Greatest Team of All-Time March Madness

[SloppyThirstin]

I love a good bracket and have wanted to make a 64-team bracket to determine the best team for a while now. Figured I'd make a thread and keep it updated here for posterity as I go series by series.

The rules:
- Each franchise gets an automatic bid, so at least 1 team.
- Pennants and World Series wins helps a team's case for inclusion and seeding, but isn't necessary.
- Only one team per dynasty. Franchises have multiple entries, but dynasties like the Big Red Machine or the 1950s Yankees only have one representative.
- Each series will be played according to the era & strategy settings of the higher-seeded team. (I'm playing each series one at a time rather than a 64-team bracket all at once.) In the Final Four, teams will be re-seeded if two of the same seeds play each other.
- I tried to vary eras and franchises as much possible in the earlier rounds.
- The games will be played out in pitch-by-pitch mode with the CPU managing both teams. (I'm letting this play out on my second monitor while I work, as I'm sure many of us are familiar with.)

Here is the bracket, which I imagine will be controversial:

Region 1
1) 1939 Yankees (4-1)
16) 2021 Rays

8) 1911 A's (4-3)
9) 1983 Orioles

5) 2018 Red Sox
12) 1957 Braves (4-2)

4) 1953 Dodgers (4-0)
13) 2005 White Sox

3) 1942 Cardinals (4-2)
14) 2019 Nationals

6) 2001 Mariners (4-2)
11) 1980 Phillies

7) 1968 Tigers
10) 1991 Twins

2) 1902 Pirates
15) 1977 Royals


Region 2
1) 1927 Yankees
16) 2007 Rockies

8) 1934 Tigers
9) 2021 Braves

5) 1917 White Sox
12) 2012 Giants

4) 2024 Dodgers
13) 2002 Angels

6) 1948 Indians
11) 2008 Phillies

7) 1973 A's
10) 1933 Giants

2) 1984 Tigers
15) 1969 Mets

Region 3
1) 1975 Reds
16) 1998 Padres

8) 2004 Red Sox
9) 1989 A's

5) 1995 Braves
12) 1965 Twins

4) 1986 Mets
13) 1934 Cardinals

3) 1905 Giants
14) 2011 Rangers

6) 1967 Cardinals
11) 1994 Expos

7) 1963 Dodgers
10) 1979 Pirates

2) 1961 Yankees
15) 1946 Red Sox

Region 4
1) 1998 Yankees
16) 1982 Brewers

8) 1993 Blue Jays
9) 1954 Giants

5) 2016 Cubs
12) 1990 Reds

4) 1929 A's
13) 2001 Diamondbacks

3) 1953 Yankees
14) 1924 Senators

6) 2019 Astros
11) 1912 Red Sox

7) 1995 Indians
10) 1909 Tigers

2) 1970 Orioles
15) 2003 Marlins

I'm playing these out pitch-by-pitch in the background, so I plan on this taking a while. I'll give an update after each series. The last time I tried this a couple years ago, the 2007 Rockies beat the 1927 Yankees in 5 games in the first series, so I expect there'll be some madness along the way!

[webrian]

Interesting project! I love running these and reading about others' replays as well.

Questions:

1. Will you be setting the lineups before each series or going with the CPU settings?

2. What is the year setting? Will the higher-seeded team get "home year advantage" or does each series default to modern (2026) settings? These settings have a major impact on results, especially for pre-WWII teams that don't have deep bullpens.

3. Best of Five or Best of Seven for each series? I might have read over that part too fast because I'm such a geek about the brackets and matchups.

I love your format with the NCAA-style four 16-team brackets. You've got some intriguing matchups just in the first round, and I'm excited to see how they come out.

Happy playing!

[SloppyThirstin]

Originally Posted by webrian

Questions:

1. Will you be setting the lineups before each series or going with the CPU settings?

2. What is the year setting? Will the higher-seeded team get "home year advantage" or does each series default to modern (2026) settings? These settings have a major impact on results, especially for pre-WWII teams that don't have deep bullpens.

3. Best of Five or Best of Seven for each series? I might have read over that part too fast because I'm such a geek about the brackets and matchups.

1) I don't plan to tinker with the lineups too much. The only exceptions I might consider will be to reduce the number of relievers the modern team has in games where a 2000s team plays a 1910s team with the 2000s strategy settings in order to give them a fighting chance. I have no clue if that will be a disaster or not, but we'll see.

2) I'm doing the "home-year advantage." I'm just finishing up the first series now: 1939 Yankees vs. 2021 Rays, where the whole series is being played with 1939 strategy settings. I had the same concern about bullpens going in, but it also seemed like it could lead to some interesting results. It might lead to the 2024 Dodgers just stomping through everyone. If 21st-century teams have way too much of an advantage, I might make 1998 the cutoff date, just to give older teams with short bullpens a fighting chance while still letting modern teams' power play to their advantage. My dream is still to be able to have the home team have "home-year advantage" in a historical exhibition, so that a series between a 2024 team and a 1905 team could switch back and forth between deadball and three true outcomes-style baseball within a single series.

3) Best of seven.

[webrian]

Originally Posted by SloppyThirstin

1) I don't plan to tinker with the lineups too much. The only exceptions I might consider will be to reduce the number of relievers the modern team has in games where a 2000s team plays a 1910s team with the 2000s strategy settings in order to give them a fighting chance. I have no clue if that will be a disaster or not, but we'll see.

2) I'm doing the "home-year advantage." I'm just finishing up the first series now: 1939 Yankees vs. 2021 Rays, where the whole series is being played with 1939 strategy settings. I had the same concern about bullpens going in, but it also seemed like it could lead to some interesting results. It might lead to the 2024 Dodgers just stomping through everyone. If 21st-century teams have way too much of an advantage, I might make 1998 the cutoff date, just to give older teams with short bullpens a fighting chance while still letting modern teams' power play to their advantage. My dream is still to be able to have the home team have "home-year advantage" in a historical exhibition, so that a series between a 2024 team and a 1905 team could switch back and forth between deadball and three true outcomes-style baseball within a single series.

3) Best of seven.

***

Thank you for answering those questions! Like you, I also really wish the "home year" could switch back-and-forth within a series. I once considered playing one series in one team's year, then a whole other series in the other team's year, but that seemed like a lot of mess with possibly even more inconclusive results.

