GTOAT - Greatest Team of All Time Tournament

[tavo2311]

Introducing - The GTOAT Tourney!

After March Madness was cancelled and quarantine began, I decided to create a Greatest Team of All Time tournament. Yes, I dragged my heels so long during the research and prep that MLB.com stole my thunder with their Dream Bracket 2. I will still go through with this though as there are key differences in the setup.

Format: A 64-team bracket, with four regions seeded 1-16, with teams picked from 1902 through 2019. Each round will be a best of 7 series.

Selection Process: There were a few guidelines here. But the main thing to keep in mind is that it is not meant to be a tournament involving a strict ranking or list.
1. Every franchise / team must have at least one representative. To clarify, I did not follow the lineage of franchises when doing this. The Twins must have a representative as well as the Senators. The Expos and the Nationals both must appear, etc… In almost all instances, the best team ever for that team was chosen. An exception or two exists, and is detailed as to why in due time.
2. I did not allow back-to-back seasons, and even seasons a few years apart I tried to space out. If the 1906 and 1907 Cubs both are ranked in the top 10, or the 1939 and 1937 Yankees, only one of those instances will be admitted. We wanted some diversity.
3. A very unscientific approach was used to select the teams. An initial pass was using various online sources and books I have, and where teams continuously showed up on lists of the best ever they were automatically in. Then an article from 2016 from 538.com publishing their rankings of all teams ever using ELO was used. Finally, some “wild-cards” were given out, for teams that neither ranked high enough on ELO to justify an entry, and also didn’t have the reputational clout, but that had a great storyline or a key player that just had to be in the tournament (1924 Washington Senators and Walter Johnson I’m looking at you).

Link to ELO article: https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...ording-to-elo/

Seeding: Once teams were picked, seeding was simply the committee (me) using a combo of rankings and reputation to somewhat seed them in order, followed by adjustments to create some interesting first round matchups (1919 Reds vs. 1917 White Sox – close to a Black Sox rematch) and potential matchups (Ted Williams vs. Joe DiMaggio in round 2, or Murderer’s Row vs ’95 Braves pitching in a round of 16).

Gameplay: Staffs and lineups will be set-up realistically for that team. If a dead-ball team used a 2-man rotation they may, and if a modern team used 4 in the real-world playoffs they will, but with some flexibility for short rest as we see in today’s game. I will not be managing in-games but setting lineups and pitching ahead of time.

DH and year-specific settings to use: I struggled with these questions for a while, on what settings to use for this tournament to determine the most level playing field for all teams when spanning 120 years. In the end I decided not to try and pigeonhole the entire tourney into one setting. The settings used will be determined on a series by series basis. For the DH, if both teams were from 1972 or earlier they won’t use a DH for the series. If 1973 or after, the DH will be used in an AL team’s ballpark and not in the NL’s, as it is with the World Series currently. For the settings on which era to use, I wanted to use “splitting the difference.” If a team from 1950 is playing a team from 2000, we would use 1975 settings. This will work fine when teams from the same era play each other. But I admit, there’s a real sense of randomness in an example such as the above. That being said, there’s no great way to judge teams across such different eras, and I wanted to avoid giving too much advantage to any single team, but my desired use of settings isn't available (I previously thought it was, but it must only be in leagues, not historical exhibitions), so we will do this: If the two teams are within 25 years of each other, we will use the higher seed's specific year settings. If they are more than 25 years apart, we will use default modern settings. Nothing will be perfect, but oh well.

Schedule: I will be trying to sim a series or two a night, maybe with a break between rounds. I will randomly choose the order and rotate the regions that games are played from also.

Next posts I will unveil the seeds and bracket.

[tavo2311]

#1 Seeds:
1939 Yankees
1975 Reds
1927 Yankees
1909 Pirates

1939 Yankees are recognized by many as the greatest team ever. Though the 1927 Yankees held that honor for a long time, the advancement in statistics and thinking of the game in a different way have advanced the perception of the '39 team. By both subjective and objective measures they are worthy of the #1 overall.
Not much separation for the next two. We will give the Big Red Machine the nod as to guard against Yankees bias. The '27 Murderer's Row team is close behind.
The last #1 seed was more difficult with at least three worthy options. We are not going to allow the '98 Yankees to make it 3 out of 4 on the top line, so they're out. That leaves us our first dead ball entrants. The 1909 Pirates edge out the 1906 Cubs on the basis that they actually won the World Series, something the Cubbies couldn't do despite 116 wins.

#2 Seeds:
1906 Cubs
1998 Yankees
1911 A's
1970 Orioles

The first couple were easy, as the Cubs and Yankees were both worthy of 1's. The 1911 A's check in just ahead of the 1970 Orioles. This 2 seed line is interesting in that its not very sexy. The 1906 Cubs didn't even win the WS, lack some star power, and along with the 1911 A's lack respect as truly great teams by modern day baseball fans. The 1998 Yankee juggernaut is rarely thought as highly as the many great Yankees teams that have had decades longer to beome legends. They also didn't have the big name opponent to face as the Padres team they beat was likely the weakest they faced in that run of greatness. Finally the 1970 Orioles. The advanced statistics seemed to like them but while they're found on almost any Greatest Teams list, they're not often mentioned with the true greats. This 2 line may look weaker than it actually is.

