ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, October 16, 2040

GOLDEN ARMS GO TO COLD CREEK'S GILLESPIE, NORTH HILLS' OWENS
Cold Creek's J. J. Gillespie and North Hills' Jeff Owens were selected the top twirlers in the IPA and were awarded Golden Arms this season... At age 35, Gillespie has now won the Ruthlandian honor for a record fifth time... it was 34-year-old Owens' first time to win the coveted award.

Ruthlandian Union:
1. J. J. Gillespie... Cold Creek... paced the Catamounts to the fourth division crown in five years... they topped the IPA with 101 victories... Gillespie was 23-11 with 269 strikeouts and led the RU with a 2.26 ERA... he was third in the IPA in Ks, first the RU... Gillespie reached the 200-win milestone this season and now is 206-105 in 12 years with the Catamounts... he is number one in the IPA with a 2.28 lifetime ERA.

2. Christopher Dunsberry... Sugar Valley... went 23-8 with a standout 2.67 ERA in spite of having to pitch in a notorious hitters' ball park... his Rattlers finished third in the divison race.

3. Jimmy Herman... Beechwood... 24-13 with a 2.92 ERA and 252 Ks for a second place team... 25 complete games.

Tycobbian Union:
1. Jeff Owens... North Hills won division title for the seventh year in a row... Owens chalked up 28 victories and was the IPA leader... he only lost 7 games and put up a 2.48 ERA.

2. Jayson Hallstrom... led Summerland to its first pennant in eight years with a 24-7 mark and the best ERA in the IPA with a superb 2.06 ERA... Hallstrom had 8 shutouts... the most in the IPA this year and came within one of tying the all-time IPA record.

3. Lanny Gray... Arlon's fine young fireballer... the Champions tied for second in the TU West... Gray was 21-7 with a 2.31 ERA and 227 Ks... he notched 22 complete games.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, October 17, 2040

IPA ROOKIE TROPHIES AWARDED TO MITCHELL & HOWARD
The best newcomers in the IPA were both pitchers. Johnny Mitchell snagged the Ruthlandian Rookie of the Year Award and Johnny Howard copped the Tycobbian rookie trophy.

Ruthlandian Union:
1. Johnny Mitchell... Wynnamac... went 5-4 with 15 saves and an impressive 2.30 ERA in 42 relief appearances for the fifth-place Sundowners.

2. Al Rhodes... LF Eastshore... hit .323 for the sixth-place Elegants with 16 homers, 54 RBIs and 70 runs scored... Rhodes also stole 16 bases while playing in 121 games.

3. Mike Bruce... 2B Valmara Vipers... racked up 175 hits in 134 games with a .310 BA, 1 homer, 40 RBIs and 70 runs scored... the Vipers were a seventh-place team.

Tycobbian Union
1. Johnny Howard... compiled an 18-11 record with a 3.64 ERA for the sixth-place Rolling Hills Reds.

2. Stan Terry... 1B Summerland Sunsets... he hit .290 for the Sunsets, who captured the TU South pennant for the time since 2033... Terry had 31 doubles, 4 triples, 14 homers, 69 RBIs and 70 runs.

3. Hank Morton... La Claire Lynx RF... batted .338 with 5 HRs, 43 RBIs, 66 runs and 12 SBs in 105 games... the Lynx, however, finished near the bottom in seventh place.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, October 18, 2040

GILLESPIE, CULPEPPER IPA MVPS
Earlier in the week J. J. Gillespie grabbed the RU Golden Arm Award and Jerry Culpepper was named the TU Golden Bat winner. Gillespie and Culpepper are now double winners in this award season. They both have added the prestigious Most Valuable Player trophies to their collection. Gillespie is the Ruthlandian Union MVP for the third time in his legendary career. He also won it in 2033 and 2037. For Culpepper, this is the first time he has been honored as the Tycobbian Union MVP.

Ruthlandian Union:
1. J. J. Gillespie - Cold Creek... helped Catamounts win a fourth flag in the last five seasons with a 23-11 record and a league-leading 2.26 ERA... Gillespie also had the most strikeouts in the Ruthlandian Union with 269, third best in the IPA... Cold Creek piled up 101 victories, the most in the IPA... won Golden Arm for fifth time... went over the 200-win mark this year... lifetime he is 206-105 in 12 seasons... Gillespie has the best all-time ERA in the IPA with a fantastic career 2.28 ERA.

2. Nioka Inkamara - Wynnamac RF... the phenomenal 23-year-old outfielder had a remarkable season with 48 homers, 145 RBIs and 104 runs... Inkamara paced the IPA in RBIs... he played in 144 games and batted at a .316 clip... this was his third season in the league.

3. Bobby Gamble - Sugar Valley RF... the Rattlers' all-everything had another fine season with a .314 BA, 32 HRs, 105 RBIs, 119 runs and 52 SBs... Gamble won the RU stolen-base title for the second time in his 8-year career.

Tycobbian Union:
1. Jerry Culpepper - Bayview's slugging 27-year-old second sacker set a new IPA standard for homers in a single season with 66... that beat Hall-of-Fame icon Jack Elliott by one... Elliott hit 65 in 2021 for the High Mesa Cowboys... Elliott is the all-time home-run king in the IPA with 848... Culpepper's great year helped his Vikings tie for second place in the TU West... not only did he hit homers, Culpepper hit for average, too... he batted .334 and came up 9 points short of a Triple Crown for leading the league in batting average, homers and RBIs... he led the Tycobbian Union with 66 homers and 146 RBIs... the only thing Culpepper missed was the batting title, won by Ginza's Ichiro Kazumi with a .343 average... Culpepper also topped the IPA with 134 runs.

2. Jeff Owens - North Hills hurler also had amazing year... Owens went 28-7 with a 2.48 ERA... he came up one win short of the all-time IPA victory mark of 29, held by Turon's Shane Farmer, which was set in 2018... Farmer had a magical year with a 29-3 record... 34-year-old Owens also won the TU Golden Arm Award this year... he sparked the Hawks to their seventh division title in a row.

3. Jayson Hallstrom - fine 23-year-old pitcher for the Summerland Sunsets... he went 24-7 and led the IPA and Tycobbian Union with a splendid 2.08 ERA... Hallstrom was instrumental in leading the Sunsets to the TU South pennant.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Friday, October 19, 2040

IPA BEST SKIPPERS SELECTED, LEMIEUX & HACKETT WIN
The best and quickest way to win a Manager of the Year Award in the IPA is to have a sensational turnaround year. Worst-to-first would almost be an automatic award winner. The toughest way to win is to have a great team. To win you have to really have a great season. This season's winners were Cold Creek's Scoop Lemieux, the Ruthlandian Manager of the Year and Summerland's Will Hackett, who captured the Tycobbian Manager of the Year Award. Lemieux has won the honor three times in the last five years, while it's the first time in Hackett four-decades long career that he has been picked. Lemieux won it in back-to-back seasons 2036 and 2037.

Ruthlandian Union:
1. Cold Creek's manager Scoop Lemieux came off a great 2039 with an even better 2040. The Catamounts were 94-61 last year and improved to 101-53 this season.

2. Crystal Lake's Herman "Baby" George rose up from 77-77 and fifth place (14 GB) to win the RU South with a 94-60 mark.

3. Beechwood's Bret George saw his Bobcats improve from 70-84 and seventh place (24 GB) to 94-60, which was only good enough for second place, 7 games behind powerful Cold Creek.

Tycobbian Union:
1. Summerland's Will Hackett motivated his club to rise up from 77-77 and third place, 14 GB to the TU South Division crown with a super 98-56 season.

2. High Mesa's Jack Elliott got his club to perk up from last place with a 57-97 record and 26 GB to second place with an 80-74 mark... the Cowboys lost the pennant by one game to Ozarka in the TU East.

3. North Hills' Todd Simons has been the top team in the RU North for seven straight seasons... last year he was 97-57... this year he was "just" 97-57... ironically, his team didn't improve enough to sway the voters that he was the best skipper in the Tycobbian Union... Simons came in third in the voting.

[Eugene Church]

Note: In order to finish a season quicker, I will just post the All-Star Game score and the mid-season league standings with no team recaps.