If you use the 2024 Dodgers "World Series" roster (that's an option in the set-up) then I doubt they'll be stomping very far. Some of their best pitchers were unavailable in that World Series. They did still beat the Yankees, though. When I use the 2024 Dodgers, I avoid the "World Series" roster and use the "End of Season" instead, so I can put their intended pitching staff back together.

Here are my two most anticipated match-ups from each of your four brackets:

Region 1

No. 9 1983 Orioles vs. No. 8 1911 Athletics — I have no idea how modern teams will do in a Deadball Era setting. The 1983 Orioles were pretty reliant on the longball. It'll be interesting to see if they can make the adjustment.

No. 12 1957 Braves vs. No. 5 2018 Red Sox — I shudder to think what that 1957 Braves lineup could do in a 2018 setting. It will be their power hitters against Boston's power pitchers. I'm also curious to see what happens to Bob Buhl's and Warren Spahn's ultra-finesse pitching in 2018.

Region 2

No. 16 2007 Rockies vs. No. 1 1927 Yankees — I think playing this series in 1927 gives the Rockies a pretty good chance. Yes, they have a deeper bullpen than the 1927 Yanks, but their relievers aren't very good. I think the Rockies' hitting will give the Yanks all they can handle.

No. 13 2002 Angels vs. No. 4 2024 Dodgers — Okay, first, I think you've got these seeds reversed, but we'll see. The Hotel California series might remind you that the 2002 Angels are better than you remember. No matter who wins, this has a chance to be *off-the-chain* entertaining.

Region 3

No. 16 1998 Padres vs. No. 1 1975 Reds — Don't sleep on the 1998 Padres. They didn't give the 1998 Yankees any trouble in the real-life World Series, but the OOTP algo seems to love these guys. Kevin Brown is unhittable. Their bullpen is tough. The lineup is as pesky as a swarm of gnats in March. I'm not sure how they'll translate to 1975, besides having longer hair and sleazier sideburns. If the Big Red Machine doesn't come ready to hit, they'll get toppled.

No. 15 Red Sox vs. No. 2 1961 Yankees — Oh, no you didn't! This series has the potential to be so epic, you'd have to put all of the Dropkick Murphys in straitjackets to keep them from writing songs about it. Again, I'm not sure how you arrived at these seeds, but I'm too hornked up about this matchup to care. This will either be a one-sided bloodbath or an epic barnburner. It could not go any other way.

Region 4

No. 13 2001 Diamondbacks vs. No. 4 1929 Athletics — Hagler vs. Leonard. Tyson vs. Holyfield. Ali vs. Frazier. Forget all that. I want to see Lefty vs. Unit, especially in 2001. Bring it!

No. 11 1912 Red Sox vs. No. 6 2019 Astros — Same as above, but this time make it Verlander vs. Smoky Joe. Unfortunately, I think the Deadball Era setting will dampen the strikeout numbers a bit, but this should be a helluva series.

I'll be following along. Have fun!

[SloppyThirstin]

1939 Yankees beat the 2021 Rays, 4-1

Game 1: Rays 2, Yankees 9 (W: Marius Russo, L: Shane McClanahan)

- Easy Yankees win. They put up 3 runs in 4th and another 3 runs in the 5th to take a 6-2 lead and chased Rays ace Shane McClanahan out of the game. Collin McHugh gave up another 3 runs in his 3 innings of relief.
- Red Rolfe was a HR short of a cycle, going 4-5 with 4 RBI. The fearsome outfield of DiMaggio, Selkirk, and Keller were kept pretty quiet, only getting a hit apiece, but Rolfe was a one-man offense.

Game 2: Rays 2, Yankees 7 (W: Lefty Gomez, L: Tyler Glasnow)
- The Rays took a 1-0 lead in the 2nd, but the Yankees put up 4 in the 3rd and never looked back. Another easy win for the #1 ranked team in the tournament.

- Gomez was PotG, striking out 9 in 7 inning while only giving up one earned run. Rolfe once again carried the offense, hitting a 2-run home run to give the Yankees the lead in the 3rd and going 2 for 3 in the game with 3 RBIs. DiMaggio chipped in with 2 runs on 2 hits, while Joe Gordon went 2-4 with 3 RBIs.
- The Rays offense is ice-cold through the first 2 games. Brandon Phillips, Mike Zunino, Brandon Lowe, and Randy Arozarena have 1 hit between them in the first two games. Kevin Kiermaier and Nelson Cruz have been the only bright spots so far.

Game 3: Yankees 9, Rays 5 (W: Red Ruffing, L: Michael Wacha)

- Rays make it interesting by taking an early 3-0 lead in the 3rd. But Yankees tie it in the 6th and break it open by scoring 4 in the 7th for another easy Yankees win.
- Red Rolfe keeps up his dominance, going 2-4 with a walk and an RBI, while Babe Dahlgren, Charlie Keller, and Joe Gordon all hit home runs. Red Ruffing pitches a complete game despite allowing 5 earned runs, while Michael Wacha's strong start to the day unravels, giving up 8 earned runs in 6.2 innings.
- Red Rolfe, the undeniable star of the series so far, going 9 for15 in the first 4 games, is injured on a slide in the 8th inning! His diagnosis is pending.

Game 4: Yankees 2, Rays 3 (W: Andrew Kittredge, L: Johnny Murphy)

- Our first actually interesting game! And an exciting one at that: Oral Hildebrand was cruising for the Yankees, who took a 2-0 lead in the 4th off of a Joe DiMaggio home. But Hildebrand eventually runs into some trouble as Nelson Cruz hits a solo homer and Wander Franco (who, unfortunately, has been the star for the Rays in the last two games), brings the tying run home with a triple.
- The Yankees bring Johnny Murphy out of the bullpen in the 9th inning. Wander Franco gets his third hit of the day, then steals second. With two outs in the bottom of the 9th, the Rays bring in Francisco Mejia to pinch hit for Mike Zunino (who's had a miserable series, batting .071) Mejia lines one to left to bring Franco home for a dramatic walk-off win with 2 outs in an elimination game.
- With Bill Knickerbocker at 3B instead of Red Rolfe, the Yankees offense doesn't manage to do much.

Game 5: Yankees 3, Rays 2 (W: Marius Russo, L: Tyler Glasnow)

- Another low-scoring game. Russo goes the distance. He wins both game 1 and the deciding game 5.
- Bill Dickey's 2-run HR in the 4th inning gives the Yankees a lead they don't relinquish. The Yankees offense threatens all game but can never quite break it open. They hit 12 runs and add on 6 more walks, but only manage to score 3. But it's still enough to hold off the Rays, who make it interesting with another Nelson Cruz home run in the bottom of the 9th to make it a one-run game, but no luck. Yankees win.

