ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

2013 Tycobbian North Final Standings and Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Fairfax Back On Top In TU North
After a year's absence from atop the Tycobbian North, the Fairfax Frogs rebounded to win their second pennant in the last three years. The Frogs squandered a big lead in the final weeks of the season, but still won by a comfortable 5-game margin over second place Luxora and Mahaska and 8 games over fourth place Oxford.

Team Rankings

BA
1. HAR .266
2. FFX .265
3. MAH .261

HR
1. HAR 205
2. OXF 188
3. MAH 160

Runs
1. MAH 767
2. BL 740
3. LUX 728

ERA
1. FFX 3.33
2. LUX 3.50
3. WR 3.61

FA
1. FFX .977
1. BL .977
3. NH .976

Manager Harry Buckley's Fairfax Frogs (87-67) pretty much led start-to-finish and had things their way in 2013... The Frogs are a well-balanced ballclub with a solid core of veterans on the mound and in the batter's box... top twirlers are Ken Hill (25-13 3.09), Joe Hampton (18-13 2.97), rookie Dan Hunt (18-16 3.49) and Steve Aaron (12-12 3.20)... Toss in an excellent closer in Floyd Burnett (1-2 2.02), who had 26 saves and you have a fine staff... Superstar RF Dane Wesner again led the team and the IPA with a .368 BA... Wesner hammered 34 homers and had 106 RBIs and scored 91 times... SS Wes Hickox (.313/16/85/79) and 1B Chancey Quibedeaux (.278/17/70/106) chipped in good numbers, too.

The Luxora Zorros (82-72) and the Mahaska Haymakers (82-72) deadlocked for the runner-up spot this season... Alejandro Rodrigo had good pitching in Luxora, while Rusty Tanussa used offense in Mahaska... The Z's top pitchers were Elio Laurente (20-14 2.98), Tommy Wrightman (19-13 2.91) and Rudy De la Roca (14-11 3.37), plus super closer Connie Jahnke, who 28 saves and posted an extraordinary 1.14 ERA with a 4-3 record... top bats were RF Dickie Nordhagen (.316/13/83/112/30 SB), 3B Pablo Santa Cruz (.275/10/85/92/21 SB) and CF Bob Haviland (.263/28/101/79).

Mahaska used 160 homers to lead the TU North in scoring, led by 1B Johnny Carducci with 39 homers, 112 RBIs, 102 runs and a .284 batting average... The 39-year-old Carducci got reborn with the Haymakers as he wasted a year sitting on the bench in Turon after losing his spot in the line-up to a great rookie Clyde Kingsford in 2012... Rookie Bucky O'Brian (.303/21/87/87), SS Monte Davis (.276/14/62/105) and LF Dalton Leeds (.300/15/66/85) added punch to the Lanussa batting order... on the hill Mahaska had Yuri Dozhenko (18-9 4.02) and 41-year-old vet Johnny Spears (13-12 3.69).

The Oxford Red Caps (79-75), skippered by Campy Roy to a fourth-place finish, got off to a poor start, but ended up one of the better teams in the division by year's end... The Red Caps were 8 games off the pace... Oxford used the long ball for success with 188 overall (5th)... Roy could have used more pitching... 41-year-old 3B Cameron Kamara sparked the Red Cap batting order with 47 roundtrippers, 123 RBIs, 98 runs, while batting .311... Other contributors were LF Mack Spencer (.284/37/98/71), 2B Carl Graeme (.265/27/72/80) and 1B Eddy Dowler (.300/11/65/88)... Roy had two dependable starters in Del Anderson (19-14 3.45) and Emerson Carnell (15-14 3.97)... Rookie Rick Vaughn (13-15 3.65) shined at times and struck out 212 batters in his first year.

Heading up the second division 11 games out were Cobb Tyson's fifth place Blue Lake Blue Sox (76-78), who stumbled badly on the mound and took a sharp nosedive in the standings... Justin Eckhardt (15-14 3.51), Pete Henry (15-18 4.08) and Dan Whitfield (14-15 3.73) all had off-years this season... The Blue Sox bats put runs on the scoreboard, powered by CF Rick Hilliard (.290/24/102/88/23 SB), 2B Loren Babcock (.280/27/100/99/35 SB), C Justin Kucks (.276/24/81/61) and 1B Vic Gelder (.296/20/73/89).

Last year's titlist, the North Hill Hawks (73-81), saw their pitching crumble and plunged down to sixth place and 14 games back... Hub Carlson lost a valuable starter in Ben Dewberry, who was traded to Crystal Lake of the Ruthlandian Union... Dewberry was 19-9 this season for the Crushers... Carlson did not find a replacement for him and suffered the consequences... Lou Dozier (20-14 3.54) led the Hawks staff with some help from Fred Weidemeyer (16-15 3.75)... Ronnie Kerensky was 16-12 in 2012, but dipped to 16-19 and a 3.74 ERA this year... Offense was sorely lacking with 1B Masaichi Okawa (.258/25/84/82) and newcomer C Todd Simons (.284/11/74/71) Carlson's best bets... Simons was the only productive player obtained in the Dewberry deal.

The poor White River Rascals (72-82) continued their tradition of never making the playoffs in their 12-year IPA history, winding up seventh in the TU North and 15 games off the pace... Manager John Randison had three quality arms in his rotation with Clinton Banfield (19-13), Brian Charles (13-13 3.26) and Joe Hudson (11-12 3.29), but closer Stan Clermont failed to protect many leads for them... Clermont was only 4-10 with a high 3.44 ERA, although he did have 32 saves... Lifetime Clermont has a strong 2.78 ERA... The Rascals got a fine rookie in 1B Marty Blake, who smacked 36 homers and drove in 111 runs with a .317 BA... It was a bumper crop of freshmen this season in the IPA... Grandison only other decent hitter was LF Joey Jarrett (.270/17/62/97).

