ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

Ruthlandian Union

[Eugene Church]

Monday, October 28, 2082

TYCOBBIAN UNION
TU North
HELLCATS STARTED SLOW; WOUND UP WAY AHEAD IN TU NORTH
For the fourth time in eight seasons Hartsdale (97-57) is the best team in the TU North. Picked to come in fourth in the pennant race, the Hellcats took off like a cat out of hell in June and ended up an easy winner. Second place Fairfax wound up a whopping 12 games behind. The Frogs made a good race of it until August when they went on the blink and dropped completely out of contention. Defending champion White River (81-73) came in far back in the third spot, 16 GB. Luxora (73-81), the preseason choice, was never in the race and finished in fifth place, trailing by 24 games.

TU South
'CANES CLAIM 2ND STRAIGHT TU SOUTH CROWN WITH 2ND HALF COMEBACK
After four decades of frustration, the Cape Coral Hurricanes (89-65) are enjoying their second straight season of success with another Tycobbian South title. But it was not easy -- the 'Canes trailed perennial power Turon (87-67) by almost 10 games at midseason. Then the Hurricanes began to regain strength in the hot summer months and cut the Typhoons' margin to a paltry one and a half games going into September. Cape Coral went 13-11 down the stretch, while Turon slumped to 8-15. The Hurricanes eventually prevailed in the pennant race by a scant 2 games. Three other clubs contested during the year. Southport (83-71) and Ginza (83-71) winded up in a third-place tie, 6 GB, while Summerland (82-72) was fifth, 7 games off the pace. Cape Coral was forecast to win a very close four-team race.

TU East
NATS NAB TU EAST TITLE IN CLOSE RACE WITH STALLIONS AND PANTHERS; 1ST FLAG SINCE 2041
Ozarka and last year's winner East Point were supposed to duke it out for the Tycobbian East flag this year in the preseason prognostications, but it turned out to be harder than that. In all, five challengers made the race at various times in the year. South Fork, Midway and High Mesa also made their presence known. In September it came down to four clubs. Ozarka went 14-8 and held off second place South Fork by 3 games and East Point by 4 games. The Stallions finished strongly with a 16-7 mark. So did the Panthers at 15-10. The Wolves were a poor 10-14 and fell out of the chase.

TU West
KENWOOD DETHRONES PRO CUP KING ROLLING HILLS IN TU WEST
Rolling Hills' (79-75) perennial rival in the Tycobbian West, the Kenwood Wildcats (90-64), did them in again this year, spoiling the Racers' hopes for a repeat Pro Cup Trophy. Rolling Hills has won 4 of the last 8 flags and 2 of the last 3 Pro Cups, while Kenwood has taken 3 of the last 5 crowns. This year Bayview (79-75) was the number-one pick in the preseason poll, however, the Vikings never really were in the race and wound up tied for third place with the Rolling Hills (79-75) and Arlon (79-75) 11 games behind. The Wildcats were rated the third-best club in the early-season voting. As it turned out the seventh choice, the Denton City Redbirds, put up the best fight. They ended up 6 games behind the pennant-winning Wildcats. Kenwood took command of the race from Rolling Hills and Denton City in August and were never seriously challenged the rest of the way.

2082 Tycobbian Union Final Standings

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 29, 2082

PRO CUP PLAYOFFS START TODAY ALL ACROSS THE ISLANDS; SKIPPERS AND HELLCATS FORECAST TO MEET IN FINALS
And away we go! It's Pro Cup Playoff Time in Islandia!
North, South, East or West, no matter where you go, the IPA playoffs will be there. From Hartsdale in the North to Kenwood in the West to Elnora in the East and way down
yonder in the South to Cape Coral and all points in between, there will be baseball at its best in the Islandian Pro Alliance.

Let the Games Begin!
In the Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series #1-ranked Crystal Lake (96-58) will be at home against #6 LaGrange (86-68) and #3 Forest City (94-60) will welcome #8 Elnora (88-66).
In the Tycobbian Union Elite 8 it will be #2 Hartsdale (97-57) hosting #5 Cape Coral (89-65) and #7 Kenwood (90-64) traveling to #4 Ozarka (93-61).


Let's take a tour around the towns.

CRYSTAL LAKE SKIPPERS
(aka Crushers 2002-2051)

Owner: Flood Family Casino Enterprises
GM/Manager: Duncan Welch

Crystal Lake is the largest lake in Ruthlandia, situated in the southeastern corner of the country. The town, Crystal Lake, is located on a spit of land at the southwestern corner of the lake from which it got its name. Crystal Lake is south of Valka and just 25 miles across the lake. Belair Beach, San Dimas and Grand City are also close by. Crystal Lake is a polyglot town of 77,000 people who march to the beat of a different drummer.

Crystal Lake is best known for its liberal politics. Think of San Francisco in the United States for a comparable culture. Environmentalists, Jesus Freaks, Rock 'n' Roll enthusiasts in a fairly free society. Locals claim they are not liberal, they are libertarians. Critics counter that residents aren't libertarians, they are libertines. European tourists compare the town to Amsterdam, but not quite as notoriously liberal.

