ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

And lastly, but not the leastly, what is the outlook for the powerhouse Rolling Hills Racers?... they have run rampant the last eight seasons, winning the Tycobbian West the last four years... and almost winning it the previous four years, too... plus they won two Pro Cups in '60 and '62... and the Racers are still rolling in '64... no doubt about it, Rolling Hills will be near the top of the TU West... but they might get some competition from arch-rival Kenwood... the pesky Wildcats appear to be the only contender... Bayview, Denton City and Bay St. Clair don't appear to be in the hunt... they will contest for the third spot only.

And there you have it in a nutshell, everything you need to know about the 2064 Islandian Pro Alliance season.

Sure you do...

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

ARE THEY FOR REAL? WILL THEY LAST?
Halfway through the Islandian Pro Alliance season several lesser lights and unlikely teams are making some noise in the pennant races... and it's all in the Tycobbian Union... North Hills in the TU North, San Alejo in the TU South, Tuckanarra and Midway in the TU East and Arlon in the TU West... at midseason all of these clubs are playing like champs... are they all for real?... or will they flop and fade in the second half of the season?

NH HAWKS PERCHED PRECARIOUSLY ATOP TU NORTH
The upstart North Hills Hawks are on top of the Tycobbian North... all the leading perennial powers, the Hartsdale Hellcats, Oxford Red Caps, Mahaska Haymakers and Blue Lake Schooners are trying to catch them... the Hawks are up by two and a half games over the runners-up Haymakers and Schooners, four better than defending Pro Cup titleholder Hartsdale and five ahead of the Oxford Red Caps... North Hills is doing it with standout mound work... the Hawks (75-79) came in sixth in the standings last year, winding up 12 and a half games out of first place.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

SAN ALEJO HAS SOLID LEAD IN TU SOUTH
The TU South-leading San Alejo Montaneros are looking like the real thing with a 7-game lead at the halfway point... the Monties seem to be getting better and better as the season progresses... home-run power and better offense are the keys to this year's success... last year's winner Summerland is running second, followed by the Ginza Ninjas and Cape Coral Hurricanes... a distant fifth are the Turon Typhoons... only the second place Sunsets seem to be capable of getting back in the hunt... the rest started off well the first month or two, but have slumped since... San Alejo wound up 19 games off the pace last year, ending up in the fifth spot with a 76-78 mark.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

TUCKS HAVE TU EAST LEAD AT MIDYEAR
In April, the Tuckanarra Tiger Cats (53-30) started off so-so this season, but have rapidly improved... only Midway and Ozarka are within striking distance in the Tycobbian East pennant chase... last season winner South Fork has fizzled this year, slumping to the fourth spot spot in the standings... preseason pick High Mesa is floundering in fifth place... the Wolves and the Naturals will have to beef up its attack to catch the Tucks, a good all-around ballclub... the Stallions and Mustangs have way too much ground to make up to get back in the race... the Tiger Cats came in fifth last season, trailing South Fork by 9 games.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! CHAMPS COULD BE TU WEST CHAMPS
What a pleasant surprise are the Arlon Champions in the Tycobbian West Division... the Champs have been a bad ball team for four years running with a losing record each year right near the bottom of the division... they were a dismal 8th last year, 39 games behind with a 67-87 record... but not this year... Arlon (50-34) has sizzled this year and they will have to continue sizzle with the likes of Rolling Hills (49-34), Kenwood (49-35) and La Claire (48-35) clingingly close on their tail... lose two games in a row in the TU West and you can quickly drop to fourth place... the Champions will have a tough task to hold off all these challengers... but so far, so good... the Racers are not the team they have been in recent years... Rolling Hills has pitching woes and got off to a sluggish start in April... they are not likely to win 106 games this year... that's good news for Arlon... after a poor 2063 season, the Kenwood Wildcats appear to back... after a slow spring, the Wildcats are purring now... the La Claire Lynx attack is what's keeping them close in the race... they could win it if they find a good dominant starter in the second half of the season.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

VIPERS LEAD 4-TEAM RACE IN RU NORTH
It a heck of a race in the Ruthlandian North in the '64 season with four contenders... the rejuvenated Valmara Vipers have a small lead... the Vips are two and a half games up on last year's runaway champ LaGrange... 3 games better than lightly-regarded Ranford and three and a half games ahead of preseason pick Glasco.

