ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 19, 2039

IPA ALL-STARS GLISTEN WED AT NORTH HILLS
All that glitters is not always gold, sometimes it's the Islandian Pro Alliance All-Stars that shine. They will be doing exactly that at the Hawks's Nest this Wednesday afternoon in North Hills, the site of the 39th annual IPA All-Star Game. So far in the series Tycobbia holds a decisive 25-13 lead over Ruthlandia. Last year's Pro Cup-winning manager Todd Simons of the North Hills Hawks will be in charge of the RU Stars, while it will be Don Nichols of the Far Mountain Redhawks at the reins for the TU Stars.

Leading Ruthlandia will be six-time All-Star Bobby Gamble, five-time All-Stars Cody Hanks and Scotty Lagrange, four-timers Augie Marquis, Brad Alexander, Bobby Scott, Gary Colton, Roger Hobbs, Johnny Petrak, Tyler White and Chet Penn, and three-time honorees Joey Baker, Jojo DiLucca and Nicky Farrugia. Sugar Valley has the most players on the squad with four. There was one rookie on the teams this season: Rolling Hills first baseman Darwin Tard.

Heading up the list of Tycobbian Stars are two six-time recipients Jerry Culpepper and Billy Christianson, five-time winner Adam Thurgood, four-timers John Velasco and Ike Sweetwater, and three-time All-Stars Jeff Owens, Corky DiNozzo, Stan Ferguson, C. C. Kingsford and Guido Gervasio. Turon tops Tycobbia with four representatives and North Hills has three on the team.

RUTHLANDIAN ALL-STARS:
SP Augie Marquis - Fort Benton (13-7/2.52)
SP Jeremy Kirk - St. John (13-5/2/42)
SP Karl Nordheim - Far Mountain (13-2/2.78)
SP Scotty Price - Sligo (12-3/2.55)
SP Jeremy Blanchard - Sugar Valley (12-3/3.60)
SP Joey Baker - Cold Creek (10-3/2.97)
SP Craig Nash - Waleska (10-3/2.17)
CL Ray Owens - Middlefield (2-1/1.19/13 saves)
CL Webb Walden - Marston (2-1/0.00/12 saves)
C Hunter Glenholmes - Fort Benton (.339/2/24/50)
C Cannon Johnson - Elnora (.277/14/45/38)
C Brad Alexander - Middlefield (.240/20/56/35)
1B Bobby Scott - Valka (.338/16/45/43)
1B Jojo DeLucca - Claxton (.298/18/43/47)
1B Jason Butler - Belair Beach (.285/23/46/38)
2B Don Cain - Stoner (.319/11/36/37)
2B Gary Colton - Claxton (.309/9/36/37)
3B Tommy Richardson - Ancona (.364/17/65/44)
3B Roger Hobbs - Sugar Valley (.325/13/55/42)
SS Cody Hanks - Beechwood (.315/14/60/40)
SS Stan Mila - Marston (.344/9/53/35)
SS Johnny Petrak - Eastshore (.312/9/35/43)
LF Tyler White - Sugar Valley (.294/22/66/49)
LF Chet Penn - Colfax (.325/14/48/30)
CF Darrell Donnelly - Wynnamac (.330/11/80/47)
CF Scotty Lagrange - Eastshore (.336/14/48/47)
CF Joe McGarrett - Sligo (.313/13/42/45)
RF Nicky Farrugia - St. John (.379/15/46/52)
RF Eddie Wilson - Beechwood (.357/18/56/52)
RF Bobby Gamble - Sugar Valley (.305/15/54/64)

TYCOBBIAN ALL-STARS:
SP Jeff Owens - North Hills (13-4/2.18)
SP Benny Buckmaster - San Alejo (11-4/2.26)
SP Tony Mack - North Hills (11-2/1.89/4 saves)
SP Jayson Hallstrom - Summerland (10-6/2/14)
SP Kent Halloran - Luxora (11-4/2.32)
SP Glen Murray - Kenwood (10-5/2.87)
SP Warren Heath - Mahaska (11-4/2.76)
CL Cody Simmons - Arroyo Grande (1-2/1.32/14 saves)
CL Ralph Fulton - Turon (3-1/0.30/13 saves)
C Corky DiNozzo - Kenwood (.308/20/47/37)
C Nick Shafer - Arlon (.335/10/43/36)
C Joe King - Fairfax (.324/3/25/29)
1B Wayman Stetson - Denton City (.300/17/52/43)
1B Darwin Tard - Rolling Hills (.321/14/42/49)
1B Stan Ferguson - Cape Coral (.329/12/55/29)
2B Jerry Culpepper - Bayview (.261/24/51/49)
2B John Velasco - Fairfax (.308/16/68/45)
3B George Jordan - Turon (.303/14/46/34)
3B Billy Christianson - Rolling Hills (.340/9/41/44)
SS Paul Wynn - Hartsdale (.303/21/55/50)
SS C. C. Kingsford - Turon (.300/14/45/54)
SS Warren McKenzie - White River (.269/17/54/47)
LF Adam Thurgood - North Hills (.334/24/71/44)
LF Mark Cameron - Arlon (.308/22/65/44)
LF Bennett Cardwell - Midway (.332/11/44/47)
CF Sogo Takagi - Ginza (.313/22/62/59)
CF Ike Sweetwater - Red Bluff (.302/16/49/43)
RF Guido Gervasio - Turon (.347/13/56/49)
RF Pete Doyle - Denton City (.285/16/54/51)
RF Blake Barrister - Colchester (.314/21/59/51)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 19, 2039

IPA GREATS DELUCCA, DORIGNAC & ALSTON HOF INDUCTEES
Three more IPA greats got the call from the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame recently and were told of their elections. Darryl Alston, Joe DeLucca and Bobby Dorignac will be officially inducted into the special ceremonies in September. These three standouts will increase the number to 56 players, 20 of them pitchers.

Darryl Alston was a slugging outfielder for the Eastshore Elegants and High Mesa Cowboys from 2002 to 2021, pretty much splitting his career between the two clubs. He is sixth on the all-time home-run list with 568. In his career Alston batted .284 with 2322 hits and 1644 RBIs in 2609 games. He retired at age 41.

Joe DeLucca was a seven-time All-Star and a four-time Golden Glove winner with a lifetime .304 batting average and 3252 hits in over 2700 games with 1812 runs, 1508 RBIs and 320 stolen bases. He played for three teams from 2013 to 2032 with his biggest impact early in this career with Volusia. DeLucca retired when he was 38.

Bobby Dorignac ranks eleventh in all-time wins with a 315-228 record with a great 2.96 ERA... he played his entire career with the Midway Wolves from 2021 to 2038. In 2024 at age 23 Dorignac put up a 27-8 record with a magnificent 1.65 ERA to take the Tycobbian Most Valuable Player Award and the Golden Arm Award.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, June 22, 2039

TYCOBBIA STARS TROUNCES RUTHLANIA 16-7
In the highest-scoring All-Star Game in history the Tycobbian Stars trounced Ruthlandia 16-7, pounding them for 17 hits... the TU All-Stars scored the most runs ever in the series and the two teams combined for a new record as well. Tycobbia set the old mark with a 14-6 victory in 2008... 23 runs is the new record for both teams, topping the old mark of 20, also established in 2008... Tycobbia upped its lead in the All-Star series to 26-13.

LF Adam Thurgood (North Hills) picked up the Most Valuable Player honor with two hits in three tries... he scored twice and slammed a three-run homer, edging out C Corky DiNozzo (Kenwood), who had a grand-slam home run.

The Ruthlandian Stars racked up 14 hits and were led by CF Darrell Donnelly (Wynnamac) with a perfect 3-for-3 day, including two doubles... CF Scotty Lagrange (Eastshore) went 2-for-2 and walloped a two-run roundtripper.

Tycobbian starter Jeff Owens (North Hills) notched the win with 2 scoreless frames... Owens departed with a 3-0 lead... the Ruthlandian loser was starter Jeremy Kirk (St. John), who was whacked for 3 scores and 3 hits in the opening inning.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, July 1, 2039

REDHAWKS UP BY 4 IN RU NORTH
The Far Mountain Redhawks still lead the Ruthlandian North Division at the halfway point, despite having a break-even 13-13 record in June... the Redhawks gained a game on second-place Kilkenny (12-14), upping the margin to four games, but they lost a few games to Ancona, who went 15-11 to move up to third in the standings, trailing by 7 games... looks like a three-team race... the other five clubs will have to wait until next year or later to contend.

1. FAR MOUNTAIN - the Redhawks are still being carried by its pitching staff... they lack offense... All-Star Karl Nordheim (14-2/2.66) and Chad Cummings (14-5/3.21) are tied for the IPA lead in wins... rookie Ryan Kolb (3-2/2.48/11 saves) is the best in the bullpen... LF Harmon Silver is the only real threat in the line-up with a .295 BA, 9 HRs, 40 RBIs and 32 runs... Far Mountain had four fine starters last season and got to the IPA Pro Cup Finals before losing out to North Hills in a sweep... Frankie Moreland (7-10/4.26) and Dennis Sasek (8-7/3.52) will have to revert to last season's form for any hope of repeating last year's success... Moreland (20-14/3.31) and Sasek (20-3/2.81) each won 20 games in 2038.

2. Kilkenny - with its super pitching and fine defense the Cats are staying close, but could really use a boost in offense... Dave Whitaker (11-9/2.24) and James Crockett (9-9/2.80) both deserve better... the other two starters Judson Davis (9-4/3.85) and Dave Stratford (9-8/3.62) had done dependable jobs, too... vet star 3B Leevi Viru (.299/13/50/35) is the most reliable bat... very little after him.

3. Ancona - the Red Elephants also depend on their mound corps, headed up by Pablo Pilar (10-9/2.57) and Lucian Kairis (8-9/2.59)... Jock Fraser (7-7/3.50) has done pretty fair work, too... good bullpen with Darlon McDugan (4-0/2.95/3 saves) and Steven Russell (5-2/3.27/2 saves)... All-Star 3B Tommy Richardson is by far the best bat with a .356 BA, third-best in the IPA... Richardson has 19 doubles, 17 homers, 66 RBIs and 46 runs.

4. LaGrange - the Sports went 12-14 in June... just an average team... top pitchers are Walt Thurber (8-8/2.71) and Hot Dog Huxtable (8-7/3.27)... top batters are 3B Claude DesJardins (.326/10 49/38), CF Deron Barkley (.291/17/34/52) and SS John Rodgers (.295/8/41/46).

5. Ranford: the Bulls broke even at 13-13 for the month... solid pitching, but no offense... Frank Yosarian (10-5/2.90), Ralph Hawk (9-7/2.62) and Ronnie Schroeder (6-13/3.09) are all capable pitchers... 24-year-old slugging star LF Dale Weston (.295/17/45/54) is a very talented hitter... and he gets a little bit of help from 3B Ernie Ardis (.291/6/37/30) and SS Doug Greensberry (.269/2/42/32).

