ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by 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

Nice quote.

I always liked the quote from the great Chicago Cubs' Ernie Banks: "Let's play two".

I just finished the Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn... fine book about those dastardly Dodgers of the 1950s, the arch-nemeses of my beloved Cardinals and Stan the Man Musial.

What makes the book special is it covers the Dodgers in their prime baseball years and then 10 years later after retirement... Kahn goes to each retired player and catches up on their present life... it's a special story.

I just started Red Smith on Baseball, stories written by the great New York Herald Tribune and New York Times sportswriter Red Smith.

Even the book foreword is great... this is gonna be a good 'un, too.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Nice quote.

I always liked the quote from the great Chicago Cubs' Ernie Banks: "Let's play two".

I just finished the Boys of Summer by Roger Kahn... fine book about those dastardly Dodgers of the 1950s, the arch-nemeses of my beloved Cardinals and Stan the Man Musial.

What makes the book special is it covers the Dodgers in their prime baseball years and then 10 years later after retirement... Kahn goes to each retired player and catches up on their present life... it's a special story.

I just started Red Smith on Baseball, stories written by the great New York Herald Tribune and New York Times sportswriter Red Smith.

Even the book foreword is great... this is gonna be a good 'un, too.

I'll have to read some baseball books. I have Ball Four by Jim Bouton sitting on my bookshelf.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

I'll have to read some baseball books

Some might say EC has a boring life.

I fix a good breakfast every morning... it's the most important meal of the day and important to one's health.

Read the Morning Advocate newspaper cover to cover... the newspaper is so much better than TV news... you get a somewhat balanced view of the news... occasionally getting both sides of a story... you also get the details of an issue or story, if the writer is a halfway decent journalist and is concerned with the real truth... it will be a very sad day when we lose our local newspapers.

We need journalists... not personalities and commentators... just give me the facts... and let me make my conclusions... TV slants it too much today... it's all about ratings and personalities... and the 30-minute TV newscasts on NBC, ABC and CBS just simple can't cover the news in that short time span.

I prefer the BBC 30-minute newscasts... they seem to cover both sides of stories at least some of the time... the BBC is the best of the lot by far.

I pray for all the people in my life by name... including CD, jg2977, Dark Horse and the OOTP folks.

I then read the Bible every day a little bit for 10-15 minutes... actually I study the Bible every day to get closer to God... I use a Bible commentary that enlightens me on what I am reading... I want to know what purpose God has for EC for the rest of my life... my purpose is life is to please God in all I do... I study the Bible so I can know God's ways.

Also read 10-15 minutes of the baseball book each day.

Walk a half mile in 30 minutes or so... try to get in 30 minutes of exercise every day... it will give you a better quality of life in the long run.

Then I bath.

EC has a music library with all the songs I ever wanted... currently exactly 7523 songs in pristine and perfect condition... sitting in a nice lounge chair, I sit back, close my eyes and listen to my custom-made CDs for an hour or so in my music room, which is equipped with 250 watts of pure power and pleasure per speaker with a big subwoofer... I meditate on the greatest songs of my life... EC is getting high in High Fi Heaven... ah, it's such a special hour... EC relives the good and sometimes even sad parts of my life... music takes me back to the various times of my life and brings back the memories and the people.

Then it's dinnertime... sorry, folks, this is the name of the noon meal in the South... we call it dinner... no problem if you call it lunch... to each his own.... just remember if EC invites you to dinner, come at noon... if I invite you for supper, come at 6 or so.

and then... and then, I play my wonderful Markus Heinsohn creation, OOTPB... getting totally immersed and lost in playing and covering my Islandian Pro Alliance and the South Island Leagues.

Then it's time for supper... you may call this time dinner if that is your culture... it's suppertime down South... I eat lightly in the evening.

Then close the day with the MLB network.

Say good night to my precious gift from God, my lovely little wife... then I thank God for another nice day... and drop off to sleep in 10 minutes or so.

EC's life is good today... yep, my life is good today.

I'm so glad all of you guys are a part of it.

You make my life special.

Actually I don't think my life is boring to me.

