GTOAT - Greatest Team of All Time Tournament

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 4

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

Westside Park in Chicago hasn’t had the chance to see their 1906 team come up small in a big spot for 114 years but that’s exactly what they got in game 1. After jumping to a 2-0 lead in the first, the bullpen gave up a game-tying single to Tony Gwynn in the 7th, and then 5 more in the 9th, highlighted by Graig Nettles’ 3-run blast.

Game 2 was more of the same. The Cubs offense spotted their staff 3 runs in the first this time, but it still wasn’t enough. Nettles again hit a 3-run homer, and the Padres bullpen pitched 5 shutout innings to win by a score of 7-3 again. San Diego is going home with a 2 game lead and are well on their way to the tournament’s first big upset.

This has gone from bad to worse for the Cubbies. The Padres blitzed Orval Overall for 6 runs early, starter Ed Whitson went 6 strong, and the Padres bullpen remained a key to the series with 3 more shutout innings. The Padres now lead 3 games to none!

Game 4 saw the Cubs come out fighting, grabbing a 1st inning lead for the 3rd time this series, and were still up 3-1 in the 4th. But that is close as they would come. The Padres scored 3 in the 4th, 3 in the 6th and a couple more late for a dominant 9-3 win. The first major upset of the tournament is in, and in a sweep no less. Tony Gwynn hits .556 to take MVP, and 3 other regulars hit above .400. An impressive performance by the bullpen as well, with only 1 run given up in 4 games, and it was a garbage time run while leading 7-2 in the 9th inning of game 1.

The 1984 Padres certainly justified their pick over the 1998 team as the franchise’s best. And conversely, the Cubs only justified being snubbed from the 1 seed line. Maybe the 1907 or 1908 teams that won the title should have been the entry instead.

[Nick Soulis]

My Cubs lose to the 84 Padres again. It seems like no matter the Cubs team from any era, we just cant beat this team.

[tavo2311]

Originally Posted by Nick Soulis

My Cubs lose to the 84 Padres again. It seems like no matter the Cubs team from any era, we just cant beat this team.

I gotta tell you, this one disappointed me. You ever read The Iowa Baseball Confederacy by Kinsella? Ever since then I've really been a fan of this era Cubs team. I even remember struggling over which Stratomatic team to buy way back when...the 116 win team or the 1908 World Series winners that I read about in the book. I really wanted these dudes to go far..

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 4

7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 10) 1983 Baltimore Orioles

1967 St. Louis Cardinals:
7 Seed – Region 4
Record: 101-60
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over Boston Red Sox
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (reputation)
Elo Rank: 265
Key Players:
Orlando Cepeda (1B) .325, 25 hr, 111 rbi, 91 r, 164 OPS+
Tim McCarver (C) .295, 14 hr, 69 rbi, 68 r, 136 OPS+
Steve Carlton (SP) 14-9, 2.98 era, 1.21 whip
Bob Gibson (SP) 13-7, 2.98 era, 1.08 whip

Notes:
Very disparate team in terms of reputation vs. ranking. Showed up on a lot of lists, but ELO has them at 265. So they land squarely in that mid-seed range here. A young Carlton and a prime Gibson will team with less heralded Dick Hughes to be the strength of this team.

Further reading: https://www.vivaelbirdos.com/2017/5/...am-of-all-time


1983 Baltimore Orioles:
10 Seed – Region 4
Record: 98-64
Result: Won World Series 4-1 over Philadelphia Phillies
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Ranking)
Elo Rank: 104
Key Players:
Cal Ripken Jr. (SS) .318, 27 hr, 102 rbi, 121 r, 144 OPS+
Eddie Murray (1B) .306, 33 hr, 111 rbi, 115 r, 156 OPS+

Notes:
This team is somewhat opposite of their first round opponents. Metrics like them, but not often found on the water cooler lists. The iron man had a great season, and the staff was balanced if unspectacular.

Further reading: https://pressboxonline.com/2018/11/1...-1983-orioles/

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 4

7) 1967 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 10) 1983 Baltimore Orioles

Game 1 saw Bob Gibson take on Mike Boddicker, and the two didn’t disappoint. In a game that featured ten total hits, the Orioles eeked out a 2-1 win. Gibson’s 130 pitch performance, after being spotted a one run lead in the bottom of the 1st inning, was not enough as Boddicker went 7 ip, striking out 10 and giving up 1 er.

Game 2 saw many more hits, but with each team leaving sixteen men on base it was still a low scoring affair. Baltimore’s Storm Davis threw a gem of a complete game shutout, and with a run each in the first and last innings, Baltimore held on to win 2-0, and lead the series by the same 2-0 line heading to Baltimore.

Game 3 was a back and forth affair, with St. Louis jumping ahead 2-0 before the fans were in their seats, before eventually blowing a 3-2 lead in the bottom of the 9th when Baltimore sent up Gary Roenicke to pinch hit and he took Joe Hoerner deep to tie the game. Hoerner settled down though to pick up the “BS Win” (blown save, win) in the 12th and keep the Cardinals in the series with a 4-3 win.

