ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2047

HELLCATS OVERTAKE RASCALS IN TU NORTH
The defending Pro Cup champion Hartsdale Hellcats (48-35) moved past the upstart White River Rascals (47-36) by a game this month in the Tycobbian North pennant race. The Hellcats went 15-11 during June, while the Rascals slipped to 12-14. The hottest club in the division is the third place Blue Lake Blue Sox (44-39), now just four games behind. The Blue Sox went a blistering 19-7 in the month. North Hills (41-42), Oxford (41-42) and Fairfax (41-42) are all tied for fourth place and are seven games out in the race. None of them had a winning record in June.

Hartsdale is not the dominant club of a year ago... both hitting and pitching have suffered a decline this season... the main Hellcat hurlers are All-Star Perry Givens (14-4/2.83) and Dave Payne (10-6/2.76)... last year's ace Gil Younger (10-8/3.46) has struggled with four losses in his last five decisions. Younger won 28 games in 2046... Closer Alfonso Cervera (4-2/1.06/11 saves) has been excellent this year... topping the team at the plate are 3B Greg Melton (.310/15/52/49), RF Emilian Burgess (.252/13/49/43), 1B John Ford (.276/13/45/39) and rookie C Kenton Carmichael (.272/14/34/32).

Second place White River is led on the mound by Nicky Palmer (10-7/2.20), Jade Garner (9-7/3.83) and Trenton Anderson (9-5/3.71)... Clem Warren (6-9/2.98) has been effective, but his won-lost mark doesn't show it... All-Star LF Billy Joe Hickman (.314/25/64/54) has carried the club offensively with some help from 2B Warren McKenzie (.266/13/46/27)... OF Russell Anderson had done quite well, too, posting a .335 BA with 5 homers and 29 RBIs.

Third place Blue Lake has three fine starters in Sal Mayes (12-8/2.48), Greg Mortimer (9-7/2.85) and Frankie Quinn (6-3/3.02)... in the bullpen the main guy is Razzy Richmond (3-3/2.49/11 saves)... the Blue Sox could sure use more offense... LF Jack Ryan (.287/4/21/41) has the best batting average on the club... 1B Mel Morrison (.268/15/44/40) is number one in homers and RBIs... All-Star C Juan Luis Barcelona (.272/6/39/42) tops the club in runs.

SUN SOX SURGE SIX GAMES AHEAD IN TU SOUTH
The Southport Sun Sox (54-29) are favored to win the Tycobbian South this season and so far they doing all the right things. Cape Coral (48-35) also had a good month, but didn't gain any ground. The Hurricanes are six games behind the division leader. Both the 'Canes and the Sun Sox registered 16-10 marks in June. Third place San Alejo (47-36) had stayed right with Southport the first two months, but tailed off badly at 10-16 in June play, falling seven games back. Rounding out the first division in the TU South is fourth place Ginza (44-39). The Ninjas trail by 10 games and were 13-13 during the last month.

First place Southport is no great shakes at the plate, but they are effective with CF Barney Lewis (.249/25/57/45), 3B Craig Glennon (.237/17/52/45), 1B Eddy Douglas (.283/13/40) and All-Star C Vasilis Vlachos (.294/12/50/43)... on the hill the standouts are All-Star Billy Hoover (12-7/1.85), Johnny Swanson (11-6/3.48) and Brandon Forbes (12-7/3.58)... All-Star closer Hal Combs (6-3/2.00/17 saves) heads up a very good bullpen... Combs tops the IPA with 17 saves.

Runner-up Cape Coral is a high-powered offensive machine with three All-Stars and they are scoring an unheard of six runs a game with a .292 team BA... five of the starting line-up are batting better than .300: All-Star 1B Stan Ferguson (.348/20/62/45), All-Star LF-3B Rikky Van Dalen (.326/17/56/59), OF Max Tselika (.321/16/51/45), SS Kent Mantle (.275/14/54/50), All-Star RF William Snyder (.321/9/59/58) and CF Teddy Plimpton (.307/10/40/46)... veteran Benton McCall (13-6/3.22) is the ace of the mound staff... the explosive attack benefits Vernon Marks (12-8/4.25) and Tony Magee (8-4/4.05)... the pitchers will have to get better to catch Southport.

Third place San Alejo's strength is its pitching corps with a 2.82 team ERA (2nd), but the Monties have little offense to go with it... two All-Stars Matt Bell (15-3/1.17) and Will McKinney (12-6/2.14) are the staff leaders... Bell is tied with Omar Cordero (15-5/2.99) of Forest City for the most victories in the IPA... All-Star CF Paolo Teixeira (.314/23/58/63) is the only real threat in the Montaneros' batting order.

Fourth place Ginza can score runs, but is only average on the hill... top hitters are All-Star RF Sogo Takagi (.339/29/73/62), 3B Sam Essex (.258/13/52/41), SS Kuzuki Tamura (.321/4/26/33) and 1B Jiro Yamamura (.265/8/26/56)... heading up the starting rotation are the threesome of T. C. Gallimore (12-5/3.93), Charley Waskins (11-8/3.98) and Tokuji Takahara (9-9/3.60).

2-TEAM RACE IN TU EAST
Only two clubs are still in the running for the pennant in the Tycobbian East Division. At the end of June defending division winner Red Bluff (56-27) sports a three-game edge over second place Tuckanarra (53-30). The Red Sox posted an 18-8 record for the month and got a little breathing room over the Blue Jays, who were 15-11. Red Bluff has chalked up the most victories in the IPA. The High Mesa Cowboys (46-37) are in the third spot in the standings, but 10 games behind. The Cowpokes had a great June with an 18-8 record. Take away the poor April (10-18) and they would be right on the heels of the Red Sox. Fourth place belongs to the Hillsboro Blazers (42-41), 14 games out in the race. The Blazers were 15-11 last month.

Red Bluff is a well-balanced club with good hitting and outstanding pitching... the Red Sox have compiled a strong 2.87 ERA (3rd) and are batting .271 (4th)... the starting four have been superb and feature All-Star Jud Cox (14-4/0.94), George Reynolds (12-4/2.73), Carson Jamara (10-3/2.90) and Mickey Rosen (11-6/3.00)... Cox is the IPA ERA leader with a ridiculously low 0.94 ERA... the top guns at the plate are All-Star RF David Kelso (.320/31/68/55), 1B Josh Stevens (.276/20/40/49), 3B Fran Blanchard (.241/18/52/46) and CF Ike Sweetwater (.292/13/44/31)... Kelso is third in the IPA with 31 homers... only High Mesa's Johnny Tallis (33) and Bayview's Jerry Culpepper (32) are ahead of him.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays are a talented club, too... the Tucks are excellent on the hill with a 2.87 team ERA (3rd) and have some solid bats with a .271 BA (4th)... heading up the hurlers are Ozzie Leslie (12-5/2.43), Yarran Nawajuk (13-7/3.27), Dickie Pittman (9-5/2.17) and Gary Oliver (5-3/2.49/2 saves)... and Jack Rogers (5-3/2.12/12 saves) is one of the top relievers in the IPA... All-Star 1B Rodger Parsons (.325/10/53/54) is the club leader in BA, HRs, RBIs and runs... and gets some help from 3B Niles Tasby (.332/8/38/25) and RF Jimmy Markovich (.283/8/27/51).

The third place High Mesa Cowboys have fine pitching, but just average hitting... they have a tough starting foursome in Lucius Quarles (11-5/2.49), Tee Bo Templet (8-2/2.86/1 save), Steve Tolan (11-10/3.43) and Lloyd Armstrong (7-6/1.72)... the bullpen leader is William Morris (2-3/3.38/10 saves)... 1B Johnny Tallis is having a monstrous season with an IPA-leading 93 RBIs... he's is on track to set a new record for RBIs... Adam Zitek, who also starred for High Mesa, had 170 in 2005 for the all-time mark... Tallis is batting only .252, but also has the IPA lead in homers with 33... he could also challenge Jerry Culpepper's season record of 66, hit in 2040 with Bayview.

Fourth place Hillsboro has qualty pitching, but not much hitting except for homers... the team ERA is 3.33 (10th)... the Blazers are fourth in roundtrippers with 108, but they are batting a lowly .233 for average (30th)... Hillsboro has a pair of good starters in Steve Cooper (10-9/2.60) and Jamie Lee Bradley (10-7/3.01) and a two fairly reliable ones in Robby Lee Stillwell (11-9/3.90) and Bailey Bilbow (6-6/3.93)... none of the regulars hit much for average, but they possess a little power... LF Jurrien Bellini is the club leader with 31 homers, 52 RBIs and 68 runs, but is batting only .244... CF Rick Willis has 16 homers, 46 RBIs and 53 runs, but is hitting just .263... and 1B Ernie Moxley has 15 dingers, 38 RBIs and 30 runs, while batting a lowly .227.

3-WAY BATTLE IN TYCOBBIAN WEST
After three months of baseball in the Tycobbian West, the Arlon Champions (44-39) are one game in front of perennial winner and defending division crownholder Kenwood (43-40) and the up-and-coming Bayview Vikings (43-40). The fourth place Rolling Hills Reds (39-44) are under the .500 mark, but only five games behind the leader. The Champs put up a 14-12 record in June to move into the top spot. Kenwood skidded to 10-16 and lost the lead. The Vikings broke even for the month at 13-13. The Reds are the hottest thing going in the division. In June they were 18-8. The TU West is one of the weaker division in the IPA with only three clubs with winning records.

Arlon is in first place, but they are not a particularly strong team... the Champs are only so-so on the mound and offensively... Peter Shannon (13-6/3.28) and Pat Stuyvesant (11-6/3.78) are the biggest winners, but Lanny Gray (9-11/2.78) is still the most effective starter... at best, Arlon is only modest at the plate, led by RF Mark Cameron (.286/17/36/44), CF Cary Rockwell (.296/14/45/34), C Nick Shafer (.265/14/46/44) and 2B Ivan Cisneros (.303/10/38/40).

Kenwood has won the division flag five times in the last six years and was favored this season... however its starting pitching has let the Wildcats down this year... Tommy Carter (11-7/2.71) has been the only reliable starter... Freddy Gooch (5-8/3.75), Rusty Bradford (9-8/3.53) and Gregg Campbell (8-10/4.40) are all having off-years... Bradford was 22-6 last year, Campbell 19-10 and Gooch 16-14... only two batters pose real threats in the batting order... superstar and All-Star C Corky DiNozzo (.291/20/55/42) and 2B Country Crowder (.379/2/31/44) have to carry the offensive load... Crowder easily tops the IPA with a .379 BA... he is 31 points up on his nearest competitors, Stan Ferguson of Cape Coral and Duane Hudson of Wynnamac.

The third place Bayview Vikings have a helty attack with a .271 team BA (2nd) and 118 homers (2nd), but possess a mediocre mound staff (4.02 ERA-24th)... IPA icon, superstar and All-Star slugger 3B Jerry Culpepper is still going strong at age 33 with a .319 BA, 32 homers, 87 RBIs and 58 runs... he is running a close second to the IPA HR and RBI leader Johnny Tallis of High Mesa... Tallis has 33 home runs and 93 RBIs... the Viks have two other All-Stars in SS Andreas Stokke (.315/23/65/49) and 2B Zack Mason (.327/6/34/45)... LF Ivar Nilssen has also done some damage with a .309 BA, 18 HRs, 49 RBIs and 40 runs... top starters are Bobby Knudsen (12-7/2.63) and Vance Codsworth (9-4/3.52)... best reliever is Sammy Sarver (5-5/3.03/11 saves).

The Rolling Hills Reds have some quality starters, but not much in the bullpen... they don't hit especially well, either... still they had a great month in June to move up into contention... Johnny Howard (14-5/2.75) is having an excellent season and is ranked second in the IPA in wins... two other starters are effective and better than their records: Matthew Christianson (6-10/2.92) and Steve Adams (6-10/3.46)... a fourth starter Marty Phillips (5-2/3.00) had looked sharp since being moved into a starting role... leading the lackluster offense are RF Jimbo Foxx (.227/14/43/33), CF Orin Phillips (.262/14/45/42), 1B Darwin Tard (.252/13/35/38) and C Kyle Edwards (.300/3/28/30)... Tard, a career .308 hitter, did not have a good first half, batting only .252... if the fine pitching continues in the second half, the Reds could challenge in the pennant chase.

TYCOBBIAN UNION STANDINGS AS OF JULY 1, 2047

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2047

RUTHLANDIAN LEADERBOARDS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2047

TYCOBBIAN UNION BATTING LEADERBOARD

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union Pitching Leaderboard - July 1, 2047

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2047

6 IPA LEGENDS INDUCTED TO HALL OF FAME
The Baseball Sportswriters Association were in an approving mood at this year's election process for the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame. They named six players to the hallowed baseball museum, headed up by Corbett Brooks, the number two all-time home-run hitter. Three other position players also were inducted: Johnny Petrak, Nicky Farrugia, both recently retired, and old-time star Fred Collins, who seemed to fall through the voting cracks and had almost been forgotten. Two pitching greats, David Michael and Terry Richards were also honored by the BSA.

BROOKS INDUCTED INTO HALL OF FAME
"From the first time I saw him play, I knew he had the potential to be one of the best," Corbett Brooks' first manager Mack Connery said, "and the more I saw him play, the more certain I was that he would reach that potential."

Brooks retired at the age of 41 with a .263 career batting average. The legendary slugger mainly played right field, participated in 3187 games, collected 3008 hits, 727 home runs and batted in 1980 runs. He played with four clubs from 2022 until 2044. Only famed immortal Jack Elliott outhomered him in his career. Elliott is the all-time IPA home-run leader with 848. Brooks was a four-time All-Star and won a Golden Glove early in his career. Sadly, he never got to play in the playoffs. Much of his career Brooks labored in obscurity.

Connery was just one of the people there at Brooks's enshrinement in the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame. It was a celebration of the career of one of the shining stars of his generation.

His teammates loved him and opposing fans loved to hate him, but respect followed him everywhere, as evidenced by the large crowd at the ceremony. Not only were teammates there, but opposing players and managers as well, along with a large throng of fans.

The man of the moment was overcome with emotion when he finally took his turn at the podium to speak. "This is one of the greatest moments of my life and to share it with all of you here is... simply amazing. I would just like to thank my family and all my teammates for their support during my journey here. Individual honor was never my goal, winning was, but this is more than I could have ever dreamed."

MICHAEL JOINS GREATS IN IPA HALL OF FAME
What does it take to make the baseball Hall of Fame? One sometimes wonders when you see a player with Fred Collins' credentials left out for some many years.

Well, whatever it is, David Michael has it. He was inducted into the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame today.

Retiring at age 40, Michael had one of the most illustrious careers ever with a 315-234 won-loss mark and a 3.11 ERA. Michael was a mainstay of the North Hills Hawks from 2029 to 2047 and led them to four Pro Cup crowns and 11 pennants in his 19 years with the club. Michael was especially effective in the postseason where he registered a 20-13 record in 38 starts and posted a superb 2.32 ERA against the best of the IPA. He was 7-0 with a 1.96 ERA in the 2034 playoffs, won by the Hawks. He was voted the Pro Cup MVP that year. Michael also copped the MVP honor in 2038 with a 4-1 mark and a 1.34 ERA when the Hawks won their second Pro Cup trophy.

Asked by reporters to describe what it takes to become a Hall of Famer, he replied, "I guess it all started at my high school graduation. The speaker said to be successful in life, you needed to find 'something you love.' I am here today because I found something I love. Baseball has been my life. It has never been a job. I have been able to have fun playing a game and making a wonderful life for myself and my family. I am a kid that never really had to grow up. Just go to the ballpark each day and throw strikes. That's it."

David Michael closed by saying, "God gave me the talent and blessed me with great coaches, managers, and teammates, who helped me develop it."