Manager Zim Donner saw his pitching trashed this season and his Hartsdale Hellcats (70-84) became clawless pussycats and plummeted to last place, an unlikely place for him... The Hellcats trailed first place Fairfax by 17 games... Last year's mound aces Rip Arnold (15-15 4.45) and Tony Lane (15-17 3.83) went downhill... Last year Arnold was 18-10 and 3.47 with Lane 21-8 and 2.80, big factors in the huge fall from third to the basement... However Donner's bunch could hit the ball hard and led the division with 205 homers (2nd) and a .266 BA (8th)... Hartsdale best hitters were its great 1B Tom Brabant (.333/42/103/88) and solid pros like 3B Kendry Moulton (.289/37/94/97), SS Jud Turchin (.281/27/90/96) and LF Mac Faulkner (.336/34/86/84).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

2013 Tycobbian South Final Standings and Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Turon Retakes TU South, CC Hurricanes 2nd
The powerful Turon Typhoons reestablished themselves as the class of the Tycobbian South in 2013. They busted open a tight race with the defending champs, the Cape Coral Hurricanes, with a sensational September to pull away and win by 9 games. Turon has now won five of the last six years. This was its sixth overall crown. It was only a two-team race with no other real challengers. The Colchester Elites copped third place and trailed by 15 games and the Ginza Ninjas were fourth, 18 games behind.

RU South Team Rankings

Batting Average
1. Arroyo Grande .275
2. Turon .272
3. Southport .262
4. Cape Coral .261

Home Runs
1. Colchester 172
1. Arroyo Grande 172
3. Turon 161
4. Cape Coral 154

Runs
1. Turon 882
2. Arroyo Grande 803
3. Cape Coral 754
4. Colchester 696

ERA
1. Turon 3.11
2. Southport 3.26
3. San Alejo 3.38
4. Ginza 3.50

Fielding Average
1. Ginza .979
2. Colchester .976
3. Southport .973
3. Arroyo Grande .973
3. Cape Coral .973

After a close loss to Cape Coral last season, manager Ashton "Whitey" Richburn righted his Turon Typhoons (95-69) and they won handily this season, tallying up the second-best win total in the Tycobbian Union, outdone only by Tuckanarra of the TU East. The Blue Jays chalked up a great season and 100 victories. The Typhoons strong pitching and strong bats are a hard combination to beat. Young Nicky Engstrom was again brilliant with a 25-6 record and 2.10 ERA. It was his fourth straight 20-win season. Engstrom had plenty of help from veterans Jeb Pickett (21-12 2.94), James Stuart (18-13 3.08) and Jacques Lemaire (16-9 3.57). There is no better starting rotation in the entire IPA. Turon put up a splendid 3.11 team ERA (2nd), bested only by Tuckanarra's microscopic 2.92 ERA (1st).

At the plate the Typhoons were just as good with a .272 mark (4th), 161 homers (13th) and 882 runs (1st). Leading the hit parade was the truly-gifted 1B Clyde Kingsford, who was even better in his sophomore year. The 27-year-old Kingsford ripped 46 home runs, batted .316 with 147 RBIs and 117 runs scored. He led the IPA in RBIs and ranked high in other power categories. CF Mac McCurnan had a standout year with 27 homers, 106 RBIs, 102 runs and a .288 batting average. LF Raphael Semmes (.274/19/88/89) and 2B Alan Hansen (.285/3/50/113) also were important run producers.

Cape Coral (86-68) just didn't have the hitting and the pitching to compete with Turon this year, although Huggy Miller's charges tried hard and stayed with the Typhoons until September, when they fizzled and faded. Pitching-wise Cody Burg (19-11 3.20) and closer Bobby Maas (6-3 2.63) carried the Hurricanes. Maas finished with 32 saves. Other starters Nasty Naymick (15-14 4.15) and Adam Lundgren (11-9 4.08) had down years. Cape Coral only had a few quality bats, none to compare to Turon's. White's best performers were 3B Bobby Josker (.291/18/87/90) and C Todd Boyd (.292/20/89/76).

It was a good year for the third place Colchester Elites (80-74), but they still wound up 15 games off the pace, never posing any threat. Uncle Robbie Wilbertson depend on home runs to get by. The Elites clubbed 172 this year (18th-tied), paced by one of the all-time IPA stars 1B Harlan Roscoe, who delivered for them again and now has over 350 homers, 1250 RBIs and has scored over a 1000 times. Roscoe hit .302 with 26 roundtrippers, 107 RBIs and scored 76 runs. Another solid veteran CF Douglas Tilford chipped in with a .305 average, 17 home runs, 99 runs and 66 RBIs. Colchester only had a couple of quality pitchers. 38-year-old starter Jimmy Simmons (17-16 3.23) has registered a great 183-127 record in his 10 seasons with a very impressive 2.83 ERA. Closer Don Richard was superb in the bullpen with an astronomically-low 0.99 ERA in 49 appearances with a 3-3 record and 36 saves.

Down in Ginza (77-77) the Ninjas broke even for the year and finished 18 games back of Turon. Manager Huroko Uchiyama has a very good starting rotation with Joji Azuma (21-14 2.97), Carl Trebek (17-14 2.71) and Al Myers (15-10 3.11), but suffers batting woes. Ginza just simply doesn't score enough to compete with the likes of Turon, Cape Coral and Colchester. But Uchiyama found a jewel in rookie C Crash Davis, who debuted in grand style with a .329 batting average, 30 home runs, 91 RBIs and 100 runs.

The Southport Sun Sox (76-78) were fifth in the TU South standings, 19 games behind. Skipper Charley Oscar has fine pitching, but mediocre hitting. His top performers are Neil Howell (16-16 2.70) and RF Big Stick Takala (.276/34/99/72).

The San Alejo Montaneros (69-85) wound up in the sixth spot and were 26 games back. Manager Lando Peceda has wealth of good arms, but little in the way of offense. His most capable players are starters Mateus Salinas (19-15 3.28) and rookie Sam Sloat (14-12 3.64), along with 1B Dominique Poirot (.328/25/89/72) and CF Adam Manzoni (.300/4/41/84).