Series MVP: Red Rolfe, despite missing game 4 and 5 due to injury. He goes 9-15, with 8 RBIs and an OPS of 1.721 in his 3 games.
Russo has two solid outings, 17 IP with just 4 earned runs.

Series LVP: Randy Arozarena and Brandon Lowe combine to go 6-35, as the Rays offense never going.

[SloppyThirstin]

Round 1: #81911 Athletics beat the 1983 Orioles, 4-3, in what was nearly an all-timer of a series.

Game 1: Orioles 1, Athletics 6 (W: Eddie Plank, L: Mike Boddicker)
- The A's put up 5 runs in the first inning, capped with a bases-clearing double from the 8-hitter, Jack Barry. Bodicker has a rough outing, giving up 13 hits and 9 walks in his 7.1 IP.
- The Orioles have no trouble getting on base, getting 10 hits and 2 walks, but only score one run in the 2nd inning off Plank. Easy A's win.

Game 2: Orioles 3, Athletics 4 (W: Charles Bender, L. Storm Davis)
- Great game.
- The light-hitting leadoff 2B Lenn Sakata launches the very first pitch of the game from Bender 458 feet to dead center field for a home run in the 1911-era settings, which would've been the stuff of legend if it happened in real life.
- Orioles plate another in the 3rd and another in the 4th and they go into the 7th with a 3-1 lead. Jack Barry hits an RBI triple to make it 3-2 and Bender scores him on a sacrifice fly to tie the game. Frank Baker scores a run off a Rube Oldring single to take the lead in the 8th and win the game. Late-inning comeback to take a 2-0 lead.

Game 3: Athletics 5, Orioles 0 (W: Harry Krause, L: Mike Flanagan)
- Boring game.
- A's plate 2 in the 1st and another in the 2nd for an early 3-0 lead. That's all they need: Krause only gives up 3 hits and 2 walks in a dominant performance. The Orioles offense doesn't look like they're able to hold up in the deadball era.

Game 4: Athletics 2, Orioles 3 (W: Boddicker, L: Plank)
- All-time ending that would've put Merkle's Boner to shame if the series had ended differently.
- Boddicker and Plank were both dominant, each allowing 6 hits and 4 walks.
- Jack Barry had yet another extra-base RBI (his third in four games) to give the A's a 1-0 lead in the third.
- Eddie Murray has been having an awful performance in the series so far, batting just .077 after the first four games. His first hit of the series, a triple in the 7th, lets a Ken Singleton double tie the game, 1-1.
- With one out in the top of the 9th, Danny Murphy and Frank Baker both walk, then do a double steal. Stuffy McInnis flies out to left field, but Murphy is able to beat the throw to take a 2-1 lead in the 9th inning against an Orioles offense that hasn't done anything all series.
- And the Orioles offense doesn't need to do anything, because Jack Barry, the SS of the $100,000 Infield and one of the surprising offensive stars for the A's this series, misplays a grounder from Cal Ripken. Eddie Murray then walks. Gary Roenicke then hits another grounder to Jack Barry, who misplays it once again. The bases are now loaded off a walk and two errors by the shortstop.
- Another walk ties the game and then a Rick Dempsey single plates the winning run. A bottom of the ninth comeback, featuring two errors from the otherwise reliable Barry. The Orioles avoid getting swept but still need help adjusting to the 1911 game.

Game 5: Athletics 4, Orioles 10 (W: Storm Davis, L: Charles Bender)
- The Orioles offense finally comes alive! Eddie Murray, after just 1 hit in the first four games, goes 2-3 with 2 walks, a home run, and 3 RBI. Lenn Sakata, who only hit 25 career home runs in 10 MLB seasons, gets his second home run of the series while playing in the deadball era.
- Cal Ripken has been having a solid series, going 3-5 in this game and hitting .381 on the series through the first 5 games.
- The A's apply pressure, scoring runs in the 1st, 3rd, 4th, and 5th, but the Orioles blow it wide open with a 5-run 5th to take a 8-4 lead that they never relinquish. Bender's roughed up in his second outing, pulled after just 4 IP and a 5.25 ERA for the series.

Game 6: Orioles 6, Athletics 5 (W: Flanagan, L: Krause, S: Tippy Martinez)
- Another late-inning comeback classic! A's controlled the game, taking a 5-1 lead in the 5th. But the Orioles scored 5 runs in the 8th inning to take the 6-5 lead and Tippy Martinez shuts the door in the stopper role to force a game 7! The A's have had 2 different games where the had >90 percent win probability and lost.
- The Orioles bats keep coming to life. Eddie Murray goes 3-5 and Gary Roenicke goes 2-5 with a 3-run home run that put the Orioles on top for good.
- Harry Krause can't keep the magic going after his game 3 3-hitter. He falls apart in the 8th and takes the loss.
- The second series of the tournament could be a 3-0 comeback!

Game 7: Orioles 0, Athletics 4 (W: Plank, L: Boddicker)
- . . . except it's not. The A's get to Boddicker in the 1st inning. Frank Baker hits a 3-run home run in the first inning and the A's don't look back. Plank is automatic, only allowing 5 hits and 3 walks in the complete game shutout.
- An all-time series ends in a dud.

Series MVP: Frank Baker leads the offense for the A's, going 13-31 with the decisive game 7 home run and 8 RBI and a 1.019 OPS. Eddie Plank pitched a masterful game 7 to finish the series 2-1 with 26 IP, 15 HA, 9 BB, and a 1.38 ERA.
Series LVP: Mike Boddicker's solid game 4 outing is not enough to make up for the his disastrous first innings in both game 1 and game 7. Both games felt over before they started. He finishes 1-2 with 27 HA, 15 BB, and a 4.07 ERA. Offensively, Gary Roenicke and John Shelby combined to go 8-47 (although Roenicke had a great game 5).

The 1911 A's and the $100,000 Infield will now face the 1939 Yankees next round!

[webrian]

Loving it!

[SloppyThirstin]

Round 1: #12 1957 Braves beat the #5 2018 Red Sox in 6 games, keeping in the spirit of the reliable 12-seed upset in March Madness.