HOF HONORS JOHNNY PETRAK
During his tenure in the Islandian Pro Alliance Johnny Petrak was nothing but class, on the field and off the field. Now he is part of the Hall of Fame class of 2047. Lifetime Petrak hit for a .315 average and totaled 2441 hits, 280 home runs and 1197 RBIs. Petrak was an 8-time All-Star and Gold Glover, who played shortstop and second base for the Eastshore Elegants from 2034 to 2047. In 2034 he batted .382 in his only postseason appearance, playing in seven games. The Elegants lost in first round action.

The fine infielder was officially inducted today and took his place among baseball's best. He recently retired at the age of 41.

Teammate Troy McFarland told the audience, "The greatest thing he taught me was on my first day in the big leagues -- it was the hustle. He hit two one-hoppers to the pitcher and ran as hard as he could to first base. Johnny set a great example for me to model my career. His hustle and desire -- those were the little things that stood out for me. Plus he's one of the best hitters I've ever played with."

In his speech Petrak expressed his thanks and gratitude to the many people who helped make this wonderful day possible.
"I have been truly blessed. I have been able to do something I love and get paid very well for it. There was no place that I ever wanted to be, but on the baseball diamond every day doing what I love."

WACKY RICHARDS MAKES IPA HALL OF FAME
Terry Richards was a happy-go-lucky hurler that didn't seem to take baseball too seriously. But Richards was good enough to chalked up 306 victories. Much to the dismay of his managers, the gifted pitcher was fond of making esoteric and philosophical observations like, "People are too hung up on winning. I can get off on a really good helmet throw."

Whether he believed that or not, the baseball writers took his accomplishments on the mound seriously and voted him into the prestigious Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame.

At his induction today Richards told the press, "I played the game for fun. That didn't mean I wasn't giving it my all. I wouldn't be here today, if I hadn't given it my all."

Richards retired at age 37 in 2045. In his superb career he compiled a fine ERA of 3.14 with 306 victories and 221 defeats and held opponents to a .246 batting average. All total he pitched in 680 games and struck out 3654 batters in 4856 innings. Richards played 18 years for the Waleska Westerners beginning in 2028. The Westerners won three Pro Cup titles during his tenure with them. They captured their first in his rookie year when he went 4-1 in the playoffs with a 3.08 ERA. Richards also played a big part in the 2037 Pro Cup run with a 4-1 mark and a 2.98 ERA, good enough to be a very close second to pitcher Craig Nash (3-1/2.08) for the Pro Cup MVP. He was injured when the Westerners took the IPA crown again in 2039. Waleska still won it even without their ace, who was 18-8 in the regular season with a sparkling 2.64 ERA.

The eccentric and irreverent pitcher closed out his speech in style: "Baseball's a very simple game. All you have to do is sit on your butt, spit tobacco and nod at the stupid things your manager says."

FARRUGIA JOINS HOF IMMORTALS
Thousands of fans braved the scorching sun to watch and cheer as baseball's latest legend, Nicky Farrugia, was inducted into the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame today. With his 365 home runs, 2215 hits and lifetime .321 batting average, everyone knew the gifted right fielder belonged with the immortals of the game. Still, Farrugia remained humble.

"I'm a very lucky person to be born with the skill to play baseball and through baseball I built a name for myself," said Farrugia. Now finally his career as a baseball player is complete, "This seals it," he said. "To get the recognition that every ballplayer seeks -- this is completion for me."

Farrugia retired recently at 37. In his epic 14-year career (2034-2047) with the St. John Crusaders he played in 1704 games and finished with 1204 RBIs and 1131 runs scored. Five times he made the All-Star team and won the Ruthlandian Golden Bat and Most Valuable Player honors in 2039. Farrugia only played in the postseason on two occasions, but swatted .352 in 22 games with 6 homers and 12 RBIs.

COLLINS FINALLY GETS CHOSEN TO THE HALL OF FAME
A great injustice was made right this year by the Hall of Fame electors. Fred Collins, the great center fielder and consummate professional, was finally inducted into the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame today after being overlooked and bypassed for almost three decades. Collins played from 2001 to 2020 with three clubs, Blue Lake, Sligo and Mahaska. He was a four-time All-Star and was twice the Ruthlandian Batter of the Year, winning the Gold Bat in 2010 and 2011. Collins was the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player in 2011.

The 68-year-old honoree quipped, "Although you don't like to give up at anything, it was beginning to look hopeless for me. I'm just glad that they didn't vote me in posthumously while I was alive."

His all-time numbers show Collins compiled a .305 batting average and collected 2707 hits, 401 home runs and 1446 RBIs. In all, he played in 2634 games. Collins retired from baseball at the age of 41. He also scored 1665 runs, stole 481 bases, walked 1407 times and put up a lifetime .406 on-base percentage. He batted .328 in 16 playoffs games.

At the induction ceremony, he grew misty-eyed as he recalled the highlights of his playing career: his first base hit, his first home run, and -- humorously -- the first time he was thrown out at home plate. Collins says he barged through his third base coach's stop sign. As he returned to the dugout, his manager Eddie Keys simply glared at him. "His eyes just burned a hole right through me. If looks could kill, I wouldn't be here today," he chuckled.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, August 1, 2047

RUTHLANDIAN UNION JULY RECAP

RACE OVER IN RU NORTH, REDHAWKS ROMP
There a good race going for second place in the Ruthlandian North, but the pennant race is over - Far Mountain (72-39) has beaten everything in sight and has a 14-game bulge going into the final six weeks of the season. Valmara (58-53), LaGrange (58-53) and Glasco (58-53) are tussling for the number two spot, along with the Kilkenny Cats (55-56).

The first place Redhawks have marvelous pitching and scoring, a combination hard-to-beat... they were 18-10 in July... Curt Steinhauer (15-5/1.74), Stan Smith (18-4/3.27) and Jonas Glover (16-8/3.18) have done a great job in the starting rotation, while the bullpen has been solid, headed up by Fernando Sanches (9-6/2.96/13 saves)... at the plate Far Mountain doesn't have any superstar bats with super stats... they do it as a group, but don't hit for high averages except for one parttimer... 1B Rance Hawkins is hitting .368 with 10 HRs, 40 RBIs and 44 runs as a platoon player... the most productive regulars have been CF Todd Purdom (.279/7/36/49), 2B Sammy Prejean (.261/2/37/38), SS Webster Ronstadt (.259/7/45/56) and RF Bert Richter (.245/15/42/51).

LaGrange rolled up a strong 18-10 mark for the month... the Sports' top performers are Hot Dog Huxtable (13-8/2.45/4 saves) and Arnie Ayers (15-8/2.63) on the hill and 1B Clayton Justice (.298/20/79/45) and SS Johnny Rodgers (.287/16/79/61) with the bats.

Valmara wound up 15-13 in July... veterans stars Primo Sirak (11-7/2.06) and Teddy Twardzik (10-12/2.66) have been great on the mound, but need more run support... the Vipers don't hit with much power and are only average hitters... the club leaders are All-Star SS Ken Jensen (.302/8/53/62), LF Paul McMahon (.316/5/54/29) and 2B Jorge Aparicio (.279/8/38/65).

The Glasco A's have excellent pitching and average offense... top twirlers are starters Evan Walsh (13-12/2.41), Benny McDaniel (11-8/2.71), Pat Meyers (13-10/3.04) and Brent Bolivar (9-9/3.35)... the bullpen is strong, too, with Ken McLin (7-6/2.25/9 saves)... LF George Russell (.264/9/61/57) and CF John Rumford (.260/10/44/62) lead the club offensively... the Athletics were 14-14 in July.

Fifth place Kilkenny was 15-13 during the last month... the Cats feature good pitching, but have terrible hitting... Dave Stratford (15-12/2.19) has been a terrific starter and is the ace of the staff with some help from Ciaran Cullen (13-12/3.72) and Glen Caswell (12-15/3.00)... SS Sam Norman (.268/17/62/38) and CF Scottie Spencer (.246/13/46/45) are the leaders offensively.

RU SOUTH SUPER TIGHT WITH 3-WAY BATTLE
There's a tremendous duel going on in the Ruthlandian South. Favored Waleska (60-51) has a one-game edge over Crystal Lake (59-52) and Belair Beach (59-52). The Westerners were 17-11 in July to take over the top spot in the standings, the Crushers 16-12 and the Sunbirds just 14-14... Belair Beach was the division leader at the end of May.

The Westerners have the best pitching in the IPA with a 2.76 team ERA, but are less-than-average on the scoreboard... they are sparked by four fine veteran starters in Jeff Woodruff (13-10/2.34), All-Star Niles Nielsen (12-8/2.57), Tony Haskell (13-8/2.89) and Roy Schaefer (12-11/3.15)... the main man in the bullpen has been Vince Gibson (4-5/1.10/11 saves)... SS Pete Hudson (.320/2/39/33) has the top BA... CF Kenny Hardy (.294) is the club leader in hits (132), doubles (27), homers (14), RBIs (62), runs (66) and stolen bases (28)... other contributors are 3B Pete Furness (.266/13/55/37), LF Gene Stevenson (.267/13/39/43) and 1B Rob Rice (.313/11/39/37).

The Crystal Lake Crushers hit well for average (.273-1st) and score well (10th), but lack the longball with only 67 (26th tied)... pacing the attack are RF Paul Dillon (.322/8/56/53), CF Jesse Walker (.310/0/23/37), LF Jed Murphee (.289/6/47/72) and C Del Peevy (.281/8/51/50)... the best two starters have been Manuel Hinojosa (8-4/2.59) and Dave McCauley (13-11/3.94)... All-Star closer Josh Crosby (10-5/1.89/14 saves) heads up the reliever corps.

Belair Beach's offense is keeping them in the race, but the mound staff could do better... the Sunbirds are 9th in scoring runs, but are 27th with a 3.99 team ERA... carrying the brunt of the attack is superstar All-Star 3B Jason Butler, who is having a banner year with a .320 BA, 33 HRs, 90 RBIs and 72 runs... the 34-year-old Butler is tied for fifth in the IPA in RBIs... 1B Shannon Stewart (.302/10/54/57) and CF Norm Ellis (.268/17/45/47) have also chipped in with the bats... Kevin Tolbert (11-10/3.01) has been the most effective starter, but Ronnie Roy (14-8/4.27) and Jose Munoz (13-12/4.05) have more wins... in the bullpen Tom Cook (4-3/2.47/15 saves) and Ray Dunn (3-1/2.03/6 saves) have stood out.

MARSTON ADDS TO LEAD IN RU EAST
Six of the teams in the Ruthlandian East have winning records, making it one of the stronger divisions in the the IPA. The Marston Nine (69-42) are making a serious bid to get out of the perpetual doldrums of the second division this year. The first place Nine skied to 20-8 in July and added to its lead, moving six games ahead of preseason choice Sugar Valley (63-48). The powerful Rattlers finished 18-10 for the month. The Eastshore Elegants (60-51) are in the third spot in the standings, trailing by 9 games. They were 16-12 this past month. In fourth place are the Belle Plaine Musketeers (59-52), who posted a strong 18-10 mark, but still fell two more games behind in the pennant race. The Muskies are 10 games off the pace.

Marston can swing the bat, ranking near the top in scoring runs (2nd), topped only by Belle Plaine in the RU... the Nine also has topnotch pitching (8th)... the club leaders are All-Star 3B Gary Armitage (.316/17/51/78), SS Stan Mila (.308/15/77/48), RF Charley Gilmore (.310/10/50/46) and All-Star LF D'Wayne Dotson (.289/13/66/70)... on the hill All-Star Felix Delatte (18-4/2.51) is having a banner year... Kelly Long (6-3/1.99/7 saves) recently moved from the bullpen into the starting rotation... number two starter Thomas Stuart (9-10/3.33) and number three John Newton (13-11/3.56) have struggled at times...Long looks to be an upgrade... standout Kiki Vuk (9-2/1.49/7 saves) is the bullpen specialist... Marston just has six weeks to go to get its first RU East flag in almost two decades... the Nine is certainly playing like a pennant winner this season.

But, of course, last year's division winner Sugar Valley will have a lot to say about that... the Rattlers are still a very capable ball club with solid starters and good bats... leading the rotation is Antonio Cedeno (17-10/2.89) with some help from Christopher Dunsberry (10-8/2.82), Cullen Winslow (12-8/3.60) and Davey Brennan (7-10/2.88/7 saves)... the bullpen (4.40 ERA) has not fared very well and is the sore point on the team... the Rattlers really needs some help there to get back in the pennant race... All-Star 2B Richie Fry (.363/6/54/55) is hitting everything in sight and is leading the league with a .363 BA, second in the IPA to Kenwood's Country Crowder, who is tops at .370... CF Carl Ramsey is not much for average at .235, but has been the club leader with 23 HRs, 71 RBIs and 81 runs... 1B Roger Hobbs is batting only .240, but has 17 homers, 47 RBIs and has scored 65 runs... player-manager and RF Bobby Gamble, a career .319 batter, is only hitting .274, but has 16 homers, 59 RBIs and 64 runs.

The Eastshore Elegants are pretty much average as a team... but they have two outstanding All-Star hurlers in starter Valdek Savisaar (16-5/2.81) and relief star Jody Friday (12-1/1.50/12 saves)... Friday leads the Ruthlandian Union in ERA with a splendid 1.50, topped only by Matt Bell (18-4/1.49) of San Alejo in the Tycobbian Union... Eastshore's best bat is All-Star RF Troy McFarland (.271/19/69/64), the club leader in most categories... CF Bevan Shuler is batting only .228, but has 15 HRs, 48 RBIs and scored 78 runs... 1B Gibby Houston leads with a .342 BA, plus 7 HRs and 43 RBIs... 3B Abner Bronstein is hitting .313... and 2B Odis Caswell is batting .293 with 37 RBIs and 52 runs.

Fourth place Belle Plaine is first in Ruthlandia putting runs on the scoreboard with a .272 BA (3rd) and 116 HRs (5th), but not quite average on the mound with a so-so 3.63 team ERA (21st)... 1B Chuck Gregory (.291/24/83/52), rookie RF Lenny Buisson (.328/19/58/51), CF Roy Myers (.296/15/49/63) and C Nuke Borg (.306/13/44/47) are the team leaders at the plate... 2B Mac Lord (.332/7/33/41) and 3B Kale Woodard (.327/4/32/57) have blossomed this year as hitters... the modest mound corps is paced by starters Ryne Malloy (13-13/4.15) and Joe-Joe Bouvier (11-8/3.98) and by Kurt Tandberg (5-1/2.12/9 saves) in the pen.

Cold Creek is in fifth place with pretty good pitching, but very little in the batter's box... top starters are Rob Hutchins (14-8/1.99) and Riku Takahashi (8-8/3.37/5 saves)... with Andres Padilla (7-3/3.18/7 saves) leading the relievers... the most productive bats are 1B Bradley Brim (.305/10/47/43), 3B Joe Cochrane (.328/9/47/59) and SS Nicky Thacker (.267/5/33/58).

The sixth place Beechwood Bobcats do little other than go deep fairly often... the Bobcats have hit 134 homers, second to Middlefield's 140 in the RU... 1B Corky Callahan (.276/27/65/48), RF Eddie Wilson (.269/23/49/52) and CF Keith Kalder (.313/20/46/43) are the deep threats... C Glenn Tinker (.286/9/40/51) has been productive, too... Jimmy Herman (13-13/3.87) is the only starter under 4.00 ERA... reliever Freddy Manale is unbeaten in 34 relief roles with 9 saves and a 2.74 ERA.

The Wynnamac Sundowners were forecast to be a first-division club this year, but they fizzled badly in July (11-17) and slumped to seventh place... just an average ball club in a good division... vets Sammy Hayes (14-10/3.02) and Jimmy Willard (11-7/3.31) have been sound starters... and Johnny Mitchell (6-6/2.06/8 saves) has done a good job in relief... 3B Duane Hudson (.332/6/45/58) is the club leader in BA with superstar RF Nioka Inkamara (.266/26/74/62) tops in homers, RBIs and runs, but who hasn't been the same player he was prior to the injury year in 2045.