Lousy hitting and average pitching tells the story of the 2013 Summerland Sunsets (66-88), who wound up 29 games behind and in seventh place. Manager Will Hackett has two good pitchers in starter Denny Coulon (12-18 3.16) and closer Frank Gerber (5-6 2.09). Gerber had 21 saves in 44 games this season. 33-year-old Coulon has won over 200 games in his 13-year-career. CF Jim Garrison (.268/19/61/65) is Summerland's only decent bat.

Jean-Luc Marchand's Arroyo Grande Suns (65-89) are right near the top in all of the offensive categories, but are dead last in pitching. The Suns batted .275 (3rd), scored 803 runs (3rd) and hit 172 homers (8th), but had 4.91 team ERA (32nd). That translates to a last-place finish and 30 games away from first place. Aydan Havilland (13-13 3.58) is Arroyo Grande's only pitcher under a 4.00 ERA, most of them are over 5.00.

At the plate LF Jet Kazmarek still gets the job done at age 38. The 9-time batting title winner didn't win it this season, but he did hit .327 with 9 homers, 73 RBIs, 84 runs and 27 stolen bases. Vet 1B Sherm Miles cracked 31 out of the park, batted .288 with 114 RBIs and scored 82 runs. 11-year veteran Kenny Edelstein had another solid season with a .290 mark, 18 home runs, scored 108 runs and batted in 68. Sensational rookie SS Andy Pearson put up an awesome first season with a .322 BA, 16 homers, 116 RBIs and scored 100 times.

[Simmo13]

Eugene, is Arroyo an extreme hitters park?

[Eugene Church]

Originally Posted by Simmo13

Eugene, is Arroyo an extreme hitters park?

Yes, Capet Stadium in Arroyo Grande is a bandbox with 308 down the lines, 331 and 329 straight away left and right, 352 and 349 in the power alleys and 410 in center.

The ballpark factors for homers are a very high 1.450 for left and right-handed hitters.

The Suns hit 172 homers and gave up 221 this season. Opponents hit .284 against them, while they compiled a .275 mark.

Arroyo Grande was 38-39 at home and 27-50 away.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

2013 Tycobbian East Final Standings and Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Top-Notch Twirlers Led Tuckanarra To TU East Trophy
Extremely good pitching enabled the Tuckanarra Blue Jays to totally trounce all opposition this season in the Tycobbian East. The Tuckanarra staff had a remarkable 2.92 ERA, which led the entire IPA. Carlton "Lefty" Stevens piloted the Blue Jays to the pennant by 12 games over second place High Mesa, 17 up on third place Red Bluff and 19 games in front of fourth place Midway. It was an amazing feat to record such a low team ERA, especially when the division is loaded with outstanding hitters and high-powered teams.

Team Batting Average
1. High Mesa .276
1. Red Bluff .276
3. Tuckanarra .272
4. Midway .265

Team Home Runs
1. High Mesa 231
2. Midway 193
3. East Point 187
4. Hillsboro 181

Team Runs
1. High Mesa 807
2. Red Bluff 760
3. Midway 737
4. South Fork 725

Team ERA
1. Tuckanarra 2.92
2. Hillsboro 3.80
3. Midway 3.89
4. Red Bluff 4.00

Team Fielding Average
1. Ozarka .980
2. Red Bluff .979
3. High Mesa .976
4. Tuckanarra .975

Tuckanarra's (100-54) mound corps sparked them to 100 victories, the most of any club in the IPA. One of the league's finest all-time pitchers, Titus Bristow, fashioned a great 25-9 record with a 2.04 ERA. Bristow's ERA was the best in the IPA this season. Lifetime the 12-year veteran right-hander is 219-154 with a superb 2.71 ERA. Delaney Elliott also stood out with a 20-14 mark and a strong 2.69 ERA. Delaney is 141-109 in his 10 seasons with a 3.35 ERA. They also got help from Yuka Nawajuk (15-9 3.54) and reliable Roy Spence (19-13 3.71). New closer Stephen Eubarinja did his job as well, compiling 35 saves with a 3-3 record and a sparkling 1.91 ERA. Offensively the Blue Jays were just adequate. Topping the batting order were rookie RF Danny Redd (.329/9/83/88/36 SB), SS Wayne Snider (.312/13/73/72) and CF Earl O'Brien (.305/13/65/104).

The High Mesa Cowboys (88-66) really had a good season as they came up from a sixth-place finish in 2012. But Frisky Franks club wasn't really in the same league as Tuckanarra, windng up a dozen games behind them. The Cowpokes boomed their way to the runner-up spot with 231 homers, 807 runs and a .276 batting average, along with some solid pitching. Rookie 1B Jack Elliott had a colossal season with a record-smashing 61 homers. He totally shattered Karol Zodoka's old mark of 54 set in 2002, while playing for East Point. Elliott batted .355, drove in 144 runs and tallied 134 runs. He was one of the prime reasons for the Cowboys turnaround this year. Elliott also got plenty of support from LF Darrel Alston (.312/30/88/77), 3B Ed Albrecht (.293/20/65/94) and 2B Wild Deer Etchimin (.298/29/94/81).

Starters Kent Wells (19-12 2.92), Johnny Falcon (18-12 3.67) and John Rainer (21-7 3.52) played a big part in High Mesa's success, too. They gave them consistent performances and Ed Galliano (4-6 3.02) was effective with 36 saves in the bullpen.

The third place Red Bluff Red Sox (83-71) also had a robust attack. Mack Connery's charges equaled High Mesa's .276 team batting average and were second in the TU East in scoring. 9-year vet 1B Tommy Klegg had a career year with 53 home runs, 146 RBIs, 108 runs with a .270 batting average. Other Red Sox contributors were RF Kris Grabowski (.342/16/84/69), SS Jose Aguilar (.302/3/81/104/30 SB), C Jim Schubert (.305/15/65/79) and LF Bryan Wessels (.293/13/56/92/22 SB). Connery has a pair of quality pitchers in Ivan Brasco (19-9 3.18) and John Dougherty (16-14 3.50). Both are 12-year veterans. Dougherty has won 166 games with 139 losses and a lifetime 3.20 ERA. Red Bluff is one of the better defensive teams in the IPA with a fine .979 FA (2nd-tied)

The fourth place Midway Wolves (81-73) with Cochise Chandler at the helm had a bunch of bashers, too. They batted .265 with 193 homers and scored 737 runs, but still ended up 19 games out of first. Leading the way were CF Johnny Lee (.291/32/93/98), RF Lou Sturge (.279/38/93/104/37 SB) and LF Dylan Stevenson (.264/33/103/93). Not much on the mound except for 22-year-old starter Motega Wolf (13-6 2.52) and closer Dom Vilaggio (4-7 3.25), who chalked up 31 saves.

