ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

I enjoyed reliving the 2010 Colfax season and thought I would share it with you.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

The Islandian Times

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Colfax Smashed All-Time Mark With 107 Wins
The Colfax Blasters were devastating this season in the Ruthlandian West with 107 victories. Not only did Clem Rogers' club win the division flag by 25 games, they also easily broke the IPA record for most wins in a season. The old mark of 102 was set in 2002 by the San Alejo Montaneros of the TU South. In 2008 the Blasters established a new RU win record with 100 victories. It was Colfax's third straight division crown. The Rocky Rapids Snappers and Volusia Vigilantes were nowhere in sight, but did tie for second place. They were beaten by 25 games. Sligo came in fourth, 27 games back of the record-setting Blasters.

Colfax (107-47) totally dominated the league... the Blasters were first in batting, pitching and fielding... they hit .276, had a 3.00 ERA and a .976 fielding average... Clem Rogers had two fantastic starters... Ilya Szabo and Jimmy Joe Cartner both won 27 games and lost only 8 between them... they were both 27-4... In addition Szabo carded a magnificent 1.79 ERA to lead the IPA, while Cartner compiled a 2.86 ERA... starter #3 Jasper LaForge went 19-10 with a 3.35 ERA... and it didn't stop there - in the bullpen Dallas Somerville chalked up 26 saves with a great 2.01 ERA and a 7-8 record.

The Blasters lived up to their names at bat, too... Leading the way offensively was four-time All-Star CF Ryan Raines with 28 homers, 122 RBIs, 108 runs and a .293 BA... Raines still run like the wind and plays center like a Gold Glover... He had plenty of help from LF Paul Coniglio with 30 home runs, 104 RBIs, 99 runs and a .290 BA... In 107 games RF Karl Heidelberg batted at the .311 mark with 10 homers, 50 RBIs and 90 runs scored... in 81 games 3B Mike Janocko was outstanding with a .344 average, 15 roundtrippers, 71 runs batted, while scoring 48.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, September 25, 2010

2010 Pro Cup Playoffs Begin Today
Some clubs have coasted to make the playoffs -- others have scrapped tooth-and-nail to get here. After a long, sometimes seemingly endless regular season, it gets down to who can win a short series -- by hook or crook, talent or luck. That's what it takes to capture the Islandian Pro Alliance championship. The top teams will vie in the Pro Cup Series starting today. The defending Pro Cup champions, the Turon Typhoons, are back again trying to take the Islandian Pro Alliance title for the unprecedented fourth time. Last year the Typhoons came back from a 3-1 deficit to snare the Pro Cup from Far Mountain in seven games. Turon also had to go seven games to whip favored Denton City in the TU Final 4.

Scribes Select Denton City-Colfax Pro Cup Finals
The Islandian Times conducted a poll of the major baseball writers in the Islands and came up with these rankings.

1. Denton City Redbirds
2. Colfax Blasters
3. Far Mountain Redhawks
4. Turon Typhoons
5. Blue Lake Blue Sox
6. Ozarka Naturals
7. Waleska Westerners
8. Sugar Valley Rattlers

Team Season Summaries:

It was a runaway in the Tycobbian West for the second successive season. The Denton City Redbirds won 100 games and once again totally dominated the division, winning by 15 games over runner-ups Arlon, Bay St. Clair and Chicopee. Last season the Redbirds romped by a 12-game spread.

Manager Ford Whiteman has a splendid ball team in almost all respects, pitching, hitting and power and they have been made the favorites to win this year's Pro Cup... The Denton City Redbirds (100-54) are average in only one area of the game... on defense they have a modest .972 FA... Whiteman's mound staff is number one in the league with a superb 3.20 team ERA, third with 185 home runs and fifth with a .273 BA... Mila Mohoski (26-11 2.54), Kimo Orlando (26-11 2.85) and Mike Danek (14-12 2.68) form a formidable starting rotation... at the plate Denton City's batting order is strong throughout... top hitters are RF Lavon Gooch (.285/32/105/105), CF Rod MacCormack (.283/22/94/94), 1B Mick Abbott (.312/26/95/96), SS Trevor Tomlinson (.289/13/40/86), 3B Jay Petit (.317/19/56/80) and LF Danny Nash (.343/17/56/62)... Nash and Petit were platoon players and Tomlinson missed two months with an injury... the Redbirds will tangle with Ozarka in the Elite 8 Series.

Colfax Blasters (107-47) of the RU West totally dominated the league and set a new IPA record with 107 wins, breaking the old mark by 5... on paper Colfax should be a cinch to win the Pro Cup, but the scribes are forecasting the winner will come from the stronger league, the Tycobbian Union... they will have to fend off a determined bunch of Far Mountain Redhawks to get a shot at the overall Island championship... the Blasters were first in batting, pitching and fielding... they hit .276, had a 3.00 ERA and a .976 fielding average... Clem Rogers had two fantastic starters... Ilya Szabo and Jimmy Joe Cartner won 54 games and lost only 8 between them... they were both 27-4... In addition Szabo carded a magnificent 1.79 ERA to lead the IPA, while Cartner compiled a 2.86 ERA... starter #3 Jasper LaForge went 19-10 with a 3.35 ERA... and it didn't stop there - in the bullpen Dallas Somerville chalked up 26 saves with a great 2.01 ERA and a 7-8 record.

The Blasters lived up to their names at bat, too... Leading the way offensively was four-time All-Star CF Ryan Raines with 28 homers, 122 RBIs, 108 runs and a .293 BA... Raines still run like the wind and plays center like a Gold Glover... He had plenty of help from LF Paul Coniglio with 30 home runs, 104 RBIs, 99 runs and a .290 BA... In 107 games RF Karl Heidelberg batted at the .311 mark with 10 homers, 50 RBIs and 90 runs scored... in 81 games 3B Mike Janocko was outstanding with a .344 average, 15 roundtrippers, 71 runs batted, while scoring 48... Colfax will meet Sugar Valley in the opening round of the playoffs.

Last year Alex Groveland took Far Mountain to the Pro Cup finals and came within a hair of winning it... many think he has a better team this season... the Redhawks routed Colfax 4-1 in the 2009 Final 4 and will be no pushovers this season, despite Colfax's monstrous 107 victories...Far Mountain (93-61) took the flag and a spot in the Pro Cup playoffs with a good all-around ball club, good hitting, pitching, power and defense...Leroy Hill (24-10 3.13) and Boomerang Hines (24-10 3.17) were a dynamic duo on the mound staff... rookie closer Erich Dumont racked up 36 saves and led the league... the Redhawks were paced at the plate by 2B Duane Parsons (.312/38/133/105)... Parsons led the RU in RBIs and tied for the home run title with Scott Camden of Rocky Rapids... other solid hitters were SS Don Nichols (.302/19/96/108), rookie CF Xavier Sosa (.322/17/72/74) and C Otis Ott (.270/26/96/79).

On paper the baseball experts never pick Turon to win the Pro Cup, but they have proved them wrong year after year... This year the gurus are singing another tune. They are rating the Typhoons as the fourth best team in deference to their three Pro titles... The Turon Typhoons (80-74) have a good core of talent and have won the TU South four times in the last five years and have taken three Pro Cups... they copped the TU South by 6 games with a .254 BA (23rd) with 122 home runs (22nd) and a 3.66 team ERA (10th)... Whitey Richburn's rotation was led by rookie star Nicky Engstrom who broke on the scene with a great 20-7 record with a very strong 2.40 ERA... veteran Freddi Speigel also stood out with a 21-10 mark and a 3.36 ERA... another very impressive newcomer was rookie Merle Studebaker (0-3), who racked up 24 saves and notched a solid 2.36 ERA... the Typhoons top hitters were 2B Alan Hansen (.295/0/28/103), CF Mac McCurnan (.279/23/85/87), 1B Johnny Carducci (.274/27/89/71) and LF Andy Porter (.279/14/70/71)... this year Turon will have to beat Blue Lake (92-64), Denton City (100-54) or Ozarka (88-66) to get a crack at its fourth Pro Cup... as in the past the Typhoons will be the underdog... they will go up against Blue Lake in the Elite 8 Series.

