ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Completed 10 more roster updates today... 47 of the 64 teams have been done.

Gonna go and watch real baseball right now.

[Eugene Church]

54 of the 64 team rosters has been reworked for the new 2068 IPA season... new rookies assigned to teams and the active and reserve rosters have been cleaned up... all of the unproductive players have been retired or deleted.

[Eugene Church]

60 of the 64 teams completed roster-wise for the new 2068 IPA season.

Won't be long!

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

60 of the 64 teams completed roster-wise for the new 2068 IPA season.

Won't be long!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Thanks for your loyal support, jg2977.

Much appreciate you.

Take care of yourself.

[Eugene Church]

All 64 teams are set for the 68th Islandian Pro Alliance season.

Will get busy reporting on it soon.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, January 18, 2068

TWO IPA GREATS WALSH AND MCCLOUD HEADED FOR THE HALL OF FAME
The Islandian Pro Alliance proudly announced the addition of two more great players to the Hall of Fame... this year the Class of 2068 will be Sligo hurler Mickey Walsh and Denton City shortstop Vincent McCloud... they have been selected this year and will be enshrined into the IPA Hall of Fame in Marston on February 12th... they will join the other 107 players currently in the historic baseball shrine... 69 of the IPA immortals are position players, 40 of them are pitchers.

Mickey Walsh starred for 18 seasons for the Sligo Rovers, while Vincent McCloud stood out for 19 years for the Denton City Redbirds.

Walsh went 311-207 from 2047 to 2064 and retired at age 37 in 2064... Walsh, a big, chubby right-hander appeared in 610 games and was a workhorse on the hill, famed for being a 240-pound knuckleballer... in 4833 innings he struck out 2978 batters and posted a very impressive 2.64 ERA, only permitting opposing clubs to hit .232 against him... Walsh won 20 games 6 times in his coveted career... was a 5-time All-Star and paced the Rovers to 5 pennants in the Ruthlandian West Division... Walsh was awarded the RU Golden Arm trophy in 2053 as he chalked up a 24-10 mark with a brilliant 2.28 ERA... he sparked Sligo in three postseason appearances... they never won the Pro Cup, however, Walsh was even tougher in the playoffs than the regular season... he compiled a superb 2.18 ERA in 18 postseason starts and 129 innings with 163 strikeouts, but sadly record-wise, he was only 2-6 overall... Sligo was notoriously woeful at the plate and often didn't support him with many runs... he lost a lot of well-pitched games in the postseason.

The hallowed halls in Marston gained a pillar of consistency in Mickey Walsh, one of baseball’s most dependable hurlers of the last few decades, as he takes his place among the game’s all-time greats... upon being told of his Hall of Fame selection, Walsh said it was a remarkable journey for him... he talked of growing up playing Wiffle Ball for hours on end, though his baseball career almost didn’t get off the ground... he reported for his first practice as an 8-year-old so early that nobody was at the field when he arrived... after riding back home on his bike, Mussina was told by his mom to turn around and try again... so he did and he never looked back, winning a state championship in high school .

“Thanks to my mom convincing me to get back on my bike and go back to that first practice,” Walsh said, “and for finally allowing me to stop taking piano lessons, because that just wasn’t working out.”

Walsh was a gamer, plain and simple... he wanted the ball and did everything within his power to get himself ready to contribute... he said he learned to throw and control the knuckleball out of necessity... he just couldn't throw the baseball hard... the best Walsh could ever glean out of his fastball was 89 mph... but, fortunately, he could make the knuckleball dance quite well and do the dipsy doodle.

Vincent McCloud's dream of playing IPA baseball started years ago... he said he had the good fortune to grow up in Denton City, a beautiful city with great weather, which allowed him to always be outside playing sports with his buddies... McCloud remembered playing ball in the summer like it was yesterday... hardball, tennis ball, rubber ball, Wiffle ball, cork ball... anything to keep us busy... he said they played ball sunup to sundown... 7 days a week... but they would take time to go to church on Sunday.