The Elnora All-Stars are in the cellar, but are just five games under .500... they can stick the ball with a .263 BA, rank seventh in scoring and have decent power with 101 HRs (13th)... the All-Stars are just fair to middling on the mound with a 3.85 ERA (23rd)... All-Star RF Preston Davies (.332/18/48/56) and All-Star C Cannon Johnson (.270/22/62/57) are the biggest threats in the batting order with good help from LF Enos Conrad (.306/8/42/43), CF Kyle Watson (.301/4/50/54), 2B Marty Macomber (.294/16/57/59) and 3B Joey Hagburn (.286/9/57/53)... veterans starters Dan Pitts (12-12/3.42) and Stan Kivas (12-11/3.76) are the staff leaders.

ROOSTERS STILL AHEAD IN RU WEST
Middlefield (67-44) posted the best record in the Ruthlandian West this month to put a little bit more space between them and the rest of the contenders. Only Forest City (64-47) is pushing them, just three games behind. The Roosters were 16-12 during the month, while the Lumberjacks were 15-13. The third place Rocky Rapids Snappers (60-51) were 13-15 and slipped 10 games out in the race. Volusia (59-52) and Colfax (59-52), tied for fourth, went 14-14 and 13-15 respectively and now trail the Roosters by eight games. Sligo (57-54), in the sixth spot, is also three-game over .500, but was only 12-16 for July. The Rovers fell 10 games back in the pennant race.

First place Middlefield has a strong attack and strong pitching... the Roosters are batting .262 (10th), have collected 140 homers (1st) and ranked fifth in scoring runs... they have chalked up an impressive 2.91 team ERA (4th)... with those numbers you would think they would have a bigger lead in the division... the top starters are All-Star James Long (18-7/2.22), Larry Wheelhouse (16-11/2.55) and Carroll Collier (12-10/3.04)... Ray Owens (4-5/1.72/13 saves) leads a strong bullpen that has compiled a superb 2.01 ERA and is ranked number one in the Ruthlandian Union... All-Star RF Sidney Conner (.303/35/93/72) is having a terrific year... he is third in the IPA with 93 RBIs... only Bayview's Jerry Culpepper (123) and High Mesa's Johnny Tallis (121) are ahead of him... Conner is seventh in roundtrippers with 35... All-Star C Johnny McDonald (.352/6/33/58) is number four in the IPA with a .352 mark, bested only by Kenwood's Country Crowder (.370), Sugar Valley's Richie Fry (.363) and Cape Coral's Stan Ferguson (.353)... SS Jimmy Beach (.323/15/53/53) and CF Russell Martin (.304/13/48/57) are also over the .300 mark... LF Norman Antonioni has pitched in with 28 HRs, 63 RBIs and 56 runs, while batting .276... Middlefield has all of the makings of a strong Pro Cup title contender.

Runner-up Forest City gets by on its fine pitching, ranking fifth with a 3.05 team ERA... Omar Cordero (19-8/3.24) is the ace and is tied for the IPA lead with Johnny Howard (19-6/2.83) of Rolling Hills and Drew Selby (19-6/3.01) of Volusia... also lending a hand are Walter Gibbons (12-7/3.26), Rusty Howard (13-11/2.59) and Jimmy Kirkpatrick (6-3/2.63/2 saves)... Kirkpatrick is a recent addition to the starting rotation... Richie Meyers (5-4/3.30/14 saves) has been a capable closer thus far... not much in the 'Jacks line-up... C Bob Brisdon (.282/10/57), SS Timmy Tarbell (.275/8/38/47) are the best of the lot... showing promise in limited roles are 3B Nicky Knight (.271/13/47/37) and 1B Frisco Dawson (.382/10/19/25)... it's amazing the Lumberjacks have stayed this close to Middlefield.

Third place Rocky Rapids has remained in the race with its super staff of All-Star Dirk Halstad (15-7/2.29), superstar Jamie Taylor (13-15/2.69) and Buster Noland (16-6/3.19)... the Snappers' offense is just average at best with All-Star 2B Marty Featherstone (.282/18/64/69), 1B Masaharu Kawasaki (.277/18/75/56), RF Buddy Hamilton (.296/13/40/36) and 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.290/5/43/58).

Deadlocked in the fourth spot in the RU West standings are the Volusia Vigilantes and the Colfax Blasters... the V's boast a fine offense and better-than-average pitching... the top bats are All-Star C George Ruffino (.273/20/71/43), RF Lonny Womack (.300/15/64/73), All-Star 2B Cazzie Carvalho (.300/13/69/53) and All-Star 1B Kris Wilson (.328/12/53/60)... the top hurlers are Drew Selby (19-6/3.01), who is tied for the IPA lead in victories with Omar Cordero (19-8/3.24) of Forest City and Johnny Howard (19-6/2.83) of Rolling Hills... Will Thompson (15-10/3.10) is the number two man in wins on the club... Casimiro Ramires (7-7/3.13) and Alvaro Spinosa (8-8/3.20) have been quality starters, too... however, the Vigilantes are weak in the bullpen.

Colfax is a solid ball club, too... the pitching is above average and the bats are proficient... Ray Maxon (14-7/2.55) and Red McCallum (12-6/2.09) are standout starters... 3B Cramer Landis is the club leader at the plate with a .298 BA and 58 runs... he has driven 30 runs and has 8 home runs... the RBI leader is LF Robb Maddux (.265/13/63/51) with 63... C Darrell Dillon (.258/16/55/49) leads in homers with 16... and SS Marty Eldridge added 9 homers, 48 RBIs, 47 runs and a .268 BA.

The Sligo Rovers are in sixth place... just an average ball team... rookie starter Mickey Walsh (13-10/2.62) leads the staff with help from veteran Randall Steele (13-13/3.17)... All-Star 3B Denny Simmons is the club leader with a .300 BA, 65 RBIs and 52 runs... he is second in homers with 12... CF Pat Tyrrell (.253/14/42/43) is the HR leader with 14... parttimers 3B Blayne Carnick (.328/5.37/27), LF Martin Tilton (.306/3/19/31) and CF Glen Kern (.300/1/26/17) have wielded the bats well when given a chance.

Seventh place Stoner is just a mediocre club... lackluster starters Mel Glosterman (10-14/4.00) and Billy Horton (10-13/4.42) have the most wins... the hitters aren't much better with 3B Ralph Sackett (.302/11/58/45), RF Morgan Miller (.300/9/55/49) and SS Norris Henry (.286/8/34).

Last place Fort Benton is destined for the basement for the third year in a row... the Defenders can't score and they don't have a lot of pitching... Arnie Patterson (10-15/3.59) and Jordy Raeburn (9-14/3.72) are the only decent starters... and C Varnell Larrimore (.282/11/53/43) and 3B Glendon Glenn (.306/3/29/48) are the only decent bats... it's just another long, dismal season for the Fort Benton fans.

RUTHLANDIAN UNION STANDINGS AS OF JULY 1, 2047

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, August 1, 2047

TYCOBBIAN UNION JULY RECAP

HELLCATS HAVE SLIGHT LEAD IN TU NORTH
Defending Pro Cup champion Hartsdale (63-48) is still having trouble shaking the unheralded White River Rascals (61-50) in the Tycobbian North. The Hellcats are still slightly ahead and raised it to two games over the Rascals at the end of July. Hartsdale was ony 15-13 for the month, but picked up a game over White River, which went 14-14. Third place Blue Lake (56-55) dropped further back with a poor 12-16 mark. The Blue Sox, the number two choice in the preseason, are now seven games back in the pennant race. The North Hills Hawks (55-56) are in fourth place and trail by eight games. Last month the Hawks were even at 14-14. Blue Lake was supposed to be Hartsdale's toughest foe for the TU North flag, but so far it's been the number-seven pick White River.

Hartsdale is trying to repeat as division champ, but hasn't had the pitching of a year ago, when they won the Pro Cup... the offense is down some, too... All-Star Perry Givens (17-5/2.73) and Dave Payne (15-8/3.08) are leading the way... last year's 28-game winner and TU MVP Gil Younger (12-13/3.48) has struggled this year... Kippy Wilhelm, a 20-game winner last season, is terrible this year with a 4-8 record and an astronomical 6.53 ERA... the bullpen is bad except for Alfonso Cervera (7-3/1.78/13 saves)... the Hellcat offense is still quite capable with the likes of RF Emilian Burgess (.268/21/72/65), 3B Greg Melton (.289/17/64/60), CF Darrell Nesbitt (.282/12/38/84) and 1B John Ford (.260/16/59/50)... rookie C Kenton Carmichael (.255/21/48/47) has added some punch to the line-up with 21 home runs... right now Hartsdale would have trouble in the playoffs against possible rivals Red Bluff and Southport.

Second place White River has been mired in the second division the last three seasons... the Rascals are still looking for the first Pro Cup... the last pennant came years ago in 2027... so the fans are really excited this year and rightly so... it's August and the Rascals are still putting a lot of pressure on favored Hartsdale... they have pretty fair pitching with Nicky Palmer (13-10/2.54), Jade Garner (12-8/3.79) and Trenton Anderson (11-8/3.70)... Clem Warren's (8-11/2.74) record doesn't show it, but he has been a quality starter and tough to beat... All-Star LF Billy Joe Hickman is the offense with a .329 BA, 34 HRs, 90 RBIs and 76 runs... at 29 this is his best year ever... OF Russell Anderson is batting .327 BA and has 5 HRs, 33 RBIs and 46 runs... 2B Warren McKenzie has contributed some with 15 homers and 55 RBIs, but is batting only .248... although they are only two games out, it's not likely the Rascals can overtake the Hellcats... White River is just abysmal at the plate.

Blue Lake is just barely over .500 and doesn't appear to be a challenger this year... overall the Blue Sox are just an average club... Sal Mays (15-12/2.98) and Greg Mortimer (12-10/2.82) are two solid starters... ace Van Johnson (11-11/4.22) is having a down year... he was 21-11 last year... veteran Razzy Richmond (4-4/2.40/16 saves) is the only good reliever... Richmond is still a solid closer... the Blue Sox have some steady hitters, but no standouts... they are led by SS Rick Bridges (.278/23/60/52), 1B Mel Morrison (.269/20/55/56), RF Johnny Harding (.252/16/45/56) and All-Star C Juan Luis Barcelona (.268/8/46/54).

North Hills is in fourth place... the hitting is good, but the great pitching of the past decade, which produced four Pro Cup crowns and 11 pennants, is gone... the Hawks are just a run-of-the-mill team... superstar RF Adam Thurgood (.316/28/76/72) missed most of last season with an injury, but is back and doing quite well at age 36... other capable batters are aging vets: 35-year-old 2B Tommy Vavas (.286/18/52/67) and 36-year-old 3B Ric Hamilton (.287/14/57/45)... LF Ryan Webbe, age 23, is adding some youthful punch to the line-up... it's time for the Hawks to rebuilt... 34-year-old ace Tony Mack (17-8/2.42) is as good as ever on the mound, but has little help except for rookie Flash Easley (8-4/3.48/1 save)... the bullpen is one of the worst in the IPA with an atrocious 5.23 ERA (32nd).

None of the second division squads are expected to compete for the flag this year... but the teams do have a few standout players: All-Star pitcher Rudy Mellancamp (14-12/1.88) for the sixth place Oxford Red Caps... All-Star closer Terry Sawyer (11-8/2.37/13 saves) and 2B John Velasco (.318/20/83/65), who is playing remarkably well at 41 for the sixth place Fairfax Frogs... leading Luxora are vets RF Emil Pasek (.339/15/36/69) and 1B Joel Poche (.302/19/77/61)... last place Mahaska has no one worth mentioning.

SUN SOX STILL SHINING IN TU SOUTH
The favored Southport Sun Sox (69-42) are still playing solid ball in the Tycobbian South and have good leads over their main challengers... they were OK in July with a 15-13 record. San Alejo (63-48), picked to be a distant second to the Sun Sox, is living up to expectations. The Montaneros are running in second place and six games behind Southport after going 16-12 for the month. Third place Ginza (60-51) and Cape Coral (60-51) are going in opposite directions. The Ninjas were 16-12, but the Hurricanes were only 12-16. Both of them are 10 games behind first place Southport. Last season's division champ Summerland (52-59) hasn't played well at all and is tied for seventh, 17 games off the pace.

Southport is a well-balanced club with good pitching, hitting and defense... top hurlers are All-Star Billy Hoover (16-10/1.68) and Johnny Swanson (14-8/3.35)... All-Star closer Hal Combs (8-6/2.66/18 saves) leads the IPA with 18 saves... CF Barney Lewis is only hitting .259, but tops the club with 34 homers, 78 RBIs and 61 runs... All-Star C Vasilis Vlachos has the best BA at .298 with 18 roundtrippers and 64 runs... other offensive providers are 1B Eddy Douglas (.287/19/52/48) and 3B Craig Glennon (.235/18/64/57)... the Sun Sox are not a glitzy team, but they are a good one... should do well in the postseason.

It's been 10 years since San Alejo won the TU South... the Monties are always in the hunt, but always come up short... that's what it looks like this year, too... the Montaneros don't seem to have the hitting to overtake the Sun Sox... All-Star CF Paolo Teixeira (.326/33/85/87) can't win the pennant by himself... the only help he gets is from LF Royce Grantham (.264/17/61/55), but that's not enough... in addition to Teixeira, the main strength of the club comes from two superstar All-Stars Matt Bell (18-4/1.49) and Will McKinney (17-7/2.77)... Bell leads the IPA with a 1.49 ERA... San Alejo really needs a season turnaround from number three starter Benny Buckmaster, who won 20 games last year... Buckmaster is only 7-16 this year... if he got hot in the final six weeks, it would be enough to catch leading Southport.

The Ginza Ninjas can score, but they are suspect on the hill... for the last six seasons they have been entrenched in the secord division of the TU South... the Ninjas haven't won a pennant since 2031... not likely this year either... superstar All-Star RF Sogo Takagi is the franchise player with a .341 BA, 30 doubles, 8 triples, 36 HRs, 89 RBIs and 89 runs, all team highs... Takagi gets a little help from 3B Sam Essex (.258/20/77/57) and rookie standout SS Kuzuki Tamura (.303/6/43/50).... pitching is only modest with starters T. C. Gallimore (15-8/3.85), Charley Waskins (16-10/4.06) and Tokuji Takahara (12-10/4.18)... Timmy Hickens (4-2/2.78/15 saves) is still a reliable closer.

July was a costly month for Cape Coral... it cost them a fair shot at first place... nine games are a lot of ground to make up in the final weeks of the season... the Hurricanes can blister the ball, but lack pitching... Benton McCall (16-8/2.89) is the only topnotch hurler... the best teams usually have three solid starters... the powerhouses feature four... Vernon Marks (14-10/4.13) and Tony Magee (11-6/4.04) are the best of the other starters... the Hurricane attack is sparked by five .300 hitters: star All-Star 1B Stan Ferguson (.353/28/83/65), star All-Star RF William Snyder (.305/13/77/72), superstar All-Star LF Rikky Van Dalen (.315/17/61/68), rookie sensation CF Teddy Plimpton (.321/15/61/67) and LF Max Tselika (.319/22/70/58)... Van Dalen was out the whole month with a broken rib... a very costly injury... he should be back for the stretch run.

The top performers for the rest of the teams: Turon's All-Star 2B C. C. Kingsford (.324/28/79/74), All-Star 3B Al Salisbury (.309/21/57/83) and telented RF Guido Gervasio (.278/25/79/57)... Summerland's superstar starter Jayson Hallstrom (14-9/2.21) and fine 2B Alex Abbotson (.286/32/90/76)... Colchester's only decent player is 3B Jasper Mathews (.289/18/72/54)... Arroyo Grande's best is starter Enrique Lopez (12-14/2.97).

RED SOX UP BY 3 OVER TUCKS IN TU EAST
The Red Bluff Red Sox (74-37) and the Tuckanarra Blue Jays (71-40) are still going at it hot-and heavy in the Tycobbian East... both were a sizzling 18-10 in July... the Red Sox remained up by three games in the race... third place High Mesa (62-49) went 16-12 for the month, but is a distant 12 games out... fourth place Hillsboro (56-55) was 14-14 and is now 18 games out of first place... it should be a thrilling finish in the TU East between two of the best teams in the IPA... Red Bluff is tops in victories with 74, two better than Far Mountain in the Ruthlandian North and three ahead of Tuckanarra.

