ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

For the past 8 years the Colchester Elites have been mired deep in the TU South... for the last three years they have been stuck in seventh place... the Elites were 61-93 this year (43 GB)... last year 69-85 (23 GB)... on only 4 occasions in its history has Colchester made the playoffs... 2036 was the last pennant... never have they won a Pro Cup.

The Elites are just mediocre on the mound and bad at the plate... Robby Rice (18-16/3.01) and Dan Scott (12-13/3.65) are the most dependable starters... LF Blake Barrister is the only run producer in the line-up... he hit 36 homers and drove in 94 runs, but batted a very poor .203 for average.

COLCHESTER: 7th Place (43 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Arroyo Grande has pathetic pitching and a terrible offense... for the 11th successive season the Suns have been floundering in the second division of the TU South... last season they were a decent 78-76 (14 GB) and wound up in fifth place... this season the Suns plunged to the basement with a dismal 59-95 mark (45 GB)... Arroyo Grande has been to the postseason just four times in its history... the last pennant came in 2024... the Suns have never won a Pro Cup trophy.

Fernando Campos (11-21/4.11) and Enrique Lopez (10-23/4.11) were the co-leaders in ERA, while Anthony Lombardi (14-18/4.27) had the most wins... the bullpen was led by Duane Russell (7-5/2.78/6 saves)... sadley 3B Antoine Masson (.243/24/71/64) and LF Kenny Wade (.304/16/54/53) were the best the Suns had in the line-up.

ARROYO GRANDE: 8th Place (45 GB)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 19, 2044

RED SOX PLAYOFF BOUND, 1ST TIME IN 35 YEARS
It was an historic season for the Red Bluff Red Sox, who are Pro Cup bound for the first time since 2009, a 35-year drought... in a two-team race the Red Sox outfought the South Fork Stallions in a season-long struggle, winning the Tycobbian East Division by 2 games... thus snapping the Stallions' three-year run as champ... Red Bluff trailed them by 7 games at mid-season, but they went 23-6 in a red-hot July to overtake South Fork... Tuckanarra finished a distant third, 19 games behind... and Ozarka came in fourth in the standings, 20 games back.

The Red Sox will be a force to contend with in the postseason... Red Bluff used impressive pitching and longball power to take their fifth TU East flag in its history... giving the Red Sox a shot at their second Pro Cup trophy... they last won it in 2004... never known much for its pitching, the Red Sox have steadily improved on the mound the last three seasons... going from 3.59 to 3.43 to 3.07 (3rd) in ERA... last year the team finished second with a 78-76 record, losing out by just 2 games to South Fork... this year they really stepped it up to 95-59.

The Red Sox have four fine starters in Jud Cox (21-12/2.20), Jack Wallace (20-9/2.34), Mickey Rosen (18-12/3.00) and George Reynolds (21-11/3.79)... the relief, however, is not so much with a 4.13 ERA (24th)... two players slammed over 40 homers each... Red Bluff was second with 216 HRs in the Tycobbian Union, third in the IPA behind Sugar Valley (231) and Turon (217)... super slugger RF David Kelso (.268/46/105/90) hit 45 to rank 4th in the IPA... 3B Fran Blanchard (.293/40/101/91) added 40 to the the total... CF Ike Sweetwater (.264/28/73/76) and LF Jesse Shaw (.287/17/70/89) were also reliable bats.

RED BLUFF: 1st Place

[Eugene Church]

South Fork is solid ballclub, ranking well in scoring runs with 737 (6th) and 170 HRs (10th) with a very good 3.38 ERA (8th)... in its history they have won two Pro Cups (2025 and 2042) with a total of 6 postseason appearances... the Stallions were the TU East division champion from 2041 to 2043.

Jay Murphy (27-8/2.59) led a top-notch staff... he had a colossal season and paced the IPA with 27 victories... and got plenty of help from Chris Sorensen (20-16/3.37), Jonas Clay (16-12/3.44), Big Murph McAlister (10-9/2.85) and Mike Lambertini (11-7/3.47/10 saves)... top bats were 2B Pete Arnold (.294/10/44/104), SS Elton Jacoby (.290/25/77/94) and 1B Paul Sexton (.306/23/63/64)... Arnold was first in the TU and third in the IPA with 43 steals... Bevan Shuler of Eastshore (RU) was tops with 47... followed by Micah McDade of Ranford (RU) with 44.

