GTOAT - Greatest Team of All Time Tournament

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 1:

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

The tournament’s #1 overall seed gets their campaign started in old Yankee Stadium. Jeff Francis takes the hill for Colorado and can’t decide if he’s happy to be out of the thin air of Denver considering the lineup that opposes him. He got his answer fairly early as NY put up four runs in the first two innings. But the Rockies’ bats also got to Red Ruffing, and the game went 4-4 to the 6th inning. That is when LaTroy Hawkins gave up five runs, capped by George Selkirk’s 3-run shot, and NY went on to win 10-5.

Aaron Cook pitched mightily well in game 2 but so did Lefty Gomez. The game was 1-0 for the Yanks into the 7th, when Cook allowed a 2-run homer to Tommy Henrich, then reliever Matt Herges gave up another to the man that replaced Gehrig, Babe Dahlgren in the 8th. The Rockies would get a garbage run, but the Yankees go up 2-0 in the series with Gomez taking the win.

Game 3 saw a the 1939 Yankees playing in Denver for the first time ever. Josh Fogg pitched admirably given the circumstance, and scattered 11 baserunners over 5 innings and staying close until Selkrik hit his 2nd homer of the series in the 5th. The Yankees were up 5-0 and would cruise to a 5-1 final to take a 3-0 series lead.

The Rockies avoid the sweep in game 4, could they be on the comeback trail. Yankee’s starter Oral Hildebrand was not up to the task as he gave up a pair of 4-run innings and Colorado was on their way behind Ubaldo Jimenez’s five shutout innings. With the Yankees down 8-4 in the 8th, Joe DiMaggio and Bill Dickey led a charge to pull within 8-4 with a couple runners on, but Manny Corpas finally shut the door on their rally.

Things were looking up for Colorado when they dropped a 3-spot in the first inning on Red Ruffing. Jeff Francis looked settled in, carrying a no-hitter through four! But that was the high point of the series for the Rockies. DiMaggio and Selkirk led the charge and the Yankees scored in the 5th, 6th, 7th and 9th innings to win the game 7-3 and take the series in five games.

DiMaggio hit .421 and drove in six runs, but the series MVP rightfully goes to LF George Selkirk who slashed .353/.476/.941, with three dingers and eight RBIs.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 1:

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

The matchup in game 1 is Ken Hill getting the nod over Pedro for Montreal, and he will be opposed by Mel Parnell the Boston ace. This is the first post-season game either of these teams will get to play. Both teams went back and forth with Boston scoring two early runs, before Montreal took a 3-2 lead in the mid innings. After Boston tied it again in the 7th, 3-3, they blitzed reliever Tim Scott for six in the 8th and went on to take game 1 by a score of 9-3. Ted Williams drove in three in this one.

The second time Pedro has appeared in our tournament thus far, this version being the young star still breaking out, and he gets to face his future team. Each team plated a pair of runs in the 4th, and it stayed 2-2 until the 8th when Montreal’s Larry Walker hit a 2-run double to break the tie. The Expos would add another, and John Wetteland would come on to save the game and tie the series.

Game 3 moves us to Boston, and sees Jeff Fassero face Joe Dobson. Another back and forth affair with three lead changes, saw Boston eventually come out on top 8-6. Dom DiMaggio hit two homers and Ted Williams added another.

Game 4 saw Ted Williams hit another homer, and Chuck Stobbs come up big, holding Montreal to three hits and no runs over 6.1 ip. The bullpen held on from there to complete the shutout and the Red Sox take a commanding series lead with a 4-0 final.

Red Sox ace Mel Parnell was not going to let a chance to close the series at home go by. He ran into some trouble in the 6th but otherwise was fantastic. Bobby Doerr’s tiple gave the Red Sox the lead for good and the bullpen again held on giving up no runs. The game finished 5-3 and the series is done in five.

The series MVP was 2B Bobby Doerr who in addition to the series winning hit had 9 others, for a .526 average, with 7 rbis and 6 runs. Dom DiMaggio hit .476 with a pair of homers, and Ted Williams drove in 7 runs. The lineup is going to be difficult to contain it appars, just as in real life. The Red Sox will now meet their Yankee rivals in the next round, with brothers DiMaggio squaring off, and Ted Williams and Joltin Joe meeting again as well.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

Will try to get these next two series' played today, at which point we will be halfway through round #1. In this one, the 1904 Giants get their first chance at an elimination series since they refused to play the World Series 116 years ago.

5) 1904 New York Giants vs. 12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

1904 New York Giants:
5 Seed – Region 4
Record: 106-47
Result: Won the NL – no World Series played
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Giants team ever)
Elo Rank: 17
Key Players:
Christy Mathewson (SP) 33-12, 2.03 era, 1.04 whip, 33 cg, 367.2 ip
Joe McGinnity (SP) 35-8, 1.61 era, 0.96 whip, 170 ERA+, 408 ip, 38 cg and 7 games finished in 51 games

Notes:
Picking between 1904 and 1905 for the best ever was splitting hairs. We ultimately went with 1904 because they never had a chance to play elimination games in a postseason (their own fault, mind you), so here they get that chance.
Weighted the metrics strongly to get them such a high seed. We shall see if warranted.
Six members of the half of fame

Further Reading:
https://bosoxinjection.com/2020/05/1...-championship/

https://www.deseret.com/1994/8/17/19...4-world-series



2015 Toronto Blue Jays:
12 Seed – Region 4
Record: 93-69
Result: Lost ALCS 4-2 to Kansas City Royals
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Blue Jays team ever)
Elo Rank: 161
Key Players:
Josh Donaldson (3B) .297, 41 hr, 123 rbi, 122 r, 151 OPS+
Edwin Encarnacion (DH) .277, 39 hr, 111 rbi, 94 r, 148 OPS+
R.A. Dickey (SP) 11-11, 3.91 era, 1.19 whip
David Price (SP) 9-1, 2.30 era, 1.00 whip, 179 ERA+, 10.5 k/9

Notes:
The 1993 team gets all the love, given the repeat title, and in walk off fashion. But the 2015 team actually ranks much better objectively, despite the lack of results on the field.
Josh Donaldson won the MVP, and David Price was dominant in 74 innings after a mid-season acquisition. Near or topping the league lead in many offensive categories, this team is going to need Price and a lot of rain to get Price back on the mound. Quite possibly over-seeded when looking more closely.