Valmara, a regular power in the RU North... they won the pennant two years ago... they had an off-year last season, ending up in 6th place (74-80), but the Vipers are back in the race this year with a vengeance with their strong bats... Valmara's biggest need is on the mound, which is just mediocre at best... '63 champion LaGrange was slow getting going this year, going 11-13 the first month, but the Gators seem to have regained their stride and have played well since then... strong pitching is their forte... Ranford has been down the last two seasons, finishing 8th and 7th... the Bulls did not impress the press in the preseason poll, expected to come in 6th in the standings this year... they are getting by like Valmara with a good home-run power and limited pitching... Ranford began the season like a ball of fire, posting a terrific 17-7 in April, but they have cooled off and are now playing more like a mediocre club... running a close fourth in the RU North are the preseason choice, the Glasco Foxhounds... they possess good starting pitching like LaGrange and can go deep, but need bullpen help and more runs on the scoreboard... the Hounds finished a very distant second to the Gators last year, 19 games behind... the Ruthlandian North looks like a 3-team affair... the advantage may go to last year's victor LaGrange or perhaps this year's pick Glasco... their good hurlers may make the difference.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

CLAXTON BATTLES 5 TEAMS IN THE RU SOUTH
If it's a heck of a good pennant race in the RU North, you would have to say it's a whale of a good pennant race in the RU South... 6 teams are in a very tight tussle with only 3 games separating first place from sixth place... the defending champion and preseason favorite Claxton Diamonds are in the lead, but only by a scant half game over the Waleska Westerners... one and a half over perennial power St. John... just 2 games ahead of Grand City and Valka... and only 3 games better than Crystal Lake.

The Diamonds won it last year with its fine pitching corps, but Claxton lacks scoring power, ranking seventh in the RU South... actually all six contenders have solid pitching... that's probably why it's such a close race... a little better offense like St. John, Grand City or Waleska could make all the difference... Claxton had a slow start, playing under .500 in April and May (23-28), but they stepped it in June and July (23-10) and are currently playing like a division champion... Waleska is also coming on strong... the Westerners were only 22-28 the first two months, but have sizzled of late with a 23-10 mark... the St. John Crusaders are still a solid ballclub... they missed out on a fourth straight RU South title by one game last year... a quality starting rotation will keep them in the race the entire season... the Grand City Cybercats were picked to end up at the bottom of the league in the preseason poll, but they have played well so far... the 'Cats were a fairly close sixth last season (77-77), just 8 games back... this year their home-run power has made a difference... the Valka Blackhawks are in the same boat as Claxton... fine pitching, but they can't score runs... they are so bad at the plate, Valka was forecast to finish dead last this year... after a strong 16-8 April, the Blackhawks have slumped to 28-32 since... that is not a way to win a division flag... the Crystal Lake Skippers won the RU South in '58 and '59... and even won the IPA Pro Cup in 2058, but they have since slipped into borderline mediocrity... the Skips were rated near the bottom in the preseason, but capable pitching and fairly good home-run power has gotten them back in the race.

The IPA pollsters said the RU South would be a battleground and so far it is... anybody could win it.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

6 TEAMS STILL IN THE CHASE IN THE RU EAST
It's not as bunchly crunched as the Ruthlandian South, but the Ruthlandian East has a hassle of clubs still in the pennant chase... preseason favorite Wynnamac is in the driver's seat at midseason with a 3-game edge over runners-up Sugar Valley and Cold Creek... fourth place belongs to the Beechwood Jackrabbitts, trailing by 4 games... defending champion Elnora is 6 games behind in the fifth spot in the standings... and Belle Plaine is sixth and 7 games back in the race.