SOUTH FORK: 2nd Place (2 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Tuckanarra was fourth last year with a 76-78 mark (4 GB)... this year third with a 76-78 record (19 GB)... for the 22nd straight season the Blue Jays finished in the top four of the Tycobbian East... in IPA history the Tucks have been to the playoffs the most, a total of 17 times and have won three Pro Cups... they won in 2023, 2024 and 2035... their last pennant came in 2038.

Tuckanarra has strong pitching, but very little in the way of offense... the staff ERA was 3.08 (4th) sparked by Dickie Pittman (18-6/3.04) and Pete Cross (17-12/2.45)... in the bullpen Jack Rogers had a spectacular year and set a new IPA ERA mark at 1.30... Rogers is the first reliever to lead the IPA in ERA, breaking Kent Halloran's 1.47 in 2035 with the Luxora Zorros... Rogers worked in 80 games and posted a 6-5 record with 16 saves... the bats were pretty bad... 1B Ronnie Simmons (.286) was the club leader with 21 homers and 57 RBIs... SS Little Mac McCurnan (.277) topped the team with 69 runs... CF Hal Granders led the team with a .288 BA.

TUCKANARRA: 3rd Place (19 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Ozarka was fifth in 2043 with a 76-78 record (4 GB)... fourth this year, but with a 75-79 mark (20 GB)... basically the Naturals are just an average club... the Nats have made the playoffs 15 times in history, but have never won a Pro Cup despite making the finals 5 times... the last pennant came in 2040.

Glen Jenkins (18-15/3.41) was the top starter, while Pedro Gonzales (7-7/3.02/12 saves) and Gene White (7-3/2.80/6 saves) stood out in the bullpen... SS Duffy Morrison (.277) was the club leader with 20 homers, 82 RBIs and 70 runs... 3B Jimmy Woods (.270) chipped in with 16 homers and 65 RBIs.

OZARKA: 4th Place (20 GB)

[Eugene Church]

After finishing in the runner-up spot in 2042 with an 84-70 record, just one game behind winner South Fork, the High Mesa Cowboys have fallen into the second division since... to 75-79 (5 GB) and sixth place last year to 72-82 (23 GB) and fifth place this year... in all their years in the IPA the Cowpokes have made the playoffs only twice (2002 and 2003)... however they did win the Pro Cup in 2002... pretty much absolutely zilch since then.

The biggest plus High Mesa has is three pretty fair sluggers in 1B Johnny Tallis (.261/39/122/66), LF Clay Johnston (.274/27/106/73) and SS Clifford Coleman (.278/37/108/67)... outside of them there is little hitting in the lineup... one of the IPA's most prolific home-run hitter, RF Corbett Brooks (.236/9/29/47), called it a career at the end of his 22nd season... the 42-year-old Brooks retired with 727 homers, second only to the Hall-of-Fame great Jack Elliott, the IPA lifetime leader with 848 roundtrippers... a .263 hitter, Brooks had 3008 hits with 1980 RBIs (7th all-time) and 2002 walks (6th all-time), along with a record 2968 strikeouts... on the hill Tee Bo Templet (18-11/4.25) had the most wins for High Mesa, while Emil Nowak (15-22/3.87) was the most effective starter... at age 39 pitching vet Dean Harris (1-0/3.31) also retired... he was with Kilkenny of the Ruthlandian North for his first 8 seasons and spent the last 10 with High Mesa... Harris was 244-260 and had the misfortune to play with mediocre teams, but posted a very credible 3.18 lifetime ERA.

HIGH MESA: 5th (23 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Hillsboro had its first winning season in a decade last year, winding up in third place with a 78-76 record (2 GB), but the Blazers couldn't stand prosperity very long as they fell to sixth this year with a 70-84 mark (25 GB)... Hillsboro has never made the postseason in its 43-year history in the IPA... the Blazers are the only team in the league with this dubious distinction.

Hillsboro is very poor at the plate (.237 BA-30th), but pretty good on the mound (3.49 ERA-9th) ... the starting four are quality arms: Robby Lee Stillwell (13-10/2.48/9 saves), Ralph Quick (16-16/3.63), Jamie Lee Bradley (13-13/3.33) and Steve Cooper (9-23/3.29)... reliever Cazzie Reier (7-1/2.17/6 saves) was also reliable... SS Scotty McNeill had the best BA at .303... 1B Ernie Moxley (.261) had the most HRs with 29 and RBIs with 82... CF Rick Willis (.285) scored the most runs with 93.

HILLSBORO: 6th Place (25 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Midway has made the playoffs only three times in its existence... the last division title was in 2027... in 2022 the Wolves went to the Pro Cup Finals, but lost in six games to Crystal Lake... they are currently in the worst period ever in history with five straight years near the bottom... twice the Wolves have been last and three times were next-to-last in seventh place... they were 63-91 (17 GB) and in the basement last year and 66-88 (29 GB) in the seventh spot this season.

