ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

6 of the 8 Divisions previewed... 2 more to go... then season 58 begins.

[Dark Horse]

The Fairfax Frogs may be that up and coming team that everyone wants to be the first to say they were gonna be good... Maybe that's why the lofty predictions...

Anyway, they'll be a fun follow.

[Eugene Church]

Sorry, computer problems.

I'm hoping it's my 13-year-old monitor and not my 2-year-old computer.
Taking it in today to the shop.

I lost my IT guy that used to come to my house at a very reseasonable fee.

Might be a week before all is well.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Dark Horse

The Fairfax Frogs may be that up and coming team that everyone wants to be the first to say they were gonna be good... Maybe that's why the lofty predictions...

Anyway, they'll be a fun follow.

Yes, I'll be watching closely.

Last place to 1st is a big jump, especially when the roster doesn't look that good... much the same as last year.

[Eugene Church]

Great News!


It was the monitor... not my new computer.

All is seemingly working well so far.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

WOLVES WILL FEAST IN TU EAST
After a year's absence, the mighty Midway Wolves are set to feast in the Tycobbian East... last year they were upset by the surprising Red Bluff Red Sox, who not only topped the Wolves, they went all the way and came away with the IPA Pro Cup... but this year the pollsters are favoring Midway to again run away with the division flag by a good margin over the runner-up High Mesa Mustangs and the current division titleholder, Red Bluff... completing the first-division teams will be the Ozarka Naturals in the fourth spot.

1st: MIDWAY WOLVES
Last Year: 2nd Place (86-69) (1 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (101-53)
Outlook: Midway fell on hard times last year because of its poor bullpen and subpar years by key hurlers... manager Bobby Dorignac hopes he has rectified the situation... the Wolves still possess an explosive arsenal of hitters sparked by the 2057 Tycobbian MVP and Golden Bat trophy winner, Norishige Ito (.341/50 HR/150 RBI/118 R), and the 2056 MVP and Golden Bat, Daryl Vale (.287/29 HR/108 RBI/85 R/10 SB)... other solid contributors are 1B Ted Merritt (.255/26 HR/98 RBI/78 R/6 SB) and LF Robb Withers (.267/22 HR/52 RBI/84 R/7 SB)... SS Kax Clark (.279/6 HR/49 RBI/96 R/4 SB) is also a solid performer all around... new rookies on the Midway roster are pitchers Connie Kees, who is slated to be the #4 starter, and Mel Merlo, who will be in the bullpen... and SS Shihei Yamamoto should get some playing time in backup roles... even if the pitching doesn't get better, the Wolves are good enough to challenge for the Tycobbian East Division crown... in a bad season by Midway standards, they only lost the pennant by one game last year.

2nd: High Mesa Mustangs
Last Year: 3rd Place (85-69) (1.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (75-79) (26 GB)
Outlook: manager Jack Elliott is a 20-year vet with the Mustangs and he has a budding powerhouse... High Mesa ran a fine race last year, finishing a very close third with fine firepower and fairly good pitching... Elliott thinks his Mustangs may be better this year and ready to take over the TU East... his big bats are still intact... to boost the mound staff Elliott has added 2 rookies... southpaw Bucky Dodge will start the season as the #4 guy in the rotation... and Dale Richards will work in the bullpen... both did well in spring training... High Mesa's batting order is chocked full of quality hitters, led by 3B Kagetoki Miyazaki (.290/39 HR/103 RBI/100 R), 1B Ward Catlin (.321/32 HR/76 RBI/63 R), CF Tracy McGriff (.283/31 HR/86 RBI/90 R/4 SB), 2B Tommy Yost (.300/21 HR/74 RBI/82 R/1 SB), LF Curly Yeats (.275/17 HR/42 RBI/82 R/9 SB) and C Ricky Chandler (.311/14 HR/61 RBI/68 R/8 SB)... on this hill Elliott has a good stable of starters in Weldon Herrington (23-9/2.77), Tuffy Hammel (17-14/3.49) and David Newell (15-12/3.56)... 2058 could be the Year of the Mustang... they might have been the best team in the division the second half of the season, but they will still have their hands full with the Midway Wolves and the Red Bluff Red Sox... the TU East looks like a 3-team race.

3rd: Red Bluff Red Sox
Last Year: 1st Place (87-68)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (30 GB)
Outlook: skipper Ike Sweetwater still has his high-powered offense and is looking to improve his mound corps... the Red Sox would like nothing better than to repeat as the Pro Cup champion... Sweetwater is pleased with his starting rotation of Duane Sturgeon (22-12/2.90), Wilson Sharpe (20-16/2.99), Fred Taylor (16-13/4.01) and Ricky Lambert (13-10/4.03)... in hopes of shoring up his bullpen Sweetwater has add 3 journeymen... Todd Christie, Sean Slocum and Clayton Green all performed well in training camp and won spots on the staff... however, there are no new position players on the Red Sox... not one rookie made the squad... Sweetwater stayed pat with what he already has... back leading the batting attack are RF Toni Kolkov (.279/36 HR/93 RBI/92 R/2 SB), 2B Dazzy Bevis (.274/32 HR/73 RBI/102 R/12 SB), CF Paul Gaddison (.299/27 HR/94 RBI/99 R/16 SB), 1B/3B Monty Lyons (.294/19 HR/94 RBI/70 R/6 SB) and C Denny Acres (.254/19 HR/56 RBI/54 R)... Red Bluff is pretty much the same team as last year, which was good enough to win the whole shebang in the Islandian Pro Alliance... they won't catch anybody by surprise this year... Sweetwater is hoping lightning will strike again and his Red Sox will capture back-to-back Pro Cup trophies.

4th: Ozarka Naturals
Last Year: 7th Place (70-84) (16.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (83-71) (18 GB)
Outlook: last year was supposed to be the breakout season for the Ozarka Nats... the club turned it around in '56 and made the first division for the first time in 11 seasons... but it didn't happen the way manager Duffy Morrison expected... his pitchers fizzled and the team tumbled from 3rd to 7th... so maybe, it's back to the drawing board... Ozarka has a pathetic offense, decent starters and a bad bullpen... it's hard to see them making fourth place... heading up a pretty good starting foursome is Ezra Hancock (10-3/2.91) and Willis Reece (17-18/2.91) in the top two spots, along with Delmer Jeffries (10-10/3.71) and Ronny Betzer (16-13/3.89)... Wyatt Young (8-22/4.11) and Toby Rivera (18-15/4.68) are getting another chance to stick with the club... both played in 2052 and 2053, but didn't stick... Morrison is hoping they will shore up the bullpen and make it respectable... he has no real good sticks in the batting order... the best of the lot is RF Scotty Hannon (.266/13 HR/78 RBI/71 R), 1B Sookie Lagerberg (.277/20 HR/68 RBI/67 R), CF Chris Kile (.306/4 HR/40 RBI/82 R/9 SB) and 3B Foxy Alderson (.259/11 HR/67 RBI/74 R/7 SB)... one rookie made the roster this year: C Davy Hook, a fair defender with a weak arm, but a pretty good bat... and 1B Claude Norbury is back for his fourth try... neither stood out in the spring, but did make the team... Norbury is .248 lifetime with 26 homers and 125 RBIs in three seasons of play (2054-2056).

5th: Hillsboro Blazers
Last Year: 8th Place (66-88) (20.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 7th Place (64-90) (37 GB)
Outlook: Steve Cooper is the new man in charge in Hillsboro... he retired this year after 20 tough seasons on the hill for a bad ballclub... Cooper was 254-276 with a good 3.36 ERA... he has a very tough job with the Blazers... run-scoring is almost non-existent except for home runs... the team hits zilch for average... and the mound corps is mediocre... 4 rookie hurlers were added this year... only one performed well in the spring... Horace Almond will get his chance in the bullpen... heading up the starting rotation is Elliot Frampton (18-11/4.32), Ian Barrie (13-21/3.89) and Clay Spencer (11-18/4.31)... all are just fair-to-middling journeyman pitchers... two other rookies made the team... 1B Bob Foster did well in the spring and will be a starter... Foster looks like a solid hitter with some pop... C Michael Doakes will be a solid backup... Hillsboro doesn't look like a 5th-place team... it's far more likely the Blazers will be near the bottom of the TU East this season.

6th: East Point Panthers
Last Year: 4th Place (80-74) (6.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (86-68) (15 GB)
Outlook: for 7 consecutive seasons Frank Blair had his club right in the thick of things in the Tycobbian East Division... the Panthers won 2 pennants (2050, 2052)... and came in second the other 5 years... they slipped a little bit last season to the fourth spot, but still made the first division, just 6.5 games behind in the pennant race... the drop might have been more to the rise of Red Bluff and High Mesa than a decline in the Panthers... however, Blair made some wholesale roster changes, adding 8 rookies to the club... but none of the 4 position players stood out in the spring... 2 of the 4 hurlers did well... Joey Hilton will be the #5 starter and Don Blake will get a lot of work in the bullpen... East Point still has two fine starters in Eddy Winbourne (21-13/2.40) and Benny Allen (21-15/3.30)... #3 Al Coatsworth (9-19/3.67) and Chip Dowler (14-10/4.03) give Blair quality starts on occasion... the Panther offense has declined in recent years... nobody hits for much of an average, but several can still go deep... East Point's best run producers are CF Skip Donley (.233/32 HR/94 RBI/79 R/13 SB), C Kenny Bailey (.246/25 HR/77 RBI/64 R), LF Pokie Ash (.252/13 HR/71 RBI/63 R/8 SB) and SS Justin McRae (.293/12 HR/59 RBI/81 R/9 SB)... despite all the new players, East Point still looks like the fourth-best club in the Tycobbian East Division... Ozarka and Hillsboro are just not very impressive.

