ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 19, 2032

IPA Golden Bats Go To Dillinger And Cornwall
The premier batters in the Islandian Pro Alliance this year were Loco Dillinger of the Waleska Westerners and Cotton Cornwall of the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers. Dillinger claimed the Ruthlandian Golden Bat for the fourth time in his career, while it was Cornwall first time to be honored. The two star hitters were chosen in the annual poll conducted by The Islandian Times.

At age 32 and 10 years in the league Dillinger is still ranked near the top of the IPA elite hitters. Dillinger is a career .319 batter with 357 homers and 1134 RBIs. This season he played in 148 games in left field and led Waleska to the runner-up spot in the RU South with 35 homers, 116 RBIs, 107 runs, while hitting at a .331 clip. Dillinger edged out Claxton second sacker Gary Colton and Colfax catcher Mitch Fullerton for the best-hitter trophy.

Colton sported a .331 mark in 143 games with 41 doubles, 6 triples and 15 roundtrippers, along with 106 RBIs and 96 runs scored. Colton paced the Diamonds to their first RU East pennant since 2019. Claxton climbed from 7th place to first place this season.

The Colfax Blasters has a great season, winning the RU West flag and almost capturing the Pro Cup. Colfax fell in 7 games to champion San Alejo. Fullerton played a huge part of their success with a .351 BA, 17 HRs, 109 RBIs and 81 runs in 132 games.

The Tycobbian Union Golden Bat Award went to 27-year-old center fielder Cotton Cornwall. After five standout seasons with the Ginza Ninjas he signed a fantastic 7-year contract with the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers and he was well worth the money. This year Cornwall led the IPA with a .360 batting average and 126 runs batted in 145 games. He also slammed 44 home runs and scored 97 runs. 6-year IPA veteran Cornwall is a lifetime .325 batter with 201 HRs and 607 RBIs. His Bucs wound up a disappointing fourth place in the TU West.

La Claire Lynx's third baseman Jarred O'Neal came in second in The Islandian Times annual Golden Bat poll. He was in 146 games, batted .327 with 32 homers, 108 RBIs and 89 runs, helping La Claire finish a close second to Rolling Hills in the TU West race. The 26-year-old is a career .280 hitter in his 7 seasons with the club.

Luxora's fine first baseman Gerry Hathaway was the third-highest votegetter. He paced the Zorros to a second-place finish to Fairfax in the TU North with a .313 BA, 40 homers and 108 RBIs, while participating in 134 games. Hathaway is 29 years old and is a .308 lifetime batter with 200 home runs and 592 RBIs in his 7 IPA seasons.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 20, 2032

RU's Sellers, TU's Brooks Top IPA Pitchers
Jeremy Sellers of Elnora and Dixie Brooks of East Point were first-time recipients of the prestigious IPA Golden Arm Awards, symbolic of the top pitchers in the respective leagues. They were selected in The Islandian Times poll. Sellers won the honor in the Ruthlandian Union, while it was given to Brooks in the Tycobbian Union. Sellers outdistanced Walt Thurber of the LaGrange Sports and Rudy Rosario of the Colfax Blasters. Brooks got his main competition from Hillsboro's Gregg Hughes and Kenny Nikas of Fairfax.

For the second straight season Sellars led the Elnora All-Stars to the RU East pennant. Sellers was the IPA leader with 26 victories this season, ending up with a 26-9 record and an impressive 2.51 ERA. The All-Stars were the top team in the IPA with 105 wins. Overall in his 5 years, the 28-year-old southpaw has racked up a 70-44 record with a 3.06 ERA. Sellers posted 4 shutouts, completed 16 games and fanned 143 batters in 305 innings.

Thurber, the number-two man in the poll, was vital part of the first divisional flag for the LaGrange Sports in 25 years with a 22-9 mark and a masterful 2.23 ERA. In third place was 28-year-old right-hander Rudy Rosario, who wound up 22-9 with a 2.44 ERA for the RU West champion Colfax.