Further reading:
https://jaysjournal.com/2015/09/25/2...great-offence/

https://www.sportsnet.ca/baseball/ml...s-imagination/

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

4) 1954 Cleveland Indians vs. 13) 1909 Detroit Tigers

1954 Cleveland Indians:
4 Seed – Region 4
Record: 111-43
Result: Lost World Series 4-0 to New York Giants
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Indians team ever)
Elo Rank: 24
Key Players:
Bobby Avila (2B) .341, 15 hr, 67 rbi, 112 r, 7.1 WAR
Al Rosen (3B) .300, 24 hr, 102 rbi, 147 OPS+

Notes:
This team ranks very highly among the all-time greats, but were swept aside in the World Series, and still haven’t won one since, and so they are not very fondly remembered among the best. Held the AL record for wins in a season until the 1998 Yankees surpassed them with 114.
The team boasts five Hall of Famers and the starting staff has five pitchers with an ERA+ of 110 or higher and hurled 77 CGs (almost half the schedule).

Further reading:
http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1954-baseball-history.html




1909 Detroit Tigers:
13 Seed – Region 4
Record: 98-54
Result: Lost World Series 4-3 to Pittsburgh Pirates
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wildcard – Key Player Ty Cobb)
Elo Rank: 145
Key Players:
Ty Cobb (OF) .377, 107 rbi, 115 r, 76 sb, 193 OPS+, 9.9 WAR
Sam Crawford (OF) .314, 97 rbi, 83 r, 152 OPS+
George Mullin (SP) 29-8, 2.22 era, 1.10 whip, 29 cg in 35 gs, 303 IP

Notes:
Third straight world series defeat for this team, and they wouldn’t win another pennant until 1934. Though they may be a competitive entry in the bracket they were ultimately selected solely to get the great Ty Cobb in it. Otherwise, as I expect dead ball teams to struggle in this tourney, this team may have been passed over for someone else.

Further reading:
http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1909-baseball-history.html

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

5) 1904 New York Giants vs. 12) 2015 Toronto Blue Jays

Game 1’s pitching matchup features David Price vs. Christy Mathewson and they did not disappoint. Two run scoring singles was all Mathewson needed for a 2-0 win and he struck out 15 in 8 innings.

Game 2 saw Toronto jump to a 6-0 lead against NY hurler Joe McGinnity. R.A. Dickey pitched well enough to snuff out any comeback attempts and Donaldson and Encarnacion had three RBIs each in the 7-5 final.

As the series switched to Toronto and the DH comes into play you may have thought it benefitted Toronto, but it was the Giants who put up 13 runs in the 13-3 lopsided victory. Roger Bresnahan and Billy Gilbert had 4 RBIs each, and starter Dummy Taylor went seven strong innings.

The Giants are using a three man rotation so Mathewson is back on the hill, opposed by Marco Estrada. Encarnacion hit a 2-run double in the first, and Estrada struck out nine over five innings. The Blue Jays bullpen was masterful, and they tied the series with a 4-2 victory.

The “other” ace of the Giants staff, Joe McGinnity, would try to shake off his uncharacteristic poor outing in game 2 and put the Giants in control. But it was David Price that really showed up and, backed by seven extra base hits, won 7-2 to move the Jays to within one game of the series victory.

In Game 6 Dummy Taylor was not up to the task but R.A. Dickey was, going seven shutout. The Jays got just enough offense in a 3-1 win and take the series in six. Another highly rated deadball team bites the dust.

Series MVP was Edwin Encarnacion (who was forced to play 1b in NY) hitting .375, slugging 1.000, and smacking five home runs!

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

4) 1954 Cleveland Indians vs. 13) 1909 Detroit Tigers

The dead ball era-heavy Region 4 has already seen two highly seeded entrants eliminated. Now the 13 seed Tigers, led by the controversial great Ty Cobb will get their chance to carry the old timer’s flag.

Game 1 started well for them, with Ty Cobb driving in two runs in the first and an error leading to another two in the second. That would be enough for George Mullin to hold on for the 4-3 win.

Cleveland rebounded nicely in game 2 with a resounding 6-0 victory. The game was scoreless through five, but Cleveland really turned it on from there with two runs in three straight frames. Vic Wertz had three RBIs for the Tribe.

The see-saw series continued in Detroit. The Tigers scored four in the first and were well on their way to a 12-5 win. Their 3-5 hitters, Crawford, Cobb, Moriarty, combined 10-15 with 10 RBIs and 7 runs today (with 4 stolen bases to boot). Indians fans are starting to get worried about another early exit for this great team.

Game 4 saw the Tigers score early and often to push Cleveland to the brink. Cobb was 3-4 with 2 HRs and another 7 RBIs (!) on the way to a 10-2 victory. He is certainly justifying the wild card entry to this tournament. The Indians now must win three in a row.

It is hard to win games without scoring runs. Game 5 was a shutout and a victory procession for Detroit to the tune of 13-0. Early Wynn was incredibly disappointing in this series, and the Tribe’s bats totaled five hits in their meek exit from the tourney. Cobb and Crawford were the story again, going 6 for 8 with 2 walks, 4 RBIs, 5 Runs, 2 HRs, and 2 SBs. Dead ball or not, they are going to be a handful going forward.