But I will recap the teams and the divisions at the end of the season.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, June 18, 2041

IPA ALL-STAR GAME TOMORROW IN RANFORD
Tomorrow afternoon at Ranford County Stadium in Ranford it'll be the 41st renewal of the Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star game. The Ruthlandian All-Stars, headed up by last year's Pro Cup championship skipper Chris Bernhoffer, will host the Tycobbian All-Stars, guided by Will Hackett of the runner-up Summerland Sunsets. Tycobbia has a one-sided edge in the mid-summer series. They have beaten the RU Stars 26 to 14 in the annual classic. The TU's Cape Coral Hurricanes have the most All-Stars with five, while Middlefield leads the RU with three players named to the squad. This will be the eighth time Bayview's Jerry Culpepper has made the Tycobbian Stars. Cody Hanks of Beechwood has made the Ruthlandian Stars seven times and J. J. Gillespie of Cold Creek, Johnny Petrak of Eastshore and Chet Penn of Colfax are appearing for the sixth time for Ruthlandia.

RUTHLANDIAN UNION ALL-STARS:
(All-Star years indicated by *)
SP ALEX GILLESPIE (BELLE PLAINE) (13-1/2.77) ****
SP JAMIE TAYLOR (ROCKY RAPIDS) 13-5/2.40 *
SP J. J. GILLESPIE (COLD CREEK) 12-6/2.58) ***** *
SP LARRY WHEELHOUSE (MIDDLEFIELD) (12-3/2.45) *
SP ARNIE AYERS (LAGRANGE) (11-5/2.56) *
SP GIL ARNAUD (SAN DIMAS) 11-2/2/67) *
SP WALTER GIBBONS (FOREST CITY) (14-4/2.83) *
RP JACK SCANLON (COLFAX) (4-1/1.29) *
C CANNON JOHNSON (ELNORA) (.331/15/48/42) ***
C BRAD ALEXANDER (MIDDLEFIELD) (.265/19/53/27) *****
C PAUL JACKSON (BEECHWOOD) (.312/14/41/37) *
1B JOJO DELUCCA (CLAXTON) (.314/15/59/46) ****
1B DARYL BRADY (CRYSTAL LAKE) (.352/12/53/32) *
1B ERNIE KIDD (COLFAX) (.308/17/56/41) *
2B CODY HANKS (BEECHWOOD) (.315/13/42/37) ***** **
2B KELLY HARDISON (FOREST CITY) (.335/13/44/48) *
3B JASON BUTLER (BELAIR BEACH) (.326/25/68/60) ***
3B LEONARD PURKEY (SAN DIMAS) (.337/13/70/56) ***
3B TOMMY RICHARDSON (ANCONA) (.301/9/56/36) ****
SS JOHNNY PETRAK (EASTSHORE) (.316/13/44/36) ***** *
SS JOHN RODGERS (LAGRANGE) (.336/12/47/48) *
LF BOBBY MEUSEL (BELAIR BEACH) (.331/11/57/44) ****
LF CHET PENN (COLFAX) (.374/12/49/36) ***** *
LF ENOS CONRAD (ELNORA) (.376/13/37/57) *
CF KEN BRENNAN (COLD CREEK) (.351/3/43/51) **
CF NIOKA INKAMARA (WYNNAMAC) (.319/28/70/56) **
CF ALEJANDRO DOMINGUEZ (MIDDLEFIELD) (.300/21/55/47) *
RF NICKY FARRUGIA (ST. JOHN) (.347/19/62/51) ****
RF PAT DILLON (CRYSTAL LAKE) (.347/7/50/46) **

TYCOBBIAN UNION ALL-STARS:
SP JEFF OWENS (NORTH HILLS) (14-4/2.57) *****
SP JUNIOR BRISTOW (TUCKANARRA) (11-4/2.26) ***
SP KENT HALLORAN (LUXORA) (11-3/2.82) ***
SP JERGEN FYELSTAD (MAHASKA) (10-3/2.60) **
SP JAYSON HALLSTROM (SUMMERLAND) (11-5/2.02) ***
SP FREDDY GOOCH (KENWOOD) (12-6/2.76) **
SP TOMMY VAN NOORD (CAPE CORAL) (12-5/2.77) *
RP LES DENNIS (WHITE RIVER) (2-1/1.03/15 SAVES) *
C JAMES BOSWELL (MAHASKA) (.350/20/50/39) *
C CORKY DINOZZO (KENWOOD) (.318/21/44/39) *****
C JAAK PAJUKIVI (OZARKA) (.310/12/34/33) **
1B WAYMAN STETSON (DENTON CITY) (.349/28/79/47) ***
1B STAN FERGUSON (CAPE CORAL) (.330/21/59/42) ****
1B DARWIN TARD (ROLLING HILLS) (.332/11/55/62) **
2B C. C. KINGSFORD (TURON) (.316/13/49/46) ****
2B COUNTRY CROWDER (KENWOOD) (.355/4/26/50) *
3B JERRY CULPEPPER (BAYVIEW) (.361/29/71/59) ***** ***
3B KENT MANTLE (CAPE CORAL) (.318/16/45/47) *
3B SAM ESSEX (GINZA) (.328/15/58/43) **
SS JOEL POCHE (LUXORA) (.324/14/55/45) **
SS SAMMY THORNTON (DENTON CITY) (.330/3/30/51) *
SS DUFFY MORRISON (OZARKA) (.301/15/53/46) **
LF ICHIRO KAZUMI (GINZA) (.304/7/39/54) **
LF RIKKY VAN DALEN (CAPE CORAL) (.326/14/43/57) *
CF J. P. TREVENOT (TURON) (.338/13/52/56) ***
CF DARRELL NESBITT (HARTSDALE) (.338/8/47/55) *
CF IKE SWEETWATER (RED BLUFF) (.268/27/63/60) *****
RF JIMBO FOXX (ROLLING HILLS) (.305/18/54/42) *
RF WILLIAM SNYDER (CAPE CORAL) (.332/14/49/52) *****
RF ZACHARY KRIGER (WHITE RIVER) (.318/13/46/58) *

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, June 19, 2041

TU STARS DOWN RU 4-1 IN 41ST ALL-STAR GAME
At Ranford County Stadium, home of the reigning IPA champion Ranford Bulls, the Tycobbian All-Stars got a little bit of revenge for last year's upset loss in the Pro Cup Finals by downing the Ruthlandian All-Stars 4-1 in the 41st IPA All-Star Classic... seven pitchers fashioned the victory, giving up only one run on eight hits, striking out eight batters and walking none. This was the TU Stars' 27th win in 41 games.

Tycobbian 1B Wayman Stetson (Denton City) hit a solo homer in the second inning, SS Sammy Thornton (Denton City) made it 2-zip in the fifth with an RBI single... Ruthlandia's only score came on C Brad Alexander's home run in the top of the seventh that narrowed it to 2-1... then 3B Jerry Culpepper (Bayview) cinched the victory with a two-run single in the last of the seventh.

The TU Stars outhit Ruthlandia 11 to 8 with 2B C. C. Kingsford (Turon) leading the way with two hits in three tries... 1B Daryl Brady (Crystal Lake) got a pair of hits for Ruthlandia... Culpepper was given the game's Most Valuable Player Award.

[Eugene Church]

2041 IPA Midseason Standings

[Eugene Church]

2041 IPA Finals Standings

[Eugene Church]

2041 Ruthlandian Union Final Batting Leaderboard

Enos Conrad of the Elnora All-Stars easily won the RU batting title with a .391 average... the third-best all-time after Jet Kazmarek of Valmara, who batted .428 in 2002 and Juan Mendez of Belle Plaine with a .398 mark in 2008.

[Eugene Church]

2041 Ruthlandian Union Final Pitching Leaderboard

[Eugene Church]

2041 Tycobbian Union Final Batting Leaderboard

Antonio Vasquez of Summerland collected 51 doubles this year, but it is far short of the IPA record of 59 set in 2029 by Ronnie Guillaume of North Hills.

Slugging Jerry Culpepper of the Bayview Vikings had another spectacular season with 61 homers, but it was 5 short of his all-time IPA record set last year with 66... Culpepper is tied for fourth place with High Mesa's Jack Elliott, who also racked up 61 in 2013... Culpepper ranks third all-time with 63, hit in 2039... number two is Elliott with 65 in 2021.

[Eugene Church]

2041 Tycobbian Union Final Pitching Leaderboard

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

BULLS RAGE IN SECOND HALF, WIN RU NORTH AGAIN
The raging Bulls of Ranford came alive in the second half of the season to sweep past Valmara to win their second straight Ruthlandian Union North Division crown, this time by five games over the Vipers... the Bulls will now get to defend their Pro Cup crown in the Pro Cup playoffs... in an unprecedented and unbelievable upset last year Ranford won their first Pro Cup trophy... now they get a chance to repeat as IPA champion.

