ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[jg2977]

Originally Posted by Eugene Church

Yep, I agree with you. It would be nice for the Sunbirds to win the Pro Cup/
They look like the best team in the Ruthlandian Union and have good shot at making the Pro Cup Finals.

However, the Tycobbian Union has four of the five best teams in the Pro Cup playoffs. One of them will probably be the Pro Cup favorite.

Rolling Hills is back in the postseason, yet again. How many times have they made the playoffs now?

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

Rolling Hills is back in the postseason, yet again. How many times have they made the playoffs now?

This will be the Racers' 28th postseason appearance with 10 Pro Cups.

Rolling Hills has the most Pro Cups by far.
Turon is second with 6.
6 teams have won 4 Pro Cups: Southport, North Hills, Crystal Lake, Valmara, South Fork and Wynnamac.

Valmara has the most playoff appearances with 31.
Turon is second with 29.
Rolling Hills is third with 28.

[jg2977]

Thanks for the info, EC. These are my favorite kind of stats!

[Eugene Church]

Monday, September 27, 2083

RACERS, HELLCATS, SUNBIRDS FAVORED IN IPA PRO CUP PLAYOFFS
Here is how the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs will play out according to the postseason pundits' hypotheses. The Islandian Times published its annual playoff scenario predicting the Tycobbian Union title will be decided by #1-ranked Rolling Hills and #2-rated Hartsdale, the Ruthlandian Union will come down to #3 Belair Beach and #6 Wynnamac. The Pro Cup participants will be the Racers and Sunbirds with the overall Pro Cup title bestowed upon Rolling Hills. That's in theory anyway. There is a very good possibility what happens on the diamond may play out differently. Last year the IPA champion was the #7 choice, the Kenwood Wildcats, who defeated the Pro Cup favorite, the Crystal Lake Skippers in 6 games.

THE ISLANDIAN TIMES PRO CUP POLL
1. ROLLING HILLS RACERS (89-65)
2. Hartsdale Hellcats (96-58)
3. Belair Beach Sunbirds (95-59)
4. East Point Panthers (92-62)
5. Colchester Elites (97-57)
6. Wynnamac Sundowners (87-67)
7. Volusia Vigilantes (89-65)
8. Far Mountain Redhawks (88-66)

Rolling Hills Racers Home Page

ROLLING HILLS RACERS (aka REDS 2002-2059)

Owner: Lemroh Meat Company
GM/Manager: Billy Christianson

Rollings Hills has a population of 78,000 and is located in the west central part of Tycobbia and was originally settled by the Kewanna Indians. "kewanna" means "hills that rise and fall" in their language. That is exactly what the landscape looks like here...gentle, rolling hills populated with sporadic groves of birch trees and acre after acre of cattle, dairy, pig, chicken and agricultural farms. Crops include wheat, oats and corn, potatoes and vegetables. In town are the stockyards and meat and grain processing plants. The population is mainly Americans and Brits with only a few Kewannas remaining.

Rolling Hills is an oldtime middle class town with wooden storefronts and bricks streets, lined with gas lamps and pedestrian walkways. No cars are allowed in the midtown area.

It is the home of the Rolling Hills Racers of the IPA's Tycobbian Union West Division. They were the Reds for over 50 years and became the Racers in 2060... The Racers play at the Midtown Base Ball Grounds, a relic from the early days of baseball. Built in 1907, it is surrounded by birchwood trees in a picturesque park area of town, where families can picnic and enjoy strolls, bicycle rides and boat rides on the park ponds, all amid the peaceful shade trees. A quaint aspect of the ballpark is that the power alleys are deeper than center field. They measure 425 feet, while to dead center it is 410 feet. It takes quite a blast for righthanders to get it out -- 350 down the line in left field and 375 in straightaway left. However, the lefthanded hitters love it -- only 320 down the right field line and 350 to straightaway right .

The Lemroh family owns the team as well as being the owners of the stockyards and meat processing plants. The concessions stands are unique in design. There are even soda fountains, complete with stools. They serve up tasty hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, ice cream, sundaes, banana splits, thick shakes and malts.