#3 Seeds:
1986 Mets
2004 Red Sox
1961 Yankees
2001 Mariners

This line will bring some familiarity for modern fans. The last Mets championship team is here, along with the curse-busting, come-backing Red Sox, and the record setting 116 win Mariners. All may be more highly thought of subjectively than by objective measures, but the tournament needs fun story-lines. They are joined by the 1961 Yankees who have one of the best story-lines with the Mantle and Maris home run chase to 61.

#4 Seeds:
1954 Indians
1942 Cardinals
1995 Indians
1953 Yankees

The surprise line. I think one of these teams could be the surprise winner of it all. The only two entrants from Cleveland both find themselves here. The 1954 bunch long being underrated due to their WS choke, despite holding the AL record in wins for almost five decades. The '95 Tribe may be the best offense the game has ever seen. The 1942 Cardinals led by Musial and Slaughter can make an argument for being under-seeded, based on some new metrics, including a top ten ELO ranking. And the 1953 Yankees don't often get mentioned among the best Yankees teams ever but feature five hall of famers. Don't be surprised if one or more of these teams upend a 1 seed in the Sweet 16 round.

[tavo2311]

#5 Seeds:
1984 Tigers
1995 Braves
1989 A's
1904 Giants

The 5 seed line sees the first Tigers entrant and a potential Sweet 16 divisional match up if they and the Tribe advance. The 1995 Braves, the one team from that decade of regular season of dominance to actually win the whole thing, is somewhat controversially seeded lower than the team they beat. The Bash Brothers are going to be a force, and adds to an already ungodly amount of offense in the region. Finally the dead ball era 1904 Giants get a chance to win a series, something they never had in real life because of their owner refusing to play the AL winners in a World Series that year.

#6 Seeds:
1929 A's
1968 Tigers
2016 Cubs
1942 Dodgers

This is the first group of teams where I personally don't see a team capable of winning the whole thing. However that’s not to say they are weak in the slightest. The 42 Dodgers won 104 games, unfortunately only good enough for 2nd that year in the NL. The 2016 Cubs are one of the better stories in the tournament as well as 103 game winners, as were the 68 Tigers. Finally the 1929 A's feature a number of hall of famers, 104 wins of their own, and a top 15 team in ELO ranking.

#7 Seeds:
2011 Phillies
1912 Red Sox
1967 Cardinals
1935 Tigers

This entire exercise in separating many of the greatest teams of all time is probably futile to begin with, but this line really starts to feel random. We have one of the most dominant SPs of all time in Gibson and one of the most dominant rotations checking in from the south-side of Philly. The 1912 Red Sox feature Tris Speaker and Smokey Joe Wood, along with 105 wins in the short schedule, and the 1935 Tigers may be the most unknown of this bunch and possibly a debatable seed so high. They only won 93 games and do not appear on many greatest lists. But they have numerous HOFs, especially on offense, and rank very well by objective measures.

#8 Seeds:
1919 Reds
2002 A's
1921 Yankees
1994 Expos

The 1919 Reds are maybe THE most underrated team of all time. Not because they were so great, but because of the unfortunate events of the Black Sox scandal. The Reds were easily good enough to win that series on their own accord, but anyone that has seen a pop culture telling of the scandal will have you think the White Sox were playing the little sisters of the poor. The Reds are an intriguing entry here. The 2002 A's throw multiple Cy Young caliber arms at you and an underrated offense, and despite not winning that year are above the yet to be seen 2002 Angels. The 1921 Yankees lost the WS also, the Yankees' first appearance of so many, and chosen over the 1923 team that was considered. The '94 Expos round out a line of non-WS winning (legitimately) teams, as famously the 1994 season was the strike shortened one. The Expos finally had a contender for the first team in their history and they get the chance to prove it here.

[tavo2311]

#9 Seeds:
1917 White Sox
1969 Mets
2018 Red Sox
1949 Red Sox

Shoeless Joe Jackson as one of my favorite all time players had to be in this tournament. And of course, they have to go through the Reds team that most of the '17 roster would lose to two years later. The miracle Mets are overseeded if you ask metrics and underseeded if you ask fans. The 2018 Red Sox's greatness may be a bit underrated given the recency. Finally, the 1949 Red Sox were a wild card entry to get Ted Williams in the tournament.

#10 Seeds:
1977 Phillies
1933 Senators
1953 Dodgers
1983 Orioles

The 1977 Phillies didn't win it all but have a great offense and a couple hall of famers. The 1933 Senators get their entry on the basis of the best Senators team ever, and despite not winning the WS they are actually viewed nicely by some modern metrics, ranking a decent 74 all time in the ELO list. The 1953 Dodgers could not shed the lovable losers tag yet, but are better than their 1955 champs and will no doubt be a fan favorite team here, and the 1983 Orioles will have a couple fan favorites as well in the young Ripken and the aging Palmer.

