Forever Giants: 1922 World Champion New York Giants(Year 40)

1921 is here.

My WAR calculation is a combination of Baseball-reference and Clay Davenport; I believe it to be the "best" WAR number available for historical comparison. 8 WAR is an MVP quality season. The record is pythagorean adjusted for 162 games.

1922 World Champions (d. Yankees 4-0) 100-62

C Frank Snyder 1.85 

1B High Pockets Kelly 4.25

2B Frankie Frisch 4.6

SS Dave Bancroft 6.65

3B Heinie Groh 2.15 

LF Irish Meusel 1.55

CF Casey Stengel 2.5

RF Ross Youngs 3.2 

2B Johnny Rawlings 1.4 

C Earl Smith 1.05 

OF Bill Cunningham .35

OF Ralph Shinners -1.05

SP Art Nehf 2.8 

SP Jesse Barnes .75 

SP Phil Douglas 2.85 

SP Rosy Ryan 1.85

- It's the 40th year of Giants baseball - The Giants again beat the Yankees in the last year they'd share a stadium, spitballer Douglas got kicked out of the league for trying to jump to the Cardinals.  18 year old Travis Jackson gets a cup of coffee.  

Forever Giants: 1921 World Champion New York Giants(Year 39)

1920 is here.

My WAR calculation is a combination of Baseball-reference and Clay Davenport; I believe it to be the "best" WAR number available for historical comparison. 8 WAR is an MVP quality season. The record is pythagorean adjusted for 162 games.

1921 100-62 World Champs (d Yanks 5-3)

C Frank Snyder  3.05 

1B High Pockets Kelly 3.7

2B Johnny Rawlings .35

SS Dave Bancroft 6.95

3B Frankie Frisch 6.85 

LF George Burns 1.35 (33.25) Last Season

CF Irish Meusel .3

RF Ross Youngs 2.85 

C Earl Smith 2.7 

OF Curt Walker .5

3B Goldie Rapp -.35

OF Eddie Brown -.25
OF Lee King -.75

SP Art Nehf 2.2 

SP Jesse Barnes 2.4

SP Fred Toney 1.9 

SP Phil Douglas -.3 

RP Rosy Ryan .5


-With aid of a backup outfielder named Casey Stengel, the Giants win their first World Series in 16 years knocking off the Yankees in 8 games.  George Burns finishes up, through 2016 he was still a top 30 all Time Giant.  

2015 Professional Wrestling Matches of the Year

And we're underway.

So, this year we'll go with three lists.  At the top will be the ongoing ranking of every 4 1/2+ and up matches I see this year.

Next, the WWE 4 star and up matches; previously, I've also included 4 star matches from TNA; if any occur, I'll include them as well.

Finally, a grab bag of 4 and 4 1/4 matches.  They won't be ranked, nor should they be seen as comprehensive, just a list as I see them.

I'm done.  This is the final list.  The 34 best wrestling matches of 2015.

Matches of the Year
1. Nakamura v. Ibushi (NJPW, Jan) 5
2. Kushida v. O'Reilly (NJPW, June) 5
3. Harashima v. Ibushi (DDT, Feb) 5
4. Ishii v. Honma (NJPW, Feb) 5
5. Ishii v. Honma (NJPW, Nov) 4 3/4
6. Harada v. Kotoge (NOAH, Jan) 4 3/4
7. Yoshino/Boy v. Susumu/Kagetora (DG, Apr) 4 3/4
8. Strong v. Bailey (PWG, June) 4 3/4
9. Nakamura v. Tanahashi (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
10. Mochizuki v. Shingo (DG, Nov) 4 1/2

11. Suigura v. Suzuki (NOAH, Sep) 4 1/2
12. Ishii v. Elgin (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
13. Ishii v. Honma (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
14. Harada v. Kotoge (NOAH, Dec 2014) 4 1/2
15. Aero Star/Fenix v. Drago/Pentagon (PWG, Aug) 4 1/2
16. Okada v. Nagata (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
17. Tanahashi v. Styles (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
18. Tanahashi v. Okada (NJPW, Jan) 4 1/2
19. Okada v. Styles (NJPW, July) 4 1/2
20. Strong v. Lee (PWG, Feb) 4 1/2

21. Hero v. Sabre v. Bailey (PWG, Aug) 4 1/2
22. Hulk/Shingo/Tozawa v. T-Hawk/Eita/Shimizu (July DG) 4 1/2
23. Lesnar v. Rollins v. Cena (Royal Rumble, Jan) 4 1/2
24. Go v. Miyahara (AJPW, Mar) 4 1/2
25. Hero v. Gulak (PWG, July) 4 1/2
26. AJ Styles/Matt Jackson/Nick Jackson def. Cedric Alexander/ACH/Matt Sydal (ROH. Feb) 4 1/2
27. Kaz/Kondo v. Minoru Tanaka/Yoshioka (Wrestle 1, Feb) 4 1/2
28. Ibushi v. Shibata (NJPW, July) 4 1/2
29. Ibushi v. Harashima (DDT, Apr) 4 1/2
30. Nakamura v. Okada (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2

