Welcome to Tournament Three

Sixty-four teams:

• 30 from the 2019 season, set presumably to arrive late this week;
• 24 from the 1973 season;
• 6 from the 2009 season (the six expansion teams that I did not use in the first tournament, the 40 Years Tourney)
• 4 wild-card teams, to be explained.

I am dividing the field up into four regionals, as in previous tourneys. This time they are truly regional:

• The West has the 16 teams from the Pacific and Mountain time zones: 2009 and 2019 Mariners, 2009 and 2019 Rockies, 2009 and 2019 Diamondbacks, 1973 and 2019 Giants, 1973 and 2019 A's, 1973 and 2019 Dodgers, 1973 and 2019 Angels, 1973 and 2019 Padres.
• The Dixie has 1973 and 2019 Cardinals, 1973 and 2019 Royals, 1973 and 2019 Rangers, 1973 and 2019 Astros, 1973 and 2019 Braves, 2009 and 2019 Marlins, 2009 and 2019 Rays plus two wild-card teams, 1961 Cardinals and 1924 Browns.
• The Great Lakes has 2009 and 2019 Blue Jays, 1973 and 2019 Indians, 1973 and 2019 Reds, 1973 and 2019 Tigers, 1973 and 2019 White Sox, 1973 and 2019 Cubs, 1973 and 2019 Brewers, 1973 and 2019 Twins.
• The Metroplex has 1973 and 2019 Red Sox, 1973 and 2019 Mets, 1973 and 2019 Yankees, 1973 and 2019 Pirates, 1973 and 2019 Phillies, 1973 and 2019 Orioles, 1973 Expos, 2019 Nationals plus two wild card teams, 1969 Yankees and 1961 Pirates.

The wild card teams were selected to center around .500 or a little below, and will be seeded 8th and 9th. One will, therefore, be eliminated in the first round, and the winner will be headed to a date with a 100-plus win powerhouse.

Other rules, largely copied from Tournament Two:

Active rosters: 25-man rosters.

Schedule: All series are best of seven. They will use the standard TV-era format: 2 games at Team A, an off day, three games (as needed) at Team B, an off day, two games (as needed) at Team A. There will be one off day to follow. For purposes of calculating pitcher rest, assume that all seven games were needed. For example, if a team sweeps a series, it has five off days (Game 5, off day, Game 6 Game 7, off day.)

In bracket play, the higher seeded team gets home field.

Once to the round of four, I will re-seed. One plays Four with home field, Two plays Three with home field.

 
Pitching use rules: Pitchers with an asterisk on the roster may pitch on three days rest, but will be penalized one inning on their weakness factor on short rest. Those pitchers from 162-game seasons with 40 starts and/or 300 innings are exempt from that penalty; pitchers from 154-game seasons are exempt with 38 starts and/or 285 innings.

In the round of four, the penalties are lifted for 35 starts/250 innings. There are no penalties for short rest in the championship series, although existing penalties will be enforced.

 

No pitchers from 2019 come close to even the 35 start/250 exemption. I think 14 pitchers from 1973 meet the 40/300 exemption.  

 

The "Pascual Perez rule" will be enforced: No pitcher with less than 100 innings pitched may start more than once in a series.

Injuries: Will be enforced. A five-day disabled list will be available. Once on the DL, a player cannot come off in that series.