Day 5: March 26, 2015
 

Welcome back! It's time for Day 5 action in the 2015 March Madness Tournament. We're down to the Sweet 16 and many favorites have already been eliminated. Will the upsets continue or will the clock run out on the cinderella teams at the stroke of midnight? Let's find out.

Game 1: Babe Ruth Region

#7 1910 Chicago Cubs vs. #6 1946 Boston Red Sox
Mordecai Brown (1-0, 1.13) vs. Tex Hughson (0-0, 2.25)

The scoring started early, as both teams score in the 1st inning. In the top of the 1st, Joe Tinker and Frank Chance both single and both score on Solly Hofman's triple. Cubs lead 2-0. Boston would answer in the bottom of the 1st with a run of their own. With two outs, Ted Williams singles, then goes to third on Bobby Doerr's single. Rudy York then gets a base hit to score Williams. Cubs lead 2-1. Both pitchers would settle down, though, and scoring would stop until the 6th inning. With two outs in the bottom of the 6th, George Metkovich would single and then score on Pinky Higgins double. Score tied 2-2. The Cubs would answer the call in the top of the 7th. With one out, Hofman would single and steal second base. Frank Schulte then doubles Hofman in to give Chicago a 3-2 lead. Chicago would add to their lead in the top of the 8th. With two outs, Tinker and Chance single (sound familiar?) and Tinker scores on Hofman's base hit. Cubs lead 4-2. Boston would not go away, though. In the bottom of the 8th with one out, York was on second and Hal Wagner on first. Leon Culberson comes through with a base hit, scoring York. Cubs lead 4-3. In the top of the ninth, Boston would bring in relief pitcher Joe Dobson. Heinie Zimmerman swings at the first pitch he sees and watches it leave the yard!!! Cubs lead 5-3. In the bottom of the ninth, Chicago's Ed Reulbach was on the mound. He strikes out Johnny Pesky, but then gives up a single to Dom DiMaggio and walks Williams. But to the Red Sox's dismay, Doerr and York both go down swinging and the Cubs advance to the Elite Eight!!!

1910 Chicago Cubs 5 1946 Boston Red Sox 3


Game 2: Babe Ruth Region

#8 1954 New York Yankees vs. #5 1919 Cincinnati Reds
Whitey Ford (1-0, 0.00) vs. Hod Eller (1-0, 2.35)

The Reds would get on the board first in this one. Eller would help his own cause by hitting a double, then scoring on Greasy Neale's single. Neale would attempt to steal second, but the bad throw by Yogi Berra would move him to third base. Neale would score on Larry Kopf's fly ball to deep center. Reds lead 2-0. Neale would score again in the bottom of the fifth inning on Jake Danbert's two out single to make it 3-0. In the bottom of the sixth, the Yankees start to fall apart. With one out, Manuel Cueto walks. Ford is pulled by the Yankee manager and in comes Tom Morgan. Cueto attempts a steal of second, but Yogi again throws the ball away and Cueto advances to third. Neale then reaches base on an error by third baseman Andy Carey, allowing Cueto to score. Reds lead 4-0. Their game falls apart in the bottom of the 7th, as the Reds score four more runs to build an 8-0 lead. Gene Woodling would score off of a Mickey Mantle single in the top of the 8th for the Yankees only run. The 1919 Cincinnati Reds advance to the Elite Eight to play the 1910 Chicago Cubs.

1919 Cincinnati Reds 8 1954 New York Yankees 1


Game 3: Ty Cobb Region

#12 1934 Detroit Tigers vs. #9 1986 New York Mets
Schoolboy Rowe (1-0, 0.00) vs. Sid Fernandez (0-0, 9.00)