#11 Seeds:
1978 Yankees
2001 Diamondbacks
2011 Rangers
2002 Angels

The 11 seeds in March Madness are usually the last in which a team can realistically hope for a deep run and not just a little early round madness, and this group is no different. The D'Backs best ever offering includes the Randy Johnson and Curt Schilling duo. The '78 Yanks of Bucky Dent comeback fame have a legit roster with Reggie and Guidry. The 2011 Rangers were part of two straight WS runners-up finishes and one of the more talented rosters of my lifetime to not win it all. The 2002 Angels ended the Yankees AL dominance by defeating them in the playoffs and then running through the whole postseason to the title.

#12 Seeds:
2015 Blue Jays
1957 Braves
1979 Pirates
1998 Astros

This Blue Jays team ranks by most measures as their best ever, despite not advancing to the WS. The clean career HR king is in this group and will get a chance for a few more dingers. The 1979 Pirates won 98 games and the WS, and the 1998 Astros qualify as their best ever team with 102 wins and an early playoff exit. In all honesty the 2017 or 2019 Astros were likely better, and the '17 team finished the job, but there was no way I was including convicted cheaters in this!

[tavo2311]

#13 Seeds:
1993 Blue Jays
1954 Giants
1985 Yankees
1909 Tigers

'93 Blue Jays have the good story but they weren't the best Jays team according to numerous metrics so they come in one line lower than the 2015 squad. Two all time greats are in this line, with Ty Cobb and Willie Mays. Finally, the 2nd place finishing 1985 Yankees. A controversial choice indeed, especially with the amount of NY teams already in. But I decided Don Mattingly needed to be in this tournament and this was the best option. I figured I would sacrifice them as a 16 seed against the '27 Yanks or something, but after digging in a bit they are actually ranked a respectable 127th all time in ELO's system, which is better than 24 other teams in this tourney. So instead, we'll sacrifice them against the 1995 Indians.

#14 Seeds:
1965 Twins
1924 Senators
1977 Royals
2005 White Sox

Best ever Twins team could throw a surprise in there as they may be better than people think. The 1924 Senators are the 2nd Senators team in simply because the tournament needed Walter Johnson. '77 Royals will bring their speed style and the 2005 White Sox round out this line. Not a very exciting group of teams at all.

15 Seeds:
1982 Brewers
1902 Pirates
1972 A's
1984 Padres

Padres and Brewers get in as their best ever offerings. The 1998 Padres had a case over '84, but with two other teams from that season in already, and no likeable players on that team other than aging Gwynn, I went with the 1984 team instead. The 1902 Pirates get selected based on one source naming them as being the best of the pre-WS era, and the 1972 A's should be entertaining to watch if nothing else with Reggie, Catfish, etc...

#16 Seeds:
2003 Marlins
2012 Rays
2019 Nationals
2007 Rockies

The Marlins, Rockies, Nationals, and Rays all get their lone entries on the 16 line as their franchise's best output. Can't see one of these teams advancing, but that's why they play the games. The Rays are a 90 win team and the only one to finish in 3rd in their division to be chosen and still didn't come in last overall seed. With Shields and Price I felt this version was much better than the 2008 team that went to the WS. The last overall is the 2007 Rockies, which is all I have to say there.

[tavo2311]

Breakdowns

By Team:
Yankees 8
A's 5
Red Sox 4
Tigers 4
Pirates 3
Orioles 2
Blue Jays 2
Braves 2
Cardinals 2
Cubs 2
Dodgers 2
Giants 2
Indians 2
Mets 2
Reds 2
Senators 2
White Sox 2
Phillies 2
Angels 1
Astros 1
Brewers 1
Diamondbacks 1
Expos 1
Mariners 1
Marlins 1
Nationals 1
Padres 1
Rangers 1
Rays 1
Rockies 1
Royals 1
Twins 1

By Decade:
1900s 5
1910s 4
1920s 4
1930s 3
1940s 3
1950s 5
1960s 5
1970s 7
1980s 7
1990s 6
2000s 8
2010s 7

By League:
AL: 38
NL: 26

By Results:
World Series Champs: 38
World Series losers: 12
Won AL or NL but no World Series played: 3
ALCS / NLCS losers: 4
ALDS / NLDS losers: 3
2nd place and no playoffs: 3
3rd place: 1

[tavo2311]

For the life of me I cannot figure out how to get a snippet from excel in order to show the bracket. So I'll just post as text here for now and see if I can edit at a later point or figure something else out.

Tomorrow - team profiles and hopefully the first couple results.