5. Glasco - the A's have so-so pitching and weak bats with some power... Jimmy Willard (8-10/3.21) and Basil Newchurch (7-9/3.20) are the best starters... not much in the bullpen... CF Travis Houston (.288/13/47/32), SS Terry Johnstone (.270/8/33/42) and 1B Ted Jarvis (.266/8/37/45) are only fair at the plate.

7. Taranto - rebounded with a fair 14-12 month after disasterous 9-20 May... lackluster pitching... a little power... fine defense... rookie RF Gary Tramonte has really taken off after being added to the starting line-up... Tramonte, just 23, is batting .340 with 13 homers, 37 RBIs and 37 runs... other fair contributors are C Angelo Rossi (.286/11/35/27), 1B Mark Delaney (.257/12/46/35) and SS Jamie Garner (.254/10/39/35)... another talented rookie 20-year-old Mario Martinelli (8-2/2.84) has really sizzled since being added to the starting rotation in May.

8. Valmara - the poor Vipers are destined for a low finish again for the seventh year in a row... pitcher Harold Hutson (8-8/3.34) is the only reliable pitcher... veteran RF Benny Hooper, a very reliable .291-career hitter with good pop, two-time All-Star and Gold Glover, is sorely missed from the line-up... he was injured in May and will probable miss the season... LF Gary Peterson (.315/15/34/33) is the club leader in almost all categories.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, July 1. 2039

RU SOUTH TIGHTENS, ST. JOHN FALTERS
Going into June, the St. John Crusaders possessed a solid seven-game bulge in the Ruthlandian South Division, but no more... at mid-season several of the high-preseason picks like division favorite Waleska and second-ranked San Dimas have emerged from their slumber and played like solid contenders... in June, the Westerners rolled to a 17-9 mark, the Rancheros went 15-11, while the Crusaders slumped to 12-14 to cut the Crusaders' lead to just two games... third in the standings, Crystal Lake, number four in the preseason poll, went 13-13 and is six games behind... San Dimas improved to fourth, seven games off the pace... fifth-place Claxton and sixth-place Valka are still close enough to make a race of it, trailing by eight and nine games, respectively... the Diamonds are the defending division champ.

1. St. John: though they faltered in June, the Crusaders still boast strong hitting and solid pitching and should be a force in the race... All-Star RF Nicky Farrugia is flirting with .400 with an IPA-leading .399 BA... he also has 20 doubles, 4 triples, 19 HRs, 55 RBIs and 64 runs scored... CF Art Kelley (.289/12/41/40) and LF Bobby Joe Daniel (.307/3/36/46) are also helping out... leading the team on the hill are All-Star Jeremy Kirk (13-5/2.39) and Vito Sanfratello (10-5/2.56).

2. Waleska: the mound staff is the Westerners' bread-and-butter... vets Terry Richards (9-2/2.52), All-Star Craig Nash (10-5/2.71), Jeff Woodruff (10-10/3.29) and Tony Haskell (6-8/3.33) are a formidable foursome in anybody's league... veteran homer-and-RBI guy RF Niles Gregory is the main weapon with 16 homers, 53 RBIs, 49 runs and a solid .288 BA... 1B Shayn Lambert (.319/9/33/40) and 2B Joey Harris (.280/4/34/40) have also chipped in some offensive help... look for the Westerners to be near the top at the end... they should do well in the postseason, too... they are a fine, talented and experienced team, that won the 2037 Pro Cup.

3. Crystal Lake: the Crushers can score, but don't have a lot of pitching... still they are hanging in the hunt... they were 13-13 in June... RF Paul Dillon (.326/9/37/45), SS Morten Jonassen (.294/4/42/41) and C Stan Stanek (.256/9/48/41) are the primary bats, but they have help from a solid core of regulars... journeyman Ken Lawson (9-9/3.79) is the only halfway-effective starter on the staff.

4. San Dimas: after two marginal months, the Rancheros played like contenders in June with a 15-11 record, working their way back into the pennant chase... they can be tough at the plate with RF Denny Hendrix (.288/16/51/52), LF Austin Epps (.315/10/45/39), LF Pat Sautier (.319/8/44/43), 3B Leonard Purkey (.316/8/38/44), CF Klaus Stordahl (.281/13/35/46) and C Hermie Goetz (.299/5/29/38)... with an average set of starters and suspect bullpenders... Gil Arnaud (10-7/3.87), Duffy Davidson (6-6/3.40) and Carroll Cain (6-10/3.52) are good at times.

5. Claxton: the Diamonds, who hit so well last year and won the pennant, still have pretty much the same players, but they are just not hitting... .285 last year, .250 this season... All-Star 1B Jojo DeLucca (.293/19/44/410, All-Star 2B Gary Colton (.313/11/39/41) and SS Stevie Wynn (.295/5/27/45) just need help from LF Foxy Fuchs (.232), CF Ivan Krause (.251) and C Jaan Hoogendoorn (.251), all down 40 to 100 points from last year... actually the mound staff is much better this year, but the hitters are letting them down... Abe Schiffman (10-8/3.51), Stan Yudesh (9-8/3.51) and Sam Nathan (5-14/3/26) are dependable pitchers, given proper run support... the bullpen is quite good with a 2.46 ERA (6th)... if the bats surge in the second half, so will Claxton.

6. Valka: the Blackhawks can put runs on the scoreboard, but they give up more than they score... but they were good enough to go 14-12 in June, their first winning month this season... they are in sixth place, nine games out and for the 11th straight season not likely to make the first division... the Blackhawks' attack is led by star CF Kenny Mitzusaka (.334/11/53/40), All-Star 1B Bobby Scott (.327/18/50/47), rookie 2B Warren Block (.281/12/43/41) and LF Gilberto Duarte (.279/13/26/47)... Valka has only three reliable hurlers: starter Ando Lintrop (8-4/3.58) and two relievers, Julien Rouse (4-1/0.83/7 saves) and Miikael Arens (2-1/2.72).

7. Grand City: the Cybercats were chosen third in the preseason poll, but didn't live up to it in the first two months of the campaign... however in June they turned it around a bit with a 15-11 mark... still they are 13 games behind and pretty much out of it in seventh place... the team's strength is in the threesome of Kenny Morrow (8-10/3.12), second in the IPA in strikeouts, Doug Hansack (8-8/3.27) and Glen Caswell (4-11/3.36), who half the time gives them good starts... Caswell is 4-2 after losing his first nine decisions... Kent Douglas (6-3/2.00/6 saves) is the bullpen ace... the club has a few good bats in budding star 24-year-old 1B Benny Hull (.312/19/53/40), veteran star SS Teddy Grantham (.326/11/37/33), C Iggy Van Dyck (.299/11/34/37) and 3B Mickey Etheridge (.277/14/35/32).

8. Belair Beach: the Sunbirds were last in 2038 and are likely to finish in the cellar for the second consecutive year... they seem to get worse as the season progress... the 'Birds were a poor 9-17 last month... they have a lousy offense (31st) and mediocre pitching (4.01/21st)... Belair Beach does have one redeeming factor... a .980 fielding percentage... they also have some quality pitchers in starters Jose Munos (3-4/2.91/3 saves) and Joel Gregg (4-7/2.92)... Todd Clyman (8-11/3.71) has given them some quality starts, too... All-Star 1B Jason Butler has really done well this year with a .304 BA, 24 HRs, 49 RBIs and 41 runs scored... he is having his best season at age 26, but he has no help whatsoever at the plate.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, July 1, 2039

'CATS AND RATTLERS AT IT AGAIN
The epic saga continues in the Rutlandian East - it's another close battle between the powerhouses Cold Creek Catamounts and the Sugar Valley Rattlers - two arch-nemeses that have been at each other's throat for the last five seasons... Cold Creek has a two-game edge at the mid-point of the season... the remaining six clubs will probably be playing for third place at best... currently Wynnamac is nine games back in third place... and Belle Plaine is a dozen games behind in the fourth spot... a good winning streak could quickly improve a team's position since the difference between third and last is just five games.

1. Cold Creek: the Catamounts had an exceptional June, going 18-8, but lost a game in the standings to the Rattlers, who were even better at 19-7... exceptional pitching (2.85 ERA/1st) has gotten the best of an explosive attack (453 runs/1st) and solid pitching (3.46 ERA/11th) so far this season... All-Star Joey Baker (12-3/2.71), Peter Heller (9-3/2.33/7 saves) and Rob Hutchins (7-4/2.28) top the Cold Creek starters... plus J. J. Gillespie (11-6/3.70) got back on track in June with a 5-1 record and a super 1.06 ERA... the relief corps is doing very well with a 2.02 ERA (2nd), led by Tommy Wynn (4-2/2.66/6 saves) and Harvey Fullerton (3-3/1.21)... the Catamounts are deceiving at the plate... they are batting a decent .264 (12th), but have only 56 HRs (30th-tied), yet they are tied for seventh in scoring with 384 runs... top bats are RF Ken Brennan (.309/4/42/49), SS Jeremy Hall (.298/2/36/54) and CF Guy St. Laurent (.276/11/48/34).

2. Sugar Valley: if you go by the numbers, this may be the Rattlers' best team in recent years... last year they led the IPA with 105 victories... that number may too hard to beat this year... hitting is better this year (.270 to .262) and so is the pitching (3.70 to 3.46)... leading the fabled attack this season are three All-Stars: RF Bobby Gamble (.301/16/58/71), 3B Roger Hobbs (.329/17/64/49) and LF Tyler White (.267/23/69/53)... other solid contributors are CF Carlo Velucci (.261/10/49/43) and 1B Richie Strickland (.273/15/32/71)... All-Star Jeremy Blanchard (12-3/3.64) leads the club in wins, followed by three other very capable starters Juan Navarro (11-4/2.51), Christopher Dunsberry (8-6/2.96) and Josh Wilkerson (6-5/3.36/8 saves)... however, the bullpen (4.12 ERA-25th) could use some improvement... the outlook is for another battle royale between Sugar Valley and Cold Creek.

3. Wynnamac: the Sundowners lost ground in June with a 12-14 record, falling six games further behind in the race... they have a scoring machine with a .281 BA (1st) and 433 runs (2nd), sparked by All-Star CF Darrell Donnelly, who is batting .340 with an IPA-leading 87 RBIs, 12 homers and 52 runs... supported by 2B Ed Lane (.315/5/38/34), 3B Duane Hudson (.272/1/39/51), RF Nioka Inkamara (.273/10/37/46), SS Lou Borcellino (.320/5/32/37), C Edward Williams (.289/4/35/26) and LF Davy Lamour (.272/7/32/43)... the pitching is mediocre (4.08 ERA/22nd) with Ernie Hodges (11-5/3.82) and Paul Payton (6-3/3.90/2 saves) topping the staff.

