Kansas City Bracket - Round Two Results

For a spot in the Sweet 16, we have these matchups:

#1 Jacksonville Season 8 vs #9 Texas Season 6
#4 Pawtucket Season 8 vs #5 Kansas City Season 7

#3 Kansas City Season 6 vs #11 Pawtucket Season 3
#2 Kansas City Season 2 vs #7 Colorado Springs Season 12

#1 Jacksonville Juggernauts Season 8 vs #9 Texas Tittyballs Season 6

Two very great teams. Two very great franchises. Two teams who won their league championship series, but lost the World Series.

The offenses are both dominant. Domingo Gonzalez, of Jacksonville hit 29 home runs in season 8. That was 5th best on his team. Four others hit over 40 home runs, including Bonk Stuart, who hit 52 home runs and drove in a team high 123 RBIs.

Texas can't claim that its home run power was as deep as Jacksonville's. Jacksonville had 253 HR that season, Texas hit 228 in theirs. But Texas's JR Lankford had 133 RBIs, 10 more than Bonk Stuarts leading total on Jacksonville. The amazing this about that? Lankford had the 3rd most RBIs on his team, behind Sean O'Toole & Billy Hernandez.

So how do you compare these two teams? Their offenses are great, what about their pitching? Sal Freeman, Texas' #1 starter, was 20-7 with a 3.22 ERA. Great. Their closer? 35 for 44 in saves with a 7.46 ERA. What?! Jacksonville was led by Alex Olmeda, who went 22-5 with a 2.79 ERA. And Jax used a closer by committee, which produced a 17 for 23 with 3.54 ERA guy, and a 21 for 22 with 3.48 ERA guy.

So while Texas can match the Jacksonville firepower, Jacksonville easily would be able to outpitch the Texas staff. And because of that, Jacksonville is moving on to the sweet 16.

#4 Pawtucket Polythene Season 8 vs #5 Kansas City Shuffle Season 7

So who does Jacksonville get in the Sweet 16? This Kansas City Shuffle team won 107 games, was defending back-to-back-to-back-to-back AL Champions, and made it back to the ALCS for a 7th straight season. Impressive.

The Pawtucket team won 108 games, also made it to a 7th straight LCS, and went on to win the World Series.

Pawtucket's team had a 1.24 whip and 3.54 ERA for the season. Kansas City had a 1.34 whip and 4.04 ERA.

Kansas City hit 190 home runs, but stole over 300 bases, scored over 1000 runs, and had a .285 team average. Pawtucket hit 250 home runs, but only stole 130 bases, scored 888 runs, and had a .276 average.

Was Pawtucket really better than KC? Statistically, not really. The pitching was much better, but KC's offense was equally as far ahead of Pawtucket's offense.

So how does this match get decided? The biggest denominator of them all, of course. Pawtucket won the World Series this year. Maybe during the regular season these teams are even. But with a win-or-go-home situation playing out, this Pawtucket team will win every time.

This sets up a World Series VIII rematch in the Sweet 16.

#3 Kansas City Shuffle Season 6 vs #11 Pawtucket Polythene Season 3

Pawtucket just beat Kansas City. Can they do it again? This Pawtucket team won 100 games. Reached the NLCS. Was the #1 seed in the playoffs. They scored over 900 runs. They led all of baseball with a 4.04 ERA. And won the Cy Young, for the 3rd straight year.

They just upset a 106 win team that had scored over 1000 runs. The team definitely believes they can beat Kansas City.

But then Kansas City shows up. 110 wins. Division Champion. #1 seed. AL Champion. World Series Champion. Back-to-back World Series Champion. 3.96 team ERA. 1050 runs scored. .296 team average. A boatload of future Hall of Famers.

Would they even play this game? Or would Kansas City walk out of the dugout, Pawtucket take one look, and then go up to the umpire and say 'Hey, ya know what? They win. We forfeit. Let's just go drink beers.'

This KC machine is a serious threat to win the entire tournament.

#2 Kansas City Season 2 vs #7 Colorado Springs Season 12

Kansas City, 112-50. AL West Champions. #1 seed. Colorado Springs 105-57. NL West Champions. #1 seed.

Kansas City 1207 runs scored! .302 team average. 365 2b. 217 home runs. Colorado Springs 793 runs scored. .277 team average. 241 2b. 179 home runs.

Kansas City 68 for 80 saves. 1.40 team whip. 4.40 team era. Colorado Springs 58 for 71 saves. 1.23 team whip. 2.89 team era.

Kansas City 8 All-Stars. AL MVP. Cy Young winner. Fireman of the Year. 2 Silver Sluggers. 3 Gold Gloves. Colorado Springs 7 All-Stars. Cy Young Winner. 1 Silver Slugger. 2 Gold Gloves.

What's more impressive? 1200+ runs scored, and a team average over .300. Or a team ERA under 3.00? Guys hit .300 all the time, but to have an entire team average that is quite the feat. Although it has been done more than once in league history. Under 3.00 ERA is nearly impossible to do on an individual basis. To have an entire team average less than 3 runs per game for a season is unheard of.

Could that pitching staff handle that offense? Is this the best pitching staff ever vs the greatest offense ever? Could that staff actually control those bats? Really? Shut them down?

Well, through the first two rounds of the playoffs in season 12, Colorado Springs had a 7-0 record. Perfection. This KC team won its first round series 3-1, and then was shocked by the Iowa City Kaysons 4-2 in the ALCS.

If Iowa City can beat this Kansas City offense, why couldn't Colorado Springs? There's no answer there. Simply put, they could.

And the scary part is, if Colorado Springs can beat this team, which they do, who is to say they couldn't upset KC3 in the Sweet 16, who by all accounts is a worse team than the KC team CSP just beat.

To view the updated bracket, CLICK HERE.

Kansas City Sweet 16 Matchups (to be simmed next Monday):

#1 Jacksonville Juggernauts Season 8 vs #4 Pawtucket Polythene Season 8
#3 Kansas City Shuffle Season 6 vs #7 Colorado Springs Season 12

Tomorrow, the Jacksonville bracket is simulated...