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, July 1, 2070

IPA FAVORITES STRUGGLING AT MIDSEASON
The pennant races in the the Islandian Pro Alliance are wide open and up for grabs at midseason... far more than usual... the perennial powers-that-be are being pestered by a bunch of spunky challengers halfway through the season... only one of the preseason favorites is on top of the standings... that is the reigning Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills Racers... and even the powerhouse Racers are being tested... the general consensus is that many teams made a lot of roster changes this year and that has caused the upheaval.

2070 Ruthlandian Union First-Half Recap and Review

In the Ruthlandian Union preseason picks Taranto, St. John, Marston and Forest City are slow out of the gate, but only one is in dire danger of being completely out of the running... over in the Tycobbian Union several favored teams have already fallen to the wayside and most likely will have to wait until next year or maybe even longer... there just might be a lot of fresh new faces in the IPA postseason this year.

It's a logjam in the Ruthlandian North with 5 teams contesting at midyear... rejuvenated Valmara (45-32) is just one game up on the LaGrange Gators (44-33)... regular also-ran Ranford (42-34) is only 2 and a half games out... last year's winner and this season's preseason pick Taranto (41-37) is holding close, 4 and a half games off the pace... and the Ancona Jumbos (40-37) are on the rise, trailing by just 5 games... one of the prime pennant contenders is already in the RU North basement... the Far Mountain Redhawks (31-46) have totally flopped this season and are pretty much out of it, already 14 games behind in the standings.

The Valka Blackhawks (50-28) look like the class of the Ruthlandian South... after losing out to Claxton last year by just a single game, they have bolted to a solid 8 and a half-game edge... running in second place are the Belair Beach Sunbirds (41-38)... Claxton (39-38), the RU South winner for the last 7 years in succession, may be seeing a changing of the guard... the Diamonds are struggling in third place, 10 and a half games back... the preseason favorite St. John (38-39) is even worse off, already 11 and a half games behind in the fourth spot.

The Ruthlandian East was supposed to be a two-way tango between favored Marston and second choice Wynnamac (53-24)... so far the Macs have the edge... the Sundowners are playing better than ever even without the recently-retired Hall of Famer Manny Sendejas... 36-year-old superstar Snooky Bartels also retired recently after losing his outfield spot to a more youthful and spry rookie... Bartels still had the bat, but couldn't run and play defense anymore... the Marston Nine (48-28) won the RU East in 3 of the last 4 seasons and are the choice of the preseason pollsters this year... they are no slouches and are playing very well so far, but still are 4 and a half games in back of the red-hot Macs... Eastshore (41-36) and Elnora (40-36) are both quite a distance back in third and fourth place... they are both behind in the race by double digits.

The Volusia Vigilantes (46-30), a lackluster squad in recent seasons, have suddenly jelled and shot to the top of the Ruthlandian West, due to its fine starting rotation and bullpen... the Stoner Silver Sox (43-34) have snapped out of a 7-year losing streak with a solid first half of play... a bunch of rookies have done the job so far at the plate and on the hill... the Silver Sox are just 3 and a half games out in the race... preseason choice Forest City (41-36) is staying close in third place, trailing by 5 and a half games... last year's RU West champion, the Sligo Rovers (38-39) with 6 pennants in the last 11 years, are hanging in, but are 8 and a half games out and fourth in the standings... it's been 18 seasons since the Rovers were below the .500 mark at this point in the season.

2070 Tycobbian Union First Half Recap and Review

It has not been a good first half for the Southport Sun Sox and the Luxora Zorros, two of the favored teams in the Tycobbian Union preseason poll... both clubs have faltered badly in the first three months of the season and have little chance at the postseason... Southport is 15 games behind in the TU South and Luxora is 16 games out in the TU North... but two of the more highly-ranked teams are doing well... Rolling Hills is on top of the TU West and favorite Red Bluff is running a close second in the TU East race.

The surprise in the Tycobbian North is the White River Rascals (51-26)... they have rushed out to a spectacular and unexpected 9-game cushion over the Oxford Red Caps (42-35) and the Hartsdale Hellcats (42-35)... the Rascals were just as middle-of-pack choice in the preseason poll... White River won the TU North crown just three seasons ago in '67, but for the past two years they were just a breakeven ballclub... this year the pitching has been superb and that can do wonders for a team... both the Red Caps and Hellcats have veteran teams that are playing well, but they will have a lot of ground to make up in the second half... the North Hills Hawks (40-37) are in the fourth spot in the division standings, 11 GB... they have a tough row to hoe, too.