7th: South Fork Stallions
Last Year: 6th Place (70-84) (16.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (63-91) (38 GB)
Outlook: this year Jay Murphy has taken over as skipper in South Fork... he starred for the club for 16 years from 2038 to 2053, chalking up 250 victories and only 185 defeats and posting a fine 3.24 ERA... not a lot of roster changes... most of them are retreads from previous seasons... only one real rookie made the team... that was C Dicky Fergus, a fine defender, but not much at the plate... Fergus will just be a backup... a bonafide threat is RF Bob Purkey (.323/32 HR/84 RBI/95 R/6 SB) on a second-rate offense... the rest are just fair at best: C Rudy Maroney (.277/17 HR/76 RBI/58 R/3 SB), LF Rudi Eberhardt (.272/24 HR/76 RBI/53 R), 1B Rudy Gatlin (.279/12 HR/48 RBI/73 R/12 SB) and 3B Terrence Staton (.240/20 HR/65 RBI/64 R/3 SB)... Murphy's best starters are his young ace Emmett Coogan (11-15/2.71) and #2 Sam Black (17-19/3.50)... the rest are just run-of-the-mill: #3 Bud Bowens (13-8/4.17) and #4 Kylee Radbourne (8-12/3.57)... Herm McClanahan (4-2/2.34 ERA/20 saves/39 G) is a fine closer... and he might get some help in the bullpen this season from newcomers Darren McCracken and Darren Stoner, who both had decent springs... South Fork will be stuck near the bottom of the TU East for a few years... the Stallions are just not a good team.

8th: Tuckanarra Blue Jays
Last Year: 5th Place (77-77) (9.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (78-76) (23 GB)
Outlook: the Tucks have a new manager... former infielder Eddie Darby... a 3-time All-Star and 4-time Gold Glover... hit .288 in his 17 years in the IPA with 143 homers, 1005 RBIs and scored 1293 runs... played for Glasco from '22 to '26... and for the Blue Jays '27 to '38... Darby may have trouble having a winning year... his Bluebirds are not very impressive overall... mediocre mound staff and lackluster hitting... but one thing Tuckanarra has is one star pitcher... Ian Tibbs (26-5/2.24) was simply marvelous last year and won the Tycobbian Union Golden Arm Award... Ralph Ayers (9-13/3.55) and Justin Shank (17-19/3.74) are quality starters, too... but that's all the Tucks have... the rest are not very good... Darby added quite a few new players to the roster... 4 rookie hurlers and 3 position players... he has high hopes for slugging 1B Boomer Carlton and LF Don Quimby... Carlton really stood out in the spring and took over first base full-time, while Quimby will start against right-handers... they should add some much-needed punch to the lineup... the best of the returnees in the batting order is RF Foxy Frye (.248/28 HR/96 RBI/74 R/17 SB), C Odell Overstreet (.292/22 HR/74 RBI/79 R/14 SB), 3B Newt Crutchfield (.277/13 HR/78 RBI/57 R), SS Curtis Wynn (.267/5 HR/55 RBI/70 R/25 SB) and 2B Ganan Inala (.270/1 HR/51 RBI/55 R/11 SB)... Tuckanarra may be better than the pollsters think... the Blue Jays could remain close to the first division in the TU East... maybe fourth or fifth place, if some of the rookies step in and produce.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, March 31, 2058

REDBIRDS WILL FLY HIGH IN TU WEST
Denton City has been the dominant club in the Tycobbian West Division for the past five years... the Redbirds won it three times and came in a very close second twice... losing both times to the Arlon Champions by a single game... Denton City won the pennant last season, in '53 and '55 and they are the top choice to take the title again... no one is forecast to challenge the Redbirds this year... but a 6-way fight is expected for the second spot... the Tycobbian West has a bunch of pretty fair ballclubs... most of them are evenly matched except for Denton City... the Rolling Hills Reds are picked second in the pennant race, followed by the Bayview Vikings in the third spot and the Chicopee Braves coming in fourth in the standings... and close behind will be the other three teams, Kenwood, Bay St. Clair and Arlon... the Tycobbian West fans are set to enjoy a hard-fought and highly-charged catfight for the division bragging rights... the only team left out will be the hapless, last place La Claire Lynx.

1st: DENTON CITY REDBIRDS
Last Year: 1st Place (95-60)
Two Years Ago: 2nd Place (96-59) (1 GB)
Outlook: manager Pete Gibbs depends on his standout staff and fairly good home-run power for success... his mound staff is clearly superior to the rest of the TU West... and he thinks it's even better this year with the addition of 4 hurlers... Howie Malcolm is also back for a fourth try to make the squad and won the #5 spot in spring training... he will join Flash Stringfellow (24-12/2.82), Jayson Mannon (22-9/3.43), Carl Coons (21-14/2.58) and Rance Hasbrough (14-16/3.10) in the rotation... Gibbs was also pleased with 3 rookies, Brett Whatley, Gary Jackson and P. J. Medford... they will join superb closer Burnell Kelley (3-2/0.81 ERA/37 saves/54 G) in the bullpen... Denton City's offense will be led by SS Vincent McCloud (.306/31 HR/104 RBI/90 R/4 SB), 1B Val Anniston (.269/27 HR/83 RBI/78 R), C Ozzy Crenshaw (.319/15 HR/56 RBI/71 R) and 3B Ronnie Lambert (.290/10 HR/59 RBI/89 R/8 SB)... Gibbs is also expecting big things from rookie outfielder Skeets De Vrees... De Vrees will begin the season as the first-string right fielder... the Redbirds are an elite team in the IPA and they look like serious Pro Cup contenders again this year.

2nd: Rolling Hills Reds
Last Year: 2nd Place (94-61) (1 GB)
Two Years Ago: 4th Place (79-75) (17.5 GB)
Outlook: manager Billy Christianson just missed winning the TU West flag last season with a rock-solid arsenal and a good starting rotation... his top guns are 1B Teddy Stonich (.307/36 HR/121 RBI/109 R), LF Jean-Luc Roubique (.295/28 HR/95 RBI/77 R) and 2B Justin Thibodeau (.289/16 HR98 RBI/75 R), along with SS Jameson Mulbert (.294/6 HR/48 RBI/107 R/5 SB), CF Mike Josephson (.325/7 HR/55 RBI/74 R/12 SB), C Lee Fountain (.299/9 HR/71 RBI/55 R) and RF Rory Teed (.308/13 HR/65 RBI/76 R)... on the hill Tommy Otis (21-15/3.21), Rob Gates (19-9/3.30), Vance Dillaway (20-16/3.40) and P. J. Dunham (21-9/3.95) are the starting four... newcomers will be vets Chris Brolin and Darrell Cook, who are back again for another try at sticking... they will join with closer Matty Mosby (6-8/2.52 ERA/28 saves/51 G) in the bullpen... the Reds are still an explosive club with good pitching... one would think they will test the powerful Denton City club again like last year.

3rd: Bayview Vikings
Last Year: 4th Place (84-70) (10.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 8th Place (72-82) (24.5 GB)
Outlook: manager Jerry Culpepper has his Vikings on the rise and ready to get serious about pennant contention in the TU West... the Viks have gotten better on the mound and hope to get better this year... where Culpepper really needs improvement is at the plate... Bayview can go deep, but needs to hit for a much better average... 3B Byorn Karlen (.267/36 HR/97 RBI/81 R) is the only bonafide threat in the lineup... but the Vikings have several solid starters in Ivar Rasmussen (17-16/3.16), Jules Perot (20-14/4.05) and Lars Konigsen (16-14/3.76)... Culpepper has 3 rookies... one of them, Ragnar Rasmussen, will get a shot at the #4 spot... after not making the club last year, Pedro Montalvo (career 78-136/5.17), is back for his 8th season and will be the #5 starter... Rasmussen is the younger brother of the Bayview ace, Ivar Rasmussen... second-year 1B T. D. Proudfoot (.331/12 HR/36 RBI/29 R) will be the fulltime first stringer this season and should spruce up the offense a bit... and rookie C Larry Sprinkles could also add a little punch to batting order... third place is about as high in the standings that the Vikings can reach.

4th: Chicopee Braves
Last Year: 7th Place (75-79) (19.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 6th Place (75-79) (21.5 GB)
Outlook: Paul Foster is back for his second year at the helm of the Braves... his Braves are just fair-to-middling... nothing special on the mound or at the plate... Foster has added 6 newcomers to his staff to kickstart the club... 2 rookie infielders may help out as well... his lackluster starters are Gavin Kinville (17-18/3.64), Chuta Shaman (17-14/3.89) and Russ Clooney (12-14/4.39)... rookie Johnny Brown had fine spring and will step into the #5 slot... the other newcomers will be in the bullpen... they all did a good job in the spring... closer Rocky Dowling (2-2/2.44 ERA/25 saves/45 G) should have decent help this year... LF Travis Ledger (.352/3 HR/61 RBI/72 R/5 SB) topped the IPA last year in batting average... he leads the Braves at bat, but has little pop... 1B Andre Weston (.279/21 HR/81 RBI/63 R) 2B Kohana Chaska (.240/22 HR/93 RBI/78 R) are the main run producers... Foster is hopeful two rookies hitters will perk up the club's attack... 3B Chatan Sikis really got high ratings from the scouts... SS Tripper Tomlinson also looks like a fine defender and a good contact hitter... Chicopee will probably battle Bayview for the third spot in the TU West...neither team is in the class of Denton City and Rolling Hills.

5th: Kenwood Wildcats
Last Year: 5th Place (81-73) (13.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 3rd Place (88-66) (8.5 GB)
Outlook: manager Babe Hankins has a hot-hitting and high-scoring club, but totally lacks any pitching... he hasn't had any solid pitching since the '40s when they captured 6 TU West pennants... Hankins has added 8 newcomers to the Kenwood roster to boost the club up to the playoff level... 3 of them are relatives... his son, Satchell, is the first member of the Hankins clan to be a pitcher... all the rest have been pretty good position players... Babe has two other relatives on the squad, too... his nephews, SS Jackie Hankins and 3B Josh Hankins, the sons of former Wildcat Matthew Hankins... Satchell only had a fair showing in the spring and will be in the bullpen to start the season... the infielders may get some playing time in backup roles... Josh could work his way into the starting lineup... it's tough to get a spot in the batting order with the likes of RF Ziggy Faircloth (.290/23 HR/95 RBI/67 R/9 SB), C John Michael Lansdell (.287/17 HR/76 RBI/85 R), SS Joe Kellogg (.291/13 HR/65 RBI/89 R/9 SB), 1B Bralen Connally (.312/17 HR/64 RBI/69 R), LF Chris McNeal (.289/21 HR/64 RBI/49 R/5 SB) and CF Ezra McCloskey (.336/10 HR/65 RBI/89 R/9 SB)... Kenwood only has modest starters in Herm Monday (18-14/3.98), Mickey Maughan (17-10/3.77) and Al Bryan (13-18/4.12)... and nothing in the bullpen... Hankins has 4 new hurlers in the pen to try and raise the talent level... the Wildcats can put lots of runs on the scoreboard, improved pitching will be the key to the season... if Hankins gets better pitching, he will be right up there with Denton City and Rolling Hills... a serious pennant contender.

