MLB: Monster Historical Team Tournament

The Monster Historical Team Tournament features 256 of the winningest teams in major league baseball from 1901 to the present. The tournament is being played out in 16 brackets of 16 teams each, wiith the winner of each bracket to compete in a final 16-team championship event.

Every franchise is represented at least once in the 256-team field that includes every World Series participant (winners and losers) plus an additional number of teams that won 100 or more games in a season, as well as the league champions from 1901, 1902 and 1904, the years when a World Series was not played.

Seedings in each 16-team group is based on a team's Pythagorean win-loss percentage (its W-L percentage adjusted by factoring in runs scored and runs allowed).

Seven teams have already earned a spot in the final 16 by winning their respective group bracket:

1976 Cincinnati Reds (Group I) 
1920 Cleveland Indians (Group II)
1993 Atlanta Braves (Group III)
1911 Philadelphia Athletics (Group IV)
1956 New York Yankees (Group V)
1998 Atlanta Braves (Group VI)
1943 New York Yankees (Group VII)

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Group VII Bracket: Final Round

1931 Philadelphia Athletics vs. 1943 New York Yankees

Game 1(at Philadelphia): Yankees 9, Athletics 6
With the score tied in the top of the sixth inning, a pair of two-run singles, by Joe Gordon and Nick Etten put New York in control, 4-2. Philadelphia mounted a comeback with four runs in their final at bat before Jimmie Foxx flied out with the bases loaded to end the game. Yankees starter Spud Chandler allowed two runs in six innings of work to earn the win. Athletics southpaw Lefty Grove fanned 11, but gave up seven runs over 5 2/3 innings.
WP: Spud Chandler; LP: Lefty Grove; SV: Marius Russo
HR: NY- R. Weatherly, F. Crosetti, N. Etten; PHL- B. Miller
Yankees lead series, 1-0

Game 2(at Philadelphia): Yankees 9, Athletics 6
First baseman Nick Etten hit three home runs, scored four and drove in four in New York's win. Second baseman Joe Gordon helped seal the deal with a solo home run in the seventh inning that put the Yankees ahead, 4-3. Shortstop Dib Williams homered twice and drove in three for Philadelphia.
WP: Tiny Bonham; LP: George Earnshaw
HR: NY- N. Etten (3), J. Gordon; PHL- D. Williams, M. Haas, J. Foxx
Yankees leads series, 2-0

Game 3(at New York): Yankees 9, Athletics 4
With the game tied in the bottom of the seventh inning, Yankees shortstop Frankie Crosetti hit a sac fly that put New York in front, 5-4. New York widened its lead in the bottom of the eighth inning on a three-run homer by catcher Bill Dickey. Yankees second baseman Joe Gordon was named Player of the Game after going 2-for-4, scoring three times, and homering for the 10th time in the tournament.
WP: Butch Wensloff; LP: Rube Walberg; SV: Bill Zuber
HR: NY- J. Gordon, B. Dickey; PHL- J. Foxx
Yankees leads series, 3-0

Game 4(at New York): Athletics 5, Yankees 1
Philadelphia fought off elimination behind starter Eddie Rommel's best outing of the tournament. Rommel hurled a complete game, holding the Yankees to one run on five hits over nine innings. He walked none and struck out six. A's catcher Mickey Cochrane went 2-for-4, including a home run, and drove in three.
WP: Eddie Rommel; LP: Hank Borowy
HR: NY- B. Dickey; PHL- M. Cochrane, J. Foxx
Yankees lead series, 3-1

Game 5 (at New York): Yankees 2, Athletics 1
Yankees ace righthander Spud Chandler outdueled Athletics ace Lefty Grove to send New York to the final 16 championship bracket. Chandler held Philadelphia to one run, over 7 1/3 innings, allowing five hits and striking out 4. Grove was equally effective until Nick Etten put New York on top with a run-scoring single in the bottom of the fifth inning.
WP: Spud Chandler; LP: Lefty Grove; SV: Marius Russo
HR: PHL- A. Simmons
Yankees win series, 4-1

Series MVP: Nick Etten (NY), .444 / 4 HR / 6 RBI / 1.167 SLG

(Comment)

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Group VI Bracket: Final Round

1998 Atlanta Braves vs. 1939 Cincinnati Reds

Game 1 (at Atlanta): Braves 7, Reds 2
Atlanta third baseman Chipper Jones homered with two on in the third inning to give the Braves a 5-0 lead, while their ace righthander Greg Maddux went the distance allowing two runs on six hits to notch the win.
WP:- Greg Maddux; LP: Junior Thompson
HR: Atl- C. Jones
Braves lead series, 1-0

 Game 2 (at Atlanta): Braves 3, Reds 1
Second baseman Keith Lockhart's run-scoring double in the bottom of the seventh inning put Atlanta ahead, 2-1, and Braves starter Tom Glavine was sensational, holding the Reds to one run on five hits over 7 1/3 innings to record the win.
WP: Tom Glavine; LP: Paul Derringer; SV: Rudy Seanez
HR: CIN- H. Craft
Braves lead series, 2-0

Game 3 (at Cincinnati): Braves 3, Reds 0 (11 innings)
Rightfielder Michael Tucker homered off Reds reliever Hank Johnson with two on in the top of the11th inning, and southpaw starter Denny Neagle shut out Cincinnati over 10 innings to earn the win. Reds starter Bucky Walters held Atlanta scoreless for eight innings before turning it over to Johnson in the ninth.
WP: Denny Neagle; LP: Hank Johnson; SV: Kerry Lightenberg
HR: ATL- M. Tucker
Braves lead series, 3-0

Game 4 (at Cincinnati): Braves 9 , Reds 3
Atlanta jumped on Reds starter Whitey Moore for six runs in the first inning and added three more in the seventh on Chipper Jones' three-run dinger off Reds reliever Johnny Vander Meer. Braves starter Kevin Millwood held Cincinnati to three runs on eight hits over seven innings to earn the win.
WP: Kevin Millwood; LP: Whitey Moore
HR: ATL- C. Jones; CIN- F. McCormick
Braves win series, 4-0

Series MVP: Chipper Jones, .400 / 6 HR / 9 RBI / 1.000 SLG

(Comment)

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Diamond Dust ...

IT'S A FACT: Line-drive-hitting catcher Ernie Lombardi batted .330 or better five times despite his lack of speed. Possessor of a powerful throwing arm, the Hall-of-Famer won the National League batting title in 1938 and helped his Cincinnati Reds win National League pennants in 1939 and 1940.

(Comment)