4. Belle Plaine: went 12-14 in June and dropped 12 games off the pace... selected last in the preseason poll... could be headed much lower in the standings... hits with power (105 HRs-3rd) and scores runs (392/6th), but is atrocious on the mound with a 4.50 ERA (31st)... top hitters are All-Star RF Boo Boudreaux (.290/20/49/51), LF Noel Martin (.307/14/47/51), 1B Mitch Mason (.321/14/36/40) and SS Kit Ritter (.310/10/28/40)... only decent starter is Mario Aragon (8-10/4.33).

5. Marston: the Nine compiled a 12-14 record in June... not much statistically... Barry Sexton (10-9/2.97) and Matt Reeves (10-7/3.75) are good starters and reliever Webb Walden (3-1/0.00/13 saves) is a standout in the bullpen... All-Star SS Stan Mila (.329/9/55/35) and 1B Lonnie Trekell (.295/13/40/34) are the best in the batting order.

6. Elnora: the All-Stars were standing tall for the first few months, but really went on the fritz with a very poor 8-18 mark in June... Jeremy Sellers (10-7/3.90) leads the staff in wins, but hasn't had a lot of help from the other starters... Jesus Robles (1-0/1.11/1 save) and Tony Ryman (0-0/1.04/1 save) have done well in relief... leading the way offensively has been All-Star C Cannon Johnson (.290/17/58/42), CF Clive Kenyon (.329/6/32/40) and RF Keith Kalder (.268/10/37/41).

6. Eastshore: the Elegants were chosen third in the preseason rankings behind favorite Sugar Valley and Cold Creek, but have failed to deliver thus far... but they did racked up a 16-10 month in June... they have booming bats (.273 BA-88 HRs) and can score (380 runs-10th tied), but have lousy pitching (4.38 ERA-30th)... All-Star CF Scotty Lagrange (.313/14/50/51), All-Star SS Johnny Petrak (.306/11/37/48), 1B Paul Reed (.327/7/46/37), 2B Marty O'Reilly (.339/16/39/31), LF Felipe Henriques (.303/5/35/30) and C Kyle Hunt (.289/3/27/21) are a potent line-up... Koy Clampett (9-5/3.80) and Ramon Contreras (9-9/3.90) are the only reliable starters... and Kenny Chandler (4-4/2.78/6 saves) and Delaney Moss (1-1/1.29/3 saves) have been the most effective in the bullpen... the Elegants just might make a run at third place.

6. Beechwood: the Bobcats finally broke the .500 mark for the month with a decent 14-12 record... the can score pretty well with 383 runs (9th) and 87 HRs (8th), but are lackluster on the hill with a 3.99 ERA (20th)... All-Star RF Eddie Wilson (.361/21/63/56) and All-Star SS Cody Hanks (.310/15/63/44) are having super seasons with help from 2B Mel Smith (.287/8/38/63)... the Bobcats have quality starters, too, in vet Ken Arby (9-6/3.60), Neil Palmer (6-7/2.95) and John Mueller (5-5/3/24/4 saves)... Beechwood has enough talent to move up into the first division.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, July 1, 2038

3-WAY FIGHT IN RU WEST
Three teams are within 2 games of each atop the Ruthlandian West Division... in the last month the Sligo Rovers saw its four-game lead fade to just one game over the Fort Benton Defenders and to two games over third-place Volusia... two other teams are staying within striking distance... Middlefield is fourth and trails by six games and last year's division champ Colfax is eight games out.

1. SLIGO: the Rovers slipped to 13-13 for the month... they have strong pitching (3.17 ERA-4th), score well (380 runs-10th tied), have power (92 HRs-5th) and play excelent defense (.979 FA)... the Rovers have an impressive group of starters in All-Star Scotty Price (12-5/2.45), Randall Steele (12-5/2.96), Tom Pierson (7-7/2.63) and Gary Booth (7-3/3.18)... leading the offense are All-Star CF Joe McGarrett (.316/14/43/50), SS Neil Mitchell (.288/16/46/50) and 1B Denny Simmons (.282/6/29/50).

2. Fort Benton: the Defenders had a good June with a 16-10 mark... don't go deep much, but hit well (.278 BA-3rd) and can score (378 runs-12th)... standout pitching (3.25/6th) with excellent defense (.978 FA)... three quality vets are starters: All-Star Augie Marquis (13-8/2.67), Jordy Raeburn (7-8/2.67) and Robby Duhe (7-2/2.58/1 save)... bullpen is strong with a 2.05 ERA (3rd)... good core of hitters in All-Star C Hunter Glenholmes (.339/2/26/54), 3B Mitch Hamilton (.316/1/34/48), SS D. D. Badeaux (.306/4/25/39), 1B Oscar Pendleton (.299/8/36/29) and RF Cayman Crittenden (.278/8/49/48).

3. Volusia: the Vigilantes went 15-11 for the month... mound corps is pretty good with a 3.39 team ERA (9th)... not much offensively with a .250 team BA (27th) and 61 HRs (26th-tied)... poor defense (.968 FA)... have four fine starters in Drew Selby (13-6/2.99), rookie Raul Navarro (7-8/2.91), Hector Vargas (8-9/3.37) and Leandos Dizon (5-1/3.35)... top reliever is Andrew Arryns (6-1/2.98/3 saves)... top batters are 1B Kris Wilson (.306/7/47/33), 2B Charlie Farmer (.303/8/31/53) and CF Cazzie Carvalho (.280/10/47/54).

4. Middlefield: the Roosters dipped a bit in June with a 12-14 record and fell six games off the pace... fine scoring team with 407 runs (3rd), IPA-leader with 130 homers (1st), bats .257 (19th) as a team... with average pitching (3.84 ERA-18th) and average defense (.972 FA)... All-Star C Brad Alexander and CF Norman Antonioni are running 1-2 in homers in the RU with 27 and 25 respectively, second and fourth in the IPA, topped only by Clay Johnston of High Mesa, who has 28 roundtrippers... Alexander has 66 RBIs, but is batting only .243 for the year... Antonioni has driven in 43 with a .250 mark... top contact hitters are 3B Colt Chadwick (.338/4/19/28), RF Alejandro Dominguez (.317/12/43/49) and 2B Earl Elliott (.309/4/25/32)... James Long (10-8/2.76) is a standout starter and Ray Owens (2-3/1.98/13 saves) is the bullpen ace.

5. Colfax: last year's division winner is just a so-so club this season... the pitching has not been up to par... neither has the hitting... defense is bad... 13-13 in June... 40-40 for the year... Bobby Porter (11-5/3.49) and Randell Perkins (8-7/3.76) are the only effective starters... best bats are All-Star LF Chet Penn (.317/15/53/43), CF Samm Bolton (.316/3/30/37) and C Mitch Fullerton (.306/10/28/38).

6. Rocky Rapids: began the season well at 15-10, but have fizzled since... the Snappers were 10-16 in June... not a very good team... but they do have some quality starters in Janek Zoldak (10-5/2.92), Jamie Taylor (6-10/2.71) and Randy Peters (9-7/3.65)... the relief corps is really, really bad with a lofty 5.42 ERA (31st)... very little at the plate with CF Crusher Derringer (.303/6/31/46), 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.279/1/24/43) and SS Nick Nova (.268/8/33/39).

6. Forest City: swooned in June to a dismal 8-18... Rich Barstow (8-4/2.29) is having a fine season, but has no help on the hill... C Bob Brisdon (.311/12/42/31) leads the club in BA, HRs and RBIs... 3B Kelly Hardison (.286/7/38/39) is having a decent season... not much else in the batting order.

8. Stoner: the hapless and hopeless Stars had another bad month, going just 7-19... they have terrible pitching (4.89 ERA-32nd) and atrocious defense (.958 FA)... and little at the plate... Michael Keller (7-10/3.21) gives them quality starts... and Sammy Slater (6-5/4.07) occasionally does, too... All-Star 2B Don Cain (.318/12/40/41) is having a good season with some help from C Barney Swindell (.267/12/41/43), RF Amos Mars (.303/6/21/37), 3B Wesley Neal (.295/4/38/29) and 1B Corky Callahan (.282/12/30/26).

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, June 1, 2039

FROGS UP ON HAWKS IN TU NORTH
The toughest division in the Islandian Pro Alliance this year is the Tycobbian North... seven of the eight clubs have winning records, led by first-place Fairfax, who has a three-game margin over perennial divisiion winner North Hills, the current IPA Pro Cup holder... Luxora is in third place, six games out of first... Mahaska is seven games out in fourth, White River is eight behind in fifth place, Blue Lake is in sixth, trailing by nine and Hartsdale is seven and a dozen games off the pace... North Hills is seeking a sixth successive TU North title and to repeat as Pro Cup champion.

1. FAIRFAX: the Frogs are a complete ball club... went 16-10 in June... hit, pitch, catch well... very little power... top pitchers are Steven McLeod (11-6/2.69) and Harold Dorman (9-7/2.89), along with Lee Rose (11-6/3.78) and Lucien Vachon (9-6/3.71)... bullpen is superb with a 1.97 ERA (2nd), paced by Bruno Stratton (7-1/1.80/8 saves)... main bats are All-Star 2B John Velasco (.308/16/72/50), CF Sam Price (.32/6/43/43) and All-Star C Joe King (.313/3/26/34).

2. North Hills: the Hawks were also 16-10 in the last month...they have super starters in All-Star Jeff Owens (14-4/2.17), Tony Mack (12-3/2.19) and Frankie Lambert (6-3/2.85)... superstar All-Star LF Adam Thurgood (.327) leads the TU with 27 homers, second in RBIs with 72... with help from rookie CF Jimmy Jay Ferguson (.351/7/30/39) and a whole host of fine role players... the Hawks will do well in the postseason if they can overtake the talented Fairfax Frogs.

3. Luxora: the Zorros can put some zap in the ball with a .278 BA, 89 HRs (14th-tied) and 403 runs (3rd-tied)... pretty good on the hill... not so good defensively (.969 FA)... June record was 15-11... top bats are 3B Toddy Dubbins (.310/15/45/47), SS Joel Poche (.289/13/36/55) and LF Milt Powers (.276/8/47/37)... the Z's have three fine starters in All-Star Kent Halloran (12-4/2.51), Roy Watson (11-6/3.65) and Jose Beltran (10-7/3.80)... in the bullpen Fernando Sanches (3-2/0.96/14 saves) has been magnificent.

4. Mahaska: after two-solid months of play, the Haymakers suffered a 12-14 mark in June, yet still have fine pitching (3.15 ERA-4th), good power (96 HRs-8th tied) and good fielding (.975 FA)... the best ones in the batting order are 2B Mikk Kukk (.318/16/46/50) and RF Anton Hymel (.305/15/34/44)... with help from LF Bill Whittier (.254/15/46/48) and SS Rocco Bertara (.285/2/17/46)... a solid quartet of All-Star hurler Warren Heath (11-5/2.58), Mackie McGinnity (9-2/2.86), Mark Pennington (8-8/2.90) and Greg Douglas (6-2/3.62) heads up the mound staff.