Midway has the worst pitching in the Tycobbian Union with a 4.66 ERA (32nd)... the bats are not much better with a .248 BA (25th)... Jeff Chandler (17-21/4.35) and Charlie Chase (14-18/4.15) are the most dependable starters, while Sam Lewis (10-6/3.10/10 saves) is the top reliever... young LF Justin Morrison leads the club with a .309 BA, 92 RBIs, 81 runs and 21 SBs... and 2B Hunk Allen (.268) has the most homers with 23.

MIDWAY: 7th Place (29 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Like Midway, the East Point Panthers are in a rut... they have come in last in three of the past four seasons... seventh in the other year... only five times in the club history have the Panthers made the playoffs and they have never won a Pro Cup... but East Point came close in 2033, falling to Elnora in seven games... the last TU East flag came in 2039... the Panthers were 72-82 (8 GB) in 2043 and 59-95 (36 GB) and last this season... only Ancona (56 wins) and Belair Beach (58 wins) in the Ruthlandian Union and Mahaska (58 wins) in the Tycobbian Union were worse.

The Panther offense is hideous with a .231 BA (31st) and only 528 runs (32nd)... pitching is fair with a 3.76 ERA (16th)... 25-year-old starter Barney Benton (22-13/3.21) had a magnificent season, winning 22 games with a terrible club... RF Andros Ciak (.248) led the team with 21 homers and 65 RBIs... no one else was worth mentioning.

EAST POINT: 8th Place (36 GB)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 19, 2044

KENWOOD SNATCHES TU WEST WITH SUMMER SURGE
The Kenwood Wildcats captured their third Tycobbian West crown in the past four years with a sizzling summertime surge... the Wildcats went 37-20 in July and August to pass the fading Denton City Redbirds, who were only 24-33... Kenwood won the title by 7 games... the Redbirds had a 5-game edge over Kenwood at the All-Star break... third place went to the Bayview Vikings, who trailed by 8 games... and in fourth place were the Arlon Champions, 11 games back... this was the fifth time in its history Kenwood has made the playoffs... the Wildcats have racked up one Pro Cup... that came in 2014.

They moved up from third place to the top spot this year, improving from 81-73 (4 GB) to 90-64... Kenwood can score fairly well with 718 runs (10th-tied), but don't have a lot of power with 136 HRs (19th-tied)... on the mound they have a good group of solid veterans, who posted a 3.50 team ERA (11th)... the baseball experts have placed the Wildcats in the middle-of-the-pack in the Pro Cup pairings.

Tommy Carter was the ace of the mound staff with a brilliant 26-8 record and a strong 2.47 ERA... only IPA leader Jay Murphy (27-8/2.59) of South Fork had more victories... Rusty Bradford (20-14/3.94), Freddy Gooch (15-12/3.78) and Clyde Myers (18-19/3.27) were also reliable starters... tops in the bullpen was Artemus Hale (5-7/3.48/22 saves), who tied Wes Christopher (8-9/2.78) of Fairfax and Timmy Hickens (11-12/3.09) of Ginza for the IPA lead with 22 saves... leading the Wildcats hitters were superstar C Corky DiNozzo (.335/36/109/91), 3B Country Crowder (.320/2/48/102), CF Warren Vickers (.271/17/77/94) and 1B Bert Henrich (.267/23/72/70).

KENWOOD: 1st Place

[Eugene Church]

Denton City had home-run power (182 HRs-8th) and better-than-average pitching (3.73 ERA-15th) this year... the Redbirds were fourth in the standings last year with an 80-74 mark (5 GB)... this season they rose up to second place with an 83-71 record (7 GB)... on 9 occasions the Redbirds have made the postseason... the most recent was in 2040... Denton City has yet to capture a Pro Cup in its history... twice the Redbirds were finalists, 2005 and 2008... a second-half flop cost them the pennant this year.

Superstar 1B Wayman Stetson had another monster year... he led the IPA with 56 homers, was sixth with 204 hits, was seventh in RBIs with 128, seventh with a .323 BA and ninth in runs with 112... other run producers were SS Sammy Thornton (.313/13/65/109) and RF Sadaharu Uchiyama (.267/14/64/83)... Harry Elliott (22-11/3.69) led the staff in wins... 39-year-old Francisco Salcido (16-16/2.91) is still a very effective starter though he was injured in September and will be four months in recovery... in his 17 seasons Salcido is 247-190 with a respectable 3.40 ERA... James Webb (16-16/3/54) was also a reliable starter.

