The Endless Single Elimination Tournament, Complete Tournament Edition

The party's over, the finals are in the books, and every one of the 2,056 different teams that Strat printed between the 1911 and 2023* seasons has had their chance at immortality, a process that has taken 46 years to complete.  In recognition of this dubious accomplishment, I have collated the "historical documents" of the project into a single PDF document, which enables any interested reader (a group probably numbering less than Jerry Dybzinski's career homer totals) to search for information about the fate of their favorite teams or players.   Since anyone reading this has to be somewhat of a numbers buff, here are some stats: the volume is 1,184 pages long and contains 651,066 words, dwarfing Leo Tolstoy’s War and Peace (561,304), Gone with the Wind (418,053), Charles Dickens' longest work, Bleak House (360,947 words), Dostoyevsky’s The Brothers Karamazov (364,153) and all seven volumes of C.S. Lewis’s The Chronicles of Narnia combined (345,535).  However, as always I must accept that my words-to-readers ratio is far higher than any of those authors, suggesting that perhaps I need to find other things to do.   At any rate, the Complete Tournament edition is available for inspection or download at the link below; hope someone enjoys it!

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1V3tW9kMUCm1JTipBOqqMExmkjGUSPzXh/view?usp=sharing

* to be continued......

THE ENDLESS SINGLE ELIMINATION TOURNAMENT:  THE FINAL GAME!?

After 46 years of games that have eliminated 2,054 teams from contention, the Endless Single Elimination Tournament comes to an end* (note the Maris asterisk, more on that later).  After all the improbable upsets and failures of storied squads, the two left standing are not surprising, and they have much in common.  Both teams had the best record in baseball in their respective seasons, although both fell short of the ultimate goal of World Series champions.  Both teams are prominently mentioned when discussions of the best starting rotations in baseball history take place.  Both teams have surmounted injuries to key players in reeling off ten straight wins to reach the tournament finals.  Fittingly, the game featured on Friday Night Strat with Philadelphia native Tall Tactician guiding the 2011 Phillies, as he has done for their last several wins; in the other corner, it was brother Chuck who had managed the 1999 Braves for several of their wins, even getting past the hole in their rotation caused when he rolled a tournament-ending injury for John Smoltz on the last out of a win.  Also fittingly, the pitching matchup was one for the ages, with Hall of Famer Greg Maddux (19-9, 3.57) on the mound for the Braves against Cliff Lee (17-8, 2.40), who finished third in the Cy Young in an effort to win his second such award.  With all onlookers thus betting on a pitching duel, the group is stunned when the Phillies begin the top of the 1st with 5 consecutive hits off Maddux, starting with a leadoff home run from Hunter Pence and also including a colossal homer from John Mayberry Jr. that would make his dad proud, and the score is 3-0 Phils before Maddux can record an out.  The second inning goes no better, as Brian Jordan adds a 2-run homer and Maddux is gone, lasting only an inning and a third as Chuck tries closer John Rocker as there is no tomorrow in this project.  The Phils can’t get anything off their Rocker, but Lee is in control and allows only one hit through the first five innings.  Atlanta finally breaks the ice in the 6th on a Ryan Klesko RBI double, although the Braves injury woes continue as Bret Boone is done for the tournament.  However, in the 8th Klesko knocks in another run with a single that sets up a 2-run homer from Brian Jordan and suddenly it’s 6-4, although the Tactician is sticking with his man Lee.  In the top of the 9th an error by injury replacement 2B-4 Keith Lockhart sets up a Jimmy Rollins RBI single to give the Phils an insurance run.  It quickly becomes apparent that insurance is a good idea, as Javy Lopez, just returning from an injury suffered in round one of this tournament probably decades ago, celebrates with a solo homer and it’s a two run game.  Then, an improbable error by SS-1 Rollins puts the tying run at the plate for the Braves in the form of Andruw Jones, and a mound visit to Lee is in order.  TT sticks with his ace, and his patience is rewarded as Jones goes down swinging and the Phils establish their claim as the most indomitable Strat team in history.