The Ozark Naturals (76-78), who had won the TU East the last three years, surprisingly dropped to fifth this season and trailed Tuckanarra by 24 games. Skipper Joe Mac Carney saw his pitching and hitting go downhill, both in the same year. 24-year-old Eddie Roberts was the Nats only standout hurler. In his third year Roberts was 17-10 with a fine 2.66 ERA. At the plate 3B Todd Chadwick (.302/27/115/105/26 SB) and SS Nathan Ferrell (.291/29/114/87) were Ozarka's big guns as usual, along with LF Vic Weinstein (.296/10/65/88). Ozarka is the best fielding club in the IPA with a splendid .980 percentage.

The South Fork Stallions (74-80) were runners-up to Ozarka the past two seasons, but spiraled downward unexpectedly to a dismal sixth spot in the standings, 26 games back. Manager Duroche "Lips" Leon only had two quality arms with Blackie Terranova (17-12 3.58) and Ken Marsh (17-10 3.93). A year ago Terranova won the TU MVP and Golden Arm Awards with a fantastic 25-6 record. South Fork only had two capable hitters in 1B Joe Peters (.325/32/107/95) and CF Robby Michael (.303/18/88/83).

The hapless Hillsboro Blazers (73-81) still haven't made the playoffs after 12 years in the IPA. In fact, Arky Spanderson's team has never even been in the first division. However, things did improve for the Blazers. It's pitching perked for the first time in its history. Spanderson was proud of the team's 3.80 ERA (13th). It is usually 4.25 or worse. Hanford Stadium is noted for its short fences, 318 in left and 320 in right. Three starters stood at the forefront: 13-year veteran Ted Farentino (15-17 3.35), Tom Edgar (14-19 3.66) and Domenico Belizon (16-17 3.81). Young closer Randy Love was outstanding with 27 saves, a very impressive 2.53 ERA and a 7-5 record. The Blazers went deep often with 181 roundtrippers (7th) and were paced by rookie 1B Andy Jefferson (.303/22/66/60). 8 other players hit 10 or more homers, but did not hit for much average. As a team Hillsboro posted a poor .249 mark (30th).

For the second consecutive season the pathetic East Point Panthers (53-101) have logged over 100 defeats. It was even worse last year when they dropped 106 games. Naturally Griff Clarke's Panthers wound up dead last again. All East Point does is hit homers and lose. Because Armed Forces Park has such short fences down the lines (326 feet), the home team notched 187 home runs, but the opposing teams sent 213 soaring into the stands. Gifted 2B Jesse Goodwin, last year's Golden Bat winner, stood out again with 42 homers, 110 RBIs and 98 runs scored. Goodwin hit for a .302 average. CF Joey Olson, a 9-year player, collected 23 roundtrippers, 97 RBIs, while batting .293. However, there is some hope in East Point for the future. The Panthers were blessed with a tremendous rookie pitcher by the odd name of Bingo Long. He won 17 and lost 14 in his first season and finished with a super 2.65 ERA, even though he pitches in such a hitter's ballpark.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

2013 Tycobbian West Final Standings and Team Batting and Pitching Statistics

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

DC Redbirds Win Close TU West
Denton City had a close race in the crowded Tycobbian West, but the Redbirds regained the crown after a missing out last year. Denton City fought off spunky Chicopee by 2 games, Kenwood by 3 and the defending champ Arlon Champions by 4 games. It was the Redbirds 5th title in 6 years. Last season they dipped to fourth place, but were only 4.5 games away from winning it.

Team Rankings

Batting Average
1. Denton City .267
1. La Claire .267
3. Bayview .262
4. Kenwood .261

Home Runs
1. Bayview 194
2. La Claire 171
3. Bay St. Clair 168
4. Denton City 164

Runs
1. Bayview 761
2. Denton City 759
3. La Claire 746
4. Rolling Hills 705

ERA
1. Chicopee 3.44
2. Denton City 3.90
3. Arlon 3.92
4. Kenwood 4.01

Fielding Average
1. Arlon .979
1. Kenwood .979
3. Bay St. Clair .976
3. Chicopee .976

Manager Ford Whiteman has had great success in Denton City (83-71) with a well-rounded ballclub. He usually has above-average pitching and hitting, a good formula for winning. The Redbirds have racked up 6 pennants so far. 2013 was another fine season with a rookie the key element. 22-year-old rookie right-hander Jeff Russell crafted a sensational 21-9 record with a 2.90 ERA to almost single-handedly lead them to the title. Without Russell the team would have been in trouble. Long-time star Mila Mohoski was only 16-18 this season with a 3.49 ERA. Mohoski has been 224-154 in his 12 years in the IPA and has four 20-win seasons. Good hitting also played an important part. Whiteman's top bats were veterans RF Lavon Gooch (.317/23/97/80), 1B Mick Abbott (.263/20/96/77) and LF Rod MacCormack (.291/23/70/82), along with rookie C Pete Gibbs (.300/16/69/84).