One thing for sure Crystal Lake is a mecca for tourism. It's a wide-open city where anything goes. It's a party-goers' paradise.

The lowlands around the town are more properly classified as bogs. Glacial activity 10,000 years ago scooped out what would become Crystal Lake and dumped quite a moraine when retreating, forming the land that was settled in the late 1800's. The area never really did grow population-wise because of the swampy terrain.

That's all changed. Crystal Lake was a planned town and came into being in the early 1920s when John William Flood began developing it. It was intended to be a summer resort getaway for the wealthy to escape the dog days of summer before the invention of air conditioning. It is laid out on a grid with north-south streets given names based on trees in alphabetical order (Aspen, Birch, Cedar...) and east-west streets given numbers (First, Second, Third...) and called avenues. Crystal Lake has always been a footloose and fun-loving town. In the 1920s, during the brief Ruthlandian prohibition experiment, they ran speakeasys and night clubs. In the 1950s, they built casinos. Present day Crystal Lake is a little Las Vegas. It's a party place. A tourist's paradise with little or no industry.

Getting around Crystal Lake is pretty easy to do. The town was built around an electric traction trolley system that takes people everywhere. The town never adapted to the automobile, which is practically prohibited by ordinance today. It is a biker and walking society, that espouses pollution-free air, exercise, health, tofu and tai chi.

The baseball team has been in business in some form for more than 150 years. The original team name was the Crushers. It comes from a 1921 letter from the team owner to his manager on his vision for building the club. John William Flood wrote to the first ball field manager Andy Capson: "I don't like watching a bunch of dandies or young boys prancing around the basepaths like thieving fools. Bunting is for the birds. I want to see real men crush the ball."

Hence, the Crushers were born.

John William Flood VI owns the team now. His dad changed the team name to Skippers in the 2052 season. John William makes his money in the casino business and is rather indifferent about day-to-day baseball operations. Since he's getting up in age, he has been concerned about his legacy. He's been examining the Green Bay Packers business model closely and is seriously considering willing the club to the people of Crystal Lake.

The Floods have always been shady characters. John William Flood II was considered a scamp, regularly testing the will of the ABA commissioner in the days of the company leagues. John William Flood III was too busy developing real estate to break the rules like his ancestors did. The team had and deserved its somewhat unsavory reputation in the amateur league days.

The famed Islandian slugger, Herman "Baby" George, the most prolific home run hitter in the annals of Islandian amateur leagues, was the first manager of the Crystal Lake Crushers. When it comes to hitting a baseball, Baby George is "Mr. Baseball" in the Islands. There has never been anyone quite like him. George was a bon vivant and literally in a class by himself. George began as a pitcher and was a very good one, but his hitting prowess soon converted him into a fulltime position player. He holds the all-time career homer mark in the industrial leagues. He turned out to be a pretty darn good manager, too. And the fans loved him in Crystal Lake for his savoie-faire attitude and his 2 Pro Cup Trophies.

George retired at age 90 in 2047 and turned the GM and managerial reins over to Duncan Welch, who starred for the Crushers from 2017 to 2029, helping them win 6 pennants and 2 Pro Cups (2020 and 2022). In 20 seasons Welch was a career 350-255 with a terrific 2.78 ERA. He was especially good in the postseason, compiling a superb 17-5 mark with a 2.50 ERA in 27 starts. Welch was elected to the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame in 2056. He skippered the club for 15 seasons, won 2 pennants in '58 and '59 and even nabbed the 2058 Pro Cup Trophy, the third time in the team's history.

Paul Dillon is the present manager of the Skippers. He replaced Welch in 1963. Dillon was quite a hitter in his 18 years with the club with a lifetime .323 BA, 2850 hits, 170 homers, 1215 RBIs and 1410 runs scored with 413 stolen bases... Dillon was a 3-time All-Star and the 2034 Rookie of the Year. He took over in 2063 for Duncan. Dillon only had modest success in his first decade as skipper. But things really starting popping in 2074 with the Pro Cup title, the fourth IPA championship in the club's history. Crystal Lake has won the RU South the last 4 seasons.

The Crystal Lake Crushers amateur and industrial teams played in John William Flood Stadium in the 1920s. The name was shortened to JWF Stadium by the press and the public over the years. A new ballpark, Lakefront Stadium, was built in 1985 by the town council.

Lakefront Stadium is located right at the water's edge on Crystal Lake. Fans get a magnificent view of the lake. On game days, the best way to get to the ball park is by taking The Traction, an ultra-modern subway system to the stadium or by sailing up to the Crystal Lake Marina.

The food is typical baseball fare that tries to cater to both tourists and to the whole Earth Day crowd. The hot dog is a foot-long kosher dog served on a dark brown wheat roll. The beers are local microbrews and all claim to be genetically-modified organism free. In his day Baby George was known to enjoy a lot of hot dogs and a few refreshing brews during the games.