The Red Sox have robust pitching and excellent scoring... they are first with a 2.91 ERA, first in homers with 182 and third in scoring runs with 546... should they outlast the Blue Jays, Red Bluff will be one of the favorites for the Pro Cup... the Red Sox have three excellent starters in All-Star Jud Cox (17-7/1.62), George Reynolds (18-5/2.61) and Mickey Rosen (14-10/2.98)... heading up the bullpen is Sonny Wheat (3-4/2.12/14 saves)... number four starter Carson Jamara (14-4/3.95) has also contributed some quality starts, too... the top gun is superstar All-Star RF David Kelso (.313/39/86/72), who is tied for third in the IPA in homers with 39... he and Denton City's Wayman Stetson are 7 behind the leader, Jerry Culpepper of Bayview, who has 46... High Mesa's Johnny Tallis is second with 43... 3B Fran Blanchard (.249) has 30 homers, 73 RBis and has scored 65 runs... 1B Josh Stevens (.272) has hit 27 out of the park with 54 RBIs and 61 runs... and CF Ike Sweewater (.287) has 21 roundtrippers, 61 RBIs and scored 51 runs.

Actually, Tuckanarra has a better team BA than Red Bluff... the Blue Jays are batting .272 (2nd) to .254 (18th) for the Red Sox... but Red Bluff has a huge edge in power, 182 homers (1st) to only 96 (25th) for the Tucks... on the mound it's a draw... the Tucks have a 2.99 team ERA (2nd)... the Red Sox have a 2.91 team ERA (1st)... the two clubs are also even in scoring... 538 runs (7th) for the Tucks and 546 for the Red Sox (3rd)... Tuckanarra has a strong starting foursome in Ozzie Leslie (15-7/2.54), Dickie Pittman (11-8/2.73), Gary Oliver (9-3/2.88) and Yarran Nawajuk (17-8/3.30)... and Jack Rogers (9-3/2.08/15 saves) is a crackerjack closer... the Blue Jays can match the Red Sox on the hill, but not at the plate... they hit for average, but don't often go deep... All-Star 1B Rodger Parsons is the club leader with 147 hits, .340 BA, 23 doubles, 15 homers and 78 RBIs... he is tied with Jimmy Markovich for the most runs with 70... 3B Niles Tasby is batting .316 with 13 HRS, 49 RBIs and 38 runs... and Markovich is hitting .264 with 10 homers and 37 RBIs... those number pale when compared to the Red Sox's big four... the Tucks have what it takes to push Red Bluff to the limit... they could win it.

High Mesa has solid pitching, but is only average at the plate... Lucius Quarles (14-7/2.26) and Lloyd Armstrong (11-8/2.21) are young and talented pitchers... 1B Johnny Tallis doesn't hit much for average, but drive in runs in bunches... lifetime he bats only .254... Tallis carries the whole Cowpoke offense with 43 homers and 121 RBIs, both are second in the IPA to Bayview's Jerry Culpepper, who leads with 46 HRs and 123 RBIs... vet SS Clifford Coleman has power, but doesn't hit for much average... he has 26 homers and 73 RBIs with a .233 BA.

Hillsboro's top players are starters Steve Cooper (14-11/2.67) and Jamie Lee Bradley (12-9/3.28)... the Blazers are just one game above the .500 mark... no great shakes offensively, but they do have a little power... LF Jurrien Bellini is tops with 37 homers, 69 RBIs and 81 runs, but is batting only .240... 1B Ernie Moxley has 21 homers, 55 RBIs and 48 runs, but is hitting just .253 for average... and CF Rick Willis has 19 roundtrippers with 60 RBIs and 69 runs, while batting a lowly .249.

Here are the best players on the Tycobbian East also-rans... South Fork is paced by veteran starters Jay Murphy (13-9/2.67) and Chris Sorensen (15-11/3.45)... Charlie Chase (17-8/3.27) is a solid starter for Midway and CF Hector Pena (.305/9/49/74) and LF Justin Morrison (.320/12/57/62) show promise as hitters... East Point has only mediocre players at best with no standouts... 3B Artie Clayton (.269) is a modest IPA hitter with some power... he leads Ozarka with 29 homers and 66 RBIs.

KENWOOD TAKES CHARGE IN TU WEST
It's still a three-club race in the Tycobbian West, but defending champ Kenwood (63-48) made a pretty positive statement by rolling to a red-hot 20-8 record this month to take charge with a four-game lead over last month's leader Arlon (59-52)... they did it without their best hitter and superstar All-Star C Corky DiNozzo, who is lost for the season... the Champions' 15-13 mark couldn't keep them in first place... another club to watch is the fast-closing Rolling Hills Reds (58-53) in third place... they started off with two terrible months (21-36), but have been the best team in the division in June (18-8) and July (19-9)... the Reds are only five games back of first place Kenwood... fourth place Bayview (54-57) had its worst month of the season at 11-17 and has fallen out of contention.

It's been tougher than forecast for Kenwood this season... the experts predicted the Wildcats would wrap up the Tycobbian West early and have a comfortable lead by now... they have won five of the last six pennants... Kenwood is a good all-round team... but received a severe jolt with the rotator injury to DiNozzo, who is batting .300 with a club high 25 homers and 66 RBIs... he and 2B Country Crowder are just about the whole offense... Crowder leads the IPA with a .370 BA and 167 hits... he has scored 62 runs and driven in 37... Tommy Carter (14-9/2.40) is the staff leader in wins and ERA... Rusty Bradford (12-9/3.27) has gotten better as the season progressed... he got off to a sluggish start... Bradford led the club last year with 22 victories... Freddy Gooch (10-8/3.33) is also a quality starter... Gregg Campbell, a 19-game winner last year, has struggled this season with a 13-11 mark with a 4.07 ERA... he needs to turn it up a notch down the stretch... the Wildcats' relief corps is a good one with Mike Jones (6-3/1.91/5 saves) and Elian Verjano (6-5/2.52 8 saves)... good pitching is even more important now after the loss of DiNozzo.

Arlon is not an impressive second place team... they are only fair at the plate and on the hill... the Champions are hitting only .254 (20th) with 109 homers (18th) and don't score well, ranking 26th with 452 runs... pitching-wise they have posted a mediocre 4.02 team ERA (22nd)... yet they are still in the fight for the TU West flag... Lanny Gray (13-12/2.59) is a tough pitcher, but gets little in the way of run support... Peter Shannon (17-8/3.42) is also a quality starter... Mack Blair (4-4/3.17/14 saves) is competent in the closer spot... the offense is not much... 3B Ivan Cisneros (.292/10/41/42) has the best BA... RF Mark Cameron (.269/21/45/54) has the most homers with 21 and leads in runs scored with 54... C Nick Shafer (.258/19/62/53) is the club leader with 62 RBIs... and CF Cary Rockwell (.281/14/52/38) has been a reliable bat, too.

Third place Rolling Hills has certainly turned it around 180 degrees in the last two months and look like the best team in the division... Johnny Howard (19-6/2.83) is carry the mound corps, but will need some help from veteran Matty Christianson (8-12/3.05) and Marty Phillips (8-3/3.35/2 saves) down the stretch... they will be key, along with fourth starter Steve Adams (9-12/3.43)... the bullpen has been hot-and-cold... Benny Young (6-5/3.86/12 saves) has 12 saves, but a high ERA... the Reds have no great sticks in the batting order... the club leaders are CF Orrin Phillips (.286/23/75/65), RF Jimbo Foxx (.259/19/66/48), 1B Darwin Tard (.267/18/49/65), SS Dustin Thibodeau (.317/7/31/50) and C Kyle Edwards (.302/4/35/48).

Fourth place Bayview hits well with power, but has little else... the Vikings have a .265 team BA (7th) with 151 homers (2nd) and rank 8th in runs with 535... on the hill they are not much with a 4.15 team ERA (27th)... Leading the attack is legendary slugger and All-Star 3B Jerry Culpepper (.328/46/123/81), who is having another of his great seasons... he tops the IPA with 46 homers and 123 RBIs... four times in his fantastic career he has hit 60 or more homers... Culpepper hold the single-season mark with 66, set in 2040... so far he has hit 739 HRs, which is 110 short of Jack Elliott's all-time record of 848... Culpepper is 33 and has a few more productive years... helping out this year are All-Star SS Andreas Stokke (.283/26/74/61), LF Ivar Nilssen (.292/20/56/45) and All-Star 2B Zack Mason (.313/9/51/58)... Bobby Knudsen (13-10/2.77) is the top starter with some help from Vance Codsworth (11-7/3.91)... closer Sammy Sarver (6-9/3.32/13 saves) has been hit-and-miss, but has racked up 13 saves.

Fifth place Chicopee has good pitching, but not much else... top players are starters Johnny West (11-5/2.75) and Tom Chambers (8-7/2.77)... 1B Sam Patrick (.303/33/73/57) is hitting the longball and hitting for average.

Sixth place Denton City is only average on the mound and at the plate... Mel Coley (11-9/3.48) has been the most effective starter and Harry Elliott (12-11/3.86) sports the most wins... superstar All-Star 1B Wayman Stetson (.328/39/93/77) is having a remarkable year, but has little help in the batting order... Stetson is tied for third in homers with David Kelso, topped only by Culpepper (46) and Tallis (43).

Bay St. Clair is seventh in the standings with no noteworthy talent.

La Claire is last... closer Terry Baird is worth mentioning with 13 saves, 2.36 ERA and a 7-4 record... Bruce Kinson is a quality starter with a 10-17 record and a 3.43 ERA... none of the batting order has any merit.

TYCOBBIAN UNION STANDINGS AS OF JULY 1, 2047

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, September 1, 2047

STRETCH TIME IN THE IPA
September is suddenly upon us and it's crutch time once again in the IPA. Since April, 64 teams have battled tooth-and-nail for the 8 division titles in the Islandian Pro Alliance. One race has been decided and one is almost decided, but there is still much to be settled in 6 divisional races. About 15 teams still have a shot at the 8 playoff slots availabe in the proverbial quest for the Holy Grail of Islandia - the much loved and much cherished IPA Pro Cup trophy.

The Far Mountain Redhawks (96-44) soared high this year and wrapped up the Ruthlandian North title very early. The Redhawks beat second place LaGrange by 18 games in a runaway. In the RU West the preseaon pick Middlefield Roosters (86-54) go into the September stretch drive with a comfortable 8-game edge over runner-up and last season winner Rocky Rapids (78-62). However, there is a lot of baseball left to be played in the other six divisions.

The tightest race is in the Ruthlandian South where four clubs are still in the running. The Crystal Lake Crushers (75-65) and Belair Beach Sunbirds (75-65) are currently tied for the top spot with the preseason favorite Waleska Westerners (73-67) just two games back. Last year's winner, the Claxton Diamonds (71-69), are in fourth place and four games off the pace. Right now the Diamonds are playing the best baseball. They went 18-11 in August. The Crushers and Sunbirds chalked up 16-13 marks and the Westerners slumped to 13-16.

In the Ruthlandian East defending champ Sugar Valley (83-57) shaved two games off first place Marston's (87-53) lead with a torrid 20-9 record for the last month. The Nine played well, too, with an 18-11 mark. Marston still has a four-game lead with 14 games left of the schedule.

All four divisions are still in question in the Tycobbian Union. The reigning Pro Cup champion, the Hartsdale Hellcats (79-61), are in the fight-of-their-life with unheralded White River (78-62), a perennial also-ran. The Hellcats are up by a slim game over the Rascals. During August Hartsdale was 16-13 and White River 17-12.

It's still a battle in the Tycobbian South between the Southport Sun Sox (83-57) and San Alejo Montaneros (81-59). Just two games separate them heading into the final 14 games of the regular season. The Monties posted an 18-11 record in August to cut the Sun Sox lead by four games. Southport led by a seemingly safe six games heading into last month, but slumped to 14-15. Summerland (67-73) was the titlist last year, but has fallen to sixth place this season. Southport was picked to win this year in a spirited tussle with the Monties.

In the Tycobbian East last year's winner Red Bluff (87-53) and this year's preseason pick Tuckanarra (85-65) are still going head-to-head with the Red Sox in front by two games. Neither of them played especially well in August with Red Bluff going 13-16 and the Tucks 14-15.

In the Tycobbian West the Rolling Hills Reds didn't look like much in the first two months of the season (21-36), but they have really rocked and rolled the past three months (56-27) and really put Kenwood in a precarious position. The Reds rollicked to a 19-10 record in August and chopped the Wildcats' margin to jut one game. Kenwood was 15-14. The Wildcats were the heavy preseason favorite to win the division for the sixth time in the last seven seasons. The Reds were given only a modest chance to win the pennant. They were a distant third choice.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

DIVISION CHAMPS GET READY FOR PLAYOFFS
Goal number one has been met - 8 teams in the IPA have won their division championship - now they have their hearts and souls set on goal number two -the IPA Pro Cup, symbolic for the best baseball team in the Islands. 8 teams will begin their quest Wednesday afternoon with the openers of the IPA Pro Cup Division Championship Series. The Ruthlandian Union matchups include Belair Beach at Far Mountain and Middlefield traveling to Marston. In the Tycobbian Union defending Pro Cup crownbearer Hartsdale will be on the road in Southport trying to repeat as champion and Red Bluff will entertain Kenwood. According to the oddsmakers, it's a crap shoot as usual - the team that gets hot for the next month will be the IPA champion. Any one of the division champs could reign supreme this year.

The Far Mountain Redhawks (101-53) easily took the Ruthlandian North division title, beating LaGrange by 15 games. It's the Redhawks first pennant since 2039. They won three consecutive Pro Cups from 2011 to 2013.

Belair Beach has been in a severe drought since 2016, the last time they made the Pro Cup playoffs. The Sunbirds are still looking for their first Pro Cup. For the last nine seasons they wound up last in the RU South six times and seventh on three occasions. It was a wonderful turnaround season for the Sunbirds (84-70), who outlasted favored Waleska (81-73), reigning champ Claxton (81-73) and Crystal Lake (81-73) in a September showdown and won by three games. Claxton won the pennants the previous two years.and was the number two pick this season.

The Marston Nine (96-58) were the champion of the Ruthlandian East, whipping last year's winner Sugar Valley (89-65) by seven games. Marston's last trip to the postseason was in 2028. The club has never won the IPA crown. For the past two decades they have been entrenched in the second division most of the time. The Nine shot up from seventh place to first place this season. They were rated the third best team in preseason polls. Sugar Valley was the favorite with Wynnamac number two. The Sundowners (78-76) came in a distant third, 18 games off the pace.

The Middlefield Roosters (95-59) were the best in the Ruthlandian West this season, capturing the flag in fairly easy fashion. They were ranked the best team in the division and lived up to it. The Roosters won by 11 games over runner-ups Volusia (84-70) and Rocky Rapids (84-70), the defending division champ. Middlefield was second in the standings last year. This was their second pennant in three seasons. The Roosters' only Pro Cup title came long ago in 2005.

Last year's IPA Pro Cup winner Hartsdale (87-67) earned another shot at the elusive Pro Cup trophy, but it didn't come easy. The unheralded White River Rascals (84-70) harassed the Hellcats all season long before they finally succumbed by three games in the last few days of the season. Hartsdale was the preseason favorite to repeat as division champ, while White River was ranked a lowly seventh and not expected to have much of a season. This was the Hellcats' third TU North title in the last six years.

As forecast in the preseason picks, the Southport Sun Sox (92-62) were a heavy favorite to shine in the Tycobbian South race, but it was a little tougher than predicted. The second place and number two choice San Alejo Montaneros (90-64) kept the pressure on all during the season and were finally beaten out by two games. Turon (87-67) and Cape Coral (85-69) also ran good races. The Sun Sox have dominated the TU South recently, winning the division five times in the last six years. Southport won its only Pro Cup three years ago in 2044. Last year's champion Summerland (76-78) was never a factor in the race and finished well down in the standings in sixth place. The Sunsets were selected fourth in the preseason poll.