Detroit would start the scoring in the top of the 2nd inning. Hank Greenberg doubles and Marv Owen walks to start the frame. Two outs later, Billy Rogell singles to score Greenberg and Rowe doubles to score Owen. Tigers lead 2-0. To the bottom of the fifth we go. Gary Carter singles and Ray Knight doubles. Mookie Wilson is intentionally walked to load the bases. Why? Because Sid Fernandez is on deck!! But Sid, watching Rowe hit the ball earlier in the game, says he's not going to be shown up. Sid gets a base hit and an RBI. The other runners get stranded, though. Tigers lead 2-1. It's the bottom of the 7th. Knight doubles and Wilson singles to start the inning for the Mets. Tim Teufel pops out to second, bringing up Lenny Dykstra. Dykstra gets a base hit to score Knight and move Wilson to third. Howard Johnson then flies out to left center, but it's deep enough to score Wilson and the Mets lead 3-2!! But in the top of the 8th, the Tigers would answer. With two outs, Greenberg is on first. Gee Walker reaches base on an error by Knight. Rogell singles to load the bases. Pete Fox then steps up and delivers a two RBI single to give the lead back to Detroit, 4-3! So, we head to the bottom of the ninth. The Tigers have brought in reliever Tommy Bridges. Wilson steps up to the plate and hits a double! Teufel then steps in and delivers a double of his own, scoring Mookie!!! Game tied, 4-4!!! Blown save to Bridges. We go to extra innings! Doug Sisk is on the mound for the Mets. And that's not a good thing today. In the top of the 10th, Sisk gives up singles to Ray Hayworth and Goose Goslin. Both runners advance a base when the outfielder guns the ball to 3rd, but Hayworth is safe!! Walker then clears the bases with a base hit and the Tigers lead 6-4!! Sisk is pulled and Rick Aguilera settles in and wraps up the inning. Bridges is still on the mound for Detroit as we start the bottom of the 10th. Keith Hernandez strikes out and Carter walks. Knight doubles Carter home and that's it for Bridges. In comes Chief Hogsett. Hogsett gets Wilson to ground out to short for the second out. Teufel comes to bat and delivers an 0-2 base hit over the shortstop's outreached glove. Knight rounds third and there's NO THROW by the left fielder!!! The Mets have tied the game in the 10th inning, 6-6!!! No one would score in the 11th and the Tigers would fail to score in the top of the 12th. But in the bottom of the 12th, Detroit's Vic Sorrell is on the mound against Gary Carter. And Carter delivers on a 1-2 pitch over the left field wall!!! The Mets win!!! The Mets win!!! The 1986 New York Mets advance to the Elite Eight!!

1986 New York Mets 7 1934 Detroit Tigers 6 (12 innings)


Game 4: Ted Williams Region

#7 1961 New York Yankees vs. #3 1995 Cleveland Indians
Whitey Ford (1-0, 0.00) vs. Charles Nagy (0-0, 19.29)

The Yankees score right away in the top of the 1st. Elston Howard singles. Two outs later, Roger Maris hits a two run, 450 foot home run, over the wall in right center and the Yankees lead, 2-0. Clete Boyer would add a home run of his own in the 2nd inning and New York leads 3-0. In the top of the 4th, Bill Skowron would single with one out. He moves to second base on a passed ball and to third on Boyer's ground out. With Whitey Ford batting, Nagy would unleash a wild pitch, allowing Skowron to score and make the Yankee lead 4-0. That must have upset the Indians, because they came back in the bottom of the 4th. Eddie Murray walks and Albert Belle singles. Manny Ramirez doubles to score Murray and the Indians are on the board, down 4-1. But Jim Thome steps into the batters box and delivers with a three run home run over the right field fence. Game tied 4-4!!! The score would stay tied until the top of the 8th inning. With two outs and Mantle on first, Lee Thomas would take the first pitch he saw from Eric Plunk and hit it over the center field fence!!! Yankees lead 6-4!! But Cleveland would answer in the bottom of the 8th. With Ralph Terry on the mound for New York, Kenny Lofton would single, as would Murray. But Belle hits into a 1-6-3 double play and Lofton moves to third. So with two outs, Ramirez steps to the plate and hits his own home run over the center field fence!!! Game tied (again) 6-6!!! To extra innings we go. Luis Arroyo is on the mound for the Yankees in the bottom of the 10th. Belle and Ramirez single and both advance a base on an error by left fielder, Thomas. Thome is intentionally walked to load the bases. Carlos Baerga flies out to right and up steps Sandy Alomar. Alomar takes one for the team, getting plunked by Arroyo and Belle scores on the hit by pitch. The Indians are headed to the Elite Eight!!

1995 Cleveland Indians 7 1961 New York Yankees 6 (10 Innings)


Game 5: Willie Mays Region

#7 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers vs. #3 1932 New York Yankees
Bobo Newsom (1-0, 0.00) vs. Red Ruffing (0-0, 0.00)

What looks to be a pitching duel between the starters ends up being just that. The Yankees score first in the bottom of the 3rd inning. With one out and the bases loaded, Babe Ruth draws a walk which scores Ruffing from third. Yankees lead 1-0. The Dodgers would load the bases in the top of the 4th and nobody out. Pee Wee Reese would hit a ball deep to center to sacrifice, scoring Pete Reiser and tying the game 1-1. New York would take the lead in the bottom of the 5th. With two outs and Ben Chapman on second, Ruth gets a base hit, giving the Yankees a 2-1 lead. The score would remain until the bottom of the 8th. Larry French comes in as relief for Brooklyn and the Yankees capitalized, scoring four runs on five hits to put the game out of reach. The Yankees advance!!!

