March Madness Style Tournament Using Historical Exhibition Mode...
 

...Exactly what the title says. I put together a 64-team tournament using historical exhibition mode as explained in this post. Basically I took any team from 1901 through 2015 that achieved a +200 run differential on their season, and put them in a spreadsheet, and ranked them according to Pythagorean Winning Percentage which is:

runs scored^2/(runs scored^2 + runs allowed^2)

There are 91 such teams in that 115 years of baseball history, so it is quite a rare achievement, but it does demonstrate dominant play over a 140, 154, or 162 game schedule, and that's what I was shooting for. I took the top 64 and set up brackets, which I shall outline in the next post...

Babe Ruth Quarter of the Draw:

1) 1906 Cubs
64) 1928 Athletics

32) 1974 Dodgers
33) 1998 Braves

16) 1948 Indians
49) 1970 Orioles

17) 2001 Mariners
48) 1945 Cubs

8) 1942 Cardinals
57) 1986 Mets

25) 1942 Dodgers
40) 1971 Orioles

9) 1904 Giants
56) 1956 Yankees

24) 1901 Pirates
41) 1947 Yankees

Willie Mays Quarter of the Draw:

4) 1909 Cubs
61) 1961 Yankees

29) 1954 Yankees
36) 1998 Astros

13) 1905 Cubs
52) 1931 Athletics

20) 1929 Athletics
45) 1995 Indians

5) 1927 Yankees
60) 1934 Tigers

28) 1911 Athletics
37) 1915 White Sox

12) 1910 Athletics
53) 2001 Athletics

21) 1953 Yankees
44) 1932 Yankees

Walter Johnson Quarter of the Draw:

2) 1902 Pirates
63) 1922 Browns

31) 1910 Cubs
34) 1935 Cubs

15) 1954 Indians
50) 1941 Dodgers

18) 1998 Yankees
47) 1935 Tigers

7) 1944 Cardinals
58) 1976 Reds

26) 1912 Giants
39) 1931 Yankees

10) 1909 Pirates
55) 1938 Yankees

23) 1936 Yankees
42) 1911 Giants

Cy Young Quarter of the Draw:

3) 1939 Yankees
62) 1949 Dodgers

30) 1943 Cardinals
35) 1914 Athletics

14) 1969 Orioles
51) 1993 Braves

19) 1912 Red Sox
46) 1976 Phillies

6) 1942 Yankees
59) 1948 Yankees

27) 1975 Reds
38) 1903 Americans

11) 1905 Giants
54) 1997 Braves

22) 1937 Yankees
43) 1953 Dodgers

For the first two rounds of the tournament, I'm just going to post the result of the seven game series and the MVP as selected by the computer. I'll post screenshots when we get down to the Sweet Sixteen.

Babe Ruth Quarter of the Draw 1st round results:

1) 64) 1928 Athletics defeat 1) 1906 Cubs 4-2 MVP: Lefty Grove

2) 33) 1998 Braves defeat 32) 1974 Dodgers 4-3 MVP: Tom Glavine

3) 16) 1948 Indians defeat 49) 1970 Orioles 4-3 MVP: Dale Mitchell

4) 48) 1945 Cubs defeat 17) 2001 Mariners 4-3 MVP: Phil Cavarretta

5) 8) 1942 Cardinals defeat 57) 1986 Mets 4-2 MVP: Terry Moore

6) 40) 1971 Orioles defeat 25) 1942 Dodgers 4-1 MVP: Brooks Robinson

7) 56) 1956 Yankees defeat 9) 1904 Giants 4-2 MVP: Whitey Ford

8) 41) 1947 Yankees defeat 24) 1901 Pirates 4-2 MVP: Billy Johnson

I'm out.

That was quick.

I would do all World Series Teams.

Willie Mays Quarter of the Draw 1st round results:

9) 61) 1961 Yankees defeat 4) 1909 Cubs 4-3 MVP: Whitey Ford

10) 29) 1954 Yankees defeat 36) 1998 Astros 4-1 MVP: Eddie Lopat

11) 13) 1905 Cubs defeat 52) 1931 Athletics 4-2 MVP: Jake Weimer

12) 20) 1929 Athletics defeat 45) 1995 Indians 4-3 MVP: Al Simmons

13) 5) 1927 Yankees defeat 60) 1934 Tigers 4-1 MVP: Earle Combs

14) 37) 1915 White Sox defeat 28) 1911 Athletics 4-2 MVP: Braggo Roth

15) 12) 1910 Athletics defeat 53) 2001 Athletics 4-3 MVP: Chief Bender

16) 44) 1932 Yankees defeat 21) 1953 Yankees 4-2 MVP: George Pipgras

Walter Johnson Quarter of the Draw 1st round results:

17) 2) 1902 Pirates defeat 63) 1922 Browns 4-2 MVP: Jack Chesbro

18) 31) 1910 Cubs defeat 34) 1935 Cubs 4-1 MVP: Orval Overall

19) 50) 1941 Dodgers defeat 15) 1954 Indians 4-2 MVP: Joe Medwick

20) 18) 1998 Yankees defeat 47) 1935 Tigers 4-1 MVP: none (so I selected Scott Brosius)

21) 58) 1976 Reds defeat 7) 1944 Cardinals 4-3 MVP: George Foster

22) 26) 1912 Giants defeat 39) 1931 Yankees 4-2 MVP: Red Murray

23) 55) 1938 Yankees defeat 10) 1909 Pirates 4-3 MVP: Lefty Gomez

24) 23) 1936 Yankees defeat 42) 1911 Giants 4-2 MVP: Lou Gehrig

March Madness can be cruel that way too. ;)

Observations from the first 24 7-game series...