Blue Lake won the RU North crown in a three-team playoff with place Mahaska and Oxford... manager Cobb Tyson's pitching carried the champion Blue Lake Blue Sox (92-64) to their first division title with a 3.46 team ERA (7th)... Justin Eckhardt (24-9 2.79), Pete Henry (20-14 3.01) and Pat Grange (15-8 3.34) were his prime starters with rookie closer Tony Reed (4-6 3.88) doing impressive work with 35 saves... the Blue Sox bats were just adequate with a .252 BA (22nd) and 155 home runs (9th) and were led by RF Ted Karno with 27 homers, 90 RBIs, 89 scores, while putting up a .264 BA... 2B Loren Babcock had 20 homers, 84 RBIs and scored 99 runs, CF Rick Hilliard hit .313 with 18 roundtrippers, 68 RBIs and 89 runs and LF Vic Gelder added a .283 BA, 22 home runs and 77 runs batted in.

None of the other three teams are considered in the running for the Pro Cup. But looking back over the years, many times the experts overlooked the eventual Island champion... the baseball experts do not have a good batting average in picking the Pro Cup winners.

Ozarka won the TU East in a tough struggle with Tuckanarra by three games... Joe Mac Carney's Ozarka Naturals (88-66) are a well-rounded ball club with a .264 team BA (10th) with a 135 roundtrippers (19th), very good pitching with a 3.42 ERA (4th) and solid fielding with a .975 FA... the Nats offense is paced by LF Vic Weinstein (.306/20/93/100), 2B Gil Lantz (.301/11/73/63), SS Nathan Ferrell (.266/24/95/80) and 3B Todd Chadwick (.258/25/91/113)... Carney has a fine starting rotation consisting of Emile Leduc (23-12 2.87), Tyrus Yokum (21-11 2.94), Philip Britt (17-12 3.42) and Karl Kleinert (17-11 3.92).

McGraw Johnson finally won the RU South after the Waleska Westerners (85-69) finished third the past two seasons... Johnson has fashioned a fine club with solid pitching and excellent hitting... They posted a 3.55 team ERA (5th) and hit .267 (7th) with 135 home runs (16th)... Waleska has a rock-solid line-up with good players in each of the eight spots, sparked by RF Kippy Doyle with 26 homers and 103 RBIs, CF Harold Setser with a .325 batting average, 22 homers and 98 RBIs, LF Johnny Stratton with 14 roundtrippers, 14 home runs, 91 RBIs and a .301 BA, 3B Grant Betzer with a .318 BA and 111 runs and 1B Nat Mayakovsky with 16 homers, 89 RBIs and a .291 average... on the hill Johnson has some talent, too... Waleska starters are Wilson Whitmore (18-13 2.87), Ken Vakos (14-7 3.47), Lenny Milazzo (13-10 3.36) and Sammy Grimaldi (8-5 3.06).

The Sugar Valley Rattlers (88-66) made the biggest turnaround in the RU East in 2010 as Gibby Bobkins' boys rose up from seventh place the previous season...the Rattlers were a good blend of offense and pitching and excellent on defense with a .981 fielding percentage, tops in the league... rookie Neil Howell (17-10 3.19), Jay Washington (19-16 3.60) and Connie Ehrlichmann (18-13 led the pitching corps... with a lot of help from closer Nickie Lynn (7-7 2.49), who registerd 30 saves... After a poor first half, Charles Darby (16-11 4.44) surged in the second half with an 11-6 record that really helped make the difference... Sugar Valley bats were sufficient with C Hal Stevenson (.276/28/100/87), CF Austen Conover (.293/4/78/94) and 2B Vic Chatelain (.301/2/78/71)... 1B Val Schlagel also contributed 22 homers, scored 93 times and hit at a .293 clip.

The Islandian Times

Monday, September 27, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Elite 8 Series

Szabo Hurls 1-Hitter, Colfax Sweeps SV 8-0
The Colfax Blasters roared past Sugar Valley in four straight to sweep the RU Elite 8 Series... Today at Farmers Memorial Park in Sugar Valley, Ilya Szabo was almost unhittable... He fired a superb 1-hit shutout to beat the Rattlers 8-0... Szabo (2-0 0.56) walked one and struck out five in a tremendous performance... He yielded only a single in the fifth inning to SS Johnny Smith, while the Blasters were blistering three Sugar Valley pitchers for 17 hits... RF Karl Heidelberg (.714) got four hits again today to lead the onslaught... Heidelberg drove in two runs and scored twice... 3B Mike Janocko (.333) jacked three hits and had three RBIs... CF Ryan Raines (.353) had two hits, two RBIs and scored two times... and 2B Ilya Ivanchuk (.533) collected two hits, scored twice and batted in a run... Rattler starter Neil Howell (0-2 6.43) took the loss as Colfax battered him for seven runs and a dozen hits in six innings... Colfax scored early with two in the first frame and one in the second... the Blasters really took charge with five more runs in the seventh inning.

Sugar Valley manager Gibby Bobkins told the press after the game, "Now I know what it's like to be run over by a train. Colfax can pitch and they can hit. There's a reason why they won 107 games this season."

The Islandian Times

Friday, October 8, 2010

2010 Ruthlandian Union Final 4 Series

Colfax Wins RU, Szabo Stops Waleska 4-1 In Game 7
The mark of a champion is to win when you have to... Colfax is the champion of the Ruthlandian Union by virtue of a 4-1 victory in game seven of the Final 4 Series... The Blasters had to win the last two games to advance to the IPA Pro Cup Series against three-time winner Turon... Manager Clem Rogers had his ace Ilya Szabo on the hill and the 31-year-old righty did the job... Szabo scattered eight hits, whiffed six, walked three and did not allow an earned run in a fine complete-game performance... Szabo has been brilliant in the postseason so far with a 4-1 record and a superb 1.35 ERA... The Westerners had their ace on the mound, too... But Wilson Whitmore (2-2 2.68) just couldn't get it done today... Whitmore was touched for four runs on eight hits in his six innings, while striking out five and walking three... In the opening inning Waleska took the lead when an infield error and a single to put runners on first and third... 1B Nat Mayakovsky (.250) got the run across on an infield hit... Colfax came back and went ahead 2-1 in the third on a sac fly by 3B Mike Janocko (.317) and an RBI single by SS Kevin Warren (.136)... the Blasters took charge in the fifth with two more scores... LF Paul Coniglio (.229) homered to lead off the inning... A walk, a sacrifice bunt and LF Lakota Sanders' (.333) single accounted for the last run... Coniglio paced all hitters with 3-for-4 and scored twice... the Blasters outhit the Westerners 9-8.

McGraw Johnson, skipper of the Westerners, lamented the loss after being up 3 games to 2... "We had our chance in yesterday's 13-inning defeat... We shouldn't have given them another chance in game seven... But what the heck, kudos go to Colfax and Clem Rogers... they won 107 games this year and came back and whipped us... you don't need for me to tell you what a great team they are... I just hope they can bring the Pro Cup back to Ruthlandia."

Commenting on the comeback series win, Rogers stated, "McGraw should be very proud of his team... they were the underdogs, not given much of chance to beat us, but pushed my team to the limit. It could easily be Waleska playing for the Pro Cup."

In what should be quite a series, Colfax will now tangle with the Turon Typhoons in the Pro Cup Finals... The first game of the Islands pro championship series is slated to begin day after tomorrow in Colfax at Mountain View Stadium.

The Islandian Times
Saturday, October 9, 2010

2010 Pro Cup Begins Tomorrow, Favored Colfax Hosts Turon
Three weeks ago the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs started with the eight best teams in the Islands. That number has now dwindled down to just two. The Colfax Blasters will represent the Ruthlandian Union and the Turon Typhoons will be the Tycobbian Union standard bearer.

The Blasters with Clem Rogers at the helm won a record-setting 107 games during the regular season and will be a solid favorite to take this year's Pro Cup, but will have to beat a team that has won more Pro Cups than anyone. Turon is the defending IPA champions and has won three titles in all. Whitey Richburn's Typhoons also won in 2003 and 2006. Turon has made five appearances in the postseason in its nine-year history. They were eliminated in the opening round in 2002 and 2008. This is the Blasters fourth time in the playoffs. They were knocked out in first round action in 2003 and 2008. Last year they reached the Final 4, but lost to Far Mountain.

Colfax wound up 107-47 this year and broke the old IPA record of 102 victories set by San Alejo of the Tycobbian South in 2002. Turon was only 80-74 this year, but eliminated Blue Lake (92-62) and powerful Denton City (100-54) to get to the final round. The Typhoons suffered a major loss when rookie 20-game winner Nicky Engstrom was lost for the season in September due to an arm injury. His 20-7 record will be sorely missed by Richburn... In a poll by The Islandian Times, Denton City and Colfax were picked 1-2 to win the Pro Cup. Turon came in fourth in the survey, mainly because they have won it so many times.