2011 Phillies  330 000 001  7 10 1
1999 Braves    000 001 031  5  6 2

PHN: Lee
ATN: Maddux 1.2(7H,6R), Rocker 4(2H,0R), Springer 2(0H,0R),
  Remlinger 1.1(1H,1R)

HR:  Pence, J. Mayberry Jr., B. Jordan, J. Lopez
RBI: Pence, J. Mayberry Jr. 4, Rollins 2, Klesko 2, B. Jordan 2,
J. Lopez
INJ: B. Boone 3 games

*  “End” note:  Readers may point out that this tournament is advertised as “endless”, which means that this description of the “final” game is not in keeping with the concept of the project.  In fact, the idea of the project as it originated in the dimly-remembered days of 1980 was to insure that I played every Strat team that I’d purchased over the years, and I’ve continued to attempt to make good on that goal.  However, when I “closed off” entries in the tournament after the 2023 cards were released (because the number of teams I had provided something close to a nice exponent of two, a necessity for a clean bracket), I continued to buy new Strat teams as released, figuring I’d deal with them later.  I now have the 1952, 2024, and 2025 seasons to play, along with a couple of new deadball-era Diamond Gems teams, and they will get their chance in a new “Supplemental Super-Regional” from which the winner will get a chance to climb through an existing path to see if they can earn a shot at the Phils.  So stay tuned–the project may not actually be endless, but as long as Strat keeps printing new teams, and I keep healthy enough to persist, we’ll keep rolling!

FINAL FOUR:  Tournament Semifinals

Two seemingly unstoppable squads clash in the first game of the Final Four, with the Tall Tactician once again at the helm of his hometown 2011 Phillies, while I would manage the 2014 Tigers as I had in their previous nine consecutive wins.  The Phils would have Cy Young runner-up and Hall of Famer Roy Halladay (19-6, 2.35) on the mound, while Detroit would counter with David Price (15-12, 3.26) who finished 6th in the Cy Young voting while pitching for two different teams.  An RBI single in the top of the 2nd by Miggy Cabrera gives the Tigers the early 1-0 lead, but that seems to wake up Halladay who goes on a strikeout binge.  On the other hand, the Phils’ bats aren’t doing much either, and that isn’t helped when Raul Ibanez goes down to injury in the 4th.  However, it’s his replacement, Ben Francisco, who treats the Phillies fans with an RBI single in the 6th that ties the game, and in the bottom of the 7th Price seems to be showing signs of discomfort after a long 7th inning stretch trivia break.  With two aboard, I opt for Al Albuquerque from the pen, and his first roll is greeted by a three-run homer from John Mayberry Jr..  His second roll results in a Ryan Howard homer, and I’ve seen enough–two batters faced, two homers.  Joe Nathan comes in to end the inning, but he yields an RBI double to Placido Polanco in the 8th and Justin Verlander has to come in to get the final out, but it’s far too late; Halladay closes out a 4-hitter in which he strikes out 14 and the Phils win 6-1 to earn a spot in the finals of the perhaps not-so-endless tournament.

2014 Tigers    010 000 000   1 4 1
2011 Phillies  000 001 41-   6 8 0

DEA: Price 6.2(5H,3R), Albuquerque 0(2H,2R), Nathan 1(1H,1R), Verlander 0.1(0H,0R)
PHN: Halladay

HR:  Mayberry Jr., R. Howard
RBI: M. Cabrera, Francisco, Mayberry Jr. 3, R. Howard, Polanco
INJ: R. Ibanez 2 games

The next stop on the Cinderella express for the 1947 Senators was a formidable roadblock in the form of the 1999 Braves.  However, the challenge was considerably lessened because it was John Smoltz’s turn in the rotation for the Braves, but brother Chuck had gotten Smoltz permanently injured on the last roll of his previous game, and replacement Terry Mulholland (10-8, 4.39) was nowhere near the regulars in this rotation, particularly because the Braves only had his combined season card that included some terrible outings with the Cubs.  Furthermore, Eaglesfly would go for his third straight upset with the Nats with the aid of Hall of Famer Early Wynn (17-15, 3.64) on the mound and .500 hitter Gil Coan in the starting lineup as an injury replacement.  All of this portends well for the Senators, and the dice gods show further favor upon them in the top of the 1st as a walk, an unthinkable 2-base error by CF-1 Andruw Jones, and a sac fly give them a quick 1-0 lead without recording a hit.  However, this is no ordinary team they are facing, and Ryan Klesko’s RBI double quickly ties things in the bottom of the inning.  With first base open, Eaglesfly opts to walk dangerous Brian Jordan to pitch to Bret Boone, and Boone booms a three-run homer to put Atlanta well in the lead.  Wynn then can’t find the strike zone, setting up an RBI single for Brian Hunter and after one inning, the Braves are up 5-1.  However, never count these Senators out; Jerry Priddy singles in a run in the 4th and then #9 hitter Mark Christman converts Mulholland’s HR split and it’s a one-run game.  After Mulholland goes the requisite five, Chuck races to his pen and Russ Springer comes in to toss two perfect innings, and in the bottom of the 7th the dice gods abandon the Senators as errors by SS-3 Christman and 3B-2 Eddie Yost open the floodgates.  Wynn can’t get anybody out and by the time Tom Ferrick comes in to retire the Braves, four more runs have crossed the plate.  With a five-run lead, Chuck summons Kevin McGlinchy to mop up in the 8th, but the Nats are not to be taken lightly, and McGlinchy doesn’t make it out of the inning as Mickey Vernon and Tom McBride each drive in runs.  It’s then time for Rudy Seanez, and he strands two runners to close out the inning with the Braves still clinging to a three run lead.  In the 9th, Coan raps a double but the Senators can muster no further offense against Seanez, and the clock strikes midnight for Cinderella as the Senators finally go down 9-6 and the Braves head to the tournament final.