Lakefront Stadium (1985)
Capacity: 10,500

Dimensions:

Left Field Line - 340'
Left Field - 370'
Left Center - 405'
Center Field - 400'
Right Center - 381'
Right Field - 370'
Right Field Line - 340'

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

LAGRANGE GATORS
(aka SPORTS 2002-2059)

Owner: Foxy Jamison Sports
Manager: Antoine Robicheaux (2077)

LaGrange, with 65,000 residents, is found in the sparse and craggy foothills of the Appian Mountains in northeastern Ruthlandia. LaGrange is a very modern and up-to-date town with its main industries being silver and gold mining (some of the world’s richest reserves) and forestry and associated paper production industries. LaGrange was the second settlement in the country, populated by French Acadians during the 1850’s gold rush. Cajun French and English are spoken here.

The LaGrange Sports Baseball Club was the second amateur team in Ruthlandia. Marston was the first. LaGrange was originally called the Sports, but was renamed the Gators in 2060. LaGrange plays in the Ruthlandian North Division.

They play their games at the old Sports Stadium, now aptly called The Swamp, which has the town’s impressive skyline visible in the distance beyond the outfield walls. There’s a lot of fine food, fun, and frolic at The Swamp with great Cajun food and great Cajun music. A Zydeco band plays at every game. At the seventh inning stretch, “Take me out to the ballgame” is sung first in English and then in Cajun French. And throughout the game Cajun yells of “aaahh-eeeee” (exclamation of joy) and “laissez le bon temps rouler” (“let the good times roll”) can be heard cheering the home club to victory.

Mouthwatering Cajun cuisine can be sampled at the concession stands. Seafood and okra gumbo, jambalaya and crawfish pies are in abundance along with the most delicious bread pudding, café brulot (orange and spice flavored coffee) and crème brulet (superb custard dessert) in the world, too, mes amis (“my friends”).

The LaGrange Sports are owned by the family of one of the all-time great sluggers and first basemen in Ruthlandian company league circles, Foxy Jemison. He got his start in lumber mills, played ball for the company team, made a name for himself, moved up in the company hierarchy until he ended up owning it. Jemison sponsored a company team for years and worked hard to get a team in the IPA. Jemison managed the team through the 2026 season when longtime IPA superstar and Hall-of-Famer Quincy Peterson replaced him as the skipper of the Sports. It's a good thing that Jemison owned the team. He only made the playoffs one time in 2008 and posted only 7 winning seasons.

Peterson played the outfield and was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2027. He played in 3087 games in 22 seasons, the last 15 of them in LaGrange. Peterson had a career .294 BA with 3514 hits, 565 homers, 1956 RBIs and 2029 runs. Peterson was a 6-time All-Star and 4-time Golden Glover... the team won 5 Ruthlandian North pennants under Peterson... he retired as manager after the 2057 season and was succeeded by current skipper John Rodgers, who played for LaGrange from 2038 until 2053.

Rodgers was a 5-time All-Star and 2-time Gold Glove shortstop, batting .293 lifetime with 343 roundtrippers and 1337 RBIs. Rodgers copped 3 pennants since taking over in 2058. He was forced to step down after the 2076 season after a string of poor seasons and was replaced by Antoine Robicheaux, who only played 6 years in the IPA, chalking up a 33-19 record with a 3.91 ERA from 2067 to 2071. After a terrible first year, Robicheaux had turned it around for the Gators and made them into a contender. LaGrange has won two pennants in a row.

The Swamp (2001)
Capacity: 10,732

Dimensions:
LF Line 325
LF 345
LCF 400
CF 400
RCF 400
RF 345
RF Line 325

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

ELNORA CLIPPERS
(aka ALL-STARS 2001-2059)

Owner: Costanza Investments, Inc.
General Manager and Manager: Enos Conrad

Elnora, population 101,000, is a port city at the edge of the Great Plains on the east coast of Ruthlandia near the Valerian Ocean. It is one of the earliest settlements in the Islands. Elnora is the site of grain processing plants, vast wheat fields and shipping docks.

It was the home of the first amateur teams formed by companies and commercial enterprises in the 1920s. Players were given jobs by the companies and then given ample time off to practice their skills and to play games to publicize the companies' wares, services and products to the baseball fans of Ruthlandia.

The Elnora All-Stars were first owned by a wealthy eccentric by the name of George Costanza. He made a fortune in reality television with a show "about nothing". Yep, "about nothing'. In 2000, Costanza jumped at the chance to get a franchise in the Islandian Pro Alliance and immediately began signing up all of the amateur all-stars and named his team the All-Stars. But IPA commissioner, John Banson, refused to approve the contracts. Costanza had to go through the league draft to get his players like all of the other teams. Costanza appealed it all the way to the Islandian Supreme Court, but the league prevailed.