Game 1: Braves 11, Red Sox 7 (W: Warren Spahn, L: Chris Sale)
- Early intrigue in this series would be how a 1957 Braves lineup featuring Hank Aaron, Eddie Mathews, Joe Adcock, and Wes Covington would fare in a more power-friendly 2018 environment, and the first game was not disappointing. The game opened with a Red Schoendist single, a Johnny Logan single, a Hank Aaron walk, following by a Bob Hazle grand slam! The Braves hang 4 on Chris Sale before he even records an out.
- Mitch Moreland made things interesting with a 3-run home run in the 6th inning to bring the Red Sox within two runs, at 6-4.
- The Braves bullpen issues in the modern game became an issue. Ernie Johnson gave up the Moreland home run and Taylor Phillips gave up 3 more, but the Braves had stocked enough insurance runs off to hold the Red Sox off.
- The Braves hit four home runs: the Hazle grand slam in the 1st, a Covington homer off Sale in the 4th, and Hank Aaron hit home runs in the 5th and the 7th. Eddie Mathews, however, opens what will turn out to be a pretty disastrous series for him with an 0-4 performance, striking out 3 times.
- Christian Vazquez, the defensive catcher, is the surprising offensive star for the Red Sox, going 3-4 with 2 doubles and an RBI.

Game 2: Braves 1, Red Sox 7 (W: Eduardo Rodriguez, L: Bob Towbridge)
- Braves offensive onslaught doesn't carry into game 2. Eduardo Rodriguez allows just 3 hits and strikes out 9 batters in his 5 IP. The Red Sox then turn it over to their bullpen, who only allow one more baserunner over the next 4 innings.
- The Red Sox somehow only score 7 runs. It could've been way worse, as the Red Sox had 17 hits on the day. Benintendi, Betts, Martinez, Moreland, Kinsley, and Devers all had multi-hit games. Moreland adds 2 more home runs to his game 1 homer. Betts and Devers add on 2 more.
- Bob Towbridge somehow gives up 11 hits over 4.1 IP and only allows 4 runs, for a 8.31 ERA that could've been way worse. A dismal day for the Braves all around.

Game 3: Red Sox 2, Braves 9 (W: Bob Buhl, L: Nathan Eovaldi)
- As the series moves to County Stadium, the Braves bats come alive again. Hank Aaron has yet another 2 HR game, including a grand slam in the 7th that put it out of reach. Through the first 3 games, Aaron is batting .455 with 4 home runs and 8 RBI. and is clearly the series MVP so far.
- Red Schoendeinst is the other offensive star for the Braves, hitting a home run and a bases-loaded single for his 3 RBI.
- Bob Buhl pitches a masterful game, only allowing 3 hits over 7 innings. The Braves bullpen continues to be a worry, as Phil Paine gives up 2 runs in the 8th, but this one is out of reach. Hopefully the 2018 settings won't come back to bite them due to pitching depth.

Game 4: Red Sox 1, Braves 3 (W: Gene Conley, L: David Price, S: Don McMahon)
- Another unsung Braves pitcher comes through, as Conley holds the Red Sox to just 1 run on 2 hits in his 5.1 IP. And the Braves bullpen comes through when it counts! Lew Burdette and and Don McMahon combine for 3.1 scoreless innings (although McMahon made it interesting in the 9th, as the Sox got the bases loaded with 2 outs before Xander Bogaerts strikes out swinging).
- The mighty Braves lineup plays smallball, collecting 9 runs but only one extra-base hit, a Red Schoendienst double in the 5th. Each of their 3 runs come off station-to-station RBI singles.

Game 5: Red Sox 7, Braves 1 (W: Sale, L: Spahn)
- Sale redeems himself after his disappointing game 1 performance in the rematch of the aces. He strikes out 7 and gives up just 1 run in his 7.1 IP,
- Spahn only allows 3 earned in his 5.2 IP, but is lucky to do so. He scatters 8 hits and 2 walks and got out of some situations that could've been worse. The Braves bullpen allows this one to get out of hand, as Taylor Phillips once again has a disastrous outing, giving up 3 earned runs in the 7th and putting it squarely out of reach for even this Braves offense.
- Moreland, Betts, Bogaerts, and Kinsley all have multi-hit games once again and keep the Braves from clinching the series in Milwaukee. Back to Boston!

Game 6: Braves 4, Red Sox 2 (W: Towbridge, L: Rodriguez, S: McMahon)
- A tense game with no one able to break it open. Both teams take turns posting 1-run innings in the 5th and 6th, but the Braves are able to score in the 7th and 8th to finally put the series away.
- Eddie Mathews finally hits a home run, which gives the Braves the lead in the 5th. It's been an otherwise poor series for him, as he finishes the series just 4-20 with 1 HR and 1 RBI, despite batting 6th in a stacked lineup.
- Towbridge redeems himself after his game 2 debacle, allowing 5 hits and just 1 earned run over the first 6 innings, although disaster almost strikes in the 7th. The Braves leave Towbridge into start the 7th. He gives up a walk and line drive single to right that advances Christian Vazquez to third with no outs.
- Up just one run in the 7th, the Braves go to their shaky bullpen and call in Red Murff, who has not made a single appearance all series. Murff gets Benintendi to fly out to shallow right, strikes out Bogaerts, and then gets Betts to ground out to 3rd to get out of the inning! The Braves bullpen comes through when they need them most and manage to keep the runner on third from tying the game. (Admittedly, Betts grounder to 3rd had a 113 mph exit velo, so kudos to Mathews for showing up with the glove to keep the lead intact.)
- Ernie Johnson and Don McMahon manage to make it boring in the 8th and 9th. The Braves advance in 6 games in the first "upset" of the tournament so far. And a pre-modern bullpen team gets their first win in the modern era, no less!

Series MVP: Hank Aaron finishes the series 10-23 with 4 home runs, 9 RBI, and a 1.437 OPS. Lew Burdette and Ernie Johnson get honorable mentions for being respectable bullpen contributors for a team playing in an entirely different er, as well as Red Murff for the most clutch inning of the series.

Series LVP: Chris Sale, maybe? He won game 5 but his game 1 was rough and put the Red Sox on the backfoot from the jump. Rafael Devers had a pretty rough series, too, going just 5-25. Eddie Mathews would've been LVP on a winning team if it weren't for his game 5 home run and game-saving glovework on a 113 mph scorcher from Betts to keep a run from scoring.

[webrian]

2018 Red Sox pitchers drinking beers in the clubhouse before their series with the 1957 Braves:

"I bet Hank Aaron can't hit *my* fastball!"

"I got a slider I know he can't reach."

