Editor’s note: Tournament games are played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. Three-man pitching rotations will be used for starting pitchers. Injuries are in-game only during this single elimination event.
During the 1960s, major league baseball went through many changes as expansion allowed growth during the decade.
Baseball was celebrating its 100th year as a professional sport in 1969 as the league went from 20 teams to 24 with the addition of the Monteal Expos, San Diego Padres, Kansas City Royals and the Seattle Pilots.
The New York Mets were somehow able to win the World Series as the defeated the Baltimore Oroles four games to one to take the title. With the new divisional format the league championships series were also contested for the as the Mets beat the Atlanta Braves and the Orioles downs the Minnesota Twins.
Will the Mets be able to survive a single elimination fight to win the championship in the 1969 Strat-o-Matic Tournament?
The seeding of each division bracket was determined by overall season record.
A pair of future Hall of Fame sluggers were named the Most Valuable Players as Harmon Killebrew of the Twins was selected in the American League with Willie McCovey of the San Francisco Giants earning the ward in the National League.
Tom Seaver of the Mets won the NL Cy Young Award, while Denny McLain of the Detroit Tigers and Mike Cuellar of the Orioles shared the honor in the AL.
Lou Piniella of the Kansas City Royals was the AL Rookie of the Year as Ted Sizemore of the Los Angeles Dodgers with the top first year player in the NL.
As always with this type of event, a great pitching performance or an outstanding game at the plate can lead to an upset in this format. Can you predict the winner?
1969 Tournament Schedule
First and Second Round Pairings
NL East Bracket
(1) New York Mets, bye
(5) Philadelphia Phillies at (4) St. Louis Cardinals
(6) Montreal Expos at (3) Pittsburgh Pirates
(2) Chicago Cubs, bye
NL West Bracket
(1) Atlanta Braves, Bye
(5) Houston Astros at (4) Los Angeles Dodgers
(6) San Diego Padres at (3) Cincinnati Reds
(2) San Francisco Giants, bye
AL East Bracket
(1) Baltimore Orioles, Bye
(5) New York Yankees at (4) Washington Senators
(6) Cleveland Indians at (3) Boston Red Sox
(2) Detroit Tigers, bye
AL West Bracket
(1) Minnesota Twins, Bye
(5) Chicago White Sox at (4) Kansas City Royals
(6) Seattle Pilots at (3) California Angels
(2) Oakland A’s, bye