A Dixieland band provides the music between innings and helps the Rolling Hillians cheer their Racers to victory. Many times throughout the game the fans will dance The Charleston (dance popular in the 1920s). During the seventh-inning stretch you get a rousing Dixieland version of "Take Me Out to the Ballgame".

The first GM and Manager of the Rolling Hills Reds (Racers) was the legendary pitcher, Matty Christianson, one of the most revered players and managers in Tycobbian baseball history. Christianson stood out as a player and manager in the company leagues. When the IPA began play in 2001, Christianson became a vital part of the Rolling Hills franchise. Four times he was named the Tycobbian Manager of the Year. Under his leadership the Reds won 10 TU West flags, made the playoffs 12 times and captured 2 Pro Cups (2029 and 2031). This IPA legend retired after 51 years at the helm. Since Christianson's retirement, his sons Billy and Matthew, have starred for the team. Billy Christianson made the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame in 2049. He was a 6-time All-Star and 5-time Gold Glove winner. In his 20 seasons Christianson had a career batting average of .302 with 258 homers and 3173 hits. At age 38 he retired. Billy has managed the club since 2052. Matthew retired in 2052 after 18 seasons with a fine 292-219 record and an impressive 2.98 ERA. He was a 4-time All-Star. Matthew was the Racers' pitching coach. Billy Christianson won 13 Tycobbian South pennants and 4 Pro Cups (2060, 2062, 2067, 2069)... Billy holds the IPA record with 7 Manager of the Year Awards.

Both Billy and Matthew Christianson retired in 2076. Taking over in 2077 was playing manager Hugo Sutton, longtime center fielder. Sutton was a sure-fire first-ballot IPA Hall of Famer with a .312 career BA, 357 homers and 361 stolen bases in 16 seasons. Sutton retired in 2078 and was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2082.

Midtown Base Ball Grounds (1907)
Capacity: 6,850

Dimensions:
LF Line 350
LF 375
LCF 425
CF 410
RCF 425
RF 350
RF Line 320

[Eugene Church]

Hartsdale Hellcats Home Page

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 only took them to the postseason 5 times in his 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 current 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 Hellcats 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]

Belair Beach Sunbirds Home Page

Belair Beach Sunbirds

Owner: Trujillo Shipyards and Travel Company
GM/Manager: Brock Josephson

Belair Beach is a cosmopolitan resort town of 121,000 with both English and Portuguese officially spoken. It is a bilingual town. A mostly modern, thriving and exciting place to visit or to retire in. It is situated on the Green River delta, where that majestic and vital waterway, that begins in the north in the Appian Mountains near Far Mountain, runs the length of the country and finally empties into Belair Bay on the southwestern coast of Ruthlandia.

Originally settled by the Portuguese, later the Dutch and English, it was the first permanent settlement in the country. Primarily a port with shipping interests, shipbuilding, fishing, seafood processing as well as resort industries. An ideal tropical climate with miles and miles of white sandy beaches and the sparkling turquoise waters of Belair Bay and the Southern Sea make this a vacation paradise.

Luxurious hotels spring up amid the old Gaslight Quarter, where days of yesteryear come alive again as old-fashioned gas lamps glow along the wide brick walkways illuminating charming sidewalk cafes and coffeehouses. It is an entertainment district with a truly eclectic blend of food, fun and culture. Belair Beach is home to a plethora of museums and cultural events. It has the largest zoo and wildlife preserve in Ruthlandia and the Islands with some of the world's rarest animals, including giant pandas and koala bears.

It is also the home of the Belair Beach Sunbirds, named for the many tourists that vacation here year round . The Sunbirds play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the South Division. They play their home games at modernistic Bayside Park, which looks out over the placid and peaceful harbor area. Ballpark concessions include the traditional hot dogs and cokes, but also the wonderful Portuguese dish of paella, a seafood casserole and exotic cocktail concoctions to go with the tapas, which can be described as Spanish hors d'oeuvres or appetizers. The Belair Beach management really pampers the hometown fans and the tourists.

