ISLANDIAN PRO ALLIANCE (RUTHLANDIA and TYCOBBIA BASEBALL UNIONS)

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Ruthlandian Union North Midseason Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Saturday, June 21, 2014

FM On Top As Usual, 5-Game Edge Over A's And Tars At Midseason
Business as usual in the Ruthlandian Union North. Defending champ Far Mountain has a 5-game edge over the Glasco Athletics and Taranto Tars at the All-Star break. Kilkenny and LaGrange are tied for fourth and are 9 in the rear. The Redhawks are trying to win their sixth consecutive division title and a remarkable fourth Pro Cup in a row. It looks like all that stands between them and another division pennant are Glasco and Taranto. No other clubs look to be up to the challenge.

All the experts are again favoring Alex Groveland's Far Mountain (49-24) crew in the RU North. Superior pitching will be the deciding factor. Glasco and Taranto can hold their own with the bats, but the Redhawks have the edge on the mound. All-Star Robby Kelly (11-3 2.39), Boomerang Hines (12-6 2.27) and Woody Crawford (10-3 2.39) are one of the best starting rotation in the IPA. Add in three more All-Stars in the batting order and you have quite a ball club. All-Star 3B Duane Parsons is having his best year ever with a .373 batting average. The two other All-Stars are SS Don Nichols (.293/9/38/52) and C Otis Ott (.268/6/35).

Manager Tommaso Lazzorda has his high-scoring Taranto Tars (44-29) primed for a run at powerful Far Mountain. He has three All-Stars in RF Augie Marshall (.327/23/68), 2B Ed Miles (.314/18/61) and SS Aron Aiello (.324/10/43). As a team the Tars have 122 home runs so far and are on pace to challenge the IPA record. Lazzorda needs another pitcher to go with Jay Cervini (8-6 2.37) and Chazzie DeBartolo (7-3 2.42) to really challenge the Redhawks. It is unlikely Taranto can sustain its offense the whole season. They will finish second, but way behind Far Mountain.

The Glasco A's (44-29) don't have the stars, but McDuffie Hughes has a solid core of veterans that can do the job. Defensively they are tied for second in the league with a strong .978 FA. Leading his line-up is future Hall-of-Famer 41-year-old RF Ike Plunkett with a .316 batting mark, 10 homers and 38 RBIs. SS Lee Sullivan (.283/5/54) and LF Tony Piel (.307/9/42/54) are two other good sticks. Glasco has a super bullpen ace in Jack Hatcher, who has chalked up 13 saves with a ridiculousy low 0.72 ERA. Hughes is lacking in pitching. His best starter is Davy McAdams with an 8-3 record, but a 4.32 ERA. The Athletics will battle Kilkenny and LaGrange for the third spot in the RU North.

The Kilkenny Cats (40-33) and LaGrange Sports (40-33) are 9 games back and tied for fourth in the RU North at midseason. Good pitching may keep them in the running for third place. Higher finishes are not seen. Both clubs could use some firepower. LF Billy Garrett is Kieran McKenna's biggest thread with the bat, but he has only 10 homers and 38 RBIs with a .318 batting average. The Cats strong points are two quality starters. McKenna's ace is All-Star Kyle Ferguson, who is 14-4 at mid-year with an excellent 2.02 ERA, third best in the league. 40-year-old Matt DeRosa can still hold his own. He is 8-6 with a 3.07 ERA.

Foxy Jimison is the same situation at LaGrange. Not much in the way of offense with two solid starters and a great closer. Veteran starters Denny Kristensen (12-5 3.21) and Pablo Orantes (10-9 3.27) are quality arms. In the bullpen Andre Dupas (0-1 1.74) is a stalwart with 17 saves thus far. Jimison has the best chance to move up in the division because of better bats. All-Star 1B Bill Nance is having a strong season with 66 RBIs and number two in the league. Nance is hitting .295 with 9 roundtrippers. Future HOFamer 37-year-old LF Quincy Peterson has 14 home runs, 52 RBIs and 51 runs with a decent .264 average. RF Joel Reed (.287), SS Bill Nilsen (.282), 2B Dale Scoville (.319) and CF Elijah Dillon (.283) give the Sports some more capable hitters at the plate. It wouldn't be a big surprise to see LaGrange wind up in the third spot.

The other three clubs in the RU North aren't going anywhere this year. Valmara (35-38) is 14 games off the pace in sixth. Manager J. Jackson Samuel has only two bonafide players. On the hill Vanya Vasylenko with over 200 wins in his career is still quite a pitcher at age 32. This season on a bad ball club Vasylenko is 11-5 with a strong 2.80 ERA. CF Stan Czerwinski sparks the offense with a .326 batting average, 7 homers, 34 RBIs and 48 runs scored.

Seventh place belongs to the Ancona Red Elephants (34-39), who trail by 15 games. Manager Manny Mickens has a fine closer with John Sharpe in the bullpen. Sharpe has 14 saves with a 3-2 record and an impressive 2.16 ERA. Ancona has some good bats, too. All-star 1B Johnny Lee Harder is batting .322 with 15 home runs and 58 RBIs. Second-year man LF Kenny Willard already has gone deep 17 times, driven in 50 runs, scored 44 times, while hitting at a .296 pace. Veteran CF Lacey Tompkins, a future HOF'er with over a 1000 RBIs and 1000 runs, carries a .301 mark with 8 homers, 35 RBIs and 45 runs scored.

The hapless Ranford Bulls (32-41) are in the cellar and likely to remain there for the duration of the season. Manager Page Satcher hasn't been in contention for six long years and the drought will undoubtedly continue. Satcher just doesn't have any talent in Ranford. Pitcher Shane Hall is his best starter with a 5-7 record and a fine 2.97 ERA. Rookie closer Neil Walton looks like a star of the future. He is 4-4 with 5 saves and a superb 2.05 ERA in 17 games this year.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times

Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Ruthlandian Union South Midseason Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

BB Sunbirds Lead RU South By 6 Over Crushers
After finishing second to St. John last year, the Belair Beach Sunbirds have come back with a vengeance to take over first place in the Ruthlandian South by 6 games over the Crystal Lake Crushers. They are 9 ahead of third place San Dimas and 12 in front of the fourth-place Claxton Diamonds. Marty Pedroza's Sunbirds are the class of the division this season and seemed headed for another pennant. Belair Beach has won the division 3 times over the years and finished second 4 times.

Belair Beach (45-28) has the third-best record in the league after Far Mountain (49-24) of the RU North and Rocky Rapids (46-27) of the RU West. Pedroza has three fine starters, good fielding and a quality hitter in each slot in the batting order. All-Star Jeff Nieman is the biggest winner in both leagues with a 14-4 mark and a 3.45 ERA. The Sunbirds traded for Nasty Naymick and he has been a good addition with a 6-4 record and a strong 2.31 ERA. Overall Naymick is 10-5 with a 2.64 ERA. Pedroza got him from Cape Coral for two players. The trade was a win-win for both clubs as 1B Avery Womack is hitting .337 for the Hurricanes. Second-year man Denny Whitaker is starter number three with a 10-7 record and a 3.32 ERA. The Sunbirds are a well-balanced ball club and should rack up its fourth RU South title in September.

Herman "Baby" George may have the best team he's ever had in Crystal Lake (39-34). He has two quality starters and a dynamite closer, along with two standout hitters, but not enough talent to top Belair Beach. Second place is most likely where his Crushers will wind up. Al Duhon (9-3 3.88) and Ben Dewberry (7-9 2.25) are his best starters and All-Star Jeff Jernigan is George's bullpen ace. Jernigan (2-4) has appeared in 32 games, saved 20 of them and has posted a brilliant 1.51 ERA. Crystal Lake's attack is led by future Hall-of-Famer 1B Phil Gravelli and budding star RF Chip Fiske. 30-year-old Gravelli is the all-time leader in home runs, RBIs and games in the IPA. He had played in 2012 games, hit 454 homers and batted in 1454 runs in his fabulous career with a .316 batting average. This year Gravelli is at .290 with 17 home runs and 52 RBIs. Fiske, in his second year, has a .315 BA with 7 roundtrippers, 43 RBIs, 21 stolen bases and has scored 44 times.

