GOWDY 86 PROJECT REPORT

                                            MVP LEADER ROUND 3 

The 86 Gowdy project is a great answer to the usual what ifs that drive my interest in playing these sports sims.  The project is named after Curt Gowdy, my favorite sports announcer from the  70s.  I chose the 86 season given there were a number of teams who could have won the World Series.  The Astros , Red Sox , Athletics and others could challenge the Mets.  The top 24 teams were divided into 3 divisions, East, Central and West.  The bottom 3 teams participated in a relegation tournament.  The Cubs won the relegation slot for the 24th slot in the divisions. 

There are other things which make this project interesting.  First, I use the Inside Pitch board game to play each game and use the Digital Diamond baseball board companion to keep score.  Inside Pitch is the most realistic sim on the market. It tests all aspects of each player and each team.  It is a blast.

The scheduling uses the King of the Hill format.  The project requires each division to play 8 rounds and each team plays until they lose and the next team takes its place.  I like this format because it gives each game the feel and pressure of a playoff game.  I can also play every game in the project without losing interest because while the best teams play most of the games, every team has a shot at the playoffs.

After 3 rounds, the Mets (7-2 in the East), Royals ( 5-3 in the Central ) and the Twins (5-3 in the West ) are the divisional leaders.  The 3 wildcard slots are currently held by the Red Sox ( 5-2), the Tigers (4-2) and the Angels (4-2). 

I am sure you understand the stats have small sample sizes but at this point the Padres Kevin McReynolds leads the MVP contest with a slash line of 478/538/1.043 to go along with 3 homers and 10 RBIs.  Dwight Gooden leads the CY Young voting with a 0.81 WHIP and 2.31 ERA to go along with 17 Ks and 4 BBs in 23 IP.

Here are the current standings 

East
Mets 7-2
Red Sox 5-2
Braves 4-2
Phillies 3-2
Orioles 2-3
Blue Jays 1-3
Yankees 0-3
Expos  0-3

Central
Royals 5-3
Tigers 4-2
Brewers 4-3
Reds 3-1
Cards 2-3
Cubs 2-3
Indians 1-3
White Sox 0-3

West
Twins 5-3
Angels 4-2
Astros 3-2
Giants 3-2
Padres 3-3
Athletics 2-3
Dodgers 1-3
Rangers 0-3



I will post some hitting and batting leaders shortly.