There are only two challengers in the Tycobbian South so far this season... the Turon Typhoons (53-23) were a second choice to favored Southport (39-39), but the Sun Sox have sunk into oblivion, a distant 15 games off the pace... only the lightly-regarded Summerland Sunsets (50-27) are offering any competition to Turon, but they are clinging closely, just 3 and a half games behind in the pennant chase... both the Typhoons and the Sunsets are having stellar seasons... Turon has the best record in the Tycobbian Union at midseason... Summerland is not far behind... both have quality pitching and good offense... both team are well-balanced and well-rounded... Turon is the more experienced club and is given the best chance to win the pennant by the pronosticators... when Summerland get good offense, they almost always do well... the Sunsets almost always have solid pitching... it should be a down-to-the-wire race this year in the TU South.

Red Bluff was the hands-down pennant pick this season in the Tycobbian East preseason poll... the Red Sox won the pennant last season in a tough 6-team fight and they were the overwhelming choice to handily dominate this season... however, it is shaping up as another multi-team dogfight in the Tycobbian East, just like last season... 5 teams are in the hunt... Tuckanarra (44-34) was overlooked by the pollsters, but they have surged to the top spot at midseason with a one and a half-game margin over the runner-up High Mesa Mustangs (42-35)... Red Bluff (41-35) is in the third spot, but only 2 games back.. fourth place belongs to South Fork (41-36), just 2 and a half games out... and the Hillsboro Blazers (40-37) are tight in the mix in fifth place, trailing by just 3 and a half games... even sixth place Midway (35-42) is within striking distance if they turn it around in the second half... top to bottom the TU East is the tightest race in the IPA... only 11 games separate the first place Tucks and the last place East Point Panthers (33-45) and the Ozarka Naturals (33-45).

While last year Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills (52-35) is off to another good start and is the big favorite to capture its 11th straight Tycobbian West flag and a good possibility to win their second Pro Cup in a row, neither of them is a lead-pipe cinch... the Racers won the TU West by 8 games last season and were expected to win it by the same margin this year, but the race is tighter than the preseason predictions... last year's distant challengers have narrowed the margin this season to just 4 and a half games halfway through the season... La Claire (47-29) and Denton City (48-30) are within hailing distance of first place... Rolling Hills is scoring like they always do and the pitching is adequate, but nothing to write home about... the Racers usually put it into high gear with a second-half surge and roar away with the TU West title down-the-stretch... the Lynx and Redbirds probably don't have the stuff needed to dethrone the Racers this year... the Rolling Hills aging vets are still putting up the numbers and still playing well.

[Eugene Church]

2070 Ruthlandian Union Midseason Standings and Leaderboards

[Eugene Church]

2070 Tycobbian Union Midseason Standings and Leaderboards

[jg2977]

Reading your midseason report, I noticed that I have a little error in my league. It's supposed to be the TUCKANARRA Tiger Cats, but I have mine spelled TUCKARANNA. I must have been a little bit dyslexic when I created my league. I'll change it for my next season.

[Eugene Church]

"I love doubleheaders. That way I get to keep my uniform on longer."

Tommy Lasorda is my kind of guy.

[jg2977]

"No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded." - Yogi Berra

That's my favorite.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

"No one goes there nowadays, it’s too crowded." - Yogi Berra

That's my favorite.

Yogi is one of my favorite all-time players.

He is also one of the all-time best with his quotes.

I'm sure over the years of recapping the IPA, I have way overused "It ain't over till it's over".

Guess what?... one of my prized possession is an autograph baseball from Yogi Berra... my niece lived in his neighborhood in Montclair, New Jersey and a friend of hers was best friends with Yogi's best friend.

Yogi's best friend got him to sign the ball for my niece and she gave me the ball... if Derek Jeter's autograph is worth $300... Yogi's must be worth at least $1000.

I'm looking at the baseball right at this moment... it is on the shelf of my computer desk along with another prized possession... a beautiful photograph of the scoreboard at Fenway Park in Boston with the following words written on the scoreboard:
"A VERY SPECIAL RED SOX WELCOME TO EUGENE CHURCH".

It was posted during the 7th-inning stretch... the photographer took a picture of the scoreboard and gave it to me... he had told my wife to make sure I was looking at the scoreboard during the 7th-inning stretch.