Elnora plays in the Ruthlandian Union and is in the East Division. Elnora rebranded as the Clippers in 2060. They play at State Fair Park, which is the site of the Ruthlandian State Fair each year. It is the largest midway and carnival in the Islands. State Fair Park is known for serving great soups, made by the famous Elaine Benes Soup Company. Costanza imported a renowned and sometimes difficult chef from Argentina to manage his concessions. In addition to traditional baseball foods, wonderful soups like mulligatawny, turkey chili, crab bisque, cold cucumber, corn and crab chowder are served up at the ballpark. A word of warning, don't ask for bread. Back in the early days of Elnora baseball that Chef demanded that all customers in his restaurant follow his meticulous (and seemingly arbitrary) soup-ordering instructions to the letter, lest they be refused service by his insistent avowal, "No soup for you!"

Costanza did go out and get a great manager for the original All-Stars. He hired one of the most successful industrial league manager in Ruthlandian baseball history, Zoggy White. He was only a semi-mediocre outfielder, but really made his mark as a manager. In reference to his success as a player versus his success as a manager, White once said, "Baseball has been good to me since I quit trying to play it." His style of play, which was nicknamed "Whiteyball," concentrates on pitching, speed, and defense to win games rather than home runs. White's baseball philosophy also includes a preference for patient hitters with high on-base percentages. White retired in 2026 after 27 seasons at the helm and took over as general manager. His success in the amateur leagues didn't transfer to the IPA as White only managed 3 pennants and 5 playoff appearances in his tenure.

Leon Carter took the reins from White in 2027. Carter was a 7-time All-Star catcher for Elnora from 2013 to 2026. He finished his career with a lifetime .287 BA , 284 homers and over 1000 RBIs... Carter initially had success as the Elnora skipper... he won four pennants in his first decade, including the Pro Cup in 2033. His next decade was pretty good with six first-division finishes, however the All-Stars went into a decline and Carter was finally replaced by Stan Kivas in 2052.

Kivas was a pretty darn good starter from 2033 to 2048 for the All-Stars, posting a 237-203 mark with a 3.45 ERA. As a 23-year-old rookie reliever in 2033, Kivas played a part in Elnora's only IPA Pro Cup victory, posting a fine 1.42 ERA in 9 relief appearances with three saves. As the new manager and GM Kivas made a dazzling debut. He cleaned house his first year with 17 rookies on the roster and wound up in third place in the RU East standings. The Clippers did well under Kivas consistently finishing in the Ruthlandian East first division. They won 3 pennants over the next decade. However, the team declined his last three seasons and he was replaced by Enos Conrad in 1968.

Enos Conrad was an outfielder for 16 seasons (2036-2051) with the All-Stars and quite a contact hitter. He batted .333 lifetime with 2308 hits. Conrad won two RU batting titles, hitting .391 in 2041 and .369 in 2042. He was a 3-time All-Star and won the Ruthlandian Golden Bat in '41. Early in his tenure Conrad has had only mediocre success. However he was won 3 pennants in the last 6 years. He is also the General Manager. Next season pitcher Hamilton Burger, just 30 years old, will take the reins. Conrad has groomed him as his replacement. He will be unique in the IPA. He and Rolling Hills' Hugo Sutton are the only player-managers.

State Fair Park (1971)
Capacity: 12,500

Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 335
Left Field - 370
Left Center - 399
Center Field - 415
Right Center - 399
Right Field - 370
Right Field Line - 335

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

FOREST CITY FIREBIRDS
(aka LUMBERJACKS 2001-2051)

Owner: Jackson Investments, Jackie Jackson II, President and CEO
General Manager: Rich Barstow

Forest City is the capital of Ruthlandia and the second largest town in the Islands with a population of 125,000. The town was settled by a group of American abolitionists from the North and the South, who foresaw the coming Civil War and decided to emigrate to Ruthlandia and Tycobbia and establish countries free from the rigors of slavery and religious intolerance. It was one of the earliest settlements because of the access to timber and its strategic location near the intersection of the Green River and the Silver River in the central part of the country.

The beautiful Green River emanates out of the Appian Mountains in the north near Far Mountain (ski resort), runs south throught Rocky Rapids (lumber, grain and transportation center) in the western foothills and plains, flows through Forest City, then winds its way past agrarian Middlefield and Sugar Valley in the fertile southern lowlands and finally empties into Belair Bay and the Southern Sea at the bayside resort and shipping center, Belair Beach.

The Silver River originates in its namesake, the Silver Mountains, which form the western border of Ruthlandia. It travels eastward through Volusia in the western foothills (silver mining and timber interests) and merges with the Green River at Forest City.

The Ruthlandian capital is an old town with buildings and homes that go back a hundred years or more. It is rare that the town planning commission allows much in the way of a modern building. It is noted for being the seat of the Federal government, for banking, commerce, railroads, steel, advertising, autos, paper and lumber industries and also the home of the Forest City Firebirds. The club updated its nickname from the Lumberjacks in 2060... Forest City was originally called the Lumberjacks to honor the forest industry, one of the first major industries in the Islands.

