So for me, they can cancel the series and hand it to the Angels for the tough season they went through. Or how about giving it to the Indians seeing that less then 15 months ago both Game 1 starters were part of their rotation? Sorry, Indians fans. At least you have Manny Acta managing after his Nationals' stint.
At least I am not a Mets' fan. What do those fans do? They despise both of these teams and it kills them that they are playing each other. I would guess they just want the series to end quickly & quietly, and move on to 2010.
Actually, I don't hate either of these teams. I am not a Yankee fan, but I do like some of their players. How can you not like, or at least respect Derek Jeter for all he has done over his career? Also, I am a fan of CC Sabathia and his willingness to put teams on his back and pitch whenever asked to take the mound. Add in Mariano Rivera, Johnny Damon, and Mark Teixeira, and this is a group of Yankees that doesn't give you that "bad taste" like others have in prior years. Unless of course you are a Red Sox fan, and that bad taste is permanent.
I also like this Phillie team. They have won the NL East the last three years and won last year's World Series, and seemed to have fun as a team the whole time. It sounds cliche, but I really think it is important for a team to like each other. They don't have to be close like high school sweethearts, but I believe a team liking each other can give it an edge over a long season, and especially in the playoffs. Jimmy Rollins, Chase Utley and Ryan Howard are all good hard working players and the heart of this team. Add in their "like a grandpa" manager in Charlie Manuel, and it's hard to root against them.
The Yankees will have the edge in starting pitching, once we get off the two aces, as I think Sabathia and Cliff Lee are a wash, but AJ Burnett and Andy Pettitte have the edge over Pedro Martinez and Cole Hamels. The Phillies are hoping that Pedro keeps his magic ride going since they picked him up and that Hamels turns into the 2008 NLCS and World Series MVP pitcher, but those are two big "ifs". Manuel and the Phillies will be ecstatic if either pitcher can give them 6 innings in Games 2 or 3.
For the bullpen, I think this is an overall even matchup, but if you believe closers or middle relievers are more important then the other you might disagree. Rivera has the edge over Brad Lidge, as I am not one of those who believes that Lidge is back to 2008 form. As for the middle relief and set-up men, Phil Hughes and Joba Chamberlain have been disappointments this past month plus, so much so that Joe Girardi used Rivera for a 6 out save to nail down Game 6 against the Angels. Meanwhile the Phillies middle relief and set-up men have been solid, and as long as Manuel doesn't overuse them, could be the difference in this series.
The lineups for both teams are impressive, and probably the best two in baseball. Jeter, Rodriguez, Teixera, Damon, Jorge Posada and Hideki Matsui on one side with Howard, Rollins, Utley, Shane Victoino, Raul Ibanez and Jayson Werth on the other. Neither set of pitchers is happy looking at the opposing lineups they will face. Add in that both ballparks play "small", and we could see quite a few 10-8 and 8-6 games this series.
As for a prediction, I like the Phillies in six or seven games. They are a good defensive team, so they shouldn't give the Yankee lineup extra outs, and their lineup is as good as anything these Yankee pitchers have seen all year. For some reason I think we will see a well pitched game from either Pedro or Hamels, that will give the Phillies a boost. Another reason is the bullpen work. Unless the Yankees middle relief gets straightened out, it might not matter that Rivera is waiting in the 9th. I also think because the Phillies won it all last year, and there is a bit of history involved (only three other NL teams have ever won back to back World Series: 1907-08 Cubs, 1921-22 Giants and 1975-76 Reds), they will scratch out the wins to give the city of Philadelphia a reason for a parade.
***If this series goes the full seven games, Game 7 is scheduled for Thursday, November 5th. That is ridiculous to begin with, and does not account for any bad weather. How long before a World Series game is between the Thanksgiving Day NFL games?
November baseball is plain and simple, wrong. Who's looking forward to possible November games in Minnesota's new outdoor stadium? How about starting the regular season one week earlier in warm weather and dome cities, and scheduling seven day/night double headers for each team to reduce another week from the calendar. That way based on this year's schedule, Game 7 would be October 22nd. Not great, but better then any November dates.
Another problem is playoff scheduling. These playoffs started October 7th, and if the series ends in four games, will finish on November 1st. That is 25 days, but the Phillies and Yankees would have only played 13 games in that time. Twelve days off during the post season, while during the regular season most teams don't have more then 20 scheduled off days. Baseball is a rhythm game, and playing what turns out to every other day, ruins rhythm. I know MLB is beholden to FOX and the scheduling, but can we please do something about this?
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