DENTON CITY: 2nd Place (7 GB)

[Eugene Church]

It's been an eternity since the Bayview Vikings graced the playoffs... their last TU West title came in 2016... they have never won a Pro Cup in six postseason appearances... the Viks did improve this season, going from 74-80 (11 GB) and sixth place to third place with an 82-72 mark (8 GB)... Bayview contended for most of the season with a potent offense and a solid starting rotation... however, the bullpen was atrocious.

The Vikings ranked 5th in scoring with 747 runs, 6th in homers with 193, batted .263 (9th) and chalked up a respectable 3.59 ERA (12th)... the starters' ERA was 3.43 (11th), while it was a lofty 4.54 (28th) for the bullpen... Bayview has four quality starters in Bobby Knudsen (22-16/3.30), Vance Codsworth (18-6/3.04), Jerome Dean (16-16/3.73) and Johnny Young (16-17/3.37)... Sammy Sarver (3-9/3.63/16 saves) is hit-and-miss in the bullpen, but did save 16 games... superstar 3B Jerry Culpepper (.294/40/120/83) and SS Andreas Stokke (.253/32/81/89) are the main firepower with 40 and 32 homers, respectively... Culpepper is only 30 years old and already has 586 career roundtrippers... CF Ivar Nilssen (.284/21/81/80), LF Rusty Hunter (.305/7/44/96) and 2B Zack Mason (.302/19/66/95) also put some runs on the scoreboard.

BAYVIEW: 3rd Place (8 GB)

[Eugene Church]

The Arlon Champions have won two pennants in the last six seasons, taking the division in 2039 and 2043... 5 times in history they have made the playoffs, but never winning a Pro Cup... the closest the Champs ever came was in 2039 when they fell to Waleska in six games.

Arlon won the TU West last year with an 85-69 record, but slipped to fourth this year (11 GB)... they were 79-75 this season... the pitching was pretty fair, but the offense was lackluster... fireballers Lanny Gray (23-13/2.48) and Peter Shannon (20-12/3.46) anchored the pitching corps, while RF Mark Cameron (.294/35/93/78), 1B Robby Westin (.302/23/78/69) and C Nick Shafer (.268/27/91/73) led at the plate.

ARLON: 4th Place (11 GB)

[Eugene Church]

For the ninth year in a row Bay St. Clair has failed to make the TU West first division... in 2043 the Buccaneers were seventh with a 67-87 record (18 GB)... they improved to 76-78 this year (14 GB), good for fifth place... the Bucs have appeared 9 times in the postseason, the last time was in 2030... they have not won a Pro Cup, but did make the Finals in 2015, losing to Taranto in five games.

Bay St. Clair has a weak offense and decent pitching... aging vets Freddi Hahn (18-15/3.32) and Andre Karkinos (17-11/3.96) led the starting rotation... and Clark Van Vreeland (14-5/1.92/11 saves) stood out in the pen... all of them are in their late 30s... Van Vreeland led the TU with a 1.92 ERA... he was second to Tuckanarra's Jack Rogers (6-5/1.30/16 saves) for the IPA lead... the only reliable batters were RF Spade Weldon (.287/20/67/97), 1B Myrt Breland (.309/12/56/59) and SS Edison Randall (.273/15/84/64).

BAY ST. CLAIR: 5th Place (14 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Rolling Hills has won 10 TU West pennants in its history, but not lately... 2032 was the last postseason appearance... twice the Reds have been IPA Pro Cup champs, in 2029 and 2031... last year they broke even at 77-77, finishing fifth, 8 GB... the Reds dipped a bit this year to sixth with a 71-83 record (19 GB).

Rolling Hills had a pretty good offense with 718 runs (10th-tied), but second-rate pitching (4.02/22nd)... star 1B Darwin Tard ranked 4th in the IPA with 208 hits, tied for 2nd with 42 doubles and was 7th with a .344 BA... he led the club with 105 runs and collected 97 RBIs and 20 homers in another very good season... RF Jimbo Foxx topped the team with 33 homers and 115 RBIs, but batted just .243... CF Trent Hutchins (.278/24/78/68) also helped out offensively... Matthew Christianson (15-15/2.88) was the only quality pitcher.

ROLLING HILLS: 6th Place (19 GB)

[Eugene Church]

Chicopee had its only success in a three-year period, 2034-2036 when they won the division flag each season... otherwise the Braves have missed the playoffs... they have never won a Pro Cup or even come close... since the pennants the Braves have been in the cellar (3 times) or close to it... they were last in 2043 with a 65-89 mark (20 GB) and next-to-last this year at 70-84 (20 GB).