McCloud gave credit to his parents for his success... they were always supportive and saw early on how much he loved baseball... they were the ones that instilled the structure, discipline and preparation that is needed to be successful in life... Walsh said his parents will be proud of him going into the Hall of Fame.

McCloud also gave a lot of credit to Sammy Thornton, who was the Denton City shortstop in the 30s and 40s... Thornton convinced the Redhawks management to draft a skinny, 155-pound shortstop with no power... McCloud remembers Sammy telling him if he hit .250 and played good defense, he would play in the IPA a long time.

It turns out that Thornton was more than right... McCloud played and starred for 19 seasons with Denton City, batted .297 with 3261 hits, 383 homers, 1527 RBIs and scored 1779 runs... he made the All-Star team 8 times and helped the Redhawks win 4 pennants... but they never won the IPA Pro Cup trophy... in 4 postseason appearances Denton City never made it past the first round.

McCloud hung up his spikes at the end of last season at age 38.

[Dark Horse]

[jg2977]

Play ball!

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, April 5, 2068

IPA KICKS OFF 68TH CAMPAIGN TOMORROW AFTERNOON
PLAY BALL!
Islandian Pro Alliance teams will roll out the welcome mats tomorrow afternoon for the 68th time in the league history... it's a brand-spanking new baseball season all across the roundball-addicted Islands... 64 teams will battle like cats and dogs for the next 7 months to determine the victor of the revered IPA Pro Cup, presented annually to the best professional baseball team in Islandia.

This is a glorious time of the year... April is spread out in all its radiant glory... it's a time when every team in the league is hoping this will be "their year" to win it all... hope springs eternal each year among the fans in the towns throughout the Islands, but in reality, only about 20 of the squads have a meaningful shot at winning the fabled Pro Cup trophy.

As per usual, The Islandian Times conducted its annual preseason poll of all the baseball pundits and prophets around the Islands and they came up with these prognostications and predictions... according to the baseball experts it will be two old rivals vying for the coveted IPA Pro Cup come October... the favorite in the Ruthlandian Union is the Claxton Diamonds, while the favored club in the Tycobbian Union is the Rolling Hills Racers, the reigning IPA champion... these two powerhouses are forecast to tangle for this season's title in the Pro Cup Series with the Racers romping away with its second straight Pro Cup championship... it would be Rolling Hills fourth title in the last nine years... the Racers have won 6 Pro Cups in its history, the most of any team in the IPA... the Diamonds have only captured one Pro Cup trophy... they whipped Rolling Hills in a stirring 7-game affair in 2064.

Projected IPA Division Winners

Ruthlandian Union
Far Mountain Redhawks (RU North Division)
Claxton Diamonds (RU South Division)
Wynnamac Sundowners (RU East Division)
Volusia Vigilantes (RU West Division)

Tycobbian Union
White River Rascals (TU North Division)
Summerland Sunsets (TU South Division)
Ozarka Naturals (TU East Division)
Rolling Hills Racers (TU West Division)

[Eugene Church]

2068 Ruthlandian Union Division Favorites

[Eugene Church]

2068 Tycobbian Union Division Favorites

[Eugene Church]

Friday, April 6, 2068

LAST YEAR'S RU NORTH CHAMP FAR MOUNTAIN BIG FAVORITE THIS SEASON
Last season the Far Mountain Redhawks just barely beat the LaGrange Gators for the Ruthlandian North crown by one game, winning in a one-game playoff... this year's preseason poll reveals that the Redhawks (94-60) will repeat in a runaway... the pollsters are picking them to win by double digits, 15 games better than LaGrange (79-75) this year... superior pitching and a solid attack will propel the Redhawks past its main competitors this season.

