ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, January 30, 2070

IPA SETS RECORD WITH 12 HOF INDUCTEES
In an unprecedented move the Islandian Pro Alliance set a new mark for new Hall of Fame Inductees... 12 great players made the cut, 3 of them in the Class of 2070 and 9 of them were selected by the Hall of Fame Veterans Committee... the IPA commissioner said it was long overdue that the Veterans Committee finally took another look at some great neglected players who were lost in the shuffle over the passing years.

The Hall of Fame Class of 2070 include Kagetoki Miyazaki, Ian Timms and Manny Sendejas, who all were selected in their first year of eligibility... the Veterans Committee named 9 players, who were long overdue to be added to the roll of IPA immortals: Joe Peters (2027), Junior Bristow (2044), Augie Marquis (2045), Stan Ferguson (2049), David Kelso (2051), Billy Hoover (2052), Lanny Gray (2055), Scott Courtney (2057) and Burnell Kelley (2067).

Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame Class of 2070

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance Veterans Committee Hall of Fame Class 2070

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

High Mesa Mustangs


Tuckanarra Tiger Cats


Wynnamac Sundowners

[Eugene Church]

South Fork Stallions


Tuckanarra Tiger Cats


Fort Benton Generals

[Eugene Church]

Cape Coral Hurricanes


Red Bluff Red Sox


Southport Sun Sox

[Eugene Church]

Arlon Champions


Fairfax Frogs


Denton City Redbirds

[Eugene Church]

Yesterday in the IPA

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES
Sunday, October 18, 2054

ALL-TIME GREATS NAMED BY IPA
The Islandian Pro Alliance is now over 50 years old, just completing its 54th season... to commemorate its five decades of professional baseball in the Islands, it chose its all-time top performers... the IPA commissioned The Islandian Times to survey the baseball media, the broadcasters and sportswriters, who have covered the sports, along with the baseball family of former players, managers and front office personnel, to come up with the best players in IPA history.

The voters also selected Roy Hobbs, the legendary outfielder for the Waleska Westerners, as the best player in Islandian Pro Alliance history... second and third in the balloting were sluggers Jack Elliott of High Mesa and Jerry Culpepper of Bayview.

IPA 50th Anniversary All-Time All-Stars:
SP: Nicky Engstrom - Turon (2010-2029)
SP: Ilya Szabo - Colfax (2103-2021)
SP: Duncan Welch - Crystal Lake (13 years) (7 years with 5 teams) (2017-2036)
C: Hal Stevenson - Sugar Valley (2001-2024)
1B: Jack Elliott - High Mesa (2013-2031)
2B: Jojo DeLucca - Claxton (2035-present)
3B: Jerry Culpepper - Bayview (2033-2051)
SS: Don Nichols- Far Mountain (17 years) Marston (7 years) (2001-2024)
LF: Jet Kazmarek - Valmara (6 years) Arroyo Grande (10 years) (2001-2016)
CF: Roy Hobbs - Waleska (2013-2031)
RF: Lorne Evans - Southport (9 years) Tuckanarra (10 years) (2025-2043)

[Eugene Church]

You can view all of the Islandian Pro Alliance All-Decade Teams at these links:

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...58631&page=231

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...58631&page=243 --- scroll down a little bit to see the 4th All-Decade Team.

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...58631&page=251 --- scroll down a little bit to see the 5th All-Decade Team.

https://forums.ootpdevelopments.com/...58631&page=254 - scroll down a little for the 50th Anniversary All-Time All-Stars.

[Eugene Church]

Wow!

All of this has brought back good old memories from the good old days of yesteryear in the Islandian Pro Alliance.

Hope all y'all enjoy it, too.

Yes Indeed!... I think I'm ready for the 70th IPA season, coming to a ballpark near you soon.

God bless... Stay safe... and thanks for hangin' with me and the IPA.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Wow!

All of this has brought back good old memories from the good old days of yesteryear in the Islandian Pro Alliance.

Hope all y'all enjoy it, too.

Yes Indeed!... I think I'm ready for the 70th IPA season, coming to a ballpark near you soon.

God bless... Stay safe... and thanks for hangin' with me and the IPA.

In honor of the 70th IPA season, I found a song that you would love. Have you heard this? Van Lingle Mungo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKzobTlF8fM

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

In honor of the 70th IPA season, I found a song that you would love. Have you heard this? Van Lingle Mungo

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKzobTlF8fM

Man, thanks for sharing that... not only did it bring back great memories of a bygone day in baseball, but that is some fine music and piano playing, too.

