ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Dark Horse, Sundance and jg2977,

Thanks for your prayers.

All is well for EC... no damage to house... just no power... it's still out, but we can live in 87 degrees inside during the day... we open the windows in the evening and it cools down to a very pleasant 82.

We spend a lot of time outside on the porch, sitting for a spell in the shade and hoping for a faint breeze... we sit on front porch in the morning and the back porch in the evening to avoid the hot sun... I am reading baseball books... Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn, who covered the Brooklyn Dodgers for two seasons in the early 50s... Kahn is some kind of good writer... he brings that day of time vividly to life for the reader... also finished a baseball compilation, but forgot the compiler... am now reading 5 Seasons by Roger Angell, I think... he covers 5 pennant races in the early 70s.

For the last two afternoons my wife and I have gone to the East Baton Rouge Public Library... that's how I got to post this... I am reading magazines to pass the time... the library is blessed with that wonderful thing called air conditioning.

Some supermarkets are open, thank goodness... a few restaurants are serving minimal menus... but it's plenty to get by... many folks in the state have it far worse... I have it easy... there is no telling when New Orleans and South Louisiana will get its power restored...it might be months... Jefferson Parish (County), a suburb of New Orleans has advised its residents to leave town until the power is restored.

Lines are real long for gasoline... most gas stations are out of gas... ice is a precious commodity and very hard to find... the best part of my day is sipping on an ice cold glass of ice cold water taken from the freezing cold ice chest... I got three bags of ice yesterday... it takes it about 2 days to melt... wish me luck... hope I can find some more ice.

We are fortunate indeed... the west wall of Hurricane Ida passed over us... really wasn't bad in my neighborhood... 100 mile an hour sustained winds... we are a new neighborhood with few trees... falling trees can be a huge problem... we just lost power and some modern-day conveniences.

If the East Wall (that is where the damaging winds are in a hurricane) had hit us like it did in Hammond, Louisiana, where Southeastern Louisiana University is located, it would have done devastating damage... that area may go a month without power.

Back in the old days of my youth, Funeral Homes used to give paper fans to churches so the congregation could fan themselves and fight off the hellfire and brimstone of a Sunday sermon... this was the days of no air conditioning in the 40s and 50s.

My wife had two of those Funeral Home paper fans, cherished relics of a time gone by... Boy, they sure do come in handy right now!

Will talk to you later.

If I don't get power in the next day or so, I'm heading to Florence and Sheffield in Northwest Alabama, where all of my cousins live... they now have all kinds of modern conveniences like in-door toilets and air conditioning... twarn't that way back when I used to spend all my summers there in the 40s and 50s.

Or I may just take another baseball trip for a week or so and go see some minor league games in Tennessee, South Carolina and North Carolina.

EC's still having fun in 2021... my life could certainly be a whole lot worse... the Good Lord really looks out for me and my lovely little lady.

EC is not a holy roller and I don't jump pews, but, "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! Hallelujah!... Praise the Lord!"

[Eugene Church]

Praise the Lord... EC has power now... all appears well.

Appreciate your concern and prayers.

Thank you.

[Dark Horse]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Praise the Lord... EC has power now... all appears well.

Appreciate your concern and prayers.

Thank you.

Glad all is well.

[Eugene Church]

Thanks to all the viewers for your concerns.
Much appreciate all of you.

I'm working on the 7th-All-Decade Team... will post in in a day or so... then I will play the 2070 season.

[Eugene Church]

Got a great new IPA League Logo done by one of the best - txranger.

He also did the last one that I have used for about the last 20 seasons... the new one is on the right... I will also post what it looks like on the game screen against the Black background.
txranger outlined it in white so it would show up better on the Black background.

[Eugene Church]

Here it is on the Black game background... really think it looks good.

Many thanks to txranger for all the help he has given me over the years.

[jg2977]

Looks great. Mine is on a white background. I think it looks nice there as well.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Looks great. Mine is on a white background. I think it looks nice there as well.

Good... that's good to hear... it might even look better.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, April 2, 2070

IPA HONORS 7TH ALL-DECADE TEAM (2060-2069)
Which Islandian Pro Alliance players performed the best during the last decade from 2060 to 2069?... which hurler had the best decade?... which position players put up the best numbers and dominated the decade?... the baseball pundits have diligently reviewed the last 10 seasons to find the star standouts at each spot in the lineup... and here's what they have come up with... 60s powerhouse Rolling Hills got three spots on the All-Decade squad.

Islandian Pro Alliance Seventh All-Decade Team (2061-2069)



Pitcher: Ian Timms (Tuckanarra) (2054-2069)
The most foremost flinger in the IPA in the last decade was Ian Timms... his best years were in the late 2050s, when he won his 2 Tycobbian Union Golden Arms, but the rotund right-hander was a rock-solid performer year-after-year in recent times... the last decade has seen a change in the IPA as far as pitchers... the trend is to give pitchers more time off... a start every 5th day is the present-day norm... Timms' career lasted 16 seasons with a 232-133 record and a super 2.88 ERA... he retired at the end of this season... twice Timms sparked the Tucks to postseason appearances and he flourished with a 3-1 mark in 5 appearances and 4 starts, ending up with a standout 2.03 ERA... Timms was the outstanding pitcher of the decade... his postseason work set him apart from his contenders... Timms called it a career in 2069 at age 33.