The East Point Panthers wound up third in the TU East standings this year with a lot of help from Dixie Brooks, the Tycobbian Golden Arm winner. Brooks chalked up a sterling 2.21 ERA with 18 complete games and 261 strikeouts in 322 innings. On the year Brooks was 19-13. In his career the 26-year-old righty is 113-83 with a 3.07 ERA. Brooks' most formidable challenger was the IPA ERA leader Gregg Hughes of the Hillsboro Blazers, who came in tied for fifth place in the TU East. Hughes, a 32-year-old left-hander, was superb with a 1.96 ERA and a 19-11 record. In third place in the voting was 29-year-old Kenny Nikas of the TU North-winning Fairfax Frogs. Nikas piled up the most wins in the Tycobbian Union with a 25-9 mark and 2.58 ERA. It was his first season with the Frogs, who made him into a starter. In his first 9 seasons Nikas had previously pitched for three other clubs and stood out in the bullpen.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 21, 2032

Colton And Nikas Cop IPA MVP Awards
The awards given to the players that did the most for their teams were presented today by the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player was Claxton second baseman Gary Colton and the Tycobbian Union Most Valuable Player was Fairfax starting pitcher Kenny Nikas. They received the most votes in a poll conducted by The Islandian Times.

The Claxton Diamonds were long overdue. They last won the RU South in 2019. Gary Colton helped to end 13 years of postseason frustration with a marvelous year. The first-time RU MVP put an end to two straight seasons of seventh-place finishes with a .331 BA, 41 doubles, 6 triples and 25 homers. In 143 games Colton drove in 106 runs and scored 96. Lifetime in six years he carries a .297 average with 107 roundtrippers. This was a breakout season for Colton at age 25.

This year's RU Golden Arm winner Jeremy Sellers was second to Colton in the voting. Sellers sparked Elnora to 105 wins and the RU East division title. He topped the IPA with a 26-9 record. The third-highest votegetter was LaGrange's fine pitcher Walt Thurber, who compiled a 22-9 mark with a 2.23 ERA. Thurber's Sports won the RU North for the first time in 24 seasons and set a franchise record with 92 wins.

The outstanding player in the Tycobbian Union was 10-year veteran Kenny Nikas of the Fairfax Frogs, who also set a franchise mark with 95 triumphs. At age 29 Nikas led the TU with a 25-9 record, while chalking up a great 2.23 ERA, enabling him to gather in the league's MVP honor. Until this season Nikas had been an excellent bullpen specialist with 154 saves with three teams. He signed a very lucrative contract with Fairfax this year and very successfully converted to a starting role. Nikas is 64-44 overall in his IPA career with a 2.17 ERA. This was the first time he was chosen league MVP.

Nikas had to beat out this season's Golden Bat victor Cotton Cornwall of the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers. Cornwall won the league batting crown with a .360 average in 145 games and also lead all comers with 126 runs batted in. Both figures were the best in the IPA this season. Cornwall was second in the Tycobbian league with 44 homers. The Bucs wound up fourth in the TU West, won by Rolling Hills.

Colchester's Jim Lewellan excelled again this year with a league-leading 45 home runs and came in number three in the poll. The Elites' center fielder also totaled 101 RBIs and scored 111 times, while stealing 27 bases and participating in 149 games. After nine seasons in the IPA the 28-year-old Lewellan has hit 296 homers, driven in 805 runs and batted .277. This year Lewellan batted .274 for the fourth-place Elites.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 22, 2032

Islands' Best Defenders Named
In a poll conducted by The Islandian Times the Tycobbian and Ruthlandian Unions have chosen the Golden Glovers, the top defensive players in the IPA. There were only seven former winners on this year's squads, led by Marty Blake of Belle Plaine and Babe Hankins of Kenwood, the only triple winners. Jaak Pajukivi of Valka, Larry Romney of Eastshore, Rob Lanier of Ginza, Tetsu Tanaka of East Point and Dandy Meredith of Hillsboro all picked up the second Gold Gloves of their careers. The other 11 were first-time recipients. No rookies were selected this season. La Claire, Sugar Valley and Belle Plaine tops the clubs with the most Golden Glovers. They had two players each.

Tycobbian Union Gold Glove Team
Pitcher: Mike Rinaldi -Cape Coral (1.000 FA/13-8/4.08)
Catcher: Craig Peck - La Claire (.993 FA/2 PB/43.4% RTO/.242/4/35/49)
First Baseman: Rob Lanier - Ginza (.996 FA/.286/21/81/77)
Second Baseman: Tetsu Tanaka - East Point (.980 FA/.302/34/93/96)
Third Baseman: Ryan Hicks - Arlon (.943 FA/.256/14/66/66)
Shortstop: Dandy Meredith - Hillsboro (.970 FA/.263/7/45/65)
Left Fielder: Kelly Chamberlain - La Claire (.996 FA/.270/18/85/79)
Center Fielder: Dusty Rogan - Tuckanarra (.992 FA/.272/24/74/77)
Right Fielder: Babe Hankins - Kenwood (.980 FA/.320/13/95/92)