Forest City is in the Ruthlandian Union's West Division. The Firebirds play their games at old and quaint Riverside Stadium (circa 1915), right on the riverbanks with a wonderful view of the Silver River just beyond the left and center field fences. Across the river in the distance the fans can see the main part of town. Hot and freshly fried river catfish is a house speciality at Riverside, along with traditional ballpark fare.

Forest City is owned and operated by the Rob Jackson family. Jackson was also GM and Manager in the early years of the club. Jackson was a four-letter man in college, excelling in baseball, football, basketball and track. He played many years in the industrial league for one of the biggest banks in the Islands. When his playing days were over, he went to work for the bank, managed its company team, moved up in the banking ladder and eventually became its president and chief administrative officer. He then expanded to professional baseball and was one of the prime originators of the Islandian Pro Alliance. He joined with good baseball men like John Banson (IPA creator and commissioner), Manny Earl of the Sugar Valley Rattlers and Rip Calkin of the La Claire Lynx to create the first professional baseball league in the Islands.

Multi-millionaires also were involved and provided the needed finances to establish the league. Men like Jock Ewing of the Waleska Westerners, Brent Steiner of the Bayview Vikings, Jorge Trujillo of the Belair Beach Sunbirds, jazz great, Louis "Sugar Lips" Charles of the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers and rock 'n' roll superstar, Conway Birdie of the Cape Coral Hurricanes.

Jackie Jackson II is the current CEO of Jackson Investments and is in charge of team operations. He never played in the IPA. However, his father Jackie Jackson was a solid second baseman for Forest City Lumberjacks from 2023 to 2030. His last 10 seasons were spent with Colchester and Belair Beach. Yep, his dad Rob traded him when he demanded too much money. Jackie Jackson retired at age 35 in 2038 and became the Lumberjacks skipper in 2039. Jackson didn't have much success in his managerial role. He only had 2 winning years. As a player Jackson had a lifetime .284 BA with 2172 hits, 165 HRs, 1122 runs and 869 RBIs. His older brother Rob, Junior also played shortstop with the 'Jacks from 2022 to 2033 and had a modest career batting .248 with 53 roundtrippers and 397 RBIs.

After Jackie Jackson was demoted as manager and promoted to GM, Rich Barstow was the Forest City skipper from 2046 to 2067. Barstow toiled for a mediocre club for years and is the all-time leader in victories. Barstow put up a 260-295 record with a respectable 3.79 ERA. He played for the 'Jacks from 2027 to 2046. In his second season in 2048 Barstow led the Lumberjacks to the playoffs for the first time in 45 years. Their only other postseason appearance was way back in 2003 under Rob Jackson.

Randy Snow, a solid outfielder for the Firebirds from 2052 to 2064, succeeded Barstow in 2068 and enjoyed great success by winning the Ruthlandian West crown in his first season... Snow batted .297 in his career with 301 homers, 1060 ribbies and 1003 runs scored.
ut up a 260-295 record with a respectable 3.79 ERA. He played for the 'Jacks from 2027 to 2046. In his second season in 2048 Barstow led the Lumberjacks to the playoffs for the first time in 45 years. Their only other postseason appearance was way back in 2003 under Rob Jackson.

Randy Snow, a solid outfielder for the Firebirds from 2052 to 2064, succeeded Barstow in 2068 and enjoyed great success by winning the Ruthlandian West crown in his first season... Snow batted .297 in his career with 301 homers, 1060 ribbies and 1003 runs scored.

Riverside Stadium (1915)
Capacity: 14,780
Dimensions:

LF Line 332
LF 360
LC 388
CF 400
RCF 381
RF 350
RF Line 325

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Cape Coral Hurricanes

Owner: The Bird Foundation
GM/Manager: Pieter Eikenboom

Cape Coral is a town of 112,000 on the northshore of Arvonian Island, jutting out into Belair Bay. Arvonian Island is bordered on three sides by the Southern Sea. Cape Coral was settled at various times by the Spanish, Dutch and English with the English taking preeminence when tourism became the main economic focus.

It is a resort area famous for great weather year round in idyllic tropical surroundings. Serene sky blue waters with magnificent sunsets, white, glistening beaches, luxury hotels, night clubs, legendary entertainers and retirement communities. It is a place to be pampered.

It is also known for an occasional tropical storm or hurricane spawned out of the warm tropical currents of the Southern Sea. Hence, the Cape Coral baseball team in the IPA's Tycobbian Union is nicknamed the Hurricanes. They play at Seaside Stadium, which has an eyecatching view of Belair Bay. Some of the myriad of magnificent hotels and casinos can also be seen rising up in grandeur over the island landscape.

Seaside Stadium is known for its exotic beverages and gourmet fare fit for a king. Every fan treasures the house speciality, "The Hurricane", a fantastic blend of tropical flavors and liqueurs, served up in a beautiful souvenir glass.The buffet foods make every game very special for the fans and resort visitors. Hot dogs and cokes are available, too, along with the best grilled peanut butter and banana sandwich outside of Memphis, Tennessee.