The Redhawks came close to winning the Pro Cup last year, falling to IPA champion Rolling Hills in 7 games... they will be aiming to win it all this year... they should pick up where they left off last year... Curt Miley, Mack McKendry, Luke Hazlett, Oskar Neumann and Jeffrey Garlin are back to spark the offense... so are the quality pitchers Axel Heiden, Clarence Threadgill and Rick Goldman.

The LaGrange Gators lost a heartbreaker last year... they have won the pennant 2 times in the last 6 seasons... never won the Pro Cup... overall made the playoffs 8 times in history... LaGrange is banking on better pitching this season, led by Reynaldo Medrano, Zac Chandler and Lucien Petit... the offense is pretty solid with the likes of Tony Rojas, Chogie Alfieri, Cleve Juban, Bert Rockenbaugh and Pokie Ruckle.

The rest of the division will contend with the Gators for second place... look for the Glasco Foxhounds (74-80) and Ancona Jumbos (68-86) to be in that chase for the runner-up spot in the RU North... they are better teams than the experts are saying they are and will finish higher in the standings.

[Eugene Church]

CLAXTON DIAMONDS TO SHINE BRIGHTLY AGAIN IN RU SOUTH
Look for the Claxton Diamonds (99-55) to capture the Ruthlandian South Division again by a wide 12-game margin over Waleska (87-67) and 16 games better than Valka (83-61)... the Diamonds excel on the mound and are gunning for their 6th consecutive division title... heading up a fine staff are Mark Meisner, Russell Krohn, Matt Goodrum and Alfie London... Fred Hahn, Scoops Dunn and Paddy Garson will be the top run producers... Far Mountain upset Claxton last year in the RU title series... the Diamonds were the favorite to win the IPA Pro Cup last year... should be in serious contention again this year... Claxton is a rock-solid club... won their sole Pro Cup in 2064 by upending mighty Rolling Hills.

[Eugene Church]

MACS MAY BE BACK IN RU EAST, BUT MARSTON, EASTSHORE AND BEECHWOOD WILL CHALLENGE
It's been 3 years of frustration for the Wynnamac Sundowners, a regular contender in the Ruthlandian East race... after winning the division flag in '64 and '65, they have been 3rd the past two seasons, but only 2 and 6 games off the pace... 16 times the Macs have made the postseason and twice they won the Pro Cup in 2008 and 2055.

This season the Sundowners (86-68) are very slim favorites over last year's title winner Marston (85-69), Eastshore (85-69) and Beechwood (84-70)... should be a torrid 4-team fight-to-the-finish... Wynnamac possesses a strong offense with superstars Snooky Bartels and Manny Sendejas... added help on the hill from newcomers Rufus Crafton, Cleve Tansey and Chauncey Flanders just might be what the doctor ordered to get the Macs back on top in the RU East... vets Don Loewenthal, Ardell Ledbetter, Pepe Vidal and George Gaither are back again in the quality rotation.

The high-scoring Marston Nine will again be led by its robust bats: John Bobo, Wayne Prentiss, George Chizek and Harv Beauchamp... what the Nine could use is improved pitching... Galen Busby, D. D. Klem, Harry Vodenlich and Mark Merriwether needs some help.

The Eastshore Cotton Kings may be a team on the rise... they came in last place last season (66-88), trailing by 24 games, but they have an influx of new blood this year... two rookies, shortstop Ollie Daggs and first baseman Hugo Cieka, could supply a much-needed boost to the offense and give vets Norbert Ruston, Buzzy McGinnis, Randall Williams, Terence Churchill and Lionel Crichlow some help... good things are also predicted for rookie starter Vinnie Harrington... it will be tough for Eastshore to climb that high in the RU East race... but they could if all of the rookies make an impact.

The Beechwood Jackrabbits have the offense, however they need help on the hill... they came in second last season, just 4 games behind pennant-winning Marston... Isaac Roy, Marcos Cienfuegos, Tim Baham, Nick Boles and Roy Muncie can blister the ball with power, but the Jacks can't match the pitching of Marston and Wynnamac... 19-year-old rookie Walt Derrick and 23-year-old Dale Hackett could be godsends this season if they can do the job in the starting rotation.