Really special!

This will be the high point of EC's day, jg2977... could be the high point of my month as well.

EC is 81 and still having fun in 2021... because of wonderful people like you.

Thank you for being a part of my small world.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Man, thanks for sharing that... not only did it bring back great memories of a bygone day in baseball, but that is some fine music and piano playing, too.

Really special!

This will be the high point of EC's day, jg2977... could be the high point of my month as well.

EC is 81 and still having fun in 2021... because of wonderful people like you.

Thank you for being a part of my small world.

You're welcome. I'm glad you enjoyed that.

I really need to create a player named Van Lingle Mungo for my IPA! One of the most colorful baseball names of all time!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Van_Lingle_Mungo

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, April 1, 2070

TOP IPA ALL-TIME PLAYERS OF 2050s and 2060s ANNOUNCED
The Islandian Pro Alliance just completed its 7th decade of baseball in the Islands... in past years 5 All-Decade teams were chosen covering the seasons from 2001-2009, 2011-2019, 2021-2029, 2031-2039 and 2041-2049... in addition a 50th Anniversary All-Time All-Star team was also selected.

Another two decades of baseball has come and gone in the Islandian Pro Alliance so it's time to announce the IPA Sixth All-Decade Team and the IPA Seventh All-Decade Team... the Islandian Baseball Writers Association gathered at their annual convention in March and voted on the top players at each position from 2050 to 2059 and from 2060-2069.

Two teams had dual representatiives on the Sixth All-Decade Team... Middlefield placed pitcher James Long and centerfielder Johnny Wyatt on it... the Midway Wolves two great outfielders, Norishige Ito and Daryl Vale snagged the left field and right field postions.

60s juggernaut Rolling Hills had three players honored on the IPA 7th All-Decade Team: third baseman Teddy Stoich, shortstop Jameson Mulbert and center fielder Hugo Sutton... the Racers dominated the decade with 10 pennants in a row and 4 Pro Cup Trophies... they also came close to winning two other IPA titles, falling in the Pro Cup Finals twice.

Here are the 18 players chosen as the best of the best at each position during those two decades.

Islandian Pro Alliance Sixth All-Decade Team (2051-2059)



Pitcher: James Long (Middlefield) (2039-2059) (442-250/2.68 ERA)... Long was a legendary performer... 12-time All-Star... tops all-time in the IPA with 442 victories (51 better than second place Matt Bell with 391 wins)... 15 times he won 20 or more games... named Golden Arm 5 times ('50, '54, '55, '56, '57)... hands down the top twirler in the decade... Long won at least 20 games in 9 of the 10 years... even in his final season he was 14-13 with a 3.49 ERA at age 38.

Long far outdistanced his peers... San Alejo's Matt Bell (391-225/2.42 ERA) (2039-2057), Ranford's Ralph Hawk (351-195/2.46 ERA) (2038-2056) and San Alejo's Will McKinney (321-188/2.64 ERA) (2042-2056)... Bell won 20 games 14 times and 3 Golden Arms ('45, '46, '49)... Hawk won 20 games 11 times and 1 Golden Arm... and McKinney nabbed 4 Golden Arms ('48, '50, '51, '52) and chalked up 20-win seasons on 10 occasions.



Catcher: Scott Courtney (Fairfax) (2041-2057)
8-time All-Star... power hitter with .304 BA, 338 HR, 1442 RBI... handily outdistanced South Fork's Rudy Maroney (.284 BA/365 HR/1367 RBI) (2048-2064)... a 4-time All-Star... and East Point's Kenny Bailey (.283 BA/361 HR/1113 RBI) (2047-2059)... twice an All-Star.



First Baseman: Manny Sendejas (Wynnamac) (2055-2069)... 5-time All-Star... won 2059 Ruthlandian Union MVP... .292 BA/428 HR/1390 RBI... .991 FA... the Macs won 7 pennants during his tenure and captured the Pro Cup in 2055... the rookie drove in 14 runs, scored 13 and hit 5 homers in that postseason, while batting .286... overall in 70 playoff games, Sendejas batted .254 with 49 RBIs, 47 runs scored and 14 roundtrippers.
Sendejas outpolled Chuck Gregory for the 6th All-Decade first base spot... Gregory sadly starred for the hapless Belle Plaine Musketeers (2045-2059) with a .316 BA, 388 roundtrippers and 1282 RBIs... 3-time All-Star... 2-time Golden Glove... .990 FA... 2056 RU Golden Bat.