1947 Senators 100 300 020  6 10 3
1999 Braves   500 000 40-  9  8 1

WAA:  Wynn 6(7H,8R), Ferrick 2(1H,1R)
ATN:  Mulholland 5(5H,4R),Springer 2(0H,0R), 
        McGlinchey 0.2(4H,2R), Seanez 1.1 (1H,0R,save)

HR: Boone, Christman
RBI: Vernon 2, Klesko, Boone 4, Hunter 2, Priddy, Christman 2, 
        G. Williams, A. Jones, McBride

Introducing the FINAL FOUR:  Sectional IV winner

The 1999 Braves captured their eighth successive division title with a record of 103–59, and marched through the playoffs to reach the World Series for the fifth time in the decade. However, somehow despite their ELO composite ranking as the 72nd best in baseball history, and their great rotation, they were swept in the Series by the Yankees, marking the end of a dynasty as they wouldn't win another pennant until 22 years later.  Famed for their rotation with the three Hall of Famers Maddux, Glavine, and Smoltz, their ace was actually Kevin Millwood who finished 3rd in the Cy Young votes.  However, Smoltz will be sitting out the remainder of the tournament after an injury in the super-regional finals, a true-to-life outcome as he had to sit out the following season due to Tommy John surgery, after which he converted to a closer.  Even with Smoltz out, when you add in John Rocker’s 38 saves and NL MVP Chipper Jones leading the offense with 45 homers and a .310 average, it’s easy to see how this group could not only survive, but thrive in the massive field of this tournament.  Teams defeated to reach the Final Four:  2015 Nationals (755) 9-7; 2023 Blue Jays (565) 7-0; 2023 Braves (73) 8-4; 1988 Red Sox (608) 11-3; 2022 Twins (1671) 4-0; 2015 Diamondbacks (1590) 7-4; 2023 Padres (544) 9-0; 2015 Yankees (748) 2-0; 1987 Tigers (296) 5-2.  Key performers:  Chipper Jones 4 HR 11 RBI, Brian Hunter 3 HR 9 RBI, Bret Boone 2 HR 9 RBI, Ryan Kelsko 2 HR 7 RBI.  Injuries:  Javy Lopez 1 game remaining, John Smoltz 11 games remaining (out for tournament). 

Introducing the FINAL FOUR:  Sectional III winner

The 1947 Senators went 64-90, good for next to last place in the American League, 27 games out, and an ELO rank as the 2,058th best team in baseball history.  Their main move in the preseason was re-acquiring longtime Senator outfielder George Case, who led the AL in stolen bases six times including in 1946, but the years of hard sliding had led to shoulder and back problems, and his hitting stroke was gone.  Hitting just .150, he retired in midseason, and the real-life Senators limped to another disappointing season.  However, manager Ossie Bluege has been outdone by a variety of managerial wizards in this tournament, because the Cinderella Senators have been the star of the ball.  Buoyed by Hall of Famers Early Wynn and Rick Ferrell, they have reeled off nine straight victories, including wins against two World Champions (the 1972 A’s and the 1952 Yankees) and an NL pennant winner in the 2017 Dodgers.  Of course, a certain amount of luck has also been involved, as the Yankees had lost Mickey Mantle, and their Final Four game against the Braves comes against a hole in the latter’s formidable rotation with John Smoltz getting injured on the final out of his previous start.  The Nats have had injuries of their own, with RF Buddy Lewis on the DL not once but twice in the project–but even this turns out to be fortuitous, as who better to replace Lewis than RF-3 Gil Coan and his freakish .500-hitting card.  Teams defeated to reach the Final Four: 1996 Pirates (1850) 7-4; 1911 Browns (2360) 2-1 (12); 1972 A's (254) 12-4; 2009 Royals (1878) 4-0; 1990 Brewers (1408) 1-0; 1995 Mets (1256) 9-3; 2017 Dodgers (86) 4-3; 1958 Yankees (121) 7-6; 2013 Dodgers (407) 5-0.  Key performers:  Stan Spence 2 HR 9 RBI, Mickey Vernon 2 HR 8 RBI, Eddie Yost 1 HR 7 RBI.  Injuries:  Buddy Lewis 8 games remaining (out for tournament).