Ty Cobb edges Crawford for the series MVP with silly numbers for just five games. .632 average, .692 OBP, and 1.000 slugging, 2 HRs, 12 RBIs, and 8 runs.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

5) 1984 Detroit Tigers vs. 12) 1957 Milwaukee Braves

1984 Detroit Tigers:
5 Seed – Region 2
Record: 104-58
Result: Won World Series 4-1 over San Diego Padres
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (reputation)
Elo Rank: 79
Key Players:
Alan Trammell (SS) .314, 14 hr, 69 rbi, 85 r, 136 OPS+
Kirk Gibson (OF) .282, 27 hr, 91 rbi, 92 r, 29 sb
Jack Morris (SP) 19-11, 3.60 era, 1.28 whip
Willie Hernandez (RP) 9-3,32 sv, 1.92 era, 0.94 whip, 140.1 IP
Auerlio Lopez (RP) 10-1, 14 sv, 2.94 era, 1.16 whip, 137.2 IP

Notes:
Pitching staff was dominant, leading the AL in most categories. Jack Morris and Dan Petry each started 35 games, threw greater than 233 IP, and combined for 16 complete games. Willie Hernandez and Aurelio Lopez combined for a Cy Young caliber season’s worth of stats out of 2 bullpen spots. If Morris and Petry can win the first game or two of a short series, the other starters only need to keep their games in reach.

Further reading:
https://www.vintagedetroit.com/blog/...etroit-tigers/

https://www.blessyouboys.com/2014/4/...-series-champs



1957 Milwaukee Braves:
12 Seed – Region 2
Record: 95-59
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over New York Yankees
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wildcard – key player Hank Aaron)
Elo Rank: 137
Key Players:
Hank Aaron (OF) .322, 44 hr, 132 rbi, 118 r, .600 SLG, 166 OPS+
Eddie Mathews (3B) .292, 32 hr, 94 rbi, 109 r, 154 OPS+
Warren Spahn (SP) 21-11, 2.69 era, 1.17 whip, 271 IP, 18 CGs in 35 GS
Bob Buhl (SP) 18-7, 2.74 era

Notes:
This squad was good, but ultimately gets their bid so Hank Aaron can be featured in the tourney. In leading his 1957 team to the title, the 23-year-old won his first of four HR and RBI titles, led the league in runs, and took the NL MVP.

Further reading:
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/sept...ee-braves-flag

https://www.talkingchop.com/2014/10/...al-1957-season

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

4) 1995 Cleveland Indians vs. 13) 1985 New York Yankees

1995 Cleveland Indians:
4 Seed – Region 2
Record: 100-44 (strike shortened)
Result: Lost World Series 4-2 to Atlanta Braves
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Indians team ever)
Elo Rank: 30
Key Players:
Albert Belle (OF) .317, 50 hr, 126 rbi, 121 r, 177 OPS+
Jim Thome (3B) .314, 25 hr, 73 rbi, 92 r, 157 OPS+
Manny Ramirez (OF) .308, 31 hr, 107 rbi, 85 r, 147 OPS+
Kenny Lofton (OF) .310, 93 r, 54 sb, gold glove
Dennis Martinez (SP) 12-5, 3.08 era, 1.17 whip, 152 OPS+
Orel Hershiser (SP) 16-6, 3.87 era, 1.20 whip

Notes:
One of the better offenses even for the steroid era. 7 of the regulars were at least 108 OPS+ or higher. The two that weren’t were primary catcher Tony Pena, who himself was 75 but when combined with 65 games of Sandy Alomar the catcher position was almost league average offensively, and Omar Vizquel who was one of the best defensive players in the game.
Albert Belle led the league in HR, RBI, R, Doubles, SLG, and Total Bases while finishing 2nd in the MVP voting.
Three hall of famers, though one, Dave Winfield, was a shell of his former self by this point.

Further reading:
https://www.cleveland.com/datacentra...s_hold_th.html
https://www.foxsports.com/mlb/story/...-lineup-111316



1985 New York Yankees:
13 Seed – Region 2
Record: 97-64
Result: 2nd AL East to Boston Red Sox
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wildcard – Key Player Don Mattingly)
Elo Rank: 127
Key Players:
Don Mattingly (1B) .324, 35 hr, 145 rbi, 107r, 156 OPS+
Rickey Henderson (OF) .314, 24 hr, 72 rbi, 146 r, 80 sb, 10.0 WAR
Ron Guidry (SP) 22-6, 3.27 era, 1.10 whip, 11 CG in 33 GS

Notes:
This team originally got in as a pure wildcard. I wanted a team from my early childhood, and my favorite player (Mattingly) to make at least one appearance in this tournament. I decided that its my tournament and I can do what I want! To help feel better about it I decided to seed them 16, let them run into one of the all-time Yankee greats early, and be gone. But as I looked into them more, they were actually a very good team despite not getting into the playoffs. 97 wins, 3 future hall of famers, the MVP winner, league leaders in RBIs, Runs, SBs, Doubles, and Wins. Top 2 or 3 in most offensive categories as a team. 2 of the top 3 in the MVP voting, and 2nd in Cy Young voting. Finally, a 127 ELO ranking helped justify their inclusion further as it is higher than 21+ other teams in the contest. So I gave them a reprieve from near certain death as a 16 seed, and they have a fighting chance as a 13 seed, though still an incredibly tough draw.

Further reading:
https://thesportsnotebook.com/1985-n...tory-articles/

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

5) 1984 Detroit Tigers vs. 12) 1957 Milwaukee Braves

Game 1 featured a dandy of a pitching matchup on paper, with Jack Morris taking on Warren Spahn. You have to figure that any chance the Braves have in this series would rely on Spahn pitching well a couple times. That wasn’t the case though. The Tigers, maybe still smarting from what many observers felt was a low seed, abused Spahn and every other Milwaukee pitcher today for an 11-0 rout. Five different Tigers homer’d, seven drove in at lease one run, and Jack Morris went complete game giving up three hits, no walks, and no runs.

Game 2 now had a lot of pressure on Lew Burdette to keep the Braves realistically in the series and he wasn’t really up to it. He gave up two in the 1st inning, and was down 3-0 at one point when Hank Aaron tried to pull them back in with a two run shot in the 4th. He did settle a bit from there, but Taylor Phillips would eventually relieve Burdette and give up 4 runs in the 7th and despite two late runs by the Braves making it look better this was still a 7-4 Detroit win.

The friendly confines of Milwaukee County Stadium did not help the Braves’ bats as they only had six hits in game 3. Lucky for them starter Bob Buhl went 7.1 ip and held Detroit to five baserunners in a 2-0 win. The Braves are back in the series.