Second Baseman: Damien D'Amboise (Marston) (2048-2066)
4-time All-Star... 3-time Gold Glove... .979 FA... solid all-around player and a very productive hitter... .295 BA, 3291 hits, 632 doubles, 121 triples, 158 homers, 1328 RBI, 1700 runs and 354 stolen bases... limited postseason play with a .243 BA, 2RBI and 5 runs scored in only 10 games.

D'Amboise beat out his peers, La Claire's Derek Winchester (2052-2069) (.306 BA/505 doubles, 98 triples, 164 HR, 1153 RBI, 1412 runs, 267 SB)... 1-time All-Star... 2-time Golden Glove... Elnora's Mickey Wilbur (2052-2064) hit .306 BA with 247 home runs and 998 RBIs... only a .960 FA... Elvis Gifford (2054-2068) batted .298 with 194 roundtrippers, 1031 ribbies, 1317 runs and 153 stolen bases... .975 FA... 5-time All-Star.

[Eugene Church]

Third Baseman: Kogetoki Miyazaki (High Mesa) (2052-2069)
Easily the top third baseman for the 2050s... in his career drove in 100 runs 13 straight seasons... 6-time All-Star... 4-time Golden Glove... 717 homers, 1770 RBIs with a .274 BA... Miyazaki ranks 6th all-time in the IPA in home runs.

Miyazaki's biggest challenger was Teddy Stonich of Rolling Hills, but he began his career 2057 in the IPA and only played 3 seasons in the 2050s... Cold Creek's Joe Cochrane (2041-2059) was his only real competition for third base... Cochrane was a 9-time All-Star... 2-time Golden Glove... he batted .303 with 325 roundtrippers, 1414 RBI, 1513 runs and 1506 walks (.395 OBP) with a fair .934 FA.



Shortstop: Vincent McCloud (Denton City) (2049-2067)
McCloud's high-powered bat set him apart from his contempories at shortstop... 383 homers, 487 doubles, 108 triples and 1527 RBI... he also stole 163 bases and walked 1380 times (.374 OBP)... 8-time All-Star... but McCloud struggled in the postseason... batted only .230 with 1 home run, 8 RBIs and 6 runs scored in 21 games.

Ginza's Kazuki Tamura (2047-2062) was a 4-time All-Star and twice a Golden Glover... Tamura sported a .296 career BA with 425 doubles, 111 triples, 199 homers, 1184 RBIs, 1327 runs and stole 240 bases... also walked 1100 times (.380 OBP)... he was a good defender with a .970 FA.

Third place in the 2050 All-Decade shortstop poll went to Middlefield's rock-solid Stan Radzikowski (2052-2062)... 4-time All-Star... 3-time Golden Glove (.972 FA)... pretty good power with 274 HR, 1000 RBIs and 1584 runs scored... Radzikowski hit .269 for lifetime average... consistently drove in nearly 100 runs and scored nearly 100 runs year-after-year... and was a fine defender.



Left Fielder: Norishige Ito (Midway) (2047-2064)
Far-and-away the top left fielder in the IPA in the 2050s... Ito made the All-Star Team 9 times... won 3 Gold Gloves... 6 times Tycobbian Union MVP and Golden Bat ('52, '53, '54, '55, '57, '61)... with a .313 BA, 654 HR, 1853 RBI, 1769 R, 134 SB and 1480 walks (.384 OBP)... Ito was solid in the outfield with a .985 FA... sparked the Midway Wolves to 2 Pro Cup titles in 2053 and 2054.

It was Elnora's Donald Ray Mooney (2052-2069) that gave Ito the stiffest race... still active at age 35... he carries a .305 BA with 427 home runs, 1632 RBI, 1470 runs and 1067 walks (.379 OBP)... Mooney is a 6-time All-Star and 1-time Gold Glove (.980 FA).

Winding up a distant third and fourth in the battle for the left field spot were Middlefield's Trip Agarn (2052-2062) and Crystal Lake's Zippy Coburn (2051-2065)... Agarn had a short career, but a very good one with the Roosters... he batted .283 with 358 HR, 1144 RBI with a .975 FA... won 2061 Gold Glove at 1B (.994 FA)... 2-time Ruthlandian Union MVP (2055, 2056)... Coburn stood out for the Clippers with a .309 career BA, 285 HR, 1131 RBI... 2-time All-Star... 1-time Golden Glove with a lifetime .979 FA.