The remaining 4 clubs will do battle for 5th place... none of them are likely pennant contenders... they will finish some distance back in the pack.

[Eugene Church]

4-TEAM RACE AMONG VIGILANTES, BLACK SOX, FIREBIRDS AND GENERALS IN RU WEST
The Sligo Rovers easily prevailed by 8 games over Fort Benton in the Ruthlandian West last year, but they didn't get a lot of support this season from the baseball experts in the preseason polls... it was the Volusia Vigilantes (87-67), Colfax Black Sox (85-69), Forest City Firebirds (84-70) and Fort Benton Generals (80-74) getting all the press this year.

A tight race is forecast in the RU West between the V's, Black Sox, Firebirds and Generals... Volusia and Forest City have the best pitching staffs, while Colfax has the best bats... the Vigilantes thrive with three fine starters: Lonny Rinehart, Justin Shank and Johnny Walker... but they could use a few new bats to help Ellie Hudgens, Valentino Robles and Johnny Lee Washington at the plate.

Due to its lousy pitching Colfax slumped badly last year to the 7th spot in the RU West standings... this year the prognosticators think they have been rejuvenated with a bunch of young arms... 6 rookie hurlers made the team in the Spring... keep an eye on Curly Tardiff, Julien Acree and Terence Dupont... the offense is still in good hands with superstud Lanny Waldrep, Bralen Josephson and Monty McDermott... rookie center fielder Seth Nichols may add some needed zest to the attack.

Forest City's mound corps impressed during the exhibition season and was noticably improved... the Firebirds (61-93) came in dead last in the RU West last season, 30 games behind division champion Sligo (91-63)... a new pitching coach Rich Barstow had made all the difference in the world... he has no new rookies, just the returning staff... Barstow has molded an excellent staff with a rotation consisting of Pete Manush, Sassy Worsley, Bruno Baptista, Lloyd Fairchild and Skeets Hooper... even the entire bullpen has made a turnaround under Barstow... look for improvement from Wayne Hooper, Todd Thurman, Fletch Harrington, Buster Gless and Otis Medwick... but the Firebirds need improvement in its offense, too... the offense is just mediocre at best... rookie right fielder Leland Carmack has been a fine addition to the batting order, but he's not enough... it looks like Forest City's success depends entirely on its pitching staff.

The Fort Benton Generals are another club weak at the plate, but strong on the hill... the Generals will live and die with its pitching... they have a solid starting rotation with Mitch Sweitzer, Louis Norman, Bubby Stroderd and Yoshiro Makihara... 23-year-old southpaw Delmer Burks impressed during the Spring and had won a spot in the rotation... Fort Benton wound up second last year, 8 games off the pace... another solid pitcher might make the difference... improved bats would be a big boost, too... Marlon Hazard, Dolph Gordon and Nate Bryson could use some help.

Last season's pennant winner Sligo (91-63) had been a potent force in the RU West for the past 15 seasons, finishing no worse than second place... 5 times they won the division crown... the Rovers have always thrived on the mound and lacked offense... why they were picked to wind up in 6th place (71-83) is a mystery, but that's where they ended up in the preseason polls... they still lack offense, but Eddy Arnett, Albie McGlone and Cliff Hawthorne had been sufficient in recent years... on the hill Sligo is still solid with the likes of Tiger Snodgrass, Floyd Burton, Butch Baird, Jay Jay Earnshaw and Sam Carmon as starters... the bullpen is just average, but adequate... don't count the Rovers out this year... they will be in the hunt again in the RU West.