Game 4 followed the pattern of the road team having success. St. Louis, led by two-time AL MVP Roger Maris, scored early and often in route to an 8-3 victory. Starter Ray Washburn threw a 146 pitch complete game.

The always pivotal Game 5 saw a rematch of Game 1’s pitching duel. This time Bob Gibson comes out on top with an epic 139 pitch effort for the complete game victory by a score of 5-3. The fifth straight time the road team has won in the series, and St. Louis now heads home with two chances to close it out.

Storm Davis tried to save Baltimore’s tourney lives in Game 6 but tripped up in the 5th. Though he only gave up 4 hits and 2 walks in 7 innings, it was a bases clearing double in a scoreless game by Curt Flood in the 5th that was enough. Steve Carlton cruised through 9, giving up 2 hits and 3 walks. One of the hits was an Al Bumbry 2-run homerun in the 9th to make things a bit nervy, but it ended there at 4-2, and St. Louis will move on to Round 2.

In a pitching heavy series, Gibson and Carlton were overlooked for MVP and instead, 2B Julian Javier with a .375 average, 4 RBIs and 4 Runs took the honors. The Cardinals are now positioned to make a run with the #2 seed in the region surprisingly eliminated.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE - ROUND 1 - REGION 1

Our next randomly chosen set of games is another 7/10 and 2/15 block after which we will be a quarter of the way through Round 1.

7) 1935 Detroit Tigers vs. 10) 1977 Philadelphia Phillies

1935 Detroit Tigers:
7 Seed – Region 1
Record: 93-58
Result: Won World Series 4-2 over Chicago Cubs
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Tigers team ever)
Elo Rank: 43
Key Players:
Hank Greenburg (1B) .328, 36 hr, 168 rbi, 120 r, 170 OPS+
Charlie Gehringer (2B) .330, 19 hr, 108 rbi, 123 r

Notes:
This best-ever Tigers team features four hall of famers all pretty much in their prime ages still. Only 93 regular season wins is a bit misleading as this squad ranks well objectively and is quite dangerous.
2nd straight AL pennant and 1st ever world title.

Further reading: https://sabr.org/research/1935-detro...city-champions


1977 Philadelphia Phillies:
10 Seed – Region 1
Record: 101-61
Result: Lost NLCS 3-1 to the Los Angeles Dodgers
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (reputation)
Elo Rank: 128
Key Players:
Mike Schmidt (3B) .274, 38 hr, 101 rbi, 114 r, 15 sb, 11 triples
Greg Luzinski (OF) .309, 39 hr, 130 rbi, 99 r, 156 OPS+
Steve Carlton (SP) 23-10, 2.64 era, 1.12 whip, 17 cg in 36 gs, 153 ERA+

Notes:
Solid team that may be one of the more controversial entries. And quite a high seed to boot for a team that did not win it all (not even advancing to the WS) and doesn't get talked about often. The offense, led by Schmidt’s 8 WAR season, mostly led the NL and the staff boasts the Cy Young winner. I think this team would have been remembered as much better if they had advanced a bit further, and even as is they are still the 2nd highest ranking Phillies team ever, ahead of even the 2008 WS winning team.

Further reading: https://lancasteronline.com/sports/b...d1938a375.html
http://www.mitchellnathanson.com/the...iri_112113.htm



2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 15) 1982 Milwaukee Brewers

1970 Baltimore Orioles:
2 Seed – Region 1
Record: 108-54
Result: Won World Series 4-1 over Cincinnati Reds
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Orioles team ever)
Elo Rank: 19
Key Players:
Boog Powell (1B) .297, 35 hr, 114 rbi, 82 r, 163 OPS+
Frank Robinson (OF) .306, 25 hr, 78 rbi, 88 r
Jim Palmer (SP) 20-10, 2.71 era, 1.19 whip, 17 CGs
Mike Cuellar (SP) 24-8, 3.48 era, 1.14 whip, 21 CGs
Dave McNally (SP) 24-9, 3.22 era, 1.19 whip, 16 CGs

Notes:
Ranked first in both runs scored and runs against.
7 all stars and 3 hall of famers.
900 innings pitched from the top 3 SPs.
2nd of what would be 3 straight AL pennants, but the only of the 3 to win the World Series.

Further reading: https://sabr.org/latest/1970-baltimo...les-oriole-way
https://www.philliesnation.com/2017/...l-time-part-3/


1982 Milwaukee Brewers:
15 Seed – Region 1
Record: 95-67
Result: Lost World Series 4-3 to the St. Louis Cardinals
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Brewers team ever)
Elo Rank: 246
Key Players:
Robin Yount (SS) .331, 29 hr, 114 rbi, 129 r, 166 OPS+, 10.5 WAR
Paul Molitor (3B) .302, 19 hr, 136 r, 41 sb, 6.2 WAR
Pete Vuckovich (SP) 18-6, 3.34 era
Rollie Fingers (RP) 2.60 era, 29 sv

Notes:
This Brewers team features 5 hall of famers and an absolutely incredible offensive season from MVP Robin Yount who led the league in hits, doubles, SLG, OPS, and total bases along with a gold glove at SS. The offense led the league or were 2nd in almost all offensive categories.
The pitching leaves a lot to be desired and will likely be too much to overcome in this tournament. Only one starting pitcher posted an ERA above the league average. If the offense can snag a lead though, Rollie Fingers could close out a game or two.