The Sunbirds baseball team was the creation of baseball aficionado and multi-millionaire, Jorge Trujillo and is now the property of Trujillo Shipyards and Travel Company. Years ago his great grandfather was a Central American dictator, who loved his baseball and imported many U. S. players to play for his handpicked team. The Trujillos have been in exile for quite some time now. Jorge Trujillo helped finance the Islandian Pro Alliance with his friend, Jock Ewing of Waleska and some of his wealthy acquaintances. They were prime movers in getting the first pro league in the Islands on its feet.

The Belair Beach Sunbirds were first directed by GM and Manager Marty Pedrosa, a famous fastballing righthander, who starred in the industrial leagues. He was in charge 2001 to 2027. Pedrosa made the postseason playoffs 7 times, but never won the Pro Cup.

Beloved Little Jake Bungarooba (2003-2026) took command in 2028 and lasted until 2046. Bungarooba was a fine Gold Glove catcher, 3-time All-Star, fairly good hitter with a .274 BA, 1320 RBIs and 246 roundtrippers in his 24 seasons. Little Jake had little success as a skipper and never made the playoffs. Jason Butler reigned from 2047 to 2065. He was a star third baseman from 2035 to 2051 with a .297 lifetime batting average, 578 homers and 1696 RBIs. Butler was voted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2061. He had little success as manager, but Butler did win one pennant in 2047. He was followed by Brock Josephson in 2066. Josephson was unique as he never played in the IPA. He got his fame as a high school and college coach. Josephson arrived in Belair Beach after winning quite a few college baseball titles at Bay State University, which is located in Belair Beach. Josephson made the Sunbirds into a regular pennant contender. 3 times he has captured the division title. In 2071 Josephson led Belair Beach to the IPA Pro Cup.

Bayside Park (1995)

Capacity: 12,040

LF Line 330
LF 365
LCF 375
CF 408
RCF 375
RF 365
RF Line 330

[Eugene Church]

East Point Panthers Home Page

EAST POINT PANTHERS

Owner: Silver Mountain Marble Works
GM and Manager: Johnny Moore

East Point is primarily a military town with a population of 84,000 inhabitants. It is a splendid town surrounded and fortified by a ringed wall of white marble, which is found in great abundance in local quarries and pits. The marble business is one of the important elements of the local economy.

East Point is reminiscent of ancient Rome and Athens, but on a much smaller scale. Majestic marble statues and buildings are ever present sights. East Point is on the westside of the Silver Mountains in east central Tycobbia and located right on the Ruthlandian border at Frontier Pass, the only land route connecting the two countries. East Point was established to protect Tycobbia from invasion from the east. Right across the border is Ft. Benton, its Ruthlandian military counterpart.

All branches of the military are headquartered here. Basic training is conducted on the base. It is also the site of the War College, which trains the officer corps at East Point Military Academy. Future officers are educated and trained here. It is also a retirement home and medical facility for veterans. Many military and medical suppliers have their home offices here as well.

East Point is a model town, organized and structured in military fashion. It is a well-designed and well-planned town with perfectly square blocks, all identical in size. All streets run perfect parallel, north to south and east to west. There is a civilian government, but it works closely with the military authorities, who provide boot camp trainees for sanitation purposes. Streets are pristine clean and well-manicured because the military recruits sweep through the town each morning and police the town of any trash, litter and debris.

It is also home to the East Point Panthers Baseball Club of the Islandian Pro Alliance. The Panthers are in the East Division of the Tycobbian Union. The club is owned and operated by the Silver Mountain Marble Works. Running the ball club in the early seasons was Griffin Clarke, a former amateur league star. He did not do very well in his two decades at the helm. The Panthers only posted 3 winning seasons and 2 postseason appearances. Karol Zodoka, who excelled as a player for the Panthers from 2002 to 2006, replaced him in 2024. Zodoka was a power-hitting infielder. He had an outstanding career from 2002 to 2017. He was a 7-time All-Star, won 4 Golden Gloves, a Golden Bat and Ruthlandian Union MVP Award. Zodoka batted .293 with 391 homers and over 1300 RBIs. He guided the club until 2057 and captured 5 pennants. The next field general was Frank Blair, a former star twirler for East Point. He toiled long and hard for Zodoka, compiling a 265-248 mark from 2025 to 2043 and posted a career 3.47 ERA. From 2058 to 2065 East Point was a bad ballclub. Blair was replaced by Johnny Moore in 2066. Moore (156-177/3.49 ERA) was a capable starter from 2030 to 2045 for the Panthers. It took him more than a decade, but Moore finally got his first winning season in 2080 and has been doing very well since then.