1932 New York Yankees 6 1942 Brooklyn Dodgers 1


Game 6: Ted Williams Region

#16 1909 Detroit Tigers vs. #4 1912 Boston Red Sox
George Mullin (1-0, 0.00) vs. Smoky Joe Wood (1-0, 1.29)

Another pitcher's duel in this one. The teams are scoreless until the bottom of the 6th inning. With two outs, Duffy Lewis doubles and then scores on Harry Hoopers base hit. Red Sox lead 1-0. But in the top of the 8th, the Tigers would come back. With one out, Donie Bush would single and move to second on Tom Jones' groundout to third. Ty Cobb then delivers a two out RBI single to tie the game!!! Cobb advances to third on Sam Crawford's base hit. Ray Collins gets called into the game and is on the mound for Boston to face George Moriarty. Moriarty hits a single to score Cobb and give Detroit a 2-1 lead!!! In the bottom of the 8th, Boston would load the bases with one out. Ralph Works is on the mound for the Tigers. Works pitches to Bill Carrigan, who hits into the 'ol 6-4-3 double play and the inning is over. Detroit's top of the 9th is all strikeouts, so to the bottom of the 9th we go. Bill Levivelt is on the mound for Detroit. He gives up a single to Hick Cady, but Olaf Henriksen grounds to second and Cady goes down on the fielder's choice. Larry Garnder flies out to center and there are two outs with Henriksen on first. Heinie Wagner steps up and delivers an 0-2 pitch for a double, moving Henriksen to third. Tris Speaker steps to the plate and works a full count. Speaker grounds the ball to the second baseman, but beats it out for an infield single!!! Henriksen scores from third to tie the game!!! Jake Stahl comes to the plate and hits the first pitch he sees for a base hit, scoring Wagner!! The Red Sox have won!!! They advance to the Elite Eight to face the 1995 Cleveland Indians!!

1912 Boston Red Sox 3 1909 Detroit Tigers 2


Game 7: Ty Cobb Region

#11 1931 St. Louis Cardinals vs. #7 1969 Baltimore Orioles
Paul Derringer (1-0, 3.86) vs. Mike Cuellar (1-0, 0.00)

The Cardinals would strike early and score all the runs they needed to score. St. Louis loaded the bases, which were cleared by Jim Bottomley when he hit a triple. Bottomley would then score on a sacrifice fly to center by Pepper Martin. Derringer would pitch a great game, going eight innings, allowing five hits and striking out eleven Orioles. Baltimore would score a run in the bottom of the 9th to break the shutout. The Cardinals advance to the Elite Eight!!! Their next test will be against the surprising 1986 New York Mets!

1931 St. Louis Cardinals 4 1969 Baltimore Orioles 1


Game 8: Willie Mays Region

#9 1936 New York Yankees vs. #5 1944 St. Louis Cardinals
Lefty Gomez (0-0, 5.40) vs. Max Lanier (0-0, 2.25)

St. Louis would get on the board quickly in this one. In the bottom of the 1st with two outs, Stan Musial would double and later score on Whitey Kurowski's double. Cardinals lead 1-0. The Cardinals would score again in the bottom of the 3rd when Johnny Hopp scored on Walker Cooper's deep fly out to center. Cardinals lead 2-0. St. Louis would add to it's lead in the bottom of the 4th. Danny Litwhiler would single and later score on a passed ball with two outs and Lanier at the plate. Cardinals lead 3-0. Again, the Cardinals would score in the bottom of the 5th. Hopp singles and walks are issued to Marty Marion and Musial to load the bases. Cooper comes up and hits a base hit to score Hopp and St. Louis leads it 4-0. The Yankees bats would come alive in the top of the 8th, though. Tony Lazzeri singles and Frankie Crosetti walks. Both runners advance on a passed ball. Myril Hoag then flies out to left. Lazzeri tags up at third and beats the throw home!! Cardinals lead 4-1. Ben Chapman gets a base hit and moves Crosetti to third. Red Rolfe lifts a ball into left field to fly out, but Crosetti then tags up and beats the throw home!!! The lead is down to 4-2 with two outs!! Bill Dickey hits a shot between first and second and advances on a throwing error by right fielder Pepper Martin. Chapman scores to make it 4-3. Lou Gehrig steps up and delivers an RBI single to tie the game at 4. Joe DiMaggio flies out to center to end the inning. In the bottom of the 8th though, the Cardinals would regain the lead for good. With one out and Litwhiler on first, pinch hitter Ken O'Dea fouled off three pitches before connecting on a two run home run over the right field wall!!! Pitcher Johnny Broaca justs hangs his head. Harry Brecheen comes in to save the game for St. Louis in the 9th. The Cardinals advance to the Elite Eight and will face 1932 New York Yankees!!!

