The Greatest MLB Tournament Ever Created (NL, Round One, Group 6)

Last group is here.

6. 1904 Giants (1st in NL)

v.

123. 1881 Cubs (1st in NL) (White Stockings)

-4 Giants teams have moved on; no one from the 19th century has advanced.  The Giants have a half dozen HOFamers, Mathewson is 23, Bresnahan is 25 - 53 year old Jim O'Rourke and 46 year old Dan Brouthers both play games. Anson's 29 and King Kelly is 23 for the Cubs

C Cubs-Flint
1B Cubs-Anson
2B Giants-Gilbert
SS Giants-Dahlen
3B Giants-Devlin
LF Giants-Mertes
CF Giants-Bresnahan
RF Cubs-Kelly
SP1 Giants-McGinnity
SP2 Giants-Mathewson
SP3 Giants-Taylor
Cl Push
Double: Bat WAR Giants
Double: Pit WAR Giants

Giants 12 Cubs 3 - we aren't going to see a 19th century team advance.

59. 2004 Cardinals (Lost WS)

v.

70. 1948 Braves (Boston) (Lost WS)

-3 Cardinals teams and a half dozen Braves squads are into the next round.  St Louis has a 24 year old Albert Pujols, a 29 year old Scott Rolen and a 34 year old Jim Edmonds.  The Braves are Spahn (27), Sain (30) and pray for rain. 

C Braves-Masi

1B Cards-Pujols
2B Braves-Stanky
SS Braves-Dark
3B Cards-Rolen
LF Braves-Heath
CF Cards-Edmonds
RF Braves-Holmes
SP1 Braves-Sain
SP2 Braves-Spahn
SP3 Push
Cl Cards-Isringhausen
Double: Bat WAR Braves
Double: Pit WAR Braves

Braves 11 Cards 4 - Not nearly as close as expected, the Braves win the matchups and the totals and move on.  

27. 1945 Cubs (lost WS) 

v.

102. 1967 Cardinals (won WS)

-Losers bracket, both of these organizations just lost.  35 year old Stan Hack leads the Cubs, the Cards have a 29 year old Orlando Cepeda, a 22 year old Steve Carlton, and a 31 year old Bob Gibson.  

C Cards-McCarver
1B Cards-Cepeda
2B Cubs-Johnson
SS Cards-Maxvill
3B Cubs-Hack
LF Cards-Brock
CF Cards-Flood
RF Cards-Maris
SP1 Cubs-Wyse
SP2 Cubs-Passeau
SP3 Cubs-Derringer
Cl Cubs-Erickson
Double: Bat WAR Cards
Double: Pit WAR Cubs

Cards 9 Cubs 8 - this is nearly a dead white tie, the Cards swept that OF, the Cubs swept the mound - the Cards win the tiebreak by the most narrow margin we've seen thusfar in the tournament.  You want two teams that are evenly matched - it's these two.  

38. 1940 Reds (won WS)

v.

91. 1975 Pirates (lost NLCS)

The Reds have 4 teams moving on, the Bucs 5. Cincinnati's got a 32 year old Ernie Lombardi and a 31 year old Bucky Walters - the Pirates are a 24 year old Dave Parker and 35 year old Willie Stargell.

C Pirates-Sanguillen
1B Reds-McCormick
2B Reds-Frey
SS Reds-Myers
3B Reds-Werber
LF Pirates-Zisk
CF Pirates-Oliver
RF Pirates-Parker
SP1 Push
SP2 Reds-Derringer
SP3 Reds-Thompson
Cl Reds-Beggs
Double: Bat WAR Pirates
Double: Pit WAR Reds

Reds 9 Pirates 6 - The Reds swept the arms and ran over Pittsburgh in the IF and they march to the next round.

11. 2016 Cubs (won WS)

v.

118. 1887 Browns (Cardinals) (lost WS)

-Cubs try again to add to their total, the 19th century remains shut out. Chicago's got a 24 year old Kris Bryant and a 26 year old Anthony Rizzo.  The future Cardinals have a 27 year old Charlie Comiskey and a 23 year old Bob Caruthers. 

C Cubs-Montero
1B Cubs-Rizzo
2B Cubs-Zobrist
SS Cubs-Russell
3B Cubs-Bryant
LF Browns-O'Neill
CF Cubs-Fowler
RF Browns-Caruthers
SP1 Cubs-Lester
SP2 Browns-Caruthers
SP3 Cubs-Hendricks
Cl Cubs-Rondon

Double: Bat WAR Cubs
Double: Pit WAR Cubs

Cubs 13 Browns 3 - real domination and the Cubs move on

54. 1971 Pirates (won WS)

v.

75. 2002 Giants (lost WS)

-Last chance for any of my San Francisco teams to make the Round of 64.  The Pirates have a 31 year old Willie Stargell and a 36 year old Roberto Clemente. The Giants have a 37 year old Barry Bonds and 34 year old Jeff Kent.  

C Pirates-Sanguillen
1B Pirates-Robertson
2B Giants-Kent
SS Giants-Aurilia
3B Giants-Bell
LF Giants-Bonds
CF Pirates-Oliver
RF Pirates-Clemente
SP1 Pirates-Blass
SP2 Giants-Ortiz
SP3 Giants-Rueter
Cl Giants-Nen
Double: Bat WAR Pirates
Double: Pit WAR Giants

Giants 9 Pirates 7 - whew; I would not have loved losing all my teams in round 1 - the Giants advance on the backs of superior pitching.  

22. 1935 Cubs (lost WS)

v.

107. 1882 Reds (first in AA)

-another Cubs team facing a 19th century unit.  Cubs have 4 HOFamers, Billy Herman's 25 and Gabby Hartnett's 34. The Reds have a 22 year old Bid McPhee.


C Cubs-Hartnett
1B Cubs-Cavaretta
2B Cubs-Herman
SS Push
3B Cubs-Hack
LF Cubs-Galan
CF Cubs-Cuyler
RF Cubs-Klein
SP1 Reds-White
SP2 Cubs-Lee
SP3 Cubs-French
Cl Cubs-Root
Double: Bat WAR Cubs
Double: Pit WAR Cubs

Cubs 14 Reds 1 - ah, those 19th century teams.

43. 2017 Dodgers (lost WS) 

v.

86. 1930 Cardinals (lost WS)

only Dodgers team in this group, they already have 10 teams into the next round.  Justin Turner's 32, Corey Seager's 23, Clayton Kershaw's 29 - the Cards are still looking for their 4th representative, Frankie Frisch is 32, Burleigh Grimes is 36.  

C Dodgers-Grandal
1B Dodgers-Bellinger
2B Cards-Frisch
SS Dodgers-Seager
3B Dodgers-Turner
LF Dodgers-Taylor
CF Cards-Douthit
RF Dodgers-Puig
SP1 Dodgers-Kershaw
SP2 Dodgers-Wood
SP3 Dodgers-Hill
Cl Dodgers-Jansen
Double: Bat WAR Dodgers
Double: Pit WAR Dodgers

Dodgers 14 Cardinals 2 - that was an unexpected wipeout; some of these really modern teams are going to be tough, tough outs.  

That finished Group 6.  3/4 of the way done with Round 1.

Next time we see this group:

6. 1904 Giants
v.
70. 1948 Braves

102. 1967 Cards
v.
38. 1940 Reds

11. 2016 Cubs
v.
75. 2002 Giants

22. 1935 Cubs
v.
43. 2017 Dodgers

We've hit group 7 for the AL next - they're led by the '54 Indians