In the Tycobbian East the powers-to-be were Tuckanarra and Red Bluff, rated one-two in the preseason. In the end the baseball experts were pretty much on target. They got the two best teams right, but missed on the order. The Red Sox (95-59) got the best of the favored Blue Jays (92-62) by three games in a close race. This was Red Bluff's fourth straight year to win the division. In the team's history the Red Sox have only won one Pro Cup, which came in 2004.

The pennant race went down to the last few games in the Tycobbian West with defending champ Kenwood (85-69) skimming by Rolling Hills (84-70) by a single game. If the Reds had won game 154, a playoff would have been needed to decide the title. The Wildcats were the critic's choice in the preseason with the Reds ranked third. Kenwood has chalked up six flags in the last seven seasons, but you have to go back to 2014 for their only Pro Cup trophy.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

FM REDHAWKS ROMP IN RU NORTH
There wasn't much of a pennant race in the Ruthlandian North this year... the Far Mountain Redhawks (101-53) won it in a romp by 15 games over runner-up LaGrange (86-68)... Glasco (83-71) was third, 18 games behind... and last year's winner Valmara (82-72) finished fourth, trailing by 19.

Far Mountain racked up the most wins in the IPA with 101, led by three 20-game winners in Stan Smith (25-6/3.60), All-Star Curt Steinhauer (22-6/2.12) and Jonas Grover (20-12/3.07)... they had a fine bullpen, too, with Fernando Sanches (9-8/2.64/19 saves) and Jack McKinney (8-3/3.08/13 saves)... the Redhawks don't have any impressive hitters, but as a group they rank third in scoring runs with 734... Far Mountain plays a lot of players... the most productive bats are SS Webster Ronstadt (.259/9/60/77), SS Sammy Prejean (.290/7/60/53), 2B Rance Hawkins (.346/11/51/53), OF Todd Purdom (.291/10/46/69) and RF Bert Richter (.237/22/58/72)... the Redhawks will be favored in the Ruthlandian Union, getting a slight nod over the Middlefield Roosters (95-59) of the RU West and the Marston Nine (96-58) of the RU South.

The LaGrange Sports were a very distant second in the standings... paced by veteran starters Arnie Ayers (21-9/2.40) and Hot Dog Huxtable (15-14/2.70)... the top bats were 1B Clayton Justice (.303/29/109/61), SS John Rodgers (.276/24/97/84) and 2B Fred Allison (.288/9/42/78).

Third place Glasco has outstanding pitching with starters Evan Walsh (17-16/2.36), Benny McDaniel (17-11/2.69), Pat Meyers (16-16/3.24) and Brent Bolivar (14-10/3.25)... closer Ken McLin (11-6/1.84/15 saves) heads a strong bullpen... the A's bats are just average with LF George Russell (.277/11/87/80), 1B John Carlton (.282/13/63/51) and CF John Rumford (.255/12/59/85).

Last year's division champ and Pro Cup finalist Valmara fell to fourth this season... Primo Sirak (17-11/1.90) and Teddy Twardzik (15-16/2.93) are still an excellent 1-2 punch in the rotation and Paul Holloway (11-7/2.90) is a solid closer, but the Vipers' couldn't keep up with Far Mountain's firepower... All-Star SS Ken Jensen (.309/10/74/86), 2B Jorge Aparicio (.288/10/54/90) and CF Don Ritchie (.306/6/62/71) are reliable bats, but don't hit with power.

The fifth place Kilkenny Cats have fine pitching, but a terrible offense... Dave Stratford (21-15/2.19) had a standout season on the hill with some quality help from Glen Caswell (16-20/3.05)... SS Sam Norman led the team with 21 homers and 84 RBIs, but batted only .259.

The Ranford Bulls were the preseason choice to win the flag this season, but they were very disappointing to their fans and the pollsters, winding up a dismal sixth... veteran star Ralph Hawk (15-14/2.78) was the only effective starter and the bullpen was just plain bad... not much in the way of offense at the plate, though 3B Joey Gompers (.255/32/84/83) had a pretty fair year, along with LF Dale Weston (.246/28/74/84).

The seventh place Taranto Tars were near the bottom in most categories, except for 160 homers (4th-tied)... All-Star RF Derrick Damon (.316/22/79/91) was their most polished hitter, but he got help in the longball department fromn C Ryan Nelms (.234/32/78/51) and 1B Mark Delaney (.261/29/73/57).

For the sixth straight season the Ancona Red Elephants wallowed in the RU North basement... none of the starters were under a 5.00 ERA... Darlon McDugan (12-21/5.00) had the most wins and the best ERA among the starting rotation... the few bright spots were LF Eldon Auldridge (.303/34/106/93), rookie All-Star CF Jotaro Suzuki (.302/18/75/90) and RF Walter Glenn (.324/2/32/75).

2047 RUTHLANDIAN NORTH FINALS STANDINGS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

SUNBIRDS TOP TEAM IN RU SOUTH
The fans in Belair Beach (84-70) have waited a long time for another pennant. After 31 years of mainly losing the Sunbirds finally won another Ruthlandian South flag, defeating favorite Waleska (81-73), Crystal Lake (81-73) and last year's champ Claxton (81-73) in a tight four-team race. Belair Beach held off all three of them, winning by three games. The Sunbirds, however, aren't expected to go very far in the Pro Cup playoffs. They have a fairly good offense, but little in the way of pitching.

The Sunbirds have only one solid starter. Kevin Tolbert racked up a 17-13 record with a 3.14 ERA... the other starters were Jose Munoz (18-15/4.20) and Ronnie Roy (18-12/4.41).... they topped the team with 18 wins, but were mediocre at best... Tom Cook (6-5/2.77/18 saves) and Ray Dunn (4-2/2.63/8 saves) both did well in the bullpen... Leading the Belair Beach bats was All-Star 3B-1B Jason Butler (.329/45/129/105), who had a fabulous season. Butler was third in the IPA with 129 RBIs, beaten out by High Mesa's Johnny Tallis, who broke Adam Zitek's 2005 all-time IPA mark of 170, and Bayview's Jerry Culpepper, who drove in 154 runs... two other capable bats in the batting order were CF Norm Ellis (.278/25/74/70) and 1B Shannon Stewart (.299/16/83/82).

The Waleska Westerners stood out on the hill with Jeff Woodruff (18-14/2.24), All-Star Niles Nielsen (18-12/2.86), Roy Schaefer (17-16/3.14) and Tony Haskell (15-12/3.46)... and closer Vince Gibson (6-7/1.20/15 saves) was strong in the bullpen... but the Westerners were only average with the bats... CF Kenny Hardy (.276) was the best at the plate with club highs of 81 RBIs and 90 runs... LF Gene Stevenson's (.270/20/60/64) led with 20 homers... Hardy was second with 18... SS Pete Hudson (.305/2/50/52) had the best BA of the regulars with .305... C Jimmy Butler (.285/10/55/58) and 1B Rob Rice (.303/13/48/50) also chipped in some good numbers... and three parttimers posted .300 BAs: RF Cade Carmickle (.324/0/15/25), 2B Nelson Ridley (.325/3/18/26) and RF Todd Hurley (.315/1/17/45).

Crystal Lake had some solid hitters in RF Paul Dillon (.320/12/74/78), LF Johnny Kennedy (.301/16/59/44), 1B Daryl Brady (.266/14/78/54), C Del Peevy (.275/9/66/72) and LF Jed Murphee (.293/7/50/76), but not a lot of power... and not a lot of pitching... Manuel Hinojosa (12-6/2.81) was the most effective starter... Dave McCauley (17-15/3.56) led the club in wins... and All-Star closer Josh Crosby (13-11/2.28/16 saves) excelled in the bullpen.

The Claxton Diamonds won the RU South the previous two seasons, but slumped badly in the mid-part of the season... they had losing records for three months, then started playing well, but it was a little too late... the Diamonds ran out of games... IPA strikeout king Abe Schiffman (16-15/3.28) was the ace... he fanned 296 batters in 319 innings... Steven Ellison (18-11/3.54) and Gilbert Clagsdale (16-16/3.63) were also dependable starters... Gary Haskin (5-4/3.06/10 saves) was the top reliever... Superstar All-Star and sure-fire HOF-er Jojo DeLucca (.320/35/113/98) is still one of the IPA elites at age 32... 2B Rick Emery batted only .242, but had 18 homers, 83 RBIs and scored 68 runs... LF Foxy Fuchs is still a solid performer at 36... he hit 27 homers, drove in 97 runs and scored 78, while batting .264... SS Stevie Wynn batted .310 with 6 HRs, 46 RBIs and 64 runs.

Fifth place Valka broke even for the year and boast a pretty fair bunch of ballplayers... Matvey Kazak (19-14/2.52) and Janno Martna (11-7/2.91) were quality starters, while star CF Kenny Mitzusaka (.298/21/73/64) and 1B Jess Evans (.291/30/75/65) were the most reliable bats.

Sixth place Grand City is only average on the hill and simply horrendous at the plate... Jimmy Engels (14-16/2.90), Kenny Morrow (14-19/3.43), Lee Price (12-13/3.62) and Joel Eaton (11-21/3.72) give the Blackhawks fairly good starters, but the run support is almost nil for them... Donald Denson (4-3/2.14/10 saves) is also a solid reliever... star 1B Benny Hull (.316/31/100/65) is the only threat in the lineup and he is a good one... he just doesn't have any help.

Seventh place San Dimas is near the bottom of the standings and near the bottom statistically, too... Gil Arnaud (13-23/4.26) and Alfredo Montes (13-16) top the team in victories... and the best ERA belongs to Carl Covington (12-18/3.87)... not much in the bullpen where Georgie Walker (5-5/3.50/10 saves) has the best stats... the most productive hitters are aging veterans LF Denny Hendrix (.259/32/73/84) and 2B Klaus Stordahl (.268/16/58/57)... both of them are 35.

Only three clubs in the IPA were worst than the St. John Crusaders... Ancona only won 51 games, La Claire 54 and Fort Benton 57... the Crusaders only managed 58 this year and wound up last in the Ruthlandian South... longtime ace Jeremy Kirk (13-13/3.96) was the only decent starter... and only two All-Stars SS Herbie Gruen (.285/22/101/96) and LF Skeets Blackstone (.338/9/48/50) performed at the plate.

2047 RUTHLANDIAN SOUTH FINAL STANDINGS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

MARSTON WINS FIRST FLAG IN 20 YEARS
The Marston Nine have been bad, really bad for 20 years with only one first-division finish... they came in fourth in 2038... but this season the Nine (96-58) made the first division in style... they won the Ruthlandian East by seven games over defending champ Sugar Valley (89-65)... no other ball club was in the ballpark... Wynnamac (78-76) was far back in third place, 18 games behind... Cold Creek (77-77) was fourth and trailed by 19 games.

Marston is a first-rate team with strong pitching and a rock-solid attack... the Nine racked up 96 victories, topped only by Far Mountain in the IPA with 101... Marston is forecast to do well in the postseason... their last appearance was in 2028... top starters are All-Star Felix Delatte (24-6/2.52) and John Newton (19-14/3.06)... Thomas Stuart (13-14/3.22) and Jean-Noel Waldron (17-9/3.83) are third and fourth in the rotation... the relief corps is also rated highly with closer Kiki Vuk (12-5/1.72/12 saves)... there are good bats galore in the Nine's batting order, sparked by SS Stan Mila (.331/25/112/67), All-Star 3B Gary Armitage (.291/20/68/98), All-Star LF D'Wayne Dotson (.295/17/90/99), CF Calvin Marbury (.240/15/69/74) and RF Charley Gilmore (.304/13/66/60).

Sugar Valley wound up in the top three of the Ruthlandian East for the 13th year in a row... the Rattlers had their two-year pennant run snapped... they have won the division four times in the last decade... Sugar Valley won the Pro Cup for the first time in 2045... the Rattlers had the starters with Antonio Cedeno (21-15/3.07), Christopher Dunsberry (13-11/2.77), Davey Brennan (15-11/3.05/7 saves) and Cullen Winslow (19-10/3.52)... but the bullpen was poor... Sugar Valley topped the RU in runs with 745 runs and came in third with 169 homers... All-Star 2B Richie Fry (.338/8/71/79) led the club with a .338 BA, third best in the Ruthlandian Union and seventh in the IPA... the top RBI guys were IF-OF Roger Hobbs (.243/26/84/93) and player-manager CF Bobby Gamble (.285/24/83/86) at 84 and 83 each... they also ran 1-2 in homers with 26 and 24.

Wynnamac in third place was just an average ball club... Sammy Hayes (20-13/2.71) was the only sound starter... vet Jimmy Willard (15-9/4.12) was good at times... closer Johnny Mitchell (8-8/2.18/10 saves) held the bullpen together... the most reliable bats were superstar OF Nioka Inkamara (.264/35/102/85), 3B Duane Hudson (.318/10/63/88) and CF Darrell Donnelly (.282/11/64/68).

Cold Cold had a break-even season and ended up fourth in the standings... the Catamounts had pretty fair mound work, but were woeful at the plate... the starters were headed by Rob Hutchins (16-13/2.35) and Riku Takahashi (13-10/3.25/10 saves)... the most productive bats were 3B Joe Cochrane (.326/15/68/82) and 1B Bradley Brim (.284/12/63/55).

The Belle Plaine Musketeers did pretty well until the last two months of the season when they faded badly and ended up in fifth place... the Muskies could score runs and they had fair pitching... the bat leaders were 1B Chuck Gregory (.310/32/107/71), rookie RF Lenny Buisson (.316/30/84/77), 3B Kyle Woodard (.315/6/46/73), CF Ron Myers (.297/18/71/72) and C Nuke Borg (.303/14/56/57)... starters Phil Lacey (14-14/3.48) and rookie Joe-Joe Bouvier (13-11/3.85) were the mound leaders with some good help from Kurt Tandberg (6-3/2.63/15 saves) in the bullpen.

The Eastshore Elegants also fell out of the first division in the last weeks of the season, winding up in the sixth spot... they weren't much on the hill, nor in the batter's box... 34-year-old All-Star Valdek Savisaar (19-11/3.23) chalked up the best season by far in his 10-year career and All-Star reliever Jody Friday (15-13/1.56/17 saves) was one of the best bullpen specialists in the IPA... the 37-year-old Friday led the IPA with 87 appearances and a dazzling 1.56 ERA... Friday's ERA has been topped only twice in IPA history... by reliever Jack Rogers (6-5/1.30/16 saves) of the Tuckanarra Blue Jays in 2044 with a 1.30 ERA and by reliever Kent Halloran (6-3/1.39/16 saves) of the Luxora Zorros in 2029 with a 1.47 ERA... only Wes Christopher (11-8/2.44/20 saves) of Fairfax with 95 appearances in 2045 and Tom Cook (10-6/2.68/16 saves) with 89 for Belair Beach in 2046 have relieved in more games than Friday in a single season... 1B Gibby Houston (.334/10/54/48) had the best BA, followed by SS Odis Caswell (.302/4/62/65) and 3B Adam Bronstein (.298/2/38/55)... All-Star RF Troy McFarland was the most productive hitter with 25 roundtrippers, 90 RBIs and 79 runs... CF Bevan Shuler hit only .239, but scored 108 runs, stole 26 bases and had 19 HRs.

The Elnora All-Stars had good sticks but little in the way of pitching... they came in seventh... the bat leaders were star All-Star C Cannon Johnson (.276/32/90/80), 2B Marley Macomber (.297/22/79/86), LF Enos Conrad (.291/13/58/57) and 3B Joey Hagburn (.277/9/73/78)... vets star Stan Kivas (15-17/3.83) and Dan Pitts (15-19/3.40) were the most reliable starters... and Jamie Pananga (9-4/2.65/17 saves) had a fine season in the bullpen.