Ruthlandian Union Gold Glove Team
Pitcher: Alex Gillespie - LaGrange (.978 FA/24-10/2.73)
Catcher: Jaak Pajukivi - Valka (.996 FA/6 PB/35.1% RTO/.236/11/58/56)
First Baseman: Marty Blake - Belle Plaine (.992 FA/.287/16/61/68)
Second Baseman: Greg Stone - Glasco (.982 FA/.277/16/58/65)
Third Baseman: Gil Brockman - Far Mountain (.973 FA/.272/2/35/58)
Shortstop: Larry Romney - Eastshore (.984 FA/.249/18/78/70)
Left Fielder: Tyler White - Sugar Valley (.994 FA/.222/30/75/71)
Center Fielder: Joe McGarrett - Sugar Valley (.995 FA/.242/12/57/72)
Right Fielder: Noel Martin - Belle Plaine (.992 FA/.267/14/51/71)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, October 23, 2032

Carter, Herrera Top Skippers In IPA
In the best manager races in the Islandian Pro Alliance the vote was hot and heavy with lots of contenders, but when the smoke cleared Elnora's Leon Carter and San Alejo's Alberto Herrera emerged the winners. For the second successive season Carter was acclaimed the Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year and Herrera was honored in the Tycobbian Union. It was the first time Herrera received the accolade.

Carter sparked Elnora to its second consecutive RU East pennant, leading the All-Stars to an IPA-best 105 victories, while Herrera guided his Montaneros to the playoffs for the first time in over 30 years. The Monties have not made the postseason since 2002 and 2003. San Alejo leaped up from seventh place in the TU South to first place, going from a 66-88 record in 2031 to 92-61 this season.

Colfax's Ilya Szabo was a close runner-up to Carter in The Islandian Times poll. His Blasters improved from 80-74 (3rd) to 98-56 (1st) in the Ruthlandian West. Junior Noland of the Rocky Rapids Snappers came in third in the voting. His Snappers climbed from 62-92 (7th) to 84-70 and a second-place finish in the RU West. Claxton's Dixie Baker and LaGrange's Quincy Peterson deadlocked in fourth place in the poll. Baker won the RU South for the first time since 2019 and Peterson took the RU North title. LaGrange hadn't won a division flag since 2008. Ranford's Rick Fargnoli and Cold Creek's Scoop Lemieux also got some support in the poll. Fargnoli lifted his Bulls from seventh to second in the RU North and Lemieux improved from seventh place in the RU East in 2031 to third this year.

Alberto Herrera was a runaway winner in the TU Manager of the Year poll. He easily outpaced Dane Wesner of the Fairfax Frogs and Cochise Chandler of the Midway Wolves, who came out second and third respectively. Wesner's Frogs were second in the TU North last season, but they moved up to the title this year, improving from 83-71 to 95-59, which was the best record in the in the Tycobbian Union. Chandler piloted Midway from sixth in 2031 to the runner-up spot in the TU East this year.

[Eugene Church]

Well, Season 2032 is history and it was a really good one for yours truly.

It was great to have San Alejo finally make the playoffs after 3 decades.

Winning the Pro Cup was super exciting. They had a tough series in each round and ended up 12-8 in the postseason.

Season 2033 is coming up soon.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, April 3, 2033

Good Races Forecast In IPA
If all goes according to the preseason prognosticators there will be some hotly-challenged races in the Islandian Pro Alliance this season. However only one defending division champion was picked to repeat. The Tuckanarra Blue Jays are forecast to prevail again in the Tycobbian East. Strange as it may seem the Cold Creek Catamounts of the Ruthlandian Union were chosen to win the 2033 Pro Cup over the Chicopee Braves, the Tycobbian representative. Both clubs made good strides last season after years and years of subpar play and have added several rookies to the mix. Baseball critics think the Catamounts and Braves have what it takes to win big this season.

RU North Prediction
1. Valmara
2. LaGrange
3. Far Mountain
4. Ranford

In the Ruthlandian North last year's winner LaGrange will have to beat back the Valmara Vipers in a close race. The Far Mountain Redhawks added several talented rookies and will improve over a seventh-place finish last year, but will probably be a distant third. The Sports won easily last year, winning by a 10-game cushion over the Ranford Bulls. The Vipers picked up several rookies to add to an already pretty good club. LaGrange stayed pat as far as their roster and will go with the players that won it for them last season. Ranford is pretty much the same team, too.

