The Gauntlet

[RobToxin]

As historical exhibitions have become the next big thing from OOTP, I have created this gauntlet tournament. I don't know how far I will get but here is the concept:

Teams each year will be ranked from 1-however many teams there are. The lowest ranked team plays the next lowest ranked team. The winner plays the next lowest ranked team until one team is left. Then I will do the same with the next year. Then those two winners will face off. And continues.

I will start with 1901. The winner of the 1901 Gauntlet will face the winner of the 1902 Gauntlet. Then that winner faces the winner of the 1903 Gauntlet and so on.

These will all be seven game series under the 2-3-2 format.

I am also using another game's system of power ranking the teams and the seedings will be based on those power rankings and not necessarily how these teams finished that season. So, there is no guarantee the World Series Champion from a certain year will be the #1 seed in their gauntlet.

[RobToxin]

1901

The Seedings:

1. Pittsburgh Pirates
2. Philadelphia Phillies
3. Baltimore Orioles
4. Brooklyn Superbas
5. Boston Beaneaters
6. St Louis Cardinals
7. New York Giants
8. Cincinnati Reds
9. Washington Senators
10. Chicago Orphans
11. Chicago White Sox
12. Cleveland Blues
13. Boston Americans
14. Philadelphia Athletics
15. Milwaukee Brewers
16. Detroit Tigers

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DETROIT TIGERS VS MILWAUKEE BREWERS
So close to being a sweep. Milwaukee took the first three games of the series and had a 2-0 lead in the bottom of the eighth of Game 4 but then committed three errors to allow Detroit to tie in the eighth and then score the winning run in the ninth. It was the second game with a walkoff finish as the Brewers won Game 2 with a run in the bottom of the ninth as well. After the Tigers convincingly took Game 5, the Brewers went back home and took care of business in Game 6.
MILWAUKEE BREWERS WIN 4 GAMES TO 2

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MILWAUKEE BREWERS VS PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS
The Brewers continued their success, taking the opener of this series. It would be their only win as the Athletics cruised to a four game win streak. Socks Seybold was named the Series MVP.
PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS WIN 4 GAMES TO 1

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PHILADELPHIA ATHLETICS VS BOSTON AMERICANS
Nap Lajoie homered in each of the first two games but Boston still won them both. It was just a bad matchup for the Athletics as the Americans completed the sweep.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO O

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS CLEVELAND BLUES
The Americans continued to win as Cy Young dominated in the opener. A questionable decision by the manager may have cost Cleveland Game 2. Earl Moore had allowed just 1 run on 2 hits through 6 innings but the Blues decided to go to the bullpen in the 7th. Boston then scored 4 runs in the 8th to take Game 2 and headed back to Boston with a 2-0 lead as Chick Stahl collected 4 RBI in Game 2. In Game 3, Ted Lewis pitched 8.1 innings of shutout ball as the Americans took a 3-0 lead in the series. Cleveland avoided the sweep as Pete Dowling outdueled Cy Young in Game 4. George Winter then pitched the Americans to a Game 5 win. In a series that was dominated by pitching, it was only appropriate that Winter was named Series MVP as Boston became the first team to win two Gauntlet Series.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 1

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS CHICAGO WHITE SOX
The White Sox drew a very unfavorable seeding considering they won the American League in 1901. The Americans continued to roll, easily taking Game 1 7-1 behind the pitching of Cy Young's complete game. Game 2 became the first game in The Gauntlet to go to extra innings. The White Sox scored a run in the 12th to win 7-6. Boston's first road loss of The Gauntlet. Pop Foster had 5 RBI in the game. Cy Young pitched another complete game in Game 3 and Boston overcame a 3-0 deficit to win 5-3. Seven errors were committed in Game 4 leading to 10 unearned runs. Both pitchers went the distance but Roy Patterson got the win as the White Sox took it 8-6. Game 5 was another error-filled game as this time the two teams combined to commit 9 of them. They also combined for 28 hits. Tommy Dowd went 3-fo-4 with 2 RBI and 3 runs scored but Chicago won 14-9. The Americans not only trailed in the series for the first time in The Gauntlet, they faced elimination for the first time in The Gauntlet. The Americans turned to Cy Young in Game 6. The White Sox committed 9 errors in this game. Buck Freeman drove in 4 runs. Boston won Game 6 11-3 to force the first Seventh Game in The Gauntlet. Unfortunately for the Americans, Ted Lewis was just awful and did not make it out of the third inning of Game 7. Boston came from 13-4 down in the third to tie the game with 5 runs in the 9th inning and force extra innings. In his only at-bat of the series, Jack Slattery hit an RBI double to give the Americans the lead in the 12th. The game saw 14 errors and 30 hits as the Americans won 16-14. A great comeback or an epic choke, depending on your point of view. Chick Stahl had 7 RBI in the game. Buck Freeman was named the Series MVP.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 3