Further reading: https://shepherdexpress.com/sports/b...-bad-pitching/
https://thesportsnotebook.com/1982-m...tory-articles/

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 1

7) 1935 Detroit Tigers vs. 10) 1977 Philadelphia Phillies

In game 1 of the series Steve Carlton was good, but Schoolboy Rowe was fantastic. Rowe limited the Phils to 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10 in 8.1 innings. The Tigers’ Pete Fox hit a 2-run HR and Philadelphia grounded into three double plays in the 3-1 Detroit win.

Game 2 saw Detroit jump to a 4-0 lead and hold Philly to 4 total hits in a 6-1 win. Goose Goslin homers twice in the win and Hank Greenberg added a dinger as well.

The Phillies pulled back into the series with a 5-4 win in ten innings. Trailing 4-1 in the 4th, first baseman Richie Hebner tied the game with one swing. The score stayed that way until Bob Boone’s first hit of the series, a walk-off single. Jim Kaat gets the victory in relief.

Game 4 also went to ten innings, and it pushed the Phils to the brink when Mickey Cochrane drove in two in the 10th off of last night’s winner Jim Kaat, again coming out of the bullpen. The teams left a combined 39 men on base.

Game 5 seemed firmly in hand for Detroit as Schoolboy Rowe again outdueled Steve Carlton and left the game leading 6-1 heading to the 9th. But Jay Johnston would pinch hit in the pitcher’s spot and hit a 3-run homerun to make the game 6-4, and then another baserunner reached and Mike Schmidt was up. But Schmidt would ground into a game ending double play ending his dreadful series of .150 average, no runs and no ribbies and sending Detroit to the next round.

MVP award goes to Detroit starter Schoolboy Rowe who, in winning the opener and the final game of the series, threw 16 innings with a 1.20 ERA, 8 hits, 4 walks, and 19 Ks.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 1

2) 1970 Baltimore Orioles vs. 15) 1982 Milwaukee Brewers

Game 1 went about as expected. Orioles’ ace Jim Palmer went the complete game after being spotted six runs in the first inning. Baltimore hit five home runs in a 13-3 victory.

In game 2 the script was flipped. Milwaukee starter Pete Vukovich kept the O’s bats at bay and the Brew Crew brutalized Baltimore pitching to the tune of a 15-3 win. It was a relatively close 6-2 game into the 8th when the Brewers put up a 9-spot, chasing Dave McNally and then continuing against Orioles bullpen.
Remember that Milwaukee was in the AL in 1982, so the DH will be used now in games 3, 4, and 5. This likely helps Baltimore more as they can get Merv Rettenmund into the lineup alongside starting CF Paul Blair.

Game 3 saw one of the best games of the tournament so far. Both starters, Mike Cuellar (Bal) and Moose has (Mil) got through the first half of the game unscathed. Then the fireworks started. Each team scored in the 7th, 8th and 9th innings, highlighted by Frank Robinson’s 2-run HR to give Baltimore a 5-3 lead in the top of the 9th and then Ted Simmons’ 3-run walk off HR in the bottom 9. Rollie Fingers backs into the win for Milwaukee, who grab a surprising 2-1 series lead.

Game 4 was a well pitched affair by both teams. The game was scoreless in the 4th when the aforementioned Merv Rettemund hit a run scoring double, giving Baltimore a 1-0 lead. Elrod Hendricks would hit a 2-run shot the next inning, and Baltimore wins 3-1 to tie the series at two apiece.

Game 5 followed a familiar pattern with the game scoreless for the first half due to more great starting pitching. Paul Blair opened the scoring with a 2-run homer in the 6th, and Jim Palmer had all he needed. He finished with a complete game shutout, allowing 5 hits and 0 walks for his second win of the series. The Brewers now have nine total hits in the last two games and are on the brink heading back to Baltimore.

Game 6 had Baltimore jumping out early with a 2-run shot from Boog Powell in the 1st. But Milwaukee hung in there and scored once each in three different frames to head to the 9th tied 3-3. Starter Pete Vuckovich was still in there but gave up a leadoff walk to Paul Blair who was pinch hitting in the pitcher spot, so he gave way for Rollie Fingers. Blair would steal second and advance to third on the throwing error, and then score on a single by Don Buford to walk off the series in six.

Series MVP went easily to Jim Palmer. 2-0, 2 complete games, 1.50 ERA, less than a baserunner per inning. Quite a disappointing series for Yount and Molitor who combined to hit under .200 with 2 rbis. Amazing they even won two games without those guys. On the Baltimore side, Brooks Robinson had a series to forget, hitting .136, but at least he will have a chance to turn that around as Baltimore advances to face the 1935 Tigers.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

1912 Boston Red Sox:
7 Seed – Region 2
Record: 105-47
Result: Won World Series 4-3-1 over New York Giants
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Ranking)
Elo Rank: 46
Key Players:
Smokey Joe Wood (SP) 34-5, 1.91 era, 1.01 whip, 177 ERA+, 344 IP, 35 CGs in 38 GS, 10.4 WAR
Tris Speaker (OF) .383, 10 hr, 90 rbi, 136 r, 52 sb, 1.031 OPS, 189 OPS+

Notes:
Always hard to judge the deadball teams and it will be interesting to see how they fare in this contest. Even for deadball standards though, Smokey Joe Wood brings one of the best single pitching seasons with him. And Tris Speaker’s 189 OPS+ season is up there on the hitting side.