Center Fielder: Johnny Wyatt (Middlefield) (2049-2062)
Wyatt was a 3-time Ruthlandian Union MVP (2049, 2050, 2053)... 2-time All-Star... 1-time Gold Glove... 2049 RU Rookie of the Year... Wyatt hit .273 with 492 HR and 1418 RBIs... he also did damage in the playoffs, hitting 17 roundtrippers in 71 games with 56 ribbies, but only hit .217 for average... fine defender with a very good arm... made the Gold Glove Team 2 times and wound up with an excellent career .990 FA.

It was a tight vote in center field for the 2050s All-Decade Team... there were four other capable contenders: St. John's Freddie Woodruff (2047-2069), Turon's Maxie Mullinax (2052-2069), Far Mountain's Ox Gless (2052-2066) and White River's Pudge Tate (2048-2062).

Woodruff retired at the end of the season last year... an excellent all-around player, really fine defender and a very productive bat... didn't win a lot of awards... just made the All-Star Team 1 time... but got 5 Golden Gloves (.985 FA)... Woodruff batted .294 with 3392 hits, 634 doubles, 116 triples and only 116 homers, but drove in 1794 runs and stole 247 bases... also walked 1767 times and posted a .390 OBP.

Turon's Maxie Mullinax had a fine career with a .280 BA, 443 doubles, 182 triples, 160 homers, 1074 RBIs, 1575 runs, 441 SBs and 1541 walks (.385 OBP)... 3-time All-Star... 2-time Golden Glover... could really cover ground in center with a strong arm (.980 FA).

Far Mountain's Ox Gless did everything well... 3-time All-Star... 2-time Golden Glove with a very strong arm (.985 FA)... .288 BA, 405 doubles, 67 triples, 330 HR, 1342 RBI, 1266 R and 124 SB.

Winding up the center field challengers was another good one... Pudge Tate of the White River Rascals... 3-time All-Star... 1-time Golden Glover... batted .276 with 370 HR and 1164 RBIs... stole 151 bases and walked 1219 times for a .372 OBP... Tate was a standout defender with a very strong arm and good speed... posted a very impressive .987 FA in his career.



Right Fielder: Daryl Vale (Midway) (2052-2064)
Vale was 7-time All-Star... 3-time Golden Glove... won the 2056 Tycobbian Union MVP and Golden Bat Awards... Vale was a teammate of Norishige Ito and also was a vital part of Midway's 2 Pro Cup Trophies in 2053 and 2054... Vale tore up the postseason pitchers with a .322 BA in 62 games with 11 homers, 27 RBIs and 45 runs... he also stole 13 bases... overall in his career Vale batted .292 with 368 homers and 1235 ribbies... the Midway Wolves won 6 pennants and 2 Pro Cups during his stint with them.

Only one other player received much support in the voting for the right field spot... that was Red Bluff outfielder Toni Kolkov (2048-2062)... he was a 4-time All-Star and power hitter with 452 home runs and 1143 RBIs... Kolkov paced the Red Sox to the 2057 Pro Cup crown... he didn't hit a lot for average, only .250, but he belted 5 home runs and drove in 14 runs and scored 12 in the 18-game run... Kolkov was just an adequate defender with a decent arm (.976 FA)... but he was a very steady RBI guy in the 2050s... one of the most reliable run makers... Kolkov averaged about 35 homers and 100 runs batted in each season for the decade.

[Eugene Church]

Hurricane Ida is rapidly moving into my area... will probably be out of electricity for a few days, a week, or God forbid, even longer... Ida is a very bad storm.. say a prayer for the folks along the Gulf Coast.

Luckily, my subdivision is high and has never flooded... not even in the terrible August, 2016 flood in Louisiana.

In recent years Hurricane Gustav was the worst one for my area in Baton Rouge... all I lost was my backyard fence... Rita bent it backward... Ike bent it to the front... and then Gustave knocked it completely down.

Gloriously, no damage to my house or property.

Will post as often as I can.

Catch you later, alligator!

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Hurricane Ida is rapidly moving into my area... will probably be out of electricity for a few days, a week, or God forbid, even longer... Ida is a very bad storm.. say a prayer for the folks along the Gulf Coast.

Luckily, my subdivision is high and has never flooded... not even in the terrible August, 2016 flood in Louisiana.

In recent years Hurricane Gustav was the worst one for my area in Baton Rouge... all I lost was my backyard fence... Rita bent it backward... Ike bent it to the front... and then Gustave knocked it completely down.

Gloriously, no damage to my house or property.

Will post as often as I can.

Catch you later, alligator!

i hope all is well.

[Sundance]

Take care and stay safe!

[jg2977]

Wishing you the best of health!