[sansterre]

League 2-3 January Update:


Original League 1

1998 Atlanta Braves, 15-6
1960 Pittsburgh Pirates, 14-7
1983 Atlanta Braves, 13-8
1977 Philadelphia Phillies, 13-8
1934 Detroit Tigers, 13-8
1967 St. Louis Cardinals, 13-8
2012 Washington Nationals, 13-8
1975 Pittsburgh Pirates, 13-8
2007 Atlanta Braves, 12-9
1971 Pittsburgh Pirates, 12-9
2009 Colorado Rockies, 12-9
1997 Houston Astros, 12-9
1953 Brooklyn Dodgers, 11-10

1913 Philadelphia Athletics, 11-10
1934 New York Yankees, 11-10
2002 San Francisco Giants, 11-10
2007 Philadelphia Phillies, 11-10
2013 Cincinnati Reds, 11-10
2005 St. Louis Cardinals, 10-11
1969 Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-11
1970 Chicago Cubs, 10-11
1923 Detroit Tigers, 10-11
1989 Chicago Cubs, 10-11
1921 Pittsburgh Pirates, 10-11
1929 Philadelphia Athletics, 10-11
1995 Atlanta Braves, 10-11
1971 Baltimore Orioles, 9-12
1942 New York Yankees, 9-12
1904 New York Highlanders, 9-12
1933 New York Yankees, 9-12
1992 Cincinnati Reds, 8-13
1907 Chicago Cubs, 8-13
1972 Pittsburgh Pirates, 8-13
1957 Chicago White Sox, 6-15
1919 New York Giants, 6-15
1949 Brooklyn Dodgers, 5-16


Original League 2

1950 Boston Red Sox, 18-3
1953 New York Yankees, 15-6
1990 Cincinnati Reds, 15-6
1964 Cincinnati Reds, 14-7
1997 Atlanta Braves, 14-7
1905 New York Giants, 13-8
1911 Philadelphia Athletics, 13-8
2007 San Diego Padres, 12-9
2004 Atlanta Braves, 12-9
1904 Cleveland Naps, 11-10
1991 Atlanta Braves, 11-10
2000 St. Louis Cardinals, 11-10
1951 Brooklyn Dodgers, 11-10

1910 Boston Red Sox, 11-10
1973 Los Angeles Dodgers, 11-10
1988 New York Mets, 10-11
2002 Arizona Diamondbacks, 10-11
1908 Chicago Cubs, 10-11
2016 Los Angeles Dodgers, 10-11
1999 San Francisco Giants, 10-11
2002 Los Angeles Dodgers, 9-12
1962 New York Yankees, 9-12
1947 New York Yankees, 9-12
1967 Detroit Tigers, 9-12
1985 New York Mets, 9-12
1993 San Francisco Giants, 9-12
1951 Boston Red Sox, 9-12
1979 Pittsburgh Pirates, 9-12
1902 Cincinnati Reds, 9-12
1985 St. Louis Cardinals, 9-12
1976 Philadelphia Phillies, 8-13
1932 New York Yankees, 8-13
1952 Philadelphia Phillies, 8-13
1993 Houston Astros, 8-13
1961 Detroit Tigers, 7-14
1969 Atlanta Braves, 7-14


So. Surprised about the 1950 Boston Red Sox? Don't be. So far this season they've hit 317/393/533, and that's with no DH. Is this a fluke? In real life as a team they hit 302/385/464, and scored 1027 runs, which is more than any team since the offense-heavy 1930s. They had a pythag of 94-60, two worse than the league-winning Yankees. Truthfully, their pitching was below average in 1950, which means they probably have one of the worst pitching staffs in the SuperTournament. And also, full disclosure, they may have one of the very best offenses in the whole thing; they certainly led their league in offense in Round 1.

Incidentally. I was watching a game and the most awesome thing happened. The 1919 Giants held a 3-0 lead on the 1971 Pittsburgh Pirates. This carried into the bottom of the ninth. Art Neff came in to pitch for the Giants; he's 7/5/8, making him fine but not a great closer. The Pirates score but get two outs, so there's a man on first, two outs, down 3-1. Manny Sanguillen, the excellent catcher, hits a sinking liner to right that Ross Youngs just couldn't get to. So men on first and second, two outs, and the winning run comes to the plate in the form of Willie Stargell (think Carlos Delgado, or any super-masher ever). The pitch comes and Stargell swings. You know those home runs that are line drives, so they look like doubles but they happen to carry over the fence? This wasn't one of those. The ball exploded off the bat and was over the right field fence before I could blink. Extreme prejudice was shown. The Pirates stormed the field.

It was awesome. It was one of those things that I've read about and seen once or twice, but to see Willie Stargell crush that pitch . . . It was pretty special.