REGION 1:

1 1939 Yankees
16 2007 Rockies

8 1994 Expos
9 1949 Red Sox

5 1989 A's
12 1998 Astros

4 1953 Yankees
13 1993 Blue Jays

3 1986 Mets
14 2005 White Sox

6 1942 Dodgers
11 2002 Angels

7 1935 Tigers
10 1977 Phillies

2 1970 Orioles
15 1982 Brewers


REGION 2:

1975 Reds 1
2019 Nationals 16

2002 A's 8
1969 Mets 9

1984 Tigers 5
1957 Braves 12

1995 Indians 4
1985 Yankees 13

1961 Yankees 3
1925 Senators 14

2016 Cubs 6
2011 Rangers 11

1912 Red Sox 7
1953 Dodgers 10

1911 A's 2
1902 Pirates 15


REGION 3:

1927 Yankees 1
2012 Rays 16

1919 Reds 8
1917 White Sox 9

1995 Braves 5
1979 Pirates 12

1942 Cardinals 4
1954 Giants 13

2004 Red Sox 3
1977 Royals 14

1968 Tigers 6
2001 Diamondbacks 11

2011 Phillies 7
1933 Senators 10

1998 Yankees 2
1972 A's 15


REGION 4:

1 1909 Pirates
16 2003 Marlins

8 1921 Yankees
9 2018 Red Sox

5 1904 Giants
12 2015 Blue Jays

4 1954 Indians
13 1909 Tigers

3 2001 Mariners
14 1965 Twins

6 1929 A's
11 1978 Yankees

7 1967 Cardinals
10 1983 Orioles

2 1906 Cubs
15 1984 Padres

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE : ROUND 1 - REGION 2
First two series of the tournament will be:
8) 2002 Oakland As vs. 9) 1969 New York Mets
1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds vs. 16) 2019 Washington Nationals

TEAM PROFILES:

2002 Oakland A’s:
8 Seed – Region 2
Record: 103-59
Result: Lost ALDS 3-2 to Minnesota Twins
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Ranking)
Elo Rank: 57
Key Players:
Miguel Tejada (SS) .308, 34 hr, 131 rbi, 108 r
Eric Chavez (3B) .275, 34 hr, 109 rbi, 87 r, gold glove
Barry Zito (SP) 23-5, 2.75 era, 1.13 whip
Mark Mulder (SP) 19-7, 3.47 era, 1.14 whip
Tim Hudson (SP) 15-9, 2.98 era, 1.25 whip
Billy Koch (RP) 11-4, 44 sv, 93.2 IP
Notes:
Ah, the team of Moneyball fame. Scott Hatteberg will get his chance to show off on a big stage. This season was the best of those Moneyball teams, with 103 wins, an MVP and a Cy Young, and no Yankees in their way! But they still couldn’t get to that elusive title. Maybe seemingly over-seeded for a team that lost in the first round, I feel that overlooking them is a mistake.
The staff wasn’t just about the big 3. Unheralded Cory Lidle was only 8-10 but had a 3.89 era and 1.19 whip in 192 IP. And Billy Koch threw a dominant relief season with 11 wins and 44 saves in almost 100 innings of work.
Tejada was AL MVP and Zito AL Cy Young.

further reading: https://diamond-digest.com/2019/01/1...in-oakland-as/


1969 New York Mets:
9 Seed – Region 2
Record: 100-62
Result: Won World Series 4-1 over Baltimore Orioles
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wildcard - storyline)
Elo Rank: 345
Key Players:
Cleon Jones (OF) .340, 12 hr, 75 rbi, 92 r, 151 OPS+
Tommie Agee (OF) .271 26 hr, 76 rbi, 97 r
Tom Seaver (SP) 25-7, 2.21 era, 1.03 whip, 165 ERA+
Jerry Koosman (SP) 17-9, 2.28 era, 1.05 whip, 160 ERA+
Notes:
This team is ranked extremely low by objective metrics, but show up on many lists of best teams ever, invariably because of the great Miracle Mets story. Only 7 years after losing 120 games in their first year in the league, the Mets won the title, and over a juggernaut Orioles team nonetheless. They may very well be over-seeded here as a 9, and against a very strong 8 as well. They will definitely have their chance for another miracle.
Offense, even by 60’s standards, was quite poor. Ranked near the bottom of the league in every category and only one all-star (Jones).
The pitching staff will be the strength, led by a young Tom Seaver, who won his 1st of 3 career Cy Young awards. Koosman was in his prime, and a 22-year-old Nolan Ryan bounced between the rotation and the pen. Could he be a real weapon in a short series?

further reading: http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1969-baseball-history.html


