How They Got Here - The Greatest MLB Tournament Ever Reaches the League Championships

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The 1939 New York Yankees entered as the top overall seed in the American League, that means they had the greatest pythagorean record in AL history.

They opened up with a 10-5 win over Babe Ruth's 1918 Red Sox; they then beat Ty Cobb's 1915 Tigers 9-6; in the Round of 32 they whipped The Bronx Zoo 1977 Yankees 12-3; in the Sweet 16 they took out the great pitching staff of the 1973 Orioles 11-6; they faced a dogfight in the Elite 8, beating Derek Jeter's 1998 Yankees 9-8 - and then they made this round, with a 9-6 Final Four victory over the 2017 Houston Astros -- the '39 Yankees have yet to lose a single total WAR battle - both offense and pitching (they pushed pitching against Houston).



They face the 14th overall seed in the American League - the 1929 Philadelphia A's.

The A's got started with an 11-4 win over Ted Williams and the 1948 Red Sox; Tris Speaker was the next victim, the A's beat the 1921 Indians 12-3. They faced a little more of a test in the next round, beating the 1985 Blue Jays 10-6 - and then they had to fight it out in the Sweet 16, the A's topped Ruth/Gehrig and the 1932 Yankees 8-7; the Yankees won the overall total bats in that contest, the A's first loss in any of the totals.  Another tough matchup in the Elite 8 - the A's beat one of those Earl Weaver Orioles clubs, the 1969 Orioles, 9-7 - again, losing the offensive total.  And then in the final four; they knocked out the second overall seed, their real life rivals, the 1927 Yankees, 8-7, again, despite losing the offense.

So - the 1939 Yankees, who entered as the top AL seed - face the 1929 A's, who knocked off the number two overall seed.



The 1975 Cincinnati Reds were the 15th overall seed in the National League; they were pushed to the brink in round 1, defeating the 1886 St Louis Browns 8-7, Rawly Eastwick earned them a pitching victory that prevented this early upset.  Another tight game in round 2, the Reds beat the '77 Dodgers 9-7, once again, Eastwick got their only pitching point and that prevented a tiebreaker.  In the round of 32 it was Christy Mathewson's 1908 Giants who couldn't match the offensive firepower, the Reds won 9-6 (still, only getting the same pitching point).  Advancing through the Sweet 16 took a tiebreaker; the offense of the Reds beating the pitching of Maddux/Glavine and the 1997 Atlanta Braves.  Again, Eastwick won the closing battle to prevent elimination.  It was another of those Mathewson Giants clubs who went down in the Elite 8, the Reds took out the 1911 Giants 8-7; the Reds lost every single pitching point in this one - but still advanced.  And in the Final Four it was a dominating pitching staff, the 2011 Philadelphia Phillies, taking every pitching point...but still, falling to the Reds 8-7.  Despite that 15th seed, Cincinnati has never had to face a higher seed team in the tournament and will not in this matchup either.  The '75 Reds starting pitchers have been shutout in the tournament, only the closer Eastwick has won even a single matchup.

The 1976 Cincinnati Reds entered as the 33rd overall seed in the National League; they opened up by whipping the 1920 New York Giants 10-3 (Pat Zachry won a starting pitching matchup, already surpassing the results of the '75 club).  The Reds were underdogs as early as round 2, when they beat the 32nd seeded 1986 Mets 10-6 (another Zachry win). The Reds then faced the top overall seed in the National League, Tinker/Evers/Chance and the 1906 Chicago Cubs - Eastwick took the closer's point and the Reds won 9-7; they kept it rolling in the sweet 16, with an upset over Stan Musial's 17th seeded 1943 Cardinals 9-6.  They beat the Giants again, this time the 8th seeded 1905 version, 9-7 in the Elite 8 -- and it took a tiebreaker, but the 4th overall seed in the NL, the 1944 Cardinals fell in the Final Four - Eastwick, as he did the year before, saved this club with a matchup win to force the tiebreaker, and the Reds won 9-8.

We've hit the end.  

1939 Yankees
v. 
1929 A's

1975 Reds 
v.
1976 Reds

The winners to meet to determine the greatest Major League Baseball team of all time.