5. White River: the Rascals were picked to finish third this year behind North Hills and Midway... in June they kicked it up a notch or two to 17-9 and played like a strong contender... the Rascals play better on the field than in the stats... 104 HRs (3rd-tied) helps out a lot... otherwise they are just an average team... CF Buford Cross (.324/10/34/42) tops them with a .324 average... C Stevee Dee Daniels (.238/21/53/41) tops them in homers with 21 with help from All-Star SS Warren McKenzie (.266/18/60/49)... McKenzie is tops with 60 RBIs and 49 runs... top starters are Trenton Anderson (12-5/3.47) and Paul Sardini (7-6/3.61)... best in the pen is Les Dennis (5-6/3.40/15 saves), who leads the IPA with 15 saves, tied with Ralph Fulton of Turon, Cody Simmons of Arroyo Grande and Jack Scanlon of Colfax.

6. Blue Lake: Blue Jays rebounded from a terrible 11-18 May to a torrid 18-8 in June, but still have a lot of ground to make up like White River... statistically rank in the middle-of-the-pack... possesses a good starting four: Frankie Quinn (12-7/3.22), Sal Mays (11-8/3.13), Burton Cook (8-6/3.98) and Van Johnson (7-8/3.95)... 2B Egon Ojamaa (.277/14/55/49) carries the biggest bat in the line-up, but gets some help from RF Raddy Pajak (.300/5/28/41), LF Jack Ryan (.313/5/32/31) and C Jan Kobak (.277/6/39/28).

7. Hartsdale: the Hellcats slipped again in June to 12-14, are two games over the .500 mark, but in seventh place... the TU North is a tough division... two good starters Wayne Dawson (11-5/2.85) and Freddie Whitaker (9-7/3.72) are leading the way... aided by All-Star SS Paul Wynn, a late bloomer at age 33 with 21 homers, .298 BA, 56 RBIs and 53 runs scored.

8. Oxford: another tough season for the Red Caps, who are already 27 games out of first place... they are, by far, the worst team in the division... not much to boast about... the pitching is bad... however, middle reliever Allison Coxe (0-0/1.44) has done quite well in 17 appearances... at the plate CF Dalton Ward has 22 homers, 54 RBIs and 44 runs, but is batting only .254... tops in average is 2B Alonzo Norris at .311 with 4 HRs. 38 RBIs and 44 runs... LF Donnie Braun is number two at .301 with 14 homers, 46 RBIs and 43 runs.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, July 1, 2039

TURON TOP TEAM IN TU SOUTH
Not much change in the Tycobbian South at the halfway mark in the season... favored Turon has a slight four-game edge over number-two preseason pick San Alejo, six games up on the third choice Summerland and seven in front of Cape Coral, who was rated number six in the poll.

1. TURON: the Typhoons have a strong offense (.282 BA-1st), very good pitching (3.24 ERA-6th) with a great bullpen (1.06 ERA-1st), but only average defense (.971 FA)... gained a game on second place San Alejo in June with a 15-11 record to 14-12 for the Monties... they have five .300 hitters as regulars: All-Star RF Guido Gervasio (.338/14/63/52), All-Star SS C. C. Kingsford (.307/16/54/59), LF J. P. Trevenot (.302/14/43/63), All-Star 3B George Jordan (.303/14/46/38) and C George Erwin (.305/7/30/39)... four quality starters: Armin Boehm (14-5/3.48), Nate Scottsdale (12-5/3.18), Wes Brynnton (10-6/3.66) and Clyde Engstrom (8-10/3.90)... All-Star closer Ralph Fulton (3-1/0.28/15 saves) has been awesome and is in a four-way tie for the IPA lead in saves with 15.

2. San Alejo: the Montaneros are still a fine team, but not as talented as Turon... still they are staying close to them... top hitters are C Filipe Zamora (.304/10/42/37), SS Sal McAlister (.276/6/41/42), 1B Ted Hatch (.283/12/42/28) and CF Dusty Rogan (.255/9/38/42)... All-Star Benny Buckmaster (12-4/2.25) is the ace with help vet Tommy Smith (7-5/3.39).

3. Summerland: the Sunsets have super pitching with an IPA-best 2.66 team ERA... along with a weak offense unfortunately... they were 13-13 in June... Summerland may have the best starting rotation in the IPA with All-Star Jayson Hallstrom (10-7/2.27), Freddi Rossi (8-6/2.16), Johnny Young (9-7/3.03) and Dutch De Boer (4-5/2.39)... the bullpen is very reliable with Ronald Shaddock (6-5/2.17/3 saves) and Freddy Farentino (3-3/3.13/2 saves)... most productive hitters are CF Antonio Vasquez (.302/4/39/43), SS Mark Brenneke (.289/9/32/48), 3B Norm Murdoch (.265/3/20/48) and 2B Todd Cummins (.266/13/35/33).

4. Cape Coral: the Hurricanes had their best month of the season with a 15-11 in June... the Hurricanes are a hit machine with a .279 team BA (2nd) and 441 runs (1st)... the 'Canes are second to Sugar Valley of the Ruthlandian Union (453 runs) in scoring... what a line-up!... CF Maxi Tselika (.331/10/30/54), All-Star 1B Stan Ferguson (.333/12/59/33), 3B Rikky Van Dalen (.291/13/43/63), RF William Snyder (.298/10/48/37), LF Paul Law (.279/13/45/60) and SS Joel Collins (.298/7/41/40)... pitching is also important in baseball... Cape Coral's 4.40 team ERA (28th) just doesn't cut it... Benton McCall (8-2/2.56) and Tommy Van Noord (7-5/3.47) have been the only dependable starters, along with Norm Dawson (2-0/1.19/4 saves) in the bullpen.

5. Southport: the Sun Soxx had a very good June at 16-10, but it came after a horrific 9-20 in May... otherwise they would be in the thick of the pennant chase instead of trailing by 11 games... the Sun Soxx have solid pitching with a 3.44 ERA (8th), especially aided by a good bullpen (2.36 ERA-3rd)... 23-year-old Billy Hoover (10-5/2.72) is having a superlative rookie season... Johnny Swanson (7-8/2.85) has been the only other effective starter... the bullpen has been led by Brandon Delmore (5-2/2.50) and Hal Combs (2-4/1.45/6 saves)... but the bats are weak with a .242 BA (27th) and only 69 roundtrippers (26th)... CF Barney Lewis has been one of the few productive batters in the line-up... Lewis tops the club with 17 homers, 46 RBIs and 44 runs, but is batting only .258... SS Ricky Whitaker tops the team with a .314 BA with 4 HRs, 27 RBIs and 36 runs... 1B Eddy Douglas is second with a .298 average with 9 HRs, 31 RBIs and 29 runs.

6. Colchester: the Elites are just a lackluster team with average pitching and very little at the plate... they went 8-18 for the month... Eduardo Rivera (8-8/3.42) and Dave Lacoste 95-5/3.18) are the most reliable starters... the bullpen doesn't have anybody worth mentioning... superstar All-Star RF Blake Barrister is the whole offense with 22 homers, 63 RBIs, 56 runs and a .310 BA... 2B Joey Rogers chipped in with a little help with a .272 BA, 7 HR, 43 RBIs and 39 runs.

7. Arroyo Grande: the bad season got even worse for the Suns with a pathetic 9-17 mark in June... this looks like the sixth straight year they will wind up near the bottom of the division... you can't expect much when you hit .249 (23rd) and have a 4.38 ERA (26th)... LF Rene Jesclard (.241) is the club leader with 16 HRs and 52 runs... 3B Wesley Cox has the best BA at .297 and is tops in RBIs with 40... All-Star closer Cody Simmons (2-3/1.26/15 saves) is having a fine season and is in a 4-way tie for the IPA lead in saves... Fernando Campos (9-9/4.48) leads the club in wins.

8. Ginza: the Ninjas are terrible on the hill (4.98 ERA-32nd) and plain average at the plate (.262 BA-15th)... however, things were better in June with a 13-13 record... offensive leaders are All-Star CF Sogo Takagi (.301/22/62/60), who is having a terrific year... playing manager and LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.323/3/37/56) is also putting up some good numbers... RF Scott Sparks added in 14 homers, 34 RBIs and 28 runs with a .286 BA... rookie Julian Bass (5-1/2.56) spent most of the year in the bullpen, but got his chance to start in June and he responded with four wins in a row... no other starters have been effective... in the pen Timmy Hickens has logged 11 saves with a 2.62 ERA, but is just 1-6 on the season.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, July 1, 2039

WOLVES LEAD MID-WAY IN TU EAST
At the mid-way point it's shaping up as a two-team affair in the Tycobbian East this season between perennial pennant winner Tuckanarra and upshoot Midway... the Blue Jays have won five division flags in a row, while the Wolves have been deep in the second division for the previous three campaigns... not so this year... with rejuvenated pitching and bats Midway is four games up on Tuckanarra at the end of June and looks to be in it for the long haul... their closest competition Ozarka and East Point are eight games off the pace, tied for third place... only the Wolves and Blue Jays have winning records in the division.

1. MIDWAY: both the Wolves and Tuckanarra went 16-10 in June... the Midway mound corps has improved greatly from last year... from 4.63 ERA to 3.49 ERA (10th) and the hitting is up from .257 to .263 (13th)... Midway has a quality pen (2.29 ERA-7th) and excellent defense (.978 FA)... the four starters have done well... led by Cary Snead (13-5/3.14), Carl Dreaux (11-6/3.33), Bobby Boy Wolf (7-3/2/42/1 save) and Charlie Chase (8-10/3.90)... Sam Lewis (1-0/0.51/5 saves) and Nickie McGowan (1-1/2.91/4 saves) lead the relievers... the bats are solid with All-Star LF Bennett Cardwell (.323/11/44/49), CF Yancey Tanner (.304/0/30/49), 2B Lou Flowers (.280/15/55/46) and 1B Shaman Sakima (.286/16/49/45).

2. Tuckanarra: not as strong as the last five years... hitting and pitching are down, hence wins are down... the Tucks are only four games over the .500 mark... they have a fight on their hands to win the division... they still score well with 394 runs (9th)... superstar RF Lorne Evans is having a dismal season, batting only .205 with 8 HRs and 38 RBIs... the top bats are nothing to brag about: LF Spade Weldon (.305/13/39/53), 1B Andy Preston (.263/13/33/56) and 3B Daniel Redd (.267/9/32/50)... the mound staff is only average with a 3.72 ERA (13th)... Bobby Reid (9-6/3.35) leads the starters... Jeff Buttrum (8-8/4.04) and Junior Bristow (6-10/3.24) are having off-years... Buttrum won 23 games last season and Bristow racked up 21... the bullpen leader is Jack Rogers (4-6/2.20/10 saves)... to win a sixth successive TU East pennant, Evans, Buttrum and Bristow will have to really sizzle in the second half.