The Panthers play at ancient and majestic Armed Forces Stadium, named in memory and in honor of the men and women of the Tycobbian Armed Forces. Marble was used extensively in the stadium construction and peripheral facade. Beyond the outfield walls there is a breathtaking view of the town in the distance, replete with marble buildings and monuments. Armed Forces Stadium is not a big ballpark dimension-wise. The fans and batters love it because of the high-scoring games, but pitchers dread pitching here.

Music is supplied at the ballpark by the Army, Air Force, Navy and Marine bands. They rotate each game and play songs during the game to inspire the Panther fans and spur their team on to victory. To spark a Panther rally, the military band will often play their anthem - "The Caisson Song", "Wild Blue Yonder", "Anchors Aweighs" and the "Halls of Montezuma" - the traditional favorite, "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" is played during the 7th-inning stretch. Food-wise you get soft drinks, beer, hot dogs, hamburgers, peanuts and crackerjacks. Sorry, no "K-rations", "MREs" or "SOS".

Armed Forces Stadium (1935)
Capacity: 9500

Dimensions:
LF Line 326
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 388
RCF 375
RF 345
RF Line 326

[Eugene Church]

Colchester Elites Home Page

COLCHESTER ELITES

Owner: Heyward Rubber Company

GM/Manager: Robbie Wilbertson

Colchester is located on the southern coast of Tycobbia near Belair Bay, midway between Turon on the west and Ginza to the east. It has 78,000 inhabitants of a diverse ethnic makeup. Colchester, like its English counterpart, is a garrison town. The Tycobbian government created a fort in the early 1820's in this area to protect the in-coming settlers and to give law and order to the frontier settlements. It has been a military town since that time. Over time it developed into a special army base for elite troops. The Colchester Elite Garrison is the best of the best in the Tycobbian military.

In addition to the military, the major enterprise is Heyward Rubber Company, established in 1847. Nathaniel Heyward was connected to Charles Goodyear. It is said that Heyward discovered the process of vulcanized rubber and was the true inventor, Goodyear just provided the funds for the research. Heyward Rubber is still in business today and manufactures tires for cars, trucks and farm, military and construction equipment. The South Coast Railroad has its home office in Colchester. It was built in the 1840s and was originally set up to move troops and equipment quickly around the country. Later it became a vital transportation link between Turon and Ginza, two important seaports.

Locally, the game of Base Ball (as it was originally called) was started in the 1880s at the Colchester Garrison. The soldiers latched on to the new game and by the 1890s developed very competitive leagues. By the 1900s the townspeople began leagues and were on par with the military after a couple of decades. In the 1920s, the Garrison and the town leagues consolidated into one league. Amateur leagues came first, then company and industial leagues. Heyward Rubber Company and the South Coast Railroad got involved in the 1930s and a very fast league was established. Colchester baseball would rival any in the Islands.

The next step in the baseball evolution came in 2001 with the establishment of the Islandian Pro Alliance. With such a storied history in Tycobbian baseball, it should have been no problem for Colchester to get a franchise in the Islands first ever pro league. But it didn't happen right away. But with league expansion Heyward Rubber Company was awarded a franchise. Thus the Colchester Elites came into being, named for the honored and revered Colchester Elite Garrison. Heyward Rubber commissioned a state-of-the-art stadium and named it Heyward Field, after the company's founder. It was finished in early 2002, just in time opening day.

Heyward Field is designed to look like an old time ballpark, yet with modern amenities. It is a classic stadium with character, built downtown, with an asymmetical outfield configuration. In right field is an old South Coast Railroad warehouse with a brick facade, that is now used for team offices. Heyward Field is a great place to watch a ballgame. There isn't one bad seat in the house. Colchester fans take their baseball seriously and will not tolerate the hype and fanfare you see at some ballparks. They just want to watch their team win, win and win. Just give them a hot dog, coke, peanuts and crackerjacks as far as food is concerned. Most of all, give them a good baseball game. That is why they come to the ballpark.