RU South Prediction
1. Waleska
2. Grand City
3. St. John
4. San Dimas

The Claxton Diamonds captured the RU South by 6 games last season, but the baseball scribes didn't think very highly of them this year and ranked them seventh in the division. They expect it to be a tough race between Waleska and Grand City with St. John and San Dimas having outside chances at the pennant. Claxton is too good of a team to drop off that much. Look for them to be in the fight for the division flag again. Free agent Richie Raeburn (13-5) gives the Diamonds another fine starter. They look even stronger than last season.

RU East Prediction
1. Cold Creek
2. Elnora
3. Wynnamac
4. Belle Plaine

The Elnora All-Stars made a farce of the RU South with 105 wins last year and they have signed several talented rookies to the roster, thus should be a bit better. Common sense tells you that they should repeat as division champ. They won by a remarkable 20 games over the Wynnamac Sundowners last season and by 22 over third-place Cold Creek. But not so according to the so-called experts. Cold Creek is the preseason favorite because of five impressive rookies, who can blister the ball, at least in theory. Time will tell. I look for Elnora to be "the" team again in the RU East. The other contenders have too much ground to make up.

RU West Prediction
1. Fort Benton
2. Stoner
3. Colfax
4. Sligo

The Colfax Blasters were easily the class of the RU West last season and they copped the flag by 14 games over revitalized Rocky Rapids. Colfax was second to Elnora in victories with 98. The baseball analysts are calling it a 3-team contest between the Blasters, Fort Benton and Stoner. All of them have standout pitching. Considering how Colfax romped last season, It's hard to believe somebody can beat them this year.

TU North Prediction
1. Luxora
2. White River
3. Mahaska
4. Blue Lake

Last year's Tycobbian North titlist Fairfax is just one of six clubs expected to be in the hunt for the division crown. The Frogs won 98 games in the TU last year, more games than anyone else, but they are rated only the fifth-best in the division. The loss of the league's MVP Kenny Nikas (25-9) through free agency really hurt the club. Nikas signed a lucrative contract with rival White River, greatly boosting the Rascals' pennant aspirations, who are expected to be in the thick of things come September. Luxora came in second last season and has taken over the favorite's role this year because of its solid mound staff. Blue Lake has also got strong pitching and is ranked fourth in the preseason poll.

TU South Prediction
1. Colchester
2. Arroyo Grande
3. San Alejo
4. Summerland

Any one of five clubs could take the Tycobbian South this year. The IPA champion San Alejo Montaneros are rated neck-and-neck with the Colchester Elites, Arroyo Grande Suns, Summerland Sunsets and Turon Typhoons in perhaps the tightest race in the IPA. The Monties still have a fine pitching corps to defend it Islands title. The Elites have an infusion of talented rookies that is impressing the prognosticators. The Suns added a quality starter in Matt Stevens (18-10), who was with Tuckanarra last season. A fine class of six freshmen has greatly improved the Summerland Sunsets and will give them a shot at the postseason for the first time in years.

TU East Prediction

1. Tuckanarra
2. East Point
3. Hillsboro
4. Ozarka

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays were the only reigning division winner to be chosen in this year's preseason poll. The Tucks still have a solid core of experienced starters, who have helped them take the TU East title 6 times in the last decade, along with 2 Pro Cups. Nine rookies will make or break the Blue Jays this season. As usual the East Point Panthers with its rock-solid starting rotation will be Tuckanarra's biggest competition. The Hillsboro Blazers and Ozarka Naturals are not yet in the same class as the Blue Jays and the Panthers, but they are getting there. Hillsboro has three first-class starters, but really needs help in the pen and at the plate. Ozarka has a fine mound staff, but little in the way of offense.