3. Ozarka: the Nats surged to 17-9 in June... still are four games under .500 and tied with East Point for third place... SS Duffy Morrison (.311/16/42/54) and 3B Jimmy Woods (.317/14/49/39) are the dependable hitters... starters Teddy O'Shea (6-2/2.11/5 saves) and Glen Jenkins (9-9/3.44) are the most reliable pitchers with help in the bullpen from Billy Hill (4-2/2.06/1 save).

3. East Point: picked for second place in the preseason poll behind surprising favorite Red Bluff, the season has been a disappointment... were only 11-15 in June... not a good sign... pitching has been terrible this year with a 4.65 ERA (31st)... Johnny Moore (8-5/3/43) is the only decent one... 200-game winners Dixie Brooks (5-8/5.48) and Frank Blair (7-9/4.46) are pretty bad this year... not much in the batter's box, either... 1B Bert Henrich is the club leader with 18 HRs, 50 RBIs and 40 runs... Henrich is hitting .286 for average... SS Dean O'Donnell has added 16 roundtrippers, 47 RBIs and 39 runs with a .260 BA... and CF Andros Ciak tops the team with a .296 BA with 12 homers, 33 RBIs and 31 runs.

5. Red Bluff: hasn't done anything so far... but did go 14-12 last month... flopped as preseason favorite... hits homers (104 HR-3rd tied), but not good at anything else... All-Star CF Ike Sweetwater (.311/18/55/48), RF David Kelso (.284/15/52/37) and LF Jesse Shaw (.272/13/41/52) have carried the club offensively... only decent hurlers have been Tony DeFazio (9-8/3.52) and Jud Cox (9-7/3.77).

6. High Mesa: the Cowboys put up another bad month in June with a 10-16 mark... the best thing you can say about them is they play very good defense (.979 FA)... rookie Kyell Kellgren (6-3/3.92) and Russ Krolle (7-8/3.76) are fair starters, while in the bullpen William Morris has 7 saves and a fine 2.24 ERA, but is 1-4 record-wise... at the plate LF Clay Johnston is having a career year with 28 HRs, 57 RBIs and 47 runs... he is batting .281 and leads the IPA in homers... at age 36 vet RF Corbett Brooks may be slowing down... Brooks has 20 homers and 44 RBIs, but is batting only .201.

7. South Fork: the Stallions had a losing month for third straight time, going 11-15... Big Murph McAlister (9-7/3.24) is one of the few effective pitchers on the staff... veteran 3B Elton Jacoby (.293/11/28/43) is the only decent stick.

8. Hillsboro: for the fourth time in six years the Blazers may be destined for the TU East cellar... suffered another losing month in June with a 10-16 record... the most talented players are starters Ralph Quick (6-7/3.40) and Cazzie Reier (6-10/3.54)... along with Scott Watkins (4-6/2.55/9 saves) in the bullpen... only fair bats are C Brian Davis, the club leader with a .283 BA... Davis has 8 HRs, 39 RBIs and 34 runs... CF Vince Jahn (.268/11/42/45) and LF Jurrien Bellini (.249), who tops in homers with 19, RBIs with 47 and runs with 48.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, July 1, 2039

WILDCATS ON TOP IN TU WEST
The first half of the Tycobbian West Division is over and the Kenwood Wildcats are sitting pretty on top of it with a three-game lead over preseason favorite Arlon... now all they have to do is win the second half and Kenwood will make the playoffs for the first time in 15 years... the Wildcats are tied with Fairfax of the TU West for the most wins in the IPA with 53... no other clubs are pennant contenders... third-place Rolling Hills trails by 10 games and fourth place Denton City is 12 off the pace... last year's champ La Claire is nowhere to be seen and is in seventh place and 18 games behind.

1. KENWOOD: the Wildcats are solid across-the-board with standout pitching and hitting... they rang up a 17-9 record in June, while Arlon was going 15-11... All-Star Glen Murray (11-6/2.68) has been the most effective starter, but has gotten help from Rusty Bradford (11-3/4.16) and Robby Barnhill (7-1/2.60)... closer Artemus Hale (6-0/2.53/6 saves) is the bullpen leader... top guns are brilliant rookie 2B Country Crowder (.354/4/33/41), LF Harry Tashina (.326/7/36/47), All-Star C Corky DiNozzo (.298/20/49/38) and C-1B Antonio Dominguez (.295/7/36/37).

2. Arlon: the Champs are hoping the 20-year postseason drought will come to an end... they are a sharp club, too... outstanding pitching and defense with average bats, but no power... Emil Nowak (12-3/3.45), Pat Stuyvesant (9-4/3.32), Lanny Gray (8-7/3.30) and Ronny Farnsworth (6-5/3.70) are an effective foursome... Gray is the IPA strikeout leader with 143 in 153 innings... the relief corps is solid as well with Peter Shannon (1-0/0.89/6 saves), Dale Greene (3-1/1.93/4 saves) and Dirk Marek (1-0/2.20)... leading the way at the plate are All-Star LF Mark Cameron (.319/24/74/52), who is second in the Tycobbian Union in RBIs with 74 RBIs and fourth in homers with 24... All-Star C Nick Shafer chipped in with a club-high .328 BA with 10 HRs, 47 RBIs and 41 runs... other dependable bats have been CF Gussi Czajk (.275/3/30/50), 2B Todd Benson (.295/1/37/34) and 1B Ernie Pryor (.264/9/39/37).

3. Rolling Hills: the Reds slumped to a costly 11-15 in June to fall 10 games back... they are rock solid with a .279 BA (3rd), 413 runs (3rd-tied) and 95 longballs (10th)... fine defensively with a .976 FA... but on the mediocre side on the hill with a 4.16 ERA (23rd)... All-Star 3B Billy Christianson sparks the attack with a .330 BA, 9 HRs, 41 RBIs and 49 runs... with plenty of help from super rookie All-Star 1B Darwin Tard, who batted .315 with 16 HRs, 45 RBIs and 52 runs... RF Jimbo Foxx was a threat, too... he hit .305 with 16 HRs, 50 RBIs and 50 runs... the only effective pitcher on the staff has been Matty Christianson (10-3/2.69).

4. Denton City: Redbirds were picked to be a contender, but started off poorly with a 9-16 April, but have been good the last two months... went 17-12 and 15-11... good in all aspects of the game except for lackluster pitching... .269 BA (9th), 402 runs (7th) and 98 HRs (5th-tied)... potent line-up led by All-Star 1B Wayman Stetson (.302/23/62/51), All-Star RF Pete Doyle (.287/16/58/56) and SS Sammy Thornton (.285/4/24/44)... the Redbirds have a good starting rotation with Kevin Blevins (9-8/3.34), Troy McIntosh (8-8/3.14), Francisco Salcido (10-8/3.90) and Stephen Edwards (5-4/3.24/6 saves)... bullpen is suspect with a 4.23 ERA (30th).

5. Bayview: the Vikings tanked in June with a lousy 8-18 mark to fall out of the race... they were within hailing distance of first place the first two months... Bayview has strong bats, but not much on the mound... the Viks top the Tycobbian Union with 122 HRs, second in the IPA to Middlefield of the Ruthlandian league... the Roosters have gone yard 130 times... slugging All-Star 2B Jerry Culpepper is the club longball leader with 25... that is second in the TU and fourth in the IPA... Culpepper is batting .267 with 56 RBIs and 51 runs...other big bats are 1B Claude Kingston (.281/16/43/50) and RF Roy Ricks (.289/13/35/52)... Christy Kane (7-7/3.07) is the ace of the staff... he may get some help from Kris Melgaard (4-0/3.94), who has won both of his starts since being promoted to the number three man in the rotation... Bayview will never be a contender until they improve the pitching... you have to go back to 2016 to find a decent staff.

6. Chicopee: the Braves had another bad month, going 9-17 to drop 17 games out of first place... leading the pitching staff are starters Heyoka Chaska (9-6/3.65) and Lou Gianakos (9-8/3.15)... leading at the plate are star 2B Kurt Gustavsen (.322/16/44/46), star LF Charley Kota (.303/13/36/39), RF Rich Nellis (.293/9/125/40) and CF Big Jim Moran (.271/17/50/45).

7. La Claire: defending TU West champ fell apart this year at the plate and on the mound... they are in seventh place, 18 games out, but did go 14-12 in June... ace Pat Kovacs (7-10/3.21) is the most effective starter, but Tony Rossi (111-8/4.15) the biggest winner... closer Terry Baird (2-2/1.43/11 saves) has been strong again in the bullpen this year... 1B Eddy Veevers (.305/5/31/33) and 2B Sam Norman (.315/13/34/34) top the club at bat... very little after them.

8. Bay St. Clair: the Buccaneers are having a horrendous year... June was absolutely miserable with a 5-21 record... the only reliable bats are RF Cotton Cornwall (.317/19/53/42), CF Gilbert Bauer (.301/11/47/40) and 3B Bailey Holmsworth (.313/14/37/27)... no one on the staff has done well except for reliever Pete Cross, who is 5-2 with a 3.03 ERA and 5 saves.

[Eugene Church]

2039 Ruthlandian Union Mid-Season Individual Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

2039 Tycobbian Union Mid-Season Individual Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, August 1, 2039

REDHAWKS STRETCH LEAD IN RU NORTH
In the Ruthlandian North Division, the Far Mountain Redhawks continued to play well in June with a 16-13 record to expand their lead over the runner-up Kilkenny Cats to seven games and upped it to 10 games over the third place LaGrange Sports and the Ancona Red Elephants. Only the Redhawks and Cats are playing winning ball... all the other clubs in the division are under .500.

Far Mountain is still getting fine pitching from Chad Cummings (20-6/2.63), Karl Nordheim (17-4/3.29) and Dennis Sasek (11-10/3.38)... good work in the bullpen from rookie closer Ryan Kolb (4-3/1.81/13 saves)... and adequate offense from LF Harlan Silver (.295/11/54/50), SS Dan Vance (.289/3/29/50) and RF Bert Richter (.265/14/53/54).

The second-place Kilkenny Cats continued their modest downturn with a 13-16 mark... surviving only because of its solid staff, led by Judson Davis (13-7/3.54), Dave Whitaker (15-13/2.21) and James Crockett (12-13/3.02)... veteran star 3B Leevi Viru (.304/16/65/45) is still the only legitimate threat in the batting order.

LaGrange and Ancona are tied for third... the Sports finally registered a winning month in July with 17 wins and 12 losses... Walt Thurber (10-11/2.86) and Hot Dog Huxtable (10-9/3.50) are the most effective hurlers... top hitters are 3B Claude DesJardins (.322/12/63/54), CF Deron Barkley (.294/24/57/69) and RF Charles Bacque (.283/12/50/51).