"I don't care if he's the so-called 'Home Run King.' I'm gonna challenge him. You only live once!"

Live and learn, boys.

[SloppyThirstin]

Round 1: #4 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers sweep the #13 2005 White Sox in 4.

Game 1: White Sox 4, Dodgers 9 (W: Carl Erskine, L. Mark Buehrle)
- Over before it began. Dodgers put up two runs in the 1st and 5 runs in the 2nd to take a 7-0 lead that's never threatened.
- The power in the Dodgers lineup asserts itself early: Gil Hodges homers in the 1st, Duke Snider hits a 2-run homer in the 2nd, but the real star is Roy Campanella, who goes 4-5 with two home runs and scores four runs.
- No Dodger hitter had a bad day. The only batter to go hitless was Carl Furillo, but even he walked twice.
- Buehrle is chased off in the 4th inning after allowing 8 runs in 3.0 IP, although only 3 of them are earned. All 5 runs in the 2nd come with 2 outs after a Juan Uribe error on a Pee Wee Reese grounder.
- Erskine gives up 3 runs but only allows 4 hits and no walks in an otherwise dominant da with some bad HR luck (a Konerko solo and Crede 2-run HR are half of the hits he allowed).

Game 2: White Sox 6, Dodgers 7 (W: Preacher Roe, L: Jose Contreras, S: Bob Milliken)
- A high-scoring start. White Sox score 2 in the 1st, 2 in the 2nd, and 1 in the 3rd, while the Campanella hits a 3-run homer in the 1st. After 3 innings, it's 5-3 White Sox.
- . . . but the Dodgers plate another run in the 5th and 3 more in the 6th to take a 7-5 lead. The Dodgers make it interesting in both the 8th and 9th, getting the bases loaded in both innings with 2 outs, but are only able to get one across in the 8th for a 7-6 final.
- Roy Campanella continues a legendary pace to the series. He goes 3-4 with a walk, 5 RBIs and 2 more home runs, bringing his total to 4 through 2 games. His OPS is over 3.000 so far.
- Preacher Roe settled down after a bumpy first couple innings. Milliken made things more interesting than they needed to be in his 3 innings of relief, but he escaped with just 1 earned run and the save. Jose Contreras continued the pitching woes for the White Sox, allowing 7 earned runs on 8 hits and 6 walks with just 1 strikeout over his 5.2 IP.
- Billy Cox is quietly having a solid series. Not to be overshadowed by the bigger names in the lineup, he's batting .625 with a home run and 4 RBIs through two games.

Game 3: Dodgers 12, White Sox 4 (W: Russ Meyer, L: Freddy Garcia)
- Dodgers lineup won't quit. Roy Campanella actually has an awful game (0-5 with a strikeout), but everyone else steps up. Campy is the only Dodger without a hit. Gil Hodges leads the way, going 3-4 with a home run and 3 RBI. But Snider, Jim Gilliam, George Shuba, and Billy Cox all have multi-RBI days.
- The game was actually more interesting than the final score lets on. It was 5-3 Dodgers through 7 innings with the Sox threatening a couple times. But the Dodgers scored 7 runs in the 7th inning alone, with Neal Cotts giving up 4 earned runs in just .1 IP of relief.
- The White Sox starters continue their string of bad luck, as Garcia gives up 8 runs, but only 5 of them earned thanks to Scott Podsednik and Joe Crede errors.

Game 4: Dodgers 6, White Sox 4 (W: Billy Loes, L: Jon Garland, S: Jim Hughes)
- Roy Campanella shakes off a rough game 3 to cement this as a legendary series for him. He hits a 3-run home run that travels 462 feet to left-center in the 5th inning, giving the Dodgers a 6-0 lead in the decisive game.
- The Dodgers ended up needing the insurance runs, as the White Sox once again make it interesting late, scoring 2 runs in both the 8th and the 9th innings, but Tad Iguchi lined out to center with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 9th to secure the series sweep for the Dodgers.
- The White Sox once again has bad luck in the field come back to bite them. Jon Garland pitched 4.2 innings, but Konerko dropped Reese's throw on a Jackie Robinson grounder with 2 outs to keep the inning alive. A Billy Cox single advances Robinson to second, a Duke Snider single scores Robinson, and Campy's home run allows for 4 unearned runs that ultimately spell the end for the White Sox.

Series MVP: Roy Campanella, without a doubt. He ends the series going 9-18 with 5 home runs and 10 RBI and a 2.000 OPS. Take away his 0-5 performance in a game 3 rout, and those numbers become even more comical. But Gil Hodges (9-18, 5 BI, 1.333 OPS), Duke Snider (7-15, 5 RBI, 1.167 OPS), and Billy Cox (7-17, 6 RBI, 1.074 OPS) all had stellar performances as well. The Dodgers lineup looked unbeatable. The lone bright spot for the White Sox was Cliff Politte's work out of the pen, where he ended the series with 9.2 IP and allowing just 1 run for a 0.93 ERA.

Series LVP: Jermaine Dye went just 2-16 with a .347 OPS from the cleanup spot for the White Sox. Jose Contreras's game 2 left him with a 11.12 ERA. The White Sox fielding also bit them on several occasions.

The 1953 Dodgers will face the 1957 Braves in the next round, in the first "same era" series of the tournament so far!

[webrian]

I've been seeing it in my project too. Those 1953 Dodgers can mash.

[SloppyThirstin]

Round 1: #3 1942 Cardinals beat the 2019 Nationals in 6 games.

Game 1: Nationals 4, Cardinals 2 (W: Max Scherzer, L: Mort Cooper, S: Sean Doolittle)
- Max Scherzer translates to 1942-era playstyle, taking a shutout into the 9th inning. The Cardinals load the bases and then hit a 2-out single that scores 2 runs before the Nats bring in Doolittle for the final out.
- The back of the Nationals lineup do the most damage, as Victor Robles's 2 hits in 4 at-bats knock in 3 runs.
- An overall quiet game until the bottom of the 9th. Mostly scattered hits, but the Nationals dominant rotation looks like they might enjoy playing in 1942.