TU West Prediction
1. Chicopee
2. La Claire
3. Rolling Hills
4. Kenwood

In a surprise the Chicopee Braves were chosen the team most likely to win the Tycobbian Union in the preseason poll. They were picked ahead of the perennial powers Tuckanarra, Rolling Hills, Luxora and the current IPA Pro Cup titleholder San Alejo. the Braves are on the rise after years of being an also-ran. Chicopee came in a close third in 2032 to TU West division champ Rolling Hills and runner-up La Claire winding up just four games off the pace. Rookie CF Alfredo Cobos got rave notices during Spring Training and he will add even more offensive firepower to an already explosive attack. The La Claire Lynx have some excellent starters and some very talented hitters. Bullpen help is the key to the Lynx's success this season. With eight pennants and 2 Pro Cups in the last 13 years, the Rolling Hills Reds still have a quality ball club. They will not give up their crown quietly. However, the Reds will be without their ace Buck Myers (20-6) for the season due to a fractured elbow. Rolling Hills can still put lots of runs on the scoreboard. The Kenwood Wildcats are another potent team at the plate. The Wildcats' lineup is packed with .300 hitters. The key will be the revamped pitching staff. Half of the pitchers will be rookies.

[Eugene Church]

I have played a half season, but need to revise the teams' rosters a little.
The AI keeps players on the rosters that are very unproductive and have poor ratings. I am going to have to purged them manually.

I should be finished in 2-3 days.

The reserve rosters are not being replenished with quality ballplayers.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 19, 2033

2033 Ruthlandian Union Mid-Season Standings
Two upstart teams are creating the most attention in the Ruthlandian Union at the halfway point in the season. The Belle Plaine Musketeers (46-27) sport the best record in the league and are surprisingly atop the RU East, while the St. John Crusaders (45-28) have the second-best record and the lead in the RU South. The Muskies are coming off two bad seasons deep in the second division, but have suddenly caught fire. The Crusaders have been improving in recent years and now are ready to take it to the next level. Two regular contenders, the LaGrange Sports (43-30) and the Fort Benton Defenders (42-31), are resting in first place in the RU North and RU West respectively. Last season LaGrange, Claxton, Elnora and Colfax took the division titles. The All-Stars (43-30) and Blasters (36-37) are still in the hunt, but the Diamonds (31-42) have faltered miserably and fallen into the RU South basement.

[Eugene Church]

2033 Ruthlandian Mid-Season Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2033 Ruthlandian Mid-Season Individual Batting and Pitching Leaders

[Eugene Church]

2033 Ruthlandian Union All-Star Team

This year, the Ruthlandian Union will be represented by these All-Star performers:
SP P. Brown (MAR) (12-3/2.22)
SP J. J. Gillespie (CCR) (10-4/1.64)
SP Ryan Janssen (LAG) (11-4/2.80)
SP Larry Urban (STJ) (11-1/2.89)
SP Jacob Wagner (FM) (11-0/2.45)
SP Jeremy Sellers (ELN) (11-6/2.53)
SP Dallas Casey (SV) (10-3/2.73)
SP Dean Harris (KIL) (9-6/1.93)
SP Arnie Cason (CL) (11-6/2.88)
MR Eddie Lane (CL) (1-1/1.08/14 saves)
C Allie Blackwell (RR) (.312/5/25/33) (1.000 FA/3 PB/47.4% RTO)
C Kyle Hunt (RAN) (.275/2/21/30) (.995 FA/5 PB/33.3% RTO)
C Stan Stanek (CL) (.322/11/40/34) (.976 FA/3 PB/22.1% RTO)
1B Mikk Kukk (VLK) (.344/10/42/51) (.994 FA)
1B Marco Ameche (MAR) (.294/20/57/42) (.983 FA)
1B Chris Charbonnier (LAG) (.313/15/55/38) (.989 FA)
2B Byron Johannsen (STJ) (.296/4/39/40) (.982 FA)
2B Lonnie Trekell (MAR) (.302/14/30/25) (.979 FA)
3B Leevi Viru (VLK) (.359/6/31/44) (.969 FA)
3B Patrice Jourdan (BP) (.299/9/31/26( (.977 FA)
2B Teddy Grantham (GC ) (.294/7/34/35) (.951 FA)
SS Dino Manale (CFX) (.301/1/23/30) (.957 FA)
SS Hal Burton (STJ) (.279/0/20/52) (.978 FA)
LF Loco Dillinger (WLK) .284/18/56/38) (.956 FA)
LF Tyler White (SV) (.258/20/51/44) (.982 FA)
CF Travis Glass (ELN) (.358/15/56/56) (.971 FA)
CF Roger Haley (STJ) (.328/9/53/39) (.971 FA)
CF Bobby Gamble (SV) (.313/16/46/49) (1.000 FA)
RF Herm Taylor (CL) (.350/2/30/30) (.989 FA)
RF Noel Martin (BP) (.313/10/43/37) (1.000 FA)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 19, 2033

2033 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Standings

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 19, 2033

Tight Races In Tycobbia
At the All-Star break at least 18 of the 32 teams in the Tycobbian Union still have pennant hopes this year. All four divisions are tightly bunched with multiple contenders and no dominant clubs. Strange as it may seem, the current Pro Cup crownholder, the San Alejo Montaneros (29-44), came out of nowhere and won it all last season, but just as suddenly have reverted to form and disappeared from sight this year. The Monties are a humiliating last in the TU South and 12 games behind.