Rogers has a super starting rotation, headed up by two 27-game winners. Ilya Szabo was 27-4 with a brilliant 1.79 ERA and Jimmy Joe Cartner matched it at 27-4 with a fine 2.86 ERA. Number three in the starters is no slouch, either. Jasper LaForge chalked up a strong 19-10 mark with a fine 3.35 ERA. Turon's starters can't equal those regular season numbers. Richburn's best was Freddi Spiegel with a 21-10 record and a 3.36 ERA, followed by Anthony Nardone (14-20 3.77) and Jacques Lemaire, who was only 10-9 with an atronomical 4.57 ERA.

However in the postseason the comparison is not as bad. Szabo (4-1 1.35) has been even better in the playoffs, while Cartner (1-1 3.10) and LaForge (1-1 3.24) have delivered quality starts. Both Nardone (2-1 3.15) and Lemaire (2-2 0.75) have stepped it up a bit, while Spiegel (2-1 5.17) has struggled at times. Give Colfax a decided edge in starting pitching. In the Blaster bullpen the veteran Dallas Somerville (7-8 2.01) had 26 saves during the year and has two saves in the postseason. Somerville hasn't allowed run in five games. Colfax rookie reliever Merle Studebaker (0-3 2.36) racked up 24 saves in the regular season. Studebaker has one save and a 3.18 ERA in the playoffs. Advantage to Colfax.

Based on regular season stats Colfax is a much better hitting team with a .276 batting average with 144 home runs, while Turon countered with a .254 BA and 122 roundtrippers. Pretty much the same in the postseason. The Blasters have hit at a .280 clip with the Typhoons sporting a .238 average. Power is about even with Turon having a slight 8-6 edge in roundtrippers.

CF Ryan Raines (.293/28/122/108) and LF Paul Coniglio (.290/30/104/99) are the prime movers in the Colfax line-up. At the plate the Typhoons depend on CF Mac McCurnan (.279/23/85/87), 1B Johnny Carlucci (.274/27/89/71) and 2B Alan Hansen (.295/0/28/103). The offensive edge goes to Colfax by a wide margin.

Defensively Colfax is vastly superior with a .976 fielding average to only .971 for Turon.

The vast majority of the Island baseball prognosticators are predicting a Colfax victory in the 2010 IPA Pro Cup finals. It looks like the Blasters will be victorious in six games. Too much pitching for the weak-hitting Typhoons to handle.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, October 16, 2010

2010 IPA Pro Cup Finals: Game Seven at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax

Colfax Trounces Turon 10-2, Wins Pro Cup
The Colfax Blasters rallied to win the last two games of the Pro Cup Series to defeat the tough Turon Typhoons in seven games... Colfax trounced the Typhoons 10-2 in the 2010 championship finale, sparked by a 13-hit barrage and some fine pitching by Jimmy Joe Cartner... The Blasters power erupted with three roundtrippers... RF Paul Coniglio (.260) slammed a three-run homer in the opening inning, Cartner (.308) even hit a two-run shot in the fourth frame and LF Karl Heidelberg (.436) belted a two-run homer in the fifth... Coniglio paced all hitters with three hits and four RBIs... Heidelberg smacked a pair of hits and scored three times... Cartner (2-2 2.33) gave up 10 hits, but held Turon at bay with men on base... The Typhoons stranded 11 runners... Cartner walked three and whiffed seven, while going the distance... Jacques Lemaire (3-3 2.62) had a dismal day on the hill and caught the loss... Lemaire was ripped for eight runs in three-plus innings... He went to the showers trailing 8-0... This was Colfax's first IPA Pro Cup championship... Turon failed to get its fourth crown.

Colfax manager Clem Rogers was elated with the Pro Cup and gave high praise to his team's comeback after trailing 3 games to 2, "Szabo and Cartner really came through for us in the final two games... plus our bats finally came alive." Later on Rogers complimented the Turon Typhoons, "Whitey's team gave us fits... We had to play our best ball of the season to beat them... Thank goodness, we had the homefield advantage in the series... we needed it."

Richburn said he was proud of his club, "They are a tremendous bunch of guys who never quit no matter what... this one really hurts though... it would have been our fourth Pro Cup... we just got beat by a very fine team... Colfax deserved it... they gave us no chance in game six and game seven."

The Islandian Times

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Colfax's Szabo Hauls in Pro Cup MVP Trophy
Every time the Pro Cup champion Colfax Blasters needed a critical victory in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs, Ilya Szabo stood tall on the hill and came through for them. Szabo is this year's winner of the Pro Cup Most Valuable Player Award. He racked up a 5-2 record in 7 starts with a superlative 1.42 ERA. Szabo fired two shutouts in the postseason, including a 1-hitter. The 31-year-old right-hander beat Turon in game six of the finals to tie the series at 3-3, won games four and seven in the Final 4 against Waleska and notched victories in game one and game four over Sugar Valley in first round games. Szabo was 27-4 during the regular season and led the entire IPA with a sensational 1.79 ERA.

Teammates Paul Coniglio and Karl Heidelberg were second and third in the BNN balloting. Left fielder Coniglio was a vital bat in the Colfax arsenal with 6 homers and 13 runs batted in. Coniglio scored 12 times and hit .260 in the playoffs and delivered several game-breaking hits. Heidelberg played in right field and led all comers with a .436 mark. He belted 3 roundtrippers, drove in 10 runs and scored 11 times. Coniglio hit .290 during the season with 30 homers and 104 RBIs, while Heidelberg batted .311 with 10 home runs, 90 runs scored and 50 RBIs.

[Eugene Church]

I also really enjoyed reading about High Mesa's 2002 season.
Hope you like it, too.

The AI did not play off any ties. Both High Mesa and South Fork made the playoffs. I think 32 teams made the playoffs at this time. Eventually I changed the playoff system because too many wild cards were winning the Pro Cup. So I went back to just the 8 division champions.

YESTERDAY IN THE IPA

High Mesa and South Fork Co-Winners in TU East.
The Tycobbian East was the tightest and hottest-contested division in the IPA with only 12 games separating first place from last place. Only 2.5 games separated third place and last place. Going into the last week of the regular season all 8 teams has a shot at the playoffs.

The High Mesa Cowboys and the South Fork Stallions ended the season in a dead heat and tied for the division pennant. There was also a three-way tie for the last two playoff positions between East Point, Ozarka and Tuckanarra. The Blue Jays got a bye and advanced to the Round One playoffs and East Point beat Ozarka to gain the other playoff slot. The Panthers completed the season 9.5 games off the pace with Tuckanarra 10 games out and Ozarka 10.5 games back. High Mesa will be the top seed in the playoffs with South Fork seeded second. The Cowboys will go up against Tuckanarra and the Stallions will play East Point.

In a sixth-place tie were the Midway Wolves and Red Bluff Red Sox, both 11 games behind. In the cellar were the Hillsboro Blazers, just 12 games out.

Best Hitting - Tuckanarra Blue Jays .280 BA
Most Homers - East Point Panthers 198
Best Pitching - Ozarka Naturals 3.03 ERA
Best Defense - Ozarka Naturals .980 FA

High Mesa Cowboys (87-67) - Frisky Franks, Manager
Best Pitchers - John Owens (17-4 3.36), Kael Claxton (14-13 3.86), Donnie Rinaldi (11-11 3.54), Joey Popovich (11-14 3.19), Closer Glen Green (8-6 2.65) with 13 saves
Best Hitters - LF Adam Zitek (.292/45 HR/127 RBI/110 R/13 SB), SS Rolf Kellgren (.319/16 HR/99 RBI/127 R/43 SB), C Jay Fessler (.313/12 HR/89 RBI/106 R/33 SB), 2B Ed Granberg (.325/15 HR/76 RBI/90 R/17 SB), 1B Babe Holloman (.292/23 HR/75 RBI), RF Kenny Edelstein (.277/17 HR/56 RBI/75 R/14 SB), CF Lex Neville (.244/18 HR/77 RBI/79 R/13 SB)

South Fork Stallions (87-67) - DeRoche "Lips" Leon, Manager
Best Pitchers - Flint Battle (26-11 2.88), Vince Bernini (14-16 3.17), Glenn Turnbull (9-6 3.55), Closer Ken Marsh (4-8 3.35) with 24 saves
Best Hitters - 1B Keith Burke (.291/23 HR/78 RBI/73 R/14 SB), CF Ronnie Lee (.287/15 HR/56 RBI/90 R/32 SB), 3B Glenn Holliday (.268/31 HR/91 RBI/75 R), C Darryl Burnett (.258/13 HR/67 RBI/64 R)