Further reading:
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/octo...nodgrasss-muff

https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/9f244666


1953 Brooklyn Dodgers:
10 Seed – Region 2
Record: 105-49
Result: Lost World Series 4-2 to the New York Yankees
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Dodgers team ever)
Elo Rank: 40
Key Players:
Duke Snider (OF) .336, 42 hr, 126 rbi, 132 r, 1.046 OPS, 165 OPS+
Jackie Robinson (OF) .329, 12 hr, 95 rbi, 109 r, 17 sb
Roy Campanella (C) .312 41 hr, 142 rbi, 103 r, 154 OPS+
Carl Erksine (SP) 20-6, 3.54 era, 1.24 whip, 16 CGs in 33 GS, 187 k

Notes:
This squad gets in as the best Dodgers team ever, despite not winning the World Series. They finally got over that hump two years later, and we almost substituted that 1955 team for the storyline alone. Not that they would be underserving, with a 111 ELO ranking and six future hall of famers. But 4 of them were not big contributors in 1955. Reese and Robinson were still regulars, but 36 years old. Koufax was a 19-year-old rookie. And Lasorda got in as a manager. Putting the 105 winning 1953 team not only feels more right, with their 105 wins and lofty ranking of 40th, but also allows to see one of the most important players in MLB history closer to his prime. Also it brings with it its own storyline, as the disappointment of the lovable losers is probably more fitting for Brooklyn than the year they actually got it done.

Further reading:
https://thinkbluepc.com/2020/01/31/r...lyn-dodgers-2/

https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/octo...inally-arrives (<-- for the 1955 crowd)

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

7) 1912 Boston Red Sox vs. 10) 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers

Game 1 saw Smokey Joe Wood and Carl Erskine duel early but both be pulled by the 6th. An effect of using the modern day settings in the sim. Once those guys were gone the bats got going a bit, and Dodgers star of the day Billy Cox was 3-5 with 4 RBIs, including the go ahead hit in the 10th inning. The Dodgers win 5-4 and take home field advantage away.

Game 2 was a back and forth thriller, with Boston taking the lead in the 8th, blowing it by giving up two 9th innings runs, and then walking off on Tris Speaker’s single for a 4-3 win to tie it up.

Billy Loes got the start for Brooklyn in game 3 and went 6.2 shutout innings for the win. Roy Campanella’s 1st inning homer and 3rd inning bases loaded walk was all that Brooklyn need to win 2-0 and pull ahead in the series.

What a show game 4 was! Five lead changes and a couple ties. Dodgers scored four in the bottom of the 8th to take a 8-3 lead into the final frame, where Boston just put up a 6 spot! With the Red Sox one out away from tying the series, Campanella doubles in the tying run and we go to the 10th. After Joe Black pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the top of the 10th, Duke Snider walked it off with a three run shot.

Game 5 was another back and forth affair. Tris Speaker touched up Carl Erskine in the 1st inning with a two run shot. The Dodgers put up three in the 2nd, with Billy Cox leading the way. After Boston tied it in the 5th, Brooklyn’s Campanella took the lead for good with a three run homerun in the 6th, and Brooklyn added five insurance runs in the 8th for an eventual 11-5 final.

Duke Snider wins the MVP slashing .478/.520/.739, with 2 HRs, 6 RBIs, and 5 Runs. Billy Cox had a case as well, hitting .421 with 2 HRs and 9 RBIs, and Campanella had some big hits as well. A balanced attack from Brooklyn who moves on to face another dead ball team in either the 1902 Pirates or 1911 A’s.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

2) 1911 Phiadelphia A's vs. 15) 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates

1911 Philadelphia A’s:
2 seed – Region 2
Record: 101-50
Result: World Series Champions. 4-2 over New York Giants
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best A’s team ever)
Elo Rank: 7
Key Players:
Frank “Home Run” Baker (3B) .334, 11 hr, 115 rbi, 67 xbh, 38 sb
Eddie Collins (2B) .365, 92 r, 38 sb, 162 OPS+
Eddie Plank (SP) 23-8, 2.10 era, 1.22 whip, 149 ERA+
Jack Coombs (SP) 28-12, 3.53 era, 336 IP
Chief Bender (SP) 17-5, 2.16 era, 1.18 whip, 145 ERA+