But Timms had some very capable challengers in Volusia's Lonny Rinehart, Rolling Hills' Vance Dillaway and Denton City's Rance Hasbrough... Rinehart wound up 255-159 in his 15 years with the Vigilantes with a 3.13 ERA (2055-2069)... he was 31-6 in 2058, the all-time IPA wins record for a single season... in his career Rinehart won the RU Golden Arm and MVP Awards in 2058... postseason-wise he didn't do well, going 4-3 with a 5.52 ERA in 13 starts... but there was a good reason... the Vigilantes made the Pro Cup Series two years in a row... in 2061 the V's lost to Pro Cup champion Oxford in 6 games in the Pro Cup Finals and in 2062 Volusia pushed Pro Cup champ Rolling Hills to 7 games in the Finals.

Third place in the voting was Vance Dillaway, who was 220-135 for Rolling Hills from 2052 to 2067 with a 3.35 ERA... in the playoffs Dillaway posted a 13-8 record with a 4.31 ERA in his 28 starts... his Racers won 10 straight pennants in the decade and 4 Pro Cup trophies... Dillaway was a vibrant part of the team's success... he retired in 2067 at age 34.

Winding up fourth in the All-Decade team balloting was Rance Hasbrough of the Denton City Redbirds... playing from 2055 he is still an active player at age 34... so far Hasbrough has gone 207-165 with a 3.40 ERA... he had a superb 2069 season with a 20-5 mark and a strong 2.70 ERA... but he has not fared well in the playoffs with a poor 0-4 record and a 4.43 ERA in 5 appearances and 3 starts... Denton City has made the postseason 3 times in Hasbrough's tenure.



Catcher: Carlos Silva (Volusia) (2057-2069)
Silva is still a solid performer at age 37... he hit .313 this season and was voted to the Ruthlandian Union All-Star Team... but the catcher spot is full of fine players... Silva beat out 7 other fine backstops for the 7th All-Decade Team... he is a 6-time All-Star for the Vigilantes and 3-time Gold Glove winner with a career .300 mark with 66 homers and 699 RBIs, .990 FA with a 48.9% RTO Pct... Silva began his career in 2057 and has now played 13 years and will be back next season... 2069 was his best season... his defensive skills gave him the edge over the other top catchers in the decade... Silva also excelled in the postseason with a .345 BA in 42 games with 27 ribbies... twice he led Volusia to the Pro Cup Finals in 2061 and 2062 when they lost hard-fought series to Oxford and Rolling Hills, the IPA Pro Cup champions.

Number 2 is the poll was Stoner's Jean St. Julien... he had an excellent 15 seasons in the IPA (2054-2068)... he was a 6-time Ruthlandian Union All-Star, a fine defender, power guy and RBI man for the Silver Sox... St. Julien batted .281 lifetime with 297 home runs and 1100 ribbies... his defense numbers were solid with a .986 FA and a 38.2% RTO pct... but he never made the playoffs... St. Julien retired in 2068 at age 34.

3rd place in the All-Decade Team was another reliable bat with home-run power and fair defense... it was John Michael Lansdell of the Kenwood Wildcats, a 6-time Tycobbian All-Star... he played there from 2056 to 2069, retiring this season at 37... Lansdell hit .298 with 236 HRs and 1061 RBIs... on defense he compiled a .983 FA with a 35.7% RTO pct... he had the misforture to play in the TU West with the powerhouse Rolling Hills Racers and his Wildcats never graced the playoffs, but they battled the Racers year-after-year and Lansdell was a big part of it.

Hands down the top batter among the decade's best backstops was Denton City's Ozzy Crenshaw... still active at age 34 he sports a lofty lifetime .323 BA from 2057 to 2069 with 180 roundtrippers and 892 RBIs... however, his defense is nowhere near Silva's... .980 FA with a 33.2% RTO pct... Crenshaw is a 6-time Tycobbian Union All-Star... he was number 4 in the All-Decade poll... in the postseason proved his worth with a .400 BA in 11 games with 2 homers and five RBIs... Crenshaw went 18-45 against the best pitching in the IPA in 2 playoff series.

There were 4 other contenders... #5 was Francisco Quiero of Luxora (2055-2069)... 3-time Tycobbian Union All-Star... .285 batter with 304 homers and 1061 RBIs... fair fielder with a . 979 FA and 36.5% RTO pct... made the postseason one time, hitting .261 with 2 homers and 6 ribbies.

In the 6th spot was Daryl Monaghan of Blue Lake (2055-2069), a fair defender and good bat... he batted .279 in his career with 192 home runs and 1021 RBIs... .981 FA with a 35.5% RTO pct... 3-time Tycobbian Union All-Star... made the playoffs this season for the first time... Monaghan hit .273 with 1 RBI in 4 games... the Blue Caps were defeated by Southport in 5 games.