East Point Panthers (78-77) - Griff Clarke, Manager
Best Pitchers - Charlie Hale (15-11 3.92), Carl Thompson (13-17 3.79), Jack Black (15-18 4.35), Closer Bill Glasscock (11-7 2.70) with 22 saves
Best Hitters - 2B Karol Zodoka (.351/54 HR/146 RBI/119 R/18 SB), 3B Rex Sokolov (.271/37 HR/105 RBI/97 R), SS John Cottrell (.280/13 HR/74 RBI/78 R) LF Tom Drenner (.271/24 HR/74 RBI/78 R), 1B Felipe Velasco (.280/11 HR/46 RBI/47 R), CF Bobby Joseph (.289/8 HR/62 RBI/72 R/18 SB)

Tuckanarra Blue Jays (77-77) - Carlton "Lefty" Stevens, Manager
Best Pitchers - Coorain Janama (21-11 3.48), Niles Applewhite (13-13 3.75), Leland Akana (10-15 3.90), Titus Bristow (11-13 3.96)
Best Hitters - LF Corey Tavington (.325/20 HR/104 RBI/92 R), SS Donnie Allgood (.322/14 HR/60 RBI/73 R), RF Monty Draycott (.300/30 HR/98 RBI/103 R/17 SB), 2B Owen MacArthur (.95/10 HR/70 RBI/111 R/14 SB)

Ozarka Naturals (77-78) - Joe Mac Carney, Manager
Best Pitchers - Alex DiMaggio (14-14 2.41), Sid Hyder (16-10 2.64), Pat Schwartz (12-8 2.80)
Best Hitters - Kermit Wiggins (.333/1 HR/49 RBI/77 R/49 SB), RF Denny Little (.296/10 HR/50 RBI/70 R/23 SB), LF Ronnie Patterson (.232/23 HR/70 RBI/69 R)

Midway Wolves (76-78) - Cochise Chandler, Manager
Best Pitchers - Nosyt Sani (12-9 2.76), Hershel Moody (11-14 3.46)
Best Hitters - RF Gerry Alger (.296/26 HR/92 RBI/56 R), 3B Tommy Kawatoose (.289/26 HR/82 RBI/106 R), LF Archie Greene (.273/22 HR/95 RBI/81 R), SS Little Johnny Yuma (.300/6 HR/52 RBI/77 R/12 SB), CF Johnny Gillespie (.347/8 HR/46 RBI/57 R/12 SB)

Red Bluff Red Sox (76-78) - Mack Connery, Manager
Best Pitchers - Jerry Kline (13-10 3.08), Mila Mohoski (15-9 3.17), Closer John Dougherty (4-6 2.49) 20 saves
Best Hitters - LF Tony Blundell (.330/24 HR/74 RBI/85 R/29 SB), CF Howard Fullerton (.321/16 HR/66 RBI/62 R), 2B Tony Borcellino (.262/29 HR/74 RBI/53 R), 1B Bucky Frizzell (.268/22 HR/65 RBI/76 R)

Hillsboro Blazers (75-79) - Arky Spanderson, Manager
Best Pitchers - Nick Brennan (18-9 2.76), Waco Carlson (12-11 3.51), Ronnie Grienke (13-11 4.14), Closer Whit Achord (4-5 3.02) 25 saves
Best Hitters - 2B Timmy Enrick (.279/27 Hr/94 RBI/92 R), RF Rawhide Marshall (.281/28 HR/68 RBI/79 R), CF Arnie Greco (.277/16 HR/47 RBI/80 R/10 SB)

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

IPA Playoffs - Second Season Begins Today
With the playoffs mere hours away, each of the 32 contenders are putting their game faces on. It's time for ballplayers to leave it all on the field. In the Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs, miracles do happen, but most often it's simply the team that plays better baseball that goes home with the prize -- the much-coveted Islandian Pro Cup Series championship. The First Round series will be best-two-out of three with the lower seed hosting game one. The higher seed will be given the advantage of playing two games at home, if necessary.

In the inaugural season last year, the Volusia Vigilantes of the Ruthlandian Union won the IPA Pro Cup Series, sweeping all four games against the Ginza Ninjas of the Tycobbian Union. The V's are back to defend their title, but Ginza did not make the playoffs this year. The Ninjas missed the playoffs by two games, finishing fifth in their division. The Vigilantes wound up second to Forest City in the RU West.

This year the baseball gurus are saying the race is wide open with 12 teams in the running for the coveted title of the best pro team in the Islands. Glasco, Far Mountain, Valmara, Ranford, Sugar Valley and Forest City are the favorites in the Ruthlandian Union, while San Alejo, Bay St. Clair, High Mesa, South Fork, Oxford and Rolling Hills are given the nod in the Tycobbian Union.

The best team doesn't always win short series like this, so upsets and surprises are quite possible. Two good pitching performances can make an underdog the winner. Last year, both Volusia and Ginza made the IPA finals much to the chagrin of the experts, who had picked them sixth and seventh in the field of eight.

This year according to a poll by BNN, the victor will be San Alejo Montaneros in the Tycobbian bracket and Glasco Athletics in the Ruthlandian bracket. In the finals the critics are giving the edge to San Alejo, who won 102 games this season. The A's captured 96 games, second best in the IPA. But don't be too surprised if some of the hot second-half teams knock the favorites off. The Oxford Red Caps, High Mesa Cowboys, Turon Typhoons and Rolling Hills Reds of the Tycobbian Union and the Valka Blackhawks and Ranford Bulls of the Ruthlandian Union all sizzled down the home stretch and are all playing excellent baseball. The RU's Far Mountain, Valmara, Forest City and Sugar Valley are highly-touted, too. In the TU Luxora, Colchester and South Fork are good teams as well.

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

East Point Star Zadoka Wins Triple Crown in TU
When it came to hitting the baseball, Karol Zodoka had few peers in the Tycobbian Union this year. The gifted second baseman for East Point led the league in hitting, home runs and runs batted in to capture the 1st Triple Crown in IPA history.

He put up a .351 average, 54 home runs and 146 RBIs during the 2002 campaign. A truly historic performance.

Speaking to reporters, Zodoka said, "I'd be happy to lead the league in just one of these categories... to win all three... makes this an extra special season. Now I hope the Panthers can really complete the season by winning the Pro Cup playoffs."

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 18, 2002

Valmara's Kazmarek First IPA .400 Hitter
Outfielder Jet Kazmarek of the Valmara Vipers had an historic season this year. He hit everything in sight and then some, chalking up an astounding .428 batting average. No one came within 74 points of him. "To be the first to do it in the IPA is a great honor," said Kazmarek. "It's been an unbelievable season... beyond my wildest dreams."

Kazmarek's 248 hits included 49 doubles, 29 triples and 15 home runs. He also scored 135 runs and batted in 111. He also stole 80 bases to complete a once-in-a-lifetime year. In his initial season in 2001, Kazmarek batted .314 and led the league in stolen bases with 70 and triples with 26.

The Islandian Times

Thursday, September 19, 2002

Tycobbian Union East Division First Round Playoffs

High Mesa Heads To Sweet 16, Sweeps Blue Jays
At Queen Ranch Stadium, power-laden High Mesa hit its way into the Sweet 16 with three homers to sweep the Tuckanarra Blue Jays 5-3... SS Rolf Kellgren and 2B Ed Granberg belted solo shots in the first inning and 1B Babe Holloman slammed a three-run blast in the fourth frame to give the Cowboys a 5-3 lead that they never relinquished... Lefthander Joey Popovich (1-0 3.86) was bashed for three runs and five hits in the first inning by the Blue Jays, but he quickly settled down and shut them out on one hit over the next six innings to get the victory... Popovich had control problems and walked seven, but managed to stay out of trouble after the opening frame... Closer Glen Green came on in the eighth and did not allow a run in the final two frames for the save... Harold Blankenship absorbed the defeat, allowing five runs in four innings... Now it's on to the Sweet 16 for the Cowboys... High Mesa will meet the winner of South Fork and East Point in the Sweet 16.

The Islandian Times

Monday, September 23, 2002

High Mesa Ousts South Fork From Playoffs 7-3
In the third game of the TU East Sweet 16 Series, High Mesa ousted South Fork from the playoffs with a 7-3 shellacking at Queen Ranch Stadium... The hard-hitting Cowboys smacked 15 hits and three homers, led by CF Lex Neville (.300) with three base hits and three RBIs, 2B Ed Granberg (.316) with two hits and two RBIs and SS Rolf Kellgren (.391) with four hits, two runs and an RBI... Each one of them went deep with home runs... Kellgren now has hit three roundtrippers in the playoffs... Joey Popovich (2-0 3.52) tossed eight and a third innings for the win, allowing four hits and three runs with two walks and five Ks... Jesse Wilson helped save it by getting the last two outs... South Fork only got four hits, but stayed close... the Stallions took the lead 2-0 in the first inning on 1B Keith Burke's home run and led 3-2 after four... Neville's two-run single in the fifth put the Cowboys ahead for good 4-3... a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth cinched it for High Mesa... Vince Bernini (0-1 7.11) sustained the loss, permitting four runs - two earned - in five innings.