1944 St. Louis Cardinals 6 1936 New York Yankees 4

There you have it. Join us again soon as we narrow the Elite Eight down to the Final Four!!!

That was a bad round for the Yankees. Looks like our hopes rest with the '32 Yankees.

I hope that you plan on doing another version of this at some point. :)

Edit - and if you do another version I think it would be great if you let us pick brackets.

My plan is to do it every March. Been thinking about doing other tournaments, but haven't thought about it too much, so not sure what they would look like at this point.

Day 6: March 28, 2015
 

Welcome back to Elite Eight action here at the 2015 March Madness Tournament. Today, the final two teams battle for their regional championships and the right to advance to the Final Four!!! On to our first game.

Game 1: Ted Williams Region

#4 1912 Boston Red Sox vs. #3 1995 Cleveland Indians
Eddie Cicotte (1-0, 1.29) vs. Dennis Martinez (0-0, 12.27)

This game turned out to be a pitcher's duel, which is not what was expected given the Indians high octane offensive performance thus far in the tournament. The Red Sox started things off in the top of the 1st inning. With two outs, Tris Speaker finds himself on second courtesy of a wild pitch. Jake Stahl steps to the plate and gets a base hit to right. Manny Ramirez fields the ball and Speaker rounds third and heads for home. The throw to the plate.......and he's OUT!!! Ramirez guns down Speaker to prevent the early run. It remains scoreless until the bottom of the 6th. With two outs, Kenny Lofton singles, then steals second. Eddie Murray then hits a slow roller to third baseman Larry Gardner, who rushes the throw and sends it into the stands. Lofton scores and it's 1-0 Cleveland!! It's the same score in the bottom of the 9th. Martinez is pulled after eight innings, allowing five scattered hits. In comes Jose Mesa to close the deal. Wagner singles to start the inning, but is out at second on Speaker's grounder to short. The Indians tried to turn the double play, but Wagner broke it up and Speaker is on first with one out. Mesa settles in and strikes out Stahl and Duffy Lewis to slam the door on the Red Sox.

1995 Cleveland Indians 1 1912 Boston Red Sox 0


Game 2: Ty Cobb Region

#11 1931 St. Louis Cardinals vs. #9 1986 New York Mets
Bill Hallahan (1-0, 1.59) vs. Dwight Gooden (1-0, 1.13)

The scoring started in the top of the 2nd with two outs and two on. Jimmie Wilson is at bat and makes contact with the ball, but Keith Hernandez drops the ball and can't make the play!! The bases are loaded and Hallahan is up to bat. Gooden is obviously upset with Hernandez and shaken, as he issues the free pass to the pitcher and allows a run to cross the plate. Frankie Frisch steps into the batter's box and delivers a two RBI single. Cardinals lead 3-0!! St. Louis would add to their lead in the 7th and 8th innings to make it 6-0. The Mets score a run in the 9th, but it's all over. The St. Louis Cardinals are headed to the Final Four!!

1931 St. Louis Cardinals 6 1986 New York Mets 1


Game 3: Willie Mays Region

#5 1944 St. Louis Cardinals vs. #3 1932 New York Yankees
Mort Cooper (1-0, 4.20) vs. Johnny Allen (0-0, 0.00)

The game was scoreless until the bottom of the 4th. With one out, Earle Combs hits a single to get on base. Up to the plate strides Lou Gehrig. Gehrig connects and sends the ball over the right field wall for the two run shot. Yankees lead 2-0!! New York would add another run in the bottom of the 6th to make it 3-0. The Cardinals had nothing today, as Allen pitches a masterpiece, allowing only three hits and striking out nine. Jumbo Brown picks up his third save of the tournament.

1932 New York Yankees 3 1944 St. Louis Cardinals 0


Game 4: Babe Ruth Region

#7 1910 Chicago Cubs vs. #5 1919 Cincinnati Reds
Orval Overall (0-0, 2.57) vs. Jimmy Ring (1-0, 3.38)

It would be the Cubs to strike first in this game. In the top of the 3rd inning, Johnny Evers is on second with two outs. Joe Tinker grounds the ball to short, but Larry Kopf unleashes a wild throw over the first baseman's head and the ball sails into the crowd. Evers scores and Chicago leads it 1-0!! In the bottom of the 4th, Kopf would try to redeem himself as he sits on third with one out. Jake Doubert hits the ball deep enough into left and Kopf tags up and makes it home to tie the game, 1-1. In the top of the 6th, Overall would step to the plate to start the inning. He catches an inside pitch from Ring and the two men exchange glares as tensions mount in the dugouts. Overall takes first and moves to second on Tinker's base hit. Overall would advance to third on a fielder's choice and score on Solly Hofman's single to center. Cubs lead 2-1!!! The Reds would get men into scoring position in the bottom of the 7th and 8th, but can't score. The Cubs hold on for the win and their place in the Final Four!!!