The Beechwood Bobcats sank to last place this year, but won 72 games... it's not much of a consolation, but they were the best cellar-dweller in the IPA by far... the Bobcats had bad pitching and average hitting... veteran Jimmy Herman (18-17/3.63) was the biggest winner and most effective... in the bullpen Freddy Manale (11-3/2.25/12 saves) was outstanding... leading the Bobcat attack were 1B Corky Callahan (.277/38/87/69), RF Eddie Wilson (.271/33/69/82) and CF Keith Kalder (.300/25/60/66).

2047 RUTHLANDIAN EAST FINAL STANDINGS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

ROOSTERS RULE IN RU WEST
Picked to be a tight three-team race, it turned out to be a cockwalk for the favored Middlefield Roosters (95-59), who ruled the Ruthlandian West by 11 games this season... it was their third pennant in seven years... Rocky Rapids (84-70) and Volusia (84-70) tied for the runner-up spot with Forest City (83-71) in fourth and 12 games off the pace... Middlefield has all the ingredients needed to win the Pro Cup... the Roosters have the pitching, firepower and scoring to be very dangerous in the postseason... they rather easily dominated a pretty strong division where five of the squads posted winning records... a number equalled by the Tycobbian South Division.

Middlefield hasn't won the Pro Cup since 2005... this just might be their year... the Roosters have the best starting pitching, best bullpen and best power in the Ruthlandian Union... they came in third in victories with 95, topped only by Far Mountain with 101 and Marston with 96... the starting rotation is excellent with All-Star James Long (23-10/2.05), Larry Wheelhouse (21-13/2.71) and Carroll Collier (19-13/2.88)... Ray Owens (6-7/2.48/15 saves) is the bullpen ace... All-Star C Johnny McDonald (.351/10/48/81) is the club leader with a .351 BA... he led the RU in batting and placed third in the IPA behind Country Crowder (Kenwood) at .389 and Stan Ferguson (Cape Coral) at .374... All-Star Sidney Conner (.289/47/126/94) had a super year leading the RU with 47 homers and ranking second to Jason Butler's 129 RBIs for Belair Beach... other valuable contributors were CF Norman Antonioni (.273/39/88/73), SS Jimmy Beach (.305/23/74/78) and 2B Ike Gary (.266/16/71/76).

Twice in the last four seasons the Rocky Rapids Snappers have won the division flag... they were the defending champ, but slipped at the plate and on the scoreboard this year... the Snappers still possess good pitching... All-Star starter Dirk Halstad (21-12/2.25), Buster Noland (22-8/3.10) and Jamie Taylor (19-20/2.58) were a potent group... last year Taylor won 30 games, an all-time IPA record, and garnered the RU MVP Award and the Golden Arm, but the offense burned him this year... the starters also suffered because of an inferior bullpen... closer Steve Owens (6-4/20 saves) was first in the Ruthlandian Union with 20 saves and third in the IPA behind Southport's Hal Combs (24 saves) and Blue Lake's Razzy Richmond (23 saves), but he had a sky-high 4.20 ERA... the Snappers were only average in batting and runs... the team BA fell from .278 to .252 this year... All-Star 2B Marty Featherstone (.291/27/94/100) and 1B Masaharu Kawasaki (.281/27/103/84) were strong bats, but they had little help except from C Carney Kirkpatrick (.266/12/80/60) and 3B Duncan Musselwhite (.285/8/64/86).

The Volusia Vigilantes rose up from sixth to second this year with much improved hitting and pitching... the starting foursome was good, paced by Drew Selby (22-8/3.27), Will Thompson (20-15/3.35), rookie Casimiro Ramires (14-10/3.11) and rookie Alvaro Spinosa (12-10/3.50)... three All-Stars sparked the batting order: C George Ruffino (.284/30/91/67), 2B Cazzie Carvalho (.306/23/96/85) and 1B Kris Wilson (.335/20/80/82)... RF Lonny Womack (.297/22/93/94), LF Derek Jorstad (.284/9/59/76) and SS Duane Blayney (.297/20/58/72) were solid bats, too.

Fourth place Forest City had good pitching, but didn't score runs... therefore they missed the postseason for the 35th consecutive season... 2013 was the last time the Lumberjacks appeared in the Pro Cup playoffs... the 'Jacks had quality starters in Omar Cordero (23-13/2.99), Rusty Howard (16-19/2.86), John McKee (13-14/2.54) and Walter Gibbons (13-12/3.55) and the bullpen was adequate with Richie Meyers (6-5/3.16/16 saves)... there were no standout sticks in the lineup... C Bob Brisdon (.289/11/76/58) and LF Eddie Clippard (.311/3/34/66) were the most dependable.

Fifth place in the standings went to the Colfax Blasters... an average pitching team with good hitting and scoring... since winning the TU West title in 2042, the Blasters have finished in the second division for five years in a row... Colfax is much improved over last season with the team ERA going from a horrible 4.78 to a respectable 3.60... Ray Maxon (18-11/2.99) and Red McCallum (17-8/2.61) are the staff leaders... the bullpen could be better... the most productive batters were C Darrell Dillon (.261/26/83/80), LF Robb Maddox (.277/21/93/85), 3B Cramer Landis (.306/11/49/85) and RF Stu Richardson (.302/11/60/54).

The Sligo Rovers were seventh in the race this year... they have good pitching, but a weak offense... the best mound performers were rookie Mickey Walsh (18-15/2.54), Randall Steele (18-17/3.13) and Art Hacker (14-11/3.54)... the only good hitter was All-Star 3B Denny Simmons (.297/18/92/73)... two parttimers 3B Blayne Carnick (.330/8/47/38) and LF Larry Naquin (.295/5/52/50) showed promise.

Seventh place Stoner had adequate pitching, but came up short on the scoreboard... Took Noonan (13-14/3.58) and Mel Glosterman (14-18/3.63) were the most dependable starters... leading the light offense were LF Emmett Tread (.281/16/68/78), 3B Ralph Sackett (.302/13/72/56), SS Norris Henry (.286/10/45/53) RF Morgan Miller (.295/10/72/68) and 2B James Belasario (.297/2/38/64).

For the third successive season the Fort Benton Defenders have been mired in last place in the RU West... the only pennant came years ago in 2037... not a lot of talent on the club... the best of the lot was C Varnell Larrimore (.280/15/68/66), who was the club leader in doubles, homers, RBIs and runs... 3B Glendon Glenn (.290/4/41/60) posted the best BA with a .290 mark and the most hits with 175... Arnie Patterson (15-19/3.54) had the most wins on the team with 15... Darius Kimberly (7-9/3.73/19 saves) ran hot-and-cold as the closer, but did post 19 saves, which was tied for fourth in the IPA and second in the RU behind Steve Owens (Rocky Rapids), who led with 20.

2047 RUTHLANDIAN WEST FINAL STANDINGS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

SUN SOX HANG ON IN TU SOUTH, MONTIES CLOSE 2ND
It was a wonderful pennant race in the Tycobbian South this year with the preseason favorite Southport (92-62) winning its fifth division flag in the last six seasons... except for a June swoon, the San Alejo Montaneros (90-64) might have taken the title... instead the Monties were a very close second, only two games behind the winner... Turon (87-67) got it in gear after a slow start, closed fast and wound up third, just five games back... the Cape Coral Hurricanes (85-69) came in fourth, finishing seven behind the Sun Sox... the Tycobbian South is one of the toughest division in the IPA... fifth place Ginza (81-73) also posted a winning record and was 11 games off the pace... defending champion Summerland (76-78) plummeted to sixth in the standings this year.

The Southport Sun Sox will be seeking their second Pro Cup trophy in three years... they were the IPA overall champ in 2044... the Sun Sox are a sound ball club and should show well in the playoffs this year... most experts rate the Pro Cup playoffs a toss-up with only Belair Beach and Kenwood unlikely winners... those two clubs posted the least wins among the division champions.

The Sun Sox's staff is led by two fine veteran starters... All-Star Billy Hoover (22-14/1.79) had a great season and came in fourth with a superb 1.79 ERA... Johnny Swanson (19-13/3.19) was a solid number two... and Brandon Delmore (20-13/3.71) a dependable number three starter... All-Star closer Hal Combs (9-7/2.39) paced the IPA with 24 saves... Pro Cup champs usually need three strong starters, so Delmore could be key... Southport's offense is a little suspect, too... All-Star C Vasilis Vlachos (.289/25/92/74), CF Barney Lewis (.246/41/96/78), 1B Eddy Douglas (.301/25/75/67) and 3B Craig Glennon (.220/26/87/74) were the club leaders... they have good power, but don't hit for average... platooner RF Pat Kinney (.321/4/33/53) posted the best BA on the team with a .323 in 371 ABs and 111 games.

Runner-up San Alejo is very similar to Southport in talent... a poor 10-16 mark in June was the difference maker... the Sun Sox were 16-10 that month... the Monties have three solid starters in All-Star Matt Bell (24-6/1.71), who was second in the IPA with a sensational 1.71 ERA and fourth in wins with 24... All-Star Will McKinney (25-10/2.60) was number two in the rotation... McKinney was second to IPA leader Johnny Howard's (Rolling Hills) 26 victories... starter number three Wilfredo Bonilla (15-9/3.31/6 saves) came on strong in the final weeks of the campaign after being moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation... San Alejo's top gun at the plate was All-Star CF Paolo Teixeira (.310/47/110/118)... he tied Ginza's Sogo Takagi for the IPA lead in scoring runs with 118 and tied for sixth in homers with 47... other contributors were LF Royce Grantham (.291/28/86/90), RF Charlie Wilberforce (.288/15/76/54), 3B Sal McAlister (.280/11/47/86) and 2B Callum Gainsborough (.279/8/44/86).

Third place Turon had a potent attack with 212 roundtrippers (2nd) and 811 runs (2nd), but lacked some on the mound where they were more or less average... the top bats for the Typhoons were rock-solid reliable All-Star 2B C. C. Kingsford (.327/36/109/99), star RF Guido Gervasio (.285/35/113/100), All-Star 3B Al Salisbury (.302/28/77/111), 1B Buford Cloninger (.283/23/73/69) and SS Rafer Robertson (.279/20/78/60)... top starters were Clayton Petit (21-8/4.03) and Tom Fuller (20-7/3.66).

The fourth place Cape Coral Hurricanes had a humongous year at the plate, scoring 898 runs (1st) with 211 HRs (2nd)... the 'Canes averaged almost 6 runs a game, a mark that has been topped only 4-5 times in IPA history... Middlefield holds the record with 943 in 2006... the biggest bat belonged to superstar All-Star 1B Stan Ferguson (.374/45/126/99), the number two hitter in the IPA with a .374 BA... only Kenwood's Country Crowder was better with a .389 mark... Ferguson tied for fifth in the IPA in RBIs with 126 and tied for eighth in homers with 45... other offensive producers were star All-Star RF William Snyder (.323/25/119/104), All-Star LF-3B Rikky Van Dalen (.316/24/84/97), rookie CF Terry Plimpton (.311/21/80/93) and LF Max Tselika (.288/29/95.77)... Benton McCall (19-10/2.74) was the big man on the hill and would have probably won 20 games, but he went out with an injury in late August... the only other decent starters were Tony Magee (17-9/3.62/1 save) and Vernon Marks (19-15/4.16).

The Ginza Ninjas has a fairly good season, winding up 8 games over the .500 mark... they featured good bats and lackluster pitching... star All-Star RF Sogo Takagi had an outstanding season with a .314 BA, 38 doubles, 10 triples, 43 HRs, 116 RBIs and 118 runs... Takagi was tied for the IPA lead in runs with San Alejo's Pablo Teixeira and ranked ninth with 116 RBIs... SS Sam Essex (.259/24/90/66), C Whip Harrell (.282/31/74/60) and SS Kuzuki Tamura (.306/12/72/71) also added a little offense... Charley Waskins (22-13/3.92) rolled up the most victories on the club, followed by Tokuji Takahara (17-15/4/27) and T. C. Gallimore (17-14/4.35).

For the first time in nine seasons the Summerland Sunsets dropped out of the first division, slipping down to sixth place... last year the Sunsets were the division champ... the team's pitching went from great (2.62 ERA) to just good (3.32)... ace Jayson Hallstrom (19-11/2.40) was strong as usual, but 21-game winner Jacob Gillen fell to just 9-17 with a 3.54 ERA... and 19-game winner Dutch De Boer dipped downward to 15-15 and saw his ERA rise up from 2.64 to 3.19... on offense Summerland is mediocre, 2B Alex Abbotson had a massive year with 41 homers, 120 RBIs and 100 runs, while batting .287... he was seventh in the IPA in RBIs... RF Rick Mayes (.294/24/59/83) and 1B Kenny Douglas (.278/23/91/80) helped out, too.

For the 11th consecutive season the seventh place Colchester Elites struggled, ending up deep in the second division again... the Elites have little to brag about... Dan Scott (15-19/4.35) and Benny White (15-19/4.41) notched the most wins... only 3B Jasper Matthews hit with much authority and topped the team with 27 homers, 97 RBIs and 75 runs, while hitting .276.

For the 14th year in a row Arroyo Grande had a bad season, coming in dead last... the Suns haven't seen the sun shine since 2024, the last time they made the playoffs... they have lousy hitting and ineffective pitching... very little to smile about... Enrique Lopez (14-22/3.47) is the most effective starter and Anthony Lombardi (19-19/3.93) the biggest winner... relievers Duane Russell (4-3/1.84/3 saves) and Russ Simmons (3-5/2.41/8 saves) both looked good in the bullpen... good bats were non-existent... the best of the lot were LF Wilfredo Acosta (.264/18/76/55) and 2B Russell Taylor (.268/17/56/76).

2047 TYCOBBIAN SOUTH FINAL STANDINGS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

HELLCATS HUNGRY FOR PRO CUP REPEAT
Hartsdale (87-67) repeated as champion of the Tycobbian North, but it didn't come easy - the up-and-coming White River Rascals (84-70) made them earn it. The Hellcats now get a chance to win their second IPA Pro Cup in a row as they attempt to defend their title. Hartsdale was forced to go down to the wire by the Rascals, winning by only three games. Blue Lake (77-77) came in third, trailing by 10 games and Oxford (76-78) was fourth and 11 games out.

Hartsdale didn't perform as well as last year... the hitting and pitching suffered a slight decline... but the Hellcats are still a good club... All-Star Perry Givens (24-6/2.43) and Dave Payne (21-11/2.85) are excellent starters... Gil Younger is the third man in the rotation... he won 28 games a year ago, but slumped to 16-18 this year with a 3.59 ERA... Hartsdale's fine closer Alfonso Cervera (7-8/2.67/19 saves) still heads up the bullpen... Cervera tied for fourth in saves with 19... and the Hellcats can still score runs with the likes of CF Darrell Nesbitt (.287/13/49/115), 3B Greg Melton (.282/24/92/88), IF-OF Marv Shaw (.281/18/59/59), RF Emilian Burgess (.280/23/95/86) and rookie C Kenton Carmichael (.264/25/68/67)... not as strong as last year, Hartsdale still has a fair shot at repeating as Pro Cup champion... five or six others club are in the same boat... there is no clear-cut Pro Cup favorite this season.

Great season for the runner-up White River Rascals... a bad stretch in September costs them the division flag... the Rascals lost seven of eight to crush their title hopes... they were snapping at the heels of the Hellcats the entire season... top starters were Nicky Palmer (21-13/2.58), Jade Garner (19-11/4.00) and vet Trenton Anderson (13-11/4.12)... Carlo Grimaldi (9-9/3.27/15 saves) was the best reliever... heading up the offense was All-Star LF Billy Joe Hickman with a .330 BA, 43 HRs, 114 RBIs and 99 runs... other contributors were All-Star SS Kunta Burton (.293/3/34/105), 2B Warren McKenzie (.247/19/71/47) and 1B Roy Hart (.245/16/62/59)... LF Russell Anderson had the second best batting average at .322 with 9 HRs, 49 RBIs and 66 runs... White River was just average offensively and on the mound.