Game 2: Nationals 3, Cardinals 4 (W: Harry Gumbert, L: Sean Doolittle)
- A dramatic 9th inning once again!
- The pitching continues to be pretty dominant, as Stephen Strasburg and Max Lanier take the mound. Lanier allows just 1 earned run but the Cards turn to Gumbert with 2 outs in the 7th. Strasburg goes 8 innings and allows 3 earned runs. We go into the 9th innings with the Cardinals winning, 3-2.
- Howie Kendrick has the best day at the plate, going 3-5 with 2 RBI, including a game-tying RBI single with 2 outs in the top of the 9th. The game is tied at 3.
Sean Doolittle comes in to face the bottom of the Cardinals' order in the bottom of the 9th: Jimmy Brown, Marty Marion, and the pitcher's spot. Brown singles, then steals second. Marty Marion sac bunts him over the third base. The Cards bring in Creepy Crespi to pinch hit, and instead of walking him to set up the double play, they pitch to him. A lazy fly ball to left is just deep enough to score Brown, who barely beats Musial's throw to win game 2 walking off.

Game 3: Cardinals 0, Nationals 1 (W: Doolittle, L: Murry Dickson)
- Our first extra-inning game of the tournament!
- In a reminder of how deep both these teams' rotations go, Patrick Corbin and Ernie White have duel for the ages. Corbin goes into extras, pitching 9.2 innings and allowing just 7 hits and 3 walks with no runs. Doolittle comes in for the final out of the 10th and steals the win.
- White pitches 8.1 scoreless innings, allowing just 3 hits and a walk. Harry Gumbert replaces him, who is then replaced by Murry Dickson after Creepy Crespi fails to find the magic as a pinch hitter two games in a row. Dickson gives up a 2-out RBI single to Howie Kendrick (who's having a good series in an otherwise lifeless lineup, batting .429 through three games).
- Stan Musial had a solid game, going 2-3 with a walk, but no one else in the order capitalized.

Game 4: Cardinals 2, Nationals 1 (W: Johnny Beazley, L: Anibal Sanchez, S: Gumbert)
- Another pitchers' duel, another wild 9th inning. (Starting to seriously wonder if OOTP codes dramatic finishes?? If so, I'm not necessarily complaining!)
- The fourth pitchers in each rotation keep up the dominant pitching performances. Beazley goes 8 innings scoreless for the Cardinals. He allows 5 hits and 4 walks, including a couple 1-out doubles, but the Nats lineup never capitalizes. Sanchez goes 8.1, allowing 2 earned runs on 6 hits and 4 walks for the Nationals.
- An RBI triple by Cardinals 2B Jimmy Brown is the only score as we go into the 9th, with the Cardinals winning 1-0.
- The Cardinals strike again in the top of the 9th. Slaughter walks, then steals second. The Nats then intentionally walk Musial (1-2 with 2 walks on the day). Walker Cooper singles to load the bases. Jimmy Brown gets his second RBI of the day on a sac fly to center that scores Slaughter.
- The bottom of the Nationals lineup once again enters the 9th in a crucial situation: a weak drive from Robles finds the corner and he doubles. Then Kurt Suzuki walks. Pinch hitter Brian Dozier grounds out, but advances the runners to scoring position. A Gumbert wild pitch scores Robles and gets the tying run to third with just 1 out. But Gumbert composes himself and strikes out both Trea Turner and Adam Eaton to secure the save.

Game 5: Cardinals 4, Nationals 0 (W: Cooper, L: Scherzer)
- Cooper wins the rematch of the aces, going all 9 innings and allowing just 5 hits and 2 walks in a shutout. Scherzer allows 4 earned runs, spreading 11 hits over his 8 innings.
- All four of the Cardinals runs in this game come from one-run innings in the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 7th. A lot of station-to-station baseball and all four RBIs are off of one-run singles.
- The only real Nationals threat comes in the 8th, already down 4-0, when Asdubral Cabrera triples with 0 outs, but a groundout, a popup, and a groundout keep the shutout intact.
- The Cardinals go back to Sportsmans Park with a 3-2 lead.

Game 6: Nationals 4, Cardinals 10 (W: Lanier, L: Strasburg)
- Finally some offense! In the final game of the series, as the Cardinals score almost as many runs in this game (10) as they did in the first five games combined (12).
- A Victor Robles (easily the Nats' offensive MVP of this series out of the #8 spot while playing great defensively in center field) grand slam in the 4th inning gives the Nationals an early 4-1 lead. With Strasburg on the mound and how pitching has gone this series so far, that feels insurmountable. But a 2-run Walker Cooper home run in the 6th ties it, and the Nationals turn to Tanner Rainey out of the bullpen. But Whitey Kurowski puts the Cards ahead with another home run in the next at-bat and Rainey proceeds to give up 4 earned runs in just 1.1 IP. It's enough to put the game—and the series—out of reach. The 1942 Cardinals hold off to win against a scrappy automatic bid Nationals team.

Series MVP: The Cardinals pitching rotation as a whole probably deserves it, but Mort Cooper pitches two great games, going 17 IP with 12 hits and 10 walks on the series, with a 2.12 ERA. Offensively, Musial leads the way for the Cardinals, going 10-22 with a home run and 4 RBI, but the pitcher gets the nod for MVP for symbolic reasons.

Series LVP: Anthony Rendon went just 1-22 on the series, for a .045 average and a .170 OPS. He was bad enough that the dismal performances of Trea Turner (4-28, .286 OPS) and Juan Soto (2-18, .444 OPS) almost go overlooked. Any offense this series came from the backend of the Nationals lineup.

[SloppyThirstin]

Round 1: the #6 2001 Mariners, the highest-seeded team in this tournament to not win the World Series (in a World Series year, at least), beat the #11 1980 Phillies in 6 games in the first round of their redemption tour.

Game 1: Phillies 5, Mariners 2 (W: Steve Carlton, L: Freddy Garcia, S: Tug McGraw)
- The Phillies jump on Mariner ace Garcia early, putting up 4 runs in the first 3 innings to take an early 4-2 lead. Carlton shakes off the early trouble (a David Bell home run in the 2nd and a Edgar Martinez RBI double in the 3rd) to cruise to a easy win. Carlton ends up going 8 innings, allowing just 6 hits and 3 walks with 2 earned runs.
- Garcia gets chased off after allowing another run in the 6th. The Mariners bullpen shuts down the Phillies offense from there, but it's too late. An easy win for the underdogs early on.
- Greg Luzinki starred in the DH role for the Phillies offense, going 2-4 with a 2-run home run in the 2nd to give the Phillies an early lead that they would never give back and adding on with an RBI double in the 6th.