1910 Chicago Cubs 2 1919 Cincinnati Reds 1

So, the Final Four is set!!! Tune in next time when the 1932 New York Yankees face the 1995 Cleveland Indians and the 1931 St. Louis Cardinals square off against the 1910 Chicago Cubs.

Day 7: April 4, 2015
 

Welcome back to the Final Four of the 2015 March Madness Tournament. Two great games on tap today and two teams will find themselves winners and advance to the Championship Game!!

Game 1

#3 1932 New York Yankees vs. #3 1995 Cleveland Indians
Red Ruffing (1-0, 0.59) vs. Charles Nagy (0-0, 8.10)

Given the way Charles Nagy had been pitching, I didn't expect a pitcher's duel, but it was a good one. Only three runs cross the plate in this one and unfortunately for the Yankees, they all went to the Indians. Cleveland started things off in the bottom of the 2nd with one out when Manny Ramirez hits a 407 foot shot into left center to give the Indians an early lead. Eddie Murray hit one 424 feet over the center field wall in the bottom of the 3rd with two outs to make it 2-0. Ramirez then added a second homer in the bottom of the 7th with 1 out, sending one down the line in left a mere 352 feet, but long enough to get over the wall. Charles Nagy goes 8 2/3 innings, allows five hits, strikes out eight and walks two. Red Ruffing pitched 8 innings, allowed five hits and struck out 13. Lou Gehrig goes 2-4, but Babe Ruth and Bill Dickey go 0 for the day. The Cleveland Indians advance to the Championship Game!!!

1995 Cleveland Indians 3 1932 New York Yankees 0


Game 2

#11 1931 St. Louis Cardinals vs. #7 1910 Chicago Cubs
Paul Derringer (2-0, 2.40) vs. Mordecai Brown (2-0, 1.80)

Another great pitching matchup!!! Both pitchers go deep into the game. The Cubs score first in the bottom of the 2nd with two outs and men on first and second. Brown helps his own cause and gets a base hit to score Heinie Zimmerman from second. Cubs lead 1-0. Chicago would score again in the bottom of the 5th with two outs and men on the corners. Zimmerman gets a base hit to score Solly Hofman from third and the Cubs take a 2-0 lead. The Cardinals are held hitless until the 8th inning, where they get their only two hits of the game and pose the only threat to score, getting a man 90 feet away. But they can't do it and Ed Reulbach come into the game in the 9th and picks up his fourth save of the tournament. The Chicago Cubs advance to face the Indians!!!

1910 Chicago Cubs 2 1931 St. Louis Cardinals 0


So, there you have it. Tune in again soon for the final game!!

Day 8: April 6, 2015
 

Well folks, this is what it has all come down to. 64 teams down to the final two. Who will be victorious and claim the title of 2015 March Madness-OOTP Style Champion?

Final:


#7 1910 Chicago Cubs vs. #3 1995 Cleveland Indians

Orval Overall (1-0, 1.84) vs. Dennis Martinez (1-0, 3.86)

The Cubs are the first to put a run on the board. In the top of the 1st with one out and men on 2nd and 3rd, Frank Schulte hits one deep to left field....for the sac fly. One run scores and the Cubs have the early 1-0 lead. The Indians came back in the bottom of the 3rd. With two outs, Eddie Murray draws a walk. Albert Belle then hits one down the third base line. Heinie Zimmerman snags it.....then can't handle it!! Belle is on base on the error! Jim Thome walks to load the bases and Manny Ramirez gets four balls to score Murray. Game tied, 1-1. Overall's confidence is visibly shaken as he takes the mound in the bottom of the 4th. Cleveland capitalizes, scoring five runs on four hits and chasing Orval after only 3 2/3 innings. Overall line is ugly. 3.2 innings, 5 hits, 2 K, 7 BB. The Cubs, down 6-1, never challenge. Martinez pitches a complete game and the 1995 Cleveland Indians are your tournament champions!!!

1995 Cleveland Indians 6 1910 Chicago Cubs 1

Thanks to everyone for reading. Many thanks to the great dynasty writers out there who continually give me ideas for threads like this. StLee, George Bell, Nick Soulis, rjl518. Keep up the good work!!