Leading Ranford (86-68) this year was All-Star ace Ralph Hawk (20-13/2.50), who got some help from Ronnie Schroeder (20-14/3.07)... Schroeder was 17-7 last year, but missed the postseason because of an injury... the Bulls are a better team this year with his addition to the playoff rotation... LF Dale Weston (.270) is back again to lead the attack with 42 homers, 101 RBIs and 100 runs scored... C Arlo Guthrie topped the team with a .323 BA.

Runner-up Valmara (81-73) was much improved over last year's seventh place finish... Kasio Kitowsky (20-15/3.54) and Bennie McCullough (19-16/3.16) were the top starters... the bullpen was outstanding with a 2.03 ERA (1st)... only an average club offensively, the Vipers were paced by a pair of rookies 3B Jose Vargas (.303) and SS Cain Greene (.287)... Greene was the team leader with 23 HRs, 81 RBIs and 83 runs, while Vargas had the best batting average with 8 homers, 63 RBIs and 71 runs.

The Kilkenny Cats (73-81) came in a distant third in the race and trailed by 13 games... last year they were second and two games out... Ciaran Cullen (11-8/3.98), Jon Kostro (13-13/3.92) and James Crockett (16-17/3.56) were the most dependable starters... all-time great David Whitaker (7-23/5.99) really struggled this year at age 38... he retired at season's end with a fantastic 347-282 mark and a great 2.80 career ERA... the Cats had very little at the plate... led by 1B Luis Cisneros with a .293 BA and LF Scottie Spencer with a .282 BA, 18 HRs and 81 RBIs.

In the fourth spot in the standings were the Taranto Tars (71-83) and the Glasco Athletics, 15 games off the pace... the Tars wound up fifth in 2040... Mario Martinelli (18-18/3.18) and Ric Vizzini (15-12/3.67) were the best mound performers... the Tars could hit homers, but little else... they came in fourth with 185 homers... at age 34 1B Karl Jankauskas slammed 31 HRs and batted in 96 runs, but batted only .245... CF Gary Tramonte batted .291 and topped the club with 87 runs... LF Derrick Damon led the club with a .305 average... Tramonte had 29 roundtrippers, RF Mark Delaney (.251) hit 27 home runs and 2B Franco Zincola (.259) totaled 22 HRs.

The Glasco A's (71-83) had decent pitching with Basil Newchurch (15-9/2.90) and Pat Meyers (15-14/3.60), but zilch in the batter's box with a .244 BA (31st)... however, it was an improvement over two last place finishes the last two years... the most reliable bats were CF Travis Houston (.261) with 19 homers and 82 RBIs... and SS Terry Johnstone (.269) with 15 HRs and 89 runs.

Not much of a year for sixth place Far Mountain (70-84), who lost its young ace Karl Nordheim in Spring Training for the season... Benny Weissman (15-11/4.33), Tommy Burgess (13-9/4.30) and Chad Cummings (10-5/4.07) were the most dependable on the hill... the productive bats were RF Harlan Silver with a .297 BA, 18 HRs, 71 RBIs and 77 runs, along with CF Bert Richter with club highs of 26 HRs, 82 RBIs and 104 runs, but he batted only .254... the Redhawks were fourth a year ago.

The seventh place LaGrange Sports (69-85) had another mediocre season... last year they were sixth... All-Star Arnie Ayers (20-13/2.56) was the ace of the mound staff with a lot of help from Hot Dog Huxtable (19-12/3.54)... top batsmen were CF Vasco Aguilar with a .342 BA, 35 HRs and 116 RBIs, All-Star SS John Rodgers with a .279 BA, 21 HRs, 83 RBIs and 85 runs and 1B Fred Bird with a 280 BA, 4 HRs, and 91 runs scored.

Last place went to the Ancona Red Elephants (68-86), who tumbled down from the third spot last year... Steven Russell (20-17/3.58) led the so-so mound staff... All-Star 3B Tommy Richardson again led the club with a .326 BA, 22 HRs and 110 RBIs.

2041 RU North Division Final Team Statistics

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

SAN DIMAS NIPS FAST-CLOSING WALESKA IN RU SOUTH
A strong first half enabled the San Dimas Rancheros to win their first Ruthlandian South Division title in a decade... the Rancheros ran up a six-game lead at mid-year, then just barely held off the fast-closing Waleska Westerners by a single game.

1. SAN DIMAS (92-62): the Rancheros have a strong attack and strong pitching... rose up from fifth place (19 GB) in 2040... All-Star Gil Arnaud (24-5/2.63), Toby White (19-10/2.94) were the mainstays, while Dale Huff (17-11/3.65) and Seth Dawson (14-10/3.93/10 saves) were solid in the number three and four slots in the rotation... All-Star 3B Leonard Purkey (.314/23/108/108), 1B Austin Epps (.317/22/104/71), C Hermie Goetz (.313/12/82/91), CF Klaus Stordahl (.284/13/81/79) and RF Denny Hendrix (.275/22/84/92) led the team's hit parade... except for bullpen, San Dimas could be a possible threat in the Pro Cup playoffs.

2. Waleska (91-63) (1 GB): almost won the division again... they have two Pro Cups (2037 and 2039) in the last five years... and three division crowns... the Westerners are a very good team with fine pitching from a solid veteran corps: Tony Haskell (24-9/2.85), Jeff Woodruff (22-12/2.87), Terry Richards (17-13/3.02), Niles Nielsen (11-7/2.50/14 saves) and Craig Nash (13-8/3.19/11 saves)... some pretty decent bats, too... RF Niles Gregory (.272/29/87/84), C Rodney Hanson (.330/9/72/90), CF Jon Lassiter (.293/11/60/88) and SS Monty McMurtry (.286/3/52/84).

3. Crystal Lake (84-70) (8 GB): won pennant last year, but the Crushers' pitching dropped them to third this year... death blow was the loss of two best starters Dale McCauley (17-5/2.54) and Arnie Cason (14-10/3.81) the last six weeks of the the season... potent bats in All-Star RF Paul Dillon (.352/12/81/78), All-Star 1B Daryl Brady (.338/27/106/74), SS Morton Jonassen (.327/2/62/62) and LF Johnny Kennedy (.286/19/94/70)... Dillon was fourth and Brady ninth in the RU batting race.

4. St. John (83-71) (9 GB): made the first division for the fourth consecutive season with a fourth-place finish... last pennant was in 2036... never won Pro Cup... features good pitching, but mediocre offense... Big Tee Telemachus (24-13/3.44) blossomed this year at age 26 after five years of lackluster success... ace Jeremy Kirk (16-17/3.08) suffered from offensive support... at 37 Lou Page (15-11/3.32) put up a good season... and 37-year-old Vito Sanfratello (8-11/2.90/3 saves) was still solid in the bullpen and as a spot starter... All-Star RF Nicky Farrugia (.344/32/108/101) had another super season and got help from veteran 3B Marty Blankenship (.263/26/102/74), young 1B Tod Allison (.302/6/61/101) and fine CF Art Kelley (.276/20/81/72).

5. Claxton (76-78) (16 GB): just a .500 ballclub since winning the RU South flag in 2038... Stan Yudash (14-12/3.48), Sam Nathan (16-18/3.27) and Abe Schiffman (17-18/4.10) were the most dependable starters... Maxie Richter (5-5/2.96/10 saves) was the best in the bullpen... All-Star 1B Jojo DeLucca (.331/36/129/105) had a super season... other fairly productive hitters were SS Stevie Wynn (.294/16/55/83), star 2B Gary Colton (.291/16/69/76) and C Jaan Hoogendoorn (.293/10/70/65)... CF Foxy Fuchs and RF Ivan Krause showed some power, but hit poorly... Fuchs had 23 HRs, 80 RBIs and 86 runs, but batted only .253, while Krause had 21 roundtrippers and 83 RBIs, but batted only .249.

6. Valka (69-85) (23 GB): tied for sixth with Belair Beach... 13th straight season in the second division... last pennant was way back in 2017... Ando Lintrop (14-17/3.40) and Matvey Kazak (17-17/4.16) were the best of the starters, while veteran reliever Julien Rouse (3-2/2.08/20 saves) had an excellent year... the only talent at the plate are star 1B Bobby Scott (.354/31/98/98) and star CF Kenny Mitzusaka (.309/25/89/100)... no one else comes close to these two... the Blackhawks are just a bad ballclub.