6th: Bay St. Clair Buccaneers
Last Year: 3rd Place (85-69) (9.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 5th Place (77-77) (19.5 GB)
Outlook: Buc skipper Cotton Cornwall won the TU West Division flags in '49 and '50 with a balanced ballclub... solid mound staff and good bats... the Buccaneers still possess the pitching, but could use some offense... Kermo Jarvi (11-8/2.75) is the ace and a tough competitor, but he is still recovering from an arm injury... the others in the starting rotation are reliable, too: #2 Jerry MacIntyre (19-11/3.72) and #3 Benny Daye (15-11/3.85)... #4 Kyle Eastman (12-13/4.12) and #5 Scotty Hedwall (11-13/4.25) needs some consistency... vets Cadillac Bogart (5-3/2.00 ERA/17 saves/41 G) and Darcey Kennedy (5-4/0.94 ERA/13 saves/49 G) give Bay St. Clair a good 1-2 punch in the bullpen... improved offense would do wonders for the Bucs... it would make them contenders in the TU West... 1B Clive Caveness (.290/26 HR/82 RBI/89 R) is the only solid bat... SS Ike Ritter (.312/1 HR/66 RBI/77 R/2 SB) is a fine contact hitter, but is a punch-and-Judy batter... and C Hersh Cranmore (.251/13 HR/82 RBI/55 R) is a good RBI guy... Cornwall is expecting big things from rookie OF Hal Driscoll this year... looks like a second-division season for Bay St. Clair... but, they might sneak up as high as fourth place in the TU West standings.

7th: Arlon Champions
Last Year: 6th Place (77-77) (17.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 1st Place (97-58)
Outlook: manager Mark Cameron has an up-and-down ballclub... they won the IPA Pro Cup in '51 with absolutely great pitching... dropped to second place in the TU West in '52, losing out to Kenwood by a single game... had another tremendous year in '54 winning the division crown with 99 wins... slipped to 91 victories in '55 and second place behind Denton City... won the TU West in '56 with 97 wins, then dropped back to 6th last year... when Cameron has the hurlers, the Champs do well... the prospects for a good season don't look good... the Arlon roster is pretty much the same as last year... only rookie pitcher is Stephen Youngblood and he had a very tough spring... third-year man, Mike Winters, looked good in the bullpen this spring... he will get the #5 spot in the rotation... the Arlon aging mound mainstays, 35-year-old Ty Coffee (18-12/3.28) and 36-year-old J. C. Hilburn (17-18/3.74) are back again in the top two spots in the rotation... #3 Oscar Mathewson (11-14/4.02) and #4 Dicky Towers (10-11/4.14) are just decent starters... the bullpen is just fair with Mack Blair (3-6/3.89 ERA/12 saves/35 G)... at age 34, Blair is not as reliable and consistent as he used to be... Arlon's prime run producers are CF Jaimey Stansfield (.257/35 HR/103 RBI/94 R/13 SB), 1B Jon Cress (.308/21 HR/80 RBI/69 R), 2B Leon Normand (.293/17 HR/57 RBI/49 R) and SS Art Catlin (.262/20 HR/83 RBI/71 R/3 SB)... there is only one rookie position player on the squad... OF Zeppo Thiel will get some time in backup roles... he hit well in the spring... 3B Eduardo Garaza had a fine spring at the plate and has won a regular spot in the lineup after being dropped from the roster all of last season, despite a pretty solid year in '56 with a .260 BA, 15 HRs, 66 RBIs and 97 runs... it will take a breakout year by all of the newcomers for the Champions to have another breakout year... not likely to happen in 2058.

8th: La Claire Lynx
Last Year: 8th Place (58-96) (36.5 GB)
Two Years Ago: 7th Place (74-80) (22.5 GB)
Outlook: La Claire has had only one winning season in the last 15 years... that was in '53 with an 81-73 mark when they came in third and 8 GB... after a miserable cellar-dwelling year last year... things don't look much better this year... the Lynx will languish at the bottom of the TU West Division for a second straight season... in his first year as manager, Pat Kovacs, had a horrific year... not a lot went right for him... 6 newcomers made the roster... 4 position players and 2 pitchers... Kovacs said it's a rebuilding project and will take some time... the Lynx have very little to brag about on the mound or at the plate... the starters are all youngsters: #1 is Tommy Trantham (13-16/3.38), #2 is Kelly Hudgins (15-21/3.51), #3 is Kellen Debussy (7-15/3.70) and #4 is Hank Raborn (7-10/4.04)... Kovacs doesn't have much in the bullpen, either... and the cupboard is pretty bare in the batting order with only so-so batters: 3B Horace Rutherford (.288/18 HR/78 RBI/61 R), RF Taro Lansing (.307/15 HR/48 RBI/80 R/25 SB), CF Sean McEuen (.283/16 HR/52 RBI/52 RBI/15 SB), 1B Charlie Rodgers (.271/19 HR/59 RBI/45 R), 2B Derek Winchester (.275/8 HR/50 RBI/71 R/13 SB) and LF Wilmer Burgess (.285/12 HR/37 RBI/59 R)... none of the 6 new roster additions looked especially good in spring training... that's not a good sign for manager Pat Kovacs and his La Claire Lynx... 2058 looks like a long, long year for the Lynx.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, April 1, 2058

OPENING DAY ALL AROUND THE ISLANDS
Hope springs eternal and it happens every spring all across Islandia when the Islandian Pro Alliance begins anew... 64 baseball teams are primed, poised and ready to pluck the Pro Cup for 2058... but in reality, not all baseball teams are created equal... there are some better than others... it's opening day in the IPA and here are the top 10 teams in the IPA according to a conglomerate of baseball writers and broadcasters... here's what the best baseball minds think will happen... remarkably, Red Bluff took the IPA title last year in a huge upset... they defeated the Turon Typhoons in six games for the Pro Cup trophy... Middlefield claimed it in '56... and Midway won it in back-to-back seasons in '54 and '55.

On paper the Valmara Vipers of the Ruthlandian North Division are the number one pick to win it all this season... ranked number two are the Middlefield Roosters of the Ruthlandian West... picked third in the voting were the Denton City Redbirds of the Tycobbian West... rated fourth were the Midway Wolves of the Tycobbian East Division... in the fifth spot were the surprising Fairfax Frogs, a last-place team in the Tycobbian North last year... the Oxford Red Caps of the Tycobbian North came in sixth in the Pro Cup poll... followed by the seventh choice, the Far Mountain Redhawks of the Ruthlandian North... the number eight-ranked club was the Glasco Athletics, also in the RU North... the Sligo Rovers of the RU West are rated the ninth-best squad... and rounding out the top 10 teams are the Hartsdale Hellcats of the Tycobbian North Division.

At the end of the year the baseball prognosticators forecast that Valmara will whip Middlefield for the Ruthlandian Union Championship and it will come down to Midway and Oxford for the Tycobbian Union title... ultimately the Midway Wolves are predicted to prevail in the Pro Cup playoffs, defeating the Valmara Vipers for the overall IPA crown... last year's upset Pro Cup victor, the Red Bluff Red Sox, are rated no better than third behind powerful Midway and the up-and-coming High Mesa Mustangs in the TU East pennant race.

Top 10 IPA Teams in The Islandian Times Pro Cup Poll:

1. Valmara Vipers (RU North)
2. Middlefield Roosters (RU West)
3. Denton City Redbirds (TU West)
4. Midway Wolves (TU East)
5. Fairfax Frogs (TU North)
6. Oxford Red Caps (TU North)
7. Far Mountain Redhawks (RU North)
8. Glasco Athletics (RU North)
9. Sligo Rovers (RU West)
10. Hartsdale Hellcats (TU North)

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Wednesday, May 1, 2058

WHAT'S NEW IN THE IPA FOR '58?
After one month of play, what's new in the Islandian Pro Alliance?... the first thing that jumps out at you on the sports page is the number of also-rans perhaps playing over-their-heads... 8 perennial second-division teams are doing surprisingly well... for eyeopeners Volusia (19-9) is on top of the Ruthlandian West Division with Colfax (17-11) just 2 games behind them in the second spot... the Belle Plaine Musketeers (17-11) are tied with Wynnamac (17-11) for the division lead in the RU East... it's Mahaska (17-11) that catches your eye in the Tycobbian Union... they are tied for first in the TU North with Oxford (17-11)... longsuffering Fairfax (15-13) got out of the gate well and is in the fourth spot, just 2 games off the pace... in the Tycobbian East, South Fork (16-12) is just one game behind powerhouse Midway (17-11)... ditto for Chicopee (17-11) in the Tycobbian West... the Braves are just a single game back of robust Rolling Hills (18-10)... and finally, second place Colchester (15-13) and fourth place Ginza (14-14) are hanging close to the TU South leader, Turon (17-11)... time will tell if any of these downtrodden teams have genuinely turned it around... early success in the IPA can be misleadling... it's a long, long way from May to September.

NOTHING NEW HERE!
What's not so surprising is that the Valmara Vipers (20-8) are ahead in the Ruthlandian North Division... the St. John Crusaders (19-9) are off to a great start in the RU South... and the Wynnamac Sundowners (17-11) are tied for the top spot in the RU East with Belle Plaine (17-11)... mighty Midway (17-11) is already running number one in the TU East... Rolling Hills has the lead in the TU West... Oxford (17-11) is deadlocked for first place with Mahaska (17-11) in the TU North... and Turon (17-11) is atop the TU South... these franchises have a very good track record and just might be around for the entire season... they are not fanciful frontrunners.

IPA BIGGEST DISAPPOINTMENTS
The Grand City Cybercats (11-17), favored to win the RU South, stumbled out of the gate and are last in the division... defending RU East champion Elnora (9-19) had a terrible April and is running dead last... the All-Stars made it all the way to the Pro Cup Finals last year before falling to IPA champion Red Bluff... last year's winner in the RU West, Fort Benton (13-15), is off to a dismal start and is in the seventh spot in the standings, already 6 games out in the race.