1975 Cincinnati Reds:
1 Seed – Region 2
Record: 108-54
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over Boston Red Sox
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Reds team ever)
Elo Rank: 28
Key Players:
Joe Morgan (2B) .327, 17 hr, 94 rbi, 107 r, 67 sb, 169 OPS+, 11.0 WAR
Johnny Bench (C) .283, 23 hr, 110 rbi, 83 r
Don Gullett (SP) 15-4, 2.42 era, 1.14 whip, 8 CGs in 22 GS
Notes:
The first of back to back title winning teams, this was a toss-up between the 1975 and 1976 teams. 1976 ranked better in some metrics, but 1975 appears (or appears higher) on almost any subjective “greatest ever” list.
Pitching staff was interesting. 6 starters had 19 starts of more, but only 2 had more than 26. Team ranked 3rd in runs against, 2nd in walks, but 12th (last) in strikeouts.
Joe Morgan won the first of two straight NL MVPs with an amazing 11.0 WAR season.

further reading: https://sabr.org/research/1975-reds-...g-ahead-season
https://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/20...ineup-the-best


2019 Washington Nationals:
16 Seed – Region 2
Record: 93-69
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over Houston Astros
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Nationals team ever)
Elo Rank: n/a (ELO list was done through 2015 season)
Key Players:
Anthony Rendon (3B) .319, 34 hr, 126 rbi, 117 r, 153 OPS+
Juan Soto (OF) .282, 34 hr, 110 rbi, 110 r, 138 OPS+
Stephen Strasburg (SP) 18-6, 3.32 era, 1.03 whip, 10.8 k/9
Max Scherzer (SP) 11-7, 2.92 era, 1.02 whip, 12.7 k/9
Notes:
This squad may not deserve to be in the greatest ever conversation, but because I am doing teams and not franchises we needed a Nationals representative. Also, considering baseball has not returned yet, this tournament will be the first chance for these guys to defend their title on the field.
Rendon’s numbers are impressive even by modern day standards, and in most years are MVP worthy.
The pitching staff as a whole leaves a lot to be desired, only ranking near the top middle of the NL in many categories, but the top 3 SP will be scary in a short series setting.

further reading: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/...-giant-slayers

[JaBurns]

This going to be an interesting read going forward, it appears that lots of effort went into the initial setup of the tournament.

[Tiger Fan]

Yes, looks like a ton of effort setting it up and will be great fun to follow. It is obvious bias on my part but really thought the ‘84 Tigers would be higher than a 5 seed Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Thanks for posting it.

[tavo2311]

Originally Posted by Tiger Fan

Yes, looks like a ton of effort setting it up and will be great fun to follow. It is obvious bias on my part but really thought the ‘84 Tigers would be higher than a 5 seed Looking forward to seeing how this turns out. Thanks for posting it.

Thanks for commenting guys.

Tiger Fan - you may be very well be right. Remember, this was all a one-man committee that wasn't trying to necessarily "get it right" and create a perfect ranking, and more so just me trying to combine everything I previously knew and making countless adjustments as I went through and learned more. Teams were moved up and down countless times, believe me! I finally decided hell, everyone will have their chance to prove it on the field anyway, so lets get going.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 2

8) 2002 Oakland A’s vs. 9) 1969 New York Mets

Game 1 was a matchup between Barry Zito and Tom Seaver in Oakland. The Mets prevailed 4-1 to take a 1-0 series lead. Both marquee SPs only went 5 innings despite pitching well. The Mets 1-2 hitters of Tommie Agee and Bobby Pfeil combined for 3 hits, 3 RBIs, and 1 run.

The A’s bounced back to take Game 2 by a score of 5-0 behind Tim Hudson’s 7.1 ip, 5 hits, 3 walks, 0 er performance. The A’s jumped on Koosman early with 2 in the first, and Nolan Ryan gave up 2 more out of the pen to put the game out of reach.

In game 3 the A’s won 8-6. They managed 5 home runs in a back and forth game that featured 9 total runs for the two teams in the 6th inning and 3 lead changed. Miguel Tejada’s 3-run dinger in the 8th off Jack DiLauro put the A’s up for good, and Billy Koch closed his 2nd game of the series.

In a pivotal game 4 the Mets won 7-4 to tie up the series 2-2. Trailing 3-0 going into the bottom of the 7th the “Amazins” erupted for 7 runs, highlighted by Tommie Agee’s grand slam off Ricardo Rincon (0-1, 33.75 era for the series).

You would have to feel the Mets would need Seaver to win his game 5 start to stand any chance at the series, and he sure showed up. Tommie Agee hit his 3rd HR of the series, a 2-run shot off Zito in the 1st. “Terrific Tom” took it from there, striking out 8 through 6 strong innings. But the Met’s bullpen blew it in the 9th and we were tied with two outs in the bottom of the 9th when Donn Clendenon, pinch hitting in the pitcher’s spot, hit walk off single vs. Billy Koch. The Mets are leading 3-2 going back to Oakland, but the A’s will have Hudson and Mulder….