Music is provided by the Beachcomber Boys, a rock 'n' roll combo. Their version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame" really reverberates, rocks and rolls. One of the Beachcomber Boys, Conway Birdie (old rock 'n' roll star and connoisseur of grilled peanut butter and banana sandwiches) is the proud owner of the Hurricanes. Birdie was instrumental (pun intended) in the creation of the Islandian Pro Alliance along with Jock Ewing of Waleska, John Banson (former amateur and industrial league czar) and Jorge Trujillo of Belair Beach. The old rock 'n' roller was a pretty fair ballplayer in his day, too.

Huggy Miller was the first skipper for the Hurricanes. He really did well at first, making the playoffs 4 times in the his first 6 seasons. Miller was honored as the 2004 Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year. But success didn't last. In his remaining 21 years the 'Canes only won 3 more pennants under Miller. The team finally replaced him with Flipper Bird, who starred for 23 years in the IPA, 14 of them with the Hurricanes.

Bird was fine shortstop with some pop from 2001 to 2023. He slammed 408 homers in his career, while batting .268 for average. He won the TU Rookie of the Year Award in the inaugural IPA season. Bird was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2030. He took over as manager in 2038 and did well. Bird won his only pennant in 2041 and was voted the Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year. For most of his 24 years as skipper there was not a lot of success, but he kept his job out of sentimentality. Bird was a huge fan favorite in Cape Coral. 2 really bad seasons back-to-back did Bird in.

Benton McCall was hired in 2062 and remained until 2078 with little success and no playoff appearances. However, McCall stood out on the mound from 2034 to 2051 recording a 217-194 record and a 3.92 ERA for a lot of bad teams. After 3 atrocious years, he was fired in 2078. Cape Coral fans take a lot, but really bad years can forced a manager out.

Cape Coral turned to catcher Pieter Eikenboom in 2079. Success came immediately. The Hurricanes became instant contenders in the TU South and have won the division flag for the last 2 years. Eikenboom was a standout defender from 2070 to 2080 for Cape Coral with a decent bat and little power, only 24 homers, batting .300 in his 11-year career. He was especially adept at handling pitchers.

Seaside Stadium (1987)

Capacity: 13,100

Dimensions:
LF Line 365
LF 375
LCF 400
CF 390
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 350

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Hartsdale Hellcats

Owner: Pioneer Brewing Company
GM Emeritus: Jud Turchin
GM/Manager: Mark Markis

Hartsdale, with population of about 74,000, is situated on the slopes of the Appian Mountains of Northern Tycobbia. It is a blue-collar, working class town, functional and old-fashioned in architecture. Primary industries are coal and iron ore mining, timber, glassware and beer. The vital Appian River begins in the Appian Mountains near North Hills, travels most of the country from north to south, past Hartsdale to the capital city, La Claire, then finally culminates at Bay St. Clair, a seaport town on the west central coast. The river provides an inexpensive source of transportation and is crucial to Hartsdale’s and Tycobbia’s economies.

Hartsdale is also the home of the Hellcats baseball team of the Islandian Pro Alliance. They are in the Tycobbian Union North Division and play at Pioneer Park. The Pioneer Brewing Company owns the club and is the maker of Tycobbia’s favorite brew, Pioneer Premium Beer. The brewery can be seen just beyond the center and right field fences of Pioneer Park. In fact, the brick walls of the factory form part of the right field bleachers. Company bigwigs can watch the ballgame from their offices.

Hellcats fans take their baseball very seriously and are serious students of the game. It’s baseball, beer and hot dogs in the hearts of the fans -- and the last two are a very distant second. When they go to a game, their eyes stay glued to the action on the field. They are hardcore Hellcats fans, too, and give no breaks or quarter to the opposing team or their fans. Very few visiting fans have the courage to display their loyalties very much in front of the rough and rowdy Hellcats. They get some very hard stares or worse, if they do. The Hartsdalians are tough and demanding on the Hellcats players, too. "We calls them as we sees them". At the traditional seventh-inning stretch each adult is gifted with a small miniature sample of Pioneer Beer and it is used to toast their cherished baseball team as they sing a few bars of “99 bottles of beer on the wall”, followed by “Take me out to the ballgame”. And you can get the best burgers and dogs in Tycobbia, grilled to perfection on the concessions concourse... Beers, burgers and baseball is what you get at Pioneer Park. And it don't get any better than that!

The Hellcats are corporately owned. Zim Donner, a 50-year veteran in amateur and professional baseball, was the first Hellcat skipper in the early days of the Islandian Pro Alliance. He was a fine up-and-coming shortstop until he suffered a couple of beanballs that turned him into just a journeyman infielder. But he is one fine manager and baseball teacher. When he was the manager Donner was known to charge the mound occasionally. The fiery Hellcats fans love him. However, he took them to the postseason 5 times in 25 years. Donner moved upstairs as GM in the late 2020s and made Hall of Fame shortstop Jud Turchin the skipper in 2026. The Hellcats finally won the Pro Cup in 2046 under his leadership. He was a seven-time All-Star in addition to being a Gold Glove fielder, who swung a big bat. In his 21 seasons with Hartsdale (2002-2022) Turchin batted .304 with over 300 homers, 1600 RBIs and 1800 runs scored. He played in 2957 games, collected 3360 hits and was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2036.