Game 2: Phillies 3, Mariners 12 (W: Jamie Moyer, L: Marty Bystrom)
- The Mariners hit back with a vengeance after their game 1 loss, putting up 19 hits and walking 3 times in an offensive onslaught. David Bell hits a solo home run in the 4th, but the other 11 runs come through simply hitting the ball all over the field.
- Ichiro goes 4-5 and steals a base, but John Olerud earns PotG game for his 4-4 performance with two doubles, and RBI, and a walk. Six different Mariner batters had multi-hit games: Ichiro, Martinez, Boone, Olerud, Guillen, and Bell.
- The Mariners chase Bystrom off the mound in the 4th, after they tag him for 10 hits, 2 walks, and 6 earned runs in 3.2 innings. The Phillies bullpen doesn't do much better, as Ron Reed gives up 4 earned runs in 1.1 IP and Randy Lerch gives up 2 more earned runs in his 3 IP.
- Moyer has a quality outing, giving up just 1 run in his 6.2 IP. Aaron Sele looks shaky out of the pen, giving up 2 earned runs in his 2.1 innings, but the game was well out of hand by then.

Game 3: Mariners 6, Phillies 7 (W: Ron Reed, L: Kaz Sasaki)
- A wild game with a walk-off home run!
- The Phillies right the ship and take a 5-2 lead in the 3rd inning. Phillies start Bob Walk gives up 2 runs in the 1st but then settles down until he faces some more trouble in the 5th and 6th. He's pulled in the 6th inning, but he leaves the game with a 5-4 lead intact.
- Joel Pineiro, however, had a rough day for the Mariners. He gives up 5 earned runs and is replaced after just 3 IP. The Mariners bullpen is up for the challenge, though: Sele, Arthur Rhodes, Norm Charlton, and Denny Stark combine to pitch 5 innings of scoreless ball, allowing only 3 baserunners and striking out 7 between them.
- Meanwhile, Dickie Noles gives up a 2-run home run in the 8th to Mariners catcher Dan Wilson, who's been having a rough series so far. This is his first hit in three games, but it's a big one, giving the Mariners a 6-5 lead heading into the 9th inning with the Mariners bullpen shutting down the Phils.
- Mariners closer Kaz Sasaki makes his first appearance in the series, trying to cap off a dramatic comeback and dominant performance by the Mariners relievers. He gets Ramon Aviles to ground out to 3rd, but Bob Boone double brings up Greg Gross, who sneaks a line drive just over the right field fence for the 2-run walk-off HR.

Game 4: Mariners 9, Phillies 7 (W: Paul Abbot, L: Dick Ruthven, S: Sasaki)
- A wild 7th inning decided this one.
- The unsung Paul Abbott cruises in his start for the Mariners, going 6 innings and only giving up one run on 4 hits.
- For the Phillies, Ruthven has one of the weirder stat lines a pitcher can have: 7 runs, but zero of them earned. The Mariners score a couple in the 2nd after a Edgar Martinez 2-out error on a groundball extends the inning.
- Going into the 7th, the Mariners hold a 2-1 lead in a pitchers' duel. Then things get crazy.
- In the top of the 7th, Carlos Guillen walk with one out. David Bell sac bunts him to second. The tying run is in scoring position with 2 ours with Dan Wilson, batting just .154 on the series so far, up to bat. Wilson barely makes contact and hits a swinging bunt-style grounder toward third. Schmidt charges but his throw is off-target. Another 2-out error keeps the inning alive. From there, Olerud walks to load the bases and McLemore walks again, scoring Guillen.
- With the bases loaded and a 3-1, Ichiro comes up . . . and hits a grand slam! Ruthven is pulled after giving up all 7 runs following 2-out errors.
- Sparky Lyle comes in and gives up a solo home run to the first batter he faces, Edgar Martinez. The Mariners pour it on and take an 8-2 lead in the 7th inning.
- . . . but then the Phillies won't go down easy. Garry Maddox homers to left-center to score one, but Ramon Aviles strikes out to bring it 2 outs in the inning. But then Greg Gross is hit by a pitch, Lonnie Smith singles, Manny Trillo singles (scoring Gross), Bake McBride singles (scoring Smith), Schmidt walks, and then Keith Moreland bloops a single just barely over the Guillen's head to bring in another run before Pete Rose flies out to end a dramatic inning. We entered the 7th with a 2-1 game and end the 7th with an 8-6 game.
- Ichiro singles home another run in the 9th for a 5-RBI game and the Phillies score another run off a Bake McBride triple and a wild pitch in the bottom of the 9th, but that's all they can muster, dropping the game 9-7.

Game 5: Mariners 7, Phillies 2 (W: Garcia, L: Carlton)
- The Mariners score 5 runs in the 1st inning and it's over before it started.
- David Bell racks up 6 RBI, including a 1st-inning grand slam and a 3rd-inning solo homer to bring his HR total up to 4 on the series. 4 HR series have become a regular occurrence in this tournament, but David Bell is the most unsung name to achieve it so far, joining Roy Campanella and Hank Aaron.
- Freddy Garcia allows just 2 runs in 8.2 IP and 7 strikeouts.
- A disastrous 1st inning for the normally reliable Steve Carlton undoes the Phillies, who have to rely on multiple innings out of relief from Lerch, Lyle, and Noles as the Phillies now face elimination.

Game 6: Phillies 2, Mariners 6 (W: Moyer, L: Bystrom)
- The Phillies show some life early, tying it at 2-2 in the top of the 3rd. But A Mike Cameron 2-run shot in the bottom of the 3rd puts the Mariners up 4-2. Another Cameron 2-run blast in the 8th makes it 6-2 and the series is over.
- Bystrom had another dismal game, being chased off after giving up 4 runs in his 3 innings pitched.
- Moyer, on the other hand, cruises for a second game in a row, going 8 innings with 5 hits, a walk, and only 1 earned run.
- A quiet, decisive end to the series.

Series MVP: David Bell shows out, batting in #8 spot, despite a quiet game 6. Before his 0-4 game 6 performance, Bell was 8-21 with 4 home runs and 9 RBI. Ichiro does Ichiro things, going 11-27. Olerud performs well in the games where Edgar plays DH, going 5-12 in the three games at Safeco. Moyer is the star of the mound for the series, going 14.2 IP with a 1.23 ERA.

Series LVP: Marty Bystrom. His two starts only amount to 6.2 IP and a 13.50 ERA. Phillies star Mike Schmidt plays terribly, as well: 3-18 with 2 RBI. His OBP is a respectable .360, but he doesn't deliver in some needed moments. He also had the throwing error that allowed for the 6-run Mariner inning in game 4.