6. Belair Beach (69-85) (23 GB): the Sunbirds were in the cellar three years in a row... moved up slightly this season and escaped it... last postseason appearance was in 2016... possess a fairly good offense, but terrible pitching... top bats are superstar 1B Jason Butler, who really sparkled this year with a .320 BA, 49 HRs, 142 RBIs and 115 runs... Butler topped the RU in homers and RBIs... LF Bobby Meusel made the All-Star team, but missed the last third of the season with an injured rib... Meusel batted .323 with 15 homers, 81 RBIs and scored 69 runs... rookie SS Mark George did well with a .329 BA, 2 HRs, 44 RBIs and 88 runs... pitching-wise the Sunbirds were poor... journeyman pitcher Jody Younger (22-15/4.22) was a 20-game winner, but gave up a lot of runs... relievers Kyle Gibson (3-4/2.82/14 saves), Ray Dunn (3-1/2.31/1 save) and Tom Cook (1-2/1.99/4 saves) were the only reliable pitchers.

8. Grand City Cybercats (60-94) (32 GB): eighth year in a row near the bottom of the division... only made the playoffs three times in team's history... no Pro Cups... last pennant was in 2030... no offense, average pitching... Kenny Morrow (11-21/3.47) most effective pitcher... George Hamilton (14-14/3.99) and Glen Caswell (13-19/3.98) were good at times... 2B Teddy Grantham (.324/17/61/57) topped the team in BA... most productive was 1B Benny Hull (.287/30/101/84)... Hull was the club leader in hits with 189, homers, RBIs and runs... C Iggy Van Dyck (.268/21/86/67) had a pretty fair year, too.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

CC 'CATS WIN THIRD STRAIGHT RU EAST
For the third straight year and fifth time in six seasons the Cold Creek Catamounts have chalked up anothe Ruthlandian East Division flag... it was quite a race with the Belle Plaine Musketeers, who faded in the final six weeks... the 'Cats overcame them by three games with a 26-17 record in August and September, while the Muskies could only manage a 21-23 record... Sugar Valley surged in the second half, but fell four games short.

1. Cold Creek (86-68): for the first time in seven years the Catamounts failed to win at least 90 games... but they still prevailed with good pitching, good offense and standout defense (.978 FA)... All-Star superstar J. J. Gillespie (22-12/2.72) is still the ace... at age 36 he won 20 games for the seventh time in his brilliant career... however 35-year-old Joey Baker (18-18/3.71) and Rob Hutchins (14-12/3.65) were down a bit from last year... Baker was 20-8 in 2040 and Hutchins was 17-11... the offense was more than adequate, but didn't have much power... the Catamounts hit only 109 homers (31st-tied), but ranked sixth with a .274 BA and tied for fourth with 774 runs... 35-year-old CF Guy St. Laurent was the club leader with a .313 BA, 25 HRs, 90 RBIs, 92 runs and 16 SBs... SS Jeremy Hall (.307/7/79/82) and LF Jimmy Howell (.305/5/57/64) both had fairly good years.

2. Belle Plaine (83-71) (3 GB): it was a great turnaround season for the long-suffering Musketeers, who have been seventh or last for the past seven years... their last postseason appearance was in 2009... they have yet to claim a Pro Cup trophy... the Muskies feature good bats with power, but not much in the way of pitching except for two quality starters in All-Star Alex Gillespie (21-11/3.76) and Benny Lucas (17-15/4.19)... the team ERA is a sky-high 4.71 (32nd)... Cameron Akers (11-5/2.88/19 saves) was very good in the bullpen, along with Kurt Tandberg (4-1/1.58/8 saves)... Belle Plaine had some productive hitters in star CF Noel Martin (.321/24/78/95), star RF Boo Boudreaux (.310/30/96/101) and LF Larry Mills (.307/17/100/81)... other reliable bats were 1B Mitch Mason (.275/26/85/70), 3B Carl Lund (.231/25/59/43) and 2B Kit Ritter (.296/15/71/59).

3. Sugar Valley (82-72) (4 GB): for the seventh year in a row the Rattlers have placed in the top three teams in the division with one pennant in 2038 when they won 104 games... they have won nine pennants in the team's history, but never have hauled in a Pro Cup, though the Rattlers made the finals twice in 2004 and 2024... Sugar Valley led the RU with 816 runs and were third in homers with 191... solid pitching, too... they play in a hitters' ballpark... average defense (.974 FA)... All-Star Christopher Dunsberry (18-14/2.47), Jeremy Blanchard (18-14/3.89), Davey Brennan (15-14/3.90) and Josh Wilkerson (14-14/4.00) are a solid set of starters... gifted superstar RF Bobby Gamble (.320/36/123/121/26 SB) led the club in BA, HRs, RBIs, runs and stolen bases... with lots of help from star SS Roger Hobbs (.304/26/91/91/21 SB) and star LF Tyler White (.270/35/94/79)... young C Delmer Campbell had a fine year with a .283 BA, 27 HRs, 101 RBIs and 67 runs... so did 22-year-old 2B Richie Fry with a .316 BA, 6 HR, 63 RBIs and 85 runs... young 1B James Milton did well with 24 HRs, 75 RBIs and 61 runs in 113 games, while batting .261.

4. Eastshore (77-77) (9 GB): after three years in the second division, the Elites sneaked back into the first division in fourth place... it's been eight seasons since they graced the playoffs... Eastshore has won five pennants and two Pro Cups in its history... the Pro Cup years were 2016 and 2017... this season they led the division at the All-Star break, but went into a second-half funk and faded out of the pennant race... the Elegants are just an average club with power... 163 HRs (5th)... the big guns are All-Star SS Johnny Petrak (.321/29/94/86) and superstar RF Scotty Lagrange (.295/27/77/79)... other dependable players were 3B Abner Bronstein (.293/7/52/70/18 SB) and CF Bevan Shuler (.232/15/54/95), who led the IPA with 45 SBs... 37-year-old Koy Clampett (18-14/3.87) was the most effective starter with some help from Teddy Noble (15-16/4.02), Danny Gamble (14-17/3.98) and Ramon Contreras (18-14/4.94)... Kenny Chandler (3-3/2.37/16 saves) was the best in the bullpen.

5. Beechwood (75-79) (11 GB): for the past eight years the Bobcats have alternated between the first division and the second division... this was the year for the second division... last year they were 94-60 and finished second to Cold Creek... the pitching and hitting went south this year and the record tumbled to 75-79 and fifth place in the standings... the team ERA rose from 3.57 to 4.29... and the BA went down from .281 to .269... the Bobcats still have some pop with 218 HRs (2nd)... Beechwood has won only three pennants in its history and no Pro Cups... they haven't been to the postseason since 2027... the mound leader was Larry Carmen (17-8/3.42/3 saves)... last year's 20-game winner Jimmy Herman dipped to 12-19 with a 4.09 ERA... veteran Ken Arby, 262-211 in his career, was 15-12 at age 34, but his ERA rose up to a gaudy 4.45... at the plate it was two All-Stars, who led the way: 2B Cody Hanks (.336/23/84/73) and C Paul Jackson (.290/21/70/66)... talented RF Eddie Wilson (.301/39/95/93) topped the team in homers, RBIs and runs... young 1B Corky Callahan (.300/29/72/83) showed some very good potential, too, with 29 homers.

6. Elnora (74-80) (12 GB): after two good years in third and fourth place, the All-Stars fell back to sixth place... they have collected seven RU East pennants in the team's history with one Pro Cup, captured in 2033... Elnora can still hit with a .280 BA (2nd), score (772 runs-6th) and go deep with 150 HRs (12th-tied), but the mound corps went into the tank this season with a lofty 4.28 ERA (24th)... budding superstar and All-Star LF Enos Conrad had a great year... the 25-year-old led the IPA with a .391 average and 217 hits... that's the third-highest batting average in league history... Conrad had 27 homers, 96 RBIs, 116 runs and 102 walks... he also got some strong help from All-Star C Cannon Jackson (.314/28/104/78) and reliable vets 2B Akihiro Samurakami (.305/10/73/84) and CF Clive Kenyon (.319/11/38/71)... 37-year-old star and 226-game winner Jeremy Sellers (17-10/3.81) topped the staff... veterans Dan Pitts (14-15/3.63) and Stan Kivas (12-18/3.77) also gave the All-Stars some quality starts, too... the bullpen was lacking with a 4.47 ERA (30th).

7. Marston (72-82) (14 GB): for the 12th time in 13 seasons the Nine find themselves in the RU East second division... Marston has never won a Pro Cup and only three pennants in its history... the last division crown came in 2028... they rank in the bottom third in batting (.258) and pitching (4.30)... Jean-Noel Waldron (17-14/4.01) and Kris Delaney (11-10/4.00) are the most dependable starters... Barry Sexton (2-4/1.85/10 saves) is the most reliable in the bullpen... All-Star SS Stan Mila (.300/14/87/82), 1B John Cosotto (.285/24/90/57) and RF Alan Bailey (.290/7/60/80) are the only productive batters.