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS CHICAGO ORPHANS
For the first time in The Gauntlet, the American League faces the National League. The Americans ruined a Chicago vs Chicago matchup and look to eliminate two Chicago teams in a row. Game 1 was a pitching showdown between Cy Young and Rube Waddell. Young not only pitched a complete game but also drove in a pair of runs as the Americans took the opener 5-1. Ted Lewis pitched a complete game for Boston in Game 2 and the Americans improved to 9-1 on the road in The Gauntlet with a 7-5 victory. Game 3 was an extra inning affair as both teams scored unearned runs in the first nine innings. Jimmy Collins then knocked in the winning run in the 10th as Boston came out on top 6-5. Despite a dozen hits, the Orphans were only able to score a single run in Game 4 as Ted Lewis got his second complete game victory of the series and the Americans completed the sweep with a 4-1 win. Cy Young was named Series MVP.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 0

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS WASHINGTON SENATORS
When you can spot Cy Young a 4-0 lead, you are in great shape and that's what the Americans did in the first inning of Game 1. That was enough for Cy Young to go the distance in an 8-3 win. The Americans then won their 8th in a row and improved to 11-1 on the road by dismantling the Senators 16-3 in Game 2 behind the bat of Buck Freeman. Game 3 went extra innings Hobie Ferris brought in the winning run in the 10th as Cy Young got another complete game victory. The Americans took Game 3 4-3 and were one win away from yet another sweep. The Americans then completed the sweep with a 5-2 victory in Game 4 as Hobie Ferris went 4-for-4 with 2 RBI. Freddy Parent was named the Series MVP.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 0

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS CINCINNATI REDS
Noodles Hahn pitched the complete game win as a 9th inning error turns what would have been a 4-3 victory for Boston into a 5-4 decision for the Reds in Game 1. Ted Lewis returned the favor in Game 2 as the Americans evened the series with a 7-1 thrashing of the Reds. In Game 3, Cy Young overcame his team's 4 errors by allowing just 4 hits and no earned runs and the Americans took the series lead with a 3-1 win. The Americans committed 6 errors but it was an error by the Reds in the bottom of the 9th that allowed the winning run to score as Ted Lewis once again led Boston to the win by the score of 2-1. Sam Crawford helped keep the Reds alive with a 2-run home run in the first inning of Game 5 and the Reds took a 5-4 victory to force the series to return to Cincinnati. But nothing could save the Reds from Chick Stahl in Game 6. Stahl drove in 5 runs as the Americans cruised to an 8-3 win and continued their road dominance in The Gauntlet. Freddy Parent was named the MVP of the Series once again.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 2

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS NEW YORK GIANTS
Cy Young and Dummy Taylor put on a pitching duel for the ages in Game 1 that went into extra innings. The Americans scored a run in the 12th to take it 2-1. Christy Mathewson dominated Game 2 and the Americans committed 4 errors as the Giants evened the series with a 4-2 win. Cy Young again held the Giants to a single run as the Americans took Game 3 4-1. Ted Lewis not only outdueled Christy Mathewson in Game 4, he also knocked in the winning run in the bottom of the 9th as the Americans moved one win away from yet another series win by beating the Giants 3-2. Bill Pyle then pitched a gem in Game 5 as the Giants stayed alive with a 3-1 win. Both teams went all out for Game 6 as we had Cy Young going against Christy Mathewson. This game also went extra innings where Ossee Schreckengost drove in the winning run in the top of the 10th and Boston won the game 3-2 and the series 4-2. Cy Young was named the Series MVP.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 2