Over in the Tycobbian Union it has been an absolutely awful year for the Southport Sun Sox (10-18), the favorite for the TU South division flag... they are deep in the basement after just one month of play... in the TU East race, highly-touted High Mesa (13-15) got off to a slow start, but are only 4 games behind Midway... one of the better teams in the TU North, the Hartsdale Hellcats (13-15) had a rough April and are tied for the cellar...and the East Point Panthers (11-17) also had a tough time in the TU East, falling into last place... they have contended regularly for the past 8 years.

WHAT'S NEW IN NEWCOMERS?
A dozen or so rookies have made an impact in the IPA in the early going and have already made their names known around the IPA... here are the standout freshmen so far.

Ruthlandian Union rookies:
Antoine Simon is 5-0 with a 2.53 in 7 starts for the up-and-coming Belle Plaine Musketeers... Wynnamac has two fine rookie hurlers in Don Loewenthal (4-2/2.44) and Kuparr Bunji (3-3/2.95)... and Gil Lloyd (3-1/2.42) has looked very good for last place Grand City... Belair Beach has RF Alfie Elbourne (.350/6 HR/12 RBI/22 R) and 3B Deron Nelson (.293/3 HR/14 RBI/11 R)... Eastshore LF Percy Basford (.290/1 HR/10 RBI/19 R) can really swing a bat for average... Fort Benton has SS Marcos Aguilar (.352/0 HR/6 RBI/13 R)... Glasco has a first-year 1B Colin Carr (.266/5 HR/19 RBI/11 R), who drives in a lot of runs... and Valmara has really been impressed with CF Jud Gilbride's (.231/6 HR/17 RBI/21 R/5 SB) first month of play.

Tycobbian Union rookies:
LF Ron Travis (.321/8 HR/24 RBI/15 R) has been a really big stick for the fast-rising Fairfax Frogs... RF Hal Driscoll (.261/7 HR/16 RBI/23 R/6 SB) had a strong April for Bay St. Clair... CF Augie Klish (.316/0 HR/12 RBI/16 R/6 SB) had been a good addition for the Ginza Ninjas... CF Dennis Kepler (.313/2 HR/15 RBI/16 R/4 SB) had a good first month with Hillsboro... 3B Barney Fiske (.316/4 HR/4 HR/14 RBI/24 R) did very well for Cape Coral... Bayview 1B T. D. Proudfoot (.290/8 HR/22 RBI/16 R) excelled in his first month in the IPA... on the mound Ronnie Custer (4-2/2.62) showed his stuff for the Fairfax Frogs... and Frank Hawkins (4-2/3.22) looked sharp in 7 starts for Colchester.

2058 IPA STANDINGS ON MAY 1ST

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Saturday, June 1, 2058

RAMBLIN' AROUND THE IPA
It's business as usual in the Islandian Pro Alliance after the first two months of play... the teams picked to contend are contending... however, there are a few cinderellas creating some chaos around the circuit... the Volusia Vigilantes (39-18) have bolted out of the blue to the best record in the IPA... the V's are the top team in the Ruthlandian West... another upstart is the Belle Plaine Musketeers (31-26), who are giving Wynnamac (32-25) a tough run in the Ruthlandian East... the Chicopee Braves (35-22) are the darlings of the Tycobbian Union... they are perched in the first place spot in the Tycobbian West race... the Hillsboro Blazers (34-23) are off-and-running this year in the runnerup spot in the Tycobbian East, trailing first place Midway (36-21) by only 2 games... the South Fork Stallions (33-24) are riding high in third place in the Tycobbian East, just 3 games back of the division leader... and the Mahaska Haymakers (31-26) are managing to stay close in the Tycobbian North, only 4 games behind the top team Oxford (35-22).

Ruthlandian Union

TARS AND VIPERS TOP RU NORTH
Looks like a 2-team tangle in the RU North this season... the Taranto Tars (39-18) took the lead this month with a torrid 20-9 mark and are 3 games up on preseason favorite Valmara (36-21) with the Ancona Red Elephants (32-25) and Far Mountain Redhawks (30-27) also in the pennant chase, both with winning records, but trailing by 7 and 9 games respectively... the Tars are getting fine pitching and good hitting with home-run power... the Vipers are in the same boat, a solid, well-rounded club... they top the RU in home runs with 85... while the third place Red Elephants are thriving with a solid mound corps... and the fourth place Redhawks have the pitching to remain in the race the entire season... both Ancona and Far Mountain are short on scoring runs... in the merry month of May, Ancona was 17-12 and Valmara and Far Mountain finished up at 16-13.

3-TEAM RACE IN RU SOUTH
The top 3 clubs in the RU South are first place St. John (34-23), Crystal Lake (32-25) and preseason pick Grand City (27-30)... none stood out in May, but did have winning records... the Crusaders were 15-14, the Skippers and Cybercats 16-13... San Dimas (26-31) is fourth in the standings, but doesn't appear to be a serious pennant contender... St. John has excellent pitching and solid bats... Crystal Lake is pretty good at scoring, but comes up short on the hill... they are lucky to be within 2 games of the Crusaders... it's been a disappointing season for Grand City with its fair-to-middling hitting and pitching... but the Cybercats did have a good May after going a dismal 11-17 in April.

7-TEAM TUSSLE IN RU EAST
It's quite a tussle so far in the RU East with 7 teams within 5 games of each other... except for supposed lightweight Belle Plaine, it's running true-to-form... the preseason choice Wynnamac (32-25) has a 1-game edge over the rising Musketeers (31-26)... the Muskies were 6th and 7th the previous two seasons and picked to be near the bottom again this year... the Pro Cup finalists and current division champion, third place Elnora (29-28), had a lousy 9-19 in April, but tore up the division with a 20-9 chart in May... the Eastshore Cotton Kings (29-28) are in fourth place... and Sugar Valley (28-29), Marston (28-29) and Cold Creek (27-30) are all within striking distance of the top teams... everybody except Elnora was around .500 in May... maybe the All-Stars are ready to take over in the RU East race... the Wynnamac Sundowners are a very balanced squad with very strong pitching and a good offense... statistically Belle Plaine doesn't belong at the top of the division with its poor attack and modest pitching... Elnora has the firepower at the plate, but falters badly on the hill... still it took them a long way last year... they almost won the Pro Cup that way... none of the rest look like they will really be serious contenders this year... the Ruthlandian East will probably come down to just Wynnamac and Elnora.

TRIO BATTLE FOR RU WEST TITLE
The best in the RU West thus far this year has been the high-flying Volusia Vigilantes (39-18)... they sport the best record in the IPA... but apparently the baseball experts saw this on the horizon... the V's were rated the third-best in the division in the preseason poll... but right on their heels and riding hard are the second place Sligo Rovers (38-19) with the second-best mark in the Islands... lurking not far behind in third place is the preseason favorite Middlefield Roosters (35-22)... tied for fourth in the standings are last year's division champ Fort Benton (31-26) and perennial also-ran Colfax (31-26)... the Defenders look like they are ready to defend their title... a poor April (13-15) set them back a bit, but they rebounded with an 18-11 record in May... but they still lost ground and are 8 games off the pace... Volusia was 20-9, Sligo 21-8 and Middlefield 19-10 last month... the Vigilantes are not a flash-in-the-pan... they are for real with superb pitching and some good bats... the Rovers have been bridesmaids the last 5 years and are now primed and poised to finally raise up a Ruthlandian West pennant over their stadium ... they have first-rate pitching... very close to the best in the IPA... but have a lackluster offense... the Middlefield Roosters are hanging tough with their high-powered arsenal and fairly good pitching... they are still a fine ballclub... Fort Benton can hit the ball, but needs to shore up it weak pitching staff... it may not repeat as division champ like last year... the Colfax Blasters had a 17-11 mark in April, but slipped to 14-15 in May... they are most likely to remain a second-division club... but they do score well and have decent pitching... just not good enough to hang with the big boys in the RU West.

Tycobbian Union

RED CAPS, HAWKS TIED FOR 1ST IN TU NORTH
5 teams are closely bunched in the Tycobbian North Division... at the end of May, the Oxford Red Caps (35-22), last year's winner, are deadlocked with the North Hills Hawks (35-22) for first place with the Luxora Zorros (33-24) just 2 games out in the race in third place... the Hartsdale Hellcats (31-26) and the Mahaska Haymakers (31-26) are tied for the fourth spot in the standings... followed by preseason pick, the Fairfax Frogs (28-29) in sixth place... the Z's sizzled in May with a 20-9 record... the Hawks were 19-10 and the Red Caps also posted a good month with 18-11... the Haymakers dipped to 14-15 and the Frogs fell to 13-16.

Oxford has standout hitting with 100 homers, tops in the IPA this season... the Red Caps can score runs and the pitching is just adequate... the Hawks are potent ballclub with very good scoring, but without home-run power, last in the league, but with a sparkling pitching staff, perhaps the best one in the Tycobbian Union... the Zorros can score, hit homers and have decent pitching... the Hellcats are a well-rounded squad with good pitching, good scoring and good power... the Haymakers were selected last in the preseason poll... they are just so-so at the plate and poor on the mound... not a first-division club... not sure how the Frogs were chosen the best team and favored to win the TU North this season... most likely destined to wind up in the second division... Fairfax only has fair pitching and little offense.

TYPHOONS, SUN SOX RUNNING 1-2 IN TU SOUTH
Turon (33-24) has won 5 of the last 6 pennants in the Tycobbian South Division... they are currently 2 games in front of second place Southport (31-26), the preseason choice... the Sun Sox got off to a slow start in April, but shined in May with a 21-8 record, while the Typhoons were 16-13... none of the other teams in the division seemed to be capable of challenging this year... all of them have losing records... the Ginza Ninjas (27-30) are in third place in the standings and trail by 6 games... and San Alejo (26-31) is in the fourth spot, 7 games out.

Turon has a good starting rotation and a very good bullpen... that's the Typhoons' main strength... but the offense is just mediocre... Turon is lucky to play in a weak division... Southport stepped it up in May and played like the team favored to win the division... the Sun Sox do it with sound pitching... the offense is just average at best... should be a 2-team race in the TU South... the Ginza Ninjas have a starting rotation, but little else... San Alejo has fair pitching, good HR power, but doesn't score well... none of the other teams are impressive, but could finish as high as third in a second-rate division.