Game 6 featured Jerry Koosman vs. Tim Hudson and they dueled into the late innings, with the Mets holding a tight 2-1 lead into the 8th. Three straight run scoring doubles later the Mets had put up a 5-spot and taken a commanding 7-1 lead which is how it would end. Koosman went 8.1 and struck out 9. The Mets win the Series and are moving on! Tommie Agee had 2 more hits, and 2 stolen bases, and took home series MVP honors with a .375/.423/.833 line, 3 HRs, and 6 RBIs. Tom Seaver also could make a case, going 1-0 with 11 ip, 9h and 3 bb, 12 Ks, 1.64 era. For the A’s, their bullpen was atrocious for the most part and cost them at least two games. Zito also didn’t show up at his best, and they once again feel the sting of defeat.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 2

1) 1975 Cincinnati Reds vs. 16) 2019 Washington Nationals

The Nationals are faced with a tough decision off the bat, deciding between Strasburg and Scherzer. Regardless of who goes first though, having these two pitch twice each will give this 16 seed a fighting chance.
Strasburg gets the nod in Cincinnati against the Reds’ Don Gullet and the game stays close into the 6th, with the Reds up 3-1. That’s when Javy Guerra gives up 4 out of the pen and the Big Red Machine cruises the rest of the way to a 10-1 win. 6 of the 8 Reds hitters drove in a run. Meanwhile the Nationals left 19 men on base.

Game 2 is started by Max Scherzer vs. Jack Billingham and the two hurlers did not disappoint. The game goes 1-1 into the 10th with only 8 total hits. Then Anthony Rendon hits a 2-run double, the Nats add a 3rd, and Sean Doolittle closes out a 4-1 win.

Game 3 heads to the nation’s capital, and Patrick Corbin keeps the Reds at bay through 5, while the Nationals push across a run in the 3rd and another in the 5th for a 2-0 lead. Johnny Bench rocks a 3-run dinger off Corbin in the 6th though, and the Reds bullpen throws 4 shutout innings to eventually win 5-2 and take a 2-1 series lead.

Strasburg comes back on short rest in game 4! The Nationals are clearly feeling the heat? The Nats win a tight one, 4-3, with the Nats pen going 4 shutout innings, allowing 1 hit and 1 walk. It could have been a lot easier, as the Nationals left 20 on base. Their clutch hitting may come back to haunt them!

The last game in Washington saw Annibal Sanchez taking his turn in the rotation after being skipped over for Strasburg in game 4. He was opposed by the Reds ace, Gullet. This game was a classic. Sanchez pitched superbly, going 6 innings with 2 hits, 1 walk, and 1 run. Gullet on the other hand labored through 6, giving up 4 runs, and the Reds trailed 4-1 after the 6th and 6-2 after 7. They then scored 3 in the 8th, 1 in the 9th to tie it, 1 in the 11th to seemingly seal it. The National’s leader Rendon comes through again in the bottom of the 11th with a run scoring double, and the pivotal 5th game goes all the way to the 12th, when the Reds pushed across 5 runs and win 12-7. It was closer than they’d like, but the Reds will now take a 3-2 lead home.

Scherzer opposes Billingham in a rematch of their game 2 pitching duel, and this one was anything but. The Nationals lead 7-1 after 2 innings, and cruise to a 12-2 victory to force a decisive game 7. The Nationals 3-5 hitters (Rendon, Soto, Kendrick) had 3 RBIs each, and Scherzer goes 6 strong for the win.

The Nationals choose not to bring back Strasburg on short rest for a 2nd time in the series, though I assume he is available out of the pen. The Reds counter with 15 game winner Gary Nolan. This game 7 goes scoreless into the 9th!! Finally the Reds fans can breathe a sigh of relief as Ken Griffey Sr. singles in George Foster to walk off vs. Sean Dolittle and advance to round 2.
Rendon made a case for series MVP on a losing team, hitting .393 with 19 rbis, but Ken Griffey Sr. takes home the honors with 12 hits, .400 average, and the series winning walk-off RBI.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 3

1) 1927 New York Yankees vs. 16) 2012 Tampa Bay Rays

1927 New York Yankees:
1 Seed – Region 3
Record: 110-44
Result: Won World Series 4-0 over Pittsburgh Pirates
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Ranking)
Elo Rank: 3
Key Players:
Babe Ruth (OF) .365, 60 hr, 165 rbi, 158 r, 1.258 OPS, 225 OPS+, 12.5 WAR
Lou Gehrig (1B) .373, 47 hr, 173 rbi, 149 r, 1.240 OPS, 220 OPS+, 11.8 WAR
Waite Hoyt (SP) 22-7, 2.63 era, 1.15 whip, 23 CGs in 32 GS, 148 ERA+
Notes:
“Murderer’s Row” Not much more needs to be said about these guys. Until advanced metrics grew in popularity recently, this team was always the first answered as the best ever. Lately they get edged out by some others, but by the tiniest of margins.
Six hall of famers are on this roster that led the AL in runs, hits, home runs, walks, average, on-base, slugging, total bases, earned runs, shutouts, hits against, and walks issued.
Further reading: https://1927-the-diary-of-myles-thom...s-a07c533360d5
https://sabr.org/research/700-club-b...good-baseballs