Neither the offense, nor the pitching is much to boast about... Wes Pennington (15-17/4.52) had the most wins... Paul Foster (13-22/3.57) the best ERA... and Josh Dougherty (14-18/3.65) was fairly decent... the most productive bat was 1B Sam Patrick (.259), who had 33 homers and 87 RBIs, tops on the club... other contributors were RF Denny Halverton (.301/10/66/70), LF Frankie Montgomery (.282/14/77/82), 3B Ken Smith (.315/7/55/68), SS Fred Phelps (.251/13/82/61) and CF Marty Hogart (.253/17/61/89).

CHICOPEE: 7th Place (20 GB)

[Eugene Church]

La Claire has had little success in the IPA with only four pennants in its history... the most recent was in 2038... the Lynx have never been IPA champ... they came in second last season with an 81-73 record (4 GB), but plunged to the basemen this year with a 69-85 mark (21 GB).

At the plate LF Donny Griffith (.293/24/86/82) is the most reliable threat, leading the club in homers and RBIs... RF Hank Morton (.312/7/68/74) has the best batting average... SS Royce Hill (.260/11/51/83) scored the most runs... 2B Donnie Nilsson (.295/12/68/80) had a decent year, too... on the hill Nelson Stubbs (15-19/3.47) was the most dependable starter... while vet Terry Baird (8-3/2.21/13 saves) excelled in the bullpen with 76 appearances.

LA CLAIRE: 8th Place (21 GB)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 21, 2044

SOUTHPORT-WYNNAMAC FORECAST FOR PRO CUP FINALS
Pro Cup Fever is breaking out all across Islandia. Beginning this Friday afternoon the eight best teams will vie for the IPA Pro Cup trophy, given annually to the team that reigns supreme in the Islands. Last year's surprise winner Valmara is back to defend its title, but the Vipers still don't get very much respect from the baseball experts. They were picked number five in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll. Southport, Wynnamac, North Hills and Red Bluff were selected ahead of them. The Sun Sox are predicted to beat the Sundowners for the overall title.

As usual, the teams with the best records are expected to meet in the IPA Pro Cup Finals, but that's not what usually transpires in the playoffs. We have learned to expect the unexpected. Favorites usually flop in the postseason. Only three times in the last two decades has the team with the best record won the Pro Cup. Most of the time an underdog pulls it out in the end. In reality, any one of the clubs could win the Islandian crown.

1. Southport Sun Sox (104-50) .273 BA (3rd)/822 runs (1st)/172 HRs (9th)/2.91 ERA (2nd)/.970 FA (23rd-tied)
2. Wynnamac Sundowners (98-58) .271 BA (4th)/800 runs (4th)/153 HRs (8th)/3.25 ERA (2nd)/.975 FA (5th-tied)
3. North Hills Hawks (92-62) .278 BA (2nd)/764 runs/3rd)/163 HRs (11th)/3.26 ERA (7th)/.974 FA (9th-tied)
4. Red Bluff Red Sox (95-59) .255 BA (20th)/692 runs (18th)/216 HRs (2nd)/3.07 ERA (3rd)/.972 FA (17th-tied)
5. Valmara Vipers (93-61) .268 BA (13th)/775 runs (7th)/132 HRs (18th-tied)/3.35 ERA (5th)/.971 FA (21st-tied)
6. Kenwood Wildcats (90-64) .271 BA (6th)/718 runs (10th-tied)/136 HRs (19th-tied)/3.50 ERa (11th)/.975 FA (5th-tied)
7. Rocky Rapids Snappers (85-69) .261 BA (23rd)/770 runs (8th)/132 HRs (18th-tied)/3.60 ERA (10th)/.972 FA (17th-tied)
8. Crystal Lake Crushers (85-69) .281 BA (2nd)/780 runs (6th)/123 HRs (26th)/3.90 ERA (17th)/.972 FA (17th-tied)

In the Ruthlandian Division Championship Series Valmara will play host to Crystal Lake at War Memorial Stadium and Rocky Rapids will be on the road in Wynnamac at Granger Field. The Tycobbian Division Championship Series will have powerful Southport opening up at home at Pleasure Beach Park against strong North Hills and Red Bluff entertaining Kenwood at Red Bluff Park. All series will be best-of-seven affairs throughout the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, September 22, 2044

SEASON RECAP AND PRO CUP FORECAST:
Southport chalked its third consecutive Tycobbian South championship in easy fashion with a 17-game bulge over second place Summerland... the Sun Sox built up a 15-game margin by the All-Star Game and never looked back... they won 104 games, the most in the IPA this season... and will be one of the Pro Cup favorites again this year...5 times the Sun Sox have been to the postseason... they won their only Pro Cup in 2027... the Sun Sox were highly favored to win it the last two seasons, but they came up empty both times and were eliminated in the first round... once again for the third year in a row the Sun Sox have been made the top pick in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup poll to capture the Pro Cup.