The Blue Lake Blue Sox in third place really never challenged the leaders... it was just a modest season for them... Greg Mortimer (16-14/3.34), Sal Mays (17-18/3.18) and Van Johnson (17-14/3.98) were the most reliable starters... and Razzy Richmond (7-5/1.93/23 saves) was strong in the bullpen... Frankie Quinn (9-13/4.92) had a great career and had an historic season... he broke Nicky Enstrom's all-time wins mark this season... Quinn is 391-297 in 21 seasons with Blue Lake and Fort Benton, while Engstom was 387-218 in his 20 years with Turon... no great sticks in the Blue Sox's lineup... the best of the lot were SS Rick Bridges (.271/28/87/70), 1B Mel Morrison (.262/26/80/73) and All-Star C Juan Luis Barcelona (.281/19/74/82).

The Oxford Red Caps wound up in fourth place in the standings, but never really contended after opening up with a good April... All-Star Rudy Mellancamp (19-17/2.62) was the ace of the starting rotation... he had help from Lou Ellison (18-10/3.42) and Tekkan Nishikawa (12-12/3.67)... SS Dan Zalewski (.290/13/66/93), 3B Alonzo Norris (.273/30/72/78) and CF Kevin Carter (.275/26/82/74) carried the offensive load.

The North Hills Hawks had a great run from 2034 to 2045 with four Pro Cups and 11 TU North pennants, but they are now just a pale shadow of those years... the Hawks are just a run-of-the-mill club... they finished in a fifth place tie with Fairfax this year... the Hawks do have some power with 167 HRs (9th), but are just average otherwise... superstar RF Adam Thurgood (.299/35/98/87) still swings a good bat at age 36... Thurgood got some help from SS Tommy Vavas (.290/21/70/80), LF Ryan Webbe (.285/21/87/82) and 3B Ric Hamilton (.285/19/73/64)... for the seventh time in his fine career 34-year-old ace Tony Mack (20-13/2.38) chalked up 20 victories, but had no help.

Fairfax hits well, but is just mediocre on the hill... solid veteran star 2B John Velasco (.321/23/97/750 has a great year at age 41... LF Brad Johnston (.301/11/66/98) and CF Trent Russell (.257/28/85/98) did their part and topped the team with 98 runs each... C Scott Courtney (.300/14/67/68) and rookie 3B K. J. Garvie (.280/17/70/73) also chipped in as well... on the mound Shaun O'Riley (13-12/2.48) was the most effective starter, while Ken Perry (17-14/4.06) has the most wins.... All-Star closer Terry Sawyer (14-10/2.88/19 saves) had an impressive season and ranked high in the IPA in saves.

In seventh place were the Luxora Zorros... the pitching was pretty good with Lorenzo Alonso (20-16/3.25) and 32-year-old rookie Les Liebert (14-4/2.84/6 saves)... the Z's possessed a few good bats with 3B Tiago Chaves (.271/30/101/71), 36-year-old star 1B Joel Poche (.288/25/104/79), RF Emil Pasek (.325/16/50/92) and rookie CF Xavier Da Nova (.316/16/70/78).

For the fifth successive season the hapless Mahaska Haymakers finished last in the TU North... other than hitting homers (165-11th), the Haymakers don't have much... leading the attack are 1B Roger Lewis (.292/33/93/74), 3B Sean Hayes (.253/30/86/70), C James Boswell (.233/29/92/54), LF Bill Whittier (.254/25/81/95) and 2B Angus McKeag (.291/12/58/80)... Bobby Kelman (16-11/3.80) is the only staffer with a winning record.

2047 TYCOBBIAN NORTH FINAL STANDINGS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

RED SOX WIN 4TH STRAIGHT TU EAST
For the fourth year in a row the Red Bluff Red Sox (95-59) hoisted the Tycobbian East pennant over Red Bluff Park. Most of the time they have won it in easy fashion, but not this season. The tough Tuckanarra Blue Jays (92-62) stayed in the race until the final 10 days of the regular season before losing out by three games. High Mesa (86-68) was third in the race, nine games behind. The South Fork Stallions (77-77) finished 18 games back in fourth place. Red Bluff had the third highest win total in the IPA, topped only by Far Mountain with 101 victories and Marston with 96, both in the Ruthlandian Union.

The Red Sox coupled fine pitching with super firepower to stave off the Tucks... they led the Tycobbian Union with a 3.07 team ERA (1st), 250 homers (1st) and ranked fifth in runs with 753... the Red Sox lost a seven-game series in the Tycobbian LCS last year to Pro Cup champion Hartsdale... Red Bluff will be among the favorites this year with three strong starters: Jud Cox (22-8/1.76), George Reynolds (20-12/3.08) and Mickey Rosen (19-14/3.10)... in the bullpen Sonny Wheat had 17 saves and an impressive 2.36 ERA, but posted a poor 4-9 record... Cox had the third best ERA in the IPA behind Eastshore's Jody Friday (15-3/1.56) and San Alejo's Matt Bell (22-6/1.71)... in addition the Red Sox boast a plethora of power hitters like superstar All-Star David Kelso (.302/50/109/96), who was fourth in the IPA with 50 homers... only High Mesa's Johnny Tallis (68), Bayview's Jerry Culpepper (60) and Denton City's Wayman Stetson (54) hit more... the other Red Sox sluggers included 3B Fran Blanchard (.262/43/108/94), 1B Josh Stevens (.268/38/83/89), CF Ike Sweetwater (.298/26/80/75) , SS Leemon O'Donovan (.283/19/56/72) and LF Jesse Shaw (.279/18/58/61).

Second place Tuckanarra didn't have the power of Red Bluff with only 125 homers (26th), but they did score well (757 runs-4th) and hit well (.272 BA-2nd)... they were solid as a rock on the mound with a 3.25 team ERA (6th)... the starting four were good with Ozzie Leslie (21-10/2.90), Yarran Nawajuk (20-14/3.44), Dickie Pittman (14-12/3.07) and 35-year-old rookie Gary Oliver (11-6/3.24/2 saves)... the bullpen standout was Jack Rogers (13-4/2.26/19 saves)... Rogers tied for fourth in the IPA in saves... All-Star 1B Rodger Parsons had a terrific year with a .347 BA, 34 doubles, 22 HRs, 110 RBIs, 101 runs and 114 walks... only three batters in the IPA posted a better batting average: Kenwood's Country Crowder (.389), Cape Coral's Stan Ferguson (.374) and Middlefield's Johnny McDonald (.351)... Rodgers was the prime offensive threat and led the club in almost everything... he had some help from 3B Niles Tasby (.302/16/72/59), LF Jimmy Markovich (.266/15/56/99) and RF Frank Mason (.278/11/49/77).

The High Mesa Cowboys started slowly at 10-18 and fell 10 games back in April... after the poor start they did well, but just couldn't make up that big of a deficit, ending up nine games off the pace in third place... the Cowpokes feature very good pitching with a 3.08 ERA... they don't hit well with a .238 BA (30th), but do pack some punch with 203 HRs (5th)... Lucius Quarles (22-9/2.08) and rookie Lloyd Armstrong (18-12) are top-notch starters... Tee Bo Templet (10-5/3.36/2 saves) was also a quality starter and reliever... closer William Morris (6-5/2.47/15 saves) did a fine job, too... super slugger 1B Johnny Tallis had a year he will never forget... the late-blossoming 34-year-old Tallis (.275 BA) established new IPA records with 68 homers and 178 RBIs... the old record holders were Jerry Culpepper with 66 HRs for Bayview in 2040 and Adam Zitek with 170 RBIs in 2005 for High Mesa... SS Clifford Coleman (.237/38/101/70) and 2B Randy Sweetland (.294/8/59/96) were the only other productive bats.

The South Fork Stallions broke even for the season at 77-77... just an average ball club... Jay Murphy (19-10/2.58), Chris Sorensen (19-17/3.55) and Jonas Clay (16-15/3.73) led the staff... the top performers at the plate were rookie sensation CF Jack Boswell (.321/32/85/89), SS Pete Arnold (.303/10/69/97), 1B Paul Sexson (.276/25/64/69) and RF Rick Carlton (.254/18/83/58).

The fifth place Hillsboro Blazers had decent pitching, but no offense... Jamie Lee Bradley (17-12/2.84) and Steve Cooper (17-18/2.94) were strong starters, but suffered from no run support... Robby Lee Stillwell (18-18/4.12) also gave the Blazers some quality starts... LF Jurrien Bellini was the offenseive leader... he hit 49 homers, drove in 92 runs and scored 112, but batted only .241... C Harry McGuire pitched in with a .279 BA, 16 homers and 88 RBIs... and 1B Ernie Moxley slammed 25 out of the park, batted in 75 runs, but hit only .234 for average.

The Midway Wolves were sixth in the standings... the team's best performers were Charlie Chase (23-12/3.09) on the hill... and at the plate LF Justin Morrison (.340/20/89/88), CF Hector Pena (.291/14/67/106), 1B Jerry Kennison (.257/13/88/62), 2B Rusty Wilson (.293/6/64/82) and RF Alfie Kincade (.252/21/74/72).

For the seventh consecutive year the East Point Panthers were mired deep in the second division of the TU East... the Panthers wound up seventh... they don't have much to brag or boast about except for closer Kenneth Lawson (10-3/2.28/5 saves), who had a fine season... Barney Bennett (14-18/4.75) had the most wins in the staff, but the most effective was Ralph Wallace (13-17/3.21)... not much in the way of bats... 1B Jack Gorham (.273/31/71/56) had the most homers with 31... 2B Kelly Walsh (.273/19/69/89) scored the most runs with 89... LF Thomas Woodson (.236/22/74/49) led with 74 RBIs... LF Augie Elizondo (.271/24/60/62) added 25 home runs and C Kenny Bailey (.274/15/46/53) topped the team with a .274 BA.

The last place team was the Ozarka Naturals... Billy Hill (12-17/4.07) and Jerald Kidman (12-20/4.09) tied for the most victories on the staff with 12... however the best pitchers were relievers Gene White (3-2/2.50/12 saves) and Jim Greene (8-7/2.74/12 saves)... SS William Clark (.285/3/44/75) had the most hits with 175, the best BA among the regulars at .285 and scored the most runs with 75... 3B Artie Clayton (.252/36/88/73) had the most homers with 36 and most RBIs with 88... parttimer 2B Jimmy Woods (.319/11/50/35) was the most consistent hitter on the squad with a .319 BA.

2047 TYCOBBIAN EAST FINAL STANDINGS

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, September 16, 2047

WILDCATS EDGE REDS IN TU WEST
It came down to the last days of the regular season before the Tycobbian West was decided. And when it got down to the nitty-gritty both Kenwood and Rolling Hills struggled. Kenwood went 2-3 in the last five games and won it - the Wildcats' sixth division title in seven years. The Reds only won one of the last five games and lost the pennant by a single game. Both teams lost the last two games of the year. Arlon came in third, five games off the pace and Chicopee was fourth and 8 games out. In the recent past in the Pro Cup playoffs Kenwood has been eliminated early in the process and the experts are saying that is a likely scenario this year, especially since superstud bat Corky DiNozzo will be absent in the first round of the postseason due to injury. The Wildcats' only IPA crown came in 2014.

Kenwood has a pretty fair offense with average power and scoring, along with a good mound staff... two All-Stars pretty much carry the club at the plate... 2B Country Crowder led the IPA with a sparking .389 BA and 236 hits... Crowder's hit total was the second best in history, beaten only by the legendary Jet Kazmarek's 248 in 2002 when he hit an all-time high of .428 for the Valmara Vipers... C Corky DiNozzo missed most of the second half of the season with a rotator injury, but still managed 25 homers and 66 RBIs with a .300 BA... he's expected to return in time for the second round of the postseason... SS Ben Daniels (.250/18/80/54), RF Billy Nix (.287/22/51/48) and CF Warren Vickers (.264/10/53/83) also chipped in with some offense... the Wildcats have two proven starters in Tommy Carter (17-14/2.40) and Rusty Bradford (17-14/3.17)... the number three spot in the playoff rotation will come from Freddy Gooch (14-12/3.82) and Gregg Campbell (18-12/3.64)... Kenwood had good solid relievers in Mike Jones (9-5/2.74/10 saves) and Elian Verjano (7-8/2.87/10 saves).

Arlon was just an average ball club this year, but ran a pretty fair race, winding up only five games back... the Champions led at the All-Star Game, but they couldn't keep up with Kenwood's summer surge and slowly fell back to third place... Lanny Gray (18-15/2.83) and Peter Shannon (20-15/3.78) were the top hurlers... Mack Blair (9-5/3.02/18 saves) was the bullpen leader... heading up the batting order were aging veterans C Nick Shafer (.266/25/87/70) and RF Mark Cameron (.261/29/72/77), along with young CF Cary Rockwell (.281/22/79/61).

The Chicopee Braves finished in fourth place, but they never really contended after a good opening month... the Braves do have three capable starters in Johnny West (16-10/2.97), vet Tony Dazzi (13-23/2.98) and Tom Chambers (11-9/2.59/2 saves)... offensively 1B Sam Patrick (.294/43/98/77), 3B Ken Smith (.327/9/66/86), RF Denny Halverton (.310/11/56/76) and CF Marty Hogart (.266/17/71/81) paced the club.

Fifth in the standings were the Denton City Redbirds... they had decent pitching with Mel Coley (14-12/3.15), Harry Elliott (18-14/3.52), Gary Booth (15-15/3.51) and James Webb (14-14/3.79)... and decent bats with the exception of superstar All-Star 1B Wayman Stetson, who ranked third in the IPA with 54 homers and fourth with 128 RBIs... only record-setting Johnny Tallis (High Mesa) with 68 home runs and Jerry Culpepper (Bayview) with 60 were better than Stetson... Tallis drove in 178 runs, Culpepper 154 and Jason Butler (Belair Beach) 129... Stetson got a little help from vet Pete Doyle (.286/24/74/64), SS Rafael Pena (.277/2/49/78) and LF Frankie Montgomery (.262/18/66/68).

The Bayview Vikings were in the race until the All-Star break and then faded in the second half of the season... it was the Viks' potent offense that kept them in the race... superstar All-Star 3B Jerry Culpepper had a marvelous year with a .324 BA, 60 HRs, 154 RBIs and 108 runs... only Johnny Tallis' super season kept Culpepper from leading the IPA in homers and RBIs... All-Star SS Andreas Stokke enjoyed a fine season, too, with 40 roundtrippers, 108 RBIs and 90 runs, while batting .283... LF Ivar Nilssen added 25 dingers and 73 RBIs with a .298 BA... Bobby Knudsen (16-16/2.85) was the only strong starter... in the bullpen Sammy Sarver (10-9/2.94/17 saves) stood out.

For the 12th season in a row the seventh place Bay St. Clair Buccaneers wallowed in the second division... not a lot of pitching... not a lot of offense... on the hill Clyde Gordon (13-18/3.80) and Don White (12-17/4.00) were the biggest winners... SS Edison Randall (.272/17/70/70) and LF Gilbert Bauer (.231/19/68/67) supplied what little offense the Bucs had... rookie 3B Reece Somerset (.316/15/51/44) joined the club in July and showed quite well for the future.

Next to the Ancona Red Elephants (50-104) in the Ruthlandian North, the last place La Claire Lynx were the worst team in the IPA with 101 losses... only Ancona lost more games... the Lynx do nothing well... the mediocre staff is led by Bruce Kinson (13-24/3.92) and Marcel LaPlante (13-18/4.49)... LF Hank Morton (.303/12/63/65), 3B Donnie Nilsson (.289/11/47/86) and SS Royce Hill (.281/8/47/61) had lackluster years, but were the best of the lot.

2047 TYCOBBIAN WEST FINAL STANDINGS

[Honorable_Pawn]

It's been awhile. Egad! I missed alot!