2012 Tampa Rays:
16 Seed – Region 3
Record: 90-72
Result: Finished 3rd in the AL East
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Rays team ever)
Elo Rank: 237
Key Players:
Evan Longoria (3B) .289, 17 hr, 55 rbi, 39 r, (half the year)
James Shields (SP) 15-10, 3.52 era, 1.16 whip, 223 k
David Price (SP) 20-5, 2.56 era, 1.10 whip, 150 ERA+
Fernando Rodney (RP) 48 sv, 0.60 era, 0.77 whip
Notes:
This is really the best Rays team option? They went to the World Series in 2008, but this team ranks much better by the numbers. The offense should look a bit better given Longoria plays a full year. The staff has dynamic potential. Still, I would be surprised if this team isn’t swept in the first round.

Further Reading: https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/08/s...of-shifts.html

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 3

1) 1927 New York Yankees vs. 16) 2012 Tampa Bay Rays

Game 1 saw the Yankees jump on James Shields for 2 in the 1st, and then Shields labor through 5 innings to keep the game in reach. But Waite Hoyt was dominant through 6, striking out 10 and giving up 1. The Yankees didn’t hit a HR, but won 4-1 nonetheless, and lead the series 1-0.

In Game 2 James Shields neutralized Ruth and Gehrig to the tune of 0-8 with 4 Ks! He held the legendary offense to 4 hits total, through 8.2 innings….. yup, one of the 4 hits was a bottom 9, 2 out, 2 run homerun by Bob Meusal to walk off a 3-2 win and give the Yankees what you have to believe is an insurmountable 2-0 lead. Man, just inches from a shock tied series. The Rays have to be gutted!

Game 3 brings us to Tampa, and brings the DH into play. The Rays had decent bench depth, so it may help them a bit, but with Shields and Price having already thrown I can’t see a way back. And it certainly didn’t look good when the Yanks exploded for 3 in the 1st, but surprisingly the Rays jumped on Urban Shocker for 4 in the bottom half of the frame and the Rays had some life. New York would drop an 8 spot in the 4th though, chasing Matt Moore and brutalizing Burke Badenhop, on the way to a 13-5 final score. Bob Muesal had 2 more HRs and 5 RBIs.

The Rays handed their season to Jeremy Hellickson, and it didn’t go well. Game 4 followed the same script as game 3. Meusal drove in 2 with a base hit in the 1st, but the Rays answered with 2 of their own. Meusal (again) hit a three run homer in the 4th, Dutch Reuther didn’t give up another hit after the 1st inning with the Rays getting only 3 hits all game, and again the Yankees pulled away to win 7-2 and take the series in a quite predictable fashion. Also predictable was the MVP, left fielder Bob Meusal who slashed .353/.389/1.059, with 4 HRs and 13 RBIs, with 5 RBIs in both games 3 and 4! Gehrig hit .500 and was on base .667, and Ruth hit .375, but between the two they had 5 RBIs and no HRs.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 3
We have a really interesting one here. Since I first started watching baseball I have been interested in the Black Sox scandal and everything that surrounds it. As an 8 year old I probably believed the '19 Sox were one of the top 5 teams ever, and the Reds were literally garbage. All these decades learning more and more, this Reds team really is better than history gives them credit for. I'm almost rooting for them to prove themselves, but can't go that far because in Shoeless Joe I still have an unhealthy man crush on a ballplayer that last played a game over 50 years before I was born.

8) 1919 Cincinnati Reds vs. 9) 1917 Chicago White Sox

1919 Cincinnati Reds:
8 Seed – Region 3
Record: 96-44
Result: Won World Series 5-3 over Chicago White Sox
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wildcard –Storyline)
Elo Rank: 49
Key Players:
Heine Groh (3B) .310, 63 rbi, 79 r, 149 OPS+
Edd Roush (OF) .321, 71 rbi, 73 r, 20 sb, 146 OPS+
Dutch Reuther (SP) 19-6, 1.82 era, 1.14 whip,
Hod Eller (SP) 19-9, 2.39 era, 1.07 whip, 7 shutouts, 5.0 k/9
Notes:
Not a lot of household names on this roster, and only one future hall of famer in Roush. I added them originally to give them a second chance to prove themselves. As the winning side in the Black Sox scandal they have never been given any credit as a worth World Series champ. As I researched them more though I found they were quite good and rank well. They are seeded in an interesting 1st round matchup and they get a chance on an even playing field to show their true caliber.