None of the other teams is over .500 in the RU South. The third place San Dimas Rancheros (36-37) are 9 games off the pace and are led on the mound by Rudy Nasquez (9-5 3.71) and at the plate by 1B Ron Armstrong (.298/12/42/48) and C Wesley Pate (.297/11/30/37). Ranchero skipper Paco Banderas just doesn't have a lot of talent, which is the case for the rest of the division.

The Claxton Diamonds (33-40) with the Old Perfesser Stacy Engel at the helm are 12 games out in the race and sitting in fourth place. Charlie Murphy (9-8 2.52) is his best starter and George Ferguson (2-1) is becoming quite a closer with an outstanding 1.19 ERA and 10 saves on the year. The Diamonds only productive hitter has been superstar and All-Star 1B Mike Luzzatti with a .306 BA, 16 home runs, 43 RBIs and 51 runs scored.

Last year's surprise pennant-winner, the St. John Crusaders (32-41), have totally fallen apart and plunged to fifth-place tie with the Valka, 13 games back. When your team ERA climbs out-of-sight and your team batting average take a severe dive, your team is in trouble. Dickie Billings still has two solid starters with Denny Copeland (6-4 2.68) and Teddy Garson (6-4 3.20), but little else. The team ERA stands at a poor 4.28 (28th) and the team BA is only .227, the worst in the IPA. It just might be the worst in the league history. The Crusaders have no hitters worth mentioning. They are that bad.

The Valka Blackhawks (32-41) have some power with 77 home runs (3rd), but not much besides that. Manager Jaan Kurus only has two players of any note. Starter Erke Tonisson (7-7 3.53) is having a fair year and LF Kurt Jankauskas has hit 14 out of the park and driven in 47 runs, but is batting only .264 this season.

Manager Torry Joseph in Grand City (31-42) hasn't made the playoffs since 2002 and probably will continue the trend for a few more years. The Cybercats are in seventh place in the standings and trail by 14 games. They may have trouble staying ahead of cellar-dwelling Waleska. Grand City's top players are Denny Yarrow, Paul McBride and Jimmy Tremayne. 36-year-old Yarrow came to the Cybercats in a trade with Mahaska and he has been a great addition with an 11-6 mark and a 3.49 ERA. Closer McBride (0-1) has been absolutely sensational with a 0.92 ERA and 12 saves. Tremayne, a 37-year-old journeyman CF, is leading the team with a .315 BA and 33 RBIs.

McGraw Johnson guided the Waleska Westerners (30-43) to the RU South crown in 2012, but it's been all downhill since with second-division finishes. At the All-Star hiatus the Westerners are at the bottom of the entire totem pole, some 15 games behind the pack. However all is not gloom - the Westerners can hit the ball and will probably move up in the standings if Johnson can find a decent pitcher or two. Budding superstar CF Roy Hobbs sports a .318 BA with 15 homers, 46 runs batted in and has scored 56 times. All-time great LF Kippy Doyle still gets the job done with a .332 BA, 10 home runs and 44 RBIs. And RF Harold Setser may be 41, but still can hit with a .278 BA, 14 roundtrippers, 50 RBIs and 40 runs scored. Waleska's only pitcher to date has been Sammy Grimaldi with a fine 6-3 mark and a strong 2.78 ERA.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Ruthlandian Union East Midseason Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Ruthlandian East Midseason Standings and Team Batting

Marston Tops Super-Tight RU East
The Ruthlandian East is packed tightly at the mid-year break with all of the teams still having a shot at the pennant. Only 7 games separate first from last. The Marston Nine are on top, but not by much. They have a 1-game lead over second place Belle Plaine, 2 games over Elnora and Wynnamac in third place, 3 games up on fifth place Beechwood, 6 games in front of sixth place Cold Creek and Sugar Valley and 7 ahead of last place Eastshore. Whoever wins the flag will just be a big fish in a small pond. None of the teams will do well in the playoffs. The RU East is easily the weakest division in the IPA. Only Marston has a record over .500 and just barely.

The Marston Nine (37-36) are skippered by Johnny Walters. He has three All-Stars on his club. Hunk Sweitzer is 10-2 with a sterling 2.54 ERA. 5-time All-Star 3B Jimmy Holman (.333/15/54) and 1B Pat Farris (.390/5/31) are Marston best bats. 2-time All-Star Farris has led the RU in hitting twice (2007 and 2010) and is near the .400 mark this year and the leader with a .390 average thus far. Closer Bobby Daniel (2-4 2.83) has been a plus this season with 12 saves. Marston can pull away from the pack if it can just score more runs. Walters has some good veteran pitchers. The club is good defensively, too. The Nine has a .976 FA.

Boo Ladrieux has a good starting rotation in Belle Plaine (36-37), headed up by Matt Van Rensberg (10-4 3.90). Like Marston the season will depend on the hitters stepping it up in the second half. The Musketeers best bats belong to CF Hugh Berryhill (.325/0/35/51) and LF Juan Mendez (.319/1/28/460, both of whom lack power.

The Elnora All-Stars (35-38), tied for third with defending division champ Wynnamac, are good with the gloves (.979 FA) and possess some good starters. Manager Zoggy White has some very capable hitters, too. The future is bright, if starters Taylor Gibbs (8-8 3.03), Stevie Howard (5-2 3.38) and Matty Wilkerson (3-3 1.61) can get it going in the last half of the season. Howard was injured in May and is back now. Wilkerson has recently been promoted from the bullpen to starter. Elnora has the best trio of hitters in the division: RF Lloyd Voss, All-Star C Leon Carter and CF Denny Sawyer. Voss is one of the premier contact hitter in the IPA and is currently batting .340 with 6 homers, 42 RBIs and has scored 39 times. Voss is a career .339 batter and has whiffed only 200 times in 4000 at-bats. C Leon Carter has been great in his first two seasons, making the All-Star team both times. He is hitting .313 with 10 home runs and 33 runs batted in. Sawyer is having his best year in his career with a .305 mark, 10 roundtrippers, 30 RBIs and 54 runs scored. Many experts favor Elnora to take the pennant this year.

Matt Donnelly is disappointed with the play of his Wynnamac Sundowners (35-38) through the opening half of the season. He told reporters that the offense is down a little and the pitching is way off from a year ago. Jerry Meeks won the RU MVP Award last season, but is only 7-8 record-wise. He was 25-6 in the pennant-winning year. Meeks' ERA is up, but still is a strong 2.81 on the season. Donnelly said two standouts in 2013 Lenny Ward (8-4 4.04) and Gene Fair (7-8 3.69) could make a whale of a difference with better second halves. Wynnamac's top run producers are CF Clive Farnham (.319/12/43/38), 14-year vet and future HOF LF Big Hoss Burkhalter (.321/16/42/45) and second-year C Tweet Tillman (.280/9/39/31). Burkhalter is a lifetime .287 hitter with 365 homers to date and 1347 RBIs.

The Beechwood Bobcats (34-39) are in the fifth spot in the RU East standings, but just 3 games off the pace. The Bobcats have never won a pennant or even made the playoffs. This year could be their best chance. Manager Bret George would be in first place if Dek Jumonville, his ace, was having a typical year. Jumonville is 37 this season and has fallen on hard times with a 6-12 mark and a 3.82 ERA, about a run higher than usual. Beechwood's best twirler is another 37-year-old, Terry Kuznetsov, who has posted a 10-6 record with a 3.12 ERA. A revitalized Jumonville could do wonders for the Bobcats in the race. Leading the Beechwood offense is second-year CF Vic Valenti, who had a very good rookie season, but has really blossomed into a budding superstar with a .365 batting average, 18 homers, 65 RBIs and 51 runs. Valenti made the All-Star team and has already topped his first-year home run total and is fast approaching his last season's RBI number. Valenti went deep 17 times and batted in 78 runs in 2013. 38-year-old RF Clifton Czabo has helped Valenti with the offensive load. Czabo is hitting .317 with 4 homers, 31 RBIs and 39 runs scored. Beechwood has a good defensive team with an above average .977 FA.