Clubs have won 100 games a total of 18 times in IPA history.. only three of the "100 Win" Club have gone all the way and captured the Pro Cup... Colfax did it in 2008... Turon in 2018... and the Sligo Rovers in 2021... Ozarka is the leader as they have reached the 100-victory mark three times in its history... 2016, 2018 and 2021... sadly the Naturals have never won the Pro Cup, but they have been a finalist five times.

Southport had an outstanding season and dominated the IPA with a .271 BA (3rd), 822 runs (1st), 172 HRs (9th) and a splendid 2.91 ERA (2nd)... heading up the pitching corps was Johnny Swanson (25-10/2.61) and Billy Hoover (21-14/2.38)... Swanson finished third in the IPA in wins behind Jay Murphy (27-8/2.59) of South Fork and Tommy Carter (26-8/2.47) of Kenwood... Hoover has been a 20-game winner for the last three seasons... the other starters were Gordon Forbes (18-10/3.43) and Brandon Delmore (12-7/3.82)... the relief corps is also outstanding, led by Hal Combs (11-1/1.54/16 saves) and Wayne Stewart (6-2/1.53/10 saves)... the Sun Sox don't have any great bats, but has a lot of good ones... 1B Eddy Douglas (.293/32/88/79) and CF Barney Douglas (.300/28/85/75) are the prime producers with lots of help from LF Chris Jones (.323/4/64/79), SS Gonzalo Topez (.304/5/46/65), C Vasilis Vlachos (.283/17/74/69), 2B Owen Wallace (.316/5/50/59) and 3B Craig Glennon (.274/15/61/52).

For the 10th time in 11 seasons the North Hills Hawks have copped the Tycobbian North Division... this time around they outlasted the Blue Lake Blue Sox, Luxora Zorros and fast-closing Hartsdale Hellcats by 4 games... it's the 12th time the Hawks have made the postseason, thus giving them a crack at a record-setting fifth Pro Cup... North Hills is currently tied with the Turon Typhoons of the TU South for the most IPA titles... the Hawks won in 2034, 2036, 2038 and 2041... the Hawks, the number-two selection, have their work cut out for them, they meet favorite Southport in first-round action.

North Hills is a very solid ballclub with a .278 BA (2nd), 764 runs (3rd), 163 HRs (11th) with a fine 3.26 ERA (7th)... top Hawk hurlers are starters David Michael (23-13/2.64) and Tony Mack (22-12/2.70)... in 15 years the 37-yer-old Michael is 274-194 with a 3.01 ERA... Mack, age 32, has won 20 games for five of the last six seasons... Butch Cortelloni (15-9/3.36) and Joey Santini (16-15/3.94) are credible starters, too... Kyle Oliver (5-4/1.86/11 saves) was tops in the bullpen... best batters were superstar LF Adam Thurgood (.315/37/111/110), 1B Oscar Pendleton (.345/23/69/63), SS Tommy Vavas (.297/16/78/95), C Timmy Stevens (.304/13/69/76), 3B Ric Hamilton (.314/12/64/57) and 2B Jim McDermott (.272/16/70/82).

Four teams tussled back-and-forth throughout the year for supremacy in the rugged Ruthlandian East Division with Wynnamac finally hauling in the pennant in a three-way playoff... the Sundowners slammed defending champ Sugar Valley 13-7 in the playoff opener and then won the title with a 7-3 triumph over Elnora... Wynnamac whipped the Rattlers and All-Stars by one and a half games... Cold Creek was also in the running, winding up just 3 games back in fourth place... all of the first division clubs won 94 or more games.

This was the Sundowners second RU East division title in the last three seasons... they led the Ruthlandian Union with 98 victories, second best to Southport of the Tycobbian South, who notched 104 wins to top the IPA... last year they were fourth, but only 4 games off the pace... the Sundowners have racked up one Pro Cup, but it came years ago in 2008.

