A World Series Preview

The Yanks are back in the Fall Classic for the first time since 2003 and the Phillies are back for the second consecutive year.  Here’s how the teams will match up:

Catcher: Jorge Posada vs. Carlos Ruiz

Hip Hip Jorge has had a solid postseason in 2009 and is clearly the better hitting catcher.  Ruiz calls a good game, but it’s likely any difference there will be made up by Posada’s bat.  If Jose Molina continues to catch AJ Burnett, give Ruiz the advantage that game.  Overall Advantage: Yankees

First Base: Ryan Howard vs. Mark Teixeira

Howard has been a monster in October whereas Teixeira’s lone bright spot on offense was the game winning home run in game two of the ALDS.  He’s done little since then, although he has started to hit in the last few games.  Tex’s glove is much better than Howard and Big Ryan strikes out a lot.  Advantage: Push

Second Base: Chase Utley vs. Robinson Cano

Robbie hasn’t hit too well in October, but neither has Utley, whose one home runs and two RBI are a far cry from his true skill level.  Speaking of skill, Utley is fantastic in the field.  Advantage: Phillies

Shortstop: Derek Jeter vs. Jimmy Rollins

J-Roll is hitting only .244 in the postseason, while Jeter is about 100 points higher.  In the field, give Rollins the slight advantage but Jeter is the guy I would want up in any postseason situation and has come through time and time again in october.  Advantage: Yankees

Third Base: Alex Rodriguez vs. Pedro Feliz

Had this been any other October, I would have taken a used pair of cleats over A-Rod, but this year I won’t take anyone over him.  Advantage: Yankees

Left Field: Johnny Damon vs. Raul Ibanez

Raul had a great first half of the year but really slowed down when he got hurt.  He’s been crawling through the postseason, hitting .226 with one home run.  Damon hasn’t had a great October either, but he had a decent ALCS.  Raul is the better outfielder, but not by much.  Advantage: Push

Center Field: Melky Cabrera a vs. Shane Victorino

When you least expect it, Melky seems to shine.  Victorino, on the other hand, has been one of the Phillies’ best players this postseason, posting a .361 batting average with three homers and seven RBI.  Advantage: Phillies

Right Field: Nick Swisher vs. Jayson Werth

Werth was 3-4 with two homers in the NLCS clinching game five and is hitting .281 with five home runs in October.  Swish has been quiet, hitting under .200 in October.  Advantage: Phillies

Bench

I’d like to see the Yanks dump the useless Freddy Guzman and bring back Eric Hinske, especially with the loss of the DH in the Philadelphia-hosted games.  Hinske could be a valuable pinch hitter for the pitcher.  Brett Gardner can be a game changer.  It also might be time to reconsider Francisco Cervelli’s place on the postseason roster.  Are three catchers really necessary?  As for the Phils, they have firepower in Matt Stairs and Greg Dobbs but what else?  Eric Bruntlett? Advantage: Push

Starting Pitching

It’s real close between  CC Sabathia, AJ Burnett, and Andy Pettitte versus Cliff Lee, Cole Hamels, and Pedro Martinez.  Each team has it’s veteran (Pettitte v. Martinez) and two lefties in the rotation.  The lefties work to the Yanks advantage since the Phillies big hitters (Howard, Utley, Ibanez) are all lefties.  If each team uses a fourth starter, my guess is Sabathia goes on short rest for the Bronx Bombers to pitch games one, four, and seven and Chad Gaudin goes in game five.  I’ll take that over either Joe Blanton or J.A. Happ.  For that reason alone, Advantage: Yankees

Bullpen

The Phillies have had difficulty closing games all year, but Brad Lidge has looked good in October this year.  With Happ in the pen alongside Ryan Madson, Chan Ho Park, Chad Durbin, et al the Phils have depth, but the game changer is Mariano Rivera who is untouchable in October in his career.  Two home runs in 125 innings and a career postseason ERA of 0.72.  That’s filthy.  While Phil Hughes, David Robertson, Joba Chamberlain, and Phil Coke have been far from unhittable in October I still like them more than Philly’s group.  Damaso Marte had a terrible year, but lefties only hit .120 against him.  The Phils are loaded with lefties, so he’ll probably stick around. Advantage: Yankees

Overall Prediction

Pitching wins championships and the Yankees are way too deep, especially with two lefty starters, for the Phils to overcome.  There will be no repeat in Philadelphia this year as the Yanks win #27 in six games.

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.

Is Baseball Still Being Played?

Huh… so I turned the tv on last night and caught the end of a baseball game, but since the Yanks were done, I thought baseball season was over.

Ok to tell you the truth I have kept up with the MLB Playoffs, even though both my World Series picks, the Cubs and the Angels have been eliminated.  In fact only one team that I picked to win, the Phillies, is still alive.  At least this year, as opposed to last, had me making one correct pick.

So with my terrible picking ability, here are my LCS picks for this year.

Phillies vs. Dodgers – I will be rooting for the Dodgers and Joe Torre and, quite frankly, I think they will take the NLCS in six games or less.  While I like Cole Hamels and Joe Blanton, there is something about the team chemistry in LA that reminds me of the 1996 Yankees, with the team coming before self.  LA does have the one superstar in Manny Ramirez, but the team just so much well TOGETHER.  Even clubhouse cancer Jeff Kent has kept his mouth shut.

Red Sox vs. Rays – As a Yankee fan, I’m going to surprise you and pick the Red Sox in six.  Tampa has some good young pitching, but I think guys like Aki Iwamura and even Evan Longoria have overperformed and their lack of team experience will hurt if they don’t go up early in the series.  If they take a 2-0 lead, however, I think Tampa can win the series.  The back of the bullpen for Tampa is iffy also and with Troy Percival out, I can’t say that the game is over after a certain amount of innings like I can with Boston.

So I hope I’m right on the NL side and well… I hate the Red Sox.