The Cold Creek Catamounts (31-42) are tied for sixth with Sugar Valley and trail first place Marston by 6 games. T. Kelly Holmes is in charge of the Catamounts. His top starting pitchers are Marc Matherne (7-6 2.94) and Payton Saunders (8-10 3.64). In the bullpen Shannon Robinson (1-3) has been extraordinary with 14 saves and a terrific 1.88 ERA. 1B Terry Sauer (.324/11/37/38) and CF Trip Holmes (.294/7/34/32) shoulder most of the offensive load for the club. Cold Creek is just a second-division club and needs improved pitching and hitting to contend in the RU East.

Gibby Bobkins, who has won the division 5 times, has nothing to show but seventh-place finishes the last two years and a low finish looming again this season. His Sugar Valley Rattlers (31-42) just simply lack the talent to compete. Bobkins has very little in the way of starters. His best hurler is his closer Woody Murrell, who has compiled a 5-4 won-lost record with 15 saves and a fine 2.35 ERA. LF Austen Conover (.330/2/35/42) and C Hal Stevenson (.276/14/50) are Bobkins' top hitters.

The Eastshore Elegants (30-43) are in last place again this season, a spot they have occupied 5 of the past 6 seasons. Killer Brewster just has a bad ball club with average pitching and below-average hitting. The Elegants have only one top-notch pitcher. Second-year man Bix Hansen is a strong right-hander with an 8-4 mark and a standout 2.87 ERA. Hansen was 18-15 in his freshman year and looks like he will be a good one for many years to come. LF Stan Cuccinello (.308/12/45/32) and RF Cha-Cha Cervini (.322/5/34/22) lead the Eastshore batters.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Ruthlandian Union West Midseason Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

4-Club Race In RU West, RR Snappers Lead At All-Star Game
Another great pennant race is shaping up again in the Ruthlandian West, perhaps the strongest overall division in the IPA. But not like last year when 6 teams were closely bunched. This season 4 clubs will probably contest it down to the last few days. The Rocky Rapids Snappers have a narrow lead at the halfway point. They hold a two-game margin over runner-up Colfax, three over third-place Sligo and four over Volusia in fourth place. Who's going to be victorious? Rocky Rapids and Colfax have strong pitching, Sligo has the offense and Volusia has both pitching and hitting. The key factor could be which teams stays the healthiest.

The big story of this season has been the total collapse of last year's division winner, the Forest City Lumberjacks. Forest City came out of nowhere and leaped from seventh to first in 2013. Not so this season. The 'Jacks have nose-dived to the basement with a poor 28-45 mark, 18 games off the pace. Forest City has suffered from a lack of scoring this year. Last year they hit 177 home runs. At mid-year Robbie Jackson's crew had hit only 62 in 2014.

The Rocky Rapids Snappers (46-27), piloted by Ryan Noland, are chocked full of All-Stars... heading the list of 4 is SP Don Chaney (14-4 1.81), who has had a truly fine season... closer Earl Pitts (2-2 1.88) has notched 18 saves... SS Cooter Bermudez (.330/0/26/52) is enjoying a career year... and C Hank Bethel (.282/10/47/38) made the All-Stars for the 9th time... The Snappers have four quality starters and are ranked second in the RU with a fine 3.06 ERA.

The Colfax Blasters (44-29) slipped a bit last year, dropping from second to sixth, but were only 4 games off the lead... Hitting is Clem Rogers' biggest worry, but he still has strong pitching, led by All-Stars Ilya Szabo (13-2 1.05) and Jimmy Joe Cartner (12-1 2.10)... Colfax tops the IPA with a terrific 2.85 team ERA... there is no better duo in the IPA... the Blasters are batting only .253 (23rd) with longtime star CF Ryan Raines (.278/14/38/39) the top batter.

On paper the Sligo Rovers (43-30) of Eddie Keys look to be the best team in Ruthlandia with 4 All-Stars... The Rovers can hit and score and are ranked near the top offensively... plus they have two good starters in All-Star Vinnie Rastelli (13-1 2.68) and newly-acquired Jasper LaForge (8-4 2.95), who came over from Colfax after 13 years in the league... LaForge is only 32 and looks to have quite a few years to go... It's bewildering why Colfax let him go... Rumor is he just got fed up with Clem Rogers, known to be difficult to play for... And wow, just look at Keys' line-up: All-Star 2B Hollis Waldrup (.298/14/46/69/32SB), 1B Joe Helmke (.296/10/39/36), All-Star RF Clell Renshaw (.333/7/43/55). All-Star LF Fred Collins (.346/10/42/60), 3B Manny Alou (.256/17/54/41) and CF Chris Michel (.302/5/40/43/20 SB)... Sligo needs longtime ace Dix Edenborough to regain form and close out the year well... 36-year-old Edenborough is 10-7 but has an inflated 4.30 ERA... Trailing by only 3 games, Sligo has a good shot at the crown this year.

Alfonso Feliz has the best-balanced team in the RU West with both quality pitching and hitting... The Volusia Vigilantes (42-31) have an impressive 3.29 ERA (3rd) and are batting .265 (9th) and are just 4 games back in the pennant chase... Gerry Hersh (12-5 2.51) is having a career year, but just missed out on the All-Star team... CF Joe DeLucca (.342/13/59/58) is a premier player and in just his second season... Old dependable in RF Briscoe Crowder (.338/5/34/40), a 13-year vet, and 1B Rafael Garza (.332/2/37/25) give Feliz' two more solid and consistent bats.

None of the second-divison clubs are expected to challenge the upper crust this season... The Fort Benton Defenders (35-38) have respectable pitching with a 3.45 ERA (6th), but not much in hitting... Manager Robbie Brooks has three dependable starters in his rotation with Tucker Dawes (10-7 2.81), Hec Skurgan (7-8 2.99) and Ivan Gloeckner (8-8 3.47)... There is also quality in the bullpen with closer David Osborn (0-2 1.59), who has saved 17 games so far... The Defenders best bats are few in number and belong to CF Ryan Smith (.304/15/34/50) and LF Forest Cummings (.276/12/51/47).

The Stoner Stars (34-39) are sixth, 12 games off the pace and likely to end up in the second division for the 8th year in a row... Willie Dickens is short on talent as usual except for three players: Billy Chapel (8-9 2.82), who could be a headliner for any team in the IPA... Chapel, only 21, won 20 games last year as a rookie... Ditto for All-Star LF Mike Jaffe, only 20, who had a standout season as a freshman, and is even better this year with a .353 average, 18 homers, 45 RBIs and 54 runs scored... and 5-year man 1B Robert Dunbar (.317/11/49).

Smitty Michaels had a powerhouse in Middlefield (31-42) in the first five seasons, when his Roosters made the playoffs every year and even won the Pro Cup in 2005... However those days of glory are long gone and Middlefield is next-to-last and 15 games behind... Johnny Bond (6-10 2.99) is a reliable starter... 33-year-old 2B Jim Rose (.322/14/48/47) could start for just about every team in the IPA... Rose is a 3-time All-Star and just missed by a wink this year... and Ricky Tinker (.286/11/49) is a solid first sacker.