31. Goto v. Ishii (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2
32. Archer/DBS Jr. v. Nicholls/Haste (NOAH, Feb) 4 1/2
33. Ricochet v. O'Reilly (PWG, Dec 2014) 4 1/2
34. Tanahashi v. Shibata (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/2


Best WWE/TNA Matches
1. Lesnar v. Rollins v. Cena (Royal Rumble, Jan) 4 1/2
2. Zayn v. Neville (NXT, Dec 2014) 4 1/4
3. Cesaro v. Cena (RAW, July) 4 1/4
4. Zayn v. Owens (NXT, Feb) 4 1/4
5. Rollins v. Lesnar v. Reigns (Wrestlemania) 4
6. Lesnar v. Undertaker (HITC, Oct) 4
7. Owens v. Cena (Money in the Bank, June) 4
8. Bayley v. Sasha (NXT, Aug) 4
9. Owens v. Balor (NXT, July) 4
10. Zayn v. Neville (NXT, Jan) 4

11. Neville v. Balor (NXT, Feb) 4
12. Bryan v. Reigns (Fast Lane, Feb) 4
13. Wyatt v. Reigns (HIAC, Oct) 4
14. Angle v. Aries (Impact, June) 4
15. Ziggler v. Harper (TLC, Dec 2014) 4
16. Aries v. Richards (TNA Slammiversary , July) 4
17. Owens v. Cena (Elimination Chamber, May ) 4
18. Rollins v. Cena (Summer Slam, Aug) 4
19. Rollins v. Cena (Night of Champions, Sep) 4


Additional 4 Star Matches
Akiyama/Omori v. Go/Miyahara (AJPW, Dec) 4

Johnny Mundo v. Big Ryck/Prince Puma (Lucha Underground Dec)4 ¼ 
Battle Royal (Lucha Underground Jan) 4
Red Dragon v. Time Splitters (ROH, Dec 2014) 4 1/4
Jay Briscoe v. Adam Cole (ROH, Dec 2014) 4
Shingo v. Hulk (DG, December 2014) 4 1/4
Marufuji v. Kojima (NOAH, Jan) 4
Sugiura/Tanaka v. Nicholls/Haste (NOAH, Jan) 4 1/4
Red Dragon v. Forever Hooligans v. Time Splitters v. Young Bucks (NJPW, Jan) 4
Ishii v. Makabe (NJPW, Jan) 4
AJ v. Naito (NJPW, Jan) 4
Harashima/Takeshita/Endo v. Ibushi/Sekimoto/Okabayashi (DDT, Jan) 4
Hulk v Susumu (DG, Feb) 4 1/4
Tanahashi v. Styles (NJPW, Feb) 4
O'Reilly v. Strong (PWG, Dec) 4
Takeshita/Endo v. Sekimoto/Okabayashi (KOD, Feb) 4 1/4
Aoki v. Kotaro (AJPW, Feb) 4 1/4
Fish/O'Reilly v. Bucks (ROH, Mar) 4 1/4
Thatcher v. Hero (WWN, Mar) 4 1/4
Tanaka/Sugiura v. Sekimoto/Sato (Zero One Mar) 4
Kzy v. Tozawa (DG, Mar) 4 1/4
Yuji v. Nakamura (NJPW, Feb) 4
Ibushi v. Naito (NJPW, Feb) 4 1/4
Fenix v. Muertes (Lucha Underground, Mar) 4 1/4
Mark & Jay Briscoe & Raymond Rowe & Hanson & Roderick Strong beat The Bullet Club of A.J. Styles & Karl Anderson & Doc Gallows & Young Bucks (ROH, May) 4
ACH/Sydal v. Tanahashi/Naito (ROH, June) 4
Tanaka v. Shingo (Zero 1, Mar) 4
Sato/Ishikawa v. Sekimoto/Okabayashi (BJ, May) 4
Kodaka v. Hidaka (Union, May) 4
Styles/Bucks v. Okada/Romero/Barretta 4 (ROH, June) 4 1/4
Harashima v. Kudo (May DDT) 4 1/4 
Hawk v Hulk (DG, June) 4
Ibushi b. Styles (NJPW Apr) 4
End v. Hero (PWG Apr) 4 1/4
Strong v. Sabre (PWG Apr) 4 1/4 
Bullet Club v. Kingdom (ROH June) 4
Lethal v. Briscoe (ROH June) 4
Cima/Ricochet/Sydal v. Yamato/Doi/Yoshino (July, DG) 4 1/4 
Kushida v. Omega (NJPW, July) 4
Goto v. Nakamura (NJPW, July) 4
Sydal v. Ricochet (PWG, Feb) 4
Sekimoto v. Okabayashi (BJ, July) 4 1/4
Hero v. Lee (Evolve, July) 4 1/4
Strong v. Sabre (Evolve, July) 4 1/4
Eita v. Tozawa (DG, July) 4
Yamato/Doi v. Ricochet/Sydal (DG, July) 4
Yoshino v. THawk (DG, July) 4 1/4
Okada v. Ishii (Aug NJPW) 4
Ibushi v. Naito (Aug NJPW) 4
Puma v. Muertes (Aug, Lucha Underground) 4
Bucks v. Romero/Barretta (ROH, Aug) 4
Sugiura v. Marufuji (NOAH, Aug) 4
Harada v. Kotoge (NOAH, Aug) 4
Hero v. Sabre (PWG, June) 4 1/4
Bucks v. Everett/Lee (PWG, June) 4
Lee v. Ciampa (PWG, July) 4
Bailey v. Hero (PWG, July) 4 1/4 
Tanahashi v. Ibushi (NJPW, July) 4 1/4 
Shibata v. Naito (NJPW, July) 4
Honma v. Okada (NJPW, July) 4
Ibushi v. Styles (NJPW, July) 4
Tanahashi v. Naito (NJPW, July) 4 1/4
Goto v. Okada (NJPW, Aug) 4 
Nakamura v. Honma (NJPW, Aug) 4
Lethal v. Strong (ROH, Sep) 4
Thatcher v. Sabre (Evolve, Aug) 4
Marufuji v. Sugiura (NOAH, Aug) 4 1/4 Red Dragon v. Young Bucks (NJPW, Aug) 4
Ricochet v. Kushida (NJPW, Aug) 4 1/4 
Makabe v. Ibushi (NJPW, Sep) 4
Time Splitters v. Redragon (NJPW, Sep) 4 1/4
Nakamura v. Goto (NJPW, Sep) 4
Strong v. Okada (ROH, Aug) 4 1/4
Kotoge v. Marufuji (NOAH, Sep) 4
Ishii v. Makabe (NJPW, Oct) 4 1/4 
Styles v. Okada (NJPW, Oct) 4 1/4 
Sydal/Ricochet v. Shelley/Kushida (NJPW, Oct) 4
Busick v. Everett (PWG, Aug) 4
Andrews v. Ospreay (PWG, Aug) 4
Sydal v. Fenix (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4
Sydal/Ricochet v. Bucks (NJPW, Nov) 4
Thatcher v. Hero (PWG, Aug) 4
Bailey v. Galloway (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4
Sydal v. Ricochet (PWG, Aug) 4
Bucks/Super Dragon v. Busick/Everett/Lee (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4
Sydal v. Ospreay (PWG, Aug) 4 1/4 
Bucks/Strong/SDragon v. Ricochet/Swann/Fenix/Angelico (PWG, Aug) 4
Benjamin v. Marufuji (NOAH, Nov) 4
Sydal/Ricochet v. Roppongi Vice (NJPW, Nov) 4
Nakamura v. Anderson (NJPW, Nov) 4
Yamato/Doi v. Yoshino/T-Hawk (DG, Nov) 4 1/4