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS ST LOUIS CARDINALS
After having knocked off the worse teams of the National League, the Americans tried their luck against one of the senior circuit's better teams. Game 1 was a tight pitcher's duel between Cy Young and Jack Powell that went extra innings. Boston then erupted for 5 runs in the top of the 10th to take a home a 7-2 win. Cy Young even contributed 2 RBI in that 10th inning. George Winter got the complete game victory in Game 2 as Boston won 4-2. There would not be a pitcher's duel in Game 3 as the two teams combined to score a dozen runs. Ossee Schreckengost went 3-for-4 and drove in 3 runs as Boston won 7-5. George Winter then helped Boston complete the sweep with a complete game 5-1 victory. Winter went 2-0 with an ERA below 1.0 and was named Series MVP.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 0

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS BOSTON BEANEATERS
We didn't get the Battle of Chicago but we do get the Battle of Boston! Cy Young pitched another complete game as the Americans took Game 1 5-3. Ted Lewis then pitched the Americans to a 6-3 victory in Game 2. Cy Young gave up just 3 hits in Game 3 and shutout the Beaneaters 4-0. Vic Willis got a complete game victory to keep his team alive as the Beaneaters took Game 4 2-1. The Americans committed 6 errors in Game 5 and Fred Tenney scored 3 times and drove in a pair as the Beaneaters won 7-5. Then Game 6 happened. Cy Young pitched another complete game and got plenty of run support as Ossee Schreckengost went 5-for-6 with 3 RBI and the American took the most lopsided win so far 14-2. And yet again, Cy Young was names Series MVP.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 2

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS BROOKLYN SUPERBAS
Could the Americans actually run this Gauntlet? With just four teams left to beat, they were sure giving it their best shot. This would be a very difficult run to top already as they had won 9 straight series. Game 1 was a wild extra inning affair that saw Joe Kelley knock in the winning run in the bottom of the 13th and the Superbas prevailed 8-7. The Americans have not had a 2-game deficit in any series in The Gauntlet and they avoid that here by winning Game 2 5-3 behind the pitching of Ted Lewis. Cy Young had a much better Game 3 than he did a Game 1 and the Americans took a 2-1 series lead with a 2-1 win. Ted Lewis then pitched the Americans to a 4-3 win in Game 4 and they were one win away from reaching the Final Four of thw 1901 Gauntlet. Jimmy Collins went 3-for-4 with a home run, 2 triples, 2 RBI and 3 runs scored as Boston finished off Brooklyn with a 6-3 win in Game 5. Collins was named Series MVP.
BOSTON AMERICANS WIN 4 GAMES TO 1

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BOSTON AMERICANS VS BALTIMORE ORIOLES
After starting at #13, the Americans had stormed their way into the Final Four. The winner of this series would be the last 1901 American League team remaining. Joe McGinnity outdueled Cy Young in Game 1 as the Orioles came out on top 4-3. Ted Lewis did the same to Harry Howell in Game 2 as the Americans evened up the series with a 4-2 win. A 6-run 5th was more than enough run support for Cy Young as the Americans took Game 3 7-3. Buck Freeman tried to push the Americans to a 3-1 lead in the series but the Orioles got a 6-run 6th inning to take Game 4 9-6. Stan Yerkes gave the Orioles the lead back in the series with a complete game performance as Baltimore took Game 5 9-6. Facing elimination, Cy Young came through once again to beat the Orioles 6-2 in Game 6. The magic finally ran dry for the Americans as Harry Howell took Baltimore to a 6-2 victory in Game 7.
Orioles second baseman Jimmy Williams was named Series MVP, ending Boston's incredible run.
BALTIMORE ORIOLES WIN 4 GAMES TO 3

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BALTIMORE ORIOLES VS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
The Orioles came in as the last American League team left in the 1901 Gauntlet. Al Orth led the Phillies to a Game 1 win as Philadelphia scored a walkoff run in the 9th to take a 4-3 decision. Philadelphia broke open a close Game 2 with a 7-run 8th inning as Red Donahue went the distance in a 10-4 win. Joe McGinnity outdueled Al Orth in Game 3 as the Orioles got a 3-2 win. Down 2-1, the Orioles gave Harry Howell more than enough run support to even the series with a 10-3 win in Game 4. Game 5 was an absolute disaster for the Orioles. Ed Delahanty went 4-for-5 with 3 RBI and scored 4 times himself as a road team won for the first time in this series with the Phillies blasting the Orioles 17-5. Trailing 5-4 in the 8th inning of Game 6, the Phillies scored 3 runs to win 7-5 and advance to the 1901 Gauntlet Championship Series. Ed McFarland went 3-for-5 with a double and scored twice. Elmer Flick was named the Series MVP.
PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES WIN 4 GAMES TO 2