So far lots of upsets, but no sweeps. Can you even call it an upset when you're dealing with teams of this caliber? Only 5 of the 24 series have finished in 5 games for cryin' out loud. 8 series have gone the distance, which leaves 11 that have gone six games. The fans are getting their money's worth as damn near 80% of the series have gone six games or more. Outstanding. 13 Yankee teams remain in a field that has now dwindled to 40. That's almost one third of the teams left in the tournament. Geez!

Cy Young Quarter of the Draw 1st round results:

25) 3) 1939 Yankees defeat 1949 Dodgers 4-0 MVP: Joe Gordon

26) 35) 1914 Athletics defeat 30) 1943 Cardinals 4-2 MVP: Wally Schang

27) 14) 1969 Orioles defeat 51) 1993 Braves 4-2 MVP: Jim Palmer

28) 19) 1912 Red Sox defeat 46) 1976 Phillies 4-3 MVP: Bob Boone

29) 6) 1942 Yankees defeat 59) 1948 Yankees 4-3 MVP: Charlie Keller

30) 27) 1975 Reds defeat 38) 1903 Americans 4-2 MVP: Jimmy Collins

31) 54) 1997 Braves defeat 11) 1905 Giants 4-3 MVP: Greg Maddux

32) 22) 1937 Yankees defeat 43) 1953 Dodgers 4-1 MVP: Joe DiMaggio

So time for a reset to see where we are and see what the round 2 matchups are:

Babe Ruth Quarter of the Draw:

33) 1998 Braves
64) 1928 Athletics

16) 1948 Indians
48) 1945 Cubs

8) 1942 Cardinals
40) 1971 Orioles

41) 1947 Yankees
56) 1956 Yankees

Willie Mays Quarter of the Draw:

29) 1954 Yankees
61) 1961 Yankees

13) 1905 Cubs
20) 1929 Athletics

5) 1927 Yankees
37) 1915 White Sox

12) 1910 Athletics
44) 1932 Yankees

Walter Johnson Quarter of the Draw:

2) 1902 Pirates
31) 1910 Cubs

18) 1998 Yankees
50) 1941 Dodgers

26) 1912 Giants
58) 1976 Reds

23) 1936 Yankees
55) 1938 Yankees

Cy Young Quarter of the Draw:

3) 1939 Yankees
35) 1914 Athletics

14) 1969 Orioles
19) 1912 Red Sox

6) 1942 Yankees
27) 1975 Reds

22) 1937 Yankees
54) 1997 Braves

So...Finally had a sweep, and one more five game series. Our totals now for 32 series' are 1 sweep, 6 five game series', 14 six game series', and 11 series have gone the distance. 78% of the series' have gone at least six games. Awesome. Also 32 teams remain and 12 of them are some iteration of the Bronx Bombers. Whoa! :ohmy:

Babe Ruth Quarter of the Draw 2nd round results:

33) 33) 1998 Braves defeat 64) 1928 Athletics 4-1 MVP: Ryan Klesko

34) 16) 1948 Indians defeat 48) 1945 Cubs 4-0 MVP: Lou Boudreau

35) 40) 1971 Orioles defeat 8) 1942 Cardinals 4-0 MVP: Pat Dobson

36) 41) 1947 Yankees defeat 56) 1956 Yankees 4-0 MVP: Billy Johnson

Willie Mays Quarter of the Draw 2nd round results:

37) 29) 1954 Yankees defeat 61) 1961 Yankees 4-0 MVP: Hank Bauer

38) 20) 1929 Athletics defeat 13) 1905 Cubs 4-3 MVP: Jimmie Foxx

39) 5) 1927 Yankees defeat 37) 1915 White Sox 4-2 MVP: Lou Gehrig

40) 12) 1910 Athletics defeat 44) 1932 Yankees 4-2 MVP: Eddie Plank

Whoa! 4 sweeps in a row! Through 40 best of seven series', we've now seen 5 sweeps, 7 5-game series', 16 6-game series', and 12 series' have managed to go the distance. Still 70% of the series' are going to six games, so it's still good baseball. The 1927 Yankees have to be the favourite to go all the way to the finals now, as the best competition they should face is in the Sweet Sixteen against the 1910 Athletics. But in a seven game series, anything can happen.

That 1910 Athletics vs 1932 Yankees was a real classic. For the six games, the two teams scored a grand total of 18 runs: 10 for Philadelphia and 8 for the "Bombers". The A's had 3 2-1 victories and a 3-1 victory while they lost 2-1 and 2-0. Absolute classic of a series. I used 1910 settings, as Philadelphia was the favourite, and boy was the offense ever dead. :laugh:

I won't have done as well in this pool as in my pathetic NCAA pool! This is cool, good luck and thank you.

Number 1 seed gone in the 1st Round????


Was there a goat involved?