The last place Forest City Lumberjacks (28-45) were riding high last year and won the RU West with good offense and good pitching... the offense is gone this season... Rob Jackson's crew is one of the worst-hitting teams in the IPA with a lowly .241 batting average (30th)... home run production and scoring is down, too... The 'Jacks have jacked only 62 (14th) this year and are dead last in scoring with 258 runs (32nd)... Jackson has only one good hitter in his line-up and that is LF Joe Judlin with a .300 average, 19 homers, 53 RBIs and 42 runs scored... but Judlin has no help... Forest City still has a good group of pitchers, who can keep them in the game, but the batters can't win them... Paul Crews (4-12 3.19), Knucks Nomellini (7-10 3.30) and Al Thibaut (7-9 3.25) are still fine starters and closer Dale Owens (0-2 1.92) can still take care of leads, but he rarely has one. The Lumberjacks have simply gone into a severe power decline and took a huge plunge in the standings.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Tycobbian Union North Midseason Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

7-Team Race, Mahaska Has Slight Lead In TU North
At the halfway mark in the season the Tycobbian Union is still up for grabs with a 7-team tangle. The Mahaska Haymakers have a slight 1-game lead over North Hills, 3 over Hartsdale and Oxford and 5 over Blue Lake, defending champ Fairfax and Luxora. Cellar-dwelling White River is the only club that has no chance for the pennant.

Manager Rusty Tanussa has greatly improved his pitching and the Mahaska Haymakers (41-32) are doing quite well, but they have a task to stay on top in the last half of the season. There are quite a few clubs within striking distance and ready to take over if they slip... Mahaska has two good starters in 37-year-old Bill Sunday (11-5 4.05) and 42-year-old Johnny Spears (6-8 3.04), a strong relief corps and two strong bats in All-Star C Bucky O'Brian (.349/17/54/45) and 1B Johnny Carducci (.290/13/51)... In addition the Haymakers have a veteran player at almost every regular position.

Much-improved hitting has made the North Hills Hawks (40-33) a threat this year... they were sixth last season... Skipper Hub Carlson has them right on Mahaska's tail and in the thick of things, just one game out of first... the Hawks are strong defensively with a .979 FA... Carlson's batting order is full of veterans, led by 1B Rob Pearson (.278/15/55/46), LF Brodie Blackburn (.320/8/34/39) and CF Charley Walton (.309/0/22/41)... on the mound North Hills has Lou Dozier (7-3 3.61) and Ronnie Kerensky (9-6 3.45) as two reliable starters and closer Denny Stuart (5-2) in the bullpen with 11 saves and a strong 2.10 ERA... the Hawks look like they are in the race to stay.

Zim Donner's hard-hitting Hartsdale Hellcats (38-35) are back on track after a disasterous eighth-place finish in 2013... a good offense and improved mound staff have made the difference... Hartsdale is only 3 games off the pace and deadlocked with Oxford for third in the standings... top hitters are All-Star SS Jud Turchin (.326/19/46/58), 1B Tom Brabant (.330/14/54) and 3B Kendry Moulton (.319/17/57)... you would be hard put to find a better trio of 3-4-5 batters in the IPA... Donner also has two reliable starters in Rip Arnold (8-7 3.28) and Ronnie Jernigan (10-4 3.45)... Ben Clermont (3-3 3.00) gets the bullpen work done well with 11 saves... The Hellcats will make their presence known in the second half of the season.

The Oxford Red Caps (38-35) are again hitting the ball like they did in their heyday, when Campy Roy's crew won four flags in its first six seasons in the IPA... The Red Caps have some scoring power with LF Mack Spencer (.273/16/51), 1B Eddy Dowler (.295/14/51/45), RF Ozzie Takach (.333/6/28/40) and C Sollie Rees (.308/9/32/33)... the team is hitting .270 (6th) and has 93 home runs (4th)... Roy has some capable arms in Del Anderson (8-4 3.49), Norm Mann (10-4 4.24) and Emerson Carnell (6-9 2.98)... Oxford could use some help on defense as they are near the bottom with a very poor .965 FA.

Cobb Tyson's Blue Lake Blue Sox (36-37) are tied with Fairfax and Luxora for fifth place in the TU North, all 5 games back... the Blue Sox are keeping close with 7-year vet Justin Eckhardt (8-7 3.12) and young 24-year-old Nick Walker (7-5 2.81)... 22-year-old closer Tony Reed (0-1 1.77) has impressed in 19 games... Reed has 8 saves... Tyson needs vets Neil Krogstad (5-11 4.06) and Dan Whitfield (9-8 4.27) to have better second halves to contend for the pennant... Blue Lake is also in dire need of some offense, batting only .246 (30th) with only 58 homers (27th)... when asked who his best hitters are, the blunt Tyson replied tersely, "I have none."

The Fairfax Frogs (36-37) are the defending champion in the TU North, but have suffered a devastating loss... Superstar RF Dane Wesner dislocated his shoulder while diving for a ball in the first week of the season and could be back the last few weeks of the year... Wesner hits .341 lifetime and averages almost 40 home runs, 100 RBIs and 100 runs scored each year... No team can replace a talent like that... Manager Harry Buckley is hanging in with vets Steve Aaron (7-6 3.16) and Ken Hill (8-8 3.29) in his starting roles and quality closer Floyd Burnett (4-2 3.24) with 10 saves... but it is tough to win when your team is batting a lowly .240 (32nd)... the Frogs best bat belongs to SS Wes Hickox (.276/14/46/44)... Buckley needs his other two starters Joe Hampton (5-9 4.57) and Dan Hunt (6-5 3.53) to pick up where they left off in pennant-winning 2013... Hampton was 18-13 with a 2.97 ERA, while Hunt was 18-16 with a 3.49 ERA... the Fairfax batting order could pick it up, too... Better pitching and better batting might lift the Frogs back to the top rung of the TU North.

The Luxora Zorros (36-37) are also tied for fifth, but are just five games off the pace of Mahaska... Alejandro Rodrigo has seen his pitching corps take a drastic dive to mediocrity from a solid 3.50 to a poor 4.20 team ERA... Last season Elio Laurente was 20-14 with a 2.98 ERA and Tommy Wrightman was 19-13 with 2.91 ERA... this year they have stumbled to 7-7 and 4.34 for Laurente and 4-7 and 6.13 for Wrightman... The Z's top pitchers are Marcus Zamora (8-6 4.06) and Anthony Glaser (7-6 4.09)... nowhere near what you need to compete in the IPA... Luxora's strong points this year have been the play of All-Star 3B Pablo Santa Cruz (.345/5/38/53/17 SB), LF Gene Watson (.307/12/63) and 1B Billy Whitney (.332/2/24/46).

It's another bad year for the White River Rascals (23-50)... John Randison's club has made the first division in the TU North only once in its 13-year history... that was a fourth-place finish in 2008... the Rascals have never come close to the playoffs... this looks like it will be the worst season ever... they are in last place, 18 games out, and have only 23 victories so far... Not much talent on the Rascals... Randison's best performers are pitcher Mick Cronyn (5-7 3.86), 1B Marty Blake (.317/17/38) and 3B Jess Crockhart (.292/7/31).

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Tycobbian Union South Midseason Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Ginza Ahead In Jam-Packed TU South
The Ginza Ninjas and the Colchester Elites are challenging the traditional powers in the Tycobbian South this season. The Ninjas are on top in the jam-packed division with the Elites in the second spot, just one game off the pace. However, hanging real close are two clubs that have won 9 pennants between them, the Turon Typhoons and Cape Coral Hurricanes. Turon is third and trails by only two games with Cape Coral fourth and just three games back.

Finally after 11 years of failing to make the playoffs, manager Huroko Uchiyama has got a good shot at making them... He has put together a solid ball club with excellent pitching and defense and better-than-average hitting and power. The Ginza Ninjas (40-33) are ranked number one in the TU with a 3.08 ERA and tied for fourth with a sparkling .978 FA... top starters: Joji Azuma (10-3 2.92), Carl Trebek (10-4 2.73) and Al Myers (5-9 2.50) gives Uchiyama three very good starters... Best bats: All-Star C Crash Davis (.320/16/38/39), CF Chazzie Lombardo (.270/13/37/39) and LF Mark Buchanan (.273/14/43/39).