Introducing the FINAL FOUR:  Sectional II winner

The 2011 Phillies won their fifth consecutive National League East championship, and also finished with the best record in baseball for the second straight year. However, they were eliminated in the NLDS by the eventual World Series winning Cardinals, and the loss ended a dynasty and began the longest active postseason drought in the NL at the time. One of the major preseason moves made by the Phils was to re-sign Cliff Lee, whom they had traded to the Mariners the previous season in order to acquire Roy Halladay.  With the addition of Lee to a rotation of Halladay, Cole Hamels, and Roy Oswalt, some have called this the best rotation of all time, boasting three of the top five vote-getters for the Cy Young award; furthermore, three of them were in the top 10 in career winning-percentage, and the fourth was an NLCS and World Series MVP.  The most successful of an era of Phillies teams that all progressed far in the tournament, this team had to survive repeated injuries, including a 15-gamer to Chase Utley that sent him packing for the entire tournament, but that still left four MVP vote-getters in the lineup including Ryan Howard, Carlos Ruiz, Shane Victorino, and Hunter Pence.  Teams defeated to reach round ten:  1957 Senators (2295) 5-4; 1958 Dodgers (1576) 2-1; 2020 Nationals (760) 8-6; 1950 Cardinals (649) 18-2; 1964 Pirates (1311) 4-1; 2009 Reds (1752) 4-2; 1960 Giants (881) 5-2; 2006 Dodgers (1228) 4-1; 2012 Nationals (460) 3-2.   Key performers:  Ryan Howard 2 HR 7 RBI, Raul Ibanez 2 HR 6 RBI, Shane Victorino 1 HR 5 RBI, John Mayberry Jr. 1 HR 6 RBI.  Injuries: Chase Utley 7 games remaining (out of tournament).

Introducing the FINAL FOUR:  Sectional I winner

For the 2014 Detroit Tigers season, there was a new manager in Brad Ausmus, and he managed to clinch the AL Central title on the last day of the regular season to finish one game ahead of the Royals, with a 90–72 record and an ELO ranking of 616.  Despite the new leadership, it was familiar territory as this was their fourth consecutive division title. Their offense was led by Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez (who slashed .335/.409/.565, with 32 homers against just 42 strikeouts), and Ian Kinsler proved to be a useful pickup while J.D. Martinez had a breakout campaign.  However, it was their pitching staff that was truly unique–there were five former or future Cy Young award winners on the roster (Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer, Rick Porcello, David Price and Robbie Ray), and furthermore everyone in the starting rotation, including Drew Smyly who was traded for Price in mid-season, went on to play for a Series-winning team–none of them being the Tigers.  Despite all of this, the Tigers were swept by the Orioles in the ALDS and the team went into a tailspin, going a decade before revisiting the post-season and in the interim amassing some of the worst records in baseball history.  Regardless, this Tigers team proved to be one of the four survivors of the 2,056 that began this project.  Of the Final Four teams, these Tigers might have had the easiest path, facing only a couple of decently-rated squads on their way to this level.  Teams defeated to reach the Final Four: 1938 Browns (2309) 2-0; 1987 Reds (970) 5-4;  2014 Mets (1489) 4-3; 2003 Rockies (1679) 5-2; 2010 Mets (1406) 7-2; 1980 Reds (848) 10-1; 1990 Cubs (1517) 6-5; 1993 Reds (1558) 6-4; 1971 Padres (2242) 8-7.  Key performers in the nine previous games: Ian Kinsler 2 HR 11 RBI;  Miguel Cabrera 1 HR 6 RBI; Rajai Davis 6 RBI.