The Islandian Times

Friday, September 27, 2002

And Then There Were 4... Blackhawks, All-Stars, Cowboys, Montaneros in Final 4
The Islandian Pro Alliance playoffs have whittled it down to just four teams - the favored San Alejo Montaneros, the surprising Elnora All-Stars, the strong Valka Blackhawks and the high-scoring High Mesa Cowboys. The IPA Final 4 Series gets underway this afternoon in Elnora and High Mesa.

In the Ruthlandian Union Final 4, the All-Stars will play host to the Valka Blackhawks at State Fair Park, while High Mesa will be at home entertaining San Alejo at Queen Ranch Stadium in the Tycobbian Union Final 4. Games two and three will be played in Valka and San Alejo because those clubs won more games in the regular season than their opponents.

Who are the experts picking to win these series and advance to the IPA Pro Cup Series? The two teams playing the best ball right now are pitted against each other. Valka manager Jaan Kurus is blessed with great pitching, while his Elnora counterpart, Zoggy White, has outstanding hitters. The consensus is that good pitching beats good hitting, so it favors the Blackhawks over the All-Stars. Both teams have 6-1 records thus far in the postseason.

Kurus has Roberto Peralta (1-0 1.85), Andrei Kokk (1-1 2.76) and Charlie Krueger (2-0 2.25) as starters with Darryl Vannoy (2-0 1.86 1 SV) in the bullpen. White has Taylor Gibbs (2-0 2.00), Charlie Murphy (3-0 3.60) and Harry Dye (1-1 5.40) to oppose them.

Elnora is hoping its big bats will make up the difference. Catcher Todd Simons is hitting .400 with three homers and 13 RBIs. Left fielder Quincy Peterson has a .500 average with two home runs, 9 RBIs and 7 runs, shortstop Joe Norris is batting .485 with 9 runs scored and 7 RBIs and center fielder Rusty Gilbert has compiled a .335 mark, scored 8 times and batted in 6.

The Blackhawks have scored just enough to get by and are led by first sacker Stan Gatlin, who is hitting only .240, but has two homers and 6 RBIs, left fielder T. C. Haskell with a .321 batting average and 4 RBIs, catcher Kristjian Kasik with a .296 mark and three runs batted in, center fielder Ron Landauer with a .300 average and shortstop Villem Kask, hitting .391.

In the San Alejo-High Mesa clash, it will be pitching against home run power. Manager Lando Peceda had depended on strong pitching to win 102 games this season, the most in the IPA. His number two and three starters have fared well in the playoffs, but his number one has floundered. 25-game winner Ernie Arredondo (1-2 7.79) had two very bad outings and one decent start. He also came in and saved a vital game. He hasn't been the same pitcher in the playoffs. Peceda says without him it may be difficult to take the Pro Cup title. But his other starters, Jaime Serrano (1-0 3.24) and Alberto Herrera (1-1 3.42), have done well. The Montaneros postseason record is 6-3, while High Mesa is 6-2.

It's hard to judge the quality of pitching for the Cowboys as they play in a bandbox, a homer haven called Queen Ranch Stadium. Down the lines it's 312 and 306. In the power alleys it's only 353 and 351. Johnny Owens (2-0 4.35) and Joey Popovich are manager Frisky Franks best two starters. His number threes have been Kael Claxton (0-0 5.14) and Donnie Rinaldi (0-1 10.81). His closer Glen Green (2-0 7.94) has been hit-and-miss so far. However Daron Alberstadt (0-0 1.93) has been outstanding in three middle relief appearances.

High Mesa's big guns at the plate are shortstop Rolf Kellgren (.472 BA/4 HR/8 RBI), second baseman Ed Granberg (.344 BA/3 HR/10 R/5 RBI), left fielder Adam Zitek (.219 BA/2 HR/6 R/9 RBI), catcher Johnny Fessler (.361 BA/5 R/3 RBI), first baseman Babe Holloman (.206 BA/2 HR/4 R/8 RBI) and right fielder Kenny Edelstein (.406 BA/6 R/4 RBI).

The Montaneros can match them power-wise, but not in average. Right fielder Marcelino Zuniga (.378 BA/4 HR/7 R/15 RBI) has been tremendous in the postseason and would certainly be in the running for the MVP award. Third baseman Paolo Huerta (.250 BA/3 HR/9 R/9 RBI) has delivered some key hits, too. Second baseman Xavier Rocha (.314 BA/9 R/4 RBI) has had a fine postseason. Center fielder Vidal Munoz (.206 BA/3 HR/7 R/7 RBI) hasn't hit for average, but has come through in the clutch for Peceda.

The BNN baseball gurus are picking Valka and San Alejo to play for all the marbles in the Pro Cup Series because of their superior mound staffs.

The Islandian Times

Saturday, September 28, 2002

Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series

High Mesa Wins TU Final 4, KO's San Alejo 9-5
Hot-hitting High Mesa is headed for the IPA Pro Cup Series... The underdog Cowboys finished off favored San Alejo 9-5 to take two in a row and sweep the Tycobbian Union Final 4 Series... High Mesa hammered Montaneros pitching for 16 hits, but it took a three-run ninth to finally put them away... The Cowboys jumped off to a 5-0 lead in the top of the third, but San Alejo recovered with five of their own in the last of the third to tie it up... 2B Ed Granberg (.366) sixth-inning RBI single gave High Mesa the lead 6-5... the Cowboys then clinched it in the ninth when RF Kenny Edelstein (.410) tripled in two runs and 1B Babe Holloman (.250) drove in another run with a ground ball to second... Holloman and Edelstein both had two RBIs and three hits in the game... 3B Howie Partridge (.270) also collected two RBIs... The Montaneros got all their runs in one inning, highlighted by 3B Paolo Huerta's (.243) three-run smash, his fourth home run of the postseason... Huerta also drove in 12 runs in the playoffs... Manager Frisky Franks got outstanding work out of his bullpen... Three pitchers, Donnie Rinaldi, Jesse Wilson and Jim Dreyer each worked two scoreless innings, shutting out San Alejo over the last six innings on just two hits... Rinaldi (1-1 6.75) was the winning pitcher, while Pedro Acosta (1-1 8.10) lost, although he gave up only one run in three innings... High Mesa will take on Elnora for the overall IPA championship... The Islandian Pro Cup Series will get underway day after tomorrow at State Fair Park in Elnora... the All-Stars will host the first two games of the series with the remainder to be played at High Mesa.

The Islandian Times

Sunday, September 29, 2002

Elnora Hosts High Mesa in IPA Pro Cup Series Tomorrow
It's been a long season in the Islandian Pro Alliance. It's now down to the winner of the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union for the Islandian Pro Cup, symbolic of the best professional baseball team in the Islands. The Elnora All-Stars will represent the RU, while the High Mesa Cowboys will play for the TU in a best-of-five series. It opens tomorrow in Elnora at State Fair Park.

Both clubs are playing extraordinary well. Elnora is 8-1 in the playoffs, while High Mesa is 8-2. The All-Stars are deemed the favorite by the baseball analysts because of better pitching. They think Elnora can hold its own with the High Mesa hitters and stronger pitching will be decisive in the Pro Cup Series.

Manager Zoggy White of Elnora will use Charlie Murphy (3-0 3.60), Taylor Gibbs (3-0 1.67) and Harry Dye (2-1 3.05) as his starters, while High Mesa's Frisky Franks will go with Joey Popovich (2-0 3.80), John Owens (2-0 5.70) and Kael Claxton (1-0 5.40).

The Cowboy bats will be tough to hold down with the likes of SS Rolf Kellgren (.477 BA/4 HR/11 R/13 RBI), LF Adam Zitek (.262 BA/2 HR/8 R/10 RBI), 2B Ed Granberg (.366 BA/3 HR/12 R/6 RBI), 1B Babe Holloman (.250 BA/2 Hr/6 R/10 RBI), RF Kenny Edelstein (.410 BA/9 R/6 RBI) and C Jay Fessler (.348 BA/6 R/3 RBI).