Fairfax (43-30) won the TU North a year ago. At mid-year the Frogs are up on Luxora (41-32) by two games, while Hartsdale (39-34) is four games behind with Oxford (38-35) five games back and Mahaska (37-36) trailing by 6. Fairfax has the second-best mark in the TU and has been a strong club for the past five seasons. The Luxora Zorros have been near the top for the last four seasons and won it in 2031.

Many of the clubs in the TU South are only a short-winning streak out of the top spot with seven of them still in the chase. Summerland (41-32) has the mid-season lead with Turon (39-34) and Ginza (39-34) just two games off the pace. Southport (37-36) is only four games out, Arroyo Grande (36-37) five games behind and Colchester (34-39) and Cape Coral (34-39) tied for sixth and seven games out of first place. Ginza has prospered the most in recent years with five flags in the last 10 seasons.

In a three-team tangle the Midway Wolves (44-29) have the best record in the TU East this season, but are being challenged by last year's division winner, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays (41-32), and the tough East Point Panthers (40-33). The Wolves lost a single-game playoff to the Tucks in 2032. The Blue Jays have won the division six times in the last 10 years and the Panthers have been a solid contender for the last seven seasons.

The best in the Tycobbian West at the halfway mark has been the Kenwood Wildcats (40-33), but they have plenty of competition from the La Claire Lynx (38-35), defending champ Rolling Hills (37-36), Bay St. Clair (37-36) and the Bayview Vikings (36-37). Even the bottom-rung teams Arlon (34-39), Chicopee (33-40) Denton City (32-41) could get back into the thick of things with good second halves. Rolling Hills has been the division powerhouse with two Pro Cups and six pennants in the last 8 years. The Reds were runners-up last season in the Tycobbian Final 4 to the IPA Pro Cup champion San Alejo.

[Eugene Church]

2033 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2033 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Individual Batting and Pitching Leaders

[Eugene Church]

2033 Tycobbian Union All-Star Team

While the Tycobbian Union best will be these stars:
SP Dixie Brooks (EP) (10-4/1.88)
SP Duke Mahoney (HIL) (11-5/1.97)
SP Johnny Petrie (OXF) (12-4/2.43)
SP Pat Kovacs (LC) (10-5/1.77)
SP Freddi Rossi (SUM) (10-6/2.28)
SP Ko Yuma (MDW) (10-3/2.31)
SP Cary Snead (MDW) (10-4/2.68)
SP Ken Lawson (ARL) (11-3/2.72)
SP Maury Cantrell (RH) (9-5/2.25)
MR Don Sawyer (BSC) (1-0/1.76)
C Davy Reichert (SPT) (.297/9/39/47) (.985 FA/4 PB/25.4% RTO)
C John Fitzpatrick (OXF) (.303/1/20/39) (.993 FA/4 PB/35% RTO)
C Paco Diaz (ARL) (.299/2/19/37) (.988 FA/0 PB/32.8% RTO)
1B Kerry Sterling (OXF) (.354/21/44/52) (.992 FA)
1B Mandu Purula (SUM) (.340/10/50/34) (.992 FA)
1B Philip Stafford (HIL) (.293/14/50/44) (.998 FA)
2B Jan Kessinger (KEN) (.306/1/23/30) (.984 FA)
2B Julio Canseco (LUX) (.324/10/36/37) (.977 FA)
3B Billy Christianson (RH) (.327/7/39/34) (.969 FA)
3B Rodney Harrison (KEN) (.298/8/35/47) (.911 FA)
SS Jarred O'Neal (LC) (.338/20/60/52) (.957 FA)
SS James Couch (OZK) (.282/12/48/52/ (.961 FA)
LF Roy Ricks (BAY) (.292/16/53/46) (.986 FA)
LF Charley Kota (CHI) (.345/6/30/41) (1.000 FA)
CF Jim Lewellen (CCH) (.258/20/55/51) (.994 FA)
CF Dalton Ward (OXF) (.265/21/53/42) (.964 FA)
RF Babe Hankins (KEN) (.336/10/60/38) (1.000 FA)
RF Lorne Evans (SPT) (.273/25/54/51) (.958 FA)
RF Ike Sweetwater (RB) (.297/11/44/41) (.992 FA)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, June 22, 2033

