Last group is here.
7. 1909 Pirates (won WS)
v.
122. 1885 Giants (2nd in NL)
-5 Pittsburgh teams are already moving forward; no one from the 19th century has made the cut. Wagner's 35 and Clarke's 36 for the Bucs; this is a Giants club with half a dozen Hall of Famers.
C Push
1B Giants-Connor
2B Pirates-Miller
SS Pirates-Wagner
3B Giants-Esterbrook
LF Pirates-Clarke
CF Giants-O'Rourke
RF Giants-Dorgan
SP1 Giants-Welch
SP2 Pirates-Camnitz
SP3 Pirates-Maddox
Cl Pirates-Adams
Double: Bat WAR Pirates
Double: Pit WAR Pirates
Pirates 9 Giants 5 - dead even after the matchups, and it took a Pirate pitching rally just to square it - but they then added to that with both the totals and, once again, the 19th century remains shut out
58. 1946 Cardinals (won WS)
v.
71. 2009 Dodgers (lost NLCS)
-4 Cardinals squads are moving on; the Dodgers have a dozen - the only franchise within a shouting distance of the Yankees. The Cards have a 25 year old Musial and 30 year old Slaughter. The Dodgers have a 25 year old Matt Kemp and a 21 year old Clayton Kershaw.
C Dodgers-Martin
1B Cards-Musial
2B Dodgers-Hudson
SS Cards-Marion
3B Push
LF Dodgers-Ramirez
CF Dodgers-Kemp
RF Cards-Slaughter
SP1 Cards-Pollett
SP2 Cards-Breechen
SP3 Dodgers-Kershaw
Cl Cards-Dickson
Double: Bat WAR Dodgers
Double: Pit WAR Push
Dodgers 7 Cards 6 - the Dodgers trailed headed to the totals, but edged ahead with a slight win in the overall bats. 13 Dodger clubs have advanced as they continue to dominate the NL.
26. 1976 Phillies (lost NLCS)
v.
103. 1958 Braves (lost WS)
-2 Phillies teams have advanced; 7 Braves entrants will join them. The Phils have a 26 year old Mike Schmidt and a 31 year old Steve Carlton. For the Braves - Aaron (24) Mathews (26) Spahn (37)
C Braves-Crandall
1B Braves-Torre
2B Phillies-Cash
SS Braves-Logan
3B Phillies-Schmidt
LF Braves-Covington
CF Phillies-Maddox
RF Braves-Aaron
SP1 Braves-Spahn
SP2 Braves-Burdette
SP3 Phillies-Lonborg
Cl Phillies-Reed
Double: Bat WAR Braves
Double: Pit WAR Phillies
Braves 9 Phillies 7 - man, this was super competitive, the Braves tied the mound matchups, even though Philly won the totals, and that allowed Milwaukee's offensive advantage to be the deciding factor.
39. 1924 Giants (lost WS)
v.
90. 1981 Dodgers (won WS)
-Always fun, Giants/Dodgers --- the Giants have a half dozen teams moving on and their lifelong rivals have more than doubled them up. It's a Giants club with 8 Hall of Famers, led by a 26 year old Frankie Frisch. It's the last ride for this Dodger core - Garvey's 32, Cey's 33, Lopes is 36 - there's Dusty (32) and Reggie Smith (36).
C Push
1B Giants-Kelly
2B Giants-Frisch
SS Giants-Jackson
3B Giants-Groh
LF Dodgers-Baker
CF Giants-Wilson
RF Giants-Youngs
SP1 Dodgers-Valenzuela
SP2 Dodgers-Reuss
SP3 Dodgers-Hooten
Cl Dodgers-Howe
Double: Bat WAR Giants
Double: Pit WAR Dodgers
Giants 8 Dodgers 7 - the Giants win almost every bat, the Dodgers win every single arm; it's as close as it can be - but offense beats defense, and the Giants add their 7th victory.