It's been a 7-year postseason drought for the Colchester Elites (39-34)... They have vastly improved its mound staff and can hit with decent power... Manager Uncle Robbie Wilbertson's best pitchers are veterans Timmy Brooks (10-6 2.52), Jimmy Simmons (9-8 3.57) and Mark Bright (7-5 3.61), who have over 30 years' experience combined... Brooks made the All-Star for the second time in his career... top players: one of the most prolific hitters in IPA history is superstar 1B Harlan Roscoe (.315/18/53/43)...Rascoe has scored over 1000 runs and batted in over 1300 in his 13 years in the league... Rascoe is a lifetime .316 batter with 375 homers and a 3-time All-Star... C Tommy Booker has added 14 homers and 46 RBIs with a .263 BA... SS Patsy Bates is super in the field and totes a .298 BA with 4 HRs, 38 runs and 17 RBIs... the Elites could use better defense... they have a poor .970 FA.

The defending division winner Turon Typhoons (38-35) are in third place, two games behind the Ninjas, mainly because of a pretty fair drop in hitting and pitching from last year... The Typhoons won easily in 2013 by 9 games over Cape Coral... star reliever Merle Studebaker (1-1 0.59) has also been out for the last two weeks with a bad knee... he is expected back soon... Studebaker has 9 saves this season... His replacement has been poor... Manager Whitey Richburn's defense is quite suspect, too... The Typhoons are a dismal .969 in the field... 4-time All-Star Nicky Engstrom (11-4 2.28) still anchors the mound corps, but needs some help from the other three starters that are having off-years so far... Gifted slugger and 1B Clyde Kingsford (.312/16/66/50) is having another superb season and again made the All-Star team... CF Mac McCurnan (.269/11/50/45) is still a productive hitter and covers center field well... 35-year-old 2B Alan Hansen (.301/0/18/50) is one of the IPA's all-time best second baseman with a career .306 average and over 1400 runs, 1400 walks and 500 stolen bases... Turon will be okay if Richburn can get a couple of hitters and a pitcher to step it up in the rest of the season... The Typhoons are not dead in the water yet... they may be brewing up a storm in the last half of the season.

Huggy Miller's Cape Coral Hurricanes (37-36) are still a team to contend with in the TU South... Miller's problem this year is his pitching... it has dipped the last two years and is now at a 4.09 ERA (23rd)... two years ago when the 'Canes snatched the pennant from Turon, it was a solid 3.43, last season it fell to 3.77... starter and All-Star Cody Burg (11-7 2.66) and closer Bobby Maas (0-3 3.04) are still his mainstays, but the rest of the rotation have faltered... Burg, a cinch for the IPA Hall of Fame, is the all-time leader with 238 victories and over 3000 strikeouts... Cape Coral's key to success this season is its very capable batter order, which has a .271 BA (7th)... White has the best offense in the TU South, led by All-Star LF Rich Osolinsky, who is leading the TU with a .380 mark... Osolinsky has 7 home runs, 39 RBIs and has scored 31 times... RF Glenn Armstrong is at .333 with 9 homers and 38 RBIs... Newly-obtained 1B Avery Worley has come on strong in his first opportunity at a full-time spot... In his sixth season, the 29-year-old Worley is batting .340 with 3 home runs and 31 RBIs... other top bats are 2B Lonnie Moon (.316/7/36/43) and CF Derek Ryckman (.287/10/46/38).

The TU flag winner will go to one of the above teams... none of the remaining clubs have the talent to challenge the current top four teams... The Arroyo Grande Suns (33-40) are fifth in the standings and are 7 games out... Skipper Jean-Luc Marchand's Suns are just average in most respects, but he does have two fine starters in Miguel Aguilera (10-7 3.40) and Omar Allende (6-4 3.17) and a talented All-Star shortstop in Andy Pearson (.340/8/39/43)... The best hitter ever in the IPA LF Jet Kazmarek with a career .352 BA, 1431 runs, 1142 RBIs and 800 stolen bases is showing signs of aging at 39... Kazmarek is hitting almost 100 points under his lifetime average... He is batting only .267 this year and plays only against right-handers... Kazmarek has won an unprecendented 9 batting crowns in his illustrious 14-year career... the last one came in 2012.

It's been a dozen years since the Southport Sun Sox (32-41) made the postseason... They are in sixth this season and trail by 8 games... Manager Charley Oscar's crew will not make the playoffs anytime soon... just not much talent... The Sun Sox best performers are pitchers Neil Howell (9-8 2.81) and Keith Callahan (8-5 3.69) and RF Big Stick Takala (.303/9/31).

It's been 11 years since Lando Peceda's San Alejo Montaneros were a playoff team... it will be stretched to 12 years this year... Peceda top players are pitchers Daniel Fitzmorris (7-6 3.68) and Chad Gilmore (7-5 3.54)... at the plate 1B Dominique Poirot (.335/9/38) and CF Adam Marzoni (.321/1/22) are the Montaneros best bats.

The Summerland Sunsets (28-45) wound up a surprising third in 2012, but have since fallen deep in the second division... Will Hackett's Sunsets are in last place this year and 12 games behind in the race... Weak hitting (.247 BA) and mediocre pitching (3.99 ERA) equal the cellar this season... However Hackett's hurlers are quality pitchers... Denny Coulon (8-9 3.80), Herbie Drahm (8-8 3.78) and Pat Dreux (6-9 3.92) are his top three pitchers... Summerland has one All-Star, CF Jim Garrison, who has 19 roundtrippers with a .285 mark, 40 RBIs and 47 runs scored... and 2B Don Hanks (.307/6/32/29), who has contributed to the offense, too.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Tycobbian Union East Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Tucks Tops In TU East, Midway #2
The mid-season forecast is for a two-team battle in the Tycobbian East between defending champion Tuckanarra and Midway. The Blue Jays have a slight 3-game edge over the Wolves at the All-Star break. The High Mesa Cowboys are third and 7 games behind with the Red Bluff Red Sox in fourth place and trailing by 10 games. High Mesa and Red Bluff are not expected to be in the pennant hunt this year. The Ozarka Naturals are fifth and are 10 games out, but should give the Cowboys and the Red Sox a tussle for third.

The Tuckanarra Blue Jays (47-26) are once again on top of the Tycobbian Union East, but this year they are being hotly contested by the Midway Wolves... Last season they ran away with the pennant and won by 12 games... Carlton "Lefty" Stevens' Blue Jays really don't have a weakness with a .279 BA (1st), 381 runs (4th), a 3.27 ERA (3rd) and a .976 FA (6th-tied)... The Tucks have a wonderful pitching staff with starters Titus Bristow (11-7 2.35), Delaney Elliott (8-7 3.18), Roy Spence (10-3 3.29) and Yuka Nawajuk (10-3 3.18) and brilliant closer Stephen Eubarinja (1-0 0.57), who has 17 saves... they will have to do without Spence for about two weeks due to injury... The Blue Jay batting order is really something with 7 regulars batting .280 or over, led by All-Star RF Danny Redd (.348/6/38/53), 1B Erik Vayda (.305/10/56/41), SS Wayne Snider (.288/9/49/37) and CF Earl O'Brien (.285/8/48/65).

Manager Cochise Chandler has guided his Midway Wolves (44-29) to within 3 games of the division lead... Chandler has all the ingredients to win with a .276 BA (4th), 108 homers (1st), 395 runs (1st), 3.45 ERA (6th) and a .976 FA (6th-tied)... his biggest problem is being in the same division with Tuckanarra... While Midway has talented players, the Blue Jays have more of them... The Wolves have three on the All-Star squad: closer Dom Vilaggio (5-3 1.95) with 14 saves, CF Johnny Lee (.346/20/47/42) and 3B Gerry Jordan (.310/17/56/44)... Jordan is injured and will be on the DL for two weeks and will miss the All-Star Game... LF Dylan Stevenson (.325/13/39/49) also swings a good bat... on the mound Chandler has two solid starters in Motega Wolf (8-5 2.74) and Sherm Jarvis (8-6 2.95).