Elnora's Kuro Ishihara is a 2-time Ruthlandian All-Star... he batted .289 in his career from 2056 to 2069 with 204 homers and 999 RBIs... still playing at age 31... has hit very well in playoffs with a .319 BA, 4 HRs and 17 RBIs in 26 games... his club made the postseason 3 times... just fair on defense with .984 FA and 37.6% RTO pct... Ishikawa ranked 7th in the All-Decade voting at the catcher position.

Coming in 8th was Ancona's Robin Hargroder (2056-2069)... still going strong at age 32 with a .280 BA and 23 HRs... career BA is .273 with 263 HRs and 975 RBIs... 3-time Ruthlandian Union All-Star... never has made the playoffs... so-so defense with a .982 FA and a 36.6% RTO pct.



First Baseman: Roy Roberts (High Mesa) (2060-2069)
Roberts dominated the decade, topping the Tycobbian Union 5 times in home runs... drove in 100 runs or more 8 times... set a new single-season mark for homers in 2066 with 73... Roberts was a 6-time TU All-Star, 2-time MVP and Golden Bat... he hit .290 for average with 514 HRs and 1191 RBIs... an OK fielder with a .986 FA... won only one pennant and batted .250 in the playoffs with 3 HRs and 7 RBIs in 7 games.

Buddy Blackford of Oxford was Roberts' stiffest competition... has played 2057-2069... still active at age 34... he led the Tycobbian Union 3 times in homers and twice in runs batted in... lifetime Blackford is a .285 hitter with 600 home runs and 1543 RBIs... 6-time TU All-Star, 5-time Gold Glover (.992 FA)... he won the 2058 Tycobbian Union MVP and Golden Bat Awards... had made the postseason 7 times with a solid .281 BA in 59 games with 14 roundtrippers and 38 RBIs... the Red Caps captured the IPA Pro Cup in 2061.

Manny Sendejas of Wynnamac (2055-2069) came in third in the All-Decade poll... Sendejas hit .292 in his career with 428 HRs and 1390 RBIs... made the HOF in 2069... 5-time RU All-Star and 2059 RU Most Valuable Player... made the playoffs 7 times and was a solid contributor with 14 HRs and 49 RBIs in 70 games... won one Pro Cup ring in 2055, his rookie season.

Also getting some support were Bralen Josephson of Colfax (2057-2069) and Luca Palazzi of Rolling Hills (2062-2069)... both are still active... Josephson has a .324 lifetime BA with 218 homers, 838 RBIs and 947 runs... made the playoffs twice with a super .343 BA, 8 HRs and 22 RBIs in 35 games... the Black Sox lost twice in the Pro Cup Finals in 2063 to Hartsdale and to Southport in 2065... Josephson was the RU Most Valuable Player in 2065.

Palazzi has been to the playoffs in all of his 8 seasons... his career average is .310 with 123 HRs, 811 runs, 223 SBs and 604 RBIs... Palazzi is a 2-time TU All-Star... only a fair fielder (.984 FA)... but he has fared well in the postseason when his Racers won 3 Pro Cups (2062, 2067, 2069), batting .287 in 125 games with 140 hits, 31 doubles, 6 triples, 11 HRs, 63 RBIs, 86 runs and 24 SBs.



Second Base: Derek Winchester (La Claire) (2052-2069)
Still playing well at age 36 with a .308 BA, but retired this season... Winchester is a 2-time TU All-Star, 2-time Golden Glove (.974 FA)... lifetime .306 BA with 3165 hits, 505 doubles, 98 triples, 164 homers, 1153 RBIs, 1412 runs and 267 SB... never made the playoffs... solid hitter and steady defender.

Other second-base contenders were Luke Hazlett of Far Mountain (2055-2069), Elvis Gilford of Mahaska (2054-2068) and Vince Norberg of Cold Creek (2061-2069)... Hazlett was a 2-time RU All-Star with a .301 BA, 269 HRs, 1277 RBIs and .975 FA.

Gilford was a 5-time TU All-Star with a .298 BA, 194 HRs, 1031 RBIs and a .974 FA... he never appeared in the postseason.

Norberg was a 1-time RU All-Star, 2-time Gold Glover (.981 FA), 2061 Ruthlandian Union Rookie of the Year... he has a career .275 BA with 277 HRs, 891 RBIs and 134 SBs... Norberg never has made the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

Third Baseman: Teddy Stonich (Rolling Hills) (2057-2069)
One of the all-time greats in the IPA... 9-time TU All-Star, 3-time TU Most Valuable Player (2059, 2060, 2068), 3-time TU Golden Bat (2060, 2062, 2064), 2057 TU Rookie of the Year... 13 years in a row he has driven in over 100 runs... lifetime .328 BA, 411 HRs, 1624 RBIs and 1406 runs... Stonich has been amazing in the playoffs with a .322 mark in 156 games, 200 hits, 45 doubles, 4 triples, 28 homers, 110 RBIs and 112 runs scored... his Racers have won 4 Pro Cups (2060, 2062, 2067, 2069) and lost twice in the Pro Cup Finals (2064, 2068)... Rolling Hills has won the last 10 Tycobbian West Division titles.