WOLVES CHALLENGED IN TU EAST
The Midway Wolves (36-21) have a powerful machine... until being upset by a game last year by Red Bluff, they had won 4 straight TU East flags and also taken 2 Pro Cup trophies... this year the forecast was for an easy win again, but it is still a close race after two months... clinging close by are two upstart also-rans, the Hillsboro Blazers (34-23) and the South Fork Stallions (33-24)... the Blazers were 8th last year (66-88)... the Stallions were 6th (70-84)... they are just 2 and 3 games back this year... the reigning Pro Cup champion Red Bluff (29-28) is off to a sluggish start and is 7 games behind the Wolves... Midway was a strong 19-10 in May... Hillsboro was a blistering 20-9... South Fork had a solid 17-12 mark... and the Red Sox were a so-so 15-14.

Midway has the muscle in the batting order... the Wolves possess one of the best attacks in the IPA... and they coupled that with better-than-average pitching... on paper, Hillsboro and South don't come close to Midway, yet they are still in the race... the Blazers have average bats and mediocre pitching... the Stallions have lousy pitching, but do score runs well... last year's division winner, the Red Bluff Red Sox, still can put runs on the scoreboard, but the pitching has deteriorated... still they will probably end up in second place in the TU East... it's not likely they will surprise Midway again... or surprise everybody in Islandia with another Pro Cup trophy... they had a very special season last year... the High Mesa Mustangs (22-35) had a fine season last year, winding up just one and a half games behind in the race...many baseball experts were giving them a lot of support this year, but they have gone on the fritz this season... the Hosses have no offense this year... it was solid last year... and the pitching is pathetic... it was good last year... the Mustangs are wondering what happened?... the folks in East Point (21-36) are wondering, too... the Panthers have been a pretty good ballclub for the last decade, regularly winning 80 games or more, but not this year... the team's offense and mound staff have collapsed... no one is expecting much from the other two clubs in the TU East... it will be long, long seasons for both the Tuckanarra Blue Jays (26-31) and Ozarka Naturals (26-31).

BRAVO BRAVES! ON TOP OF TU WEST!
How long has it been since the Chicopee Braves won the Tycobbian West?... How about 2036?... over two decades ago... for 8 of the last 9 seasons they have been mired in the second-division... only 3 times in the last 19 seasons have the Braves had a winning record... so this is a new experience... today the Braves are the number one team in the TU West and they are the real McCoy... not an early season frontrunner... Chicopee (35-22) has a 3-game edge over the second place Rolling Hills Reds (32-25) and a 4-game margin over the Denton City Redbirds (31-26)... the Reds and Redbirds are perennial powers, both picked to finish higher than Chicopee this season... by a heavy majority the Redbirds were ranked the best team in the TU West in the preseason preview polls... the Reds were the second choice... the Bayview Vikings were the third pick... and the Braves were rated fourth in the balloting... Chicopee has had two good strong months, going 17-11 and 18-11... Rolling Hills slipped to 14-15 in May, while Denton City was just 15-14.

Chicopee is ranked among the top teams in offense (4th) and pitching (3rd)... they are for real... the only negative is they are short on power... Rolling Hills and Denton City are fine teams, too... the Reds are 10th in scoring and 6th in pitching... the Redbirds also have excellent pitching (4th), but are weak at the plate (27th)... the Braves will also have to fend off several other ballclubs... 4th place Arlon (30-27), 5th place Kenwood (29-28) and 6th place Bayview (28-29) are good clubs, too... the Champs were 16-13 in May with the Wildcats a whopping 19-10 and the Vikings a poor 12-17... it should be quite a race in the Tycobbian West... Chicopee looks like it has the stuff to come home a winner this year.

2058 IPA Standings on June 1st

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, June 16, 2058

RU STARS HOST TU STARS AT STATE FAIR PARK WED
46 of the finest players the Islandian Pro Alliance has to offer will vie this Wednesday afternoon at State Fair Park, the home of the Elnora All-Stars... the Ruthlandian All-Stars will battle the Tycobbian All-Stars in the 58th edition of the IPA All-Star Classic... the IPA commissioner's office announced the All-Star rosters today... the Tycobbian Stars have won the last 8 All-Star games and have an overall lead of 39-18 in the midsummer series.

6 teams had 3 players each on the All-Stars: Crystal Lake, Wynnamac, Volusia and Valmara in the RU... and Midway and Luxora in the TU... Joe Cochrane of Cold Creek was the oldest at 38... James Long of Middlefield is 37... the youngest at age 20 was Percy Basford of Eastshore... this was the 12th time Long made the All-Stars... 9th time for Cochrane... only 2 rookies made the elite squads: Basford and pitcher Ron Custer for Fairfax.

Ruthlandian Union All-Stars:

SP: Deke Eubanks (St. John Crusaders) (10-2/1.59) (first-time All-Star) (age 24)
SP: Merle Pitts (Crystal Lake Skippers) (10-3/2.13) (first-time All-Star) (age 28)
SP: Lonny Rinehart (Volusia Vigilantes) (15-3/2.08) (first-time All-Star) (age 25)
SP: James Long (Middlefield Roosters) (13-3/2.63) (12-time All-Star) (age 37)
SP: Darus Grajek (Valmara Vipers) (11-4/2.99) (3-time All-Star) (age 35)
SP: George Medworth (Wynnamac Sundowners) (11-6/2.41) (first-time All-Star) (age 30)
SP: Judah Carmack (Sligo Rovers) (10-3/2.45) (first-time All-Star) (age 28)
RP: Adrien Renaud (Belle Plaine Musketeers) (first-time All-Star) (age 22)
C: Jean St. Julien (Stoner Stars) (.340/12 HR/45 RBI/31 R) (.989 FA/4 PB/35.4% RTO) (first-time All-Star) (age 24)
C: Carlos Silva (Volusia Vigilantes) (.346/3 HR/26 RBI/39 R) (.997 FA/3 PB/57.9% RTO) (first-time All-Star) (age 25)
C: Robin Hargroder (Ancona Red Elephants) (.319/11 HR/48 RBI/26 R) (.989 FA/5 PB/37.0% RTO) (first-time All-Star) (age 21)
1B: Timmy Benford (Valmara Vipers) (.327/20 HR/70 RBI/45 R) (.990 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 22)
1B: Enos Benham (Wynnamac Sundowners) (.376/11 HR/40 RBI/44 R) (.986 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 26)
2B: Joe Cochrane (Cold Creek Catamounts) (.301/12 HR/47 RBI/52 R) (.995 FA) (9-time All-Star) (age 38)
2B: Mickey Wilbur (Elnora All-Stars) (.300/14 HR/53 RBI/45 R) (.972 FA) (2-time All-Star) (age 31)
3B: Fred Hahn (Claxton Diamonds) (.337/16 HR/52 RBI/39 R) (.962 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 23)
SS: Alek Stolarski (Valmara Vipers) (.312/7 HR/42 RBI/54 R/10 SB) (.967 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 25)
SS: Dickie DeBusshere (Elnora All-Stars) (.324/8 HR/47 RBI/34 R) (.981 FA) (3-time All-Star) (age 26)
LF: Zippy Coburn (Crystal Lake Skippers) (.355/17 HR/53 RBI/50 R/4 SB) (.976 FA) (2-time All-Star) (age 29) (injured - will not play)
LF: Percy Basford (Eastshore Cotton Kings) (.327/1 HR/25 RBI/48 R/10 SB) (.994 FA) (rookie All-Star) (age 20) (replacement for Coburn)
CF: Snooky Bartels (Wynnamac Sundowners) (.360/13 HR/54 RBI/43 R) (.971 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 24)
CF: Trip Agarn (Middlefield Roosters) (.290/20 HR/67 RBI/43 R) (.980 FA) (2-time All-Star) (age 30)
CF: Bobby Barone (Volusia Vigilantes) (.325/11 HR/51 RBI/43 R) (.971 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 25)
RF: Mel Brouwer (Crystal Lake Skippers) (.343/15 HR/49 RBI/60 R/4 SB) (.978 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 26)

Tycobbian Union All-Stars:

SP: Weldon Nettleton (Blue Lake Blue Sox) (10-5/2.42) (first-time All-Star) (age 25)
SP: Ron Custer (Fairfax Frogs) (10-5/2.86) (rookie All-Star) (age 21)
SP: Eddy Salem (North Hills Hawks) (12-4/3.22) (first-time All-Star) (age 24)
SP: Emmett Coogan (South Fork Stallions) (12-6/2.89) (first-time All-Star) (age 25)
SP: Vance Dillaway (Rolling Hills Reds) (11-6/3.41) (first-time All-Star) (age 26)
SP: Juliano Machado (Luxora Zorros) (10-2/3.07) (first-time All-Star) (age 25)
SP: Ivar Rasmussen (Bayview Vikings) (10-5/2.40) (first-time All-Star) (age 24)
RP: Ron Pryor (Hillsboro Blazers) (1-0/1.08/23 saves/25 G) (first-time All-Star) (age 35)
C: Daryl Monaghan (Blue Lake Blue Sox) (.380/7 HR/47 RBI/49 R/10 SB) (.977 FA/4 PB/34.1% RTO) (2-time All-Star) (age 22)
C: Francisco Queiro (Luxora Zorros) (.330/20 HR/53 RBI/50 R) (.978 FA/4 PB/45.6% RTO) (first-time All-Star) (age 27)
C: Rick Chaucer (Colchester Elites) (.353 BA/6 HR/41 RBI/31 R) (.991 FA/5 PB/40.6% RTO) (first-time All-Star) (age 24)
1B: T. D. Proudfoot (Bayview Vikings) (.328/23 HR/58 RBI/51 R) (.984 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 21)
1B: Wade Tibbs (Luxora Zorros) (.337/15 HR/51 RBI/52 R) (.982 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 26)
2B: Jaybird Ethridge (Cape Coral Hurricanes) (.302/18 HR/61 RBI/45 R) (.976 FA) (3-time All-Star) (age 31)
3B: Kagetoki Miyazaki (High Mesa Mustangs) (.282/23 HR/48 RBI/43 R) (.962 FA) (2-time All-Star) (age 25)
SS: Kax Clark (Midway Wolves) (.302/5 HR/34 RbI/46 R) (.982 FA) (4-time All-Star) (age 31)
SS: Vince McCloud (Denton City Redbirds) (.289/11 HR/34 RBI/50 R) (4-time All-Star) (age 29)
SS: Foxy Alderson (Ozarka Naturals) (.318/8 HR/53 RBI/36 R/5 SB) (.983 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 28)
LF: Eldon McLennan (Colchester Elites) (.352/5 HR/32 RBI/60 R/14 SB) (.981 FA) (3-time All-Star) (age 28)
LF: Cliff Mahaffey (North Hills Hawks) (.322/3 HR/45 RBI/49 R/10 SB) (.983 FA) (first-time All-Star) (age 30)
CF: Norishige Ito (Midway Wolves) (.332/22 HR/57 RBI/56 R) (.987 FA) (7-time All-Star) (age 31)
RF: Bob Purkey (South Fork Stallions) (.299/18 HR/53 RBI/47 R/8 SB) (.977 FA) (4-time All-Star) (age 25)
RF: Daryl Vale (Midway Wolves) (.325/13 HR/47 RBI/36 R/11 SB) (5-time All-Star) (.982 FA) (age 25)


*** James Long * Joe Cochrane ***

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, June 20, 2058

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2056

TIGHT RACES ALL AROUND THE IPA
Halfway through the 2058 Islandian Pro Alliance season almost half of the 64 clubs are still in the hunt for the pennant... all of the pennant races around the league are tightly bunched... the biggest lead any division leader has is just 4 games... that would be the Midway Wolves of the Tycobbian East Division.