Notes:
The middle of a dynasty that went from 1910-1914 before Connie Mack sold off his stars. The A’s won the WS in 1910, 1911, 1913, and the AL in 1914. The 1910 team would’ve also likely been chosen on a strict ranking of greatest ever single season teams but the 1911 team gets the nod to carry the torch for this dynasty.
The 1911 A’s feature four hall of famers, three in their prime and the still dangerous 35-year-old Eddie Plank.
Infield was named the “$100,000 infield” after Connie Mack answered a reporter’s question about how much he would sell his infielders for.
Jack Coombs was the #1 SP carrying the innings load, despite being only the 3rd or 4th most effective pitcher.
Ranked #7 in 538.com’s list based on ELO

Further reading:
http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1911-baseball-history.html


1902 Pittsburgh Pirates:
15 seed – Region 2
Record: 103-36
Result: 1st National League
Entry to Tournament: At-large bid (wild card – pre world series team)
Elo Rank: n/a (pre-1903)
Key Players:
Honus Wagner (OF, IF) .330, 105 r, 95 rbi, 42 sb, 49 xbh, 161 OPS+
Fred Clarke (OF) .316, 103 r, 43 xbh, 159 OPS+
Jack Chesbro (SP) 28-6, 2.17 era, 1.062 whip, 8 sho
Deacon Phillippe (SP) 20-9, 2.05 era, 1.07 whip, 5 sho
Jesse Tannehill (SP) 20-6, 1.95 era, .987 whip, 140 ERA+

Notes:
The 1902 Pirates are the lone entry from before the World Series era, though only a year before the first fall classic was played. The core of this team would go on to lose the first World Series ever played in 1903, and then maintain a high level of play through the decade, finally winning it all in 1909, a team that we see elsewhere in this tournament.
They feature three hall of famers including one of the original five in Wagner, who was still primarily an OF in 1902. 61 games played in the OF, 32 at 1B, and 44 at SS for the Flying Dutchman.
A true early 1900’s team, 3B Tommy Leach led them in HRs with 6.
The rotation looks tough to beat on paper even accounting for dead ball standards.
Only used nine “pitchers” all season, with four of them pitching less than 30 innings, and one of them was Honus Wagner who finished one game, throwing 5.1 shutout innings.

Further reading:
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/octo...ord-103rd-game

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

2) 1911 Philadelphia A’s vs. 15) 1902 Pittsburgh Pirates

Game 1 was low scoring as expected. Legend lived up to its name when Frank Baker hit a homerun in the 6th inning. Each team scored a run in the 9th, and then we went to 14 when Pittsburgh CF Rube Oldring scores on a walk-off passed ball! Ahhh… the dead ball era. Chesbro for Pittsburgh threw 175 pitches over 12 innings and his opponent Coombs wasn’t far behind with 154 over 11.

Game 2 saw a first inning run for Philly when Rube Oldring hit a sac lineout (!?) and Eddie Plank had all he needed at that point. He went the full 9 innings, giving up 6 baserunners. Philly wins 1-0 to take a two game lead.

In Game 3 Pittsburgh’s offense “exploded” for 6 runs in the first three innings, and held on from there for a 6-2 win. Jesse Tannehill was the winner, giving up 5 hits and 0 walks over the 9 innings.

Game 4 featured a rematch of Chesbro vs. Coombs, but this time the Pirates were able to touch Coombs for four runs in the first. They would eventually hold on for a 5-3 victory to tie the series.

The pivotal game 5 went to the home team Pirates who have now stormed back with three straight wins to really put the pressure on the A’s. Tommy Leach tripled in the 4th, and Deacon Phillippe allowed only three baserunners in the 1-0 win.

The A’s backs were against the wall heading into game 6 and it got worse when the Pirates put up two runs in the first frame. But they fought back for five runs, and while it got nervy late with Honus Wagner tripling in two in the 8th, they held on for a 5-4 win to force a game 7.

Wow!! Game 7 is immediately up for game of the tournament. Chesbro and Coombs opposed each other for the third time in the series and both cruised through five. Each team pushed across a pair in the 6th and then neither team scored until the 15th! Eddie Plank saw 3 innings in relief for Philly during that time. But then Wid Conroy singled in a pair off Doc Martin (who had thrown a total of 38 innings in the 1902 season and was now in his 3rd inning of work in this game!) and gave Pittsburgh the lead. Chesbro had gone 14 innings in 173 pitches and was finally relieved so Sam Leever could close out the series. Instead, Leever gave up 4 hits, 1 walk, and 3 runs including Eddie Collins’ walk off single to end the 15-inning marathon Game 7. Philly narrowly avoids being the second two-seed to be eliminated.

Eddie Plank, even with a loss, took the MVP. 19.1 innings pitched without an earned run. 16 strikeouts and only 13 baserunners.

[pgd44]

Do you have a quickstart, gamesave or template you wouldn't mind sharing?

[tavo2311]

Originally Posted by pgd44

Do you have a quickstart, gamesave or template you wouldn't mind sharing?

I am only running each series on its own as a historical exhibition. I didn't set up a league or a tournament. The plus side was being able to change the way I handled the DH and the era settings differently instead of locking in on one the whole tournament.

The downside is no cumulative stats for the tourney or anything.

