The explanation for all of this is found in Part 1.
Region 3
3. 1906 NL Champion Chicago Cubs
v.
126. 2011 NL East Champion Philadelphia Phillies
-Seeded 3rd despite losing the World Series? 116 wins will do that. They face a Phillies team that won 101 games and got bounced in the NLDS by St Louis.
62. 1999 World Champion New York Yankees
v.
67. 2001 Oakland A's
-25 year old Derek Jeter leads the last world champions of the 20th century against a Wild Card Oakland team that Jeter's 2001 Yankees knocked off in the ALDS.
30. 1904 NL Champion New York Giants
v.
99. 1925 World Champion Pittsburgh Pirates
-It's the Giants team that chose to skip what would have been the second ever World Series against a Pirates squad with three Hall of Famers.
35. 1950 World Champion New York Yankees
v.
94. 2017 World Champion Houston Astros
-Casey Stengel brings 5 Hall of Famers into action against a franchise who knocked off the Yankees in the ALCS, the 2017 Astros.
14. 1909 Chicago Cubs
v.
115. 2004 World Champion Boston Red Sox
-This Cub team won 104 games but didn't qualify for the postseason; 37 year old Curt Schilling went 21-6 for the Sox.
51. 1953 NL Champion Brooklyn Dodgers
v.
78. 1978 World Champion New York Yankees
-It's the first Brooklyn team we've seen so far in the tournament; they lost the series to their rival Yankees and look to gain some measure of revenge against Reggie's '78 Bombers.
19. 1953 World Champion New York Yankees
v.
110. 1998 NL Central Champion Houston Astros
-We just saw that '53 Dodger squad - here's the Yankee team that beat them led by 21 year old Mickey Mantle. They face Bagwell/Biggio and a 102 win Astros team that lost to San Diego in the NLDS.
46. 1971 AL Champion Baltimore Orioles
v.
83. 1940 World Champion Cincinnati Reds
-Brooks and Frank, Earl Weaver's Robinsons will face a Reds squad whose only Hall of Famer is Ernie Lombardi.