However, the All-Stars possess a potent pack of hitters, too. The Elnora line-up features C Todd Simons (.387 BA/3 HR/7 R/13 RBI), SS Joe Norris (.405 BA/1 HR/9 R/7 RBI), LF Quincy Peterson (.472 BA/2 HR/7 R/9 RBI), CF Rusty Gilbert (.341 BA/1 HR/8 R/6 RBI) and 2B Gil Foster (.324 BA/2 HR/9 R/5 RBI).

Games one and two will be played in Elnora. The series will switch to High Mesa for the remaining games.

The Islandian Times

Monday, September 30, 2002

IPA Pro Cup Series - Game One

Cowboys Take Pro Cup Opener on Edelstein's HR
Kenny Edelstein walloped two homers and led the High Mesa Cowboys to a 4-3 triumph over the Elnora All-Stars to take a one-game lead in the best-of-five IPA Pro Cup Series... Edelstein's second homer won it in the 13th inning... The much-maligned Cowboy pitching corps really came through for manager Frisky Franks... starter Joey Popovich went the first nine innings, gave up three runs on nine hits and fanned nine... Glen Green worked a scoreless tenth and eleventh and Jesse Wilson (1-1 1.50) picked up the win by blanking the All-Stars over the final two frames... Elnora drew first blood on a first-inning solo blast by RF Paul Giles (.189)... High Mesa tied it up 1-1 in the fifth on a triple by CF Lex Neville (.217) and a single by 3B Howie Partridge (.279)... The Cowboys increased it to 2-1 in the sixth on SS Rolf Kellgren's (.480) two-bagger... two ground outs brought him home with the RBI going to 2B Ed Granberg (.356)... Kellgren unloaded a home run in the ninth to make it 3-1 Cowboys... but Elnora rallied with two runs in the last of the ninth... 3B Richie Franklin (.244) delivered an RBI single and pinchhitter Vic Gelder (.242) evened it up with a double and forced the overtime... All-Star starter Charlie Murphy hurled a solid seven innings, giving up only two runs on five hits... the loss went to Stevie Howard (0-1 1.59), who pitched the last two innings... High Mesa numbered 12 hits to 11 for Elnora... Kellgren, Edelstein and Neville all contributed three hits each for the Cowboys, while Gilbert got three for Elnora... Game two will be played at State Fair Park in Elnora tomorrow afternoon... It will be Taylor Gibbs (3-0 1.67) on the hill for the All-Stars and John Owens (2-0 5.70) for the Cowboys.

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, October 1, 2002

IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Two

High Mesa Up 2-0 in IPA Finals, Beats Elnora 6-4
High Mesa's John Owens pitched a complete game and was backed by homers by Babe Holloman and Lex Neville in the 6-4 victory over Elnora... The Cowboys now have a commanding two-games-to-none lead in the IPA Pro Cup playoffs after defeating them at State Fair Park in Elnora... High Mesa took the lead 4-1 in the fifth when 1B Holloman (.226) pounded a three-run homer and CF Neville hit a solo salvo... they hit them back-to-back off losing pitcher Taylor Gibbs... Workhorse Owens only gave up two earned runs as the Cowboy defense made three errors... Owens (3-0 4.68) scattered 10 hits, walked none and had two Ks in winning his third game in the postseason... Gibbs (3-1 2.61) dropped his first game in the playoffs... High Mesa tagged him for four runs and six hits in four innings... The All-Stars narrowed the score to 4-3 in the seventh, but the Cowboys put two more on the scoreboard in the ninth to increase it to 6-3... Elnora tallied one run in the last of the ninth... 3B Richie Franklin (.267) paced the All-Stars at bat with two hits, one RBI and scored three times... CF Rusty Gilbert (.346) batted in two runs in defeat... Elnora had 10 hits, High Mesa racked up 8... The Cowboys will try to sweep the All-Stars tomorrow afternoon as the series will switch to Queen Ranch Stadium in High Mesa, where they rarely lose a game.

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, October 2, 2002

IPA Pro Cup Series - Game Three

Cowboys Smash All-Stars 10-1, IPA Champions
The Cowboys are the champions of pro baseball in Islandia... High Mesa smashed the Elnora All-Stars 10-1 in game three at Queen Ranch Stadium to sweep all three games of the IPA Pro Cup Series... The Cowboys clouted 19 hits to easily rout the All-Stars... A 6-run surge in the fourth inning sparked the victory... Leading the way was C Jay Fessler (.361) with a 5-for-5 day... He scored twice and batted in three... 3B Howie Partridge (.300) had two hits and three RBIs... and LF Adam Zitek (.232) homered and drove in two runs... Everyone in the High Mesa line-up got at least one hit, including winning pitcher Kael Claxton... Claxton (2-0 3.63) tossed a fine game, stopping Elnora on just five hits, finishing up with five strikeouts and five walks... Manager Zoggy White of Elnora told reporters, "The Cowboys have outstanding hitters throughout the line-up... there ain't no easy outs."... The winning manager, Frisky Franks, gave credit to the whole ballclub, "Every man on our roster contributed at one time or another throughout the whole season... they made my job easy."

The Islandian Times

Saturday, October 4, 2002

High Mesa SS Kellgren Voted Pro Cup MVP
The MVP trophy for the IPA Pro Cup Series has gone to High Mesa's standout shortstop Rolf Kellgren... Kellgren hit .466 with 8 doubles, 1 triple and 4 homers as he led the Cowboys to the IPA title, beating the Elnora All-Stars in a three-game sweep... Kellgren also scored 14 runs and batted in 13... Ranking second and third in the BNN balloting were two teammates... Right fielder Kenny Edelstein was second... He compiled a .426 batting average with two homers, 9 RBIs and 15 runs scored... coming in third was left fielder Adam Zitek, who had 5 doubles, 3 roundtrippers, 12 RBIs and 10 runs scored, while batting .232.

Elnora's Taylor Gibbs finished fourth in the vote... Gibbs was 3-1 in the postseason with a fine 2.61 ERA... All-Star left fielder Quincy Peterson ranked fifth... Peterson hit .439 with a pair of homers, 9 RBIs and scored 9 times...Also receiving votes were Elnora's Charlie Murphy, who was unbeaten in the playoffs, winning three and losing none with a 3.38 ERA... He also pitched well against the new champions, going seven innings and giving up only two runs in the opening game of the series, won in extra innings 5-4 by High Mesa.

[Eugene Church]

Friday, October 19, 2085

COLFAX FAVORED OVER HIGH MESA IN IPA PRO CUP SERIES
It's not an easy call. Both Pro Cup finalists, High Mesa and Colfax, have a lot going for them. The #4-ranked Buckaroos got past #1 pick Hartsdale in 5 games; the #5 choice Colfax Black Sox dispatched the defending Pro Cup champion and #3-rated Belair Beach Sunbirds in a spirited 7-game affair; High Mesa has the best overall pitching staff in the IPA (2.91 team ERA); Colfax has four quality starters; the Buckos have the edge in regular-season roundtrippers 155 to 118; the Black Sox lead in home-run power in the playoffs 14 to 11; Other important factors to consider: the Buckaroos have the better bullpen (2.54 ERA to 3.63 ERA), while the Black Sox play much better defense (.981 FA to .976 FA). Keep in mind Colfax has scored 77 runs, over 5 per game in the postseason.

Key Pro Cup Series performers for each team:
Colfax really needs for its bullpen to step it up and protects the late-inning leads for it fine starters Dick Latham, Jimbo Munsey and Wallace McCue. Thus far in the playoffs the bullpen has not done its job. The Black Sox attack has been very productive, averaging over 5 runs a game in the postseason. Tim Bozeman, Tommy Wilkins, Audie James, Gavin Foxton, Denver Kaylan and Blinky Zelinski have been doing a great job. Top to bottom in the batting order, it has been productive. Closer Gordy Stockton has to be better. Middle relievers Julian Cervantez and Dicky Brenneman will be critical should Stockton not do the job. Starter Joe Buras might be used, too.

High Mesa needs good offensive performances from Vinny Hathaway, Ace Serling, Barton Eagleton, Bennett Beaulieu and Dwayne Huffty. So far, the bottom third of the lineup has been helpless in the playoffs. Starters Roy Murrell and Luke Zachary will have to help out ace Allie Tuthill, who topped the IPA with 21 wins this year and a standout 1.84 ERA. The bullpen will have to be much better against Colfax for High Mesa to win the Pro Cup. Closer Elizar Belazario has been dismal in the playoffs. He must regain his regular-season form for the Buckaroos to be IPA champion.