8. Wynnamac (64-90) (22 GB): the Sundowners had their worst season since 2017 when they endured a 59-95 year... they have won five pennants and one Pro Cup (2008)... average at the plate with a .266 BA (19th), but bad on the mound with a 4.66 ERA (31st)... budding superstar and All-Star RF Nioka Inkamara hit 48 homers for the second year in a row, drove in 130 runs and scored 104 runs... he ranked fifth in the IPA in homers and RBIs... CF Darrell Donnelly, son of manager Matt Donnelly, is a very fine player as well with a .296 BA, 15 HRs, 87 RBIs, 99 runs and 27 SBs... 3B Duane Hudson is a solid hitter, too, with a .276 BA, 5 HRs, 52 RBIs, 93 runs and 17 SBs... 26-year-old Shirai Nakamura (15-15/3.77) was the only quality starter and 21-year-old Johnny Mitchell (6-7/2.97/21 saves) was the best in the bullpen... Mitchell was the RU Rookie of the Year last year.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

ROOSTERS CROW LOUDLY IN RU WEST
Until this year the Middlefield fans haven't had much to crow about since the pennant-winning 2026 season... this year the Roosters crowed quite loudly by winning the Ruthlandian West Division... Middlefield climbed up from fifth place last year to take the top spot this season... they fought off Forest City and Rocky Rapids in the first half and Colfax in the second half... in the final standings the Roosters whipped the Blasters by three games, the Snappers by eight and fourth place Fort Benton by 10 games... Middlefield thinks this could be a Pro Cup year for them... they won their only Pro Cup in 2008 and last appeared in the Finals in 2025 when they were beaten by South Fork in an exciting seven-game series.

1. Middlefield (90-64): they were fifth last year, 8 games back... this year the Roosters used good pitching and the home-run ball to take the division crown... considering the small ballpark they play in, they posted a pretty fair 3.59 ERA (9th) and led the RU with 228 HRs (1st)... two All-Stars CF Alejandro Doninguez (.292/40/115/103) and C Brad Alexander (.254/36/95/53) led the way with help from RF Wes Stanley (.285/38/96/80), LF Norman Antonioni (.262/29/58/98) and SS Kenny Johnston (.266/12/73/87)... on the hill it was All-Star Larry Wheelhouse (22-9/3.08) and James Long (19-18/2.74)... the other two starters Harry Morgan (18-9/4.61) and Hollis Dale (16-15/4.45) benefited from great run support... and Ray Owens (6-7/2.64/24 saves) was solid as usual in the bullpen... Owens tied Far Mountain rookie Amos Tandy (7-11/2.98/24 saves) for the most saves in the RU and was runner-up in the IPA to Les Dennis (5-5/1.32/26 saves) of White River.

2. Colfax (87-67) (3 GB): this was the fourth time in the last seven seasons the Blasters strongly contended for the division title and fell short... they have also won it three times since 2032... Colfax won its only Pro Cup in 2010... they have good power with 160 HRs (8th-tied) and can score (762 runs-8th) with average pitching (3.88 ERA-16th)... and average defensively with a .971 FA... the main men on the mound were Ron Paige (22-14/3.33) and Nilos Andris (19-14/3.87)... Bobby Porter (15-14/4/15) and Ray Maxon (16-16/4.60) were fair number three and four in the rotation... All-Star Jack Scanlon (10-6/2.20/21 saves) had a fine season... leading the attack were All-Star LF Chet Penn (.346/27/117/91), 3B Kristian McEly (.289/34/112/80) and All-Star 1B Ernie Kidd (.278/28/95/89).

3. Rocky Rapids (82-72) (8 GB): the Snappers have been a first-division club for the last three seasons, but haven't made the playoffs for two decades... the Snappers have one Pro Cup, won in 2019... they have good pitching with a 3.55 ERA (8th) and average hitting with a .264 BA (20th), 149 HRs (14th) and 712 runs (18th)... Rocky Rapids has a solid rotation with two 20-game winners in All-Star Jamie Taylor (23-12/2.75) and 40-year-old Janek Zoldak (21-17/3.44), along with Buster Noland (16-13/3.84) and Dirk Halstad (11-9/3/45) in the other two slots... 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.320/4/56/96) and SS Marty Featherstone (.281/24/91/77) are the only good bats.

4. Fort Benton (80-74) (10 GB): the Defenders were serious contenders for most of the last decade, but slipped to seventh in 2040 with a 67-87 mark... they have only made the playoffs once in history in 2037... they hit very well with a .279 BA (3rd), ranked 7th in scoring with 771 runs, but have little power, only 109 HRs (31st-tied)... pitiful pitching with a 4.32 ERA (27th)... 1B Oscar Pendleton (.359/15/81/85) had the best season in his career with a .359 BA... 3B Mitch Hamilton (.283/10/83/99) led the club in RBIs and runs... LF Kelly Chamberlain (.246/19/64/66) was the home-run leader... RF Cayman Crittenden (.273/18/73/72) had a decent year, too... vets Augie Marquis (22-9/3.74) and Jordy Raeburn (15-13/3.24) were the only reliable pitchers... 35-year-old Marquis passed the 300-win milestone and now has 308 victories in his 17 seasons... he has 226 losses and a lifetime 3.12 ERA... Marquis looks like a cinch for the IPA Hall of Fame.

5. Sligo (78-76) (12 GB): after winning the division in 2039 and 2040, the Rovers dropped to fifth this season, but did have a winning record... tied with Forest City for fifth... Sligo won its only Pro Cup in 2020... they have good pitching with a 3.44 ERA (4th), but rank near the bottom in batting with a .257 BA (27th)... heading up the hill corps were Scotty Price (19-14/2.36), Randall Steele (17-12/3.21) and Bill Walker (12-16/3.24/11 saves)... Tom Pierson was 17-13, but posted a 4.23 ERA... most productive bats were 1B Denny Simmons with a .341 BA, 17 HRs, 76 RBIs and 100 runs... CF Joe McGarrett with a .305 BA, 23 HRs, 92 RBIs and 87 runs... and 2B Neil Mitchell with a .261 BA, 16 HRs, 82 RBIs and 81 runs.

5. Forest City (78-76) (12 GB)... the Lumberjacks had a winning record for the first time since 2037... not much success in the IPA with only four playoff appearances... the last time was in 2013... got off to a great start this year with a fantastic 45-28 record at midseason, the second best mark to Middlefield's 46-27... but it didn't last... the 'Jacks flopped badly in the final half with a 33-48 record and fell to a fifth-place tie... they had a good offense and fine pitching... .270 BA (11th), 727 runs (16th) and 160 HRs (8th-tied) with a 3.42 ERA (3rd)... the mound staff was led by Walter Gibbons (19-16/2.68), Rich Barstow (20-15/3.72) and Rusty Howard (15-13/2.89)... All-Star 2B Kelly Hardison had a super season with a .331 BA, 33 HRs, 110 RBIs and 98 runs... CF Carlo Velucci batted .293 with 106 runs, 11 HRs and 69 RBIs... and veteran star 3B Jarrod O'Neal had another solid season, his 16th, with 27 HRs, 78 RBIs, 75 runs and a .270 BA.

7. Volusia (72-82) (18 GB): after coming within a game of the pennant two years ago, the Vigilantes have fallen back in the pack... they won pennants in 2034 and 2035... but that was after a 25-year postseason drought... the V's do have a Pro Cup... they won the first one in 2001... Volusia also reached the Pro Cup Finals in 2006, but lost to Turon... just a run-of-the-mill club... they have a fair group of starters with Andrew Arryn (12-11/3.35), Skeeter Milham (14-19/3.28), Drew Selby (15-18/3.74) and Raul Navarro (17-14/4.16)... top batsmen are RF Lonny Womack with a .294 BA, 28 HRs, 93 RBIs and 87 runs... CF Cazzi Carvalho with a .291 BA, 14 HRs, 62 RBIs, 89 runs and 36 SBs... 3B Duane Blayney with a .276 BA, 24 HRs, 65 RBIs and 77 runs... and Kris Wilson with a .287 BA, 19 HRs, 77 RBIs and 76 runs.