Game 4 had the same story as game 3, but with the teams reversed. The Tigers managed only eight hits but pushed two across in the 5th. Detroit starter Juan Berenguer went 8 innings and gave up 2 hits to push Detroit to the within a game of the next round.

In game 5 the Braves will have their ace and one more home game to try to and turn the momentum. This time Spahn was up to the challenge. He went 8 innings, struck out 8, gave up 4 hits, 2 walks, and 0 runs. The Braves hit three balls out of the park and won by a final of 6-0. The third straight game in the series to see the losing team shut out.

The series now heads back to Detroit where the Tigers will have two more chances to close it down. They would fail for the second straight game. The Braves would chip away a run at a time and build a 4-0 lead before some late inning dramatics by the Tigers pulled them close. Kirk Gibson’s 2-run double in the 7th started it, then in the bottom of the 8th they added another. Don McMahon would put the tying run on in the bottom of the 9th but put the fire out from there for his 2nd save of the series. The Braves have forced a game 7, and with their star Hank Aaron hitting a paltry .100 thus far for the series you have to feel he may just be due.

Game 7 is a pitching matchup rematch of game 3, where Milt Wilcox was pretty good for Detroit, but Bob Buhl threw a gem for the Braves. This time it was reversed. Buhl held his team in it with the game going 2-0 into the 8th, but Wilcox was unhittable. In 8 innings he struck out 7 and gave up 2 baserunners and no runs. Willie Hernandez came on to strike out the side in the 9th and the Tigers are moving on!

Shortstop Lou Whitaker takes series MVP honors hitting .444 with a homer and five runs scored.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 2:

4) 1995 Cleveland Indians vs. 13) 1985 New York Yankees

I hope the score keepers are ready as this one might bring us a lot of runs.

Game 1 sees 22-game winner Ron Guidry try to give the underdogs a fast start but man does he have his work cut out for him. Manny Ramirez batting 7th!? The Yankees struck first with runs in each of the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th innings. But the Indians plated five in the bottom of the 4th to take a 5-3 lead. Albert Belle and Jim Thome each had 2-run shots. Paul Assenmacher and Jose Mesa combined for four shutout innings in the 6-3 Cleveland win. You have to figure this one is heading toward a sweep now with the Yanks’ big gun already beaten.

Game 2 has two starting pitchers in their 40s in Dennis Martinez for the home team and Phil Niekro for the visitors. This one got ugly for NY quickly. Cleveland had four different innings with 3+ runs scored and seven extra base hits in a 16-1 win.

Game 3 will be the chance for heralded free agent Ed Whitson, who was supposed to put the Yankees over the top but was much maligned in his Bronx stay. He will definitely have a challenge in front of him to the tune of World Series champ and Cy Young winner Orel Hershiser (not to mention the Indians batters actually in front of him). Whitson was somewhat predictably not good. Hershisher wasn’t wonderful either but didn’t need to be with the run support of the Tribe. Three more homers, two by Belle, gave the Indians a 10-4 win and a 3-0 series lead.

The Yankees showed some fight in game 4, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead against starter Chad Ogea. The theme of the series has been big offense and big innings for Cleveland though, and the 4th inning here saw them score five runs, led by a grand slam by #8 hitter Paul Sorrento. In the bottom of the 6th though Mike Pagliarulo would hit a 2-run shot to retake the lead 6-5 and the Yankees bullpen closed it from there. Dave Righetti makes his first appearance in the series for the save.

With one more game in Yankee Stadium and Ron Guidry back on the mound, the Yankees would feel they may not be out of this series yet. Guidry was up to the task this time and the Yankees built an 8-0 lead by the 5th. Pagliarulo again contributed, this time with a grand slam off Nagy, and Ken Griffey Sr. and Rickey Henderson each had two run bombs. Guidry went the full nine in the 9-3 win, giving the beleaguered bullpen some much needed rest. Mattingly and Winfield have been atrocious for the Yankees. If they show up, could this series be in doubt after all?

In game 6 Mattingly and Winfield were a combined 0-9 with three strikeouts but their teammates picked up the slack in a fun back and forth affair. The Indians broke through for a run in the bottom 1st, but each team scored in each frame in the 2nd, and 3rd, and the Yankees again in the 4th when Pagliarulo (again!) hit a 2-run shot for a 5-3 lead. Phil Niekro redeemed himself from the game 2 performance where he gave up two touchdowns by going 8 strong, and Righetti saved his 2nd game of the series. This one is improbably going to game 7!

The game 7 matchup at Jacobs Field is Ed Whitson vs. Orel Hershiser. Whitson again was bad and Hershiser was pretty decent, and the Indians bashed four more homeruns in an 8-2 win. Mattingly actually finally showed up driving in two in the very first inning and giving the bombers real hope, but the Indians would claim the lead by the 2nd and never look back.

One of my pre-tournament favorites narrowly avoids the upset, and the ’85 Yanks after looking overwhelmed early, somewhat justified my picking them for the tourney. Series MVP was a close race as Albert Belle had 4 HRs and 10 RBIs, but Manny Ramirez wins it, hitting .520, with 3 HRs and also 10 RBIs.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

5) 1995 Atlanta Braves vs. 12) 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates


1995 Atlanta Braves:
5 Seed – Region 3
Record: 90-54
Result: Won World Series 4-2 over Cleveland Indians
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Reputation)
Elo Rank: 99
Key Players:
Greg Maddux (SP) 19-2, 1.63 era, 0.81 whip, 260 ERA+, 9.6 WAR
Tom Glavine (SP) 16-7, 3.08 era, 1.24 whip
John Smoltz (SP) 12-7, 3.18 era, 1.23 whip

Notes:
This was the 4th straight division title for this team, the early parts of a streak that would reach 14. It was the first team to get over the hump and win it all, and people thought the beginning of a dynasty at the time, but eventually the only one to do it.
Maddux had one of the greatest single season pitching performances with a 9.6 WAR in the steroid era. 4th straight Cy Young award.
The Braves led the league in almost all pitching categories, but finished only 9th in runs scored in the NL. It will be interesting to see this team come up against a dead ball or late 60’s team, where their pitching may hold up across eras.