I have been thinking of possibly doing an offshoot of this with a league setup afterward. Maybe some promotion / relegation. Give some of the losers here a chance for redemption.... Anyway, if I do go that route, I'll share.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

3) 2004 Boston Red Sox vs. 14) 1977 Kansas City Royals:

This is going to be a tough one for me to watch. The 2004 Red Sox team with "idiots" and bloody socks still make me cringe. I hate this team more than probably any other single season team in any sport. But as a baseball fan, I can't root for an undeserving 14 seed to win....

2004 Boston Red Sox:
3 Seed – Region 3
Record: 98-64
Result: Won World Series 4-0 over St. Louis Cardinals
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Ranking)
Elo Rank: 64
Key Players:
David Ortiz (DH) .301, 41 hr, 139 rbi, 94 r, 145 OPS+
Manny Ramirez (OF) .308, 43 hr, 130 rbi, 108 r, 152 OPS+
Johnny Damon (OF) .304, 20 hr, 94 rbi, 123 r, 19 sb
Curt Schilling (SP) 21-6, 3.26 era, 1.06 era, 203 k

Notes:
The curse-busters are in based on their ELO ranking, though I’m sure they would’ve been given a wild card for storyline anyway if they didn’t rank high enough. The team that ended the 86-year curse in the most dramatic of fashions, coming back from 3-0 down for the first time in history. Roberts’ steal, Ortiz’ late game heroics, Schilling’s bloody sock, and Derek Lowe’s under the radar Game 7 win.

Further reading:
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...-new-york-yank


1977 Kansas City Royals:
14 Seed – Region 3
Record: 102-60
Result: Lost ALCS 3-2 to New York Yankees
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Royals team ever)
Elo Rank: 213
Key Players:
George Brett (3B) .312, 22 hr, 88 rbi, 105 r, 142 OPS+
Al Cowens (OF) .312, 23 hr, 112 rbi, 98 r
Dennis Leonard (SP) 20-12, 3.24 era, 1.11 whip, 21 cg in 38 gs, 244 k

Notes:
One of two 1977 entrants to the tourney (and neither won the World Series). Sorry, not much to say about this team other than it is very sad that the highest ranking Royals team ever is 213 on the list. Will be good to see George Brett in the tourney.
Near the middle of the pack in offense in the AL. The pitching staff has good depth top to bottom despite no real stars. The bullpen specifically was a strength, almost 500 innings of above average pitching.

Further reading:
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/...tqzn5xclpde6zx

https://www.kansascity.com/sports/sp...231472698.html

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

6) 1968 Detroit Tigers vs. 11) 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks

Man this is a tough bracket in general. After the 2004 Red Sox, this 2001 D'Backs team gives me nightmares also. Before you crush me for just being a spoiled Yankees fan, I was personally affected very closely on 9/11, and that October brought such a great distraction and I wanted them to win so badly that I would consider trading all the others to have won that series. Though over time I've come to look at it as, win or lose, they gave the max they could give us. The last round of the playoffs, to the last game, and the last inning. Win or lose, they distracted us for as long as they could. Ugh, maybe I'm softening to the Diamondbacks!

1968 Detroit Tigers:
6 Seed – Region 3
Record: 103-59
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over St. Louis Cardinals
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (reputation)
Elo Rank: 108
Key Players:
Willie Horton (OF) .285, 36 hr, 85 rbi, 165 OPS+
Bill Freehan (C) .263, 25 hr, 84 rbi, 73 r, 6.9 WAR
Denny McLain (SP) 31-6, 1.96 era, 0.90 whip, 28 cg in 41 gs, 280 k

Notes:
This is one of the teams with the most difference between ELO Ranking and other metrics, vs. reputation. Almost every list I pulled up speaks about the greatness of the 1968 Tigers. After digging in a bit, I decided to side a bit more with the metrics and therefore they will have to earn their way deep into the tourney as a 6 seed.
Denny McLain will be the key to this team. Won the MVP and Cy Young, led the league in wins, complete games, starts, and innings pitched. Staff is underwhelming other than McLain so he will likely have to win both starts (or more?) to advance.

Further reading:
https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/...road-uniforms/


2001 Arizona Diamondbacks:
11 Seed – Region 3
Record: 92-70
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over New York Yankees
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Diamondbacks team ever)
Elo Rank: 228
Key Players:
Randy Johnson (SP) 21-6, 2.49 era, 1.00 whip, 372 k, 188 ERA+
Curt Schilling (SP) 22-6, 2.98 era, 1.07 whip, 293 k, 6 cg, 157 ERA+
Luis Gonzalez (OF) .325, 57 hr, 142 rbi, 128 r, 174 OPS+

Notes:
The 2002 team may rank higher statistically, but there’s no way a team that was swept out in the 1st round was going to get the nod over these guys and their Game 7 triumph over Mariano and the three time defending champions, in the year that brought some semblance of normalcy back to baseball fans. Easy call here.
Johnson and Schilling finished 1-2 in the Cy Young vote, with The Big Unit winning his 3rd of 4 straight. It will be very interesting to see if this otherwise entirely mediocre team can advance far using these two pitchers 4-5 times in any 7 game series.