There was another really fine third baseman in the Islandian Pro Alliance in the last decade... his name is Kagetoki Miyazaki of the High Mesa Mustangs (2052-2069)... in fact, Miyazaki was honored as the top third sacker for the IPA 6th All-Decade Team and came in second to Stonich on the IPA 7th All-Decade Team... he ranks 7th all-time with 717 home runs... 1770 RBIs... career .274 BA... 6-time TU All-Star... 4-time Gold Glove (.953 FA)... retired this season at age 36... inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame.



Shortstop: Jameson Mulbert (Rolling Hills) (2054-2069)
Mulbert is still a standout player at age 38, now in his 17th season... he is a strong defender with 2 Golden Gloves (.975 FA)... 8-time TU All-Star... strong contact hitter with a career .315 BA... 1456 runs scored, 979 RBIs, 155 SBs, 1145 BBs (.398 OBP)... led the Racers to 10 postseason appearances in a row... 4 Pro Cups (2060, 2062, 2067, 2069) and 2 Pro Cup Finals (2064, 2068)... stood out in the playoffs with a .321 BA in 156 games with 201 hits, 34 doubles, 4 triples, 4 homers, 64 RBIs and 90 runs scored.

Mulbert's only competition came from Vince McCloud of Denton City (2049-2067) and Walt Ivy of Hartsdale (2057-2069)... but McCloud only played 6 years in the decade... McCloud had much better power than Mulbert with 383 HRs... but he was not as strong with the glove (.943 FA) and never won a Golden Glove... McCloud only batted .230 in 2 postseasons, but he did hit a solid .297 in the regular season with 1527 RBIs, 1779 runs, 1380 BBs (.374 OBP) and 163 SBs.

Walt Ivy had a very good decade... he has a lifetime .293 BA with 190 homers, 982 RBIs, 1246 runs and 394 SBs... he is a 3-time TU All-Star and a good glove man with a .957 FA... Ivy stood out in 3 playoffs with a .311 BA in 28 games, 6 homers, 16 RBIs, 14 runs and 17 walks (.397 OBP)... Ivy sparked the Hellcats to the 2063 IPA Pro Cup title... they also made playoffs in 2065, but lost to IPA Pro Cup champion Southport in 5 games in round one.



Left Fielder: Showboat Lynn (Oxford) (2058-2069)
Lynn is still going strong at age 33... hit .292 this past season with 54 homers and 135 RBIs, scored 110 times and stole 8 bases... strong arm and plays like a Gold Glove in the outfield... in fact, it may be his defense that got him this spot on the All-Decade Team... Lynn is a 5-time TU All-Star... 1-time Gold Glove Award... won TU Golden Bat in 2059... career .293 BA, 466 HRs, 1287 RBIs, 1257 runs and 146 SBs... has good postseason numbers: .288 BA in 54 games, 5 HRs, 21 RBIs, 32 runs, 5 SBs... led his Oxford Red Caps to 6 pennants and the 2061 IPA Pro Cup crown, a triumph in 6 games over Volusia... Oxford had to whip Rolling Hills in the TU Finals in 7 games to get there... Lynn and first baseman Buddy Blackford carried the Red Caps for the last 10 years or so... they would have been a dynasty team like Rolling Hills if they had had more support from the other players... Lynn and Bradford has to do it all themselves.

Lynn got some steep competition from Rolling Hills' Jean-Luc Roubique (2055-2069), Elnora's Donald Ray Mooney (2052-2069) and Belle Plaine's Eliot Marcum (2058-2069)... Lynn's good all-round play made the difference... Roubique is a 3-time TU All-Star with a .302 lifetime BA, 343 HRs, 1427 RBIs, 1325 runs and 80 SBs... feasted on playoff pitching with a .287 BA in 156 games with 18 HRs, 95 RBIs and 88 runs... still can do the job at age 34, but is on the decline... Roubique has been a vital part of the Rolling Hills 10 straight pennants and 4 Pro Cup trophies (2060, 2062, 2067, 2069) and 2 Pro Cup Finals (2064, 2068).

Mooney retired this year at age 36 and still performed well last year with a .268 BA, 26 HRs and 76 RBIs... 6-time RU All-Star... RU Most Valuable Player in 2062... 1-time Gold Glover... retired with a career .305 BA, 427 HRs, 1632 RBIs and 1470 runs scored... in the playoffs Mooney batted .262 in 22 games with 3 HRs, 13 RBIs and 10 runs... Elnora made the postseason playoffs 3 times during his years with the club.

Poor Eliot Marcum has labored in anonymity for the perennial loser Belle Plaine, but he has nabbed the Ruthlandian Union Most Valuable Player Award one time (2063)... Marcum has never made the playoffs, but is a 3-time RU All-Star... he retired this season at age 33... batted a lifetime low of .256 last year, but hit 32 out of the park and drove in 104 runs... in Marcum's career he hit .299 with 396 HRs and 1204 RBIs.