This was one of my biggest thrills of my life... I had met the Red Sox photographer in Birmingham at the Rickwood Classic Game... he was there to photograph the festivities of the annual fundraiser for the Rickwood Museum... he arranged for me to attend a Red Sox game... and got them to post the welcoming on the scoreboard for me.

He also got me a Boston Red Sox cap.

EC is one lucky guy.

[Eugene Church]

Wednesday, July 15, 2070

RU ALL-STARS TAME TU ALL-STARS IN 70TH IPA ALL-STAR CLASSIC
The Ruthlandian Union All-Stars have not fared very well in the annual game, but they prevailed this year with a 5-1 victory in Rolling Hills at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds.

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Monday, September 1, 2070

JUST 4 IPA DIVISIONS IN DOUBT GOING INTO SEPTEMBER
Not a lot of nailbiting races in the Islandian Pro Alliance this season... it's the final month of the season and defending IPA Pro Cup champion Rolling Hills is once again having its way in the Tycobbian West Division by a massive margin (11 and a half games)... Turon is a good bet to prevail in the Tycobbian South (7 and a half games)... same thing for the Valmara Vipers in the Ruthlandian North (7 games)... ditto for the Volusia Vigilantes (6 games), the best in the Ruthlandian West Division.

But all is not yet definitely decided... Red Bluff only has a game and a half edge over Tuckanarra in the Tycobbian East... Wynnamac is still in some jeopardy in the Ruthlandian East... Marston is just 3 and a half games back... Valka still hasn't shaken off the sniping Belair Beach Sunbirds, who are trailing by 4 and a half games... and White River is in front of the Hartsdale Hellcats by a scant 5 games.

After what happened last September in the final month of the season, when Red Bluff blew an impossible 8-game lead to South Fork in the TU East, anything is possible... Valmara, Volusia and Turon should be somewhat wary... the LaGrange Gators, Stoner Silver Sox and the Summerland Sunsets are still alive and kicking with a slim shot at the pennant and the playoffs.

[Eugene Church]

[jg2977]

How do you get to that particular standings screen? I know that you showed me once before but I don't remember.

Never mind, I found it

[Eugene Church]

Monday, September 29, 2070

6 DIVISION CHAMPS ROMP TO IPA TITLES... BELAIR BEACH AND RED BLUFF SWEAT TO THE END
The 70th season of the Islandian Pro Alliance did not play out according to predictions... only two of the division favorites did what the pundits prognosticated... as forecast, reigning Pro Cup titlist Rolling Hills and Red Bluff both captured their pennant races... dark horses like Valmara, Belair Beach, Volusia and White River were pleasant surprises... and well-thought of contenders Wynnamac and Turon came through with slight upsets in their divisions... there will be a few new names in the Pro Cup playoffs this season... Belair Beach will be appearing for the first time in 23 years... the Sunbirds last made the postseason in 2047... after missing the playoffs for a decade, Turon and Volusia are returning... there are still a lot of old familiar names that will once again be contesting for the overall Islandian Pro Alliance crown.

Valmara (97-57) was not highly-thought of in the Ruthlandian North, but the Vipers after a slow start in April, took charge in August and won going away by 13 games, leaving second place LaGrange (84-70) and Ranford (84-70) in their dust... an infusion of productive rookies made the difference... defending champ and this year's favorite Taranto (81-73) was in the race until late summer, then faltered down to the fourth spot... Far Mountain (69-85) was expected to challenge, but flopped badly this year, winding up in sixth place, 28 GB... Valmara will be making its record-setting 27th appearance in the IPA playoffs... Rolling Hills and Turon are tied for the runner-up spot... the Racers and Typhoons are in the postseason playoffs for the 22nd time in their histories.

The Ruthlandian South pennant chase was a spine-chilling thriller between the Belair Beach Sunbirds (91-63) and the Valka Blackhawks (90-64), two pennant-hungry aspirants... it was torrid finish with the battle going down to the final day of the season with the Sunbirds flying just a wee bit higher than the high-flying Blackhawks... the RU South was forecast to be a wide-open race between favored St. John (79-75), perpetual winner and defending champion Claxton (76-78), Crystal Lake (78-76) and Belair Beach and Valka... the Blackhawks opened up a good lead at the end of June and held it until the middle of September when the Sunbirds passed them in a late-season surge... all of the other challengers except Belair Beach had fallen to wayside by the first of July... it was a tough loss for Valka... the Blackhawks have only won 5 pennants, the last one came in 2054... going into September Valka led Belair Beach by 4 and a half games... Claxton lost the division flag for the first time in 8 seasons.