Further reading:
https://arizonasports.com/story/6555...-world-series/

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

3) 2004 Boston Red Sox vs. 14) 1977 Kansas City Royals

In the series opener Schilling went six strong and handed over to the bullpen who didn’t give up a hit. George Brett’s three hits weren’t enough as the Red Sox won 4-2.

Pedro was great for most of the night and the Sox lead 5-2 heading to the 9th. But Keith Foulke, trying to save the second straight game, gave up 4 in the 9th to take the 6-5 loss. Boston did have a chance, loading the bases in the 9th, but Mark Littell struck out David Ortiz to end it. Brett had three hits for the second straight game and two steals in this game.

George Brett is having a hell of a series, with three more hits for the third straight game. Paul Splittorff cruised through six, and the Royals led 7-1 heading to the 9th. Boston pushed across three in the 9th and had two more on base. David Ortiz was up as the tying run, but struck out to end the 2nd straight game. A 2-1 series deficit is not what any team wants, but these “idiots” certainly won’t bat an eye yet.

Now they may be getting nervous though. The Royals pushed Boston to the brink with a 3-2 win in 12. The game was 2-2 after four innings, and then the bats went silent for quite some time. Eventually John Mayberry Sr. hit a walk off single vs. Bronson Arroyo (on in relief after being passed over by Wakefield and Lowe for starting spots). George Brett didn’t get a hit tonight, but was on base three times with walks. The Red Sox will have Schilling and Pedro so the series is anything but over.

Game 5 saw 9 total hits! What a well pitched game, eventually won by Boston 2-1 to stay alive. The game went to the 9th tied, when Johnny Damon hit a solo shot off Doug Bird. The series heads back to Boston with Pedro up.

Pedro lasted all of three innings as the Royals certainly made him their daddy. Alan Embree fared just as poorly in relief, and the Royals blitzed Boston 12-1 to win the series. Jim Colborn bounced back from a poor game 2 start to throw seven innings giving up six hits and no walks.

Series MVP predictably went to Brett who added three more hits for a .462 average in the series, with 2 RBIs and 3 runs in game 5.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

6) 1968 Detroit Tigers vs. 11) 2001 Arizona Diamondbacks

Randy Johnson was superb in game 1, holding Detroit to one run through seven, while striking out 14. Denny McClain gave up 3-run homeruns to Mark Grace and Steve Finley, and the D’Backs held on to win 6-3.

Game 2 showed why this Arizona squad was such a bad draw for a higher seed. Detroit’s bats got no relief with Curt Schilling going 7 strong, no earned runs, striking out 8 and giving no walks. Detroit centerfielder Jim Northrop tried to put the team on his back. He had a 2-run double in the 6th, and a 2-run homer in the 8th, and was up with the tying run in scoring position in the 9th. But Byun-Hyun Kim got him to fly out to save the 2nd straight game and send us to the desert at 2-0.

If game 2 underscored why Arizona is so tough in a short series, game 3 told the story of why they weren’t that great top to bottom. The Tigers hit six home runs by five different players, and starter Mickey Lolich went six shutout. The D’Backs managed three total hits in the 11-1 loss.

The Tigers were able to even the series with an 8-6 win in game 4 that was a tale of two halves. Detroit jumped to an 8-2 lead early and the Arizona scored four in the 8th led by Mark Grace’s 3-run bomb, and loaded the bases in the 9th before Grace came up again and grounded into a double play to end it. The series is now 2-2, and the all-important game 5 will be a rematch of Randy Johnson vs. Denny McClain.

For the second straight time Johnson was outstanding and McClain wasn’t even average. The Big Unit gave up 2 hits and 0 walks over 8 innings in which he struck out 13. In all honesty he didn’t have to be that good. McClain continues to come up small in the biggest of spots, laboring through a 110-pitch, 5.1 inning outing with 6 runs plated. Arizona prevails 6-1 and though Detroit is going back home they are now on the brink.

Schilling wasn’t his dominating self in game 6, allowing two homeruns in the 4th to fall behind 4-0. Starter Earl Wilson handed his bullpen that lead after 7, and they imploded. Darryl Patterson and John Hiller gave up seven runs in two innings, capped off by, fittingly, Luis Gonzalez’ bases loaded double. Detroit now trailed 7-4 and never threatened Kim who saved his 3rd of the series.

Arizona not only moves on but are now the favorites in the next round with the 2004 Red Sox being upset. It would’ve been cool to see Schilling pitch against himself though. The MVP was one of the easier decisions in the tournament thus far. Randy Johnson struck out 27 against 1 lonely walk, in 15 innings, going 2-0 with a 1.20 era.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 1:

1) 1939 New York Yankees vs. 16) 2007 Colorado Rockies

1939 New York Yankees
1 seed – Region 1
Record: 106-45
Result: Won World Series 4-0 over Cincinnati Reds
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Yankee team ever)
Elo Rank: 1
Key Players:
Joe DiMaggio (OF) .381, 30 hr, 126 rbi, 108 r, 1.119 ops, 184 OPS+
Bill Dickey (C) .302, 24 hr, 105 rbi, 98 r
Joe Gordon (2B) .284, 28 hr, 111 rbi, 92 r
Red Ruffing (SP) 21-7, 2.93 era

Notes:
Not the most star studded of Yankees teams, and not the one that gets talked about much as the best ever. But they have six members of the HOF (though Lou Gehrig was 36 and only played 8 games before his streak sadly came to an end) and ranked 1st overall in the Elo rankings.
This team won their 4th straight World Series and were in the midst of a run that saw 7 AL pennants in 8 years and 6 WS titles.
The Yanks won 106 games before sweeping a good Reds team in the WS.
24-year-old Joe DiMaggio won his first of 3 MVPs and of 2 batting titles.
Yankees were ahead of their time using a strong bullpen, with Steve Sundra and Marius Russo 236+ IP and 19-4 combined record.