8. Stoner (71-83) (19 GB): after a short, one-year run in the RU West first division, the Stars returned to their old haunts and wound up in the basement... they were a surprising third last year after six straight seasons in the second division... Stoner has never won a Pro Cup and it's been 13 years since it made the postseason playoffs... the Stars have bad offense and decent pitching... Jimmy Ellerbee (13-19/3.18), Michael Keller (15-21/3.61), Billy Horton (12-13/3.90) and Sammy Slater (13-13/4.28) are so-so starters... C Barney Swindell (.324/31/98/66) is a strong bat... and 1B Don Cain (.290/13/63/88) and CF Jason Garrett (.294/8/54/89) are quality hitters.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

HAWKS WIN NORTH AGAIN, 8 IN A ROW
It wasn't easy... North Hills started off slowly, but finished fast to nab its eighth successive Tycobbian North Division championship... the Hawks set a new IPA record... they had been tied with the Ozarka Naturals of the TU East, who won seven straight from 2015 to 2021... the Far Mountain Redhawks of the Ruthlandian North are third with six titles from 2009 to 2014... North Hills had to fend off a determined Fairfax this season... they won by only three games over the Frogs... the Hawks had to go 30-13 the last six weeks to hold them off... the Frogs were 29-14.

1. North Hills (95-59): the Hawks will be going for a record-tying fourth Pro Cup this year... they won it in 2034, 2036 and 2038, but failed the last two years despite being the favorite... second-best record in the IPA with 95 wins... only Cape Coral of the TU South was better with 97... the Hawks have great pitching with a 2.76 ERA (1st) and pretty good offense... and better-than-average defense (.975 FA).
Top Pitchers: All-Star Jeff Owens (22-11/2.33), Joey Santini (14-5/2.45/7 saves), Nelson Hooper (14-11/2.59)... ace Tony Mack (23-9/2.69) will miss the playoffs due to injury... that's a big loss, but Hooper and Santini may be able to fill the huge gap.
Top Batters: 30-year-old superstar LF Adam Thurgood (.307/35/99/95) still carries the team, but had solid help from CF Kris Anastas (.294/22/82/78), 3B Jim McDermott (.307/19/79/70), 1B Ric Hamilton (.264/19/78/71) and 2B Tommy Vavas (.273/16/70/98).

2. Fairfax (92-62) (3 GB): this was the Frogs' best season since winning 95 and 102 games in 2032 and 2033... but it wasn't good enough to top the Hawks... they are still waiting for their first Pro Cup... Fairfax led the TU with a .288 BA, scored well with 767 runs (6th-tied), but hit only 96 homers (32nd)... they have strong pitching with a 3.19 ERA (3rd), but aren't good with the gloves (.969 FA).
Top Pitchers: Lucien Vachon (20-15/2.44) and Ken Perry (19-8/2.73) gave them two top-notch starters... Vachon has quietly posted a 306-269 record with a 3.21 ERA in his 19 years in the IPA... age 38 he has chalked up four twenty-game seasons, two in the last two years... Paul Sardini (18-11/4.45) and Harold Dorman (16-13/3.88) have taken advantage of good run support... also at age 38 Sardini is approaching the 300-win milestone with a 293-231 record in 19 seasons, mainly with White River... Sardini came over in a trade deadline deal in July... Wes Christopher (10-5/2.57/22 saves) did well as a reliever-spot starter... in the bullpen Terry Sawyer (7-3/2.05/10 saves) did very well in his 54 relief appearances... Fairfax boasts a slew of .300 hitters (six) and were sparked by 3B Bobby Joe Daniel (.371/4/69/71), the Tycobbian BA leader, rookie CF Brad Johnson (.313/12/97/87) and rookie C Scott Courtney (.308/20/98/76)... other .300 batters were rookie SS Joji Yamasaki (.310/7/63/85), rookie LF Doug Carver (.302/7/39/78) and 1B Ferrell Dillard (.300/3/49/38)... vets 2B John Velasco (.292/12/82/90) and LF Eric Kusek (.285/7/40/46) also added to the run production.

3. Mahaska (85-69) (10 GB): the Haymakers have been a solid ballclub with four consecutive first-division finishes the last four years... three seconds and a third... Mahaska has never won a Pro Cup and 2028 was the last time they were in the playoffs... features impressive pitching with a 3.30 ERA (4th) and average hitting with a .260 BA (18th)... fairly good with a .975 FA.
Top Pitchers: rookie Bobby Kelman (17-12/2.45), All-Star Jergen Fyelstad (18-12/2.75) and vet Freddy Pfeffer (19-14/3.65) were the prime starters... Luke Cargill (7-8/2.24/19 saves) did a fine job in the bullpen.
Top Batters: All-Star C James Boswell (.302/38/93/76) had a break-out season at age 24... SS Rocco Bertara (.290/8/75/83) played fine defense and held his own at the plate... 34-year-old 2B Mikk Kukk (.274/13/66/67), 36-year-old CF Grisha Urbonas (.287/17/59/58) and 40-year-old RF Anton Hymel (.285/17/60/58) also chipped in with offense.

4. White River (81-73) (14 GB): finally moved up into the first division after six seasons of second-division play... no postseason since 2027 and no Pro Cup in their trophy case... just average in scoring with 725 runs (12th)... very good power with 202 HRs (4th), but don't make much contact with .248 BA (26th)... average on the hill with a 3.80 ERA (15th)... fairly good fielding with a .974 FA.
Top Pitchers: Clem Warren (16-11/3.27) was best starter with some help at times from vet Trenton Anderson (14-19/3.61)... great job from closer Les Dennis (5-5/1.32/26 saves), who led the IPA in saves.
Top Batters: 1B Billy Joe Hickman (.299/34/98/85), All-Star RF Zachary Kriger (.305/26/80/109) and SS Warren McKenzie (.268/36/90/89) all had good seasons... CF Buford Cross hit 21 roundtrippers, drove in 74 runs and scored 98 with a .263 BA.

5. Blue Lake (79-75) (16 GB): third successive season in second division... pretty fair club, just in a tough division... six clubs were over the .500 mark... the Blue Sox rarely make the postseason... been in it only three times, but captured the Pro Cup in 2030... good pitching with a 3.55 ERA (7th)... average bats with .264 BA (13th), 711 runs (14th-tied), but weak going deep with only 113 HRs (29th)... woeful defense with a .969 FA.
Top Pitchers: Frankie Quinn (18-14/2.75), Sal Mays (16-13/3.88) and Andre Montrose (16-18/3.91)... in his 15 seasons 35-year-old Quinn is 283-209 with a fine 3.03 ERA... nine times he has won 20 games... was Golden Arm winner in 2037.
Top Batters: RF Pudge Clinkscale (.305/3/51/76) topped the team in BA at .305... CF Raddy Pajak (.302/7/58/92) led the team in runs with 92... 2B Egon Ojamaa was the club leader in homers with 28 and RBIs with 97, scored 90 runs, but hit only .234.

6. Hartsdale (78-76) (17 GB): just a mediocre team most of the time... hasn't been to the postseason since 2029... never won Pro Cup... but had a winning record this year for the second time in three seasons... pretty much an average club with a .260 BA (16th), 711 runs (14th-tied), 163 HRs (16th)... 3,79 ERA (14th)... very good defense with a .977 FA.
Top Pitchers: Gil Younger (19-12/3.66) and Freddie Whitaker (15-12/3.88) had winning records... Wayne Dawson (16-21/3.19) was the most effective.
Top Batters: All-Star CF Darrell Nesbitt (.310/17/86/102), SS Robinson Alomar (.268/26/85/89), 3B Greg Melton (.275/25/89/77), 1B John Ford (.281/23/77/62) and LF Marv Shaw (.275/24/70/63).

7. Luxora (75-79) (20 GB): the Zorros zapped out after three years in third place... still came within four games of a break-even season... may depend on too many aging players... last pennant came in 2031... club has never won a Pro Cup... team stats are better than their record... .272 BA (8th), 760 runs (9th), 193 HRs (6th), 3.67 ERA (9th)... but the Z's are poor on defense with a .969 FA.
Top Pitchers: Kent Halloran (20-10/2.73) is one of the best in the IPA at age 35... in 13 years he has a lifetime 2.45 ERA with a 194-140 record... won the TU Golden Arm Award in 2035... top reliever was Fernando Sanches (7-6/3.03/16 saves).
Top Batters: All-Star SS Joel Poche (.321/24/107/94), 37-year-old 3B Todd Dubbins (.301/31/94/80), RF Derrek Jackson (.337/18/72/105), 36-year-old LF Milt Powers (.263/28/82/99), 38-year-old veteran 1B Gerry Hathaway (.298/22/83/65)... Hathaway has 458 HRs in 16 years with the club.