Ruthlandian North Division

It's a 3-team battle in the Ruthlandian North with the preseason favorite Valmara Vipers (53-30) up on the second place Taranto Tars (51-32) by 2 games and 6 games ahead of the third place Far Mountain Redhawks (47-36)... the Vipers and Redhawks both gained good ground on the Tars with 17-9 marks in June, while Taranto slipped to 12-14.

Valmara is sparked by a bevy of fine batters: Timmy Benford (.326/22 HR/78 RBI), Alek Stolarski (.307/7 HR/49 RBI), rookie Jud Gilbride (.289/19 HR/51 RBI), Vladimir Szymanski (.284/14 HR/43 RBI) , Harv Shepard (.317/8 HR/37 RBI) and Dock Pollins (.291/15 HR/34 RBI)... the Vipers topped the Ruthlandian Union with 116 roundtrippers... they are second in victories with 53... the pitching is solid, too, anchored by ace Darus Grajek (13-4/2.90)

Taranto has good firepower, too, with the likes of Buddy Lark (.368/18 HR/41 RBI), Lenny Buisson (.281/21 HR/56 RBI) and Mark Trupiano (.263/10 HR/43 RBI)... the Tars also have two fine starters in Phil Castle (12-6/2.57) and Valerio Rossi (12-8/2.32).

The third place Far Mountain Redhawks have excellent pitching, but they are only average offensively... top twirlers are Benny Van (11-4/1.77), Jeffrey Chandler (10-8/3.05), Bob Speed (10-9/3.03) and Howie Haywood (8-4/2.39)... the only decent bats belong to Curt Miley (.309/11 HR/34 RBI) and Jarrick Beauchamp (.289/8 HR/38 RBI).

Ruthlandian South Division

It's looking like a 2-team tussle in the Ruthlandian South... at the beginning of July, the St. John Crusaders (47-36) and Crystal Lake Skippers (47-36) are all even and tied for the top spot... preseason pick Grand City (39-44) is a distant third and trails by 8 games... the Skippers had the best month with a 15-11 record, while St. John was even at 13-13... the Cybercats were only 12-14... fourth place San Dimas (36-47) and Claxton (36-47) are 11 games off the pace and not playing very well, neither club broke even in the month of June... last year the Crusaders just barely eked out a one-game win over the Skippers... just might happen again this season.

St. John is a well-balanced ballclub, both on the mound and at the plate... they will not go down easily... Deke Eubanks (10-3/1.79) is the ace, but he gets good help from Tom Smithson (12-5/3.24), Teddy Howell (10-7/3.24), Gibby Pritchell (6-8/3.24) and Teddy de Grom (5-2/3.15)... all of the bats in the lineup are reliable, headed up by Michael Cheeks (.363/7 HR/36 RBI), Freddie Woodruff (.311/5 HR/32 RBI), Tuffy Palmieri (.291/6 HR/43 RBI) and Ozwaldo Romero (.287/10 HR/46 RBI).

Crystal Lake gets by with its big bats... the Skippers have a weak pitching staff... the big sticks are Mel Brouwer (.344/17 HR/57 RBI) and Zippy Coburn (.355/17 HR/53 RBI) and they get solid help from Jasper Shackleford (.318/13 HR/51 RBI), Speedy McCormick (.312/12 HR/29 RBI), Gib Conlan (.282/13 HR/58 RBI)... Merle Pitts (12-3/2.18) is a standout starter with some help from Robin Norbonne (12-7/4.34)... but the Skips have little else on the hill.

Ruthlandian East Division

In the Ruthlandian East, the Wynnamac Sundowners (49-34) are enjoying a fine season this year, but they are in a fight... the runner-up Eastshore Cotton Kings (46-37) are lurking close, only 3 games behind the Macs... the third place Marston Nine (44-39) are 5 back... all of the contenders are playing well... Wynnamac and Eastshore were both 17-9 last month and Marston was 16-10... still in the running and tied for the fourth spot are the Elnora All-Stars (42-41) and the Belle Plaine Musketeers (42-41)... the All-Stars posted a 13-13 mark in June, while the Muskies slipped to 11-15... Elnora won the RU East crown last year and made the Pro Cup Finals, but lost to the IPA champion Red Bluff Red Sox.

Wynnamac looks like one of the best teams in the Ruthlandian Union... the Sundowners can do it all... they have a good rotation with veterans George Medworth (13-6/2.30) and Sammy Hayes (8-7/2.26)... two rookies have done pretty well, too... Kuparr Bunji (11-7/3.01) and Don Loewenthal (9-7/3.79)... and the Macs can put runs on the scoreboard with Enos Benham (.378/15 HR/56 RBI), Snooky Bartels (.363/16 HR/60 RBI) and Manny Sendejas (.286/17 HR/59 RBI).

The Eastshore Cotton Kings have two solid starters in Bebe Kinney (10-5/3.22) and Ted Weiss (8-5/2.95)... overall the Cotton Pickers are just average on the hill and in the batter's box... they only have two reliable hitters in rookie Percy Basford (.331/1 HR/32 RBI) and Ian Kelehan (.286/17 HR/59 RBI).

Third place Marston is paced by starting pitchers Buddy Wilkes (12-5/3.28) and Lance McElveen (11-5/3.42) and ably aided by closer Robert Tingle (1-4/2.67 ERA/18 saves/28 G)... and a few good batters like Damien D'Amboise (.314/5 HR/33 RBI), Luke Cranshaw (.304/7 HR/50 RBI) and Joe Duplanis (.268/13 HR/44 RBI)... the Nine are not likely to overtake the other two teams ahead of them.

The high-powered offense is still going strong for the Elnora All-Stars, but the pitching is lousy... the same formula got them to the Pro Cup Finals last year... but it may not happen again this year... Elnora has several solid hitters, led by Dickie DeBusshere (.327/8 HR/50 RBI), Keith Colburn (.309/9 HR/27 RBI), Kuro Ishihara (.275/10 Hr/45 RBI), Mickey Wilbur (.291/15 HR/57 RBI), Gus Abreu (.299/5 HR/27 RBI) and Donald Ray Mooney (.235/12 HR/57 RBI)... Matt Mackowiak (13-5/3.13) and Freddy Grosscup (9-4/3.97) are the best of a poor overall staff.

Ruthlandian West Division

The team with the best record in the IPA this year is the redhot Volusia Vigilantes (55-28), who have yet to cool off... in the Ruthlandian West Division, the V's have 3-game margin over the second place Sligo Rovers (52-31) and are 6 games better than the third place Middlefield Roosters (49-34)... Volusia chalked up a 16-10 record in June, while the Rovers and Roosters were 14-12.

Volusia is not a flash-in-the-pan after three months of play... the V's just may have the best pitching staff in the IPA this year with Lonny Rinehart (17-3/2.18), Reynaldo Medrano (13-4/2.77), Philip Duron (9-10/2.82), Gustavo Clemente (4-1/2.36) and Cloyd Queen (9-6/3.92)... closer Dan Hunt (0-2/2.42 ERA/19 saves/25 G) is also solid in the bullpen... the Vigilantes have some good sticks with Teddy Cornelius (.338/13 HR/59 RBI), Bobby Barone (.328/12 HR/55 RBI) and Carlos Silva (.341/5 HR/33 RBI)... Volusia should be around for the long haul this year.

However, they will be challenged by the second place Sligo Rovers, who also have outstanding pitching with Mickey Walsh (11-4/2.75), Judah Carmack (11-3/2.52), Mitch Taylor (11-6/2.32) and Ayden Evans (6-8/2.96)... and Tiger Snodgrass (7-3/2.78 ERA/9 saves/24 G) is a good closer in the pen... scoring runs is the Rovers' shortcoming... they don't go deep very well... the best bats are average at best... leading the way are Josh Brolin (.314/11/50 RBI), Paddy Durham (.265/10 HR/50 RBI), Clancy Beaufort (.271/13 HR/47 RBI) and Dallas Patton (.304/1 HR/17 RBI/52 R/14 SB).

The preseason choice to take the RU West this year was the Middlefield Roosters... they were supposed to have the bats and the arms... the Roosters have done alright so far... but they don't seem to have the pitching of Volusia and Sligo... the all-time IPA wins leader, James Long (14-4/2.55), is having another banner year at age 37, but needs help on the hill... Frank Williams (11-5/3.18) is a solid #2... and Rick Goldman (5-4/2.17) may be a very good #3... but the Roosters need help in the #4 and #5 spots to challenge the Vigilantes and the Rovers... Middlefield's top run producers are Trip Agarn (.285/23 HR/77 RBI), Donnie Hix (.346/3 HR/45 RBI), Stan Radzikowski (.248/17 HR/59 RBI) and Del Ganley (.254/13 HR/41 RBI).