TU Stars Dominate RU 7-1
The Tycobbian All-Stars dominated the Ruthlandian Stars 7-1 at the Casa de Beisbol in San Alejo to gain their fourth win in the last six All-Star Classics... overall the TU Stars now lead the series 22-11.

Tycobbian bashed Ruthlandian pitching for 11 hits and scored all of the runs in the first 4 frames, sparked by RF Babe Hankins (Kenwood) with 2 hits and 3 RBIs, LF Charlie Kota (Chicopee) with a pair of hits, including the game's only roundtripper and 2 runs batted in... SS Jarrod O'Neal (La Claire) also added 2 RBIs... the RU Stars were held to 7 hits and got the only run on CF Travis Glass' (Elnora) two-bagger.

Pat Kovacs (La Claire) notched the win with a perfect third inning, while starter J. J. Gillespie (Cold Creek) caught the loss when he was battered for 2 runs and 4 hits in the opening frame... Kota was selected as the game's outstanding player and received the MVP award.

[Eugene Church]

I'm working on the new Hall of Famers and will post them tomorrow, if there are any new inductees.

The I will finish the regular season and recap all of the divisions.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, June 22, 2033

Greats Devlin And Woodward IPA Inductees
The Islandian Hall of Fame at Marston has now added two more illustrious players to its numbers. At this year's All-Star Game in San Alejo the IPA commissioner Gino Bartelli announced that Flash Devlin and Russ Woodward would be inducted into the league's prestigious Hall of Fame. The Hall of Fame roll now numbers 41 IPA icons. Woodward and Devlin will be installed into the IPA Hall of Fame two weeks from today.

Russ Woodward retired this year at age 38 after 21 seasons with the Marston Nine in the Ruthlandian Union. During his tenure Woodward excelled at the plate and in the field. The center fielder was named to 9 All-Star teams, won 6 Golden Gloves and paced Marston to 3 RU East pennants. Lifetime Woodward was near the top of the all-time standings as he collected 3641 hits (4th), belted 621 home runs (3rd) and drove in 2052 runs (3rd), while batting .315 (16th tied).

Many sportswriters felt third baseman Flash Devlin of the La Claire Lynx should have been named last season to the Hall-of-Fame. He retired in 2031 at 37 after 19 great years for a mostly mediocre club. Devlin has superb credentials: 13-time All-Star, .317 career BA (11th tied), 3261 hits, 559 homers (9th) and 1995 runs (10th) and is certainly deserving of the honor.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 1, 2033

4 Divisions Up For Grabs In IPA
Going into September two divisions are signed, sealed and delivered in the Islandian Pro Alliance pennant races this season, a couple of more are likely decided and four are in doubt. Fairfax (89-48) is a runaway winner in the Tycobbian North with a whopping 13-game margin over Hartsdale (76-61), while LaGrange (82-55) has a comfortable 8-game lead over Far Mountain (74-63) in the RU North. In the RU South the St. John Crusaders (80-57) have a pretty safe 6-game edge over Grand City (74-63) and Crystal Lake (74-63). It's fairly close in the TU West where the La Claire Lynx (76-61) are up by 4 over the Kenwood Wildcats (72-65).

There's a battle royal taking place in the super-tight RU West with Fort Benton (70-67) just 2 games in front of Stoner (68-69), 3 ahead of Sligo (67-70)and Colfax (67-70) and 4 up on fifth-place Middlefield (66-71). The TU East is also hotly-contested with the Midway Wolves (77-60) and East Point Panthers (77-60) tied for the lead, followed closely by Hillsboro (75-62), just two games back in the race. Tuckanarra (72-65) is in fourth and trails by 5 games. The other two remaining divisions are two-team affairs with Summerland (76-61) holding a 3-game bulge over Turon (73-64) in the TU South and Elnora (82-55) tops Belle Plaine (80-57) by 2 in the RU East. There are 17 games left in the regular season.

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