Center Fielder: Hugo Sutton (Rolling Hills) (2062-2069)
Sutton has had a fabled career with the Racers... 8 pennants in 8 years... Pro Cup Trophies in 2062, 2067 and 2069... also lost in the Pro Cup Finals twice, in 2064 and 2068... 6-time TU All-Star... 2 TU Most Valuable Player Award (2063, 2069)... 2 TU Golden Bats (2063, 2065)... overall in his career the 29-year-old Sutton possesses a .325 BA, averaging over 200 hits a year, 120 RBIs, 124 runs scored and 20 stolen bases... he has totaled 207 HRs, 874 RBIs, scored 898 runs and stolen 152 bases in his 8 seasons... in the IPA playoffs Sutton is batting .321 in 126 games with 24 HRs, 84 RBIs and 85 runs.

Sutton did have 3 talented challengers in the All-Decade poll: Steve Schueler of Blue Lake (2057-2069), Alfie Elbourne of Belair Beach (2058-2069) and Marcus Dillaway of Ancona (2061-2069).

So far Schueler is a 1-time TU All-Star, 1-time Golden Glove for the Blue Caps... career .317 BA with 53 HRs, 788 RBIs, 1251 runs and 304 stolen bases... only made the postseason playoffs once... in the playoffs this season Schueler batted .278 with 2 RBIs and 3 runs scored in 5 games... Blue Lake had to play strong Southport in the first round and lost in 5 games... Schueler is just 29 and in his prime.

Thus far at age 31, Elbourne has made the TU All-Stars 3 times and has snagged 1 Golden Glove (.980 FA)... solid, good all-round player with a .300 lifetime BA, 247 HRs, 1029 RBIs, 1096 runs and 310 SBs... but his Sunbirds have never made the IPA playoffs.

Dillaway a good, all-round performer for the Ancona Jumbos... at 28 he is in his prime and can do it all... run, throw, hit with power and play defense... Dillaway is a .291 career hitter with 233 HRs, 717 RBIs, 780 runs and 111 stolen bases... he was the RU Rookie of the Year in 2062... twice a RU All-Star... can go get 'em in the outfield (.983 FA) and handle the bat... but Dillaway has never won a pennant and played in the playoffs.



Right Fielder: Snooky Bartels (Wynnamac) (2055-2069)
Bartels must be good... he had to be to garner the right field spot on the IPA 7th All-Decade Team... he beat out 4 outstanding superstud players... the Sundowner superstar is a 9-time RU All-Star, 2-time Golden Bat (2061, 2068)... a lifetime .346 BA, 339 HRs, 1351 RBIs, 1320 runs... the Macs have won 7 pennants with Bartels... he is hitting .328 in the playoffs with 9 HRs, 30 RBIs and 32 runs in 53 games.

All the other right fielders are standouts, too... South Fork's Bob Purkey (2055-2069), Rolling Hills' Jimmy Brandini (2060-2069), Colfax's Lanny Waldrep (2057-2069) and Kenwood's Gabriel Macedo (2057-2069)... Purkey retired as the end of last season with a .315 career BA, 413 HRs, 1351 RBIs, 1297 runs and 96 SBs... 3 times he paced the Stallions to the pennant and the postseason, batting .306 in 26 games with 3 HRs, 14 RBIs and 16 runs... at 36 Purkey hit .307 his final year with 14 HRs and 68 RBIs... he was a 6-time TU All-Star.

At age 35 and after 10 seasons in the IPA, Brandini decided to call it a career after last season... for the last decade Brandini has been one of the cogs in the huge success of the Rolling Hills Racers... he has helped them win 10 pennants in a row in the TU West Division, plus 4 Pro Cups (2060, 2062, 2067, 2069)... twice in 2064 and 2068 the Racers also made the Pro Cup Finals, but were defeated in hotly-contested series... Brandini was a 3-time TU All-Star, a solid defender (.983 FA) and a solid bat... in his career he posted a .322 BA with 107 homers, 705 RBIs, 960 runs scored and stole 231 bases... he was a prime-time leadoff man... in the playoffs Brandini batted .302 in 148 games with 79 runs scored, 59 ribbies, 22 stolen bases, 26 doubles, 9 triples and 4 homers.

At 31, Lanny Waldrep is still doing damage in the IPA for the Colfax Black Sox... he is a 6-time RU All-Star, 4-time Gold Glove, 2-time RU Golden Bat (2059, 2066), RU Most Valuable Player in 2066... Waldrep is a career .314 hitter with 386 homers, 1273 RBIs, 1254 runs and 1310 BBs... he has an extraordinary .425 OBP... twice he has led the Black Sox to the Pro Cup Finals in 2063 and 2065, but they were beaten out by the Hartsdale Hellcats in 6 games and the Southport Sun Sox in 5 games... Waldrep did well with a .273 BA, 7 HRs, 24 RBIs and 18 runs in 35 games.