[Eugene Church]

Ruthlandian Union Standings
Monday, July 1, 2058

[Eugene Church]

Ruthlandian Union Batting and Pitching Leaderboards
Monday, July 1, 2058

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Monday, July 1, 2058

TIGHT RACES ALL AROUND THE IPA
Halfway through the 2058 Islandian Pro Alliance season almost half of the 64 clubs are still in the hunt for the pennant... all of the pennant races around the league are tightly bunched... the biggest lead any division leader has is just 4 games... that would be the Midway Wolves of the Tycobbian East Division.

Tycobbian North Division

One of the best races in the IPA this year is in the Tycobbian North Division, where the defending division champion Oxford Red Caps (50-33) are only one game in front of the Luxora Zorros (49-34) and 3 up on the third place North Hills Hawks (47-36)... the Red Caps registered a 15-11 record last month with the Z's at 16-10 and the Hawks falling to 12-14... North Hills had been tied for the division lead with Oxford going into the month... the same trio were the top three teams last year, but the Red Caps had an easier time, whipping the Hawks by 7 games and the Zorros by 8.

Oxford is using the same formula again this year: average pitching and home-run power... the Red Caps are first in the IPA with 146 homers, led by Buddy Blackford (.267/29 HR/62 RBI), Frankie Beckwith (.277/26 HR/54 RBI), rookie Showboat Lynn (.268/15 HR/44 RBI) and Wade McGrew (.302/13 HR/22 RBI)... heading the so-so staff is Maury Statler (10-9/3.37), Dingo Willmon (9-9/3.79) and Meldon Eddington (7-6/3.64)... in the bullpen closer Pat McFarlane (2-2/1.71 ERA/17 saves/26 G) is excellent.

Luxora will put pressure on Oxford this year with its good pitching and fine offense... Wallace MacPherson (9-4/2.94), Juliano Machado (11-2/3.10) and Jimmy Hollis (9-8/3.56) are a solid threesome in the rotation... the bullpen could be bolstered... closer Bartolo Baptista (2-4/3.15 ERA/18 saves/30 G) only does a reliable job... at the plate the leaders are Wade Tibbs (.337/16 HR/57 RBI), Francisco Queiro (.329/21 HR/58 RBI), Felipe Alvares (.331/7 HR/36 RBI) and Marvin Harrelson (.273/13 HR/47 RBI).

The North Hill Hawks have fine pitching with Eddy Salem (14-5/3.37), Zip Harben (7-7/2.85), Johnny Kristoff (7-9/2.79) and Juan Cintron (9-7/4.08)... and closer Bobby Antonio (2-3/1.88 ERA/15 saves/23 G) is rock-solid in the pen... the Hawks are short on power, but do hit well for average, paced by Jarred Creed (.341/9 HR/53 RBI), Victor Bates (.363/4 HR/41 RBI), Clifton Mahaffey (.314/4 HR/49 RBI), Cliff Butler (.306/1 HR/19 RBI) , Pat Johnston (.279/2 HR/40 RBI) and Sam Dunstone (.261/4 HR/51 RBI)... North Hills should make it a close 3-team race again this season.

Tycobbian South Division

The Tycobbian South Division appears to be a 2-team race this year... last year's winner Turon (49-34) is still on top of the standings, 3 games ahead of second place Southport, the preseason selection... both did well in June... the Typhoons were a solid 16-10 and the Sun Sox were 15-11.

The Typhoons have a pretty good offense with Andy Wilkerson (.315/15 HR/51 RBI), Matthew Fears (.281/11 HR/61 RBI), Tank Shepperton (.271/9 HR/40 RBI), Bo Kaline (.299/6 HR/36 RBI) and Shoyo Yuro (.235/11 HR/46 RBI)... Turon needs more longballers in the batting order... on the hill they have a good group of veterans in Yancey Hedges (13-7/4.18), Dickie Parmenter (9-8/3.78), Ivar Jevicks (7-8/3.40) and Judson Bacall (5-3/3.12)... the bullpen is in good hands with closer Bobby Reimer (5-2/1.77 ERA/9 saves/21 G).

A terrible start in April (10-18) set the Southport Sun Sox in disarray for awhile, but they have since gotten it together and now are close on the heels of Turon, just 3 games back in the race... the Sun Sox's strength is the pitching corps, sparked by Jordy Wales (12-6/3.35), Champ Shafer (8-9/3.23) and rookie Jeff Moncriffe (8-9/2.79)... Troy Hill (2-1/2.57 ERA/11 saves/20 G) is a steady and reliable closer... Southport only has an average offense with average firepower... rookie Happy Trudeau (.356/5 HR/22 RBI) has sparkled with the bat, but only has fair power... the RBI guys are Walt Walmsley (.253/12 HR/52 RBI) and Emmitt Waters (.317/15 HR/37 RBI)... Turon should beware... the Sun Sox were the preseason choice to capture the TU South this year... Southport seems to have righted the ship and are they are ready to play some good, pennant-winning baseball.

Tycobbian East Division

In the Tycobbian East Division, the Midway Wolves (49-34) have a 4-game edge over the two runners-up, the Red Bluff Red Sox (45-38) and the lightly-regarded Hillsboro Blazers (45-38)... three other clubs are over the .500 mark... the fourth place South Fork Stallions (43-40) and two teams tied for the fifth place spot, the Tuckanarra Blue Jays (42-41) and the Ozarka Naturals (42-41)... the Wolves did not play especially well in June with a 13-13 mark... the defending Pro Cup champion Red Bluff picked up some good ground in the race at 16-10... the upstart Blazers dipped to 11-15... the Stallions were just 10-16... both the Bluebirds and the Nats are on the rise with 16-10 for June.

The Middies are good all-around... good pitching, good run scoring and good power... led by two of the best all-around ballplayers in the IPA, Norishige Ito (.342/26 HR/63 RBI) and Daryl Vale (.327/17 HR/60 RBI), who get good help and support from Kax Clark (.296/5 HR/37 RBI), Jamey Southwick (.287/9 HR/32 RBI), Kody Kenyon (.304/10 HR/26 RBI) and Ted Merritt (.252/11 HR/45 RBI)... on the mound rookie Mel Merlo (7-4/2.60) has been the most effective, but Arnie McGill (10-8/3.25), Yank Atchley (8-10/3.41) and Rob Land (7-2/3.40) have been effective, too... the one trouble spot for the Wolves is in the relief corps... the bullpen needs to get better... longtime closer Jeff Leonard (1-4/4.97 ERA/3 saves/12 G) retired in June rather than accept his release... his numbers and stuff were in rapid decline this season... Leonard was a good one for Midway... he was 47-34 in 372 games, posting a superb 1.83 ERA in his 12-year career... Leonard was just 32 years old.

The reigning Pro Cup champion Red Bluff Red Sox did not play well for the first two months, but did step it up in June with a 16-10 mark... they may be primed to make a run at Midway in the second half of the season and primed to repeat as IPA champ... the Red Sox can score runs, mainly via the home run... and have reliable starters... top hitters are Toni Kolkov (.282/23 HR/67 RBI), Jonathan Haworth (.271/19 HR/62 RBI), rookie Ian Driskell (.335/5 HR/24 RBI), Paul Gaddison (.306/15 HR/46 RBI) and Monty Lyons (.277/11 HR/46 RBI)... the best starters are Wilson Sharpe (10-6/3.49), Duane Sturgeon (10-8/2.31) and Fred Taylor (11-4/4.08)... taking good care of the bullpen is closer Dontrelle Gilbreath (1-2/2.18 ERA/15 saves/25 G)... Red Bluff surprised everybody last year... the Red Sox are a good ballclub and could do it all over again.

Hillsboro is last year's Red Bluff... no one expected the Blazers to be 45-38 at this point in the season... they had a great May (20-9), but slipped back into reality with an 11-15 mark in June... could be Hillsboro played over-their-heads so far this year... July will tell the tale... the Blazers don't score well... and their starters are bad... 'nuff said... Hillsboro is probably second division bound in the second half of the season... Ian Barrie (9-7/2.91) is a solid starter... Clay Spencer (9-5/3.74) is pretty fair, too... but the talent ends there... however, the Blazers have a very fine closer in Ron Pryor (1-1/1.57 ERA/24 saves/28 G)... he has been brilliant this year... the bats are only modestly productive with the likes of Ichiro Ichikawa (.274/13 HR/44 RBI), Eli Nickelson (.265/12 HR/36 RBI), Dennis Kepler (.286/7 HR/39 RBI), Rube Nealy (.300/9 HR/33 RBI) and Bobby Bartell (.274/10 HR/31 RBI).

The South Fork Stallions (43-40) are in fourth place in the TU East standings, 6 games out, but doesn't appear to be any threat to Midway and Red Bluff... the Stallions didn't have a good June (10-16)... they only have three quality hurlers: starters Emmett Coogan (14-6/2.94), Brett McCracken (11-5/3.94) and closer Herm McClanahan (1-2/1.69 ERA/16 saves/21 G)... South Fork has one outstanding batsman, Bob Purkey (.322/22 HR/59 RBI)... young Rudi Eberhardt (.326/14 HR/43 RBI) has blossomed at the plate this year... the best of the rest is Rudy Maroney (.280/7 HR/46 RBI), Ernie Chambers (.283/1 HR/29 RBI) and Ward Calvin (.279/5 HR/33 RBI).

Tuckanarra and Ozarka are not out of the race yet... they are tied for fifth place and trail by 7 games... both has good Junes (16-10) and they just might be on the rise... Ian Timms (11-8/3.19) and Deron Dayton (8-1/2.06) give the Blue Jays two very good starters... but there is not much talent after them... the only good thing in the bullpen is Paul Landale (1-2/2.84 ERA/14 saves/22 G)... Boomer Carlton (.303/13 HR/54 RBI) and Foxy Frye (.266/21 HR/51) are the only reliable bats in the lineup.

The Ozarka Naturals have a strong pitching staff as far as starters... Ronny Belzer (10-7/3.03), Ezra Hancock (10-6/2.49), Willis Reece (10-6/2.59) and John Dickinson (5-5/3.03) could carry them into the first division... but the bullpen is highly suspect... the Nats don't have a lot of power at the plate, but Foxy Alderson (.315/9 HR/55 RBI), Donny Joe Jacks (.329/1 HR/20 RBI), Sookie Lagerberg (.284/13 HR/43 RBI), Chris Kile (.292/1 HR/21 RBI) and Scotty Hannon (.271/2 HR/28 RBI) can manufacture a few runs.