2085 Pro Cup Outlook:
Initially EC favored High Mesa mainly because as a kid growing up, I wanted to be a cowboy like Hoppy, Gene and Roy. Strange as it might seem, EC never considered being a coalminer or even a coalminer's daughter. However, upon reflection and thinking like Brian Kenny on the MLB Network, EC is going with the Colfax Black Sox. They have solid pitching and defense, but most of all they can score runs. High Mesa struggles at the plate. Plus their bullpen has been bad in the playoffs. EC is taking Colfax in 6 games.

Map of Islandia


COLFAX BLACK SOX (AKA BLASTERS 2002-2062)

Owner: Enim Dlog Precious Metals Corporation
GM and Manager: Garry August

Colfax is found in west central Ruthlandia, population 89,000. It is a "City of Gold" situated on the scenic Silver River, which flows out of the Silver Mountains northwest of Volusia, past Colfax and then eastward to the nation's capital, Forest City. It then merges with the Green River, which winds its way through the southern half of the country and ends at Belair Beach.

The town was settled during the Gold Rush of the 1850's and is still quite profitable. It is also an important coal mining center.

It is also the home of the Colfax Black Sox of the Islandian Pro Alliance, who play in the Ruthlandian Baseball Union in the West Division. The team is nicknamed for the miners, so important in mining the gold, silver, copper and coal. For the first six decades the club was known as the Blasters, which has a double meaning. A "blaster" would set off the dynamite in the mines, while a "blaster" at the ballpark would blast the ball out of the park. Colfax rebranded as the Black Sox in 2063.

Due to its great financial wealth and success, Colfaxians have a town of stunning beauty and charm. Built by the coal barons and the gold mine owners, it is filled with grand buildings and mansions, intermingled with the smokestacks that loom over the landscape. To lessen the environmental impact, quiet canals and man-made waterways flow through the town. Visitors can glide by boat along the tranquil Silver River or walk the fabled cobblestoned streets and discover a town that time has almost forgotten. You can hear its famous landmark, "The Belfry", a carillon or bells that toll every hour and has continuously for over 150 years. Colfax also boasts an opera house, concert hall, theater and a ballet company.

Colfax's Mountain View Stadium is known for its gorgeous view of the town, the Silver Mountain backdrop beyond the outfield fence and for its "Pot of Gold". It is an actual pot, five feet in diameter, located in the center field section of the ballpark, 410 feet away. Whenever a Blaster or Black Sox player hits a ball that ends up in the "Pot of Gold", that player and a fan each receive $5,000 in gold coins. The fan is chosen in a "lucky scorecard number" drawing.

At the ballpark you have hardworking and hard-living miners and the white collar and managerial set...the beer set and the champagne set. Both are attended to at Mountain View Stadium. You can get anything from hot dogs to caviar at the concession stands.

The Colfax original owner was Enim Dlog, whose ancestors are from somewhere in the Baltics. It was one of his ancestors, who first discovered gold in the 1850's. In fact, the new ballpark was built on the same site as the first gold mine.

Famed fireballer of the early days of amateur and company baseball leagues, Clem Rogers was the original Colfax skipper. Along with star pitchers Johnny Walters, Alex Groveland, Page Satcher, Gibson Bobkins, Ryan Noland, Hub Carlson, Marty Pedroza, Carlton Stevens, Guy Rondre, Walter Johanssen, Ford Whiteman, Matty Christianson and John Randison, Rogers was an all-time great. All of the fabled hurlers also managed in the early days of IPA baseball.

Clem Rogers was very successful as the manager of the Black Sox, he guided them to 8 playoff appearances and one Pro Cup title. Colfax set a new record for victories in the IPA with 107 in 2010. That was the Pro Cup season, too.

One of the greatest players in Colfax history is Hall-of-Fame hurler Ilya Szabo, who pitched 19 seasons for the Blasters from 2003 to 2021. Lifetime Szabo was 327-210 with a great 2.57 ERA. He sparked them to 8 pennants and a Pro Cup in his tenure as a player. Colfax beat Turon in the 2010 Pro Cup. Szabo was inducted into the first HOF class in 2027. He was a 9-time All-Star, captured 4 RU Golden Arm Awards and was twice the Ruthlandian Most Valuable Player. He retired as a player in 2021 at age 42 and replaced Rogers as skipper in 2028. Szabo went 18-17 his final season with a 3.76 ERA... Szabo also served as General Manager and Manager for 17 years and won 5 pennants at the helm of the Blasters.

Szabo was followed by former star catcher Mitch Fullerton in 2045. He played with Colfax for 19 seasons and finished with a lifetime .294 BA, 300 homers and 1244 RBIs. Fullerton's mediocre managerial career spanned from 2045 to 2061. His protege and successor Garry August never played in the Islandian Pro Alliance. In fact, he never played baseball at any level, never played any sports at all in organized leagues. August got his experience in as a high school coach, was very successful in all sports, went to work for Fullerton as a bench coach when Fullerton was the manager and was hired as manager in 2062. So far, Colfax has been lackluster during his tenure. August has guided the Black Sox to three Ruthlandian West pennants in '63, '65 and '85.

Mountain View Stadium (1971)
Capacity: 10,850

Dimensions:
LF Line 315
LF 345
LCF 375
CF 405
RCF 375
RF 360
RF Line 345
Attachment 1026348

[Eugene Church]

[Eugene Church]

HIGH MESA BUCKAROOS (AKA COWBOYS 2002- 2051, MUSTANGS 2052-2074)

Owner: Queen Ranch Enterprises
GM/Manager: Tee Bo Templet

High Mesa is located in the sparsely-populated central region of Tycobbia, a dry, dusty plains area with scrubby vegetation and low rainfall. It is midway between Ozarka in the Silver Mountains to the east, Bay St. Clair on the west coast and Midway on the Appian River to the northwest, about 100 miles from each. High Mesa has about 40,000 population.

It was sleepy little village when the Queen family arrived in 1870 from war-torn Texas in the United States. Richard Queen had made his money in shipping and riverboats during the Civil War and lost much of his wealth for being on the wrong side of the war. He and his family migrated to Tycobbia to start anew. Queen was a good businessman and when he toured the high plains area east of Bay St. Clair, he found the perfect spot for his ranch. It had the only water hole for 100 miles in any direction and was shaded and sheltered by large mesquite trees. From that small holding Queen expanded to the biggest ranch in the Islands over the next 50 years. The Queen Ranch has grown to almost a million acres and is still in business today, guided by Richard Queen's descendants.

For the last two centuries the Queen Ranch has concentrated on raising cattle and supplies much of the beef in Tycobbia. In the 1930's oil was discovered on the property and made the ranch even more profitable. The Queen family's oil industry contacts made it much easier for them to get an IPA franchise, quite an achievement for such a small town. Friends like the Ewing Oil family made it possible. The Queen Ranch is also famous for its thoroughbred horses and has produced many Arlon Derby winners over the years.

The High Mesa was originally the Cowboys. They rebranded as the Mustangs in 2052... the club plays at a beautiful old stadium built in 1914. Queen Ranch Stadium has ivy-covered outfield fences that are unique in all of the Islands. It's a hitter's ballpark with short power alleys and a short center field. High-scoring slugfests are commonplace at Queen Ranch Stadium. The Cowboys have a Rhinestone Cowboy as their mascot. Campbell Glennon is an accomplished pop and country singer in the Islands. He gallops around the field on a splendid golden Palomino whooping it up and exhorting the crowd to cheer for the Mustangs. Glennon also performs in postgame concerts throughout the baseball season.

An even more special treat and a great sight to see are the Rhinestone Cowgirls, an eight-member dance team that leads cheers and dances on the dugouts during the game. Some say they alone are worth the price of admission.

Queen Ranch Stadium also serves a delicious ribeye steak sandwich at the concession stands. They are cooked right before you eyes on huge barbecue grills, filling the stands with the fragrance of sizzling steaks and grilled onions. Mouth-watering hamburgers and hot dogs are also on the menu along with the customary soft drinks and beer.

One of the greatest second basement in the amateur and company leagues, Frisky Franks was the inaugural manager of the Cowboys. He had great success in his first two seasons, winning the 2002 Pro Cup and making the playoffs the next year. But that was it. No more pennants, no more Pro Cup trophies. But High Mesa was a competitive team most seasons. In 2032 the Cowboys lost 100 games, followed by 5 more dismal years. Finally in 2038 Franks was replaced by the legendary first baseman Jack Elliott, the greatest slugger in IPA annals. For almost two decades from 2013 to 2031 he was a terror at the plate. Elliott was a 13-time All-Star, 12-time Golden Batter of the Year, won five Golden Gloves and four Tycobbian MVP Awards. He also won the Rookie of the Year trophy his first season in the league, setting a new mark for homers at that time with 61. In Elliott's remarkable career he batted a gaudy .332, had 3467 hits, 848 homers, 2120 RBIs and 2192 runs.

