[Highlander]

Back for more of Round 2....only 9 more matchups to go after this update!

2016 Chicago Cubs vs. 1958 New York Yankees

The real 2016 Cubs are, of course, the team that finally ended the loooonnnngggg drought for the Cubs franchise. They led baseball with a 103-59 record and then finally won the World Series over the Indians. They went 101-61 in the 1st round to be one of the few teams that got 100+ wins, so they are a truly tough team to beat.

The 1958 Yankees went 92-62 in real life and then went on to beat the Braves in the World Series. It truly is something to see how many Yankees teams made it to this round....and quite a few have advanced to the next. Plus, there are more to come! This team only went 87-75 in the 1st round, so they had a tough fight to get here.

The 58 season was a pretty close one, but the Cubs came away with a pretty decent 88-74 lead. It seemed like it would be a challenge for the Yankees to outplay them in their home season.....and it was. The Cubs came back with another win at 95-67 to advance over the Yankees, 183-141.


1939 New York Yankees vs. 1926 New York Yankees

The 39 Yankees are not a team that is talked about very much, but they went 106-45 to finish 17 games ahead in the AL, then swept the Reds in the World Series. This may actually be one of the best Yankees teams ever despite not getting the press of the 1927, 1961, 1998 or even the 1936 teams. In the first round they went 91-71, so maybe OOTP doesn't think they are QUITE that dominant.

The 1926 Yankees were kind of the preview team for what was to come in 1927. In real life they went 91-63 but lost the World Series to the Cardinals. They went 89-73 in the 1st round to advance here.

This seemed like an interesting matchup with one team much more successful in real life, but both teams performing similarly in their 1st round contests. Lou Gehrig was a common player on both teams, but the 39 season was a very brief season for him for reasons everyone knows about. The 39 team came right out in the 1926 season to show they were there to play and finished at 94-68. That didn't bode well for the 26 team heading into the 39 season, and even though they kept it a little closer, they still dropped the season to the 39 team 92-70. The 1939 Yankees moved on by a 186-138 margin.


1957 Milwaukee Braves vs. 1981 Philadelphia Phillies

The 57 Braves were 95-59 and then became one of the only teams to beat the Yankees in a World Series during this era, as they won it in 7 games. In the 1st round they outlasted the Yankees as well, with a 94-68 record.

The 1981 Phillies were 59-48 overall in the real strike-shortened 1981 season. They were a first place team int he 1st half, then dropped to 3rd in the 2nd half. They then lost in the 1st round of the playoffs to the Expos. However, they "Rose" to the occasion (sorry...had to do it!) in the 1st round and finished at 95-67 to advance here.

The Phillies have not fared well in this round so far, but this 81 squad seemed to have potential with Pete Rose, Mike Schmidt, Steve Carlton and company. The 57 season wasn't kind to them, however, as the Braves won their home season 93-69. The 81 season was much closer, but the Braves still came out on top 83-79 to advance by a 176-148 margin.


1936 New York Yankees vs. 2021 Milwaukee Brewers

The 36 Yankees, as mentioned earlier, are sometimes mentioned when talk of the best team ever is brought up. They certainly had an incredible offense with Dickey, Gehrig and Joe Dimaggio (his incredible rookie season). In real life they went 102-51 and then beat the Giants in the World Series. In the 1st round of this competition they went just 87-75, showing they may not be quite as dominant as previously thought.

The 2021 Brewers are probably not a team many think of when you think of all-time great teams. They won their division at a solid 95-67, but then lost in the Division Series to the eventual World Series champion Braves. Most would have thought those Braves or the 107 game-winning Giants or the 106 game-winning Dodgers....or even the 100 game-winning Rays would have been the team to represent the 2021 season, but the Brewers went 91-71 to tie the Dodgers. The run differential went the Brewers way, however, at +66 to +47.

I had no idea what would happen in this series. It was a big era difference with a team that had a super charged offense in the Yankees against a team that was more built around pitching with the Brewers. The 36 season showed we might be in for a close one as the Brewers came out on top 86-76. Then in the 2021 season, where I thought the Yankees offense may have unloaded, the Brewers again won a close one at 85-77. In a pretty big shocker, the 2021 Brewers knocked off the 36 Yankees, 171-151!


1908 New York Giants vs. 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers

The real Giants tied for 2nd place in the NL with the Pirates at 98-56, 1 game behind the eventual champion Cubs. In the 1st round they squeaked out a close 89-73 win to advance.

The 1952 Dodgers are a very similar team to the 53 version we saw earlier, but not as strong. This team went 96-57 then lost to the Yankees in the World Series in 7 games. Here, they got some measure of revenge against the Yankees by advancing at 94-68.

Another tough matchup to predict, as these early era teams have been all over the place. Some have gotten blown out because their pitching depth just doesn't make it in later years....but some have been dominant. The Giants showed that their team was made for their home season, as they went 98-64 in the 1908 matchup. The Dodgers had a lot of work to do in their home season, but I've seen some teams win over 100 games in a situation like this. Not this time, however! The Dodgers did make a better showing, but an 81-81 tie just wasn't going to get the job done. The Giants move on by a margin of 179-145.


1913 New York Giants vs. 1990 Pittsburgh Pirates

Yet another early era Giants team appears in the 2nd round. These teams are super strong in pitching with guys like Christy Mathewson, Joe McGinnity, Red Ames, etc. They have some solid offense and defense as well, so it's not surprise we've seen a number of them. This version went 101-51, but lost in the World Series to the A's. In the 1st round they put up an impressive 102-60 record to advance.

The 1990 Pirates are representative of those really good Pirates teams of the early 90's that featured strong pitching and the Bonds/Bonilla pair on offense. I may have actually played this matchup out on Bobby Bonilla day! Enjoy that money Bobby!! In real life they went 95-67 but lost to the Reds in the playoffs.

After seeing the 08 Giants take it to the 52 Dodgers, I was thinking this Giants team would be similarly tough to beat. The Pirates came out fast, though, with an 87-75 win in the 1913 season. Their home season was actually tougher for the Pirates, but it ended it an 81-81 tie. That was enough to let the Pirates advance in a close one, 167-156.

I'll probably finish out Round 2 in my next update. Coming up will be a matchup between 1962 and 1999. We will see more versions of the Yankees, Dodgers and Cardinals.....but 2-3 teams that I don't think we've seen versions of at all.