The Red Elephants dipped to 13-16 in the month... Lucian Kairis (12-10/3.00) and Pablo Pilar (14-12/3.12) lead the starters... at the plate 3B Tommy Richardson is having a fabulous season with a .361 BA, second best in the IPA to Nicky Farrugia of the St. John Crusaders, who is batting a sky-high .384... Richardson has 19 HRs, 86 RBIs and 59 runs... SS Alex Zitek (.265/13/60/540 and veteran star RF Pettis Pentleton (.306/11/52/50) are also productive hitters.

Fifth-place Ranford had a good July with a 16-13 record... LF Dale Weston (.295/27/68/75) is the only offense they have... and Ralph Hawk (12-12/2.90) and Frank Yosarian (13-7/3.38) are the top starters.

The Taranto Tars went 14-15 for the month are tied for sixth with Glasco... leading the offense are RF Gary Tramonte (.319/18/47/50), C Angelo Rossi (.277/17/54/36) and 3B Mark Delaney (.250/18/62/46)... rookie Mario Martinelli (13-4/3.03) has been terrific... aided by Doug Hansack (14-9/3.40).

The Glasco Athletics chalked a 13-16 mark in July... Jimmy Willard (10-15/3.23) is the most effective starter with the biggest winner rookie Manny Berrera (13-9/4.13)... CF Travis Houston tops the bats with a .307 average, 16 HRs and 57 RBIs.

The Valmara Vipers are in last place, but posted a 15-14 record for the month... Harold Hutson (11-12/3.60) is the only decent starter... LF Gary Peterson is the club leader with a .320 BA, 19 HRs, 47 RBIs and 47 runs... not a lot in the batting order after him.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, August 1, 2039

RED-HOT WALESKA TAKES CHARGE OF RU SOUTH
In July, the preseason favorite Waleska Westerners continued their red-hot winning ways and took charge of the Ruthlandian South Division with a splendid 21-8 record to surge ahead of St. John by six games, Crystal Lake by eight games and San Dimas by ten.

The Westerners do it with great pitching... four outstanding veterans lead them... Terry Richards (13-4/2.53), Craig Nash (15-7/2.72), Jeff Woodruff (16-11/2.83) and Tony Haskell (9-9/3.28)... 1B Shayn Lambert (.319/11/45/53), LF Teke Holmes (.305/5/34/40), CF Jon Lassiter (.293/3/26/58) and C Rodney Hanson (.289/6/51/40) are the offense.

Previous leader St. John went into a July funk and went 13-16... the Crusaders have the top hitter in the IPA... All-Star RF Nicky Farrugia has been spectacular with a .381 BA, 24 HRs, 80 RBIs and 79 runs... with help from CF Art Kelley (.288/14/51/46) and 3B Marty Blankenship (.272/18/60/36)... the mound corps has been sparked by two very impressive starters All-Star Jeremy Kirk (17-7/2.45) and Vito Sanfratello (14-8/2.80).

Third place Crystal Lake tacked up a very good month with a 17-12 mark, but lost a terrific hitter in RF Paul Dillon to injury for the rest of the season... Dillon was the club leader with a .326 BA... he had 11 HRs, 43 RBIs and 43 runs... there are no other exceptional bats like him, but the Crushers do have some dependable ones in SS Morten Jonassen (.284/6/53/57), rookie 1B Daryl Brady (.296/10/48/41), 18-year-old rookie CF Jesse Walker (.296/1.30/60) and C Stan Stanek... (.268/12/59/55)... team is short on pitching... Ken Lawson (13-11/3.36) and Danny Darby (11-8/4.07) are the most reliable.

The fourth place San Dimas Rancheros were 16-13 in July... that makes two good months in a row... but they are too far back to make a run... top pitchers are Gil Arnaud (15-9/3.32) and Duffy Davidson (10-8/3.15)... best bats 1B Pat Sautier (.324/10/58/56), 3B Leonard Purkey (.311/10/50/54), RF Denny Hendrix (.287/21/66/62), LF Austin Epps (.298/12/54/53) and CF Klaus Stordahl (.271/20/53/63).

Last year's division champion Claxton is fifth this season... the Diamonds started poorly, but have managed to recover somewhat... they were 16-14 in July, but still trail by 11 games... still one game under .500... Stan Yudash (14-10/3.25) and Abe Schiffman (13-11/3.07) anchor the staff... carrying the offensive load are All-Star 2B Gary Colton (.334/13/56/57), All-Star 1B Jojo DeLucca (.305/24/69/71), SS Stevie Wynn (.299/7/35/67) and CF Ivan Krause (.268/19/59/36).

For the last two months the Grand City Cybercats had compiled the best record in the RU South, going 33-22, but it hasn't made up for the miserable April and May... they are in sixth place and 14 games off the pace... 25-year-old Kenny Morrow is the only respectable starter with an 11-13 mark and a 3.13 ERA... Morrow lead the RU with 195 Ks and is number two in the IPA... in the bullpen 22-year-old Kent Douglas (7-4/2.31/13 saves) has been excellent... the top bats have been 1B Benny Hull (.301/27/75/59), SS Teddy Grantham (.323/14/44/47) and C Iggy Van Dyck (.295/14/44/47).

The Valka Blackhawks are in the seventh spot in the standings, 15 games out first... they put up 13 wins and 16 defeats in the last month... CF Kenny Mitzusaka (.320/14/65/50), All-Star 1B Bobby Scott (.316/22/63/62) and SS Warren Block (.292/14/54/52) are the leading batsmen... and leading the mound staff are starter Ando Lintrop (10-6/3.16) and relief ace Julien Rouse (5-3/1.15/10 saves).

The horrible season continued for the last place Belair Beach Sunbirds... they were only 9-20 this month... All-Star 1B Jason Butler is having a wonderful year with 33 homers, which is second to the Ruthlandian leader Brad Alexander of Middlefield, who has 36... the 26-year-old slugger is batting .298 with 66 RBIs and 59 runs... star CF Bobby Meusel hasn't been his usual self with a poor .250 BA, but he has 18 home runs, 48 RBIs and 56 runs... Todd Clyman (11-15/3.83) is the best of the poor mound staff.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, August 1, 2039

RATTLERS PUT THE BITE ON CATS
For the second blistering month in a row the defending division champion of the Ruthlandian East, the Sugar Valley Rattlers, have decimated the opposition with a great 21-8 record... going into July they trailed Cold Creek by two games, not only did they catch the Catamounts they have passed them by a five-game margin... the Rattlers have the top record in the Ruthlandian Union with 70 victories, second to the IPA-leading North Hills Hawks, who have chalked up 72 so far... no one else is in the ballpark in the RU East pennant chase... Beechwood is a very distant third, 15 games back... with Wynnamac and Elnora tied for fourth, 16 games behind... the RU East has settled down to a two-team affair.

What makes Sugar Valley so strong is the the vastly-improved pitching... the Rattlers can always score runs, but they always have trouble on the mound... not this year... they are blessed with very good starters: Christopher Dunsberry (13-6/2.78), Juan Navarro (14-6/2.97), Josh Wilkerson (11-6/3.04) and All-Star Jeremy Blanchard (14-6/3.60)... as always, the bats are booming, too, with the likes of superstar All-Star 3B Roger Hobbs (.334/24/87/71), superstar All-Star RF Bobby Gamble (.297/24/82/86), star All-Star LF Tyler White (.278/29/85/69) and 1B Richie Strickland (.288/18/42/96)... Strickland will go over the 100 mark in runs for the fifth consecutive season.

The Cold Creek Catamounts slipped to 13-16 for the month and lost their spot atop the division... they still have top-notch pitching with Rob Hutchins (11-5/2.32), Pete Heller (12-5/2.49), Joey Baker (13-7/3.34) and ace J. J. Gillespie (15-8/3.01)... in late May Gillespie was only 4-5 with a 4.83 ERA... since then he has gone 11-3 with an ERA under 1.50... but it's still not enough to hold off Sugar Valley... the Cats just don't seem have the firepower to stave off the Rattlers... their top producers at the plate are CF Guy St. Laurent (.268/17/69/50), SS Jeremy Hall (.293/3/49/69) and RF Ken Brennan (.291/5/48/60)... it appears Cold Creek may have to settle for second place again this season.

The Beechwood Bobcats are the only other club in the RU East with a winning record... they are one-game over the .500 mark and were a fine 17-12 in July... the Bobcats hit with power (122 HRs- 7th) and score pretty well (507 runs-8th) and have decent pitching with a 3.72 ERA (17th), especially three of the starters: Neil Palmer (11-8/2.44), John Mueller (10-4/2.54) and Jimmy Herman (13-10/3.27)... top performers at the plate are All-Star SS Cody Hanks (.302/23/82/65), All-Star RF Eddie Wilson (.335/28/75/77) and 2B Mel Smith (.294/12/52/80).

The Wynnamac Sundowners had their worst month of the season at 11-18... the offense is still there, but the pitching isn't... they are hitting .273 (3rd), have scored 557 runs (2nd), but don't have much power (85 HRs-26th)... All-Star CF Darrell Donnelly (.335/15/108/73) is having a monster year and is the IPA leader with 108 runs batted in... Donnelly is the only super stick, the rest are good contact hitters, but not much in the way of power... Ernie Hodges (14-9/3.77) is the biggest winner on the staff... not much after him.

The Elnora All-Stars are tied with Wynnamac for fourth place... they posted 16 wins and 13 losses in July, but still are 16 games out... possess fairly good offense with All-Star C Cannon Johnson (.316/24/81/64) and CF Clive Kenyon (.333/9/43/57)... however, the pitching is questionable... Jeremy Sellers (13-10/4.22) and Don Martz (10-9/3.95) are the most effective starters.

The Eastshore Elegants are in sixth place in the standings... has average bats and mediocre pitching... were 14-15 in July... leading the attack are superstar All-Star CF Scotty Lagrange (.305/20/66/69), star All-Star SS Johnny Petrak (.296/13/50/59), 1B Paul Reed (.306/13/62/50) and 2B Marty O'Reilly (.312/21/55/44)... on the hill Koy Clampett (13-8/3.82) and Ramon Contreras (12-13/3.85) are the most reliable pitchers.... in the bullpen Kenny Chandler (5-4/2.27/12 saves) has stood out.

The seventh place Marston Nine did poorly in July at 10-19... just a second-division ball club... Matt Reeves (13-11/3.80) and Barry Sexton (12-13/2.94) are the best starters, while All-Star Webb Walden (4-3/1.88/14 saves) has been strong in the bullpen... All-Star SS Stan Mila (.311/11/67/52) and 2B Lonnie Trekell (.284/15/53/40) are the only reliable hitters.