[Eugene Church]

RASCALS FAVORED TO REPEAT IN TU NORTH, HAWKS MAY CHALLENGE
According to the baseball preseason gurus, it will be a two-team tussle in the Tycobbian North Division between defending division champion White River (92-62) and the North Hills Hawks (89-65)... with its strong pitching staff, the Rascals are favored to repeat again this season, but not much... scoring runs will be a sore point for them... the Hawks are in the same predicament... the Oxford Red Caps (81-73) are the distant third choice, followed by the Blue Lake Blue Sox (78-76)... the other four clubs are forecast for also-ran status this year.

White River's strength is in its fine starting rotation featuring Jackie Campanella, Shorty Meaux, Juliano Machado and Hoss Cartwright... the bullpen is just so-so... while the offense is just modest with the likes of Jerald Wheeler, Danny Gosserand and Finlay McTavish.

North Hills' top hurlers are Hal Christy, Craig Vale, Pat Causey and Cy Swindell... so goes the starters, so goes the Hawks... at the plate the Hawks will have trouble putting runs on the scoreboard... sparking the North Hills attack will be Bill Canterbury, Denny Darby, Jarred Creed, Hideki Nakano, Victor Bates and Perry Parkhill... North Hills came in third last year and trailed White River by 11 games... the Hawks hit better than the Rascals, but may not have enough pitching to beat them.

The league should be wary of the Oxford Red Caps, who have been serious pennant contenders for the past 15 seasons... the Red Caps have won 8 pennants and one Pro Cup (2061) during this period... they have finished third on 2 occasions and wound up second 5 times... one would think Oxford is still very capable making a good run at the pennant... they are still a potent team with many fine players like superstar first baseman Buddy Blackford (542 homers and 1407 RBIs) and star left fielder Showboat Lynn (390 homers and 1105 RBIs)... the Red Caps also have some standout hurlers in Rico Alessi and Pat McFarlane... add in rookie Julien Millikin and you've got a solid starting rotation... Jed Minden and Hernando Almora give them a good bullpen... mark it down... the Red Caps will be near the top at the end of the season... Oxford came in second last year, losing out to White River by 6 games.

There is quite a gap in talent between the top trio of teams in the TU North and fourth place Blue Lake and the remainder of the teams... the Blue Caps have some pretty good bats, paced by star center fielder Steve Schueler, star left fielder Amos Hunnicutt, rock-solid first sacker Billy Southward and fine catcher Daryl Monaghan... they are capable of scoring some runs... however, Blue Lake lacks solid pitching... they are depending on rookie starters Greg Mortimer and Thomas Benton to improve their lot... vets Bobby Layne, Frisco Francis, Albert Kendrick and Dwight Combs will have to contribute, too.

Hartsdale, Mahaska, Fairfax and Luxora will be in the lower eshelon of the Tycobbian North Division... they will battle for the 5th through 8th spots in the division... Luxora has some talented rookies in pitchers Tomas Yanez and Franco Sevilla, along with center fielder Don McGiffert... if they produce, look for the Zorros to do better in the standings.

[Eugene Church]

5 TEAMS BUNCHED UP IN TU SOUTH -- SUNSETS, MONTIES, TYPHOONS, SUN SOX, NINJAS TOP CLUBS
It should be a battle royal in the Tycobbian South again this year... 5 clubs will be in contention for the division flag... getting the nod this season from the baseball crystal ballers is the Summerland Sunsets... they are ranked slightly ahead of the defending champion San Alejo Montaneros, Turon Typhoons, Southport Sun Sox and the Ginza Ninjas.

The selection of Summerland is surprising... they spiraled down to 7th place last year (70-84) after contending for more than a decade... good pitching has always been the Sunsets' primary route to success... but it failed them last year... over the years the TU South has never been noted much for offense... however, it was key to San Alejo's title last season, coupled with its fine pitching... the Montaneros were the second choice to win the pennant this year... Turon came in 3rd in the preseason poll despite its 8th-place finish a year ago, 63-91 and 25 games out of first place... three rookie hurlers, Heinie Schlesinger, Rian Goslin and Mickey Whiting stood out in Spring Training and made the starting rotation... apparently the diamond soothsayers were impressed... perennial power Southport was the 4th choice this season... the Sun Sox wound up second behind San Alejo last year by 3 games (86-69)... lack of scoring was their downfall... the Ginza Ninjas were rejuvenated last season... they came in 4th in the standings (81-73), 7 games behind... they couldn't compete with San Alejo's bats... not enough offense.