Further reading:
https://www.chatsports.com/atlanta-b...Best-Ever-3142


1979 Pittsburgh Pirates:
12 Seed – Region 3
Record: 98-64
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over Baltimore Orioles
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (reputation)
Elo Rank: 114
Key Players:
Dave Parker (OF) .310, 25 hr, 94 rbi, 109 r 140 OPS+
Willie Stargell (1B) .281, 32 hr, 82 rbi, 139 OPS+
Kent Tekulve (RP) 10-8, 31 sv, 2.75 era, 1.17 whip, 67 games finished in 94 games

Notes:
This team will have to prove they deserve to be here. Only 2 hall of famers appear on the roster, only 98 regular season wins, and not a whole lot of appearances on best-ever lists. You could argue they are over-seeded here. But they do rank somewhat well in the metrics.
Balanced team, led the league in Runs and OPS, finished third in runs against, and had a formidable bullpen.
Good depth, with 4 bench bats of league average or better production in 182 at bats or more.

Further reading:
https://rumbunter.com/2020/04/27/197...burgh-pirates/
https://www.sportingnews.com/us/mlb/...hxzsjvszatgpt2

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

4) 1942 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 13) 1954 New York Giants


1942 St. Louis Cardinals:
4 Seed – Region 3
Record: 106-48
Result: Won World Series 4-1 over New York Yankees
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Cardinals team ever)
Elo Rank: 8
Key Players:
Stan Musial (SP) .315, 10 hr, 72 rbi, 87 r, 151 OPS+
Enos Slaughter (OF) .318, 13 hr, 98 rbi, 100 r, 17 triples, 156 OPS+
Mort Cooper (SP) 22-7, 1.78 era, 0.98 whip, 22 cg, 192 ERA+, 8.3 WAR

Notes:
The Cardinals dominated the NL for much of the 40’s, appearing in 4 World Series in 5 years, and winning 3 of them. This team and the 1944 squad could be splitting hairs, but the ’42 squad will ultimately get to carry the flag. A well balanced team, finishing top 2 in almost every major statistical category (batting and pitching), though, as good as this team was they spent a total of only 12 days in first place, narrowly edging out Brooklyn by 2 games.
Rookie Stan Musial (after a cameo in 1941) was just on the cusp of greatness as he would go on to win 3 MVPs, and finish 2nd in 3 other seasons, over the next 6 he played (missed 1945 to Military service).
Mort Cooper’s year was outstanding and will give this team a chance to be staked a lead against any opponent.

Further reading:
https://theathleteshub.org/dynasty-s...uis-cardinals/
http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1942-baseball-history.html



1954 New York Giants:
13 Seed – Region 3
Record: 97-57
Result: Won World Series 4-0 over Cleveland Indians
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wildcard – Key Player Willie Mays)
Elo Rank: 146
Key Players:
Willie Mays (OF) .345, 45 hr, 110 rbi, 119 r, 175 OPS+, 10.5 WAR
Johnny Antonelli (SP) 21-7, 2.30 era, 1.17 whip, 18 cg, 178 ERA+

Notes:
This team gets their entry to the tournament on the back of 23-year-old breakout Willie Mays. No baseball tournament would be complete without an appearance from the say hey kid. Mays had already won rookie of the year in 1951, but missed the better part of the next two seasons to Military service, so the 1954 10.5 WAR season may have still taken the league by surprise. It would be the last time.
Somewhat average offensively as a team, but Mays sure is gonna be a tough out. Otherwise, the staff is going to have to do much of the work if Mays is going to get to see a Round 2.

Further reading:
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...not-surprising
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/sept...li-wins-game-2

[Tiger Fan]

Nice to see ‘84 Tigers advance but much tighter than hoped for. Also cheering for 79 Bucs. Loved that team as my grandfather lived inBradenton at the time and we went to spring training on a couple of March breaks in that era.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

5) 1995 Atlanta Braves vs. 12) 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates

Probably the best rotation in my lifetime gets their go here. Maddux will start game 1 of course, and he is opposed by Pittsburgh’s Bert Blyleven….who would actually go on to face much of this Braves team in the World Series in 1991, but I digress…. Both starters pitched well and the game featured 12 total hits. Willie Stargell’s run scoring double off Maddux in the 4th gave the Pirates a 1-0 lead, and his single in the 9th off Mark Wohlers gave the Pirates a 2-1 lead. Kent Tekulve closed it out with a perfect 9th and the underdogs have stolen a lead.

Game 2 was a close affair throughout. The Pirates were up 4-1 briefly in the 6th, but the bottom of the 7th was big for Atlanta as they pulled right back to 4-3, and eventually tied it in the 8th on a Ryan Klesko home run. The game would go to the 10th, where Klesko walked it off, literally he drew a bases loaded walk, vs. last night’s closer Tekulve. The series is tied heading to Pittsburgh.

The deeper we go into the rotations the more the advantage is supposed to swing to Atlanta in this series, but the Pirates nabbed another close one to take a 2-1 series lead. They jumped on Smoltz early for a 4-0 lead, and held on as the Braves closed to 4-2 but stopped there. Pittsburgh started Bruce Kison went 8 innings, giving up 5 hits, 1 walk, and 12 Ks.

Game 4 saw the Braves tie up what is becoming a really intriguing series. After taking an early 1-0 lead Atlanta again fell victim to Willie Stargell who hit a two run shot in the 6th. The Pirates would add another before light hitting Jeff Blauser drove in two runs vs Kent Tekulve again, in the 8th. The game would go to the 10th for the second time this series where Marquis Grissom would single in the go ahead run for the 4-3 win.

Game 5 was the first in the series without any drama. Maddux was Maddux, going 8 innings and giving up one run. David Justice’s two home runs lead the offense to an 11-2 win, and the series is going back to Atlanta with the Pirate’s back against the wall.

Game 6 was another fun one. Glavine was cruising into the 7th, leading 4-1, where the key hit was a two-run triple from Phil Garner. Willie Stargell also drove in two in the inning, and after six runs were across the Pirates were up 7-4. Kent Tekulve got his second save of the series, and we are going to game 7!