The basement-dwelling Belle Plaine Musketeers began the season well, but went down every month since, spiraling down to a dismal 8-21 last month... to show you how bad the Muskies are, Benny Lucas (8-8/4.53) and Alex Gillespie (10-12/5.15) are the most effective starters... star RF Boo Boudreaux (.282/26/66/64) and LF Noel Martin (.292/21/76/63) are the best bats... with some help from 1B Mitch Mason (.289/18/45/49).

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, August 1, 2039

ROVERS, DEFENDERS & VIGILANTES CONTEND IN RU WEST
"I got it... no, you take it" seems to be the dialogue this year in the hunt for Ruthlandian West Division title... Nobody can take command... it's a three-team tussle with Sligo on top by two games over Fort Benton and three better than third place Volusia... lurking in the distance are Middlefield and last year's winner Colfax trailing by eight games and sixth place Rocky Rapids nine games behind.

First place Sligo still has the lead, but missed a chance to widen the gap with a 15-14 record in July... the Rovers' threesome of All-Star Scotty Price (14-8/2.46), Randall Steele (18-6/2.95) and Tom Pierson (11-11/2.75) are keeping them in the lead with the help of some productive bats... the Rovers are hitting only .259 (17th), but have scored well with 127 HRs (4th) and 520 runs (6th), led by All-Star CF Joe McGarrett (.312/23/67/73), SS Neil Mitchell (.289/20/59/65) and 1B Denny Simmons (.298/10/45/69).

Fort Benton only posted a 14-15 mark last month and missed a golden opportunity to get even with Sligo... the Defenders survive on pretty good pitching (3.34ERA/6th) and hitting (.269 BA-5th), but with little power (73 HR-31st)... staff leaders are All-Star Augie Marquis (18-10/2/63), Jordy Raeburn (10-11/2.90) and Robby Duhe (8-7/3.14)... they have a strong bullpen, too (2.15 ERA-1st)... most dependable bats are All-Star C Hunter Glenholmes (.322/4/32/65), 3B Mitch Hamilton (.302/2/38/70), 1B Oscar Pendleton (.294/11/50/41) and RF Cayman Crittenden (.262/11/66/62).

The third place Volusia V's had a losing month in July for the first time this season at 14-15... but still are hanging around, just 3 games off the pace... good pitching is their forte (3.40 ERA-7th)... not much offense, ranking 25th in scoring with 465 runs... top hurlers are Drew Selby (18-9/3.10), Andrew Arryn (10-3/2.74) and Raul Navarro (10-12/2.76)... all hurt by poor run support... club leaders offensively are 1B Kris Wilson (.326/14/70/51), CF Cazzi Carvalho (.290/14/61/75) and 2B Charlie Farmer (.290/10/40/75).

July was another losing month for the Middlefield Roosters, who went 13-16 and slipped eight games out in the race... the Roosters rely on firepower with 171 HRs (1st) and scoring (549-3rd), second to Bayview of the Tycobbian league, which has 175 to lead the IPA... not much in the way of pitching (4.15 ERA-28th)... All-Star C Brad Alexander leads the RU with 36 HRs, ranked third in the IPA behind Jack Culpepper of Bayview with 38 and Clay Johnston of High Mesa with 37... Alexander is hitting a lowly .233, but has driven in 84 runs... CF Norman Antonioni (.257/29/50/60), RF Alejandro Dominguez (.295/15/57/61) and 3B Colt Chadwick (.340/5/29/44) are other contributors... most dependable on the hill have been starters Larry Wheelhouse (11-8/3.46) and James Long (12-13/3.30)... in the bullpen it's been All-Star Ray Owens (4-4/3.02/15 saves).

The preseason favorite and defending division champ Colfax Blasters were 15-14 in July and stayed static in the race... still eight games behind Sligo... the Blasters are good with the bats (.274 BA-2nd), but mediocre on the mound with a 4.07 ERA (24th)... All-Star LF Chet Penn tops the club with a .324 BA, 19 HRs, 78 RBIs and 65 runs... CF Samm Bolton (.311/4/43/55), C Mitch Fullerton (.312/17/45/58) and 1B Kristian McEly (.251/18/66/47) have also chipped in offensively... the only effective pitcher has been Bobby Porter (16-7/3.49).

Th sixth place Rocky Rapids Snappers really made hay while the July sun was shining with a fine 18-11 record, but it's probably too late for them... they are still nine games behind leading Sligo... starters Janek Zoldak (14-8/2.66), Jamie Taylor (12-11/2.63) and Randy Peters (13-9/3.67) are the most dependable... the bullpen is quite bad with a 4.91 ERA (31st)... the bats are bad, too... only LF Buddy Hamilton (.256/17/64/54) has any power... the best averages belong SS Nick Nova (.289/8/37/56) and Duncan Musselwhite (.279/1/34/53), both light hitters.

The seventh place Forest City Lumberjacks had a pretty good month, going 15-14 in July... leading the way are starters Rich Barstow (12-8/2.85) and Walter Gibbons (10-10/2.97)... the most reliable hitters are C Bob Brisdon (.314/21/66/49) and 1B Pistol Pete Picard (.279/16/51/39).

The Stoner Stars remained in the RU West cellar with a poor 11-18 mark last month... the Stars have a pretty fair offense (.269 BA-7th) and very poor pitching (4.98 ERA-32nd)... All-Star 2B Don Cain (.333/15/62/59) tops the team in average, hits, homers, RBIs and runs... RF Amos Mars has aided with a .316 BA, 10 HRs, 39 RBIs and 54 runs... the only fair pitchers are starters Sammy Slater (10-7/3.92) and Michael Keller (9-12/3.25).

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2039

HAWKS SKY-HIGH IN JULY, NEW LEADER
The Tycobbian North Division has a new leader at the end of July... defending IPA champion North Hills put it into overdrive this month and flew past the Fairfax Frogs by five games... the Hawks were 22-7 for the month, while the Frogs slipped to 14-15... Mahaska is in third place and trails by eight games... Luxora is fourth and 11 games back.

North Hills really soared this month to take over first place... they do everything well... excellent starting rotation with Tony Mack (16-6/2.11), who has the best ERA in the IPA, Jeff Owens (17-6/2.70), Frankie Lambert (11-5/2/48) and David Michael (12-9/3.51)... and a solid core of hitters paced by IPA superstar All-Star LF Adam Thurgood, who is having a sensational season with 32 HRs, 95 RBIs, 68 runs and a .340 BA... 2B Tommy Vavas (.291/7/43/69) is the best of the other regulars... the Hawks platoon many positions and get lots of help from SS Norris Henry (.325/4/28/30), CF Kris Anastas (.287/8/35/34), RF Gerry Rice (.292/9/27/42) and 3B Jim McDermott (.269/9/48/33).

The runner-up Fairfax Frogs are a strong team, too, with impressive hitting, pitching and fielding... until now, they have given the Hawks fits... if they get hot and North Hills cools off some, the Frogs can leap right back in it... Fairfax has been hit by the injury bug with the loss of All-Star C Joe King (.313/4/32/38) and fine CF Eric Kusek (.319/4/46/38)... top pitchers are Harold Dorman (15-9/2.85), Lee Rose (15-8/3.49), Steven McLeod (12-11/3.40) and Lucien Vachon (11-11/3.97)... Bruno Stratton (7-2/1.86/10 saves) leads a terrific bullpen... stalwarts at the plate are All-Star 2B John Velasco (.310/21/87/71), CF Sam Price (.308/7/49/55) and LF Max Lebowitz (.280/9/45/48).

The third place Mahaska Haymakers recovered from a June slide and got back on track to 18-11 in July, still they lost ground to the high-flying Hawks... solid pitching and better-than-average hitting keeps the Haymakers going... Mackie McGinnity (13-4/3.12), Warren Heath (15-8/3.20) and Mark Pennington (12-10/3.00) lead the starters... Freddy Pfeffer (2-2/2.17/6 saves) leads the bullpen... at the plate it's star 2B Mikk Kukk (.301/19/65/67), RF Anton Hymel (.297/19/46/51), LF Bill Whittier (.265/17/63/66) and SS Rocco Bertara (.287/6/30/68).

The fourth place Luxora Zorros dipped a bit to 14-15 in July, but still have a quality ball club... there are no standout sticks, but a few good ones like SS Joel Poche (.278/18/48/70), LF Milt Powers (.277/15/70/52), RF Derrek Jackson (.298/9/48/51), 3B Todd Dubbins (.286/17/53/55), 1B Gerry Hathaway (.265/14/42/54) and CF Carl Denton (.316/7/37/32)... pitching-wise ace Kent Halloran (17-7/2.78) is one the best in the IPA... Roy Watson (15-8/3.47) is also having a good season... in the bullpen Fernando Sanches (3-2/0.72/21 saves) tops the IPA in saves.

Fifth place Hartsdale revitalized its first-division hopes with an 18-11 July... the Hellcats feature average hitting, scoring and power, along with sound pitching... All-Star SS Paul Wynn (.289/28/74/63) is the club leader in hits, homers, RBIs and runs... 3B Robinson Alomar (.292/14/47/42) has added some offense... and rookie RF Rodney Buck has hit .340 with 10 HRs, 39 RBIs and 40 runs, while splitting time in the outfield... Wayne Dawson (16-9/2.88) is having a fine season on the hill... in the pen rookie Alfonso Cervera (3-3/1.98/15 saves) had done well, too..

The White River Rascals are in the sixth spot in the standing... they stumbled badly in July with a 12-17 mark... yet they are five games above .500... just an average hitting team (.259 BA-15th tied) with very good power (149 HR-3rd), but with lackluster pitching (4.08/21st)... All-Star SS Warren McKenzie (.276/31/92/69), C Stevee Dee Daniels (.242/26/66/57) and CF Buford Cross (.298/17/50/62) are the power guys... 2B Kunta Burton (.315/3/29/53) is the best average-wise... starters Trenton Anderson (13-8/3.90) and Clem Warren (12-7/4.27) are the leaders in victories, while Paul Sardini (9-10/3.69) has been the most effective... in the bullpen Mick Cronyn (4-1/2.89/2 saves) and Les Dennis (5-8/3.20/18 saves) have been the best relievers.

The seventh place Blue Lake Blue Sox had a fairly good season going until they bombed in July to a terrible 10-19... in spite of that slump, the Blue Sox are just one game under the break-even mark... they have fairly good pitching with a 3.67 ERA (12th), but lack offense (476 runs-22nd)... Sal Mays (15-10/2.96) and Frankie Quinn (14-12/3.34) are the top two starters... the club leader at the plate is 2B Egon Ojamaa, who tops them with 18 HRs, 71 RBIs and 61 runs, while batting .268... LF Jack Ryan has the best average at .309, followed by 1B Elton Graff with .303... C Jan Kobak is batting .290.