Further reading:
https://startspreadingthenews.blog/s...s/36-39jan2019


2007 Colorado Rockies
16 seed – Region 1
Record: 90-73
Result: Lost World Series to Boston Red Sox 4-0
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Rockies team ever)
Elo Rank: 596
Key Players:
Matt Holliday (OF) .340, 36 hr, 137 rbi, 120 r, 150 OPS+
Troy Tulowitzki (SS) .291, 24 hr, 99 rbi, 104 r, 6.8 WAR

Notes:
The 2007 Rockies gain their entry due to being the best Rockies team ever, but they are clearly deserving of the lowest overall seed in the tournament.
They did not win their division, and only hit the 90-win mark with the benefit of a 163rd game to win the tiebreaker for the wild card. But they did win 20 of final 21 regular season games to force that wildcard playoff. Once they reached the playoffs they made the most of it, sweeping both the NLDS and NLCS for a surprise World Series run. Before being swept in the WS they had won 27 of 28!
Matt Holliday led the league in AVG, RBI, Hits, Doubles, and Total Bases, barely missing the MVP.
The Rockies didn’t have a SP with a sub 4.00 ERA, which even in 2007 and Coors Field is not good.

Further reading:
https://www.9news.com/article/sports...ield/480548055

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 1:

8) 1994 Montreal Expos vs. 9) 1949 Boston Red Sox

One of my personal favorites here with the Expos. They may have been so screwed when the strike ended things in 1994 and many of them experienced so much success elsewhere, I'd like to see them make a run here.

1994 Montreal Expos
8 Seed – Region 1
Record: 74-40
Result: 1st place in NL East when strike ended season
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Expos team ever)
Elo Rank: 208
Key Players:
Moises Alou (OF) .339, 22 hr, 78 rbi, 81 r, OPS+ 153
Marquis Grissom (OF) 36 sb, 96 r, 5.1 WAR
Larry Walker (OF) .322, 19 hr, 86 rbi, 76 r, 151 OPS+
Pedro Martinez (SP) 11-5, 3.42 era, 1.10 whip, 8.8 K/9

Notes:
In true Expos fashion, their best ever team never had the chance to prove it, with the strike grinding baseball to a halt on August 12, 1994. They held a 6 game lead over the Braves after 114 games played. Not long after baseball resumed the Braves would return to dominance in the NL East as they had from ’91-’93, and continue a streak of more than a dozen straight division titles, while the Expos core of stars entering their prime years would move on to other teams, and the franchise itself move to Washington D.C.
Montreal was 3rd in runs scored in the NL and 2nd in runs against.
A 22 year old Pedro gets most of the attention for the pitching staff after the fact given his future dominance, but the entire staff was something else. Somewhat no-names in baseball history Ken Hill, Jeff Fassero, and Butch Henry all had lower ERAs than Pedro and all four of them were at least 25% better than the NL as a whole at 125 or higher ERA+.

Further reading:
https://athlonsports.com/mlb/1994-mo...son-unfinished

https://fivethirtyeight.com/features...-world-series/

https://nypost.com/2020/05/06/the-le...always-wonder/



1949 Boston Red Sox
9 Seed – Region 1
Record: 96-58
Result: 2nd place American League
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wild card – Key Player Ted Williams)
Elo Rank: 69
Key Players:
Ted Williams (OF) .343 / .490 / .650, 43 hr, 159 rbi, 150 r, 190 OPS+, 9.1 WAR
Vern Stephens (SS) .290, 39 hr, 159 rbi, 113 r
Mel Parnell (SP) 25-7, 2.77 era, 27 complete games in 33 starts, and 5 games finished in 6 relief games

Notes:
This version of the Red Sox rated quite high by a few measures and placed them on the bubble for this tournament strictly on merit, though they didn’t even win the AL. It was the absence of Ted Williams from the tournament otherwise that stamped their bid.
Williams just barely missed his third AL triple crown but did win his second MVP in one of the better offensive seasons baseball has ever seen.
Dom DiMaggio had a 34 game hitting streak which started to sniff his brother’s legendary 56 game streak, ended by lining out to Joe in his last at bat.
The pitching staff was this team’s weakness, ranking only 4th in the AL’s 8 teams in runs against, and putting up a team ERA just above average.

Further reading:
http://fenwayparkdiaries.com/1949%20...06-19-1949.htm

https://bosoxinjection.com/2020/05/2...s-1949-season/