Tycobbian West Division

5 challengers are still going at it hot-and-heavy in the Tycobbian West Division, headed up by the surprising Chicopee Braves (50-33)... they are stirred up and on the warpath... the Braves were rated just a run-of-the-mill team in the preseason poll and not likely to contend for the division flag... for the third straight month, Chicopee has played winning baseball with a 15-11 record... the Braves have a 3-game lead over the runner-up Arlon Champions (47-36)... the Rolling Hills Reds (45-38) are third in the standings, 5 games back... the Kenwood Wildcats (44-39) trail by 6... and last year's division winner, the Denton City Redbirds (43-40) are 7 games out in fifth place... the Champions had an excellent 17-9 record last month... the Reds were 13-13... the Wildcats 15-11... and the Redbirds were a disappointing 12-14 in June.

Chicopee is ranked second with runs in the Tycobbian Union... they don't hit a lot out of the park, but they do score... and the Braves have better-than-average pitching staff... but they have a lot of competition from the Champions, Reds, Wildcats and Redbirds... it's a 5-team donnybrook in the TU West this year... the potent Chicopee offense is led by Kohana Chaska (.290/14 HR/61 RBI), Mooki Ahanu (.332/1 HR/34 RBI), last year's batting champ Travis Ledger (.302/2 HR/39 RBI), Lou Stankowski (.308/5 HR/49 RBI) and Andrew Weston (.284/9 HR/44 RBI)... Johnny Brown (12-8/3.27) is the ace of the staff with help from Russ Clooney (9-5/3.64), Manny Spaulding (7-6/3.66) and Chuta Shaman (11-6/4.31)... in the bullpen Rocky Dowling (2-2/2.89 ERA/9 saves/21 G) is a reliable closer.

Surprise, Surprise... the Arlon Champions hit better than they pitch this year... in the past, that was the Champs shortcoming... they are 4th in scoring runs in the TU and 5th in roundtrippers (110 HR)... leading the offense are Art Catlin (.290/15 HR/55 RBI), Jamey Stansfield (.234/20 HR/64 RBI), Rebel Bryce (.331/10 HR/37 RBI), Riley Earnshaw (.314/6 HR/37 RBI), Jon Cress (.310/13 HR/40 RBI), rookie Zeppo Thiel (.307/6 HR/28 RBI) and Mel Hawkes (.288/8 HR/35 RBI)... and the veteran pitching staff is still pretty good with Ty Coffee (10-10/3.49), Dicky Towers (9-6/3.37) and Erik Branham (5-1/3.09)...and in the bullpen closer Mack Blair (1-1/1.04 ERA/13 saves/25 G) is lights out... the Champs are apparently back after slipping to 6th place last year (77-77).

Third place Rolling Hills is 5 games off the pace of Chicopee... the Reds have pretty good pitching, especially the starters... and they have an average offense... the Reds had a really good April (18-10), but have just been a so-so 27-28 since... they have three quality starters in Vance Dillaway (12-7/3.57), P. J. Dunham (11-5/3.94) and Tommy Otis (11-7/3.87)... even Rob Gates (4-11/3.92) had given them some quality outings... recently a youngster Dwight Hebbens (4-1/2.93) stood out in 3 starts... he could really give them a boost in the standings... Rolling Hills' top guns are Teddy Stonich (.281/13 HR/54 RBI), Dustin Thibodeau (.281/13 HR/46 RBI) and Jameson Mulbert (.321/3 HR/41 RBI) and rookie Enrique Marantos (.286/8 HR/39 RBI).

The fourth place Kenwood Wildcats bombed in April, managing only a 10-18 mark... but since they have sizzled with a 34-21 record... Kenwood does it entirely in the batter's box... they literally have no pitching (4.93 ERA)... the Wildcats are hitting a blistering .286 (1st), are 2nd in runs and 8th in homers with 99... leading them at the plate are Gabriel Macedo (.267/17 HR/60 RBI), Bralen Connally (.291/11 HR/54 RBI), Joe Kellogg (.263/8 HR/54 RBI), Ziggy Faircloth (.280/21 HR/49 RBI), John Michael Lansdell (.300/10 HR/43 RBI), Bailey Brumley (.312/7 HR/40 RBI) and Chris McNeal (.270/10 HR/34 RBI)... the Wildcats have only two decent starters: Herm Monday (11-6/4.01) and Elroy Malone (7-3/4.37)... Kenwood has zilch in the bullpen.

Denton City has won the Tybobbian West Division 3 times in the last 5 seasons and were picked to win it again this year in the preseason poll, but the Redbirds have floundered, just barely over the .500 mark... pitching is very good with Flash Stringfellow (9-4/2.69), Rance Hasbrough (8-8/3.29), Robert Currie (9-2/3.64) and Carl Coons (8-11/3.82)... the bullpen has been just fair with closer Burnell Kelley (4-5/3.09/18 saves/33 G) with an inflated ERA this year, after 37 saves and a remarkable 0.81 ERA in 2057... not a lot of offense this year... Ozzie Crenshaw (.316/8 HR/31 RBI), Vincent McCloud (.276/11 HR/35 RBI) and Val Anniston (.255/12 HR/38 RBI) have been the most productive bats... the Redbirds just might be destined for the second division this year.

Tycobbian Union Standings
Monday, July 1, 2058

[Eugene Church]

Tycobbian Union Batting and Pitching Leaderboards
Monday, July 1, 2058

[Klew1986]

What version of OOTP do you use?

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Klew1986

What version of OOTP do you use?

For this dynasty I have to use OOTP12... I never could convert to version 13, so I'm forced to use this version... I lost too much of my league history when I switched to OOTP13.

I used OOTP17 and OOTP18 for my previous dynasty, the Southern Association... really liked both versions... much better than version 12 in almost all respects.

It would really be great to convert to OOTP19, which I bought... I always buy the new game to support Markus, whether or not I use it.

I'm not good with computers, so I have difficulty converting to the new versions.

I may attempt to convert to OOTP13 again and see if it corrupts my league again... and keep repeating until I convert all the way to OOTP19.

Wish me luck!

If it doesn't work, I will just continue to OOTP12... which is not too bad... I think the play-by-play when I play out the playoff games is even better than OOTP19 PBP, which has gotten cluttered over the years.

[Eugene Church]

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Thursday, August 1, 2058

TU RACES TIGHT, RU HAS BREATHING ROOM
After 4 months of play in the Islandian Pro Alliance, the pennant races are still tight in the Tycobbian Union, but the Ruthlandian Union leaders have gotten some breathing room... Wynnamac (69-42) and Volusia (76-35) have forged 10-game bulges in the RU East and RU West, while Crystal Lake (64-47) is 4 games up in the RU South over second place St. John (60-51) and in the RU North, Valmara (72-39) has a 6-game margin over Taranto (66-49)... over in the Tycobbian Union the leaders are bunched tightly... in the TU North, Luxora (64-47) has a 1-game edge on runners-up Oxford (63-48) and North Hills (63-48)... Midway (66-45) is now only 1 game ahead of Pro Cup champion Red Bluff (65-46) in the TU East... Arlon (66-45) has taken over the lead in the TU West... the Champions are 2 games ahead of Chicopee (64-47) and 7 games better than Rolling Hills (59-52)... in the TU South, the Southport Sun Sox (66-45) top second place Turon (63-48) by 3 games.

Ruthlandian Union

The Valmara Vipers continued to roll in the Ruthlandian North Division with a 19-9 mark in July... the runner-up Taranto Tars lost ground with a 15-13 record and fell 6 games out in the division race... third place Far Mountain chalked up a fine 16-12 last month, but still are 9 games behind Valmara.

The Crystal Lake Skippers moved ahead of the St. John Crusaders in the Ruthlandian South Division by 4 games... the Skips were 17-11 in July, while the Crusaders slipped to 13-15... preseason favorite Grand City is slumbering in third place, in spite of going 16-12 during the month... the Cybercats (55-56) are still under the .500 mark.

The Wynnamac Sundowners soared to a skyhigh lead in the Ruthlandian East Division, posting an impressive 20-8 record last month... second place Eastshore could only muster a poor 13-15 and plunged 10 games out... last year's division winner and Pro Cup finalist, Elnora was 16-12 and yet are still 11 games behind the Macs in the third spot in the standings.

The sizzling Volusia Vigilantes had a redhot July, registering 21 wins and only 7 defeats, to skyrocket 10 games in front of second place Sligo... the Rovers charted a 14-14 mark last month... third place Middlefield, the preseason choice, was only 12-16 last month and now find themselves totally out the pennant picture, 15 games behind... the V's have the best season record in the IPA with a 76-35 mark... Valmara is number two with 72 wins.

Tycobbian Union

It really is close in the TU North Division with a 3-team tangle... the division is tighter than twin Texas fiddles... the Luxora Zorros moved to the top with a 15-13 record in July... the division leader in June, Oxford chalked up a poor 13-15 mark and slipped to 1 game behind... North Hills went 16-12 and now trails the Z's by just a game... several other clubs are still in the playoff picture... Fairfax is fourth in the race, 6 games back after recording a 16-12 July ledger... Mahaska and Hartsdale are tied for 5th place... the Haymakers were 15-13 and the Hellcats 14-14... a good winning streak could put those three clubs right up near the top of the standings.

In the Tycobbian South Division, the Southport Sun Sox surged past second place Turon by 3 games with a standout 20-8 mark in July, while the Typhoons dipped to 14-14... it's just a 2-team affair in the TU South this year... no one else had a shot at the division flag.

It also looks like a 2-team battle in the Tycobbian East Division, too... the Midway Wolves are just a game in front of the current Pro Cup titleholder, the Red Bluff Red Sox... the Middies did well with 17-11 in July, but the Red Sox did even better with a torrid 20-8... third place Hillsboro is still lurking nearby, but not likely to catch the leaders... the Blazers were 15-13 last month and are still hanging close by, but are 6 games behind in the pennant chase.

The Arlon Champions have done quite well the last two months, shining with a 36-18 mark and are now 2 games in front of the Chicopee Braves in the Tycobbian West Division... the Champs compiled a sparkling 19-9 record last month to surpassed the Braves, who slipped to 14-14... third place Rolling Hills had the same 14-14 record and are now 7 games off the pace of Arlon.

Islandian Pro Alliance Standings
Thursday, August 1, 2058