Last, but certainly not least in the right fielder poll, is Gabriel Macedo of the Kenwood Wildcats... at age 36 he is still wreaking havoc in IPA circles with his bat... 66 homers and 166 RBIs in 2067... 55 roundtrippers and 139 RBIs in 2068... and 56 HRs and 153 RBIs in 2069... Macedo said he will try it one more year and then probably retire... "I'm slow in the field, but I can still help the club by driving in runs... I'm still pretty darn good at that."... Macedo is a 3-time TU All-Star, TU Golden Bat winner in 2067 and 2068 and the TU Most Valuable Player Award winner in 2067... since he plays in the same TU West Division as Rolling Hills, Macedo has never made the postseason playoffs, but he has made the Racers sweat out the pennant on several occasions and worn out the Racers pitchers for the last 13 seasons.

[Eugene Church]

Up next will be the Preseason Predictions for the 2070 Islandian Pro Alliance season.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Up next will be the Preseason Predictions for the 2070 Islandian Pro Alliance season.

Looking forward to seeing who the contenders will be. Can Rolling Hills continue their dynasty?

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Looking forward to seeing who the contenders will be. Can Rolling Hills continue their dynasty?

The Racers are aging... many of them are in their 30s... in fact, one of them retired at the end of the season... right fielder Jimmy Brandini didn't want to hang on too long... he was 35, an age where the player talents suddenly decline... he wanted to go out on a good year and a happy note... Brandini hit .308 with 10 homers, 52 RBIs, 92 runs and 8 stolen bases... Brandini lost his speed and couldn't cover the outfield as well as in the past... wouldn't be surprised if the Racers lose a couple more this season... shortstop Jameson Mulbert is 38, third baseman Teddy Stonich is 35 and left fielder Jean-Luc Roubique is 34.

Yep, the Rolling Hills' dynasty may soon be over.

It was sad to watch Willie Mays in his last few seasons... he overstayed his welcome... Pujols has done a decent job with the Dodgers... really surprised me... but he really should have retired... I hope Miguel Cabrera retires this year... he got his 500th homer... really, really hope he can get hot and get the last 20-30 hits to reach 3,000.

Cabrera went 4 for 4 yesterday... HOW ABOUT THAT!

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

The Racers are aging... many of them are in their 30s... in fact, one of them retired at the end of the season... right fielder Jimmy Brandini didn't want to hang on too long... he was 35, an age where the player talents suddenly decline... he wanted to go out on a good year and a happy note... Brandini hit .308 with 10 homers, 52 RBIs, 92 runs and 8 stolen bases... Brandini lost his speed and couldn't cover the outfield as well as in the past... wouldn't be surprised if the Racers lose a couple more this season... shortstop Jameson Mulbert is 38, third baseman Teddy Stonich is 35 and left fielder Jean-Luc Roubique is 34.

Yep, the Rolling Hills' dynasty may soon be over.

It was sad to watch Willie Mays in his last few seasons... he overstayed his welcome... Pujols has done a decent job with the Dodgers... really surprised me... but he really should have retired... I hope Miguel Cabrera retires this year... he got his 500th homer... really, really hope he can get hot and get the last 20-30 hits to reach 3,000.

Cabrera went 4 for 4 yesterday... HOW ABOUT THAT!

I've had some nice dynasties in my own IPA - they usually last around 4-5 seasons, maybe 6, then suddenly, poof! They're gone. Players get old pretty quick.

Yeah, Miggy is definitely not the same guy he used to be, he should definitely retire. Pujols can play another year, maybe two.

[Eugene Church]

I tried the White Skin out in both my leagues... I hadn't checked it for quite a few versions... still much prefer the Black Background... I find it easier on the eyes than the White glare... my graphics look better to me, too... better contrast for logos and jerseys.

Never did like the Brown Background... the OOTP Classic Skin... in my opinion, the colors just don't coordinate well.

[jg2977]

Even though I'm using the white skin, the OOTP logo is still on a dark background, as that's how it is on top. That's how OOTP 22 is, at least for me anyway. The logos really pop out for me on the white skin. Whatever works I guess.

I'll be watching my 1949 IPA Pro Cup tonight while the Yankee vs. Mets is on tv. Looking forward to both!

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Even though I'm using the white skin, the OOTP logo is still on a dark background, as that's how it is on top. That's how OOTP 22 is, at least for me anyway. The logos really pop out for me on the white skin. Whatever works I guess.

I'll be watching my 1949 IPA Pro Cup tonight while the Yankee vs. Mets is on tv. Looking forward to both!

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder... can't argue with you.

Will agree that the logos pops up better on the white... I think I prefer my logos on the Black because I have designed them that way... might be the other way around if I had designed them for the White Background.

Still, the White is real bright to my eyes.

It may also get down to what you are used to... I haven't used the White Background for a decade or so.

My experience in life is you can get used to anything if you have to... all you have to do is just be flexible and try to accept it..

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, April 3, 2070

"NEXT YEAR" IS "THIS YEAR" IN THE IPA... 64 CLUBS VIE FOR THE CHERISHED 2070 PRO CUP TROPHY
The old sports adage is "Wait Until Next Year"... well, they are many towns across the Islands that are hoping and praying that "next year" is "this year" and all the stars and the planets will come into perfect alignment and "their" team will win it all and reign as the Islandian Pro Alliance champion come November... that is the wishful thinking of all 64 teams in the IPA, but it is probably not founded in fact... in truth, less than 15 of the hopefuls have any chance in reality... it is a difficult process to win a pennant and then win three rounds of play against the best of the best in the Islandian Pro Alliance postseason playoffs... 63 hopefuls will fail.

