BY JIM MISUNAS
jmisunas@gbtribune.com
Figuring out a 6-team baseball bracket is relatively easy.
A look at the upcoming Kansas American Legion AAA State baseball tournament July 26-28 at Topeka illustrates why Legion organizers are so misguided.
The way the bracket reads, the top two seeds could play two games to reach the championship round while a first-round winner could play five games to make the championship round.
Granting the top two seeds what could be a 3-game advantage is beyond misguided.
MISUNAS FORMAT
Let me carefully walk through what should be a properly organized 6-team bracket.
POOL A—1—Great Bend 15-8; 2—Leavenworth 15-11; 3—Pittsburg 13-10.
GAME 1—Leavenworth vs. Pittsburg; GAME 2—Great Bend vs. Leavenworth; GAME 3—Great Bend vs. Pittsburg.
Each team has played two games. If one team wins two games, the 1-1 team would have to beat the 2-0 team twice to reach the championship round.
If all three teams are 1-1, then the top seed would advance to the pool final against the winner.
POOL B—1—Topeka Senators 20-11; 2—Chanute 7-5; 3—Ottawa 11-12.
GAME 1—Chanute vs. Ottawa; GAME 2—Topeka Senators vs. Chanute; GAME 3—Topeka Senators vs. Ottawa.
Each team has played two games. If one team wins two games, the 1-1 team would have to beat the 2-0 team twice to reach the championship round.
If all three teams are 1-1, then the top seed would advance to the pool final against the winner.
If either pool winner wins three games, that team would have to be beaten twice by the other pool winner. Each team would have to win three games to reach the championship round.
Now, let’s look at how the actual bracket looks — an completely outdated double-elimination format that could essentially grant the top two seeds a triple bye.
I’ll run a simulation with Pittsburg.
Pittsburg beats Leavenworth. Great Bend beats Pittsburg. Pittsburg beats Ottawa. Pittsburg beats Chanute. Pittsburg beats the Topeka Senators. Pittsburg (4-1) advances to the championship round.
Great Bend beats Pittsburg. Great Bend beats the Topeka Senators. Great Bend (2-0) advances to the championship round.
CHAMPIONSHIP ROUND—Great Bend (2-0) vs. Pittsburg (4-1). If Pittsburg would win the state title, it would play seven games while Great Bend would play four games.
I can’t comprehend how tournament organizers can’t figure that out.
WAIT. I’ve got an answer.
“Because it’s always been done that way.”
C’mon gentlemen. Be better than that. The players deserve it.