Game 7 starters Bruce Kison and John Smoltz was a rematch of game 3 and neither was as good as last time. The fireworks started in the top of the first with a two-run homer by, who else? Willie Stargell. Atlanta tied it in the bottom of the 1st when Jeff Blauser drove in two. Omar Moreno hit his 2nd longball of the series in the 3rd for a 4-2 lead and again Atlanta tried to respond in the bottom of the inning closing it to 4-3. Each would score a run in the 6th and it was still 5-4 when, in the top of the 8th, Willie Stargell with another huge hit, a two-run homerun, off Greg McMichael, and made it 7-4. Pittsburgh would push across a couple more in the 8th and win by a final of 9-4.

I’m sure it is no surprise to hear that the series MVP went to Willie Stargel, who finished at .406 with three homeruns and ten RBIs…so many of them at key points in the series. I guess it is also no surprise that a 90’s Braves team failed to advance in the post-season.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 3:

4) 1942 St. Louis Cardinals vs. 13) 1954 New York Giants

Game 1 was a barn burner. Well-pitched throughout, with both starters Johnny Antonelli and Mort Cooper going the distance. Dusty Rhodes tied it with a pinch-hit 2-run homerun in the top of the 9th. But Stan Musial drew a walk and eventually would score on a sac fly by Whitey Kurowski to take game 1 in dramatic fashion.

In game 2 the Cardinals jumped on Sal Maglie early, with Musial driving in a pair in the first inning and Enos Slaughter a pair in the third. The Giants would chip away but Johnny Beazly went the complete game in a 5-2 win that gave St. Louis a 2-0 lead.

The Giants pulled them back into the series back at the Polo Grounds with a 5-4 win in game 3. Starter Ruben Gomez went the distance, dodging too much trouble with 10 hits and 4 walks. Willie Mays is struggling through the series so far, going only 1-10.

New York evened the series 2-2 with another hard fought victory in game 4, this time by a score of 5-3. Third baseman Hank Thompson drove in two with a first inning homerun, and Johnny Antonelli went the complete game.

Game 5 is always pivotal in a seven game series, especially one that is tied at two apiece. The tension only built as the scoreless game went all the way into the 7th inning. Whitey Kurowski drove in his first run since game 1, and while he’s still only hitting .063 for the series he has two game-winning RBIs now as that was the only run of this game. Mort Cooper was dominant for St. Louis, coming one base-runner away from a perfect game, a 5th inning single by Don Mueller.

Game 6 did not have near the drama of the previous game. Stan the Man had 3 hits and 5 RBIs in leading his team to an 11-2 series clinching victory. Johnny Beazly threw the complete game for St. Louis.

The series MVP was Stan Musial, hitting .462, 2 HRs, and 8 RBIs. On the flip side, young Willie Mays was brutally disappointing, hitting .105 with 0 RBIs, and getting on base four times.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

1) 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates vs. 16) 2003 Florida Marlins

1909 Pittsburgh Pirates:
1 Seed – Region 4
Record: 110-42
Result: Won World Series 4-3 over Detroit Tigers
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Pirates team ever)
Elo Rank: 4
Key Players:
Honus Wagner (SS) .339, 5 hr, 100 rbi, 92 r, 35 sb, 177 OPS+, 9.2 WAR
Fred Clarke (OF) .287, 97 r, 31 sb, 131 OPS+
Howie Camnitz (SP) 25-6, 1.62 era, 0.97 whip, 20 cg in 30 gs, 158 ERA+

Notes:
The king of the deadball teams controversially grab the final #1 seed over some very deserving 2’s. Can they prove they deserve it? Completely different game back then, and the luck of the draw may help determine how good this team looks.
The king of baseball cards, Honus Wagner from the 1909 T206 card set, is on this team as well, and to a card collector there will be a soft spot in my heart for these guys.
An interesting potential World Series replay is possible in the 3rd round if the low seed Tigers can pull a Cinderella run and the Pirates hold serve.

Further reading:
https://sabr.org/gamesproj/game/octo...nds-of-a-babe/
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...rates-to-today



2003 Florida Marlins:
16 Seed – Region 4
Record: 91-71
Result: Won World Series 4-2 over New York Yankees
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (Best Marlins team ever)
Elo Rank: 601
Key Players:
Ivan Rodriguez (C) .297, 16 hr, 85 rbi, 90 r
Josh Beckett (SP) 9-8, 3.04 era, 9.6 k/9

Notes:
Not much to say about this team, other than that as I researched them I became quite annoyed all over again that they ruined October for me after the magical Aaron Boone game. A wild-card winning team that got hot at the right time. Beckett was amazing in game 6 clincher in Yankee Stadium. Pudge is in the Hall of Fame. They have the best draw of the 16 seeds as they get a deadball team with a short roster and no idea how they will perform in a competition against a team almost 100 years their junior.

Further reading:
https://bleacherreport.com/articles/...hock-the-world

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

An interesting match-up here is the first between the bitter rivals (though not the last as at least one second round matchup is looming). It is also the biggest difference in seasons between teams in the tournament at 97 years.

8) 1921 New York Yankees vs. 9) 2018 Boston Red Sox

1921 New York Yankees:
8 Seed – Region 4
Record: 98-55
Result: Lost World Series 5-3 to New York Giants
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Ranking)
Elo Rank: 55
Key Players:
Babe Ruth (OF) .378, 59 hr, 168 rbi, 177 r, 17 sb, .512 obp, 1.359 ops, 238 OPS+, 12.6 WAR
Bob Meusel (OF) .318, 24 hr, 138 rbi, 104r, 17 sb, 128 OPS+
Carl Mays (SP) 27-9, 3.05 era, 1.21 whip, 30 cg in 38 gs, 138 ERA+

Notes:
This team gets in with a very justified ELO ranking of 55, but would’ve likely got in as a Storyline Wild Card even if not. Yes, they lost the World Series, and the 1923 team won it (the first of very many to come). And yes the Babe’s ridiculous 12.6 WAR was outdone by an unbelievable 14.1 WAR in 1923. But the 1921 squad was the first World Series appearance in their history, and even in losing against their landlords they set in motion the greatest dynasty in all American sports. The House that Ruth Built wouldn’t have been built (and renovated, and then built again) if it weren’t for this team. And finally, with 1927 a lock entrant, choosing 1921 over 1923 spaced it out a bit.