Third-rated Wynnamac is a well-balanced team that does everything pretty well and it will be a potent force in the Pro Cup playoffs... .271 BA (7th), 800 runs (4th), 153 HRs (11th) and a 3.25 ERA (2nd)... two 20-game winners head a quality mound staff: Jimmy Willard (24-10/2.93) and Sammy Hayes (22-12/3.54)... with help from Shirai Nakamura (19-17/3.29) and Geoff Hobart (15-5/3.76)... the bullpen standout is Johnny Mitchell (9-5/1.67/12 saves)... Willard was a godsend this year... at 37 the journeyman hurler tied for fourth in the IPA with 24 wins... only three Tycobbian twirlers Jay Murphy (27-8/2.59) of South Fork, Tommy Carter (26-8/2.47) of Kenwood and Johnny Swanson (25-10/2.61) of Southport were better... Willard (182-198/3.91) has seriously considered retirement the last few seasons because of mediocre performance... the top bat for the Sundowners is superstar RF Nioka Inkamara with a .321 BA, 40 homers, 131 RBIs and 114 runs scored... he was third in the IPA in RBIs and tied for sixth in scoring runs... ranked sixth in the RU with 40 homers... other fine run producers are CF Darrell Donnelly (.312/23/104/98), 1B Jack Pope (.294/19/91/94) and 3B Duane Hudson (.292/5/57/96).

Fourth ranked in the Pro Cup poll was the Red Bluff Red Sox, It was an historic season for the club, who are Pro Cup bound for the first time since 2009, a 35-year drought... in a two-team race the Red Sox outfought the South Fork Stallions in a season-long struggle, winning the Tycobbian East Division by 2 games... thus snapping the Stallions' three-year run as champ... Red Bluff trailed them by 7 games at mid-season, but they went 23-6 in a red-hot July to overtake South Fork... Tuckanarra finished a distant third, 19 games behind... and Ozarka came in fourth in the standings, 20 games back.

The Red Sox will be a force to contend with in the postseason... Red Bluff used impressive pitching and longball power to take their fifth TU East flag in its history... giving the Red Sox a shot at their second Pro Cup trophy... they last won it in 2004... never known much for its pitching, the Red Sox have steadily improved on the mound the last three seasons... going from 3.59 to 3.43 to 3.07 (3rd) in ERA... last year the team finished second with a 78-76 record, losing out by just 2 games to South Fork... this year they really stepped it up to 95-59.

The Red Sox have four fine starters in Jud Cox (21-12/2.20), Jack Wallace (20-9/2.34), Mickey Rosen (18-12/3.00) and George Reynolds (21-11/3.79)... the relief, however, is not so much with a 4.13 ERA (24th)... two players slammed over 40 homers each... Red Bluff was second with 216 HRs in the Tycobbian Union, third in the IPA behind Sugar Valley (231) and Turon (217)... super slugger RF David Kelso (.268/46/105/90) hit 45 to rank 4th in the IPA... 3B Fran Blanchard (.293/40/101/91) added 40 to the the total... CF Ike Sweetwater (.264/28/73/76) and LF Jesse Shaw (.287/17/70/89) are also reliable bats.

Picked fifth in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES postseason poll was defending IPA Pro Cup champion Valmara... The Vipers will get a chance to win it all again... they captured their second straight Ruthlandian North Division crown with a second-half 55-19 surge that blew them by second place Far Mountain (7 GB) and third place Ranford (11 GB)... the Vipers (33-38) trailed by 10 games at the All-Star Game, but revved it up and won going away by 7 games... Far Mountain (43-28) and Ranford (42-29) had the first half to themselves, but they fell apart in the last half of the campaign.

Valmara got fine pitching from its starters (3.50 ERA-6th) and great pitching from its relievers (2.23 ERA-1st)... coupled with good scoring (775 runs-7th)... that was the formula for winning the Pro Cup last year... maybe lightning will strike twice... it's doubtful the Vipers will be overlooked this year... the Viper rotation had four 20-game winners in Teddy Twardzik (20-15/3.14), Kasio Kitowsky (20-14/3.38), Zak Reeder (21-14/3.62) and Harold Hutson (22-9/3.91)... all of them are left-handers except for Reeder... closer Paul Holloway (7-3/1.09/17 saves) also had a great season in the bullpen... the top batters are 1B Cain Greene (.297/25/106/82), 3B Ken Jensen (.321/7/64/99) and CF Don Ritchie (.289/4/59/83).