Up next: the 2001 Mariners will face the 1942 Cardinals in 1942, an era which Ichiro and Edgar might thrive in. We'll see!

[webrian]

Phillies put up a fight, but yeah, they were pretty well overmatched.

[SloppyThirstin]

Round #1: #7 1968 Detroit Tigers make light work of the #10 1991 Minnesota Twins in 5 games (and make a mockery of the "year of the pitcher" settings while doing so)

Game 1: Twins 6, Tigers 10 (W: Denny McClain, L: Kevin Tapani)
- Twins put up a run in the first inning, as Chuck Knoblauch's leadoff double leads to a Kent Hrbek RBI single. Since this series is played in 1968 settings, the idea coming into the series will be that every run will feel momentous.
- . . . until it's not. The Tigers hang 3 on Tapani in the 2nd inning, and clobber him for 5 runs in the 3rd. Tapani is chased out of the game after just 2.2 innings, giving up 8 earned runs.
- Al Kaline leads the way for the Tigers opening onslaught: an RBI double in the 2nd and a grand slam in the 3rd give him 5 RBIs. He went 3-5 with a walk and 2 runs on the day.
- Mickey Stanley and Willie Horton also had 3 hits each on the day. Stanley added 3 RBIs and Horton scored 2 runs to lead the offensive explosion.
- The Twins weren't slouches offensively, putting up 14 hits and 5 walks, but they were mostly scattered. Some middle-inning excitement brought the Twins within 2, where the Tigers early lead 8-1 lead had shrunk to 8-6 in the 7th inning, but a Dick McAuliffe 2-run home run in the 8th put them on top for good.
- The Tigers' slugging with in crucial moments was the difference in the game: the Twins lineup combined to leave 31 runners on base, where the Tigers had just 16 LOB.
- Some potential drama as Denny McClain leaves the game with an injury. He had been cruising early but ran into some trouble late. He got the win, but gave up 6 earned runs in his 6 IP. We'll have to see if he will be available later in the series.

Game 2: Twins 10, Tigers 0 (W: Jack Morris, L: Mickey Lolich)
- A total beatdown. The Twins staff combines to pitch a 2-hitter, although Morris is pulled in the 7th. He only allows 2 hits in 6.1 IP, but after 111 pitches and a 31-minute rain delay, the Twins turn to their bullpen. Terry Leach, Rick Aguilera, and Tom Edens don't allow a hit in the 2.2 combined IP.
- It was the Tigers turn to get beat up on early. Lolich is chased from the game after the Twins score 7 runs in the 2nd.
- The Twins offense, meanwhile, has it all working. 18 hits and 5 walks. Every Twins position player had a hit, and Knoblauch and Chili Davis were the only Twins without a multi-hit game. Shane Mack's grand slam in the 2nd put the game out of reach early. The 1968 settings aren't yet living up to the hype.

Game 3: Tigers 7, Twins 3 (W: Earl Wilson, L: Scott Erickson)
- Pretty quiet game. Twins took a 1-0 lead in the 4th thanks to a Kent Hrbek home run, but the Tigers responded with 4 runs in the 5th with a Norm Cash grand slam and another in the 6th to go up 5-1 and never looked back.
- Curiously enough, there's been a game-changing grand slam in each of the three games thus far.
- Norm Cash receives player of the game, going 3-5 with 5 RBIs and 2 runs. Kirby Puckett goes 4-4 for the Twins, but he's the only offensive real bright spot for them.
- Earl Wilson puts in a dominating pitching performance: 8 innings, with just hits and 1 earned run.

Game 4: Tigers 10, Twins 1 (W: John Hiller, L: Paul Abbott)
- Inverse of game 2. Tigers put up 6 runs in the first 3 innings. Abbott only goes 4 innings before the Twins go to the bullpen. But Edens, Guthrie, and Leach all struggle in relief, as well.
- The backend of the Tigers rotation stays strong. Hiller just gives up 1 run off a Kirby Puckett homer, allowing just 4 hits in 7.1 IP.
- But Al Kaline takes home PotG, going 4-5 with 3 RBI and 2 runs. Norm Cash goes 4-5 with 2 RBI and Willie Horton goes 3-5 with 3 RBI. The Twins had no answers for the Tigers' bats all day.

Game 5: Tigers 5, Twins 3 (W: McClain, L: Tapani, S: Face)
- Denny McClain shakes off his game 1 injury to go 6.2 IP allowing just 3 earned runs to close out the series.
- Tapani has another awful day, giving up 5 earned runs in 5 innings. The game feels out of hand when he is pulled, with the Twins down 5-0 after the 5th.
- The Twins make it interesting in the 7th. Shane Mack hits a solo homer off McClain to put the Twins on the board. Then Brian Harper doubles. Greg Gagne brings him home with a single. Randy Bush pinch hits and lines a single to right and Knoblauch brings Gagne home with another single to make it 5-3. But then the Tigers bring Roy Face in and he shuts the door, striking Puckett out. Face doesn't allow another Twin baserunner in the 8th or the 9th and the Twins go out with a whimper.
- Al Kaline has another multi-hit day, going 3-5, with a solo shot in the 1st, to finish the series with a .545 average. The biggest play of the day for the Tigers was a Don Wert 2-RBI triple with 2 outs in the 4th.

Series MVP: Al Kaline had 4 multi-hit games, finishing the series 12-22 with 2 HR and 9 RBIs and an absurd 1.424 OPS. Willie Horton and Norm Cash get honorable mentions, batting .400 and .391 respectively. In the year of the pitcher settings, unsung Tiger pitchers Earl Wilson and John Hiller had the best starts. What felt like a tight series became out of reach after their 2 starts, each allowing just 1 run to a suddenly toothless Twins offense. For the Twins, Kirby Puckett went 10-20 with a 1.095 OPS, but the rest of the lineup couldn't do much.

Series LVP: Kevin Tapani. The Twins ace had two disastrous starts, losing both his starts and going 7.2 IP with a 15.26 ERA. Chuck Knoblauch had some bright points, early, but finished the series just 4-20 and didn't give Puckett much to work with.

The 1968 settings don't prove particularly daunting, as the Tigers win the series easily, averaging 8 runs a game in their 4 wins.

They will face the winners of the 1902 Pirates and the 1977 Royals.

[webrian]

1968 *was* the Year of the Pitcher. But it wasn't a good year for pitchers who faced the 1968 Tigers.