Sadly, even with all of his gaudy numbers and fabled accomplishments, Elliott never played in the postseason playoffs in his 19 years with High Mesa. As skipper he had only 2 losing seasons from 2038 to 2061 with 2 pennants in '48 and '59. No Pro Cups.

Elliott stepped down as manager in 2061. His replacement was Tee Bo Templet, a fairly good pitcher for the team from '39 to '56, posting a 140-99 mark with a decent 4.10 ERA in a hitter's ballpark. During his managerial reign it has been mostly good with two pennants. He won the TU East his first season in '62 and also in '85.

In 2075 High Mesa rebranded for the second time and changed their name to the Buckaroos.

Queen Ranch Stadium (1914)
Capacity: 6,575

Dimensions:
Left Field Line 355
Left Field 357
Left Center 368
Center Field 390
Right Center 368
Right Field 363
Right Field Line 353

[Eugene Church]

Sunday, October 21, 2085

2085 IPA PRO CUP SERIES BEGINS IN COLFAX
A couple of Pro Cup novices will tangle for the 2085 Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Trophy. Both of them possess just one single, solitary Pro Cup. Long ago, High Mesa won it in 2002 and Colfax copped it in 2010. Finally, the decades-long drought is about to come to an end for one of the teams. Game one in the best-of-seven series began on Saturday afternoon at Mountain View Stadium in Colfax.

Game One

[Eugene Church]

Game Two

[Eugene Church]

Game Three

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, October 25, 2085

75-YEAR PRO-CUP DROUGHT COME TO AN END FOR BLACK SOX
Whew, 75 years between titles is a long, long time. It is finally over. Fantastic starting pitching and timely hitting by everybody in the batting order combined to spark the Colfax Black Sox to its second Pro Cup crown in the club's history. They swiftly dispatched the highly-touted High Mesa Buckaroos in a four-game drubbing.

Game Four

[jg2977]

Colfax fans have longed to hear it - the Black Sox are IPA champions!

[Eugene Church]

Thursday, October 25, 2085

MCCUE EDGES OUT MUNSEY AND LATHAM FOR PRO CUP MVP
The Colfax Black Sox depended on its mound corps and timely hitting to take it all the way to the Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup crown this season. Three southpaw hurlers were in the running for the IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player Award. They were the key to the Black Sox postseason success. Against the best teams in the IPA, their pitching corps posted a solid 3.00 ERA in 16 postseason starts, while the batters hit only .237 in the playoffs. In their defense they were also facing some of the best pitchers in the IPA, too. In a very tight poll Wallace McCue just barely skimmed past his mound teammates Jimbo Munsey and Dick Latham for the prized trophy.

McCue, a 36-year-old left-hander, was 3-0 in 4 postseason starts with a splendid 1.29 ERA. Teams only batted .191 against him. He was outstanding in his 2 starts in the Pro Cup Series, both won by Colfax. That probably tipped the voting scales in his favor. Jimbo Munsey, also 36, was also unbeaten with a 3-0 mark and a fine 2.83 ERA in his 4 starting assignments. 27-year-old Dick Latham was a close third in the MVP balloting. He posted a standout 4-0 record in 5 starts with a 2.41 ERA. Munsey was the Tycobbian Union Golden Arm in 2081 when he was with the White River Rascals. He was 22-4 with an impressive 2.42 ERA

The only position player to get any support was second baseman Tim Bozeman, who topped the team with a .385 BA in the playoffs. Bozeman came in fourth in the MVP voting. He hit 2 doubles, 2 roundtrippers, drove in 12 runs and scored 13 times in his 16 games.

McCue also was Colfax's biggest winner in the regular season, chalking up a sparkling 16-6 record with a 3.20 ERA. Munsey was 11-8 with a 2.86 ERA and Latham registered an 11-11 mark with a 2.95 ERA. Bozeman hit .308 during the season with 15 doubles, 5 triples, 7 homers, 47 ribbies and 56 runs scored in 108 games.

[Eugene Church]

Special thanks to txranger for the beautiful logo and jerseys for Colfax.

Special thanks to No Pepper for the beautiful High Mesa logo and jerseys.

[Eugene Church]

Up next are the Award Winners in the IPA this season.

[jg2977]

Would you be able to post the entire list of the Pro Cup Champions? It's helpful when analyzing which teams have been most successful, both recently and in years past.

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by jg2977

would you be able to post the entire list of the pro cup champions? It's helpful when analyzing which teams have been most successful, both recently and in years past.

Islandian Pro Alliance Pro Cup Champions
(Champion Listed in Blue Color)

[Eugene Church]

Islandian Pro Alliance Team Pro Cup And Playoffs History
(Note: Coffax won this year. It has not been updated yet)

[Eugene Church]

2085 Islandian Pro Alliance Playoffs

[jg2977]

Thank you!

[Eugene Church]

You are very welcome, Jeff.

Appreciate you following the IPA.

[Eugene Church]

Friday, October 26, 2085

BEST SWINGERS IN THE IPA PRESENTED GOLDEN BATS
The Islandian Pro Alliance honored two of their best batsmen with Golden Bats, emblematic of being the the top hitters in the Ruthlandian Union and the Tycobbian Union. The 2085 RU Golden Bat Award went to Claxton's standout third baseman Andreas Koopman, while the 2085 TU Golden Bat Award was given to Mahaska's first baseman Byron Bennigan.

CLAXTON 3RD SACKER CLAIMS FIRST RU GOLDEN BAT
Koopman had an excellent season, leading his Claxton Diamonds to a second-place finish in the Ruthlandian South Division. His club came in a fairly close 5 games back of the 2084 Pro Cup champion Belair Beach Sunbirds. In 150 games Koopman put up a .320 batting average with 173 hits, 33 doubles, 26 homers, 100 ribbies and 106 runs scored. Koopman is 26 years old and in his third season. He started his career with the Fairfax Frogs in 2083, but was traded to the Diamonds in 2084, where he has blossomed.

Jake Osborne of the Crystal Lake Skippers gave Koopman the most competition. The 25-year-old superstar center fielder had another standout season with a .341 BA, 196 hits, 16 homers, 74 RBIs and 91 runs. However, the Skippers had a subpar season ending up in 5th place, 15 games out of first place with a 75-79 record. Now in his 7th season, Osborne sports a sparkling .347 career batting average. He also won the RU Golden Bats in 2080 and 2082, the RU Rookie of the Year in 2080 and was the 2082 RU Most Valuable Player. This year was the fourth time Osborne copped the RU batting crown.

At age 33, Tory Swinnerton of the LaGrange Gators had another marvelous year. Amazingly, he has won the home-run crown 10 times in his 12 seasons in the IPA. Swinnerton sparked the Gators to their 4th division flag in the last 5 seasons by batting .301 with 174 hits in 154 games with 44 roundtrippers, 98 RBIs and 104 runs. Swinnerton has 544 career homers and a .303 lifetime BA.

MAHASKA FIRST BASEMEN BAGS FIRST TU GOLDEN BAT
24-year-old Byron Bennigan has a superlative season for the Mahaska Haymakers, who gave powerhouse Hartsdale fits in the Tycobbian North pennant race, finally losing out by 5 games. Bennigan was a vital cog in the Haymakers success with a .324 BA in 144 games with 42 homers, 114 RBIs and 118 runs. Now in his 4th year with the club he is carrying a .309 career average with 119 home runs.

Coming in second in the TU Golden Bat balloting was Bobby Delaney, star left fielder for the Arlon Champions. Delaney stood out with 181 hits in 149 games with 33 doubles, 6 triples, 35 homers, 103 RBIs and 103 runs. Arlon wound up with a 77-77 record, good for 5th place in the TU West, won by Chicopee. Delaney has been a crackerjack at the plate with a career .330 BA and 222 roundtrippers in his 7 seasons.

Rounding out the TU Golden Bat voting was third-place finisher Jose Vasque of the Luxora Zorros. The 26-year-old left fielder flourished in his 7th year with the Z's. In 149 games he collected 189 base hits, batted .339 with 31 doubles, 5 triples, 30 homers, 95 RBIs and 99 runs scored. Despite his endeavors, the Zorros still came in 5th in the TU North with a 74-80 mark, 17 games behind pennant-winning Hartsdale. Lifetime Vasque is hitting .310 with 173 home runs.