The currrent GM and skipper is Mark Markis. He took over from Turchin in 2062. Markis has a unique background. High School and college ball were his only experience and he was just a mediocre or so-so outfielder at best. He never made it to the Islandian Pro Alliance, but Markis is an analytical genius. Turchin hired him to help him evaluate ballplayers. Markis so impressed Turchin over the years that he was given the reins to the ball club. The 'Canes have made the playoffs 8 times and won a Pro Cup in 2063, which was Markis' second season as manager.

Pioneer Park (1954)
Capacity: 10,000

Dimensions:
LF Line 322
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 415
RCT 375
RF 345
RF Line 322

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

KENWOOD WILDCATS

Owner: Kenwood Farmers Co-op
GM/Manager: Josh Hankins

Kenwood, a rustic and rural town of 50,000 located 25 miles off the Kelnyck Ocean in west central Tycobbia, is an agrarian area with little industry. Farms as far as the eye can see dot the landscape. Founded by English and Welsh settlers, life is like merry olde England of a century or two ago. Country inns and pubs with fine ales, fresh trout out of the crystal clear streams or a piece of juicy wild boar or game bird are always on the menu, and you can sample all of the homemade cheeses and wonderfully fresh produce of the region. Corn, wheat, barley and other grains are the main crops; dairy, pork and chicken products are important to the economy, too.

Life is peaceful and sedate in Kenwood, where tradition is important. All new construction in the town has to be approved by the Planning Board. Modern architecture is not permitted in Olde Towne, as the central downtown area is known. All buildings must be designed circa 1850 and fit in with the historic decor of the existing buildings. Even the ballpark where the Kenwood Wildcats play is an old ballpark; the fans wouldn t have it any other way. Olde Towne can be seen over the center field and right field fences and the new part of the town over the left field fence. Olde Towne has a wonderful old-fashioned soda shoppe where you can get homemade ice cream in flavors like orange-pineapple (with bits of pineapple and orange), grape (with real grapes), strawberry (with bits of strawberry), banana (with bits of banana) and vanilla, chocolate and fudge ripple, too. You can even get a dreamsicle (orange and vanilla-flavored), Cherry cokes, vanilla cokes, chocolate cokes and thick shakes, malts, nector ice cream sodas and hamburgers as well. It is a great place to meet after the ballgame.

Olde Towne Grounds is perfect for the Kenwoodians. They are old-fashioned at the ballpark, too, with only cold drinks, ale, hot dogs, hamburgers, peanuts and Crackerjacks and marvelous thick milk shakes made with delicious homemade ice cream at the concession stands. And in keeping with the oldtime flavor of Kenwood, there is live organ music to entertain the fans. Only three other parks boast an organ player; Ozarka, Hillsboro and Marston.

Olde Towne Grounds is is a quaint ballpark with an asymmetrical configuration. The left field line is 380', the same as it is to straightaway center. Right field is more realistic at 350'. It was built in 1911. It's a huge ballpark and hard to send one soaring out of the park very often.

The Kenwood Wildcats are owned by the Kenwood Farmers Co-op. The first general manager and field manager was one of the all-time great home run hitters and outfielders in Tycobbian Industrial League history, Aaron Hankins. He did not have a lot of success as skipper. Only 3 pennants, but he did lead Kenwood to its only Pro Cup Trophy in 2014. After 35 years at the helm, his son, Babe Hankins replaced him as skipper in 2035. Babe was a star outfielder for 13 seasons, batting .304 with 234 homers and 1109 RBIs. Babe Hankins was a 4-time All-Star, 3-time Gold Glove. Babe led the Wildcats to 7 pennants in his 32-year tenure. His son, Josh Hankins, took charge of the team in 2068. Josh never made it to the Islandian Pro Alliance, but he was brought up working in all areas of baseball operations under his granddaddy and father. He is both GM and field manager. The Kenwood Wildcats is a family affair.

Josh Hankins managed the Wildcats until 2075. He was at the helm for 8 seasons and won the pennant in 2073. Overall the team struggled under Josh Hankins. He was "promoted" by the Hankins family to GM in 2075 after a dismal season.

Former pitching star Rusty Bradford took command and he has done well so far with 3 division titles. He starred on the hill for 17 years with Kenwood from 2039 to 2055, posting a fine 260-215 mark with a good and solid 3.42 ERA. Bradford won 20 games on 5 occasions. He is the team's all-time leader in wins. The Wildcats won 7 pennants in Bradford's playing career.