Further reading:
http://www.thisgreatgame.com/1921-baseball-history.html



2018 Boston Red Sox:
9 Seed – Region 4
Record: 108-54
Result: Won World Series 4-1 over Los Angeles Dodgers
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Wildcard)
Elo Rank: n/a
Key Players:
Mookie Betts (OF) .346, 32 hr, 80 rbi, 129 r, 186 OPS+, 10.6 WAR
J.D. Martinez (DH) .330, 43 hr, 130 rbi, 111 r, 173 OPS+
Chris Sale (SP) 12-4, 2.11 era, 0.86 whip, 13.5 K

Notes:
Is this team really that good? Is this a case of recency bias? Well definitely not bias from me! The less Red Sox teams the better in my opinion. And I even had a reason to leave them out if wanted, with the cheating stuff (though in fairness I picked the bracket before the MLB investigation concluded). I do think this team was damn good though and worthy of an entry to the tourney.
Betts put up a 10+ WAR MVP season. Chris Sale was easily Cy Young caliber albeit in a shortened season. They held off a 100 win Yankees team, then beat them in the playoffs, then beat a 103 win defending champion just to get out of the AL. If they can survive a rivalry matchup out of the gate they may have a decent draw in region 4 with some potential dead ball era teams.

Further reading:
https://www.theringer.com/mlb/2018/1...ngeles-dodgers

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

1) 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates vs. 16) 2003 Florida Marlins

Game 1’s starters both came to play, with Carl Pavano and Vic Willis dueling through seven scoreless innings. In the 8th Jeff Conine hit a two run homerun for a 2-0 lead. In the 9th Braden Looper came on to save the game and gave up a run while loading the bases, before finally striking out two Pirates in a row to save the victory and give the underdogs a huge lift.

In game 2 Honus Wagner starred on the offensive side, with a run scoring triple in the 3rd, and a 2-run shot in the 5th. Starter Howie Camnitz went seven strong innings and the Pirates evened the series at a game apiece with a 5-0 win.

Real-life star Josh Beckett got the start back in Florida, and he lived up to the billing, allowing 3 hits and 3 walks through 7 shutout while striking out 7. A solo homerun by Juan Encarnacion in the 6th was all that was needed, though they would tack another late, and Braden Looper closed his second game of the series, a 2-0 win that gives Florida the lead in the series once again.

Left-fielder Fred Clarke gave Pittsburgh an early lead with a 2-run shot in the 1st inning off starter Dontrelle Willis. Florida would claw one back in the 5th and we would go to the 9th at 2-1. Each team scored once, but Florida left the tying run on the bases and the game ended 3-2. Pittsburgh has tied it again and ensures they will have at least one game back at home.

Vic Willis and Carl Pavano once again met in game 5 and Florida jumped ahead 3-0 on a bases loaded double in the 2nd. Pittsburgh would get a couple back and eventually take a 5-4 lead in the 6th on Bobby Byrne’s 3-run homer. Florida would again tie it the next inning and this back and forth pivotal game 5 would go to the 9th tied, when Braden Looper gave up a bases loaded double to struggling Bill Abstein. The Pirates would add another for a 9-5 win that was a much closer game than the final score. The #1 seed was in trouble for a bit but its looking much more promising now.

Howie Camnitz was handed the ball to try and close out the series but was blitzed for 5 early runs. Florida would cruise through the game, leading by as much as 8-0 at one point before Pittsburgh scored two garbage runs in the 9th. Mark Redman of all people went 7 shutout innings with 3 hits, no walks, and 9 Ks for the win. Where did that good feeling Pittsburgh had go so quickly?? They now face Josh Beckett with the series on the line in game 7 and must be worried about an embarrassing early exit.

13-game winner Nick Maddox was given call for Pittsburgh and he was not up to the task. He gave up 4 runs in the first and another in the second. The Pirates were on life support, but would scratch their way back in and get close twice, at 6-4 in the 4th and again 7-6 in the 8th. But that’s where it would end. The dominating Braden Looper would save his 3rd game of the series after Dontrelle Willis came out of the pen for 3 innings to help the ineffective Beckett. Giant killers once again, the 16 seeds ranked in the 600’s by ELO are moving on!

Series MVP was third baseman Mike Lowell who hit .440 with 3 RBIs, each of them a go ahead run.

[tavo2311]

RESULTS: ROUND 1 - REGION 4:

8) 1921 New York Yankees vs. 9) 2018 Boston Red Sox

Bitter rivals face off for the first time in the tournament. With 13 combined entries in the 64 team field there’s bound to be a few of these. Carl Mays will put his 27 wins up against Chris Sale’s 2.11 ERA in game 1 at the Polo Grounds. Mays ran into trouble in the 2nd, giving up a pair of run scoring doubles. Boston would build leads of 4-1 and 6-2 before the Yankee bats woke up. The game would go 6-5 in the bottom of the 9th where Babe Ruth and Bob Meusel were both struck out by Craig Kimbrel with tying run on base. Meusel himself left 10 men on base for NY, while Bogaerts drove in 3 runs for Boston. The teams combined for a lot of offense with 23 hits and 13 walks, but left a combined 57 runners on base. Pitchers got lucky to keep this one at 6-5 but if neither ace could see the 6th inning this series might really light up the scoreboard.

The Babe put NY on his back in game 2. A run scoring triple in the 3rd opened up a 3-run inning to erase an early 1-0 lead by Boston. Then in the 5th the Sultan swatted a 3-run homer for a 6-1 lead that would cruise to a final of 7-3. Waite Hoyt went 8 while Rick Porcello didn’t see the 5th. The Yankees tie up the series at one each.