From the git-go the Wynnamac Sundowners (99-55) showed their stuff and took command... only Marston (87-67) pressured them at all during the campaign... the Nine were a slight favorite to take the Ruthlandian East crown this year like they had in three of the past five seasons... the Macs built up a comfortable lead by June... then Marston put some pressure on them halfway through the season, trailing by 3 games... they remained fairly close until August... but the Nine floundered badly in September and fell completely out of the race... the Sundowners won handily down the stretch with nobody in sight... Wynnamac posted the best record in the Ruthlandian Union and the second best overall... only Rolling Hills with 101 victories outperformed them... the third place Eastshore Cotton Kings (85-69) and fourth place Elnora Clippers (83-71) had good seasons, but fell out of the hunt at midseason... it was only a two-team race in the Ruthlandian East this year.

The best this season in the Ruthlandian West Division was the Volusia Vigilantes (94-60), who led start-to-finish... the V's were were overlooked by the pollsters... they were picked a distant fourth in the pennant chase... Volusia won it with superior pitching, the best in the IPA... they topped everyone with a splendid 2.82 ERA... a good influx of rookies gave them a big boost to the season... the Vigilantes pulled away from the pack by August and handily captured the RU West flag by 9 games over the Rocky Rapids Snappers (85-69)... unheralded Stoner (84-70) wound up in third place... preseason pick Forest City (80-74) came in fourth... defending champion and perennial power Sligo (75-79) slipped badly this year to sixth place, 19 GB... it was the Rovers' first-losing season since 2052... they had won 6 pennants during that time and finished in second place 10 times... third place was Sligo's worst finish and that only happened one time in the 19 years.

Right up there with the rise of Valmara and Volusia were the White River Rascals (96-58), who shot up out of nowhere and easily snatched the Tycobbian North from habitual past winners Hartsdale (84-70) and Oxford (80-74)... by midseason the race was over... only the Hellcats offered any kind of resistance, rarely coming within 8 games of first place in the final three months... the Rascals were far-and-away the best team, winning the TU North by 12 games... White River did it with strong pitching... they paced the Tycobbian Union with an impressive 2.87 ERA, second-best to Volusia's 2.82 ERA, which was tops overall in the entire IPA... the Luxora Zorros were favored in the preseason poll to take the TU North... the Z's languished in sixth place most of the season... never challenged whatsoever... second choice Mahaska (76-78) never did much either, winding up in the fifth spot in the standings.

Proverbial power Southport (88-66) was the chosen team in the preseason poll to again come home the winner in the Tycobbian South race... the Sun Sox had won it four times in the previous six seasons and had even captured two cherished Pro Cups... according to the baseball gurus Southport was only going to get token competition from the Turon Typhoons (99-55)... no other TU South teams were in the proverbial ballpark so to speak... it was only a close race for the first month of the season with even the last-place teams only 6 games off the pace of first-place Turon... by June only second place Summerland was within 10 games of the Typhoons... the Sunsets clung closely in July and August, just 3-4 games behind, however, they wilted in the final two months and lost the TU North by 7 games... favored Southport slumbered under .500 until midyear, but the Sun Sox finally did get it into gear and wound up the year 22 games better than the .500 mark, but it was too little, too late to catch Turon and Summerland... at season's end Southport came in third, 11 games off the pace.

In the preseason fortune-telling, Red Bluff (93-61) was supposed to rout all comers in the Tycobbian East Division and win it by a double-digit margin... after all was said-and-done, the Red Sox did rampage past all comers and win it by double digits, except for the valiant Tuckanarra Tiger Cats (91-63), who stuck it out the entire season, only to fall 2 games short in a torrid race... it was a 5-team tangle for the first four months of the season between Red Bluff, Tuckanarra, South Fork, High Mesa and Hillsboro... only 4 games separated them heading into August... the Stallions, Mustangs and Blazers couldn't stand the heat of the pennant race and dropped out of the running during the month... but, lo and behold, the Tucks hung in all the way fighting the Red Sox tooth-and-nail down to the last two days of the regular season... Red Bluff blew the pennant a year ago in a total collapse, but not this year... the Red Sox beat out a tough band of Tiger Cats to cop the TU East crown... both Red Bluff and Tuckanarra won with solid pitching... the Red Sox defense may have made the difference... they were the best defenders in the Tycobbian Union.