8. Oxford (68-86) (27 GB): fourth straight season at or near the bottom... last three in the cellar... last pennant was way back in the 2007 Pro Cup year... has bad pitching with a 4.53 ERA (29th)... fair offense with .253 BA (22nd), 690 runs (20th-tied) and very good power with 192 HRs (7th)... just average with the gloves with .973 FA.
Top Pitchers: Johnny Lee Adams (11-5/3.96) and Rusty Garland (13-15/3.82) are the only decent pitchers on the team.
Top Batters: 1B Andy Preston (.306/24/83/97) tops the club in BA and runs, tied for RBIs... 3B Alonzo Norris (.278/27/83/81)... CF Dalton Ward is the HR leader with 35, drove in 82 runs, but hit only .212 for average.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

HURRICANES BLOW AWAY TU SOUTH
For over a decade the Cape Coral Hurricanes have languished in the second rung of the Tycobbian South Division, but not this year... the Hurricanes blew away the opposition with a high-powered offense and won in a breeze by eight games over the Turon Typhoons... San Alejo came in third, 13 games off the pace and last year's winner and Pro Cup Finalist Summerland finished fourth and trailed by 17 games... playing at a blistering pace, the 'Canes built up a 10-game lead at midseason and were never challenged... Cape Coral led the IPA with 97 victories and placed five players on the Tycobbian All-Star team.

1.Cape Coral (97-57): the Hurricanes rose up from sixth place in 2040 (24 GB)... their last pennant was in 2030... they have never come close to winning the Pro Cup... the 'Canes were a powerhouse this season with a .285 BA (2nd), 816 runs (2nd) and 189 HRs (9th)... the pitching was good considering they play in a hitter-friendly ballpark... the team compiled a fairly decent 4.06 ERA (21st)... just average defensively with a .973 FA... ability to score might give them the best chance Cape Coral has ever had to win a Pro Cup.
Top Pitchers: All-Star Tommy Van Noord (23-11/3.12) and Stacy Boyle (11-2/3.20) are two quality starters... number three is Charlie Britton (19-10/4.15) and number four is Benton McCall (17-16/4.42)... bullpen is weak.
Top Batters: superstar All-Star 1B Stan Ferguson (.322/45/131/85) had a great year with 45 homers and 131 RBIs... other solid contributors were All-Star RF William Snyder (.323/25/85/97), All-Star 3B Kent Mantle (.275/28/88/83) and All-Star LF Rikky Van Dalen (.284/22/79/101).

2. Turon (89-75) (8 GB): after winning the pennants in 2038-39, the Typhoons fell to fifth last year, but came back strong this year with much-improved hitting... Turon holds the IPA record for the most Pro Cups with four (2003, 2006, 2009, 2018)... batted .283 (3rd), scored 800 runs (4th), hit 177 HRs (11th)... with fairly good pitching (3.73 ERA-12th)... excellent bullpen.
Top Pitchers: Nate Scottsdale (19-13/3.03) and Bobby Pierce (13-7/3.59) were the most effective starters... veteran stars Clyde Engstrom (13-17/4.27) and Armin Boehm (16-16/4.30) struggled... Ralph Fulton (10-4/1.41/13 saves) was a standout in the bullpen.
Top Batters: superstar All-Star 2B C. C. Kingsford (.326/20/92/105), All-Star CF J. P. Trevenot (.325/22/95/108), RF Guido Gervasio (.294/25/99/95), 26-year-old 1B Nick Fisher (.287/37/95/100), came out of nowhere to hit 37 HRs and drive in 95 runs... he made a huge difference in the club this year... Fisher only had 14 homers in his first two seasons and a .241 BA.

3. San Alejo (84-70) (13 GB): with four pennants ('32, '34, '35, '37) and one Pro Cup ('31) in the last decade, the Montaneros continued to be a solid club this year... .266 BA 11th), 772 runs (5th), 190 HRs (8th), 3.72 ERA (11th), weak in the field with a .969 FA.
Top Pitchers: 22-year-old Matt Bell (20-10/2.77), 30-year-old Benny Buckmaster (16-11/3.92) and 34-year old Johnny Brown (15-14/3.44) are a solid threesome.
Top Batters: C Filipe Zamora (.316/37/120/82) led the team in homers with 37 and RBIs with 120... 3B Bubby Blackwell (.327/8/55/101) had the best BA at .327... 22-year-old RF Paulo Teixeira (.291/30/93/102) really stepped it up in his third season... other reliable bats were LF Charlie Wilberforce (.302/23/77/96) and 34-year-old CF Dusty Rogan (.291/19/64/45)... 35-year-old 1B Ted Hatch had 25 homers and 68 RBIs, but hit only .242.

4. Summerland (80-74) (17 GB): what a difference a year makes... last year the Sunsets glowed with 98 wins and went to the Pro Cup Finals where they lost to Ranford in seven games... 2040 was a magical year... this year pitching was the problem... they went from a brilliant 2.83 ERA to 3.44 ERA (5th)... the bats were still dismal at .248 BA (27th), 676 runs (24th), 103 HRs (30th-tied).
Top Pitchers: All-Star Jayson Hallstrom (18-16/2.88) was strong as usual, but just didn't have run support... Johnny Young (19-11/3.30) was very reliable as usual, but Dutch De Boer (14-19/3.90) had a rough year... number four starter Kyle Shepard (14-11/3.41) had a good comeback season at age 34 after missing all of 2040 with an injury... Ronald Shaddock (7-5/2.24/12 saves) did his usual fine job in the bullpen, but just didn't get the save opportunities he has in the past... he posted 27 saves last year.
Top Batters: CF Antonio Vasquez (.332/8/67/92) led the IPA with 51 doubles and was the club leader with a .327 BA... 1B Stan Terry (.257/9/59/96) topped the team in runs with 96... 2B Todd Cummins led with 87 RBIs and 23 HRs, but batted only .256.

5. Ginza (75-79) (22 GB): the Ninjas fell from third to fifth this year... last postseason appearance was in 2031... still haven't won a Pro Cup, but did make the Finals in 2001... lost in a sweep to Volusia... this year they possessed a good offense with .266 BA (12th), 747 runs (11th) and 171 HRs (12th), but not a lot of pitching with a 4.25 ERA (26th).
Top Pitchers: Scotty Murdock (11-4/2.58/3 saves) and Charley Waskins (18-14/3.77) were the most dependable in the rotation... in the bullpen Timmy Hickens (6-11/2.81/20 saves) was good most of the time, but he lost 11 games.
Top Batters: two All-Stars LF Ichiro Kazumi (.289/14/74/103) and 3B-SS Sam Essex (.283/25/103/88) paced the club with much help from CF Sogo Takagi (.305/31/90/107), RF Scott Sparks (.260/37/107/80), C Whip Harrell (.277/27/71/73) and 1B Jiro Yamamura (.282/4/43/83)... Sparks led the team with 37 homers and 107 RBIs, while Takagi had 31 homers and topped the team with 107 runs.

6. Colchester (68-86) (29 GB): finished in the second division for the fifth straight year... last made the playoffs in 2036... never has won a Pro Cup... just a lackluster ballclub in most respects.
Top Pitchers: Eduardo Rivera (19-11/3.91) and Dan Scott (14-10/4.05) were the most dependable starters... with Dave Lacoste (11-14/3.48) the most effective.
Top Batters: best bat belongs to superstar RF Blake Barrister, who belted 44 homers, drove in 116 runs and scored 109, while batting .278... other reliable hitters were LF Chet Porter (.305/10/76/87), 3B Joey Rogers (.288/10/77/88) and 2B Jorn Weese (.289/10/75/48).

7. Southport (67-87) (30 GB): the Sun Soxx took quite a tumble from second to seventh this year... culprit was decline in batting from .270 to .251 (24th)... no playoff appearances since 2027 and 2028... club has won one Pro Cup (2027)... possesses average pitching (3.97/20th) and poor defense (.969 FA)... can go deep with 181 HRs (10th).
Top Pitchers: Billy Hoover (13-13/3.37) and Johnny Swanson (12-18/3.29) were quality starters... Hal Combs (10-8/2.04/10 saves) did a fine job in the bullpen.
Top Batters: 3B Craig Glennon (.262) topped the club with 36 HRs and 106 RBIs... 1B Eddy Douglas (.265) had 30 homers and 74 RBIs... LF Chris Jones was the club leader with a .306 BA and 79 runs... CF Barney Lewis (.238) chipped in with 27 HRs and 74 RBIs and 2B James Long (.240) added 22 HRs and 72 RBIs, but neither hit for much average.