In the early years of the franchise the Colchester Elites organization was run by GM and Manager Robbie Wilbertson, a fine catcher in his day in the company leagues, but he didn't enjoy much prosperity at the helm with only 3 playoff appearances in his 40 seasons. The Colchester fans and his players called him "Uncle Robbie". The management went through a multitude of managers from 2042 to 2074, having only 3 winning seasons. The current skipper is a journeyman hurler Denzel Durand. He labored through some lean years from 2048 to 2058, posting a 168-169 mark with a decent 3.71 ERA. Twice in his 11 seasons Durand chalked up over 20 wins. The club only had two winning seasons during his playing career. So far as skipper Durand has been up-and-down. His first pennant came this season, but he had the Elites in contention in '77 and '81.

Heyward Field (2001)

Capacity: 9,600

Dimensions:

LF Line 333
LF 353
LCF 373
CF 399
RCF 386
RF 340
RF Line 318

[Eugene Church]

Wynnamac Sundowners Home Page

WYNNAMAC SUNDOWNERS

Owner: Granger Co-Operative Association
GM/Manager: Nioka Inkamara

Wynnamac is a town of 86,000 residents and can be found about 50 miles inland from the Valerian Ocean, which is near the eastern coast of Ruthlandia. It is located in the northeastern part of the country in the Central Plains, which spans east to west across it and is a well-known farming region, filled with seemingly endless fields of ripe golden wheat and rustic farms. It is the "Breadbasket of Ruthlandia". Settled by a diverse band of hearty and hardworking Canadian and Australian immigrants, who worked "sunup to sundown". They became known as "Sundowners" because of their great work ethic and love for the land...and for their love of baseball and the homestanding Wynnamac Sundowners. The area is also a center for meat packing and dairy industries.

Life hasn't changed much here for several hundred years and probably won't change much in the next hundred years. Wynnamac is a member of the IPA's Ruthlandian East Division. The club plays at Granger Field, which is built right next to a grain processing plant with huge silos and a water tower with a gigantic ear of corn on it, all visible from the ballpark. The Sundowners are owned by the Granger Co-operative Association, farmers banded together for the common good and welfare.

At the concession stands you get nothing fancy. Just soda pop, hot dogs, hamburgers, popcorn, peanuts, crackerjacks and ice cream. However, they do serve a gourmet delicacy, a roasted ear of corn slathered in butter, mayonnaise, too, if you like...No beer or alcoholic beverages are permitted at the stadium. It is against the law in Wynnamac county and strictly enforced.

The first Mac manager in 2002 was star first sacker Matt Donnelly. He was a superstar hitter and fielder in the amateur and company league days. Donnelly was in charge of the team until 2044 when he retired. He had a fair amount of success in his 43 years with 7 pennants and the 2008 Pro Cup Trophy. Late in his career Donnelly was chosen Ruthlandian Manager of the Year twice, 2042 and 2044. His replacement was his star pitcher Jerry Meeks (313-214/2.93 ERA), who was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2029. Meeks thrived as skipper, winning the 2060 RU Manager of the Year and leading the Sundowners to 9 division flags and the 2055 Pro Cup. He retired in 2065 after winning two RU East flags in a row.

In 2066 Sundowner superstar and Hall-of-Famer Nioka Inkamara took charge of the baseball operations and is also the manager. Inkamara had a colossal career in the IPA, playing with Wynnamac the first 12 years and the final two with the Bayview Vikings of the Tycobbian West. His career covered the period 2038 to 2051. Inkamara boasts a .303 lifetime BA with 488 home runs and 1385 RBIs. He was voted into the Islandian Pro Alliance Hall of Fame in 2057... Inkamara was a 5-time All-Star, 3-time Ruthlandian MVP, 2-time Golden Glove and the 2039 RU Rookie of the Year.

As skipper Inkamara has sparked the Macs to 8 Ruthlandian East pennants and garnered two Pro Cups. In 2070 the Sundowners defeated the Turon Typhoons for the overall IPA title. Wynnamac copped another IPA title in 2076. It was the 4th time in its IPA history that Wynnamac won the Pro Cup Trophy. That year they whipped the San Alejo Montaneros.