The second-place Chicopee Braves (81-73) made a late-season charge with an 11-3 record in September and almost caught Denton City. Chicopee has never made the postseason in its 12-year history. They have come very close the last two seasons, falling short by 1.5 games in 2012 and 2 games this year. Manager Harry Fleetfoot has crafted a fine mound staff consisting of solid veterans like Desmond Quartermain (20-12 2.21), Tommy Ruffin (17-9 3.06) and Bill Branch (12-8 3.46). Closer Rich Taylor also sparkled in relief with 30 saves and a 7-5 record and 3.23 ERA. The Braves big shortcoming was its offense. They hit only .256 as a team and had difficulty scoring. Fleetfoot's best producers were C Ivan Burkholder (.288/28/92/81) and RF Matty McDermott (.308/8/57/86/32 SB), who hasn't a fulltime spot on four other teams in the last seven years. Fleetfoot gave him a shot at right field and McDermott did the job in the field, on the basepaths and with the bat. A better attack would have given the Braves the title hands down.

The Kenwood Wildcats (80-74) contended with Denton City the entire year, but flopped badly in September with a 3-11 mark and dipped to third place, 4 games off the pace. Manager Aaron Hankins has really come close to winning the last three seasons, finishing second in 2011 and 2012. Last year Kenwood missed out on the pennant in a single-game playoff loss to champion Arlon. The Wildcats lost a heartbreaking 6-5 game. Hankins' strength is three effective starters, headed up by Todd Combs (18-16 3.20), Sammy Shaw (18-15 3.15) and Denny Yarrow (16-13 4.06). Kenwood suffered from a lack of offense like Chicopee. What little it had came from 1B Duncan Renwick (.289/10/49/88/34 SB) and RF Jimmy Brewer (.301/20/75/63).

Defending champion Arlon (79-75) couldn't hit either and wound up in fourth and 4 games back. The Champs batted an atrocious .241 this season and ranked last in the IPA. Pitchers Armando Cruz (16-12 3.22) and Johnny Rabelais (6-6 1.82) carried the club. Rabelais saved 39 games to set a new IPA record. Skipper Gary Louis' top bats were only so-so. Solid LF Rocco Belasario had another good season with 27 homers, 104 runs, 89 RBIs, 47 stolen bases, while batting .289. RF Chucky Gilton had an off-year with a mediocre .264 mark, but did hit 19 out of the park, batted in 83 and scored 60.

At the top of the TU West second division were the Bayview Vikings (76-78). Manager Walter Johanssen has a strong batting order, but is lacking on the mound, mainly in the bullpen. The offensive leaders for the power-hitting Viks are 3B Karl Benson (.303/31/99/91), SS Dan Conroy (.286/22/84/81), RF Tommy Riddle (.260/23/81/95) and LF Russ Murphy (.273/24/72/60). Alltogether the team clubbed 194 roundtrippers and were tops in the division and 3rd best in the TU. Downtown Plaza Stadium is a tough place to pitch - it is a hitter's ballpark. However, Johanssen has some quality arms in Norm Roy (17-15 3.94), Rick Pritchard (17-14 4.15) and Manny Tettelbach (16-18 3.74). Closer Neil Hilton is the best in the bullpen by far. He was 4-5 on the year with 26 saves and a good 3.08 ERA.

It's been 8 long years since the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (71-83) had a taste of the postseason. Manager Guy Rondre guided them to a poor sixth spot in the standings, 12 games out of first. His top performers are talented veteran 1B Gerry Fields, who has one of his best years with a .323 batting average, 41 homers and 114 RBIs, SS Jimmy Sawyer (.295/26/85/73), 3B Ryan Sanders (.306/17/65/86) and rookie 2B Bud Walker (.287/4/40/92/30 SB).

The La Claire Lynx (66-88) have never made the postseason in its 13-year history and have been in the second division 10 times. 2013 was a usual season for the seventh-place Lynx, 17 games off the pace. Rip Calkin's ballclub had some potent hitters, led by the gifted CF Zeppy Deshotel, who batted .350 with 44 home runs, 125 RBIs, stole 41 bases and scored 112 times in marvelous season. Deshotel is 30-years-old and has a career .312 batting average in his 9 seasons with the Lynx. Deshotel should top the 1000-mark milestone in RBIs and runs in the coming year. He had plenty of support from rookie 3B Flash Devlin (.325/26/94/113/17 SB), SS Bob Steitz (.302/14/67/101/19 SB) and RF Taro Nakanishi, who slammed 32 into the stands, drove in 105 runs, but batted only .237. Calkin has a few good pitchers, led by Nick Pilsner (16-9 3.79) and long-time vet Doug Lyons (12-13 3.48), who is still a quality pitcher at age 39 and 13 years in the league. Lyons is 171-163 in his career.

The Rolling Hills Reds (65-89) has another bad year and ended up in the cellar for the second year in a row. Manager Matty Christianson's club trailed by 18 games. Not much to say about the Reds. Terrible pitching and poor hitting says it all. Christianson's top players were 3B Clay Hoffman (.293/30/110/73) and CF Donnie Lewis (.318/15/74/106/32 SB), both very reliable and consistent ballplayers. The Reds top pitcher was their steady closer Barney Kearns, who notched 28 saves with a 6-5 mark and great 2.26 ERA in 56 game appearances. Rolling Hills fans were excited this year as they drafted one of the top prospects in the Islands, power pitcher Nuke LaLoosh, who had dominated batters in high school and college. However, it was a tough freshman year for him. LaLoosh had his moments. He fanned 187 in 211 innings, but was only 11-17 with a 5.16 ERA. Another rookie, the unsung Sal Jordan, was the Reds best starter as he compiled a 12-12 record with a 3.83 ERA. Mid Towne Baseball Grounds, Rolling Hills ballfield, is a good place to hit for average, but tough to hit homers in. The outfielders have a lot of ground to cover.

[Eugene Church]

Get ready for the IPA Pro Cup playoffs.

