in the running to redeem themselves... the Vipers clipped the Waleska Westerners 5-4 in game seven of the RU Elite 8 Series and now will move on to the Final 4 against the Sugar Valley Rattlers.

The Vipers scored the game-winner in the last of the sixth, snapping a 4-4 deadlock... 1B Radley Singleton (.190) walked and advanced to second on a groundout and to third on a bunt... RF Gerry Kazmarek (.161) plated him with a single... topping the Valmara 11-hit attack were 2B Ron Freiberg (.313) with 2 RBIs, C Pete Gibbs (.167) with a homer and CF Teddy Szymanski (.370) with 2 hits and 2 runs scored... SS Raoul Allemand (.348) paced the Westerners with a pair of hits and 3 runs.

Valmara starter Clem Carmouche (2-1 3.52) notched the win, going 8 innings, permitting 4 runs on 6 hits with 6 Ks and 4 walks... closer Chris Phillips chalked up a shaky save, his first of the playoffs... a single and a walk put the game in jeopardy with runners advancing to second and third with two away... LF Loco Dillinger (.172) grounded out to end the game and series... Chet McNeil (0-2 7.54) suffered the defeat as he was slammed for 10 hits and 5 runs over 7 innings... the Vipers had an 11-7 advantage at the plate.

After a day off, the RU and TU Final 4s will get underway this Saturday with Valmara hosting Sugar Valley and White River traveling to Tuckanarra, the current Pro Cup holder.