Further reading: https://www.cincinnatimagazine.com/a...ir-and-square/
http://baseballjudgments.tripod.com/id94.html


1917 Chicago White Sox:
9 Seed – Region 3
Record: 100-54
Result: Won World Series 4-2 over New York Giants
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best White Sox team ever)
Elo Rank: 68
Key Players:
Shoeless Joe Jackson (OF) .301, 82 rbi, 91 r, 17 triples, 143 OPS+
Eddie Collins (2B) .289, 66 rbi, 91 r, 53 sb, 12 triples, 128 OPS+
Eddie Cicotte (SP) 28-12, 1.53 era, 0.91 whip, 29 CGs, 7 shutouts, 174 ERA+
Notes:
Two years prior to the Black Sox scandal this squad won the whole thing. It would be their last title for 88 years. This team is on the cusp of eligibility for the tournament on ELO ranking alone, but they are automatically in as the best ever White Sox team. Even if they weren’t admitted by either of those standards, Joe Jackson would easily have been handed a spot in any tournament of mine. They will have a very important first round matchup that requires exorcising very old demons if they hope to move on and prove they belong.

Further reading: http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1917-baseball-history.html
https://www.baseballhistorycomesaliv...wice-in-a-row/

[bpbrooksy]

W o o f. My Twins get one representative in the tournament, and who do we draw but the 116-win Mariners. Well, hopefully history can repeat itself and we can upset Seattle. Excited to find out!

[tavo2311]

Originally Posted by bpbrooksy

W o o f. My Twins get one representative in the tournament, and who do we draw but the 116-win Mariners. Well, hopefully history can repeat itself and we can upset Seattle. Excited to find out!

Ha. Sorry, at least the Twins got 2 in the MLB.com Dream Bracket!

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 3

8) 1919 Cincinnati Reds vs. 9) 1917 Chicago White Sox

Game 1’s star was Chicago third basemen Buck Weaver who went 2-2 with 3 walks, a homerun, 3 runs scored, and a steal to boot. Happy Felsch drove in 3 of his own and tripled in what was a lopsided 9-2 win. Cincy got their only 2 runs in the last frame.

Game 2 was won by Cincy 8-4 to tie up the series at 1 apiece. The game’s highlight came in the 4th when Greasy Neale hit a bases loaded triple, opening the floodgates of a 7 run inning that gave Cincy an 8-0 lead. Chicago tried to make a game of it, closing to 8-4 late on a 2-run triple by Shoeless Joe, but it was too little, too late.

Game 3 sees the series switch to Comiskey Park, and Lefty Williams felt right at home. Williams scattered 11 baserunners over a 136-pitch complete game shutout. The Sox only had 8 hits all game but made a couple count, eeking out runs in the 4th and the 8th to win the game 2-0 and take a 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 saw Eddie Cicotte again pitch out of a lot of trouble, going the distance and scattering 9 hits and 3 walks for his 2nd win in as many starts. Cincy is getting the hits this series, just not at the right time. They left 18 men on base, and Chicago, despite only 6 hits, was able to hold on to win 3-2. Shoeless Joe hit his 1st HR of the series in the 1st inning. Chicago will have a chance to close out the series at home in game 5.

Game 5 was like a broken record of the series. Cincy left 21 men on base and lost 2-1 to a team with 7 total hits. 7 of the 8 Reds position players hit .300 or higher for the series, but only scored 13 runs in 5 games, held to 5 of them in their 4 losses.
The MVP of the series was Eddie Cicotte, going 2-0 with a 1.54 era.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 4

2) 1906 Chicago Cubs vs. 15) 1984 San Diego Padres

1906 Chicago Cubs:
2 Seed – Region 4
Record: 116-36
Result: Lost World Series 4-2 to Chicago White Sox
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Cubs team ever)
Elo Rank: 2
Key Players:
Frank Chance (1B) .319, 71 rbi, 103 r, 57 sb, 158 OPS+
Harry Steinfeldt (3B) .327, 83 rbi, 81 r, 29 sb, 151 OPS+
Mordecai Brown (SP) 26-6, 1.04 era, 0.93 whip, 27 cg in 32 gs, 253 ERA+
Notes:
The original chokers, a sad way to remember this great team. Still hold the record for most wins in a single season. They did go on to win the next two World Series titles, but we HAD to take this team. Ranked 2nd overall in ELO, ML record for wins, “Three-finger” Brown’s 1.04 ERA even in the dead ball era! Plus, taking the lovable losers over the 1907 or ’08 title winners seems more appropriate for the Cubs….and gives them a chance at redemption.

Further reading: https://sabr.org/research/1906-10-ch...league-history
http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1906-baseball-history.html

1984 San Diego Padres:
15 Seed – Region 4
Record: 92-70
Result: Lost World Series 4-1 to Detroit Tigers
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (2nd best Padres team ever)
Elo Rank: 769
Key Players:
Tony Gwynn (OF) .351, 71 rbi, 88 r, 33 sb, only 23 strikeouts!
Notes:
The best ranked Padres team ever was the 1998 team, but these guys get the auto bid for the lowly San Diego franchise. Why? Why not? The 1998 season already had two other entries in our tournament, and they really just fail the eyeball test when comparing to this roster. Also, I really wanted a younger Gwynn in the tournament, so that heavily factored in as well. I can’t see this team winning a single game, but I don’t think the ’98 team would’ve either so….

Further reading: https://thesportsnotebook.com/1984-s...tory-articles/