And now for the Tycobbian West Division... what can you say about the Rolling Hills Racers (101-53) that hasn't been said or written over the last dozen seasons?... this is the amazing 11th straight year the aging Racers have won the TU West... and they just may haul in their second Pro Cup in a row this season, win an unprecedented 8th IPA Pro Cup trophy in the team's history and the 5th in the last decade... Rolling Hills has had an amazing decade of dominance... except for a couple of days in April, the Racers have rolled through the entire season in the top spot in the TU West standings... Denton City (89-65) stayed right with them for a month or so, but slowly drifted behind in the race... La Claire (90-64) joined the fray at midseason... the Redbirds and Lynx were just 3 and a half games out on July 1st... the rest of the teams were double-digits back... by August 1st Rolling Hills is rolling on all cylinders and has upped their lead to 6 and a half games over La Claire and by 9 and a half games over Denton City... the TU West is pretty much decided... by September the Racers enjoy an 11-game and 14-game bulge over the Lynx and Redbirds... the season is over... Rolling Hills has won again by a wide margin, finishing 11 ahead of La Claire and 12 games better than Denton City... how have the fantastic Racers done this? --- with their high-octane arsenal --- they just outscore the opposition... that is what they have done this year and all of the previous years... Rolling Hills put 902 runs on the scoreboard... Elnora was second best in the IPA with 882, followed by Kenwood with 839 and Belle Plaine with 831 runs... the Racers are not bad on the mound either with a 3.59 ERA, 9th best in the Tycobbian Union... Tuckanarra stayed in the race with its fine pitching staff (3.07 ERA)... and Denton City depended on its bats and 821 runs scored to challenge Rolling Hills... the sands of time are flowing faster than ever in the Racers' hourglass... 7 players are into their 30s, far past their primes, but the old guys are still rolling along and still winning games, pennants and Pro Cups in record numbers.

[Eugene Church]

[jg2977]

Rooting for Rolling Hills to bring home another Pro Cup trophy! Please don't let the Red Sox win.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Rooting for Rolling Hills to bring home another Pro Cup trophy! Please don't let the Red Sox win.

In the Tycobbian Union I suspect Turon will be Rolling Hills' main nemesis... the Typhoons are well-balanced with solid hitting and solid pitching... fine defense, too... Turon also beat out Southport, long a team tough on Rolling Hills... Red Bluff has the pitching and strong defense, but no offense... White River combines fine pitching with home-run power and good defense... that's a good playoff formula for success... Rolling Hills can score, has quality pitching that doesn't give up home runs, but has shaky defense.

It looks like a wide-open affair in the Ruthlandian Union... all four clubs look pretty even... Volusia has the best pitching... Wynnamac and Valmara have the best offense... Belair Beach may be the weakest of the four... however, the Sunbirds played in a division with the Claxton Diamonds, a team that has fared well in the playoffs in the last decade... none of the teams play defense very well... Volusia doesn't give up a lot of home runs... that's a big plus.

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

In the Tycobbian Union I suspect Turon will be Rolling Hills' main nemesis... the Typhoons are well-balanced with solid hitting and solid pitching... fine defense, too... Turon also beat out Southport, long a team tough on Rolling Hills... Red Bluff has the pitching and strong defense, but no offense... White River combines fine pitching with home-run power and good defense... that's a good playoff formula for success... Rolling Hills can score, has quality pitching that doesn't give up home runs, but has shaky defense.

It looks like a wide-open affair in the Ruthlandian Union... all four clubs look pretty even... Volusia has the best pitching... Wynnamac and Valmara have the best offense... Belair Beach may be the weakest of the four... however, the Sunbirds played in a division with the Claxton Diamonds, a team that has fared well in the playoffs in the last decade... none of the teams play defense very well... Volusia doesn't give up a lot of home runs... that's a big plus.

Sounds like it will be an incredibly exciting postseason!