The Wynnamac Sundowners are one of the more successful franchises in the Islandian Pro Alliance... in the last 15 years the Macs have hoisted 7 pennants in their ballpark, won the Pro Cup in 2055 and finished no worst than third place... for the last two seasons the Sundowners came in second... last year they got beat out in a single-game playoff by the division-winning Elnora Clippers... the Macs are tired of the coming in second... they jumped out in front in the first two months of the season with a 37-17 mark... but they chilled down in June and early July, tailing off to 16-17... Wynnamac is the class of the RU East with fine starting pitching, excellent bullpen, good hitting, good scoring and good power... the Sugar Valley Rattlers have stayed right with the Macs, chalking up a 36-19 record in April and May, but they have gone into a slump, too, at 15-18... the Rattlers have fine pitching, but are woefully lacking at the plate... the Cold Creek Raccoons on the other hand, started slowly in the early months (26-24), then took off like a rocket in June (20-7), but have flopped badly in July (0-6)... the Raccoons just might have the pitching and hitting to pull it off... the Beechwood Jackrabbitts were 26-25 in the early going, then spurted with a 19-13 mark in June and July... boy, it would be something if the Jacks can have a winning season... it's been two decades since that happened... last year's RU East champion Elnora sputtered out the starting gate (8-16), but has prospered since with a 33-24 record... the Clippers may be getting ready to set sail for another RU East flag... and can you believe one of the worst franchises in IPA history is having a fairly good year... the Belle Plaine Musketeers have a winning record for the first time in 9 seasons... could this be the year for the Muskies?... maybe to break even, perhaps... but win the pennant?... not likely.

Nothing is going to Hoyle in the chaotic RU East... the baseball experts selected it this way: Wynnamac, Eastshore, Sugar Valley and Elnora... but Beechwood, Belle Plaine and Cold Creek are upsetting the order... beware the Elnora Clippers... they had a remarkable second-half surge last season and came back to upset Wynnamac... could happen again.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 9, 2064

ALWAYS A BRIDEMAID? SLIGO ROVERS LEAD RU WEST AT MIDYEAR
The Rocky Rapids Snappers were the darlings of the professional pickers this year in the preseason polling... they were supposed to be the best in the west this year... the Snappers were picked to edge the Sligo Rovers for the Ruthlandian West crown... sadly, the Snappers have been washed down the river to sixth place... nowhere near beating the Rovers... however, this has been a darn good year for the Rovers... strong pitching and a solid offense are a good combination for success... the critics keep forecasting a fall for the spunky second place Volusia Vigilantes, but the Jailhouse Gang keep proving them wrong... no gloom and doom for the V's this year... they would love to catch Sligo and have the Rovers finish second for the fifth consecutive season... strangely, defending RU West champion Colfax was blacklisted this year by the pollsters... the Black Sox were picked for fifth place, but they are not paying attention to the papers or TV... they are in third place and will probably make a run at Sligo before the season is over... Colfax still has a potent attack and fairly good pitching... still a good ballclub... and just who is that in fourth place in the standings?... the Fort Benton Defenders?... yes, the team with only one winning season since 2041... one winning season in the previous 23 seasons... not likely for the Defenders to win the RU West pennant, but it would be nice if they posted a winning year... Fort Benton hits the ball with gay abandon, scores quite well... even without the longballs... run-of-the-mill pitching is their crux.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

2064 Islandian Pro Alliance Midseason Leaderboards
Wednesday, July 9, 2064

Tycobbian Union





Ruthlandian Union

[Eugene Church]

Saturday, July 12, 2064

STARS WILL BE IN SHINING ALL OVER THE ISLANDS
You won't just have to look to the heavens for glitter and shine, the All-Stars will soon be sparkling in abundance all across Islandia… the Islandian Pro Allance have just announced all the star players that will be participating in the 2064 IPA All-Star Classic next week at Pioneer Park, home of the defending Pro Cup champion Hartsdale Hellcats... the 40 best performers will be displaying their talents at the 64th Midsummer Classic on Tuesday, July 15.

The Tycobbian Stars will be led by 6-time All-Star Bob Purkey, 5-time honorees Teddy Stonich and Jameson Mulbert and 4-time All-Stars Elvis Gilford and Johnny Pendergrass... heading up the list of Ruthlandian Stars will be Snooky Bartels, making his 6th appearance, along with 5-time honoree Carlos Silva and 4-time All-Star Jean St. Julien... no rookies made the teams this season... 8 clubs placed two players apiece on the teams... San Alejo, Summerland, Tuckanarra and Rolling Hills had two stars on the Tycobbian Union, while the Ruthlandian Union had two players each from Valmara, Elnora, Belle Plaine and Colfax.

[Eugene Church]

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