The last place Oxford Red Caps haven't come close to a winning month this season... they were 10-19 last month... the only thing the Red Caps do well is hit homers (133-8th)... the team BA is .245 (27th)... the team ERA is a very high 4.65 (31st)... 2B Alonzo Norris tops the club with a .305 BA, 125 hits and 65 runs, while collecting 23 HRs and driving in 59 runs... CF Dalton Ward leads with 30 homers and 73 RBIs, while batting .246... LF Donny Braun has also been a good stick with a .295 BA, 17 HRs, 51 RBIs and 59 runs... the mound staff is so bad that the team ace Max D'Albini's 10-10 record and poor 4.90 ERA looks good compared to the others.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2039

TURON UPS LEAD TO 6 IN TU SOUTH
At the end of July, the Tycobbian South is down to a two-team race... two-thirds into the season the reigning division winner Turon Typhoons has built up a solid six-game edge over arch-rival San Alejo... the Southport Sun Soxx and Cape Coral Hurricanes are deadlocked in third place, 11 games back in the race.

Turon added two games to their lead by going 18-11 last month, while San Alejo was 16-13... the Typhoons are a talented team on the hill and at the plate... sparked by Armin Boehm (20-5/3.14) and Nate Scottsdale (18-5/3.27), who are having excellent years... the other two starters are only having fair seasons: Wes Brynnton (11-9/3.89) and Clyde Engstrom (12-12/3.60)... Engstrom is particularly disappointing ... last year he was the Tycobbian MVP and Golden Arm winner with 26 victories... Turon's top batters are star All-Star RF Guido Gervasio (.333.22/82/72), superstar All-Star SS C. C. Kingsford (.312/20/68/77), LF J. P. Trevenot (.306/18/55/80) and All-Star 3B George Jordan (.291/17/57/56).

Runner-up San Alejo has good pitching and a good offense, but not quite equal to Turon... All-Star Benny Buckmaster (16-7/2.57) is the main man this year with help from Tommy Smith (10-8/3.25)... Matt Bell (11-14/3.35) and Johnny Brown (9-10/3.46) also have had some quality starts... leading the Montaneros in the batter's box are star C Filipe Zamora (.310/15/60/52), rookie SS Sal McAlister (.290/7/49/66) and LF Charley Wilberforce (.295/10/47/49)... the power guys are 1B Ted Hatch (.273/16/51.36) and CF Dusty Rogan (.244/15/63/62).

Southport is tied with Cape Coral for the third spot in the standings... they have played the best ball in the division the last two months... the Sun Soxx were 16-10 and 18-11 in June and July... their pitching staff has to do it all... the bats are just not there... the top arms are starters Billy Hoover (12-8/2.74) and Johnny Swanson (11-11/2.84)... the bullpen is strong with Hal Combs (4-5/1.80/9 saves) leading the way... LF Barney Lewis is the club leader with 98 hits, 22 HRs, 61 RBs and 64 runs, but is hitting only .260... the best BAs belong to two rookies, 1B Eddy Douglas (.308/14/55/41) and SS Ricky Whitaker (.291/4/32/48).

The hard-hitting, high-scoring Cape Coral Hurricanes have the offense with a .279 BA (2nd), 599 runs (1st) and 138 HRs (6th), but are terrible on the hill (4.53 ERA-30th)... in July they were 14-15... the Hurricanes' top gunners are star slugger and All-Star 1B Stan Ferguson (.324/20/84/47), CF Max Tselika (.331/13/47/78), star RF William Snyder (.315/23/74/62), star LF Paul Law (.307/18/64/75) and star 3B Rikky Van Dalen (.300/21/66/89)... Benton McCall (12-4/3.03) is easily the most effective starter... Tommy Van Noord (9-7/3.67/5 saves) has also done fairly well since moving in from the bullpen.

The Summerland Sunsets are one game over .500 and in fifth place, a dozen games behind in the race... they have the best pitching in the IPA with a 2.85 team ERA... but the Sunsets are one of the worst-hitting teams in the IPA with a .238 BA (31st)... that's the prime reason they were only 12-17 in July... All-Star Jayson Hallstrom (13-10/2.36), Johnny Young (12-10/3.06), Freddi Rossi (9-11/2.57) and Dutch De Boer (6-9/3.03) have all suffered from a lack of run support... the ace in the bullpen is Ronald Shaddock (8-6/1.90/6 saves)... spot starter/reliever Freddy Farentino (4-4/3.23/2 saves) has been effective, too... CF Antonio Vasquez tops the club with a .317 BA, 26 doubles, 67 runs and 75 walks... he gets a little help from 2B Todd Cummins (.271/16/52/41) and RF Eamon O'Toole (.270/13/56/32)... that's about it for the offense.

The Colchester Elites are sixth and aren't having much of a season... they were 14-15 last month... they lost their superstar All-Star RF Blake Barrister (.303/23/65/58) in early July with a hamstring injury... he will miss about a month... Barrister and 3B Joey Rogers (.295/10/60/56) are just about the entire offense... starters Dave Lacoste (7-8/3.44), Eduardo Rivera (9-12/3.55) and Kyle Shepard (10-12/3.84) have given the club some good efforts, but they suffer from a lack of runs.

It's another dismal season for the Arroyo Grande Suns... they were 12-17 for the month and will have a battle on their hands to stay out of the TU South basement... Fernando Campos (13-11/3.97) is the only decent starter... the best arm on the team is in the bullpen... All-Star Cody Simmons (3-5/1.39/17 saves) has been a standout closer... very little at the plate... 1B Matt Moore (.287/11/43/47) and 3B Wesley Cox (.280/10/52/47) have the best averages, while LF Rene Jesclard (.246/21/51/74) is the most productive batter.

The last place Ginza Ninjas compiled a poor 12-17 mark in July... they don't have any pitching and not much offense... starters Julian Bass (7-4/3.41) and Emil Kaltenborn (12-12/3.94) are the only decent pitchers... in the bullpen Timmy Hickens has 18 saves and a 2.92 ERA, but is only 1-7 on the year... the only threats in the line-up are two very good hitters: star All-Star CF Sogo Takagi (.328/27/80/85) and playing-manager star LF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.301/7/50/72).

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, August 1, 2039

MIDWAY ON TOP IN 3-TEAM RACE
The top two clubs in the Tycobbian East Division stumbled a bit in July... now it's a four-team race between first place Midway, second place Tuckanarra and Ozarka, and East Point in the fourth spot... the Wolves are four games ahead of the Blue Jays and Naturals and five in front of the Panthers... the Tucks are the defending champion and trying for their sixth division crown in a row... Ozarka had a good month with a 17-12 mark... East Point did, too, at 16-13... Midway and Tuckanarra both went 13-16 to tighten up the pennant race... only three teams in the weak TU East are above the .500 mark for the season.

Good pitching is keeping the Midway Wolves on top, led by Carl Dreaux (14-8/3.33), Cary Snead (12-10/3.39), Charlie Chase (11-11/3.75) and Bobby Boy Wolf (9-5/2.78/1 save)... not much offense... but they have a few decent bats in 2B Lou Flowers (.298/18/74/56), All-Star LF Bennett Caldwell (.315/12/51/59), 1B Shaman Sakima (.282/20/64/64) and CF Yancey Tanner (.293/0/38/69)... Midway won't go far in the postseason, should they win the pennant... just a middle-of-the road club.

Tuckanarra has dominated the division the last six seasons, but not this year... the Blue Jays are not the same club... it will be tough to repeat again... they are pretty much an average team and are just one game over .500... Bobby Reid (11-7/3.52) has the best record on the staff... MVP and Golden Armer Junior Bristow (10-13/3.13) and Jeff Buttrum (10-12/4.38) are having very disappointing seasons... closer Jack Rogers (9-6/1.95/12) has done a fine job in the bullpen... only LF Spade Weldon (.303/14/52/72) is having any kind of good season... IPA icon RF Lorne Evans has flopped this year with a poor .237 BA, 13 homers, 60 RBIs and 57 runs... far away from his career season numbers of .305 BA, 40 HRs, 105 RBIs and 120 runs.

The Ozarka Nats have had good months back-to-back and may be playing the best ball of the four contenders... they have three decent starters in Glen Jenkins (15-9/3.42), Dirk Halstad (7-3/3.90) and Teddy O'Shea (6-5/3.06)... only two dependable bats: 3B Jimmy Woods (.301/18/63/51) and SS Duffy Morrison (.293/19/57/69).

The fourth-place East Point Panthers only do one thing well... the have 143 HRs (4th)... otherwise they are a mediocre club, one-game below .500... SS Dean O'Donnell (.262/20/62/52) and 1B Bert Henrich (.275/22/66/55) are the only dependable bats in the line-up... top starters are only average: Johnny Moore (10-8/3.75) and Frank Blair (10-10/3.88)... superstar ace Dixie Brooks (9-10/5.32) is having an atrocious year... Tuck Tawney (5-1/1.85/9 saves) had done very well as closer.

Preseason favorite Red Bluff has not produced this year... they are in fifth place in the standings and 10 games off the pace... but they have improved in the last two months (30-25) after a very slow start (19-35)... the Red Sox have mediocre pitching (4.16-23rd), don't hit for average (.242 BA-30th), but can go deep (157 HR-2nd)... top hitters are star All-Star CF Ike Sweetwater (.296/26/73/67), who leads the club in hits, BA, HRs, RBIs and runs scored... RF David Kelso (.286/25/69/50), LF Jesse Shaw (.269/17/53/66) and 3B Fran Blanchard (.257/21/45/41) have also contributed... most productive pitchers are Jud Cox (14-8/3.24) and Tony Defazio (12-12/3.78).

In the sixth spot are the South Fork Stallions, tied with Hillsboro... they have yet to have a winning month, going 14-15 in July... the Stallions are headed for another second-division finish for the fourth consecutive season... pitching has vastly improved, but the offense is still poor... South Fork's most effective starters are Big Murph McAlister (13-10/3.04), Roger Johnson (8-8/3.53) and Mike Lambertini (7-9/3.29/3 saves)... fine 3B Elton Jacoby (.325/17/47/71) is the only threat in the batting order... SS Jess Wilkerson (.246/21/65/53) has helped out some.

For the sixth succession season the Hillsboro Blazers are destined for a spot near the bottom of the TU East... they are tied with South Fork for sixth... the Blazers were 15-14 last month... they have fair hitting and average pitching... Ralph Quick (10-10/3.74) and Cazzie Reier (9-12/3.49) are the only reliable starters... no standout sticks... the best of the lot are LF Julien Bellini (.263/26/67/68) and 1B Claude Kingston (.287/24/62/63).

The High Mesa Cowboys are in last place and is just a bad ball team... no pitching and no bats... Russ Krolle (11-11/3.65) is the only dependable starter... LF Clay Johnston is having a fine season with 37 HRs, second in the IPA to Bayview's Jerry Culpepper, the leader with 38... Johnston has 75 RBIs, scored 62 runs and is batting .288... he is getting a little longball help from 1B Clifford Coleman (.255/22/57/57) and veteran slugger RF Corbett Brooks (.209/28/56/58).