Frisky Franks' High Mesa Cowboys (40-33) are right up there with the top two clubs offensively, but fall far short of them on the hill... The Cowpokes sport a .278 BA (3rd), 105 home runs (3rd) and have scored 382 runs (3rd), but have a whopping 4.66 team ERA... Keep in mind Queen Ranch Stadium is one of the smallest venues in the IPA - not exactly a pitcher's paradise... but Franks does have an outstanding pitcher... Kent Wells is having his second straight super year with an 11-6 record and a great 2.78 ERA... last season the 34-year-old Wells was 19-12 with a 2.97 ERA... High Mesa also has a fine closer... Ed Galiano (1-2 3.18) has 17 saves... The Cowboys are blessed with a great hitter in All-Star 1B Jack Elliott, who as a rookie won all the awards, best rookie, best hitter, Gold Glove and MVP... Once again he is blistering the IPA pitchers to the tune of a .359 batting average with 26 homers, 74 RBIs and 66 runs... Last season Elliott set a new IPA mark for home runs with 61... helping out with the offense are RF Darrel Alston (.270/15/45) and LF Danny Nash (.305/11/34).

The fourth place Red Bluff Red Sox (38-35) have a decent ball club, but Mack Connery lacks hitting and scoring... top pitchers are Jim Melanakos (11-4 2.77) and John Dougherty (9-8 3.56)... the top Red Sox bats are All-Star Tommy Klegg, who is on target to break Elliott's home run standard... Klegg has 32 at the halfway point in the season with 80 RBIs and a .306 batting average... Klegg, playing in his 10th year, just passed the 1000-RBI milestone... Connery also has a standout SS in Jose Aguilar (.292/10/34/60).

Former powerhouse Ozarka (37-36) is fifth this year and 10 games off the pace... Skipper Joe Mac Carney just doesn't have the pitching he had when the Naturals won three straight flags 2010-2012... Even his young ace Eddie Roberts (6-8 3.87) is suffering an off-year... But the Nats can still hit the ball for average with a .274 mark (5th) and can score with 375 runs (6th)... however they are missing the long ball with just 66 this year (21st)... Ozarka has an impressive line-up with good sticks in 7 of the 8 slots, paced Nathan Ferrell, a 5-time All-Star at 3B, who is enjoying a great year with a .337 BA, 16 roundtrippers, 55 RBIs and 54 runs scored... 11-year vet Ferrell is closing in on the 1000-run and 1000-RBI milestones... Todd Chadwick, a 4-time All-Star at 2B, has a .280 BA with 11 homers, 54 RBI and 53 runs scored... LF Vic Weinstein is having another solid season with a .311 mark, 8 home runs, 59 runs and 34 runs batted in... The Naturals will probably give High Mesa and Red Bluff some stiff competition for third place.

The remaining teams solely lack talent and have no chance of getting higher than sixth in the TU East this year... The South Fork Stallions (34-39) are the best of the lot and currently are in the sixth spot... Deroche "Lips" Leon has better offense than Hillsboro and East Point... CF Robby Michael leads the Stallions at the plate with a .335 BA, 10 home runs and 50 RBIs... on the hill Leon's best hurlers are Blackie Terranova (8-8 3.79) and Bill Branch (7-8 3.29)... 2 years back Terranova was 25-6 and a Golden Arm winner.

The Hillsboro Blazers (32-41) will not make the playoffs for the 13th successive season... Arky Spanderson's club has never finished higher than 5th in the IPA... Closer Randy Love (2-1 1.71) has 12 saves and an excellent ERA... Hillsboro only possesses one decent hitter in RF Louis Mugnier (.314/4/38/43).

The East Point Panthers (24-49) could very well be the worst team in the IPA... Griff Clarke's pitchers have posted an atrocious 5.25 ERA (32nd) and have only 24 victories, one more than the White River Rascals... the Panthers outstanding 2B Jesse Goodwin (.268/22/53/46) made the All-Stars for the fourth time... quality CF Joey Olson is having a solid season with a .286 average, 12 homers and 42 RBIs... C Roland Garsett is hitting .311 with 8 homers, 40 runs scored and 27 RBIs.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

2014 Tycobbian Union West Mid-Season Standings and Team Batting

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, June 24, 2014

Arlon TU West Best In 6-Team Race At All-Star Game
It's a good pennant race in the Tycobbian West with 6 teams in the hunt. Arlon holds a 1-game lead over second place Kenwood. The Rolling Hills Reds are third and just 2 games off the pace. Last year's crownholder Denton City is hanging close by and trails by 4. Also within striking distance are the fifth place Chicopee Braves 5 games back and the Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are in the sixth spot and 6 games out.

The TU West leader, the Arlon Champions (44-29) don't have great stats overall, but Gary Louis flat out has a skilled relief corps with a terrific 2.59 ERA (2nd)... So far the bullpen is carrying the Champs... All-Star closer Johnny Rabelais (2-0) has appeared in 25 games and saved 19 of them with a superlative 1.33 ERA... Ross Birchford (6-0 1.30) has also been a standout reliever... Arlon best starter is Happy McManus (9-5 3.71) along with Armando Cruz (7-8 3.09)... Cruz is on the DL and will miss two weeks with an injury... It will be tough for Louis to do without Cruz in such a tight race... What little offense the Champs have is supplied by All-Star LF Rocco Belasario (.289/17/45/59), who is also a gifted gloveman.

On paper you would think that manager Aaron Hankins' Kenwood Wildcats (43-30) would blow away everybody in the division... the Wildcats are batting .278 (2nd) with 384 runs (2nd), plus they have compiled a very fine 3.12 team ERA (2nd)... and it even gets better in the bullpen with a 2.23 ERA (1st)... defensively Kenwood is tops in the IPA with a standout .980 FA... yet the Wildcats are in the second spot in the standings and trails by a game... Go figure... Hankins has a trio of quality starters in his rotation with All-Star Connie Gavagan (10-5 2.45), Sammy Shaw (10-7 3.99) and Todd Combs (8-8 3.03)... Gavagan was obtained in a trade with Beechwood of the RU East in the off-season and has been a great acquisition... Gavagan is headed for a career year... Closer Rick Brickell (1-3 3.38) has chalked up 13 saves... Kenwood also excels in the batter's box with five .300 batters, sparked by All-Star LF Aidan Latimer (.339/10/44), RF Dennis Riley (.332/11/51), LF Jimmy Brewer (.333/12/34), 3B Brad Walker (.300/8/34/50) and CF Dayton Walker (.317/1/22/28).

The Rolling Hills Reds (42-31) are the cinderella team this season... Matty Christianson's Reds were basement dwellers last year, but have surged up to third this season and are just 2 games out of first... They don't do anything well except winning... Christianson gives most of the credit to his four solid starters... 34-year-old Shane Hooper (10-4 3.66) and 22-year-old Sal Jordan (9-5 2.59) are his top twirlers, but two old journeymen 38-year-old dinosaurs Gerry McFarland (7-4 4.15) and Keir McNamara (6-3 4.09) are also steady and dependable... Christianson really needs some help in the bullpen... his relievers have a very poor 4.56 ERA (23rd)... CF Donnie Lewis (.336/2/32/49), 3B Clay Hoffman (.286/10/39) and 1B Scotty Smith (.283/14/42) provide the lion's share of what little offense the Reds have... it's been a great first half of the season for Rolling Hills, but the experts forecast a fifth-place finish with Denton City and Chicopee passing the Reds by year's end.