Capacity: 7,965
Dimensions:
Left Field Line - 355
Left Field - 375
Left Center - 415
Center Field - 404
Right Center - 375
Right Field - 350
Right Field Line - 325

[Eugene Church]

Volusia Vigilantes Home Page

VOLUSIA VIGILANTES

Owner: Tierra Wools Consolidated

President/GM: Joaquin De la Hoya
Manager: Tubby Tarkanian

Volusia is a town of 99,000 on the banks of the Silver River in the rugged foothills of the Silver Mountains in west central Ruthlandia. In the early years Volusia was a gold and silver mining community. It was first settled by Spanish and English emigres, who after the gold ran out, became sheepherders and farmers. Now the area is known for fine woolen clothing and textiles. Timber and paper products are also produced.

The Spanish settlers were some of the earliest baseball enthusiasts in Ruthlandia and they organized the third amateur team in the country. Marston was the first, followed by La Grange. Because of the cultural tradition of "siestas", the Spanish played their games during this time of day, usually from 3 pm to 7 pm. Commerce and business would shut down. This custom and practice soon spread to the rest of the Ruthlandian townships and eventually to Tycobbia. The "siesta" in the Islands has come to mean quality time with family... and baseball fits this perfectly.

Many Volusians are bilingual, speaking Spanish and English. Volusia is a member of the IPA's Ruthlandian Union and plays in the West Division. It is the home of the Vigilantes, so named for the citizen-lawmen, who brought law and order to the lawless wild, wild west in the Gold Rush days. Officially the Vigilantes play at Silver River Stadium, overlooking the beautiful Silver River, but it is often referred to as "The Jail House" by the locals. Part of the old terracotta-colored jail can be seen in right field. The inmates get a good view of the V's games and "cheap" season tickets, too. The team is affectionately called "The Jail House Gang".

The lovely old ballpark, constructed in 1919, is located right across the street from the police station, which wraps around the stadium on one side. The massive live oak trees that still dominate the city park landscape were used many times in Volusia's early history for vigilante frontier justice. Over the beautiful brick arches and center field wall, the fans get a great view of the Silver River and the downtown area, just across the river from the stadium.

A wonderful Tex-Mex band provides great music during the games. The V's fans bring their sombreros and during the seventh inning stretch, they do a Mexican hat dance. Concessions are unique, too. Tantalizing tacos, fantastic flans (custard) and scruptious fried ice cream are among the culinary delicacies at Silver River Stadium. Frozen daiquiries and margaritas are house specialities. Hot dogs, cokes and beer are available, too.

The Volusia Vigilantes are owned by Tierra Wools, a farm cooperative for sheep owners, weavers and spinners to market their products. Joaquin De la Hoya was the first president and general manager of the club. The first manager was Alfonso Feliz (2001-2033), who was greatly successful at first, making the playoffs his first six seasons and capturing the very first Pro Cup Trophy in 2001. Feliz never won another pennant and gave way to Jojo DeLucca in 2033. DeLucca was Hall of Fame center fielder for the Vigilantes from 2013 to 2032. He was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2039 with a career .304 BA and 384 homers. DeLucca was a 7-time All-Star and 4-time Golden Glove. He skippered the V's from 2033 to 2054 with some success, 3 pennants. Tubby Tarkanian took over in 2055 as the field manager. Tarkanian was a good defensive catcher and modest hitter, who played 16 seasons with the V's, retired in '54. Tarkanian batted .262 in his career with 166 roundtrippers and 800 RBIs. Volusia copped 6 pennants in his tenure with him being honored as the Ruthlandian Manager of the Year twice, 2058 and 2070. Tarkanian's teams were usually competitive.

Former star pitcher Lonny Rinehart is the current skipper, taking charge in 2075. He played from 2055 to 2071, posting an impressive 262-171 mark with a 3.15 ERA. He is the all-time IPA leader with a 31-7 record in 2058. It was a great season for him, winning the Ruthlandian Golden Arm and the Ruthlandian MVP trophy. Rinehart retired in 2071 and was inducted into the IPA Hall of Fame in 2076. So far, progress has been slow in his regime with only 3 winning seasons. This year 2082 was the first division crown in 10 years.