Will there be a some new blood on the horizon? -- like the Ginza Ninjas in 2059 and 2060? -- like the Hartsdale Hellcats in 2063? -- like the Claxton Diamonds in 2063 and 2064? -- or perhaps like the flash-in-the-pan Forest City Firebirds in 2068? -- or will it be all of the perennial powers like Rolling Hills Racers, Claxton Diamonds or Southport Sun Sox continuing their dominating ways in the new 2070 IPA season?

According to the baseball folks in the know, the IPA Pro Cup champion will come from defending titleholder the Rolling Hills Racers, Red Bluff Red Sox, Southport Sun Sox and Marston Nine... the Racers have snared the Pro Cup 4 times in the last 10 years and almost copped it on 2 other occasions... and the Sun Sox grabbed it twice in the last 5 seasons... the most likely champion will come from those two star-studded teams.

Taking a quick gander at all of the 8 IPA Divisions, here is what all the Islandian baseball experts and analysts are predicting for the coming 2070 Islandian Pro Alliance season.


TARS PICKED TO WIN AGAIN IN RU NORTH
Last year's Ruthlandian North winner Taranto (92-62) is a slight favorite over its main challengers from last year, the Far Mountain Redhawks (88-66) and the LaGrange Gators (84-70)... it's going to be a repeat of last year's race when the Tars won it by 3 games over the Gators and 4 games better than the Redhawks... all 3 clubs are capable of winning the RU North.




WIDE OPEN RACE IN RU SOUTH WITH 5 TEAMS IN THE CHASE
The Claxton Diamonds have really been glittering in the Ruthlandian South with 7 consecutive division crowns... but it wasn't easy for them... they just barely beat back the Valka Blackhawks last season by one game in a sudden-death playoff game... the Blackhawks were the only real challenger... the task might be more ponderous this season... at the end of last season, Belair Beach was the best ballclub... a poor start spoiled the Sunbirds' season... Claxton (79-75) is just the fourth choice this year, 4 games behind the favored St. John Crusaders... St. John (83-71) is a slight pick over the on-charging and talented Belair Beach Sunbirds (81-73)... Valka Blackhawks (80-74) is still a solid contender... and the Crystal Lake Skippers (78-76) could challenge... Claxton is still a formidable team and could still win the division... it's that close... an 8th successive division flag is not out of the question for the Diamonds.




MARSTON CREAM OF THE CROP IN RU EAST... CHOICE TO WIN 3RD TIME IN PAST 4 YEARS
The Marston Nine prevailed in the Ruthlandian East race last season, but they were pushed mighty hard by the Wynnamac Sundowners and Eastshore Cotton Kings... the Nine edged the Macs in a one-game playoff and beat back the Cotton Ballers by 4 and a half games... however, the pundits are predicting an easier time this time around... Marston (94-60) may get a little bit of breathing room this year... the Nine are improved over last year and the Sundowners (87-67) and Cotton Kings (84-70) may not be quite as good... several other squads will have good seasons in the RU East... look for the Cold Creek Foxhounds (81-73) and Beechwood Jackrabbits (80-74) to prosper and have winning records.





CAN FIREBIRDS RISE AGAIN FROM THE ASHES IN THE RU WEST?
The Forest City Firebirds soared out of nowhere two years ago and surprised everybody in the Islands by winning the 2068 Pro Cup... they were the darlings of the IPA... it is hard to believe that they actually knocked off the renowned Rolling Hills Racers in an amazing 7-game upset... the Firebirds went from 8th place to the IPA championship in just one short year... sadly they languished most of last season and did not repeat in the Ruthlandian West Division... they were nowhere near the team they were in the fantastic title year... last season the Sligo Rovers snatched the RU West flag in a single-game playoff from the Middlefield Roosters... Forest City came in a close third, losing out by just 2 and a half games... the Firebirds did not have a good year, but still they almost repeated as division champion with a good second half... the baseball pundits are predicting that the Forest City Firebirds (91-63) will be back and flying high again... but they will be severely challenged by the Middlefield Roosters (91-63), who are raring to go again and win it all this season... the Roosters had a lot to crow about last season... they are anxious to make up for the disappointing conclusion to last year... the outlook for 2070 is for a two-team race... the pesky and scrappy Sligo Rovers (74-80), the best team for most of the past two decades, may be in decline... 6th place is a long way for them to fall... the worst the Rovers have finished in the last 17 years is 3rd place and that only happened one time in 2068... all the other seasons they won 6 pennants and wound up second the other 10 years... that is a truly fine record, no matter what division you are in... none of the rest of the RU West teams are expected to contest for the pennant, not even spunky Sligo.