 

Forever Giants: 1920 New York Giants(Year 38)

1919 is here.

My WAR calculation is a combination of Baseball-reference and Clay Davenport; I believe it to be the "best" WAR number available for historical comparison. 8 WAR is an MVP quality season.  The record is pythagorean adjusted for 162 games.

1920 98-64

C Frank Snyder 1.4

1B High Pockets Kelly 1.95

2B Larry Doyle 1.9 (34.8) Last Season

SS Dave Bancroft 5.85

3B Frankie Frisch 3.4

LF George Burns 4.65

CF Lee King -.95

RF Ross Youngs 5.7

C Earl Smith 1.6

OF Benny Kauff .3

SS Art Fletcher .65(42.3)Last Season

OF Vern Spencer -.7

IF Ed Sicking -.85

SP Jesse Barnes 2.15

SP Art Nehf 2

SP Fred Toney 2.95

SP Rube Benton -.25

RP Phil Douglas 1.4

-Art Fletcher, an all time Giant great, gets moved for Dave Bancroft, who is on his way to the HOF.  Larry Doyle also finishes, as the middle infield leaves together. Mathewson returns as a coach, McGraw picks up both tuberculosis and a fractured skull from a bar fight.  The latter from the fight.  Maybe the TB too.  Look at Frankie Frisch work his way into the lineup at the age of 22.

Forever Giants: 1919 New York Giants(Year 37)

1918 is here.

My WAR calculation is a combination of Baseball-reference and Clay Davenport; I believe it to be the "best" WAR number available for historical comparison. 8 WAR is an MVP quality season.  The record is pythagorean adjusted for 162 games.

1919 99-63

C Lew McCarty .75 

1B Hal Chase 1.4

2B Larry Doyle 4.4

SS Art Fletcher 5.35

3B Heinie Zimmerman 2.3

LF George Burns 4.55

CF Benny Kauff 1.55

RF Ross Youngs  3.75

3B Frankie Frisch .15

C Mike Gonzalez -.7

1B High Pockets Kelly .35 

SP Jesse Barnes 3.95

SP Rube Benton 2.1

SP Fred Toney 3.8

SP Red Causey -1.25 

SP Art Nehf 2.9

RP Jean Dubuc .5

-Charles Stoneham buys the club with McGraw as a minority partner; Hal Chase punches a cop and is then gunned down in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri (kidding, nothing happens to him). And Mathewson returns from the War as a pitching coach. There's Frankie Frisch.