Editor’s note: The 1990 Tournament games are being played with Strat-o-Matic cards and dice. The designated hitter will be used for any contests involving American League teams when games are played at home. Injuries will only be used during the game when they occur. For this tournament, the rules include a three-man pitching rotation using the best lineups available.
Six teams from five different franchises that won the World Series highlight the 16-team bracket of the 1990s Diamond Gems Tournament.
New York’s Yankees are represented twice as they won the Fall Classic in 1996 and again in 1998. The 1990 Cincinnati Reds, the 1991 Minnesota Twins, the 1992 Toronto Blue Jays and 1997 Florida Marlins also won championships during the 1990s.
Two teams looking for a title that never had a chance in real life are the 1993 San Francisco Giants and the 1994 Montreal Expos.
San Francisco is the last of eight teams to have won over 100 games to not make the postseason as the Giants finished 103-59 just one game behind the Atlanta Braves.
With a 74-40 record, Montreal had the top mark in the major leagues in 1994 when a player’s strike ended the season.
The tournament is not seeded and the home team will be determined by a coin flip.
Which team would be the favorite? It should be an exciting for those fans who followed these teams during the decade.
1990s Diamond Gems Tournament
First Round Schedule
1998 Houston Astros at 1990 Cincinnati Reds
1998 New York Yankees at 1990 Oakland A’s
1997 Baltimore Orioles at 1992 Toronto Blue Jays
1993 Philadelphia Phillies at 1996 Atlanta Braves
1990 Pittsburgh Pirates at 1998 San Diego Padres
1997 Florida Marlins at 1991 Minnesota Twins
1996 New York Yankees at 1993 San Francisco Giants
1995 Cleveland Indians at 1994 Montreal Expos