Volusia won the inaugural IPA Pro Cup in 2001, sweeping the Ginza Ninjas of the Tycobbian Union in four games. The Vigilantes had finished second in the regular season to the Far Mountain Redhawks in the Ruthlandian North Division... in the early years the IPA had wild card teams in the postseason.

Silver River Stadium (1919)
Capacity: 10,250

Left Field Line - 325
Left Field - 375
Left Center - 410
Center Field - 400
Right Center - 410
Right Field - 375
Right Field Line - 325

[Eugene Church]

Far Mountain Redhawks Home Page

FAR MOUNTAIN REDHAWKS

Owner: Becker Hospitality Enterprises
GM/Manager: Benny Van (2076)

Far Mountain, located in northern Ruthlandia in the Appian Mountains, is a very popular year-round ski resort and convention center. A beautiful town of 75,000 founded by immigrants from the German and Swiss Alps, Far Mountain oozes Tyrolian charm and culture. Horse drawn sleighs and buggies provide free public transportation. The rich and famous come here for wonderful ski vacations, to savor the good life and to enjoy the great hotels, nightclubs, shops, restaurants and nightlife. Yet it is priced for every pocketbook. Middle class families also partake of its many pleasures and activities. And with fine convention facilities, Far Mountain plays host to many professional and educational organizations.

And it is the home of the Far Mountain Redhawks baseball team of the Ruthlandian Union. The team is in the North Division and plays their games at Sky High Stadium with a magnificent panoramic view of the Appian Mountains in the distance. A specialty at all Redhawks games is a great polka band that furnishes music and songs, whenever there is a break in the game action. During the seventh-inning stretch Redhawks supporters have a great time doing the Chicken Dance and singing Take me out to the ballgame to the accompaniment of the polka band. And fans get to enjoy special culinary treats of Bavarian beers, Nurnberg bratwurst mit sauerkraut (fried sausage with sauerkraut), Schwartzwalder kirschtorte (Black Forest cake) and Apfelstrudel (apple strudel) pastries and hot gourmet soups at the games. Many fine German beers are served in profusion, too. In addition all of the traditional ballpark favorites are provided.

The Far Mountain Redhawks are owned by Becker Hospitality Enterprises. They are the proud proprietors of one of the oldest hotels in town, The Bavarian Gasthaus. Johan Becker developed a love for baseball in high school and college and played varsity baseball for both. He met Jock Ewing of Ewing Oil and Ewing Enterprises and developed a business relationship with him to make Far Mountain into a tourist resort. When Ewing offered him one of the franchises in the IPA, Johan quickly invested in it. His family is still running the business.

For a general manager and field manager, Becker originally hired one of the great pitchers of the industrial leagues, Alex Groveland, who was the chief architect of the famous Far Mountain three-peat, the winning of three straight Pro Cups in 2011, 2012 and 2013. It's been accomplished only one time in the annals of the Islandian Pro Alliance. Groveland made the playoffs 10 times in his managerial tenure and was honored as the Ruthlandian Union Manager of the Year in 2012, 2013 and 2014. His last season was in 2024.

The second skipper was one of the best players in IPA history, Hall-of-Fame shortstop Don Nichols. As a player Nichols sparked Far Mountain to the three consecutive Pro Cup titles and seven division flags. In his 24 years in the league Nichols batted .310 in 3523 games (8th) with 3760 hits (5rd), 1773 RBIs (18th), 2161 runs (4th) and stole 668 bases (8th). In 95 playoff games he hit .300 with 9 homers, 51 RBIs, 53 runs and 17 stolen bases. Nichols was elected to the IPA Hall of Fame in 2027. He played 17 years with Far Mountain and 7 with the Marston Nine. He retired as a player in 2024. Nichols was skipper for 31 seasons with 5 pennants. When Nichols retired in 2056 as manager, he was replaced by his pitching coach, Robby Kelly, who was a teammate of Nichols during the glory years and also an IPA Hall-of-Famer. Kelly was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2030 after a splendid 19-year career... the chubby 250-pound right-hander posted a 279-196 record with a fine lifetime 3.23 ERA... Kelly holds the all-time Far Mountain record for wins. He played a prime role in the Redhawks' three IPA titles with a fine 11-4 mark in the playoffs those years. In a magnificent year Kelly went 22-8 in 2012 with a 2.38 ERA and was named the Ruthlandian Union Golden Arm and Most Valuable Player. Kelly's final season as a player was in 2019. He retired as skipper in 2057 with only 2 division flags, but most of the time the Redhawks had good clubs.