Keep up the great work, Eugene.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Tuesday, September 17, 2047

PRO CUP PLAYOFFS START TOMORROW
Eight pennant winners are poised to begin their quest for the much-coveted IPA Pro Cup tomorrow afternoon all around the Islands. Most of the baseball analysts think that most of them have a fair shake at capturing the prize. Defending champion Hartsdale is back for a chance to repeat, but it's not very likely. Only four times in the 46-year history of the Islandian Pro Alliance has that happened. The Far Mountain Redhawks did it twice - in 2012 and 2013 - they won the title three years in succession. In 2017 the Eastshore Elegants repeated as champ and in 2024 Tuckanarra won its second Pro Cup in a row.

In the Tycobbian Union Division Series, Hartsdale, who won the IPA crown last year in a great seven-game series with Valmara, will open up on the road in Southport and this year's favorite Red Bluff is at home against the Kenwood Wildcats. In the Ruthlandian Union, Middlefield will travel to play the Nine in Marston and Far Mountain will entertain the Belair Beach Sunbirds.

The oddsmakers are leaning towards the heavy-hitting Red Bluff Red Sox (95-59) with their three quality starters, who are backed up by an arsenal of 250 home runs. The second choice is the powerful Middlefield Roosters, who also feature three fine starters and good offense. Rated third in the Pro Cup predictions are the Far Mountain Redhawks (101-53), the club with the best record in the IPA. The big knock on the Redhawks is their lack of bats in the lineup. The Southport Sun Sox (92-62) were ranked fourth in the poll. The Sun Sox won the Pro Cup in 2045 and have pretty much the same roster as the title season.

Current IPA champ Hartsdale (87-67) did not play as well this year as last, that's why the critics have placed them in the number five slot, but they still have the personnel to win it, especially if number three starter Gil Younger can give them some good games. Last year's Tycobbian MVP won 28 games, but only 16 this year. The Marston Nine (96-58) are the sleeper in the postseason. The oddsmakers low rated them at sixth because of a lack of playoff experience. The Nine could very easily upset the applecart and win the Ruthlandian Union as well as the Pro Cup trophy. The other two playoff clubs aren't expected to go very far in the playoffs. The number-seven ranked Kenwood Wildcats (85-69) and eighth-rated Belair Beach Sunbirds (84-70) had the worst records of any of the division winners in the regular season.

PRO CUP PREDICTIONS:
1. Red Bluff: For the fourth year in a row the Red Bluff Red Sox (95-59) hoisted the Tycobbian East pennant over Red Bluff Park... they have captured only one Pro Cup in the club's history... that was way back in 2004... the Red Sox coupled fine pitching with super firepower to stave off the Tuckanarra Blue Jays... they led the Tycobbian Union with a 3.07 team ERA (1st), 250 homers (1st) and ranked fifth in runs with 753... the Red Sox lost a seven-game series in the Tycobbian LCS last year to Pro Cup champion Hartsdale... Red Bluff will be among the favorites this year with three strong starters: Jud Cox (22-8/1.76), George Reynolds (20-12/3.08) and Mickey Rosen (19-14/3.10)... in the bullpen Sonny Wheat had 17 saves and an impressive 2.36 ERA, but posted a poor 4-9 record... Cox had the third best ERA in the IPA behind Eastshore's Jody Friday (15-3/1.56) and San Alejo's Matt Bell (22-6/1.71)... in addition the Red Sox boast a plethora of power hitters like superstar All-Star David Kelso (.302/50/109/96), who was fourth in the IPA with 50 homers... only High Mesa's Johnny Tallis (68), Bayview's Jerry Culpepper (60) and Denton City's Wayman Stetson (54) hit more... the other Red Sox sluggers included 3B Fran Blanchard (.262/43/108/94), 2046 Tycobbian Golden Bat winner 1B Josh Stevens (.268/38/83/89), CF Ike Sweetwater (.298/26/80/75) , SS Leemon O'Donovan (.283/19/56/72) and LF Jesse Shaw (.279/18/58/61).

2. Middlefield: Middlefield hasn't won the Pro Cup since 2005... this just might be their year... it's their third pennant in the last seven seasons... the Roosters have the best starting pitching, best bullpen and best power in the Ruthlandian Union... they came in third in victories with 95, topped only by Far Mountain with 101 and Marston with 96... the starting rotation is excellent with All-Star James Long (23-10/2.05), Larry Wheelhouse (21-13/2.71) and Carroll Collier (19-13/2.88)... Ray Owens (6-7/2.48/15 saves) is the bullpen ace... All-Star C Johnny McDonald (.351/10/48/81) is the club leader with a .351 BA... he led the RU in batting and placed third in the IPA behind Country Crowder (Kenwood) at .389 and Stan Ferguson (Cape Coral) at .374... All-Star Sidney Conner (.289/47/126/94) had a super year leading the RU with 47 homers and ranking second to Jason Butler's 129 RBIs for Belair Beach... other valuable contributors were CF Norman Antonioni (.273/39/88/73), SS Jimmy Beach (.305/23/74/78) and 2B Ike Gary (.266/16/71/76).

3. Far Mountain: The Redhawks racked up the most wins in the IPA with 101, led by three 20-game winners in Stan Smith (25-6/3.60), All-Star Curt Steinhauer (22-6/2.12) and Jonas Grover (20-12/3.07)... they had a fine bullpen, too, with Fernando Sanches (9-8/2.64/19 saves) and Jack McKinney (8-3/3.08/13 saves)... the Redhawks don't have any impressive hitters, but as a group they rank third in scoring runs with 734... Far Mountain plays a lot of players... the most productive bats are SS Webster Ronstadt (.259/9/60/77), SS Sammy Prejean (.290/7/60/53), 2B Rance Hawkins (.346/11/51/53), OF Todd Purdom (.291/10/46/69) and RF Bert Richter (.237/22/58/72)... Far Mountain last appeared in the Pro Cup playoffs in back-to-back years 2038 and 2039... the Redhawks won three straight Pro Cups in 2011, 2012 and 2013, an unprecedented record.

4. Southport: The Southport Sun Sox have reigned as TU South champion in five of the last six seasons... the Sun Sox will be seeking their second Pro Cup trophy in three years... they were the IPA overall champ in 2044... the Sun Sox are a sound ball club and should show well in the playoffs this year... the Southport staff is led by two fine veteran starters... All-Star Billy Hoover (22-14/1.79) had a great season and came in fourth with a superb 1.79 ERA... Johnny Swanson (19-13/3.19) was a solid number two... and Brandon Delmore (20-13/3.71) is a dependable number three starter... All-Star closer Hal Combs (9-7/2.39) paced the IPA with 24 saves... Pro Cup champs usually need three strong starters, so Delmore could be key... Southport's offense is a little suspect... All-Star C Vasilis Vlachos (.289/25/92/74), CF Barney Lewis (.246/41/96/78), 1B Eddy Douglas (.301/25/75/67) and 3B Craig Glennon (.220/26/87/74) were the club leaders... they have good power, but don't hit for average... platooner RF Pat Kinney (.321/4/33/53) posted the best BA on the team with a .323 in 371 ABs and 111 games.

5. Hartsdale: The Hellcats won their only Pro Cup trophy in 2046... Hartsdale didn't perform as well this year as last year... the hitting and pitching suffered a slight decline... the win total dropped from 98 to 87, but the Hellcats are still a good club... All-Star Perry Givens (24-6/2.43) and Dave Payne (21-11/2.85) are excellent starters... Gil Younger is the third man in the rotation... he won 28 games a year ago and won the Tycobbian MVP trophy, but slumped to 16-18 this year with a 3.59 ERA... Hartsdale's fine closer Alfonso Cervera (7-8/2.67/19 saves) still heads up the bullpen... Cervera tied for fourth in saves with 19... and the Hellcats can still score runs with the likes of CF Darrell Nesbitt (.287/13/49/115), 3B Greg Melton (.282/24/92/88), IF-OF Marv Shaw (.281/18/59/59), RF Emilian Burgess (.280/23/95/86) and rookie C Kenton Carmichael (.264/25/68/67)... not as strong as last year, Hartsdale still has a fair shot at repeating as Pro Cup champion... five or six others club are in the same boat... there is no clear-cut Pro Cup favorite this season.

6. Marston: The Marston Nine have been bad, really bad for 20 years with only one first-division finish... they came in fourth in 2038... the Nine has never won the Pro Cup... but this season the Nine (96-58) made the first division in style... they won the Ruthlandian East by seven games over defending champ Sugar Valley (89-65)... Marston is a first-rate team with strong pitching and a rock-solid attack... the Nine racked up 96 victories, topped only by Far Mountain in the IPA with 101... Marston is forecast to do well in the postseason... their last appearance was in 2028... top starters are All-Star Felix Delatte (24-6/2.52) and John Newton (19-14/3.06)... Thomas Stuart (13-14/3.22) and Jean-Noel Waldron (17-9/3.83) are third and fourth in the rotation... the relief corps is also rated highly with closer Kiki Vuk (12-5/1.72/12 saves)... there are good bats galore in the Nine's batting order, sparked by SS Stan Mila (.331/25/112/67), All-Star 3B Gary Armitage (.291/20/68/98), All-Star LF D'Wayne Dotson (.295/17/90/99), CF Calvin Marbury (.240/15/69/74) and RF Charley Gilmore (.304/13/66/60).

7. Kenwood: The Wildcats have won only one Pro Cup... that was long ago and far away in 2014... in the recent past in the Pro Cup playoffs Kenwood has been eliminated early in the process and the experts are saying that is a likely scenario this year, especially since superstud bat Corky DiNozzo will be absent in the first round of the postseason due to injury. The Wildcats' only IPA crown came in 2014... Kenwood has a pretty fair offense with average power and scoring, along with a good mound staff... two All-Stars pretty much carry the club at the plate... 2B Country Crowder led the IPA with a sparking .389 BA and 236 hits... Crowder's hit total was the second best in history, beaten only by the legendary Jet Kazmarek's 248 in 2002 when he hit an all-time high of .428 for the Valmara Vipers... C Corky DiNozzo missed most of the second half of the season with a rotator injury, but still managed 25 homers and 66 RBIs with a .300 BA... he's expected to return in time for the second round of the postseason... SS Ben Daniels (.250/18/80/54), RF Billy Nix (.287/22/51/48) and CF Warren Vickers (.264/10/53/83) also chipped in with some offense... the Wildcats have two proven starters in Tommy Carter (17-14/2.40) and Rusty Bradford (17-14/3.17)... the number three spot in the playoff rotation will come from Freddy Gooch (14-12/3.82) and Gregg Campbell (18-12/3.64)... Kenwood had good solid relievers in Mike Jones (9-5/2.74/10 saves) and Elian Verjano (7-8/2.87/10 saves).

8. Belair Beach: The fans in Belair Beach have waited a long time for another pennant... after 31 years of mainly losing the Sunbirds finally won another Ruthlandian South flag... the Sunbirds have never won an IPA Pro Cup and it's highly unlikely to happen this year...they have only one solid starter. Kevin Tolbert racked up a 17-13 record with a 3.14 ERA... the other starters were Jose Munoz (18-15/4.20) and Ronnie Roy (18-12/4.41).... they topped the team with 18 wins, but were mediocre at best... Tom Cook (6-5/2.77/18 saves) and Ray Dunn (4-2/2.63/8 saves) both did well in the bullpen... Leading the Belair Beach bats was All-Star 3B-1B Jason Butler (.329/45/129/105), who had a fabulous season. Butler was third in the IPA with 129 RBIs, beaten out by High Mesa's Johnny Tallis, who broke Adam Zitek's 2005 all-time IPA mark of 170, and Bayview's Jerry Culpepper, who drove in 154 runs... two other capable bats in the batting order were CF Norm Ellis (.278/25/74/70) and 1B Shannon Stewart (.299/16/83/82)... it's not likely that Belair Beach can pull off the improbable - that is, win the Pro Cup - they just don't have the talent.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, September 18, 2047

2047 IPA DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES - GAME 1

Ruthlandian Union

NINE NIPS ROOSTERS 3-2 IN 13 INNINGS
The opening game of the Ruthlandian Division Series was pitching par excellence... it took 13 innings before the Marston Nine got the best of the Middlefield Roosters at Legends Field in Marston... losing pitcher Ray Owens (0-1) walked pinchhitter Roger Krieger with the bases loaded to score Harvey Creighton with the winning run.

All the pitchers were outstanding... both starters went nine innings... Marston's Felix Delatte allowed only two runs on six hits, fanned six and walked two batters, while Middlefield's James Long permitted two runs on 10 hits, struck out five and walked just one... winning pitcher Kiki Vuk (1-0) worked four scoreless frames, yielding three hits... loser Owens surrendered one unearned run in his three innings... Marston outhit Middlefield 13-9 with CF Calvin Marbury and SS Stan Mila getting three hits each... SS Jimmy Beach led the Roosters with two hits, including the game's only homer.

SUNBIRDS SOCK REDHAWKS 5-1 IN OPENER
On the road in Far Mountain at Sky High Stadium, the Belair Beach Sunbirds scorched the Redhawks 5-1 with a four-run outburst in the top of the ninth to cop the opener of the RU Division Series... 1B Shannon Stewart plated the winning run with an RBI single, RF Joe Don Baker doubled in the second one and sac flies by 2B Kaoru Taniguchi and pinchhitter Laurens Vanderhoek got the final two in... Tom Cook (1-0) got the win with a runless eighth, while Fernando Sanches (0-1) suffered the loss in the four-run ninth... Todd Clyman retired all three Redhawks in the last of the ninth to seal the verdict.

Belair Beach ace lefthander Kevin Tolbert hurled seven sharp innings, gave up only one run and five hits with five Ks and a walk... Far Mountain's Curt Steinhauer also worked seven frames, permitting one unearned run and eight hits with six strikeouts and two walks... pacing the Sunbirds' 12-hit attack were four players with two hits apiece: CF Norm Ellis, 3B Jason Butler, 1B Shannon Stewart and 2B Kaoru Taniguchi... CF Christy Darville had two hits to lead Far Mountain.

Tycobbian Union

SUN SOX SMACK HELLCATS 7-3 IN GAME ONE
Playing game one of the Tycobbian Division Series on their home grounds at Pleasure Beach Park, the Southport Sun Sox made the best of their 10 hits and whipped defending Pro Cup champion Hartsdale 7-3... Southport ace Billy Hoover (1-0) weathered 15 hits and stranded 14 baserunners for the win... he whiffed five and walked only one in a complete game outing... the Sun Sox bashed three homers with CF Barney Lewis and C Vasilis Vlachos hitting two-run shots and 3B Craig Glennon getting a solo clout.

Hartsdale wasted numerous hits... they were led by 1B John Ford and RF Emilian Burgess with three apiece... Ford had a solo homer and batted in all three runs... collecting the loss was starter Perry Givens (0-1), who was shelled for five runs and nine hits in six innings... Givens left trailing 5-2.

KENWOOD CLIPS RED SOX 4-3 IN FIRST GAME
Underdog Kenwood prevailed over Pro Cup favorite Red Bluff 4-3 in the fist game of the TU Division Series at Red Bluff Park... the Wildcats jumped ahead early with three runs in the first frame... they led 4-1 after three innings and held on to win... LF Ian Collingham, RF Billy Nix and CF Warren Vickers paced the Wildcats at the plate... Kenwood garnered 11 hits with Collingwood and Nix getting three each and Vickers a pair... Nix drove in the first run of the game, Collingham got number two and Ben Daniels' sacrifice fly brought in the third one in the opening frame... Collingham doubled in the final run for the Wildcats in the third.

In a so-so performance Kenwood starter Tommy Carter snagged the win... Carter was tagged for three runs and 10 hits in seven and one-third innings... he struck out six and walked one batter... Mike Jones got the last five outs, striking out three of them and notched the save... Red Bluff starter Jud Cox (0-1) had a tough day as he was belted for 11 hits and four runs in eight-plus frames... Cox walked one and fanned six.

The Red Sox banged out 11 hits with CF Ike Sweetwater, LF Jesse Shaw and RF David Kelso getting two each... 1B Josh Stevens, Sweetwater and Shaw batted in their runs.