[Eugene Church]

ZORROS PICK OF THE PACK IN THE TU NORTH
The outlook for the Tycobbian North Division is topsy-turvy... the main pennant contenders in the last decade have been downgraded to second-class status by the baseball gurus... rampant roster changes abounded this season in the IPA... the Oxford Red Caps with 9 TU North division flags and a Pro Cup Trophy in the last 18 years and nothing worse than three 3rd place finishes are forecast for 6th place (73-81) with a losing record... Hartsdale with 3 pennants and a Pro Cup in the last 8 seasons comes in no better than 5th place (76-78) and below the .500 mark... last year's TU North champ Blue Lake (63-91) is predicted to tumble all the way to last place... certainly not a good way to build on last year's success... the pollsters are picking the run-of-mill clubs to do well this year... the Luxora Zorros (93-61) are favored by a goodly amount to nab their first division crown since 2058 ... the Z's were 7th last year... the Mahaska Haymakers (84-70) are picked to perk up and climb up in the standings, perhaps as high as the second spot... the Farmers last made hay in 2052 when they came close to winning the pennant, missing out by one single, solitary game... you have to go back over 40 years since Mahaska last made the playoffs, way back there in 2028... the North Hills Hawks, mediocity personified for over 3 decades, might finish as high as 3rd and just a bit over the .500 mark (79-75)... middle-of-the-road White River (77-77) most likely will wind up in the middle of the road.





SUN SOX SET TO SHINE BRIGHTLY AGAIN IN THE TU SOUTH
Sunshine always seems to be in radiant abundance in Southport... the last time the Sun Sox had a bad season was in 2041, when they went 67-87 and came in 7th... since that dastardly day Southport has captured 14 TU South pennants and 4 Pro Cup trophies... they are rarely out of contention in the pennant race... the baseball prognosticators have made them a solid favorite in 2070... only the Turon Typhoons (91-63) are expected to rival Southport (98-56) this season... all of the other six clubs in the TU South will be far behind in the rear view mirror... the Sun Sox are expected to prevail for the 5th time in 6 years in the Tycobbian South Division... Southport is also highly-touted to win their 5th Pro Cup... only Red Bluff (102-52) and Rolling Hills (96-58) are rated that high by the Boys of Summer pollsters, pundits and prognosticators.





RED SOX READY TO ROCK AND ROLL AND RELOAD IN THE TU EAST
It is unbelievable how the Red Bluff Red Sox collapsed last year and blew an 8-game lead in the last month of the season and lost the Tycobbian East title to the South Fork Stallions... that the bad news... that was last season... 2070 is a new year and as always hope springs eternal, especially on the sport pages... like Bing Crosby, Maxine, Patti and Laverne, you've got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative (an old ditty from the 1940s for you young 'uns)... here's some good news... apparently all is forgotten... the baseball pollsters have forgiven the Red Sox for their sudden dismal decline and September disaster... they have made Red Bluff the overwhelming choice to whip everything in sight in the TU East this season in a runaway reminiscent of the Rolling Hills Racers in the TU West... that forecast seems to be out of line and off the mark... on paper, the Red Sox do not look that much improved over last season... it is really hard to see such a drastic change in one season... however, High Mesa, South Fork, Tuckanarra, Midway and Hillsboro dropped a lot of aging veterans, cleaned house and added a lot of rambuncious rookies this year... around the IPA many clubs made a lot of personnel changes... if Red Bluff can play like they did in the first half of the season last year for the whole season, they could return to form and dominate the TU East... the Red Sox were 12 and a half games up at the All-Star break last season... sho 'nuff could happen... but not likely.




"OLD" RACERS JUST KEEP ON ROLLIN' ALONG IN TU WEST
Just like Old Man River the Rolling Hills Racers just keep right on rollin' along... they are once again the odds-on favorite to win the Tycobbian West Division and probably the top pick to take another Pro Cup trophy... the Racers will be gunning for their 11th straight TU West title, their second straight Pro Cup and their 5th IPA crown in the last 10 years and 8th Pro Cup overall... but one must note a word of caution in the preseason predictions... Rolling Hills is rolling along in years, too... Jimmy Brandini, their rock-solid and reliable right fielder, has retired at age 35 and three other Pro Cup stalwarts, shortstop Jameson Mulbert is 38, third baseman Teddy Stonich is 35 and left fielder Jean-Luc Roubique is 34... time eventually takes its toll... will it be this year for the Racers?... the baseball pollsters and pundits say no... Rolling Hills (96-58) still has it and they will again be the top dog in the TU West by a good margin... their only competition will come primarily from the La Claire Lynx (88-66) with the Bayview Vikings (84-70) also in the mix... the Racers still have the best-hitting team in the Islandian Pro Alliance... and their pitching - it used to be their postseason problem - is now much-improved... Rolling Hills is still a very potent ballclub and might stay that way a year or so more... however, keep an eye on those three aging superstars... if they still hit with authority, the Racers will be fine this year... if not, Rolling Hills may have a some serious competition for the TU West title for the first time in a decade.

[jg2977]

"You look forward to it like a birthday party when you're a kid. You think something wonderful is going to happen."

-Joe DiMaggio, on Opening Day