They will begin soon.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

IPA Pro Cup Playoffs Begin Tomorrow
A playoff baseball game has a surreal atmosphere. Fans become one, roaring in unison at a great play and sharing the grief at blown opportunity. Victory and defeat play out in a rainbow of colors, sounds, smells and feelings. Islandian Pro Alliance playoff baseball is a memorable experience. What is it like? Ask the 10-year-old sitting with his dad as he plucks a foul ball out of the air. Ask the veteran slugger who hits that walk-off home run. Ask the manager in the big game after coming from 10 games back to win the pennant. Ask the countless number of legends who have flourished or those greats who never won the big one. Or tomorrow, ask any of the rookies what it's like to play in one of the Elite 8 Series showdowns: St. John Crusaders versus Far Mountain Redhawks, Forest City Lumberjacks versus Wynnamac Sundowners, Denton City Redbirds versus Tuckanarra Blue Jays and Fairfax Frogs versus Turon Typhoons.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Times Poll Picks Far Mountain In 2013 Pro Cup Series
The Islandian Times polled all of the major sportswriters and broadcasters and announced the Far Mountain Redhawks as the favorites to win the 2013 IPA Pro Cup. Manager Alex Groveland talented club has brought home the coveted trophy the last two years. Far Mountain's biggest competition is expected to come from the Turon Typhoons, who have captured 3 Pro Cups in their history. However the Redhawks and Typhoons can look for the Tuckanarra Blue Jays and the St. John Crusaders to have a big say in the eventual champion. They were the third and fourth choices respectively. The voters gave Far Mountain and Turon the edge because of stronger pitching, plus successful postseason experience.

Turon has won the Pro Cup the most, three times, while making the postseason 7 times. Far Mountain has appeared in the playoffs 7 times and won the Pro Cup twice. Only one other of this year's representatives has ever won the Pro Cup previously. The Wynnamac Sundowners copped it in their only playoff appearance. That was in 2008. Denton City has been in postseason on 7 occasions, but has never won the overall crown. Tuckanarra and Fairfax have played in the playoffs 5 and 4 times respectively and Forest City has made the Pro Cup playoffs 3 times.

The Islandian Times 2013 Pro Cup Poll
1. Far Mountain (93-61)
2. Turon (95-59)
3. Tuckanarra (100-54)
4. St. John (87-67)
5. Fairfax (87-67)
6. Wynnamac (87-68)
7. Denton City (83-71)
8. Forest City (85-69)

Team Batting Average
1. Turon .272
1. Tuckanarra .272
3. Denton City .267
4. Fairfax .265
4. St. John .265
6. Wynnamac .263
7. Far Mountain .258
8. Forest City .254

Team Home Runs
1. Forest City 171
2. Denton City 164
3. Turon 161
4. St. John 129
5. Wynnamac 123
6. Fairfax 122
7. Far Mountain 121
8. Tuckanarra 108

Team Runs
1. Turon 882
2. St. John 790
3. Denton City 759
4. Wynnamac 734
5. Fairfax 712
6. Forest City 714
7. Tuckanarra 709
8. Far Mountain 668

Team ERA
1. Tuckanarra 2.92
2. Turon 3.11
3. Far Mountain 3.18
4. Wynnamac 3.26
5. Fairfax 3.33
6. Forest City 3.35
7. St. John 3.63
8. Denton City 3.90

Team Fielding Average
1. Fairfax .977
2. Far Mountain .975
2. Tuckanarra .975
2. Denton City .975
2. Forest City .975
6. St. John .972
6. Wynnamac .972
8. Turon .970

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

Ruthlandian Union 2013 Elite 8 Series

FM Smacks St. John 7-4 In Elite 8 Opener
Playing at home at Sky High Stadium, defending Pro Cup champion Far Mountain rallied late to smack St. John 7-4 in the Elite 8 opener. The Redhawks racked up 12 hits in the victory to subdue 17-game winner Ken Wheeler. Pitcher Woody Crawford didn't have one of his better days, but the 23-game winner got the win. Crawford was tagged for 4 runs in his 8 unsteady innings. He walked 6, struck out 8 and yielded 5 hits. The Crusaders had 3-2 lead going into the seventh, but Wheeler couldn't hold it. Far Mountain shelled him for 3 in the seventh and 2 more in the eighth to wrap up the first game of the series.

Thibaut Fires 5-hitter, FC Lumberjacks Whip Wynnamac 5-1
Al Thibaut waited 12 long years to get to the playoffs and when he did, the 33-year-old Forest City right-hander made the most of it with a sterling 5-1 victory over the Wynnamac Sundowners at Granger Field in Wynnamac. Thibaut, who was 16-14 in the regular season, stopped them on 5 hits and struck out 8 with 2 walks to outpitch 22-game winner Jerry Meeks. The Lumberjacks broke open a tight 2-1 duel with a run in the eighth and two more clinchers in the ninth. C Matt Stinson led the 'Jacks with 2 hits and 2 RBIs, while RF Jack Maples had 2 hits and the game's only homer.

Tycobbian Union 2013 Elite 8 Series

Frogs Outlast Typhoons 4-1 In 11-Inning Opener
At Typhoon Stadium in Turon, the Fairfax Frogs got the first leg up on favored Turon defeating them 4-1 in 11 innings in game one of the best-of-seven Elite 8 Series. C Cuz Irby was the hero with a two-single off of losing pitcher Merle Studebaker. The next batter 2B Fran O'Brian added another run with an RBI single. Both clubs got excellent pitching up until the final inning. Frog starter Ken Hill (25-13) worked the first ninth and gave up only 1 runs and 5 hits. Closer Floyd Burnett got the win with 2 scoreless frames. The Typhoons Nicky Engstrom (25-6) hurled 8 innings, allowed a run on 6 hits with 8 Ks. Reliever Jacques Lemaire sat down Fairfax in order in the ninth and tenth. The Frogs has the advantage in hits 10-6.

