[Highlander]

Had some real blowouts in these 4 matchups....some surprising and some not so much!

1970 Pittsburgh Pirates vs. 1976 Cincinnati Reds

The 1970 Pirates won their division, but only had a record of 89-73. They lost to the Reds in the LCS. In the 1st round, they advanced with an identical 89-73 record to what they did in real life.

The 1976 Reds led baseball with a 102-60 record, then swept through the 101 game winning Phillies and the 97 win Yankees in the playoffs to win the World Series. They were the last of the Big Red Machine teams to make it to a World Series. In the 1st round, they blew through the competition at 101-61.

The Pirates seemed to be in a big underdog role against these mighty Reds and it sure ended up that way in the 1970 season, as the Reds came through with a 94-68 record. The 76 season didn't go any better as the Reds again got the blowout win at 97-65 to advance 191-133. The Reds don't seem to be THAT dominant when you look at their ratings. Other than Joe Morgan, no one stands out that much more than other teams, but they sure do win games! I have to believe at least one of the 70's Reds teams will make it to the final round....it will be very interesting to see which one(s).


1925 Pittsburgh Pirates vs. 1928 Pittsburgh Pirates

The Pirates join the select few franchises who had two teams square off in this round. The 1925 version went 95-58 and then beat the Senators in the World Series. They were 95-67 in the 1st round to advance here.

The 1928 Pirates were a much bigger surprise to get this far. I think they are the lowest finishing real life team we've seen in this round, as they finished in 4th place in the NL. There were enough 90-win teams that year that I had to use them to even up the season.....and somehow, they came through with a 90-72 record to represent their year over many seemingly better teams.

Based on real life success, it seemed like the 25 Pirates were at an advantage....however, having two teams from the same franchise in years so close together, that suggests it might be closer than we'd think. The 1925 season made clear these teams were in a battle. The 25 Pirates squeaked out an 82-80 win. The 28 season seemed like it might go the same way, but a late season surge gave the 28 team an 85-77 advantage. That slim margin was enough and the 1928 Pirates continue their unlikely run with a 165-159 victory.


1977 Baltimore Orioles vs. 1909 Pittsburgh Pirates

The 1977 Orioles finished tied for 2nd with the Red Sox at 97-64 behind the 100 game winning Yankees. They finished at 87-65 to advance here.

The 1909 Pirates were an incredible 110-42 in real life, beating out the 104-49 Cubs to get to the World Series. Then they beat the Tigers there in 7 games. In the 1st round, they left little doubt who would represent 1909 with a 101-61 record.

We already saw the 78 Orioles get to this point in a surprising win and then fall apart. The 77 team had a huge challenge against one of the great early era teams. Based on the 1909 season, it looked like the Orioles were not up for that challenge, as the Pirates took a huge 99-63 lead. Many of the early era teams have done very poorly in later years, so the Orioles still had a chance. However, this Pirates team showed they are real contenders for the top spot as they blew out the Orioles in the 77 season, 110-52 to advance by a 209-115 margin.


1947 New York Yankees vs. 1968 St. Louis Cardinals

The real 1947 Yankees were one of those great 40's/50's Yankees team that won the AL (this time with a 97-57 record) and then beat the Dodgers in the World Series. They finished at 89-73 in the 1st round, so it was not an easy competition for them.

The 1968 Cardinals are one of the more famous St. Louis teams, mostly thanks to the incredible season by Bob Gibson and his 1.12 ERA that year. They finished at 97-65, but lost to the Tigers in the World Series. In the 1st round they had a similar tough time as the 47 Yankees, also finishing with an 89-73 record.

This one looked like a tough call on paper as it was hard to tell how Gibson and company would do outside of the pitching friendly era they played in. The 1947 season showed that they might not do very well, as the Yankees won handily, 98-64. Things had to get better in the 68 season, though....right? Surprisingly, the answer to that question is a big NO! The Yankees came into the 68 season and again beat the Cardinals pretty soundly, at 93-69 to advance to the next round 191-133.


That's all for this update. The next one will include a matchup between 1911 and 1932 as well as an interesting contest between two all-time great Dodger teams.