I think the magic has run out…

Sorry Rays, I think you’re done.  Ryan Howard has started hitting home runs again and the top 2/3 of the Phillie lineup has just demolished Tampa pitching recently.

As we prepare for game five, Joe Maddon has tinkered with his lineup, but I think that it’s too late.  I can’t imagine a team getting down 3-1 now and winning three straight against Cole Hamels, the hottest pitcher in the game right now.

It was quite the run for Tampa and the Rays were fun to watch and root for.  I still look for them to contend in the AL East again, especially with David Price destined for the rotation.

If you’re keeping score at home, I picked both LCS matchups wrong and the World Series wrong.  I think, though, I had one ALDS game right so that should still enable me to keep some part of my dignity and credibility as someone who allegedly “knows the game.”

Barring a game seven, stay tuned for my postseason awards, coming soon!

Pitching Wins Championships: I’ve Got the Rays

Let’s be honest here.  The Red Sox lost, so I really don’t care who wins the World Series, but not because I’m a jerk.  I’ll be happy for either team. One of my former colleagues is a big Phillies fan, so I’d love to see them win for him.  They last won in 1980, so a W here wouldn’t hurt.  I also really like the Rays’ worst-to-first story and I like Joe Maddon.

So then, I know that Fox predicts that no one is going to watch this, so allow me to just tell you what’s going to happen in the World Series.  First off, ignore the fact that I picked both LCS series incorrect.

I love the Tampa starting pitching and I think it is much deeper than the Phillie rotation.  Pitching wins championships – Rays in six.  The best part about the Tampa rotation is that if someone falters early in a game, they have Edwin Jackson and David Price sitting in the bullpen waiting to come in.  I’d take either of those guys (Jackson moreso than Price) over Jamie Moyer any day.  In addition, I think Joe Blanton is hit or miss.  As for the bats, I’ll give the Phils’ 1-6 hitters an A+ and they’re better than the Rays there.  Tampa, on the other hand, has a better lineup 1-9, but not by much.  I like the way they manufacture runs and go first to third.  The Phillies run better than anyone in the league and I think the benches are pretty even.

With the Phillies having so much time off, I’ll say their bats have cooled a bit, not to mention that Ryan Howard only has driven in two runs so far in the postseason.  With the huge win against Boston I give the Rays the momentum edge, for what it’s worth.  Phillies take the edge in terms of crowd, by a landslide.  Half the people in Tampa couldn’t name their opening day lineup and didn’t start going to games until the playoffs.

Yanks Find Scapegoat: Meacham Canned

Just as I thought the Yankees were going to let this past season become acceptable, with no heads hitting the chopping block (note the sarcasm), the New York Yankees elected to not bring third base coach Bobby Meacham back in 2009.

Well if it’s one person’s fault on the coaching staff, it is definitely Meacham (again, note the sarcasm).  As you habitual Backwards K readers may recall, I wrote a post towards the end of the season which suggested that manager Joe Girardi was to blame for the team’s struggles in ‘08, however, the Yanks apparently thought differently and so Meacham takes the fall for the Bombers not making the playoffs.

I will say this… and that is usually when the Steinbrenners are unhappy (lately, as opposed to the 1970s and 1980s) with the way the season is going or has gone, it’s a base coach or some other coach that is the scapegoat. I can recall a bullpen coach getting fired midway through the season in a recent year.

Realistically, Bobby Meacham is in no way responsible for the Yankees ‘08 season and he isn’t to blame.  With the year they Yanks had, a coach had to go just for showmanship sake, more than anything.

This firing does open the door to a couple possibilities for Meacham’s replacement:

• Luis Sojo: firstbase coach and thirdbase coach for Joe Torre for several years after he retired as a player.
• Willie Randolph: former LONGTIME thirdbase coach for the Yanks under Torre and former Met manager.  We know how much the Yanks love Randolph and they collect former managers (see: Tony Pena, Joe Kerrigan, Larry Bowa on the same Torre staff…)
• Paul O’Neill: Yeah, that’s right.  When Girardi was hired, he was on some radio show saying he was calling about coaching positions.  You move Pena to third and stick O’Neill at first… I mean what does a firstbase coach actually do, anyway?  You like him coaching the outfielders on proper techniques of air batting practice when you get bored, and his fire.  You think Robinson Cano wouldn’t cower in fear if Paul O’Neill told him he needed to play harder?  He would be running out ground balls TWICE just so the water cooler wouldn’t get thrown at him.

Girardi, if he has control over his coaches – which I’m not really sure about anyway, will likely select someone that I’ve never heard of that served as some sort of roving organizational instructor with tenure, but if the Steinbrenners and Brian Cashman have a voice, which I think they do, look for someone who wore the pinstripes at some point and don’t count out my boy O’Neill as a darkhorse.