The series shows up in Fenway for game 3 and for the third straight game the Red Sox score first with a 2-run homer by Mitch Moreland in the 1st. David Price controlled the Yankees for much of the game and left after seven innings with a 3-1 lead, but Matt Barnes served up a three run bomb to Bob Muesel to put the Yankees in front 4-3. In the bottom of the 8th Ian Kinsler was sent up to pinch hit for catcher Sandy Leon and he delivered with go-ahead 2-run double. Kimbrel would save the 9th and the Red Sox lead 2-1.

Game 4 was the game of the series so far and one of the games of the tournament. Each team scored three in the first, and the Red Sox were leading 6-4 after two innings. Carl Mays and Chris Sale again were not up to the task at hand. The game went back and forth, with the Yankees drawing 11 walks, the Red Sox having five players with three or more hits in the game, and a 6-6 tie heading into the 7th. They were just getting started. Three more runs by Boston gave them a 9-6 lead until the top of the 8th when Wally Pipp lead a three-run rally to tie it again. The Yankees seemed to win it in the top of the 10th when they loaded the bases with no outs. Chicken Hawks drew a walk to put them ahead 10-9 and there were still no outs. But Nate Eovaldi pitched out of further trouble! Then in the bottom of the inning Mitch Moreland singled in the tying run. Into the 12th they went, where Mookie Betts walked it off with a solo shot to put the Red Sox on the brink of round 2!

Game 5 featured a fast start by the Yankees with Ruth and Meusel going back to back in the first. Both Porcello and Rip Collins pitched well and the Yankees clung to a 2-1 lead into the 9th where Barnes and Joe Kelly allowed 6 Yankees runs including a grand slam for Meusel’s 2nd HR of the game and an 8-1 victory to keep the New York alive.

The series returns to New York for game 6 and we had a one-run final score for the 4th time in the series. The Red Sox chipped away a run at a time through the mid innings and David Price went to the 7th up 4-0 where he ran into trouble. The Yankees put up four to tie the game and then Frank “Home Run” Baker hit a solo go-ahead homerun in the 8th off Ryan Brasier. It would be end that way, and force a game 7 in what has been a highly entertaining series. Both teams were really going for it, with their aces Sale and Mays, nicely rested due to their early exits throughout the series, coming on in relief.

With the ace’s relief appearances in game 6 there is no talk of short rest starters in game 7. So it will be up to Bob Shawkey for New York and Eduardo Rodriguez for Boston. New York jumped on Rodriguez early with Baker and Muesel driving in runs in the 1st. Shawkey would help his own cause in a three-run 5th with an RBI single and the bombers were cruising, up 6-0. With Boston eight outs from elimination they found some big hits and when Eduardo Nunez hit a 2-run HR off Shawkey the score was 6-3. With Boston down 7-3 in the 9th they again threatened. Rafael Devers leadoff the inning with a solo shot and before an out was recorded the Red Sox pushed across another to make it 7-5 and bring the tying run to the plate. Eventually JD Martinez would strike out with two on to end it and send New York to Round 2.

Babe Ruth hit .391, had a couple homeruns and an absurd .600 OBP for the series, but Bob Muesel and his 3 HRs with 14 RBIs wins series MVP.

[tavo2311]

SCHEDULE: ROUND 1 - REGION 1:

One of the more enjoyable teams from my childhood was those bash brothers teams of the 88-90 Oakland A's. This will be a fun one, and possibly very high scoring as well.

5) 1989 Oakland A's vs. 12) 1998 Houston Astros

1989 Oakland Athletics
5 Seed – Region 1
Record: 99-63
Result: Won World Series 4-0 over San Francisco Giants
Entry to Tournament: At large bid (Ranking/Reputation)
Elo Rank: 82
Key Players:
Mark McGwire (1B) 33 hr, 95 rbi
Jose Canseco (OF) 17 hr, 57 rbi
Rickey Henderson (OF) .294, 52 sb
Carney Lansford (3B) .336, 81 r, 37 sb
Dave Stewart (SP) 21-9, 3.32 era
Dennis Eckersley (RP) 4-0, 33 saves, 1.56 era, 0.607 whip

Notes:
This A’s team is odd in that the stats weren’t as impressive as other years, looking even less impressive when viewed through modern lenses. But they were the one team of three straight pennant winners to get the World Series win. They become even more dangerous considering the reigning MVP of 40/40 , Jose Canseco, was limited to 65 games in real life but will be in the lineup full time here.
Carney Lansford managed an OPS+ of 131 with only 2 HRs! Try that today.
To give some context to the suppressed offensive age we were in, the A’s finished 4th in the league in runs and no one on the team scored more than Lansford’s 81.
Manager Tony LaRussa is widely credited with the advent of the new age bullpen including placing dominant pitchers in the closing role with his usage of Dennis Eckersley.

Further reading:
https://thesportsnotebook.com/1989-o...tory-articles/



1998 Houston Astros:
12 Seed – Region 1
Record: 102-60
Result: Lost NLDS 3-1 to San Diego Padres
Entry to Tournament: Automatic bid (best Astros team ever*)
Elo Rank: 110
Key Players:
Craig Biggio (2B) .325, 20 hr, 88 rbi, 123 r, 50 sb
Jeff Bagwell (1B) .304, 34 hr, 111 rbi, 124r
Moises Alou (OF) .312, 38 hr, 124 rbi, 104 r
Randy Johnson (SP) 10-1, 1.28 era, 0.984 whip, 12.4 K/9, 322 ERA+ (w/ Houston)
Billy Wagner (RP) 30 sv, 2.70 era, 1.18 era

Notes:
*This Astros team ranks fairly well with metrics and that is with only have Randy Johnson for half a year. But the fact they lost in the first round of the playoffs should push the 2017 Astros team that did win it all ahead of them. However, the committee decided in light of the sign stealing scandal that the 2017-2019 Astros, all of whom would be recognized as better than the ’98 team, would be ineligible.
Randy Johnson, after getting acquired via trade mid-season and losing only one time, lost twice in the NLDS (to no fault of his own, giving up 3 ER in 14 IP).
Houston finished 1st in runs scored and 2nd in runs against in the NL.
This team has 3 HOFs on the roster.

Further reading:
https://www.crawfishboxes.com/2019/1...houston-astros

https://houseofhouston.com/2017/09/3...ary-fate-1998/