Olde Towne Grounds (1911)
Capacity: 6,115

Dimensions:
LF Line 380
LF 365
LCF 370
CF 380
RCF 365
RF 345
RF Line 350

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

OZARKA NATURALS

Owner: J. R. Ewing Oil Company
GM: Frank Kiffin
Manager: Glen Jenkins

Ozarka, a Silver Mountains resort town of 73,000, is located in south central Tycobbia and near the Caledonia River, which flows southward through Hillsboro, then westward and comes to an end at Turon on the southwest coast. Nestled among scenic forests and outdoor hot springs, Ozarka is host to tourists who come for snow skiing during the winter and boating, swimming, fishing, camping, hiking and hunting the rest of the year. Big time developers have made this a mecca for the rich and famous with luxury hotels and nightclubs that attend to every possible need: hot spring spas and bathhouses, superstar entertainers, magnificent golf courses, gourmet food, art galleries and gift shops. Ozarka is a retirement center, too.

It is also home to the Ozarka Naturals. J. R. Ewing’s father, Jock Ewing, got tired of the incessant sibling quarrels over the operation of the family-owned Waleska Westerners in the Ruthlandian Amateur Association, so he bought the squabbling and combative brothers and club vice-presidents, J. R. and Bobby, their own teams in the IPA. Bobby owns the South Fork Stallions and J. R. has Ozarka, where he is a prime real estate developer. Bobby named his brand new stadium after his dad. Not to be outdone, J. R. named his brand new stadium after his mom, Miss Ellie. So the sibling rivalry continued on and off the field for years. Ellie Ewing Stadium is one of the few parks in baseball that still has a live organ player at each game, which adds a nice nostalgic touch, especially during the seventh inning stretch. Marston, Kenwood and Hillsboro are the other teams that feature a live organist. And at the concessions stands is a succulent gourmet buffet fit for the rich and famous. You will also find all of the traditional baseball fare at a Naturals game.

J. R. Ewing spares no expense when it comes to impressing people and paying his ballplayers. He likes to get his way. He even got the all-time winningest manager in company league history to come out of retirement and take over his team. Joe Mac Carney was the first GM and manager of the Naturals. And he was very well paid, too. And well worth it. Mac Carney made the playoffs 13 times in his 28 seasons, but he never won the Pro Cup. 5 times the Nats lost in the Pro Cup Finals. However, Mac Carney was voted the Tycobbian Union Manager of the Year twice in back-to-back seasons, 2015 and 2016.

The Nats' manager from 2029 to 2052 was Frank Kiffen, who was a fine catcher for Ozarka from 2015 to 2021. Kiffen hit .310 during his IPA career. He was a Ewing family favorite as he married one of the spoiled Ewing offspring. The Kiffen years were mediocre for Ozarka with only 2 pennants, 2030 and 2040. His successor was former star catcher Jaak Pajukivi, who played 9 years for the Naturals from 2036 to 2044. He was a top-notch Gold Glove defender with a .255 lifetime batting average and 200 roundtrippers. His overall career spanned 20 seasons with 3 teams. Pajukivi led the Nats from 2053 to 2061 with only one winning season. He gave way to Glen Jenkins, a crackerjack hurler for the Nats from 2032 to 2047. Jenkins posted a record of 256-198 in his 16 years with an impressive 3.28 ERA. 4 times Jenkins totaled 20 wins. He also married into the Ewing family. During his time as skipper Ozarka has been just a mediocre ballclub. But in the last decade the Naturals have been serious contenders in the TU East. His first division pennant came this year.

Ellie Ewing Stadium (2001)
Capacity: 11,750

Dimensions:
LF Line 350
LF 370
LCF 390
CF 375
RCF 390
RF 370
RF Line 350

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

Tuesday, October 29, 2082

PRO CUP SERIES PICKS: RU CHAMP CRYSTAL LAKE VS TU CHAMP HARTSDALE
The scribes and prognosticators have gotten together, debated, quarreled, scribbled and quibbled at length and finally came to the conclusion that it just might be the Crystal Lake Skippers and the Hartsdale Hellcats vying this year for the beloved 2082 Islandian Pro Cup Trophy. The forecast is for the Skippers to prevail over the Hellcats in a hard-fought 7-game series.

The Islandian Times Tale of the Cities
1. CRYSTAL LAKE SKIPPERS (96-58)
2. Hartsdale Hellcats (97-57)
3. Forest City Firebirds (94-60)
4. Ozarka Naturals (93-61)
5. Cape Coral Hurricanes (89-65)
6. LaGrange Gators (86-68)
7. Kenwood Wildcats (90-64)
8. Elnora Clippers (88-66)

BEST TEAMS
WINS: Hartsdale (97-57)
BA: Cape Coral .278
HR: LaGrange 196
Runs: Hartsdale 766
OBP: Crystal Lake .345
SB: Kenwood 64
ERA: Ozarka 2.95
WHIP: Ozarka 1.22
HRA: Ozarka and Crystal Lake 102
FA: Ozarka and Cape Coral .983

WORST TEAMS
WINS: LaGrange (86-68)
BA: LaGrange .259
HR: Elnora 67
Runs: Elnora 664
OBP: Ozarka .324
SB: LaGrange 23
ERA: LaGrange 3.72
WHIP: LaGrange 1.32
RA: LaGrange 655
HRA: Hartsdale 155
FA: LaGrange .977