10. 1907 Cubs (won WS)
v.
119. 1981 Reds (1st in NL West)
5 Cubs teams and 5 Reds teams have moved forward - which organization hits a dozen? The Cubs have Tinker (26) Evers (25) Chance (30). The Reds have a 33 year old Bench and a 36 year old Seaver.
C Cubs-Kling
1B Cubs-Chance
2B Cubs-Evers
SS Reds-Concepcion
3B Cubs-Steinfeldt
LF Reds-Foster
CF Reds-Griffey
RF Reds-Collins
SP1 Cubs-Overall
SP2 Cubs-Brown
SP3 Cubs-Lundgren
Cl Reds-Hume
Double: Bat WAR Cubs
Double: Pit WAR Cubs
Cubs 11 Reds 5 - tight through the lineup, but the Cubs blasted them in the pitching matchups and cruised on home.
55. 1955 Dodgers (won WS)
v.
74. 2005 Cardinals (lost NLCS)
-another Dodgers/Cards matchup; 13 Dodgers clubs are moving forward, the Cards are at 4. The Dodgers have half a dozen Hall of Famers, they're led by a 28 year old Duke Snider and a 33 year old Roy Campanella. St Louis has a 25 year old Albert Pujols and 33 year old Jim Edmonds.
C Dodgers-Campanella
1B Cards-Pujols
2B Cards-Grudzielanek
SS Dodgers-Reese
3B Dodgers-Robinson
LF Cards-Sanders
CF Dodgers-Snider
RF Dodgers-Furillo
SP1 Cards-Carpenter
SP2 Dodgers-Erskine
SP3 Cards-Mulder
Cl Cards-Isringhausen
Double: Bat WAR Dodgers
Double: Pit WAR Cards
Dodgers 9 Cards 8 - I love a tiebreak; the Dodgers bats just get by the Cards gloves - the Dodgers are nearing the Yankees for total number of teams moving on to the next round, no one else is in the vicinity.
23. 1911 Giants (lost WS)
v.
106. 1876 Cubs (White Stockings) (finished 1st)
-the Giants try to add to their total, can the 19th century break through? 30 year old Christy Mathewson leads the Giants - Cap Anson's a 25 year old Cub.
C Cubs-White
1B Giants-Merkle
2B Cubs-Barnes
SS Cubs-Peters
3B Cubs-Anson
LF Giants-Devore
CF Push
RF Giants-Murray
SP1 Giants-Mathewson
SP2 Giants-Marquard
SP3 Giants-Ames
Cl Giants-Crandall
Double: Bat WAR Giants
Double: Pit WAR Giants
Giants 11 Cubs 4 - hot start for the Cubs and then the Giants drove them clean out of the tournament.
42. 1911 Pirates (3rd in NL)
v.
87. 1928 Cardinals (lost WS)
6 Pirates clubs, 4 Cardinals - we're finishing up Group 7, who will earn the last slot? It's a 37 year old Honus Wagner; it's a 41 year old Grover Cleveland Alexander.
C Cards-Wilson
1B Cards-Bottomley
2B Cards-Frisch
SS Pirates-Wagner
3B Pirates-Byrne
LF Cards-Hafey
CF Cards-Douthit
RF Pirates-Wilson
SP1 Pirates-Leifeld
SP2 Pirates-Adams
SP3 Cards-Haines
Cl Pirates-Ferry
Double: Bat WAR Cards
Double: Pit WAR Pirates
Cards 9 Pirates 8 - have I mentioned I love a tiebreak; the Cards bats just get by the Bucs arms to close out Group 7.
The next time we see Group 7:
7. 1909 Pirates
v.
71. 2009 Dodgers
103. 1958 Braves
v.
39. 1924 Giants
10. 1907 Cubs
v.
55. 1955 Dodgers
23. 1911 Giants
v.
87. 1928 Cardinals
We finish up the AL Round of 128 next time with AL group 8 - led by the 1948 Indians.