The fourth place Denton City Redbirds (40-33) have won the TU West flag six times in its history and are the current returning champs, within four games of the top spot... the Redbirds live and die with two great starters Mila Mohoski (10-4 2.69) and Jeff Russell (12-4 3.00)... both are All-Stars this year... a cinch Hall of Famer, Mohoski is 34 and has a lifetime 234-158 record with a 3.02 ERA and is in his 14th year... Mohoski is also 16-11 in the postseason with a strong 3.07 ERA... Russell is only 23 and in his second season... He was 21-9 in 2013... Skipper Ford Whiteman has a solid core of hitters in his batting order, headed up by All-Star C Pete Gibbs (.321/8/46), veteran RF Lavon Gooch (.287/13/44/49) in his 12th season, steady LF Rod MacCormack (.282/10/36/52) in his 13th year and 1B Maury Duncan (.301/9/36/37), who's in his fifth season... Don't be surprised if Whiteman has his Redbirds challenging Arlon and Kenwood for the TU West title in the second half of the season... Denton City is never far from first place.

Harry Fleetfoot and his Chicopee Braves (39-34) have come close to the title the last two years and are hanging tough this season in fifth place, but only 5 games out... The Braves are led by two strong starters Desmond Quartermain and Tommy Ruffin, two 36-year-old vets... All-Star Quartermain has been sensational this year with an IPA-leading 1.58 ERA and a 12-5 mark, while Ruffin has registered a 9-4 record with an impressive 2.86 ERA... Fleetfoot depends on these two to keep him in the running... Chicopee's big downfall is its lousy bullpen, which has a pathetic 5.15 ERA (27th)... The Braves are not much at the plate, either... They have only one decent hitter, C Ivan Burkholder (.274/11/41/42)... It's not likely Quartermain and Ruffin can win the pennant by themselves, some others have to step up on the mound and in the batter's box... fifth or sixth is a likely finish.

The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers (38-35) are better this year and playing over .500 ball at mid-year... Guy Rondre's Bucs are in the sixth spot in the standings and six games back, but are not predicted to wind up higher... Rondre's best batters are 1B Gerry Fields (.274/14/44), CF Todd Bryant (.300/10/42/52), 3B Ryan Sanders (.311/7/41) and SS Jimmy Sawyer (.268/6/43)... The Buccaneers ace is Lloyd Weber (11-4 3.53)... number two in the rotation is Duke DeVree (5-8 3.29).

The La Claire Lynx (31-42) have wound up near the bottom of the TU West for the previous five seasons... It will be no change this year... Rip Calkin's club is presently in seventh place and 13 games behind and more than likely it will be passed by last place Bayview, who has much better hitting... The Lynx do not hit well with a .243 BA (31st) and do not pitch well with a mediocre 4.27 team ERA (27th)... 40-year-old Doug Lyons is Calkin's top pitcher with a 6-8 mark and a very good 2.78 ERA... 20-year-old 3B Flash Devlin (.330/10/34) is a rising star and La Claire best player... Journeyman pro 1B Luis Marquez (.283/9/47) is always reliable.

Walter Johanssen has not had a real good team in Bayview (29-44) since 2009 when the Vikings came in second and have not won a pennant since 2007... They are in eighth place and 15 games behind first place Arlon... Really bad pitching is keeping them down... This year it is particularly bad with a 5.17 team ERA (31st)... Bayview can hit the ball with authority and score runs with a .261 BA (12th), 366 runs (8th) and 108 roundtrippers (1st), but the opposing teams feast on its pitching... Norm Ray (8-8 3.93) is the only quality arm on the staff... Things won't change until Johanssen can come up with a stronger staff... Bayview's best bats are a couple of All-Star outfielders... young LF Davey Krueger (.314/22/53/43) and RF Tommy Riddle (.281/19/48/51)... other capable contributors are SS Dan Conroy (.291/15/45/40) and 2B Tommy Shore (.300/9/33/43)... seventh place seems to be the best the Viks can accomplish in 2014.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 23, 2014

IPA All-Star Game Wednesday in Far Mountain
The All-Star Classic is here again! -- the 2014 Islandian Pro Alliance All-Star Game! This is a game for the fans. They choose the players that are the best at their positions. Then these fan favorites take on one another to determine which league is best. Who will be top league this season? -- the Ruthlandian Union or the Tycobbian Union? We'll get the answer soon. The 14th Annual IPA All-Star Game is Wednesday afternoon at Sky High Mountain in Far Mountain. The TU Stars lead the series 9 to 4, however the RU Stars are on a 3-game winning streak. They pounded out a 10-3 victory last year.

The Ruthlandian Union All-Stars have these fine performers on their roster:

SP Ilya Szabo (CFX) 13-3 1.05 ERA
SP Don Chaney (RR) 14-4 1.81 ERA
SP Kyle Ferguson (KIL) 14-4 2.02 ERA
SP Vinnie Rastelli (SLI) 13-1 2.68 ERA
SP Jeff Nieman (BB) 14-4 3.45 ERA
SP Jimmy Joe Cartner (CFX) 12-1 2.10 ERA
SP Robby Kelly (FM) 11-3 2.39 ERA
SP Hunk Sweitzer (MAR) 10-2 2.58 ERA
CL Jeff Jernigan (CL) 2-4 1.51 ERA 20 SV
CL Earl Pitts (RR) 2-2 1.88 ERA 18 SV
C Leon Carter (ELN) .313 BA 10 HR 33 RBI 42 R
C Otis Ott (FM) .268 BA 6 HR 35 RBI 24 R
C Hank Bethel (RR) .282 BA 10 HR 47 RBI 38 R
1B Pat Farris (MAR) .390 BA 5 HR 31 RBI 30 R
1B Mike Luzzatti (CLX) .306 BA 16 HR 43 RBI 51 R
1B Johnny Lee Harder (ANC) .322 BA 15 HR 58 RBI 40 R
1B Bill Nance (LAG) .295 BA 9 HR 66 RBI 36 R
1B Ron Armstrong (SD) .298 BA 12 HR 42 RBI 48 R
2B Ed Miles (TAR) .314 BA 18 HR 61 RBI 67 R
2B Hollis Waldrup (SLI) .298 BA 14 HR 46 RBI 69 R
3B Duane Parsons (FM) .373 BA 12 HR 53 RBI 45 R
3B Jimmy Holman (MAR) .333 BA 15 HR 54 RBI 36 R
SS Cooter Bermudez (RR) .330 BA 0 HR 26 RBI 52 R
SS Aron Aiello (TAR) .324 BA 10 HR 43 RBI 39 R
SS Don Nichols (FM) .293 BA 9 HR 38 RBI 52 R
LF Mike Jaffe (STO) .353 BA 18 HR 45 RBI 54 R
LF Fred Collins (SLI) .346 BA 10 HR 42 RBI 60 R
CF Vic Valenti (BEE) .365 BA 18 HR 65 RBI 51 R
CF Joe DeLucca (VOL) .342 BA 13 HR 59 RBI 58 R
RF Augie Marshall (TAR) .327 BA 23 HR 68 RBI 52 R
RF Clell Renshaw (SLI) .333 BA 7 HR 43 RBI 55 R

While the Tycobbian Union All-Stars will be represented by these talented players:

SP Desmond Quartermain (CHI) 12-5 1.58 ERA
SP Nicky Engstrom (TUR) 11-4 2.28 ERA
SP Timmy Brooks (CCH) 10-6 2.52 ERA
SP Jeff Russell (DC) 12-4 3.00 ERA
SP Cody Burg (CC) 11-7 2.66 ERA
SP Connie Gavagan (KEN) 10-5 2.45 ERA
SP Mila Mohoski (DC) 10-4 2.69 ERA
CL Johnny Rabelais (ARL) 2-0 1.33 19 SV
CL Stephen Eubarinja (TUC) 1-0 0.57 ERA 17 SV
CL Dom Vilaggio (MDW) 5-3 1.95 ERA 14 SV
C Pete Gibbs (DC) .321 BA 8 HR 46 RBI 32 R
C Bucky O'Brian (MAH) .349 BA 17 HR 54 RBI 45 R
C Crash Davis (GIN) ,320 BA 16 HR 38 RBI 39 R
1B Tommy Klegg (RB) .306 BA 32 HR 80 RBI 53 R
1B Jack Elliott (HM) .359 BA 26 HR 74 RBI 66 R
1B Clyde Kingsford (TUR) .312 BA 16 HR 66 RBI 50 R
2B Todd Chadwick (OZK) .280 BA 11 HR 54 RBI 53 R
2B Jesse Goodwin (EP) .268 BA 22 HR 53 RBI 46 R
3B Kendry Moulton (HAR) .319 BA 17 HR 57 RBI 36 R
3B Nathan Ferrell (OZK) .337 BA 16 HR 55 RBI 54 R
3B Gerry Jordan (MDW) .310 BA 17 HR 56 RBI 44 R
3B Pablo Santa Cruz (LUX) .345 BA 5 HR 38 RBI 53 R
SS Andy Pearson (AG) .340 BA 8 HR 39 RBI 43 R
SS Jud Turchin (HAR) .326 BA 19 HR 46 RBI 58 R
LF Aidan Latimer (KEN) .339 BA 10 HR 44 RBI 36 R
LF Rocky Belasario (ARL) .289 BA 17 HR 45 RBI 59 R
LF Rich Osolinsky (CC) .380 BA 7 HR 39 RBI 31 R
LF Davey Krueger (BAY) .314 BA 22 HR 53 RBI 43 R
CF Johnny Lee (MDW) .346 BA 20 HR 47 RBI 42 R
CF Jim Garrison (SUM) .285 BA 19 HR 40 RBI 47 R
RF Danny Redd (TUC) .348 BA 6 HR 38 RBI 53 R
RF Tommy Riddle (BAY) .281 BA 19 HR 48 RBI and 51 R

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Wednesday, June 25, 2014

TU Stars Outshine RU Stars 3-2 In IPA All-Star Game
The Tycobbian All-Stars snapped the Ruthlandian All-Stars 3-game winning skein by slipping past them 3-2 in the 14th Annual Game played at Sky High Stadium in Far Mountain. The TU Stars put up a 3-0 lead after 7 innings and then withstood a homer rally by the RU Stars. Tycobbia scored in the opening frame on a lead-off triple by RF Danny Redd (Tuckanarra) and an RBI ground-out by 2B Todd Chadwick (Ozarka). They tallied run number two in the second inning. 3B Nathan Ferrell (Ozarka) singled, moved over to third on a double by LF Davey Krueger (Bayview) and rode home on a sac fly by Bucky O'Brian (Mahaska). The TU Stars got their final run on singles by LF Aidan Latimer (Kenwood), PH Clyde Kingsford (Turon) and CF Tommy Riddle (Bayview). Trailing 3-0 going into the in the bottom of the seventh CF Joe DeLucca (Volusia) and LF Fred Collins (Sligo) lite up Cody Burg (Cape Coral) for a pair of solo homers to cut the lead down to 3-2. Ruthlandia failed to tie it by going scoreless the final two frames.

Nicky Engstrom (Turon) got the win with a scoreless 1-2-3 third inning and the loss went to the RU starter Don Chaney (Rocky Rapids), who was ripped for 2 runs and 5 hits in his two innings. Tycobbia outhit the RU Stars 9 to 7 with Redd getting 2 hits for the winners and Collins collecting two for the losers. Redd was awarded the game's MVP honors.

The TU Stars have a huge edge in the All-Star Game series with 10 victories in 14 games.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Monday, September 15, 2014

IPA Begins Last Week Of Season, 6 Races Up In The Air

Two divisions in the IPA have been decided going into the final week of the season. Belair Beach long ago clinched in the Ruthlandian South and Turon easily took the title in the Tycobbian South. 23 teams are still in the hunt for the division pennant and the automatic Pro Cup playoff spot.

Far Mountain (93-54) is in the driver's seat in the RU North with a 6-game bulge over second place Taranto (87-60) with just 7 games to go. The Redhawks are the defending titleholder and are trying to wrap up their sixth straight division flag.

The Belair Beach Sunbirds (92-55) won the RU South by a whopping 21 games over second place Crystal Lake (71-76) and Waleska (71-76). Fourth place St. John (70-77) won the pennant last season.

In the RU East it's still a race with the Marston Nine (83-64) holding a 3-game edge over second place Belle Plaine. Last year's winner Wynnamac is in third place this season and trails by 7 games.

Out in the RU West Colfax (90-57) still has a battle on its hands with the Rocky Rapids Snappers (88-59) just 2 games back and the Volusia Vigilantes (87-60) 3 out. The 2013 champ, the Forest City Lumberjacks (64-83) slumped badly and are tied for last place, 26 games off the pace.

In the Tycobbian Union it's a 5-team donnybrook in the TU North with only two games separating first to fifth. Three teams are tied for the top spot with 79-68 records. Hartsdale, Mahaska and North Hills have a game lead over second place Blue Lake (78-69) and a 2-game margin over fifth place Oxford (77-70). The Fairfax Frogs (71-76) won last year, but have fallen to sixth place, 8 games behind in the race.

In the RU South the Turon Typhoons (88-59) are again the champion. They whipped the runner-up Colchester Elites by 9 games and the Ginza Ninjas by 11 to take their sixth flag in seven seasons.

The Midway Wolves (89-58) are up by 3 games over second place Tuckanarra (86-61) with 7 to go in the TU East. The High Mesa Cowboys (82-65) are third and 7 games out, but still have a slim chance of winning. The Tuckanarra Blue Jays were the top team in 2013.

There's still quite a tussle going on in the TU West between 6 clubs. Last year's champ, the Denton City Redbirds (80-67), are tied with the Kenwood Wildcats (80-67) for first place and are 2 games up on the Arlon Champions (78-69) and Chicopee Braves (78-69). The Bay St. Clair Buccaneers are fifth and trail by 5 games and the Rolling Hills Reds are sixth and 7 games behind. The DC Redbirds won the TU West last season and are seeking a second consecutive pennant and their sixth in seven seasons.

[Eugene Church]

The Islandian Times
Tuesday, September 23, 2014

RU Batting Title Belongs to Voss
For Lloyd Voss of the Elnora All-Stars, 2014 was a very good year. Voss nabbed the Ruthlandian Union batting championship with a .362 average. On the season, the 32-year-old right fielder registered 191 hits, 87 runs, 22 doubles, 5 triples, 16 home runs and 97 RBIs. It was the second bat title for the 9-year veteran. Voss also won in 2009 with a .368 mark. Lifetime He is a .341 hitter.

21-year-old Waleska center fielder Roy Hobbs was second with a .357 average, 38 home runs, 131 RBIs and 124 runs. Hobbs' sophomore year was ever better than the first. Mike Jaffe, a fine young left fielder for the Stoner Stars, finished number three. He batted .353 with 38 roundtrippers, 104 RBIs and scored 108 times.

AG's Pearson Crowned TU Bat King
This season Arroyo Grande shortstop Andy Pearson won the Tycobbian Union batting crown by just a few decimal points over Crash Davis of Ginza. His .344 average led everyone in 2014. Pearson's season stats included 187 hits, 30 home runs, 101 runs scored and 104 RBIs. Last year as a rookie he batted .322 for the Suns.

Strictly speaking, Pearson batted .34438 for the year. Crash Davis of the Ginza Ninjas came in a very, very close second with a .344 batting average - actually .34375 - with 34 homers and 92 RBIs. High Mesa Cowboy first baseman Jack Elliott had another spectacular season with a .342 average and finished third in the batting race. Elliott led the TU with 52 home runs and 141 RBIs, while scoring 129 runs. He just barely missed out on the Triple Crown.