I've been moving slowly on this -- just so much life stuff and the time I do have for showdown has been consumed by the 30 for 30 league. With Hot Stove kicking into full gear and coming up, I figured this was the most efficient way of sharing the remaining cards from the 2021 Set: a full drop of the google folder!
We're in the FINAL FOUR for the first season in the 30 for 30 League, and it's the teams we all expected (heavy sarcasm) -- National League newcomers Miami and Arizona square off in the NLCS while #2 Wild Card Seattle takes on 87-win Boston in the ALCS. League wise, a lot of drama is built up by 2/3 of the "Columbus crew" making it to the final four -- Miami (Turkey Sandwich) and Seattle (Izzaldizzal). Meanwhile, you've seen Win Dance Repeat (WDR) write articles on this here blog and if you're on the discord, you're very familiar with him (and his Boston trash talk ;)). Rounding out the participants is Mikey for Arizona -- I was best man at his wedding and he was with me when the first league I ever played in was formed in our dorm in 2011, chipped in to order custom cards from Colby in 2011 and chipped in on charting and playing out a league for my very own first custom set in 2012.... and so the stage is set for these four experienced Showdown players' teams to square off in Savard's awesome simulator... The pennants for both leagues are on the line!! PLAY BALL
We're finally here, after 162 (or 163) games and the Wild Card round.... the PLAYOFFS proper!!! The matchups are well-known: Mikey's DBacks v. Bosh's Phillies, My 106-win Brewers vs the Wild Card winning Marlins led by Turkey Sandwich, WDR's Red Sox against Tensin's Astros, and the red hot Mariners of Izzaldizzal against KSGriff's Guardians.... So now, here we go: baseball's ELITE EIGHT from the 30 for 30 season kicks off now!!!
DBACKS PLAYOFF LINEUP
Your NL Central champions!!! They started slow and ended seemingly even slower, and then bowed out of the postseason almost immediately... but it was still the best Brewers team of my lifetime and continued what's almost inarguably been the greatest 4-year stretch in Brewers history (postseason every season!).
z Winning the AL East and crossing the 100 win threshold for the first time in franchise history, safe to say it was a memorable season for the Tampa Bay Rays! Following up on their AL Pennant win in 2020, most did not expect the Rays to make the postseason again after losing Blake Snell in the offseason... how wrong those pundits were, as this team comfortably secured the title of the toughest, deepest division in baseball! However, the 2021 season may be most remembered for a very specific reason -- the debut of phenom SS Wander Franco (who gets a pretty amazing card below).
We're finally to the postseason following the Game 163 matchups, which had an amazing performance by Roy Halladay to send the Phillies to the #2 seed. Ok, let's just get into it!!!
NL WILD CARD: (5) Cubs at (4) Marlins
Cubs Lineup:
After 162 games for every team.... the playoff picture still wasn't finalized, as the NL East and AL West both needed a 163rd game to determine the division winner! The matchups? Oakland vs Houston and Miami vs Philadelphia!