A return to solid pitching, coupled with better scoring contributed to the possible rebirth in Summerland... Bernardo Marcos, Jacob Vandenboom and rookie Brett Kavanaugh will anchor the mound corps... and rookie center fielder Carroll Cox will be big boost to the Sunsets' batting order... he will join Johnny Pendergrass, Rip Norfield and Doc Pollins in the lineup... last year may just be a down year for the Sunsets... they could be back to normal this year.

Strong pitching and good scoring won the TU South pennant for the San Alejo Montaneros last year... look for more of the same this season... the offense will be led by star right fielder Dominique Juban, star third baseman Roman Redondo, solid first baseman Nicky Yorke, shortstop Bob Raven and center fielder Al Lester... quality hurlers abound with Lando Vargas, Paulo Passos, Elmer Cane, Adrian Acosta and Howard Sampson... the Monties could easily win back-to-back pennants... they definitely will be in the race.

Going from 8th place (63-91) to third place in the standings is quite a leap for the Turon Typhoons... they are depending on rookie starters Heine Schlesinger, Rian Goslin and Mickey Whiting to turn the season around... the offense will be better, too... fine center fielder Maxie Mullinax will be back after missing half of last year with an injury... he is a very valuable asset to the club... Mullinax and catcher Freddie Civik carry the club offensively... they will need some help if Turon expects to be a pennant contender.

The Southport Sun Sox are regular challengers in the TU South... they won the Pro Cup in 2065 and 2066 and had a good shot at going for a three-peat... the Sun Sox came up just 3 games short the division flag last year... the offense failed them... Southport is still a very good team with strong pitching from superstar Roman Littrell and quality arms like Timmy Aaron, Bebe Kinney, Billy Ray Echols, Robin Norbonne and Jeff Moncriffe... shortstop Junior Evans, first baseman Lynn Tobin and left fielder Curtis Clift need some help in the batting order... rookie first sacker Sasha Osinski impressed during the Spring and won a roster spot... he might be an impact player with his big bat... make no mistake about it, the Southport Sun Sox will be a serious factor in the Tycobbian South pennant chase... they are certainly better than a fourth place team.

The Ginza Ninjas are the picked to wind up 5th in the TU South this season... they were 4th last year (77-77) and 9 games back in the pack... lack of offense really hurt them... starters Kurt Brophy, Lew Luxton, Yadiel Lozada, Alejandro Ortega and Jeremey Muldoon are talented and capable... the bullpen is strong, too, with Dakota Elkins and Kyle Stafford... it the bats that have to perk up and do their part for the Ninjas to prosper... first baseman John Michael Shelby, center fielder Minoru Chisada and right fielder Zak Love need some offense help... otherwise, Ginza will end up in the middle of the TU South once again.

It will be "wait until next year" for the other clubs in the TU South... however, a few good rookies could make a big difference in the Cape Coral Hurricanes, Arroyo Grande Suns and the Colchester Elites... they all are within striking distance of the other division teams... the TU South is a tightly-bunched league.

[jg2977]

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your season predictions. I'll have to do this with my league. It will be interesting to see what the pundits think vs. what actually happens during the season.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

I thoroughly enjoyed reading your season predictions. I'll have to do this with my league. It will be interesting to see what the pundits think vs. what actually happens during the season.

Thanks for your comments about the IPA... much appreciate you.

I have found that the preseason predictions are fairly accurate, but on occasion way off... I usually insert my opinion when I suspect this is going to happen.