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PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES VS PITTSBURGH PIRATES
Though some of the seedings may have seemed a bit weird, the two best teams were seeded 1 and 2 and meet for the 1901 Gauntlet Championship! Game 1 saw a complete game shutout from Rube Waddell as the Pirates marched to a 5-0 win. Doc White nearly returned the favor in Game 2, coming one inning short of the shutout as the Phillies romped 7-1. The Pirates overcame 5 errors in Game 3 to win 5-4 behind the pitching of Rube Waddell once again. Jesse Tannehill put the Pirates one win away from being the 1901 Gauntlet Champions as Pittsburgh took Game 4 5-4. With the Gauntlet on the line, Game 5 went to extra innings and the Phillies got a run in the bottom of the 11th to win 3-2 as Red Donahue pitched a complete game. Game 6 also went into extra innings The Phillies took advantage of 2 errors in the top of the 12th to get 3 runs and win 6-3 as Al Orth only allowed 1 earned run through 8 innings. The Phillies had a chance to become the first team to win a series after trailing by 2 games. However, the Phillies learned that you can't commit 6 errors and expect to beat Rube Waddell. Those errors were key contributors to the Pirates winning Game 7 5-2 to claim the 1901 Gauntlet Championship. The 1901 Pittsburgh Pirates now await the winner of the 1902 Gauntlet. Rube Waddell was named Series MVP.
PITTSBURGH PIRATES WIN 4 GAMES TO 3

THE PITTSBURGH PIRATES WIN THE 1901 GAUNTLET!

[RobToxin]

1902 GAUNTLET SEEDINGS
1. Philadelphia Athletics
2. Baltimore Orioles
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Boston Americans
5. Pittsburgh Pirates
6. Cincinnati Reds
7. St Louis Browns
8. Detroit Tigers
9. Brooklyn Superbas
10. New York Giants
11. St Louis Cardinals
12. Washington Senators
13. Boston Beaneaters
14. Chicago Orphans
15. Philadelphia Phillies
16. Cleveland Bronchos

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CLEVELAND BRONCHOS VS PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
Amazing how far the Phillies have fallen in one year. They commit 4 errors and head to the bottom of the 9th trailing 2-1 in Game 1. But Cleveland then commits 2 errors in the bottom of the 9th and the Phillies score twice to win 3-2 with Doc White getting the complete game victory. Game 2 was another see-saw affair. Charlie Hickman went 3-for-3 with a walk, an RBI and scored a run and Cleveland evened the series with a 5-4 win in Game 2. Ossee Schreckengost got a pinch-hit RBI single to give Cleveland the walkoff 3-2 win in Game 3 as Dummy Taylor got the complete game victory. Harry Bernis pounded Philadelphia pitching in Game 3, going 4-for-5 with a triple, 2 RBI and 2 runs scored as the Bronchos took a 3-1 lead in the series with an 8-7 win in Game 4. Cleveland then finished off the Phillies in Game 5 with a 13-8 win as Bill Bradley went 3-for-4 with a home run, 3 RBI and 2 runs scored. Bradley was named the Series MVP.
CLEVELAND BRONCHOS WIN 4 GAMES TO 1

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CLEVELAND BRONCHOS VS CHICAGO ORPHANS
The Bronchos were out to show that they should not have been seeded 16th as they took Game 1 5-3 for their 5th win in a row. Dummy Taylor got the complete game victory. In Game 2, Elmer Flick went 3-for-4 with a home run, 2 RBI and scored twice as the Bronchos held off a 9th inning comeback bid for a 4-3 win. Dummy Taylor went the distance in Game 3 for the Bronchos in an 8-4 win. With a shot at the sweep, the Bronchos wasted no time taking control of Game 4, scoring 4 runs in the 1st. The Orphans killed themselves with 5 errors as the Bronchos took the sweep with a 7-2 victory as Addie Joss got the win with a complete game. Charlie Hemphill was named the Series MVP.
CLEVELAND BRONCHOS WIN 4 GAMES TO 0