Mohoski the Magnificent, DC Redbirds Rout Tuckanarra 7-1 in First Game
On the road at Tuckanarra's Central Park Stadium, the Denton City Redbirds staked Mila Mohoski to an early 5-0 lead and he made it stand up for an easy 7-1 decision over the Blue Jays in their Elite 8 opening game. The Redbirds routed Titus Bristow (25-9) out of the game in the second inning. Mohoski scattered 8 hits, fanned 10 and walked only 1 in a magnificent performance. He was backed up by 11 hits, sparked by RF Lavon Gooch, who was 3-for-4 with a homer and 2 runs batted in. LF Rod MacCormack chipped in with a pair of hits, including a two-run double in the second.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Ruthlandian Union 2013 Elite 8 Series

Redhawks Slam Crusaders 10-4, Up 2-0 In Elite 8
The red-hot Far Mountain Redhawks played like champions again in game two of the RU Elite 8 Series and slammed St. John 10-4 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-seven series. In the second inning Far Mountain cracked open a 3-3 tie with 4 runs to take a 7-3 lead, then finished off the Crusaders with 3 more in the fifth. CF Xavier Sosa and 3B Duane Parsons paced them with home runs. Sosa had 3 hits and 4 RBIs, while Parsons collected 2 hits, drove in 3 and scored 3 times. Boomerang Hines (14-5) cruised to the victory, allowed 10 hits, 3 earned runs, struck out 6 and walked 3. Pat Tarkovsky suffered the loss for the Crusaders as he was bashed for 7 runs and 7 hits in only 2 and two-thirds innings.

Sundowners Even Series, Stop Lumberjacks 4-2
At Granger Field in Wynnamac, the hometown Sundowners trailed Paul Crews and Forest City 2-1 going into the bottom of the eighth, when their bats came alive for 3 runs to knock off the Lumberjacks 4-2 and even up the Elite 8 Series at one game apiece. RF Joey Eaton tied it up with a sacrifice fly and Big Hoss Burkhalter put them ahead with an RBI double. CF Clive Farnham tacked on an insurance run with a single. Wynnamac starter Lenny Ward (17-17) tossed a strong game, holding the Lumberjacks to 2 runs and 5 hits in 8 innings. Ward picked up the win with help from closer Dan Stevens (7-8), who worked a scoreless ninth for the save. The Sundowners had the edge in hits 9-6. Eaton also doubled in a run in the first inning. Crews (19-9) was the loser as he surrendered 4 runs and 9 hits in a complete game. Crews struck out 8 and walked only 1 batter.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Around the Town In The IPA

ST. JOHN CRUSADERS
Owner: The Brothers of St. John the Baptist
GM: Barry Edwards
Manager: Dick Billings

St. John is an isolated college town of 79,000, located in the sparsely-settled southwestern part of Ruthlandia. It is in the Southern Lowlands about a 100 miles inland from Belair Bay and the Southern Sea. Originally established by the Brothers of St. John the Baptist as a monastery and religious retreat. It is now the home of St. John University, a center of learning and the country's elite academic institution and research center. The university is run by the St. John Brothers.

The school's academic specialties are educational, agricultural and medical research. The university is the site of the oldest and largest library in the country. It also houses the largest medical center and hospital in Ruthlandia.

The Sisters of the Holy Cross Convent is also in St. John. The nuns are active in nursing and education. Together the two orders supply many doctors, nurses and teachers for the Islands.

Another important industry run by the Brothers is the Crusader Wagon Company, the makers of top-of-the-line cars, trucks and tractors used throughout Tycobbia and Ruthlandia. The company was started in the 1860s and made wagons and buggies, expanding to automobiles in the early 1900s.

The picturesque and idyllic town is filled with parks and boulevards, all centered around the university and is a nice place to call home and raise a family.

St. John is also home of the St. John Crusaders of the IPA's Ruthlandian Union South Division, who play at lovely Cathedral Stadium on the university campus. The stadium has a great view of the revered gothic cathedrals that pervade the campus. The fans also get a great panoramic view of the downtown area in the distance. The outfield walls and buildings in left, center and right fields are made of white marble. The Crusaders are owned and operated by the Brothers of St. John. Spectators and fans at the stadium can feast on wonderful and delicious sandwiches made with bread from the monastery's famous ovens and sample exquisite wines from its classic cellars and delightful cheeses from its marvelous dairies. All available at nominal prices. Typical baseball fare is also offered at the concession stands.

Crusader fans are noted for being true sportsmen in the truest sense of the word. They never boo the umpires or utter a discouraging word toward their beloved team or the visiting clubs. They will even applaud a good play by opposing players. A visit to Cathedral Stadium is truly unique and enjoyable.

Longtime front office man, Barry Edwards, is the general manager. He worked for the Doubleday Company in Marston and was the architect of that company's success in industrial league baseball. The manager is Dick Billings, the fabled catcher for the legendary Marston Nine, one of the greatest teams ever. He was an outstanding hitter, catcher and manager.

Cathedral Stadium (1948)
Capacity: 7,450
Dimensions:

LF Line 360
LF 375
LCF 390
CF 400
RCF 390
RF 375
RF Line 360

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Tycobbian Union 2013 Elite 8 Series

Turon Ties Fairfax With 8-5 Triumph
A 3-run outburst in the seventh inning gave Turon an 8-5 win over the Fairfax Frogs to deadlock the TU Elite 8 Series at a game each. A lead-off triple by veteran 2B Andy Hansen and an RBI single by SS Matt Madison proved to be the game winner for the Typhoons. Later in the inning Turon added two more runs on a sac fly by RF Jack Brown and a double by LF Andy Porter. Reliever Jacques Lemaire (1-0) pitched a perfect seventh for the win with Freddi Spiegel shutting out the Frogs the last two innings for the save. The Typhoons pounded out 13 hits with CF Mac McCurnan and Hansen getting 3 each and 1B Clyde Kingsford, Brown and Porter 2 each. Kingsford scored 3 times for the winners. There were 3 homers in the game. Kingsford belted one for the Typhoons and 3B Robby Franklin and 2B Fran O'Brian kept the Frogs close with 2-run shots. Joe Hampton (18-13) took the loss. He was slammed for 5 runs on 8 hits in his innings.