The current skipper of the Far Mountain Redhawks is a journeyman first basement Benjy Donahue, who played with the team for 11 years from 2045 to 2056, posting only modest numbers. In his career he hit .300 with 32 homers and 326 RBIs... Donahue retired as a player in 2056 and took over the club in 2076. Progress has been slow. The Redhawks have had only 2 winning years under him.

Sky High Stadium (1997)
Capacity: 10,444
Dimensions:
LF Line 330
LF 354
LC 380
CF 402
RC 380
RF 354
RF Line 330

[Eugene Church]

Come on, y'all.
Check out the teams and the players and make a prediction.
Who will be the 2083 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Champion?

Anybody gets it right, I'll get you a gift certificate for OOTP26.
Or a gift certificate to some US fast food place... on a national franchise restaurant in US.
Only one winner... in case of ties we will just draw a name out of the hat.
One entry per person.

Do it soon because I am going to begin the playoffs in next day or two.

Voice Your Choice Today!

[Eugene Church]

I think it will come down to Rolling Hills, East Point and Belair Beach.

With Rolling Hills beating East Point in the Tycobbian Title Series and then whipping Belair Beach, the Ruthlandian champion in the Pro Cup Finals.

All three clubs can score runs, have good home-run power, good starters and good relief pitching.
Rolling Hills and East Point play good defense (.979 FA)... Belair Beach comes up short in that department (.973 FA).
We see if that makes a difference.

[20_range]

I will back the East Point Panthers, because you wrote about them as an unexpected underdog, and because I've considered using this WPA poster too.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by 20_range

I will back the East Point Panthers, because you wrote about them as an unexpected underdog, and because I've considered using this WPA poster too.

Good Luck, 20_range.

Nope, not a lot of interest in this contest. If Belair Beach comes through, you will be the winner.

The contest is closed. I am getting ready to post first-round results.

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, October 7, 2083

PANTHERS POUNCE ON HELLCATS IN ROUND 1, #2 HARTSDALE CALLS IT A SEASON
Only one of the highest-rated teams in the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup playoffs failed to advance to the second round. #2-ranked Hartsdale was knocked off in a spirited 6-game skirmish by the #4 team, the East Point Panthers. The other three favored clubs, top-rated Rolling Hills, #3 Belair Beach and #7 Volusia won as expected. The Racers blitzed the #5 Colchester Elites in a quick 5-game set, the Sunbirds struggled mightily with #6 Wynnamac, finally eliminated the Macs in 7 games and the Vigilantes swept past #8 Far Mountain in 4 games to advance to the second round.

Belair Beach will host red-hot Volusia in the best-of-seven Ruthlandian Union Title Series, while Rolling Hills will meet East Point at home for the Tycobbian Union Title. The victors of the two series will meet for the 2083 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy. The Racers will be pursuing their 11th Pro Cup Trophy. It will be only the second IPA title for the Sunbirds and Vigilantes. Belair Beach won it in 2071. Volusia captured their only Pro Cup in the very first edition of the much-coveted award. That was way back in 2001. Poor East Point has never been blessed as yet. However twice the Panthers reached the Pro Cup Finals. Elnora defeated them in 7 games in 2033 and Middlefield topped them in 6 games in 2052. The rest of the times East Point lost in the first rounds.

2083 Tycobbian Union First-Round Series

[Eugene Church]

East Point Batting and Pitching Stats


Hartsdale Batting and Pitching Stats

[Eugene Church]

2083 TU First-Round Series

Rolling Hills Batting and Pitching Stats


Colchester Batting and Pitching Stats

[Eugene Church]

2083 Ruthlandian Union First-Round Series


Belair Beach Batting and Pitching Stats

[Eugene Church]

Wynnamac Batting and Pitching Stats