8. Arroyo Grande (67-87) (30 GB): another very dismal year for the Suns... fourth consecutive season in last place... they were next-to-last in '35, '36 and '37... no postseason since 2024... never won a Pro Cup... no offense this season with a very poor .233 BA (32nd)... not much pitching with a 4.08 ERA (22nd).
Top Pitchers: Fernando Campos (17-14/3.98) and Anthony Lombardi (16-18/3.86) were the main starters... 33-year-old Cody Simmons (5-3/2.97/19 saves) is still a quality closer.
Top Batters: RF Gregorio Oliviera batted .264, but led the club with 33 HRs, 82 RBIs and 77 runs... 1B Matt Moore (.280/11/49/70) topped the team with a .280 BA.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2041

STALLIONS RACE BY RED SOX IN LATE SURGE
In the Tycobbian East Division the South Fork Stallions and Red Bluff Red Sox ran neck-and-neck until August when the Stallions raced by them to handily win the pennant... the Red Sox faded to third place, losing out by 10 games... defending division champ Ozarka also slipped by them and wound up in second place, nine games behind South Fork.

1. South Fork (87-67): the Stallions snapped a five-year run in the second division of the TU East, all of them under the .500 mark... they pulled up from fifth place last season (6 GB)... the last time South Fork was in the playoffs was the Pro-Cup winning season in 2025... that is their only IPA title... pretty good pitching (3.49 ERA-6th), pretty fair offense (.260 BA-17th) and solid defense (.975 FA) brought home the pennant this year... not expected to be much of a factor in the Pro Cup competition... experts are not impress with pitching, nor batting.
Top Pitchers: Jay Murphy (22-8/2.86) and Mike Lambertini (15-11/3.40) gave them two quality pitchers... Big Murph McAlister (12-19/3.37) was effective, too, but didn't have good run support.
Top Batters: 1B Paul Sexton (.267/39/109/94) was the club leader in homers, RBIs and runs scored... steady 3B Elton Jacoby (.297/22/82/92) enjoyed another good season... as did SS Jess Wilkerson (.306/18/56/90).

2. Ozarka (78-76) (9 GB): for the fifth time in eight seasons the Naturals finished in the runner-up spot... their downfall was a very poor 4.49 ERA (28th)... they were fine offensively with a .272 BA (6th), 767 runs (6th-tied) and 165 HRs (14th-tied)... defensively the Nats were average with a .974 FA... in 15 playoff appearances Ozarka has never won a Pro Cup, but has come close five times, when they were beaten in the Finals ('11, '12, '16, '19, '20).
Top Pitchers: Glen Jenkins (18-14/3.54) was the only effective starter... the best in the bullpen was two rookie relievers Gene White (5-0/2.83/3 saves) and Jim Greene (8-4/3.13/16 saves).
Top Batters: All-Star SS Duffy Morrison (.307/25/104/96), LF Lonnie Gillespie (.311/13/73/90), 3B Jimmy Woods (.298/19/88/88), CF Reggie Davidson (.263/29/76/112), All-Star C Jaak Pajukivi (.299/21/74/78).

3. Red Bluff (77-77) (10 GB): the Red Sox rose up from fifth to third this season based mainly on improvement on the hill from 4.38 ERA down to 3.62 ERA (8th) and longball power with 226 HRs (2nd)... only two teams in the IPA had more... Bayview of the TU West led the IPA with 241... number two was Middlefield with 228 in the Ruthlandian Union... the Red Sox haven't participated in the Pro Cup playoffs since 2009, but they did win the Pro Cup in 2004.
Top Pitchers: 24-year-old Mickey Rosen (22-8/3.33) came out of nowhere to become the club's ace in his third season... not a lot after him except for George Reynolds (12-24/3.33), who had 20 complete games and 22 quality starts.
Top Batters: nobody hit much for average, but they did go deep... All-Star CF Ike Sweetwater (.263) led with 48 homers, 112 RBIs and 114 runs, RF David Kelso (.255) had 44 homers, 102 RBIs and 81 runs... 3B Fran Blanchard (.275) hit 34 HRs with 94 RBIs and 79 runs... SS Leemon O'Donovan (.274) had 29 roundtrippers, 84 RBIs and 69 runs and LF Jesse Shaw (.265) with 23 HRs, 80 RBIs and 84 runs.

4. Tuckanarra (73-81) (14 GB): the Tucks posted their worst season in two decades... they are one of the perennial powers in the IPA with 13 pennants and three Pro Cups ('23, '24, '35)... the Blue Jays had so-so offense with a .255 BA (21st), 688 runs (22nd-tied), 117 HRs (28th) and so-so pitching with a 3.95 ERA (19th)... and average defense with a .971 FA.
Top Pitchers: All-Star and ace Junior Bristow (20-13/2.88) racked up 20 wins for the seventh time in his eight seasons... Jeff Buttrum (18-16/4.10) was inconsistent and had a sub-par year.
Top Batters: only two had good seasons... LF Spade Weldon hit .356 with 16 HRs, 68 RBIs and 82 runs and superstar RF Lorne Evans rapped 33 homers, drove in 101 runs, scored 96 runs and walked 108 times... Evans, a shoo-in for the IPA Hall of Fame, is 36 years old... he has 660 HRs, 1705 RBIs, 1931 runs and a career .306 BA... Evans is fourth on the all-time IPA home-run leaderboard.

5. Hillsboro (71-83) (16th): for the eighth year in a row the Blazers are stuck in the TU East second division... tied for fifth with High Mesa... they have zilch pennants and no Pro Cups... one of the worst franchises in the IPA... terrible offense but fairly good pitching... .238 BA (30th) with a 3.69 ERA (10th)... really bad defense with a .967 FA.
Top Pitchers: starters are credible with Jamie Lee Bradley (14-14/3.02), Lee Dixon (13-18/3.38) and Steve Cooper (14-15/3.97), but got little run support.
Top Batters: LF Julien Bellini led the team with 27 HRs, 78 RBIs, 92 runs and 37 SBs, but batted a lowly .226... SS Scotty McNeill had the best average with .295, 7 HRs, 43 RBIs and 86 runs... 3B Paul Butler added a .266 BA with 16 HRs, 77 RBIs and 76 runs.

5. High Mesa (71-83) (16 GB): after almost winning the pennant last year, the Cowboys dropped back tied for fifth... no postseason for 38 years... but they made the playoffs their first two seasons in the IPA and even won the Pro Cup in 2002... nothing but failure since... the Cowpokes have a lousy offense with a .237 BA (31st) and mediocrity on the mound with a 4.17 ERA (23rd)... average with the gloves (.973 FA)... however, High Mesa hits homers... 216 this season, ranking third in the Tycobbian Union and fifth in the IPA.
Top Pitchers: Dean Harris (18-12/2.67) and Emil Novak (14-11/3.79) pretty much carry the team... Harris, age 36, has never played for a good team, but has posted a 214-226 record with an impressive 3.03 ERA in 15 seasons.
Top Batters: 39-year-old veteran RF Corbett Brooks hit 55 HRs, a career-high, but batted only .238 with 99 RBIs and 94 runs... he now ranks fifth on the all-time home-run list with 651... only HOF-ers Jack Elliott (848), Phil Gravelli (726), Marty Blake (711) and and future HOF-er Lorne Evans (660) are ahead of him... LF Clay Johnston contributed 41 HRs, 100 RBIs and 76 runs, but hit only .250... 1B Clifford Coleman added 26 HRs, 83 RBIs and 82 runs, but batted just .248 for average.

7. Midway (63-91) (24 GB): the Wolves were last in the division last year... they were worse this season, yet came out seventh... Midway has never won the Pro Cup and hasn't made the playoffs in the last 15 years... they rank near the bottom on the hill (4.43 ERA-27th) and at the plate (.249-25th)... average defense with a .972 FA.
Top Pitchers: 21-year-old Charlie Chase (12-23/3.48) is the only decent starter.
Top Batters: none of the players are worth noting... 3B Hunk Allen is the most productive with just a .227 BA, 15 HRs, 64 RBIs and 59 runs.

8. East Point (59-95) (28 GB): the Panthers have won three pennants in the last decade, but don't have a Pro Cup... they took a big tumble from fourth to last this season... the Panthers are a really bad team, tied with Chicopee of the TU West for the worst IPA record... they batted only .246 (28th) with a lofty 4.64 ERA (30th)... but are fairly good defensively with a .975 FA.
Top Pitchers: 36-year-old vet Frank Blair (14-12/4.42) was the only starter with a winning record, but Johnny Moore (10-17/3.33) was the most effective.
Top Batters: 1B Bert Henrich topped the club with a .283 BA... he hit 28 HRs, drove in 88 runs and scored 64... SS Dean O'Donnell was the club leader with 33 HRs and 89 RBIs, while scoring 72 runs, but batting only .248... old reliable 2B Tetsu Tanaka still puts up credible numbers at age 35 with 24 HRs, 67 RBIs, club-leading 91 runs and he hit .256.