The number-six selection to win the Pro Cup this year are the Kenwood Wildcats... they captured their third Tycobbian West crown in the past four years with a sizzling summertime surge... the Wildcats went 37-20 in July and August to pass the fading Denton City Redbirds, who were only 24-33... Kenwood won the title by 7 games... the Redbirds had a 5-game edge over Kenwood at the All-Star break... third place went to the Bayview Vikings, who trailed by 8 games... and in fourth place were the Arlon Champions, 11 games back... this was the fifth time in its history Kenwood has made the playoffs... the Wildcats have racked up one Pro Cup... that came in 2014.

They moved up from third place to the top spot this year, improving from 81-73 (4 GB) to 90-64... Kenwood can score fairly well with 718 runs (10th-tied), but don't have a lot of power with 136 HRs (19th-tied)... on the mound they have a good group of solid veterans, who posted a 3.50 team ERA (11th)... the baseball experts have placed the Wildcats in the middle-of-the-pack in the Pro Cup pairings.

Tommy Carter is the ace of the Kenwood mound staff with a brilliant 26-8 record and a strong 2.47 ERA... only IPA leader Jay Murphy (27-8/2.59) of South Fork had more victories... Rusty Bradford (20-14/3.94), Freddy Gooch (15-12/3.78) and Clyde Myers (18-19/3.27) are also reliable starters... tops in the bullpen is Artemus Hale (5-7/3.48/22 saves), who tied Wes Christopher (8-9/2.78) of Fairfax and Timmy Hickens (11-12/3.09) of Ginza for the IPA lead with 22 saves... leading the Wildcats hitters are superstar C Corky DiNozzo (.335/36/109/91), 3B Country Crowder (.320/2/48/102), CF Warren Vickers (.271/17/77/94) and 1B Bert Henrich (.267/23/72/70).

Sportwriters and broadcasters placed Rocky Rapids in the number-seven spot in THE ISLANDIAN TIMES Pro Cup balloting... Preseason pick Rocky Rapids lived up to its billing and won the Ruthlandian West Division for the first time in 24 years... in a season-long duel the Snappers held off the Middlefield Roosters and Forest City Lumberjacks, finishing 5 games in front of them... fourth place went to the Stoner Stars, who trailed by 10 games... defending division champ Volusia came in fifth and 11 games back.

Rocky Rapids has steadily improved over the last six seasons, coming in fourth twice, moving up to third the next three years and then rising up to the top spot in the RU West this season... the Snappers were 79-75 (13 GB) in 2043, upping their record to 85-69 this year... they have only appeared in the postseason four times in their history... the last time was in 2020... but the Snappers have won a Pro Cup (2019).

They have pretty good pitching with a 3.60 ERA (10th) and can score runs... Rocky Rapids ranked 8th in scoring with 770 runs... they only have average power with 132 HRs (18th-tied)... the Snappers have two excellent starters in Jamie Taylor (21-12/3.01) and Randy Peters (19-14/3.00)... and a good closer in Steve Owens (10-9/2.74/10 saves)... three players provide most of the offense: 2B Marty Featherstone (.300/30/107/100), C Carney Kirkpatrick (.298/12/77/77) and 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.295/5/52/85)... the baseball prognosticators don't expect much out of the Snappers in the Pro Cup playoffs.

According to the pollsters, the least-likely winner of the Pro Cup trophy this year is Crystal Lake... for the second year in a row Crystal Lake is the best team in the Ruthlandian South Division... the Crushers got off to a great start, had a good lead at mid-season, then had to fend off several contenders down the stretch... Crystal Lake nudged out two fast-closing clubs, Waleska by 2 games and St. John by 3 games... Claxton bombed out in late summer and finished fourth, trailing by 5 games... the San Dimas Rancheros faded in the last two months and slipped 7 games back and came in fifth.

Crystal Lake didn't have much power with 123 HRs (26th), but they could put runs on the scoreboard with a .281 BA (2nd) and 780 runs (6th)... pitching was adequate with a 3.90 ERA (17th)... defense just average (.972 FA)... the Crushers have racked up 9 pennants in their history and won two Pro Cups (2020 and 2022)... they have won three division flags in the last 5 years... Eddie Lane (15-5/2.93) is the ace of the staff with help from Dave McCauley (16-15/3.93) and Ken Lawson (16-14/3.93)... the bullpen is handled mainly by Clyde Thompson (8-7/3.66/19 saves) and Josh Crosby (13-9/3.13/16 saves)... at the plate the club leaders are 1B Daryl Brady (.325/20/89/83), CF Kenny Gray (.331/22/77/59), RF Paul Dillon (.322/11/82/88) and 3B Marv Roy (.288/25/105/74)... the Crushers can compete on the scoreboard, but not on the mound.