Motsuzuki's HR Gives Tuckanarra 2-0 Victory, Elliott's 2-Hitter Evens Series
Delaney Elliott and Yoshi Motsuzuki teamed up to even up the Tuckanarra-Denton City Elite 8 Series at one game apiece. Elliott fired a brilliant 2-hit shutout and C Motsuzuki went deep with a 2-run homer in the fifth frame to give the Blue Jays the game 2-0 over the Redbirds. Elliott (20-14) only permitted singles by 2B Pat Batistella in the third and RF Lavon Gooch in the fifth, while striking out 6 and walking just one. Elliott had to be really good as his Denton City counterpart Jeff Russell was almost his equal. Russell (21-9), a superb 22-year-old rookie, wound up allowing only 5 hits in the game.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Thursday, September 19, 2013

Around the Town In The IPA

TUCKANARRA BLUE JAYS
Owner: Jayden Thorpe
GM/Manager: Carlton "Lefty" Stevens

Tuckanarra is a rural town in southern Tycobbia with a population of 49,000. It is about 100 miles east of Bay St.Clair, 100 miles west of South Fork and 100 north of Denton City. Tuckanarra came into existence in the 1860s, when a group of Australians were shipwrecked on the coast near Bay St. Clair. Not having the means to continue their journey from Tuckanarra, Australia to England, they decided to move inland to set up homesteads. Included in their numbers were a few aboriginal families. These were farmers, cattle ranchers and sheep herders. Wheat, wool, beef and lamb were their main products. They named the town after their old hometown, Tuckanarra. The main industries in modern day Tuckanarra are woolen textiles factories and meat processing plants.

In the early 1900s, the game of baseball arrived in the form of exhibition games by the Chicopee town teams, who began to barnstorm the Islands. Initially just traveling to nearby towns like Denton City, Colchester and Tuckanarra, then expanding to Tycobbia, Ruthlandia and even to distant Valdar Island. The Aussies took a liking to the American game and began to form teams, which led to leagues. It took them almost 20 years to compete on the level of the other adjacent towns. By 1920 company leagues were flourishing in Tuckanarra. It stayed amateur and semipro for the next 80 years, when in 2001, the first pro baseball league in the Islands was established, the Islandian Pro Alliance. It was an attempt to get rid of all the corruption in the Amateur Baseball Alliance. Too many teams were just violating the rules by paying the players to just play baseball, but not requiring them to do any bonafide work for the company sponsors.

Since it is one of the smallest towns in the Islands, it seemed like Tuckanarra was going to miss out on the IPA. But local baseball aficionado, playboy and philanthropist, Jayden Thorpe, stepped up to the plate and put up the money for the franchise, the Tuckanarra Bluejays. He chose the name Bluejays simply because it is a tough and feisty bird...just like him. He thought it would make a good mascot, too. Thorpe made his fortune riding high tech stocks in the 1980s and 90s. He hired as GM and manager, Carlton "Lefty" Stevens, a great lefthanded pitcher in the industrial leagues.

The Bluejays play at Central Park Stadium, which is located right in the middle of a beautiful park on the edge of the downtown area, which houses the Central Park Zoo, that specializes in animals native to Australia and features a ferris wheel, carousel and a carnival midway. It is a favorite place for Tuckanarra families to while away weekend hours perusing koala bears, kangaroos, wallabies, dingoes, platypuses, tasmanian devils and kookaburras. Central Park Stadium was constructed in 1948 and is still a great place to watch a ballgame. Even the aboriginal Australians have taken to the sport of baseball and have acquited themselves very ably over the years.

Food-wise, you won't just gorge out on Vegemite (salty food paste) sandwiches and swig Australian beers like VB (Victoria Bitter) and Foster's at the ballpark, you can also get Aussie gourmet treats like barbecue, Tim Tam (chocolate biscuits) and a chocolate Pavlova (a fruit meringue dessert named for the Russian ballerina) with sorbet. Hot dogs, hamburgers and cokes are available, too.

Central Park Stadium (1948)
Capacity: 7,750
Dimensions:

Left Field Line - 340
Left Field - 370
Left Center - 400
Center Field - 385
Right Center - 400
Right Field - 370
Right Field Line - 340

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, September 20, 2013

Ruthlandian Union 2013 Elite 8 Series

Redhawks On Rampage, Beat Crusaders 3rd Straight Time
The Elite 8 Series switched to Cathedral Stadium in St. John, but it didn't make any difference in the outcome. The rampaging Far Mountain Redhawks rallied in the late innings and trounced the St. John Crusaders for the third straight time to go up three games to none in the series. Robby Kelly (1-0) pitched his usual game, knocking off the Crusaders 7-3. Kelly allowed only 7 hits and one earned run, while striking out 6 and walking only one. But it was a tough struggle for the first seven innings as starter Paco Lavaro (0-1) stymied the Redhawk bats and held a 3-2 lead. But he tired in the eighth and was assaulted for 4 runs, highlighted by homers by SS Don Nichols and 2B Jim Rhodes. Nichols (.429) and 1B Fran Grzanka (.500) led the attack with 3 hits each. Nichols, CF Xavier Sosa (.545) and Rhodes (.273) drove in 2 runs each.

Wynnamac Takes Series Lead, Fair Stops Lumberjacks 6-3
At Riverside Stadium in Forest City, Wynnamac manager Matt Donnelly got a fine effort from his number three starter Gene Fair as the 26-year-old right-hander stopped Forest City 6-3. Fair (1-0) allowed 9 hits, whiffed 3 and walked none in going the distance in his first ever postseason game. Fair and Knucks Nomellini were locked in a 1-1 duel until the Sundowners began to connect with Nomellini's knucklers for 3 runs in the sixth and finished him off with 2 more in the eighth. Nomellini (0-1) gave up 12 hits, but struck out 10. RF Joey Eaton (.417) and SS Vic Vinton (.444) had 3 hits each for Wynnamac.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Friday, September 20, 2013

Around the Town In The IPA

FOREST CITY LUMBERJACKS
Owner/GM/Manager: Rob Jackson

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

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

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

The Ruthlandian capital is an old town with buildings and homes that go back a hundred years or more. It is rare that the town planning commission allows much in the way of a modern building. It is noted for being the seat of the Federal government, for banking, commerce, railroads, steel, advertising, autos, paper and lumber industries...and also the home of the Forest City Lumberjacks.

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

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

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

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

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